Lumine's eyes sparkled.
She couldn't hold back her tears as she looked at the giant machine crossing through space, rushing toward her and shielding her from the deadly sandstorm. The familiar magical power made her instantly recognize who it was.
"You really came to save me…"
Her heart pounded uncontrollably.
He had truly answered her wish.
Lumine had no idea how Leon had done it. Barely a minute after she contacted him, he had crossed from the Magical Kingdom to this desert to save her life.
It felt almost like a dream.
But the moment Leon appeared piloting the magic machine, all of her fear and anxiety vanished. This time, it wasn't an act—it was a true rescue.
"Looks like I made it just in time."
Seeing Lumine safe, at least for now, Leon also let out a sigh of relief.
In truth, it had taken him only thirty seconds to cover nearly three thousand kilometers.
That would normally be impossible.
But with Shouki, each of his abilities had been amplified many times over, and the maximum distance of his spatial transmission magic had increased more than tenfold.
In just six space jumps, he had reached Lumine's side.
[Analysis: This high-risk sandstorm carries dragon magic. Recommended elements for neutralization: water and wind.]
Shouki automatically analyzed the surrounding environment.
"Alright, I don't want sand staining my new mecha—spin! Vortex!"
Leon/Shouki raised his massive right hand.
He swung powerfully toward the sandstorm ahead.
"Swish swish swish——!"
With a vast gathering of wind elements, a green tornado over 100 meters tall formed.
Then Leon/Shouki lowered the left hand.
The power of water-elemental magic surged into it, and the green tornado suddenly transformed into a massive blue waterspout.
Shouki's arms thrust forward, hurling the watery cyclone directly at the sandstorm.
The instant they collided, the raging magic annihilated everything around them.
"Incredible…"
Lumine stared in awe at the sight before her.
The sandstorm was neutralized.
The world around them returned to peace. The sand that had once blotted out the sun now drifted gently to the ground, while the sky above was clear and blue once more.
[Data collection successful. Confirmed: wind-element magic amplified by 1172%, water-element magic amplified by 1132%.]
Leon glanced at the system messages appearing in his vision and couldn't help finding it all a little strange. The fusion of magic and technology felt less mechanical than the mecha anime from his past life, yet far more artistic and beautiful.
But more than the details—
He rejoiced at the sheer power of the amplification.
"Hahaha~ Excellent! They were just the basic spells 'Wind Vortex' and 'Water Ball,' yet they've been enhanced to such a degree!"
Clenching the fists that had just unleashed such magic, Leon laughed heartily in satisfaction.
They were only two basic elemental spells. Yet once channeled through Shouki, their effects were nothing short of a natural disaster, far beyond his original expectations.
It was no exaggeration to say that no mage in this world could surpass him right now.
But the situation wasn't over.
"ROAAARRRR——!"
A dragon's violent roar erupted from ahead.
"FOOLISH HUMANS, BEGONE FROM MY DOMAIN!!!"
"So it really is a dragon? An elemental dragon too… with an aura similar to Dvalin's?"
Leon narrowed his eyes at the front.
As the sandstorm dissipated, the dragon concealed within was revealed.
A colossal dragon's body stretched thousands of meters long. Like Dvalin, it had no scales—only skin, yellow like that of a serpent.
[Warning! Warning! High-density elemental creature detected ahead—in the form of a dragon!]
[Comparison: Dvalin, Dragon of the East Wind… complete. Evaluation: Dvalin is weaker.]
[Comparison: Shouki's combat performance… complete. Evaluation: Shouki wins.]
Leon's lips curled into a satisfied smile. That was all he needed to know.
"Unfortunately for you, I've already defeated two dragons. Today… you'll be the next one to fall."
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK SO ARROGANTLY, FILTHY HUMAN!!!"
The dragon roared again, unleashing volleys of dendro-element magic bullets. Each blast could have leveled a city wall—yet Shouki effortlessly deflected them.
"You should feel honored. You'll be the first enemy Shouki defeats!" Leon declared proudly.
He was deeply satisfied.
This dragon was worthy of being Shouki's very first opponent.
"Lumine, please step back for now."
"…My king, I want to witness this."
Lumine looked at the spatial gate Leon had opened for her. She knew without a doubt it would lead to a safe zone, yet after a moment of hesitation, she shook her head and refused.
It was her duty to witness the coming battle.
Because no one else was here.
Lumine: "I am a traveler. My mission is to journey to every corner of this world, to places no one else can reach, and to record everything with these eyes."
The blonde traveler gritted her teeth and forced healing magic onto her sprained ankle. Then she rose from the ground, staring defiantly at the massive dragon ahead.
Her golden eyes burned with the will and resolve of a traveler.
Leon: "…Excellent. I really like this girl. In that case, stay here and witness my next great achievement!"
(Beta: "That's my line!")
Leon exclaimed gleefully.
Then he cast a [Spatial Barrier] and wrapped Lumine in a seven-element protective shield.
That way, even if she remained in the heart of the battlefield, she wouldn't perish from the aftermath.
And then—
"ROAAARRRR——!"
Vrrrrmmm!
The roar of the Dendro Dragon and the engine's hum of Shouki thundered across the desert.
This place was about to become a mythical battlefield.
"My name is Leon Fol Palettia. I am the prince of a human kingdom. Tell me your name, dragon."
Leon pointed his machine's arm toward the towering beast.
"Hmph! Very well. I am the 'Dendro Dragon' Apep, the first and only ruler of this land! Human… I shall destroy you with my own hands!"
The sand-yellow dragon's voice was female.
But Leon, who had once faced a maddened Dvalin, understood this was only the dragon's last vestige of awareness—her sanity already corroded by something else.
Yet that hardly mattered.
No matter the dragon's state—
Such a proud and powerful creature could only be reasoned with once it was struck down, broken, and unable to resist.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."