Simultaneous Travel: Becoming a Legend in the Heavens.

Chapter 524 Echidona: I'll never dare to play abstract games again.
"Hey, why... there must be some misunderstanding! Mr. Luke is definitely not an evil person!"

Having recovered from the shock of the "dragon's" appearance, Emilia frantically tried to dissuade it, but her words only ignited public opinion.

"Shut up, half-demon! I've suspected you're suspicious for a long time. A silver-haired half-elf with the same features as the Witch of Envy, how could someone like that be a candidate for the throne!"

"Moreover, the half-demon is now standing with those whom the dragon has identified as sinners. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the embodiment of the Witch of Envy!"

"Now that Princess Priscilla has been designated as Queen, she is no longer considered a chosen one!"

In the dragon kingdom of Lugnica, the dragon represents divine authority, and the royal family is only royal because they have signed a contract with the dragon, which means they have absolute and unquestionable instructions.

With the command of the "dragon", the kneeling crowd slowly stood up and looked at Luke, Ram, Rem, Beatrice, Kazuma Sato and Subaru Natsuki with hostile eyes.

Since the "royal power" was denied, the "divine power" embodied in Luke was also denied.

The knights turned their weapons around, and the elders of the Sages' Society changed their expressions. In an instant, public opinion shifted to one-sidedness.

"There are so many fools in the world that they are countless. Well... after all, this is a weak kingdom that needs the protection of the strong. If it were the Vladia Empire, such charlatans would have been removed from office long ago."

Priscilla looked at the others with a mixture of pity and disgust, her folding fan closing as the blazing "Yang Sword" burst forth with blood-red flames.

She glanced sideways at Lu Ke, who remained calm and even showed a hint of appreciation.

"How about it? My husband, as long as you give the word, whether it's the dragon, Aldibalan, or these fools, I will burn them to ashes for you."

"What's the rush, Priscilla? It's normal to be misled and deceived when you don't know the situation. Didn't you have a similar experience when you met me?"

Priscilla blushed slightly, recalling the first time she was penetrated from all sides, filled to the point of overflowing, and glared fiercely at Luke.

When the disparity in strength reaches a certain level, the enemy's resistance will turn into something amusing, like a fawning or obsequious act. Lu Ke smiled indifferently.

"I actually find this kind of development quite interesting."

Putting aside her stance, it must be said that Echidna's move was quite brilliant. She even sent Anastasia as an apology in advance to prevent Luke from getting too angry and causing everything to collapse...

Of course, if Luke were a pure brute who couldn't even see this, she would probably describe him as an upgraded version of the Witch of Envy, a guy with great power but no brains.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons and stop fighting immediately, or I will be his opponent!"

Just a second before they were about to clash, a stern voice stopped everyone from acting.

The red-haired swordsman had drawn his "Dragon Sword" from his waist at some point, raising it high with such overwhelming power that even the "divine dragon" paused.

Just as unquestionable as the "divine authority" of the dragon is the strength of the sword saint Reinhard. He is undoubtedly the strongest, and even a few of his moves are enough to make the other members of the knight order feel the vast difference in power.

"Reinhard, why did you call a halt? Do you intend to commit treason?"

Standing atop the "dragon," Aldibalan looked down at the Sword Saint and coldly asked a question.

"The reason is simple: even a dragon cannot arbitrarily judge the right or wrong of others or disregard human life."

Reinhard frowned as he looked at the "Divine Dragon" and Aldibalan, pointing the "Dragon Sword" in his hand at them.

"Moreover, although it's just some kind of instinct, I feel that 'Dragon' Polkenica would never do something like this..."

Ordinary people's intuition may be wrong, but the intuition of the sword saint Reinhard is a factor that should be taken seriously, even without real evidence!
"Divine Dragon Polkenica, why have you appeared here instead of staying in the Tower of Sages to monitor the Witch of Envy? Why did you choose Aldibalan, an ordinary person without royal blood and not a 'Dragon Witch,' as your king? Why did you appoint Lady Priscilla as your queen? And why did you pronounce Prince Luke guilty?"

Reinhardt articulated all the doubts clearly, his eyes cold.

The "dragon" was silent for a moment, then exhaled a scorching stream of air from its nostrils. "I have no obligation to explain anything to you."

“Reinhard van Astreya, if you were still the Sword Saint of Lugnica, you shouldn’t be pointing your sword at me, but should be carrying out the orders I have given.”

Reinhard pursed his lips and looked around. Although his concerns had some effect, they were not enough to suppress the "dragon" whose true form was here.

The atmosphere on the scene became heavy again, with suspicious, doubtful, and hostile glances mingling. The current stalemate was purely due to the Sword Saint's intimidation, but it would soon be broken if left unchecked.

Luke was fairly satisfied with Reinhardt's performance; it was quite remarkable that he could identify so many problems and maintain the situation in such a short time.

Just as he was about to make his move, a resolute and decisive female voice rang out, becoming the one who broke the deadlock before him.

"That is, you really are a 'dragon'!"

Luke looked over with slight surprise, only to see Crusch step forward, surveying her surroundings under the "dragon's" murderous and impatient gaze, and speaking solemnly:
“Everyone here should know that I have the ‘blessing of the wind’, which allows me to distinguish between true and false lies. And just as the ‘dragon’ issued its orders in the name of ‘Polkenica,’ the wind of lies blew up around it.”

Crusch placed his hand on his heart, straightened his back, and said with a firm gaze: "As the head of the Karlsten family, I guarantee that this 'divine dragon' is a fake!"

With Crusch's reputation and blessing, the credibility of the Sword Saint's doubts immediately increased significantly. Although the individual's testimony was not sufficient, Crusch and Luke were competitors, or even enemies, so it made up for that deficiency.

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd. Amidst the knights exchanging bewildered glances, Luke stroked his chin and gave Crusch a deep look.

"Cursch, why are you helping me?"

“I’m not helping you, but I don’t want any shady characters to use the name of ‘Divine Dragon’ to do evil.”

Crusch's face still held the same seriousness and earnestness as when they first met.

"If you wait until this fake order my execution before exposing the conspiracy, you can significantly undermine the legitimacy of the dragon's rule over the country from behind the scenes, and also eliminate me, your competitor, along the way, right?"

"Don't underestimate me, Luke! I seek fair and square competition, whether it's taking Lugnica back from the dragon or seizing the throne from you!"

Crusch snorted coldly, "I won't hesitate to use tactics, but such underhanded methods will never be used against me!"

Lu Ke: "..."

Oh no, I'm starting to feel tempted.

He was completely powerless against such a resolute and brave beautiful girl.

"The Dragon Maidens have all been bewitched by this sinner, which is why they speak up for him..."

The "divine dragon" opened its mouth in a deep, booming voice, spread its wings that blotted out the sky, and radiated a vast dragon might. Its vertical pupils, unique to the "dragon class," were unusually cold, and it let out a deafening roar.

"My identity is beyond question. Now, let me show you the might of the legendary dragon!"

It began to riot, its powerful and robust form easily tearing apart the entire selection hall, causing the earth to tremble, the sky to change color, and the air to become turbulent.

Rumble!
The enormous mana gathered in the mouth of the "dragon," and its powerful breath emitted endless brilliance, more dazzling than the sun. It spread its wings, and its huge wings covered the ground. Although its appearance was simple, its destructive power was immense.

If it weren't for the presence of Priscilla or the Sword Saint, they could probably raze the entire royal city to the ground in an instant.

"How could this be...it should be fake!"

Crusch was incredibly shocked to see this world's top combat power, but what puzzled her even more was that such terrifying power was indeed the power that only a true "dragon" could possess. For the first time, she began to doubt her own "blessing".

"No, your judgment is correct; that is indeed Polkenica's body."

Luke chuckled and shook his head, his calm yet clear voice reaching everyone's ears. "The Tower of Sages, guarded by the sage 'Shaula,' contains a vast collection of 'Books of the Dead' on the third floor, 'Tagit.' These books record the lives of the deceased. If a visitor is an acquaintance of the deceased, the deceased's memories will flow into the visitor's mind, including their memories of their dying moments."

Aldibalan's expression changed drastically. The "dragon" that was displaying its power trembled and suddenly raised its dragon claw, swinging it at Luke without regard for its image, attempting to crush him.

The dragon's claws tore through the air with a force capable of splitting mountains and cleaving seas; just looking at them instilled despair. The "Divine Dragon" was undoubtedly one of the world's top powers; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to single-handedly protect one of the four great nations…

But those who stand in its way are even stronger!

"Don't think about it!"

Reinhard stood in front of Luke, leaping high into the air. Spiraling light gathered on the "Dragon Sword" in his hand, and then he slashed out with his master's low shout.

The collision between the sword light and the dragon claw directly caused a natural disaster like a flash flood and tsunami, but the obvious difference in strength meant that the aftershocks were all concentrated on the "divine dragon" and did not affect the people on the ground.

"Om-"

The "Divine Dragon" let out a low cry of pain. The Sword Saint's attack not only easily blocked the "Divine Dragon's" claw strike, but also tore apart the dragon's incredibly strong defensive scales with a backhand.

Red rain fell from the sky; it was the dragon's blood, which, according to legend, could bring the dead back to life, vanquish all evil spirits, and cure all injuries and illnesses, raining down on the ground as if it were free.

"Go to the Tower of the Sage, defeat the guardian Shaula, obtain your own Book of the Dead, let the dragon Polkenica, who has been brainwashed by Pandora and is suffering from dementia, see it, and copy your memories into the dragon's consciousness to complete the possession..."

What appeared here was not the dragon Polkenica, but the "dragon Al".

Lu Ke gently raised his hand and clapped. "You probably died hundreds, thousands, or even more times in the process. It must have been tough for you. Your perseverance is commendable."

The impact caused Aldibalan to cough up blood, and his helmet fell off, revealing a face covered in scars that obscured his features. He licked his lips after hearing Luke's words.

"1,867 times, not bad, not bad. Deaths under 10,000 are nothing. After all, small people like us can't reach the brilliance of the stars without using every means possible."

His face contorted with rage as he looked at the stunned crowd, at the blackened faces of the knights and elders, at the most powerful group in the Dragon Kingdom, and let out a wild, beastly laugh of despair:
"Yes, I did desecrate the dragon Polkenica and usurped the body of the guardian who had protected the kingdom for many years! So what? It's just that I changed the dragon's name!"

"If you refuse to acknowledge my identity, Lugnica will lose the protection of the dragon. On the contrary... the dragon Al will renew its contract with Aldibalan, repeating the legend with the first royal family, allowing the dragon-owning kingdom of Lugnica to continue moving forward!"

Aldibalan spread his arms, ignoring his injuries, and stared intently at Priscilla, who looked on with disgust, speaking in a frenzied tone.

"If you absolutely cannot accept this outcome, give me Priscilla! I only want one Dragon Priestess, I don't need anything else!"

Priscilla chuckled and turned to look at Luke Yang, nodding her chin.

"I'm going to burn it. Do you have any objections?"

"No, I'd rather not trouble you with this."

Luke suppressed his smile, looked indifferently at Aldibalan and the "Divine Dragon Al" beneath him, and slowly walked towards them.

Do you think Lugnica can't be called the 'Kingdom of the Dragons' without Polkenica?

What do you mean?
Aldibalan, who had been so confident, suddenly felt a chill run through his body. The hair on the back of his neck felt like it had been pierced by ice needles. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, and sweat poured from his forehead.

Not only that, the body of the "Divine Dragon Al" beneath him began to tremble violently, and as the footsteps drew closer, it seemed to lose its strength and began to collapse.

Pfft!
The massive torso of the "dragon" crashed down, kneeling on the ground. It barely managed to stay upright by bracing itself with its limbs, but Aldibalan, who was unable to move above, was thrown to the ground, feeling as if his internal organs were about to shatter.

How...why...

Aldibalan coughed up blood, looked up, and saw the answer.

The youth approaching them had his dark brown eyes turn into golden vertical pupils, and a pair of giant golden horns sprouted from the top of his head. A dazzling light enveloped his entire body, instantly expanding to the size of covering half the sky.

[——————]
When the light faded, what appeared before everyone's eyes was a strange dragon that was more than ten times larger than the "divine dragon".

Its pure white scales shimmered in the sunlight, and its flowing feathered robes exuded divinity and majesty, as it indifferently surveyed everything.

The "dragon" bowed its head, instinctively kneeling before a being countless times more sublime than itself. This was not the "dragon Al's" own thought, but rather a suppressed consciousness.

The noble bloodline awakened the original soul within this body. The consciousness parasitizing the dragon's body resisted desperately, but it was still no match for the primal instincts within the dragon's body and was quickly worn away.

Once conscious, Polkenica was quite at ease, and after realizing the situation, he knelt down even more smoothly.

"It seems that the Dragon Kingdom doesn't absolutely need you."

The buzzing sound in the air carried no anger; its mere presence shattered everything Al had worked so hard for.

"absurd."

More than being shocked, Al felt a sense of desperate helplessness, making him question the absurdity of the world's reality.

All his efforts failed to move the other party. All his strategies and calculations couldn't even get Lu Ke to look at him properly, as if that attention was a privilege he didn't deserve.

"I'm just the beginning; the Witch of Greed's plans go far beyond this." In his final moments, Al wanted to say something defiant, but then realized it was pointless and could only feel a sense of relief.

"kill me."

"No, for someone like you who possesses a degraded version of 'Return by Death' and has embraced death countless times, this can only be considered a reward, right?"

Luke didn't kill Al. He wasn't a petty man; he had only provoked him, slandered him, and coveted his woman. It wasn't a big deal.

The succubus shop in the real world has only ever sold erotic dreams, which is a bit of a dereliction of duty. Why not just add a new employee who can actually satisfy their lust?

Hmm... I hope Kazuma won't get his hands on this hidden model.

…………

"Wow, it's amazing! It's a dragon, bigger and stronger than the divine dragon!"

"Is this his true form? It's not that surprising, but it's still amazing... He's already surpassed the Sword Saint and Satella... Hmm, I'd like to meet him~"

As soon as he finished speaking, an unusual scent wafted through the air, and a figure suddenly appeared on the chair under the parasol.

"So you really wanted to see me that much?"

A clear male voice rang out in Echidona's mental world, tinged with amusement and mockery.

Luke picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, frowned as if he didn't like the taste, and put it down. Then he looked at the stunned Echidona with a smile.

"...Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"

Finally realizing what was happening, Echidona let out a series of screams and retreated in a panic as if she had seen a ghost, only to fall to the ground in a disheveled state, chair and all.

As she stood up, rubbing her head, she heard Lu Ke's gentle question.

"I heard you really enjoy playing chess?"

(End of this chapter)