An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

Ling's eyes showed approval, but... I thought Ryutaro would show a proud expression, but he rolled his eyes. Ryutaro said to Ling, who was stunned:

"Think about it. Suppose I succumb to temptation and gain power. What will happen if I act to satisfy my desire?"

"Hmm? Of course, you just use power to get what you want...ah."

Ling understood what Ryutaro meant, and the sympathy for Ryutaro on her face became even stronger.

If Ryuutarou loses the trial and loses his rationality, and acts according to his desires, he will definitely go to find the beautiful vampire princess. And the consequences of that action are predictable.

Even if he gained "powerful strength", it would still be the same.

"You're going to get a good beating from Nagumo-kun."

"Just like Hiyama."

After learning about Hajime and Yue's relationship, Ryuutarou had long since let it go. Even now, he wouldn't go out of his way to seek death.

Ryutaro only felt that the phantom fanning the flames and trying to lure him down the path of desire was trying to drag him to his death. If he agreed to his request, the only outcome would be death.

"I couldn't help but yell at him, 'Are you kidding me? Are you trying to kill me?!' Then I lectured him and told him to face reality."

As a result, perhaps due to his negative feelings towards the phantom, Ryuutarou won the brawl and passed the trial.

Hearing this, Ling expressed her thoughts.

"So, you succeeded by taking your anger out on others."

As expected, Ryutaro-kun is still Ryutaro-kun... Ling glanced at Ryutaro who shrugged, her tone full of helplessness.

The two of them took the steps they had just stopped and continued forward.

As Ling walked forward, she brought up the previous topic again with a smile.

Perhaps because Ling heard Ryutaro's inner thoughts, the atmosphere between them was very relaxed. In such an atmosphere, Ling, who was not very restrained to begin with, became even more unrestrained.

"But then again, this is quite unexpected. I didn't expect Ryuutarou-kun to actually like onee-san."

"Why are you bringing that up again...? And it's not that unbelievable, is it? Haven't you been calling her 'Onee-san' since that day?"

"Yes, that's true. Well, now that I think about it, it's not so strange anymore."

Ling clapped her hands, seeming to agree deeply with Ryutaro's words.

The "day" Ryutaro was talking about was when they were attacked by a female demon in the Orcus Great Labyrinth and were in danger.

Yue controlled a dragon burning with blue flames to ravage the enemy. She looked so sacred and beautiful at that time.

Add to that his calm demeanor, his alluring aura that belies his childish appearance, and the gentleness he displays towards Ling...

They are all very attractive to high school boys and girls.

Just as Ling admired Yue like an older sister, Saito Yoshiki, Nakano Shinji, Tsuji Ayako, and Yoshino Mao, though to varying degrees, were all deeply fascinated by Yue that day. Ryutaro was just one of them.

"Don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"I won't tell you, because the only one who'll get hurt is Ryuutarou-kun. Anyway, you should just not tell Suzu."

“Well, that’s correct…”

"Ah, I understand. Even if it's just for once, you really want to tell someone what's in your heart...right?"

"You're quite perceptive. That's right, it's almost like complaining. Sorry."

In response to Ryutaro's wry smile, Suzu also responded with a wry smile.

"But, you always fight head-on, getting bruised and battered. That's not good, huh? Have you forgotten what Xiang Xiang scolded you for?"

“…When I saw that guy’s face, it made me feel irritated. Now that I think about it, I want to beat him up again.”

"Just look in the mirror."

The two chatted about trivial matters until they finally saw the end of the road ahead. They seemed to have reached the entrance to the next room.

"Oh, it's the next room."

"I wish Xiang Xiang or Miss Tio were here..."

Ling walked towards the ice wall, clasping her hands together in prayer. As if in response to her prayers, the ice wall melted away, and the entrance to the inner room opened.

Then...it seemed as if God heard Ling's prayers.

only……

“Ahh!?”

"Wow!?"

What greeted them was impact, flash, and overwhelming magic.

The two screamed at the same time, and in a flash, Ryutaro stood in front of Ling, crossing his arms in defense, and Ling also deployed a barrier at the same time.

The two wondered, "What on earth is going on?" and cast their gazes forward through the barrier—

What came into view was Tio and her phantom, emitting black and pure white flashes (breath).

Shortly before Ling and Ryutaro arrived.

Tio looked at the phantom with pure white hair and wearing a kimono in front of her, and had the illusion that black flames were burning.

It was the fire of hatred and anger that burned within her.

Five hundred years ago, the Dragon People disappeared from history due to a tragedy of great persecution and the destruction of their homeland. Since then, hatred and anger have been deeply rooted in Tio's heart.

"We work so hard to protect the powerless and support the weak. When evil appears, we are the first to fight it."

The phantom's tone sounded like both a lament and a sneer.

At the same time, a wave of flames approached, about to engulf Tio.

"Yes. Regardless of country or race, and without any reason, we, the Dragon People, were once the protectors of everyone."

Tio replied calmly, waving her arm.

With a simple, graceful flip of her kimono sleeve, a tornado sprang up in front of the tsunami of fire. The tornado engulfed the heat wave, seizing its control and using it for its own benefit.

Then, a huge fire tornado turned around and attacked the phantom.

"How many people were saved by us during that era? How many people held in awe the morality and kindness we advocated! How many people held in awe our noble will!"

The fire tornado seemed to explode. This illusion was caused by a dragon covered in beautiful white scales breaking through the fire tornado.

The phantom transformed into a white dragon and rushed towards Tio, intending to crush her to death.

"Our country is praised as the strongest and best."

The trial hall suddenly shone with a black light, and Tio instantly transformed into a brave black dragon, bearing the phantom's impact head-on. However, she was unable to block the attack and was pushed all the way to the wall by the phantom.

The difference in power is obvious.

Phantom took advantage of the situation and shouted.

"Our country should be a paradise! No distinction between the strong and the weak! No distinction between race and status! A paradise where everyone can prosper and coexist!"

It wasn't a smooth road.

It is quite difficult to raise beautiful slogans as racial concepts and implement them.

It was simply a pipe dream. This behavior was like a child throwing a tantrum. Who knew how many people had laughed at and looked down on them? Who knew how many dragon people had sacrificed their lives for such an ideal.

However, after hundreds of years of implementation, it is no longer empty talk, but their pride.

Eventually, the dragon people became synonymous with words such as strong, warm, determined, and noble, and everyone respected them from the bottom of their hearts.

That's right, the Dragon People are...

——The guardian of the world.

——A defender of peace.

──The true royal family.

"yes."

Tio's two short words seemed to reveal a hint of loneliness.

Just before crashing into the wall, Tio was once again enveloped by black light. A powerful impact sound echoed around her, and the ice wall shattered.

However, between the white dragon and the wall, there was no sign of Tio, who should have been crushed. Instead, there was—

"—[Forbidden Zone Release]."

The black flash of sublimation magic (Dragon's Breath) was released with a roar, and a huge heat ray was emitted from a position directly below, knocking the white dragon's phantom away.

Tio released her Dragon Transformation before hitting the wall and dodged directly below.

The white dragon's phantom was hit by a powerful counterattack, but just before its back collided with the ice tree, it spread its wings and stopped. Then, it opened its mouth and blew out a breath of air in retaliation.

Surprisingly, the pure white flash was even more powerful than the black flash created by sublimation magic. The pure white breath scorched the air, its destructive power so great that the entire trial hall shook.

The white flash easily swallowed Tio.

Due to the overheating, the icy ground melted instantly, creating a huge pit. There was no trace of human presence in the pit, as if everything had been reduced to ashes.

The phantom released its Dragon Transformation and landed, then continued calmly:

"God and humanity burned it all to ashes."

The phantom's gaze shifted to the side.

Tio was there. The phantom that had just been swallowed by the phantom's breath was a phantom created using heat energy. When Tio's breath blasted the white dragon's phantom away, she took advantage of the gap when the phantom's gaze left her to create another phantom. Her technique was so exquisite that it could be called a masterful skill.

Having said that, the fact is that without relying on skills, Tio's strength cannot match the phantom.

Tio and the phantom both exhaled simultaneously. They raised their hands to each other, and two completely opposite colors of light fiercely clashed.

The trial hall was adorned with a beautiful contrast of black and white. Though the breaths collided head-on, their power seemed unequal. The point of contact between the two forces wasn't in the center, but slightly toward Tio's side.

At this moment, two more auras suddenly appeared in the trial hall. Without even looking, I knew they were Ling and Ryuutarou.

The Phantom glanced at them at that moment.

Then, a cunning smile appeared on the phantom's face. It was clear that she intended to expose her ugly side to the intruders. She intended to reveal the parts of Tio that she didn't want to be known, thereby further forcing Tio into a desperate situation.

"The Dragon People are not human, their nature is that of monsters."

This sentence announced the beginning of the end of the dragon people.

"Huh?" Ling and Ryuutarou opened their eyes wide and cried out in surprise. Tio and Phantom could sense their shock.

The Phantom smiled even more broadly, and she slowly recounted the tragedy of that day.

"There's no telling when their brutality will strike. While they appear to be the protectors of the world, they harbor a dark side unknown to the world—they seek to dominate other races to achieve their own goals."

This should have been laughed off.

Indeed, across the vast continent, the only race capable of transforming from humans into beasts is the Dragonoids. By fully transforming into dragons, they can assume forms completely unlike those of humans, possessing powers unmatched by other races. This trait blurs the line between human and beast.

But precisely because of this, the Dragon People will uphold noble ideals, show kindness to all races, and establish long-term achievements.

People should have a firm trust in the Dragon People and should not deny them so easily.

However──

"Their goal is to become enemies of God. That's right, the Dragon People are—the enemies of God."

Just this one sentence overturned everyone's cognition. It was like a nightmare, a world that changed overnight.

Awe turns to fear, trust turns to suspicion, and admiration turns to contempt.

Then, the Dragon People's country was burned down.

Many compatriots were brutally killed.

Father Halga and mother Orna were not spared either, and even if they died, their bodies would be put on display.

They were all killed by the people they had protected and loved at the cost of their own lives.

The black flash was suppressed bit by bit, and the pure white flash gradually approached Tio. The phantom sneered and said:

"Hehehe, I can sense your hatred and anger, your fear and despair. Even after hundreds of years, you haven't forgotten that tragedy. The people you once protected turned against you, their eyes filled with contempt and fear. They killed your companions, friends, and parents, and even desecrated their bodies."

"..."

The phantom's voice was clear and loud, but Tio remained silent.

Ling and Ryuutarou wore expressions of grief, as if they felt the same pain. They knew nothing of Tio's past, only that the Dragon People were a race destined for extinction. They couldn't imagine that a single sentence in a book could carry such a heavy burden of pain.

This is Tio's past, which the two of them had not previously known. However, there is another "Tio who is unknown to everyone".