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“Lies! What sins have I committed?! Everything I did was for the dragons! I sought the Dragon Eater’s power for our prosperity! What wrong did I do?” Gerald roared.

“Prosperity?” Scorn flashed in the Dragon Queen’s eyes.

“So, you think the dragons weren’t thriving under my reign?” She gestured toward the Thoughtless Deity Lord and continued, “Ask that shorty over there. Nine million years ago, even the five supreme deity lords wouldn’t dare fart in my territory.”

“You’re the ancestor of the dragons, Gerald. The origin of our race. Why couldn’t you see how magnificent we were back then? We didn’t need you to make us great!”

“Ha! Now you remember I’m the ancestor and the origin of all dragons, huh?” Gerald burst into maniacal laughter, as though something had snapped in him.

“BUT YOU! You, Regalis! You dared commit the ultimate betrayal, desecrating the ancestor and chasing me off my rightful throne! How dare you! Everything the dragons had—I gave it to them! What gave you the right to sit on that throne instead?”

“And those b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲ have never shown me respect again after that! How dare they?! How dare they look down on me?! Everything I’m doing now is just setting things right! This is all for the future of the dragons! Why are you stopping me?!”

After silently listening to Gerald’s outburst, the Dragon Queen let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. “I see… To think I’ve failed to notice even this. I have truly been a negligent queen.”

“You never deserved the throne in the first place! There can only be one ruler, and it’s me! I’ve—”

“I should have killed you the moment I defeated you back then.”

“W-what…?” Gerald’s twisted face froze. He had thought his “righteous fury” was finally wearing her down. But her reply was the coldest yet.

“Gerald, oh Gerald. No one has ever disrespected you.”

“LIES!”

“You’re the ancestor of all dragons. Even after your defeat, every dragon still bowed to you every time they saw you.”

“That was all an act! They smiled at me but laughed at me behind my back! I saw through them long ago.”

“When the dragons were invaded, many thought about your safety first. Your importance surpassed even mine.”

“That was because they wanted to throw me onto the battlefield! I knew exactly what those muscle-headed idiots were plotting!”

“They’d rather face my wrath in a sparring match just to avoid hurting you.”

“Rubbish! They looked down on me! I knew that all along! Some of those whelps even grew stronger than me later, and that only made them despise me more!”

“Gerald… No. Dragon Ancestor. Do you remember the very first lesson you ever taught me?”

“Hah. Who remembers something that long ago?”

“I do though.”

She ran her fingers across his scales and then… ripped one off.

“GAHHHH!” Gerald wailed in pain.

“You said…
*The strong reigns supreme; that’s the secret behind the thriving dragon clan.*
*Competition is the key to our evolution.*
*Survival of the fittest is the eternal truth of this merciless world.*
*And since dragons are few in number, we must adapt to this law better than any other race if we wish to stand at the top.*”

The Dragon Queen punched him in the face. The surrounding space dented inward, along with Gerald’s massive skull. Golden blood sprayed in all directions.

“I remember it. I’ve always remembered it. From the day you taught me that, it became my conviction. I grew stronger. Stronger. And stronger. Until I became so strong that no one could ever undermine me or the dragons. Even a race as few in number as ours rose to become one of the three supreme races in the Great World! But…”

She opened her fist and pressed forward with her palm.

Gerald’s massive dragon form visibly caved inward. The sharp crack of snapping bones echoed in succession. Even the Thoughtless Deity Lord, who had been watching the drama, could not help but wince.

“But why? Why is it that this truth, known even to newborn hatchlings, is the very first thing you, the Dragon Ancestor, have forgotten?”

“Tell me, the great Origin Dragon, the progenitor of all dragons! Please tell me! Why have you, the one hailed as Dragon Ancestor, become so timid, so cowardly, so vile, so shameless and so… completely unlike a dragon?”

In that moment, an invisible force shattered all of Gerald’s defenses. Before the Dragon Queen, his protections were as fragile as paper.

His flesh tore apart, exposing his massive, golden, beating heart.

“No—” Gerald did not answer her question. Faced with death, he could only beg like a pathetic dying insect.

“Spare me, Regalis… I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Please… spare me…”

The Dragon Queen stared down at him. In a cold voice, she said, “And that, Dragon Ancestor, is why you are so utterly repulsive now.”

Though her assault had taken little effort, she seemed drained.

She looked down at her pale, slender hands. Those very hands that were feared across the Great World were trembling.

Not from pain… but from fear. It was not the fear of killing. It was the very same fear that had gripped her nine million years ago. If she killed Gerald now, she would become the last dragon in existence.

What awaited her was the cruelest eternal solitude.

She looked across the vast expanse of stars, knowing that she would never find another of her kind. How utterly pitiful.

The mere thought of it was enough to make her tremble in fear. But…

“There are moments when people find unimaginable courage, and so do dragons… When they defend their homeland… When they stand tall for their pride… When they refuse to abandon their convictions… Or… When they wish for their daughter to finally be free!”

“I will not allow you to continue this ridiculous plan, so Dragon Ancestor… I shall settle this score with you, along with everything you owed nine million years ago!”

The Dragon Queen raised her hand.

Across the star domain, everyone heard a deafening hum. It was as if infinite power had just blossomed and gathered within her palm.

“REGALIS—!” Driven to the brink of death, Gerald roared, “I’ve already surrendered! What more do you want from me?! Do you really think I came here personally without a backup plan?!”

The Dragon Queen paused, then sneered.

“Backup plan? Then I suggest you use it quickly. Otherwise, you’ll be ranting in the depths of hell alone!”