"Aaaaaargh!"
The dragon screamed—raw, furious pain tearing out of its throat.
This power was nothing like human magic. Its magic resistance wasn't working. The strike had bitten deep—too deep.
At full strength, it could've endured it.
But it wasn't at full strength. It was already wounded.
And an attack like that… was deadly.
A single word flashed through its mind.
Death.
It had never imagined it would be pushed this far by a mere human.
No! I can't die!
I am a noble dragon! How can I be killed by a human?!
That's right— I don't have to fight him head-on!
That form only lasts for one minute. He's already used up most of it. If I can just avoid him for a few more seconds, I'll be safe!
Then I can kill him. Why am I making this so hard?
Instinct drowned everything else.
Survive.
The dragon shoved off the ground, wings snapping open, and surged into the sky.
"The dragon is escaping?!"
Shock rippled through the crowd. A dragon… running away from Kael Vane.
"Kid! I'm not fighting you! In a few more seconds, you'll be powerless! Then I can kill you however I want! Just you wait! I'll make you watch as I kill everyone! I'll torture you until you beg for death!"
"Oh no!"
Faces went tight. Color drained. Because they all understood what that meant.
If the dragon came back…
They were doomed.
But Kael Vane didn't flinch. His voice stayed even.
"You think you can escape?"
He brought his hands together. Particles of light gathered—drawn in, compressed, held. Then he pulled his hands apart.
A spear formed in the air before him, crackling with green-black energy—alive, hungry.
"Lanza del Relámpago!"
Kael Vane raised it, eyes tracking the dragon as it fled into the distance.
He didn't throw.
Not yet.
He waited.
"Hm… this distance is about right. Any closer and the others might get hurt."
He shifted his stance. Set his feet. Drew back.
And threw.
The spear tore through the air.
The dragon sensed it.
It looked back—and saw it.
Too fast.
Too close.
It twisted to dodge, but the old wounds from Yoriichi flared up all at once, a sudden burn of pain that seized its body at the worst possible moment.
For a split second, it faltered.
That was enough.
"No—!"
The spear slammed into the dragon's body.
BOOM—!
An explosion, as violent as the dragon's Roar, ripped open the sky. Green-black energy erupted outward in a brutal wave.
The dragon's silhouette vanished inside the blast.
"Aaaaaah!"
"Waaaaah!"
Screams rose from below. The force looked the same. The scale looked the same.
This explosion was just as strong as the dragon's.
The shockwave chewed through the air, shredding everything it touched for miles—yet this time the detonation was high above, far from the city, and the damage was smaller.
Then, slowly, the light began to fade.
The sky emptied.
The dragon was gone.
Everyone stared upward, breath caught in their throats.
"Is… is the dragon… dead?" someone asked.
"Yeah. He's dead."
Many of the fighters were magic swordsmen. They could all sense magic power.
They had all felt the dragon's presence—massive, crushing.
Now it was gone.
Completely.
That meant only one thing.
"Oooooooh! He did it!"
"The dragon is dead!"
"We're alive!"
"All hail Mr. Kael Vane! All hail Mr. Kael Vane!"
Once they were sure, the city broke into cheers. Moments ago, they'd been drowning in despair. Then, at the last second, Mr. Kael had stepped forward and killed the unbeatable dragon.
He was amazing.
[Ding! SS-Rank Mission: Exterminate the Magic Dragon. Complete!]
[Reward: Two Ten-Pulls!]
When Kael Vane saw the system alert, he let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
The dragon was really dead.
He canceled his Take Over.
In the next instant, a heavy wave of exhaustion crashed into him. It hit so hard he didn't even have time to react.
Thud.
He fell to the ground, unconscious.
...
When Kael Vane woke up, he was in a large bed. Someone must have carried him back.
He opened his system panel.
[Host: Kael Vane]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Magic Power: ★★★★]
[Magic: Take Over]
[Character Cards: Ulquiorra Cifer (Gold), Yoriichi Tsugikuni (Gold)]
[Available Pulls: 20]
A deep sense of achievement settled into his chest.
Four stars.
That was top-level, even in Fairy Tail.
He was glad he hadn't recycled either of his gold cards. He would have lost this fight if he'd given up either of them.
Twenty pulls. I wonder if I can get another gold?
Creak...
The door opened, and Erza walked in.
She looked genuinely relieved when she saw his eyes open. "Kael, you're awake!"
"How do you feel? Does anything hurt?" she asked, worry still in her voice.
Kael shook his head. "I'm fine. Just used up too much magic."
Erza exhaled, tension finally leaving her shoulders. "That's good! You've been out for three days. I was so worried."
"Three days?!"
He stared, stunned. He'd thought it was one night.
It looked like his real body was still too weak. He couldn't handle the power of the gold cards. He needed to train more.
"Wow. I can't believe I slept that long. Is the king okay?"
"The king is fine. He's working on city business right now."
"That's good. That's good."
He hadn't forgotten why he was here. The SS-Rank reward… and the tournament prize.
He still hadn't been paid.
He swung himself out of bed, energy returning all at once.
"Let's go. We need to see the king. The mission is done. It's time to get paid."