"Spare me your concerns—this kind of royal selection ceremony is not worth attending!"
Emilia showed no sign of compromise as she took out the gem symbolizing her identity as the Royal Candidates.
Snap!
She threw it to the ground like trash.
The once noisy council chamber instantly fell silent. Countless eyes stared blankly at Emilia, standing at the center of the room.
If the initial reaction was shock, it soon turned to sheer terror.
For the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, the Divine Dragon Volcanica was an absolute faith. It was akin to God for Christians, Buddha for Buddhists, or Allah for Muslims.
Emilia's actions were no less than burning the Bible before Christians, smashing a Buddha statue before Buddhists, or folding the Quran into paper airplanes before Muslims.
This woman had gone mad!
More than 99% of the people present couldn't help but have this thought cross their minds.
Felt, who had been cheering loudly just moments ago, swallowed hard in fright. Priscilla muttered under her breath, "Now who exactly is the arrogant one?"
Suddenly, an ear-splitting roar resounded through the hall.
"You've got some nerve!"
Miklotov was so enraged that his mustache went askew. Forgetting all decorum, he pointed a trembling finger at Emilia and shouted:
"You insolent half-elf! That gem is a sacred relic bestowed by the Divine Dragon! It must not be desecrated! Who gave you the right to do this?"
"Of course, I gave her the right."
The voice cut through the tension like a knife.
"Who?!"
Having his authority repeatedly undermined, Miklotov's facade of kindness crumbled. Furious and flustered, he demanded to know the source of the voice.
At that moment, Reinhard van Astrea's expression turned solemn. His hand unconsciously moved to the hilt of his Dragon Sword, Reid. He had already sensed the arrival of a being with immense power.
A brilliant blue spatial portal opened behind Emilia, and out of it stepped three figures—one man and two women.
Leading them was none other than the long-absent protagonist, Nguyen Ryou. Following him were the Empress Semiramis and the assassin Elsa.
Something about the two women had changed; their allure was even more dazzling, their every movement radiating a mature, captivating charm as though tempting others to indulge in their splendor.
Yet all eyes were fixed on the young man at the forefront.
It wasn't that Ryou outshone Semiramis and Elsa in charm, but because of what he held in his right hand.
Grasped in Ryou's hand was a massive dragon's head—house-sized, ferocious, and still dripping blood.
Its twisted horns, dinner-plate-sized eyes, and blade-sharp fangs were unmistakable. A thunderous realization struck everyone present.
That was none other than the head of Volcanica, the Divine Dragon of Lugunica—its guardian deity and symbol of faith.
"This can't be... This can't be..."
Several individuals collapsed, staring blankly at the dragon's glaring, lifeless eyes.
Drip. Drip.
Drops of blood fell from the severed neck, hitting the ground like the final hammer stroke to their hearts.
Lugunica was doomed...
The same thought flashed through nearly every mind in the hall.
Boom!
Ryou casually tossed the enormous dragon's head onto the crimson carpet. Taking out a handkerchief, he wiped his hands and spoke with calm indifference:
"Sorry, I made a quick detour to deal with a big lizard. I trust I'm not late?"
His tone was as nonchalant as if he had slaughtered a pig rather than the guardian deity and faith of Lugunica.
The reason for Ryou's absence had been his journey to slay Volcanica, accompanied by Semiramis and Elsa. Unlike others, who might struggle, Ryou didn't even need his trump card—he simply rolled up his sleeves and fought the dragon head-on.
Volcanica, either groggy or overconfident, refrained from using its breath attacks or magic, choosing instead to engage in close combat. This played directly into Ryou's hands. Within moments, he had ripped off its wings to prevent escape, pummeled it into submission, and finally twisted its head clean off.
With two out of three seal keys now in hand, only one remained.
Ryou's gaze swept across the room, locking onto a figure in white knightly attire with fiery red hair.
Reinhard van Astrea.
Simultaneously, the world's strongest Sword Saint fixed a grave stare on Ryou.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, the thunder seemed to crackle as their battle auras collided, filling the hall with oppressive tension.
The crowd instinctively parted, clearing a path between the two.
Miklotov, seated at the head of the room, snapped back to his senses. He didn't need confirmation—the overwhelming aura emanating from the severed head was unmistakably Volcanica's.
The Divine Dragon was dead.
What mattered now was killing its murderer. Only by doing so could Lugunica salvage its dignity.
Otherwise, with the royal lineage extinguished, the Divine Dragon slain, and the culprit walking free, Lugunica's doom was certain. Neighboring powers like the Vollachian Empire, the Gusteko Kingdom, and the Kararagi Federation would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to invade, potentially dividing Lugunica among themselves.
Miklotov's position as the true ruler of Lugunica would collapse, leaving him as nothing more than a frail old man.
Realizing this, Miklotov pointed at Ryou and shouted:
"Reinhard! This man has desecrated the Divine Dragon! Kill him!"
His command fanned the flames of the imminent conflict.
Reinhard stepped forward.
"Though I bear you no personal grudge—"
Ryou cut him off mid-sentence.
"Save the excuses. That burning battle spirit of yours is plain as day. From the moment I appeared, you've been itching to draw your sword. Well, come on! I've been wanting to test the might of the Strongest Sword Saint. Fight me!"
Reinhard seemed taken aback by Ryou's words, momentarily stunned.
Then, a gentle smile graced his face—bright and dazzling, the kind that could easily captivate countless women.
"Apologies. Indeed, I acted out of personal motives. This has nothing to do with the nation. As a warrior, my blood has been ignited by you."
Their gazes locked mid-air, sparks seeming to fly.
Then, with solemn expressions, they formally introduced themselves:
"Nguyen Ryou."
"Reinhard van Astrea."
It felt like a sacred ritual.
"Let's settle this!"
Before the words had fully landed, Reinhard, dressed in white knightly attire, and Ryou, cloaked in black, clashed fiercely.
Boom!
A deafening roar erupted, and the entire council hall trembled as though the heavens were collapsing. At the center of their impact, the sturdy stone floor cracked like a spiderweb before shattering completely.
All the windows were blown out by the shockwaves, sending nobles and knights tumbling. Only a few of the more powerful royal candidates managed to steady themselves with the help of their knights.
As the aftershocks subsided, the crowd turned their gaze back to the scene.
By this time, Reinhard had already drawn the Dragon Sword. Its radiant white light collided with Ryou's Apocalypse Gauntlets, emitting a deafening clash akin to a tolling bell, while sparks flew like fireworks.
Compared to the lifeless dragon head lying on the ground, the two combatants resembled dragons in human skin.
Seeing that neither could gain the upper hand, they tacitly broke apart and transformed into streaks of black and white lightning, crossing and clashing throughout the hall.
Meanwhile, the members of the Council of Wise Men, who had already retreated to the platform, peeked out cautiously.
One female Wise Men asked nervously:
"Lord Miklotov, does Sir Reinhard have a chance of winning?"
With a confident expression, Miklotov declared:
"Of course! We are all well aware of Sir Reinhard's strength. There's no he would lose. In less than three minutes, Sir Reinhard will undoubtedly slay this lunatic who killed the Divine Dragon!"
Miklotov, fully confident in Reinhard's abilities, had no doubt. This was the strongest man in the world—defeat was simply impossible.
"But the dragon is dead. What are we going to do now?" another Wise Men asked worriedly.
His words cast a shadow over the group. Everyone knew that without the Divine Dragon, Lugnica was on the brink of collapse.
Miklotov's eyes gleamed sharply.
Although he wanted to cling to his position of power as the Speaker, ruling like an uncrowned king, he also needed to plan for himself and his family.
After careful thought, he tentatively suggested:
"Perhaps we could make private contact with the Vollachian Empire."
The other Wise Men stared at him in shock.
Lugnica was in dire straits, and the Speaker of the Council of Wise Men was suggesting selling out the country.
"You! How could you suggest such a thing?"
The bald Vice Speaker erupted in fury, yelling at Miklotov.
A flash of murderous intent crossed Miklotov's eyes, but he maintained a benevolent expression, trying to persuade his colleagues.
"Think about it, everyone. Without the Divine Dragon's protection or a king, Lugnica is teetering on the edge of destruction. Annexation is inevitable. Why not plan ahead?"
The council members, experienced old schemers, began weighing the pros and cons. For a moment, their gazes flickered indecisively.
Miklotov smirked at the bald guy, his eyes filled with triumph.
But to everyone's surprise, the bald guy suddenly lunged at him.
This man, with Northern Gusteko blood in his veins, was physically strong. Catching Miklotov off guard, he tackled him to the ground, and the two began grappling fiercely.
The scuffle soon spread to the other Wise Men.
An unprecedented sight unfolded: the most powerful council in Lugnica, made up of elderly Wise Men with a combined age in the thousands, descended into a chaotic brawl behind the platform.
If the nobles in the hall below witnessed this, they would be utterly dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, the battle between Ryou and Reinhard had reached a fever pitch.
Both were fully immersed, ignoring everything else.
Reinhard, initially concerned about collateral damage, began losing ground. Seizing an opening, Ryou delivered a devastating blow, shattering Reinhard's heart.
Thankfully, Reinhard possessed the Blessing of the Phoenix, reviving instantly. Moreover, this blessing granted him unlimited resurrection—a key reason he was deemed the strongest man alive.
With the Blessing of the Sword Saint and other combat-enhancing blessings, Reinhard was a nearly invincible figure—a living cheat code.
After dying once, Reinhard abandoned all hesitation, focusing entirely on Ryou.
The hall was filled with wild sword energy and gale-like punches. Unlucky nobles were sliced in two by stray sword waves or obliterated by punches.
Terrified screams erupted as the crowd scrambled to escape.
Suddenly, black ice walls rose, transforming the council hall into a massive prison—or a coliseum.
Neither nobles nor knights could escape. They could only await the outcome of the clash between Ryou and Reinhard.