A C-Rank Magic Student Who Deludes Himself into Thinking He Is SSS-Rank - Chapter 34: In the Eyes of the Black Dragon

“I have been thinking of nothing but revenge against you for four hundred years…!”

…

Before the giant mouth that threatened to swallow him whole, Shion remained unflinching, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

“(So, it was as I thought…)”

Hearing the words of Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, Shion internally agreed, as if he had anticipated this all along.

“(Well, of course. After all, Schwaldius is—)”

It wasn’t just about Schwaldius harboring a grudge against Siegfried.

Shion was born with an extraordinary ability for observation and insight.

Now, in the “Transzone,” his focus was sharper than ever, allowing him to decipher the true meaning behind every word spoken by his opponent.

He realized something about Schwaldius’s earlier statement.

—Every single word was a complete and utter lie.

“To meet you again, I never dared to hope for such a miracle…”

“For four hundred years, all I have thought about was taking my revenge on you!”

These statements from Schwaldius were lies, suggesting the exact opposite truth:

“Despite being sealed by Siegfried for four hundred years, Schwaldius had no desire to meet him again, let alone seek revenge.”

Furthermore, Shion had already sensed that Schwaldius was deeply afraid of him, even before recognizing him as Siegfried.

This was not unexpected for Shion. In fact, he had considered it likely from the start.

That’s why he tricked Schwaldius into believing he was Siegfried.

Normally, one would harbor intense hatred for someone who had confined them for centuries.

However, Shion had easily predicted that Schwaldius would be terrified of Siegfried, based on the dragon’s history and the lore in children’s fairy tales, which always included a certain historical fact:

From their first encounter, where Schwaldius was gravely injured, for three years, he did nothing but flee from Siegfried.

The history of their battles was a tale of Schwaldius being repeatedly defeated and fleeing for his life, barely surviving Siegfried’s relentless pursuit.

Therefore, it was unthinkable that Schwaldius, once freed from his seal after four hundred years, would seek out Siegfried.

Moreover, the current state of Schwaldius was far too weak compared to his past.

Shion, having witnessed Alphonse Freed’s power, realized this. Even Alphonse’s might paled in comparison to the records of Schwaldius’s past deeds.

Considering all this, Shion concluded that if he could make Schwaldius believe he was Siegfried, the dragon would be cautious and unlikely to attack rashly.

But if Schwaldius was extremely frightened, pretending to be Siegfried, the situation would be different.

“(It’s unfortunate for Schwaldius, regaining freedom only to face such bad luck.)

(If I weren’t here, you could have rampaged across the world, indulging in your love of instilling fear in humans.)

(But, you picked the wrong opponent.)”

Then, Shion activated “Limit Acceleration: Limit Axel.”

—From here on out, it’s my show.