A Dragon’s Reckoning – The Stage is Set

The Labyrinth chamber hummed with anticipation as Veldora, still clutching a manga, peeked nervously over the back of the couch.

His golden eyes darted warily toward Velzard, whose icy glare was sharp enough to freeze the very air.

The Storm Dragon, one of the most feared beings in the Cardinal World, was now reduced to a trembling mess, his fingers clutching the edge of the couch as if it were a lifeline.

Velzard's voice cut through the tension like a blade of ice.

"Pathetic," she spat with disdain, her arms crossed.

Her frosty aura spread across the floor, crystals of ice forming around her feet as she stared him down.

"Hiding behind furniture, little brother? Tch… how shameful."

Veldora winced, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips.

"Aha-ha-ha… s-sister! You're looking as radiant as ever!" he stammered, attempting a forced smile.

"I-I was just, uh… resting my eyes!"

Yuuya's golden eyes glimmered with dark amusement.

He slowly stepped forward, his tone mockingly soft, but there was undeniable menace in his voice.

"Oh no, no, no…" he said with a dangerous grin, his voice smooth as silk.

"You're not getting out of this one, my old friend."

Veldora gulped audibly, eyes darting around for an escape route.

Velzard's cold gaze remained locked onto him, her voice dripping with icy contempt.

"You didn't even come to greet us?" she asked coldly.

"After all this time?"

Rimuru, standing nearby, arched a brow in confusion.

"Wait… what?" he asked, blinking in surprise.

He turned to Veldora, crossing his arms.

"You knew Yuuya… and you never mentioned it?"

Veldora gave an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

"W-Well… you never asked!" he stammered weakly.

Rimuru's eye twitched, clearly unamused by the ridiculous excuse.

Yuuya's smirk widened, his voice dropping an octave.

"Enough stalling. Get up, Veldora."

The Storm Dragon blinked, staring blankly.

"Wha—?"

Yuuya's golden eyes narrowed, and his voice darkened menacingly.

"Get. Up."

He cracked his knuckles, the sound reverberating ominously through the chamber.

"I owe you a fight. Remember?"

In a flash, Veldora's nervousness vanished, replaced by cocky bravado.

He suddenly straightened up, tossing his manga aside with a flourish.

A wide, maniacal grin split his face.

He threw his arms wide and let out his signature three-stage laugh, his voice booming.

"GUHAHAHAHA! You DARE challenge the almighty Storm Dragon?!" he bellowed theatrically.

"I will show you today what true strength is!"

Ramiris, hovering nearby, clenched her tiny fists, her eyes sparkling with glee.

"Yeah! Veldora, kick his butt!" she squealed, her wings fluttering excitedly.

Yuuya's smirk widened, his golden eyes gleaming with dangerous amusement.

His tone was calm and condescending, yet dripping with challenge.

"Oh? You're feeling confident, huh?" he teased, rolling his shoulders.

"I hope you're ready for disappointment, my friend."

They relocated to one of the larger floors of the Labyrinth, a colossal, sprawling field designed for high-level combat trials.

The terrain was rugged and jagged, filled with floating platforms, rocky outcrops, and chasms, providing the perfect stage for their battle.

Rimuru, Velzard, Ramiris, and the generals positioned themselves along the edge, raising multiple layers of defensive barriers around them.

Even with reinforced defenses, the sheer presence of the two combatants made the air feel heavy with power.

Benimaru's eyes gleamed, crossing his arms, his lips curling into a cocky grin.

"Heh… a fight between two monsters like them?" he said with a wolfish smirk.

"This is gonna be good."

Diablo, dressed in his elegant butler attire, smiled darkly, his crimson eyes glimmering with sadistic glee.

"Fufu… a battle between Lord Yuuya and the mighty Storm Dragon?" he purred, his voice silken and ominous.

He licked his lips slowly, his voice dripping with wicked delight.

"Ah… how exquisite."

Souei, watching with sharp eyes, remained quiet but focused intently.

"This is unlike anything we've seen," he muttered softly to Benimaru.

"Their battle alone will reshape the terrain."

Rimuru's voice rang out, clear and commanding.

"Alright… BEGIN!"

BOOM—the battle erupted with a thunderous explosion.

Veldora lunged first, his movements blurring as he closed the distance.

In his hand, he materialized a lightning spear, crackling with divine power, and slashed it toward Yuuya with blinding speed.

But Yuuya's eyes sharpened, and he vanished in an instant, leaving only a faint afterimage behind.

Veldora's eyes widened, feeling the whiff of empty air as his spear cut through nothingness.

Suddenly, Yuuya reappeared behind him, his fist crackling with shadow and light energy.

With lightning speed, he drove a devastating punch into Veldora's ribs, sending him flying backward like a meteor.

Veldora slammed into the terrain, carving a deep trench into the earth, rubble exploding outward.

Benimaru's eyes narrowed, clearly impressed.

"Damn… he's fast. Faster than even during the Walpurgis fight."

Veldora grinned wickedly, wiping a trickle of blood from his lips.

"Guahaha! Not bad… but it'll take more than that!"

He activated his Ultimate Skill – Faust, Lord of Investigation, his eyes glowing with ancient runes.

The power of probability manipulation took effect, allowing him to foresee and counter Yuuya's next moves.

In a flash, he lunged with inhuman speed, appearing right in front of Yuuya.

"Gotcha!" he roared, slamming a palm strike into Yuuya's chest, sending him hurtling into the mountainside.

The mountains cracked and crumbled, causing a shockwave that tore through the Labyrinth's landscape.

But from the rubble, Yuuya emerged, completely unscathed.

He dusted off his shoulder casually, his golden eyes flashing with dark amusement.

"Heh… is that all?" he taunted, his voice mocking and smooth.

Veldora snarled, eyes narrowing.

"You cocky bastard!"

Yuuya's aura erupted, golden light swirling with abyssal darkness, creating a blinding storm of energy.

In the blink of an eye, he materialized behind Veldora, his fist coated with golden flames.

Before Veldora could react, Yuuya's punch connected with his gut, the impact sending shockwaves through the entire Labyrinth.

As Veldora staggered, coughing violently, Yuuya appeared once more, his voice a dark whisper in Veldora's ear.

"Checkmate."

With a blinding strike, Yuuya's palm connected with Veldora's chest, sending him crashing into the earth, quaking the entire floor.

Velzard smirked, her eyes gleaming with pride.

"Heh… my man is too strong."

Veldora, laying flat in the rubble, grinned weakly.

"Guahaha… not bad, old friend. Not bad at all…"

Rimuru and the generals stared in awe, speechless.

The Labyrinth's floor was left in ruins, a massive crater stretching across the landscape where Veldora had crashed.

Chunks of rock and debris still tumbled from the jagged cliffs, and the once pristine battlefield was now a scarred wasteland.

The air was still thick with residual magic, golden particles of Yuuya's aura flickering in the atmosphere, slowly dissipating like embers in the wind.

And then… silence.

The once boisterous and chaotic battlefield had become eerily still.

The silence was broken by a sudden shriek of disbelief.

"W-WHAAAAAAT?!"

Ramiris' tiny voice echoed through the cavern, her wings fluttering wildly as she shot forward.

She zipped over to Veldora, whose massive form was now half-buried in the rubble.

"Veldora, you big dummy! You lost?! AGAIN?!" she squeaked, stomping on his chest with her tiny feet.

"After ALL that trash talk?!"

Veldora's eyes slowly cracked open, his lips curling weakly into a grin.

His voice was raspy but filled with admiration.

"Guahaha… well, in my defense…" he coughed, wincing slightly,

"…he's a lot stronger than before."

Ramiris' tiny fists shook in fury.

"That's your excuse?! 'He's stronger'?! You're the almighty Storm Dragon! The walking natural disaster! The—"

Veldora suddenly shot his hand up, clutching her mid-rant, and plopped her on his chest, cutting off her tirade.

"Easy there, Ramiris. Let me enjoy my defeat in peace…" he grumbled weakly, grinning through the pain.

Nearby, Rimuru stood motionless, his aqua-blue eyes wide, still trying to process what he had just witnessed.

The sight of Veldora—the Storm Dragon—being effortlessly overpowered was something he never thought he would see.

And yet, Yuuya had not only defeated him—he had done so casually, without so much as a scratch.

The slime-turned-demon-lord finally let out a long breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Holy crap…"

Diablo, standing beside him, slowly closed his eyes, a devious smirk tugging at his lips.

He let out a soft chuckle, his tone dripping with sinister amusement.

"Fufu… as expected from Lord Yuuya," he purred, his crimson eyes shimmering with reverence.

"To bring the mighty Storm Dragon to his knees so effortlessly… ah, how truly divine."

Benimaru, meanwhile, stood with his arms crossed, his ruby eyes narrowed in concentration.

He let out a slow whistle, clearly impressed.

"Damn…" he muttered, shaking his head slightly.

"That wasn't even a fight—it was a massacre."

Shion, who had been clutching her greatsword the entire time, blinked several times in rapid succession, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"W-Wait… what just happened?" she asked, still staring at the wreckage.

Her voice trembled slightly, still unable to process what she saw.

"Veldora… lost? And not just lost… but got wrecked?"

Gabiru, ever the dramatic one, clutched his chest and staggered back.

"By the dragon's scales!" he gasped theatrically, dramatically falling to one knee.

"Our mighty Lord Veldora has been humbled! What sort of monster is this Yuuya?!"

Hakuro, the ever-serene swordsman, remained calm but his sharp eyes gleamed with newfound respect.

He slowly stroked his beard, his voice low and contemplative.

"Such power…" he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"No wasted movements. Every strike deliberate. Every counter precise. It's as if he already knew the battle's outcome before it even began."

Souei, still leaning against a boulder with his arms crossed, allowed a small smirk to form.

He closed his eyes and nodded slightly, a rare gesture of acknowledgment.

"It's almost cruel," he murmured softly.

"To possess such overwhelming strength and still hold back."

Among the spectators, Velzard stood tall, her crystal-blue eyes glowing with undisguised pride.

Her arms were elegantly crossed, and her ice-blue lips curved into a satisfied smile.

She strolled toward Yuuya, her gaze softening as she approached.

When she reached him, she gently brushed the dust off his jacket, her fingers lingering against his chest.

"Hmm… no scratches," she purred softly, her voice like silk.

She slowly ran a hand through his hair, her icy eyes twinkling with admiration.

"As expected from my man… unbeatable."

Yuuya smirked slightly, tilting his head toward her.

"You doubted me?" he teased, his voice low and playful.

Velzard chuckled, her breath warm against his skin despite her icy aura.

She leaned in close, her voice barely a whisper.

"Not even for a second."

Rimuru finally shook off his stunned silence, walking over with the generals trailing behind.

His expression was a mixture of awe and apprehension.

"Okay…" he finally muttered, rubbing the back of his head,

"I gotta ask…" he turned toward Yuuya, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Just how strong are you really?"

Yuuya smirked, crossing his arms casually.

"Why? You scared?" he asked with a playful glimmer in his eyes.

Rimuru rolled his eyes dramatically, his tone half-joking, half-serious.

"Honestly? A little."

Benimaru snorted, crossing his arms.

"A little?!" he scoffed.

"After what we just saw? I'm downright terrified."

Diablo, his crimson eyes glittering, grinned wickedly.

"Fufu… if Lord Yuuya ever deemed it fit to oppose us…" he mused softly, his voice dripping with ominous reverence.

He slowly tilted his head, his smile darkening.

"We would be annihilated."

The generals grew quiet, the weight of Diablo's words sinking in.

From the rubble, Veldora's hand suddenly shot up, giving a weak thumbs-up.

His voice was hoarse but filled with admiration.

"Guahaha… damn, Yuuya…" he chuckled weakly.

"You've really gotten strong."

Yuuya smirked, walking over.

He crouched next to him, offering his hand.

"You're not so bad yourself, old friend."

Veldora chuckled, grasping his hand firmly.

"Next time, though…" he grinned with his trademark bravado.

"I'm not holding back!"

Yuuya's eyes gleamed, his grin sharp and confident.

"Oh? You were holding back?" he teased.

"Funny… so was I."

The generals blinked, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"W-What?!" they exclaimed collectively.

Rimuru facepalmed, groaning loudly.

"Oh, for crying out loud…"

The room erupted with laughter, and despite the devastation, the battle had only strengthened their bond.