"Oh? You're unaware, shame. You placed third on the certification exam leader board. Your name is already known far and wide. But unfortunately, I'm going to need you to come with me without taking advantage of that."
"Third place? What the hell?" Dyon's lip twitched.
In truth, those watching trying to breathe as softly as possible felt a bit bad for him. They believed he was lamenting how quickly his life of fame was ending. But, his next words left them speechless.
"Why didn't anyone tell me there was a leader board? You're telling me there's two people who think they're better than me? What bullshit."
The Dragon King, seemingly used to Dyon, laughed uproariously.
"Indeed, you should have put in a bit more effort instead of messing around. Unfortunately, there's only one chance to take your first certification exam."
"Tsk..." Dyon's lip curled, clearly not very happy. "... So you know what this thing is? Is that what the three means?"
Dyon pulled out the cauldron paper weight that had held the number 3 on it.
No matter what Tedric and Kywen had said before, it was only because there was still some room to doubt that Dyon was in fact who he said he was. But, after seeing this 'paperweight', their faces turned as pale as a white sheet. Even Crystella uncontrollably trembled.
That thing Dyon called a paperweight held a level of authority they couldn't fathom. In a lot of ways, maybe Dyon was lucky that he hadn't gotten first place because there was no way Pill Sword Mountain would give the number 1 cauldron to him. They'd likely find some roundabout way to make it impossible for him to lay his hands on it.
"Of course. There are only 100 of these, each one with a higher level of authority than the last. Well, 100 per leader board, that is. You're effectively an Elder of Pill Sword Mountain. Every alchemy guild beneath a certain level of power must listen to your commands without a word of dissent. You can take out as many heavenly herbs below the God grade as you please. You're entitled to receiving a God grade alchemy cauldron from Pill Sword Mountain... The list of benefits are endless.
"Don't worry, I'll allow you to use it. But, it'll just have to be toward meeting my goals."
Dyon still didn't look very happy. "There are other leader boards?"
"Of course. But there are only three more and those three are related to your battle record versus other alchemists. Only your first battle versus a given alchemist counts, and the leader board is decided by number of wins and win percentage."
"Mhm, mhm. I see. Thanks for that. It saved me a lot of time."
Dyon observed the Dragon King with a smile. "Old lizard, you've done quite a number on your body, huh? That can't be comfortable."
His gaze focused on the pulsing red veins on the Dragon King's bare chest.
"What can I say? Not everyone can be as talented as you. We lesser people have to take risks."
Crystella and the others almost choked at these words. Was this the way a mighty Dragon spoke to a mortal human?
"Then I'm sure you know the kind of risk you're taking by coming here and pissing me off, right?" Dyon's gaze narrowed.
The Dragon King's fiendish grin came back. "If I can't stand atop the world, I might as well die. All things considered, dying by your hand isn't so bad. But… I don't plan to die."
"… Good."
Dyon flashed forward before the Dragon King could react, appearing above him and striking down with a force that made the skies tremble.
Dyon's strength made Kywen and Tedric cower. The fear they felt in their hearts multiplied several times over. Crystella could only stand there in a daze as the Dragon King slammed into Mount Volaire.
A moment later, the roar of a Dragon's pride sounded.
The Dragon King entered his draconic form.
His four limbs clawed into the mountain peak of Mount Volaire, his long neck and tail wrapping around its very top. However, compared to the several kilometer long form he must have had as a mortal, he was barely 20 meters from head to the tip of his tail now.
His body exuded an endless pride as he roared toward Dyon, his black scales glistening under the high sun. However, Dyon could sense the wounded confidence he buried deep within his heart.
This was the Dragon King. A man whose legend reigned supreme throughout the mortal plane, a man whose name still struck fear to this very day. Yet, this very same man on the immortal plane was only good for intimidating clans of the outer fringes.
Dyon looked down on him from the sky above the mountain peak, hiding the pity he felt in his heart. For a man like the Dragon King, displaying such emotion would only insult him.
So, Dyon's gaze remained cold. When the Dragon King launched himself into the air after him, he was met with a violent fist to his once majestic horns.
The Dragon King barreled back into the mountain, the vicious sound of large cracking bones sounding.
Those horns were no longer as grand as they once were. They barely separated from the Dragon King's skull, looking more like the bumps of a youthful deer rather than the masculinity of a Dragon.
The yellow reptilian gaze of the Dragon King turned completely red, the slits in his eyes becoming a deep crimson. His roar became more unbridled as though he was losing his grasp on reality.
His silver claws turned a bright red, elongating to over three meters each.
He leapt into the air, swiping at Dyon with all of his power.
Dyon gently blocked with his palm. An undulation whipped through the air, the Dragon King's strike being both blocked and multiplied back toward him in a flash.
A pained roar filled the skies as a rain of claw fragments sprinkled downward.
