Clearing an Isekai with the Zero-Believers Goddess

Chapter 309: Ancient Dragon King vs Spirit User

◇Ancient Dragon King’s POV◇

Since the day I was born, I was raised as the king of the dragons that holds exceptional power even among the Ancient Dragons.

In my young days, I would invade other continents as a Demon Lord, fought countless Heroes, and defeated them all.

It is not once or twice that I have ruled the world.

But the Heroes of the Goddesses showed up like wild grass.

I would destroy them at those times and, eventually, the amount of people that challenged me decreased.

There was talk spreading about not putting a hand on the Ancient Dragon King in the North Continent.

And so, in time, no people challenged me anymore.

Boring days of hunting Heroes running around.

I was disappointed.

My chances of fighting Heroes decreased.

Time of nothing to do increased.

The Ancient Dragon family was prospering in the North Continent.

I lost my desire to control the world and left the battlefield for a long time.

A few thousands of years after that, demons, humans, and demi-humans seemed to be fighting for hegemony, but as long as they didn’t touch my continent, I would just watch and wait.

I didn’t try to learn about the state of the outside continents, but every 1,000 years, my long time friend, the Immortal King Bifrons, would come to my dwelling to speak to me.

“Ancient Dragon King, your mana has increased again. Won’t you try to conquer the world after so long?” (Bifrons)

“Immortal King, even if I were to rule the world, the Goddesses would create Heroes in places I am not around. And then, when I go to them, they run away. What’s the point?” (Astaroth)

I sigh heavily.

“Hahahaha! You are way too strong! You were born in the wrong era. You should have lived in the ancient times.” (Bifrons)

“So says the Immortal King that prides in having lived longer than anyone else. How was the era you were born in?” (Astaroth)

“It was a fearsome era, you know. The land would split with the temper of the Gods, floods would happen with the jealousy of Goddesses, and if angels and devils fought, stars would fall. Weather was practically nonexistent. It changed on the mood of the Gods. I haven’t experienced the wars of Gods though.” (Bifrons)

“I am impressed you managed to survive in an era like that.” (Astaroth)

“I was born just at the time when the ancient era was ending. Some demigods and divine beasts were left, but they would eventually return to the Divine Realm or to Hell. It was apparently suffocating for the Gods to live in the cramped Mortal Realm while following the rules. Thanks to that, even a weak Devil like me can be called a Demon Lord now.” (Bifrons)

“Demigods and Divine Beasts, huh… If they remained, I wouldn’t have been this bored.” (Astaroth)

It is unfortunately a wish that can’t be fulfilled.

The Gods ruling this world apparently decided to not directly interfere with the Mortal Realm.

The former angel that fell from the Divine Realm and is now a Demon Lord said this.

There’s no one in this world that can match me…

At the time when I was passing those days of boredom, that personage appeared.

—The Abandoned God, Iblis-sama.

A God that had fallen from an outer world.

That personage that suddenly appeared had ruled the world in the blink of an eye.

No, he reshaped the world.

With his infinite mana, he covered the world in unclearable black clouds, and took away the light of the sun.

All living beings in the Mortal Realm learned the fear of being ruled over.

I led the Ancient Dragons and challenged that personage.

Many of the Ancient Dragons lost their composure just by seeing that personage, and couldn’t even fight.

I used my full strength for the first time in my life to face that personage, and lost.

I was vexed by it, but I had no regrets.

Having survived, I followed the rules of the Ancient Dragons and obeyed that personage since he defeated me.

I had no grievances with that.

On top of that, I awakened my Dragon God blood through that personage.

The Dragon God that’s said to have fought for hegemony against the Gods in the ancient times.

That power was sleeping in me.

That personage has the power to bring out the latent powers.

It seems like he used that on me.

“You are strong. Once you awaken your Dragon God blood, you will become even stronger.” (Iblis)

That’s what he said.

That personage brought out the latent power of others one after the other.

However, it wasn’t as if everyone received the grace of having their latent powers brought out, and if you fail in awakening, you change into an unpleasant and disgusting form.

Even so, there was no end to the people who gathered below that personage.

With my Dragon Blood having been awakened, I became even stronger.

That’s good.

But I can’t fight that personage who I have already lost once.

The Heroes of this world and the other living beings are way too weak.

They don’t last even one hit.

On top of that, the world had become boring.

But…

(Wonderful…!) (Astaroth)

My body trembled.

A star is falling from the sky.

A giant ice star.

The earth was burning and was being split apart like a natural calamity.

At times, tsunamis would attack like raging floods.

The sight that the Immortal King had told me about was unfolding right in front of my eyes.

“Kah!!!” (Astaroth)

My dragon breath that can destroy everything was easily being blocked by a barrier of ice.

There’s no way it would be possible to block it with just any barrier.

My God Eye could tell that that barrier is being made with Ether.

The battle continued from day to night.

A battle has not lasted this long before.

My battle against that personage ended in a minute.

Before I awakened the Dragon God blood, I may have been the highest of the highest, but I couldn’t match at all the God that was that personage.

However, it is different now.

With the slight Dragon Blood flowing in me, I can even battle Gods.

And the one I am facing is the Apostle of the Goddess that caused the last Divine Realm War.

The user of Great Water Spirits that continues dealing with all of my attacks with a nonchalant look.

A memory of when I spoke with the Immortal King resurfaced.

“Bifrons, what was the race that was the most problematic bunch among the Gods?” (Astaroth)

I asked my friend with sudden interest.

“All were problematic…but Gods…especially the Goddesses were the worst. They are whimsical, and wouldn’t care about the residents of the Mortal Realm after all… But they didn’t pay any attention to a worm crawling on the ground like me, so in a sense, it was comforting. If you don’t do anything to them, you won’t get cursed.” (Bifrons)

“Fumu…then, what about Demigods and Divine Beasts? Or maybe the Angels or Devils…?” (Astaroth)

“Wonder about that. The Demigods and the Divine Beasts were intelligent. They don’t cause unnecessary strife. The Angels were busy with the menial work of Gods, and the Devils would immediately try to tempt you for your soul, so you just ignored them. As long as you know how to deal with them, no race was that fearsome…… No, there were those guys.” (Bifrons)

The Immortal King that rarely changes his expression made a bitter face.

“Those guys?” (Astaroth)

“The Spirits… They would approach you with no malice and would flail you about.” (Bifrons)

“Spirits, huh…” (Astaroth)

From what I know, Spirits are extremely docile beings.

Their numbers are high and they are weak.

“It is because you don’t know the 4 Great Spirits. When they go crazy, nothing remains. And yet, you can’t predict what they will do. They are innocent natural calamities. I didn’t know how to deal with them even till the very end.” (Bifrons)

“Fumu…but the Great Spirits obeyed someone in that ancient time, right?” (Astaroth)

“The legend of the Gods of Origin, right? I wouldn’t want to meet them.” (Bifrons)

It was that conversation.

I couldn’t not laugh.

The most problematic beings the Immortal King spoke about were right in front of me.

The Great Water Spirits, Undines, with each individual one of them having mana that far surpasses that of an Ancient Dragon.

There’s hundreds of them.

Infinite mana became a wall that’s trying to crush me.

Magic was falling on me as if it were raining.

It is not easy for me to be injured with normal magic as I am being protected by Divinity.

But there’s problematic attacks too.

“XXX (Fufufu…)”

The Great Water Spirits were lunging at me.

Those attacks alone, I decided to avoid.

When I did that just before and evaded it, a whole mountain at my back was frozen completely.

No, rather than the mountain, it was as if the space itself had frozen. A strange attack.

That attack alone, I must not get hit by it.

Even I would most likely not come out unscathed from that.

“XXXXXX (It isn’t hitting~)”

“XXXXXXXXXXX (If only we could touch him…)”

“XXXXXX (He has noticed?)”

“XXXXXXXXX (Let’s leave it to Our King.)”

I heard Spirit Language.

The Great Water Spirits are flying around me, aiming for my life.

However, their attacks definitely won’t be hitting me.

My God Eye can see a few seconds into the future.

My battle with the Spirit User won’t be reaching a conclusion just yet… It shouldn’t have.

Suddenly, the Goddess’s Apostle stabbed his dagger into his own hand.

“……ffer, Noah-sama.” (Makoto)

I could hear a low mutter.

(What is he doing…?) (Astaroth)

Was he unable to endure the tension of battle?

He doesn’t seem like the type that has such weak nerves though…

“XXXXXXXXX (Time Spirit-sans…)”

I heard that voice.

At that moment, the shape of the Spirit User warped.

My vision warped, the world shook.

(…So you still left a trump card, huh.) (Astaroth)

But I have the God Eye that can see the future.

No matter what kind of new attack you throw at me, it won’t wo—

(Wa…?!) (Astaroth)

My vision was painted black.

This feeling…is the same as that personage.

There’s no future showing in my God Eye.

At the same time as my defeat was settled, I felt the functions of all of my body stopping.

Right before losing my consciousness, the gaze of the Goddess looking down at me with cruel eyes and the annoying laughs of the Great Water Spirits remained stickily in my mind.

◇Takatsuki Makoto’s POV◇

The giant body of the Ancient Dragon King fell.

And didn’t move anymore.

(That’s a relief… So this spell worked on the Ancient Dragon King too, huh…) (Makoto)

I breathe a sigh of relief.

The spell I used was a composite spell of Water and Moon: [Ice Prison Curse].

It has low killing power, but if it hits the opponent, it is almost certain that they will be incapacitated.

If I were to use the Ice Prison Curse on the dragons around, I would be able to freeze them for hundreds of years.

I thought it would just work for a certain period of time on the Ancient Dragon King.

By the way, it is a spell that I casted on myself 1,000 years ago.

“Good work, Our King. Now then, I will be leaving my little sisters in their original places, okay?” (Dia)

Dia smiles and disappears into mist.

The other Great Water Spirits also disappear one after the other.

At that moment, dizziness attacked me.

I take out the dagger from my left hand.

Looks like I bled too much.

(That was dangerous…) (Makoto)

I can only borrow the power of the Time Spirits one time in one fight.

Any more than that and my mind wouldn’t be able to take it.

Most likely the lifespan offered from the Sacrificial Technique as well.

It was a dangerous gamble. At that rate, it would have just gotten gradually worse.

I somehow managed.

I have only requested something from Time Spirits once.

—I had them affix the future.

I don’t know the logic well, but it is apparently a normal use of Time Spirits.

By the way, the Destiny Goddess reminded me strongly: “You MUST not use it, okay?! MUST NOT!”

I ended up using it though.

I am sure she will be really mad at me later.

“Good work, Makoto. You did well.” (Noah)

Noah-sama floated her way to me.

The scent of flowers wafted about.

“Thank you very much. It is thanks to you, Noah-sama.” (Makoto)

“Wrong. This was all your own power, Makoto. Have confidence. Then, it is about time I return to the Deep Sea Temple.” (Noah)

Saying this, Noah-sama disappeared like mist.

She really is restless the whole time.

I think she should stay put a bit more.

“Makoto!! That was amazing!” (Lucy)

“Takatsuki-kun!! The wound on your left hand! You must treat that at once!” (Aya)

Lucy hugged me and Sa-san began wrapping me with bandages.

The pain was stinging me now.

…*Zuzuzu*

I could hear the sound of something moving.

The head of the giant black dragon lifted up.

He is already back?!

“““…”””

Lucy, Sa-san, I face the Ancient Dragon King with tension.

But the Ancient Dragon King only had his head up and he wasn’t showing signs of attacking.

“Spirit User…it is my loss. As promised, you can call yourself the Dragon King from now on.” (Astaroth)

“…”

I nodded slightly at the words of the Ancient Dragon KIng.

I am really glad that he didn’t say something like ‘the battle is not over yet!’.

Honestly speaking, if he were to go for a rematch, I would have no choice but to run away.

The Ancient Dragon King continues speaking.

“…Even with the Dragon God blood that that personage awakened, I couldn’t win against an Ancient Era Spirit User, huh… Fufu… This doesn’t feel bad.” (Astaroth)

“Father…” (Mel)

The White Dragon-san had a face as if she didn’t know what to say.

“No need to disgrace myself any further. Spirit User, end my life with that God dagger. If you do, all Ancient Dragons will obey you.” (Astaroth)

“Father! You don’t have to go that far!” (Mel)

“Helemerck, I am the subordinate of that personage. Even if I have lost to the Spirit User-dono here, I can’t just obey the Spirit User-dono like you do…” (Astaroth)

“B-But…” (Mel)

“Hey, Makoto, are you going to do as the Ancient Dragon King says?” (Lucy)

“That person is the dad of the White Dragon-san, right? Killing him is a bit…” (Aya)

I hear the talk of the Ancient Dragon King, the White Dragon-san, Lucy, and Sa-san.

I can hear them, but…their voices were going into one ear and out the other.

It feels as if they were all talking and I am listening from far away.

“Or more like, I am already at my limit…” (Makoto)

Those words leave my mouth.

“Eh? Makoto…?” (Lucy)

“Takatsuki-kun? Your face is completely pale…” (Aya)

“Oi, Spirit User-kun.” (Mel)

The distressed voices of everyone steadily grew further and further away.