Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Chapter The Black Dragon’s Battle

Author’s summary of the previous chapter:

Kuro: Guhah!?

Shiro: (Somehow I’m winning. Da heck? What is he planning? I dunno!)

***

This is, impossible for me indeed. I had known for sure. I had understood for sure. Even so, I can’t deny that I had never held out the hope that perhaps luck would be on my side. Sure enough however, it seems that such a too-good-to-be-true development won’t happen. If such a too-good-to-be-true development was ever going to happen, then surely I wouldn’t have experienced quite as much suffering as I have to date. Such a thing never happened as this world isn’t so nice as to let me have hope. The conclusion that can be drawn from all this, is that I will be defeated.

I had known for sure. I had understood for sure. However, now that this has actually come to pass, I am filled with regrets. That I gave up the right to choose, that I’ve been stagnant for so long. So this is the gap between me and my opponent who has constantly been forging ahead huh.

Shiro. Shiraori. Originally she was simply a reincarnator. From there, she made use of the System in a way that nobody had ever managed to before and achieved the leap to godhood. Even considering that she made use of the System’s power, she still produced a miracle for a normal living being to reach godhood. It’s doubtful that she herself understands just how great an achievement she made, but it was enough that D went out of her way to bestow a name and make an invitation to become her kin. I guess she is what people call a genius.

There is no concept of a “genius” amongst us dragons. We dragons become stronger simply by being alive, naturally attaining godhood. As we are a species that is destined to attain godhood, our strength is proportional to how long we have lived. They’re evenly matched within the same generation, cannot rival those from an older generation and won’t lose to those from a younger generation. That’s how dragons are.

It’s not just the dragons either. On one level or another, for most gods their strength is directly connected to their age. Which is why, from my point of view it is absurd in the extreme to experience the current situation where a newbie god who has only just been born is able to be more than a match for me. I’ve become able to fully understand the feelings of those seeing the unreasonable difference that talent makes amongst people.

Her Space Magecraft is above mine. Although I was able to execute a surprise attack and pull her into my domain, even that is being steadily overwritten. It won’t happen any time soon, but if my territory is overwritten then the situation will be overturned. The situation becomes worse the more time that passes. However, once my surprise attack failed to achieve a quick victory, it was unavoidable that it would develop into a drawn-out battle. In addition, I knew that if it became a drawn-out battle then it would be disadvantageous to me.

It sure seems that Shiro has a tendency to overestimate me. Certainly I am above her in terms of my rank as a god, considering our total amounts of pure energy. However, if you were to ask whether that is directly connected to combat ability, the answer is no. Dragons learn knowledge and skills from the elder dragons. However, I don’t have any of those elder dragons to learn from. As there are limits to self-education, my abilities would likely have fallen well behind compared to dragons of my generation.

In the first place, I don’t have any combat experience with those equal to or stronger than me. Well, in this respect it’s not just me I guess. The dragon clan, the heavenly clan and the demonic clan. Since the struggle for supremacy between the three great god clans has entered a cold war period there’s been no opportunity for young dragons to go to battle. Even if this planet had been functioning normally and the other dragons hadn’t left, I likely wouldn’t have had an opportunity to fight with a god equal to or stronger than me. I am completely lacking in combat experience.

In contrast, before Shiro became a god she experienced fighting with those equal to or stronger than her. As a god, this is likely the first time she has fought with another god, but even so she has survived while experiencing fights to the bitter end. That makes a big difference.

And more than anything, I am not in top form. The biggest reason why Shiro is overestimating me is likely because she is looking at my maximum energy capacity. From Shiro’s point of view, I’m sure that would seem to be enormous. I haven’t been living all this time nothing either. For dragons their rank as a god is tied to how long they’ve lived. In that regard, I’m a somewhat powerful god.

Like when looking up at a huge container in the sky from nearby, she is misunderstanding my strength.

Humph. I’m a laughingstock. It’s certainly the case, very much so, that if I had stored up the maximum amount of energy that my body could contain, then I would surely be able to achieve victory without even having to take into consideration my lack of combat experience. However, I would never have just left such energy lying around. If I had any such energy available, I would have obviously have used it all to help regenerate this planet, right?

Ahh, indeed. I’ve spent almost all of my energy on regenerating this planet. I put aside some for contingencies, leaving just a small amount of power. Everything has been for the sake of liberating Sariel even little bit sooner.

All that’s here is the leftover remains of the god Gyuriedistodiez. It’s not like I had weakened to the extent that I’d have ever lost to the likes of Potimas, but having said that I don’t have the power left to beat a god of the same rank as me.

Shiro is likely thinking that she is confronted by a battle with slim chances of victory. She is surely not thinking that it is in fact I who has slim chances of victory. If she got conceited it would likely make my situation a little easier though.

I shall admit it. The way things are going I will lose. It’s not like I don’t have a trump card. But, even when taking that into account it’s bleak. All I can do is to buy as much time as possible and to whittle Shiro down even a little bit.

In which case, I’ll focus purely on that. Even if it’s just my leftover remains, as a much older god than you I won’t be going down easily. I’ve entrusted the rest to you, Dustin.

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