"The Talented Dragon Hides Its Claws" ~ The Eldest Son of the Baron Family, Called Useless, is Actually One of the World's Strongest ~ - Episode 76

Dragons.

They are the kings of monsters, with unmatched strength, powerful bodies, and incredible intelligence.

Dragons usually think they are above all others, but they do have one unique trait: a strong sense of camaraderie.

They deeply love their own kind. This is why all dragons live together on floating islands, forming tight-knit communities.

This bond is so strong that even the mighty Dragon King Bahamut once said, “My comrades are waiting… I must return.”

So, what happens when someone like Ryu, who already values friendship, is affected by this powerful instinct?

Dragon transformation affects not only the body but also the mind.

Two months have passed since Ryu started evolving.

At this critical time, when Ryu is mentally sharp and sensitive… this samurai dared to lay a hand on Esther.

No—he laid a hand on the one person who truly understands Ryu.

“I was thinking about giving this little brat a good punch.”

“Oh, really…? Then die.”

Ryu grabbed the samurai’s hand and glared at him.

“!?!”

The samurai froze in fear.

Ryu’s right eye was no longer human—it was the eye of a dragon.

(Ryu… that eye…!)

The samurai’s foolish actions had triggered Ryu’s transformation.

Ryu grabbed the samurai’s face and slammed him into the ground.

“Ugh…!”

The impact was so strong that cracks formed on the ground. The air was knocked out of the samurai’s lungs.

“Axel, take Esther and get away from here.”

“Grumble.”

“W-Wait! Stop!!!”

Axel grabbed Esther by her collar and ran far away.

The samurai stood up.

“Damn… that hurt, you bastard… I’m gonna kill you for that…”

Bl00d dripped from his forehead, but he was still full of energy.

As expected of a samurai from Hinomaru.

“What clan are you from?”

“Heh… I’m a proud samurai from Tosa! Even crying babies fear me!”

“Liar. A true samurai from Tosa wouldn’t walk around Edo in such tattered clothes. In Hinomaru, you’d be called a ‘rurouni’… no, judging by how the townspeople reacted, you’re more like a wanted criminal.”

The samurai flinched.

“Heh. Hit the mark, did I?”

“S-Shut up!”

(Ryu thought to himself: If I defeat this wanted man, I can use it as proof that a Hinomaru citizen attacked an Imperial diplomat. This would be a great bargaining chip for trade negotiations. And if he really is from Tosa, his death could be used to pressure them as well.)

—That was the logical reason.

But deep down, Ryu knew the truth.

He had lost control once before during the Western Front battle. He had regretted it ever since.

Now, however, the rage bubbling inside him could not be contained.

“It’s time to end this…”

Ryu gripped his trembling right hand and drew his sword, Kurikara.

“…I’ll kill you.”

“A foreigner like you, wielding a sword? Ha! I, Goroemon the Hundred-Killer, will tear you apart! And after I’m done with you… maybe I’ll go for that little brat next!”

The samurai grinned wickedly.

Clearly, he was a true killer.

“Oh? And how exactly do you plan to cut me down?”

“Huh?”

Before the samurai could react, his arm was already in pieces, bl00d soaking the ground.

Ryu had struck at a speed even an experienced killer couldn’t perceive.

The samurai staggered, barely able to keep his balance.

“Ugh…! What the hell just happened…?! Damn it, it hurts…!”

“I expected you to scream more. You have a high tolerance for pain.”

“D-Don’t underestimate me! I was a famous warrior in Tosa!”

“A province where even a weakling like you is well-known? How pathetic.”

“You bastard…! This sword is proof of my skill—”

“Which sword? That pile of scrap metal?”

“!?”

In an instant, Ryu slashed the samurai’s prized blade into pieces.

To Ryu, with his skill and Kurikara, such a feat was effortless.

The samurai, now sweating all over, muttered in a shaky voice:
“F-Fine… I’ll use my trump card!”

Magic—what people in the West call sorcery.

The samurai gathered his remaining strength and channeled his magic into his remaining arm.

“Oh? You plan to use your final moments casting a spell? Very well, let me witness—”

Before the samurai could finish, Ryu’s sword flashed again.

The samurai’s last hope was cut down.

“As if I’d let you. Know your place, trash.”

“AHHHH!!!”

Until now, the samurai had been too numb from pain to feel fear.

But now, true terror finally gripped him.

(What… what is this monster!?)

He fell backward, scrambling away.

Ryu stepped forward, crushing the broken sword beneath his foot.

“Your eyes…! You’re not human, are you, you damn monster!?”

“My eye…? Oh… so that’s why my right eye sees so clearly.”

(Esther was shocked when she first saw me—so that’s when my transformation progressed. And now, this fool has only just noticed it.)

The samurai’s back hit a wall.

There was nowhere left to run.

“I just wanted to hit that brat! Why am I being punished like this!?”

“You just wanted to hit her?”

“…Wait, was she your wife!? I didn’t know! I’m sorry! Please spare me! I’ll pay you any amount!”

“You said you’d kill Esther after killing me, didn’t you?”

“….!!”

The samurai turned even paler, realizing his mistake.

Then, suddenly, he smirked.

“Heh… You sure you wanna do this? If you kill me, Sakamoto from Tosa won’t stand for it!”

“Sakamoto? Who’s that?”

“You really don’t know? Then let me tell you.”

The samurai took a deep breath and declared:
“Sakamoto Ryoma—the strongest samurai in Hinomaru’s history. I grew up with him! If I die, he’ll come running with the face of a demon!”

A samurai with the rare name Ryu in Hinomaru.

Was it mere coincidence? Or fate?

No one could say.

“Sakamoto Ryoma, huh…”

“Heh! Even you must be scared of him! If you beg for mercy now, I might let you go!”

“…I couldn’t care less.”

“…Huh?”

“Take these words with you to the afterlife, samurai.”

Ryu opened his dragon eye and raised Kurikara.

“Anyone who lays a hand on my family—

Even if they are a god—

I will never forgive them.”

The wanted man—Goroemon the Hundred-Killer.

He had angered a dragon.

His head hit the ground.