Black: "Guh!?"
White (Somehow I'm winning. What gives? What is he planning? I don't understand!)
This is impossible.
I knew it.
I understood it.
And yet, if you ask whether I didn't harbor some sliver of hope that maybe things would work out… I can't honestly say no.
But as expected, things weren't going to be that easy.
If such a sweet deal were possible, then all the bitterness I've endured up until now should have been at least somewhat softened.
Since it wasn't, this world isn't as kind as I'd like to believe.
The conclusion drawn from this: my defeat.
I knew it.
I understood it.
And yet, experiencing it firsthand like this… there's an undeniable sense of shame.
Me — who abandoned the act of choosing long ago and let myself stagnate through the ages.
Versus an opponent who always charged forward without hesitation.
Is this the gap between us?
White. Shiroi.
Once, nothing more than a Reincarnator.
Yet one who harnessed the System and achieved what no one else in this world ever could — ascension to godhood.
Though they borrowed the System's power, they still pulled off the miracle of an ordinary living being reaching the divine.
Whether they themselves grasp just how monumental that achievement is, I can't be sure — but D went out of their way to bestow a name upon them and attempted to recruit them as kin.
People called such beings geniuses, didn't they?
We dragonkind have no concept of genius.
Dragons grow stronger simply by existing, eventually reaching godhood.
We are a race destined for divinity, and our strength is proportional to the years we live.
Among the same generation, none can claim superiority over another. An older dragon is untouchable, and no younger dragon can defeat a still younger one.
That is dragonkind.
And not just dragons.
For most gods, though the degree varies, the years lived are directly tied to strength.
So from my perspective, the fact that a hatchling who was practically just born is fighting me on equal footing — or better — is the height of absurdity.
I can now fully understand how people feel when they sense the unfairness of talent gaps.
Their spatial magic surpasses mine.
They lured me into their territory through a surprise attack, but even that is gradually being overwritten.
It won't happen overnight, but once my territory is completely overwritten, the tables will turn.
The longer this drags on, the worse it gets for me.
However, the moment they failed to press the advantage after the surprise attack, getting bogged down in a long battle became inevitable.
And I already knew that a long fight would put me at a disadvantage.
It seems White is overestimating me.
True, in terms of divine rank and total pure energy, I hold the advantage.
But whether that translates directly to combat ability? The answer is no.
Dragons learn knowledge and skills from their elders.
But I never had elder dragons to teach me.
Self-study has its limits, and my abilities compared to other dragons of my generation are likely significantly inferior.
For starters, I have no combat experience against beings of equal or higher rank.
No — am I the only one?
Dragons, Celestials, Demons.
Ever since the three great divine races reached a stalemate and entered their cold war, young dragons have had no opportunities to fight.
Even if this planet were still functioning normally and the other dragons hadn't departed, I would never have had the chance to fight a god of equal or higher rank.
I am overwhelmingly lacking in combat experience.
In contrast, White has experience fighting beings of equal or greater power even before becoming a god.
This may be their first battle as a god against another god, but the experience of fighting their way through still serves them well.
The difference is enormous.
And above all, I'm not at full strength.
The biggest reason White overestimates me is probably that they're looking at my maximum energy capacity.
From White's perspective, that must look truly immense.
I didn't live as long as I have for nothing.
For dragons, years lived directly translate to divine rank.
By that measure, I'm a reasonably powerful god.
They're looking at a vessel close to the heavens and misunderstanding my actual strength.
Hmph. What a joke.
True — ah, true — if I had still possessed the maximum energy this body could hold, I could have won without even needing to consider the gap in combat experience.
But there's no way that's still left.
If it were, I would have used every last bit of it to regenerate this planet. Obviously.
Yes, indeed.
I've spent nearly all of my power on this planet's regeneration.
Saving only a sliver in case of the unexpected.
All of it, to free
The one standing here now is nothing but the dregs of the god Guedieli Stodes.
I'm not so weakened that I'd lose to someone like Potimus, but I certainly don't have enough power left to defeat an equal-rank god either.
White probably thinks they're the one entering this fight with slim chances of victory.
They probably don't realize it's actually me who's at a disadvantage.
If only they'd been overconfident — things might have been a bit easier for me.
I'll admit it.
If things continue as they are, I will lose.
It's not that I don't have a trump card.
But even factoring that in, the outlook is still grim.
All I can do is buy time and whittle White down as much as possible.
Then I'll pour everything I have into that.
I may be the dregs, but as a god far older than you, I won't go down for free.
I've entrusted what comes next to you,