That battle would reshape the terrain and dramatically alter the ecosystem.
In time, the "Scorching Flarestorm" came to be called a "Great Calamity."
Setting aside the final outcome, there was no question that this was combat on a dimension beyond mortal comprehension.
What proved fortunate was that the battle took place over the ocean.
The superheated seawater evaporated, generating clouds overhead that unleashed torrential rain across the surrounding area—but the impact on the continent itself was minimal.
Had this occurred on land, particularly near a nation, the scale of the damage would have been astronomical.
Nevertheless, damage was sustained without question.
It inflicted catastrophic effects on the creatures dwelling in that sea region, and was one of the decisive factors that drove the already massive sea beasts to evolve into monstrous Great Sea Demons of a truly ominous caliber.
With the birth of these Great Sea Demons, the region became a forbidden zone that no human could set foot in.
As a result, the sea route was completely closed off, and even the airspace above it was no longer safe.
That was the greatest devastation wrought by the "Scorching Flarestorm," also known as the "Great Calamity."
The waters between the "Frozen Continent" and the intermediate islands were sealed shut by eternal ice.
Furthermore, the skies above were dominated by aerial demons driven to madness after being bathed in the magical power of Demon Lord
Thus, this "Great Calamity"—which had forced an entire maritime trade route into closure—accelerated the development of a railway network as the primary mode of overland transport, along with the installation of teleportation relay magic circles.
This aligned with Demon Lord Rimuru's strategic interests, leading to debate over whether the disaster had been orchestrated by the Demon Lord himself.
Whether there had been an ulterior motive to dominate overland transportation networks.
It was an undeniable fact that the transportation network established by the Demon Lord had contributed to humanity's development.
Whether the "Great Calamity" had been the Demon Lord's doing or not.
It became a subject of endless fascination for future historians.
Yet not a single historian existed who could have deduced that the disaster was actually what one might call a twist of fate—a collision of coincidences.
"Truth is stranger than fiction," as the saying goes, and perhaps real events are often nothing more than products of such a chain of coincidents.
Setting that debate aside, it was an indisputable historical fact—confirmed by later scholars—that the cause of the "Great Calamity" was combat between two "True Dragons."
--- Veldora soared through the vast sky with tremendous pleasure and pushed his speed even further.
Compared to before his imprisonment, his flight speed was actually higher now that he was controlling his Magicules.
With plenty of room to spare, he had already surpassed his previous top speed, making hypersonic flight entirely possible.
"Kuahahahaha! Magnificent! What incredible speed!"
He said this, getting carried away with himself.
It felt rather wonderful.
Based on the knowledge contained in the Sacred Scriptures that his ally Rimuru possessed, he had applied his own modifications—and they had worked remarkably well.
Instead of letting Demon Aura leak outward, he circulated it within his body.
This allowed him to refine it to a higher purity, producing higher-quality Magicules.
With less energy expenditure, he could achieve far greater effects.
Having learned at Rimuru's side, there had been so many things he wanted to try.
His true form had been strictly off-limits for causing mayhem, so he had spent his time in human form playing around with Rimuru's subordinates.
That too had been a rather interesting experience—even learning the concept of "technique" from an old man named Hakuro.
Power was not something merely released without thought.
It was to be tempered, concentrated, and detonated at a single point.
Veldora's very nature was "dispersion."
He could unleash his boundless Demon Aura in all directions, crashing it into whatever he pleased.
That alone was enough to destroy nearly anything, and he could accomplish whatever he willed.
But that alone was not enough.
With that approach, there was a ceiling on the magnitude of power he could bring to bear, and he could never perform more refined techniques like focusing his strength on a specific target.
That was precisely why living in human form while suppressing his power was, in a sense, the most ideal form of training.
Thanks to that, Veldora had mastered the art of using power effectively.
Just as moving his limbs in human form followed certain principles, even in dragon form, by manipulating the flow of his power, he could now produce far more concentrated effects.
For Veldora, an absolute powerhouse whose total power output exceeded even his two sisters', this was something he had never even needed to consider.
Things like strategies for fighting, or searching for more effective ways to deploy his power.
He had never needed them because his power was simply too vast.
The magic control he had naturally acquired through playing around in human form had the result of vastly increasing Veldora's combat power beyond what it had been before.
He himself was not aware of this—his only perception was that his body felt a little lighter.
He concentrated his consciousness, attempting to push his flight speed to the absolute limit.
In that instant, Veldora's body shifted into a form optimized for flight, and he surpassed the speed of sound by a wide margin.
Among the four "True Dragons," the fastest was the "Scorch Dragon"
But the current Veldora had acquired a speed that rivaled even that of the fastest.
Having reached a speed he had never achieved before, he inadvertently ended up encountering the Imperial airship fleet head-on.
*(Hey, Veldora! There's an Imperial airship fleet right ahead of you. At this rate, you're going to collide with them!)* When he heard Rimuru's telepathic transmission, he had already closed to within an hour's distance of contact.
At Rimuru's panic, Veldora's thoughts turned calm.
Wait a moment? Rimuru had said the Imperial army was going to attack Luminas directly—wasn't this his chance to step in?
He could feel that his power had been enhanced, so wouldn't this be the perfect test subject?
He didn't need to cooperate with Luminas at all. Why not just smash the enemy on his own first?
That thought crossed his mind.
"Kuahahahaha! Rimuru, rest easy.
Leave it to me. I'll drive this Imperial army back myself!"
*(Wait—is that really okay?!)* "Indeed, leave it to me! Besides, it looks like I'll finally get to let loose. Just sit back and watch!"
With that, he severed his telepathic link with Rimuru.
From Veldora's perspective, Rimuru was always too cautious.
Even at a level where victory was assured, Rimuru would not relax—only launching a battle once he was completely certain there was no chance of losing.
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but Veldora couldn't help feeling Rimuru could stand to have a bit more confidence in himself.
Just like the "Will" dwelling within the "Ultimate Skill" that Rimuru had created.
Once the decision to fight was made, all that remained was execution.
From Veldora's standpoint, Imperial soldiers were nothing to fear.
He would end this in an instant—and pushed his flight speed even higher.
The Imperial airship fleet came into view ahead of him.
Roughly three hundred vessels. He considered them trivial.
If he simply maintained this speed and rammed into them in a "high-density state," victory seemed all but guaranteed.
However, he decided it would be proper to issue a surrender demand first, and halted just before contact.
The shockwave from Veldora's sudden stop alone was enough to send the entire fleet rocking violently. Destroying them looked trivially easy.
"Kuahahahaha! You fools of the Empire!
My name is Veldora—the "Storm Dragon," Veldora!
If you abandon your invasion and retreat peacefully back to your empire, I shall spare you.
Give me your answer!"
Veldora's booming voice, infused with telepathic transmission, rang out.
This was something unthinkable from the Veldora of old.
His life with Rimuru had changed not just his power, but his entire way of thinking.
Well, perhaps the influence of the Sacred Scriptures' knowledge had been even greater.
On the other side, the Imperial army's situation was quite different.
The upper echelon, including the commanders, had already been informed that the部队 sent to the Great Forest of Jura had been annihilated.
Yet for the common soldiers, the sudden appearance of Veldora—someone who should not have existed—left them struggling to conceal their agitation.
Still, not a single one abandoned their role. They shifted into a posture of awaiting orders from their superiors and deployed defensive barriers to maximum capacity—a truly commendable display of discipline.
And their superior officers— Monster Army Corps Commander
The vessel was conspicuously opulent, shielded by a defensive barrier constructed by three hundred of the remaining most seasoned mages—surpassing that of any other ship.
This was only natural, as the expedition's command staff were all aboard.
Moreover, this ship also carried Velgrynd.
She had come bearing full authority as the Emperor's proxy.
Gradim, unaware of her true identity, did not find the situation pleasant but sensed she was no ordinary person and held his tongue.
In his place, Zamud spoke.
The woman who called herself Grind—Velgrynd, as she had introduced herself—held supreme command over this operation.
Even if there were some discontent, her orders had to be followed.
"Lady Grind, what shall we do?"
Velgrynd offered a faint smile and turned the question back on him.
"Zamud—can you activate the Magicule Disruption Radiation at this point?
Also, your aerial combat forces appear insufficient. How much fighting capability do you have?"
"Well… the truth is, we never anticipated aerial combat, so we don't have enough mages. And with Veldora as our opponent, we'd stand no chance in the current state. If we had one hundred ships carrying our four hundred elite, they might have held their own against Veldora, but…"
"Hmm. A transport fleet cannot hope to match Veldora, then.
Very well.
I have no choice but to go myself. You are all to evacuate the combat airspace immediately."
"What?! You intend to fight alone?!"
Gradim's eyes went wide at Velgrynd's declaration.
She glanced at him sideways.
"Yes. It's actually fortunate that I happened to be here.
Rudra probably didn't anticipate this situation either, but— Concentrate all personnel capable of using Magicule Disruption Radiation and reorganize the crew. Do it quickly while I buy you time!
When that child and I reach a stalestrike, be ready to activate it at any moment. When I give the signal, launch it immediately. Understood?
And as goes without saying—contact your Emperor at once.
If you understand, move quickly! I'm going!"
She fired off orders in rapid succession.
Gradim was shaken, unable to fully grasp what she had said, but Velgrynd paid him no heed as she placed her hand on the door leading from the bridge.
Without hesitation, she threw it open and launched herself into the open sky.
*(Suicide!)* Gradim thought as much, but what he witnessed in the next moment robbed him of words.
The woman called Grind—Velgrynd—emerged into the sky, and after a flash of crimson light, transformed into a magnificent draconic form wreathed in a dazzling crimson aura.
"What—! Could it be—the "Scorch Dragon" Velgrynd?! The Empire's—our guardian deity—was Lady Velgrynd all along?!"
At Zamud's shocked cry, Gradim regained his composure.
And immediately: "I will contact His Majesty personally. The rest of you—execute Lady Velgrynd's orders at once! Accelerate the reorganization!
Concentrate the mages and keep the remaining ships afloat on the sea!"
His commanding voice rang out.
The Imperial soldiers snapped back to reality at his words.
A dragon gleaming with scarlet radiance. That fantastical, beautiful form had stolen their hearts in an instant.
When they had been on the verge of despair at Veldora's appearance, a legendary dragon had manifested to stand against him and protect the Imperial army—it was hardly surprising they had been momentarily transfixed.
But Gradim's iron-willed command was more than enough to shake them awake.
Those who had been captivated by the reality unfolding before their eyes—the manifestation of the "Scorch Dragon" Velgrynd—immediately sprang into action.
"That's right! We have a guardian dragon on our side! There's nothing to fear!"
"We won't lose! Lady Velgrynd fights for us! There's no way we can lose!"
Morale surged through the Imperial soldiers in an instant.
And, carrying out their orders, they swiftly began to move.
Velgrynd returned to her true form for the first time in ages, surveying her surroundings.
As expected, her true form felt right.
Through her natural "Magic Perception," she sensed the airship fleet behind her beginning to maneuver.
She detected no signs of panic. It appeared to be proceeding smoothly.
Shifting her attention forward, she noticed that Veldora had frozen in apparent shock.
Well, she could hardly blame him.
He had probably intended to obliterate a fleet of this scale with a single breath.
There was also the matter of this being a reunion between siblings after so long.
Even back in the era when Veldora rampaged across the land before his sealing, Velgrynd had already been lurking within the Empire as Emperor Rudra's partner.
She had been frequently frozen by their elder sister
The last time they had met might have been when they clashed at the southern edge of the Empire.
Their collision as "True Dragons" had created a volcanic region through the interference of their power.
Neither had been fully serious that time, but when Velgrynd had shown even a fraction of her strength, Veldora had immediately fled.
Veldora was impressive in sheer volume of Magicules alone, but his usage was completely unrefined. That was precisely why Velgrynd had never considered him particularly dangerous.
Even with an immense pool of Magicules, it meant nothing if he couldn't wield them properly.
However, he was strong enough to resist her with raw power alone—if trained, he could become a decisive asset. She had planned to recruit him as an ally first, then gradually teach him how to use his power.
Now then, what would happen this time?
Velgrynd would engage Veldora and suppress his strength.
Then, at the right moment, she would deploy Magicule Disruption Radiation to hold him down.
After that, all that remained was for Emperor Rudra to bring Veldora into the fold through his "Sovereign's Dominion."
She had anticipated difficulty in luring him away from Demon Lord Rimuru, but having him come to her was even more convenient.
This coincidence presented the perfect opportunity to recruit Veldora.
She might not even need to steal Luminas's "Soul Refinement System" for cultivating Holy Knights.
As long as she had Veldora, victory over Guy would be possible—there would be no need to go out of her way to create additional pieces evolved to the level of Sages.
*(With this, the board will shift all at once.)* The long-running game was nearing its end.
Victory for Velgrynd and Emperor Rudra appeared to be just around the corner.
First priority was capturing Veldora.
She had to seize this opportunity and make victory certain.
Velgrynd thought this as she began flying slowly toward Veldora.
Veldora was perplexed.
He had barely escaped from one sister, Velzard, only to encounter the other one.
What were the odds?
The sheer absurdity of it had left him momentarily frozen in place.
He gathered himself and thought it through.
Escape would be difficult. The reason was simple—Velgrynd was the fastest of the "True Dragons."
She had a refined style and looked fast too. Well, appearances were beside the point…
There was no point in a speed contest, and if they were going to fight, this location was still preferable to the alternatives.
If he destroyed Luminas's country, he had a feeling she would chase him to the ends of the earth until one of them died.
He had thought Luminas was the type who couldn't take a joke, but watching Rimuru build his nation had helped him understand that her anger would be justified.
Even if it wasn't Luminas—if his own monster nation had been destroyed, he too would fly into a rage and annihilate the perpetrator.
Thinking about it that way, there was no reason to draw the fight near where people lived.
It was troublesome, but the other side clearly wanted a fight, so he would oblige.
Still, he hadn't anticipated that Velgrynd would be allied with the Empire.
He had assumed he could swat the mosquito-like airship fleet aside with a single breath.
And he had been planning to do Luminas a favor by casually destroying her nation, then asking her to call it even.
He had thought it was the perfect opportunity, but things were not so simple.
Still, it seemed Velgrynd was determined to fight, so he steeled himself and prepared to face her.
They had never fought each other seriously, but he had always felt that Velgrynd was stronger. However, that was the old him.
The current Veldora, thanks to Rimuru, had acquired entirely new power.
*(Kuahahahaha! Since it comes to this, I might as well test my new strength against my own sister!)* With that thought, his fighting spirit surged.
Veldora directed his attention toward Velgrynd as well, and naturally transitioned into a combat stance.
And so, the century-defining clash between two "True Dragons" erupted.