COTE x Reincarnated As A Slime (On Hold)

Chapter 38

Kiyotaka POV

Flashback

I climbed the stairs step by step. Wary, judgmental gazes were fixated on me as I made my way up. At the top of the stairs, a shadow loomed over me at the opposite side of the arena.

The entire arena was quiet, and was basically empty. The only ones here were me, my opponent, the 'Single Digits', as well as the Emperor himself. However they weren't of concern at the moment. One look at my opponent told me that I had to thread carefully. After all, this was going to be my toughest battle yet, unlike any other that I had faced before this.

The arena was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. My footsteps echoed for every step I took.

Was I going to win?

Was I going to lose?

Who knows? Nothing was guaranteed.

In fact, there was a much larger probability of me losing. Or at least that was correct in the eyes of anyone watching.

Naturally so.

Standing before me was an extremely beautiful woman with long blue hair: one of the only four of the strongest species known as the True Dragon, Velgrynd the Flame Dragon.

"What a surprise. I didn't think you'd managed to beat Kondo." Velgrynd calmly spoke. "Your presence has created a massive uproar within the country ever since your arrival. Never had I thought that I would have to take it upon myself to go against anyone in a ranked battle. Unfortunately for you, you won't make it any further than this."

"Is that so? I will be looking forward to seeing how you would make that happen." I calmly replied. People might probably think I had screw-loose saying this in front of such an opponent, but it doesn't matter to me.

Because even if the odds were against me, I had nothing to fear.

An ordinary person would've cowered in fear of her very presence, making them unable to perform at their best. However, there was nothing special about this setting. Fighting while under unreasonable and or at a disadvantage, whether it is the difference in strength, technique, skill or lack of equipment and experience, was something I was accustomed to since I had been drilled on it repeatedly from a young age

For me, it was the same as the unconscious process of breathing. Even if my opponent was a superhuman or some type of monster, it doesn't change what I have to do.

All I had to focus on was to find a way to defeat the opponent in front of me. My methods don't matter. That's how it always have been.

While keeping my guard up, I switched my gaze from Velgrynd to the Emperor who was looking down at me from his throne with a calculating look on his face.

Regardless of what the outcome would be, win or lose, I was almost done with what I had sought out to do here. This was just a bonus.

In the end... all of them would be useful to me, one way or another.

Should a war break out between here and Tempest, I would most likely be prepared for that, and when that time comes...

Flashback end

"Master, are you sure that it is okay to work separately from Rimuru-sama?" Sapphire spoke, gazing out into the distance at the Eastern Empire. Her face was serious, as she observed the military exercises that the country before us were carrying out.

"What are you talking about, Sapphire. Since this is Kiyotaka that we are talking about, he has his reasons." Leficios smirked delightfully as she could barely hold back her excitement on laying waste to the nation before them.