In My Name

It was a ferocious-looking steel dragon, measuring about fifteen meters from head to tail with a wingspan of a full twenty meters.

Likely to match Irene's identity as a black dragon, this dragon-type power armor was also painted pitch-black.

To allow for easier movement, its overall structure was not made of several large pieces like standard plate armor, but was instead assembled from countless small, scale-like structures.

As a result, despite sacrificing a portion of its defensive capabilities, it gained far greater mobility.

Furthermore, because the power armor was not a single, solid piece, other parts could still function normally even if one section was damaged.

Beyond that, the most eye-catching feature was undoubtedly the pair of pitch-black metal wings.

Rather than wings, this pair of dragon wings looked more like dozens of curved greatswords pieced together.

Their edges had been deliberately polished to a razor-sharp finish, glinting with a chilling, intimidating light under the illumination.

With such a blindingly sharp edge, even if ten beastkin stood in a row, a single sweep of the wing could probably decapitate them all.

To increase its combat effectiveness, Gar had specially installed a spiral horn on the dragon head, along with a row of sharp, backward-curving spikes running down the neck, back, and tail. The tip of the tail was even designed as a cross-shaped blade, capable of shredding any enemy coming from behind with just a gentle flick.

Overall, this was simply the ultimate magical creation born from the collision of violent aesthetics and fantasy magic.

“How is it? Do you think this will do?”

Gar asked, feeling a bit anxious. Although he was highly satisfied with his masterpiece, that did not guarantee that Her Grace would feel the same.

Yet before Irene could speak, Daviel, who had been secretly watching the show from behind for the longest time, rushed forward. Tossing the stockings to the ground, he stared at the majestic metal creation with glowing eyes.

“This, this, this, this...”

He could barely form a coherent sentence. Only after a long while did he turn his head toward Irene and squeeze out, “Sis, I think I've found the dragoness of my dreams...”

Irene: “...”

In the next second, the little black dragon, who was trying to rush over and hump the steel plating, was lifted by an invisible Mage Hand and thrown away, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Dusting herself off, the little dragon girl acted as if nothing had happened. She stepped forward and gently stroked the cold casing of the dragon-type power armor, her mana naturally flowing through the entire suit.

“An exceptionally exquisite creation. I like it very much.”

Upon hearing these words, Gar felt as if he had been granted a divine pardon. Feeling that his hard work over the past three months had not been in vain, his legs went weak. Fortunately, Fido was beside him to catch him, keeping him from collapsing onto the floor.

However, the single cowlick on his head involuntarily drooped.

“Wait a minute!”

The little black dragon, who had climbed up from the ground at some point, scrambled back. Looking at Gar, who was being supported by Fido, he pointed one finger at the dragon-type power armor and the other at his own face. “Where's my share? Where did you hide it? Hurry up and bring it out for me to see!”

“This...” Gar was clearly unprepared for this. Her Grace hadn't mentioned making two suits back then. Besides, even if she had, with such a tight schedule, there was no way they could have finished two!

“Well...”

Faced with this situation, the young Minister of the Equipment Department clearly didn't know how to handle it. He helplessly patted the single hair on his head, feeling that this perverted black dragon was truly making him go bald.

“Well... you see...”

After pondering for a long time, Gar couldn't come up with a good excuse. Seeing Daviel craning his neck, his longing eyes almost physically pressing against his face, Gar could only speak the truth. “I... I only made this one suit.”

“...”

Daviel's expression froze on his face. After a brief silence, the little black dragon, who loved to play the drama queen, pulled back his neck. His face twisted into an extremely exaggerated expression.

“I finally let myself fall in love... and you make me lose... so completely!!”

He then grabbed the floral underpants off his head and slammed them onto the ground.

“Fuck!”

Under the light, the little black dragon's partially bald head, which had not yet fully recovered, reflected a bright gleam.

Gar at least had one hair, whereas he didn't even have that. He was missing more than half his scales, looking entirely like he had male-pattern baldness.

The Equipment Department fell into a heavy silence.

A few individuals subconsciously raised their hands to shield their eyes, terrified of being blinded by the glare reflecting off that shiny bald head...

Dazed for a few seconds, the black dragon realized everyone had gone quiet. He quickly bent over, picked the floral underpants back up, and put them back on his head to cover his partially bald dome.

Then, acting as if nothing had happened, he walked over to Fido, pulled Gar away from his support, and slung an arm around his shoulders. He dragged Gar toward a dark corner, whispering god-knows-what to him. In an instant, the cowlick on Gar's head stood straight up as if it had been injected with stimulants.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the dragon-type power armor secured on the rack was drawn by mana. It disassembled into countless components, which flew under magical control toward Irene, who had reverted to her true form.

Amid the sharp clatter of metal locking into place, a voice that gradually took on a heavy, metallic resonance echoed in everyone's ears.

“Warriors, the time has come.”

Once these words were spoken, the entire Equipment Department fell completely silent, so quiet that only the friction of metal and the hissing of steam could be heard.

Everyone's gaze converged on Irene.

As the final faceplate locked into place, the dim mechanical eyes lit up with a piercing golden light. This great creation of machinery and magic unfurled its pair of blade-like steel wings.

The very space seemed to be sliced apart.

Amid the blinding cold glint, a metallic-sounding Draconic voice, accompanied by an overwhelming Dragon Fear, swept across the entirety of Black City.

“In my name!”

“Expel and crush every last one of those who dare trespass upon the majesty of a true dragon!!”