["But the Alchemy Commission hopes the Dragon Sovereign remains Bailu," Stelle said.]
["These people consider themselves orthodox. They believe Bailu was personally chosen by the previous Dragon Sovereign as the successor, and unless she commits a grave mistake, the Dragon Masters have no right to choose another."]
["The Dragon Lady possesses both the dragon-like appearance and extraordinary healing abilities. Some see this as proof of her being the Dragon Sovereign. However, the Dragon Masters, who revere power, are unwilling to accept her…"]
[Jing Yuan turned his gaze toward the distant Scalegorge Waterscape's ancient sea. "And after the 'reincarnation of Danfeng' before you commanded the vast waters of the Scalegorge Waterscape, those who defend the Dragon Sovereign's orthodoxy grew even more uneasy."]
[Jing Yuan had no opinion on the internal conflict between the two Vidyadhara factions, but as a friend, he offered a kind reminder: as long as Dan Heng, who bears the Dragon Sovereign's power, and Bailu, who holds the Dragon Sovereign's title, coexist on the Luofu, the voices of opposition within the Vidyadhara will never cease… even if it's not their fault.]
[After speaking, Jing Yuan, supporting his aching back, returned to his recovery.]
[The two continued forward and met Huanxi waiting by the sea. When Dan Heng insisted on meeting Bailu, she gave a wry smile, shook her head, and did not stop them. However, a group of Vidyadhara soon appeared behind Dan Heng, aggressively declaring their intent to drive him out of Scalegorge Waterscape.]
["Even if he isn't Danfeng, the Vidyadhara cannot tolerate a monster like him!" the leader declared forcefully.]
——
Konosuba——
"Huh? A monster?"
"If someone as handsome as Dan Heng is called a monster, then what does that make Kazuma?" Megumin slammed her beer mug onto the tavern's wooden table, causing several empty mugs to jump.
"Hey, hey, I think I just heard someone badmouthing me," Kazuma said as he walked in through the tavern's front door. He glanced at the Celestial Screen, then at the overly excited Megumin. "Obsessing over people from another world again? I remember last time it was Jing Yuan, and the time before that, Luocha… now you're back to Dan Heng?"
"…Even if they're great, you can't exactly touch them, right? What's the point of being so obsessed?"
"Of course there's a point! It's a reflection of my superior taste," Megumin said proudly, her cheeks slightly flushed from drinking. "Unlike a certain someone whose taste is so low that even the old ladies at the succubus shop look like beauties to him!"
"Tch, that's because they use magic to make themselves look good!" Kazuma retorted, his face red with embarrassment.
At that moment, Darkness, who had been quietly sipping juice nearby, suddenly spoke up. "Actually… I don't think Kazuma's that bad…" Her face inexplicably turned red. "He's no match for Lord Dan Heng, but occasionally… very occasionally, he can be a tiny bit cool…"
Aqua nearly spat out her drink, and the three of them turned to Darkness with incredulous expressions.
"Darkness, are you running a fever or something?" Aqua reached to feel her forehead.
"No, I bet she got hit in the head by some tentacle monster today," Megumin said seriously.
Kazuma, visibly moved, grabbed Darkness's hand. "Finally! There's someone in this party with normal taste!"
Darkness's face grew even redder as she stammered, "I-I was just telling the truth… though most of the time, you're still an irredeemable scumbag…"
——
[After speaking, the group revealed themselves as assassins and attacked Dan Heng. However, their strength was insignificant before the Dragon Sovereign, and Dan Heng dealt with them effortlessly.]
[After handling the small fry, Dan Heng and Stelle followed Huanxi to Dragonvista Rain Hall.]
[There, Bailu had been waiting for them for a long time, her chubby little face full of impatience. But when she turned and saw Stelle, her eyebrows relaxed, and her voice rose a few pitches. "Hey, Stelle! Long time no see! What brings you here?"]
[Huanxi explained that they had encountered assassins on the way, who had tried to kill Dan Heng… likely to protect Bailu's legitimacy as the Dragon Sovereign.]
[At the mention of "Dragon Sovereign," Bailu's eyebrows drooped again, and she huffed impatiently. "What does that have to do with me? I've said from the start—whoever wants to be the Dragon Sovereign can have it. It's not like I chose this title."]
[Seeing Dan Heng, Bailu's expression shifted from curiosity to intrigue… especially after confirming that Dan Heng was Danfeng's reincarnation, her eyes kept darting to his back.]
["Huh, you're different from me. How come you don't have a tail?" Bailu said with a grin. "If I let you be the Dragon Sovereign, would you grow one?"]
["…Uh." Dan Heng, for once, looked visibly embarrassed.]
[He clarified that he had no intention of interfering with the Dragon Sovereign's succession. His visit was to repair the Ambrosial Arbor's seal and to talk with Bailu about the past, hoping to do something to help.]
[Dan Heng's sincerity earned Bailu's favor, and she agreed to accompany him to Scalegorge Waterscape.]
[At the entrance to Scalegorge Waterscape, they saw the dragon-shaped roots in the distance. Bailu sighed but also complained that the elders had never told her about the Ambrosial Arbor's seal. This made it clear that they had long known she wasn't suited for the Dragon Sovereign's role.]
["Since I'm so unqualified, why did Danfeng choose me back then?" Bailu asked curiously, looking up at Dan Heng.]
——
A Certain Scientific Railgun——
"Eh? Neither of the only two Vidyadhara showing dragon traits wants to be the Dragon Sovereign?"
In a park in Academy City, Mikoto Misaka sat on a bench, engrossed in watching the two "Dragon Sovereigns" on the Celestial Screen.
"Yo, isn't that Sparky? You're keeping an eye on them too, huh?"
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. Mikoto looked up to see the shadow of a spiky-haired boy looming over her, perfectly blocking the harsh sunlight.
"It's not Sparky, it's Mikoto Misaka!" Mikoto snapped, a vein popping on her forehead as faint blue-white sparks crackled through her bangs.
Touma raised his hands in mock surrender, grinning. "Just kidding, just kidding, Misaka-san. Didn't expect you to be so invested in Dan Heng."
"It's not just me. The higher-ups are pretty interested in his abilities too."
Mikoto huffed, looking at the parted ancient seas in Scalegorge Waterscape. "That level of power would probably be far beyond Level 6 in Academy City. It's practically a miracle… How could those guys not be interested?"
"But I'm not thinking about that right now. I'm just a bit annoyed that both of them are trying to shirk the Dragon Sovereign's responsibilities."
"Huh? Isn't that only natural?" Touma said, looking at the two figures on the Celestial Screen. "Having that kind of responsibility forced on you would make anyone rebel, right? Besides, neither of them ever wanted to be the Dragon Sovereign."
"But you can't just run away from it, can you?" Mikoto frowned. "Being forced to accept something is tough, sure, but the opportunity's already there, and that's not changing. Instead of trying to escape, I think… it'd be better to learn how to be a good Dragon Sovereign first and then slowly change the situation."
"…As a Level 5, I understand that the greater the power, the greater the responsibility."