Description: A spoiler-heavy ranking based on all 57 published web-novel episodes, with battle evidence for the Dragon, Lloyd, Echidna and the other pilots.
Full-story spoilers. The Dragon is the strongest individual threat; Lloyd Berk, piloting Zainburg with its spirit Myuze, is the strongest human-side combat package. Lloyd lands the killing blow, but an entire army, Alicia's intervention and Rita's magical energy make that victory possible. The Japanese title is retained because no verified official English title or character spellings were found; romanizations here are reading aids.
How the ranking works
This compares the first web arc as published through October 6, 2026. Direct feats outrank reputation. Range, speed, barriers, endurance, equipment and the price of each attack matter. This is overall battlefield threat, not a hypothetical duel tournament.
1. The Dragon — the threat an army barely survives
Its breath, armored scales, barrier, flying scales, near-supersonic tail and magic blast cripple dozens of machines. Even elite pilots are disabled after its last explosive attack. It takes coordinated assaults to bring it down; being killed by Lloyd's finishing strike does not make it weaker than Lloyd in a solo fight. Episode 51 · 53.
2. Lloyd Berk and Myuze — best all-round pilot-and-machine team
Zainburg combines high-speed thrust, guided missiles, machine guns, a rail-like cannon, chest beam and magic blade. Lloyd cuts off a wing and ultimately splits the Dragon's head. The decisive sequence also depends on Rita's energy and Alicia's thrown lance; Lloyd collapses from magical exhaustion. Versatility wins him the human-side crown, not a fictional one-shot victory. Episode 51 · 54.
3. Echidna Rashtam — the shield that fires back
Her Lindblum absorbs the Dragon's breath with its joined shields and returns it as a devastating counterblast, punching through the barrier and damaging a foreleg. Against a frontal beam, she could even beat Lloyd. Lower mobility and a cooldown before another counterattack hold her at third overall. Episode 52 · 53.
4. Balkhulk — an elite sword strike with proof
His Grafouga rushes the Dragon, breaks the barrier over its foreleg and later drives a huge sword into its neck. That is direct evidence of exceptional close-range power and leadership. Echidna has the stronger demonstrated anti-breath defense, while Lloyd has much broader ranged options. Episode 51 · 53.
5. Alicia Rashmoon — accuracy under pressure
Her Wardron shoots moving rock monsters in the head while running. She retrieves Lloyd's drill lance, wounds the Dragon's leg and later throws that lance to interrupt another lethal breath. She lacks Zainburg's area firepower but may surpass Lloyd in raw piloting precision. Episode 44 · 54.
6. Rozin Kurthans — terrifying on equal machines
Rozin dominates Lloyd for roughly two hours in a same-model Agorm sparring match. Against the Dragon, his hammer breaks the neck barrier so other pilots can strike. His skill is elite; Alicia ranks higher here because the Wardron's mobility and guns offer greater total battlefield reach. Episode 10 · 52.
7. Rita Ferno — the force multiplier
Early on she dispatches four monsters while Lloyd struggles with one. Later she shoots flying enemies accurately and supplies the enormous magical reserve behind Zainburg's final assault. On personal damage output she trails the heavy ancient machines; as Lloyd's partner she can change the entire ranking. Episode 7 · 52.
8. Elliot Fangaria — flashy, but genuinely skilled
He runs up the Dragon's foreleg, cuts its armor, plants a sword into its shoulder and evades flying scales with acrobatic control. No direct match against Rita or Rozin settles the lower positions. His close-combat technique could justify a higher place under different rules. Episode 53.
Three arguments worth having
Why not Lloyd at number one? His final blow is real, but so is the army's sacrifice. Could Echidna beat Lloyd? A frontal exchange favors her shield; a mobile ranged fight favors his sensors and weapons. What about Lloyd's father Garm? An eyewitness says he blinded this Dragon with a badly damaged machine. That remarkable historical feat lacks a comparable present-day fight. Episode 39.
Verdict
Strongest enemy: Dragon. Strongest pilot-side combatant: Lloyd with Myuze. The victory belongs to a team. And the punch line? Lloyd works desperately to survive the doomed prologue, becomes a hero, then gets assigned an even more dangerous imperial job. His reward for surviving is more work.
Source and scope (checked October 15, 2026): Akitsu Motonobu, N0963MP; 57/57 web episodes read, from episode 1 to 57; first arc marked complete, last published October 6, 2026, 12:00 JST. Total score 8,878; 1,814 bookmarks. A monthly completed-high-fantasy chart showed rank 23 with 2,850 points on the recorded check; rankings change. Official novel data · monthly chart.
