Camellia (3)
A soft hiss escaped with my breath, forming a mist that obscured my vision. My recovery from the internal injuries inflicted by the Dragon God was nearly complete.
Beyond the hazy breath stood a woman with short, dark crimson hair.
She wore a thick, Eastern-style robe, her height barely reaching my chest.
Her hair was a mysterious blend of black with streaks of red, and her eyes mirrored the same dual colors, reminiscent of a dragon’s gaze.
“Red Spear.”
”[…I’m sorry, Daelon.]”
She was a mighty true dragon, capable of leveling mountains and evaporating seas with a mere flick of her fingers.
An ancient being who had lived since before the dawn of human history, transcending the bounds of common sense. Yet, here she was, tears streaming endlessly from her eyes.
“[I have lost my name. My body, my soul, my very existence…]”
With each tear that fell, a sizzling sound accompanied it, leaving holes in the snow beneath us as if it were cheese.
Daelon set down his broken spear and raised a hand. The woman’s slender shoulders flinched at the gesture.
“[I’m sorry. I promised myself I wouldn’t burden you…]”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
”[…Huh?]”
A calloused hand rested on her head, rough yet gentle, ruffling her dark crimson hair.
Red Spear looked up, her face a mess of tears. Daelon gave a slight smile and spoke.
“Didn’t I promise first? To bring you face to face with the Dragon God.”
“[That was…]”
“In return, you brought down the Chains of Kalcas. Surely you haven’t grown forgetful in your old age?”
Her eyes, brimming with tears, looked almost endearing, like a reptile’s eyes wide with surprise. As Daelon chuckled, another figure quietly joined them. A young man, looking every bit the part of a budding warrior, spoke.
“[That’s right, Third Mother. Father is strong. You needn’t worry.]”
Third what? Daelon’s smile froze.
“[Third Mother, Father has vowed to slay all five evil gods. Your revenge is the first step.]”
The young man continued, oblivious to Daelon’s expression, as if he couldn’t see it at all.
Daelon shook his head. Who did this kid take after to grow up so cheeky?
“[Whoever you take after, you have a kind heart, child. But there’s a problem.]”
”[…What is it?]”
“[The Dragon God cannot be defeated by mere military orders alone.]”
It wasn’t Red Spear who answered. A deep, resonant voice echoed from the void.
The first roar of the Dragon God, Kylebercus Arburn. Daelon was slightly taken aback to see the ancient dragon among them.
Isn’t that the outfit of the bartender from the Crow’s Nest? The real body didn’t come from the tavern, so why the attire?
“[The master of military orders is a necromancer of the seventh rank, but in this world, they are not alive. A dead god cannot sever the head of a living one.]”
“[So, in the end, Father himself must be the one to cut off the Dragon God’s head.]”
“[Indeed, child. But the holy sword cannot be used, and the mithril-forged spear is broken. I should become Daelon’s weapon, but…]”
A deep sigh. Red Spear brushed her disheveled bangs aside and continued.
“[I lack the strength to fight the Dragon God. He is the one who stole my name, and this land is where my body and soul were obliterated.]”
Daelon frowned. Why does everyone sound like they’re casting spells?
Noticing his discomfort, Red Spear chuckled softly. She spoke.
“[In the laws of dragons, I am already a nonentity. Why do you think I haven’t shown my face until now?]”
“Because I didn’t call you?”
“[Unlike your other visions, I can move of my own will. I couldn’t help you because my existence is not permitted here.]”
Red Spear’s laughter was devoid of energy. Daelon scratched his chin thoughtfully.
So, the original Red Spear of this world perished in the Great Dragon War, and because of that, even the Red Spear from another world can’t exert her power here?
“[Correct. Under the sky of this Great Dragon War, I am nothing more than an illusion.]”
Red Spear nodded. Daelon rubbed his face with the hand that had been scratching his chin.
This feels like some cursed medieval game. Who came up with such a convoluted setting?
“[I can solve that problem.]”
It was then that Bourbon interjected. Daelon turned his head.
The brown-haired dragon in bartender attire flashed his green eyes with a peculiar gleam. He spoke.
“[As the master of all words and the guardian of contracts, I hereby end our ancient pact with the god we birthed.]”
Crack!
The upper body of a ghostly figure was torn away.
Crunch!
The head of a mounted knight was crushed, and the horse it rode on dissipated like a wisp of smoke.
The Dragon God took a deep breath, and the surrounding air froze momentarily.
[――――!!]
With a roar that echoed through the valley, a black breath was unleashed, engulfing an entire mountainside.
Boom!
The horde of nearly a thousand spirits was not just burned but evaporated in an instant.
Having swept away the nearby spirits, the Dragon God exhaled shallowly and looked down at his body.
His arms and legs were covered in small cuts, the source of which was unknown. Dark red blood oozed out, healing rapidly and scabbing over.
Though dragon blood healed the wounds quickly, the malicious energy that had penetrated his skin lingered, causing an irritating itch. The boy gritted his teeth in frustration.
”[…These wretched creatures.]”
Even with his divine form, the fact that he was wounded meant it wasn’t the power of an equal.
In other words, this army of spirits was the result of a ritual left by a seventh-rank necromancer. Even if they were mere pests, they posed a sharp threat.
Each spirit’s sting was less than a single needle, but thousands of such needles could be dangerous.
“[Vermin!]”
With a roar, he swung his sword, slicing through hundreds of spirits at once.
As the spirits were crushed, creating a void in the midst of the chaos, the Dragon God tilted his head.
The spirits weren’t advancing. Normally, fearless spirits wouldn’t care if their comrades were cut down. They should have charged in immediately, but instead, they were slowly retreating.
It was as if they were creating a large arena for a fight. The Dragon God’s eyes gleamed with realization.
”[…So, you want to make a dueling ground?]”
“Quick on the uptake, aren’t you?”
The spirits parted, revealing a man of imposing stature walking through the misty passage.
A warrior hailed as the protagonist of prophecy. A human that Enaxagus had been watching for years.
The Dragon God frowned as he looked at the man. Something had changed in just a few minutes.
“[What have you done?]”
“Not just quick, but very quick.”
The man smiled. The Dragon God scrutinized the smiling face with narrowed eyes.
There was no significant change in the man’s appearance. A human of about two meters tall, with a storm of various spells swirling within.
Rock-like muscles. Skin as tough as a monster’s. Beneath that skin and muscle, a dragon’s heart, blood, and bones pulsed.
“[A dragon…]”
The difference was the dragons. Specifically, the number of dragons tied to the man.
Where there should have been only Red Spear’s blood, Blue Scale’s heart, and Earth Dragon’s bones, there were two more.
The aura of words on his lips and tongue.
The icy blue chill on his left arm.
Though not fully integrated, the presence was bound and unified, a familiar sight.
It was akin to how the Dragon God himself now wielded the seven great dragons as vassals and appendages.
”[…How is that possible?]”
“[It’s not difficult if you think outside the box.]”
A deep, resonant voice.
Though it came from the same warrior, the presence and tone were entirely different.
The warrior’s eyes had turned a shade of green. The boy, recognizing the significance of that color, stiffened.
“[First roar. Could it be…!]
“[It’s been a while, our god. Or should I say, the old god now?]
“[Do you think you can act as you please? Under the sky of this Great Dragon War, I am your god! I have the power to reclaim your true name, Kylebercus Arburn, at any moment!]
The ancient dragon, speaking through the man’s mouth, smiled silently. The Dragon God reached out without hesitation.
The Dragon God held the power of life and death over all dragons. It was a contract made with the consent of the thirteen great dragons at his birth.
Under the sky of the Great Dragon War, that power was absolute. Even if the holy sword’s power blocked it, by forcefully pushing through, he could…
“[That won’t work.]”
”[…!]”
[Didn’t I tell you? You’re nothing more than an old god to us now.]
The Dragon God’s fingers trembled slightly as he slowly withdrew his arm.
His power was gone.
It wasn’t that the holy sword was resisting him; it was as if his abilities couldn’t even target the opponent.
What did it mean when his authority, which could command all dragons, was not just nullified but completely ineffective?
Either the opponent wasn’t a dragon, or…
[It means you’re no longer the child of all dragons, nor the sole god.]
The words were murmured as if reading his thoughts.
[I merely altered the terms of the contract. Wasn’t it originally based on my word magic?]
[…This is impossible.]
[We’ve made this man our new god. Without the consent of the thirteen great dragons, it was difficult to nullify the contract entirely, but…]
The man flicked his hands, and blue and red auras took shape beside him.
A gauntlet covered his left arm from shoulder to wrist.
In his right hand, he firmly gripped a dark crimson spear.
[In this place where the War God’s divinity temporarily nullified your power, it wasn’t too hard to change the contract’s subject.]
[But I erased the name of the Red Spear myself. How can a dragon whose very definition was erased dare to rise under the sky of the Great Dragon War?]
[Why do you think it has no name?]
The man’s eyes glowed red, his voice shifting once more.
Within his vertically slit pupils, dark crimson flames bloomed like flowers.
He inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, a barely concealed joy spreading across his face.
[The new god has bestowed upon me a new name, to replace the old one you took.]
Through the warrior’s lips, the Red Spear spoke.
[Camelia. That is my new name.]