REFDL 51

Crash!

Grrr!

Kyaaah!

It was nothing short of a disaster.

The ground caved in under the furious swings of his forelimbs. Monsters struck by his heavy tail flew into the air and exploded.

Grrrrr!

The three-eyed giants who had hurled the trees approached. Their bodies trembled like aspen leaves. Yet, as if pushed by an invisible hand, they threw themselves at Yuram.

Yuram snorted derisively and opened his mouth wide toward the giants.

Crack!

A crackling sound erupted from his gaping maw.

Wooosh!

……From his mouth, he unleashed a torrent of flames.

Whoosh!

It was the legendary breath attack, known only from records.

It was the very reason the Kremlis dragon is called the King of Dragons, and an ability said to be possessed by only the rarest of them.

The fan-shaped breath strike instantly reduced not only the giants but all the monsters within its radius to charcoal.

It was no ordinary flame. It fed on the life force of evil beings to fuel its blaze. Because of that, they didn’t struggle while burning.

The monsters that had terrorized the North were literally swept away like fallen leaves.

The knights, who had held their breath throughout the massacre, occasionally letting out choked-sounding gasps, now roared in triumph.

“Ahh!”

“Lord Yuram! Lord Yuram!!”

“Fuck! Fuck, I knew you’d come!!”

One knight, who had particularly adored Yuram, stood with disheveled hair, wailing like a ghost as he chanted Yuram’s name. Fuck, this is how you make an investment!

Grrrrrrr!

Standing beside Kaelus, Yuram exhaled a few more breaths before covering his mouth with his front paw.

Then, like someone checking their breath before a date, he sniffed his own scent.

“……”

Kaelus was surprised that even witnessing such majesty, he still found himself thinking, ‘What is wrong with him?’

Having finished his inspection, the Kremlis promptly grabbed Kaelus in his mouth.

“……!”

Startled, Kaelus stiffened.

That was the mouth that had just breathed fire. It wasn’t enough to burn, but it felt slightly hot to human perception.

It was winter, so it wasn’t too bad. Had it been summer, he would have been dripping sweat in under a minute.

Kaelus’s expression turned strange once more. …Was he trying to check the temperature, not the breath?

Yuram soared vertically and flew toward the knights. From the moment he appeared, the aerial monsters scattered instantly like a swarm of locusts encountering flames.

Thanks to that, the sky was clear. The knights let go of their reins and shouted cheers, only to snap back into position within a second when they met Kaelus’s icy glare fixed on them.

Yuram set Kaelus down on the back of the nearest knight. He settled behind the knight. Then he found the spare strap on the saddle and fastened it to himself.

Only then did Yuram relax and turn his body. He led the way toward the fortress.

Kaelus couldn’t take his eyes off the Kremlis ahead.

Between the membrane wings.

Red, enormous, covered in scales.

Not human.

But still a back.

“…….”

For the first time in battle, he found himself following someone else’s back.

It wasn’t a bad feeling.

* * *

Kaelus was immediately escorted to the temporary infirmary.

All the healers and healing mages waiting there rushed over, pale as ghosts.

They set broken bones and sutured torn wounds.

At the same time.

Yuram remained outside.

He and the Pensilta didn’t enter the fortress, instead circling its perimeter and unleashing breath attacks.

He would spew fire until his throat felt raw and burning, then descend to fight directly when he couldn’t go on. He repeated this cycle of attacking and fighting.

Several hours later.

Yuram stood before the castle gates, his body a tattered wreck.

The monsters broke their encirclement and retreated. A single Kremlis had forced back nearly a thousand monsters.

An explosive cheer erupted from within the fortress. Soldiers who had climbed the ramparts embraced each other, tears streaming down their faces. It meant they were now saved.

At that moment, the Kremlis, who had displayed a majesty worthy of legend.

‘…Could someone save me too?’

He couldn’t move a single claw.

Flying? Forget it. He didn’t even have the strength to walk.

But Yuram tried to hold on as long as he could. To push the monsters back as far as possible.

It wouldn’t take that long anyway.

Kyaaaah!

Grrrr!

He saw Nitan, who had been far behind, flying toward him at full speed.

‘…Is it over?’

Perhaps from relief, his vision suddenly spun. Yuram lowered his body and rested his head on the dead monster’s torso.

The monster army grew increasingly distant.

Even so, he tried desperately to keep his eyes open.

It didn’t work.

Whoosh!

Flap!

“…Lord…. Lord Yuram…!!”

He felt the wind hitting his body.

Then darkness.

* * *

I encountered a dead dragon for the first time in ages.

It was a dream I hadn’t had since arriving here.

‘……?!’

I’m dead?!

‘Fuck…….’

As I froze in shock.

Swoosh.

The dead dragon opened his eyes.

This is insane.

‘……?!!’

There was still no life in it.

The colorless dragon turned his head toward me.

Like a puppet connected by wires. His movements were stiff and unnatural.

I met his gaze, eyes entirely white, as if covered in cataracts.

Even as a consciousness, I felt like vomiting. Instinctive revulsion and terror choked my breath.

…Now I knew. That was a Kremlis.

The scales appeared colorless because of the lake’s darkness.

But why?

What was he doing to me?

Then, the colorless Kremlis slowly raised his body.

My heart sank.

He was looking at me.

He opened his shriveled maw.

Each time, his skin and scales, literally mummified, tore and ripped apart.

Crunch.

Crunch.

An uncomfortable sound.

A sickening sight.

Yet I couldn’t look away. I finally understood.

The dragon was smiling.

Along with the ragged flesh that didn’t bleed. The dragon awkwardly moved his snout. As if he were speaking for the first time in ages.

<I kept calling you.>

<You’ve finally come.>

In that instant, a series of childhood dreams flashed through my mind.

Realization struck like lightning.

Could it be that he summoned me to this world…!

The dragon began to move again.

His entire body twitched. Each time, dried muscles snapped and blackened bones pierced through the skin.

Snap.

Crack.

The sound of dried muscles forcibly relaxing.

The sound of bones colliding without cartilage.

Accompanied by those sound effects, he approached… only to vanish in an instant.

Startled, I searched my surroundings.

Crack!

Crunch crunch.

The sound returned.

…From my own body.

Lowering my head, I saw skin as stiff as dried fish.

…I had become the dead dragon.

‘!!’

Grrrrr!

Kyaaaah!

I woke up screaming.

“Everyone, get away!”

Clank! Clank!

Clang!

My body. It was bound in chains.

Clang!

With just a slight shake, the thick chains snapped like strands of noodles. People screamed. Why am I chained? Why are they screaming?

I saved you.

I helped you!

Then why…!

Is this body still not enough? Fuck, am I just supposed to die in the Sea of Trees!! ……Kaelus. Where is Kaelus? Is he safe? ……He was fine the last time I saw him. Was that a dream?

Why aren’t you answering!

Anyone, answer me!

Squeak. Squeak.

Grrrrr!

Kyaaaah.

I gasped for breath and flailed my limbs. I wasn’t in my right mind. Without speaking, I kept demanding answers.

Nitan shouted in a frantic voice.

“Lord Yuram! Calm down! Struggling like that will tear your wounds open!”

Grrrr!

“……His Grace is nearby! Are you going to get hurt after everything you did to save him?”

“……!!”

“He, he stopped……!”

People gasped. That was the last of my consciousness. My eyelids closed.

Kaelus…… You can’t…… get hurt.

I muttered words I couldn’t even understand myself.

…This time, I absolutely won’t let you die.