"Oh? So someone still lives?"
With a deep, resounding voice that echoed across the vastness of the crater, the imposing dragon lifted his long neck and fixed his gaze upon Dylan, who hung between life and death—weakened by the severity of his wounds.
He was slightly surprised to hear the broken cry of a human, for he himself had seen to it that all those who fought here found eternal rest. Yet, upon noticing the man's pitiful state and the frailty of his strength, the dragon quickly deduced the truth behind his presence.
"I see. You did not survive my magic; rather, you arrived here in search of something… or someone."
Driven by curiosity and his long-held habit of honoring those who dared venture to him, the dragon rose from where he had been resting.
Without hurry, moving with a grace that was both fluid and deliberate—exuding both elegance and an air of indolence.— He rose onto his powerful hind legs, raising his head until it towered nearly seventy meters high.
"Was it I whom you sought?"
In a quasi-humanoid form that exuded overwhelming majesty, the king of dragons spread his six wings from his back—wings that, though too small to lift such a colossal being into flight, in no way diminished the magnificence they projected. Saturated with mana, they shimmered with a hypnotic glow.
"No, that is not the case. Were you seeking death, you could have found it elsewhere."
Crowning his elongated skull, five slender horns rose like a natural diadem, each faintly aglow with a silvery sheen—a mark of his undeniable status: sovereign among sovereigns, ruler even over the eldest of his kin.
His golden eyes scrutinized the human with unwavering intensity. Razor-sharp teeth peeked out between his jaws, and the white scales covering his body gleamed with a metallic luster—completing the appearance of a being who embodied absolute dominion.
Before such an imposing figure, Dylan—despite having endured a living hell to reach this place—could not help but feel overwhelmed as he watched the dragon approach.
His heart, which had been on the verge of stopping, now thundered wildly. His body, on the verge of collapse, trembled uncontrollably, driven by the primal instinct to flee. From his throat, once clenched shut, blood and saliva flowed without end.
Such was the power of a divine being. This was what humankind had fought—and lost—against. In that moment, a wave of resignation washed over him, and, unwillingly, a thought crossed his mind: There is no shame in defeat.
Once he stood before the brave human who had come to face him, the king observed him carefully, taking meticulous care not to step too close—knowing that a single careless move would be enough to crush the fragile creature.
Then, intrigued by the man's unusual presence, he took in a deep breath to study the air lingering around him, seeking to uncover the secrets he might conceal.
"Interesting. So that's how you managed to elude the patrols."
With that murmur, his body began to shrink in an unnatural way. The muscles that had seemed carved from stone contracted until they were nearly nonexistent. His claws vanished without a trace, and his long neck retracted until his chin nearly touched his collarbones. The vast membranous wings folded upon themselves, merging with the bones beneath his skin and the horns that adorned his head splintered into delicate strands that fell like a veil over his shoulders.
Using a skill he had mastered after the Transfer, he took on a human form—one that bore a striking resemblance to the man lying at his feet. Yet, the similarities ended there: his figure was clad in pristine white robes, while the other was covered in mud and blood, grime etched into his body as a testament to his struggle.
Like yin and yang, they stood in stark contrast to one another.
"As I suspected, I've failed to create a perfect replica of you. You are truly unique, human. But that only deepens my sorrow, seeing how such an extraordinary gift has been squandered in this manner. It is, without a doubt, a tragedy to see you meet your end without ever grasping the magnitude of what was bestowed upon you."
Shaking his head from side to side, the king lamented, his brow furrowed with genuine disappointment and sadness—though that meant little to Dylan.
"Wh... why?"
He asked weakly. Whether he was ignoring the ramblings of the one he considered his greatest enemy or simply unable to hear them anymore as death crept closer was hard to say.
"Why? Why am I here? Why did I do all of this? Why did I break my oath? Is that what you wish to ask me?"
Receiving no answer, the king pondered what the man might have wished to express. But upon seeing his dimmed eyes and hearing that breathing, growing weaker with every passing second, he lowered his gaze to the ground and chose to keep speaking.
"No. Forget it. The answer would be the same, regardless."
With the fearsome presence of his true form now gone, he walked toward the human. And after finding a relatively clean stone, he sat on it. Then, resting his head on the back of his hand, his elbow propped on one knee, as he sat with his legs crossed, he continued speaking to the dying man.
"A king's words are absolute. His words are law—constant and unchanging. Therefore, a good ruler must be just and loyal for the sake of his people; he must abide by his words, as if bound by chains that restrain his freedom. If one day he breaks them with lies and betrayal, from that moment on, he ceases to be a king and becomes a tyrant—a wretched dictator who neither deserves nor should sit upon the throne."
With his eyes closed, burdened by regret, the dragon reflected on the life he had lived thus far.
"I am no longer worthy of leading my people. My name is stained by the filth of betrayal. Should not be seen as their monarch nor treated as their ruler; yet I cannot forsake my throne, for I am the strongest of all dragons. I am the one whom the sovereigns of other races both respect and fear. So, as long as I remain king, no one will dare look down on us, despite how few of us remain. No one will dare hunt down one of my kin, no matter how valuable our bodies may be... Yes, that is how it shall be from now on."
Suddenly, his eyes opened with a fierce gleam, and his gaze fell upon the man lying on the cold, rough ground, looking as though he were about to draw his last breath.
"You wonder why I intervened despite my words from long ago, don't you? It's simple. Just like you, I did it for the survival of my kind."
Then, raising his eyes to the sky, he continued speaking, as if lost in a meaningless monologue.
"A few months ago, when humans came to my domain seeking a non-aggression pact, and though I was not entirely convinced, in the end, I accepted their terms—because of a promise I made to a dear friend. She..."
"...Diane."
"Oh? You know her? I see... So that's why you came all this way."
A faint light returned to his clouded eyes, and with a sincere smile on his face, the dragon looked at the man beside him with renewed warmth.
"Well, well! I'm glad to know that little scoundrel managed to make a friend as loyal as you. But now I wonder—were you truly just friends?"
"You…! Cough, cough…"
"Ah, right... I forgot where we were, given such an unexpected revelation. It's a shame. Truly, it is a terrible shame. If fate had been kinder, I would have enjoyed speaking with you about lighter matters."
"..."
"You may not believe me, but I never meant to betray her. I assure you, I intended to honor my word to the letter. In fact, back then, I even considered abandoning my neutrality to side with the humans when they inevitably lost the war. I did not wish for such an interesting race to vanish, so I planned to safeguard a handful of survivors, allowing them to grow in peace within a controlled environment. However, as time passed and I witnessed the power they displayed in their battles against the other races, I realized I had underestimated them. Indeed, contrary to all expectations, victory was leaning toward their side—and that was not a good thing."
Straightening his posture, the king raised his arm to the height of his eyes. There, he watched as his limb shifted continuously, taking on countless forms—woman, man, child, elder, a frail body, a healthy one. Throughout this process of transformation, he did not stop speaking.
"Few dragons still remember this, but in the world we came from, humans existed as well. Upon the earth and in the skies, they built kingdoms and empires driven by ambition that knew no bounds. They waged endless wars for dominance, leaving only destruction in their wake. They ravaged the entire planet in their insatiable pursuit of power, and not even we were spared from their bloody conquest."
When at last his arm settled into the claw of a small reptile, his magic came to a halt.
"For millennia, dragons were nothing more than living vaults of priceless treasures, hunted without rest by those who coveted wealth and glory. Those few who managed to survive that endless nightmare were forced to hide deep within their nests, suffocating under the constant fear of being discovered at any moment."
Covering his mouth with a human hand, he let out a soft, amused laugh.
"Hah... Haha... It's really amusing. To think that you little ones could achieve something as monumental as driving us to the brink of extinction. Us, the so-called apex race! But I suppose it's not so surprising when you sent millions just to bring us down one at a time."
After laughing, he wiped away the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eyes with the palm of his hand.
"Fortunately, a long era of drought, famine, and war devastated humanity, and the few who survived were scorched away by the relentless fire of those who had once been their prey. Finally, dragons claimed the freedom they had longed for, rising proudly to the place that was rightfully theirs... Though that was the work of my ancestors, for I had not yet been born in those dark times. Still, the records of those days live on in the blood of every dragon king, which is why I become so carried away when recalling that tale."
With a faint blush, the king cleared his throat, as though fearing that his childish reaction might tarnish his dignity. Yet he soon regained his composure.
"In any case, with the possibility that those times of oppression might return because of my own actions, I could not allow myself to fulfill the promise I made to my friend, Diane Elvón Laviore. And so, I cast aside my pride and dignity to lead my people into battle."
In his final sentence, his voice dropped until it was barely a whisper before continuing in a murmur meant only for himself.
"Was it worth it? Though we were praised by soldiers of every race, in the eyes of their kings, I saw nothing but fear and distrust. Dragons are no longer a just and impartial race; we have become nothing more than wretched traitors... and it's all because of me."
"..."
"Hmm? So this is the end. I don't know how much you managed to hear, but I thank you for keeping this old wretch company in his ramblings. Rest now, young human. Rest beside the one you loved and who loved you in return."
Returning to his true form, the ancient being extended a claw and, with a simple gesture, summoned a block of translucent ice that rose five meters into the sky. Within it lay the flawless body of a woman with snow-white hair, her courage and beauty etched into every delicate feature.
"I, the fool unworthy of the Dragon Throne, shall bear your memory until my final breath—an everlasting reminder of the sin I have wrought..."