But then reality came crashing in.
This wasn't the kind of creature one could just casually raise. That dragon clearly wasn't a young one—he couldn't trick it into coming with him under the guise of innocence… ahem.
When dealing with a fully grown beast, the first step was to beat it into submission—only then would it willingly accept a master.
But that thing… didn't look like it would surrender to anyone.
At the same time Cyr spotted the dragon, the creature had also noticed the traces of humans.
As a dragon that had roamed this region for centuries, it was no stranger to humans.
There was a stretch of time when it had encountered seven waves of humans traveling this path.
They'd arrive in a frenzy, with great noise and numbers—and return as a scattered few, barely alive.
Sometimes, when the mood struck, it would toy with the humans who trespassed into its territory.
After all, a lord had a duty to deal with any invaders.
But this time... there seemed to be fewer people.
In the past, the smallest teams that came through here were at least several dozen people.
The massive azure dragon thought to itself as it suddenly leapt out of the sea, raising a wave a hundred meters high. It stood atop the crest of the wave, gazing down at the ship below.
Its enormous golden eyes locked onto the vessel without blinking. The scales around its eyes reflected cold, metallic light in the sun.
Those golden vertical pupils were filled with beastly indifference and scrutiny.
Its mouth parted slightly as it inspected each tiny figure before it—tiny like ants in comparison.
Eventually, its gaze landed on a white-haired boy.
That one… the strongest of the group.
The leader this time? He seemed stronger than the leaders from previous encounters.
Even the others in the group were stronger than past teams. Maybe that's why this group was so small?
"This is my territory, human. Get out." The azure dragon spoke in fluent human language.
"...Whoa, it can talk." Cyr's scarlet eyes lit up.
The octopus and other creatures they'd run into before hadn't spoken to them. Who knew if they couldn't or just didn't care to talk to humans.
But this dragon could. That meant it had definitely interacted with humans before—possibly for quite some time.
The hundred-meter wave beneath it remained motionless, as if frozen by magic, while the dragon's foreclaws rested atop it.
"Get out—!" the dragon roared.
A violent storm erupted instantly. The sea churned, and the giant wave crashed down toward the ship.
"...Born of darkness, darker than dark, filth and impurity—be gone."
Cyr swiftly formed hand seals, casting a ward around the ship to block the raging sea.
A translucent dome enveloped the vessel, even wrapping around the water beneath it.
Despite the wave's force, the barrier held strong.
The azure dragon raised its forelimb and slammed it down, intending to crush the ship.
"Don't be so hasty."
The white-haired boy leapt out of the barrier's protection to meet the incoming claw.
With one hand, he blocked the massive limb head-on—and lifted it.
"Dragons can fly, right? Let's take this to the skies."
Cyr's voice came from beneath the claw.
The dragon glanced down, only now noticing the tiny human beneath it.
Compared to its hundred-meter body, the human—less than two meters tall—was indeed minuscule.
Fly? Of course it could fly.
But why should it play with a human? Humans were supposed to be its playthings.
"Black Flash." Boom!
Cyr's fist slammed into the dragon's snout, jerking its head to the side. He grabbed both of its long whiskers.
"Hey, little dragon."
"Let's go." Like pulling on a horse's reins, he yanked the whiskers upward and shot into the sky.
The azure dragon was forced to follow, mist swirling beneath it like floating clouds.
Man and dragon disappeared into the heavens.
Maro glanced up. The white tiger, clearly understanding and ever so proud, gave a knowing nod, grabbed him by the collar, and leapt skyward.
Wind spun beneath its paws.
"Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger."
This phrase found its truest expression in the azure dragon and Sora.
Youpi grabbed Neferpitou and flew into the sky with Shaiapouf.
The battle between man and dragon had moved too far away for them to see clearly from the ship.
Only at a certain altitude could they rely on their superior dynamic vision to track their movements.
Their figures occasionally vanished into clouds, reappearing now and then in clear air.
With a mighty dragon's roar, dark clouds gathered in the sky, thunder rumbled, lightning cracked, and a torrential downpour began.
Bluish-purple bolts and flashes of white lightning poured from the heavens.
The clouds were repeatedly torn apart, only to reform moments later.
"He's gotten stronger," Shaiapouf said grimly, eyes locked on the shifting figure that flickered from one place to another.
Which meant… their hope of reclaiming the King grew even dimmer.
"That's right, nya," said Neferpitou cheerfully, showing no signs of stress or urgency, her tail swinging lazily behind her.
After all, panic wouldn't help—why bother?
Youpi said nothing. He was no longer the blunt and thoughtless brute he once was. Now, he had learned to think—and to hide his true emotions.
Thanks to his human genes, these lessons had come naturally.
Worried that any stray comment might be picked apart by the mind-reading Shaiapouf, Youpi kept up his silent persona.
Just like now, watching the clouds in silence.
Compared to the hundred-meter-long azure dragon, Cyr's figure was far harder to track.
The dragon's tail would occasionally slip through the clouds, but Cyr didn't have to worry about an oversized body giving away his position.
Now and then, a flash of lightning would illuminate both their silhouettes.
Suddenly, a deafening boom tore through the sky.
Louder than any thunder before, and accompanied by a brilliant red light—far more dazzling than ordinary lightning.
It was as if a second sun had risen in the heavens.
The clouds dispersed. The rain stopped at once. A bright, clear sky stretched endlessly above.
A massive form fell from the sky, crashing into the sea and kicking up towering waves.
Blood from the azure dragon stained the surrounding water for dozens of meters—then quickly dissipated.
But the white-haired figure wasn't the least bit disheveled. Not even a speck of water clung to his spotless clothing; it didn't even have a wrinkle.
Cyr stood atop the water's surface, leaning forward slightly to peer into the depths below—as if through the current he could see the dragon lurking beneath.
"Hey, quit playing dead." He tapped the water's surface. Though ripples spread from his step, his shoes didn't get the slightest bit wet.
"Come out," he urged.
Come on, who was he trying to fool? Of course Cyr could tell whether the dragon was dead or not. Its hide was thick, armored with scales, and its life force was immense.
His attacks hadn't even been aimed at vital spots—at most, he'd caused moderate injury.
To a creature like this, non-fatal wounds barely counted as damage.
Cyr's Six Eyes had sensed only a minuscule drop in the dragon's life energy—barely noticeable unless you looked closely.
It just realized it was losing and wanted to find a chance to escape.
This dragon… had no backbone at all.
°°°
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