Farewell, Eggy...

“Ehm... Tell me...? Why are you looking at me like that!?”

“Oh my god! Shoooo coool-”

They don’t just call her Crimson Dragon for no reason! Her red dragon form looks awesome!

While I admired her with gleaming eyes, Eggy landed on my head and tail-whipped my face.

Hehe.

“Seems like someone got jealous!”

Grabbing Eggy, we fell to the ground while I tickled her scaly yet soft belly.

“What’s wrong, Mrs. Crimson Dragon? Is something wrong with Kurenai?”

Mom inquired, worried about what she meant.

She watched me playing cheerfully with Eggy before turning back into her human form and looking down at her trembling hand, thinking to herself.

Could it have been an illusion, or maybe my mind played a trick on me? Though, the fear... felt real.

Clenching her fist, she decided on what to do next.

“Kurenai!”

“Yes!?”

I shot upright with Eggy in my arms.

“We’ll do it again, but this time it will be with Eggy.”

Eggy and I both tilted our heads slightly to the side.

“Ok... okay?”

“Pi... piyu?”

“Why are you both looking at me like that!? And so perfectly in sync as well!?”

At this point, I couldn’t tell anymore whether she was getting jealous or angry... but that red face would go perfectly with her red dragon form!

“Well, we don’t really know what you did to begin with.”

“Piyu!”

“Oh... Ahem. You’re right, let me explain.”

And so she explained the process to us and what it achieves, only leaving out what she saw.

Then Eggy took place on my head, closed her eyes, and did just as she explained.

Everything went just as before, except this time I felt Eggy’s mana enter my body and fuse with my own.

Faintly I could hear a quiet yet familiar voice shouting.

“No! Don’t do that!”

But I was too busy playing with Eggy in a gorgeous flower field. All kinds of colorful flowers spanned as far as the eye could see.

We played tag, tickled each other, and I even made us crowns made out of flowers.

“This is so much fun!”

“Kyuuuu!”

After what felt like hours, the sun was setting, and it was evening.

“Noooo... It’s already getting late?”

“Piyu...”

We sat down, Eggy in my lap, watching the sunset together.

“You know, Eggy? Despite only knowing each other for such a short time, I already don’t want to let go.”

“Pi-piyu...”

“If you could... would you want to stay with me?”

“Kyuu?”

“Yeah... forever. You and I!”

Despite knowing that Eggy belonged to her mother, I wished things could be different. The thought of losing Eggy made me so sad that a tear escaped my eye.

“Pyuuu...”

With that, Eggy disappeared from my hands, except I didn’t feel sad or worried anymore... In fact, I felt the opposite...

“Hikari!”

My heart raced and I felt overjoyed as that name echoed through the field.

“Thank you, Kurenai.”

A soft and quiet voice whispered right into my ear as we found ourselves back in the backyard.

“Argh... Now you’ve done it... Didn’t you hear me shouting!?”

Hmmmm.

“I recall hearing something, but I was too busy.”

“Busy with what!? Do you even realize what you just did?”

“Of course I do!”

Puffing out my chest, I smirked at her.

“You’re unbelievable...”

She ruffled up her hair, annoyed.

Hah! And that’s how I thoroughly beat the Crimson Dragon.

Bonk.

While I celebrated my victory, my mom, who understood the gist of what had just happened, shattered a daikon radish right over my head.

“K-k... Ku-Kurenai!”

It was that same soft, weak voice again. Finally, you’re here...

“Hikari!”

We all turned around and saw the result of what I did. Eggy, no, Hikari now, in the form of a human! Without wasting another second, I dashed right for her and hugged her as tight as I could.

“Are you two over-dramatic children done now?”

She asked, looking completely defeated at this point.

Bleh!

I stuck my tongue out at her, angering her even more.

Grabbing Hikari’s hand, I ran inside with her, leaving my mom and the Crimson Dragon alone outside.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Crimson Dragon, for how Kurenai acted.”

She bowed down deeply, hoping that’d be enough to quell her anger.

“Ugh. No need to apologize.”

“But-”

“It’s fine, really. I was planning on leaving my daughter in Kurenai’s care anyway. It’s just that I didn’t expect them to go that far... Even though, they might not even understand what they’ve just done.”

“Could you elaborate, please?”

Mom looked quite tense, since she could have never imagined a dragon becoming part of our family.

“Well, leaving my daughter with Kurenai could become a big influence on this world.”

“I see, since dragons and humans have been fighting since forever.”

“Exactly, so I got curious about what would happen if they could form a genuine bond.”

“Mmmmm.”

“But who could have predicted that they would be so rash and just form a bond using their souls!?”

Shocked, my mom hesitantly asked her.

“M-m-meaning?”

“I have no idea...”

They made their way inside to check on us just to find us sleeping cuddled together in my bed.

“All I know is that their fates are now intertwined. And that they’ll end up facing many hardships.”

“Is there anything we can do to help them?”

“For now, I’ll teach them both in magic and physical combat.”

“I understand... there’s not much I can do, huh?”

“I’m sorry...”

Unbeknownst to us, those two had already set a plan for us and were about to start it the next day.

After waking up, they called us to breakfast, using that opportunity to fill us in.

Mrs. Crimson Dragon would teach us everything we’d need to know about how to use our mana properly. She specifically pointed at me in that regard.

I know I’ve been failing! No need to point it out like that... It’s not my fault after all... right?

But that’s not everything, she’d also teach us how to fight and stand our own.

Also, in between of our lessons, we’d be helping out on the farm. Seemingly to thank my parents for facilitating them.

Though, she threw my mom a certain glance when she said that, while Mom looked overjoyed. It seemed a little odd, but I didn’t question it.

Hearing that plan put me on cloud nine. I mean who wouldn’t!? Private tutor lessons from The Crimson Dragon!? A dream come true!

Hikari, on the other hand, didn’t really seem to care, she just latched onto my arm and said.

“If Kurenai does it, then I’ll do it too.”

Hikari saying that flushed my cheeks pink, making me so happy that I tackled her to the ground, cuddling her.

While her mother did seem a little annoyed at that, she did anticipate her response.

I guess she hoped for a different one deep down, but serves you right! Mrs. Meanie. Bleh!

And so with that, our days of training and working started. Except I miscalculated one thing... It’s still ‘her’ training us!

And of course she wouldn’t let that opportunity slip away to make my life a living hell!

What made matters worse was the fact that my mom sided with her...

Every time, she’d make me use spells at maximum capacity, and of course, since I still struggled with controlling my mana, they would fail and destroy something.

Then, Mom would get mad at me. How unfair!

“Just do as you’re taught and control it.”

She’d say while scolding me. Or, she’d just hit me with another daikon radish, making Mrs. Meanie burst out laughing. Argh! I’ll get my revenge one day!

So with this regime we continued training for months, until one day we saw a group of royal knights approaching our house.

Hikari and I ran to the front gate, ready to take them on, with both our mothers tailing behind us.

The knights stopped near our gate, and only one, riding an armored horse, approached us.

“Are you Kurenai?”

“What if I am?”

I glared at him, remembering everything they’d done last time. Except this time I’m more prepared. I’ll take them all out myself this time!

“Stand down, insolent villager.”

Haaaa!?

“I am the royal messenger, bringing you a royal decree straight from the emperor himself.”

Our reactions to hearing that varied quite a bit.

“A decree straight from the e-e-emperor!?”

My mom fainted again, but this time Hikari’s mom caught her.

“I knew it’d come eventually, but so soon?”

Hikari’s mom muttered as she bit her lip.

“...”

Hikari didn’t really seem like she even listened to him.

“What’s a royal decree?”

I wondered.