A Hard Decision Part 1: A New Enemy Appears—The Dragon Slayer Mercenary

All throughout the day, Tatsuya couldn’t stop thinking about what Aris had told them the day before. What did the dragon’s words mean? What were their implications? These questions and many more popped up in his mind like viruses. By the time school had ended, Tatsuya was beginning to suffer from a minor headache as a result of mulling over the questions like a madman. While on his way to exit the school building, he was stopped by the Council President—Kurokomo Shizo.

“Great work on your trip. I heard that it was a success,” said Shizo.

“Ah, thanks,” responded Tatsuya with a bashful smile.

Standing behind Shizo was the Council Historia Sanada Yukari. She didn’t say a single word and silently stood in the shadows as her leader conversed with the Dragonborn. She is used to being unnoticed; after all, she possesses a very minor presence unlike that of her fellow Council members.

“I’ve also heard that you were the one responsible for taking down the golem that was found at the beach,” informed Shizo. “I congratulate you on your victory.”

“Well, it wasn’t easy, I’ll tell you that,” said Tatsuya with a laugh. He glanced at Yukari standing behind Shizo and noticed that she was staring at him with cold eyes. He could feel literal chills coming from those eyes of hers. They were focused intently on him like the calculating eyes of a predator. Tatsuya felt his heart wavering a bit as if the chills they gave off was slowly biting into it and replacing the warmth with a dry and freezing fear.

“Well then, Owatatsumi-san, I pray you have a nice day,” said Shizo with a bow.

“Of course!” responded Tatsuya, quickly snapping out of his icy descent.

Shizo walked on, followed by Yuki, and stopped near the stairs. He turned his face and flashed Tatsuya a wink, finishing in a flirting voice, “I pray we can have more encounters like this in the future.”

Tatsuya, despite his knowledge of the Council President’s identity, blushed a very bright scarlet color. The Council President’s charming voice and alluring feminine appearance forced Tatsuya into a mental standstill; with how messed up and abnormal his world has become, Tatsuya wasn’t even sure if he can abide by his own standards for personal normalcy anymore. Then again, what is normal anyway? If Tatsuya has learned one thing about his new world and his new normal is that normal is not something he should accept as the standard just because it is accepted by mainstream society—rather, it is something that he must accept himself in order to adapt to variable situations and respond to changing environments.

He exited the school and was walking to the school’s entrance when a strange wind rustled the trees near him and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His warrior instinct picked up on the implications of the wind and his entire body tensed up in anticipation for an enemy to appear. He carefully scanned his surroundings for any sign of an enemy but it was clear—at the very least, the enemy has cleverly hidden themself out of plain sight. His eyes came upon a glow from within the branches of one of the trees. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blade shot out of that very spot and struck Tatsuya’s right cheek, slashing his flesh and forming a very long, thin, deep cut. The blood-soaked dagger fell to the ground behind him and pierced the Earth. Tatsuya touched his right cheek and could feel his hot blood leaking out of his face. He looked at his bloodstained hand and felt neither pain nor rage, but contempt. This was obviously an initiation of a challenge; however, it was a cowardly act that had no honor to it at all. If his enemy wanted to challenge him, they could’ve made their appearance known and initiate it in a more honorable and respectful way. But this cowardly act of hiding in the shadows and initiating their challenge by throwing a blade made Tatsuya angry—he felt that his own honor was being challenged and disrespected. More so, in addition to being cowardly, this act clearly shows that the enemy is either underestimating him or they’re an arrogant prick.

“I know you’re out there!” Tatsuya yelled out angrily. He was undoubtedly pissed. He didn’t mind it if people are natural cowards, but he especially hates it when people resort to cowardly acts that are even below pure cowardice and borders on disrespect and dishonor.

A shadow jumped out of a nearby tree, the same tree from where the dagger was thrown from, and landed right before Tatsuya. It revealed itself to be a tall man with dirty brown hair and glinting brown eyes. He had a long pointed face and a lean, muscular body. He was dressed in a dark navy blue ninja costume: a sleeveless martial arts gi, long spandex pants, black boots, and a sash tied around his waist. A black mask covered his mouth and he had on a black headband with the image of a tiger. “Well, well, well,” said the man in a very low and sinister voice, “it is a pleasure to meet you, Dragonborn.” He bowed mockingly before Tatsuya.

“Who are you?” asked Tatsuya boldly.

“Rejoice, Dragonborn,” announced the man grandly, “for you will have the honor of being slayed by me, the most dangerous dragon slayer in all of Japan, Mitsurugi Yaju!” He laughed arrogantly to himself.

“Dragon slayer?” exclaimed Tatsuya, reflexively taking a step back.

Yaju reached inside his gi and pulled out a scroll. “Hear my prayers, Perun, High God of Thunder! Give me your blessing so I can vanquish thy foe! Let the Heavens roar and may Lightning split the Earth as your humble servant witness your great might! Thunder, War, Law, Justice!” Black clouds suddenly appeared in the sky and gathered above him. A gale of wind blew around him and formed a closed circle with him in the center. Bold blank ink began to appear on the blank scroll and formed the image of a two-headed axe. The image glowed a brilliantly dark crimson color. Yaju reached into the scroll with his other hand and pulled the exact same axe that the image depicted. The two-headed axe had brilliant silver steel blades with edges sharper than diamonds and a long crimson one-handed handle. Etched on each side of the steel blades just before the edges were words in Cyrillic (Russian alphabet)—the right side of the blades had the words: “Ubiytsa groma” (Thunder Slayer); the left side of the blades had the words: “Nesushchiy molniyu” (Lightning Bringer). Yaju brought the axe near his face and said, “Surrender and let yourself be slayed, Dragonborn! This is for the greater good!”

“As if I believe that crap,” muttered Tatsuya spitefully. He reached inside his pocket and brought out his silver pen. He uncapped it and the pen transformed into a brilliant golden blade: the dragon-slaying sword, Gram.

One glimpse of the sword made Yaju take a step back. “How is it that you possess the holiest of dragon-slaying blades?” he asked in a disappointed tone. He uttered a scoff and shook his head. “Doesn’t matter,” he said, “I’ll still slay you.” With his axe pointed at Tatsuya, Yaju arrogantly announced, “Now, say your prayers, Dragonborn, and repent for your sins! Pray that God forgives you for being evil and lessens your punishment in Hell!”

“Let’s see if you’ll still be able to talk big once I take you down,” threatened Tatsuya.

Yaju bent his knees and dashed forward like a human bullet, his axe was held over his opposite shoulder in a ready stance to unleash a powerful diagonal slash. Tatsuya, despite his senses being adeptly tuned to combat, wasn’t able to see and process his enemy’s intentions. Yaju brought down his axe and would’ve caused massive damage if Tatsuya hadn’t defended with his sword at the very last second. Although Tatsuya wasn't able to match his enemy's pace, his warrior’s reflex kicked in and intuitively defended himself from danger. Seeing how he could’ve suffered a massive injury from that one strike, Tatsuya understood just how dangerous this enemy really is.

Undeterred by the Dragonborn's lucky move, Yaju jumped back and switched tactics. He jumped up into the air and held his axe outwards with the blades parallel to the ground. He then spun around while in the air, forming a very dangerous axe tornado. He tilted his body forward and spiraled downwards in a trajectory straight for Tatsuya’s head.

Tatsuya brought his sword up to his head and held it parallel to the ground with both hands. Yaju’s axe collided with Tatsuya’s sword and both combatants engaged in a battle of endurance. They both stubbornly pushed forward with their respective weapons, trying hard to force their opponent to give up. However, neither of them was willing to admit defeat.

“Just give in, Dragonborn,” said Yaju, summoning more of his strength to pour into his weapon.

“Have anyone ever told you that you talk too much?” responded Tatsuya with a grimace, trying his best to answer his opponent with his own strength,

Both combatants had reached a standstill. Unsatisfied by this outcome, Yaju broke off and landed on the ground. He raised his axe above his head and shouted, “Moshch Peryn!” (“Perun’s Might!”). A bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck the axe, empowering it with its divine energy. The axe then glowed a bright electric blue color and electricity arcs crisscrossed from one edge to the other in an endless electric stream. “This is the end for you, Dragonborn,” said Yaju arrogantly.

Even with his enemy’s lower half covered by a mask, Tatsuya could tell that the dragon slayer was smiling—it was all in the eyes and how brightly they twinkled as if they could foresee victory. Tatsuya gripped tightly onto his sword and anxiously prepared himself for his enemy’s next attack. His breathing had become a little haggard from pitting his strength against his enemy’s.

Yaju swung his axe sideways and released a giant arc of electricity straight for Tatsuya. The electrical arc sliced through the air like a sharp blade. Its momentum shook the leaves of the courtyard trees and caused the ground to rumble.

Tatsuya looked with fear at the deadly electrical arc coming straight at him. Doubt flooded his mind as he found himself unable to think up the correct response to this attack. He wasn’t sure if he should dodge—if he could dodge, or if he should defend—if he could defend. It seems that there was no way of escaping from this attack unharmed. If he should try to dodge, Tatsuya knew that he couldn’t successfully dodge it completely. And the attack is no doubt stronger than any sort of defense Tatsuya could ever think of. It’s times like these that Tatsuya wishes he could be stronger and more powerful than how he is right now.

As if in response to his feelings, Gram began to glow a very bright citrine color. Its blade suddenly became a beautiful reddish-brown color like that of a finely cut garnet. The hilt became a brilliant citrine, as well as the emblazoned dragon on the blade. Tatsuya could feel that the sword had become stronger and harder, however he wasn’t sure how or why. This transformation reminded him of the time the sword had changed into a dark crimson blade surrounded in flames during his battle against Torahime. Intuitively, with no time for thinking at all, Tatsuya swung the blade. The ground below him began to fracture and huge chunks of earth rose up into the air. The chunks of earth then flew outwards and collided with the electrical arc and neutralized it, shattering into a million pieces as a result.

“Tch,” scoffed Yaju disgustedly. “Looks like you’re more of a pest than I thought,” he said. He reached inside his top and brought out a paper talisman. “Dragon Slaying Ninja Art: Vision of Darkness,” he announced. He placed the talisman on his forehead and a dark mist consumed his body until he became nonexistent. Yaju had become one with the shadows.

With his enemy out of his physical view, Tatsuya gripped his sword and prepared himself to be on his toes. He carefully scanned his surroundings. He tuned in his other senses to try to pick out his enemy using sound, smell, and touch. Even with his quieted breathing, he still couldn’t pick out any discerning sound that would give up his enemy’s location. There were too many scents in the air that infiltrated his nose and muddled his mind with easily discernable aromas that were not his enemy’s. His sense of touch, despite being heightened well enough after years of training as a child, couldn’t pick out any disturbances in the air. Usually, he would be able to pick up even the slightest of disturbances, which when combined with his warrior’s intuition, makes him a very capable fighter against sneak attacks. But his enemy appears to be a natural at stealth. Tatsuya tensed up a bit—this realization illustrates just how dangerous his situation has become.

Yaju, hidden within the darkness, noticed just how uncomfortable Tatsuya had become. It was obvious that he has the advantage here. He sneaked up in front of his enemy and swung his axe from below right underneath Tatsuya’s chin. The strike sent Tatsuya flying into the air, slicing his chin and leaving a huge gash that spilled out blood like a fountain.

Tatsuya fell down and felt a burning sensation on his chin as light breezes of wind brushed against the bleeding injury. He groaned and lightly touched his chin. Seeing the red liquid on his hand told him two things: one—that attack could’ve been fatal if it got any closer to his actual body; two—he was at a dangerous disadvantage against his enemy and his magic. Tatsuya slowly stood back up, but before he had any chance to recover further, a large and quick electrical arc struck him square in the chest and forced him into the air and falling hard onto the ground. The impact from the electrical arc knocked the organs in his body around. Tatsuya felt a mass of liquid building up in his mouth and was forced to spit it out upon impact with the ground. The liquid—his crimson blood—stained his uniform and teeth. Tatsuya slowly and painfully got back up, wiping the excess blood from his mouth. Drops of the crimson liquid was still dripping from the corner of his lips.

Yaju greatly enjoyed seeing his enemy in a state of disrepair. He was confident that one more hit was all that was needed to fully defeat Tatsuya and slay him. “This is going to be a piece of cake,” he told himself with a smug laugh. He swung his axe and sent out another giant electrical arc straight for the injured Dragonborn. “This is God’s judgement!” he announced grandly. The electrical arc rushed forward with the speed of a hundred bullet trains. It had almost reached its target, a dangerous three feet away, but was quickly neutralized by two kunai thrown by a mysterious third party. Seeing his own work denied right in front of him, Yaju angrily yelled out, “Who did that?!”

“I did!” replied a familiar voice. Jumping out from the shadows and coming to Tatsuya’s aid was the very last person he would’ve expected to have come to his rescue: Natsume Torahime. She arrived dressed in her dragon slayer uniform.

Yaju was genuinely surprised to see Torahime appear in front of him. He took off the talisman on his forehead and the paper crumbled into dust. His physical body appeared once again in the physical world as the same dark mist that had swallowed him before vomited him back out. “Himeko,” he said a strong but kind voice, “what are you doing?”

“Yaju-senpai, please don’t do this,” pleaded Torahime.

“He is the enemy!” declared Yaju aggressively. “Don’t tell me that you’ve been poisoned by the outside world and started to befriend dragons!”

“I will never betray our clan!” stated Torahime adamantly.

“Then why did you prevent me from slaying him?” asked Yaju, pointing a finger at Tatsuya.

By this time, Tatsuya was standing on his own two feet but his mental and physical faculties were in an unyielding daze—no doubt the extent of his injuries was vast. The continued loss of blood was also starting to make him unstable on his feet. His breathing was reduced to wheezing and short and painful inhalations. His body ached and he could feel the bones in his body growing brittle from the previous impact with the electrical arc; his sternum was on the verge of fracturing and he could feel it slowly breaking apart. The aftereffects of the electrical arc also made his body pulse with painful electrical shocks every few seconds, which painfully stung his nerves and made his muscles grow numb with each successive shock. His heart was also dangerously affected by the electrical arc—each shock forced is heart to discharge more and more blood out of his body, increasing his blood loss on a critical level. His lungs were more affected by the impact he had when he crashed onto the ground—they throbbed painfully and were on the verge of tearing. All in all, Tatsuya wasn’t in the best condition and was literally a dead-man walking.

Torahime glanced back at Tatsuya and couldn’t believe just how bad he looked. She quickly turned her gaze back to her senior and said, “Yaju-senpai, I made a promise to the clan leader that I will be the one to kill the Dragonborn. This is my mission and mine alone. If I let you kill him now, I can never show my face back at the village ever again.”

“Listen here, Himeko, I’m just doing my job,” informed Yaju.

“Did the clan leader send you to kill the Dragonborn?” asked Torahime.

“Nope,” answered Yaju straightforwardly. “I’ve got the job from someone else.”

Hearing her senior’s words about being hired by an outsider stirred up suspicion inside her. Torahime squinted her eyes and suspiciously asked, “Who hired you?”

“That’s a secret,” answered Yaju in an almost playful manner. “Anyway, Himeko, would you please step aside and allow me to finish my job and take my prize?” he said, waving his hand in a gesture to send her away.

Torahime felt completely betrayed by her senior. She couldn’t believe that he was taking part in a dragon slaying mission that was given to him by an outside source that he was unwilling to disclose—the trust that was forged between them as fellow dragon slayers from the same clan was slowly being shattered. His suspicious job, his suspicious employer, and his suspicious behavior made Torahime all the more angry at her senior. It made something inside of her begin to snap, something that if broken cannot be repaired. “Let me ask you one thing, Yaju-senpai,” she said in a low voice.

“What is it, Himeko?” asked Yaju.

“What is your reason for doing this?” she asked him. “Is it for the good of mankind?”

“It’s for the good of me,” he answered her straightforwardly. “I’m only doing this because the person who hired me was willing to pay big bucks for it. And hey, if this killing is going to benefit mankind, then it’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?”

“You’re doing this for money?” she asked in the same low voice. “The good of mankind was only an afterthought?” she added disgustedly. Torahime bowed her head and said, “Thank you, Yaju-senpai, for your honesty.”

“Of course,” said Yaju arrogantly.

Torahime reached behind her back and pulled out a scroll. “Hear my prayers, O Great God Susanoo! Give me your blessing so I can vanquish thy foe! Shake the Heavens and make the Earth quiver in fear before your mighty power! Sea, Storm, Calamity, Vanquisher!” Black clouds gathered above her and a gale of wind blew around her and formed a closed circle with her in the center. Black ink began to appear on the initially blank scroll and came together to create the image of a katana. The image glowed a brilliantly light blue color. Torahime reached into the scroll with her other hand and pulled out the katana that the image depicted. The sword was a brilliant silver-blue blade with a black and gold hilt. A red tassel hung from the bottom of the hilt and seven beautifully etched characters adorned the right side of the blade: “Kamigami Ryugoroshinoken” (Divine God Dragon Slaying Sword).

Yaju gripped his axe and asked furiously, “What the hell are you doing, Himeko?”

“I’m sorry, Yaju-senpai, but I can’t let you slay the Dragonborn,” she told him boldly. “There is only one person who can slay the Dragonborn,” she announced brazenly, “and that person is me, Natsume Torahime!”

Annoyed by his junior’s self-righteous statement, Yaju scoffed and said, “You’re really starting to be a pain in the neck, Himeko.”

Torahime reached into her top and pulled out a talisman. “Dragon Slaying Ninja Art: Rejuvenation Spell,” she said. She threw the talisman behind her and the wind carried it to Tatsuya. The talisman landed right on his chest and the bleeding stopped; he could feel a comforting warmth enveloping his body, freeing him from all of the stress he was feeling while in pain. “Go, Owatatsumi Tetsuya! This spell will only help you temporarily,” Torahime told him.

“Natsume…san,” groaned Tatsuya.

“Go!” she ordered him. Tatsuya nodded and left the battlefield as quick as his painful body can. As soon as he left, Torahime turned her attention to Yaju. She pointed her katana right at him and said, “It’s time to settle this, Yaju-senpai.”

“You’re right,” agreed Yaju with a nod. “It’s time I teach my precious kohai her place!”

The doorbell to the Owatatsumi residence rang. Ingrid opened the door and found Tatsuya, bloodied and bruised, leaning against the wall of the house with one hand. She quickly brought him inside. “Are you alright, Owatatsumi-sama?” she asked him after helping him to the couch in the living room.

“I’m…fine…for now,” he answered in between haggard breaths. “Natsume-san…helped me.”

Aika and Kanjomizu had entered the living by this time and they were utterly horrified to find their loved one in this state. “Darling!” cried Aika. She ran up to Tatsuya and hugged his face. “Are you okay?” she asked him in a tearful voice.

“My Love!” cried Kanjomizu. She ran up to him and placed her hands on his chest. “This is horrible!” she bemoaned. She closed her eyes and felt his body. Using her dragon powers, she analyzed her Love’s injuries. ‘Broken bones, damaged organs, injured nerves, aching muscles, heavy blood loss, and deep cuts,’ she observed. Kanjomizu opened her eyes and asked Ingrid to bring in Umi. The water dragon maid appeared and quickly came to her mistress’ assistance. “Umi, help me heal him,” ordered Kanjomizu. The maid obliged with a nod.

With Ingrid’s help, Tatsuya’s body was carefully placed on the floor. Kanjomizu sat down on his left and Umi on his right. Kanjomizu placed her left hand on Tatsuya’s forehead and her right on his right pectoral. Umi placed her left hand on Tatsuya’s stomach and her right hand on his left pectoral.

Aika grew anxious watching the Naga princess and her maid making preparations to heal her Darling. “Can you save him?” Aika asked them anxiously.

“I will give it my all,” replied Kanjomizu confidently. She and Umi closed their eyes and concentrated on healing Tatsuya. Their hands began to glow a very warm blue color like the warm hue of a young spring.

Tatsuya felt a very strong warmth enveloping his body. It didn’t hurt at all and instilled in him a feeling of comfort and calm. He could feel his body relaxing and the pain that once plagued it subsiding. The weight and stress that had burdened his injured internal organs quickly alleviated and his breathing and heartbeat returned to their original healthy states. His mind had also become tranquil from the warmth and he enjoyed each and every moment of him. Tatsuya truly felt that he could just stay wrapped up in this warmth forever.

The cuts and bruises on his body disappeared and the blood that stained his face dissipated into nothingness. His body was quickly repairing itself. On the inside, his heart calmed down and his lungs were carefully healed from any tears they had suffered. His bones were mended and any cracks and fractures they had disappeared. The aches in his muscles were gone. His mental and physical faculties returned and are now fully operational again. Tatsuya was now fully healed of his injuries.

He sat up and was immediately bombarded by tearful hugs from both Aika and Kanjomizu. He calmed them down and expressed his gratitude to Kanjomizu and Umi for their part in healing him. Once both dragon princesses got off of him, he took a seat on the couch.

“What had happened?” asked Ingrid.

“I was attacked by a dragon slayer,” answered Tatsuya with a frown.

“Was it Natsume Torahime?” asked Aika. “Looks like she’s finally making her move.” She clenched her fists tightly and scowled. A very dangerous aura enveloped her.

“It wasn’t her,” replied Tatsuya. “It was a guy. But I think he’s from the same organization as Natsume Torahime.”

“Was he called on by Torahime to slay you?” inquired Aika.

“That’s unlikely,” he told her. “Natsume-san actually came to my rescue. She temporarily reduced the pain of my wounds with a talisman and engaged the other dragon slayer for my sake.”

“Really?!” exclaimed Aika and Umi in disbelief.

“Besides,” continued Tatsuya, “that dragon slayer said that he was hired by someone else. He didn’t reveal who it was, which seemed to annoy Natsume-san even more, but it clearly wasn’t his own organization.”

“Just who could’ve done it then?” pondered Ingrid, brining a finger to her chin.

“There are a lot of possibilities,” came the voice of Tatsuya’s father. He entered the living room and was humbly greeted by the dragon princesses and maids. “Please, please, you don’t have to be so formal,” he told them with a laugh. Aika and the others quickly left the room so that father and son could have some alone time together. Ryujin sat in a chair to his son’s right. “Are you doing fine, son?” he asked Tatsuya.

“Just peachy,” replied Tatsuya sarcastically.

“I assume you’ve already met the Yellow Terror,” said Ryujin.

“Who’s the Yellow Terror?” Tatsuya asked him.

“A member of Ouroboros whose real name is Aris,” answered his father.

The image of the creepy young boy Tatsuya met yesterday and the day before suddenly popped into his mind. “How did you know?” he asked his father curiously.

“I am a god after all,” replied his father mysteriously with a laugh.

Tatsuya groaned annoyedly at his father’s unhelpful answer. “So?” he asked him. “What does he have to do with this?”

Ryujin calmed his laughter and his smile changed into a frown. “He is a very high member of Ouroboros,” he explained. “I’ve never met him personally, but I’ve heard all that I needed to hear about him from others. Additionally, he is a Lindworm. A very powerful Lindworm too.”

“Lindworm?” repeated Tatsuya.

“A Luck Dragon,” answered Ryujin. “They have control over the forces of luck, meaning they can freely manipulate probability.”

“Just how powerful is he?” wondered Tatsuya curiously.

“Aris comes from a noble background,” informed Ryujin. “Those with royal and noble blood have stronger powers and magical prowess than the common people. This is due to their heritage as descendants of the original Thirteen Dragons.”

“I can’t believe that that little brat is that powerful,” said Tatsuya through gritted teeth. “So why the warning?” he asked his father.

“His power is one thing,” continued Ryujin, “but his name, the Yellow Terror, comes from his horrible and merciless personality. He is truly a madman who revels in torturing his opponents with fear and unrivaled wickedness. Even his superiors are terrified of him.”

“Why would he take part in this evil organization anyway?” Tatsuya asked, shaking his head with a frown.

“That’s something only he knows,” answered Ryujin. “Although I would prefer it if you never meet him again or engage him in a battle, I sense that a future encounter between you and him is bound to happen sooner or later. And when that happens, you can ask him then.” He then threw back his head in howling laughter as he reveled in his own joke. His laughter quickly subsided and he grimaced to himself. “Although I’m pretty sure I know the reason why,” he said to himself under his breath.

“Why do I get the feeling that things just got even more complicated?” Tatsuya asked himself, shaking his head. The feeling he had for a while now that told him something was getting ready to happen began to settle inside of him, warning him that the moment was close at hand. Indeed, his instincts told him that he doesn’t need to wait any further. It all starts tonight.

Standing atop a building overlooking the high school from the East was the Yellow Terror himself, Aris. He wore a demented grin that was devoid of warmth and full of darkness and irritation. He had his hands clasped behind his back as he beheld the view before him in contempt. He had been watching this battle since its inception. Although the combatants had changed, much to his amused chagrin, he still watched it, albeit with little interest and strong displeasure. “Such foolish humans,” he said to himself spitefully. As a symbol of his hatred towards the humans race, he walked up to the edge of the roof and spitted onto the ground below, wishing that his dragon spittle would hit a human. Seeing that it didn’t annoyed him greatly. He scoffed and walked back to his previous position to watch the pointless battle drudge on.

Behind him, standing near the rooftop door, were his two subordinates. They had come with him to the human realm as supporting personnel. The one on the left was a tall and skinny dark-skinned man with an eyepatch over his left eye. He had black glossy spiked hair and his right eye was a brilliant blood-red color. He was dressed in a big black leather overcoat and black boots. His name was Jao and he’s an Amaru (Darkness Dragon).

The one on the right was a burly man with bulging muscles. He had short cropped silver-blue hair and glowing silver eyes like the moon. Framing his upper lips was a nicely groomed silver-blue painter’s brush. He was dressed in only a pair of gray cargo pants; his upper body was bare. Giant runic tattoos covered his entire body up to his shoulders. On his left pectoral was a special tattoo unlike the others that graced his body—it was the symbol of Ouroboros: a winged-serpent swallowing its own tail in a circle. His name was Eron and he’s a Bakunawa (Magic Dragon).

“Boss, do you want us to initiate the plan right now?” asked Eron.

“Ah, ah, ah,” groaned Aris, shaking his head, “I don’t have time for this! What amusement is there in watching humans try to kill each other?” He turned to his men and flashed them a devilish grin. “It would be more fun to watch hundreds of humans run for their lives in the face of a rampaging scourge, wouldn’t you agree?”

“The piercing screams of those devils shall play like music to my ears and empower my dark powers beyond the limits of the void,” agreed Jao with a bow.

Aris frowned and said dismissively, “I can never understand what you Amarus are saying.”

“Shall we initiate the plan?” repeated Eron.

“Not yet,” Aris told him. “There’s one more person we are waiting for who is important to the success of the plan.” The rooftop door opened and a new person appeared. “My, speak of the devil!” said Aris with a grin.

The person was a pretty girl with straight cool blue hair and a penguin hair clip, icy blue eyes, and a skin complexion whiter than freshly fallen snow but far from being pasty or pale—Sanada Yukari, the Student Council Historian. She approached Aris and bowed before him. “Praise the Lord Ouroboros, Divine God of Rebirth. Bless us with your strength and lead us to a new golden age. Vivat Ouroboros!” she pledged.

“That’s good enough,” said Aris. Yukari stood up. Aris walked closer to her and caressed her cheek with the back of his right hand. Yukari remained unflappable, though her face grew a bit warmer from his touch. She could feel a strong aura of terror emanating from her superior and grew terrified of what will happen next. Her heart sank just by thinking about it.

With a graceful smile, Aris placed his hand under her chin and brought her face closer to his. With his other hand, he lightly caressed her hair in a nonchalant way. “Say, Karella,” he said in a calm and kind voice, “were you the one responsible for this farce?”

“W-W-What do you mean, Master Aris?” asked Yukari.

“Were you the one that hired the dragon slayer to kill the Dragonborn?” he clarified.

Yukari gulped and said, “Yes, I am.”

Immediately, Aris slapped Yukari across the face and sent her crashing onto the floor. The force of the slap shook the air around them and thundered through the rooftops. Aris’ expression turned really ugly and demented—he wore a very evil scowl that was full of hate and fury, inspiring fear and terror in all who dared to look at him. “You little bitch,” he called her in a low and dangerous voice. “Who gave you permission to do that?!”

“I-I-I’m sorry,” apologized Yukari fearfully. The pain from the slap still stung her face and made her facial bones ache. “I just thought that it will be easier for us to achieve our goals if he is out of the picture,” she told him.

“Shut up!” ordered Aris furiously. He approached her and grabbed her throat, effortlessly picking her up into the air. He clenched her throat really tight and made it impossible for Yukari to breathe.  “You thought? How could you be any more idiotic?! If I wanted to have you kill the Dragonborn, I would’ve told you to do it! I don’t need you to use your stupid little head to come up with foolish ideas that in your small-minded brain believe would help me, do I? Did I ask for your help?!” After having finished saying all that, he mercilessly threw her back onto the floor. “Don’t go thinking for yourself just because you want to please me,” he said in conclusion.

Yukari grabbed her throat and coughed hysterically, trying to gather back her breath. “Y-yes sir,” she told him breathlessly.

“Boss, what are we going to do now?” asked Eron.

Aris calmed his fury and ran his hand threw his hair. “I have an appointment with the Dragonborn,” he said. “Before we initiate the plan, let’s first send out specimen 3,” he told them.

“Yes sir,” said Eron with a bow.

Aris looked out into the city skyline and said, “It’s time for your challenge, Dragonborn. I hope you don’t disappoint me.”