A Hard Decision Part 2: Challenge Accepted—Is a Normal Life Really What the Dragonborn Wants?

The battle between Torahime and Yaju had ended. They both stood a few feet apart, breathing hard and exhausted from battle. Torahime had a few bruises here and there, but her injuries weren’t as bad as Yaju’s. The latter had a deep cut on his cheek and bleeding cuts all around his body. “I don’t believe it,” he groaned in disbelief, “You’ve gotten really strong, Himeko.”

“You forget, Yaju-senpai,” said Torahime, “but you were the one who taught me everything I needed to know. I’m pretty sure that you could’ve defeated me pretty easily.” She then pointed her katana at him and added, “However, you’re motivation of greed is what made you weaker than me in this battle. Instead of training yourself to reach a higher level, you let yourself be blinded by money and wealth.”

“Don’t think that it was all you, though,” said Yaju with a smirk. “I admit that your skills have improved. But you clearly had the upper hand in this battle only because you wield the  Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi!” He gestured to Torahime’s katana with a pointed finger.

His assertion was true. Without the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, Torahime couldn’t have won this battle against her senior. In their battle, to counter Yaju’s powered up axe, Torahime called on the katana’s special power—it’s Blessing as it is known—, “Kami no Tensai” (“God’s Divine Catastrophe”); she was able to successfully subdue her senior.

“Do you surrender, Yaju-senpai?” asked Torahime boldly.

Yaju simply laughed at her question. He took in a very painful breath and said, “I’ll submit to you for now, my precious kohai. But next time, I’ll win for sure.”

“Yaju-senpai, I have a question for you,” said Torahime. “How did you know what the Dragonborn looked like?”

“My employer just showed me his picture, that’s all,” answered Yaju with a shrug. “Anything else you want to know?” he asked. Torahime shook her head no. Without another word, Yaju jumped into the air and disappeared like a true ninja.

Torahime put away her katana and magically changed back into her civilian uniform. She walked home and arrived back at her apartment before the sun had set. She rang the doorbell and Nekoyashi welcomed her in. Torahime literally fell onto the living room couch and exhaled a very exhaustive groan.

“My, Himeko, what happened, nyan?” asked Nekoyashi curiously.

“I met Yaju-senpai,” Torahime groaned.

“Yaju-senpai?!” exclaimed Nekoyashi in surprise. “What was he doing here?” she asked.

“He was here to kill the Dragonborn,” answered Torahime.

“Nyan?!” shouted Nekoyashi in disbelief.

“However, he was acting on the behalf of an outsider,” explained Torahime. She clenched her right hand tightly and scowled. “He only did it for the money,” she said in a disgusted voice.

“Is Owatatsumi-kun okay, nyan?” asked Nekoyashi worriedly.

“Yes, he is,” reassured Torahime absent-mindedly. "I stepped in and helped him from being defeated by Yaju-senpai's hands."

“That’s great!” exclaimed Nekoyashi happily. “You’re relationship with Owatatsumi-kun has finally improved!” She brought her hands together and said, with twinkling eyes, “I can see it now, Himeko. You’re story is only starting! You will finally get your time to shine as the heroine of a romance manga!”

Those words immediately made Torahime scowl. “Just what are you going on about now, Koneko?” she asked her friend irritatedly.

“Ever since the arrival of Chikyuryu Sunaji, I got worried about you and your place, nyan,” began Nekoyashi dramatically. “Chikyuryu Sunaji is a real-life ojou-sama! She speaks using polite and rather antiquated language, nyan, and she is kind to everyone she meets and has a regal air about her, nyan! Everything about her screams refinement and elegance!”

“What does that have to do with anything?” came Torahime with a raised eyebrow.

“Plus,” continued Nekoyashi in her explanation, “she is a real-life tsundere, nyan! I mean, you’re pretty much a tsundere yourself, nyan, but Chikyuryu Sunaji’s presence is a real problem for you! Her closeness to the target as well as her status as a type 2 tsundere makes her the perfect girl to fill the role of a tsundere ojou-sama in a typical romance harem manga, nyan! Your position as the token tsundere is in jeopardy, Himeko! If you don’t do anything about this, you will be relegated to secondary character status, or even worse, minor character status, nyan! If this happens, your romantic relationship with Owatatsumi-kun is as good as nil, nyan!”

Torahime unleashed a powerful punch on her friend, sending the latter down onto the ground with a complete KO. “Stop talking nonsense!” she screamed at Nekoyashi with reddening cheeks. She pouted and added under her breath, “Who care’s about Owatatsumi Tetsuya anyway?”

Nekoyashi rubbed her head and chuckled. “Geez, Himeko, why don’t you try being more honest with yourself, nyan?” she told her friend.

“Shut up!” yelled Torahime defiantly. “Anyway, we should focus on the matter at hand,” she said, changing the subject.

“You mean about Yaju-senpai and who hired him,” concluded Nekoyashi. Torahime nodded in agreement. “Say, Himeko, could he have been hired by the other divisions, nyan?” suggested Nekoyashi logically.

Torahime brought a finger to her chin and considered the possibility. “The identity of the Dragonborn is pretty much known throughout the Dragon Slayer Corps and its divisions,” she reasoned. A long time ago, during a meeting of the Dragon Slayer Corps Division Heads, the Dragonborn’s name was disclosed to them by a reliable source. Whoever that source was and how they attained the information remains a mystery to the entire Dragon Slayer Corps—only the Dragon Slayer Corps Division Heads know. But because of that information, everyone in the Dragon Slayer Corps knows of the Dragonborn’s true identity: Owatatsumi Tatsuya. Other than his real name and his area of residence, which was also given by the reliable source a long time ago, no one truly knows what he looked like. But knowing his name and area of residence was enough information for the Dragon Slayer Corps members to chase after him. And it was the knowledge of his residence in Japan that made the entire Dragon Slayer Corps come to a consensus to allow the Dragon Slayer Corps Japan Division to take care of slaying the Dragonborn, a mission which was given to Torahime to carry out.

Torahime is still loyal to the mission and intends to accomplish it; however, she came across many…complications. And right now, she was probably facing her greatest complication of all. Someone is intent on killing Owatatsumi Tatsuya. Although she should be happy that he was getting what he deserved, Torahime inherently didn’t want him to die at the hands of another. It was her mission to kill the Dragonborn, and if he should fall by the hands of another, then she would failed her mission. This mission was more than just a mission given to her by her clan, it was something personal. If she fails this mission, then she would be failing herself. Given this reason, she must do whatever she can to protect him from the hands of other people so that she can end him herself. That’s all. There was no other reason that could’ve influenced her decision to help him at all. It was all so that she could complete her mission. “That’s right,” she told herself, “it is all for my mission.”

Yaju had escaped to an alleyway somewhere in the city. His breathing was ragged and his body was in great pain. He leaned against the wall of the alleyway. “I can’t believe how much Torahime had improved,” he mused to himself with a painful groan. As he calmed his breathing and took a small respite to recover, he heard the sound of light footsteps approaching his position. The owner of the footsteps revealed themself to be none other than his employer—Student Council Historian Sanada Yukari. Yaju brought down his mask and revealed a scarred lip. He smiled and said, “What do you want? I didn’t get a chance to complete my job, if that's what you’re wondering.”

“That’s a shame,” said Yukari. Her expression was cold but there was a little bit of something else mixed in there…fear? It was especially present in her eyes.

“Listen, I’ll let you know that I’m not some immoral money-grubbing bastard. I have my principles too,” Yaju told her. “Since I didn’t finish the job, I won’t ask to be compensated. However, it would be a little nice to have you help with the hospital bills, just kidding!” Yukari wasn’t the least bit amused by the dragon slayer’s joke. “I can heal myself just fine once I get back to the village,” Yaju added in an attempt to please his employer.

“Pray that you heal well,” Yukari told him with downcast eyes.

Yaju was a little taken aback by his employer’s words. “I never thought I’d ever hear those words come out of a dragon,” he said with an amused whistle. He smiled and turned around to leave. He raised his right hand in a wave and said, “See you again, maybe.” He had almost reached the end of the alleyway when a new figure appeared before him.

“Hello there,” spoke the new figure—Aris, the Yellow Terror.

Yaju took a step back and asked, “Who might you be?”

“So you are the dragon slayer that my subordinate had hired,” said Aris with a giant smile, ignoring the dragon slayer’s question. “I’ve always admired you people’s confidence and power in taking down my brethren. Branding my own kin as evil and instilling in yourselves a self-righteous view of being chosen protectors of the universe. Pretty small-minded and petty, don’t you think? Humans will do anything to try to make themselves seem important when they’re really nothing more than insignificant creatures whose meaning of living is to serve the true masters of the universe—dragons!”

Yaju responded with a smug whistle. “Pretty high and mighty for a little kid, don’t you think?” he said with a small laugh.

“I am Aris,” introduced Aris with an unamused look, “known to all as the Yellow Terror.”

“Are you sure it shouldn’t be Little Yellow Terror?” joked Yaju with a smug smile.

Aris tilted his head creepily with the same unamused expression. His eyes then grew wide and he threw his head back in a hysterical laughing fit. This sudden act disturbed Yaju greatly. Aris’ laugh echoed throughout the alleyway and sent chills down the spines of any creature that heard it. “My, my, my, you’re one funny fellow,” he said. He sobered up and wore a very disturbing smile. “I like funny guys like you.”

“Anyway, I got to get going,” said Yaju awkwardly with a salute.

Aris took a step forward and leaned his face into the dragon slayer’s until their eyes were almost level. “My, what pretty eyes you have,” he mused. “Have you ever heard the story of how Odin, the great Norse god, became a one-eyed deity?”

“What are you going on about?” asked Yaju with a frown. The close proximity between their faces made him very uncomfortable. Sweat was already forming on his temples as he found himself forced into this hell by some psychopath he had never met before.

“Odin is a very dedicated god,” began Aris with a smile. “Since the beginning of time, he had dedicated himself to ruling the heavens and Earth, protecting the universal order, and helping mankind in their quest to conquer evil. However, his greatest moment of dedication was when he established himself as a deity of wisdom. Wisdom was his greatest treasure and he had took it upon himself to learn the secrets of the universe and become a ruler wise in mind, body, and spirit. Well, one of the most purest source of universal wisdom was from the Well of Mimir. He had reached the well’s location near the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree, and asked the well’s guardian to drink from it. The guardian would only allow Odin a drink from the well if the god is willing to sacrifice one his eyes as, shall we say, collateral. Odin, determined in his quest to learn the universe’s truths, gouged out one of his eyes and handed it to the guardian. This was how Odin became a one-eyed deity. No price is high enough for wisdom, or so he believes.”

“What’s that got to do with me?” asked Yaju anxiously.

“What price would you be willing to pay for wisdom?” asked Aris with a psychopathic smile. Before Yaju could give him a response, Aris quickly took his right hand and attacked the dragon slayer’s right eye. He mercilessly gripped Yaju’s right eye, wrapping his fingers around it like a marble, and forcefully gouged it out with little effort. A loud pop rang out through the alleyway, accompanied with a bloodcurdling scream. Aris retracted his hand and smiled amusingly as the dragon slayer fell down to his knees. He brought his treasure up to his eyes and adored the glinting brown eye like a rare jewel. “My, my, my, what a beautiful jewel!” he mused.

With his left eye, the only one he has left, Yaju could see a large pool of blood forming near him. It all came from the free socket on his face that was once the home of his right eye. Blood was still flowing downstream from the empty space, staining his face with crimson rivers. Pain still pulsed near the empty socket. He became lightheaded and his body trembled in shock. Yaju couldn’t believe what had just happened. He had been utterly defiled by his own enemy—a dragon.

“I thank you for this memento,” said Aris with his hands behind his back and smiling like an innocent child. He then walked around Yaju and approached Yukari with a serious expression. He handed her the eye and said, “A gift for trying to help me without being asked.” Yukari took the eye and couldn’t hold in her squeamishness. Aris placed the back of his right hand on her cheek, caressing it gracefully. “Do you like my present?” he asked her with the innocence of a child.

Yukari gulped and nodded. “Thank you for your kindness, Master Aris,” she told him with a bowed head.

Aris took his leave and walked on to exit the alleyway through the opposite side. When he reached the other end, he turned his face sideways to glance back and said, “I was right. Humans make me sick.” His expression was evil and devoid of morality, merciless and wicked to the very end. With that last statement, the Yellow Terror exited the alleyway.

Now that her leader was gone, Yukari leaned against the alleyway wall with one hand and hurled out all of the disgust she had been holding in. It all came out of her like an endless stream of filth. Once she was done, she took one look at the eyeball in her hand and quickly averted her eyes with a shiver. She threw the eyeball on the ground and hid it among the waste.

On the other hand, Yaju was frozen solid like a statue. The bleeding had slowed and the daze that plagued his mind after the abuse was disappearing. His body had stopped trembling and he became conscious enough to recover awareness. He had never met an enemy as ruthless as the Yellow Terror…and he hopes that he never will again. The Yellow Terror is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Having had recovered from his injuries from the battle this morning, Tatsuya was currently sitting down on the couch in the living room and taking a small respite. The TV was on and Shurai was sitting next to him and munching away on a bag of chips. She was just as engrossed in the movie currently being played as she was engrossed in her own food. Tatsuya, on the other hand, wasn’t really paying attention. The one question that was still plaguing his mind was: ‘Just who hired the dragon slayer to kill him?’

Shurai finished the bag of chips and moved on to a bag of cookies. She took a swig of her soda and effortlessly continued her eating binge. She took a quick glance at Tatsuya and noticed the expression he had. She took one of her cookies and pushed it to his lips.

The feeling of crumbs on his lips knocked Tatsuya out of his thoughts. He shook his head and realized what was going on. “Um,” he said in confusion.

“Tatsu-kun will feel better once you eat a cookie,” offered Shurai with a small smile.

“Thanks,” said Tatsuya with a smile, taking the cookie and eating it.

Arashi entered the living room and, upon taking notice of the duo’s presence, said tauntingly, “My, what naughty things could’ve transpired at this very moment?”

“I gave Tatsu-kun my cookie,” answered Shurai.

“Your cookie?” asked Arashi with a raised eyebrow.

“I offered it to Tatsu-kun and he accepted it,” explained Shurai with a nod. “It made him very happy.” She flashed the air dragon princess a thumbs up.

Arashi eyed Tatsuya with suspicious eyes and then smiled devilishly. “Nice going Tatsuya,” she teased him, “I bet she made you really happy with her cookie.”

Tatsuya immediately realized what his childhood friend meant and his cheeks turned a bright red color. He stood up and quickly said, “That’s not what she meant! She gave me a real cookie.”

“Right, her cookie,” said Arashi.

“He was really happy,” agreed Shurai with a nod.

“That’s not helping at all!” shouted Tatsuya embarrassedly. “It was a real cookie!” he told her adamantly.

“I gave him my cookie,” said Shurai with another nod.

Arashi bowed before Tatsuya and said, “Congratulations on becoming a man.”

“Acchan!” cried Tatsuya in shame. Having had enough of this shameful scene, he walked out of the living room, saying, “I’m going to take a walk.”

Arashi covered her mouth and laughed to herself. His expression right then was priceless! She then decided to go after him and join him on his walk. She was bored and had nothing to do today, so tagging along and playing with her childhood friend appealed to her as the best method to relieve her boredom.

Shurai was the only left in the living room and she returned back to her eating binge and movie. As always, she was innocently unaware of the meaning behind the entire exchange that had just occurred between Arashi and Tatsuya. Her naivety can not be any more pure.

Tatsuya was already outside when he heard the front door to his house open and close. Arashi ran up to him with a smile on her face and her hands clasped behind her back. “What do you want, Acchan?” asked Tatsuya with an irritated raised eyebrow.

“Why don’t we take a walk together?” suggested Arashi with a wink.

“No thank you,” he quickly replied, holding his hand out in a stop gesture.

“Aw, you’re no fun,” said Arashi with a pout. She quickly linked her arm with Tatsuya’s and led him down the street, not leaving him a single moment to respond. As they walked, she reminisced about the neighborhood and their childhood.

Despite not being happy at all about being dragged around by his childhood friend and forced to take part in her whims, Tatsuya somewhat enjoyed participating in this trip down memory lane. He glanced over at Arashi and noticed how her eyes sparkled as she recalled certain places or retold certain stories. It reminded him a bit of how they used to be in their childhood, and it also gave him a much needed distraction from all of the thinking he had been doing. The way Arashi remembered each detail and thoroughly enjoyed recounting the past made Tatsuya feel very nostalgic. He had never seen his childhood friend in a more sincere light than right now. During their childhood, there were moments that Arashi showed another side of her that was more genuine and kind, but even those moment can never hope to match the earnest atmosphere she projected right now.

The duo had arrived at the nearby park. They walked in and stood together while taking in their surroundings. Memories of their childhood playing together at this very park began to dance fondly in their minds.

“Say, Acchan, do you miss how we were back then?” he asked her.

Arashi glanced at him and looked away with a small smile. “I guess you can say that,” she said softly.

“What was that?” asked Tatsuya.

Arashi shook her head and quickly said, “I miss how you were a big baby and needed me to keep a watchful eye on you every little second.”

“Acchan!” yelled Tatsuya in a flustered tone.

“Even right now, you’re just a big baby in a big boy’s body,” she added teasingly. “But it’s okay, Big Sister Acchan is here to make sure you don’t break down and cry.” She then scooted closer to him and said, “If you’re such a big man, why don’t you prove it to me right now?” Before Tatsuya could say anything, Arashi licked her lips and blew into his right ear. The action sent a chill down Tatsuya’s back along with another feeling that made his cheeks turn red and heart beat faster. “Come on, Tatsuya,” urged Arashi in a lustful voice, “show Acchan that you’re a big boy now.” She stuck out her tongue and lightly licked his ear.

This was getting too much for Tatsuya to handle. He took his right hand and tried to push Arashi away, but she quickly grabbed it and leaned forward close to his ear. She blew another breath at his ear and he squirmed in response. “P-P-Please, A-Acchan,” begged Tatsuya in an indecent voice.

The sound of slow handclaps caught their ears and Arashi stopped her teasing. Tatsuya quickly calmed down and regained his composure. “My, my, my,” came a very amused voice accompanied by the slow handclaps, “how brave of you to make love with one of your girlfriends out in public, Dragonborn.” The owner of the voice revealed himself before the couple.

“You,” snarled Tatsuya with a scowl.

Aris bowed and said, “Princess Arina of the Quetzalcoatl Tribe, I am forever humbled to be graced by your presence. May the Quetzalcoatl Tribe forever be prosperous and glorious till the end of all time.” His words carried no sincerity to them at all; his tone can only be summarized as mocking and condescending.

“What are you doing here?” asked Tatsuya suspiciously.

“It’s time for your challenge,” answered Aris, bringing a finger to his lips in an innocent childlike gesture. He clapped his hands in the darkness (it had become night by now) and the sound echoed through the air. One of his subordinates, the Amaru Jao, appeared next to him with another person. The new person was a man in his mid-twenties with messy yellow hair, jaded amber eyes, and stubble around his lips. His skin was a little yellowish in hue. The expression he wore was like that of a prisoner’s—lifeless and hopeless to the end.

“Tatsuya, what’s going on?” asked Arashi in a small anxious tone.

“Who is that?” asked Tatsuya, gesturing to the yellow-haired man. He had completely ignored the Quetzalcoatl princess’ question.

“He will be your challenge,” said Aris. He snapped his fingers and Jao quickly brought out a needle from inside his overcoat. The Amaru grabbed the yellow-haired man’s arm and rested the needle’s tip right on his skin.

“Wait a minute,” interjected Tatsuya. He gulped down a huge lump that was forming in his throat—he knew exactly where this was going. “What are you planning to do?” he asked, hoping to prolong the inevitable as long as he can.

“We’re just going to give him some medicine,” reassured Aris with big smile.

“Dracolax, right?” said Tatsuya.

“My, so you know what it is,” praised Aris with wide eyes.

“It’s the same kind of drug responsible for those rampaging dragons that have wreaked havoc in the human realm not so long ago,” recounted Tatsuya.

“Correct!” announced Aris, applauding Tatsuya for his knowledge of the substance. “However, this version of Dracolax is not like the ones we used before,” he told the Dragonborn. “It is a refined formula. This here is Dracolax X. Our experts have found a way to maximize its benefits and minimize its side-effects. For example, a dragon injected with Dracolax X will see a surge in strength and power, but unlike that of common Dracolax, they will regain control of their mental faculties and will not be subject to pure barbaric intuition. Basically, they will not become uncontrollable monsters but in control super-soldiers.”

“Just because you’ve refined some drug doesn’t mean make it any more good than what it was before,” said Tatsuya.

“How about you see it with your own eyes?” offered Aris, tilting his head slightly with a creepy smile. He gestured for Jao to start injecting the drug into the yellow-haired man.

“Wait a minute!” interrupted Tatsuya again. “Before we start this challenge, I have a question to ask.”

“Yes?” asked Aris.

“Were you the one that hired that dragon slayer to kill me?” asked Tatsuya.

“I don’t know what you mean,” answered Aris with a sincere confused expression. He then smiled and childishly said, “However, if you win the challenge, I might just tell you who it was.”

Tatsuya gulped and said, “What’s the challenge?”

Arashi grabbed Tatsuya’s arm and shook it. “Don’t do this, Tatsuya,” she told him. She was serious about this and hoped to get the message across to her childhood friend. However, it appears that the latter was intent on doing this. Tatsuya also had a serious expression on his face and didn’t budge at all at her suggestion.

Aris snapped his fingers and Jao injected the drug into the veins of their victim. “If you can slay this scourge while he is wreaking havoc, I will admit defeat and leave the human realm. However, if you instead lose to the scourge and die, well, that’s that.”

“And if I defeat it but refuse to slay it?” asked Tatsuya.

“That’s the same as you losing,” said Aris. “However, if such a situation occurs…,” he smiled dementedly and said, “we’ll discuss it then.”

The yellow-haired man, after being injected with Dracolax X, let out a loud scream as his body shook and his veins glowed a very evil blue color. Suddenly, the man went limp and fell to his knees like a lifeless doll. Jao bent down and whispered something in the man’s ear. The man immediately looked up at Tatsuya. His body then began to change, transforming into his dragon form. Yellow reptilian scales covered his face as it became elongated. His eyes turned into bright electric yellow jewels with red vertical pupils. His body enlarged itself until he completely transformed into a large, yellow dragon. Skinny and sharp grey spikes ran down his body like lightning rods and a pair of giant neon yellow pterosaur-like wings sprouted from his back. He opened his mouth and revealed rows and rows of sharp, serrated teeth. Tatsuya could tell by experience that this man was a Druk.

“One more piece of information for you, Dragonborn,” offered Aris. “Although Dracolax X allows for one’s mental functions to work properly, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the ones infected are the ones in control. After being injected, they only need a simple instruction whispered to them to have them completely under the control of another person. I believe this is called subliminal messaging.”

The Druk roared and immediately charged forward. Arashi formed a large circle with both her hands near her chest; rapid winds gathered in the circle and created a giant horizontal cyclone. The cyclone struck the Druk right in the chest and forced it down on one knee.

“I’m sorry, princess, but we can’t have you meddling in this challenge meant for the Dragonborn,” said Aris. He snapped his fingers and Arashi suddenly found herself falling to the ground, her feet becoming numb.

Tatsuya quickly ran to her side and held her. “What did you just do?” he asked the Yellow Terror angrily.

“I just messed around with a little luck,” said Aris with a big childlike smile. “Now, Dragonborn, what are you going to do now? If you die right now, then who will protect your precious princess?” he added mischievously.

“Like hell I’m going to take part in your stupid challenge,” replied Tatsuya aggressively. He picked Arashi up in his arms and started to walk away.

“Ah, ah, ah,” groaned Aris, his expression quickly turning sour and evil. “This isn’t fun at all,” he said in a low terrifying voice. He turned to the Druk and said, “Kill them.” The Druk, well aware of the words instructed to him because of his still-functioning mental processes as a result of the newly refined drug, roared into the sky and formed a large ball of lightning in its mouth. He shot it straight for the Dragonborn.

The ball of lightning struck the ground behind Tatsuya, just a feet away from him, and sent him flying forward in a massive explosion. Tatsuya landed on his stomach with his arms outstretched; Arashi landed a few inches in front of him on her side. ‘Crap,’ he thought painfully to himself. He slowly picked himself back up and quickly tended to his childhood friend.

“Tatsuya,” groaned Arashi.

Tatsuya glanced back and noticed that the Druk was already in the process of forming another ball of lightning. With no time to waste, he picked up Arashi in his arms and ran away while disregarding the pain in his legs from his previous fall. He narrowly escaped the ball of lightning’s blast radius and continued on running.

Arashi opened her eyes and realized that she was being carried away. Her legs were still numb and had no feeling to them. She glanced up to see whose arms she was in and saw Tatsuya’s face. He wore a serious expression and held her tightly in his arms. “W-What happened?” she asked him.

Upon hearing her voice, Tatsuya smiled and said, “It’s good to hear that you’re okay.”

Arashi’s face suddenly turned a pinkish color. She didn’t know why those words made her feel this way, but the sincerity in his voice and the authentic care present in each word stirred up a small bashfulness in her. Moreover, being carried by her childhood friend raised her embarrassment levels greatly. “You can set me down now,” she told him with flustered cheeks.

“But you won’t be able to walk,” reasoned Tatsuya. “It’s alright,” he reassured her, “I don’t mind this at all.”

His words made her blush a little more brightly. She glanced behind Tatsuya’s back and saw a giant Druk chasing after them. That’s when the memory of everything that had happened prior to this returned to her. “Tatsuya, you need to take care of that scourge,” she told him.

“I can’t leave you alone,” he told her. “You already can’t walk. Who knows what will happen if I leave you just so I can knock out that dragon?”

“If that scourge is left to its own devices, it will destroy the nearby neighborhoods,” said Arashi.

Tatsuya knew that what the air dragon princess was saying was the truth. He quickly scanned his surroundings and took a turn into the city. The Druk followed him and stomped its way down the city streets. Tatsuya spotted a nearby fire escape and came to the conclusion that higher ground would help him fight on a more equal footing against the dragon. Additionally, the open rooftop would give him the perfect place to set Arashi down and protect her on all sides. He immediately ran for the steps and quickly ascended the fire escape. Even with Arashi in his arms, he pushed himself forward so that he can protect her.

“Tatsuya, what are you doing?” asked Arashi.

“We got to get to higher ground,” he told her. “This way, you can be safe from the dragon and I can protect you more easily from all sides. Higher ground also means that the dragon will only need to focus it’s attacks on me, therefore we can avoid it hurting the public and destroying the city.”

His words were reasonable. Arashi simply nodded and let herself be carried off by her childhood friend. She glanced up at him one more time and upon seeing his determined and manly expression, she felt her heart flutter a bit. All this time she had only been seeing him as the little baby brother who was too naïve to protect himself, which made it easy for her to tease him. But now, she was beginning to see him a new light. Ever since coming back, she started to see him change little by little, but he was nevertheless the same easy to tease little brother to her. She had never seen him as a grown up man until now. The way he was determined to protect her and coming up with strategic plans to battle his enemies and the sincerity behind his words to show his genuine care for her forced her to realize that Tatsuya had truly grown up. He was no longer the naïve, defenseless little brother anymore. She admits that there were moments in their childhood where she had witnessed Tatsuya standing up for himself, but those moments pale in comparison to this current moment right now.

Tatsuya had reached the rooftop and carefully set Arashi down on the floor. He then stood guard in front of her and brought out his sword. The Druk had appeared and spotted Tatsuya on the rooftop. He opened its mouth and released another giant ball of lightning at the Dragonborn. Tatsuya raised his sword and sliced the projectile in half, neutralizing the ball of lightning before it could make impact with the rooftop. He then ran up and jumped into the air with his sword raised above his head. The dragon raised his left hand and shot an electrical beam out of his first finger. The beam struck Tatsuya squarely in the chest and sent him crashing back down onto the rooftop. The Druk opened its mouth and unleashed a thundering sound that shook the air, but it was clearly not a roar—the dragon was laughing. Tatsuya realized what it was and grew a little more apprehensive about fighting his opponent. The way this dragon fought was very different from the previous dragons he had fought in the past. The Druk didn’t rely on its brutal strength and power to indiscriminately lay waste to its surroundings. Instead, it actually fought very smartly by shooting a small bolt of lightning to stop Tatsuya’s aerial assault. And that laugh—no dragon would be aware enough to laugh at what it perceives to be a weak enemy, at least based on Tatsuya’s own experience.

‘So this is what he meant by allowing the subject’s mental faculties to function properly,’ realized Tatsuya.

The Druk opened his mouth and prepared for another attack. However, instead of forming a ball of lightning, the dragon created a barrage of lightning spears. He released them all at once and the lightning spears rained down on the rooftop like giant missiles of pure energy. The barrage hit everywhere around the Dragonborn, filling the rooftop with cracks and charred bits.

The loud rumblings as the rooftop took damage shook the building and forced Tatsuya to fall on his knees. Tatsuya glanced up and saw a lightning spear heading straight for Arashi. He quickly got up and ran to his childhood friend, standing over her to block the attack with his back. The lightning spear struck him square in the back and elicited a terrifyingly painful scream from him.

Arashi couldn’t do anything but watch as Tatsuya protected her from danger at the expense of his own safety. His scream shook her to the core and the look of pain on his face almost made her want to cry. “Tatsuya,” she squeaked.

Tatsuya attempted a smile and said, “I’m alright.” The back of his shirt was burned to a crisp and a large black spot had formed right in the center of his back where he was struck. Smoke rose out of the spot and his entire body was burning from the extreme heat from the attack. Drops of blood formed in the corner of his lips.

Seeing her childhood friend in such a state greatly troubled Arashi. She couldn’t bear to see him in so much pain, especially for her. The way Tatsuya had protected her from harm at the expense of his own safety and health; the way his words showed that he genuinely cared for her wellbeing; the way he carried her in his arms despite having suffered bodily pain from an attack…. All of this compassion and kindness gave rise to a hidden feeling inside her heart. It finally made her realize that Tatsuya was not the same defenseless naïve little brother anymore; he didn’t need her protection and he’s more than capable of looking out for himself. He is a man with a righteous heart who cares for those closest to him. That’s right—Tatsuya is a man now. And that’s when another realization hit her—she was the one who refused to acknowledge his growth because of her selfish desire for the past. She had wanted him to stay the same Tatsuya as before: the little brother who needed her to help watch out for him as a big sister figure. But she now knows that that is nothing more than just a foregone memory. She needs to accept him for who he is now. As she gazed at him and finally took notice of his growth as a man, the feelings in her heart grew and she slowly realized what it was.

“You’re going to be okay,” Tatsuya told her with a small smile. “I’m here to protect you, Acchan.”

“Tatsuya,” breathed Arashi with reddening cheeks.

The Druk reared its head and prepared to shoot another ball of lightning to end the Dragonborn once and for all. If Tatsuya cannot do anything right this instant, then this will the end for him. The hand that gripped his sword loosened a bit, letting the tip of the sword to touch the ground and his hand barely holding onto the top of the sword’s hilt. He was breathing heavily and his heart was beating faster than a bullet train.

Arashi, influenced by the feelings of her heart that was now enveloping her mind, grabbed Tatsuya by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into her. Their lips touched. This came as a complete surprise to Tatsuya. Arashi finished the kiss and lightly pushed him back.

Suddenly, the Mark of Marduk appeared and glowed brightly on Tatsuya’s right hand. A familiar energy filled his entire body. His body suddenly began to grow calmer, freer, and lighter. His skin slowly turned a very greenish-silver color and his hair turned silver like rays of moonlight. His eyes turned into silver cumulus clouds with green slit pupils. Around his forehead, green-silver scales appeared. A pair of silvery-white feathery angelic wings sprouted from his back and stretched longer than the wingspan of a condor. Green and silver feathers grew around his neck and down his chest. The nails on his hands became eagle-like talons. His nose and mouth came together and protruded out to form dark silver bird-like beak. A plume of chromatic feathers raised from his head like a majestic crown. Lastly, a large feathery tail like that of a mix between a kitsune and a peacock sprouted from his backside. The transformation was complete.

Tatsuya took a step back to admire his new transformation. His eyes were especially drawn to the pair of silvery-white feathery angelic wings attached to his back. He wondered how they worked and imagined them flapping behind him; as if in response to his thoughts, the wings flapped behind him. It was clear from this demonstration that they responded to his will just like any other part of his body.

He glanced behind him and noticed that the Druk was getting ready to release it’s ball of lightning straight at him. The projectile shot out of the dragon’s mouth like a cannonball. As it traveled through the air, Tatsuya quickly turned around and held out his free hand. A giant cyclone of wind suddenly formed and neutralized the projectile. The dragon snarled in contempt upon seeing it’s attack negated.

With his new wings, Tatsuya flew up into the air. He reached high into the atmosphere and hovered right under the bright full moon. The Druk turned its attention to the sky and scrunched up its face in a scaly scowl. Tatsuya opened his mouth and took in a huge breath. He then unleashed a giant concentrated windstorm and blasted the Druk right in the face. The stream of strong winds knocked the dragon backwards. With his enemy now caught in a daze, Tatsuya tightly gripped his sword and quickly descended towards the Druk. He brought his sword forward and slashed the Druk’s front legs, forcing the dragon to fall on its bleeding knees. The dragon’s head fell down and almost touched the ground when Tatsuya took this chance to knock his enemy out once and for all and, using his left fist, unleashed Technique 12: Rising Dragon Strike—a powerful vertical punch aimed at under the enemy’s chin to elicit a quick knockout. The impact sent the Druk’s head back into the air and completely knocked it out of commission.

Tatsuya changed back into his normal self. He was about to put away his sword when Aris appeared before him. Aris saw the sword in Tatsuya’s hand and reflexively took a step back. Realizing what he had just did, Aris cleared his throat and said, “Well, Dragonborn, you’ve definitely defeated your challenger.” He wore a very smug yet charming smile, however it was obvious that he was having a little trouble keeping it together. It was the influence of the sword in Tatsuya’s hand.

“I succeeded in completing your challenge,” Tatsuya told him. “I won.”

“Not yet,” interjected Aris with a wag of his finger. “To truly win this challenge, you must slay the dragon.”

Tatsuya had enough of the Yellow Terror’s games. “As if I’m going to play your game and slay an innocent man,” said Tatsuya in a spiteful tone.

“What if I told you that the person you defeated wasn’t really that innocent of a man?” said Aris with a tilt of his head.

“What are you talking about?” asked Tatsuya with a raised eyebrow.

“This Druk is actually a criminal from the dragon realm,” explained Aris. “He is currently on death row for murdering a group of farmers and stealing their resources. A very despicable man indeed. Are you saying that such a despicable man deserves to live?”

“Can it!” shouted Tatsuya angrily. “I’m not slaying this dragon and that’s that!” he declared adamantly.

“Then how will you become the Dragonborn, then?” asked Aris.

“What do you mean?” asked Tatsuya suspiciously.

“The Dragonborn is a hero that is destined to unite humans and dragons,” informed Aris. “However, how can such a hero exist if he cannot bring himself to slay evil for the greater good? What good is a hero without the courage to do what is right even if it may seem wrong? Can you slay evil dragons and kill evil humans for the greater good? A hero without the right sense of morality and justice is not fit to be a hero at all.”

Those words infested Tatsuya’s ears and buried themselves deep inside his brain. Somehow they seemed to make sense. The reason and logic behind Aris’ words were undeniable. Tatsuya thought through this and realized that he couldn’t fight back. If he really can’t bring himself to enforce justice fairly on everyone, then how can he hope to be a moral hero? This means to fairly judge others and punish evildoers for their malice, which would also include killing them if the need calls for it. It was all for the better of mankind, right? And if Tatsuya cannot bring himself to do this, then how can he play the role of hero? This then brings to mind another question: Is he even qualified to be the Dragonborn, a messiah destined to help bridge two warring races and preserve universal peace and justice, if he can’t even do this simple job? But is this job even that simple anyway? Heroes must have the courage and strength to enact justice and defeat evil in anyway they can. But if Tatsuya does not have the resolve to defeat evil ‘anyway he can’, then can he truly call himself a hero?

“Owatatsumi Tatsuya,” called Aris, “why don’t you stop playing the role of hero now? It’s clear that you’re not made for this. You are a person who believes in the equal rights of all living beings, a pacifist! And that is not a bad thing, Owatatsumi Tatsuya. However, being a pacifist is not the same as being a hero. It’s time to quit playing the Dragonborn and come to face reality. You are a normal human being who was suddenly thrust into our world just because of what? A prophecy? Are you really going to let fate drive your life? If you know what’s better for you, then you’ll stop while you’re ahead and go back to living a normal human life. That’s what you really want, right? To hell with fate! You now have a chance to return to a normal human lifestyle! I suggest you take it.” He then turned around and snapped his finger. “I fixed the princess’ legs for you. And don’t worry about clean up. My guys are on it.” Aris snapped his fingers again and his subordinate, Jao, appeared.

Jao raised a dagger in his hand and brought it down on the unconscious Druk. The dragon let out one last roar into the sky and then fell silent. Jao then laid a hand on the dragon and the two of them began to sink deep into the ground, into their own shadows. They were gone in a blink of an eye.

“Goodbye, Owatatsumi Tatsuya,” said Aris with a wave of his hand. He left the scene and disappeared into the night.

Tatsuya fell down to his knees. Everything that Aris had told him was true. All this time, Tatsuya was only playing the role of a hero; but in no way can he truly hope to become a true hero. He does not have the courage, the conviction, nor the righteousness of a hero. He was simply a pacifist who was living a normal human life when he was suddenly thrust into this world of dragons and magic unwillingly. Maybe going back to a normal life is really the best option for him. Besides, a normal life was what he had been striving for anyway before being caught up in this strange world. He should definitely go back to that…right? Is a normal life really what he wants? After everything that had happened and the people he had met along the way, is it really what he wants? Could it be that a normal human lifestyle was what he desired all along?