Worthy Opponents

Tatsuya and Shen had dealt many blows to each other but neither side was willing to surrender. They both now took a short respite from the action and stood a good distance from each other. Tatsuya was breathing hard and he could feel pain in his chest and in his left arm. He was aching really bad and his legs were about to give if he’d lost focus for even a second. The corner of his right lip was torn but had clotted by now and had formed a nasty bruise.

Shen was also suffering major damage from the battle. His breathing was no better than Tatsuya’s and his right eye was swollen. He suffered two bruises to his temples and his arms felt limp beside his body.

Both combatants were sweating profusely. They closed their eyes and steadied their breathing. They calmed their minds and prepared for the next assault. However, since they both were familiar with the same style of combat, they knew that victory for either side was futile without dealing any major damage dealt to their opponent. But their prides wouldn’t let them surrender and they quickly opened their eyes and restarted their battle.

Shen rushed forward with his body poised to unleash Technique 32: Spinning Dragon Tail-Whip. Tatsuya also dashed forward and was ready to execute Technique 75: Dragon Subduing Palm. They clashed and a cloud of dust once again spread throughout the arena. Within this smokescreen, they both continued to exchange blows and were equally matched. Outside, the audience couldn’t see what was going on and their curiosity was reaching its peak. Only the three Celestial Dragon in the top row could peer into this mist and still keep up with the battle in play.

Tatsuya suffered a painful strike to his left pectoral, a seething jab to his right side, a hard hit to the back of his head, and two concussive blows to his thighs. Shen received a bleeding nose, a terrible kick to his lower abdomen, a vicious strike to his left knee, and an awful pound to his spine. Still, neither side would cry uncle.

“These attacks are inhuman!” appraised Shori. “A human fighting them would’ve already died three strikes in with attacks like these.”

“Good thing they’re not human,” said Yong.

Shen and Tatsuya exchanged a few more blows. Tatsuya was getting really annoyed at this standstill and changed tactics. He got into position and executed Technique 100: Wrath of the Dragon God. Coincidentally, Shen also came up with the same idea and began to execute the same technique. Both of their attacks clashed and created a thunderous sonic boom that forced everyone in the arena to close their eyes and cover their ears. Once again, they reached a standstill.

‘This is getting nowhere,’ cursed Shen. ‘Looks like I have to do this.’ He closed his eyes and channeled his anger. He then focused it and let the energy travel through his body. What happened next threw Tatsuya for a loop. Shen had now transformed into a half-dragon hybrid.

Tatsuya couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was familiar with the transformations and had expected the Dragonborns to be capable of them after learning of their identities, but to be able to transform through sheer will alone is something he couldn’t understand. For him, it always happened after he kissed one the princesses. He had never once tried to see if he could transform at will. He was so used to transforming right after those moments that he took it granted and assumed that ‘kissing’ was the only way to activate it. Everything that he thought he knew about being the Dragonborn were now crumbling before his very eyes.

Shen was now a Draco-hybrid. He held out his hands and summoned two large fireballs. He threw them like dodgeballs at Tatsuya. The projectiles shot through the air with magnificent speed and Tatsuya would’ve been shot down right then and there if he hadn’t jumped out of the way at the last second. He was still shocked by this development and it was beginning to wear down on his pride and determination.

‘How?’ was the only thing echoing in Tatsuya’s mind as he tried to fight against his powered-up opponent.

“Is that what I think it is?” asked Manami out loud in utter surprise.

“Ao Longshen transformed into a Draco,” said Daiki in equal disbelief.

“How is that possible? I don’t remember Tatsu-chin ever transforming willingly. It always happened after he kissed one the princesses,” said Manami. Daiki simply agreed with a grunt. “So how can Ao Longshen transform without the same trigger? Unless, his trigger is something else?” wondered Manami. He furiously scratched his head and groaned, “I don’t get it!”

“Darling is at a disadvantage,” muttered Aika worriedly. She watched with almost teary eyes at Tatsuya’s desperate attempts to avoid Shen’s relentless fire attacks. She wished that she was there to help her Darling activate his transformation and regain his advantage.

Tatsuya was struggling against Shen’s offense. He had managed to dodge the various projectiles and beams and other fire attacks coming at him, but he was forever blocked from procuring a chance to launch a counter attack. The distance between him and Shen was too great and the latter’s nonstop attacks have made it even more impossible for Tatsuya to close in. He was trapped in a corner and could only focus on defending himself from deadly immolation.

A few times, Tatsuya tried to use his Technique 100: Wrath of the Dragon God defensively against Shen’s blasts and beams. It worked as a good barrier and protected him from a few close calls, but the energy required to execute such a powerful move was beginning to drain him of a lot of stamina. His moves were now a little slower and sluggish than before, but the experience he cultivated from many battles before allowed him to still be alert and move agilely than the normal human.

Shen was getting really frustrated at Tatsuya’s iron-willed defense, but he was also quite pleased to be fighting a very strong opponent. He could appreciate his opponent’s tenacity and refusal to admit defeat. And his opponent’s skills at dodging his attacks were also very praiseworthy. However, this was a fight that he could not lose. In addition to wanting to gauge Tatsuya’s power, he also wanted to punish him for slighting the name and role of the Dragonborn. ‘A human realm dweller like you could never understand the importance of that role, so don’t go speaking as if you do,’ thought Shen with a grimace. He opened his mouth and let out another beam of fire, but this time, he shot it out faster and made the flames hotter. As a result, the fire quickly changed from a flaming red to a beautiful glowing purple. ‘There’s no way you can escape my flames!’

Tatsuya saw the beam of purple flames coming straight at him and knew that he couldn’t outrun it. It was coming at such a high speed that it didn’t give him much time to plan an escape route. Stuck at what to do, Tatsuya brought his arms up in a desperate attempt to block the fire. He knew that this was an ineffective move, but what more could he do? His legs were sore and he was about all out of stamina. The area around him was open field and filled with useless rubble that he couldn’t even use as cover.

Suddenly, just when the beam of purple flames reached a certain distance away from Tatsuya’s body, his right hand began to glow. The Mark of Marduk appeared on his hand and an invisible magic barrier appeared, protecting Tatsuya from the beam and neutralizing the attack. He had almost forgotten about the mark, but was glad that it activated just when he needed it the most.

From the sidelines, Yong let out a sigh of relief. ‘You really have to stop with the last-minute action-hero cool-guy defenses,’ said the Celestial Dragon, smiling and shaking his head.

“The Mark of Marduk,” said Shori breathlessly in awe.

“So the rumors surrounding the mark is true,” said Alita. Seeing the mark appear and protect Tatsuya in the battle forced the Celestial Dragon of truth to recalculate her prediction. She pushed in her glasses and blushed a light shade of red. “It appears that I hadn’t taken the mark into consideration. Perhaps, the Dragonborn of the human realm may have a chance after all.”

“Even if he does, I doubt that he can recover from this disadvantage,” said Yong with a shrug.

“What are you saying?” asked Shori with a raised eyebrow. “Are you telling me that there’s no hope for you winning our little bet?”

“Uh-uh-uh,” tutted Yong with a finger wag. “I am not surrendering to you. In fact, how about we up the ante? Double or nothing?”

“Double or nothing? Are you insane?” exclaimed Shori.

“If I win, I will take two of your treasures,” said Yong. Shori was about to protest, but Yong quickly changed his mind with the next statement. “If you win, I will get down on my knees and call you ‘My Lord Shori’ for the next five thousand years.” Shori stopped and let those words sink in. A greedy smile swept across his face and he quickly accepted the new conditions. They then turned back to the fight.

Although Tatsuya’s Mark of Marduk was very effective in defending him against this new onslaught of fire attacks, his low stamina and lack of mobility slowed him down to the pace of a slug. He managed to gain some distance, but that was all he could do. His mind was foggy from the pain ringing through his body and he couldn’t form a clear and concise plan in his head. The only thing that kept him moving forward was the drive to win this battle, no matter how little of a chance he now had because of his current condition.

Shen was at first awestruck when the Mark of Marduk appeared on Tatsuya’s right hand. Its power to neutralize all of his attacks was unlike anything he had ever seen before. But he still remained steadfast in his offense and pelted his opponent with relentless attacks from all sides. He flew up and attacked from the air. He moved to the left and to the right and attacked from both sides. He even tried area attacks and long-range attacks, but they were all neutralized by the mark. ‘Impressive,’ was all he could say to the mark’s power. ‘However, that mark won’t protect you for long,’ he declared confidently to himself. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Suddenly, his entire body underwent another metamorphosis. However, this time, he returned back to his normal self. He then rushed forward and jumped up into the air to execute Technique 54: Rolling Dragon Tail Strike.

Since Shen switched from a superpowered projectile attack to a tolerable physical attack, the Mark of Marduk disappeared and left Tatsuya’s defenseless. Remembering what his father had told him about the mark, Tatsuya calmed his mind and threw out all frivolous thoughts from his head. He was still slow and had barely regained a tenth of the stamina he lost, and there was no doubt that he would get struck with this attack without a good defense. And then, just when Shen’s attack reached him, Tatsuya willed the Mark of Marduk to appear and it obeyed his command. An invisible magic barrier protected him from Shen’s assault.

Shen’s was forced back by the impact of his attack connecting with Tatsuya’s barrier. ‘How?’ he asked himself upon regaining his composure. ‘Based on what I observed, he shouldn’t have been able to do that! Has he already learned how to use the mark at will?’ thought Shen in disbelief. “Looks like he’s stronger than he looks,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “But I’m not done with you yet.” Suddenly, his body began to undergo a transformation again. This time, he utilized energy from his pride. Now, Shen was a Python-hybrid.

‘Another transformation!’ exclaimed Tatsuya. However, his lack of stamina had almost consumed his entire body by then and he couldn’t react accordingly to protect himself from what was coming next. He gritted his teeth and pushed his body to endure the fatigue and the stress. ‘If I so much as bat an eye, I’ll lose much more than just my already crappy body.’

Shen roared and raised his outstretched hands into the sky. Tatsuya braced himself for whatever attack was coming next: a beam, a blast, a projectile, a physical attack. However, Shen’s attack wasn’t any of them. Through the power of his transformation, he raised four tall obelisks of earth and brought them together around Tatsuya, surrounding him on all sides. And then he forced the walls to close in tighter and tighter around him in an attempt to suffocate his enemy into defeat.

Tatsuya was caught off guard by this change in attack tactics and found himself now trying to endure the massive pain and stress the walls were putting on his already fatigued body. He had his hands held out on both sides against the left and right walls, one foot behind him to defend against the back wall, and his head pushing back against the wall in front of him. He could feel the pressure increasing from their resistance to his attempts of pushing back. As they continued to close in tighter and tighter around him, he could hear his bones creaking and on the verge of snapping apart. His muscles screamed in agony and blood was already dripping from his head as a result of his continued doubling of the amount of force he needed to expel in order to push the front wall back. The one leg that he was standing on was also on the verge of giving up and was beginning to succumb to the tension.

Shen could see Tatsuya’s resistance through the cracks of his walls. He was impressed at his opponent’s strong determination, but it was all in vain. He closed his palms and forced the walls to close in at double the speed, hoping to put an end to this quickly.

However, Tatsuya refused to go down without a fight. Despite the poundings aches, the painful sores, and the crippling fatigue that plagued his body, he still stood his ground. He was beginning to feel a little lightheaded from the massive loss of blood from his head. ‘I can’t let him win. I’ll prove him wrong,’ was all Tatsuya could say to motivate himself. He repeated this single thought in his mind and steeled his body with its power.

“Hey, hey, hey, this is beginning to get out of hand,” said Percy, shaking his head.

“Shen is dead serious,” commented Micky with a fearful frown.

“What does he think he’s doing?!” exclaimed Manami furiously, turning his head to Shen. “This is getting to out of control! Tatsu-chin’s in trouble!” He then turned his attention to the two Dragonborns a few seats away from them and angrily shouted, “Hey, you two! Your friend's crazy! Don’t you think you should stop him?! What’s gonna happen if Tatsu-chin breaks an arm or a leg? Or even worse, his body?!”

Percy hung his head, well aware that the anger towards them were warranted. But he knew better than anyone that it was impossible to stop Shen while he’s focused on the battle. “I’m sorry,” he apologized grimly.

“If our friend suffers so much as a broken limb or a destroyed organ, you better be prepared because *mph mph mph*—.” Manami’s tirade was quickly put down by Daiki’s arm covering his mouth and pulling him back. Once Daiki let him go, he quickly turned to his friend and angrily said, “What the hell was that for?!”

“Calm down,” Daiki told him. His voice was reassuring and warm as opposed to his usual distant and cool tone. Manami was a little taken aback by this and, while grumbling quietly to himself, turned back to watch the fight.

Tatsuya was sure that his muscles were exploding. Soon, all of the feeling in his limbs were beginning to fade away. His head slumped down a bit from a mixture of blood loss and fatigue. That’s when the Mark of Marduk suddenly appeared and surrounded him in a protective layer. It helped to alleviate some of the stress from his body and did a good job at stopping the walls in their place. He was wheezing heavily, but that didn’t stop him from smiling for the little bit of rest the mark was able to give him.

This moment of respite, which was witnessed by everyone in the arena, also calmed down the hearts of Tatsuya’s friends. ‘Darling!’ cried Aika with happy tears in her eyes. Manami had released a deep and audible exhalation of relief. Next to him, Daiki had his eyes covered by his hands while nodding his head satisfactorily. Kanjomizu, Arashi, Shurai, Sunaji, and Takara let out a chorus of relieved sighs and relaxed their bodies. Mr. Urushihara clenched his hands together approvingly and silently cheered for his student’s survival. Both Percy and Micky were also quite relieved to see Tatsuya hanging on and exchanged relaxed smiles.

However, all good moments have to come to an end. Shen, who was thoroughly impressed by Tatsuya’s resistance, decided to end this battle here and now. “This has truly been a very wonderful fight,” he said deeply. In a show of respect to his opponent, he bowed his head once. And then, he raised his right leg and stomped onto the ground. Using the power of the Python tribe, he shook the earth below and fractured the ground. This concentrated quake traveled in a straight line for Tatsuya and increased in magnitude to crumble the ground around the Dragonborn of the human realm within a ten feet radius.

Tatsuya felt the ground below him give and he fell down on his knees. The speed of the attack took him by surprise and didn’t register as a threat at all by the Mark of Marduk. Now on his knees, the shock that came from the impact of falling down sapped the rest of his energy and his head fell against the front wall. The magical barrier had by now disappeared and he was defenseless. His eyes closed and he was consumed by the darkness that was over-exhaustion.

Shen could no longer sense any resistance from his opponent and brought the walls down. Tatsuya’s unconscious head fell forward onto the ground. ‘I…I won,’ he thought breathlessly to himself. However, his body had taken quite a beating too and he couldn’t process any of this with a clear mind. His body was swaying all around as he gasped hard for air.

Seeing Tatsuya’s lifeless body on the ground triggered a response from everyone in the front row. “Darling/My Love/Tatsuya/Boyfriend/Tatsu-chin/Ta-kun/Tatsuya-kyun!” exclaimed his friends and associates in disbelief. Even in the topmost row, Shori and Alita exchanged worried glances. Yong, however, simply shook his head with a small smile.

Everyone else in the arena were too speechless by the final outcome to cheer and applause. “S-Shen w-w-won,” stuttered Percy with widened eyes. His words reverberated around the coliseum and it immediately shook everyone out of their stupor. Suddenly, the entire arena exploded in raucous applause and cheers.

“Impossible,” muttered Manami in disbelief.

And then, to everyone’s surprise, Shen’s legs gave out and he fell to the ground face-first. His body became just as still and unconscious as Tatsuya’s. All of the energy had been sapped out of him and his body succumbed to the darkness of over-exhaustion like his opponent. Percy and Micky quickly jumped into the battleground and helped their friend. At the same time, Aika and the princesses rushed over to tend to their lover.

The arena quickly became a choir of confused and worried chatters. King Rexus rose up from his seat and jumped into the battleground. He then walked to the center of the battleground and faced the audience. “This battle is a tie!” he announced to the entire arena. “Both combatants have fought each other to exhaustion and both sides cannot continue. Therefore, this battle will end in a tie.”

“Wait a minute!” came Shen. He was being supported by Percy and Micky on either side of him. “We can’t just end this in a tie.”

“But—,” protested the king.

“I agree,” came Tatsuya. Despite the fatigue that was rampant throughout his body, he managed to pull off a small smile. “We’re just a little tired. I’m not one to give up. I did it once or twice before and I hated that feeling.”

“So you’re not surrendering?” asked Shen with a smirk.

“If you’re not backing down, then I’m not either,” declared Tatsuya.

“Darling—,” protested Aika.

King Rexus understood their words and immediately said, “This battle will continue once both combatants have their wounds treated and received a little rest to regain their stamina.”

And so, both Tatsuya and Shen were taken to the infirmary near the coliseum. Their battle was now officially on hold until they both agree to restart their battle. Yong was more than amused by this turn of events and turned to leave. 'Owatatsumi Tatsuya, give me a show worthy of my status, would you?’ he thought amusingly to himself.

Among the nobles in the audience that day partaking in the entertaining battle between two Dragonborns were brothers Ino Nash and Nanami Sasuke. Ino didn’t wear his wolf mask and instead wore a very colorful masquerade mask over his eyes. He was dressed in a flowing silk cloak over a simple yellow two-piece suit. Sasuke also had on a masquerade mask, though his was plain white, and was dressed in a pair of yellow slacks, a yellow button-down shirt, and a vest.

Throughout the entire battle, Ino was very much impressed by Tatsuya’s grit and power. He had already known about the other Dragonborns’ strengths, but he had yet to assess that of the Dragonborn of the human realm. After seeing a bit of that today, he could now see why Aris had lost to him like he did. However, seeing alone is not the same as witnessing the opponent’s full strength. It can only give him a glimpse of the possibilities. In order to gauge his opponent’s full strength and capabilities, he must engage in combat with him himself. ‘The time will come soon,’ he told himself.

On the other hand, Sasuke was on edge the entire time. He was amazed at how stronger his friend had gotten, but he was even more astonished by the power of one of the dragon realm’s Dragonborns. He had heard of the Dragonborn Ao Longshen, the strongest Dragonborn in all of the dragon realm. But to actually see what kind of monster he truly was scared him. He was shocked and awed to see how evenly matched they were. ‘If Tatsu hadn’t gotten this strong after fighting Aris, if he was still the same Tatsu as before, he would’ve surely lost,’ he concluded anxiously. But the most horrifying part of the entire ordeal was Shen’s ability to transform into his dragon-hybrid forms without a trigger. ‘How is that even possible?’ he found himself asking.

“Your friend, the Dragonborn, is really something,” said Ino after the announcement of the battle’s hiatus was made.

“Y-Yeah,” answered Sasuke in a quiet voice.

“Have you fought him before?” asked Ino, turning to his brother.

“No, I haven’t,” answered Sasuke, avoiding his brother’s eyes.

“Shame. I would’ve liked to hear more about our enemy’s capabilities,” said Ino in a half-groan. He looked at Sasuke and could tell that the comment unsettled something in him. He scoffed, still disappointed at his brother’s hesitation to go all in. “You’re gonna have to face him sooner or later,” he told his brother with a sigh.

A week had now passed since Sasuke joined the dreadful group he despised with all of his heart, at the behest of his brother. He was initiated into the organization and given a tour of their headquarters. Every bit of it disgusted him.

He had learned more about the organization’s history and structure, which, in spite of his hatred, was interesting. But once he realized that he was basically infiltrating enemy territory freely and without danger, he decided to use this opportunity to learn more about the enemy as much as possible. In fact, all of this information will prove useful to him. However, if he wants his plan to succeed, he would need to gain their trust…or die trying.

First of all, the initiation process of joining Ouroboros was actually quite simple. An initiate was first required to fill out a contract and sign it with their blood. And then, they received a magical tattoo on the left pectoral. Finally, they were required to pledge their allegiance and submit themselves into a binding spell. The spell ensures the loyalty of the initiate. If the initiate were to disobey the organization, they would suffer a painful poison-like death by the magical tattoo on their chest. If the initiate revealed the organization’s plots to the enemy, they would explode from a breach of contract. And if the initiate was fired or disowned by the organization, the mark would disappear from their body; however, they would die a silent death as their mana would be drained from their body until not a single drop is left.

Secondly, Ouroboros reveres the same gods as everyone in the dragon realm, however, they hold the Ancient Celestial Dragon Ouroboros, Celestial Dragon of change and rebirth, as their patron god. The organization was founded by a group of dragons a century after the war between dragons and humans came to an end. Ashamed with the knowledge that they had lost their former home to humans, beings who were not blessed with power nor magic and who were of the lowest standing in the hierarchy of living beings (as least in their eyes), the group established a cult with the goal of building an army to destroy the humans once the final war arrives. They despised the human race with all of their heart and soul and wanted nothing but the destruction of their kind. They also established the ideology of dragon supremacy, which was only bolstered by the history of their kind being regarded as gods by the humans and having reigned as their superiors, and had held considerable power and influence over the entire dragon realm. However, it wasn’t until a few centuries ago when the war between the Thirteen tribes were settled and new ‘heretical’ and ‘blasphemous’ ideas were being exchanged that they began to lose their significance. Since then, they had acted within the shadows.

Ouroboros is led by a group of five leaders known simply as the Five Emperors: the Red Emperor, the White Emperor, the Black Emperor, the Green Emperor, and the Yellow Emperor. Each of the emperors possess equal power and control over the organization with no emperor more dominant than the other. They are the ultimate authority and slighting them is the same as slighting the entire organization as a whole.

After the emperors, the organization is organized into different departments and a hierarchy based on gemstones is used to determine one’s rank within the organization. The highest rank is Pearl (such as Aris, the Yellow Terror), followed by Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby (such as Eron), and then Garnet (such as Jao and Karella/Sanada Yukari). Everyone else, including new initiates, are not given a rank and is treated as equal to one another. Ranks can only be bestowed by the heads of the organization’s different departments and the emperors.

Sasuke had also learned that the higher one’s rank, the more access they have to the organization’s records and the like. He had determined then that he needed to play his part and rise up in the ranks in order to gain access to the organization’s secrets. And during this past week, he did all he can to carry out the missions doled out to him, such as staging robberies of United Front backed businesses, vandalizing anti-Ouroboros campaigns, and “spreading the gospel” and recruiting new members. In just a few days, these detestable activities slowly became more and more natural for him. However, when his brother had invited him to come watch this battle through information gained from Ouroboros members among the nobility, Sasuke was reminded of his hatred for the organization that he was forced to join after seeing Tatsuya’s face. The hesitation that had plagued his mind from moving forward in the organization ever since the first day was almost gone, but had returned the moment he saw his friend fighting ruthlessly for victory.

Ino heaved a disappointed sigh and said, “We’re leaving.” He then began to walk to the exit. Sasuke returned to his senses and quickly took after his brother. From the corner of his eye, Ino watched as the Dragonborn of the human realm was being carried away. He then subtly glanced back at his brother. ‘Samson, you’re one of us now. If I have to kill your friend for you to go all in, then I won’t hesitate to do so. But what would happen if I tell you to kill him instead? Would you do it?’ The thought amused him and he whistled to himself as he left the arena.

King Rexus was now sitting at a table inside the infirmary next to the arena. On his left was Nobi, and on his right was his wife. Zazo and Alekso sat opposite of him. The king was deeply worried about the injuries both Dragonborns had suffered. They were equally matched and it was apparent that no one else in the dragon realm could ever hope to be their equal. ‘Oh, Tatsuya! Oh, Longshen!’ he bemoaned.

Nobi noticed his father’s despair and placed a hand on his shoulder. With a reassuring smile, he said, “It’s alright, Father. You worry too much. Tatsuya-kyun will be up and energized in just a bit, you’ll see. He lost once to the Yellow Terror, but then he came back stronger and more determined and defeated the dreaded enemy with a single strike of his sword!” Hearing this helped to settle the king’s worries somewhat. “And Ao Longshen is also a formidable person in his own right too! He’ll be up and running and ready to carry out his duties in no time! Remember that time he was took down that rampaging Minotaur? He had suffered a lot of bloody injuries to his limbs and body, but he pulled through and healed up the very next day!”

“Still, they were pretty much on equal footing,” put in Alekso.

“But it became a one-sided battle when Ao Longshen used his transformations,” recounted Zazo. “Tatsuya was able to stand his ground and tire him out, but the Dragonborn of the human realm had no way of fighting back.”

“Why didn’t Tatsuya transform too, then?” asked Alekso. “The battle would become a stalemate again, but at least he would’ve been able to fight off his opponent on equal footing.”

“That’s true,” agreed Zazo with a nod.

Nobi was wondering that too. He didn’t know much about Tatsuya’s abilities and had never had the chance to assess them himself, but transformation is a power that all the Dragonborns possessed. It was a sign that they are the leaders of all of the Thirteen tribes and have control over all of the thirteen elements. But Tatsuya didn’t transform. In fact, he was also surprised to see Shen’s transformation, something that was supposed to be natural for him.

Dex Lector and Duke Cors Khyber appeared before their table and shook the prince out of his thoughts. They bowed to the royal family. “My King,” began Dex, “we know you must be extremely worried about the Dragonborn. Both the baron and I also pray for his speedy recovery.”

“Thank you,” said the king with a small smile.

In spite of the Minister of the Interior’s words, the duke’s facial reaction to the mention of Tatsuya was less than kind. But he remained quiet and let his associate do all of the talking. In order for him to achieve what he wants with his associate’s help, he needed the king on his side. If he said anything less than kind now about the Dragonborn, then their plan will be all for naught.

Dex was talking with a smile on his face about pleasant topics, putting everyone around the table at ease. He really knew how to handle people. His reassurance of the Dragonborns’ certain recovery peppered in between his conversations chipped away at their unease and made them open up more as if they were just having a normal conversation among friends. Once he was sure that he had them in palm of his hand, he subtly changed the topic of the conversation. “My King, if I may,” began the minister, “what is this about the princess marrying the Dragonborn?”

“Ah,” said King Rexus with a hearty chuckle, “my daughter is intent on marrying Tatsuya! She’s been in love with him for a while now.”

“Really?” mused Dex. “Have they met before?” he asked curiously.

“Well—,” began the king.

“What’s with all of the questions, Dex?” asked Alekso. Dex turned to the general with a nervous smile in an attempt to make it all look innocent. However, the general’s next move surprised him, but in a good way. Alekso put on a huge grin and teased, “Could it be that you want the princess’ hand? Is that why you’re asking all of these questions? Could you be jealous of the Dragonborn? Why, you dog you.” The entire table then exploded into hearty laughter.

Dex simply laughed along with the others. Once they calmed down, he said, “Actually, I have a proposal for the king.”

“Yes?” asked King Rexus.

Dex turned to the duke and gestured for him to speak. Duke Khyber understood and cleared his throat. “My King, if I may be so bold, may I ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage to my son?”

Alekso quickly slammed his fist on the table and rose up from his seat. “What are you saying?” asked the general accusingly. “Or more like, what are you planning?”

Nobi silently stood up from his seat and bowed. “I’m sorry, duke, but we must decline. Owatatsumi Tatsuya is my sister’s fiancé after all. They have already sealed their engagement with the sacred act of a kiss.”

“Then that means that they’re marriage is certain,” said Zazo. “It was established by the great goddess Amora that the kiss shall be the universal sign of love. Or do you want to go against the will of the gods?”

“Of course not!” exclaimed Duke Khyber furiously.

“However,” interjected Dex, “it is also possible for an engagement to break.” He put his hands behind his back and smiled satisfying to himself. “Though it is true that the kiss is the sacred symbol of engagement as established by the goddess of love, an engagement can be broken if either one of the engaged breaks it off willingly, or if either one of the engaged is dead.”

“What are you insinuating?” accused Alekso disgustedly.

“Engagements stem from true love, does it not?” asked Dex, ignoring the general’s hostile question. “We all know that the princess is in love with the Dragonborn, but do we know if the Dragonborn is in love with the princess? If the Dragonborn is not, then won’t this prove to be a problem? It would mean that this engagement was not built on true love but a one-sided attraction.”

“Then how about the duke's son?’ came Alekso with a scoff. “The princess only loves the Dragonborn. She will not love anyone else. This trait of unbridled passion is one unique to us Dracos. The duke’s son can only hope to receive her love. But does the duke’s son even love the princess to begin with?”

“He does!” answered the duke. “My King, I know that I am overstepping my bounds, but please consider my son’s feelings for the princess. He has been in love with her for years now! He refuses to love another and only has eyes for her!”

King Rexus didn’t say anything. His eyes were focused on the table the entire time. He didn’t move a single muscle and just listened to the duke’s words.

“My King,” continued the duke desperately, “we are family. Will it not be a great thing for family to come together? They have known each other and are closer than with a stranger that lives a different life from them. And like the minister said, we do not know about the Dragonborn’s feelings for the princess. This will be for the princess’ sake as well as the Dragonborn’s. The princess will not have to suffer a broken heart and the Dragonborn will not have to be forced into a loveless marriage with someone whom he does not love. Moreover, the Dragonborn is a hero and he must live a free life without any distractions in order to fulfill his duty.”

King Rexus held out a hand and the duke stopped talking. Both Duke Khyber and Dex Lector exchanged anxious glances. With a soft sigh, the king finally said, “You’ve given me much to think about, duke. It is true that I have never thought about Tatsuya’s happiness before in regards to my daughter.”

“King—,” protested Alekso.

King Rexus stopped the general with a raised hand. “I will think about your offer,” he told the duke.

A manic grin spread across the duke’s face and he immediately bowed his head. “Thank you, my king. I will tell my son to propose to the princess immediately! I hope you accept him as your son-in-law!” And with that last statement, both duke and minister left the table.