Drya's POV //
It’s been five hours since the battle began. The occasional tremors shaking the ground were the only signs that the fight was still ongoing. I could see the growing unease among the fire dragon lord’s warriors, especially his servant. Though he tried to maintain a composed expression earlier, likely to appear strong in front of his comrades, that mask had begun to crack. Worry crept across his face, and beads of sweat rolled down his skin, clear signs of mounting agitation.
“You may be different from the rest of your kind,” I thought silently, “but your arrogance is just the same. I only hope your boldness doesn't lead you to your death today.”
I had already shared everything I knew about the green dragon, the same one I once fought myself. That information should have given him some edge in wearing it down. But even in its injured state, that dragon remains a formidable threat. It has lived for over two centuries, by my estimation, and age alone brings both strength and experience.
As the earth dragon I once knew told me: a wounded beast strikes hardest when cornered. I fear that truth may soon reveal itself once again.
When I first heard the rumor of a fire dragon saving people, I didn’t believe it. It sounded far too strange. But as my curiosity about this particur dragon grew and I looked deeper, I found myself momentarily stunned—and in disbelief. This fire dragon was unlike any I had ever known.
Fire dragons are typically born as forces of destruction; that’s simply their nature, their very existence. Yet this one was different, truly one of a kind. I had never heard of a fire dragon using its destructive power to improve the lives of others. Even more surprising was its civility and sense of understanding.
It was this uniqueness that led me to propose an alliance. Not only could such a bond benefit me, but it could also provide valuable support and protection for my people.
As I reflected on everything that had happened since encountering the fire dragon, the mountain—where both dragons cshed—suddenly erupted with violent change. A tornado exploded outward, tearing through trees and reducing boulders to rubble. There was no doubt in my mind: the green dragon had unleashed its hidden technique, the same one it once used to escape when its life was in danger.
“This...!” I gasped unconsciously, recognizing the attack immediately. I had experienced that devastating power before.
“Was he… defeated?” I muttered, though I didn’t say it with certainty. The warriors around me heard my words loud and clear, but none of us spoke further. We all understood, this was not the fire dragon’s doing, but the green dragon’s.
Then, a silhouette appeared in the sky, outlined against the sunlight. Its shimmering green scales left no doubt—it was the green dragon that had emerged, not the red fmes of the fire dragon we hoped for. It had likely used that tornado as a st resort to turn the tide and escape its opponent.
We stood there in stunned silence. The green dragon’s movement was sluggish and unnatural—its speed a far cry from when it fought me before. It was clearly wounded, bearing the damage from its intense battle.
The dragon began to flee, soaring into the skies. We could do nothing from the ground, none of us could pursue it in the air. All we could do was watch.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Out of nowhere, a beam of searing fire shot through the sky and struck the green dragon’s wing, completely obliterating it. The dragon roared in agony, its bance lost as it began a slow, spiraling descent.
“Now, everyone!! Move!! That’s the signal!!” shouted the fire dragon’s servant, realizing the moment had come.
My gaze shifted toward the mountain from where the fiery attack had come. There, standing tall and majestic, was the fire dragon. Its body glowed with heat, smoke curling from its mouth as fmes gathered in its throat. Cuts and blood marked its scaled body, its wings tattered and damaged, likely from enduring the green dragon’s tornado.
“It survived... the green dragon’s most devastating technique?” I whispered, awe-struck by its resilience.
As if sensing my gaze, the fire dragon looked in my direction. In that brief moment, its eyes seemed to speak—telling me that it had done its part. The rest was up to us.
“Thank you,” I whispered, bowing deeply in gratitude, before charging forward with the others to finish what the fire dragon had started.
?
?
?
?
The tornado unleashed by the green dragon was so powerful, I was nearly swept away and torn apart. I managed to hold my ground by digging all four of my limbs into the earth, anchoring myself. Still, the wind tore through me sharp as bdes leaving cuts all over my body. Blood trickled through the air as the gusts sliced into my flesh.
Then, the cave began to colpse. The tornado shattered the ceiling, and the falling debris buried me completely. Ironically, it was this very colpse that saved me, the boulders that covered me shielded me from the worst of the storm. The raging winds slowly began to dissipate as the tornado lost form.
Thinking I had been crushed, the green dragon took the opportunity to flee.
“Hmph, now you see my greatness, insolent brat! Next time you dare stand in my way, I’ll kill you for sure!” it decred, attempting to sound intimidating, but I could see right through it. It was nothing more than a desperate excuse to justify its retreat and preserve what pride it had left.
With those parting words, it took to the sky. Its movements were fluid, as if it became one with the wind—but the speed was nowhere near what it once was. It was clearly weakened.
I began crawling out from beneath the rubble with ease.
“Heh… you think you can just fly away?” I muttered.
Channeling my mana, I began preparing my fme breath. This time, I poured even more energy into it—just like I had done when defeating the ant queen, but stronger. Compared to back then, I had more magic left, and my battle experience had sharpened my control.
My body temperature surged. Fmes gathered in my throat, glowing with searing heat. Once I had concentrated enough energy, I released it my most powerful fme breath directed straight at the fleeing green dragon.
Sensing danger, it tried to dodge, but its battered body was too slow. While it managed to avoid a direct hit to the body, one of its wings wasn’t as lucky, it was incinerated, reduced to ashes. The dragon roared in agony as it began to spiral downward, its ability to fly now gone.
Just then, I felt someone’s gaze. Turning my head, I saw Drya watching me. After a moment, she bowed in acknowledgment and then rushed toward the spot where the green dragon had fallen. With that, I finally felt at ease, they would finish what I started.
I began making my way toward them on foot, my wings too damaged to carry me through the skies.
??
When I arrived, the green dragon was immobilized entangled in vines. Drya and the tree nymphs were suppressing it. But strangely, they hadn’t finished it off yet. They were even keeping their distance.
“What are you doing? End it,” I ordered sternly.
“No, my lord,” Faul, my servant, replied. “You’re the one who fought it. It’s only right that you have the honor of delivering the final blow.”
“Is that so?” I muttered, finding the expnation a bit odd.
“It’s only fair, my lord. You gave everything in that battle. We only waited outside—we didn’t contribute as you did,” Faul continued.
“Kill me!” the green dragon suddenly growled, turning its gaze to me. “I fought with everything I had, and still I lost. Only you have the right to finish me!”
The surrounding warriors flinched at the sound of its voice and the intensity in its eyes.
“I see,” I replied quietly, understanding what it meant.
This was still a dragon, prideful to the end. It had fought with everything it had, and although it used every tactic it could to escape and survive, it had still been beaten. Now, with its strength gone, it sought only one thing: to be sin by the one who bested it.
No grand gestures. No words needed.
So, without hesitation, I granted its final wish, and ended its life with my own hands.
