The Dragon Heart's Limit

Sofia’s voice was soft, almost trembling with anticipation. “This time, I’ll properly hand over my Dragon Heart. So please… just stay still for me♡”

Suddenly she pressed her face close—starting with those moist, plump lips. They were so smooth that my startled reflection shimmered across them. The night-duty room was bright, as if a gentle lamp had been lit. Light was radiating from Sofia’s body. Even now, a soft halo continued to glow around her, the unmistakable aura of a Dawn Dragon. She looked as though she had received divine blessing. It was a sight she sometimes showed even on ordinary days, yet the color of the halo tonight was different. It matched the faint blush rising on her cheeks. I hadn’t realized it could shine this brightly.

“Come now… this way♡” Her lips parted slightly as she beckoned me closer, inviting me to sink into their warmth and softness.

“Miss? W-wait a moment…!”

Before her lips could touch mine, my half-drowsy mind snapped back to full alertness. The brilliant light had woken me. A kiss, all of a sudden…? Of course I was flustered. It wasn’t our first kiss, but this one had come without warning. The entire atmosphere felt different from before.

“Haa? Breeder, please don’t reject me. Even if Derke claimed the first pact, I’m the one who will give you my Dragon Heart first…!”

Words alone could only hold Sofia back for a few seconds. I tried to pull away, but she threw herself forward with the same desperate force as last time, gripping both my shoulders and closing the distance. Against a dragon’s headlong charge, a human body stood no chance.

‘Showing up in the middle of the night in thin pajamas just to give a good-night kiss? And so aggressively, right here ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the bed?’

I had no real reason to refuse, yet the sheer suddenness left me completely off-balance.

“Miss…?! Even so, this is—”

“Breeder…? I think there’s a misunderstanding. This is not an indecent act at all.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

As I instinctively tried to lean back in surprise, Sofia gave a small smile and continued.

“I already told you. This isn’t just a kiss. It’s the perfectly normal, sensible act of delivering my Dragon Heart to my contractor—you.”

She whispered gently, noticing my confusion. She wasn’t forcing me; she was trying to persuade me.

“…Look.”

Sofia kept her eyes locked on mine while her soft lips moved a few times. Then—

“—Huuhaaat…♡”

“M-Miss? What are you—?”

She stuck out her tongue. What startled me wasn’t the tongue itself, but the golden bead resting on its vivid pink surface. It sparkled like a tiny sun, radiating an even brighter golden light than her halo. Up close, it looked exactly like the legendary dragon pearl from old tales, only much smaller.

“This… is my Dragon Heart…?”

With the bead balanced on her tongue, Sofia spoke in a sticky, heated voice, her whole body flushed red. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I swallowed hard. The sight was almost too much to keep a clear head. She no longer looked like a dragon holding a pearl—she looked more like a nine-tailed fox offering its inner core.

‘So it really is possible to take out a Dragon Heart and show it like this…’

Then why hadn’t she been able to give it last time?

“Hehe, you look quite surprised.”

“O-of course I am. I never expected to see it with my own eyes.”

“I’m the same.”

“Huh?”

“I spent the whole day in the archives studying how to materialize a Dragon Heart. This is the result.”

Sofia drew the bead back into her mouth and smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

“Anyway, it’s about time…”

With all explanations finished, she pulled me by the shoulders. And finally—

—Chuuup♥

Her soft lips settled gently against mine. There was no room left to refuse, and no reason to. Faced with Sofia like this, the fact that she was a dragon didn’t matter in the slightest. The same person who once cursed the game for being full of reptiles was now willingly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠becoming one himself. Her lips were that soft—pudding-like, springy yet meltingly tender, the kind of sensation that made the word “refusal” impossible to even think.

—Chuu, chuup…!

Of course, simply pressing our lips together wasn’t the end. Sofia’s lips drew me in like a black hole. At the same time, her tongue—more aggressive than anyone else’s—tapped against my lips. It was an act far removed from the image of a saint, which only made it more stimulating. She was desperate to deliver her Dragon Heart.

—Haah…♡

At this point, I had no choice but to respond in kind. I parted my lips and met her tongue. Further resistance was meaningless. She had already insisted this wasn’t an indecent kiss, after all. Even if it had been, I wouldn’t have minded.

—Chuurp, jilgeok…♡

The candy-like Dragon Heart was pushed forward by her tongue, trying to enter my mouth. Its surface felt smooth, almost pearl-like. Yet something was wrong.

‘What…? The Dragon Heart isn’t coming over?’

Sofia showed no intention of simply handing it over. No matter how hard I tried to draw it in, it stayed stubbornly attached to her tongue. She kept our lips sealed, refusing to let go. Was she suddenly afraid now that the moment had come? Or had she wanted to enjoy the kiss a little longer, using the heart as an excuse?

At first I wondered if she was doing it on purpose. I kept working my tongue, trying to receive it, but all that formed between us were sticky silver threads. The Dragon Heart simply wouldn’t move.

‘Is she just playing around with an ordinary bead? Using the Dragon Heart as bait to keep kissing—’

—Chuuuueuu…♥

While those thoughts ran through my head, Sofia’s tongue suddenly withdrew. She pulled back slightly, creating a small distance between us.

“Haaah…♡ Why are you doing that, Breeder?”

“…What?”

“Why won’t you accept my heart? You’re only mixing our tongues… Don’t tell me you wanted to kiss me more than you wanted the Dragon Heart?”

“……?”

What was she saying all of a sudden? That was exactly what I wanted to ask her. Who was the one keeping the heart clenched between her teeth? She had placed it on her tongue and teased me with it, making me chase after it.

“Miss…? Then please stay still for a moment.”

“Yes?”

A spark of competitive spirit flared inside me. I wasn’t about to let her toy with me like this. She had been teasing me with that gentle tone—there was no way I could keep playing along. Even if she was a dragon, I had to show her that this kind of mischief wouldn’t work. And even if this whole situation was exactly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what she had planned.

—Grab!

“…Haat? Breeder?”

This time I moved first. I cupped her chin, holding her firmly in place so she couldn’t keep playing around. After all this time with our lips pressed together, I couldn’t hold back any longer either.

“Stay still. I’ll properly take your Dragon Heart from you.”

“—Huuueut…?!”

The roles reversed. Another deep kiss followed. I intended to make her pay the price for provoking me.

—Jilgeok♡

I dove straight between her warm lips, aiming to snatch the Dragon Heart in one go. My tongue charged forward like a battering ram. The pact had already been properly formed; I didn’t strictly need the heart itself. Still, if I could obtain the crystallized power of a dragon, I wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on the young ladies anymore. There was no downside to accepting a Dragon Heart. In fact, with unknown dangers still ahead, it was power I would definitely need.

—Chuurp……♡

The kiss was already sweet and sticky from before, so I poured all my strength into drawing the bead off her tongue. And finally—

—Roll…

Just as the Dragon Heart was about to leave Sofia’s lips and roll into mine—

—Ding!