Dragon Priestess (1)

"Mm...?"

Choi Yu-na felt a comfortable bed for the first time in ages. Back in the survivor camp, zombie hordes attacked without regard for day or night, robbing her of any real sleep. On top of that, to treat the endless stream of wounded, Yu-na herself had minimized her own meals and rest, devoting herself entirely to healing. The constant influx of patients left her in a state of severe overwork, forcing her to push through in a perpetual haze of exhaustion.

If she hadn't been an Awakener with access to a status window, she might have died from sheer burnout long ago—but today was different.

"...Feels refreshing."

Thanks to sleeping as much as she wanted and getting proper rest, her foggy mind finally cleared. As Yu-na sat up, she sensed something off about her body.

"Huh? My hair?"

Her hair had been turning stark white from extreme stress. But now? The long strands gleamed with a beautiful platinum sheen, not bleached white at all.

"Mirror. Right, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mirror..."

Sensing the anomaly, Yu-na pulled the mirror from her backpack and checked her reflection. In the glass stared a stunning girl with platinum hair and striking blue eyes, flashing an awkward smile. The face was unmistakably Yu-na's, but the changed hair and eye color altered her impression entirely.

"What happened?"

Why had her hair and eyes suddenly transformed? Flustered by the abrupt change, Yu-na puzzled over the cause—until she remembered contracting with the dragon here.

"The dragon!? A real dragon!?"

The realization snapped her alert. She bolted upright. Come to think of it, after meeting the dragon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and declaring the contract, she'd hit her limit and passed out. Had it all been a dream? Anxiety surging, she scanned her surroundings. The majestic dragon statue from her memory stood proudly adorned nearby, confirming it was no illusion.

"You've finally awakened."

"Ah, you're..."

"Thy contractor. I am Bahamut."

The deep, dignified voice of the dragon made Yu-na flinch instinctively, but she sensed only goodwill from it. Shaking off her lingering fear, she managed to converse. After all, she'd chosen to contract with it herself. She still didn't grasp what the contract meant, but at the time, she'd begged Bahamut for its power to reclaim a normal life and sworn the oath.

"The contract!?"

Bahamut, visible beyond the transparent barrier, smiled faintly at her outburst.

"Thou knowest it well enough."

"I do?"

What did it mean, she knew? Then it hit her.

"S-status window!"

The status window that quantified her condition—a feature she hadn't checked properly since leaving the camp.

"Whoa..."

The stats were overwhelming. Just from the contract, her level had jumped six whole levels. Every stat rose by 10—except mana, which skyrocketed by 100. She'd only had Holy Magic before, but now she surpassed a full-fledged mage Awakener, even gaining a skill to summon her contractor, Bahamut. Her empty job and trait slots filled with titles tied to the dragon beyond the wall. Only then did the reality sink in: she'd truly contracted with it—with Bahamut.

"Ah... ahahaha..."

She was strong now. That alone filled her with joy. The powerless healer could finally fight. But...

"What do I do now?"

Even with power, she wasn't the type to take charge. In the camp, she'd followed others' lead, her rare rebellions timid at best. What made her think strength would change that? She had no clue how to wield this power.

"Thou told me thou wouldst normalize the world. And reclaim a life worth living."

Bahamut, oblivious to her turmoil, calmly recited her own words.

"Normalize...? Ahaha, that was just idle talk from someone like me. How could a nobody like me fix the world?"

Despair laced her voice. It bordered on depression, or apathy. The camp had offered faint hope of government rescue amid the pain, keeping her going. But...

"Even our country—our army, our hope—went silent."

They'd held out, yet no aid came. A mutant zombie assault shattered the camp, scattering survivors to become zombie fodder or worse. Knowing that end, Yu-na clutched her arms, trembling in terror.

"What fate befell the outside world? Why speak so pessimistically?"

Bahamut asked gently, as if consoling her terror. Yu-na nearly wept at the kindness but fought for composure, relating the outer horrors in a choked voice.

"Two months ago, zombies appeared in the city. People turned, and biting spread it."

"The so-called zombie apocalypse?"

"Yes. Everyone became zombies, hunting us with murderous intent. My dad got eaten by my mom after she turned, then turned himself. Awakeners gave us a fighting chance, but..."

Nothing struck her as odd in Bahamut's response. A cooler head might've flagged the subculture lingo, but exhaustion and despair clouded her judgment. Trusting blindly, she poured out her woes.

"I joined a survivor camp to live, but infighting destroyed it. Only the strong survived. The weak just died."

She wasn't pathetic, though. In that hell, she'd fought unfair odds, healing countless to prove her worth. But as time dragged, no government or army came. Factions split Awakeners from normals; mutants brought catastrophe. Collapse.

"We tried so hard to survive. No reward came."

Effort crushed by stacked misfortunes bred her apathy and gloom.

"And here I am, babbling about normalizing the world. Pathetic, right?"

No one could blame her weakness. Misfortunes piled until pessimism won. The real fool? The idiot dragon exploiting her vulnerability.

'Zombie apocalypse? What the hell is this?'

The fool dragon panicked internally at her words.

'Heard the apocalypse hit two months ago. So I've done jack shit all this time?'

Realizing his grand efforts were wasted snapped him. Poor, pitiful dragon!

'N-no, it wasn't wasted! Got a contractor, see?'

Forced mental victory aside, his psyche frayed. But he grasped the situation right: purge zombies, rebuild cities.

Luckily for Yu-na, the fool took it seriously.

"So all national order crumbled in an instant?"

"Yes. Every norm shattered."

"Then what's absurd about vowing to restore that order? To rebuild what's broken. Surely many share thy sentiment."

He affirmed her words, rejecting no dream of renewal.

'Kid endured insane stress young.'

He even pieced together her whitened hair: Marie Antoinette syndrome from apocalyptic trauma wrecking her body.

"But...! Isn't it arrogant for a weakling like me to claim that!?"

Self-esteem shattered by despair, she wailed at the world. How could a powerless soul demand order's return? But Bahamut stood firm, voice brimming with trust.

"Arrogant? Nay. Anyone can voice a desire, good or ill. Pursuing it with iron will? That's no sin."

"No sin...?"

His earnest validation—no dependency, no false hope—struck her core. She'd lost everything; this rebuilt her.

'I'm... not wrong. This isn't wrong...!'

Her apathetic heart stirred, regaining vigor. Affirmed, she found hope to live.

"Aye. Restore order, erect laws, reclaim peace. What's wrong with that? Countless souls yearn for normalcy, just like thee."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Ah... aaa..."

Bahamut expounded: her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ideals weren't wrong; multitudes shared them.

'I'm not wrong!'

The hope she'd clung to? Valid. The validation she craved most.

"Man must pursue happiness. 'Tis thy duty, young one."

"Happiness...?"

To Yu-na, his words were salvation. She felt redeemed by Bahamut.

"In this mess?"

"If all lies in ruins, we rise anew from the ashes."

He showed the path: rebuild from rubble.

"I lack that strength."

"True, the weak's voice echoes hollow. Cultivate power none can ignore. The mighty reshape rules, topple foes who shattered thy daily life. From ruined cities, new ones rise—that's thy new world."

Powerlessness caused the fall. Zombies stole normalcy; monsters threatened her chastity, hunted her. But now, talking to Bahamut, was she still powerless?

'I have power. A god who believes in me.'

No. She was different now. Empowered.

"You're right! No—it's truth! The world's reality!"

Bahamut—no, the Dragon God—urged: gain strength, crush vile enemies, build desired cities. Her new world, shared with her god!

"Yes! New cities from ruins—that's my new world!"

Hope bloomed; she etched god into her soul. Unyielding, she'd advance.

"I, Choi Yu-na, for my world—shall rise as you command, my god!"

For her desired world.

"Er... yeah... Did I overdo the pep talk?"

Her god watched her fervor with concern, but faith-blinded eyes saw only benevolence. He'd affirm this too.

'Should be fine...?'

Thy chosen contractor. Tough it out, you fool.