Dragon Luna: My Master, My Mother

The Hero of Light's blade flashed for an instant.

The moment was brief — but more than enough to sever the slender, fragile throat of a girl.

Luna's silver hair caught the sunlight, shining with a terrible beauty.

Thud—

And then her head fell before my eyes.

"M-Master…

Lu…na…

Luna……."

Thwack—

The Saintess's kick sent my master's head tumbling down the mountainside.

"I couldn't possibly leave such filth at Aaron's side."

"Ah… ah……. AAAAHHH!!!!"

"I'll kill you! You fucking bitch! I will kill you no matter what it takes! I'll kill every last one of you!"

The Divine Spear ground his boot into my face and spoke.

"Hahah. Knowing your place is important too, you know."

"No — I won't kill you! I swear it! Even if I die, I'll drag you into a pain that death itself can't end! Even if I die right here, I will…!"

The Divine Spear Hero twirled a finger beside his temple.

"Looks like this one's lost it."

"Haa… even Aaron's eyes of despair are so beautiful…"

Where did it all go wrong? If I could start over from somewhere — anywhere — could I stop this tragedy from happening?

I regret everything.

Everything is my fault.

The Divine Spear's boot pressed down harder.

"Urgh!"

"Hey, better not space out on me. The only reason you're still breathing is that damn contract with the Saintess. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Haha."

Master… Master…

The difference in power was overwhelming. Escaping alive was already off the table. At the very least, I would take someone with me.

I had to think. Find a means of counterattack. Find a way to screw over that bitch and these worthless so-called heroes.

These bastards were strong — no question. But maybe because of that strength, they weren't paying the slightest attention to the weapons or gear a defeated wreck like me still carried. The "comrade" I'd brought along, either. Arrogant pieces of shit.

No need to waste focus on someone of my level, right?

Fleeting moments create openings. The gap in power isn't what matters. Analyze the situation. Choose the best action.

That was Master Luna's teaching.

"Ber!! Bite!!"

Just buy me a second…

"Awoo!!"

A single, razor-thin instant. The eyes of the Divine Spear, the Saintess, the Hero of Light, and the Beastmaster Hero all snapped toward Ber.

My left hand went for the flash orb in my back pocket. My right drew the dagger from my thigh.

The opening Ber had made for me.

A flash orb — efficient for dungeon runs, but barely effective against truly strong monsters. Still, your eyes are only human, aren't they?

I couldn't wait for the orb to trigger on its own. I poured mana into my left hand and struck the detonator.

A searing burst of light exploded outward. The instant the Divine Spear's foot went slack —

I severed the Achilles tendon of the bastard standing on me.

"GAAAAAHHH!!!"

The Divine Spear screamed and crumpled.

"Not used to pain, are you?"

Just as I thought. These fools weren't seasoned in suffering — or in real combat. Now, put as much distance as possible between myself and these—

"You think I'd let you go?!!!"

The Hero of Light closed the gap from the Saintess's side in a single blink, bearing down on me.

What the hell is he, a monster?! That speed…!!

Had he already recovered his sight?

Before I knew it, the Saintess had driven a spear through Stella's body. She looked at me with a nauseating smile and opened her mouth.

"Puppy… Aaron… no matter how hard you thrash, it won't change a thing."

Her eyes narrowed with sickening fondness.

"You think scratching them once means you can beat the Hero of Light who killed your little lizard teacher…? Stop this pointless struggling… and rest in my arms now… ♡"

I can't give up. If I can't win, I'll at least take one of them with me.

I closed in on the Spear Hero, still reeling from the pain, ready to deliver a finishing blow.

"You're coming with me, you son of a bitch!"

"You half-witted little shit!!! Spiral Lance!"

Wh…?

What just happened? My body won't move.

The Divine Spear Hero roared, voice raw with fury.

"Saintess! Contract or not — if he's trying to kill us, what choice do I have?!"

The Divine Spear's lance drove into my chest once more.

The Saintess shrieked.

"Kyaaaah! What the hell are you doing, you bastard! N-No!! Stop him right now, Hero!!!"

Clutching Stella's ruined corpse, the Saintess cried out.

"Ah… ah…!!! No!!! Stop him, hurry — right now!! Stella, even you don't want him to die… ah…"

"KYAAAAAAAH! Fuck! No! No! No!"

My vision blurred.

I could see my master's wings.

I wrung out what little strength remained and crawled toward her. I had to reach Master…

Yuki's mocking laugh drifted faintly through the haze.

"Pfft… puhuhuh… is he seriously crawling toward that corpse right now?"

The Hero of Light rebuked him lightly.

"That is the typical behavior of the weak when their mind has broken. You would do the same in his place. Do not mock him."

The Saintess screamed.

"What are you useless bastards even saying!! Heal him right now!"

The world turned red.

Blood fountained upward, and the Saintess's disgusting screams grew smaller and smaller. I crawled. Dragging my shattered limbs across the dirt, I crawled toward her.

Master can't be dead.

She is my hope.

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

If I just take her hand, she'll smile at me again. She'll look at me the way she always did.

And then my hand touched her.

.....

I could no longer feel her mana.

By the time I registered it, her body was already cold — cruelly, unmistakably cold.

"Ah… Master… I'm sorry… I failed again… Can I… rest now…?"

My vision darkened.

It had been like this when I was a child, too. Cold. Dark. Damp. Slowly… slowly closing in around me.

Ah… so that was it…

I want to give up.

Is it all right to let go now?

Master…?

A light — impossibly warm. The darkness crushing me brightened to a stupid, dazzling white.

Master… you're alive…!

What's with the sudden mushy talk… Master… Still, I can't hide the smile. Haha…

What are you talking about… Master… Let's go home now… I'm so tired…

I saw Master's face — beaming, wide open with joy.

....

When I opened my eyes, only the merciless reality remained.

Her hand was still cold.

What had changed was…

The rage that had filled my heart settled. At the same time, my mind turned cold with a terrifying clarity.

A dragon's mana stirred within my body. A dragon's raw strength pressed out through my skin. A dragon's presence crushed the air around me.

Everyone present trembled. It was a pressure they had never felt before — a primal terror that could not be shown on the surface, yet bore down on them all the same.

"Kh… What is this all of a sudden…! This intensity… Wasn't the dragon dead?!"

"Ah… ah! Aaron!! You're alive…! My love…!"

"W-W-Wait a second… L-Look at that…! How the hell is that bastard even standing…? I definitely shattered his legs…?"

The Beastmaster Hero forced a laugh.

"I-It doesn't matter, right~? Go on, my beasts — go bite him."

Master's warmth mended my broken body.

The Hero of Light kept running his mouth like a fool.

"Kh… A filthy, dark aura… I dismissed you for looking weak, but you too are a child of the Evil Dragon! I will end this he—"

Not a metaphor. Not exaggeration. In the literal span of a single instant —

Aaron stood before the Hero of Light with a light step, and the hero's head was caught in Aaron's grip.

"L-Let go of me! You villain…!!! Divine Spear, what are you doing! Get this— GAAAAAHHH!"

"Hero of Light. Does this power look filthy and evil to your eyes?"

No one but Aaron could move.

"F-Fuck… Why won't my feet move… What the hell did that bastard do…"

"Uh… uhh…? M-My beasts aren't… listening…"

Crunch—

"GAAAAAAAAHHH!! This bastard… this bastard!"

Aaron's hand tightened, bit by bit.

"I… you know. What I wanted was never anything so grand."

Crunch—

"Gaaah… hah… hhk… What… what does this change…!"

"At first, I became a hero hoping the world would become a better place because of me."

"No… even I can see how stupidly big that dream was."

"Even a hero with noble aspirations gets stained by time. Something more important than the world's stability came along. From then on, I fought less for a hero's duty and more for my people."

The Hero of Light screamed.

"W-What do you want?! Speak! If it's you, a true hero would—"

—Crack

"No… the people I believed were mine… is that the right way to put it…?"

—Crunch

"Haaah… p-please stop… I have a mission… I am a hero…!"

"No. It doesn't matter anymore. Still — I dreamed. Even if I was betrayed, even if I was torn to shreds, the people who still loved me were still there."

More force poured into his hand.

"If I worked hard enough — if the world became even a little better — then surely, surely, surely, surely. Surely the people I loved would live happier lives."

"Why…! What does doing this change…! I killed that dragon to destroy evil…!"

"I know. That's why you ran around so hard on those feet of yours — to destroy… evil?"

"Th-That's right…! There may have been some… misunderstandings this time…! But in the end it was for the common people…! Th-That's right! Th-That dragon's existence threatened the people—"

—CRACK

Thud.

The Hero of Light's skull split open. He hit the ground spilling brain matter, his body still twitching as if it hadn't yet realized the brain was already dead.

Aaron turned his gaze toward the Divine Spear and Yuki. They were already stumbling backward in terror.

Yuki cried out, shaking with fear.

"S-Stop… wait… just wait a second—"

"You know what? No matter how hard I swung my sword at monsters, it never mattered. I finally understand what needs to be removed for a better world. It isn't the monsters."

I'm sorry, Master.

I have no intention of letting you go out like some third-rate novel's supporting character.

I wanted to inherit your upright nature. Your warm heart.

If I have to kill and take to do it — I will.

By any means necessary, I will bring you back.

If otherworlders are supposed to be so special…

Then it should be possible.