Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Self-Defense
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Sion was flustered.
It was her first time facing an enemy like this. Even if her scales hadn't fully grown yet, even if she was still clumsy at handling mana and her aura.
A dragon was still a dragon. It didn't make much difference even if she was just an immature hatchling.
The overwhelming presence she exuded was different. Her very nature was different. The reason she could be called this place's guardian dragon was all because─
─the enemies cowered in fear at her presence and fled. It had always been that way. She'd take on a pathetic dragon form, unleash an unstable aura, and everyone would scamper off in terror.
It was her usual method. It should have worked this time too. The demon should have tucked tail and run off in disgrace. But what was this situation unfolding before her eyes? The demon she'd meant to scare away wasn't fleeing.
On the contrary, it ignored her aura, shattered the dragon form she'd conjured from the water spray, pinpointed her location, and attacked.
For a split second, Sion felt it. A sensation she'd never experienced since birth. It didn't take long to realize what it was.
'Am I... going to die?'
Terror. An emotion she'd never felt before. Of course it was. In the natural world, nothing would dare charge at a hatchling.
Unless the hatchling sought it out herself. Encounters like this were exceedingly rare.
This was the first demon to confront a dragon head-on. Faced with the encroaching dread, Sion could do nothing.
She had no real combat experience. She was a hatchling who hadn't even been alive that long to begin with.
At an age when she should have been raised with love in her parents' lair, she'd been torn away for some reason and forced to survive alone.
There had been no fights. Though called a guardian dragon, it wasn't by her own will. She'd just happened to chase away a demon one day.
The dungeon got smashed up while she sat idle. Without doing a thing, she'd somehow become known as the guardian dragon.
Unlike other dragons who had lived eternal lives and lost interest in everything, Sion was different. She was curious about the entire world.
She liked people's kindness. That's why she'd kept up the guardian dragon act. It was easy too─just a little scare and they'd run.
'I hate this.'
But she hadn't wanted a situation like this. Sion could only squeeze her eyes shut. That was all a helpless hatchling who didn't know what to do could manage.
'Oppa.'
In this moment, only one man came to mind. Someone she'd just met today. An outsider. Not the people she'd seen for years. It felt a bit strange that it was him, but.
She had a vague idea why. She couldn't even pretend not to be lonely. At an age when she should have been showered with love, she'd been left alone. Even when she went up to human settlements in human form, people treated her like an acquaintance. Nothing more.
Maybe that's why. The kindness from that man over years paled compared to the few hours of genuine family playtime that made her miss him more.
Was it lucky at least that she'd gotten to play with them, even briefly? As that thought crossed her mind─
─Yeah, tell me about it.
─I've got no luck either.
Sion opened her eyes at the absence of expected pain. Unknowingly, she clung to hope from the voices she heard.
No way? With that anticipation, she opened her eyes and saw─
As if replacing the darkness that had filled her vision moments ago, blazing flames, a fluttering black robe, and black hair.
A pure white scythe gripped in hand. A back standing as if shielding her.
"Sion. It was you?"
He turned around. With a grin.
"Guardian dragon."
Sion couldn't say a word.
I knew it. There's no way something could mimic a dragon. The only thing that can use even a weakened dragon aura is─
A hatchling. That it was Sion surprised me a bit, but nah. Not really. She'd endured Levatein's attacks, after all.
Anyway, that was no reason not to save her.
She's a hatchling, right? Young or not, a dragon's a dragon. Sure, she's worlds weaker than a full-grown one, but the mana in that heart of hers is beyond imagination.
If that demon got its hands on it? Instant devil reborn. Horrifying just to think about.
Calming my goosebumps, I turned back. Sion was staring up at me with a blank, dumbfounded look.
"You okay?"
No reply. Pretty shaken up, huh? I slowly walked over to Sion.
Hatchlings are usually raised safely in their parents' lair, so why was this one out here alone like this?
No clue. Not important right now, so I crouched down to her eye level.
"Why aren't you answering?"
"..."
Still no answer. My personality wants me to stare her down until she speaks, but.
[Master.]
"I know."
No time for that. I scooped up Sion, who was sitting there like the little mermaid, into a princess carry. Even after all that food, her body was light as a feather.
Where does all that eaten food go?
"Kyaa!!"
"No time to ask permission."
Princess carry it was. Turning around in that pose, the demon─whose hand I'd just severed─was glaring at me, already reattached.
"Two choices. Fight me here. Or run together."
Of course, it'd win in a fight. Fighting here means forcing it to retreat.
Running means actual running. Dive into the [Reaper's Robe] and bolt, though it's not guaranteed.
High chance it'll chase. As I kept staring at Sion, the demon raised a single finger.
Pouting apologetically. Kinda cute.
I grinned and─
─slammed it into the robe. It got sucked in with a startled yell, but that's not important now.
I raised my scythe toward the approaching demon.
"Time to test the new power. Demo attack."
I just thought it. I want to use my power. As if reading my mind, wind stirred from the scythe.
Not just any wind. A storm brewed. A small vortex whirled around the scythe.
And that's not all. My scythe wasn't just infused with spirits.
Levatein was mimicked too. A vortex of flames erupted. It began spinning with tremendous force.
"Hold up."
The demon sensed it and leaped toward me. Even without using its authority, the movement was too fast to track with the eye.
"Let's take a moment to think."
The flame vortex on my scythe devoured everything around just from being swung.
Naturally, the demon got caught in the flames. Not ordinary flames─Levatein's.
It could endure, but not move. I used that opening to swiftly─
"See ya!!"
─dive into the robe.
I had a mountain of questions. Why she comes up once a week. Why she became the guardian dragon.
Why she's alone. Where are her parents? So many things I wanted to ask, but I didn't.
Our conversation was just a few words on Levatein and Sion's reunion. And the plan.
The plan was simple. Smash it. I know this thing well. Really well.
I even know its name. Which means I absolutely can't kill it now─I have to make it retreat.
Force a retreat and keep it pinned down for a while. That's best.
"That's really all we need to do?"
"Yeah."
"...Got it."
"More importantly, Sion."
"Yeah?"
"You've been alone this whole time? All along?"
This I had to ask. Dragons' childhoods are crucial. For eternal beings, if they don't build proper memories and play in their hatchling days, they can't survive.
Many dragons die from utter boredom. Hatchling phase is vital for dragons.
"Yeah. I was with Mom a bit when I was little, then we separated right away."
"I see."
Seeing Sion's darkening expression, I recalled her words from earlier.
─This is the first time I've had this much fun.
─Yeah. People here like me, but they don't come close.
I could roughly guess her circumstances. Might not be exact, so once we take that thing down, I'll hear the full story.
I turned to Sion before heading out.
"Sion."
"What."
I parted the robe. Outside and inside blurred. I slipped out quickly, saying,
"Things'll be different from now on."
With that, I emerged from the robe. Right away, I saw the waiting demon.
Staring at me with red pupils. I stared right back. I don't lose staring contests.
"Given up on running?"
"Running's your specialty, isn't it?"
Not fazed? I tossed out another line.
"What's your name this time? Tana?"
Now the face is getting interesting.
Tana grimaced. How did that guy know her name? Thinking back, it was weird.
He even knew her face. Knowing the name wasn't strange, but how?
Before she could sort her thoughts─
The man charged first. Tana tried to react, but something felt off. His armament was different from before.
The burning scythe had turned pure white. In its place, the storm from earlier raged.
No time to ponder. The onslaught was swift. No room to think.
The storm hit. Vision blurred for an instant, but it didn't matter. One or two seconds. Not long, so she quickly readjusted her stance─
'Fast.'
When vision cleared, the man was already upon her. The pure white scythe he held emanated ominous energy.
Tana felt her neck throb. Instinct screamed to dodge. A warning honed from years as a demon.
She wrenched her neck forcibly. Twisting the bones to throw off the trajectory.
Kiiing─!!!
Her instincts were spot on. A sharp sound rang out, and a white trail sliced through where her neck had been. An eerie noise echoed in her ears.
She pulled back distance in that pose, resetting her neck bones. They returned to normal as if it were natural.
"Damn. Nasty."
Ignoring the man's words. No hesitation─she thrust her arm out. No reason to hesitate. That human was strong.
She knew from that last strike. No need to delay using her authority. Demonic energy crystallized from her outstretched hand.
The crystallized energy became authority. Like magic. Similar, but fundamentally different.
A demon's authority was borrowed from devils. Unless a specific one, no chants or rituals needed like magic.
Just think use it─
And it fires.
Tana couldn't explain her authority. Couldn't understand it even if she wanted. It wasn't human to begin with, so naturally.
Just use it, and if it hits, they die.
A simple effect she favored. How or why they died didn't matter to her.
Only that they die.
Unrelated to strength. No matter how strong Lee Seong-hoon was, without being a dragon─
"Hey."
Tana lost her words up to that point. The dust from her attack cleared in the wind.
Her black hair whipped in the wind. The robe fluttered, losing its form.
"You threw the first punch?"
The scythe floated in the air, awaiting its master. In the man's empty hand─
"Self-defense?"
─a jet-black magic circle was engraving itself.