Elder Sister's Resolve
[It's been a while. Have you been well?]
[Yeah! How about you, sis?]
[I'm always the same.]
After a brief exchange of greetings, Leysia glanced sideways.
[It's been a while for you too, Giryu.]
[Yes, eldest miss. It's been too long. I hope you've been well?]
Leysia nodded lightly at Giryu's question, then turned her gaze toward me.
[And you...]
[Nice to meet you. I'm Nix.]
[I see. So you're the one from the rumors...]
She stared at me for a moment, nodding, before continuing.
[So, Lehatna. The skies have been in an uproar these past few days. What brings you all the way here?]
[I came to talk to you, sis!]
[Talk?]
Lehatna spoke to Leysia, who tilted her head in puzzlement.
[Yeah! Sis, I'm not interested in the Dragon King position.]
[......]
Leysia fell silent for a moment.
Lehatna pressed on toward her sister.
[I don't want to be Dragon King. I just want to live peacefully with everyone like now.]
[Lehatna, my dear little sister. You won't honor Father's dying wish?]
[I've never wanted to be Dragon King even once. I don't want to fight you or my brother over something unnecessary.]
Leysia blinked her large eyes at Lehatna's matter-of-fact words.
After a brief silence, Leysia spoke.
[My dear little sister Lehatna. Truth be told, I have no great attachment to the Dragon King throne either.]
[Huh? But sis, you...]
[The reason I got involved in this pointless fight is purely because of Le Ganus. Anyone but you, but that child must not become Dragon King.]
Leysia gazed at Lehatna with a gentle expression after her calm declaration.
[It would have been wonderful if you'd upheld Father's will and become Dragon King.]
[...I don't want to be Dragon King.]
[Of course. I can't force something unwanted on my dear sister.]
Leysia's gaze drifted toward me as she nodded slowly.
[You've come to me for my help, I presume?]
[Yes, that's right, eldest miss.]
Leysia nodded again at Giryu's polite bow.
[I've held back from crushing Le Ganus until now because he was still my brother... Yes, it's time to end this drawn-out struggle.]
She turned back to Lehatna with a composed tone.
[Lehatna. Do you think it's all right for me to become Dragon King?]
[Yeah! You'd do as well as Father, sis!]
[...Thank you. But truthfully, I wanted to see the skies you lead, just as much as Father's.]
Leysia gave Lehatna a soft smile, then slowly rose to her feet.
[As the firstborn blood of the great Dragon King, I intended to guard his remains until the next was decided. But I can no longer stand by.]
-Melusio.
Melusio flapped his wings and bowed at her low call from the side.
[Yes, Lady Leysia!]
[Prepare quickly. It's time to end this tiresome fight.]
[As you command!]
Melusio's face, previously full of mischief, grew grave as if it had all been an act. He nodded heavily and hurried out.
As we watched him go, Leysia suddenly spoke.
[You're planning to head back right away?]
At her question, Lehatna glanced at me and Giryu.
We exchanged looks and nodded in unison without needing words.
We'd safely met Leysia, but time was still short for us.
We had to return before Le Ganus's promised deadline expired.
[I see. You're pressed for time too... Still, shouldn't you pay respects to Father before you go, Lehatna?]
Lehatna hesitated at the quiet suggestion.
[Father?]
[Yes. At least say goodbye.]
Giryu nodded first toward Lehatna, who glanced at us seeking permission at Leysia's urging.
[Let's do that, miss. His Majesty would want to see you after so long. Who knows when the next chance might come.]
[...Okay.]
With Lehatna's slow nod, we followed Leysia out of the cavern.
She led us through a passage behind where she'd been seated.
We navigated the maze-like corridors deep into the earth until we reached a vast chamber. There, in the center, lay a massive dragon in quiet repose.
[This is...]
[His Majesty the Dragon King.]
Giryu spoke softly to my quiet exclamation.
The enormous dragon sprawled in the chamber's center dwarfed my true form two or three times over.
Though long dead, there was no decay—life's energy still pulsed vividly.
Even just facing the corpse overwhelmed me for a moment.
It wouldn't have been strange if it suddenly opened its eyes and rose.
This is SSS-rank.
Had it lived, this Dragon King might have been the labyrinth lord of the Seoul Great Labyrinth.
Even after death, its majesty was unimaginable; alive, it must have been beyond comprehension.
No matter what else, my current self would have been woefully inadequate against it.
I could feel the gulf between SS-rank and SSS-rank anew.
So close, yet impossibly distant.
As I stood awed by the Dragon King's presence, Lehatna reunited with her father.
Unlike her usual cheer, she exuded deep melancholy.
[It's been a while, Father. Have you been well? I haven't, because of you...]
She chattered endlessly toward the closed-eyed corpse, pouring out words without pause.
I watched her for a bit before quietly stepping away.
Giryu followed silently.
[Impressive.]
[Isn't it? He was truly extraordinary in life.]
[Come to think of it, I never heard. How did the Dragon King die?]
[Old age. An old wound from his youth reopened badly.]
[...I see.]
Even such a mighty dragon couldn't escape the ravages of time?
I glanced back down the passage and spoke quietly.
[We've made it this far somehow.]
[Yes. The end feels near.]
[No. This is just the beginning. Plenty of enemies left to topple.]
[...True.]
Giryu nodded slowly and turned to me.
[Thank you.]
[Save the thanks for after it's all over.]
[Still, I'm grateful. We wouldn't have gotten here without you.]
[I doubt that. You could've done it alone...]
[No, it's thanks to you. Without you, the miss and I would've kept watching each other warily forever. You gave us the courage to start.]
[If you say so.]
I nodded calmly as Giryu thanked me again.
I shrugged acceptingly toward him.
As Giryu and I talked, Lehatna finished her farewell and approached with Leysia.
[Done talking?]
[Yeah. I've steeled my resolve again!]
Back to her usual self despite her earlier gloom, I smiled lightly.
Leysia, with her impassive expression, spoke up.
[We should hurry.]
She was right.
It had taken exactly five days to get here.
By simple math, the return alone would use up our promised deadline.
[Don't worry about Le Ganus's interference. We'll handle it so they can't bother you.]
[Thanks, sis!]
Leysia smiled softly at Lehatna's bright grin.
[Lehatna, my dear little sister. We won't see each other for a while after this. Until we meet again, stay safe.]
[Yeah. You too, sis! Give that rotten brother a good thrashing!]
Leysia smiled warmly.
[Giryu. And Nix.]
[Yes, eldest miss.]
[Take good care of my dear little sister.]
Giryu looked flustered at Leysia's bow, so I nodded instead.
[Don't worry.]
[...When we meet again, the war will be in full swing. Until then, stay safe—all of you.]
With Leysia's calm words as farewell, we left the grand Dragon King's Palace.
To make it back in time, we'd have to fly hard.
I hoped Giryu would give it his all.
Thanks to Giryu's tireless efforts, we returned to Lehatna's lair in about four days.
I'd expected to run into Le Ganus, Pluto, or even one of the tri-colored brothers along the way, but fortunately, no one blocked us.
Had Leysia pulled strings as she'd promised at the end?
On the return, we'd seen clashes between her group and Le Ganus's forces.
Not full-scale yet—more like probing skirmishes—but enough to feel the major battle looming.
Thankfully, nothing had happened at Lehatna's lair.
The low-rank monsters still frolicked innocently, bringing smiles to our faces.
Pong-pong—
I scooped up the pink slime bounding toward me, as always.
Like our first meeting, it offered a moonflower.
I ate it meekly; sweet as ever.
[We need to move them to safety.]
[Yes. At least two floors up.]
Lehatna's lair sat in the heart of the 88th floor—a prime danger spot if full war broke out.
We had to relocate the low-rank monsters.
[Can we do it in a day?]
[Plenty of time.]
I stopped worrying at Giryu's confident tone.
If he said so, it was so.
Leave the low-rank moves to him and his subordinates.
I'd conserve energy until the real fight.
I stroked the pink slime in my arms.
Its fluffy texture soothed me instantly.
A day passed.
All low-rank monsters, pink slime included, were safely upper floors away.
Le Ganus's ten-day deadline was nearly up.
Over a dozen warp gates led from their side—too many to block all.
So we waited patiently in Lehatna's lair.
Offense suited me better than defense, but with limited forces, we couldn't strike first recklessly.
As time ticked down, tension gripped everyone—even Lehatna, who'd insisted on staying despite protests.
Pelte and Giryu's other subordinates felt it too; even Giryu looked strained.
Was I the only calm one?
Truthfully, I was tense, but less so.
Maybe because I was the outsider.
Or because I'd bail in the worst case.
Sorry, but I wouldn't die for this.
I had a home to return to.
Giryu and Lehatna agreed with my mindset.
I was an outsider, not directly involved.
Of course, no pathetic fleeing mid-fight.
I'd battle to the end.
Just not to the death.
I'd do all I could.
As we each eased tension our way, presences approached from the distant skies.
Giryu and I sensed them first and quietly alerted the others.
Low growls rose from the tense monsters.
I patted Pelte's tense neck.
The fight would be aerial, so I'd ride him again.
A quick clairvoyance scan: not a small number.
Leading them—the tri-colored brothers I'd longed to meet.
I clicked my tongue low at their leisurely approach.
[Hahaha. Long time no see, Lord Giryu! And the pathetic land worm Nix! Even our deficient little Lehatna miss is here! What a delight!]
The red one oozed the same distasteful arrogance as before.
Giryu ignored him, glancing my way.
[Everyone, battle ready.]
With his low command, monsters including Giryu took to the air one by one.
Before the red one could retort, Giryu roared again.
[Fly for the great Dragon King and our miss!]
His voice thundered in our minds, and the first battle began.
Strapped atop Pelte, I scanned the battlefield intently.
Our targets: those arrogant three, obviously.
Mine especially: the red one.
I'd let others slip, but not you.