episode_0059

*****

20 years of my hero experience. While dealing with numerous villains, I have met all kinds of crazy people. Although the target wasn’t me, I’ve also seen a yandere villain who proposed to me 10 minutes after meeting him.

However, I can assure you that this guy in front of me is the first villain to declare that they are already a couple. I opened my mouth, caught in absurdity.

“Couple? Who and whom are you talking about?”

“Of course it’s you and me, isn’t it? It is a destiny determined according to the covenant from the beginning. There was an unfortunate incident where you were caught up in a dimensional crack, but the fact that we met again like this is proof of that.”

I was so clueless that I couldn’t even respond properly. Meanwhile, the eyes of the guy who was tilting his head were completely devoid of the madness that crazy people often show.

In other words, this guy has either completely turned his back on his fundamentals or thinks his words are common sense.

If it were the former, it would just be dismissed as nonsense… . There were some parts that were horribly inconceivable. Behemoth, the disaster dragon that can be seen as the original owner of my body. If the dragon was, by chance, a female, and if her husband was that guy, it wouldn’t have made sense at all.

“Now, wait a minute. Are you mistaking me for someone else? This is my first time seeing you, let alone your couple.”

“There is no way it is a mistake. I feel a definite attraction towards you as a companion. Don’t you feel it too?”

“I can’t feel it as much as my eyelids.”

If I’m ever going to feel something like that, I want to feel it from a plump, pretty girl, not a big guy like that. Although I feel the overwhelming presence and threat to my life in real time.

When he saw my disgusted expression, his expression became puzzled again. It seems like he really feels something from me.

“That can’t be possible. [────], Do you really not recognize me?”

“What? What are you calling me now?”

“[────], isn’t that your name? Are you saying you forgot your own name?”

He said it again, but it didn’t sound right, as if there was a filter in my head. He looked disappointed, probably because he realized that I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“I never thought I wouldn’t even hear Yongeon… . What on earth happened in the gap between dimensions, my companion?”

“I want you to consider the possibility that I am not your companion in the first place.”

“No, you are my companion. That much is certain. There is no way I could feel this attraction from someone else.”

I keep being drawn to it, but since I don’t know what it is, I can’t refute it. Even in the original work, the dragon’s ecology was never properly presented.

Anyway, it would be difficult for me if this guy continued to make strange mistakes. If you had tried to kidnap someone for no reason, the damage would have been enormous. Even if you face resentment, it would be better to tell the truth.

Before he got into full action, I explained what had happened to me. Not in detail, just that it happened to be a human soul fused with a dragon’s body.

After hearing what I said, the guy widened his vertical pupils and glared at me. Goosebumps-inducing eyes that seemed to see through something passed over my entire body.

“… indeed. The body is that of a pet, but is the soul that of a human?”

“! Yes, that’s it!”

“The appearance was not seen as a mimicry of a human, but as a result of forcibly transforming the dragon’s body to fit the human soul. Even so, since the body and soul are completely separate, it is unlikely that you will be able to hear the conversation.”

“Okay, okay, now you know.”

Actually, I’m not sure what it says! Still, if you knew that I was a different person inside, that was enough.

“Now, you know that I am not your wife, right? So let’s continue talking now. First, if possible, please send the woman there safely here──”

“? What are you talking about? What does that have to do with you being my companion?”

“So what’s inside me is someone else? The wife you love is a different person, just the same body!”

“I don’t know what it is like for humans, but for dragons, what’s important is the relationship between body and soul. You already have a body that is destined to be mine, and you have a powerful soul that can even reconstruct the body of a dragon. There is no problem at all as my companion.”

Now, let’s go to the consecration ceremony. The guy extended his hand to me with an expression that seemed obvious. Of course, it goes without saying that it was completely ignored.

“There is nothing but problems!? What is a consecration ceremony in the first place?”

” Isn’t this a word? Consecration ceremony, marriage ceremony, wedding… . It’s probably the kind of thing you call things like that.”

“What, you haven’t even gotten married yet? Then they’re not even a couple!”

“Dragons are destined to have a partner from the moment they are born. Even if it is a ceremony, it is only a ceremony to confirm that the two dragons are ready to become husband and wife.”

“Are you ready to tie the knot? With this body?”

For the first time, the guy’s face was filled with embarrassment at the sight of me showing off my body. I’m not sure why it has the appearance of a human now, but the dragon’s body naturally has the appearance of a giant dragon. There is no way they could mate with me, who is in simple human form.

“This is what I see right now. I’m sure you’re not going to look like this, are you? Are you a human?”

“That’s rude! I have normal tastes.”

“Well, seeing as you rushed in with fire in your eyes to hold a consecration ceremony and all, I don’t think it’s very persuasive. Oh, were you by any chance Ada? Were you that desperate because you wanted to try it just once?”

“How dare you!”

With a bang, the guy’s foot stepped on the floor, creating a crater in the floor. It seemed that Ada Unun had hit the nail on the head.

… This is not a mistake~. It’s not a joke to get in the mood, it’s a strategy to take away the other person’s cool.

No matter what excuses I was making in my head, he walked towards me with long strides. Even though I’m just walking, I feel like my hair is standing on end due to the pressure.

“What, I was a bit harsh, right? Sorry sorry. So let’s talk a little bit… .”

“I tried to approach you as gently as possible because I cared for you. I should have heeded the words of the elders who said that you should teach your wife your own topic.”

“You hate women!”

It seems that the dragon society is extremely patriarchal. Unite, women of the dragon race.

Even while I’m fussing, the calculator is ticking away in my head. That guy needs my body. In other words, I won’t be able to launch an attack that would cause my body to completely collapse.

Focusing on myself means neglecting other things. So there was no reason not to attract that aggro now that the minimum number of lives was guaranteed.

“Wait a minute, think calmly before you get angry. What are you going to do with me when you take me?”

“Simple. Your body has changed as much as it can to accommodate your soul. All that’s left is to break your strong-holding soul and change it to fit your body.”

In a topic that was thrown without much thought, something that seemed more important than expected jumped out. So, originally, the soul and body should have been attracted to each other and changed, but in my case, is the soul rejecting change and holding on?

“Now you are closer to a human than a dragon. However, the fundamental difference between dragons and humans is absolute. You will end up becoming a dragon. No, I will definitely have to make it a dragon!”

After speaking, the guy raised his hand covered in thick scales. As soon as I realized that formidable magical power was gathering in front of me, I launched myself forward.

He probably thought I was going to take a side aisle. The look on his face as if he had been caught off guard confirmed that my guess was correct.

“Pfft!”

The guy hastily raised his hand. If you dodge or block, if you get hit by an attack like that with no guard, there might not even be a corpse left behind. Even if they tried to kidnap me, my injuries had to be recoverable.

I quickly crawled into his arms and kicked his hand up. The hand that had already been raised was stretched completely vertically by the added force, and magical power that had reached its limit spewed out from the hand.

Couuu.

A vibration that resonates throughout the laboratory. Taking advantage of that opportunity, I swung my entire body’s magic and punched out. Naturally, my free hand rushed to block the attack.

The purpose was that hand from the beginning. In an instant, I changed the magic power I had been spinning to wrapping it around my body. You can think of it as a kind of self-defense weapon.

As I cut off the force of the thrown hand with self-defense, my body quickly jumped up. It feels like getting on a moving train. Grappling threw his whole body and firmly grabbed the guy’s wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

If he had tried to throw me by force, I would have used that momentum to break his arm.

But his response was more familiar than I thought. I noticed the magical energy boiling throughout my arm and quickly let go of my arm and fell back. Just in the nick of time, the scales on his arms shot out like needles.

“You know how to fight with a human body more than you think. Have you ever experienced this somewhere?”

“When I first came to this world, among the humans who attacked me, there were some who used similar techniques.”

“… aha. You are Cheongun.”

Considering the overall blue hair and scales, as well as the uniqueness of being a dragon, this is probably correct. A Dragonian villain who devastated China. He was one of the people of interest that Sia had heard about.

Cheongwoon frowned as if he was displeased at my brilliant guess.

“I don’t want to be called by human titles by my fellow countrymen. My name is [────].”

“So, I don’t understand verbs, kan!”

Avoid an attack that came while talking. Being small is a disadvantage in attacks, but it is advantageous in defensive battles at such a distance.

However, there are limits to continuing to hold out from a distance. Plus, seeing as how a hole opens up in the lab every time he delivers a blow, we have to worry about the collapse of the place itself. I hope the kids get out quickly.

“Why don’t we stop here?”

As I was avoiding the attack so hard, Cheongun stopped the attack and said those words. I didn’t even have time to speak, so I took a deep breath and raised my middle finger.

“I don’t know what that gesture means, but I think it means rejection. But you probably know that too. I don’t want to take any more time, so I have no choice but to hurt you from now on.”

“Before… , Phew… . What was the topic? Why are you doing that now?”

“… I can’t do it.”

Pot. For a split second, Cheongwoon’s body disappeared from my sight. It’s not magic like space movement. It just happened so quickly.

I missed him visually, but I caught the charge itself. The magic power that moves that gigantic body is concentrated in the human body. This level of output was natural.

Blocking or letting go is out of the question. I desperately try to avoid it, but my body feels so slow. After entering this body, I inadvertently become nervous about the discomfort I experience for the first time.

I dodged the fist. However, the speed of sound was surpassed long ago. My small body flew away in vain just from the shock waves around me.

Cheongun’s tail swings as if in pursuit.

Quang. Thump, thump.

It wasn’t enough to break through the wall, so it bounced on the floor like a water swallow. The expulsion that was carried out with a desperate determination was barely successful, but the price was terrible.

My chest hurts terribly every time I take a breath. I probably broke my ribs or something… . What was more serious than that was both arms.

Beyond the pain, I can’t feel anything at all. I was sure that if I looked down, I would see a sight that would be classified as R-18G.

“You crazy, crazy bastard… . What are you going to do if I get lost like this? .”

“Your skills were excellent. He didn’t look like he wanted to die, so I believed he could endure this much.”

Cheongwoon speaks calmly while reaping his magical power. I feel like my stomach is turning when I see that. Although it may actually be reversed.

Just 2 hits. I knew it, but it is an enormous power car. So much so that I want to file a claim with the management.

There was no such thing as technology. It is overwhelmingly strong even though it is merely pushed with overwhelming magical power and physical ability. Literally a difference in status as a species.

Actually, when I was active as Asura, I used that kind of fighting method… . Indeed, I feel like I know why the guys who attacked me were so angry. All the nuclear bastards should be beaten up.

“Do not move.”

He said that and extended his tail towards me. I don’t have the energy to move anyway. He is trying to survive as best as he can by hugging his arm, which appears to be recovering little by little.

Pop! A knife was stuck in front of the guy’s tail.

“I came to take care of insurance, senior.”

Sia came out from beyond the wall I broke through. No, the expression you just expressed is a bit ambiguous. More precisely, it should be said that the Shias came out.

“Senior, are you okay?”

“Wow, this monster is no joke… . Genesis, I don’t know where they got this kind of power from.”

“Does your arm hurt a lot? Ho~ Can I do it for you?”

Beyond walls, in doorways, and even under holes in the floor. Joo Sia, who all look the same except for the weapons they are holding, fills the lab.

“Honestly, I think it would be a little scary if this appeared in my dream.”

“I came here to save you as long as possible, but is that so?”

“Did you see the hole in the ceiling, senior? There is a straight line from here to the ground.”

“Run away for now, senior.”

I felt two Sia holding me up. At first glance, I saw Cat, who was still in the room over there, being dragged up by them. The check on Cheongun, who is surrounded by numerous self-immolations, is not stopping.

“Stop. She is my wife.”

The children move in order. But at one word from Cheongwoon, all heads turn that way and then back to me. That’s really a bit scary.

“It’s nonsense. I wondered if something had happened with my old body, the dragon, but that wasn’t the case.”

“You and I are connected by fate.”

“Noisy! My body is the only goal!”

“Your soul will belong to me too!”

Sia’s expression, which had been turning her head quickly, became increasingly rotten. It is clear that he is actively fighting against the vicious villain Cheongwoon.

“Anyway, all you have to do is stop that thief cat, no, that thief tiger.”

I don’t really belong to anyone, so it’s not theft. Of course, I have no intention of becoming a man’s bride, so let’s support Sia here.

“And the senior will also preach later.”

“!?”

Why?

Unfortunately, no time was given to raise objections. As soon as Xia moved to steal me away, Cheongun raised his hand.

In a sense, the obstacle to the country has disappeared. An overwhelming surge of magical power, incomparable to the one that confronted me, swept away the surrounding Shia.

“””────.”””

What blocked it was Sia’s multiple chant magic barrier. Sia can also use units of anti-magic that would normally be impossible to use alone. The large-scale chanting, which had been sloppy seven years ago, was now being performed without a single error as if dozens of people were one person.

Of course, there was no gap.

“Are you okay? Can you deal with it?”

“Okay. Two people just flew away… . Well, I guess I’ll have to try something to make it work. You know my mission, right?”

As an S-class hero, the mission given to Shia is the defense of the capital. Even if Sia wasn’t here, if a presence of that magnitude had appeared, Sia would have had to come here.

“You won’t have to hold on for that long. It was your senior who made that guy’s attack bounce upward, right? There’s probably an uproar by now because of that.”

thank god. I guess the flare I fired was seen where it was supposed to be seen. It was worth the risk and the gamble.

“Still, it’s convenient because I only need one person when moving a senior. In the past, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of hugging a princess.”

“… Black.”

There are two clones of Shia here, each carrying Cat and I into the princess’s arms. This was because I had an injured arm, and Cat was crouching and shaking, unable to move properly.

It’s not a very pleasant feeling to be carried into the princess’s arms by a junior who is like a daughter… . I have the sense to not do this or that in a situation where my life is at stake.

“What about the other kids?”

“The other corpses have all moved outside. From there, he told me to move on my own feet. Since you’re probably quite far away by now, it’ll be difficult to receive recovery magic from Raon.”

As expected, Sia seems to think that the collapse of the underground laboratory is certain. In fact, if the dragon went on a rampage and the lab collapsed, it was a really cheap deal.

Now all that’s left is for me and Cat to get out of this area and for Sia to hold out until additional hero support arrives. As for Sia’s potential, even if she can’t beat the dragon, she can just stall out time――Huh?

“Wait a minute. Where do you think you smell blood?”

“It’s not that day.”

“Me neither. That’s not it… .”

Sigh. When I lifted my right hand and felt something sticky, it was stained bright red.

Of course, my arm was a mess, but the bleeding was reduced thanks to my recovery ability. It was by no means wet with the fresh blood that had just spurted out.

In other words, it wasn’t my blood on this arm.

“Oh… .”

dump. Sia, who was running, fell as if she lost her footing. The force made me fall to the ground, but that wasn’t the important thing.

“Keheuk.”

Blood fountain was sprinkled on Sia’s hands that were on the ground. Red blood was drawn from the mouth and down from the chest.

“Sia!”

“Senior, chuckle, step aside, yo… .”

As I tried to approach Sia, a magic barrier blocked me. I soon found out why. A pillar of light rose up from where Sia had fallen just moments ago.

Of course, nothing remained where the pillar disappeared.

“… … .”

Calm down, let’s do it. That’s just an alter ego. Sia is not dead. I slapped my face hard and forced the shocking sight before my eyes out of my head.

The first thing to do is understand the situation. Looking around, the clone that was carrying Cat was also lying down, clutching his chest. Cat was in a state of panic again when she saw the attack coming up through the floor.

With this level of accuracy, Cheongwoon would know the location to some extent. So, the fact that the second company is not coming means that Xia is still keeping Cheongun in check there.

Each of Sia’s alter egos exists individually. This means that even if the main body receives damage, the damage is not spread to the clones. In the first place, it is extremely difficult to see through Sia’s body at once and inflict damage.

In other words, I don’t know how, but Cheongun magically connected Sia’s alter ego and caused damage. In that case, the main body can avoid damage by disconnecting. It’s avoidable, but… .

‘Dangerous.’

A strong alarm bell rang in my head. Sia’s strength basically comes from the violence of numbers. As it is a matter of direction of potential, that aspect will not change even if it has grown.

The speed of creating an alter ego won’t be slow either… . Once the main body is exposed, the advantage of Sia that it is difficult to know what the main body is disappears. This is a fatal task for Sia, who must hold on defensively due to differences in specifications.

If this continues, Sia will die.

“… Hu──Woo.”

My heart is beating like crazy due to anxiety and nervousness. I took a deep breath to calm down. Perhaps thanks to some blood loss, I was able to maintain a calm mind.

The thing about charging straight at Cheongwoon is… If there really isn’t a way, I might choose it, but for now, I’ll reject it. At the current level, if you go there, you will only get 1+1 sausages.

Should I somehow quickly move up and bring reinforcements? This too is dismissed. In any case, reinforcements will be coming here at the fastest possible speed. Even if I go, there is no way to increase the speed.

I have to think of something, some way. What if you go up and bring the kids instead of reinforcements?

This is a group suicide course. Dismissed.

Maybe Sia can survive in her current state?

Dismissed. You might not have noticed it before, but now that your alter ego has disappeared, it’s just a happy circuit.

This method and that method appear in my mind and then disappear. How to move the Galaxy team, how to guide the test subjects, how to use the facility itself… . When you are dismissing everything.

Only one. A possible method occurred to me.

“Hey.”

“… You two will die… . No, I don’t want to die… .”

“Hey, Cat.”

“Lion… . Where are you, Lion… .”

“Hey, you’re a rip-off!”

Clap, clap. I slapped the panicked magical girl on the cheek a couple of times. My messed up hands were crying out in pain, telling me not to overwork them.

Fortunately, though, the trembling eyes recognized this direction.

“Where is the potion?”

“Wh, potion? A potion, what… .”

“I heard they made a strengthening potion or something!”

The whole story I heard from Mr. Ryan, who asked me to stop Mr. Cat. Among them, there was clearly talk about strengthening potions.

Given the circumstances, there was a high probability that the government was behind this pharmaceutical company. In other words, the potion they made has that much value.

“That’s not possible. There’s nothing you can do about that monster. But if you drink more, side effects will occur… .”

“Ah, you will decide that on your own! Quickly tell me the location! Everyone wants to die!?”

Cat visibly flinched when asked if she wanted to die. Although his arms and legs were suppressed by Shia’s magic, he somehow succeeded in carrying him.

After that, it was all smooth sailing. Through the Magical Girl Navigation, I was able to safely get to the place where the potion was stored. It seemed to be closer to the other side than I thought, and I kept shaking due to the aftermath of the battle.

“Bring more of this.”

“Ha, you have to drink just one. If it’s more than that, there are side effects──”

“Bring everything!”

This potion is probably the raw material for the magic potion made by Genesis. The efficacy is an explosion of abilities, and the side effects are demonization.

As we saw earlier in the city, when a person with a low spirit takes medicine, he or she becomes a monster who only follows simple desires. Conversely, if your soul level is high enough, you can become a demon. A good example is when a strange doctor who took medicine gained wings.

And I have a high rank that is recognized even by dragons. At least it would be safe to say that he would not be reduced to a monster.

“… … .”

I don’t know if it will turn into a demon or not because it is an unrefined potion. But if you can save Sia, it’s a gamble worth taking.

The worry was short-lived. I poured all three potions in front of me into my mouth at once.

***

“Cough… . Huh, ugh… .”

Slurp.

Sia’s body, leaning against the cold wall, collapsed. A red line is drawn on the wall following the slippery palm.

Sia’s appearance could be summed up in one word: miserable. His shoulder was pierced, blood was dripping from his right hand, and bleeding on his head was blocking the vision in one eye. The area underneath his lips was stained red because he was vomiting blood due to his internal organs being turned into rags.

“Excellent. If there were several people like you, I would be in danger too. I never thought I would even use verbs.”

The appearance of Cheongun walking in front of him was also not clean. The scales were peeling off here and there and it looked like it was bleeding, and a trickle of blood was flowing from the corner of its mouth. Of course, compared to Sia’s condition, it can be summed up as good.

“How… .”

“Are you talking about knitting together alter egos? In that case, the verb was used. Consider it an honor. Or is it a technique to change the positions of the alter ego and the main body? Regarding that trick, I have no choice but to say, don’t ignore the dragon’s eye.”

In addition, several factors of defeat were added. Sia kept it all in her head and asked as many questions as she could. It’s a good thing if the enemy treats you with respect. If the magic power was restored, there was still a chance.

“Stop. Stop playing around with your hidden alter ego. You cannot move from here.”

But even that was blocked due to the pressure of the dragon’s magical power. This is a situation where you can literally say that you raised both hands and feet. Nevertheless, Sia had doubts about Cheongwoon not trying to kill her.

It didn’t take long for her to come to an answer.

“No! Senior, Ojiㅁ──… !!”

“Keep the bait quiet.”

Sia’s voice, which shouted with magical power, was cut off in vain. Even if she tried to move, Cheongun’s magic wouldn’t let her go. In the first place, there was no guarantee that Shia could move properly, as her internal organs were torn from the shock.

At this time, what came to Sia’s mind was a promise from the past day. A mere promise to come to rescue you if you fall into danger.

If she was in danger in the first place, there was no way her current senior could save her. Asura might not know, but it was too much for Fafnir.

I shouldn’t have made such a promise from the beginning. It was stupid. It was foolish pampering. The constant self-blame became a feeling of guilt and weighed on Sia’s heart.

However, if anyone knew these two people here, they would have told them not to blame themselves pointlessly. I don’t care about promises. Because the hero Fafnir did not have the option of abandoning Sia from the beginning.

So, it is inevitable that Sia’s earnest prayer to please not come here will end in vain.

” Mr. Cheongwoon, no matter how urgent you are, you cannot be so strict with women. After all, you’re human, right?”

“You really came. I guessed it from the movements of that woman’s double body when it disappeared. This is courage worthy of my wife.”

“What about the wife? It’s been a long time since my divorce ended due to domestic violence.”

Holding his throbbing head, the hero Fafnir faced the evil dragon.

*****