Chapter 104: Silver Tremors, Golden Wit
What has happened!?
Before I knew it, I was flying through the air.
Even though I came to tear apart the humans who humiliated the Golden One, the Golden One showed absolutely no motivation, offering no resistance as the humans did whatever they pleased.
Unable to bear such an unsightly appearance, I attacked the human responsible.
For a mere human to ride on a dragon’s belly is the height of presumption!
My claws swung down to tear the human apart.
The Golden One might get caught in the collateral damage, but let’s consider it a punishment for his corruption.
There is no need to worry.
Even if he suffers injuries that prevent him from… f-finding a mate, I-I will take him.
U-Umu, so there is no need to worry even if he gets hurt.
I will even prepare meals for him until his wounds heal.
My vision, filled with such hopeful future plans, suddenly inverted.
W-What happened!?
And before I knew it, I had been slammed into the ground.
At first, I thought the Golden One had deflected my attack.
But that was wrong.
The Golden One remained as unmotivated as ever, and the human from before was standing calmly atop him.
Are you telling me this human threw me!?
I-Impossible! There is no way a mere human could throw a dragon!
It’s some kind of mistake!
I stood up, let out a roar to encourage myself, and jumped to tear that human apart this time for sure.
And this time, I clearly understood that I was being thrown.
No, am I really being thrown?
My body continues to spin and fly through the air.
What is really happening!?
Thrown repeatedly, I was confused by the sensation of my mind being stirred.
And as my consciousness finally cleared, I could no longer endure my own disgraceful state.
Damn human! To shame me like this in front of the Golden One is unforgivable!
I stopped holding back and attacked with the intent of turning the opponent into chunks of meat.
Some new human appeared, but I don’t care; I’ll turn them all into meat chunks together!
I slammed my right claw at the newly appeared human, and without a pause, slammed my left claw at the hateful human.
But the human dodged my attack and leaped as if to escape.
Hmph, fled in fear of my serious attack?
But it’s too late now!
The human desperately dodged my attacks.
Each time, the human from before darted in front of my eyes, but I ignored him, blew him away, slashed him, and continued my assault on the human.
…Hm? Does something feel strange?
Why does the human I supposedly blew away or slashed keep appearing in front of my eyes?
I am attacking with the intent to turn them into meat chunks, am I not?
Thinking such things, I repeated similar exchanges dozens of times, but it is also true that this exchange has become annoying.
I don’t know the reason, but these humans seem to possess the power to withstand our attacks.
But they are only withstanding.
Even the attack of the human who threw me earlier couldn’t inflict a fatal wound on me.
In that case, I just need to make it impossible for the opponent to detect my attack.
Distancing myself from the human, I unleashed a breath without charging it up.
Of course, I don’t think this will defeat them.
It’s a blinding breath.
I don’t understand well, but these humans are different from any opponent I’ve fought until now.
I swung my claws aiming for the moment the human lost sight of me due to the breath.
This is the end.
Rather, they held out well until now.
I will acknowledge them as an enemy.
I felt the sensation of my claw tip touching the human.
I thought it was over.
I thought it was decided.
But at that moment, I tasted the sensation of spinning through the air again, just like before.
Before I knew it, I had been slammed into the ground again.
I don’t know what happened.
But I can see the figures of the humans in front of me rejoicing.
The hateful human pointed at me, and the other human who threw me looked at me.
With that small pupil, floating a horrifying smile…
A chilling sensation I had never felt before ran down my spine.
Yes, thinking back now, that was probably the emotion called fear, which I tasted for the first time in my dragon life.
Not even knowing the name of my own emotion, I unconsciously emitted that emotion outward.
Nyyyyaaaaaaaagh!
$diamond$
The Silver One screamed.
It seems that one has finally understood the terror of these humans as well.
The Silver One flies.
Is blown away while spinning round and round.
“No, stop it!”
The Silver One begs for forgiveness.
“Please! I can’t take anymore!”
But alas.
Our words do not reach humans.
“H-Help!”
The Silver One seeks salvation from us, but no one tries to go help.
Because we know we’ll get caught up in it if we go.
Those who were attacking the humans together with the Silver One just a moment ago have already stopped their attacks and evacuated to the sky.
Umu, there is no one who will save you.
Frankly, helping is I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E.
“…!!?”
Perhaps understanding that no one will help.
The Silver One’s eyes are dyed in despair.
And so, for how long was the Silver One thrown around?
Was it just a short time, or did it continue for days?
However, such a terrifying time came to an end as the human throwing the Silver One showed signs of fatigue.
Umu, humans get tired too, huh.
…Ah, that dangerous human cast magic on the tired human, and they became energetic again.
He also cast magic on the limp Silver One to heal its wounds.
Ah, I see. Heal the wounds, then resume throwing.
Umu, everyone, resume watching.
(((((Roger!)))))
My brethren reply with their eyes.
I see, so this is what they call hell.
“I-I’m gonna die… this time I’m really gonna die…”
It’s okay, the opponent absolutely doesn’t seem to intend to kill you.
I never thought keeping someone alive without killing them could be such a terrifying thing, though.
And the Silver One continued to be thrown for an even longer time, and finally, around the time the sun began to sink into the mountains, the Silver One was released.
Good for you for being alive, Silver One.
Just when I thought that, the companion humans who were resting came forward.
It seems next is the turn for these humans to throw the Silver One.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
The Silver One’s sorrowful scream echoes through our territory.
…Can’t be helped, I suppose I’ll throw a lifeline.
I got up and stood between the humans and the Silver One.
“G-Golden One?”
The Silver One stares at me with surprised eyes.
The surrounding brethren are also buzzing at my reckless act of stepping in front of those humans.
Honestly, my heart is pounding too.
The humans are confused by my sudden action.
Except for that human, they exude an air of vigilance, wondering what on earth I intend to do.
Then I shall teach you.
It is… THIS!
Roll.
I rolled onto my back and showed my belly.
Yes, this is total surrender!
I will not resist at all!
I am defenseless!
“…Eh? Wait, eh!? Golden One?”
“Watch silently, Silver One. This is how I take responsibility.”
The humans begin consulting about something seeing me showing the posture of total surrender again.
And their consultation must have ended.
The fighting spirit disappeared from the humans.
Kukuku, it was as I deduced.
If we show no hostility, these humans will not aggressively attack.
Truly, thank you for not attacking.
“Golden One…”
“Did you see, Silver One? The reason why I did not deem it good to fight this human.”
“Ugh…”
The Silver One, having realized the true power of the humans, groans.
“Now, what will you do?”
I will not force you.
From here on, it is a decision of dragon life that each dragon must make for themselves.
“…”
The Silver One pondered for a while, but perhaps finally resolving itself, it raised its staggering body and headed in front of the humans.
Then, lowering its body, it offered its horn to the humans.
“Human, I offer you my horn.”
Offering a horn.
That is the dragon’s ritual of swearing allegiance to another species.
It is a warrior’s declaration to serve the strong one who defeated them.
Perhaps knowing the meaning of offering a horn.
The human who was throwing the Silver One until just now responds.
Then, timidly taking out a thin claw, he shaved the Silver One’s horn.
“With this, the ritual is established. I shall follow you.”
A stir ran through the brethren at the Silver One’s declaration.
Umu, for the past several hundred years, there hasn’t been a single one who offered their horn to another species.
“It is said that in the past, we compared strength with humans and carried the humans whose strength we acknowledged on our backs.”
The Jewel One hums a story about ancient times that supposedly happened.
“Golden One, by recreating that era, you protected the Silver One from those humans, didn’t you?”
No, I wasn’t thinking that deeply, though.
“As expected of the Golden One. I thought you had become spineless, but to think it was a strategy to conclude a non-aggression pact with those terrifying humans!”
No, I really wasn’t thinking such things, you know?
“Humans and dragons joining hands. To think such an era would come again.”
“A new era of dragons and humans, huh…”
No, you guys are acting cool, but it’s a fact that you abandoned the Silver One together with me just a moment ago, right?
It’s definitely going to be scary later, you know?
Well, since I followed up for the Silver One, there’s no need to worry about that part!
Fuhahahahaha!!
Incidentally, after that, for some reason, the Silver One started coming to take care of me excessively, but that is a story for another time.
