Chapter 9: Chapter 5: A Story Of Death (Part 2)
Dragon: "What are you …?"
Before the dragon could finish its question, Death disappears. It takes just a second for the dragon to realize the spirit is behind him, but it is already too late. Claws have peeled the skin of the dragon's back. The impact moves the dragon a little as he tries to gain back some momentum, but a kick comes from Death. He was hit in the same spot he had been cut and the pain worsens because of it. The kick, by itself is powerful enough to send the dragon flying towards the trees.
The clearing they were in is just a circular area devoid of trees which held the tomb in it. Trees aren't very far from there, and the kick is powerful enough that the dragon crashes at one of them. His body had first been cut at the back, making huge amounts of blood flowing out, then it had gotten a kick at the same spot as the wound powerful enough to shatter his bones and then he had been hit a tree right where his rib cage was.
Sona: "Finally feeling like you underestimated us?"
The dragon tries to stand up, but is not able to. It's not that his bones are broken so much that he couldn't get up. The problem is that Death, within a second, had reached the spot where his body had fallen.
Sona: "Get him."
Death's paws stomp at the dragon's body. The dragon's priority is to try to protect itself, not to run away. He has clearly underestimated the sheer speed of his opponent. It is impossible to run away now, impossible to run from Death.
Dragon: "That hurt … quite a lot."
Sona: "It's just the beginning."
Death moves back so the dragon can get up. The dragon understands that if he refuses to get up, he would get stomped over again. He also knows some sort of pain will come after he gets up, but maybe that time he would be able to defend himself.
Dragon: "But this spirit is something else I have to say."
The fact that it has moved backwards and has started to wait for him to get up is a testament to the fact that it has not lost all of it mind yet.
Dragon: "I guess it makes sense for you to let the rage fuel inside it if it can control itself to this extent."
The dragon had earlier asked if letting the spirit lose itself to rage is a good thing for Sona but if even after that humiliation, it doesn't lose itself to rage, then that would rather be beneficial to her. The dragon now understands this, but
Sona: "Maybe. Or maybe you just can't see the other possibility."
Dragon: "Other … possibility?"
Dragon looks at Sona. His face is still serious, hostility has now become clear, but there is also an inquisitive emotion coming out on his face.
But as the dragon wonders what it means while he got up half-way through, his arms feel a certain sense of pain. That pain is not of getting hit or of bleeding, it is the pain of having something sharp piercing inside. With one glance, it is clear – Death has opened its jaw and bitten into the dragon's arms. Just as soon as the dragon is about to react to it, the arm comes off. Death moves its jaw sideways and the arm gets detached from where it used to be.
The dragon fell a little away from the impact of the reactive force. But the beast is still near, holding his broken arm in its jaws. It throws the arm away and looks back at the dragon. The dragon says nothing but only looks back.
Sona: "I'm surprised you are not screaming in pain right now?"
Dragon: "Tch!"
Neither terror nor pain has shown up on his face. The expressions of seriousness and hostility and are still present, with some inquisition clear on his face. He looks like a helpless victim who can't even cry in agony over what is happening to him.
But that won't stop Death. Having fallen a little distance away from where he previously was, the dragon is near to a tree. Within a second, his head starts cracking by the impact on the tree's trunk. The cause of this is the paw that has pushed the dragon's head on the tree with a force that defies logic.
Dragon: "AH!!! AAH!!!"
Pain finally starts showing on his face. Little by little, the expression that clearly shows the results of the fight till now is surfacing on his face.
Sona: "Finally feeling pain?"
Sona has started to enjoy seeing the dragon get beat up. This sadistic joy was hindered till now by just one aspect – the dragon didn't show any pain. There was no reaction from him that could assure her that he really is getting beaten up badly and is not trying to bluff it. Now that assurance has finally come.
Sona: "Death, what are you waiting for?"
Death pounces on the dragon at the same time she shouts at him. Neither Death nor Sona feel any sympathy for the dragon. No matter how miserable he looks, both have enough rage in them to ignore every other feeling that may come up.
But while Death's rage is a result of superiority complex among high-class spirits like him, Sona's rage is much more than that. She has suffered a lot because of this dragon, so she wouldn't allow herself to pity him. To pity him would mean betraying everything she has worked hard for all her life.
Dragon: "That's a sadistic smile if I have ever seen one."
Sona realizes that she is smiling. She realizes that this isn't something she should be smiling about, no matter how much she hates the dragon. But there is no way around it. It is happiness born out of her lifelong opponent's defeat. If it is sadistic, so be it.
Sona: "I couldn't care less right now."
Her face has twisted into a smile that dampens her otherwise beautiful features. But she would not let something so simple stop her.
Sona: "Kill that bastard, Death."
Death responds without a delay as it runs its claws on the dragon's stomach. Blood rushes out of the wound much faster than it did when he got cut in the back.
Dragon: "AGH!!!"
The dragon is clearly losing the battle. In fact, calling what is happening there a battle is absurd. It is just a one-sided slaughter. But can this really be true? Can a dragon who befriended god lose to some mere spirit? Is this not an insult to other dragons that he is considered the greatest of them? If his peers were to see this, they would disown him. These thoughts run through his mind. While the expressions may not be visible on his face, every single one of them is felt by the dragon. He feels the pain, the anger, the irritation, the regret – he feels all the emotion one would feel at this point and more.
Dragon: "I did underestimate you."
Death climbs over the dragon's fallen body. It looks at the dragon, in his pitiful state, with a look of disdain in its eyes. What could it be thinking? Did it consider itself so superior that even now when it has already shown the dragon which one of them is stronger; it still feels rage for being belittled earlier? What an arrogant spirit? The dragon never knew spirits could be capable of being so prideful.
Dragon: "Ha! What are you – the incarnation of arrogance or something?"
Death raises its paws to finish the dragon once in for all. With the next strike, it will cut-off the head and everything will be over.
Sona: "Go on! Behead him!"
Sona cheering the beast up is out of her character, but seeing the dragon pummeled down like that, she can't help herself.
With the next strike, the dragon will lose his life. He closes his eyes, accepting what's about to come. And with the next strike, blood splatters everywhere. Or it should have. However, spirits don't have blood.
Sona: "Death!!!"
The spirit named Death has died.
Sona: "What!? What's going on?"
The dragon opens his eyes. He looks at the lifeless corpse of the spirit above his body with his lower body bathing in the dragon's blood. The dragon had accepted his fate, the fate of becoming a murderer yet again.
Dragon: "Well, it doesn't bother me anymore."
He moves his gaze at the woman who has fallen to her knees with shock on her face. This woman had been so glad his enemy was going to die. Obviously, when the opposite happens, she will be shocked beyond what she can handle.
Dragon: "I truly underestimated you two."
The dragon is not being sarcastic. He is not trying to make her feel bad. He is just saying the truth. He had truly underestimated Death. And that is why, another murder fell upon his hands.
Sona: "Why? What … does … this … mean?"
???: "I think I get what it means."
The dragon does not feel surprised. He had sensed the presence nearby, but Sona and Death had been so focused on the fighting they had failed to notice it.
Sona: "Who's there?"
She looks back and gets her answer automatically. Who else would it be but the only other human on the island?
Sona: "Kais?"
Kais: "Yeah, me. I saw the whole thing go down, and I think I know why your spirit lost in the end."
The look on Kais' face is that of despair. He walks out of the forest into the clearing but keeps his distance from the two of them.
Dragon: "I see. I figured a psychic should be able to figure it out."
Death's corpse has started to vanish, a fate that awaits all spirits after death. Getting out from the remains of the spirit, the dragon stands up.
Sona: "What do you mean you know why it lost? Death was winning just a moment ago."
Sona's eyes are filled with shock and despair and elude an aura Kais doesn't want to witness, but he has to come to the dragon eventually, so there is no point in backing out now.
Kais: "Hey, dragon. Your power …"
The dragon, soaked in blood turns his attention to Kais. Kais doesn't flinch, but as always, he is ready for anything suspicious.
Kais: "It's pretty twisted, isn't it?"
Dragon: "In what context?"
Kais: "In the context that you hate it yourself."
The dragon smiles, a mild smile, and then nods. It is not a grin or a frown that covers his face right now but a relieved smile on seeing someone who could understand him.
Kais: "Your power is conditional. Only when certain conditions are met, it will perform itself."
Sona takes a look at the dragon and sees him nodding. She too understands what that could mean, but doesn't want to believe it. So she still needs to ask about it.
Sona: "What's that condition supposed to be?"
Kais: "The condition is – 'Whenever anyone comes close to killing him, that individual will die'."
Sona: "What!!!"
Of course she knew the answer, but she just couldn't accept it. So she forces herself to be shocked.
Kais: "If I combine that with a dragon's regenerative abilities. It might not be that much of a stretch to say – he is immortal."
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