Chương 56: Dragon

Ch 56 - Dragon Seeing the creature before him, Reid froze. He had seen a dragon before in his previous life, but the one before him was nothing like the beast he remembered. Unlike the four-legged beast with massive claws and a pair of vast wings, this creature resembled the legendary beings found in Eastern mythology on Earth. Its long, serpentine body stretched across the floor, with four smaller claws, while its back was devoid of wings. Was this the boss of the second dungeon? Reid felt a hint of pity.

In his previous life, he had known dragons to be intelligent and wise beings, capable of reason and understanding. However, the creatures found within dungeons and the Tower were different. Many were little more than monsters, driven by instinct and hostility toward humans. Even if he wanted to spare this one, he knew he likely had no choice but to kill it. Since it was still asleep, perhaps he could end things quickly and spare it from unnecessary suffering. Raising his gun, Reid moved his finger to the trigger.

"Stop!" A man in ceremonial robes rushed forward, placing himself between Reid and the monster. A tall black hat rested upon his head, but the most alarming sight was the gaping hole in his chest, where cracks had begun spreading outward like shattered glass.

"I won't let you harm Lord Shizunagi!" Seeing the wound, Reid could only make one assumption.

"Are you... the Umibozu?"

"I am indeed!" The man pointed accusingly at Reid.

"And let me tell you, your people are the most boorish and discourteous lot I have ever encountered! You attacked me when I had shown not even the slightest sign of hostility!"

"... Forgive me?" Reid replied, even though he had not attacked the man himself. He had only fought the ghostly soldiers who had attacked him aboard the ship.

"As you should!" The man crossed his arms.

"But where are my manners? My name is Yamanoi Norishige." He gave a slight bow.

"It is nice to meet you as well, Mr. Yamanoi. My name is Reid Whitfield." Reid returned the gesture with a small bow of his own.

"At least you know how to conduct yourself properly," Yamanoi said.

"If you don't mind me asking, I was under the impression that you couldn't understand our language," Reid said. He had heard the ghosts speaking to Yamanoi in an unfamiliar tongue.

"Not initially, but through the grace and wisdom of Lord Shizunagi, I came to understand your language, especially after your people continued barging into our territory time and time again."

"I'm... sorry?" Reid said.

"But if you could communicate with us, why didn't you try speaking with us before? I'm sure my people would have been more than willing to discuss this." Yamanoi gave him an exasperated look.

"Do you think I could speak while I was in that form? And even if I could, what would there be to discuss? All we want is for you and your people to leave. That is what I am telling you now. Leave this place. You are not welcome here." Reid tilted his head. As much as he wanted to exit the Rift, it wasn't as though he could simply leave. Not only that, coming across an intelligent, non-aggressive being inside a Rift was an exceptionally rare occurrence.

"But I still haven't found my companions," Reid said.

"We were dragged into this second dungeon after the portal appeared when you fell." Yamanoi's expression darkened.

"And that is because of your people. Your endless attacks and constant harvesting have caused the space Lord Shizunagi worked so hard to maintain to crumble. You could have left us in peace, but you had to return one last time. And now, it seems..." He glanced around the palace.

"You may all become trapped here."

"Then what exactly is happening?" Reid asked.

"If you can explain things clearly, maybe we can help. We've been trying to understand more about Rifts and the Tower, so if you can share any information with us, we'd be more than willing to assist you."

"Like I said, I cannot tell you—" Yamanoi clutched his chest as his form began to distort. His outline flickered, the edges of his figure breaking apart as if he were about to scatter into dust.

"Are you alright?" Reid stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, sending a stream of Sacred Light into him. Yamanoi's strained expression eased. He looked down in surprise as the cracks spreading across his chest began to close slightly, though the wound remained far from healed. Reid frowned and attempted to send more Sacred Light into him, but Yamanoi raised a hand to stop him.

"That's enough. There is no need to waste your power on me, but... thank you. I did not expect to find someone with your abilities here." He studied Reid with a newfound curiosity.

"I have met many people from your world, but none possessed the ability to wield Sacred Light. You are quite unique."

"I suppose I am, but are you certain you don't want me to heal you further? I have plenty of energy to spare," Reid said.

"There is no need. I am merely a ghost living on borrowed time. Moreover, my life is tied to Lord Shizunagi. I remain here only because of him."

"Then can you truly not tell me how the two of you ended up here?" Reid asked. For hundreds of years, humanity had searched for answers about Rifts, yet many of their greatest mysteries remained unsolved. They theorized that these strange domains were fragments of other worlds, but they still had no explanation for why they appeared on Earth or why the creatures within them were so hostile toward humanity. The questions surrounding Rifts remained as elusive as the Tower itself.

Now, standing before a being from a Rift who could communicate with him, Reid knew he couldn't let this chance slip away. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"You truly are a stubborn man," Yamanoi said with a sigh.

"But no matter what you do, I cannot tell you anything..." His gaze drifted back toward the sleeping dragon.

"Though you could try seeking wisdom from Lord Shizunagi. However, he is asleep and exhausted, so..."

"Do you want me to try healing him?" Reid asked. Yamanoi coughed into his fist.

"The wounds Lord Shizunagi suffered are not something that can be easily healed. However..." He glanced at Reid.

"If you are willing to try to ease his pain, it might help." Reid didn't need to hear anything more. He stepped forward and approached Shizunagi. Even lying down, his enormous form towered over Reid, making him feel as though he were standing before a mountain. Reid placed a hand against Shizunagi's side and sent Sacred Light into him. It was immediately swallowed as though by an endless void. He continued pouring more and more Sacred Light into him, yet the seemingly bottomless drain showed no sign of slowing.

Closing his eyes, Reid focused his senses and searched for the source of the problem. The deeper he probed, the more his expression darkened. Buried deep within Shizunagi, he sensed a familiar trace of corrupted energy. Sssshrrrrk! The dragon stirred. His massive eyes slowly opened, revealing intense blue irises with narrow slits. Those eyes locked onto Reid, causing him to freeze. For several moments, neither of them moved as they observed one another.

"Lord Shizunagi! You are awake!" Yamanoi exclaimed.

"Oh, praise the Dragon God Ryujin! Praise Amaterasu!"

"Norishige..." Shizunagi's voice echoed through the chamber. Reid stepped back as the dragon raised his head.

"And you... who might you be?"

"Reid Whitfield," Reid replied.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Shizunagi."

"A human who wields Sacred Light..." Shizunagi's piercing gaze remained fixed upon him.

"How curious. I never expected to encounter one such as you within this realm. I see that you attempted to heal me, and for that, you have my gratitude. However, I would not have you waste your efforts on something that cannot be undone." The dragon shifted, his long serpentine form uncoiling to reveal what had been hidden from Reid's view. A deep gash ran across his lower back. Corrosive power seeped from the wound, writhing like living poison as it clung stubbornly to the flesh and refused to let it heal.

"Demonic energy..." Reid murmured.

"Indeed," Shizunagi replied.

"I have spent my remaining strength suppressing its influence and slowing its advance, yet such efforts have only prolonged the inevitable. This corruption is not something that can be easily removed." His blue eyes shimmered faintly in the darkness.

"My time is nearing its end."

"Please do not speak as though your fate has already been decided, Lord Shizunagi," Yamanoi pleaded.

"Norishige..." Shizunagi's voice remained gentle.

"There comes a time when even the strongest of beings must acknowledge reality. We have fought against this outcome for long enough. There is little left for us to do." Reid clenched his fists.

"Then tell me what happened. If this was caused by a demon, allow me to help. I am a Demon Hunter."

"A bold declaration from a human." Shizunagi lowered his head until he was level with Reid. He studied him for a moment before continuing.

"Yet you are unlike the others who have entered this realm. A Demon Hunter, you say... Maybe fate has brought you here for a reason." He turned his attention toward the depths of the palace.

"There is a demon within this place. A creature that I must see destroyed before my final moments arrive. In the past, it was an adversary I could have defeated without difficulty. But now..." His voice grew quieter.

"The dragon who once stood against such foes no longer exists. To fight in my current state would only stain the name of my clan and leave behind a meaningless end. But perhaps... with your arrival, that fate may yet be changed."

"But Lord Shizunagi! You have not recovered!" Yamanoi protested.

"And I never shall," Shizunagi said.

"Enough, Norishige. I understand your concern, but we both know the path before us has already narrowed. If my life must come to an end, then I would rather meet that end with purpose." Yamanoi lowered his head at those words and said nothing more.

"What do you want me to do?" Reid asked.

"I shall open the gate to the Sealed Realm that lies beneath this palace," Shizunagi replied.

"Within it dwells a demon that has defiled my sister's corpse and made it its vessel. You need only retrieve her Dragon Pearl. Deprived of it, the creature's strength will wane, and what remains shall be mine to finish. A human of your stature is less likely to draw its notice than I am, and if your words bear truth, I trust you will accomplish what is required." Reid nodded without hesitation.

"I accept." Shizunagi regarded him in silence for a moment.

"I have not yet spoken of any reward, and still you accept?"

"I am a Demon Hunter. I kill demons," Reid replied. A rumble escaped Shizunagi.

"So that is the creed by which you live. Even so, a debt freely incurred remains a debt nonetheless. You entered this Rift in search of treasures, did you not? Then, should you succeed, I shall entrust you with one of my Heart Scales. I believe you will find it worthy of your efforts." That did not sound like a bad offer. Reid had indeed entered this dungeon to gather materials for Evan's gift, but a Dragon Heart Scale was far more valuable than anything he had originally planned to obtain.

"Very well," Reid said.

"Then I shall show you the way." Shizunagi raised his hand, and Reid and Yamanoi were lifted into the air. He then flew deeper into the palace as the doors before them opened one after another, revealing a path through the expansive halls. Eventually, they arrived at an open garden. Reid and Yamanoi landed gently on the ground as Shizunagi coiled around the massive circular pond at its center.

With a flick of his claws, a magic circle materialized above the water, its intricate patterns twisting and shifting like the mechanisms of an ancient lock. The surface began to glow as ripples spread from the center, and its reflection transformed, revealing the dark silhouette of an immense karst mountain beneath a sky choked with clouds.

"I have confined that demon within this realm, denying it any path to escape. Yet even now it ceaselessly seeks to break free. Conceal your presence and wait until the proper moment reveals itself. Once the Dragon Pearl is in your possession, I shall intervene and bring this long ordeal to its end." Shizunagi then beckoned Reid forward. As he stepped closer, the dragon lowered a clawed hand and traced another glyph before Reid's left eye. The glyph dissolved into faint specks of light that drifted into his eye.

Reid blinked as a gentle warmth spread through it.

"That shall allow you to share your vision with me," Shizunagi said.

"Through it, we may also speak while you journey within the Sealed Realm."

"Understood. But do you know where the others in my team are?" Reid asked.

"The others..." Shizunagi paused.

"They are not within this palace. It is most likely they were cast into the Sealed Realm. Fortune has favored you where it has not favored them. Make haste, for every moment you delay grants that demon another opportunity to claim them." Reid's expression tightened at those words. Without wasting another moment, he leapt into the pond.