“I do not have the right to participate. In other words, I would not be able to aid you directly with blessings. And I cannot give you great power before you depart.”
“In other words, don’t expect another cheat. I have to start at level 1. With rags and a wooden club.”
“And you cannot pick up anything you lost. No Contiue.”
“What happens if I die?”
“You must survive and return no matter what. That is all that I can say.”
Koji sighed and thought about what he knew.
The first time, it felt like a game. Death was so far away.
But this time, the adventurer really would require him to risk his life.
“Let me ask you again.”
Yamami seemed to detect what he was thinking.
“Koji Itsumi. Do you want to go to that world again?”
The god stood in the middle of the crosswalk.
He had thought long and hard.
That strange experience. The ending. How should he take it?
What he did.
If he made this contract, it might change things.
Of course, he could not back down.
He would never get a chance to clear the clouds of doubt and regret.
The god was waiting for his answer.
“I’ll go.”
Koji said.
“Good.”
And then Yamami’s body began to melt and disappear.
And then it appeared.
“Ah…!”
Without sound or wind. Still, it showed itself with an overwhelming sense of presence.
The four strong legs planted on the earth. The long torso and smooth tail. Its body was covered in golden scales, and a pair of wings drew beautiful curves as they stretched out from his back.
The elongated face had white hair and thick black horns.
Everything was gigantic. It covered the street with its body, and loomed up high like a three-story building.
“You’re…a dragon.”
“Are you surprised?”
“Yeah…”
The dragon god, Elm Aud, looked down at him kindly.
“In that case, I will use a secret technique.”
And then his jaw opened, showing the sharp teeth.
“Hey… What are you going to do?”
“This will hurt a little. But you must bear it.”
“What!? You idiot! Stop-”
Steam rose from the back of the dragon’s throat.
And then the current washed him down. He was swallowed.
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!”
The heat poured into every cell in his body, and the pain made his consciousness fade.
His bones bent and his flesh distorted. Koji Itsumi’s body was being reshaped by giant hands.
“ARGHHH!! AHH! AHHHHH!!!”
As he fell to his knees, he realized something else was wrong.
“Wh-what is…”
He saw the blue foot with the three cream-colored claws.
His pants must have burned off.
As the light faded, it dawned on him. It wasn’t just his feet. His arms and body were also blue. And while he still had five fingers on each hand, the nails were long and hard.
And he felt something new on his back.
It moved at his will. It must be a tail. He hated the sensation of the asphalt under it.
But the other thing was more surprising. Something humans could never have.
Wings.
“Wh-what did you do to me!”
“I cannot take you as you were. And so, I turned you into a little dragon.”
“And I’m sure you can turn me back!?”
“Do not worry. If you come back alive, I will reverse it.”
Koji felt the weight of those words as he looked at himself again.
In spite of the huge transformation, he was getting used to it already. Perhaps that was also the power of the dragon god.
“Now. It’s time to go, Fiacur.”
“…Who is that?”
“It is your new name. You cannot use a human name.”
“Does it mean anything?”
The dragon god extended his arm and chuckled.
“If forced to translate it into human language, it would be something like ‘The One Who Rules the Sky’ or ‘The One Who Embraces Both Light and Darkness.’”
“Huh. That’s wasted on me.”
“Well, parents are like that. Now, hang on tightly.”
He was pulled against the warm body, and the young dragon clutched onto the dragon god.
And then the great golden dragon raised its head to the sky.
‘v………….’
It sounded.
Not a word or a roar. But pure, high-pitched sound. It rippled through the air and spread out.
‘V……..m……….’
And like that, the giant form rose into the air.
It spread out its wings and pushed itself into the sky.
“Ah…ah…”
The sounds soaked into his new body, and his bones shook.
Wind was blowing into Koji’s body as he felt the dragon’s voice in his horns.
‘Cry Song.’
The dragon god’s voice reverberated as if the atmosphere was talking to him.
‘A technique that uses the voices of all things—the language of spirits and the breath of dragons. Someone who communicates with nature can control the melodies of these elements.’
“Ah…”
He felt his body becoming lighter. Breathing in and out felt like it was part of the wind. A comfortable freedom.
The place of his birth was becoming far away.
The city under the sunset light. The world was unaware of the flying dragon, and continued on as it always did.
‘Ah, damn it.’
The dragon god muttered.
“What is it?”
He pointed to the ground. To a building on the other side of the bridge, outside of the electronics district.
‘My dragons like the katsu sandwiches there. And so I was going to get some for them.’
“Heh…”
The young dragon smiled and then burst into laughter.
“Ahahaha! A dragon eating katsu sandwiches!”
‘Don’t laugh. Dragons love to eat all manner of food. They like the many dishes of the human world.’
“You should just like in Akihabara then! Really, this is so dumb!”
‘Indeed! Maybe I should do that!’
The dragon god laughed as he rose into the air.
As the sky turned a darker red, the newly born dragon stretched out his neck as if to see better.
And like that, they disappeared into the heavens.
I love it! What a great idea and well executed, bringing him back into the story. Not another ‘died but showed redemptive qualities toward the end so the reader can empathize with the character’ but instead, character growth through the humility to recognize what they had done wrong, and the opportunity to put in hard work and take risks to move forward. Excellent!
It makes me want to reread the previous chapters.
Thanks for your translation, Jawbrie!