There was no way of measuring the wounds he carried within his heart. Still, she continued to speak to him, hoping to bring him back.
“I do not know what you wished for, or what you wanted at the end of the game! But do you really want everything to end like this!? Was the dream you had worth so little!?”
But the boy continued to shake his head.
Was it hopeless after all? Perhaps the words of an enemy god were of little worth.
“In his final match, that man lost his life as a shogi player.”
From beyond the surface of the water, the golden dragon began to speak in an almost whispering voice.
“But that was not the price he paid for losing. He was accused of cheating, and cut it off of his own accord in order to prove his innocence.”
Salia did not even know the name or face of this person, yet the tale was easing the Hero’s trembling.
“He had a basin filled to the brim with snow, used to it to stem the bleeding as he continued to play with his remaining left hand. On the final day of December, as the year’s end bells rang through the freezing air, he came close to losing consciousness from blood loss and exhaustion. But still…he managed to win.”
There was admiration on the dragon’s face.
He spoke as if reminiscing about those distant days.
“That man never admitted defeat of his own accord. Even when beaten down, even when he lost consciousness, he never stopped fighting. There wasn’t a single gambler who didn’t grimace upon hearing his name.”
‘Grandpa…’
The boy raised his head slowly.
‘You know…about him?’
“Only as a spectator. There were times when I rode the waves of his skill and made a little fortune for myself.”
‘Um…well…about my name…’
“The name of a legendary master. A man who held five lifetimes of titles… But, ah, you are speaking of that rumor?”
The dragon narrowed his eyes as if he was hearing something amusing.
“You want to know if your grandfather truly faced that master or not?”
‘Ye…yes.’
“Then choose.”
Beneath the water mirror, radiating with a majesty that compelled every being present to bow before him, the gold Dragon god pointed out the path before the Hero.
“Will you stake your life and pride, and fight the mighty warriors before you with the souls of your followers as the price? Or will you avoid any further pain and flee? If you win, I will tell you the whole truth.”
‘Uh…ah…’
“But do not forget this. The path before you is supported by the lives of countless people. If you lose and vanish, they will lose their power and be left standing at death’s door.”
The boy’s expression darkened again. It was a reality that he had never truly acknowledged before, and he began to tremble.
‘You really pull this on people every time, don’t you, old man?’
The small dragon chuckled as he stepped forward. And then he looked at the boy with a strangely sorrowful expression.
‘I suppose you were tricked, baited and ended up here, right? But once something is done, it can’t just be taken back.’
‘But…’
‘The thing is, you never really know whether what you did was right or wrong until much later. But if that’s the case, it seems quite obvious what you should do.’
Fi said quietly, as he glanced over to the general and strategist.
‘At the very least, since you have companions who are worried about you, you should do what needs to be done for their sake.’
Said the young dragon. And then he hurried away and vanished from the scene.
“What a fool. If you are going to get so embarrassed and hide afterwards, then don’t try to act cool in the first place.”
‘The duel will take place tomorrow morning, when the sun rises above the mountains. The site of this meeting will serve as the battleground. If you come, so be it. If not, then I will crush your forces in a single, overwhelming attack.”
The Demon General, who had silently observed the entire exchange, spoke in a calm tone. The boy rose to his feet. Though shaken, a measure of resolve seemed to return to his face as he looked at the monster.
‘Your personal circumstances are none of my concern. Had you stayed on the ground, I would have surely taken off your head before you felt a thing. However, it is a different matter if you choose to stand before me as an opponent. I will treat you as an enemy commander and crush you.’
‘Yes… That’s what I wanted.’
The weakness that had gripped him was gone now. Though there were traces of hesitation remaining, the Hero was standing on his own two feet.
Eventually, the officers and soldiers of both armies departed from the meeting place.
As he watched them leave, the Dragon God let out another exasperated sigh.
“At this level, even stupidity can become a talent. What kind of fool goes around and removes their opponent’s weakness?”
“That being said, doesn’t it ease your conscience a little? After you dug into his regrets and reopened old wounds.”
“You underestimate the thickness of my hide. Turning a human brat into a sobbing wreck is not enough to trouble me.”
Still, Salia sensed a feeling of relief in the grizzled dragon’s face as he took a sip of his drink.
“My cup is running low. And the long battle will soon come to an end.”
The world beyond the water mirror began to grow white.
The sky shifted from pitch black to deep indigo, and then to a pale crimson.
A future that looked much the same as yesterday’s…and yet was fundamentally different.
The final battle, where there would be no second chances, was about to begin.