Ember considered himself the type who didn't go looking for trouble, and his temper was decent enough.
But that didn't mean he would swallow everything.
His fist rode the wind, with no restraint whatsoever, smashing toward the girl's beautiful face.
"Why are you so angry?" The girl seemed genuinely puzzled by the reason for Ember's fury. She dodged while asking, confused.
"Why am I angry? You've still got the nerve to ask why I'm angry?" Ember felt like his rage was about to combust.
Fist met fist. The recoil sent both of them sliding back.
"If you're angry because I tested you earlier…" Golden light flashed in the girl's eyes—brilliant, molten gold. In that moment her identity needed no explanation.
A Dragon King.
The Dragon King girl stared at Ember. "I can apologize."
A dragon's bloodline meant power, status, rank. The lower bowed to the higher—an iron law of dragonkind.
She was a lofty Dragon King, and in her eyes Ember was merely a second-generation. She believed that once she revealed her true status, his anger would naturally vanish. Yet—
"Apologize? If apologies worked, what do we need fists for?" Ember didn't slow down at all. He closed the gap at top speed and threw a rider kick.
The girl raised a hand and blocked.
The ground under their feet spider-webbed and cracked from the clash.
"You really are different," the Dragon King murmured.
Ember tried to pull his leg back, but she had it locked in a death grip.
"When I revealed myself, you still kept such hostility. That's rare among dragons."
"What, you think I'm supposed to kneel the moment you show your face and swear loyalty?" Ember's own golden eyes began to rise like fire.
"Don't flatter yourself, King of Earth and Mountain!"
He'd already recognized who she really was—dragonkind's hardest mouth, Teacher Xia Mi. So what? She had started this. He'd warned her before: if he caught her, she'd regret it.
Staring into Ember's golden eyes—eyes that looked like flames burning—Xia Mi frowned deeply. They were unlike any golden eyes she had ever known. As a second-generation, his blood should've been pure enough. There was no reason for this… impurity.
"You really are different. What exactly are you?"
Her answer was a spiral-shaped sword.
Xia Mi reacted instantly, yanking Ember's leg and hurling him away.
"Where did that sword come from? It wasn't there just now." She watched as a figure rose from the smoke-filled woods.
Ember pulled the Coiled Sword from the spatial backpack he'd bought for 300 points and leveled it at her.
"Come on. Round two."
"…I don't think we need to fight. I can apologize for that."
Ember wasn't wasting any more words. She was a dragon—today, tomorrow, forever. Reason was something she didn't deserve to hear.
He stepped forward and pushed his speed to the absolute limit. The sword in his hand showed zero mercy as it thrust straight for her chest.
Xia Mi didn't budge, as if her confidence were bottomless.
"Word Spirit? Or is she just tanking it with her body?" Ember wondered—then—
Blood sprayed.
The blade pierced her chest cleanly, without the slightest resistance.
Ember blinked at the Dragon King girl he'd just skewered, baffled she hadn't dodged.
"…What the hell?"
"If words are useless, then we trade in equivalents." Even with a sword through her, her expression stayed calm. "You were once pierced by the Dead Servant I sent. Now you've pierced me. That should count as my apology."
"You're insane." Ember yanked the sword out, and her blood nearly splashed on him. "If you want to fight, then fight. What's with this weird crap?"
She pressed a hand to the wound, face pale. "I never meant to be your enemy."
"You never meant to be my enemy? Then explain why you sent that thing after me!"
"It couldn't threaten you. Even if you were the weakest dragon, it still couldn't harm you. I only used it to confirm your identity."
"So what's the point of saying any of this now?" Ember snapped back.
"Even if you know I'm a dragon, so what? Don't tell me you thought you'd take me as your dog or something."
Facing his contempt, Xia Mi shook her head.
"You didn't attack again. Does that mean you've forgiven me?"
"Wrong. I don't beat up the mentally ill. That's illegal." Ember stowed the Firelink Greatsword back into his pack and turned to leave—only for her to grab him tightly.
"What now?" Ember seriously thought this Dragon King had a screw loose. She started a war, then tried to apologize. What kind of logic was that?
"I think we could be friends," Xia Mi said earnestly.
"Crazy."
"I'm serious." The hole in her chest had already healed. "You're a dragon, I'm a dragon. We live in this human city. Shouldn't we at least know each other?"
"Your attitude five minutes ago says otherwise," Ember mocked.
"I'm sorry for what I did. But I truly want to be your friend."
Ember stared at her. He wasn't about to fall into one of life's three great delusions… so why did she insist on friendship?
An answer surfaced.
"…Do Dragon Kings get Blood Sorrow too?"
Xia Mi fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded—difficulty visible in the motion.
Ember was completely thrown off by the honesty from dragonkind's so-called hardest mouth.
"If you still aren't satisfied, you can stab me again. Double repayment. Would that be enough to show my sincerity?" Xia Mi looked up at him, eyes solemn.
"…You're really making it hard for me to stay mad."
Stab her twice? What genius brain came up with that?
His anger fizzled. He didn't even know how to keep being furious.
He'd been stabbed; he'd stabbed back. Looked like they were even… but life didn't work like that.
What about emotional damages?
Ember sighed.
"Fine, fine. I forgive you. Let go. My friends are waiting for dinner."
"Then… are we friends now?"
"Honestly, I'm leaving this city soon. Even if I say yes, we probably won't have any contact."
After tonight they'd leave. Whether he'd ever meet anyone from this world again was unknown.
Yet Xia Mi still didn't let go, as if clinging to an answer she'd never found among humans. "We can be friends, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Now can you let go?"
She released him at last.
"Alright. I'm going." Ember turned to leave—but stopped again when she called after him.
"My name is Xia Mi. Yours?"
He looked back at the pale girl.
"…Ember."
She waved.
"Goodbye, Ember."
"…Goodbye."
Goodbye. Until next time.
Xia Mi stood there, watching him disappear into the distance.
Ember would never guess her real reason.
As one of the earliest Dragon Kings to awaken, she'd lived among humans in disguise. She'd met countless people, gotten along with many, built a decent reputation. "Friends" gathered around her…
…and she felt no joy at all.
She knew she was different from them. Born different.
Dragons of her own kind could never blend into human society with her, because dragons were proud.
Then that night, she saw those figures—and chose to approach one of them. The result made her heart pound violently.
A dragon like her, living among humans.
She wanted to reach him, know him, exchange experiences.
But Dragon King pride made her want him to become her subordinate first. He was different. If she clung to that pride, she'd lose her chance forever.
When he vanished completely, she finally headed off. She had to tell her only family that she'd made a friend… and also treat her injury.
She rubbed her chest, grimacing. "The book said you trade sincerity for sincerity, but this hurts way too much."
Then again, she had struck first. Not getting stabbed again was already merciful.
—
"Speak. Where'd you go fooling around?" Star jabbed a finger at Ember the moment he walked in.
"Saving a wayward youth," Ember said blandly.
Chu Tianjiao passed by him, sniffed twice.
"Smells like a woman."
Ember: "?"
Kevin and the Doctor, who'd been sprawled on the couch, snapped their heads toward the doorway.
"Woman."
Unlike Kevin's offended stare, the Doctor leapt up, grabbed Ember's clothes, and sniffed hard.
"Hey! What are you doing? That's creepy!" Ember shoved at the Doctor's face.
"Gardenia. It's gardenia!" the Doctor shouted over his shoulder. "A young maiden, for sure."
"You can smell that? Your nose a dog's or what?!" Ember was stunned.
Xia Mi really did smell like gardenia. He'd picked up a trace while trading blows, but it was barely anything.
That only made the Doctor sniff harder. He seized Ember's shirt and inhaled like a bloodhound, calling out like he was reporting numbers.
"Faint, but full. They were together a few minutes—damn it, these punks ditched grocery duty to go flirt!"
"Flirting without me?! Where's our bond, you bastard!" Star jumped him in a chokehold.
"Libel! Slander! You're all imagining things! I'm innocent! Kevin, why are you just staring—don't tell me you betrayed me too?!"
Kevin silently looked away.
Just don't get blood on me.
Chu Zihang carried dishes out of the kitchen and instantly saw Ember being held by Star and the Doctor like a corpse.
Yet another scene that expanded his understanding of these three.
Whether for better or worse… don't ask.
"Come eat. Stop playing around," Chu Tianjiao called as he brought food out too.
"Oh." "Oh."
Star and the Doctor released him.
"Maybe put me down first?!" Ember grumbled as he got up rubbing his butt.
Star: "Traitors don't get to negotiate."
"Alright, enough, eat, eat. Try my cooking." Chu Tianjiao beamed, pointing to a plate. "And none of you touch this one. My precious son made it for me."
Next second—
"Hey! You guys are crossing the line! I said that's my son's dish!"
Ember: "Ahh—taste of a son!"
Doctor: "So good! Too good!"
Kevin: "Zihang, you'll marry into a fine family someday!"
Star: "It's love! There's love in it!"
Chu Tianjiao: "Quit talking nonsense! And seriously—my son's cooking is amazing!"
Chu Zihang stared at the five people fighting over food, honestly bewildered.
"…Is my cooking that good?"
To protect his boy's dish, Chu Tianjiao burned himself out.
"Time Zero!"
To everyone else, his speed exploded. He snatched the plate and shoveled what remained into his mouth, chewing like his life depended on it.
After swallowing, he looked radiant and gave Chu Zihang a thumbs-up.
"My son's incredible! You've surpassed your old man!"
Ember: "Using a Word Spirit to eat your kid's cooking? Haki-Jiao, you lunatic!"
"Hmph! The dinner table is a battlefield. If you eat it, you earn it!"
Kevin: "Then my Moment needs to fire up too."
Star: "Pure stats, kid!"
Chu Tianjiao: "Take it up with my Time Zero!"
Ember, Doctor, Chu Zihang: "…"
Would those three even get full tonight?
With two speed demons and one stat monster at the table, the three of them barely scraped by.
The farewell dinner ended in noisy warmth.
"We're adults. No need for sappy goodbyes. Safe travels." Chu Tianjiao grinned, thumb raised.
Ember smiled back. "You too. Take care of yourself… and Zihang."
"As if I need you to tell me that."
Ember looked at Chu Zihang and smiled.
"Fate has already shifted. Whether it turns out good or bad is in your hands now. We're off."
The four of them left the house. When it had vanished from sight, they stopped and looked at each other.
Star: "Time to go."
Kevin: "Wonder how my world is doing. Hope they didn't list me missing."
Doctor: "Here's hoping I can get out of that coffin fast."
Ember: "Just wait and see if I nuke Guda, that's all."
They exchanged glances and laughed.
"Then… goodbye." x4
The instant the words fell, the four figures vanished without leaving a trace.
-------
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