"--■■■ la!
"■■■!　■■!　■■do!
"Wake up ■, cell ■!　■■ forgiveness or else ■■■■!　Se-■■aa!
"■ ■ ■ Master!　Dear Mr. Do, Ten thousand! "Dear Sir! Lo■! Hail, Mistress! Ro■! ¡°D! Lo ■!
"--shudder (...) --

"I wonder what this is: .......

"I feel a vibration (hoarse).
　Like a rumbling of the earth, both scaffolding and body shake and then reverberate in my ears.

　It's a cheer, I knew at once.
　A thousand years ago and even today, I had heard it so many times that it was familiar to my ears.
　In my triumphant return as a 'hero', I always--

Hail, Lord!
Lord!
Ah, our Lord!
'O proud dragon king!

　They were greeted with single-minded cheers and applause.

　-- somehow.

　In front of me, there were over a hundred 'Dragon People' (Dragon Newt).
　All the roars were folded together, praising a single name.

　And in the back of the group, a series of black stone structures that were more familiar than their voices.
　Looking up at the sky, the cliffs that narrowed the sky of dark clouds rose at both ends.

　--When did I know.

　I was standing on my home turf.
　Without a doubt, this is the hidden village of the "dragon man" (Dragon Newt) that lurks in the valley.

　The clan was all together in the central square of the village, generating a small but massive cheer.
　And they were all cheering at me, standing in front of the biggest house in the village.
　Why?　Before I could even think about it, a 'dragon man' (dragonette) came out of the entrance of the mansion and stood next to me.

　She was an older, younger woman, wearing multiple layers of the village's traditional folk costume. It was thick as armor, but she walked dainty and soft, with no lack of movement.
　The cheers increased when a woman with the face of Snow and Titi appeared.
　It seems she is the head of the village and the king.

''--Gentlemen, you're all waiting. Let's have another day.

　One word, the queen trembled in her throat.
　Then, all of the gathered 'dragonites' (Dragon Newt) responded with even louder cheers, and then quickly dispersed.
　Each of them busily moved around the village and began to work as if they were setting up a camp on the battlefield.

　--impossible.

　All of my kindred that I should have eaten to death were alive and working briskly.
　They looked a little older than they did then, but I couldn't mistake them for anyone else.

　And standing next to me now is my cousin (Ane) 'Lord', who has grown up to be a fine cousin (Lord).
　As her name suggests, she had become the queen of her village.
　However, that would contradict history in many ways.

　--What happened to the 'Evil Dragon (Fafner)' ceremony?

　As I was looking around my village wondering that, a "Dragon Newt" suddenly shouted out.

''General, sir!　I'm decorating it as instructed, but is this how it should look!

　That gaze is directed at me.
　Immediately, the 'King Dragon (Lord)' next to me speaks to me in a whisper.

I've been called in. The head of the Filion family,
"...... Oh, yeah. ...... general, I wonder what it is. Me.

　When I replied shortly while trembling, 'King Dragon (Lord)' was a little worried, then chuckled.

''That's ...... a raw reply. Does that mean you don't want to reply unless you properly call me 'Queen Protecting Ji Ryu (Queen Fillion)'?　You're still selfish and greedy, as always. But that was still a little embarrassing, so let's hold off. A little later.

　Like a childhood friend who has been with me for many years, the 'King Dragon (Lord)' speaks in a friendly manner. Then, instead of me, he turns to the 'Dragon Man (Dragon Newt)' who shouted and asked me earlier, "That's fine! I replied.

　.............
　Apparently, this is how the relationship works.
　The place is my hometown, but in a time and environment completely unknown to me.
　Completely, the ritual has been 'never happened'.

　With that assumption in mind, I proceeded to observe the village and found things that hadn't been there in the past being added to it.
　At the far end of the dragon village, an unfamiliar path stretched out.
　It's rough, but the valley has been gouged out and a new 'connection' with the outside world has been created.

　I saw that the path was also decorated, and I let my doubts escape me.

'What the hell is that ......?'
"What in the world is ...... going to do to prepare to welcome your friends Titty and the Ides, right?　But even though they are friends, they are both important people from other hidden villages. We must entertain them with a banquet.

　If you ask them, they will answer you.
　When I continued to answer my question with a raw "I see" when I learned that he was interacting with other villages, my cousin Ane said with a smile I've never seen on her face, "It's just that even though she's your friend, she misses Titi more than I do," she said proudly. It's a shame that you've managed to attract a beautiful woman out there," he said proudly.

　Titi hasn't become a 'ruling king (Lord)'.
　Is it because I haven't raided and crushed the villages of other "demons"?
　So my cousin calls himself the Lord of the North and the boundary war itself doesn't happen?

　What a convenient, dreamlike story.
　My voice starts to tremble.

'Mi, what's going on in the south at ......?'
'South?　Our guest from the south already arrived yesterday, didn't he?　What's really going on?　You made that for me, and I'm sure you cherish that too.

　Saying that, my cousin pointed to it.
　Beyond that was the largest black house in the village.
　In front of the mansion of the Filion family where I was born, a group of people who weren't 'Dragon Newt' had gathered in front of it.

''See. Helmina Neysha has been searching for the Filion family's documents all this time, hasn't she?　And your two apprentice kids, too. ...... That boy especially misses you, doesn't he? You haven't forgotten him, have you?

　Perhaps, but a group of people were sent to investigate the history of the local peoples.
　Among them was a boy with habitual blond hair.

　I met his clear blue eyes.
　The boy rushed over to me while raising his hand and shouting.

''Ah!　Fillion!　So this family morning meeting thing is finally over!　So, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need a few minutes of your time!　I just wanted to know something!
Fah, Fafner: ......

　I spilled the boy's name.
　His voice has been trembling the whole time.

''Yes, about that 'Evil Dragon (Fafner)'!　The ancient literature on the 'dragon race' and the 'winged race' is thin on the theological elements that I like: ....... What the heck, the rituals of The Evil Dragon (Fafner) clearly described the existence of God!　It's more interesting than any of the literature!　So, if possible, I'd like to hear a lot of things from Fillion's mouth!
...... I really, really miss him. How so?
'I miss ......?　Yeah, I get that a lot. But I just respect you. Because I want to be a 'person' like you.
Like me?　That's why, why (・・・・)--
'Why?　That's a given!　Because you (・・・・)--

　I couldn't take it anymore.
　The whole time I felt my blood and soul boiling, I could hear the vibration (voice) from my back telling me not to go along with the farce.
　Then, from the depths of his soul, another memory from a thousand years ago came up.
　Stimulated by the 'dream' shown to me now, I remember the same scene in 'reality' -


　A thousand years ago.
　A ghost-mixed boy and I were traveling together.

　Walking through the hellish northern continent were two people who had escaped from the 'Worst Experimental Place'.
　The 'demon' Serdra, the evil dragon of the hidden village in the north.
　Fafner the Fiend, the ghost of Fania in the south.
　They were born out of the accumulation of blood, the two masterpieces, and they traveled freely under the guise of the person they wanted to be.

　In that journey, just as in the earlier "Dream", I would often say to the boy, "Seldra-san! I was called out in a stretched voice with a pause, and I was rushed over and over again.
　It really was many times.
　For example, one night.

　We were camped out in the wilderness, and the two of us were having a sleepless rest between fires.
　I listened. In the course of our chit chat, I said very lightly, "I miss you," and he quickly replied, "Because I want to be a 'person' like you.

　For some reason, I was admired.
　I was always being looked at with shining eyes by juniors who were born similar to me.
　However, the me of a thousand years ago always looked away.

　I would "run away" from him, not receiving his words properly, and would repeatedly reply, "I don't want any compliments. But that guy just kept biting back, "I really want to be like you! I talk about it.
　His enthusiasm got the better of me once, and I heard the rest of the story.

'Like me?　Why is that (・・・・)--
'Why?　That's a given!　Because you (・・・・)--

　Whether it's a 'dream' or a 'reality', the same response will continue to be given.
　This boy is completely unchanged.
　No matter where he goes, no matter what.
　No matter where he goes, no matter what happens to him, he is not born, nor is he doomed, nor is his environment.
　It's just one person, one 'person', this me--.


"--because you're (・・・・), cool (・・・・・・・・)!

　The boy looked a little embarrassed, and so said the boy.
　He continued, adding more innocently.

'You have been subjected to the 'curse' that has accumulated in this land in the ritual of the 'evil dragon' all at once. The evil of evil was imposed on you, and even more so, you were taken away from your normal 'happiness' ...... and felt everything in this world as suffering ...... and yet (・・・・), you endured (・・・・・・・) !　Overcoming the malice of blood, he stopped that worst of rituals, himself!　And even now, while still carrying the "curse", I'm not giving up and living a serious life!　You're supposed to need help more than anyone else, and you're going around helping people in different places!　It's a beacon of hope in hell!　The reincarnation of a legendary "demon"!　Defeating the strong, protecting the weak!　We are the proud captain and hero of the Northland!　　--Yeah, it's so cool!　So, I want to be like you!

　They praised me so.
　He turned his shining eyes on me.

　.............
　Anyone would 'escape' this kind of thing: .......

　In fact, the 'real' me, too, would process it as 'flattery' and beat this pure boy to hell for this.

　Yeah, I dropped it: .......
　I couldn't bear to let my name (Fafner) go to hell, so I dropped ......--

'Well ....... Like me or .......

　Convinced, I nodded.
　Just as I bit my lip while answering, the boy on the survey team was confused by me.

'Yes, one day I'll be next to you ....... Dude, what's up?

　I vowed to never run away from Fafner again.
　If you're traumatized, go ahead and eat it, Snow taught me.
　All this time, Glenn's magical stone inside my body has been trembling more than I've been trembling. It's a curse to me - not a curse - but a blessing of encouragement. Even though he hates it to death, the vibration that helps him say, "It's a dream vision, Serdra," keeps pushing him back.

'Fillion-san?　...... Are you crying, by any chance?
Watch it, Fafner.

　So I called his name, crying, and walked past the boy next to him.

　Then I approached the other two who had come from the south.
　First, Helmina Neisha.
　Our eyes met. Before she could say hello to me, I extended my hand. With its big, thick arms, I crushed its head like it was cracking fruit. Without pausing, I crushed the head of the girl next to me with the opposite arm as well.

　When he turned around, the boy was stunned.
　I guess he couldn't keep up with his understanding.
　The one who reacted first and raised his voice was the most recent 'Dragon Man (Dragon Newt)'.
　The adult 'dragon man (dragon newt)' is astonished, yet he approaches me with a pale face.

　It comes close to me, and gets within arm's reach - and at the same time, kills me.
　I crush its head in the same way. Since it's a strong 'dragon man' (Dragon Newt), I carefully pulled out its heart.

　He swallowed that heart with a large mouth open and headed for his next prey.
　The surrounding Dragon Newts noticed the abnormality and started screaming.
　However, without giving them time to think, I ran out - killing every last one of them, painstakingly ripping out their hearts, throwing them into my mouth and gulping them down.

　It was an overwhelming slaughter of violence.
　They didn't even have time to scream, they were killing one after another quickly.
　One by one, they killed all of them, one by one, and put them in their mouths.
　I didn't want to let any of them escape - I planned to, but I would vomit in the process. I immediately gathered the vomit on the ground with my hands and gathered a wide collection of vomit on the ground and ate it back with the soil.

　Tears welled up in my eyes. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time in the event that you're in a position to do so.

''Why, why ......?　'Chiryuu to Protect the Queen (Queen Fillion)' ......!
............

　The Lord asked me why, and I didn't say anything.
　I just worked to kill it, to eat it.

　It wasn't a fight.
　She reached out to me and grabbed me by the hand and easily took out my heart.
　But I knew that it wouldn't be enough to kill her, so I hurriedly crushed her head with my free hand to end her life.

　After I finished killing my cousin, I kill more.
　I kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill, and when there are no more 'dragon people' (dragon newt) around, I speak to them.

'Did you see ...... properly?　This is me.

　He confessed to the boy standing in the center of the village that had been turned into hell.

　Then, as if to show him, "I'm this kind of guy," he goes to work on the flesh and blood scattered around him.
　I have to eat what's left of it, so I cannibalize it desperately and talk to the boy.

'I've become a fafner ....... Even if it's a dreamscape, I'm not going to pretend it didn't happen ....... Because I ate these guys, I became so big, well dressed, respectable, and admired by you. I can't waste a drop of that blood.

　This "thanks to" really sucks and I felt like I was going to throw up.
　But I even ate the trauma, I had to grow up more and become stronger, like a monster.

'Nope, no. ....... You're Mr. Fillion, not Fafner: ......!

　Fafner stared at me and denied that I was doing so.

　Our eyes met, and I knew the emotions that stained the boy's eyes.
　I was being pitied.

'Surely this is because of the ritual 'curse' that has been piling up through your generation ......!　I've stopped the ritual, so now the grudge of the dead is ....... But dammit ....... Hey, this is no longer ......, it's already ......!

　Apparently, he thought there was some reason for my tears.
　But no matter what the circumstances, the tragedy around me cannot be undone.
　So the boy also seems to have an answer, and he is speechless, kneeling down and uttering a sentence he has memorized.

'--Yes, chapter 1, verse 7: "Trials are the result of hope and good fortune. They will always leave you with proof that you have moved on to tomorrow." ......

　I would start praying to God.
　I was trying to do what I could to finish what I could do for the peace of the dead souls.
　And even during that prayer, the boy's eyes continue to pity me for causing the tragedy, as the 'demon' who should be saved.

'Oh ....... Really, you're .......

　It doesn't change.
　This guy is the only one that doesn't change whether it's a dream or reality.
　That's how I'm going to be able to wake up again and again from my dream.

"Fafner, you need to listen to me. That's what you said, Fafner. The ritual did not work. It stopped. It's going to stay in limbo, and the curse is going to last for a thousand years. Because I couldn't ...... kill a god.

　When the word "God" was mentioned, the boy's shoulders shook as he continued to pray.
　He stopped praying and listened closely to my continuation of the word.

　I tell you the truth.


'--because there is no such convenient (・・・・・) God (・・・・・・・・・) anywhere.


　There was no one like that, even if they wanted to kill him.
　They were all deceitful, including Noi, who was called an evil god.

　The boy looked up when he heard my words.
　Our eyes met again.
　This time, the other side must have read my mind and convinced me that it was the truth.
　The boy's eyes began to tremble, confused and lost.

　To that young Fafner, as a predecessor, I preach a lesson.

'The only people who were in the 'deepest' were the 'weakest' who played God. It's ......, so we have to do it. Fafner, you know what I mean?　My 'Evil Dragon (Fafner)' and your 'Great Saviour (Magna Messiah)' both have to be done by someone. Without relying on God, someone has to.

　He will tell them ahead of time the fate that awaits them in the future.

　The truth of it would be cruel to him, a faithful man.
　If he swallowed it, he might be trapped in deep sorrow and unable to move. No, you don't believe in my teachings in the first place, do you? Even if he renounced everything and 'escaped', I couldn't blame the boy--!

'Even if you're not there, you can still go to ......!　Even if there is no God: ......!　--I want to save you!　At least not you!

　The boy looked back at me and said that.

　He believed in me more than God. On top of that, those blue eyes didn't give up an ounce, and from his mouth he said, "Not yet. I'm still--" he muttered and stood up, holding the pointed bone in his hand.

　The bone I devoured and left behind.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world.
　There was no intent to kill me. It's a good thing that you can't get away from the fact that you're not going to be able to get away with it.

　...... strong.
　Too strong .......
　That's why he's not like the 'one who steals reason' .......

　He's a guy who's so good at pretending to be his friends that he's late to find out until today.
　This boy will surely not lose his spirit (or heart) to continue to stand up against it until he dies, even if there is no God - or even if he dies.

...... too dazzling. That's why I was the one who longed for it. I wanted to be the 'strong man' like you ...... but to the end I was the 'weak man'. But that's not the point anymore. I don't care if you are strong or weak, it doesn't matter. ...... Someday it's going to have to be us, not someone else. ...... Fafner (・・・・・), you know what I mean (・・・・)?

　So I continued.
　I didn't say the last word to the boy in front of me.
　But the boy nodded yes and held the sharp bones in his hands, showing his will to survive.

　Will this boy now fight me? Or will he understand the difference in strength and run away from the dragon village for once?　After that, you'll be traveling alone?　The boy's fate will change - no matter how much I think about it, it's all just a frothy "dream" after all.

　The boy and I kept our eyes locked on each other, yearning for each other.
　Slowly, I close my eyes.
　I strangle them deep, strong enough to crush them.

　Not yet.
　Like this boy of my dreams, I must continue to stand up to him.
　No matter how desperate you are, you must live to the end.

　--I'm not going to be able to get away with it.

　I closed my eyelids and prayed desperately, my soul trembling.
　But it wasn't just a prayer from below, "Please save me," anymore.
　I prayed, "Still, I want to save you," along with all the 'black threads' in my body, and kept my eyelids closed.