Chapter 91

How long had it been since Shinsurial left? Kor hurriedly descended to where Kinaine was.

"What are you doing here alone? Everyone has already left this place. Let's go too!"

Kor grabbed Kinaine's shoulder, but Kinaine avoided his touch and stepped back. Kor looked at him with a bewildered face.

"Go."

That word did not include Kinaine himself.

"Then what about you?"

"I will go to Lord Asad."

It was something that couldn't be said without having lost one's mind, but the eyes of the one saying it were clear and clean. Kor, who had wondered if his brain had been corrupted by demonic energy, realized he was in his right mind and immediately burst into anger.

"What nonsense are you talking about at this urgent time! When even the great spirits can't do anything, what could a mere human like you do! The dragon's problem isn't something we can solve!"

"That's exactly why I must go."

"What?"

Kinaine replied calmly.

"If any of the great spirits were injured, it would be a huge loss to the spirit realm. But that's not true for me. If I succeed, that's good, if not, it's just unfortunate."

"You... are you serious?"

Kor shook his head vigorously as if wanting to shake the words he had heard from his ears. But would words already heard disappear just because of that? The winged tribe's leader knew this human wasn't the type to go back on his words.

Kor had seen many people in his long life. So he knew. People with eyes like that couldn't be stopped. But even so, he couldn't just let him die meaninglessly without doing anything.

"No, absolutely not. I won't allow it. Are you trying to play hero without having the ability? If you keep making these absurd claims, I'll drag you away even if you don't want to!"

Kor growled as he strode toward Kinaine.

"Please don't, Lord Kor."

As much as Kor approached, Kinaine retreated, so the distance between them remained the same. Though it wouldn't have been impossible to catch him, behind the human was the lake that had turned black again. One more step back and he would fall into the lake. Finally, Kor had no choice but to stop.

"You're the one who needs to stop. If you're done talking nonsense, come here."

"Shouldn't you be cheering me on instead? If Lord Asad cannot return to his original form, who will protect the spirit realm? What about the human realm?"

"That's not something for you to worry about! If the dragon disappears from this world, we can at least beg the gods to send down one of the dragons who ascended to the divine realm. I'll say it again, there's nothing you can do right now. So...!"

"If the gods intended to help us, they wouldn't have left Lord Asad like this. They won't intervene in this matter."

Kor couldn't deny it. Because Kinaine's words were right. The gods simply loved dragons in whatever form. That's why they had left the previous dragon alone without caring for his condition when he fell into despair. Even if Asad became a magical beast like this, the gods would not intervene. They would simply love the dragon that had become a magical beast.

Even saying that they might send down dragons who had returned to the divine realm was just words to persuade Kinaine. He wouldn't know that there had never been a case of a dragon returning after going to the divine realm.

"You're going even knowing the gods won't help? No matter how exceptional your abilities, you're still just a human. A mere human can't save the world."

"There's no need to save the whole world. Right now, I only need to save one person."

"Stop with such wordplay..."

The voice full of anger gradually subsided. Kor stared blankly at Kinaine.

At first, he had thought Kinaine was trying to act the hero with some trivial sense of justice. But looking back, this human had never attempted things he didn't think he could do. For such a person to willingly jump into something that would obviously end in a meaningless death...

"You weren't trying to save this world from the beginning."

How had he not known?

"You're trying to save Lord Asad."

This human was in love with the dragon.

Kor sighed at the truth he had just realized.

Whether Kinaine's feelings had developed after coming to the dragon palace or existed before, their depth was certainly not shallow. Otherwise, he couldn't speak of throwing away his life with such a calm expression.

"How did... why..."

Kor felt truly sorry.

At first, he had dismissed him for being human, but the more he learned about Kinaine, the more he realized his will and judgment were not ordinary.

The winged tribe loved shining things. This didn't apply only to jewels. Rather, they sometimes valued a steadfast soul more than any jewel. That's why Kor sincerely wished for Kinaine to value his own life.

"Please go first, Lord Kor."

But if he were someone who valued his own life preciously, he wouldn't have been here in the first place.

"I'll follow soon. Together with Lord Asad."

His smiling face was as composed as someone setting off on a pleasant journey. But that expression couldn't be real. Someone who knew they were going to die couldn't smile like that.

Now that even Shinsurial had left, this place was being polluted again by the demonic energy flowing from the dragon. If even great spirits weren't safe from this demonic energy, how could a mere human endure it? Even now, his skin must be stinging and his throat hurting from the demonic energy dissolved in the air.

Yet what was mere affection, to make someone willingly walk a path of nothing but pain?

"...You've deceived me with lies since we first met. I forgave you then. But there won't be a next time."

"..."

"So prove that this time wasn't a lie."

Kinaine didn't answer, but Kor turned his back as if that was enough. His black-purple wings that reminded one of the evening sky close to night spread out. He left without looking back.

"Lord Kor really..."

Though nothing was easier than lying for Kinaine, just now he truly couldn't say anything. Was it because it had been so long since someone had genuinely worried about him? He simply couldn't bring himself to answer that he would do so.

Under the dark clouds, being drenched by the pouring rain, Kinaine slowly moved his feet. Toward his lover.

The black snake had already submerged itself in the lake again. Kinaine looked down at the water's surface where the dragon's form rippled.

"Lord Asad."

"..."

"Lord Asad, can you hear my voice?"

At that moment, a huge water column rose up and the snake's head covered in black scales appeared.

Had it come out understanding its name being called, or was it just reacting to the sound? Probably the latter, but still, the fact that it responded to voices even underwater meant its hearing remained, which could be considered positive.

Kyaaaak!

The black snake that discovered Kinaine made a sharp sound. No, that wasn't it. Kinaine realized the black snake was looking at the sword in his hand. Its scales bristled and its triangular pupils narrowed like needles in an ominous way. The fact that it showed such dislike yet didn't attack readily meant...

"Lord Asad, are you afraid of this sword?"

Kinaine looked at the sword. Like other things, this sword too was one of those taken by Hasan.

The reason Asad hated this so much must be...

Kinaine lowered his gaze. He couldn't bear to look at Asad.

"...Did Hasan hurt you with this sword?"

He must have felt betrayed. How sad and painful must it have been for him to become like this just from seeing this sword again, even though he had forgotten all his memories?

Kinaine knew well what it meant to be corrupted by demonic energy. If demonic energy was flame, sorrow and despair were firewood. The deeper the negative emotions, the more vigorously the demonic energy burned and consumed everything.

Kiiiiiik!

The black snake wailed. Kinaine rolled to avoid the tail striking down at him. The enraged black snake began attacking continuously.

Kinaine looked into the eyes of the magical beast where reason could no longer be felt.

Shinsurial was right. Asad would never want to continue living in such a form. Perhaps making him peaceful was what Asad would want.

His hand gripping the sword tightened.

Seeing this, the black snake bared its sharp fangs and rushed at Kinaine.

Kinaine raised the sword.

Thunk!

Drip, drip. Drops of blood fell onto the puddle of rainwater.

The black snake didn't move.

Because it couldn't understand. Why the human had thrown away the sword he was holding far away.

"Asad."

After a moment, a faint voice flowed from the human pierced by the snake's fangs. The black snake focused all its attention on hearing that small voice that seemed about to disappear at any moment. Not even conscious of itself doing so.

"Don't worry."

"How could I ever hurt you?"

Finally, an approaching hand stroked the snake's scales.

As if handling the most lovable thing in the world.