Bakal, the Cruel King of Dragons

Who can dare to match his power?
 
The born fighter.
The one born with the fate to die in flames.
The one and only special dragon.
 
Praise be to him, the King of Dragons!
The king of all dragons.
 
Have you ever seen a mirage
of an inverted city in the sky?
 
Such a grand plan is bound to collapse
if there is even the tiniest mishap.
 
Praise be to him, the King of Dragons!
The king of all dragons.
 
The "savior" will come.
He will trample upon thousands
and save this world from destruction.
 
Praise be to him, the King of Dragons!
The dragon king! The tyrant!
 
All hail the King of Dragons.
All hail the King of Dragons.
Be silent.
All hail the King of Dragons.

Berserk Dragon Hismar

Kwaarrgggh!
 
Berserk Dragon Hismar, the one with the strongest body among the three dragons created by Bakal, roared out.
The tiles on which the floor Hismar sat trembled dangerously,
and on the earth and the walls were huge scratches left by his claws.
The ground moaned with a painful crack as it gradually got distorted, unable to withstand the dragon's power.
 
"How splendid that sound is. That's the perfect morning bugle for the soldiers. Hah hah!"
 
Oscar, his arms still folded, looked in Hismar's direction and laughed.
They were standing on a peak far from Bakal's palace and high enough to look down upon it.
The distance was so great that the palace almost seemed like a dot, but they could clearly hear the grumbling noise from the ground as if they were right there.
Juvenil lowered the binoculars from his eyes and replied.
 
"I assume that thing fights, just by using the pure physical force from its astonishing body."
 
"Hah hah! Indeed. According to Sarah, even the pluckiest dragons dare not approach the Berserk Dragon's Destroyed Palace.
She also said that the thing's got quite a temper. Once it starts going wild, it never stops until everything around is destroyed."
 
"I wonder how such a violent thing can stay in Bakal's palace without causing any trouble."
 
Oscar was about to answer Juvenil's question but paused with a frown.
The Berserk Dragon roared again, louder than the last time.
He felt like his eardrums were getting torn, even though he was wearing ear-protection equipment.
The roar was terrifying enough to make the weak-willed freeze up and tremble on the spot.
 
"That's just how loyal he is to Bakal."
 
Oscar stared at Juvenil's face.
Perhaps because of the setting sun's glow, he looked even more grim and resolute than usual.
 
"Planning to stay a little longer?"
 
"Go ahead, old man. I'll watch him some more before going down."
 
Oscar nodded and slowly descended the mountain, leaving behind Juvenil, who was deep in thought.

Death Dragon Spirazzi

*Sssshhh— Ssshhh—*
 
The curtain of shadow has been cast.
The Death Dragon's breath enshrouds the road and baffles the dead.
 
Torn wings express the grief of the dead who struggled against death.
The flag stuck between the claws is the last, tenacious cry to desperately fulfill some mission.
Alack and alas, the pitiful dead.
 
You have forsaken your lives and dived into the void,
but your mission and grudge feebly shattered by its mere sigh.
Vain was your resolution, and futile was your earnest cry.
 
My pitiful comrades in arms, you who had dived into death
for freedom, but could not even earn the freedom of death.
Wait for me, for I will be with you soon.
 
May our sorrow ride the wind and take root in the sprigs.
May those sprigs ignite the colossal fire to devour death.
I wish it so, I hope this will be so, as I lie in the fog.
 
My breath is failing.
The sky is darkening.
One more of the dead will wander, starving and thirsty, compelled forward by a grudge...

Ice Dragon Skasa

"How chilling!"
 
Among the three dragons Bakal created, Skasa has the most chilling power.
It is so cicy that just his presence freezes everything around him.
 
Even though she had just stepped into the area, Sarah, who had entered Skasa's realm on a mission, couldn't help but frown because of the cold.
She immediately warmed herself with the arctic clothes and warming kits she had prepared before going deep into the realm without hesitation.
 
"Who—ah, it's you."
 
Some dragons were standing guard.
The guards recognized Sarah and let her pass, but they still watched her with wary eyes.
Although she worked hard on their side to capture the Empyrean Allied Forces, most dragons were still skeptical about her.
 
But Sarah showed confidence.
She walked around casually as if she were taking a stroll.
She passed the tower surrounded by dark clouds and icy pillars and looked over the entire pond where everything was frozen.
 
Something's not right with both of these locations...
 
This wasn't enough to accomplish Sarah's goal. And so, she moved deeper into the realm, treading through the violent blizzard.
Finally, she arrived at the Frozen Palace with its endless lake of ice.
 
"So, this is where Skasa is sleeping..."
 
She was fighting against the raging battlefield just a moment ago, but the palace was eerily quiet.
A thin layer of fog surrounded the lake.
Despite its gigantic scale, the sound of running water couldn't be heard. 
Everything was frozen white and blue.
 
Suddenly, an unbearably cold chill engulfed her, and icy winds bit into her skin.
Sarah slowly felt the feeling leave her body.
Sensing the danger, she quickly investigated the area while avoiding the sharp ice shards wedged everywhere on the lake's surface.
The woman spotted something not long after.
 
Of all the places... No, this won't be easy...
 
A weak red light shined at the dead center of the lake.
A faint figure of a colossal body was there between the opaque layers of ice below it.

Eclair the Thunder

Amidst a battlefield filled with shouts, screams, and clattering of weapons,
dark clouds suddenly appeared and shaded the sky. Then, a bolt of enormous lightning struck down.
It produced gusts of wind and a colossal shock wave, fatally injuring numerous people nearby and knocking them down.
 
"Wh-what the...?"
 
The ones who were afar stared at where the lightning had struck while staggering with shock.
In the middle of the dust fog, a small figure jumped down next to a giant shadow.
 
"You're alive because Bakal showed mercy to you. And still you dare to rebel against him?"
 
As the figure casually swung its sword, there was a clap of thunder, and the allied forces nearby collapsed at once.
 
"This might be a good chance for me to just get rid of you all."
 
The cloud of dust cleared away, revealing the two figures it was concealing.
Every soldier of the allied forces paled as they saw who they were.
 
"No way! There was no mention of a Dragon Knight showing up!"
 
"Pull yourselves together, everyone! Attack! We must do all we can, just to hurt them!"
 
One soldier grasped the situation before the others and hastily shouted, and the entire allied forces began to rush toward them.
The Dragon Knight saw this and swung her sword with an annoyed frown.
The giant dragon behind her threw dark red lightning upon the Empyrean Allied Forces at the same time.
 
"Waah!"
 
The number of soldiers dwindled drastically amidst the fierce bolts of lightning.
Although the allied forces desperately threw themselves to hurt her somehow,
nothing could reach the lightning-fast Dragon Dragon.
The storm of lightning soon died down, and just one of the Empyrean soldiers remained on the battlefield.
 
"H-how could we not even touch her...?"
 
The only survivor of the allied forces collapsed on the spot, his legs betraying him.
His eyes looking around absently were filled with only one feeling: terror.
The Dragon Knight, walking toward him with a sword imbued with dark-red lightning in her hand, saw his face and sneered.
 
"Fools. You should've known your place. You should’ve never defied Bakal."
 
A loud crack of thunder, and the last survivor fell limply and joined his comrades in battle.
The Dragon Knight looked at the soldier's corpse in disdain and slung heer sword over her shoulder.
She scanned the quiet battlefield for a moment before turning around.
 
"Let's go, Toneer."
 
No more was this place filled with the heat of battle.
Only a bleak gust of wind brushed past this one-time battlefield.

Wicked Dragon Nympha

Nympha softly flew between the boughs in the middle of a thick forest.
At the sight of her gently stepping on the grass while humming, one would think she was a fairy.
However, as soon as she touched them, the lusty green plants instantly withered as if something had stolen their life force away.
On seeing this, the dragon crouched in front of a dead flower and whispered with a depressed look.
 
"Oh my, you must be hungry, aren't you?"
 
She looked at the flower with pity for a while, then her wings suddenly vibrated.
The dragon sensed something and perked up, an impish smile adorning her lips.
 
"Looks like we have a guest."
 
Shaking her petal-like wings, Nympha excitedly twirled and turned in the air.
She hummed and danced like a child before halting abruptly.
Then, she crouched before the dead flower with a serene smile.
 
"Give me just a moment. I'll invite our guest over. They will be the one to nourish you."
 
As Nympha fluttered her wings with an innocent smile, pale pink petals and pollen drifted through the air.
A petal resembling a fairy's wing gently sat down upon the withered flower.

Nine-tailed Blona

"How boring! At least your souls will be good for my tail."
 
Blona stared down at the deceased Empyreans.
The looks of pain and anguish on their faces looked hilarious and pathetic to her. 
 
"They always resist, even though it's useless. Can't they just die quietly?"
 
As soon as Blona finished, the souls of the dead emerged from their corpses.
The souls got tangled and absorbed into Blona's tail, and the number of her tails grew in an instant.
However, someone was silently watching this sight.
 
"Today will be the last day you inflict this horror on our people."
 
The mysterious man loaded his gun with a determined look on his face.
He aimed at Blona's tails and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
A thunderous roar exploded, and acrid smoke filled the area. 
 
"Kyaaaah! My-my tails!"
 
The scorching heat made Blona breathe heavily, but she stood up soon, albeit with strained effort. 
 
"I gotta... find... somewhere... to hide..."
 
After all her work, it enraged her to see that the number of her tails had dwindled back to one, but she could be angry about it later. 
Blona crouched in a corner and silently waited until the smoke dissipated.
Soon, a faint figure of an Empyrean emerged from afar. 
 
"How dare a mere human...? No, I will put your soul into my tail soon... Mark my words..."
 
Blona committed the visage of the man as he left to her memory.  
She felt confident that she would encounter that Empyrean again someday. 

Swan the Little Rascal

The other dragonoids who had been born with him grew into fine beings with splendid claws and scales.
However, the little dragonoid's claws were too soft, and his tender scales couldn't block off even the weakest cold.
It seemed there was no place in Empyrean for this little dragonoid. No one ever extended their hand to help him.
The only things the little dragonoid were allowed to experience were violence, disdain, and hurtful words.
 
A failure like you has no place in Bakal's plan.
 
Endless beatings and persecution. It was one of those days.
Even looking anymore for a group to take him in felt futile to him.
 
"How could this weakling survive up till now?"
 
He was angry at himself for not being able to fight back at all. It pained his heart more than usual that he had such a small, feeble body.
He asked time and time again if he really was not allowed to have even the tiniest piece of power, but it was to no avail.
 
"I will break your neck, even if I have to be reborn again and again to make it happen..."
 
It was miserable that it was the only thing he could say.
The little dragonoid laid on the cold ground and closed his eyes. He didn't care if that was his end.
Hellish memories made a mess of the little dragonoid's head. The moments others slashed him with their claws and trampled on him floated before his eyes.
The most miserable feeling the little dragonoid had at his deathbed was self-loathing, for he could not—nay, had not even tried to resist.
He grasped the dirt in sorrow and anger. He scratched the earth in resentful anguish until his small, tender claws snapped off.
Just before he took his final breath, he felt a warm energy embracing him, and the pain was gone soon afterward.
Then, the little dragonoid heard the screams of the ones who tormented him.
 
"Kughk! What the...? What kind of trickery is?"
 
When the little one opened his eyes again, he saw his tormentors wriggling on the ground, trampled by his enlarged left arm.
Over them stood Swan, the dragonoid with sharp new claws, an arm the size of three dragons, and overwhelming power.
At the end of the brief tragedy, the only survivor stared at Swan, shocked at the instant reversal of the situation.
 
"Wha-what in the...? Were you hiding your power this whole time?"
 
Swan flew toward the former bully, who was so overwhelmed, he even lost the will to flee.
Bringing his sharp claws to the dragonoid's throat, the little one whispered into his ear.
 
"I told you I would break your neck, didn't I? Or was it that guy lying dead over there?"
"Well, no matter. I'm gonna kill you all, anyway."
 
Swan clenched the dragonoid's throat with his left arm. As his vision grew dim from the choking, the bully saw Swan smiling. 
The former victim grasped his bully's neck tighter and grinned at him.
Then, his grip tightened even more. Soon, the air was filled with an agonized cry.
 
"Hah... It's unfair that only you could enjoy yourself like this till now." 

Gherda of the Ice

You dare sully his pond...?
 
A gorgeous woman surrounded by an aura of cold her looked down aloofly.
The pale and alluring beauty left everyone captivated.
Perhaps the harsh cold froze our brains up, slowing down our thoughts.
 
"How dare you trample on her realm with those filthy feet?"
 
Her words were filled with rage and disgust, but the woman's icy face was devoid of any emotion.
I almost believed she did not say those words.
However, I was soon forced to awaken from the unreal admiration as breathtaking cold invaded my body.
Some of us fainted on the spot, and others cried anguished screams as they felt the bitter cold penetrating through their bones.
 
People said hell is a pit filled with blazing fire that melts flesh and souls away,
but no, this is also hell.
It is a hell where we have to watch our companions losing their senses and freeze up in the extreme cold and all-numbing chill...
 
Even while we were paralyzed by the cold, the woman looked magnificent and gorgeous to me.
She looked like a goddess made of ice...
 
"May you rest in cold."
 
Her tone was calm and cold. She did not really mourn the deaths of those who were frozen.
I wonder if a creature born of ice could even have emotions...
Curses, my brain is freezing up. I can't think clearly.
 
Feeling my entire body becoming dull, starting from the extremities, I could do nothing but blankly stare at the woman.
She was like a cold, cruel, beautiful piece of crystal...
Perhaps it's fortunate that I'm going to be killed by her, rather than those wretched dragonoids...  
That sneering thought was my very last before letting the freezing cold take my dulling body.

Steitze of Lightning

I shall test your valor.
 
Steitze could almost hear the spear in front of him making its declaration to him.
He grasped the handle of Krache with a resolute look while holding his breath.
 
"Mmmmfff!"
 
A painful moan seeped through his clenched teeth.
The tremble spread from his hand to the rest of his body.
With bloodshot eyes, he began to slowly swing Krache in the air.
 
First Thrust
All the muscles tormented by Krache's electricity screamed, but Steich ignored them and willed himself to silence.
Electricity sparked in the air every time he thrust the spear.
The thrust was excruciatingly slow and boring at first, but it got faster as time went by. At one point, he was thrusting faster than lightning.  
 
Second Slash
The blade of Krache, which had only been stabbing one point, drew a strange line.
Succumbing to the power even faster and stronger than the thrust, it tore through the air with a thunderous slash.
A golden energy followed the blade’s path like a mirage.
 
Faint smoke rose from all over Steitze.
His fine skin and scales were getting scorched.
However, he did not stop swinging Krache. It almost seemed like he was dancing by that moment.
 
Soon, dark clouds swarmed and covered the sky. 
At dawn, when all other dragons were still asleep, thunder roared and roared above the Dark Cloud Tower. 

Magic Dragon Basilisk

When the King bestowed the Magic Eyes upon him, he told him not to let any human dare face the dragons. 
Basilisk reiterated his master's words. The humans must not be allowed to live alongside us. 
They must be trampled upon. Compared to the dragons who proved their worth through their strength, humans were weak and insignificant.
They stayed huddled together and found strength in numbers because they were so weak.
 
And what were you doing with such a weak human?
 
On his way to the battlefield, Basilisk passed by the statues of the Empyreans that he created with his deadly gaze.
As he moved through them, the blue aura around his body trailed behind him like floating ghosts.  
The dynamic postures of the statues created an eerie contrast with his heavy, slow footsteps that shook the ground.
 
He passed by the statue of a mother sobbing with a child in her bosom who had turned into stone before she did.
He also passed by the statue of a man who was caught as he drew a weapon to protect the others around him.
Slowly, he stopped in front of another statue.
Of lovers who became stone together in each other's arms. Basilisk stood in front of it.
He stared at it for a while before he turned around, walking away.
 
"I wonder what you'd think if you saw me now."
 
Basilisk moved toward the battlefield, away from the statues.  
 
"Mejuria, you were wrong—no, what you thought was wrong."
 
The ground underneath his feet shook more visibly. 

Sleepy-eyed Rotund

*Swooosh—* 
 
Rotund's heavy frame jumped off the ground toward the sky. 
He slowly swam through the air against the wind. 
His body felt light and was full of strength, which he felt to be highly unusual. 
But the most surprising thing was that he was not feeling sleepy at all.  
 
"Aah! This is the perfect day for me to crush Swan."
 
Rotund opened his eye widely and searched every nook and cranny for Swan.
Soon, he found Swan standing absently in a corner.
The one-eyed dragon swore to take the small one down a peg this time. 
 
"Swan! I will smash you in a blink today!"
 
"..."
 
"So afraid, you can't speak? Hee hee hee!"
 
Rotund charged fast toward Swan and crushed down upon him with all his might.
Seeing the little one feebly collapsing, the heavy dragon guffawed.
 
"Hah hah hah! You acted tough and all, but it was all talk!"
 
At that moment, everything started to collapse, and the entire world swayed like a haze.
Rotund vacantly blinked his eye as his surroundings faded away. 
Swan's collapsed figure shattered and was scattered, and the round dragon felt his entire body getting drowsy. 
 
'No way...'
 
Rotund snapped his eye open, desperately wishing it was not a dream. Unfortunately, it was.
 
"Sleeping again? Tsk tsk. Wake up. I hear the humans are coming."
 
Hearing a familiar voice coming from behind, Rotund turned around slowly.
He saw Swan there, shaking his head while clicking his tongue.
Rotund was furious that everything had been just a dream, but he couldn't even lift his eyelid, which kept trying to close over his eye.
He swore that he'd beat Swan by any means necessary next time. After he woke up, that is.

Wise Dragon Zamir

The young dragon moved more cautiously than ever while staying tensed and alert.
 
He saw the aged dragon, his target, on a hillock.
He was sitting cross-legged on a carpet. Perhaps he did not even realize his approach yet.
He thought the old dragon was meditating at first, but soon felt sure that he was just dozing off.
The sight of other dragons warning and trying to stop him suddenly came to his mind, but the young dragon convinced himself to ignore the memory.
No matter how carefully he looked, the old one did not look as powerful as the rumor described.
 
This is my chance.
 
After observing the deteriorated dragon for days, he concluded that the rumors about Zamir were exaggerated.
Still, he thought this was a rare, once in a lifetime opportunity.
This was a chance to impress other dragons with his valor.
Making up his mind, the young dragon readied his claws and crouched while straining his legs to surge forward.
 
The attack was made so fast that it almost seemed like the youngster's days of pondering were all wasted.
Everything was perfectly executed, and he was certain his claws would tear Zamir's drab scales apart.
At that moment, the old dragon's figure faded slightly, and the young dragon got slammed hard onto the ground.
 
"What?"
 
The young one moaned painfully, his face filled with shock.
His limbs were bound to the ground, pierced by blades made of mana.
Unable to stand up, he arduously turned his head to see the Wise Dragon approaching from an entirely different direction.
 
"Little fool."
 
The young dragon finally realized that the Zamir he had torn apart was an illusion.
An illusion so elaborate that even the senses of a dragon couldn't find anything strange.
Cold sweat drenched the forehead of the youngster, who grasped the situation.
 
"Did you think you were the only one who thought I was easy prey?"
 
Sitting on a carpet, the old dragon looked down on him with cold eyes and waved his hand.
A few new blades formed in the air and approached the young one, dancing along with Zamir's gestures.
Even though Zamir's back was hunched, it looked more colossal than any other dragon's to the youngster's eyes.
That was the last thought he had before the blades took his life.