Dragon-san Wants a Friend

Volume 3 Chapter 27: Dragon-san Makes a Choice

As soon as I let go of the sphere of magic, it flew forward, beginning to suck in all the fog that was around us with an intense force.

Once we confirmed that everything was as it should be, I reverted back into my dragon form, and once Nectar again got on my back before we took off.

The sphere of magic began to work like a black hole, sucking into it all the fog, as well as some of the debris from the dungeon.

Umm, I know that I set it to be truly strong with the force of its pull, in fear of it not being all that effective, but who would have thought that it would be so successful!?

Trying to calm myself down, I flap my wings with all of my might, trying to get us as far from the sphere as fast as possible.

As we were putting more and more distance between ourselves and the sphere, I was truly relieved that it was working and it was getting rid of all the fog.

「Lava, watch out!」

The moment I heard Nectar’s distressed voice, I was hit by a huge pile of flying debris.

If I set the sphere to suck in “everything”, then depending on the amount of magic put into it, the sphere could suck in not only the fog, but also air, space and time itself.

Therefore, I needed to be awfully specific with my words when I was recreating the seal.

Thinking like that, I initially set it to absorb the white fog exclusively, but apparently this plan was now backfiring horribly at us.

「.........!!」

Being hit by that much of stone and metal debris was quite a shock for my body, seeing as they were being attracted at a very high speed.

It wasn’t quite the level of shock that would disrupt the sphere, but it surely was enough to make me lose my balance and altitude as a result.

However, amidst the commotion I failed to notice that the most important thing to me fell off my back.

Twisting my neck behind me, I could see Nectar falling from my back and being launched in the air.

Nectar tried to fly away on his staff, but he was already caught in the sphere’s suction field, and with each passing second his distance from me was becoming greater and greater.

The fog was still there outside of the barrier.

Moreover, the solid matter would just pass by the barrier without much of a problem......

I made a sharp turn and went back after Nectar, reaching out my head to him but he was out of my reach.

I was already too late for me to try and stop the spell.

At this rate, am I going to lose Nectar?

「No, anything but that! Nectar!!」

「Stop, Lava! Don’t do it!」

It all happened in an instant.

I shifted all of the barriers from myself to Nectar.

No matter how much magic I need to use, I will protect Nectar while also maintaining the barriers.

I could see that Nectar managed to break free of the pulling force and was slowly moving towards me, but then my vision was filled with traces of white fog.

Since I transferred the barriers to Nectar, it was only natural that I would get exposed to the white fog.

I thought that since Nectar was safe, I might return some of the barriers to me, but for some reason I was so tired that I was unable to do even that right now.

Damn, this fog was way more sticky and slimy then I have thought!

My whole body felt grossed out by this slimy sensation.

I was trying my best to maintain my consciousness and watch out so that I wouldn’t inhale the fog into my system.

Dragons could hold their breath for quite a long time, but even I wasn’t sure just how long I would be able to last.

I thought that I needed to do something about it, but as it turns out, I was too exhausted after casting all of those spells, and after transferring the barriers to Nectar, my magic reserves were also running low.

No matter the type of being or magic, the white fog would make it disappear.

Spirits were mostly solid mass of magic.

And since Nectar was a spirit as well, he would surely disappear. That is why I needed to endure this for a little bit longer.

It was a small one, but...... it was still a lie.

Because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my dearest Nectar right in front of my eyes.

While I was overwhelmed by the white fog, I could feel it creep its way all over my body.

I could not feel anything from it, but I knew that it was intent on swallowing me whole.

How long would it take to swallow dragon whole? How painful was that going to be?

「Lava!!」

I could see Nectar approaching me and saying something while looking all desperate, but I couldn’t tell what was it that he wanted to say.

I couldn’t be very sure, but maybe it was my name?

I’m sorry, Nectar, but looks like that’s it for me.

Aru, my precious little Aru, take good care of.................................................................................... Hmm?

「Don’t you dare to give up now!」

With his strength alone, Nectar was able to clear the fog that was surrounding me.

As I feel my breath was slowly returning to me, I once more start to move my wings and gain altitude, again taking Nectar onto my back.

As soon as the barrier covered my whole body, the fog had faded completely.

I continue to fly away from the magical sphere, and then I turned towards Nectar.

「Nectar!! Are you okay!?」

「Right back at you! What were you thinking, exposing yourself to the fog like that!?」

「It looked really bad there for a moment and I was getting ready to be disintegrated, but it looks like I was somehow just fine. After all, dragons are the strongest creatures of them all.」

I tried to make myself look cool out there, but then I felt a slight prick on my back.

At first I didn’t know what that might be, but then I realized that it was in fact Nectar, and that he was hitting my back with his small fist.

「Why!? Did you!? Do!? Something like that!? What would!? I!? Do!? Without!? You!? You stupid lizard!」

When I heard him like that, my eyes began to fill with tears and my heart was filled with so much regret.

「I’m sorry. I was so afraid that I might lose you.」

I shiver all over. With Nectar gone, I wouldn’t really be alive anymore.

I remember that when he went missing a hundred years ago, I was sick with worry.

And then, once he came back to me, he became less human just so that he could be with me.

That is why I can’t possibly imagine my life without him.

Even though we both know that there will come a time when we will have to say goodbye.

I knew it, just thinking about Nectar leaving me one day was filling me with sorrow.

「.........」

I feel like some of my thoughts might have been transmitted to Nectar.

As we continued our journey back from within the fog, Nectar kept silent, not saying a single word.

After flying for some time, the fog began to get thinner and we left the other dimension behind us and returned to the normal world.

Once the fog cleared completely, what we saw the sky of our world.

Only this time it was pitch black, without a single trace of stars in the middle of the night.

It looks like the magical sphere managed to suck away all of the white fog.

If it was left unchecked, even the land itself would have been destroyed, but now with the fog gone, I could feel the circulation of magic finally stabilizing.

The fog was completely sucked inside of the sphere and stored within it, leaving not a single trace of it here in this world.

What was left behind was nothing but darkness.

I wonder if that will be enough to keep the fog in check?

As we glide through the sky I make a sharp spin, looking towards the place where the signs of magic could be felt until just a moment ago.

However, even after waiting for a few minutes, the fog was nowhere to be seen.

Before long, the sun began to rise from behind the horizon, and we could see the mountains basked in the reddish light.

No, that’s not it.

The mountains, so characteristic and massive, were nowhere to be seen.

The mountains, trees, animals, monsters, spirits, even the leylines that were located at the epicenter of the white fog were now gone forever.

The only thing that was still standing was the dungeon itself, a harrowing monument of the events that transpired here.

It was a saddening sight, but at least the white fog was gone.

「It’s over, huh?」

「Yeah. It was incredibly hard to accomplish, but it looks like it is finally over.」

I answer to Nectar’s concerned voice, at the same time feeling relieved.

I bow my head and look at Nectar, and Nectar looks at me.

From the look in Nectar’s eyes I could tell that he was thinking exactly the same thing I was.

I turned into my human form, and was hugged tightly by Nectar.

His staff falls to the ground as I hug him back with all of my might.

However, his arms were shaking.

「When I saw you covered in that fog, I thought I was going to lose it.」

「Sorry.」

「We have Aru, and he needs both of us. Don’t ever forget about that.」

Even in a situation like that, Nectar was still thinking about Aru.

But I understand well enough where Nectar was coming from, and so the only thing I could do was to apologize over and over again.

「Yeah, I’m so sorry. –– But I felt the same way when I saw you covered with that fog.」

「It only touched me for a moment, but at that moment I was overcome with fear like I have never felt before in my life.」

I remember how I felt at that moment, and Nectar frowns strongly before his expression softens.

That fog, I wonder how would it react to something or someone with so much magic.

While thinking so and feeling Nectar’s body temperature, I traced my hand over the string hanging from Nectar’s neck. Then, Nectar looked as if he suddenly remembered something.

It was a pendant that I once gave to Nectar. It was rather small and black in color, but right now it was covered in huge cracks and looked about ready to fall apart in my hands.

It was infused with a spell that was to prevent the wearer from suffering fatal wounds once.

When Nectar became a spirit, he added some of his own magic to it, enhancing its effect even further.

The fact that it shattered to pieces was enough of a proof to me that my barrier didn’t make it to him in time......

Somehow sensing how I was feeling at the moment, Nectar hugged me even tighter while also saying:

「I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.」

「...... Yeah, I know.」

That white fog, the thing that Lute’s group called “Eclipse”...... I wonder what do they know about it?

There are a lot of things that I needed to think about.

But, for now:

「I’m so glad that you are okay.」

The three of us: Nectar, Aru and I, we can still be together.

That fact was more than enough to make me feel happy.

Then, as we continue to gaze into each other’s eyes, our lips were naturally drawn towards one another.

「Lava! Is it finally over!? What about the white mist!?」

「!?!?!?」

Ligurila’s voice echoed inside of our heads and we immediately jumped back from one another.

It was so sudden that we almost lost our balance and fell to the ground.

G-God damn you to hell, Ligurila! Just when things finally started to get good!

I turn away from Nectar and try to calm myself down before responding to Ligurila’s questions.

「A-all of the white fog was expelled into another dimension. Sound good enough for you?」

「Yes, good enough indeed. All of the monsters are now gone, thanks to Senjiro and I. Thunderstorm went to see if there’s anything that can be repaired from the destroyed leylines.」

「Thanks a bunch. And sorry.」

Looking down at the town there really weren’t any monsters left in the city, and all of the noises were gone as well. Just this once, silence was in fact a good omen.

It was also really great that Kyle was taking care of the leylines, so maybe there would be something that we could do about them.

We should also work on getting the ones that were forcibly closed up running again.

I found it a little awkward at first, but even Ligurila seemed to be more energetic than usual.

「So by all means, go right ahead and finish what you were about to do. Don’t mind me, or anything!!」

Ligurila’s words manage to cause some major damage to my mental health.

S, she was looking, wasn’t she!?

I grew my wings and separated from Nectar, an action for which he looked truly disappointed for some reason.

「I could have carried you, you know......」

「I would die of shame if others saw me like that in your arms.」

「Geez, but I don’t mind being seen at all!」

「Well excuse you, but I do mind!」

「...... Just a little bit more.」

Uuugh, just what the hell are you saying!?

B-but I must say, I would feel rather lonely without Nectar by my side, so I might as well indulge him for a little while longer.

「Nectar.」

As Nectar turned towards me, I approached him and kissed him on the lips.

Even though it felt a little bit forced, I still think it was quite good.

「!!!」

Seeing how Nectar’s face turned slightly red, I grinned at him mischievously.

「I want to see Aru.」

「...... Yeah, let’s go back home.」

Saying that, we held each other’s hands and basked in the bright light of the morning sun. We slowly began our descent towards the place where Ligurila and others were already waiting for us.