"I'm not delighted to meet you."
"…"
"What are you? Why is a human like you here? No, wait… rather, are you even human?"
The eyes reflected what an individual truly felt. This was what Yu Jitae had sensed throughout his life. Every being with eyes expressed thoughts and emotions through them. At that moment, what was reflected in the eyes of the Red Dragon was extreme caution. It was understandable; she had likely perceived a force that surpassed the limits of what she knew. For the Red Dragons, who revered power, an incomprehensible force was a disturbing element.
Yu Jitae did not like that level of distrust. In previous rounds, the Red Dragoness's disdain for him had begun precisely because their relationship had been based on that caution. In other words, he had ruined the first impression. Therefore, the current situation is crucial. Somehow, he had to dispel her distrust.
But… how?
The simple daily life Yu knew showed its limits. From the memories he had obtained, there were no words that could be shared with someone he was seeing for the first time, especially if that someone was his target for abduction.
It was then that Bom appeared from behind, like a saving blessing.
"Hello, Red."
"... Huh? Green?... Have you been well?"
The Red Dragon's eyes scanned Yu Jitae and Bom. Soon, a dry laugh escaped her red lips.
"What is this? What are you trying to do? Why are you here? Didn't you say you were going on a trip?"
"Nnn. I came to see you."
"To see me? Then who is that monster beside you?"
"He's just an ahjussi I met recently. He's a human, not a monster. Right, ahjussi?"
Bom's green eyes met the Red Dragon's red ones as Yu Jitae casually nodded. Upon this, the Red Dragon frowned in disdain.
"If that's a human, I must be a lizard."
"I'm telling you the truth."
When Bom's expression turned more serious, the Red Dragon fell silent for a moment before speaking in a biting tone.
"Green, what nonsense are you saying?"
"What's so strange about it?"
"That thing is not human. What kind of human is so powerful? You should know better than I do."
"The ahjussi isn't as threatening as you think."
"What? Are you crazy? Is that monster blackmailing you? Or do you have a monster baby in your belly?"
"Red, I'm not joking."
The Green Dragons were a mediating race. Unlike other dragon races, they were not greedy and remained calm in almost any situation. That was one of the reasons Yu Jitae had chosen Bom first.
"Ah, I'm going to go crazy...!"
Perhaps due to Bom's words, the Red Dragon seemed like she wanted to say something but held back.
"Alright, let's suppose you're right. Let's say that monster, or whatever it is, isn't so bad. Then why did you come to see me?"
"I'm not here to ask for your help."
"Just answer my question."
"Hmm…"
Bom hesitated for a moment before inventing something that hadn't been planned.
"The ahjussi is looking for a disciple."
"A disciple?"
Disciple? What?
"Nn. You always wanted to be stronger, right? I brought you the ahjussi. Learning from him is a unique opportunity. Besides, he doesn't have any other disciples, right, ahjussi?"
Bom looked at him with big, innocent eyes, hoping he would follow her lie.
Naturally, Yu Jitae had never had a disciple, as he was too busy increasing his strength. However, Bom's improvisation proved useful. Keeping the Red Dragon close under the pretense of being her master was a good strategy.
Yu Jitae nodded. Upon this, the Red Dragon tilted her head in disdain and replied.
"I don't want to."
"Red."
"Have you forgotten that I'm of the Red race? I've won 199 out of 199 fights. As long as it's not against a monster like that, I can win. I can become stronger on my own, you know?"
"Still…"
"Enough. I listen to you in most things, but not in this. Don't mention anything about fights to me again. Who dares to teach the Red race?"
"…"
"Are you done? Then leave. Say hello to Gold and give a kiss to dear Blue as well. Now, here you go. Uumm…"
Chuu.
The Red Dragon tried to kiss Bom's cheeks, but she dodged and spoke in an annoyed tone.
"Red, I'm not done yet."
"I won't listen to you. And I'll give you a piece of advice: it would be better if you stayed away from that human."
"..."
"If you ignore my advice and end up strangled or raped, it won't be my fault."
The Red Dragon murmured to herself, "Wow, that would be exciting," while laughing and mockingly slapping her backside. Then, she disappeared into a dimensional rift.
As if a storm had passed, the desert fell silent.
"..."
Bom, who had been staring into the void, ran her fingers through her hair. Although she maintained a calm expression, she seemed somewhat frustrated; her breathing was heavier than usual.
"I'm sorry, ahjussi. I interfered, but I failed."
Bom approached Yu Jitae with a downcast look.
"You did a good job."
The Regresor placed a hand on her soft green hair.
"What do you plan to do now?"
Despite how things had turned out, there was still a plan. Although it wasn't the ideal situation, if the Red Dragon continued to act that way, there was no other option.
"We need to break her pride."
Bom blinked and tilted her head.
"Through someone else's hands?" "Yes."
Bom lowered her chin and said, "Ah," understanding what it was about.
"It's a good plan. We should organize an operational meeting now."
Bom's frustration quickly faded, and she approached again with a bright expression. Yu Jitae nodded in response.
Yu Jitae and Bom followed the Red Dragon's traces. Since they had approached her once already, it wasn't difficult to locate her again.
The Red Dragon, wearing a crude wooden mask, crossed three battlefields that night, from sunset to dawn, wielding both fists and a sword. Her opponents included the united forces under 'SAN' and the international demonic terrorist organization, Barkata. The Dragon did not belong to any faction; whenever there was a fight, she intervened and crushed both sides.
However, she surprised everyone by maintaining a certain line in terms of violence. Although the Red Dragon was eager to defeat her enemies, she did not kill, seeming more interested in the fight itself than in murder.
Later that night, the long-awaited moment arrived.
"Are you the Night Fighter?"
A man dressed in pure blue metal armor and wielding a long sword that gleamed with a contrasting red light stood before the Red Dragon. His presence made the air in the desert feel heavy and oppressive. His name was Javier Carma, ranked number 8 in the world among superhumans, and one of the most feared forces of the South African Nations (SAN).
With the next in line being a two-digit rank, Javier was the unrivaled force on the continent. Although the Red Dragon had fought for almost a whole year, she probably had not even come close to someone like Javier in terms of strength.
"It must be him…" Bom murmured cautiously. They hid in an alternative dimension, Nature's Laws (S), watching what was happening outside.
"He looks dangerous."
The person Yu Jitae had warned about turned out to be stronger than he had imagined. "If he were on the Askalifa Continent, he would be at the level of a Grand Sword Master. So, are there seven people stronger than him in this world?"
He nodded, although, in reality, there were more than that.
The Red Dragon smiled.
"Whoa Oppa, you look pretty strong, huh?"
"That seems to be correct," Javier replied, pointing his sword forward.
'Sword of Ra.'
A sword forged from the essence of the sun, an impressive Level 4 artifact considered a tactical weapon at the national level.
"You've been too arrogant, and now it's time to pay the price."
"What the hell?"
"I'll give you a warning. If you want to run, do it now, and don't come back to the African continent. If you don't, you will die in my hands."
In his mind, Yu Jitae speculated that the Red Dragon was evaluating her chances of winning. However, her pride was likely hurt upon discovering that a human could be this strong. To her, Yu Jitae was not considered a human, so there was no option to flee.
"Go to hell."
As expected, the battle began between the Red Dragon and Javier. The Dragon charged forward with attacks fueled by her strong physical attributes, while Javier easily blocked those attacks and countered, aiming for her head. The cuts from his sword were experienced, quick, and fierce.
The Red Dragon urgently activated her defensive magic.
Self-Defense (A)
A red aura protected her head, but it was insufficient. The pressure from the long sword was overwhelming. When the red aura dispersed, the Red Dragon was thrown several meters back, crashing into a sandstone rock before flying further into the sand.
Unfortunately, the battle was one-sided from the start.
"…"
Bom narrowed her eyes, her expression worried. Among Dragons, some of their emotions were shared, and she must have felt something.
Given that the outcome was evident, Yu Jitae was not surprised. The strength of Dragons reflected the countless stories that had forged their lives; a young Dragon with superficial experiences was simply a novice with latent talent.
The fight continued, and the Red Dragon was constantly struck. In the end, with a long bleeding wound on her forehead, she let out a roar.
"You son of a bitch…! I'll kill you—!"
When her pride as a Red Dragon was shattered, the Dragon could not contain her rage. The red mana twisted as the authority of a Dragon began to reveal itself.
Suddenly, the fight, which had been one-sided, became slightly more balanced when one of her fists impacted deeply on Javier's chin. However, that was the end. Javier, who had allowed that blow, quickly distanced himself and raised his sword.
Soon, his blue armor and the sword began to resonate. Artifacts above a certain degree typically had to be sealed to conceal their destructiveness and were only activated when necessary.
Ignite.
The sword was released from its seal. In no time, an intense light began to flow from the Sword of Ra. The sunlight gathered near the sword, and as if being placed in a furnace, the blade began to shine.
"… Ahjussi."
That was dangerous. Bom's urgent voice sounded as her small hand clutched the sleeve of Yu Jitae's shirt. Nevertheless, he remained with his arms crossed.
Kwaaang—!
Soon after, behind the trajectory of the Sword of Ra, an explosion of immense mana occurred, forming a ten-meter-diameter cylinder that ascended into the sky.
"Kuuk—"
Letting out a groan, the Red Dragon collapsed to the ground. Her eyes bulged, and scales began to form on her pure skin. Unable to control her anger, she was about to break the taboos of Fun and undo the polymorph to manifest in her true Dragon form.
Yu Jitae frowned. If things continued as they were, the Red Dragon would soon lose one of her wings and an arm. It was time for him to intervene.
Leaving the alternative dimension, Yu Jitae flew forward and positioned himself behind the Red Dragon. The moment he did, Javier widened his eyes and quickly increased the distance.
"Where do you think you're going…?" The Red Dragon, not understanding what was happening, was about to scream when Yu Jitae's palm struck her delicate white neck.
Knifehand Strike (D)
Bam—
The small body of the Red Dragon collapsed.
...
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