All the darkness in this world suddenly gets usurped into where I was standing, revealing the endless body of water and a throne in front of me. And within the throne sits… me?
It had my face, however it had horns and a tail of a dragon. And it was grinning while I was being engulfed with all the darkness around me.
It felt painful and heartbreaking at the same time as tears began to flow out like a river upon I opened my eyes. Then emptiness came and covered me, stopping me from feeling anything.
My sight came back but everyone was already near getting killed. Nina was lying unconscious on the side while being protected by Hyacinth in the bandit's every strike and Lilia was on her knees but still over exerting herself in firing arrows to protect the two.
But to all that extent, I feel nothing. Much different from what I felt back then.
The bandit leader saw me standing and started walking to my path, holding his axe up high with confidence and malice. "...Bahahaha! You are no match for Duran, the Bandit of Renegade Clan!"
"So loud..." The words I spoke were strange as the dragon seemed to be speaking at the same time as me. Dark aura plays around my body and the energy I lost had been restored. Not only that, I felt… stronger.
"You'll die soon weakling!" he yelled then swing his axe.
But it was too slow, I already made two cuts of my blade into his swinging arm that he made a painful cry but again assaulted. He swings the axe again but this time, he was in frenzy and his attacks became random.
Evading his attacks, our battle took closer to the where Nina had crashed.
Carrying her while evading hindered me to the point the bandits attack were starting to land. Then the dragon whispered, and before I knew it, Nina suddenly moaned in pain in her sleep.
The bandit didn't wasted the opportunity and launched at me with his axe in a high arc, intending for my head but a light struck and my position changed. Nina was still in my hands, unconscious but it took me few meters away from my enemy.
"Lightning chain..." I whispered after dropping Nina then I was everywhere I want within a certain range of the domain where the black lightning strikes. And the speed of it was beyond human that getting into my enemies blind spot was as easy as
Ten, no, more than twenty times, I had struck all of his openings in less the seconds, faster than the girl's execution earlier.
It wasn't just cuts but also kicks and jabs that the enemy soon fell on his knees. He was on his last breath then the dragon commanded "Devour him!"
"Urgh, dude! I don't cannibalize people!" I complained to the dragon speaking inside my head.
"... I mean, eat his magic!" He corrected.
"Oh! That I could..." I began preparing to devour the bandit's magic but the moment I was standing in front of him, I froze. "How am I supposed to do that?"
"... Just grab the damn human..." the dragon spoke but I could feel a bit of his disappointment.
I grip his head and upon touching him, I felt a similar sensation I had when I touched Nina and I could feel some energy surging through me, and the last enemy collapsed to the ground.
"... Wait... Did I also took Nina's ability? Quickly, give it back to her!"
"Devour is indeed a magic that takes someone's ability. But worry not, hers is still hers... Only a portion was what I had taken, and she will eventually be able to use it again by tomorrow" the dragon replied. "Although, I couldn't say the same to this person. You'll be taking all of his magical strength"
He was definitely talking about the bandit, but whether he gains his magic back or not, was not my problem anymore. In fact, it will be better if he didn't.
"Can we eat more? I want to make sure he'd never be able to use magic to threaten anyone ever again"
"You can..." he replied. "But he will die afterwards. Will you take it?"
"And I will become a murderer?" the bandit was still alive but too wounded to even be a threat to anyone around. "Nah, let's just tie him along with the others. He deserves to be punished."
"Still afraid of killing people?" he commented.
"Who cares! It's not even worth it. I already stole his magic, right? That's enough to make him less of a threat."
"True, you have gain one of his abilities, and his most used one..." he replied. "Though I'm concern of something..."
"What is it now? Spill it already"
"Since your current state is being a weakling and I already helped you twice this time..." the dragon sounded troubled then the dark aura surrounding me slowly disperse and all energy escaped my body. I felt sluggish again then suddenly crashed into the snow ground. "... You'll drain out and feel weak for a while..."
"... Say something sooner... Stupid dragon..."
All throughout the night, I was conscious yet too fatigued to move. The villagers tried tending to our wounds as the others guarded the town with the enemies' weaponry. Bandits who were still alive were tied and imprisoned in the village cells.
And as daybreak approaches, galloping horses came with few soldiers riding them. They had large armors with the insignia of the cold heart kingdom, a rose covered in ice. I thought the prince had already spotted us however, among them was none other than the lady's escort, Kent.
"Check the perimeter! And quickly! Send the doctor here to treat the injured" Kent ordered, then a lady carrying a large duffle bag forced me to drink a vial of liquid.
It slowly surges my body with heat and it was only a matter of time that I was able to move again. Though the pain was still there.
"... Thanks! That was really helpful!" I groaned.
"You did good, kid. Not only you had Lilia out of the city, you also help this village." Kent replied.
Another soldier who had been wandering approached Kent, notifying his reports. "All threats were already in captive and no enemies are in sight."
"Looks like you manage well all by yourself" the red head soldier grinned.
"Stop humiliating him, Felix." Amythea claimed.
"What, I'm praising him, Amythea." Felix responded. "Well wait until you recover before we move back into our settlement. I'm sure your little sister is thrilled to see you not dead."
"I don't have a little sister…"
***
Back at the castle, the coronation is already in commence, crowning the prince as the next ruler of Glacia. The nobles cheer for the new king while the city folks rejoices.
The new king appeared in the balcony of the castle, looking down upon his subjects while the guards fully arm and holding the outlanders in captive.
"Today marks the new dawn of a new era. I, King Ferdinand Coldhart, promise to obliterate these foul other worlders! We will no longer fear the Renegades! We will bring the fear to them!" The new king shouted, then the crowd roared in approval.
Then the new king ordered the guards to take out the prisoners which came from the other worlds and were ordered to be beheaded.
Blood soon filled the buckets beneath as the head of the outlanders fell, but only cheers from the crowd only get louder as more heads fell.
Meanwhile inside the castle, the lord of the Ravine household gets a news about the occurring incident which had happened earlier.
"What!? You let the man who humiliated my son escape and had the other worldly prisoners escape!?" the lord angered, wounding the courier with his sword.
"B-but we manage to capture some of them, sire."
"I don't care! Find those people who made a mockery of our family! Find them and kill them!"
"Y-yes, my lord!" the soldier nodded then gathered more soldiers to leave.
"Those useless peasants… ruining the mood of the coronation. No matter, the plan still goes on. And soon, the continent of Glacia will be within my grasp, huwahaha."