The creature's final words hung in the air like a death knell. Their weight settled heavily on Raijin's chest.
Die?
His mind reeled. How could one die just from forming a contract? The question rattled through his mind, a cold wave of dread crashing over him.
A threat? Is this the end of it? Had I failed?
Raijin could feel it—his failure was palpable. The path was blocked, and the door closed. He hadn't succeeded. This was the end.
A heavy sigh escaped Raijin's lips, a sound of resignation, frustration, and acceptance of defeat. He would reverse summon, go back, and try again another time. There was no shame in walking away—not when his life had been hanging by a thread.
After all, this was only his first attempt. Yet… why did it feel like he was leaving something behind?
Then, unexpectedly, the creature sighed too.
It wasn't the same menacing growl, nor the thunderous threat of before.
This was different—soft.
Almost... mournful.
The vast, oppressive presence of the creature seemed to sag, its immense form shrinking slightly as if weighed down by an invisible burden.
For one fragile, fleeting moment, Raijin sensed something else beneath the terrifying exterior—sadness, loneliness even—a hollow ache buried beneath the rage.
The creature spoke—quieter this time, almost hesitant.
"In the past… I also had a human companion."
The words lingered, hanging in the thick air, and with them, the creature's presence shifted once again. A quiet tension filled the space, thickened with an aura of sorrow, yet beneath it, Raijin could feel something else—an undercurrent of simmering rage—two emotions so at odds with each other yet coexisting in the same voice.
Raijin's breath caught as the creature's lightning-wrought form began to shift—no longer flickering lightning and shadows, but something denser... more real.
He blinked, his eyes widening as the transformation unfolded. It wasn't just changing—
It was revealing itself.
Flesh formed where lightning once crackled. Scales rippled across its sinewy body, glistening dark like obsidian streaked with veins of molten gold.
Raijin's stomach clenched, his pulse pounding in his ears.
A fucking drake.
Colossal. Primal.
Its body stretched several dozen feet in length—built for war—each movement exuding raw, coiled strength.
Its form was muscular, with large, scaled limbs tapering into sharp, unforgiving claws. The four sturdy limbs ended in razor-sharp talons, capable of tearing through even the hardest metal with ease.
Its enormous and imposing head bore a broad, almost skull-like face, its expression fierce and intimidating. A long, strong snout lined with jagged teeth capable of crushing anything in its path and a jaw wide enough to unleash an earth-shattering roar that seemed to shake the very air.
And atop its head, two massive horns spiraled backward like the twisted roots of an ancient tree, lending the creature a regal, yet demonic appearance.
Its scales, rough like stone, shimmered with a dark metallic sheen, giving off an eerie, otherworldly glow in the light. Predominantly black, they were streaked with veins of emerald green and dark gold, like precious minerals embedded within its tough, armored exterior. The texture was as much weapon as protection.
The creature's tail, long and powerful, coiled behind it like a deadly weapon. Armored in the same hard scales, it could strike with lethal precision, capable of knocking down even the most formidable foes with a single sweep.
Raijin's heart raced, his pulse pounding in his ears as he watched the creature. The transformation was staggering, from an ethereal entity of lightning to a terrifyingly real, dragon-like being.
Its form continued to fluctuate, struggling to hold onto its shape, but gradually, it shrank, stabilizing at a height nearly three times that of Raijin himself.
The immense power of the miniature dragon-like creature caused the air around to crackle with static electricity as the ground beneath Raijin's feet also trembled.
Despite the overwhelming fear creeping up his spine, Raijin stood his ground, forcing his thoughts to settle. He had come this far. There was no turning back now.
He hesitated momentarily, doubt swirling in his chest, but then a sliver of resolve pierced through the fog of uncertainty. Well, it doesn't hurt to try, right?
Raijin squared his shoulders, meeting the creature's burning gaze. His voice came out steady but edged with curiosity and determination.
"Your companion... How did he form a bond... a contract... a vow... an affiliation... or a connection with you?"
The miniature dragon's form seemed to shudder slightly as it answered, its voice tinged with an unexpected edge of surprise, mirroring Raijin's own confusion.
"He didn't."
Raijin blinked, caught off guard. He pressed further, his voice rising with both curiosity and deepening confusion. "So, he didn't have a contract with you?"
He paused gauging the miniature dragon's reaction, "But you were still bound to him, weren't you?"
"He was my companion, not a summoner." It sneered, dripping with disdain. "We were bound by something more… primal."
Raijin tilted his head, trying to wrap his mind around the weight of the statement. "Primal? You mean... you weren't bound by a contract? You just... were?"
The creature's gaze flickered, "We were bound by something older... older than even your human concept of 'contract'."
Raijin took a slow step forward, his curiosity now impossible to contain. "Something older than contracts... something like a soul bond?" he ventured, the words tasting foreign on his tongue but feeling right in the air between them.
The creature's voice deepened, becoming a low rumble, vibrating the air around them. "Something deeper."
It paused, before continuing, "We shared a bond forged through the storm. His power and my power were not contained by mere contract…"
Another pause stretched into the silence. "We were tied together by blood, by fate. A connection neither of us fully understood, but one we could never sever."
Raijin's mind raced. "So, this power... this bond between you two... could it be recreated? Could I form something like that with you?"
The miniature dragon's eyes locked onto him, unblinking. "You speak of bond... but can you truly understand... what it means?"
The creature's low growl rumbled again. "You think this is a simple thing? A contract, a summoning, a mere exchange of power?"
Raijin stood still, waiting for the words to sink in. The air was thick with the tension of the creature's presence.
"You do not understand the price."
Raijin's eyes narrowed. "Then tell me. What is the price? What do you mean by that?"
The creature's voice dropped into a near whisper, but the words carried a weight that struck at Raijin's very core. "The price is everything, human."
The creature's voice darkened, heavy with emotion. "The bond would forge in the bolts, in the fury of a thousand thunderclaps. It was not a pact written in blood, nor a contract signed in ink."
There was something in its tone, a hint of doom wrapped in venomous power, like the words were carving their way into his bones. "To form a bond with me, you must sacrifice everything. Could you... do it?"
"A bond like that... it's not something you form on a whim. You have to sacrifice everything. Do you think you can understand what it means to share a bond like that? You've never known true power nor a true loss."
"Sacrifice? What can a human possibly sacrifice for you?" Raijin asked. The question felt absurd, but it had an edge of truth, like something hidden beneath the surface was now being unearthed.
The creature's form shimmered, its eyes glowing brighter, almost painfully so, as if it were reading the very fabric of Raijin's soul. "Everything," it repeated, its voice like a lullaby.
"Your power, your desires, your very identity. To truly bond with me, you must surrender all that you are. To become one with a force like me means losing yourself in it. You must surrender everything to me."
Raijin swallowed hard. The words echoed in his mind, each syllable heavy with a meaning he didn't want to understand fully. "You're asking me to lose myself?"
The creature's form shifted again, more subtly this time, as if it were slowly circling him, its presence growing larger with every passing second. "Not just to lose yourself. To become something new."
He stepped closer, his expression hardening. "What happened to… to your companion?"
The creature's gaze turned distant, and Raijin could feel a wave of sorrow radiating from it. "He thought he could protect his world, protect me. But in the end... he died."
The creature's voice faltered slightly, and Raijin sensed something deep and raw beneath the surface.
For a long moment, the creature remained silent again, its gaze unblinking and cold, as though it were peering into Raijin's soul. Finally, it spoke again, its voice quieter now, carrying an edge of something like... pity.
"When he died... his power left me, stranded here."
Raijin somehow understood the creature's bond. "So, this bond you had with him... it wasn't just a contract," Raijin said. "It was something forged in battle, in trust, in shared suffering…"
"Yes"
Raijin absorbed the weight of the creature's words, his mind spinning. "And you... you're trapped here, without your companion?"
"No" The creature's returned to being cold, deep, and jarring. "I am not 'trapped.'"
"I am… alone. And that is a much worse fate than death."
Raijin took a deliberate step, his mind processing the gravity of the creature's situation. "I... I didn't realize," Raijin said softly, his voice taking on a more respectful tone. "I'm not here to replace your previous companion, and I'm not here to claim your power. I just... want to form a connection... a bond… a friendship with you?"
"Can you sacrifice everything?" the creature asked flatly.
Raijin's heartbeat quickened, his breath shallow. "And if I refuse to sacrifice?" His voice trembled, despite his best efforts to stay steady.
The creature's gaze darkened, flickers of red crackling light dancing across its scaled body. For a moment, its form seemed to swell—shadows stretching impossibly long—as if the void itself bent to its will.
"Then you walk away.
Empty.
Alone."
Its voice rumbled low—gravel grinding against stone—thick with a dangerous promise.
"The bond will never form, and you will never truly understand what could have been. The power... the connection..."
It leaned forward, molten eyes narrowing. "You will always remain… human. Weak. Bound by your frailties."
At least it didn't threaten to kill or devour him.
Raijin's mind whirled. The weight of the decision pressed down—not crushing, but heavy enough to make him feel how real this was. The cost could be far beyond anything he had ever imagined. Or... it could be nothing at all.
A gamble.
The unknown hung before him like a blade balanced on its edge. But wasn't that why he came here in the first place?
"So, are you willing to sacrifice everything for yourself?"
Slowly, Raijin forced himself to meet the creature's piercing gaze. His fists clenched by his sides.
"I don't know..." he admitted, the words tasting like uncertainty on his tongue. "But I'm willing to try."
For a moment, silence reigned—a stillness so profound it made the very air feel heavier.
Then…
"Very well, human."
The creature's voice was softer now—still vast, still ancient—but tinged with something unfamiliar. Not anger. Not mockery.
Acceptance.
"You can try… And if you fail... and die, I will remember your name for all my life."
Raijin's heart thudded loudly. This was it. "I am Raijin. Raijin Sarutobi"
For the first time, the creature's lips curled—not quite a smile, but something close. "I am Raizu…"
Its voice shifted—lighter, almost... childish as if a long-forgotten memory had stirred awake beneath centuries of bitterness.
Raijin blinked at the sudden shift—caught off guard by the subtle warmth in its tone.
But then, as if remembering itself, the creature cleared its throat. Red and Purple lightning coiled tighter around its massive form. "Raijū."
Its name lingered in the air like a distant thunderclap.
The creature leaned forward, its eyes now burning with a fierce intensity. "Then you shall join me. You will become part of me, and I of you. Together, we will shape the world in ways you cannot yet fathom. But know this: once the bond is forged, there is no turning back."
The creature's form rippled again, shrinking—morphing. Lightning crackled as its towering draconic body twisted down into something smaller—four-legged, canine, and lean. Blue and white fur sparked with electricity, and lightning coils wrapped around its frame like living veins.
Raijin stood still, his heart pounding. "I don't care about turning back."
Raijū's form surged—crimson and azure lightning intertwining along its crackling frame.
It grinned—a wide, childish smile stretched across its beast-like face, far too innocent for something so ancient.
"Very well, Raijin."
Raijin's brows furrowed. The shift unsettled him. This form... it was almost playful—far from the monstrous grandeur of before.
Still...
He wasn't about to let his guard down.
He kept his voice low, steady.
"So... care to explain how I might die?"
The grin widened—too wide.
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