Chapter 6: Witnessing (Part 1)

I hear a roar. It's so loud and intimidating that even though I can't see who is making the sound, I can tell it is someone very powerful. I try to collect my thoughts over who it could be and then realize.

It's a really powerful beast? No, actually, I'm thinking its some animal that's really powerful because of the roar. In reality, it might not be that big of a threat. This effect of causing fear in people is exactly what the 'roar' is for. Creatures made of energy can't roar naturally. They need to understand what this act means. Then, they learn it. Finally, when they become capable of doing so, they use some of their reserved energy to do so. But unknowingly to them, this energy causes effects like fear and such.

Then all that considered, it should be a spirit Sona summoned and it is probably a feline-like creature. Obviously, that's one of the many guesses I have come up with, but it sounds the most plausible. But on the off-chance that it is some other creature who is roaring like that, then it should be a real big feline. Only that little girl would know if there are any animals like that in this forest.

I turn my head to see if she's awake.

Kais: "What …"

But she isn't even here. I look in all directions, but I can't see her anywhere. Where would she have gone? I know she's energy and all that so it isn't like disappearing is a big thing for her, but why would she disappear right now?

Kais: "If she's not here, then …"

She should be around the tomb. She is, at the end, a mass of energy made by the dragon. If the dragon made her, then he should be able to control her, which means that now everyone except me might be at the tomb. Well, I was going there myself, so it's not like I have any reason not to now.

Kais: "But, should I …?"

Sona is definitely going to fight the dragon there. If my guess is right, the spirit she has summoned should be in the form of a big feline and would be powerful enough to at least be a challenge to the dragon. Then, a really destructive fight would erupt there. Would going near such a dangerous place really be okay? It is definitely something I should consider. The risk is really high.

But then there's also the fact that it is the only thing for me to do. At least as far as I know, there's no progress to be made by not going to the tomb. So the question is – should I wait for the fight to be over or should I go right now?

I could just wait somewhere and keep a check on the fight with clairvoyance. After it's over, I can take care of my business. Though I can only do that if the dragon wins. I am assuming he will. No matter what spirit Sona bring in the battlefield, the dragon should win. After all, it is not just some dragon, but the one who befriended a god. Obviously, he should win.

But, just speaking hypothetically, Sona and her spirit actually manage to be beat the dragon; the only way for me to get out will be to rely on her. Now, the dragon hates spirits and keeps a barrier around the tomb to stop spirits from entering. If that is true, then the spirit that is able to break through it should be a powerhouse. If I were to fight it, I don't think I have any chance of winning. If I were to ask her for help, I am not sure she would give any. Plus, she already said there's a way for her to get out of here that I can't use. It probably has something to do with the spirits. Considering all that, the chances of success like that is very slim.

And if I just think about what might happen if the dragon dies and Sona leaves, I would be stuck here and there probably won't be anything I could do.

So yeah, while I am 99% sure the dragon would win, I can't risk it. I should keep a look at the battle from the distance. And what will that change? Well, if I were to see the dragon losing, I'll have to take a risk and help the dragon. There's no avoiding this much risk anymore.

Kais: "Ah, damn it!"

I clench my fists to take out some frustration. I can't make any mistakes and I definitely would if I lose my cool. So I need to keep my irritation under control. After I revise my course in my mind and feel ready to go, I start walking towards the direction the tomb is in.

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After walking a while, I see Sona standing near what looks like a clearing in the forest. There is a shadowy, large tiger-like creature besides her. I suppose that should be her spirit. My guess about it being a big feline was right on the money. But what's it doing. It doesn't look like it is going to attack just yet.

Sona: "Your enemy is the dragon. Go and kill him."

Sona says to the spirit as she keeps her left arm raised. I don't get why she is doing that, but I guess this is something only Spirits and Spirits-Users would know. As soon as she says those words, I see the spirit straighten up. It doesn't look natural, but like it is forced to obey her. Don't tell me even that spirit is afraid of the dragon. It does make sense though. How would a spirit that's made purely of energy not know how powerful of an opponent the dragon would be?

Death: "GRR … GRRRRR!!!"

The spirit looks somewhat angry. I guess it really doesn't want to fight the dragon. With the situation as it stands, does Sona even have a chance of winning? The spirit moves forward. It isn't running and it isn't standing in place, but simply walking down the path.

I decide to use aura reading to see how powerful that spirit is. The aura around it is simply dangerous. It is the sign of someone really violent and powerful at the same time. I can see red lines on its paws. Those paws are meant to kill. I can also see red lines around its hind legs. So this means even its hind legs are powerful enough to kill a person. There's no doubt that this spirit exists for missions like these. But even so, the dragon should have an aura even more dangerous than that.

When the spirit reaches the clearing, Sona is some steps behind. But suddenly, a bright light comes from somewhere. I can't see from here where the origins of that light was, but it definitely is coming from somewhere in the clearing. If that is where the tomb is, then it means the dragon is going to come out now.

Sona: "Be ready!"

Death: "GRRRRR!!!"

The spirit looks unhappy but doesn't disobey Sona. I got the feeling that this spirit is really prideful when I checked its aura. Now that it has come so far, I doubt it will run away. No, running away now would be pointless. If the dragon has been disturbed enough that he had to come out of the tomb, retreating would be equivalent to saying, "there was no reason to disturb you, but we did it anyway." I doubt the dragon will take that very kindly. This is why, now that they have fallen in this situation, there's no way out of here other than fighting the dragon. Now that I think about it, if Sona really does want to fight it, then this wouldn't be a bad strategy. Bring a really powerful spirit so close to the dragon that it can't run away, so it will have to fight the dragon no matter what.

Sona: "Why don't you come out in front of us already?"

Sona shouts as if to provoke the dragon. She is showing a lot of guts right now I must say. To think she would fight a dragon is more than enough to tell she is on the verge of crossing the line of bravery, into foolishness. But then she is also provoking it, does she have some really good plan in place. Actually, a really good plan right now would be to use as much firepower as possible. Coming up with a really brainy strategy is not what's required here. The silence continues for a moment while my thoughts keep running. Both Sona and her spirit look at each other as if to affirm their resolve to fight. And then a voice comes.

???: "Very well then."

A figure emerges from the tomb. The golden glow suddenly starts to dampen. It looks like a grand entrance, but to say honestly, I don't see the dragon to be someone who would want to do things like theatrics. But who knows, maybe he came to like this sort of stuff in the years he has spent in this tomb.

Sona: "Did I … just hear him talk?"

Wait! You didn't know he could talk? Shouldn't you have researched about him more? I ask her these questions only in my mind. The dragon gained a lot of things after befriending Ozyllus. One of them was the ability to speak like a human.

Dragon: "Don't be so worried about it. I can talk because it was one of the things my friend blessed me with."

By friend, he definitely means Ozyllus.

Sona: "What …"

She is probably thinking the same thing too but is unable to come to terms with it on the spot because she didn't know about it beforehand.

Dragon: "Oh well, I wonder if you even actually care about that though."

Sona looks at her spirit and gets a little relieved. From what I can tell, she is glad the spirit is ready to fight. It does make sense. If the spirit was still trying to run away, it would have been a major problem for her. But knowing that's not the case, she can focus on fighting. Maybe this is the reason she brought such a prideful spirit, it won't try to run away even if it can sense a really powerful enemy. Even before, it was only standing there unwilling to move rather than running away. I am confident this spirit would now give this fight all it can.

Dragon: "Now, why did you call me here?"

I notice the golden shine has started to dampen a little. I should try to move towards a place that's not directly behind the place the fighting will start. From the distance between me and them, no place is totally safe. But I knew this much risk was going to be there. I just need to make sure I am ready for any attacks at any time. As I move towards a bush, the golden shine completely disappears. Now I can get a good look at the face of the dragon.

Sona: "Huh?"

He has a human-like appearance. That's expected. He did gain the ability to transform into a human on will. He is a slightly muscular, good-looking man with green eyes, slightly dark skin and brown hair length of which almost touched the shoulders. This is the dragon. He has an appearance that can very well be mistaken as a human. But when we know he is a dragon, then that is all that matters. It doesn't matter what he looks like, we know what he is beneath that appearance.

Dragon: "If you are worried about this form, don't be. It is just convenient for me to be like this when I have to interact with humans."

That makes sense. People wouldn't be that afraid of this form even if they know he is a dragon. But many might lose their mind if they see the terrifyingly huge creature that can eat them in a single gulp. At that moment, I see Sona looking shocked. I don't understand what's so shocking about it. Sure, it is surprising to see the dragon take a human form for the first time, but it didn't affect me all that much even when I heard about it for the first time.

Sona: "What the hell? Why do … why do you … look so much like Ozyllus?"

Kais: "What?"

I almost shouted. I couldn't help myself. What Sona just said is beyond a doubt terrifying. He looks like Ozyllus. How's that possible? I never saw a real image of what Ozyllus looks like. How could I when there are no records of his painting anywhere in Barry's collections? But that's not the point. He shouldn't look like Ozyllus. There is no reason for him to look like Ozyllus.

My attention has diverted from the topic after hearing that. I look back. The spirit is looking at Sona. The dragon too is looking at her. All three of us are surprised after hearing that.

If Sona knows what Ozyllus really looks like and this dragon looks like him, then there definitely is a possibility that this woman knows more about this island than she lets on. Only those who know the history of this island are considered capable of entering here. If someone else who has no idea about it tries to enter, they won't last long enough to reach the shore. The various 'natural' disasters will consume them. So this woman knows the history of this island. But not just that, she also knows what Ozyllus looks like. There is a high chance she knows the various stories other than the one about this dragon and Ozyllus. All this combined; I think she would be knowledgeable enough to know how to exit this island through other means than whatever is present in the tomb. That is to say, she can come and go as she pleases. She can use various methods to defeat the dragon. She can take her time making contracts with a large number of spirits and bring them all to fight the dragon. Yet she has come here just with one powerful spirit. Is it hatred for the dragon? Is it rage? Or is it just suicidal tendency? Who in the world is this woman?

Dragon: "Well, I'm surprised you know what he looked like. Could you tell me how you learned that?"

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