CHAPTER 57 - The Dragon Monster

Tisane shook greatly as he heard the dragon's voice. It was a voice that he found extremely familiar.

_That voice...._

He stared at the dragon as it began to approach gradually. Every step it took emitted strength and power.

_{In all my existence, I have never met a mortal creature as defiant as you}_

_{You should be proud mortal, for your progenitor was only able to become this tenacious through countless years of training and battles}_

Tisane immediately had a moment of déjà vu as the dragon creature got closer, for it's image seemed to overlap with that of a certain monster in his mind.

_The mountainous monster!!_

Tisane spasmed as the memories came flooding back.

His battles with the monster and how he even had to battle the colossal creature when it was split into three. He began to marvel at how he was able to exhibit that level of power in order to battle such terrifying creature.

_{I always wondered how you were able to contend against me so well}_

_{Well it seems that you are no ordinary mortal, but someone endowed with worthy gifts}_

The dragon creature was now close enough as it's aura felt so vast and overwhelming that it stood as the king of the universe.

Tisane gritted his teeth and folded his fists in not just nervousness but also in anger as he spoke out.

"I want to ask a question;"

_{Hmm?}_

_{Sure mortal ask away}_

The voice of the dragon creature was surprisingly gentle as Tisane raised an eyebrow in reaction.

"Are you responsible for all of this?"

There was a certain level of silence which made the atmosphere quite tense as Tisane kept squeezing his fists so tight that his nails dug deep into his palms, sending a sharp pain through his hands. He watched the dragon creature in agitation as it stared at him with those glowing eyes.

As Tisane's nervousness was about to reach it's peak, the dragon spoke;

_{What if I am?}_

Tisane's eyes quaked and his body shook as he heard those words.

"You mean to say you did all this?

"But why....why me?"

Tisane was in a state of wonder as to why all this was happening to him. The horror he experienced back in the tunnel was just too much for anyone to bear.

And as for the dragon creature, Tisane was more dumbfounded as to why he would encounter such a monstrosity. The aura he was feeling from the creature now was far greater than what he had felt from it when he was in the black hole.

_{Why?}_

_{You ask why?!}_

_{It's because the key to ruling the universe was placed in the hands of a mere child.... that's why!!!}_

"What key?"

"What are you talking about.....I don't hold any key?!"

_{That's why you should surrender mortal}_

_{Give up your resistance and submit to me, then I will show you that which you possess that doesn't belong to you}_

"My family....they.....are they still alive?"

Tisane's shoulders drooped in sorrow when he spoke of his family. Unknown to him, the eyes of the dragon creature flashed with deep disdain which was quickly hidden.

_{They're alive mortal}_

_{Now stop wasting time and surrender!}_

"You mean they are alive?...but I thought..."

Tisane quickly recovered from his sorrowful state as surprised joy swept up his expression. When he raised his head, he saw that the countenance of the dragon creature had morphed into one of savage desire.

_{Yes yes they're alive!}_

_{Now submit your strength to me!!}_

The voice of the dragon had gone up a few octaves higher as it stepped forward while it's teeth flashed greedily. Tisane subconsciously took a step backwards in fear as he stared at the creature.

"But I saw them being torn to pieces....I...I"

Tisane was on the verge of weeping as he remembered the dead and crumpled bodies of his mother and sisters. The dragon creature snarled in anger as it replied hastily;

_{I said that they're alive!...Are you deaf or something!!}_

"B--But how do I know that they're actually alive...I...I just----"

_{What?!!}_

_{Are you so insolent as to call me a liar?!!}_

"N--No I wouldn't dare. I---I just miss them so much....and with what I experienced, am afraid that-----"

_{Ugh enough mortal!!}_

_{Here they are}_

The dragon creature became quite irritated and annoyed by Tisane's pitiful state as it swiped it's huge claws. The space trembled greatly as a fissure appeared, which then expanded to reveal a huge screen in space.

Tisane watched as the screen started to shimmer, before displaying moving images. He saw his mother and two sisters as they were entertaining some visitors in the dining room.

He kept watching the screen with intent as if looking for someone, but before he could confirm his findings, the screen suddenly vanished.

"Hold on!!"

"I am yet to see my father through the images"

_{What do I look like to you, your personal assistant?!!!}_

"No....I just want to k--know if he is okay"

_{He's fine!!}_

_{Now, stop wasting my bloody time and give me your soul!!}_

The dragon creature lunged towards Tisane suddenly, in an attempt to grab him with it's large claws. On noticing this, Tisane quickly dived away as he was able to avoid the dragon's capture by a hair's breadth.

Seeing that it had failed to capture it's target, the dragon creature then stared at Tisane with searching eyes. At this point, tears streamed down from Tisane's eyes as he gave the dragon a hateful glare.

"Do you really think that I would believe that crap that you just showed me?!

"After destroying my family, you still have the guts to show me such deception and then try to kill me afterwards!!"

The dragon creature stared at Tisane with a strange look before bellowing in laughter.

_{Hahaha....you mortal fool!!}_

_{It's seems your mind has been beclouded by sorrow and pain}_

_{But don't worry, for I only promise to take what I want from you and after that, I will return you to your precious family so you can be with them forever!}_

"Liar!"

"I have nothing to give an abominable demon like you. I'd rather die!!"

_{Hehe...your death only comes after I have taken what is rightfully mine!!}_

The dragon creature dashed at Tisane again but this time, it's speed quadrupled as it quickly appeared before Tisane and made a grabbing gesture with it's claw. Tisane saw all this, but was unable to react as he was caught unawares by the dragon's sudden speed.

As it's claws came at him, Tisane felt the space around him freeze immediately. He couldn't move as the dragon's claws swept him up easily.

He felt so tiny and puny in the dragon's grip that he knew that he would be crushed to death in a single squeeze.

_{Don't bother to struggle, mortal!!}_

_{For I would surely have what is rightfully mine!}_

_{And let me make one thing clear to you;}_

_{I don't care about your miserable mortal life, and when I have taken that which I need from you, I will let you live, only to watch as I destroy the entire world and everything that you hold dear in it hahaha!!!}_

On hearing the dragon's words and seeing the situation that he was in, Tisane lost hope and fell into despair. He began to wonder if he was cursed to live and die in such manner.

But as the dragon's grip tightened around him, a strange and invasive energy pooled into his body. Tisane felt as if something deep within him was being pulled out to the surface by this strange energy.

And as this process took place, he also felt an extremely strong resistance well up inside him. He felt like a woman whom was about to be raped by an ugly and disgusting murderer and it was an extremely repulsive feeling!

He just couldn't accept being subjected to such terrible fate. As the entity within him was being pulled out, his resistance increased.

On noticing his resistance, the dragon creature gave an evil chuckle as it spoke;

_{Your resistance is futile, insect!!}_

_{How can a mere mortal like you hope to escape my grip?!}_

_{Besides, with what I want already in sight, nothing can save you this time!!}_

Tisane hardly paid attention to the dragon's discouraging words as he continued to resist against the the strange energy that had invaded his body. He subconsciously knew that if the dragon succeeded in taking out what it wanted to take from him, he would be as good as dead.

As the dragon's energy kept pulling at the mysterious force within him, he felt as if something very important and precious was about to leave him. At the thought of this, he struggled fiercely.

After sometime, Tisane felt his body becoming extremely weak. From his legs which began to lose their strength, to his solar plexus and up to his chest.

He felt a humongous deal of energy leave him as a reddish gas-like energy began to flow out of his open mouth. This gas-like energy was then followed by a whitish glow which was already at the tip of his mouth.

Tisane's body trembled as his vision began to go dark. The last thing he saw before his vision went black, was the horrifying smile of the dragon creature, as it stared at his mouth with savage desire.

_{Hahaha finally..finally!!}_

_{I now have everything I need to unleash my rage on those who dared to challenge me!!}_

As the whitish glow of energy was about to leave Tisane's mouth, it suddenly stopped.

_{Hmm?}_

The dragon creature felt that something was wrong as it pulled and pulled with it's energy, but was not able to bring out the whitish glow from Tisane's mouth. Tisane by this time, had lost consciousness as he just hung limply in the dragon's grip.

The dragon creature kept pulling and pulling but couldn't pull out the whitish glow.

_{What sort of nonsense is this?!}_

The dragon roared in annoyance as it inserted more of it's energy to pull out the whitish glow, when suddenly, the whitish glow began to recede into Tisane's mouth. The dragon creature couldn't believe it's eyes as it was beginning to lose hold on the whitish glow.

_{No!!}_

_{This can't be happening!!!}_