Little Sister's Pain / The Boy Becomes a Dragon Again / The Holy Banner Protecting His Little Sister

T/N: Sorry for the delay I didn't have much time to make it

Chapters will released one after another after a slight delay...

....

"..."

Hearing Pierre's words, Fafnir remained silent for a long time before giving his reply.

"This time, is it for your little sister again?" he asked, his voice low.

[Fafnir was originally your other side.]

[You knew there was no need to hide anything from him.]

[You told your dragon side all of Jeanne's thoughts about this war.]

[You hoped that Fafnir could help you.]

"Hmph." Fafnir's cold laugh came from the pendant.

"Is Jeanne a little naive... does she really think she can defeat dragons?" he scoffed, his tone skeptical.

"Please don't say that, my other self," Pierre said, looking at the dragon-shaped pendant in his hand that was emitting a black glow, his eyes filled with worry.

"This is all my fault," he confessed, his voice barely audible.

"It was I who instilled the wrong understanding in her... making her believe that she really saw an 'angel' and could defeat powerful dragons," he added, his brow furrowed.

"This has nothing to do with whether she's naive or not," Fafnir retorted, his tone sharp.

"Are you planning to secretly arrange everything for her?" Fafnir's voice became somewhat emotional.

"You really spoil her," he commented, a hint of exasperation in his tone.

"I can't help it," Pierre said, a wry smile on his lips.

"I'm the only family she has in this world," he explained, his gaze soft.

"If I don't spoil her like this... then no one else will, right?" he asked, his voice filled with a hint of sadness.

"..."

"Sigh," Fafnir sighed. "I don't mind using your body to become a dragon," he said, his tone resigned.

"But—"

"You should also know what the consequences will be if this continues, right?" he asked, his voice grave.

"I know," Pierre replied, his hand trembling slightly, but his voice was incredibly firm.

"But I have to do it," he declared, his gaze resolute.

"I understand," Fafnir no longer tried to dissuade his human side. "Then at least let me use your body to understand the surrounding situation," he suggested calmly.

"No problem," Pierre agreed readily.

"Thank you, Fafnir," he said gratefully.

"There's nothing to thank me for... we should be of one mind," Fafnir replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

[Fafnir agreed to your request.]

[Almost at the same time, Jeanne's voice came over at this moment.]

"Brother~" Jeanne, on the other side of the bed, blinked her rather beautiful blue eyes.

"Who were you talking to just now?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Eh... that, I wasn't talking to anyone, just talking to myself," Pierre said, telling a lie that wasn't exactly a lie—he was indeed talking to himself.

"Jeanne, why aren't you asleep yet?" he asked gently, his gaze kind.

"Because..." Jeanne's face flushed slightly, and she looked a little shy. "It hurts a little, and I can't sleep," she confessed softly.

"..."

"Is it because of what happened just now?" Pierre inquired, his voice gentle.

"Maybe..." Jeanne's voice became quieter. "I feel like Brother has some wild woman outside," she murmured, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"The movements and everything seemed very practiced," she added, her blue eyes looking at him with a hint of suspicion.

"What are you talking about... this was clearly the first time," Pierre said with a smile, gently stroking his younger sister's head.

"But since it hurts a lot—"

"Mademoiselle Jeanne, would you like Monsieur Pierre to help you rub the place that hurts?" he asked playfully, a smirk on his lips.

"Eh... Brother is such a pervert!" Jeanne said, but she didn't resist the hand that was touching her head at all.

After all, she really loved her older brother.

[Time flowed slowly in the intertwining of siblings and lovers, and soon the next day arrived.]

[According to Jeanne's wishes, you held hands with her and met with Charles VII again.]

Charles VII looked even worse than he did yesterday.

Clearly.

After Pierre said he "needed to consider" it, he hadn't slept well all night.

This poor Crown Prince was very worried that the dragon-driving saint would refuse his request.

If that happened... where would France go?

However—

Even though he was worried to this extent, Charles VII still hadn't rudely disturbed the two of them.

This made Pierre change his opinion of the thin man a little.

"Your Highness," Jeanne said, looking at the haggard Charles VII before her, answering yesterday's question quite seriously.

"After careful consideration overnight... I have decided to accept your request," she declared, her blue eyes filled with determination.

"I will drive away the dragons of England for you, in order to restore the glory of France as soon as possible," she added, her voice firm.

"..."

Charles VII, hearing these words, was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened.

Then his legs weakened, and he fell to the ground.

"Your Highness!" Pierre exclaimed, rushing to his side.

"It's nothing," Charles VII said, holding onto a nearby chair and slowly getting back to his feet.

"I was just too excited," he explained, his voice trembling slightly.

"God bless France!" The haggard man looked excitedly at Pierre and Jeanne before him.

"Thank you... thank you so much!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with gratitude.

"I thank you on behalf of every citizen of France!" he added, his eyes shining with hope.

[You accepted his commission amidst Charles VII's gratitude.]

[After preparing, you will lead his last army to rescue Orléans.]

[But before that, you knew you needed to keep your promise to Fafnir.]

[You temporarily left the castle.]

[You came to a deserted forest outside the city.]

The memories of the human side and the dragon side were not completely connected.

For this reason—

Pierre knew he had to transform into Fafnir and let him get used to the situation in this area.

The boy took off the dragon-shaped pendant around his neck and held it tightly in his hand.

A black light spread out from the pendant, enveloping his entire body.

Pierre's appearance began to change drastically, and the resulting upheaval destroyed the surrounding trees.

Crack, crack.

Countless branches were destroyed and broken, and after everything calmed down, a black dragon stood tall in the cleared space.

However, this time—

The situation seemed a little different.

Because Pierre found that he could actually survey the land from the dragon's perspective.

The boy looked at the scene reflected in his mind, feeling somewhat at a loss for a moment.

"Fafnir, this..." Pierre began, his voice filled with surprise.

"This is the price, Pierre," Fafnir replied in a low voice to his other side.

"Your consciousness is changing in the direction of a dragon... your existence will gradually become thinner," he explained, his tone grave.

"In the end, only I, who am a dragon, will remain," he concluded, his voice filled with a hint of sadness.

"Why don't you—"

"Let's turn back immediately," Pierre interrupted, his voice filled with urgency.

[Talent Dragon's Protection has been replaced by Dragon's Erosion: As you transform into a dragon more and more times, the dragon side will become dominant in your body.]

[You were certainly afraid of such a result.]

[But you knew this was the price you had to pay—you had to protect your younger sister.]

"No," Pierre shook his head. "If I turn back now, wouldn't all the previous efforts be in vain?" he asked, his gaze determined.

"Fafnir, please fly!" he urged, his voice filled with hope.

"..."

The black dragon didn't say anything more.

He flapped his thick wings, stirring up a strong wind on the forest floor.

A violent storm swept through, and the huge figure soared into the air.

The sky became his backdrop in an instant—this was the arrogance unique to dragons.

However, for Pierre at this moment, this feeling was a little terrifying.

"This is too high... Fafnir, is this how you feel when you become a dragon?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"More or less," Fafnir's voice sounded quite calm.

"So—"

"I have never complained about Mother separating us," he confessed, his tone sincere.

"After all, if my little sister were to come into contact with me... it would definitely be very dangerous," he added, his voice filled with concern.

"You actually care about Jeanne too," Pierre couldn't help but sigh.

"Isn't that obvious?" Fafnir replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

Fafnir flapped his huge wings forcefully, stirring up a strong current of air in the sky.

"I am you, and you are me," he declared, his voice echoing.

"Our minds are one," he concluded, his tone resolute.

The black dragon soared into the sky, recording the situation of the places he went with a practical perspective.

This was something the human side couldn't do.

But it was also something that the human side could only pray for.

[You and Fafnir surveyed the surrounding situation.]

[You seriously imagined what it would be like if your younger sister really led troops into battle.]

[You thought of some questions.]

[You decided to ask Fafnir.]

The giant dragon spread its wings, then folded them.

Black Fafnir stopped on a mountain—dragons were also living beings and needed rest.

Taking advantage of this gap, Pierre asked his other self about the doubts in his heart.

"Fafnir."

"If we have to face several dragons at the same time, are you confident in defeating them?" he asked, his gaze earnest.

"...It's hard to say," Fafnir replied, his tone cautious.

Fafnir was not arrogant—he had a clear self-awareness.

"Pierre."

"Just like humans, there are differences between dragons as well," he explained, his voice grave.

"I can't be sure what level those English dragons are at," he confessed, his tone uncertain.

"But—"

"I promise you, I will fight with all my strength," he declared, his voice filled with determination.

"However, in that case... your body might suffer serious damage," he added, his tone worried.

Although their memories weren't shared, their bodies were.

How much damage the dragon side Fafnir suffered in battle would be equally reflected on the human side Pierre after he transformed back.

This was a two-in-one existence intertwined like a helix.

But Pierre didn't hesitate at all; he replied directly:

"It doesn't matter," he said, his voice firm.

"Fafnir, just do your best to fight when the time comes... don't worry about my problems," he added, his gaze resolute.

"My life is as tough as a stone," he concluded, his voice filled with conviction.

"I hope so," Fafnir said, not trying to dissuade his other side—he knew it would be useless.

And just as he himself had said.

The human side and the dragon side were of one mind.

Whatever the name Pierre chose to do.

Then the name Fafnir would follow suit.

"By the way," Pierre quickly threw out his second question.

"If we're facing not dragons, but humans?" he inquired, his gaze thoughtful.

"Do you have a way to make the flames only harm specific people?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

[Soaring in the sky gave you a new perspective.]

[This also made you think about another question—how to protect your younger sister who would be leading the French troops on the ground?]

[After all, if you really had no choice but to appear on the battlefield in dragon form.]

[You knew that your top priority was naturally to protect Jeanne.]

[And the best hope for all of this was Fafnir's powerful flames, which could devour even Leif in an instant.]

[If it could distinguish between friend and foe, it would be the most powerful protection for Jeanne.]

[Fafnir quickly understood this as well.]

However—

Although both Pierre and Fafnir knew they needed to protect Jeanne.

The black dragon's answer wasn't so ideal.

"I can't do that kind of thing," Fafnir replied, his tone grave.

"Dragon's flames are fatal to humans... even a slight touch will cause extremely serious damage," he explained, his voice filled with concern.

"This..." Pierre muttered, his brow furrowed.

Fafnir had already spoken quite frankly.

And Pierre knew that such a request was somewhat difficult for his dragon side.

[You fell into thought.]

[Even on a dangerous battlefield, you wanted to have a foolproof plan to protect your younger sister.]

[The unique perspective from the sky made you think of a possibility.]

"Then—"

"If it's not about making the flames only harm specific people... but avoiding specific people, Fafnir, can you do that?" Pierre asked, his gaze earnest.

"The specific person you're referring to is Jeanne, right?" the dragon side replied to the question.

"I can try my best not to burn her... but if the battlefield is chaotic, I might not be able to notice her existence at all times," he confessed, his tone uncertain.

"No—" Pierre interrupted firmly.

"Fafnir, you will definitely notice," he declared, his voice filled with conviction.

"I have a way to make that happen," he added, a plan forming in his mind.

[After another round of soaring, you ended this flight.]

[You transformed back into human form.]

[You returned to the castle in Chinon.]

[You met with Charles VII alone, hoping he could customize some things according to your request.]

[Charles VII readily agreed—after all, you were the Saint's beloved.]

[Two days later, the customized items arrived in your hands.]

[You led Jeanne to the room where they were kept.]

"Brother... can I open my eyes now?" Jeanne asked softly, her blue eyes still closed.

"Mmm, you can," Pierre replied gently.

With her older brother's permission, Jeanne slowly opened her eyes.

And what came into her sight surprised the boy greatly.

She saw an extremely conspicuous white military banner.

On the table next to it was a cloak with a cross insignia, and a set of well-crafted half-plate armor.

A silver tiara lay quietly on top, silently telling of the preciousness of these items.

Seeing this scene, Jeanne couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Brother, these are..." she began, her voice filled with curiosity.

Pierre patted his younger sister's head, reassuring her.

"These are all things I asked His Highness to customize for you," he explained gently.

"If you're going to the battlefield, you still have to use this safer attire and hold the holy banner firmly," he added, his gaze kind.

"I believe... everyone will be even more motivated when they see you like this," he concluded, a gentle smile on his lips.

"I see," Jeanne nodded thoughtfully, then smiled at her older brother.

"I understand," she said softly, her blue eyes looking at him with affection.

"Then—"

"I'll change into them for Brother to see first!" she exclaimed happily, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Watching his younger sister happily change her clothes in front of him, Pierre breathed a slight sigh of relief.

She didn't suspect why he had these things customized to be so conspicuous.

That was his selfishness as an older brother—he wanted his younger sister to be noticed by his dragon side Fafnir at all times.

"Brother, do I look good like this?" Jeanne asked, twirling slightly in her new armor.

"Mmm, very good-looking," Pierre replied, a warm smile on his lips.

[Under your arrangement, the nun Jeanne became the warrior Jeanne.]

[A few days later, Charles VII gave Jeanne command of all the troops under his command.]

[You will set off from Chinon to rescue Orléans—a city besieged by the English.]

[And this will be the battle that determines the fate of France.]