To be honest, life is like a very difficult game. The decisions you make almost always lead to a bitter end. And if you make a good choice, be prepared for the punch line.

Issē Hyōdō suffered from this. 45 years old. No parents or family. A job with very good pay, but highly demotivating. A lonely and boring life.

If we are obvious at this point, maybe he had to go through several things in his life to come to these decisions.

And so... The ones he will make from now on will lead him to an amazing challenge.

He suddenly woke up. The only thing that sleep was good for was to take away the fatigue, but that didn't mean that strange dreams didn't invade our protagonist's mind. It was as if he was always trying to understand something inside himself, totally unknown.

"Again..." He murmured with some sorrow when he noticed that everything around him was still exactly the same as every day.

His house was a disaster. No less was the motivation to worry about his health or fitness.

On the other hand, in the dream, things were much better. The house was painted and well cared for. There were a lot of people walking around... And then, he, along with a girl whose face he couldn't see but whose sweet, gentle smile he could feel, was carrying a plate full of pancakes. Everyone was happy and congratulated him when he arrived... And that was the end of it.

That felt like a happy life... Which he could least expect of himself.

He sighed and got out of bed. The morning hours had no bearing on anything but his work.

As he changed, he walked past the mirror for a second and looked at himself. A noticeable obesity from at least a considerable excess of food. To avoid becoming depressed with that pitiful image, he just looked down, tying his laces.

With this done, he headed for the car...

...

The trip was always boring. He knew all those streets and neighborhoods he passed through, so the beauty of knowing something new was no longer an alternative or possibility.

Upon arriving at the building, he left the vehicle with notable difficulty and headed for the reception.

He greeted the friendly receptionists at the entrance and went to the elevator. He waited for his descent while watching the clock. He got in as soon as he arrived. He ascended to the next-to-last floor as soon as he could. And finally, he walked through the computer room to his station.

The place was small and somewhat cramped. A computer in the center and several filing cabinets downstairs. The point of all this was that he spent more than 8 hours sitting there.

Typing, numbering, writing down, printing, counting, calculating. He hated what he was doing, but he had to admit he was good at it... And maybe it was the only good thing he knew how to do.

"Good morning, Issē!" Commented cheerfully and energetically a female voice that he recognized easily.

"Hmm... Good morning, Irina-san." The man replied, focused and fully bitter.

"As apathetic as ever... You know, your birthday is coming up. The boys and I want to..."

"I don't have time. Thank you very much. I still have a lot to do..."

Quiet. In the face of the quick rejection that the girl suffered, she remained in complete silence. She sighed with some exhaustion.

"You know we can relieve you, don't you? You should rest. You haven't taken a vacation in the last two years with the idea of taking one in the future... I know why you don't take it."

"Enlighten me, please. Why do you think I don't take them?" He decided to try it while he stopped momentarily.

"You collect money... I don't know why so much. But you do. I want you to explain that to me so I can help you too. We are friends."

"I'm fine, Irina-san. Believe me. I'm raising money to move somewhere closer."

"We earn very well from our jobs. You should have bought the house you say long ago."

"Time is what I always lack..."

"That's why I say you should take a vacation... My computer has already been repaired, so I have to go back. Think about it. Think about it, please."

The young brunette with the attractive body retired, somewhat saddened by how her friend ended up after his studies ended and the death of his parents did the same.

And so, the hours passed and the workday ended.

…

Time to go home. For the return, the trip was a little more tense. The head of Issē could not shake off the infernal amount of options that circulated with the word: "Vacation".

That was exactly what was weighing on our protagonist. He did not want a vacation, since he knew that the only thing he would do was to sink into a depression that would lead him to suicide... Or that had been his analysis since he started to move up in the company as a marketing analyst.

Irina was his childhood friend. She clearly knew what was going on with him, having spent most of his life by his side. That was what embarrassed him the most, that she was able to see how broken he was inside... And outside, of course.

Abrupt braking. Issē stopped the vehicle brutally when he noticed that not only was he going to run a red light, but he was also almost running over some young women who were walking along the pedestrian area in school clothes.

Alone, with one red light and the car turned off by the sudden act. He looked slowly at the store next door, which lit up the dark street with splendor.

"Chase your dreams! Call us! - Center for motivation and reincorporation."

"Fuck it..." He murmured with some hatred as he saw the sign, turning on the car and speeding home.

...

Finally, home. Dirty, horrifying and disgusting home. Issē was holding the only clean piece of clothing he had for work, sighing. He tried to close the closet, but it seemed that the door was broken, as it opened all the time.

"This is unfortunate... AND IT'S PISSING ME OFF!" He kicked it hard, causing his foot to hurt terribly and part of the furniture to shake, collapsing on him.

"Ghh... Huh?"

When he came out of the pile of garbage, he was surprised to see a waterfall of DVDs with a very particular film.

"It's Goku!" He mentioned that he remembered the endless marathons he spent in his childhood watching the adventures of the Monkey King.

As if that wasn't enough, he took the DVD and walked into the room. There he placed the disc in the TV player and prepared the series.

While the hours and chapters refreshed good memories of a small Issē surrounded by life and love, he was able to see the important symbol of the series, unable to control himself to replicate it.

Immense in the character, the chestnut tree arranged his arms in a peculiar position and concentrated completely.

"KAME HAME HAAAA!" he exclaimed with all his strength, full of confidence and motivation.

Shine. A green and red glow caught the man completely unaware that he could barely keep his balance because of the reflection.

"Oh, my head! What...?" He consulted himself when he noticed that, holding his head in his left hand, something cold reached his hundred, between his palm.

He looked at his hand, in an attempt to see what was happening, noticing that he was wearing a kind of gauntlet.

Silence. Issē observed the object with enormous surprise, unable to say a word. Then, the green gem on the back suddenly took the shape of a reptilian eye.

[ Gosh, what a great nap. It feels as if it has been sleeping for millennia... Hmm? Wait, I'm conscious! That means I woke up! Who could have...? ]

Quiet. The eye was looking at Issē and this one at him.

"AAAAAAH!"

[ Wait, shut up! Calm down! ]

"W-What are you?! What are you doing in my hand?! Gnnn! I can't get it off!"

[ You can't. I'm attached to your soul. ]

"AAAAAH! YOU CAN TALK!"

[ DON'T BE STUPID! I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR SECONDS! ]

Silence. The man's exaggerated reaction stopped when, from so much movement, he was completely exhausted.

[ Are you really my partner? Your physical condition is pathetic. ]

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious... Wait, "Partner"? What's going on?"

[ Look, Mortal. Let me introduce myself and explain everything. Then you go and get mad or whatever it is you do, okay? ]

The man nodded. It's not like he has a choice.

[ My name is Ddraig. Ddraig Gotch. I'm recognized by the supernatural world as the Dragon Emperor of Domination. I am the one who stands above the rest... Do you understand? ]

"Something... You say Ddraig, right? I think I saw something of you once..."

[ Hmm? What are you talking about? ] Consulted the gauntlet as the man advanced and headed for the computer.

After some searching, noticing that a softer touch of the gauntlet's fingers felt satisfying, he found the Wales flag. This overwhelmed the dragon as he noticed this.

[ That's me! ]

"Well, not legitimately..."

[ IT'S MY FACE! IT'S ME! THEY ARE USING MY FACE TO SYMBOLIZE A COUNTRY, which doesn't look bad sincerely, BUT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! ]

"Sorry, but how do you think I can believe you just like that?"

[ True, true... Do you believe in the supernatural world? ]

"Ghosts and things like that?"

[ Something like that, but more complex... ]

"What? Dragons, fairies, elves...?"

[ More concise. ]

"Angels... And demons?"

[ Bingo! But you missed one... A few... ]

"Demons..." He mumbled to himself, remembering countless things, including the dream.

As Ddraig let his carrier settle in to the information, he only had one thing on his mind.

"Ddraig... You said there's a supernatural world. Is there a way to get in there?" He suddenly consulted, intriguing the dragon.

[ Huh? Well... Yes, there is. That is to say. To enter the supernatural world, you have to do different things. However, if you want to go to a particular point, you need to have someone coming from there. ]

"And how did they get in before they lived there?"

[ Hmm... You would have to find a way in. An old method. It would take a lot of time... ]

"Time... That's what I have left over." He said as the man's eyes filled with motivation.