Chapter 12: Resolving choices. Awakening
The next day, on the north outskirts of Ur, Hajime, Cloud, Shea, and Yue were seen at a mountain pass, encompassed by fog. The swordsman held a look of suspicion.
"You think it was a good idea to share those details to that woman, Hajime?" Cloud asked to Hajime.
"She's one of the few that has earned my trust. I see no reason to make her an enemy." Hajime responded.
"Alright then." Cloud replied.
This managed to calm the swordsman's mind. Soon, the group noticed a few people in the fog. This got the boys to be alert. The fog dissipated, revealing Aiko, the classmates and the knights.
"I can already guess how this will go… Let's hear it…" Hajime reluctantly asked.
"We're going to help you in the mountains. A search party with a large group size should cover more ground." Aiko said.
"I refuse… We just told you to stay out of our way." Hajime spoke.
"You'll only get in the way. If you intend to interfere, we won't hesitate to kill." Cloud spoke, holding his sword out.
"Hate to say it, but Cloud's right on that regard. It would be best for all of you not to get in our way. Besides, the task at hand we have taken will be difficult for all of you to handle. You won't be able to keep up." Hajime reasoned.
"I know you two are strong, Nagumo and Strife. But are you telling us you can move faster than the horses?" Aiko asked.
"Need we to show how we can get there quickly?" Cloud asked rhetorically.
"You don't need to ask, Cloud." Hajime followed.
The Synergist soon channeled mana on his storage ring. A magic circle formed and summoned his motorcycle. This shocked Aiko's group in response.
"Now do you get it? Out of our way." Hajime spoke.
"Wait!" Aiko spoke out.
Aiko's interference got the boys notably irritated. Yue and Shea kept quiet, not wanting to make things worse. The teacher soon walked to Hajime.
"Please let us come and help you. You two laid out some serious history for me to process. I want to talk about it more if I get the chance." Aiko begged.
Hajime grumbled, not wanting his task to be interfered. Aiko continued her reasons.
"We can talk on the road or searching, it doesn't matter. In exchange, we can part ways." She said.
Hajime kept grumbling for a moment before relenting in reluctance.
"Fine… You and your group can come… However, there's nothing else for either Cloud and I to share about." Hajime spoke.
"Of course we do. Even if you two won't say anything, we can just go over what we talked about again." Aiko replied.
"You're a stubborn person, you know…" Cloud remarked.
"But hey, you're never one to change." Hajime followed.
Yue and Shea walked to their respective boys. The vampire girl began speaking to the Synergist.
"Hajime, are they coming with us?" Yue asked.
"It appears so. My former teacher wants to look out for both Cloud and I." Hajime answered.
"Why can't we leave her?" Yue questioned.
"She has a strong mind and never compromises when getting involved with her students. Besides, leaving her behind in this mountain pass will cause more trouble on the way back." Hajime explained.
"Hate to agree, but Hajime's right. We don't want that kind of attention." Cloud agreed, reasoning Yue.
Shea got close to the swordsman, much to his bashful chagrin.
"That's very thoughtful from you, Cloud." The rabbitgirl commented.
Yuka took a quick observation of the vehicle Hajime summoned.
"Your motorcycle can only hold up to three people… How will we all get to the location you're heading to?" She asked.
Hajime soon summoned his humvee. This shocked everyone upon seeing it.
"There are limited amount of seats so if you can't fit in, take the backside." Hajime spoke.
Cloud hopped in the back, with Shea following. He was leaning on the backside of the vehicle, holding Shea. Aiko and her group soon followed. They all noticed Shea sitting comfortably near the swordsman. This got Cloud to look at them with a warning glance.
"Not a word about this…" He warned.
The group nodded in response, knowing not to make him flustered.
Through the mountain pass, Hajime was informed by Aiko of a classmate's disappearance. It garnered his attention to listen and comment about it.
"Shimizu's missing?" Hajime inquired.
"We have no idea where he disappeared to. I hope it doesn't involve him getting in trouble." Aiko spoke with a worrisome tone.
"He's sure to be fine." Hajime reassured.
Aiko wasn't convinced as she felt depressed.
"If that is what you believe… You and Cloud survived the terrible labyrinth after all those weeks…" She noted.
"It's not something to be proud of… We both had our struggles. Let me remind you though that we have no intentions of staying in this large group." Hajime reminded.
Silence came to the Synergist. He soon looked to Aiko with a hint of concern.
"Aiko-sensei?" Hajime asked.
Aiko was now leaning on his right side, sleeping. He didn't bothered to disturb her sleep. Yue decided to comment on the moment.
"You're really nice to her." She spoke.
"She has been helpful to me in the past so it's the least I can do…" Hajime replied.
Yue was now pouting. This got Hajime to look at her with concern.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"It's nothing. It's just I'm sitting here on the way back and not near you." Yue complained.
The moment was soon interrupted by Cloud commenting on their interaction.
"Don't go playing with her feelings." Cloud warned.
They were surprised from the remark Cloud made. This got Yue to look a little flustered in response.
"Since when do you become a comedy prop?" Hajime asked comically.
"Oh, that's due to payback from a few nights ago…" Cloud reminded.
Hajime nervously chuckled in response. Shea looked to Cloud before holding him in a hug.
"Don't feel so shy, Cloud. You did manage to get back at them for feeling embarrassed." Shea reasoned.
After some time, the group arrived at the destination. Hajime woke Aiko from her nap. She was now exiting from the humvee, feeling refreshed.
"That was a good nap." She commented, stretching her arms.
Cloud soon looked around the area. He could tell the search would prove difficult.
"Hajime, how do you think we can search through this forest…? It would take longer than anticipated to find the person out here." Cloud inquired.
"I got that covered." Hajime spoke.
The Synergist began bringing forth an array of unmanned aerial drones. He sent them out to scout around the forest. The swordsman realized what he was doing.
"I see now… Good plan." Cloud realized.
"What are those?" Aiko asked, walking to Hajime.
"They're unmanned aerial automotons, which can seek targets from far and wide. They're directly linked to the artifact that's under my eyepatch. This allows me to see what they have scouted across the landscape, allowing me to track down people or enemies." Hajime answered.
"How are they flying?" Aiko inquired with curiosity.
"It's a combination trick. They use gravity stones to fly across the air. As for self-thoughts, they use deduction stones to piece in the clues from where they can investigate traces of targets. In order for me to see from their viewpoint, there is a peering stone that's directly linked to my Demon Eye under my eyepatch." Hajime explained.
Using the unmanned aerial drones, the Synergist noticed a strange site. There was a crater with a drag mark. Yue noticed Hajime's reaction, hearing his quiet, but sudden intake of air.
"Have you found something?" Yue asked.
"I have. I can see what appears to be a destroyed shield with gear that was left discarded. I can track where the drones last saw the discarded items. We should go check it out." Hajime said.
Tracking the site of the discarded gear, the group managed to find the site of a battle. Takeo managed to find a long sword that looked charred black.
"What happened here?" She asked.
Soon the others found what's left of the gear. They all showed signs of being charred from extreme temperatures. Hajime could deduce they were burned hotter than metal needed for crafting. The knights accompanying Akio managed to secure the charred remains of the gear acquired, ranging from swords to shields. Some armor pieces were barely intact, almost falling apart upon being examined.
"What could have caused the gear we found to be burned up like that?" Cloud questioned.
"I don't know… I have a feeling we're about to find out what caused that." Hajime said.
"Guys, look over there." Shea pointed out.
The group looked to where Shea was looking. Large craters and several tracks were seen.
"There are tracks here." Yue noted.
She slid down one of the craters to take a close look at the tracks. The footprints shown had claws, easily wicked sharp in appearance.
"Whatever was here, the maker of these tracks must be a large four legged creature…" Yue deduced.
Cloud took a look at the tracks. He could agree based on Yue's hypothesis.
"I can agree on your part, Yue. It seems this creature could easily make us look smaller to the creature in question. The only mystery is what the creature is that made these tracks…" Cloud spoke, trying to think of possible monsters.
"Got any idea?" Hajime inquired.
"It seems to be a titanic monster, far more dangerous than the monsters we fought before…" Cloud surmised.
"It doesn't help on what kind of creature it is." Hajime spoke.
"I agree… We're still in the mystery… Either way, we need to find that son from a count." Hajime spoke in remembrance.
Yuka walked up to the boys, sharing her details.
"There are rumors going about in these mountain ranges. Supposedly, a large monster is lurking beyond the mountain passes. It's possible it may have made this crater…" She said with a nervous tone.
"It's definitely a likelihood. Judging by how little the details were, any potential survivors may have been taken down. This creature might not only be strong, but also smart…" Cloid deduced.
The group advanced further into the mountain pass. The sun was starting to set, giving the area a bright orange color that glowed on the rocks.
"Still have no idea what the creature could be?" Cloud asked to Hajime.
"I'm still trying to piece it together, but with the lack of tracks, it's hard to find out what made them." Hajime replied.
"Those tracks were quite large, even larger than those wyvern monsters back in the Sea of Trees." Shea pointed out.
"We can rule out those tracks were not made from wyverns since they're smaller. However, the footprints easily reach a considerable length. Even longer than my height…" Yue spoke with a hint of disdain.
Hajime soon received intel from his drones finding a possible survivor behind a waterfall nearby.
"Change of plans. We need to walk up the mountain pass. There's a survivor here." The Synergist announced.
"Let's hurry then. We can't afford to waste time scouting about." Cloud said.
The group quickly made their way up and found the waterfall. The current was creating a thick mist of moisture at the pool of water. Hajime got close till he noticed his Demon Eye artifact was alerting him.
"There's someone here all right… It appears to be a human, judging by the mana quality. And he's close…" Hajime spoke out.
"A human survivor… Better to find the person and speak on what happened." Cloud said.
"That person might need our help…" Shea spoke.
"Where is the survivor?" Akio asked.
"Behind the waterfall. There's a small cave behind it." Hajime announced.
"The waterfall's current looks too strong to go through…" Yuka pointed out.
"Not if we can help it… Yue." Hajime said.
The vampire girl nodded. She began channeling mana before unleashing her spell.
"Fissuring wave! Wind Wall!" She commanded.
The result caused the waterfall to be split in two, creating an opening for the group to pass through without touching the waterfall current. A fairly large cave was revealed to the group as they made their way in. Hajime sensed the survivor in the cave, hinting a satisfied tone from his voice.
"Bingo…" He commented.
On the cave floor, a male human was seen cowering and asleep. He had wavy blonde hair with a pale skin complexion. His outfit was a white adventurer shirt with tan pants and black shoes.
"Looks like we found our missing person…" Cloud surmised.
"Do you know the person?" Hajime inquired with some surprise.
"Just a hunch… Why would they leave a single survivor? Even if it was just random luck…?" Cloud retorted.
"Fair point… Time to wake up our sleeping prince." Hajime noted.
He held his left index finger in a coil from the artificial arm. Before long, he uncoiled the finger in a whip fashion, striking the forehead. Though he minimized his monstrous strength, it was enough to wake the sleeping male from his sleep.
"Yeow…! That hurt…" The young man complained.
"Hold your complaints cause we got a few questions to ask… More importantly, are you the count's son, Will, by any chance?" Hajime asked.
"Wait, you know of me?" The young man known as Will asked with surprise.
"We were sent by the adventurer's guild to find you. Now that we found you, we should get you back." Cloud spoke.
"So the guild sent you and your group to fine me." Will inquired quickly.
"Aren't we a sharp one? Yes, the head of the Adventurer's guild hired us to find you. I'm Nagumo Hajime and my friend with the large sword is Cloud Strife. The girls whom we are traveling with are Shea and Yue." Hajime introduced, albeit with a reluctant tone.
Will looked despondent, knowing of something that the group doesn't seem aware.
"Why the long face? You can finally return to your home." Aiko questioned.
"Well… It's due to whom had me left in this cave… A group of monsters cornered us and forced us in this cave… Before we could fight them all, a colossal beast appeared and took down the monsters, including the members of the Adventurer's guild I was with." Will spoke with fright.
"Who or what took out the monsters and the members you were with?" Cloud questioned.
"A dragon… A black dragon was responsible…" Will spoke with fear.
Aiko was bandaging will from any injuries he sustained prior to the arrival of Hajime's group. She heard his answers and silently listened. Hajime was also surprised upon hearing of a dragon.
"A dragon, you say?" Hajime asked with a hint of surprise.
"No wonder you managed to survive with luck… I'd say you were lucky to remain alive while you have the chance." Cloud commented.
"Despite my luck, I curse myself for even living… I don't even deserve to stay alive due to my cowardice… If only I helped those members out instead of being so pathetically weak… I could only watch as they were brutally slaughtered by that dragon… If only I didn't die at that time…" Will spoke with despondence and fear.
Having enough of the young man's words, Hajime grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. Aiko noticed and was about to interfere till Cloud and Yue stopped her. They shook their heads, letting her know not to interfere.
'Don't… It's not worth wasting your effort.' Cloud thought.
Soon, Hajime began speaking with a serious tone. The Synergist knew what Will was feeling.
"Of course you're lucky you didn't get killed. Be thankful you did survive for you only live once. What reason do you have to berate yourself if you can't share your side of the story for the fallen members!? For starters, it's called surviving if you want to live! It's a human or even an animal instinct to live through the wilderness, even if one is maimed." Hajime spoke coldly.
"If only it was that simple…" Will said with disdain.
"Here's the scope… You get to live since you now have a reason to do so. Your fallen comrades won't be forgotten since you're still alive. It's the only thing you can do to preserve them, even if you have to drag your feet through the unknown, whether you like it or not!" Hajime continued.
"I could…find myself…like that?" Will asked with uncertainty.
"Without a doubt, you can. There are survivors whom are lucky enough to continue moving. Some are even more resilient and keep fighting despite their losses. This is only if you choose to push forward." Cloud spoke to Will.
Yuka watched silently of the boys talking to Will. She remained quiet, not wanting to disturb them. Soon, the boys found a locket. In it, a picture of a woman was shown.
"Is that locket belonging to one of the members's?" Hajime asked.
"No, it's my locket… I had this picture of my mother for moral support." Will answered.
'Talk about an oedipus complex…' Hajime thought with disdain.
The sky was now dark. The search was concluded as Hajime's group found the missing person.
"We found what we were searching for. It's time we head back to Brooke, but we can rest at Ur." Hajime spoke.
"It's quite late right now. I don't think the others will handle a late night stand." Cloud noted.
"Yeah, you're right… Might as well call it a night once we arrive at Ur." Hajime noted.
Soon, the boys felt a powerful presence looming in the air. They sensed something approaching them with rapid speeds.
'It's here…' Cloud and Hajime thought.
A sudden gust of wind got the group off guard. Will was almost blown away, but realized what caused it.
"It's here…! The black dragon!" He exclaimed.
(Play Final Fantasy VII Remake OST - Those Who Fight Further)
Soon enough, a large black dragon arrived. Its body was mostly black, but it had red streaks all over its body. Its eyes were glowing a blood red color. Hajime and Cloud held Yue and Shea respectively as they dodged the sudden assault from the dragon.
"So Will wasn't lying after all… This is quite a fearsome beast…" Cloud noted.
"Large or small, it doesn't matter to me. WE'RE TAKING IT DOWN!" Hajime spoke.
Cloud smirked as he held his sword, Yaeko, up. Before long, he felt a strange sensation as though something was telling him not to kill the dragon.
'What the…? What is this feeling…? My instincts are telling me not to kill the dragon… But why?' Cloud thought in hesitation.
Hajime noticed Cloud's sudden hesitation. He wondered as to why he was acting this way.
"Cloud? What's wrong? Don't zone out all of a sudden…!" Hajime spoke.
The dragon soon began charging a powerful blast from its mouth. This forced Hajime to deploy a frontal shield to block the attack.
"Oh shit… Everyone, find some cover…!" Hajime announced.
He then held the backside of the shield, twisting a handle that caused the shield to produce a powerful exhaust. The dragon soon spat out a powerful blast of purple flames. The blast proved to be very strong, pushing Hajime a few centimeters back.
'Damn…! This monster is strong…!' He thought with surprise.
Hajime kept his strength to withstand the attack with his shield. Soon, Yuka, Aiko, Atsushi, Taeko, Nana, and Will held Hajime to provide the support he needed to withstand the attack.
"You're not the only one whom wants to help out." Yuka said.
"I can't have my students take this heavy burden alone. Let me help, Nagumo!" Aiko spoke.
"Don't take it on alone. Let us help!" Atsushi commented.
"You got this, Hajime. We can help you out." Taeko followed.
"Keep going, Hajime. You can do this." Nana noted.
"You gave me a reason to continue moving forward. Don't give up." Will spoke.
Yue and Shea were ready to fight the dragon while Hajime was able to withstand the attack. Cloud remained unresponsive before he briefly limped with his eyes closed. Soon, they opened to reveal his eyes were now baring slit pupils like a cat's. Hajime soon noticed Cloud now walking calmly to the dragon.
"Hey, Cloud! What are you doing?" Hajime called out in question.
"Giving this dragon a lesson to not underestimate us." Cloud spoke with a calm tone.
He soon dashed forward with incredible speeds using the super sonic sub skill, even using Aerodynamics to reach the dragon's head. With a mighty punch, he managed to knock the dragon off balance. This shocked everyone from Cloud's monstrous strength.
"What the…!?" Hajime exclaimed with surprise.
Cloud was now in a fighting trance, overwhelming the dragon with simple punches or using his sword. Soon, he flew his way up and performed a powerful axe kick, forcing the dragon down on the ground and ending its attack. This gave Hajime some breathing time as Cloud kept the dragon distracted.
"Nagumo, what is Strife doing?" Aiko asked with surprise.
"He's fighting the dragon, and he appears to be in a trance. However, it's giving us time to prepare for our next tactic." Hajime informed.
Yue soon uttered a simple word, focusing her mana to the dragon's back.
"Calamity!" She commanded.
A heavy sphere of magical energy forced the dragon down, now dealing with a heavy weight. Cloud took advantage of the heavy sphere and dashed forward. Shea joined in with her war hammer.
"With one strike from our weapons, we can end this!" Shea spoke.
They hit the sphere, causing a massive explosion that covered the dragon. Shea and Cloud landed nearby to survey the damage they caused.
"Did we get it?" Shea asked.
"I don't think so…" Cloud spoke.
True to Cloud's words, the dragon emerged from the smoke caused by the explosion unscathed. It began breathing tendrils of purple fire that formed a fireball. The fireball was launched to Yue, whom promptly leaped to the air to avoid it. However, the dragon wasn't stopping its relentless assault, roaring loudly.
"Looks like we need to step up our efforts." Cloud commented.
Soon, the dragon's tail began to descend towards him and Shea. Both leaped away in opposite directions before the tail hit the ground where they once stood.
"Missed us!" Shea called out.
She soon jumped forward and had her hammer raised to strike the dragon again.
"Let's see how you like this one again!" She shouted.
However, Shea's assault was suddenly halted as the dragon's tail whipped her, forcing her to anticipate the attack. The force proved too strong, causing her to crash into a nearby forest. This riled Cloud up, causing him to deliver a powerful smack at the dragon's face. The punch echoed in a powerful shockwave.
"Cloud was holding all that strength back…!? That was a heavy blow there…" Hajime commented to himself.
He began firing his revolver at the dragon's face, causing it to stumble back. It was not giving up, firing a fireball that curved around Hajime and was targeting Will. The young man watched with bated breath as the fireball was racing to him.
"Shit! Yue, cover Will!" Hajime spoke immediately.
"Leave it to me!" Yue responded.
The vampire girl created a barrier of ice that managed to endure the purple fireball. It received a strong indent, but the barrier held on without shattering.
"I can help!" Atsushi spoke.
"Same here!" Yuka followed.
Atsushi held a pair of scimitars and nleashed a wind blade that surged forward. Yuka used her knives that were encased in orange fire yo attack the dragon. However, the dragon anticipated the attacks and roared, causing the attacks to fade off.
"Aiko-sensei! Round up the others and don't let them interfere in the fight! Leave it to Cloud and I to handle this!" Hajime ordered to his teacher.
"Got it! What about you?" Aiko said.
"You're all getting in the way!" Hajime reminded.
The dragon began to fly up but was being staggered by Cloud's constant assault to it. He kept using his sword to deflect its claws before throwing punches to its body, visibly causing it to flinch or stagger from its attacks. Hajime requested Yue for her help.
"Yue! Protect everyone else! Cloud and I will be dealing with the dragon!" Hajime said.
"Got it. Leave the defense to me." Yue acknowledged.
Shea managed to regroup with Yue and was about to charge forward to support the boys. Yue managed to intervene and stop her.
"You'll get in the way from their attacks… Don't interfere." Yue warned to the rabbitgirl.
The vampire girl soon looked to Aiko's group.
"If you all value your life, stay behind me." She said.
"I thought we could help Cloud and Hajime… It looks like we were holding them back…" Yuka said with a guilty tone.
The dragon was able to briefly shake off Cloud from his relentless attacks. It fired a purple fireball, which forced the swordsman to use Aerodynamics to dodge the attack by a hair's breadth.
"Looks like it has its sights on Will after all. It only threw off Cloud without bothering to retaliate. I'll admit that we never encountered monsters whom had other interests than us. Guess that means we should get serious too and hold its attention." Hajime spoke with a sadistic smirk.
Holding out his treasure trove ring, he summoned Schlagen AA. He now held the rifle aimed directly to the dragon. Cloud landed near Hajime and switched his sword in its gun form. The dragon noticed the weapons and charged a blast of purple fire. It soon launched a beam of purple flames, which caused the boys to fire their respective weapons. The attacks were in a standstill, causing gusts of wind to billow. Aiko's group screamed from the shockwave as they created a magic shield to block off any debris that threatened to hit them.
"Persistent lizard, I'll give it that…" Hajime noted.
"Not if I can't help it…!" Cloud shouted.
He flew up in the air with Yaeko now on its blade form. A mach cone was seen shimmering in front of him as the bullets both he and Hajime fired cancels the purple fireball, catching the dragon off guard. Cloud managed to reach to its head and delivered an overhead swing, grounding the dragon.
"Nice one!" Hajime complimented.
The Synergist managed to get up close to the dragon. He caused the rifle he used to disappear back into the treasure trove ring he had on his right arm.
"What's the matter? Feeling the pain!?" Hajime sadistically spoke, punching the dragon hard on its abdomen, causing it to roar loud. During the impact, he left a grenade on the dragon's abdomen, which soon exploded.
"That must have been painful for you…" Hajime commented.
The dragon didn't stop as it charged another fire blast from its mouth. This caused the Synergist to dodge it. Cloud joined in the fight and performed an uppercut on the dragon's chin, shutting its mouth as the fire blast soon exploded. The dragon was briefly dazed, but still raring to go. Hajime kept firing bullets from his revolvers that briefly caused the dragon to flinch from each shot. Aiko's group watched in wonder if the boy's efforts.
"That was…awesome…" Atsushi admitted.
"They're this strong!?" David asked with a hint of fear.
Soon, Hajime decided to take down the dragon. He began racing his way to the fallen dragon that was briefly dazed. Cloud noticed this and realized what he was trying to do.
"So you're attempting to pierce its body… Good plan, but we don't know how hard its scales are." Cloud said.
"We'll see if this works." Hajime noted.
The Synergist used his supersonic sub skill to zoom to the dragon's body. He used his treasure trove ring to summon the pile driver. The device soon had several cables to attach in the dragon's body before charging up through Hajime's Lightning Field skill. However, the dragon used its tail to whip Hajime off from its body. Though the Synergist managed to dodge the attack, his pile driver was knocked away in a nearby lake, leaving him without means of directly piercing the dragon. Shea managed to regroup, having quijcly gotten out of the forest.
"You think you got the better of us? Don't think so… Cloud, Shea! Do it!" Hajime called out.
Cloud looked to Shea and nodded in silent acknowledgment. Both leaped into the air, ready to attack the dragon. Shea managed to swing her hammer on the chin while Cloud slammed his sword hard on the dragon's head. The force from the attacks managed to knock it out. However, there was no visible wounds on the scales of the dragon.
(Those Who Fight Further OST ends here)
"This monster sure is tough to fight… It isn't going down easily." Shea spoke, wiping her forehead from the sweat.
"I did hear about seriously tough monsters that are difficult to overcome… But I'll be honest that it was a tough battle…" Hajime admitted.
"Tell me about it. This monster's scales proved to be very durable…" Cloud spoke, shaking his hands.
"I got a better idea… Yue, Cloud, Shea… Ever heard the expression 'kick the dragon in the ass'?" Hajime asked.
"Where did you hear that phrase from?" Cloud asked.
"That merchant we escorted to Brooke shared that to me during his amusing fits. In any case, in regards to the phrase he shared to me, a dragon's weakness is where its scales don't reach. Dragons are so well defended, even while sleeping, relentless sword attacks won't wake it. However, if aimed at a particular spot, then the matters differ immediately." Hajime explained.
The Synergist walked up to a large stake left by his pile driver. The stake was made with Azantium alloy. He held the stake with little difficulty.
"Now take it in the ass and perish!" Hajime shouted.
Aiko's group watched with some morbid curiosity as Hajime aimed the stake to its anus. Before they knew it, he pierced it. The sudden sensation caused the dragon to suddenly wake up. Its blood red eyes faded into a soft gold color.
"Kyaaaaa!!!! No!!!!!!!!!" A female voice from the dragon shrieked out.
It was a complete surprise for everyone as the scream echoed in the horizon. No one was prepared to hear it.
(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - It's Difficult to Stand On Two Feet)
"My butt…! My precious butt…!" The dragon spoke with pain.
This surprise caused Hajime to recoil in shock. He didn't expect this outcome, leaving him confused momentarily. Aiko's group could only watch with some surprise. Even the knights were in a state of surprise.
"Please, pull out the stake that's in my rear… I beg you…" The dragon begged.
Hajime was about to punch the stake, but Cloud stopped him from doing so.
"What are you doing, Cloud?" The Synergist asked.
"I don't know myself, but my instincts are telling me not to harm this dragon…" Cloud surmised.
This got Hajime to pause, considering his friend's words. He stopped his attempt to punch the stake.
"Alright then… I'll let you handle this case." Hajime relented.
"But there is one thing we need to ask it… This is no ordinary dragon…" Cloud noted.
"You're right. I have a feeling this dragon is one of the Dragonman." Hajime informed to Cloud.
Cloud got the info from his friend and began speaking to the dragon.
"So, dragon… You're one of the Dragonmen, aren't you?" The swordsman asked.
"Yes, I'm one of the esteemed members of the Dragonmen race. Circumstances beyond my control had happened. I'll explain everything but please remove the stake in my rear. I beg you…" The dragon confirmed and begged.
"We still have more questions to ask so we will comply to remove that stake from your rear. However, you haven't been aware of your own actions till now, have you?" Cloud inquired.
"It's true… I wasn't in control earlier since someone was manipulating me… I was practically under control of someone's bidding and I didn't had the strength to fight the influence off…" The dragon confirmed.
"That does beget the question as to how that happened to you…" Hajime commented.
"Can you please hurry and remove the stake…? I'm running low on mana and if I transform back, it'll be piercing me while I'm in my original form…" The dragon begged with its head on the ground.
Yue and Shea soon walked up to the boys. The vampire girl decided to speak to the dragon in question.
"So why are you here in this mountain pass?" Yue asked.
"I'll truly explain my story, I mean it. Just please remove this stake from my rear… It really hurts…" The dragon begged as its female voice echoed.
This got Hajime angry as the dragon didn't attempt to answer Yue's question. It was trying to alleviate its pain from the stake that was now in its anus. He almost punched the stake, but Cloud stopped him, shaking his head to let him know not to. The Synergist could see Cloud's eyes were still in a slit pupil appearance. It was almost unnerving to him, but he trusted the swordsman's words.
"Like I said, she's yours to talk with… Just don't let her push my patience further." Hajime said.
(It's Difficult to Stand On Two Feet OST ends here)
Aiko and her group were visibly disturbed as Hajime showed some sadistic behavior. They all chose not to interfere, though they were glad Cloud was able to talk to him to not go further.
(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Anxious Heart)
Aiko and her group were able to join with Hajime and Cloud. They were still wary of the dragon, but seeing it in a submissive manner made the members less tense. They almost sympathized the dragon's current predicament.
"So, an important question to ask… You mentioned someone was using you as a means to target individuals, like that young man whom we found behind the waterfall… Do you know of the person responsible for overtaking your mind?" Cloud asked.
"No, I didn't get a clear sight of his face. However, he did end up controlling my mind and used me like a puppet to commit his evil bidding." The dragon answered.
"So, what brought you here in this mountain pass…?" Cloud questioned.
"Rumors were running all over… I went to a nearby village to investigate these rumors." The dragon spoke.
"What rumors did you hear?" Cloud inquired.
"I heard of beings whom came from another world and were granted special abilities. I flew here to investigate these rumors, but fatigue caught up with me. I was left sleeping in this mountain pass to regain my strength. I was still in my dragon form at the time so I had little to fear for any sudden surprise attacks, considering the monsters present there. However, the individual who controlled me came to me while I slumbered. He was wearing dark robes that concealed his face. He was casting some mind controlling magic to make me do his bidding against my will. It took an entire day for him to constantly cast that awful spell while I slept peacefully, and I now regret not being aware of this…" The dragon spoke.
"So… To make sense of things, you were in such a heavy sleep that this person ended up casting this mind controlling magic on you numerous times without you knowing it…" Cloud summarized.
The dragon bowed its head to the ground. This allowed Cloud to realize it was telling the truth.
"The dragon's no liar… She was telling the truth…" Cloud said to everyone.
"Even so, it doesn't change the fact that she killed my comrades." Will spoke with hate.
"This is not her own actions, Will… Someone was manipulating her to commit those murders and let her take the blame instead." Cloud reassured.
"How can you be sure about your words?" Will asked to Cloud.
"Her eyes were not red while we were talking. When we fought they were red, as though someone was manipulating her to fight. Right now, they're not. This means she's aware." Cloud replied back, showing a hint of anger.
Will wisely chose to keep quiet as he could see the swordsman's eyes showing slitted pupils. He didn't want to escalate the matter at hand.
"The young man's words are true… We of the Dragonmen are a proud race who wouldn't sink so low to commit relentless murder. We don't even consider to lie." The dragon spoke.
"You liar! It doesn't make up the fact you killed my comrades!" Will shouted.
"That's enough, Will!!!" Cloud shouted, smoldering at the young man.
Aiko's group could see Cloud's anger forming a visage of a western dragon that frightened them. Will took the full brunt of the aura and was now remaining silent. Yue decided to speak her reply.
"She speaks the truth…" She said.
"What proof do you have to back your words up?" Will questioned, though he was intimidated by Cloud's aura.
"The Dragonmen don't lie as it is considered a dishonorable act punishable by prideful torture. A dragon's pride is their lifeline. If their pride is shattered, they have nothing left to live for." Yue answered.
"You're telling me she speaks the truth?" Will asked with surprise.
"I know the eyes of a liar and she doesn't have them." Yue responded.
Shea came up to Cloud to pacify his anger. His aura faded, but he kept his glaring at Will. The dragon began speaking.
"Thank goodness there is someone whom knows of the Dragonmen customs…" The dragon spoke with relief.
"Sadly, I'm the last surviving vampire. I was sealed away for over three centuries, which made me lose track of the passage of time. Before my sealing, I knew of the customs of the Dragonmen and have been taught they were models of royalty, including on how they behave." Yue spoke.
"Incredible… To think I would meet someone whom understands my kind's customs. I also can sense your companion has awakened his dragon spirit." The dragon spoke.
"His dragon spirit?" Hajime and Yue asked with confusion.
"I'll explain a little later. More importantly, my people have received word that the vampire race was eradicated. To think I would find a survivor… It brings me relief to know they still live somewhere." The dragon said.
Will was about to object further, but Cloud's angered aura flared up, silencing him.
"Don't try to escalate the matter… I'm already angry and I don't want to stoop low enough to knock you out…" Cloud warned.
"It's alright, young warrior… Though I wasn't in control of my actions since I was manipulated, it doesn't excuse what I have done against my will. I'm willing to atone for my actions so I can redeem myself. I will accept any punishment, even if it means casting my life away. My only wish is to stop that man whom manipulated me into attacking you and your comrades." The dragon spoke.
Cloud, despite not knowing it instinctively, was able to realize the dragon was putting her pride on the line. He slowly walked to the being.
"We'll need your help to track the one whom was manipulating you… Once we do, your actions against him will be redemption." Cloud spoke, going close to its eye.
The dragon could only stare at Cloud, though she could see the visage of a dragon in the background of his outline. The dragon roared but not in a threatening way.
"Hajime, this dragon may prove to be a strong ally. It would be a problem if we end up refusing to help her." Cloud spoke to his friend.
Hajime was reluctant, but he relented. The Synergist began recalling on his friend's status plate on what role he possesses.
'Dragon Warrior, huh? I guess that means he holds the strength of a dragon, even able to talk and understand them like a deep connection. I guess I'll have to let him handle this matter.' He thought.
"Alright then, dragon. I should remove this stake from your rear now… You've answered our questions and gave us some new info." Cloud said.
"Please do so… My mana is running thin and I don't know how long before I turn back to my human form." The dragon begged.
"What's the occasion in regards about what would happen to you?" Hajime asked.
"If this stake remains in me when I turn back to my original form, you'll see a beautiful young woman with this stake skewering her butt…" The dragon reluctantly answered.
This got the female members of Aiko's group to reflexively grab their rears, realizing how painful it looked to imagine. The males were also perturbed as well, finding it very unpleasant. Even Shea looked horrified of the thought.
"Alright then. No need to discuss it further. Let's just get this over with… This might get painful though so you'll have to endure it while I remove this stake…" Cloud warned.
The dragon nodded as Cloud held the stake and began pulling the stake carefully. The dragon made soft whimpers as the swordsman began to remove the stake.
"Ahaaaauu~! Please be careful… It really hurts…" The dragon said.
Cloud kept pulling the stake out, despite the whimpers from the dragon. He ignored the voice as he was more focused in helping the dragon redeem itself.
"Come on… Get out!" Cloud shouted, managing to pull the stake out.
The dragon let out a loud cry of moaning as it soon transformed into a young woman in a flash of light. The woman in question was in her early 20s, with a voluptuous body with long flowing black hair and golden eyes. Her ears were slightly long and pointed. She was 5 1/2 feet tall. Her attire consisted of a set of black traditional dragonmen robes with unique floral designs along its hem, a pink undershirt and sandals. She had several accessories, consisting of a hairpin with piercings on the top of her hair, a gold bangle on her right wrist, and a red/white hand fan. Hajime noted her attire was similar to Japanese clothing.
'This woman has the same clothes from my home… Even having a kimono, a hadajuban, even oiran style sandals with Japanese styled hairpins and piercings…' The Synergist thought with surprise.
The woman in question was holding her face with embarrassment due to the sensation she felt.
"That was really painful… Thank you for removing the stake…" The woman spoke.
Shea looked to the woman with curiosity. She felt a bit jealous of Cloud helping the Dragonwoman, but she understood why. The rabbitgirl knew he was sympathizing with the woman.
'Moh… I wish I can be spoiled from Cloud right now…' Shea thought with a pout.
Cloud soon began speaking to the woman.
"You're alright now?" He asked.
"I'm still feeling a bit discomfort, but I'll manage. Forgive me of my abrupt actions. My name is Tio Klarus of the Dragonmen. Let's talk." The woman named Tio responded.