“Asagao…Asagao…!”
A voice calls out to me.
My mind is in deep sleep but my body is shook. I can feel the squishy hand of a girl which tries to wake me up by shaking me.
I can still feel the fatigue from my bout with Pr’thcor and I somehow managed to earn his respect but at the same time, I got disappointed knowing that he cannot teach me more about Calm Dragon Tempest and instead, told to head to the Rainforest of Healing, the fairy continent where Miss Senya lives.
Since my consciousness resurfaces, I have no choice but to answer the call. I slowly open my eyelids and what enters my sight is Casablanca’s crying figure. Her face is drenched from all the tears she shed.
Her desperate and worried expression alerts me and I quickly stand up from my place.
“What’s wrong?!”
“Asagao! H-Hibiscus is missing!”
“Eh?”
“When I woke up, she’s not here anymore!”
“Maybe she just steps outside to do something for a bit. You know, like she got thirsty or hungry or even go to the restroom.”
“B-But…”
“Are you really that worried?”
“Yes…”
“Then, let’s find her.”
“Thank you.”
Since Casablanca is so worried about Hibiscus, I decided to help her find her twin. It had me thinking how attached Casablanca to Hibiscus is. It made me think too if it is normal for two siblings or even twins to be this clingy to each other since I never had any siblings before.
Then I got sent into this world just to discover that… I have a messed up family tree. I don’t hate it, though… It’s just that… I don’t how to treat them as a family.
It’s a little awkward for me to be honest.
Casablanca and I left the room and start looking.
……
Ueehh…
Now that I noticed about it, my body is all sweaty and sticky now. Some of my clothes are made of dragon fiber and a special one to boot but, it only cleans itself, not my body directly. I can only imagine how the twins feel about their own bodies.
I want to take a bath soon…
.
.
.
Ten minutes has passed and we still haven’t found her yet.
Casablanca becomes extremely anxious and worried as she bawls her eyes out. I really feel sorry for her as I cannot replace the existence of her twin. To both of them, they are precious to each other and separation means loneliness to them.
“Come, let’s look outside too. She might have gone out there to take walk or something. Maybe she’s with Ichirou-nii too.”
“Yes…”
Casablanca and I go outside.
As we walk around the city, I notice that people here don’t sleep much and all they do is brawl and have a drinking party.
They are so lively and noisy.
I can see each and every kind of Dragon kin.
Some of them have two to four horns in their head. When I asked about it, they told me that the horn doesn’t represent one’s strength and power but it tells what classification of species they are.
The most common are two horned winged dragons that stand on four. The single-horned dragons are rare and they are those who use magic for flight since they are the serpent type of dragons. The three-horned dragons are bipedal and have wings and they are mostly those who wield weapons that accommodate their sizes. Last is the four horned dragons which stand on all four but wingless. Those kinds of dragons are literally made to withstand every kind of attacks.
Stolen story; please report.
After that, the color of the dragon’s scale dictates what bloodline they came from. There are several representations of bloodline through different colors that you could think of from the spectrum of a rainbow but the two major bloodlines which divide that majority of the population came from Master and his brother.
Simply, the black and white.
I also observed that some of them are always in their elder dragon form. When I ask about it, it seems everyone here can transform into it like breathing.
Is it because they have lived long enough to be strong?
The curious me asks Pr’thcor who was beaten black and blue by Ichirou from their battle earlier. I found the two of them drinking in a tavern where more rowdy and noisy fellows are drinking and eating to their heart content.
Ichirou seems to be in a festive mood too as he gulps down all the liquor he is presented with and honestly, his image for me instantly fell to the negative seeing how he indulges in drinking.
Pr’thcor’s answer was simple.
“Hmm? Why everyone here already knows how to use Elder dragon form? Hahaha! Unlike the dragons from above ground who are milk drinkers, we, the dragons who live in this place lives in a completely uncivilized and uncontrollable environment where constant brawl and cuss happens. Also, there’s the fact that the magic here is rich which helps us gets stronger.”
It was very logical to the point it pisses me.
Since there’s no point staying at such place, Casablanca and I left the tavern.
“Asagao…”
“I’m sorry Casablanca… I keep getting side tracked…”
“Muh…”
“You really love Hibiscus…”
“Yes…”
“You become this timid when she is away from you.”
“That’s not funny…”
“I am not laughing at you… but… you should learn that there will be times like this and you have to be strong on your own…not only for your sake but also for her.”
“I understand that...but…”
“Come, let’s find her.”
“Okay…”
I grab Casablanca’s hand start walking again and ask people around this time. They may have seen her. As of now, I am getting really worried myself so I want to find her as soon as possible. Maybe I should go back to the tavern and have Ichirou help too.
.
.
.
“*Hic* Hibiscus…! *hic* Where are you?!”
“C-Calm down! Please don’t cry! We’re standing out…”
“Ueehhh! *hic* Hibiscus…!”
Geez…
At this point, even I have to say that it’s troublesome!
But I cannot expect girls at her age to move on that easily. I learned that once someone is attached to a particular things or person, they become overly reliant on it. Maybe it’s like how we treat mothers…
I just met my mother recently and I really don’t have any idea myself.
Ahhh…
How can I handle this situation…?
BOOM!
Suddenly, a loud explosion reverberates the whole city. The ground shakes a bit that it alerted every single people in this city. I immediately turn my head towards the direction of the explosion. Casablanca also stops her bawling and stands up alerted from the loud sound.
But contrary to my expectation that she will just stand there before I could even lift my feet, she runs past me and heads toward the source of the explosion.
“Casablanca!!”
“Hibiscus might be there!”
“Geez!”
Having no choice, I immediately follow her.
The place where the explosion occurred seems to be in that tunnel…
But…
What my eyes saw made my jaw drop…
The people who were alerted also come to this place together with Pr’thcor and Ichirou who readied themselves for a battle.
But…
They also stop at their track and got captivated by the sight that we witnessed.
Towards our direction, a full plated metal armor thing come flying. I already felt what that thing was and it immediately sparks my hostility.
I was ready to attack it but as it landed, it immediately dies and disappears. Even Ichirou and all the dragons have now transformed themselves and fly through the vicinity are surprised.
But…
What captured our attention is much more beautiful and dazzling.
I know this nostalgic feeling where I witnessed a birth of new power akin to a divine.
In front of us, the whole tunnel that was supposed to be there is molten as it cannot stand the heat anymore.
Floating several meters above from the ground, a large mass of blazing ball…no…
It’s a Sun!
A miniature sun appeared inside this underground!
The crystal that lights up the whole place could be said to be ashamed of the brilliance of this Sun as it shines ever brighter. Instead of feeling extremely flushed from the strong heat it produces, it’s oddly gentle and refreshing.
No…!
That’s not what dazzles everyone!
It’s the sight of a girl with a flower insignia who curls up inside the sun!
The girl is…
“Hibiscus…”
Casablanca mutter as she witnesses her twin entrapped inside it.
Before long, the sun slowly comes down to the ground and starts cooling off but…
I felt a strong energy…
“Everyone, run!!!”
I shout in a hurry knowing that the energy it packed is absolutely abnormal. I grab Casablanca who is in a daze and run off with her. Her sight was locked on Hibiscus even though we are running towards the opposite direction.
BOOM!
As the sun falls into the ground… it exploded… and bathed everything around it in fire and gouges the ground.
Everyone stare at the girl who came out from the sea of flames.
Hibiscus…walks towards us and the insignia follows her movements. Behind her, a large fiery bird walks at her pace.
“Is that…the Phoenix?!”
“Old man Pr’thcor…”
“How did it matured so much like that even though it has just found its master recently?!”
I already know the answer…
But I don’t want him asking questions. It’s a bother to answer everything about me.
I look closely at Hibiscus and notice one thing…
“Hey!! Everyone, turn your eyes away!!”
Realizing what I meant, every guy in the vicinity out of consideration turn their back as Hibiscus who walks towards us is completely naked.
But, there’s one person who didn’t mind everything and run towards her.
“Hibiscus!!”
“Casablanca…?”
“Hibiscus, you’re finally here!”
“Wait…! Don’t! You’ll burn yourself…!”
“Hibiscus!”
SIZZLE
As Casablanca leaps towards Hibiscus, I can already hear the faint sound of something sizzling but, Casablanca didn’t mind and hugs her twin despite the pain.
The Phoenix behind Hibiscus stares at Casablanca and…after a few seconds…it deems her friendly and started rubbing its head to the two.
I walk towards the troublesome twins and pulled out clothes from my dimensional storage and casually place it at Hibiscus’ back.
“Hibiscus, you should dress up…”
“Asagao…thank you…”
“Don’t men--! Ow!”
The phoenix lightly pecks me at the shoulder!
What gives!?
“Eh..? Emby? What’s wrong?!”
“Pii!”
“What? You…don’t like her?”
“Pii!”
Uwaah…
This bird brain hates me.
I look back and saw the mess that occurred.
It seems we’re going to have a long nice chat to settle this trouble that we caused…