“What just happened?” Xara asked. Unable to process how Floid moved so fast.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen any dragon move so quickly,” said Valentina. Dumbstruck at what she saw.

Getting onto his feet Garb let out a roar before trying to charge at Floid who simply dodged his attack and slashed into Garb’s back. Leaving Garb to fly up and gain some distance while he tried to ignore the pain.

“W-When did Floid get so strong?” muttered Valentina in shock. Not sure what to make of this one-sided situation. Xara seemed just as surprised. Covering her mouth as she gasped at the events that were currently playing out.

Meanwhile, I was too busy focusing on something else to be shocked by this fight. It was something that really bothered me about the way Floid moved.

There was just something about it that seemed a little…stiff. Like his movements were restrained for some reason.

I mean, his attacks hit hard for sure. However, while his moves were hard and fast, it was like he could barely move his body at all. And that thought process was only helped when I continued watching the fight. As after that swipe from his claws, Floid did another tail smack. Followed by another claw swipe.

I mean, he was really beating Garb up, but he kept reusing those two moves. Like they were the only ones in his arsenal.

He didn’t try to breathe any fire or try to use his wings too much. And that made me ponder why.

I wanted to speak with the announcer about this to see if we could investigate the matter. However, I got the feeling the other people in the stadium would just get mad at me and try to kick me out if I tried that.

And while I normally didn’t care what people thought of me, in this case, I was just a guest who came into their home. So I wasn’t exactly in the best position to do anything.

Thus, I decided to watch and see how things would play out.

“Why is he repeating the same two moves?”

That thought crossed my mind as I observed the attacks Floid inflicted on me.

His attacks were painful, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Still, it was abnormal for someone like him. Who didn’t bother to train that often.

Taking a moment to consider what to do next, I used the dust on the arena ground to create a smoke screen before flying past Floid and attempting to blast him with my fire breath.

However, right before it made contact, he disappeared and tried to slam his tail into me.

Ready for this, I grabbed hold of his tail before sending him flying into the wall.

“Gah!” he shouted before landing on the ground. Staying within the cloud of dust that I was using as a smokescreen.

“It makes no sense. Why stay down there where I can sneak up on him instead of flying up to get a better view?” I pondered.

Just then, I heard a form of cracking sound and Floid came flying through the air as he dug his claws into my side. Causing me to wince in pain.

I quickly grabbed his arm and slammed him onto the floor. Making the smoke screen vanish from the field, as well as leaving a crack in the floor where Floid's body made an impact.

It was when the smoke screen cleared and I flew into the air that I finally realized what that cracking sound from before was.

From the looks of it, Floid had dug his feet into the ground in an attempt to leap high enough to attack me. Meaning instead of trying to use his wings, he simply jumped through the air.

Seeing this, I felt like the whole duel was becoming more and more confusing by the minute.

Getting up to his feet, Floid pointed his clawed hand up at me.

“Coward! Come down here and face me like a man!”

“Huh? In that case, why don’t you fly up here like a true dragon!?”

What the heck was this about being a real man!? This guy was making no sense.

Letting out a loud growl, a small hairpiece that was on the back of Floid’s scaly back started to glow brightly. And then...

“Ack-!?”

A burst of pain shot through my body as Floid pushed me toward the ceiling. Making me hit the barbed wire and cutting my entire back to shreds. All while having a large grin on his scaly face.

“T-That’s right! I can be stronger than you! I can be stronger than anyone! I can do anything!”

After that, Floid started laughing to himself. Losing any form of composure and confidence he had at the start of our fight.

“HAHAHAHA! WITH THIS POWER, I CAN FINALLY MAKE HER MINE! I CAN FINALLY MAKE MY ONE TRUE LOVE MINE!”

There was a crazy look in Floids eyes as he continued slamming my body into the ceiling again and again before finally letting me fall to the ground below.

Once I felt my body hit the floor, Floid crashed on top of me. Pinning my arms to the ground.

“I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS! IT’S TIME TO TAKE WHAT IS MINE ONCE AND FOR ALL!”

As Floid said that, he opened his mouth wide.

One look inside and I could tell he was preparing to launch fire from his mouth.

Had this been a normal fire breath, I probably would’ve easily been able to tank it.

However, there was something off about this one.

Not only did it seem to be growing hotter by the second, but the flames were shining a bright blue. A color you don’t normally see from a dragon's breath.

“Garb!” screamed out Valentina. Perhaps realizing what Floid was about to do, she looked ready to jump into the ring herself. However, her succubus friend held her back. Looking rather confused as she tried to settle Valentina down. All the while that crimson-eyed boy watch with a serious expression on his face.

Looking back at the flames charging up in Floids mouth, I wanted to fight back. However, he had my arms completely pinned and there wasn’t anything my legs could do at all. So all this could only mean one thing. And that was that I was about to die.

This competition is supposed to just be till someone's knocked out, but just one look at Floid and I can tell my death was his goal all along.

Thus, all I could do was accept my fate. Leaving me to close my eyes.

And as the heat from his mouth grew hotter, images of Giyu passed through my mind.

I still remember the day I met her sixty-two years ago.

We had met when our two countries were at war with one another and ended up falling for each other while we discussed the idea of a peace treaty.

And then, before I knew it, I had asked her to be my lover.

The sixty years that followed were some of the best years of my life. From uniting our nations together, to simply spending time and getting intimate.

Even though those were a mere sixty years, they were the best sixty years of my life.

And now, here I laid. With death staring me in the face. And all I could do was watch as it consumed me.

“Die Garb!”

Those words gurgled out of Floids mouth as he prepared to fire his attack. And I prepared myself for death.

But then...

Shwing!

A sound echoed in my ear as I opened my eyes wide. Watching as the fire in Floids mouth returned to its normal color while the hairpiece that had been attached to Floids head clattered to the ground. Sliced in half.

Confused, I looked around the stadium before my eyes rested on a single individual whose finger was pointed toward Floids neck.

Once the pieces started to connect in my head, I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

“You have my thanks,” I muttered as the grip Floid once held so strongly became infinitely easier to push past.

“W-What the-!?”

Not able to process what was happening, Floid had no time to react as I got up and slammed my tail into his body. Sending him spiraling into the wall. Knocking him unconscious in an instant.

“...”

The stadium was silent.

From what seemed like a one-sided battle, Garb, practically out of nowhere managed to pull off a victory in just a single tail smack. Making everything up to this point feel like nothing more than a show.

Still, seeing the current outcome, the announcer decided that was that.

“We have our winner! The leader of the country of Giyu, Garb Yanadal!”

While this whole knockout felt completely out of nowhere, people were still happy with this outcome. So, after only a few seconds of silence, cheers erupted through the stadium. Valentina and Xara included. Meanwhile, I was simply trying to process what was happening through that match.

I mean, I was happy to see Garb won. But even so, there was just something off about this fight. And all I had to go off of was what I had seen.

Thus, I ended up leaving the other two to celebrate as I left the arena so I could think about everything that just went down.

Once outside, I recollected my thoughts.

From what I saw, in the beginning, it looked like that Floid guy was managing to beat up Garb. However, that all changed when Garb created a dust cloud to hide himself and go in for the attack. And just when it seemed like Garb had the upper hand, that weird hairpiece glowed on Floids back. Causing him to suddenly grow insanely strong in what seemed like seconds.

Since I wasn’t sure if that item was the cause, I decided to test the theory going through my head by casting a small ball of wind that broke the hairpiece. And sure enough, Floid seemed to lose all that power and Garb easily overpowered him. Meaning that headpiece really was the cause for Floids strength. And while that cleared the main situation up, there was still something I had on my mind.

“Where the hell did that hairpiece come from?”

I wasn’t able to get a clear look at it, but I could’ve sworn it shot out sparks when I broke it. Which isn’t exactly something normal magical items do. Actually, it looked more similar to the technology I was used to in my old world.

“Say, Sirin. Did you get a good photo of that hairpiece?”

Sirin’s blocky form appeared next to me.

“Of course. Here you are.”

As she said that, a hologram appeared in front of me. It was a close-up shot of the hairpiece that had fallen to the ground. And one look was all I needed to know that my suspicions were on the mark.

Sure enough, the hairpiece seemed to be made of some form of metal and had all sorts of wires poking out from its inner workings. Meaning it wasn’t just some magic device, but rather a piece of technology.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Say, did you get a scan of this thing?”

“I did. And from what I could figure out, it isn’t too different from the same type of machinery used on your island.”

Meaning that whoever made this is skilled with machinery the likes of which are similar to that of whoever created Sirin.

“Furthermore, I’ve been able to pinpoint the region from which the metal used for this device is located.”

“Really? Where?”

“It’s from the town of Ryuz.”

“Ryuz? Where’s that?”

“It’s a little ways off from where the island is currently stationed. Though, I don’t believe it’s worth a visit.”

“Huh? Why’s that?”

“Because as it stands, the city of Ryuz is known for despising magic. Meaning you'd be looked down upon simply for visiting. And besides, my studies have taught me that the town simply trades its metal with other countries and nations. There doesn’t appear to be any form of connection between them and the device from before.”

“Is that so? Well, that’s a bit disappointing. I was ready to go out on an expedition to find out the reason for that item's existence. Well, whatever. I’m sure I’ll head to Ryuz someday. So I’ll be patient for the time being.”

Putting my hands in my pockets, I found myself feeling a bit excited at the idea of finding technology in a world like this that relies on magic and other fantasy elements.

But sadly, it seems like I’ll need to put that on the back burner for now. After all, we still have a marriage ceremony to attend.

With the duel finished, the rest of the preparations went on without interruption until it was finally time for the marriage ceremony.

While Valentina was busy showing Xara around until it was time, I was sitting in the room Valentina had given Xara and I until the ceremony was over.

I was sipping some tea as Nia, who had appeared in her physical form, helped herself to some of her own. However…

“Could you slow down a bit? You’re drinking it too fast,” I said with a sigh. To which Nia ignored me and continued pouring herself more tea.

“Not happening. You’ve been keeping me in there for so long, I wanna enjoy the sensations of a human body while I still can.”

“Geez. You make it sound like I’m trapping you in a cage. And here I was thinking you liked it in there.”

“Well, I guess you’re not wrong. It is pretty cozy. Even so, I like getting out once in a while to stretch my legs. So that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“I see.”

Not only was Nia zipping through her tea, she started chowing down on the snacks we were given as well. Soon enough, all the macrons, biscuits, and other tea treats vanished from sight.

Getting up from my chair I stretched my arms out to the sky while letting out a yawn.

“Well, the ceremonie's about to start soon. So hurry up. I don’t wanna be late 'cause you wanted to eat snacks.”

“Just give me a minute! Geez. Can’t a girl eat in peace sometimes?”

Says the girl who just ignored my suggestion to eat slower. It’s because of what you said before that I decided to tell you that you needed to hurry up. This girl really couldn’t make up her mind.

Rubbing my eyes, I let out another sigh as I waited for Nia to wrap up.

Finishing off the last of the snacks, Nia put down her cup.

“Alright! All done!”

“Good. Then let’s get moving already.”

“Right!”

While saying that, Nia returned to the grimore and we stepped out the door.

Outside, it seemed Valentina and Xara were just getting back and when Xara spotted me, she waved for me to come over.

“Come on Axel! The ceremonie's about to start!” she shouted.

“Coming!” I shouted in response before walking toward them.

I didn’t know what exactly to expect from this ceremony. But even so, I was curious as to what it entailed.

Hearing the sound of bells chiming in my ear, I found myself arriving at a set-up of white rocks with Garb, and the woman I assumed was his soon-to-be wife standing there in their dragon forms. Preparing themselves for what was to come.

Finding some seats set for dragons who wanted to be in their human forms, the three of us sat down and waited for things to finally start.

“Say Valentina, what exactly happens at a dragons marriage ceremony?”

I asked this since I wasn’t sure how different they were from human marriages.

“Hm. I guess they aren’t that different from human marriages. They simply exchange vows and prepare for their future together.”

“Huh. I see.”

“Wow. That sounds amazing,” said Xara with stars in her eyes. It was clear she was the one who was the most excited to watch this thing.

“Yeah. It sure is. I still remember seeing my first marriage ceremony when I was a kid. It was a truly amazing experience,” said Valentina. Looking like she was thinking back as her cheeks grew a light red.

Was it really that romantic? I didn’t really get it, but if it was a nice experience, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to watch.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the torches around the area went out and everything got slightly darker. Meanwhile, a giant dragon who looked like the size of a mountain landed behind Garb and his lover. Huge enough that is was practically impossible to see the things head.

“Everyone. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Garb Yanadal and his lover, Giyu Huva. As they set off on a long path to grow both their own nation as well as the nation of the kin they will bear someday. But before we begin, would the groom like to say a few words?”

Since the giant dragon was too big for us to see fully, their voice simply echoed down into everyone's heads. Similar to what Nia always des when she wants to talk with me.

In response to the voice's question, Garb nodded as he turned and faced the crowd.

“Everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart for gathering here today to celebrate the union of me and Giyu. As well as cheering me on in the duel earlier. To be honest, it still doesn't feel real. I finally get to marry that woman I met sixty-two years ago. I wouldn’t even be surprised if this was all a dream. Even so, I’m happy to unite with the woman who changed my life forever. As well as someone I would go above and beyond for. No matter what. Which is why, before we say anything else, I’d like to say something to my my dear Giyu.”

Turning to Giyu, Garb stood his ground.

“I love you Giyu. I look forward to the future we have together, and I promise to make you happy for the rest of our lives.”

As Garb said those words, it looked like Giyu was holding herself back from crying and I’m not gonna lie, I really felt the passion in his words. They were something truly impactful and I knew he meant everything he said.

“That is all I have to say. Please continue Dragon God.”

Dragon God? You mean that’s who the mountain of a dragon was? I mean, the size made sense, but a dragon god? Did that mean the actual dragon god came down for them or something? If so, that was quite an honor. Though, also a bit excessive.

Perhaps picking up on what I was thinking, Valentina turned to me.

“To be clear, that’s not the real god of dragons or anything. It’s just old man Gordo. He’s a dragon that’s lived for over eight thousand years. Making him the grandpa of all dragons. He’s so old, that people gave the nickname Dragon God as a way of representing how old he was.”

“Oh. I see.”

I guess that made more sense than an actual god of dragons coming down to watch over a marriage. Still, the fact that this old man Gordo guy was over eight thousand years old is still a pretty big deal in my book. But whatever. I’m sure that if I dug too deeply, I’d just miss out on the ceremony. So I’d just leave it be for now.

“Alright. To start things, do you, Giyu Huva, take Garb Yanadal to be your partner for the remainder of your days?”

“...I do.”

There was a slight pause for a moment. Perhaps a sense of nervousness kept her from saying it outright. Even so, Giyu said it in the end. Looking happy that she was able to get the words out.

“And do you, Garb Yanadal, take Giyu Huva to be your partner for the remainder of your days?”

“I do,” Garb responded with no hesitation.

“Then, let this day be carved in history, and act as a reminder for your future. One that you’ll remember for the rest of your days.”

As old man Gordo said those words, I felt them echo in my head as I turned my eyes to Xara. Who was still watching the ceremony with stars in her eyes.

“Now to officialize this paring, you may kiss.”

When old man Gordo said that, Garb and Giyu embraced each other and the stands burst into cheers as confetti rained from the sky.

And as you might have guessed, Xara and Valentina joined in on the cheering too. Meanwhile, I simply clapped. Feeling like if I cheered I’d just embarrass myself.

Eventually, the cheering settled down and the lights turned on one after another.

Looking up at the sky, I hadn’t noticed it before, but it had actually gotten pretty late. Now the moon shined high in the sky and the small whistles of the wind echoed in my ear.

Figuring the lights turning on was a sign things were done, I started to get up from my seat. But just as I did so...

“Where are you going? The main event hasn’t started yet,” said Valentina. Leaving me confused.

“What do you mean? Wasn’t the main event the marriage?”

“Of course not! It’s what comes after! The chance to witness the creation of their first child.”

“...What?”

Before I had time to process what Valentina said, the lights went dark again and the only ones remaining were the ones focusing on Garb and Giyu.

And what they started to do, I could only describe the whole thing as being way too graphic.

Without going into detail, the best way I could describe it was they started going all the way.

Feeling uncomfortable, I was about to teleport Xara and I away so we didn’t have to keep looking at this only to find her watching the whole thing with the same starry eyes as before with only a small red blush appearing on her cheeks.

Figuring I wouldn’t be able to convince her while she had a look like that, I simply teleported away before things got too uncomfortable. Hoping Xara wouldn’t get any ideas once the whole thing was done.

The next morning, I let out a loud yawn as I got out my bed.

Despite sleeping in the same room, both Xara and I had our own separate beds and it looked like I was the first one to wake up as she was still snoozing away.

Thankfully, after quickly checking my sheets. I learned she hadn’t tried to pull anything while I was asleep. So with that piece of mind, I left the room and took a look outside.

From how the sky appeared, I figured it was probably around six or seven in the morning. Just early enough for us to leave.

Thus, I went back into the room and started packing the few things the two of us had brought.

Soon enough, Valentina came by to see how we were doing.

“Say, how come you left in the middle of the ceremony's big event last night?”

“Er…Let’s just say I was feeling tired. Hehe.”

It’d probably sound rude of me to say I simply was too uncomfortable so I left, so this was my best excuse.

“Oh. I see. Well, I understand then. But you completely missed how amazing it was. Just one look at Xara and I could tell she was just as into it as I was!”

“I-Is that so?”

I didn’t exactly like hearing that, but then again, I guess she is a succubus. This kinda stuff ran in her family for a long time. So seeing it in action probably wouldn’t put her off as much as it did me.

Noticing the bags were all packed, Valentina turned to me.

“So you’re heading out?”

“Yep! We still got lots to do during the break, so we need to get back now.”

“I see. In that case, I’ll be seeing you two at school. Just be sure to tell Xara that when she wakes up.”

“Sure thing. Bye Valentina.”

“Yeah. Bye Savoncho.”

Savoncho? So she remembered my last name? I figured it was a pretty hard name for anyone to remember off the bat, but she nailed it perfectly.

With a simple wave, she left the room and walked off.

Figuring that would be the end of the goodbyes, I started putting everything together so we could teleport it all at once only to hear a knock on the door.

Thinking it might’ve been Valentina saying she forgot to say something, I opened it up. However, I was surprised to find none other then Garb standing there in his human form.

He had long black hair that was set up like a mullet and he wore some sunglasses that, combined with his hair, made him look like some kind of gang boss.

“Say, you’re that kid that came with Valentina’s friend, right?”

Did he mean Xara?

“Yeah. That’s me. What do you need?”

Instead of answering my question, Garb bowed his head.

“I thank you from deep in my heart for helping with that match. Had you not helped, I would’ve no doubt lost my wife!”

“Uh…You’re welcome?”

So he knew it was me? Wow. And I really thought I hid it well. Dang.

Well, whatever. I didn’t really mind him knowing…unless he tattled on me. Which in that case, might be bad.

Perhaps realizing what I was thinking, Garb gave me some reassurance.

“You have nothing to fear, I have no plans on telling anyone. Honestly, I’m just grateful for your help. If you hadn’t destroyed that weird item on Floids back, I could easily have seen it go the other way.”

“Well, thanks for letting me know. I wasn’t really planning on intervening, but I felt like it was a bit of an unfair fight.”

I scratched the back of my head.

“I see. Still, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Getting on one knee, Garb bowed his head once more.

“That’s why, in a show of my thanks, I’d like to make an offer.”

“An offer?”

Garb nodded his head.

“In thanks for your assistance, I wish to let you know that, if you ever need assistance with anything, contact my country of Giyu. If you do, I guarantee that I will be there to help you out. It’s the least I can do.”

“Wow. That’s a pretty big offer for simply helping you out a bit.”

“Simply helping me out? You did far more than that. Not only did you help secure my victory, but you also saved my life. The fact this is all I can offer you saddens me to no end.”

“B-But it’s really not that big of a…haaah.”

Letting out a sigh, I knew it’d be pointless to say anything else. So I just decided to accept his offer.

“I appreciate and accept your offer. If I run into any problems that I wish to call on you for, I’ll be sure to do so.”

“You have my thanks. Now then, I must be off. Have a safe trip back to your homeland.”

“Thanks. And goodbye.”

With one last nod of his head, Garb got onto his feet and walked off. Leaving me standing there scratching the back of my head.

It wasn’t my intention to form some kind of deal with a dragon while I was here. Even so, I guess it could be useful in the future at some point…right?

Deciding to let it go for now, I finished the last of the packing. And once Xara was awake, the two of us teleported back. Finishing our little trip to the land of dragons.