[Vol. 7] Chapter 268: Burning Flame
She gazed at her, her eyes neither sad nor happy, simply calmly accepting the moment that was about to come, the moment that would inevitably arrive.
The little dragon girl extended her hand.
An indescribable sense of fusion surged out at that moment. The already powerful [Dragon Emperor's Ring] quietly appeared, floating away from the little golden-haired girl’s slender fingers like some kind of medium. It hovered gently in the space between them, emitting a soft divine glow and aura.
Flames ignited around the girl, and the light became brighter and more dazzling, almost turning the little dragon girl into a flickering golden flame. Despite the intense fire, there was no heat at all, and even the dress chosen by a certain priestess remained intact, undamaged.
Like a flawless gem being smelted and forged, the golden-haired little dragon girl’s skin became smoother and more translucent. Her long hair rose into the air without wind, and a divine halo began to rise from behind her. The bells on her ankles jingled with a crisp, pleasant sound.
She was an incarnation of divinity, an eternal flame burning without end. And now, she was about to return to her true form.
The light formed a bridge with the Dragon-shaped ring at its core, linking the golden flame with the body of the sleeping giant dragon. It transformed into countless swirling light flames that merged into the elegant platinum-colored dragon's body.
Fusion, Breakthrough, Divinity.
Looking down at the transparency gradually spreading from her fingertips to her entire body, the little light closed her eyes, silently feeling the call from her true form, and the expanding power that accompanied it. All past memories surged in her mind at this moment.
Only when looking back from this new perspective did she realize how much trouble her previous, immature self had caused for her master.
Even though she was a fully grown dragon physically, she had acted like a child, always sticking to her master.
Whenever someone got too close to her master, she couldn’t help but feel jealousy surge within her. Though she never did anything outrageous, she often used childish and funny ways to assert her ownership, like a dog marking its territory by urinating.
No matter what happened outside, unless her master gave clear instructions, she always resorted to violence to solve things. While this was understandable for a dragon, for a higher being and a powerful one at that, thinking back now, many situations could have been handled with more appropriate methods, avoiding much unnecessary trouble.
Those memories, once scattered and gradually coming back as her divinity matured, all returned at this moment. They were beautiful and happy times, moments that could never be replaced by anything, and they made the dragon feel intoxicated.
But for [Light], this felt more like an experience belonging to someone else, to her "sister." When looking back from a third-person perspective, it brought a completely different feeling.
[Light] and [Xiao Guang] were ultimately the same, but also different individuals. Perhaps her master had already realized this fact, which is why lately she used different names for them.
Her life was very short. From waking up in the arms of a black-haired girl on that dark sea, until now, only a few months had passed.
Although it was regretful, [Light] did not hesitate at all. She was a consciousness formed by a chance event. She was born to help her true form fly higher, go farther, and bravely move toward the future. She was destined to reunite with her true form and disappear. This was a fate she could not escape.
There was nothing to resent. Everything she had experienced up until now, all the memories and thoughts, and all the marks left behind, would be passed on in a more perfect way.
She had received so much care, her master, Lenka, Mia, Selna, the friends at the academy, everyone she had met along the way, even the one who separated the most important soul, memories, and divinity, allowing her to experience this warm and colorful life, her sister...
This flame burned because of her, and it shone because of her.
Now, it was time to give back and help them.
Light rushed by, golden flames soared, and she transformed into a dragon.
When she opened her eyes again, the cave and stone pillars were gone. The golden-haired little dragon girl stood on the surface of a mirror-like sea, calmly looking around at the vast, endless blue sky. She felt something and looked down.
On the other side beneath her, on the mirror’s other side, stood a golden-haired girl, like a reflection.
She had a more mature and beautiful body than [Light]. She was tall and graceful, with a long platinum-colored dragon tail trailing behind her. Her smooth, pale feet perfectly matched the surface of the “sea” beneath, as if the little girl had grown ten years overnight into her prime form. She was similar yet completely different.
The only unchanging thing was the pair of dazzling vertical pupils, as if they were burning with golden flames.
They stood across from each other in the mirror, both calmly looking forward, but their gazes seemed to cross the folding curve of space, landing on each other.
"Actually, you could have come a bit later. Whether it's you or me staying by the master’s side, it would be the same. That's why I’m sending you there."
"If it were you, would you choose to delay?"
After a brief silence, she also smiled. "No, because I am the master’s guardian dragon. To fulfill this, I must show the best and strongest version of myself whenever needed. This is my innate responsibility and desire, and it cannot be shaken by any external forces."
"Yes, so I am the same. It's really interesting... do you think this is just us talking to ourselves?"
"Maybe. You and I, from the very beginning, have never been different, so now I’m just talking to myself. In this world, the Holy Crystal Dragon has always been one and only."
"Only... one?"
The golden-haired little girl pondered, not immediately agreeing with her's statement. Seeing her hesitation, the opposite, confident young woman smiled slightly.
"Don't believe me? Then, what do you see me as?"
"......"
[Light] lowered her head and, for the first time, saw the opposite reflection. The golden-haired little girl, who was exactly the same as her, looking back as if from a mirror. She was surprised.
The next moment, a relieved smile appeared on her face again.
"What about me, in your eyes?"
The other person curved her lips into a confident, proud smile.
"Hmph, I’ve never been a little kid with skinny arms and legs. If I didn’t have something to show, how could I compete with those annoying cats around the master?"
"I see... I understand now."
"Whum~"
In that moment, when her thoughts aligned perfectly, ripples appeared on the calm sea.
The two figures, reflections of each other, instantly scattered like bubbles, turning into golden flames and the shadow of a giant dragon, rising towards the sky.