An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

The girl, still childish, spoke with a voice that seemed to be forced out.

The girl had beautiful black hair and golden eyes, and appeared to be about ten years old. She wore a beautiful kimono, and the warm wind blew her hair. She stood at the highest point of the observation deck, gazing at her hometown, which was gradually crumbling.

The little girl gripped the wooden railing with all her strength, as if to express her excitement. Surprisingly, the seemingly solid railing creaked in her grip, as if it would shatter at any moment.

Her strength was not what a young girl would possess, but this was normal, as she was a dragon-human with royal blood.

Now, the girl's hometown, known as the most beautiful kingdom of water and trees in the world, is being invaded by an overwhelming force and is about to be burned to the ground. Not long ago, all races lived in peace and equality. Why did it come to this...

The girl's cognition could not keep up with reality, and she could only stare blankly at her hometown which was gradually burning.

"Princess... It's dangerous here. Please evacuate quickly..."

The maidservant following behind the girl urged her to seek refuge, but the girl did not turn around, but only shook her head slightly.

"Princess..."

"Fenli, I am the princess of Kuralus. My father and my compatriots are still fighting. Where do you want me to escape to? If I have to go... I should go there."

As soon as the girl finished speaking, she pointed her finger directly at the battlefield. Seeing this, the maid, Fenli, hurried to the girl's side.

"No, Princess!"

"...I know that even if I go, I'll only be a hindrance. I've never regretted my immaturity as much as I do now."

Blood dripped from the girl's lovely lips, biting them with such force that if she didn't do that, she would surely abandon her rationality and impulsively rush to the battlefield.

The country burned, her compatriots perished, and even her family was in danger. At this moment, she was powerless to do anything, and she resented her own powerlessness and hatred. She harbored even more intense anger towards herself than towards her enemies.

At this moment, the voice of someone the girl completely trusted, a voice that made her worry about his safety from the bottom of her heart, rang out.

"Tio, I told you to stay inside the barrier!"

"Father!"

A burly black-haired man with dragon wings on his back flew in from the observation deck where the girl, Tio, was standing. He was Tio's father, the current king of the dragonmen, Harga Kularus.

Harga's appearance was horrific. His Japanese-style combat uniform, made of monster materials and sturdier than inferior metal armor, was now charred, torn, and broken everywhere, a horrible sight that was unbearable to look at. His flesh beneath the clothes was also covered in various wounds, especially the wound on his abdomen, which was still dripping with blood, and it seemed impossible to stop the bleeding.

Harga is a black dragon with the highest defense among the dragonkin. He is also capable of partial dragon transformation, a skill only experienced by those in human form. Even if his battle suit's defenses are penetrated, he can still coat his flesh with dragon scales, deflecting any attack.

He used his body as a shield, enduring all the malice and hostility, charging into the enemy lines and defeating them. His fighting spirit earned him the nickname "Mobile Fortress."

Tio knew her father's resilience well, so she was speechless at the sight. Hulga sensed Tio's feelings from her expression, smiled wryly, and knelt on one knee, matching Tio's eye level.

"Tio, it seems we can only stop here. Despite exhausting every possible means, we are unable to change the world trend that has already been created. Father is very sorry that we cannot leave the land of our hometown to you."

"No, that's not happening! Nothing like that! What is father talking about? How could the Dragon People end like this... That can't happen! Right!?"

"Now we are the world's enemies... Tio, I should have taught you that you can never escape reality."

"Father!"

With a sorrowful voice and expression, Tio hugged Hulga, not caring about getting her beautiful kimono dirty, and desperately denied her father's words.

That's impossible. The Dragon People are the protectors of the world, accepting all nations and races, working hand in hand with them, extending a helping hand to bring peace to the world. Regardless of nation or race, they all hold a certain level of gratitude and respect for the Dragon People.

However, in just a few years - a few changes of seasons - everything changed.

The Dragon People are monsters that control multiple races and could go haywire at any moment. The Dragon People are rebelling against God. The Dragon People...

——It is a divine enemy.

Theo thought to herself—what kind of nonsense is this?

Complete dragonification—a unique magic possessed by no other race on earth—would certainly terrify people. But precisely because of this, the Dragon People have always demanded that they be more noble than anyone else, any being, in order to transform "fear" into "dread," and then sublimate it into "reverence."

The Dragon People have always been strict with themselves, lenient with others, and courageous, transforming their bodies into swords or shields, coexisting with all people to this day. Such strict principles can be described as honest and straightforward.

As a result, after hundreds of years, the dragon people of the past and present have established a kingdom praised by the whole world as a paradise, and even became the leader of the World Alliance formed by the whole world to continue to protect the world.

——Guardian of the world.

——The catalyst for peace.

——The real royal family.

These are the words people use to praise the Dragon People.

The people who had once praised loudly were now uttering foul language and insults along with the madness.

It was a nightmare. People's malice, fear, and hostility seemed to change at the drop of a hat...

Even now, being invaded by a multi-racial coalition army on a global scale, Tio still couldn't accept the reality. Could it be that she was still sleeping in the dormitory, just dreaming? If so, she hoped to wake up from this dream soon.

The world was dyed red, filled with madness, and her compatriots died one after another... She wanted to return from this cruel dream world to a world with deep green forests and sparkling rivers, a world where everyone laughed together regardless of race, and a world full of the noise of people.

"Tio! Cheer up! You're the youngest daughter of Kuralus, the one who will shoulder the responsibility of the next generation!"

“!…Father.”

Her father's powerful voice encouraged Tio, who had been lost in a dream, and she suddenly regained consciousness. Tio decided that she couldn't continue to show such an ugly face. She wiped away the tears that were about to flow due to excessive and unreasonable behavior, and then looked at Hulga with a strong gaze, as if glaring.

Seeing Tio like that, Hulga narrowed her eyes in deep affection and hugged Tio tightly. It was as if she could no longer feel the warmth of her beloved, and she felt reluctant to let go...

Because he was using too much force, Tio couldn't help but make a painful sound, and was about to make a small protest to her father.

However, her mouth closed. She saw Fenli's expression through her father's shoulder, and she sensed something unusual in his embrace. Naturally, a question arose: why had her father left the battlefield to come to her?

——It seems that this is all we can do.

Her father's words echoed in her mind. Though Tio was young, her intelligence was even praised as being on par with adults. As she gathered all the information—her hairs stood on end. Sensing her father's intentions, she stared in astonishment at the profile of her father, who was holding her.

"Father... this is a lie, right? Please tell me this."

"...Really, you're really smart. Whether it's your appearance, words or actions, you're becoming more and more like Orna—your mother."

Seeing her father's wry smile, Tio was convinced—

This moment is the moment when I am separated from my father forever.

Tio was filled with indescribable feelings, yet she still wanted to say something. However, before she could do that, a startling roar and impact echoed from the center of the capital. The blast, so powerful it threatened to blow down the observation tower, made Tio shield her face and shrink back.

A second after silence returned, Tio and Hulga both turned their heads with stern expressions.

“You actually did something like this!?”

"..."

Tio screamed.

The center of the explosion seemed to have been empty from the beginning, becoming a vast expanse of ground. However, Tio's screams were not caused by this. At this moment, wooden pillars were erected one by one, and nailed to them were the figures of their compatriots.

She discovered someone, even if there was a distance, there was no way she didn't notice him.

It was her mother. With long, emerald green hair that bordered on white, and the golden eyes she inherited, she was a remarkably beautiful woman. Normally, she wore a graceful, gentle smile, but once on the battlefield, she would harness the majestic winds and soar faster than anyone else, leading the charge to defeat the enemy. Her courage and determination were undeniable, and she was someone Tio deeply respected.

Her mother, Orna, was nailed to a stake in a scene too horrific to watch. The scars covering her body made it clear how brave she was, fighting to the very end. Yet, such a mother was nailed to the stake for public display.

A dim flame ignited in Tio's eyes. Her normally vibrant black magic gradually darkened, as if simmered with negative emotions. The rage and hatred that easily broke free threatened to transform the young dragon princess.

"Tio!"

"Father, my lord."

In the torrent of magical power that enveloped her body, the overwhelming rage even caused Tio's speech to become dysfunctional. Seeing that her daughter seemed to be on the verge of completely devouring the enemy in front of her in an impulsive manner, Hulga knelt on one knee and hugged her tightly.

Tio looked at her father with golden eyes filled with anger and hatred. Her gaze spoke louder than her words, as if asking her father why he didn't seek revenge? Why didn't he drive out those vicious people? Why did he remain so calm after his mother was murdered?

Hulga hugged Tio tightly and said to her in a low but clear voice:

"—We don't know the meaning of our existence."

Hulga silently urged Tio to continue. Tio's breathing was ragged with anger, and she continued to recite the ancient words she had been taught since she was old enough to understand.

"Whether I am an animal or a human, if everything in this world has meaning, where is the answer..."

Hearing her daughter's answer, Hjalga held her hand even tighter and continued reading:

"After so many changes, the answer remains. So, whether it's human or beast, we're determined to uncover its soul to prove it."

Those are the words of oath and determination passed down by the Dragon People.

"The Dragon's Eye will see through the single truth, breaking through deception and suspicion."

Tio and Hulga said in unison. Tio's body relaxed and she gradually regained her composure.

"The dragon's claws will tear through the iron walls and shatter the entrenched malice."

Halga let go of her body and looked into his daughter's eyes from the front, as if reminding her of important matters and imparting final teachings. He turned his thoughts into words, allowing his daughter to gradually regain her heart that was in harmony with the dragon people.

"The dragon's fangs will crush your own weakness and drive away hatred and anger."

Tio's lips dripped with blood again, and she bit her lips, which had almost lost their rationality, with her teeth, restraining herself as before.

“Without Jin, we are nothing but beasts. However, as long as we continue to wield the sword of reason—”

Hjalga's finger gently touched Tio's lips. The blood shed by his beloved daughter's bite was equal to the blood shed by his heart. After wiping the blood away, Hjalga smiled in approval - that was all.

Tears welled in Tio's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Rage and hatred gnawed at her heart, roaring at her to kill her enemy. Her young heart, wanting to yield to that roaring "weakness," transformed into sparkling tears, but letting them flow would have violated the dragon's dignity.

Be strong, gentle, and noble.

The way of existence of the Dragon People, contained in the ancient teachings - in front of her father, in front of the body of her mother who fought for her people and her own people until the very end, Tio could never violate such teachings.

Tio took a breath, nodded to her father who looked at her with approval, and said the last sentence, which was also the pride given by her parents and family.

"We are the Dragon People!"

Tio shouted at the top of her lungs. Knowing there was no need to worry about her anymore, Hulga embraced her daughter once again, and for the last time, filled with emotion—as if her pride were embodied.

"Tio, listen carefully."

“…Yes, Father.”

This was her last chance to talk to her father. Tio desperately held back the tears that threatened to flow, and answered with a voice that was too firm to be a girl's.

"No, the real enemy of the world is not the people who are invading this country now."

"...It is a being that distorts the world—the god worshipped by the church."

"Indeed, I tried everything I could to defeat that being... but I couldn't catch up. Therefore, the Dragon People must perish here. This is necessary. Do you know why?"

"Yes, if we don't perish, the people of the world will remain distorted. Therefore, this war must end through our demise."

Theo suppressed her heavy emotions, showing her intelligence. Hulga also nodded vigorously.

"The true enemy—'God'—is powerful and cunning, but by no means omnipotent, and evil cannot last forever. Sooner or later, someone capable of defeating that being will appear, Tio."

"Yes, Father."

Hulga finished speaking like a prophet. His final words to Tio were—his wishes as a father, and his orders as the king of the dragonkin.

"Survive."

“! But Father, we—”

Her father had just said that if the Dragon People didn't die, the world would continue to be shrouded in war, and Tio couldn't help but feel confused. Seeing Tio's reaction, Hulga showed a smug smile that Tio had rarely seen and was unlike his.

"We are not so naive as to take no precautions, knowing the enemy is powerful. The Dragon People will indeed perish today... but only in history. I have prepared a hidden village outside the continent and arranged a route to reach it that will not be discovered by the gods. You, your father, and your chosen compatriots will survive there and wait for the right time."

"What! Grandpa!? Father, shouldn't Grandpa have passed away... No, so that's what happened."

As the tide of the world began to shift, Hulga and the previous king, Hulga's father, Edel Kularus, concealed their actions from an unseen enemy. While seemingly accidental, these actions were in fact thwarted by divine schemes. Among them, the previous king, Edel, Tio's grandfather, renowned as the strongest scarlet dragon, was presumably killed in battle, his remains vanishing.

However, Tio sensed that this must have been a premeditated plot by Hulga and Edel to deceive their enemies. Even if they were facing imminent destruction, they could still allow the Dragon People to remain hidden in the shadows of history. They had probably also arranged to fake their own deaths.

While she was happy that her beloved grandfather was still alive, Tio was also overwhelmed by sadness.

"...Father, you can't leave, right?"

"Yes, I am the king of this era. Without my head, the war will not end, and..."

"and?"

"I can't leave Orna on the battlefield and go away."

Hearing her father's joking words, Tio smiled faintly. Hulga gently stroked her hair and gave her a final word.

"Tio, inherit my black scales, Orna's wind, and father Edel's flame. Pride of Kuralus, you must embrace the black flame born within you today and the innate Kuralus flame within your heart and live well."

"Yes, yes! Father!"

This must be the words and thoughts entrusted by her mother. After conveying it, Hulga entrusted Tio to Finley and flew to the battlefield of the end again. In this way, Tio and Finley, who seemed to understand the whole thing from the beginning, headed to a secret place outside the continent. The last thing Tio saw was——

The moment a huge and brave black dragon released a flash of light towards the sky that seemed to split the world in two.

In this battle, the dragon people almost only disabled the invading mixed army and did not take their lives. Until the end, they still used their bodies as shields to let those who believed in them and stayed in the country escape.