Ep 152. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (6)
“You’re not Serenis. Who are you?”
“Well…you see…”
The dragonlord looked away from Light with a sheepish grin, nervously scratg the back of her head.
And Light was watg every bit of it, with each passing moment adding ontrowing suspi.
‘Is it the Reaper guy again? It ’t be…right?’
The dispy was jarring, to say the least – but while strange, Serenis’ current behavior was in no way akin to what Light had seen in her possessed professor.
And once Light had made her cim, the dragonlord’s odd behavior was being more and more apparent to Ilias as well.
‘I’ve seen her smile before, but that’s just…’
The usual indifference was o be found in her lord.
In a way, Serenis looked and sounded friendlier – her of which were exactly helpful in this case. Her aptitude in magic had seemingly disappeared, repced with an affinity for healing that she’d once cimed outside of her reach.
“And also…”
Moments after, Light struck out her hand to pinch at a bruised patch of the dragonlord’s arm.
“!!!”
A muffled groan escaped Serenis’ lips. She looked towards the half with a clearly pained expression.
“L, Light?! What are you doing??”
“Serenis was just fine during the day. What’s with all these burns and bruises?”
“That’s…well…”
At first, the dragonlord’s pained eyes looked away in avoidance.
But as the pain from Light’s ping hold grew to an intolerable level, Serenis’ bitten lips finally began to make its fession.
“She…did it to herself.”
“’She’? So you aren’t Serenis after all.”
“Uh…haha…um…”
Meeting the half’s cold, questioning gaze, the dragonlord responded with nothing but meek ughter.
But while Light was focused on undoing the pretender’s ruse, Ilias’ attention was focused on airely differeail.
“Lord Serenis did this to herself…?”
“Um…yes?”
“W…why?...”
Hearing the youngling’s shaky voice trailing off in fear, the pretender hurriedly wove their arms, denying the red dragon’s worry.
“It wasn’t anything that warrants ! She only did so to summon me. I ot be present while she’s awake.”
“Oh…phew.”
Ilias let out a relieved sigh. Light also made a small grunt, nodding her head as she aowledged the sensible response.
“To help Raizel, right? Serenis couldn’t do anything herself, so I’m guessing she called you instead.”
“Quite sharp, aren’t you? Karas is lucky to have such a bright student.”
“Ehehe…”
“…But you please let go of my arm now?”
“Oh…sorry.”
The dragonlord’s body shuddered in pain as Light let go of the bruised arm. After a small, muffled groan, the same glow e from her palm began to undo the damage Serenis had inflicted on herself.
As the light magically to her wounds – literally – Light watched the spectacle for a moment longer before beginning to question the pretender again.
“You still haven’t told us who you are.”
“Uh…right! I’m, uh…I’m Zion.”
“Zion?”
“That’s correct. In case you weren’t aware, this is my body. Serenis is…a guest, essentially.”
“…?”
Light’s expression twisted in disbelief, Ilias’ in fusioher of them were vinced by the answer.
And again, it was Light who’d speak on it first.
“The…actual person, you mean? Like, the human-person-Zion?”
“Mhm.”
“…Hold on, hold on. Aren’t you like, 15?”
“Yes? What of it?”
“You’re telling me a 15-year-old knows how to treat a dying dragon?”
A few seds ticked by as the pretender wracked their brain for a sensible answer.
And, finding hey let out an exasperated sigh.
“…That lie wasn’t going to st, was it?”
“I swear I’m going to pinch you again.”
The dragonlord’s body lightly jerked back as Light made a ping gesture with her fingers.
“Hey now, aren’t you scared what Serenis might say when she’s awake?”
“I’m pretty sure she’ll say ‘Good job, I’m gd you drove the fake-me away.’”
“…”
Anh followed from the dragonlord, this time out of the irony of the situation. They briefly eaihe thought of Serenis regarding them as some fake persona, which was ughable at best.
Clearing their throat, the dragonlord’s lips began to fess their current troller’s identity.
“I suppose I’m just a distant elder to you two. After all, I was the first of mankind to join the dragonkin.”
“The first one?...How old ARE you?”
“Who knows?”
After a hearty chuckle, the pretender briefly spared a gowards Ilias. They stretched out their hand, petting the red dragon on her head.
“A long time has passed, but every single one of you are still very dear to me…and so is Serenis. That’s why before I tell you my name, I need you both to promise me something.”
Both Light and Ilias looked towards the dragonlord’s pretender with a fused gaze.
Smiling back at the two, the pretender retreated their hand, crossing their lips with one finger in a sileng gesture.
“When Serenis awakes…promise me you won’t tell her who I am.”
“Wait, she doesn’t know?”
The dragonlord beamed back towards the inquisitive half.
“I’m sure she has her own suspis. But there’s a differeween suspeg and knowing.”
“Ehh…but why wouldn’t you wao know? Are you worried she’d get rid of you?”
“…If only. That’s the opposite of my worries, actually.”
“The opposite?”
“Mhm. If Serenis were to learn who I am, I’m afraid she’d cast herself away instead.”
“…Ok, now I’m REALLY fused. Who are you??”
“…”
‘I was born with the very first star, and I will perish with the very st.’
A hint ret and bitterness washed over the dragonlord’s eyes. Their golden eyes closed themselves in a momentary refle, their lips curving into a wider smile.
‘To you, I remain forever bound – willingly – until the end of time.’
“…My name is Adam. Though…perhaps you’d uater as our dear dragonlord’s spouse.”
“Sp-“
Light quickly cut herself short in the middle of parroting the st word. As soon as her head processed the phrase, her train of thoughts came to a screeg halt.
And likewise for Ilias, the red dragon seemed frozen in position. Only her twitg eyebrows suggested that time hadn’t stopped.
“…Light?”
“…”
“Ilias?”
“…”
Watg the two in awkward silehe pseudonlord blinked a few times, meekly w if they’d done something wrong.
A handful of minutes had to pass before either of them would say anything again.
