“Ouch!” I yelled. “What was that?!”
I spun around to see Midori was holding a sharp, jagged rock she had just made, offering it to me as an angry gift. She clearly didn’t like this bond thing, but she also knew it was the only and fastest way to fix the whole mess.
I took the stone and gently pressed it to my palm. I barely touched it but it cut me at once. This wasn’t a normal knife. It was all of Midori’s anger and hate packed into one tiny murder tool. When I was done, I threw it as far into the lake as I could. No way I was letting that dangerous thing end up in anyone’s hands, especially Midori’s.
“Goddess Desira, ruler of lust and all other desires, hear us and start the Soul Bond for both of us!” the dragon blurted out the whole sentence in one breath, then slammed its palm into mine, fast and loud.
“Soul Bond started,” the goddess's voice came next.
A white light burst where our hands met, growing until it swallowed everything. I closed my eyes and silently apologized to them for the mess, and in seconds, it was already done. Probably the fastest soul bond of my life. When I opened my eyes again, I instantly regretted it. My shameful past came rushing back, glowing in my face like a giant neon sign of pure embarrassment.
She stood there, in her early twenties, a bit taller than me and, painfully, Midori. Her long, straight blue hair fell to her hips like a calm waterfall. Shining blue eyes and pale, flawless skin made her look almost holy. Her hourglass figure was also slightly fuller than Midori’s. As for the blue kimono, it was definitely losing a hopeless battle with gravity.
She spun around, checked herself in the lake’s reflection, then came back and shot a proud pose, puffing up her chest. Midori popped up in front of her next, narrowing her eyes and scanning the dragon's new form from head to toe. That flawless face was clearly eating Midori alive, not because Midori was ugly, but because here was another strong rival.
Then, out of nowhere, Midori reached out and grabbed one of her things, giving it a quick squeeze like she was checking fruit at a market. The dragon slapped her hand away, but Midori didn’t care. She poked again, pressed, lifted, and even weighed them with a serious face.
After that, she looked down at herself, frowned, and started comparing. It was a silent, tense, and very awkward moment of pointless evaluation that no one asked for.
“Stop measuring things like that,” the dragon snapped. “Are you blind? Mine are obviously bigger than yours.”
Then she flicked her hair so hard it basically slapped Midori. Her eyes then shot to me, blazing with anger and pure hate. In two big steps, she reached me, grabbed my arm, and dragged me away, hissing, while I was still stuck trying to process how my imagination had just hit the next level.
“You’re being stingy with me, huh? Why is she longer… bigger?!”
“What? No, it’s not even my decision!” I blurted out, my voice high and panicked. “Seriously!” I added, cold sweat sliding down my face.
Then a huge water dome rose around us. And the drizzle vanished the instant it hit the dome, merging into the shimmering wall. I glanced back and saw the dragon, tugging at her already soaked clothes, her frown sharp and clearly annoyed.
“Ugh…” she muttered to herself, “didn’t think I’d miss my waterproof scales this quickly.”
“Wait, you still had mana?” I asked, staring at the water dome around us. It didn’t look like something you could make with just a little. “I thought you were completely out when you passed out…”
“Oh yes, exactly that,” the dragon said, hands on her hips, grinning at me. “But like I said, I keep making mana, nonstop, whether I try or not.”
I could tell those proud words were just a trick. All she wanted was to keep her silent war with Midori alive. But I let it go. I had a much bigger problem right now. Something that needed to be solved fast. I suddenly noticed how well the wet clothes on them were doing their job.
I had two choices. Either I didn’t look at them again until nightfall, or I escaped this scene right now. I chose survival. I shuffled forward, moving fast, trying not to trip over my own stupid thoughts.
“Uh, hey… if you still have any mana, maybe I—”
“Sure, go ahead!” the dragon said quickly, getting it immediately. “All of it’s yours.” Then it leaned toward me, whispering just loud enough for Midori to hear, “I mean… literally, all of it.”
“Fine, fine!” I almost shouted, grabbing Midori just in time as she stormed toward the dragon, fist raised. I held her back with all my strength. “Okay, then, can you cancel the water dome and I’ll—”
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The dragon seemed to read my mind, acting like some perfect partner, showing off how in sync she was with me more than Midori. The water dome vanished instantly, and the rain started pouring down on us again. I released my domain next, drew some mana from the dragon, and quickly made a dome of fire instead.
“Oh, much better!” the dragon said, crossing her arms. “I was starting to get cold.”
“I was starting to get cold,” Midori mocked her without mercy. Then she snorted. “As if she wouldn’t live on a snowy mountain. Drama queen!”
“Ah, of course I’m a queen, and you..." said the dragon, grimacing, "are just an ordinary peasant!”
“Okay, okay, please!” I yelled, waving my hands. “Stop this, right now!”
Strangely, both listened, swallowed their next insults, and saved them for later. With that, most of the trouble was finally over. Well, almost. We had a brief moment to breathe and rest. But my mind was already set on chaos. Before I knew it, a question slipped out as I sat on a stone, one that could easily spark another fight.
“By the way," I said, looking at the dragon, “you never told us your name...”
“Az—”
“Let me,” Midori cut in. “Overgrown worm, what else could it be?”
“Shut up, you stupid, giant snail!” the dragon barked, then turned back to me without missing a beat. “The Azure Claw of the Seven Ancient Dragons. That’s what they call me.”
I caught myself yawning before she even finished the full name. There was no way I could remember something that long, even if I heard it a hundred times. Forget calling her that, I wasn’t even going to try.
“Well,” I said after a quick thought, giving the dragon a fast once-over. “How about we call you… Aoi instead?”
The dragon seemed to like it, repeating it several times. “Aoi… Aoi… Hmm… Why not? Sounds elite. But what does it actually mean?”
“Let me guess,” Midori jumped in immediately. “Simply… Blue? Right?”
“Get out of here, you low-born pest! That’s a lord, a demon lord, not some simpleton like you thinking up names!” She scolded Midori, then turned curious eyes on me.
I avoided looking back, clearly terrible at naming, and Midori knew it all too well. She stood there, grinning like she couldn’t hide it, waiting for me to spill the painful truth.
“Uh, actually… she’s kinda right—”
“What? No! I refuse! Find me another name! A noble one! Something worthy of me!”
“Well,” I said, scratching the back of my neck, still dodging her gaze, “even if the meaning comes simple, it’s a name long given to noble women in my… old life.” I wasn’t lying, I swear, even if it looked like it.
“Alright then,” she muttered, “if that’s how it is. I like it anyway. You can tell it’s noble just by the sound.” She’d accepted it way too quickly.
“And what about mine?” Midori asked, narrowing her eyes like a cat, sizing me up with pure judgment.
“Y-your… of course. Both your names are noble. Very… noble,” I stammered, feeling like a total scammer.
By the time we finished talking, or more like arguing, night had fully settled in. I looked up at the sky. It felt endless and heavy, and I quietly hoped these dark, gloomy clouds would be gone by tomorrow.
I let out a tired sigh and glanced back at Midori and Aoi. They were sitting as far apart as possible, legs crossed, bodies turned the opposite way, like two people forced to share a bench they both hated.
“Uh, so, where do you two even know each other from—”
“Long story,” Midori cut in sharply, clearly not in the mood to explain.
“And unpleasant,” Aoi added, with the same unwilling tone.
“No problem… if you don’t want to talk about it—”
“I don’t even know where to start,” Aoi cut in, suddenly way too eager, which made me nervous. “As much as I hate remembering it, this snail and I crossed paths when we were kids—”
Midori didn’t even blink. She calmly made a sharp, stone knife in her hand and pointed it right at Aoi. Her voice was flat, cold, and deadly.
“Call me like that again, and I shave that long shiny hair off at the roots.”
“Alright, alright, calm down,” I started, but it was too late.
With a flick of her finger, Aoi sent a full splash of water straight into Midori’s face. It was a clear act of war, and Midori took it head on, chest out. She wiped the water from her face, tied her hair back, then lazily flicked a small stone. It hit Aoi right on the forehead, like a bullet powered by pure hatred.
“Ouch!” Aoi rubbed her brow and glared at her. “Idiot!”
“Stupid!”
“Can you please, stop this—”
They didn’t even hear me. Both jumped up at the same time, hair pulling, kicking, full-on chaos. I rubbed my temples, veins throbbing, and didn’t even notice when I lost it.
“Silence!” I roared. My voice echoed across the whole mountain.
They froze and turned to me like two fighting cats just hit with cold water. Each still had a fist tangled in the other’s hair. I pointed at them, shaking with rage. I was done and this was about to be remembered as my dumbest Berserk moment ever.
“Sit down and shut up!”
They instantly let go and sat down side by side, quiet and stiff, like two well trained kitties.
“I don't know what stupid thing you did in the past to hate each other this much,” I snapped, “but you must leave it behind. I got sick of your childish fights.”
I shot them a sharp look, straight into their pupils. I wanted to be sure my words sank in well.
“Like it or not,” I went on, “you will be spending time together from now on. So learn to get along and act like some adults!”
“O-okay,” Aoi said. She looked shocked.
“Alright, fine,” Midori said, raising her hands as she walked toward me. She moved slow and careful, like she was calming a wild beast. “But let me whisper one thing first. Very short.”
I nodded, but my glare didn’t soften. I kept my eyes locked on them, sharp and furious, until Midori suddenly came up and wrapped me in a tight hug. Just like that, the rage inside me vanished.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Thanks.”
But she didn't let go. She hugged me even tighter.
“I said I’m fine,” I repeated.
She didn't move. For a second, I even wondered if she had fallen asleep like that. Then Aoi stood up and walked over with a sour look. She grabbed Midori from behind and pulled with all her strength.
“I think…” she said, taking a deep breath, “he said let go.”
At last, she managed to peel Midori off me. I gave them both a tired, fed-up look. Not wanting another berserk episode, I chose sleep instead. I sat down, leaned against the stone, and shrank the fire dome just enough to keep us warm through the night.
“Okay,” I said, closing my eyes. “I'm done with this, and... I think I’m going to sleep.”
I closed my eyes, hoping that by morning both of them would quietly disappear without a trace. But when I woke up, it was the exact opposite. One was on my left, the other on my right, sleeping peacefully. Both looked almost human, almost.
As my grogginess faded, I saw the black clouds were gone. In their place was a calm blue sky and warm sunlight. The snow on the mountain had vanished too, replaced by green grass everywhere. Wait, grass? That’s when it hit me. Yep, in my sleep, they had killed me, and this… this was heaven. There was no other explanation.
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