Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, another hundred years passed, and now Tiamat was the age of a volatile teenage girl.
I was entering what, according to my own understanding, was the rebellious phase. The phase where all daughters want to rebel against their parents at some point or get angry about everything.
And sadly, that was what was currently happening.
I let out a tired sigh as I rubbed my temples. In front of me was Tiamat. Her physical body was that of a girl around fourteen or fifteen years old. She was beautiful and would only become more so in the future, but that was not the point.
Her appearance was more or less similar to Esdeath from Akame ga Kill.
She was upset. Why?
Well, she wanted to go explore the world and did not want to stay in the forest any longer. Despite the dangers I told her about and showed her regarding other supernatural beings, she insisted that we go exploring, and her dragon nature made her even more insistent.
"Auntie, for the last time, I told you not yet."
"But Dad, I am a big girl now, I am strong!" she shouted, unleashing a huge amount of magical power that completely obliterated dozens of meters of trees without any difficulty.
"That is not it, Tia. Just listen. It is not that you cannot go, it is just that you are not ready yet."
"If I am not ready, then when will I be?" she said with annoyance in her voice, embers of her karmic fire flying from her mouth.
"Answer me, Dad!"
I remained silent without responding.
"Tsk, I will leave anyway," Tiamat said, turning to leave.
"Tiamat, wait. Just trust in me."
"No," said the girl, still upset. "I have already made my decision. I will do it even if you say no."
"Tiamat, as your father, I command you not to do it," I said, raising my voice and making it sound more serious than usual. Despite my appearance of a ten year old boy, my power was clear and my authority indisputable.
"You are not my father!"
Those words hit me like a bucket of cold water early in the morning. I could not react or even think about anything.
The way she said it was cold, without a trace of the affection she always had when she was younger.
"O okay, if that is what you want, I will not stop you," I said, standing up to go inside the ship to digest this.
Tiamat, in her anger, flew away. Her dragon wings sprouted from her back without even looking back.
"Parents, who needs them?" she thought, her anger justified.
Tiamat flew north, following the scent of a nearby human settlement and another scent she did not know. Curious, she continued onward.
Tiamat flew for about ten minutes, following the trail of a strange scent she had detected in the air. Finally, she reached her destination: a small human tribe under attack by beings with bat like wings on their backs. She remembered her father's words. They were demons. She had never seen them in person before, and she doubted her father had shown her anything beyond the human world.
From the sky, Tiamat watched in silence. The demons continued their attack, mercilessly slaughtering the humans. She had no intention of interfering. These people were strangers to her, and their fleeting lives meant nothing to her. Yet, as she watched them die in fear and helplessness, something within her stirred. An old conversation with her father came to mind.
"Dad, why are we helping those rabbits away from the wolves if they are going to be hunted anyway?" Tiamat asked curiously as she watched her father pet a rabbit.
"Because I have the ability to do so," Izu replied calmly.
"But I do not understand. Why intervene if they are inevitably going to die?"
"Tiamat, why is it that when you see a butterfly, you do not feel the urge to harm it, even though it is weak and fragile, and even the gentlest breeze can hurt it?"
"Because she is beautiful," Tiamat replied without hesitation.
Izu laughed. "The same goes for these animals. I am intervening because I think they are creatures that, at the very least, deserve to be protected."
"But they will die."
"Yes, I know they will die. But if I can help them, even a little, to live a little longer, I will feel that I did something good."
"Dad, you are a hypocrite."
"Maybe so," Izu admitted with a smile. "But remember this. If you feel you can do something, whether out of compassion, pity, purpose, or even obligation, do it. And if you do not want to, do not. You choose what you want to do in that moment."
"How to save rabbits?" asked Tiamat.
"Or anything else," Izu replied.
Emerging from her memories, Tiamat smiled faintly. She had made her decision. Surrounding her body with magical power, she descended upon the village like a massive ball of blue fire. The impact with the ground was so powerful that all the demons stopped, watching in awe as the fire dissipated to reveal a five meter tall dragon with an angry expression.
"It is a high class dragon!" shouted a demon nervously.
"They are supposed to be in dragon territory! What are we doing here?" another one asked.
From among the demons emerged a tall and arrogant figure. He was a noble looking demon who regarded Tiamat with disdain.
"She will make an excellent family member," said the demon with a mocking smile.
"Lord Bellom!" shouted an adult demon. "Be careful! High level dragons are more than you can handle."
"Shut up, scum!" Bellom retorted. "I am the heir to the House of Bellom. Before my power, this dragon is nothing but a pig with wings."
Upon hearing those words, Tiamat flew into a rage. She opened her mouth and unleashed a blaze of blue fire that spread instantly, covering dozens of meters. Demons who failed to dodge the attack were instantly incinerated, including the adult demon who had warned Bellom.
"Not bad," Bellom said, creating a demonic spear which he hurled at Tiamat. However, the spear disintegrated upon touching the dragon's scales.
Tiamat leaped at Bellom, using one of her claws to unleash a sonic swipe. Bellom created a magical shield, but Tiamat's attack shattered it completely, sending the arrogant demon crashing to the ground and leaving a crater in its wake.
"You damned lizard! How dare you do that to my betrothed!" screamed a demon, unleashing a blast of fire at Tiamat. However, the flames simply moved away from the dragon, causing her no harm whatsoever.
"W what?" the demon asked, receiving a tail whip that broke her ribs and destroyed her internal organs.
Tiamat felt a slight discomfort in her back. Looking behind her, she saw that some spells had struck her scales, but without effect. Opening her mouth, she unleashed another blast of blue fire at the remaining demons, who banded together to create a magical barrier that withstood the attack.
"We have to leave now!" one of the demons shouted, terrified.
"You are crazy! If we leave, he will kill us. We need to call the school and get Mr. Zenon," said another.
Tiamat watched as one of the demons vanished into a magic circle, presumably to seek reinforcements. Growling, she decided to play a little with the remaining demons, hurling fireballs and keeping the flames focused on them while the remaining humans fled in terror.
However, Tiamat's amusement was interrupted when an enormous magical pressure filled the air. She watched with interest as the arrogant demon, Bellom, rose and charged toward her at tremendous speed.
"You damned lizard! You will pay for everything!" Bellom shouted, concentrating his magic power into a massive sphere which he hurled at Tiamat. The attack struck directly, sending the dragon flying several meters before exploding and destroying a kilometer long area.
"Take that, beast! Not even a dragon like you could survive my best attack!" laughed Bellom, proud of his feat.
But his laughter stopped when Tiamat emerged from the crater, unharmed but visibly enraged. For the first time, she had felt pain, something she had not experienced since her training sessions with her father.
"Impossible. What the hell? How is she still alive?" Bellom stammered, his arrogance replaced by terror.
Tiamat smiled wickedly. Inflating her chest, she inhaled deeply before unleashing a sea of blue flames that swept hundreds of meters in all directions. The attack lasted a full minute, leaving the landscape charred.
However, when the fire dissipated, Tiamat saw with disappointment that the demons had been protected by a powerful barrier. Sensing an immense amount of magical energy, she located a tall, serious figure: Zenon, an adult demon with black hair and two horns protruding from his head, his back covered in bony spines.
"Lord Zenon!" said the demon from before, with relief on his face.
Zenon raised his hand, and the enormous barrier began to move in his direction.
Tiamat eyed the demon warily. She knew he was strong. Her instincts told her he was powerful.
"Filthy beast, interfering with our students," Zenon said. "I will teach you your place. Your head will be a reminder of why we are the ones at the top of all races."
From Zenon's back, hundreds of bones spread out, instantly surrounding Tiamat. Upon seeing them, she immediately flew away. However, the bones began to pursue her, relentlessly attacking her and forcing her to retreat.
Tiamat released a magical wave pulse that burned the bones, but more bones replaced the old ones.
"Tsk," Tiamat clicked her tongue. She decided to change course toward the sky, making sure all the bones followed her. She then changed direction, heading toward the demon.
"Do you think it will work?" the demon muttered.
He waited until she came closer. Then, he created more bones that emerged from his chest to impale Tiamat.
Tiamat smiled before flying downward, puzzling the demon for a moment.
That moment was vital for Tiamat to use her tail, launching a sonic tail whip that destroyed the demon's bone armor, sending him flying at high speed.
His body stopped upon impact with a huge mountain.
"She's more than just a high class dragon," Zenon thought, examining the blue dragon. "I'll have to stop holding back."
Thinking that, he unleashed all his magical power. His body was covered in bones, and a bone sword materialized in his hand, which he gripped tightly.
Tiamat sensed Zenon's power as it exploded into the heavens. She watched as Zenon vanished from her sight.
Her instincts screamed at her to retreat, and she did. She barely managed to dodge something swift that was trying to sever her head. The scales on her neck were sliced like dry leaves before a sharp knife.
Due to her confusion, Tiamat could not avoid a wide cut across her abdomen that released a significant amount of blood.
Furious, she unleashed all her magical power, reinforcing her body and scales. Her claws and fangs became harder than before.
Having unleashed her full magical power, Tiamat managed to glimpse the blurry image of her enemy, and that was enough for her. She trusted her instincts, for they had never failed her.
Surrounding her body with blue flames, she shot out like a comet, chasing the demon and beginning to launch devastating attacks that the demon either cut with his sword or deflected into the surrounding area.
Zenon attacked Tiamat with his sword, but she used her claws to block it. With her other arm, she slashed, but a layer of diamond hard bones prevented her from cutting her enemy.
Tiamat continued to attack savagely, trying to kill her enemy, who, on the other hand, remained calm.
As Tiamat grew more and more enraged at not being able to make her enemy bleed, he remained calm.
Tiamat made a mistake during an attack, and her opponent took advantage of it. In just an instant, dozens of sharp bones pierced Tiamat's body, and she immediately began to feel pain.
Letting out a roar of pain, Tiamat opened her mouth to unleash her flames, but she was immediately attacked. A massive and powerful spell sent her crashing to the ground. It did not stop there. Dozens of bones pierced her body continuously, slowly draining her life in a cruel act.
After a few minutes, Tiamat was exhausted. Her magic had run out.
The demon stood before his now defeated enemy, ready to cut off the dragon's head at that moment.
Zenon raised his sword to put an end to all this.
Tiamat watched in frustration as her life came to an end in that very instant. Memories of her brief life flashed through her mind.
Her first memory was of hatching, and the first thing she saw was her father. How he instructed her, raised her, and taught her to use her powers. How he taught her to survive and be independent, always showing her and doing everything she wanted. She was truly happy being with her father, but then she remembered what she had said an hour earlier.
"You're not even my father!"
She opened her eyes in horror as she recalled those words. Those words that, now at the moment of her death, caused her even greater pain than her wounds.
"I'm sorry, Father. I'm sorry for what I said to you and for leaving you alone," Tiamat thought, resigning herself to her death.
Perhaps in a future life she could apologize. After all, her father was immortal. Even if it took thousands of years, she would apologize.
"Die," Zenon said.
He lowered his sword, but instead of meeting the dragon's head, his blade was stopped by a bare hand. The ground beneath them cracked and shattered.
Zenon watched as a human girl with a cold expression easily stopped his sword.
"What do you think you're doing to my daughter?" she demanded before clenching her fist and shattering the sword into pieces. She then delivered a powerful kick that ripped through Zenon's armor, sending him flying dozens of meters backward.
(40 minutes ago)
After Tiamat said those words to me, I was in shock. All I could do was go inside the ship and lie down on a chair for several minutes, trying to process it. It was hard to swallow.
For 200 years I had cared for Tiamat. Even though she was a dragon, she truly earned a place in my heart. I could feel a companionship that would last a lifetime, but now that she was gone, I felt sad. Her words made this clear to me, but I knew it would pass with time. I was not upset or angry, just surprised.
I thought about going with her, but decided against it. I wanted to give her space and let her come back on her own. No matter how long it took, I would wait for her. She was just a child, and children often do not realize the weight of their words or actions. Eventually, she would figure it out, and if not, then I would keep waiting.
I am a terrible father. Despite being over a thousand years old, I have not changed much.
I let out a tired sigh. I felt a slight urge to cry. I tried to distract myself by reviewing my spells, but I could not even concentrate.
Thirty minutes passed, and I sensed something alarming: a battle. The magic emanating from the area reached even here. I could feel the battle raging several kilometers to the west, where a small, growing tribe lived.
I decided it was not my problem to intervene, but what if it was Tiamat?
Finally, I decided to follow my instincts and ran as fast as I could. My body had become faster and stronger thanks to the items I took from the Anunnaki ships, as well as repetitive exercises that boosted my physical condition, and it served me well.
It took me a few minutes to get there. As I approached, my heart pounded and I felt terrified.
When I emerged from the forest, I saw her. I saw Tiamat defeated, with deep wounds from sharp objects like stakes or spears. In front of her stood a demon ready to cut off her head.
I did not think about it. My body moved on its own. In an instant, I was there, holding the sword.
"What do you think you're doing to my daughter?" I asked before kicking him with a large portion of my strength, shattering his bone armor and sending him flying.
(Present)
"Father," Tiamat said. Her voice was barely a whisper.
Turning my body, I bent down, looking at her face and giving her a soft smile.
"Do not worry, Auntie. Let Dad handle this. Focus on healing your wounds," I said, paying attention to the demon, who had fully recovered.
My face turned serious as I stared at the demon, who had rebuilt his armor. It had expanded, covering his entire body with bone and black fur, similar to a bear. Two large bat wings appeared on his back, along with two horns on his head.
"A human managing to destroy my bone armor is unthinkable," growled the demon.
"You will pay for leaving my daughter in that state."
"We will see about that. Once I kill you, that dragon will follow," Zenon declared.
Zenon immediately lunged at me, unleashing a barrage of bone attacks. I quickly reinforced my body with ether, hardening it.
Moving at high speed, I shattered the bones with my punches and kicks, reducing them to mere fragments.
As the distance decreased, the demon intensified his attacks, reducing the number of movements required for each strike.
My space to move was limited. However, I could see every attack.
Several bones pierced my back, exploding from the inside and bursting through my skin. I felt enormous pain that made me scream.
Clenching my teeth tightly, I struck the bones before leaping and twisting backward. Using those few moments, I extracted the bones from my body.
I landed on my feet, and my wounds closed immediately.
"Your regeneration is amazing. No human with your abilities has ever been seen before," the demon remarked, summoning more bones.
Planting my hand into the earth, I used ether to harden the ground. I pulled my hand out, extracting a stone spear hardened with magic.
"And you are a nuisance."
The demon extended his hand, and instantly hundreds of bone spears shot out in my direction.
Using the spear, I swung it horizontally, cutting through the bones.
Quickly, I stomped my foot on the ground, launching myself toward the demon, who created a bone barrier to defend himself from the attack.
"He's only attacking me from a distance. He's not good in close combat, although I should not let my guard down."
Imbuing the spear with as much ether as the weapon could bear, I threw it with all my might.
The spear glowed with a silvery flash. For an instant, it became a shooting star. The bone barrier was pierced like soft butter.
The hole left by the spear was quite large. I heard the sound of something being pierced, followed by a loud explosion.
"Yuck."
The bone barrier was completely destroyed, revealing the result of my attack. The demon was now nothing more than an upper torso, barely floating. His face was frozen in shock and utter disbelief, as if he had not registered what had just happened.
I felt my body tense for a few moments, expecting him to regenerate like the demons of the Phoenix clan, but it was unnecessary.
What remained of the demon fell to the ground with a thud. His remaining magical power dissipated into thin air, marking his end.
I let out a sigh of relief. This had undoubtedly been the most intense battle I had ever faced up to that point. Though short, lasting barely two minutes, it was intense. I did not know how strong that demon was, but if he could defeat Tiamat and leave her in that state, he was quite powerful.
Remembering my daughter, I immediately approached Tiamat, who had watched the exchange. Her wounds had already healed, though she was weakened.
The demons who were still alive were in shock upon seeing the death of that demon.
"Auntie, we have to go now," I said quickly.
"O okay," Tiamat replied as she slowly stood up.
Step by step, we walked into the woods to disappear. Hopefully, they would not be foolish enough to follow us.
It is safe to say I have attracted the attention of the underworld, but I could not care less. What matters now is healing Tiamat.