Chapter 87: The Test Subject
“The Medicine That Will Twist the Fate of Us Dragons…”
“…!!!”
For them, there was only a single destiny.
One path, inevitable and absolute.
That fate was—Dragonification.
A transformation from human into dragonkind.
Or perhaps, if one wished to dress it in kinder words, it could be called evolution.
Ryoma shot to his feet so abruptly that his chair scraped harshly against the floor. He planted both palms on the desk, leaning forward as though trying to physically seize the answer from the air itself.
“Is there… a way to prevent Dragonification?!”
“There isn’t.”
“E–Eh…?”
The strength drained from him all at once. His shoulders slumped, and he collapsed limply over the desk, his forehead nearly striking the wood with a dull thud.
“Calm down, Ryoma,” Ryu said evenly. “You’ve already realized it, haven’t you? Dragonification can’t be stopped.”
“Well… I had a feeling…”
“Which is why,” Ryu continued, folding his arms, “I decided to turn it to our advantage.”
“Turn it… to our advantage?”
“I figured that might not immediately make sense.”
And so, Ryu began to explain in detail.
“A few days ago, I spoke with a dragon I’m acquainted with. From that discussion, I learned something crucial. When a human evolves into a dragon, the price paid for that evolution is the loss of all memories. Every last one. So this time, I’ve asked our exceptionally skilled apothecary, Esther, to create a potion that preserves memory during the transformation.”
The words struck Ryoma like a barrage of lightning bolts. One astonishing revelation after another. His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat.
Yet even amid the shock, a natural doubt arose.
“Even if memory retention succeeds… wouldn’t it be meaningless if our bodies still evolve into dragons?”
“That’s what you’d think,” Ryu replied. “But don’t worry. Even after evolving into a dragon, it’s possible to freely change one’s body—from dragon to human, and from human to dragon. I confirmed it myself. I witnessed the moment that dragon changed forms.”
“What…?!”
Ryoma’s posture straightened again, excitement blazing in his eyes. “Then if this plan succeeds, we would remain in our current human bodies and simply gain Dragonification as a kind of magic?”
“Exactly. In other words… we’d be acquiring a new form of magic by exploiting evolution itself.”
The dark cage that had bound Ryoma’s heart—this inescapable fate called Dragonification—shattered in an instant. The gloom that had stained his spirit dissolved, replaced by brilliant, vibrant color.
(Never in history has anyone prevented Dragonification. And yet… he intends to reinterpret it from an entirely different perspective—not to stop it, but to turn it into nourishment for himself. There will be many obstacles ahead—brewing the potion alone is a monumental challenge. And still… I cannot help but believe that, in the end, he will succeed. This man possesses something—something that compels belief. So this is my friend… Ryu Arden…!)
“I wish to participate in this plan as well.”
“Of course. That’s why I fought you—and why I’m telling you all this now.”
“You have my gratitude…”
Esther, who had been quietly sipping her tea, muttered without looking up, “Such a valuable test subject… Who knows when we’ll get another chance like this.”
“Hm? Test subject?”
“…Ah.”
A question mark seemed to float above Ryoma’s head. Ryu, meanwhile, stood there with his mouth hanging open.
Just before Ryu and Esther had entered the room—
‘Hey, Esther. If Ryoma agrees to cooperate, let’s have him drink the potion first and confirm its safety.’
‘Hmm… That’s more than acceptable. I was just thinking I needed a test subject.’
‘We’re letting him in on our grand plan. It’s only fair he pays a little price.’
‘Kakaka. You’re quite the villain, aren’t you?’
“…………”
“…………”
“…………”
—The air died.
“You’re not… plotting to use me as an experiment, are you?”
“…………”
“…………”
The two averted their eyes.
“Ryoma,” Ryu said suddenly, forcing composure back into his voice, “aren’t you curious about the ‘dragon I know’ that I mentioned earlier?”
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t, but right now that’s irrele—”
“That dragon… is the Dragon King Bahamut.”
“!!!!!!”
Two others besides Ryoma were equally stunned.
“Ryu… Is that true?” Esther demanded.
“Gya.”
(The Dragon King… the sovereign of the world itself…)
“It’s true. I hadn’t told Esther yet either. I’ll explain from the beginning. When I was ten years old…”
And so Ryu laid everything bare—the Dragon King’s parasitic possession, his struggle to resist having his body stolen, and how, during the war, he forced that calamity upon the Hero instead.
“I see… So at that time, you witnessed the Dragon King transform from a human into a dragon,” Esther murmured.
“Yeah. Well, ‘witnessed’ might not be precise. I sensed it—his magic, his presence. That’s how I confirmed it.”
“Every night since you were ten… contending with the Dragon King himself. That is no small misfortune…”
(Ryu fights evenly with the Dragon King—a monster beyond imagination. How could someone like me ever hope to prevail against him? My defeat was inevitable. I am still far from finished in my training…)
“Well, thanks to that, I am who I am today,” Ryu said with a faint smile. “I met Esther and Homura. I got to know you too, Ryoma. For that, I’m grateful.”
“Ryu…”
“My friend…”
“Gya…”
(My lord…)
The three gazed at him, eyes shining with admiration.
Ryoma had entirely forgotten about the matter of test subjects. Instead, he was deeply moved—by the thought of Ryu throwing himself into such brutal, solitary battles, and by the honor of calling him friend.
Ryu suppressed a smug grin.
(Heh… just as planned…)
The following morning, the group departed from the post town.
“Lord Ryoma! Please come visit again!”
“Hahaha. If the opportunity arises, I shall certainly return!”
“““Kyaa!!!”””
They left under a chorus of delighted shrieks echoing behind them.
“Yo. The strongest lecherous samurai in Hinomaru.”
“Even heroes are said to love beauty, you know.”
“You two are as merciless as ever…”
They passed through the plains on the outskirts of Edo, the wind sweeping across open grasslands beneath a pale blue sky.
At the checkpoint, they presented the Imperial Ambassador’s crest and safely crossed into the neighboring territory.
Before them loomed a massive mountain, its peak piercing the clouds.
“Climbing that mountain will be troublesome,” Esther muttered.
“Though going around would be even worse,” Ryu replied.
“The lands of Kai Province are nothing but mountains,” Ryoma added with a sigh.
“By the way, how long does it take to reach Tosa?”
“About a month by carriage.”
“…Hm?”
(I defeated Goroemon one week ago. Even with carrier pigeons, it would take at least three days to deliver word to Tosa…)
“When did you arrive in Edo, Ryoma?”
“Yesterday.”
(Which means this samurai traveled from Tosa to Edo in four days.)
“Ryoma… you flew here, didn’t you?”
“…You saw through me.”
During their battle, Ryoma had wrapped wind around his legs and soared freely through the air.
He must have used that technique to reach Edo.
No—rather than flying, it might be more accurate to say he ran across the sky itself.
“Then I guess we’ll fly too,” Ryu said lightly. “Through the sky.”