Chapter 804: Intermission: The Path the Red Dragon Took - Part 2

On that day, the night of the biggest battle since the creation of Trinia, a petite, red-haired girl was standing on a rocky mountain in the southern part of the Demon Realm…… It was Nidzveld, in her humanoid form.

Nidzveld was drinking a cup of sake by herself, watching the moon in the sky.

"……How unusual. For you to be drinking sake……"

[……Want to hang out with me, Eingana? Today will be my treat.]

"Fumu."

With the sudden appearance of the huge Sea Dragon, Eingana, one of the Four Great Demon Dragons, Nidzveld invited her to drink, to which Eingana thought about it for a moment before her body flashed.

Thereupon, the huge shadow disappeared in an instant and landing next to Nidzveld was a beautiful woman with long indigo hair blowing in the wind, sitting down next to her.

[Well then, I'll take you up for your word then.]

[Yeah.]

Nidzveld then took out a new sake cup and handed it to Eingana, and holding the bottle in her hand, Eingana poured some sake into it.

[……This is quite a good sake, isn't it?]

[It's one of my treasures. I'm unable to acquire that much of this sake, and if I drink it in my Dragon form, I will end up immediately drinking all of it…… However, this will be a toast to my comrade. A sake as good as this would be fitting for this event.]

[Comrade?]

[I'm talking about him who would be the star of this battle.]

[……Fumu. Do you know him?]

Hearing Eingana's words as she elegantly drank, Nidzveld lightly shook her head, and after taking out her kiseru pipe from the holder on her waist, she sucked on it before speaking.

[No, we have never directly spoken. But albeit briefly, we have fought together in the same direction.]

[That's why, he's your comrade huh? That's the first time I've heard you refer to someone like that.]

[I certainly never called anyone that before.]

[……It seems like you like him a lot huh.]

As the tip of the kiseru pipe in her mouth lit up, Nidzveld lightly exhaled purpose smoke from her mouth and calmly looking at Eingana, she answered.

[……I've been wanting to meet him for a while now.]

[Fumu.]

[When Magnawell-sama first told us that he owed him, we didn't know the details of the situation. However, that next incident…… that matter with the Demon King has reached my ears. I thought it was quite a big deal…… Challenging the world's taboo that even we couldn't touch, he overcame it.]

She, Freabell Nidzveld, is very fond of those who challenge and treats them with respect. Therefore, this is why she has been interested in Kaito for a long time, as he cut into the matter of the world's taboo, the Demon King.

[……The first time I saw him in person was at the Six Kings Festival. Sitting on the spectators' seats, I was able to watch his battle with War King-sama.]

[I had also watched that battle myself. I see…… Now that you mentioned it, he certainly would be the kind of person you'd like.]

[Yeah, it was great, especially at that moment before the goal. How could I not like a man with such a passionate goal?]

[Is that why…… you are celebrating his victory?]

Listening to Nidzveld, Eingana looked a little unconvinced. She can certainly understand why Nidzveld, who likes those who challenge, likes Kaito. However, she felt that this was not enough for Nidzveld to be in such a good mood, calling Kaito, whom she had never met in person, her comrade.

Seeing such an Eingana, Nidzveld slightly smiled and was about to continue her explanation. However, at that moment, a shadow came over them and a new voice was heard.

[What an unusual sight.]

[In～deed～ it～ is～.]

[Would you two like to join us too? As expected though, you would have to get your own alcohol, Grandiereus.]

Hearing Nidzveld invite Fanfir and Grandiereus, also members of the Four Demon Dragons, to join in, the two of them looked at each other, before Fafnir turned into a humanoid form while Grandiereus just slightly bent over.

After making a small pile of alcohol barrels appear for Grandiereus, who had a huge body, Nidzveld drank from the sake cup in her hand.

[……It was an old memory.]

Looking at the moon in the night sky, Nidzveld spoke out in a somewhat calm tone.

[It was so old that I don't remember when it happened anymore. However, I do remember the scene clearly. That was the day when my existence took a definite shape…… Staring up at the heavens, I roared. Looking at the heights I still couldn't reach even now, I stretched out my hand. Even now, I still have no idea as to what the heaven I stared at was. Was it simply high in the sky, or was it something that I couldn't even picture clearly at my time…… But without a doubt, that moment is my starting point.]

As Nidzveld spoke as if she was talking to herself, the other three quietly listened to her without interrupting.

[Do you all remember? Even as the battle ended and we walked away from the God Realm, my comrade, by himself, ran towards the opposite direction……]

[Yeah, what of it?]

[I don't know what it is that happened after that. But at that time, I saw it on the back of my comrade. Determined not to allow something to happen, I saw the hand of the challenger as he stretched out his hand and grasped the sky……]

Nidzveld doesn't know that much about the situation. She was only an executive under the Six Kings…… a war potential under Magnawell, and isn't an acquaintance of Kaito.

Thus, she doesn't know what happened after that. However, she was certain. That in its true meaning, Kaito had defeated Shallow Vernal……

[As I have yet to find my own heaven, I felt envious. But more than that, I was proud and happy as if it were my own victory. I had been shown something good.]

After deeply inhaling from her kiseru pipe, Nidzveld quietly exhaled smoke and looking somewhat happy, she looked up to the sky. The expression on her face looked as if she was expecting something.

[……I'm looking forward to the future. Soon, my comrade would change the world.]

[Change the world? How would that be possible?]

[I wonder, I don't know the details. However, I'm sure of it. The moment my comrade grasps the heavens, the world as we know it will undergo a big movement…… and the landscape of the world will also change in many ways. I can't help but look forward to it.]

Hearing the words Nidzveld said while smiling, the other three Demon Dragons looked a little surprised. Then, as if to represent the others, Fafnir asked Nidzveld.

[……I thought you said "you didn't like talking about the future"?]

[It's not that I don't like it. It's just that I'm so busy trying to get by in the present that I don't have the time to talk about the future.]

[Fumu.]

[However, well…… At least, when I'm drinking like this, I don't mind talking about the future…… about "dreams".]

Seeing Nidzveld laugh as she said that, Fafnir couldn't help but wryly smile. He then took a sip of the sake that was poured into his cup.

[……I see, this sake holds quite a wonderful taste.]

[Of course. It is the "second best among the treasures" I possess.]

[Second best?]

When Eingana reflexively asked her back, Nidzveld happily smiled and as she poured some sake into her own cup, she muttered.

[Yeah, I'll save the best one for when I'm drinking with my comrade.]

With a happy expression on her face, the dragon, who continued to challenge, thought about the future, and raised her cup to the victory of the great challenger who she really liked.

<Afterword>

~ ~ Digression ~ ~

・ Nidzveld recognizes Magnawell as her king and is firmly loyal to him…… However, as if challenging beings more powerful than her has become her instinct, she still challenges Magnawell at a pace of about "once every thousand years', which kinda turns out into a festival for the Dragon King's subordinates.

・ Magnawell inwardly loves Nidzveld like a granddaughter, and he smiles at her growth as she gets stronger with each challenge.

・ Nidzveld is very close to War King's Head Subordinate, Agni, and they were even best friends. They are also extremely compatible in terms of personality.

・ Megiddo also likes Nidzveld, a person filled with the desire to improve herself, and if Magnawell hadn't recruited her, Megiddo would have recruited her himself.

・ Although she is the subject of trauma for the other three of the Four Great Demon Dragons, Nidzveld is basically a straightforward person, so as long as they don't take any obviously nasty actions such as insulting their king, Magnawell, hurting her friends, or mentioning her height, they would be alright.

・ In addition, as for those who challenge Nidzveld to a fight, she would praise the challenger no matter how low in rank they are, and unless she has something very important to do, she will fight them on the spot. The quickest way to get Nidzveld to like you is to challenge her.

・ She is very caring and loved by her subordinates. Whenever one of her subordinates is transferred to Symphonia Kingdom's Flying Dragon Services (those that are under contracts with Magnawell), she sees them off at Symphonia's royal capital.