A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale

“Dragonkin of Frozen Nest! Our enemy has been identified!” With a mouth filled with flames, Fehrkatruk roared his words as he decorated the orange sky with his red-shimmering scales. “Watch this divine failure! A mere corpse of the age of elementals, crawling back onto its feet, attempting to regain its lost favor and glory. Mercy granted to them by the Origin Gods, and they slither into the darkness before coming back in such a grotesque form. Ha, and they dared to threaten these lands! Dragonkin! Fly and stride the world with all your might, and let your elemental fury eviscerate this invader on our country!”

“For Frozen Nest!” the armada of dragons and drakes roared after that speech.

Fehrkatruk roared once again, causing the air to tremble. The oldest elder scale amongst a group of mostly “young scales” inspired like a natural leader. To us dragonkin who valued physical and magical strength, age was another kinda strength as it emphasized wisdom, experience, and survival. To us young scales, an elder scale like Fehrkatruk, who was over 800 years old, was either a symbol of terror or a herald of hope.

Even in his fiery, infernal form that contrasted so starkly with the white, snow-capped mountains, his presence managed to inspire every single ice dragonkin he was leading as the temporary marshal of the army. The historic rivalry between ice and fire was ignored. All that mattered was to rid Frozen Nest of an invader destroying their lands.

And just like a torch in the middle of a dire night, Fehrkatruk charged forward in a veil of flames, spewing flames onto the elemental as the latter tried to protect themselves by freezing the air into a barrier of ice. The fire dragon swooped back into the air before the elemental could grab him, prompting the latter to prepare multiple ice spears, but his attempt to counter Fehrkatruk failed before it could start as multiple ice dragons, wyverns, and dragoons dove at the barrier.

Protected in a layer of ice or armor, the ice dragonkin pierced through the ice barrier like giant ice picks. Their horns or spears, fortified by ice magic and mana, left holes in the ice armor before they returned to the sky, avoiding an immediate response by the elemental.

As the barrier started to reform by freezing the air within the holes, spheres of pure mana were shot through those holes, hitting the elemental directly as they started to quiver from the impact. Some of the dragons flying in the sky and the many drakes roaming the mountain with the stride of leopards, were unleashing a barrage of cannonfire with the mana cannons strapped to the back of the boat saddles with ice.

This was the reason why I had asked King Fugnarus for support. I already experienced my sister, Neill’s, usage of dragon paths and how pure mana ignored all resistances but the natural magical defense of the wisdom stat. The dwarven warhammer mana cannon might not be as destructive as its ancestor—the dragon-killing cannon of Castle Fatalisa that was called “dragonator” during the demon war—but the dwarves managed to reverse-engineer as much as they could. It was Edjurian technology, after all, and the original behaved more like an organic cannon, so you couldn’t expect 100% replication. Regardless, as a siege cannon, the warhammer mana cannon was probably the best in the industry.

Fueled by mana batteries, the cannon could turn mana into a projectile. As such, the lightweight nature of their ammunition meant that as long as the “vehicle”—the dragons and drakes, in this case—could carry the cannon, you could mount as much as you wanted on a platform without slowing down your movement through conventional ammunition like actual cannonballs or bullets.

Since dragons were naturally blessed with mana control, they were highly adept at empowering their bodies to fly better. Similarly, drakes could move through the land with swiftness and incredible balance using mana, allowing them to even scale walls like geckos. As such, we dragonkin were incredible “vehicles” for mountable large-scale weapons, as long as you could get rid of our pride.

True dragonkin despised being used as mounts if you weren’t their close kin. The dragonkin who allowed dragonewt fishers to use them as marine mounts were an extreme exception to this rule, like me.

Yet, at this very moment, those very proud drakes and dragons were carrying multiple dragonewts from different clans on their backs, while each one even had a dwarven engineer leading the cannon squadrons. Either the streams were a huge success in convincing so many dragonkin to follow my order, or Fehrkatruk was a better commander than I thought.

Speaking of streaming, this entire process was being streamed to Iceskale and King Fugnarus. These mana cannons were originally meant to be used in the Shakaie-Narn Alliance’s war against the Folschreck Empire, and the dwarves were loaning them and their engineers to give both the chance to test and experience real warfare. That was my payment to them for their help. Real battle experience was hard to get, and they could review this stream once they bought the recorded video after we got through this disaster.

“Higher! Higher! Our cannons are made for long-distance barrages! Use gravity for the harder-hitting artillery shots!” I could hear the dwarven engineers shouting orders through voice-amplifying manatech to communicate with each other.

“Drake squad target close. Dragons rely on damage!” another dwarven artificer roared, prompting the formations to move.

“Listen to the stunties!” one of the ice dragonkin yelled in affirmation, though since it was in Draconic, the dwarves probably couldn’t understand him. “Protect our princess and get into position. Weaken that elemental!”

“Fire dragonkin, to me!” Fehrkatruk ordered as fire dragons, dragonewts, and wyverns—mostly my fire wyvern retainers—joined him to blast super hot flames on the elemental.

Fire and pure mana were our methods to damage the elemental since the majority of Frozen Nest could only use ice attacks. Fehrkatruk’s and Nong’s flames would force the elemental to react to them by creating an ice barrier, while our ice dragonkin took advantage of their high defenses to break down the barrier through sheer force. This would leave the mana cannons free rein to shoot.

That was the strategy I came up with, and it was all due to [Space-Time Magic] easing logistics. Load everything into the subspace, and then I could use [Spatial Rend] to open portals for the engineers while the cannons could be transported without a mana cost.

Seeing my armada of cannon-blasting dragon “pirates” darkening the sky like a cloud of flies while the swarm of drakes were zooming around like hyperactive dogs and cats with the “zoomies” made me cheer like a little girl in my mind. To be fair, they came a bit earlier than scheduled, but then again, Nong and Vifi were still trying to break out of that monsoon the elemental emperor created, so all was fine! All that mattered was that it was working, and the elemental was reeling from the onslaught!

“Krrriiiiiaaaagh!” And this brought enough time for Nong and Vifi to rejoin the battle as the former flew into the battle like a lightning bolt, slicing the elemental with one of his aflame wings. “Dragonkin of Frozen Nest! I am the fourth prince, Nongramos Eluccierra Kargryxmor! I am the prince of Storm Nest, but today, my fangs, flames, and rage belong to all of you! Fight with me and my younger sister, Princess Hestia! Our empire shall not be threatened by an invader!”

“For Frozen Nest! For Princess Hestia!” the dragonkin roared in a cacophony of air-trembling and earth-shaking voices, as an orchestra of cannonfire continued nonstop. Scorching flames and crackling ice were like an antiphony—a conversation between two different instruments.

Even if the elemental were to attempt to use wind, water, and ice magic to dissuade our attacks, the ice dragonkin were fully capable of intercepting the different attacks. Since Nong could thwart the wind-aligned attacks with his wind spells, the ice dragonkin could brute force through the water and ice attacks by sheer numerical advantage.

Naturally, this was only the start of the battle, so none of the dragons were exhausted yet. It might seem like they had the advantage here, but it could easily be turned around once even one of the dragons responsible for destroying the ice barrier started to become exhausted or too hurt to continue.

We were still talking about the former epitome of water and wind magic. The elemental could create rain made from true water that dissolved dragon scales upon touch, while remaining completely unfazed by the ice breath the dragons spewed. True wind mana could morph the air around the elemental to the point it felt like a thick barrier of metal, while it could act like a natural vacuum to pull people out of position so its razor-sharp wind blast could maim somebody.

Furthermore, the elemental had true ice. Maybe it wasn’t as potent as Mom’s, but it was still true ice. Just as it was dangerous for ice elementals, true ice could kill ice dragonkin as if they didn’t have any ice resistance.

Time would tell how well my plan would work, but that was why you needed a good commander. And I had Nong, Vifi, and Fehrkatruk to lead everybody as I began preparing for my part of the place.

“Ready!” Beth and Shay said next to me. Once the armada had arrived, we had taken the time to flee to a safer position.

Beth had scattered her silver dust over my body, hardening my body and momentarily raising my ice resistance, while Shay kept watch of the battle, reporting back that the elemental had completely diverted their attention from me. They were struggling to move south. The barrage of attacks might just be mosquito bites to the elemental, but a thousand needle strikes would annoy even the largest giants.

“I’m ready,” I said in Draconic as I reapplied my buffs and held [Providence’s Will] and the Earth Elemental Emperor close to my chest. [“[Providence’s Will]… I trust you, okay? Keep me warm and alive.”]

[“Yes. Your orders have been received.”]

This was the first time we agreed on something. Even if [Providence’s Will] could listen and obey, it would always be done out of reluctance. Today, though, we would work together to achieve our personal goals.

[“And, well, I will put my life in your hands, as well, Earth Elemental Emperor,”] I added to the disgruntled earth elemental, fastening the catalyst and the fairnite ball to my chest with [Panzer].

No matter how you saw it, after the incident with the Event Quest, Ankor-Nazta had imprisoned the EEE for what they had done. Technically, they were forced by the Prince of Greed and Maagneil to act as the core of a giant mechanical armor the size of a monster movie’s titanic robot, so it wasn’t like the EEE was that guilty. Though somebody had to be a scapegoat, considering the main culprits were either back in Bole’Taria or dead.

Furthermore, the animosity between the dwarves and their racial father was more ingrained than you would think after over 2700 years since the EEE’s fall from demigodhood. The Earth Elemental Emperor might have created the dwarven race, but they considered both the taz and inko dwarves “imperfect” due to their inability to release mana through spells. Yet their “perfected” dwarf variant went extinct.

So, the dwarves still imprisoned the EEE and were treating them like a “noble prisoner” with a grand view over Inkoran-Tazul to watch over the progression of the dwarves as if they were actually still a god. Crustacia didn’t mind them being alive, and King Fugnarus and his hold kings weren’t vengeful enough to kill their own ancestral father despite their ancient animosity. Unlike Maagneil trying to resurrect his son by entering a contract with the Prince of Greed, to the dwarves, the EEE was like a proud father unable to accept that their “average middle son” would be better than their “genius last born.”

So, why would this former demigod help the person who was responsible for everything? Well, while Aurora did lead to the EEE being imprisoned, we were also responsible for freeing him from Maagneil’s clutches as a mana core for his giant mech.

A favor for a favor; the EEE might be as grumpy as most “long-bearded” dwarves, but they shared the same characteristics. Just like their children, the EEE valued debts and honor just as any dwarf, and they were ready to repay a small kindness with a rather large kindness.

Although we shouldn’t forgive the EEE for what they did after we freed them, for how they went on a rampage with their army of gnomacotta warriors. That giant dwarven statue only fell ‘cause Neill had to go all out with [Battle Frenzy (Major)] to defeat the EEE.

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[“I will be joining you within the dream, Champion of Aurena. Usurper of Divine Authorities.”] The EEE’s words were solemn as they readied themselves.

A part of me felt paranoid that they would go back on their words. Just ‘cause the dwarven culture valued personal and familial honor didn’t mean the EEE wouldn’t go against such a custom. After all, seeing their former companions re-obtaining their divine mana to the point they were controlling three “true” elements must make the EEE mildly jealous.

The only reliable ally in this plan was [Providence’s Will] due to the slime’s unwavering loyalty to Andira, or, at least, I hoped that would be the case. They couldn’t replace my solar core’s ability to keep me warm, but they could act as a permanent healing option, like an actual light elemental. This was one of the benefits of having your catalyst possess artificial intelligence.

“Kraaaaaaaaaah!”

Allied Territory detected! [On Burning Ashlands] has been activated! Two mighty draconic roars erupted above me once I heard EEE’s confirmation, drawing my attention to the sky as flames and ash started to materialize, raining onto the battlefield. Whether fire or ice, the various dragonkin made a quick retreat from the elemental as Fehrkatruk unleashed a flaming breath into the sky, causing the monsoon of flames and ashes to intensify before it started to resemble a meteor shower.

Black ash and molten lava crashed against the mountain, ravaging the ice, vegetation, and permafrost lands of the region as if a squadron of aircraft was bombing the area. This entire portion of Clan Bleezark’s territory experienced scorched earth, leaving none of the beauty behind as everything was turned into a hellscape. Fehrkatruk had opened a portal to hell by releasing his aura, and the storm of flames wouldn’t even as it turned the mountain into his Territory.

The elemental was struck by the huge flame shower, turning their moldable, slime body into Swiss cheese. Their legs tried to drag them outside the effective area of the Territory while protecting Tasianna and the core by hardening the area in true ice and pushing it around inside its liquid-like body like a ping-pong.

I could see the elemental were releasing their own aura into the area to counter the aura attack, but unlike Fehrkatruk’s refined usage, theirs couldn’t compete. Simply releasing your aura wouldn’t create a Territory that would turn even the most hazardous places in the world into a small pocket where you could unleash your full potential.

Even if it was considered an “Allied Territory,” [On Burning Ashlands] would still burn its allies if they were unlucky enough to be hit by the bombing as collateral damage. Which was why the only allies currently preoccupying the Territory were our two fastest fighters.

“Kraaaaah!” Nong roared after the Territory was fully materialized, causing his entire body to burn like a flaming tree. His emerald-green feathers blackened as if they were carbonized, while the red-orange flames grew brighter to the point that it was pure yellow as it exploded like a bomb.

Yet, Nong’s screeching roar still drowned out the noise, even as the smoke of the inferno discharge was blown away by the shockwave of the impacts of Fehrkatruk’s bombardment. The yellow flames surrounding Nong’s body had vanished, completely replaced by neon-bright green, glowing and dimming with the rhythm of a metronome.

Nong’s version of [Battle Frenzy (Major)], huh?

Like an angel ascending from hell, this feathered dragon looked almost like a phoenix from fantasy stories. If Nong’s scales hadn’t turned completely black, his fiery, green visage would have made him look like an unnatural cloud of fire.

With another screech, Nong shot upwards like a rocket. Even faster than my rocket boosters, Nong pierced right through the clouds above until he turned into a green star in the blue sky, only for this “star” to grow wider and larger as he descended back to earth. The slipstream of his flight could even be seen here as a cloud of green flames followed him until the sound barrier burst as he almost reached the ground.

A supersonic explosion rocked the air as Nong made a snap turn up, drilling right through the elemental’s body as his burning slipstream turned into a tornado. The burning wind collapsed within itself, causing a chain reaction of explosions that carved open not only the mountain but the elemental into two.

As the elemental’s upper torso started to fall from being separated from their lower torso, a magnetic force pulled the upper torso towards the rest, reattaching themselves together as if Nong hadn’t just torn them apart. However, before the wound could fully close, a red lightning shot right through the slime when the elemental’s attention was fully focused on the supersonic emerald tyrant.

[“Now!”] I shouted as Shay wrapped his wings around his head before his entire body released a freezing gas that shot me towards the elemental like a cannonball. I stomped the air with [Air Walk] and cast [Tailwind] and [Wind Blast], accelerating myself with my stats as a dragon before I used [Humanize] to reduce my air drag.

[Humanize (Minor)] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]The hole created in the elemental’s reforming body was done with pinpoint accuracy. Just close enough to the icicle core protecting Tasianna, but not close enough to destroy it. With this exposed weakness, I shot right into the elemental’s slime body, feeling like I was tossed into the middle of a blizzard with how freezing this slime felt to the touch.

Dreadflare Aura! Humanize!

Releasing a seeing heat from my body to counter the cold and push the slime away from me, I transformed back into a dragon as I tried to grab the true ice core, only to see the air pushing it away from me. This enemy was still the Wind Elemental Emperor, after all, so something like this was more or less expected. And expected I did, which was why the best way to defeat air was by ripping open the air. Preparation meant preparing spells in advance with [Delayed Cast]!

Spatial Rend!

The grey magic circle immediately materialized me as I finally cast the spell, allowing me to rip open the space right behind the core, causing the elemental to accidentally push it right into my waiting hands. As my front feet grabbed the core, I could still feel the elemental trying to rip it out of my hands with [Aerokinesis], but it was futile as the core immediately glued my legs and wings to it. It stole my chance to escape.

At the same time, I suddenly felt like the air inside my lungs was trying to get out of my body, as if something was sucking it out through my nose. In addition, I felt something stirring inside my scales as my eyes and mouth started to feel drier, only to spread throughout my body as if I were sitting inside a sun bath machine.

If this was the elemental’s [Aerokinesis] and [Aquakinesis] attempt, then they sure knew how to use it in a morbid sense! Were they trying to control the air and water inside my body? Ahh, the mage inside of me really wanted to analyze this since neither Tasianna or I could directly interfere with the air within another person’s body with our own [Aerokensis]. It was so scarily usable, I almost wanted to learn how to do it!

[“You might want to shelf that idea, considering how it might be a bit too hard for you to learn to adapt to true wind and true water mana when you’re already having issues with true ice. We’re inside an elemental’s body, so stop admiring and start ensuring your own survival!”] the EEE chastised me as Hikari finished pouring my mana into the core.

Hearing her confirm this, the choking and drying feeling disappeared as the slime wrapped itself around me and the true ice core froze me onto it. [Providence’s Will] and the EEE started doing what they needed to as I hugged the core, slowly falling asleep as I cast [Panzer] around me, creating an obsidian sphere around me.

Don’t leave you much choice now that my mana is inside you, right? Well, don’t worry, I came with two welcome presents to make sure you let me in. You want your old friends? Then you need to take me, as well… and as you get drunk on this power, forget the fact that I am the usurper! You have demonic and divine mana in you now, asshole, so you are not safe from me or my cancer!

Condition to usurp demonic energy fulfilled. Individual: [Water-Wind Elemental Emperor, *]. Usurpation process ongoing… Ha, I feel it… you greedy piece of—

And, just as planned, I lost consciousness just like how Vifi and Tasianna did when they entered the dreamland created by the wind and water elemental emperors.

P-power! Ahhhhh, I am surging with power! The merged wind and water elemental emperor roared with jubilation as if they had achieved a definite triumph over the forces of Frozen Nest.

With the water, wind, and ice they had obtained with their plan, the mana of earth and holy were now coursing through their body as if a faucet had opened. They filled fuller than before, growing in size with this injection of mana from their two former companion.

Furthermore, this euphoria was only the beginning until they started tapping into the mana of the foolish dragoness who overestimated their ability. Fire, holy, solar energy, and the lingering divine and demonic mana from Hestia’s various usurpations stored inside her [Split Soul Autonomy] and the faith inside her [The Light] title fueled the elemental as if they had just drunk from a holy grail.

The high caused by this surge of mana was intoxicating, almost similar to the grand rejuvenating feeling of leveling up. In fact, the rapture was blinding as the memory of Nongramos’s attack vanished from their memory as they brute forced themselves through Fehrkatruk’s Territory, using their new resistances to fire and earth damage to prevent the meteor shower from harming their body.

Although Hestia, as a rank B dragon, couldn’t compare to absorbing the mana of the Fire Elemental Emperor, the divine mana placed onto her soul by Danterno could fully serve as a minor replacement. It was just enough to not be swallowed by the maelstrom of elemental and divine mana swelling inside this slime body.

Furthermore, protected by [Providence’s Will] and the EEE, Hestia’s body would remain safe as the body of the elemental emperor considered Hestia similarly to Vifi and Tasianna—an asset to take mana from. The victory lap the elemental emperor would now undergo on its way to Thalaxarus made it too blind to the purple streak slowly forming around the obsidian core.

Come at me, Frozen Nest! Hahaha-NAKYAHA! I AM A GOD ABOUT TO ASCEND! What are mere lizards, imitating the elemental might of us elementals, supposed to do as my legs grace this blemished earth of yours? Bend your tail to me, lizards, and accept me as your god. Only my mercy will grant you the right to live with us elementals in this new world that I will create.

A vision of grandeur filled the elemental’s mind as they marched through a hail of flames and a barrage of cannon shots. The armada’s might was unable to keep this natural disaster from advancing. It was as if the sins of every living being who had lived and died on this island country rose to answer the animosity, walking south to liberate the slothful and arrogant from their cold-blooded prison.

“… ‘I’m home,’” I said as I smiled as I opened my eyes to an opening door. Three adults stood behind it, welcoming me in with wide smiles and bright lights, holding their hands out before I slapped them all away. “I would say if this actually was Earth. I’ve gone through enough dream sequences, Elemental Emperor. Trying to erase our memories and keep us here for infinity? Don’t you think you could have tried something better?”

“Especially when you should know that we are the experts when it comes to soul manipulation,” Hikari added as she walked from behind me. She walked through the memories of Papa, Mama, and Nanny, dispelling them like clouds, before she turned around, smiling. “Exactly like our home… but,”—She went over to the piano as she started to press the keys—“I guess neither Tasianna and Vifi know exactly how we beat the Prince of Envy, right?”

“Mental World,” I stated as I closed the door and opened it again, this time acting as the one welcoming my guest inside. I curtsied as I gestured for my “visitors” to enter my apartment. “Welcome, Earth Elemental Emperor. [Providence’s Will]. And Water and Wind Elemental Emperor. This is my home.”

“Huh?” A blue-green cloud of mana let out a man’s voice before the windows inside my apartment darkened, changing the entire scenery of this dream, including the apartment’s interior.

We were no longer inside modern New York. We were back on Peolynca and top of a particular mountain top. Looking from one side to the next, I believed I was inside the Ankoran mountain range due to the row of mountains.

“Welcome to the highest point on Peolynca,” I heard the EEE answer my confusion. “The memory… most likely the last year before the descent of the Origin Gods.”

“Exactly one year, in fact,” the Wind-Water Elemental Emperor replied. “Our last meeting to debate on how we would reach true divinity.”

The blue-green cloud of mana flew passed me, staring in the distance where I noticed a red and black cloud approaching us.

“… You unruly little dragon,” the WWEE—Wind-Water Elemental Emperor—snarled at me. “You wish to preoccupy my mind and senses with your usurpation? Fine, then! My body has absorbed the mana already, but do not think that your poison will kill me before I fully dissolve your corpse!”

The cloud came close to Hikari and I, glowing brighter as if somebody was flashing a flashlight through the mana. “You pried inside the mind of somebody who has outlived your current lifespan, as if it were a blink in my memory. Do tell? Will you be able to endure how we elemental emperors were defeated by those grotesque monsters from Edjurl? Is your soul even sturdy enough to endure the mere sight of THEM in their macabre grandeur? Two people can play this game!”