Chapter 125: Heart, Spirit, And Will [4] — The Dragon King

In this moment, Louis understood why the Dragon King chose not to interact with the world more often.

Even a single word could cause such a sudden shift in spacetime.

And before him stood…

A giant of incomprehensible scale.

So massive it towered higher than the tallest mountains and the skies themselves.

The only parts Louis could properly see were two enormous, scaled dragon claws and a rising, towering, muscular, monstrous figure.

Scales gleamed like rainbows, forged from the brightest crystal in existence. A pair of eyes resembled glowing stars above a starry night.

This immense, incomprehensibly powerful being…

“A-Ahh…”

Louis felt such overwhelming shock that his existence began to twist. For a moment, he started melting into watercolor-like essence.

The purest form of Fantasy.

“My grandson. It is good to see you alive and healthy.”

“…”

Louis couldn’t speak. He simply couldn’t. He couldn’t even look up—the rays from the king’s eyes burned his soul and existence.

This being’s presence surpassed anything he had encountered—even the Abyssal Mother seemed small and pathetic in comparison.

This was a great being of True Power.

“I invited you here because I have seen what you’ve done, and I wanted to acknowledge your struggle and your heart.”

“…”

Slowly, Louis felt the pressure ease. He looked higher into this being of infinite authority.

“Louis. The time I have to speak with you is limited unless I risk destroying the balance of your world even more.”

“So please. Answer me truthfully.”

Silence stretched eternally as Louis awaited the question.

“What is your dream?”

For a moment, Louis felt stunned.

What was his dream?

Was this really all the King wanted to ask?

Why such a simple question?

He had expected something far more serious.

But it turned out to be deeply personal.

Why?

Why would this great being ask such a thing?

“What… is my dream?”

Louis looked up into the shining stars, burning.

Yes—what was Louis’ dream this entire time?

“I once thought my dream was to become a dragon… but I have now realized that the more I fight, the shallower that dream feels.”

“…”

Louis smiled bitterly. Tears of blood fell from his eyes as he faced his grandfather’s radiance.

“My dream… is to go back.”

“To go back when my mother was awake…”

“When my father was kinder and spoke more.”

“When I was a naïve child who didn’t know the cruelty of the world.”

“Those times of bliss and ignorance… I reminisce about them an unhealthy amount. And the more I think about them, the more I realize… how miserable I feel with myself.”

Louis laughed.

“Hahahaha… It almost feels like there’s no point to my struggles, no point to anything I do, because I always lose everything…”

“But…”

“There’s something deep down that keeps me going. I don’t know exactly what it is but…”

“I want to keep pushing, and I want to keep struggling, even though to me it feels so pointless…”

“Because… I want to reach a future where… I can be back with my family.”

“And…”

For a moment, Louis thought of someone else—someone who had shed tears for his death.

“I want to make a future for a foolish girl that never stops believing in me.”

Louis spoke with raw honesty from his heart.

Then silence returned.

The Dragon King simply watched.

But then…

Droplets.

Louis saw giant water droplets falling from the glowing stars above.

Each one was like a tsunami.

They were tears.

“H-Huh? Grandfather?”

“I see…! I see! So that is your true heart, my dear grandson! Uoooh! I am rooting for you, Louis! No matter how long it takes, no matter how much you struggle, I know you can do it! You… despite your flaws, have continued to improve, and will continue to do so even more! And… Mirai, right? She’s a good girl. She deserves a good future indeed.”

It felt like he knew everything—from Mirai to all his regressions!

Louis was stunned.

“Y-You know?!”

“About your Regressions? Of course I do.”

“…Hah?!”

“However, I am not aware of how many you’ve gone through, nor do I know what my other selves across the other timelines have seen or think. We are disconnected.”

“…T-That’s…”

“We’re running out of time. For now, that is all. You have moved my heart, and with that, you pass! Louis! Please save your mother! My dear Benladra…! You don’t know how much I miss her too! Please… I am counting on you. Andromeda will help you, and through her, I will be watching.”

“Thank you… but please don’t watch all the time either.”

“Hahahahaha! Don’t worry! I don’t have all the time of the world in Yggdrasil either! Now go! Show them all what the Drakeheart Bloodline is all about, son!”

“W-What is it about?”

“Y-You don’t know?! By the gods, has your mother not taught you anything?! Ugh, Benladra… she really hates me, huh? Haaa… well.”

The Dragon King’s voice steadied again.

“It’s simple! Heart, Spirit, and Will! These are the principles of the Drakeheart Family! We, the strongest, most prideful dragons, follow this doctrine. Follow your Heart, Nurture your Spirit, and Strengthen your Will. Never forget that!”

“…Thank you?”

Louis wasn’t sure if that would help, but the moment he heard those painfully simple yet strangely “enlightening” words, something strange stirred within him.

Heart.

Spirit.

Will.

“Wait a second…!”

FLUOSH!

From deep inside, an invisible power he had grasped at but never fully understood began to awaken.

A giant white dragon made of ashes and despair—once manifested—his idealization began to emerge.

“What did you do to me, grandfather?! This power…”

“I have done nothing! I merely made your Inner Dragon wake up a little. There’s a reason why you were unable to awaken as a Dragon yet, Louis. But it’s up to you to find out more. Now go—for real this time. There’s much awaiting you. You can do it! Up here in Yggdrasil, we’re all rooting for you!”

For a moment, Louis saw visions of countless dragons and gods watching—raising thumbs, waving hands. A vast family surrounded the Dragon King.

And though Louis had never met them, they all seemed to love him dearly.

“I… don’t know what to say. But… thank you.”

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