Regaining consciousness, Keyal found himself amidst a surreal and tragic scene.

It was old, painfully familiar, yet somehow foreign.

Elena, the Elf Queen, was clinging to him tightly, crying uncontrollably. She seemed lost in fear, clutching his hand, desperately checking his pulse to ensure he was still alive. Her eyes trembled with worry, dreading that the faint flame of life before her might flicker out at any moment.

"Hah… sniff… hiccup…" 

The sight of her sobbing over his lifeless form stirred a profound pity in her. What had she done to deserve this fate, stuck as a servant to a "master" whose life constantly dangled by a thread?

A young, red-eyed girl called out hoarsely, her voice parched from worry. "Sister… please answer me…"

The Dragon, crouched beside them, pointed at Keyal.

"Father… I mean, the Commander is just resting. I’ve checked several times."

The Dragon, despite her reassurances, couldn’t convince Elena.

The Elf refused to believe her, her heightened senses only agitating her further.

Frustration brewed within them both.

The girl before her, who looked no older than a teenager, was the Dragon of the Edric guild, with her radiant golden hair. Had her eyes not been the crimson of a rose, Elena might have found some semblance of trust in her words.

The tense situation felt like a showdown, with both women now glaring at each other over the unconscious Keyal.

Neither of them looked at each other, though. Their gaze was fixed solely on the man lying before them.

---

The Golden Dragon of Edric had lived through ages.

Her lair took the form of a crumbling ruin, an ancient relic that echoed her millennia-long life.

This dragon, with her vast experiences, had come to call Keyal Klein, Commander of Edric, her father. Despite her age and power, she held an immense longing for family, seeing Keyal as both her father and, in her own twisted heart, as a man to whom she could pledge her love.

Elena, well aware of the Dragon’s obsession, found her presence revolting.

The Golden Dragon understood this too. Both women despised each other, neither willing to close the emotional chasm that lay between them.

To Elena, the dragon’s attempt to see Keyal as a father figure was nauseating.

Suddenly, a brilliant light pierced through the dim surroundings, rousing Keyal from his slumber.

Still groggy, he blinked multiple times as his vision cleared. Elena, her movements hesitant and fragile, clutched him tightly, her tears falling freely.

"Fool…"

He thought of how she had stubbornly held onto him, despite being the one who had nearly caused his injuries. The irony wasn’t lost on him; she was crying over the very injuries she had helped inflict.

The Golden Dragon frowned, her gaze filled with irritation.

It had been she who brought the injured pair here, who tended to their wounds, yet Elena offered her no gratitude, too consumed by her own emotions.

The Golden Dragon glanced at Keyal in Elena’s embrace.

Seeing him stirred a strange longing within her, recalling the gentle smile he once offered her. But now, it pained her to realize she couldn’t be part of that moment between him and Elena.

"…"

The Dragon had yet to apologize to him, and that thought weighed heavily on her heart.

---

Shortly after waking up, Keyal found himself led out of the lair by the Golden Dragon.

Once, she had been a small, adorable dragon, but now she was closer to a young woman.

Her figure, once petite and childlike, now bore subtle curves, and her height was almost the same as Elena’s. Though, if measured precisely, Elena would still be about a hand’s breadth taller.

As they re-entered the dark forest where the battle had taken place, Keyal could see the scars of their struggle — trees broken, the ground deeply scarred, and charred remains scattered throughout the area.

The Reaper’s spirit had been extinguished, leaving behind a scorched residue visible even now.

"I did that."

With a faint smile and a subtle twitch of her fingers, the Dragon’s crimson eyes glowed with satisfaction.

"What do you mean by that—?"

Keyal stared at the charred remains again, noticing a faint smell of burning.

How many beings could have caused such destruction with a mere flick of their fingers?

Who could have dealt with a spirit, a reaper, with such ease?

"Among mortals, only a dragon could pull off something like this, right?"

Finally, he grasped the meaning of her words, "I did that."

She’d taken the final blow after all his efforts to weaken it.

"That’s… rather annoying."

"It… it is?"

"I didn’t mean it like that. Sorry."

He wasn’t annoyed with the Dragon. It was just a bitter reminder of how he’d fought tooth and nail to weaken the reaper, only for her to swoop in and finish it with a single strike.

"Wouldn’t it be nice if the gods made things a bit more… fair?" he mused, his irritation with the creators of this world briefly surfacing.

"…I wanted to be a dragon too…"

"Huh?"

"N-nothing. Anyway, that place we were just at, it’s…"

"Yes, it’s my lair."

Of course, it all made sense now. Her lair had been where she’d brought him and Elena after the battle to tend to their wounds.

"Wait… that raises another question." Keyal looked closely at the Golden Dragon’s hands.

They were delicate, small hands — hands that looked like they’d struggle to even lift a branch, let alone carry two adults.

"Did… did you carry us all the way here, Rivera?"

"Yes. Why?"

Rivera nodded so nonchalantly that Keyal was momentarily at a loss for words.

To hear a young-looking girl claim she’d carried two adults on her back might make anyone else scoff or chuckle, dismissing it as a joke. But Rivera was a dragon.

For a dragon, the passing centuries were but fleeting moments. Even as a mortal creature, her divine blood mixed with draconic essence meant she was far beyond any ordinary being.

"Right… so when I saw ‘defeated the Reaper Swordsman’ on my screen, I assumed it was my doing. But I guess… it wasn’t."

"Hm? Master, what did you say?"

Keyal shook his head.

"Ahem. In any case, we would’ve been in serious trouble if you hadn’t come, Rivera. Truly, thank you."

"Of course. Saving… saving the Commander is only natural. After all, I… I was Edric’s hero, wasn’t I?"

She shifted uncomfortably, twisting her body with an awkwardness that betrayed her nerves.

Her eyes clouded, as though wanting to say more but ultimately stopping herself.

Keyal observed her, certain of her guilt and the pain it caused her. She was one of the reasons he’d come to this place.

He knew she was broken inside.

Plagued by guilt, she referred to herself not as Edric’s hero but as one who *had been* a hero.

"So, you’re just like the others."

He could see it — the way her tail dragged along the ground, lost and directionless, like Elena had been before, clinging to him and begging not to be abandoned.

"Once a guild member, always a guild member. Rivera, you’re a precious companion to me, now and always."

Gently, he stroked her head, comforting her.

As his hand brushed through her golden hair, the darkness surrounding them seemed to accept the light. The conflicted emotions within him quieted, and the light softened into the night.

Embracing the familiar darkness, he finally closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

Surrendering to the whispers of the dark, he found solace in its embrace.

The redemption of the half-demon had begun.