Young Writers Society

Saliad POV

So, that was Rose? Most didn’t see, not even Galswell noticed, but I could tell from the mastery. That was a dragon that just defeated my associate. Even though Mammon clearly didn’t know, he was right on the mark. That was the same arcane dragon that destroyed the exit to the cave, and nearly buried my party alive.

This dragon looked so young, but I knew it was my age. Meaning, it had likely surpassed me by now.

I needed to meet the dragon, but first, I needed to get through the tournament. That level of a fight was exactly what I needed to feel complete.

“Saliad?”

A man, the captain of the guard, stood before me.

“Yes?”

“You look very excited.”

“Well, I just saw someone that may be troublesome in this tournament. I am eager to fight them.”

I pulled out my roster and saw that she was on the opposite side of me.

“Crap, we won’t face each other until the finals.”

“Are you referring to Rose?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Because that’s the same exact way she designated you.”

“Hah, the strong think similarly. How long has she been an adventurer.”

“A few days now. This is actually her first event as one, but because of her sheer strength, they put her in C.”

“Incredible, I must fight this person.”

“Sir, when you fight her, what exactly do you plan to do?”

“I’ve met her before, and I will do the same as she will.”

Jalad looked shocked at the notion we’d met.

“And what is that?”

I smiled in a way that made him shiver.

“See who’s still breathing at the end.”

_

“Well, Kitten, that was rather interesting.”

Dallel and Jalad took me out to celebrate me and Dallel’s victory in the first round.

“How so?”

“Divine Destruction is a spell that deals over 10 million damage. Even a dragon would’ve barely have survived, so how did you.”

“Life foundation.”

“What?”

“While normally it wouldn’t survive, I infused it deep within my psyche. It basically protected the minimum I needed to live.”

Life foundation is a skill that creates a small barrier, and dragons can regenerate from a single cell as long as we have at least 1 hp.

“So, you guarded your viscera alone.”

“Yep, as long as I had that, I could stay alive.”

“Your magic knowledge may best even Galswell then. Very few would even think of that. Who taught you?”

“I did experiments with my siblings.”

“I see, are all of them as strong as you?”

“No, most are weaker. Only one is stronger than me. At least he was when we last met.”

“What’s his name?”

“Ravi. He is easily S rank. He could beat our father who was also insanely strong.”

“Wow, so he would be able to beat Saliad, do you think?”

“Perhaps.”

“Well, my fight against you is tomorrow, may the best win!”

“Very well. Just don’t cry after your loss, Pointy.”

“As long as you don’t mewl when I break your bones, Kitten.”

We smiled and Jalad grimaced.

_

It was the second round of the tournament. Dallel and I faced off at the end of the day. Both of us were preparing for the fight, so we faced each other with wariness.

“Are you ready to lose?”

“Maybe if you trained for another 1000 years.”

“Hah, maybe I will.”

Elves were immortal, but few made it past 150 as they were a warring species.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

“FIGHT!”

In the start we clashed. I wasn’t going to make the mistake of underestimating him, especially with that gear, so I pushed with my strength and pushed him back. He was surprised at my strength, and I slashed his chestplate in 2 with my claws.

“How, that’s an S rank ches-”

His words were cut off when I slashed his throat. He realized that I was unbelievably strong. He was nothing compared to Galswell.

I struck quickly and he barely blocked with his sword that broke as well. He switched to martial arts only to have his hands blasted off by my attack and his neck snapped by my kick. He was alive and healers rushed in to heal him immediately.

Once again, the arena was silent before Jalad started clapping, then everyone clapped.

“And the winner is Rose.”

_

“That one was on you.”

“How?”

“She beat Galswell, how were you supposed to win?”

“I thought I was stronger than him.”

“He’s a legendary fighter, even if he’s old. He still is insanely strong.”

“I must apologize.”

“No, Rose, you fought and won.”

“But I also thought he was stronger than Galswell originally, so I went full throttle from the start.”

“I see, so you overestimated him.”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“Nah, it was my error, I talked a big game and couldn’t counter you, but you seem a bit unfair. Your claws cut through my armor like it was paper.”

“Yeah, me and my siblings trained our bodies until they could break anything.”

“Yet, no definition in the slightest.”

“Yeah, none of us look particularly strong, but we can decimate most opponents.”

“Nice.”

“Well, I need to go back to my inn.”

“You’ll be safe, right?”

“Of course.”

_

As I walked out and turned into an empty alley, I felt a presence I hadn’t felt in 90 years. Not since my family's nest was destroyed.

“Hello, little dragon.”

Saliad was behind me.

“What do you mean, Dragon?”

“I fought your father. I recognized your presence as one of the ones that fled.”

“And what will you do about it?”

“I can’t kill you here, but the tourney is open ground.”

I could feel his smile reverberate through my soul.

“Survive till the finals, then I can kill a third dragon.”

“Heh, or maybe I’ll get called the elf killer.”

“Well, I’ll be waiting for you.”

With that, he was gone.

_

The next 2 days were the exact same. Both me and Saliad would glare at each other during the other’s rounds. We both stopped pulling punches and decimated the opponents. Jalad and Dallel were concerned about me.

“Kitten, in 5 minutes, you’ll be facing someone who killed the patriarch of dragons. And it looks like you two are going to kill each other. If you aren’t careful, you’ll die.”

“If I die. Can you two tell Sir Royce, he’ll contact my granny and let her know.”

“Why are you content with dying, Rose!”

Dallel yelled at me.

“If you die here, what are we going to do? The Guildmaster told us to make sure you are safe.”

“Yes, he did, but if I do die, I’m sure neither of you will be sad.”

“The heck kind of people do you take us for.”

“Rational ones.”

I walked into the contestant preparation room and left them behind. When someone dies with shift enabled, it would disable. So, if I died, they would realize I was a dragon. They’d be embarrassed they considered me a friend, then rejoice as the dragon slayer killed another.

Well, the fight was starting in 1 minute. I needed to prepare.

_

“The heck does she mean ‘rational’? What’s rational about not being sad about your friend dying?”

“Maybe it’s related to why she’s so strong?”

“Maybe?”

Jalad was as confused as I was. We went to the bleachers and looked down at the stadium where Rose and Saliad stepped out, glaring at each other. Something happened between them. I could tell that much. They exchanged some inaudible words, but neither moved.

If only we could hear what they were talking about, but those devices are only for the prelims.

“We are now in the finals. Saliad the Dragonslayer versus Rose the Rising Star. Ready. FIGHT!”

They attacked too fast for anyone to see.

_

Our first clash caused an earthquake, but his gear is a step above Dallel’s as my claws didn’t break it. We fought back and forth, blows echoing between us. I was going to kill him, or he would kill me, but I couldn’t let that happen.

He killed my father and mother. I was going to take revenge. For 10 years they raised me. I got stronger and stronger. I fought as much as I could. I was the second in strength. I was never able to beat my father, but Ravi, he was able to defeat dear old dad, but still, it was close. That’s why we were all terrified when the teenage elf came in and killed our 10000-year-old father with ease.

Our mother was enraged, but he had a relic that consumed the power of dragons. He used Father’s strength to kill our mother, gaining her strength as well. I promised, along with the rest of my siblings, that I’d kill the man who did it.

“You know little wyrm, I just realized that you’ll actually be my 4th dragon slain.”

I froze, and he cut off my arm.

“What did you say?”

He also stopped and started laughing.

“Ah yes, I remember. A water dragon, blue like lapiz lazuli. He was strong, but I killed him with ease.”

I stood still not moving. Not even moving...

This ***** killed Ravi.

_

“What’s going on? Why have they stopped fighting?”

The announcer asked the same question we were all thinking.

They stopped and Saliad said something that caused Rose to freeze.

“What did Sal say?”

Galswell was sitting next to us, his leg in a cast.

“Beats me, but whatever it is, they thought it necessary to stop moving.”

Saliad started laughing.

An aura. Powerful. Fury, pure fury. The arena started cracking and the shield was wobbling. Then Rose said something that despite its softness echoed across the arena.

“I was going to kill you before, but now I’m going to make it slow.”

Her eyes seemed to light ablaze.

“That was my brother you smug *******.”

_

This man. This elf.

‘I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him.’

‘He’s dead.’

Saliad looked at me with a gleeful expression, and in a voice that echoed.

“Well, it seems neither of us will hold back anymore.”

_

Rose struck first; the entire city shook as she slashed at him. His blade cracked but did not crumble. They fought faster and faster until their movements were blurs.

“What did he do?”

Galswell was also unfamiliar with Saliad acting like this.

“From the sounds of it, I think he killed her sibling.”

“If he did, he wouldn’t brag about it. And this rage, I felt something like it before, where was that?”

Jalad was terrified, his normally tan face was pale.

“Dallel, what did she mean that we wouldn’t be saddened by her death.”

“What do you mean?”

“I may have an idea, but it’s too implausible. And if it’s correct, that would explain two things.”

Galswell was interested,

“What two things?”

“Why she said we wouldn’t be sad, and why Saliad is acting like that.”

Galswell looked curious.

“I won’t say in case it isn’t true, but something is wrong.”

“Alright.”