I mustn't forget that this is a vision created by the Tear and that whatever happens in this place can't harm me, Yoichi thought, trying to calm himself.

The excitement of meeting the one who had been Lumya's most potent being made him extremely nervous. He couldn't help but think of how many people would have liked to be in his place.

​​

"You've definitely noticed that Ildriss possesses some extraordinary magical powers. Right?" Therion asked, acting like a teacher conversing with his favourite student.

"Yes, my lord. I've already activated them several times," Yoichi replied, who, besides being his favourite student, also seemed very knowledgeable.

"This sounds great. So, have you ever wondered why?"

Yoichi let out a long sigh, puffing up his chest with excitement at knowing the truth. "Every day," he replied, releasing the accumulated air in his lungs.

"That pleases me, young man" - just for a moment, Therion looked away from the ground and focused on Yoichi. "The real reason you were chosen lies in the moment of my death, hundreds of years ago."

Yoichi did not say a word, merely listening silently to the story told by the Dragon King himself.

"The battle against Kogath and his army was becoming more and more bitter. His demons grew stronger and stronger, opposing my supremacy and that of my brothers," he explained, referring to the other dragons who obeyed his orders. "Envy drove Kogath to proclaim himself dark ruler of the demons and to gather all beings who nourished hatred for my race: young or ancient demons. It made no difference. Anyone who despised dragons became a pawn in his hands."

Therion turned, changing the direction of his steps. "The land that had been preserved for millennia by my dynasty sank into chaos and pain. Entire valleys filled with meadows and vegetation became barren, swampy expanses, inhospitable and crumbling. Flora and fauna of Lumya were halved, and every form of life that had previously lived in harmony with nature found itself having to readjust to its changing surroundings" - that speech was a wound still open for Therion.

"The world is a cruel place, Yoichi. And no matter how right your ideals may be, the one rule that will never cease to exist is the law of the strongest. When we agreed to share our knowledge and pass on our love for Lumya to you humans, Kogath's hatred became so strong that it overpowered everything."

"Piece by piece, the ancient demons began to conquer every territory, devouring humans and wiping out every form of life that existed. After years and years of cultivating hatred for us dragons, Kogath's army grew to a disproportionate size," Therion continued.

"But... why all this hatred?" Yoichi interrupted, drawing the Dragon King's gaze. "You dragons have only allowed us, humans, to live in your own world, ensuring that the laws of nature were respected. What's wrong with that?" - In the innocent eyes of the young tamer, Therion could glimpse the purity of his soul.

"There is nothing wrong with it. But the desire for power is always stronger than anything else. Kogath wished to have what I had, ignoring the responsibilities that being the ruler of Lumya entailed. Blinded by hatred, he convinced the other ancient demons that we dragons had submitted to inferior beings like humans," the dragon-turned-man replied.

"As the desire for power is stronger than weakness, hatred is a much stronger and more intense feeling than peace: the day of reckoning was getting closer and closer, and I, the ruler of Lumya, could not allow the power of the Dragons to be extinguished forever".

That's it! Therion is finally going to explain how he passed on his powers to Kenji! Yoichi realized, getting more and more excited. I wish Ryutaro-Sensei were here.

"The powers of the Dragon Demon King is what is oldest in the world, boy. My father Luceros, and before him Griammur, Xervor, Yutus... the primordial flame that burned in our chests could not be extinguished by my death" - during those words, the flame in Therion's reptilian eyes increased its glow. "Opposing my own brothers, I decided to sacrifice a small part of that power and give it to my successor."

"Your... your successor?" Yoichi inquired.

"I enclosed my power within a dragon egg and sent it to the center of the planet, the only area inaccessible to the ancient demons," Therion explained. "The flames of the core would protect my legacy until the day Ildriss, my successor, was finally born, bringing the powers of the Dragon King to light."

Oh, fuck... no way! Yoichi thought, widening his eyes and unable to utter a single word. Kenji's powers really are derived from those of the strongest of the Dragons! But... but why wasn't it born sooner? Why did it wait all these years?

"If I had encased all my power within Ildriss' egg, I would not have had the strength to counter Kogath's army, and the ancient demons would have taken over Lumya, exterminating you humans and any life form useless to their purposes," Therion commented. "However, it took only a short time for me to realize that you humans were also dominated by conflicting emotions," he explained.

"What do you mean?"

"You are amazing beings, and your intelligence, while inferior to that of a dragon, still allows you to develop incredibly varied abilities and characters, different from one another. The intrinsic nature of your souls changes from individual to individual, and, like any other intelligent being on the planet, you can choose to follow the evil or the good," Therion replied, with the determination typical of a ruler.

Yoichi looked down, recognizing in those words a great truth. Although he considered himself a good and loyal person, many times in his present life and certainly in the previous one, he had proven to be selfish and superficial, focusing his attention on his interests.

Humans were capable of doing good, but also of damaging individuals of the same species and the world that had been given to them by the Dragons. Fortunately, thanks to his infinite wisdom, Therion could foresee even that facet of the truth.