"No."
The room fell deathly silent.
The excitement on their faces froze, like a sculptor had chiseled away all the joy in an instant.
The man blinked, as if he hadn't heard correctly. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Noah stepped forward, a dark grin appearing on his face.
He was a dragon. The Lord of the Abyss itself. How dare they presume to command him.
The roar of a dragon resounded within his soul, but he merely grinned, feeling the power in every cell of his body.
"You dare issue a command to a dragon?" He spoke again, his voice cold. Ripples of power spread through him, and his aura leaked from within him. "I see that you do not value your life."
Fear quickly spread through the gathered summoners like ripples in a pond. Some looked horrified, while others looked confused.
He increased the strength of his aura as he took another step towards the leader, and the man took a step back, eyes wide and legs trembling.
"However, I have good news for all of you." His eyes roved around the hooded group of people, crossing his hands behind his back regally. "I am a merciful lord."
He could tell that the dragon that had been merged with his soul had changed him fundamentally. He was as much a dragon as he was Noah. And while it was weird, it was also exciting. And that was more important.
The people began falling to their knees, unable to bear the weight of his aura.
"For bringing me to this exciting new world, I shall spare your lives." He declared, staring coldly at the man who was the leader of the group. He held his gaze for a few seconds before reigned his aura back in, a benevolent smile appearing on his face.
His point had been made.
"There you go." He said in amusement. "I have repaid you for bringing me here with your life. A fair trade wouldn't you say?"
"B— But, what about the demons?" The man stammered in a terrified voice.
"Hmmn?" Noah raised a brow. "Demons? I do not care about your demon problem."
A young woman, her eyes wide with disbelief, whispered, "That's… that's not how this works."
The leader slowly rose to his feet, shaking off the fear, now that Noah's aura was gone. "Hero, you don't understand. You were chosen by the gods. Your fate is bound to this world."
"Chosen? Fate?" Noah chuckled. "No one controls a dragon. Not even your gods."
He looked away, searching for an exit. But there wasn't one.
"Where am I?" He asked, a frown on his face.
He could tell what was happening. He really had been summoned to another world.
The Abyss had been too real to be a lie, and the power flowing through his veins were just as tangible as reality itself.
But he wasn't in shock. Maybe it was merging with a dragon, or the fact that life had just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.
The leader hesitated before answering. "You are in the kingdom of Camelot, hero."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Camelot? Like King Arthur and the Round Table?"
"It is the name of our great land." The leader said, clearly not understanding the reference.
Noah opened his mouth to speak, and that was when the doors, made of the same material as the walls, burst open, sending light streaming in.
The hooded figures winced at the sudden light as a group of heavily armored knights stormed in.
Their captain looked between Noah and the summoners before addressing the leader.
"Is this the hero?"
"Yes." The leader said. "But he is—"
"Lord Hero." The captain didn't wait for him to finish. He turned to Noah with a slight bow, his expression unreadable. "The king requests your presence. Immediately."
Noah stared at the man, then at the armed knights surrounding him. They'd requested, not ordered.
Right then, and there, he made a decision. Why cut the entertainment short?
"Lead the way." He grinned. "Let's see what your king has to say."
And so, Noah was led through the stone halls of the castle, flanked on both sides by the armored knights.
The clanking of their metal boots echoed off the floors, a tense atmosphere settling among them. Even the most oblivious of them could sense the power that was being emitted by Noah.
No one said anything, but both Noah and the knights knew that if he wanted them dead, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Before long, they arrived at their destination. The massive double doors at the end of the hall swung open, revealing the throne room.
Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, but instead of LED lights, there were candles on them. Hung on the walls were torches, which provided most of the lighting, illuminating the space.
Running from the door to the other end of the room was a long red carpet that led to a golden throne.
Seated upon it was a man with a thick white beard, a heavy crown resting on his brow. His blue robes were embroidered with gold, his expression one of regal authority.
On both sides of the throne room, nobles lined the walls, their curious gazes fixed on Noah. Servants stood motionless, waiting for orders, while guards kept their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to act if necessary.
Noah took in the sight with amusement, calculating the possible outcomes of this meeting, before focusing on the king's eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Noah knew that the man before him was not a fool. He was someone that even a dragon should be wary of.
But Noah wasn't particularly worried. After all, he was here for entertainment, not for a fight.
Even a dragon knew when to conserve its strength. And right now, he was like a newborn dragon with just one power under his belt. There was no need for him to roar against a full grown monster.
The knights stopped a few meters before the base of the throne, and the captain stepped forward. "Your Majesty, we present to you the summoned hero."