Issei let out a long sigh, a fatigue that wasn't just physical, but also mental, washed over him. The noise and chaos in his house felt so burdensome.
"I'm going to sleep for a bit, just a few hours," he muttered to anyone who might be listening, though it seemed everyone was busy with their own affairs.
He stood up from the sofa and walked unsteadily towards his room. Once the door closed, the noisy world seemed left behind. He dropped his body onto the bed, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness sink.
Suddenly, the scorching heat sensation and the smell of sulfur vanished. Instead of a sea of lava and a smoky sky, Issei found himself lying on a soft expanse of green grass. A cool, gentle breeze blew, caressing his skin. Above, a night sky stretched out with millions of twinkling stars, creating a soothing and peaceful scene.
Ddraig, the giant red dragon, lay not far from him. His shining yellow eyes were open. "What is it? I thought you wanted to train, not sleep."
Issei, still lying down, gazed at the starry sky. "Can I sleep here? For a few full days. So only a few hours pass in the real world."
Ddraig snorted, his voice echoing softly. "Hmph. To sleep?" However, there was no refusal in his tone. Instead, the atmosphere around them became even more calm and comfortable. "Don't do it too often. Rest. But remember, we must train again later. Your Dragon Authority is still at a beginner's level. It's very important. Even though you have Imagine Breaker... you still need it."
Issei nodded, his face looking tired. "I know. It's just..." He fell silent for a moment, then continued. "I'm curious. Is it true we can go to other worlds? But not to Saitama's world with the G.O.D entity, or to To Aru Majutsu with Coronzon. That's too dangerous."
Ddraig's voice sounded cynical. "You are still too weak to face entities like the ones you mentioned, even for Trihexa. But be careful, Issei. One wrong step, and you could not just be killed, but erased from existence."
Issei watched the star patterns that seemed to slowly rotate. "Even if I could go to another world, I don't really want to... unless—"
Ddraig cut him off, curious. "Unless what? Is there another world you're targeting?"
Issei answered with a voice suddenly full of conviction. "Yes. Unless... Fairy Tail."
Ddraig snorted loudly, his large body moving so his shadow covered Issei. "What do you want there? Comparing the power of Dragons in this world to Acnologia or Zeref?"
Issei shook his head. "Not for that." His eyes suddenly became sharp, and his voice changed, deeper, resonating with determination. "Arc of Embodiment."
Ddraig fell silent, listening.
"A magic that can materialize anything based solely on the user's imagination," Issei explained, his eyes shining. "Except living beings. If I obtain that power... maybe I could create a planet, similar to Earth. Or... create items that have their own ego and consciousness, like in Overgeared."
Ddraig let out a long sigh, as if bearing the burden of human foolishness. "If such magic truly exists, then the world would be in chaos. But... for some reason, the story's writer made the user of that magic have a limited imagination. Creating a planet? Even with your 1024x Boost, your power would never be enough. Not to mention considering the physical and magical law structure of the planet itself."
Issei also sighed, acknowledging the difficulty. "Yes. That is indeed the main problem."
"Focus on the present first," Ddraig said, his voice firmer. "This world will not run normally anymore. You must be ready."
Issei didn't answer immediately. He snapped his fingers. Magically, a large, soft bed appeared on the green grass. He lay down on it, staring at the starry sky.
"Ddraig," he said suddenly. "Are there any other good Sacred Gears in this world that I could modify?"
Ddraig was silent for a moment, thinking about the question. "There are many. But I can't guess your sudden crazy thoughts. However... there is one Sacred Gear that can create monsters. Let me remember its name..."
Silence enveloped their inner world for several minutes. Issei used the time to think about the potential of the mentioned Sacred Gear, while waiting for Ddraig.
Finally, Ddraig spoke. "Annihilation Maker."
Issei's eyes lit up. He raised his hand, even though he was still lying down. "Ddraig. We must find the user of that Sacred Gear. I want to try something."
Ddraig's voice sounded slightly sarcastic. "What kind of monster do you want to create now? Besides, I don't know where the holder of that Sacred Gear is."
Issei smiled, a crazy plan beginning to form in his mind. "Not to make monsters, Ddraig. I want to... make you a Real Dragon Body."
Ddraig fell absolutely silent. The sound of the wind humming and the rustling grass suddenly felt very loud.
"You've been trapped inside the Boosted Gear for hundreds of years, right?" Issei continued, his voice soft yet full of conviction. "Perhaps... with this, I can free you. You could live freely again, like before."
Ddraig was speechless. In his entire long history, since being imprisoned in the Sacred Gear, never once had a user thought of freeing him. They all only utilized his power. A strange feeling—a long-dormant hope—began to stir within him. A longing for a freedom almost forgotten.
But before he could respond, the sound that broke the silence came from Issei.
"ZZZ..."
A soft but steady snore was heard. Issei had fallen into a deep sleep, carried away into dreams on his magical bed under the stars.
Ddraig looked at the sleeping boy's body, resting peacefully. For the first time in his very long life, since becoming a soul trapped in an artifact, he felt something akin to... warmth.
He sighed, his usually loud voice now almost a whisper. "A truly absurd human..."
His giant, scaly dragon body then moved, coiling gently around the area where Issei slept, like a guardian dragon protecting its treasure in a cave.
"Sleep well, Issei," Ddraig murmured, his voice barely audible. "And... I hope the time will come. The time when I can rise and feel that freedom once more." He closed his yellow eyes, also carried away by the tranquility of the inner world he had created. "Don't die yet, Issei. Don't."