The first thing that returned to the dragon was pain. Dull and throbbing, it rippled through his colossal frame, echoing in every cracked scale and aching muscle. Then came consciousness, and with it, the humiliating memory of defeat. He, an ancient guardian and one of the great kings of his kind, had been brought low. Smacked from the heavens like a fledgling and embedded into the very rocks he had called home for centuries.
Tannin struggled to pry open his heavy eyelids. The purple sky of the Underworld hung above him, as serene as ever, but the world around him had changed. He lay in the center of a massive crater, surrounded by shattered rock and dust—a scar upon the mountain left by their duel. He tried to move, but a fresh wave of agony forced a low groan from his throat. And then, he felt it. An insignificant, yet completely misplaced weight on his mighty chest.
Focusing his vision, he saw him. That same youth, the outsider, was sitting right on his ribcage, legs crossed, looking him straight in the eye with a lazy, almost mocking smirk. He held a blade of grass in his hand, chewing on it thoughtfully, as if he were resting at a picnic rather than atop the body of a fallen dragon.
"How was the nap, sleeping beast?" Jin's voice was even, yet every note dripped with sarcasm. "You crashed so loud, I thought you'd woken up the entire district."
Fury flared in Tannin's golden eyes. He tried to lunge up to throw off the insolent brat, but his body refused to obey. His muscles cramped, and only a hoarse cough escaped his maw, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
"You..." he rumbled, his voice hollow and weak. "Get off, human whelp, before I shake you off along with the remains of your arrogance."
"I don't think you'll be shaking anything but dust anytime soon," Jin noted indifferently, hopping off his chest and landing on the ground with a lightness that seemed insulting given the giant's immobility. He walked up to the dragon's head and peered into his eyes, his smirk widening. "But I admit, you turned out to be sturdier than I thought. I actually had to exert myself a little."
Tannin exhaled heavily, releasing a jet of hot air. Rage was giving way to cold realization. This youth hadn't just defeated him—he had toyed with him. He could have ended the fight much sooner but had dragged it out, studying him, assessing him, like a scientist dissecting a rare specimen.
"Who are you?" The question came without its former authority, filled instead with genuine bewilderment.
"Izayoi Jin," the boy answered simply, extending a hand as if for a handshake—which, given the situation, looked the height of absurdity. "And you, I assume, are the local watchdog?"
The dragon ignored the gesture. "I am Tannin. And I am no dog, but the guardian of these lands. Now answer me, why are you here?"
"I already told you, I have a meeting. And you, as the loser, will kindly guide me to it," Jin declared in a tone that suggested this was the only logical outcome.
"I will not serve one who..." Tannin began, but cut himself off. The Law of the Strong was absolute. He had issued a challenge and lost. Honor demanded he acknowledge the defeat. Besides, this Jin seemed to be heading toward Gremory, and he was their ally. Opposing him now would be a breach of obligations. "Where do you need to go?" he squeezed out with poorly concealed irritation.
"To where your mistress Rias is training her puppies," Jin dropped carelessly.
Tannin began to rise slowly, grunting with effort. Every movement resonated with pain. He struggled to his feet, shaking off the stone debris. Cracks and dents marred his purple scales, and his broken jaw throbbed with a dull ache.
"I am not her servant, but an ally," he growled. "And do not dare call her 'mistress.' Get on."
He lowered his broad back, inviting Jin to mount. The boy hopped on without hesitation, settling between the massive shoulder blades.
"Yeah, yeah, ally," Jin drawled as the dragon spread his wings and, with a powerful thrust, soared into the sky. "So tell me, Tannin, why is one of the five great Dragon Kings, a legendary creature, suddenly working as an errand boy for the current Devil King?"
The wind whistled in their ears, but Jin spoke so the dragon could hear him clearly. Tannin snorted irritably, letting out a wisp of smoke.
"The world has changed, boy. Pride is a luxury not everyone can afford. Especially when the fate of an entire race depends on you," the dragon's voice was grim. "After the Great War, our kind was on the brink of extinction. Ancient territories were destroyed, many of us fell. Sirzechs offered a deal."
"And what was that?" Jin asked with genuine interest.
"He granted us these lands," Tannin circled over the gorge where they had fought. "All these mountains, all this space. He declared them a preserve, dragon territory where we can live in peace, fearing neither hunters nor internecine wars. In exchange, I and those who followed me accepted his patronage. We became part of his world. I was reincarnated as a devil to strengthen our bond."
Jin surveyed the endless mountain ranges beneath them. "So, we fought on your land? And you gave up your freedom for this hunk of rock?"
"It is not just rock!" Tannin roared, his voice echoing through the mountains. "It is a home! A chance at survival! Pride will not feed my kin, nor protect them from those who lust after dragon scales or hearts! I did what I had to do as a leader."
Jin fell silent for a moment, and then a rare, almost approving smirk appeared on his lips.
"Hmph. You're not as stupid as the others. I've heard other dragons prefer to sleep on piles of treasure or engage in other nonsense while their species dies out. But you chose pragmatism. Commendable. With that approach, you're not a Dragon King, but rather, a Queen."
Tannin choked on the air. His purple neck seemed to flush a darker shade. The comparison to a female, even in the context of wisdom, stung his ancient dragon pride.
"Don't you dare..." he wheezed, but stopped, realizing it was useless to argue. This youth was a master of verbal jabs.
The flight continued in relative silence. Soon they left the wild mountains and flew into one of the hexagonal sectors. Below them sprawled a vast training ground—a wide plateau pockmarked with craters, scattered with rock debris and scorched patches of earth.
In the center of the plateau, sprawled flat on the ground, lay Issei. His clothes were shredded, his body covered in abrasions, and his breathing was heavy and ragged. He was unconscious.
Tannin landed smoothly nearby, and Jin hopped lightly to the ground.
"And here is your charge," Jin remarked, looking over the defeated Red Dragon. "Looks like you worked him pretty hard. Though, if you ask me, he rests too much."
"You are wrong!" Tannin objected, his voice full of pride for his student. "This kid has been training non-stop for days! His progress is immense for a beginner, and right now he is exhausted to the limit, his body and spirit are on the brink. He won't wake up until tomorrow morning; I know his limit."
"Limit?" Jin chuckled. "Wanna bet I can get him up right now?"
"Impossible," Tannin stated confidently. "He has depleted all his strength."
"Then watch."
Jin walked over to Issei's motionless body. He dropped to one knee, leaned in close to his ear so Tannin wouldn't hear, and whispered:
"Issei... Wake up. I was walking past a love hotel recently... You know, one of those with hourly rates. And Rias was walking out of there. Alone. followed by about thirty huge, sweaty, fat guys. And they all had such satisfied, lustful looks on their faces... And Rias... she had this blissful and slightly guilty smile..."
He didn't get to finish.
What happened next made even the ancient dragon step back in shock.
Issei's eyes snapped open. There was no fatigue in them. Only primal horror, jealousy, and despair. His body, which a second ago seemed lifeless, surged with power fueled by pure adrenaline. He sprang to his feet with such speed that his movement was a blur.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!" came a heart-rending scream, full of such pain and suffering that the very rocks around them seemed to tremble. "BUCHOUUUUU!!!"
Issei stood in the middle of the plateau, fists clenched, body shaking, tears streaming from his eyes. He was full of energy. And he was ready to run to the ends of the earth to dispense justice.
Tannin watched this performance with his jaw slack, unable to believe his eyes. And Jin stood nearby, dusting off his hands, wearing the most satisfied and cynical smirk the ancient dragon had ever seen.