On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

𝒩𝐎𝑽𝗅xt.𝑪𝗈𝓜

“What are you doing, old man!? You are killing Layland!”

Aurelia tried to stop Quetzalcoatl to no avail. She was trying to break Quetzalcoatl’s posture but the said Dragon didn’t even budge in the slightest. Aurelia was enraged. Even though she knew Layland was special, she was smart enough to tell Quetzalcoatl had gone overboard.

Quetzalcoatl was using every power he could exert in his human form. It was two-fifths of his true power. Quetzalcoatl was one of the strongest Dragons to ever live. One might even argue he was the strongest because he survived the Ancient Gods Era. Although he didn’t proactively participate in the war and his method of survival was considered cowardly by Dragons, the fact that no Dragons dared to mess with him still stood.

Given that fact, he should have gone easy with Layland, a young Demon who had been a human less than a year ago. Furthermore, the match was held not because they wanted to kill each other but to gauge the other’s strength. What he was doing was exactly the former, which was why Aurelia was unamused. He didn’t need to go that far to strike the point across.

It was already clear that Layland was beneath him.

“Stop it already…you are going to kill him.”

Instead of ignoring Aurelia, this time, Quetzalcoatl looked down at her. Her tone was laced with despair and helplessness–it made him quirk an eyebrow.

“You; lovesick bird.” He scoffed. “Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgement.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, old man? Don’t try to justify your sick desire for blood before me!”

“Now, where is your manner? I thought you were calling me grandpa again.”

“Not with what you have done!”

“What have I done, Aurelia?”

“That is…” Given Quetzalcoatl’s cold gaze, Aurelia’s words stuck in her throat.

Quetzalcoatl gestured at where Layland was engulfed by the explosion. “Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment. Take a good look at what was happening.”

Aurelia turned her head in the gestured direction. A wind blast immediately crashed onto her face. It was surprising but not hurt. The tenth explosion that the red Magic Circle on the ground caused the air blast. Fire mixed with a thick corrosive cloud still engulfed the area where Layland was standing but the enormous Mana covering it had gone. The explosion had ended.

A very faint presence could be detected in the centre of it all but no movement could be seen. Those who knew Layland waited with anticipation as his presence only got fainter with each passing second. Layland was known for his unpredictability. They were expecting him to get out of the smoke unharmed, surprising them as he always did.

Sadly, the presence disappeared when they expected him to reveal himself. Everyone was taken aback. The Dragons widened their eyes in shock, wondering if Quetzalcoatl had indeed killed the young Demon meanwhile Eliseus lost her confident smirk. At that moment, every single trace of Layland disappeared.

Aurelia’s eyes immediately darkened and a gleam of coldness flashed in Eliseus’ eyes. Both of them were staring daggers at Quetzalcoatl whereas Arieda and Haletha could only look at the thick cloud in the distance with disbelief adorning their faces.

“Hold your horses!” Quetzalcoatl shouted just a moment before Eliseus leapt at him. “That punk is Ilschevar’s prized possession. I could tell that at a glance. I know what I am not supposed to do, so stand back. I don’t want to make an enemy out of that sick bastard either.”

Quetzalcoatl remained unbothered, sounding extremely confident in Layland’s survival. It calmed down those who knew Layland and made them wonder why Quetzalcoatl was that confident in Layland. The truth was that he didn’t. He was also getting worried that his judgment might have been wrong. This shouldn’t have happened if he was right.

Quetzalcoatl still found Layland irritating but didn’t hate him. The aura of death swirling the young Demon was extremely repulsive, yet he could tell the young Demon never let his darkness affect the people he loved. Layland was not a good person, but he was a good man. Layland put the people he cherished as his priorities–just like the old Dragon did.

Therefore, Quetzalcoatl wanted to gift Layland something. He wanted to awaken the Draconic power that lay dormant inside Layland. He also wanted to show Layland how superior it was to Demonic power. His judgment said Layland was ready, but it seemed it was wrong. Now, he had to be ready for having Ilschevar hunt him and his remaining kin.

Whoosh!

The thick corrosive cloud covering the area in the distance was dispersed by a blast of wind that originated in its centre. Everyone’s breath hitched and Quetzalcoatl’s smirk crept up his face as an overwhelming amount of Mana crashed down on them.

The Dragons were forced to retreat into the golden Magic Barrier that the gigantic golden tree generated. They could only withstand a pressure of that calibre in their Dragon Form which they were not. They could immediately assume it but didn’t want to. After all, doing that was the same as admitting they were inferior.

Uncaring to the surroundings, while withstanding the pressure of the Mana that was already heavily toned down by the golden Magic Barrier, those who knew and admired Layland focused their gaze on the figure in the distance.

Layland was staring neutrally at Quetzalcoatl who was smirking at him. His red eyes shone briefly before calming down. He was mostly naked. His clothes conveniently covered the parts he didn’t want to show to just anyone. His toned muscles made his figure look as if it was a sculpted marble. His face radiated charm that no man could dream to have.

Layland was “reborn” for the second time. His entire existence could easily distract men and make women crazy. The development confused Quetzalcoatl to no end. He was absolute that awakening one’s Draconic power didn’t have such an effect on oneself. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Layland was a Demon, a natural charmer.

“You are the strongest opponent I have faced so far. I am very eager to face the true you, but I am painfully aware that my power is still inadequate.”

Layland’s voice tore through the air and reached everyone’s ears. He wasn’t shouting but they could hear him as if he was speaking right before them. He extended his right hand to the side and Rexorem immediately flew into his hand. It was at that moment that everyone noticed there was a deep crater in the ground below him.

Layland had been floating in the air since the beginning. His existence was so distractive that everyone instinctively ignored the damage Quetzalcoatl’s Spell had caused. They glanced at the crater before returning their gaze to Layland. His clothes had fixed themselves, covering his otherworldly chiselled body much to the disappointment of the female audience.

A blinding light flashed before Layland appeared before Quetzalcoatl. He slowly let his body stop floating before looking down at the shorter Quetzalcoatl. He had grown taller yet again. Another 2 inches were added to his height, making him 7’3″ tall. He had become taller than Ilschevar and it made him wonder how Ilschevar would react.

“Are you still looking down on our Draconic power?” Quetzalcoatl asked with a frown, awakening Layland from his muse. “You still haven’t touched it.”

“The Draconic power is amazing. I can feel its vigorous dominance in my body,” Layland responded. “However, it shies away when my Demonic power makes its presence known. Of course, I am not looking down on Draconic power and never was.”

“So?”

“The reason why I haven’t touched it is that I want to make this match a draw. I seriously want to make you an ally. Hurting your pride doesn’t seem to be a way to do that.”

Layland was implying that Quetzalcoatl wouldn’t stand a chance if he used his Draconic power which was still in its infancy. The statement made the Dragons gasp. One needed to be extremely gutsy or simply ignorant to be able to say that to Quetzalcoatl. They couldn’t figure out which Layland was but expected him to be the former.

“You can’t just bark without biting, young man.” Quetzalcoatl scoffed. “Show me!”

Layland lightly shrugged, straining his shirt that failed to hide his chiselled body even further. He turned his gaze to the side and then put his hand on top of the distracted Aurelia’s head, gaining her attention.

“Go join the others. I don’t want to hurt you,” he said tenderly.

“…yes,” was the only response Aurelia could muster.

Quetzalcoatl looked at how docile his granddaughter behaved with confusion and irritation riddling his face. He wanted to know why she could listen to Layland just fine but not him.

Boom!

His attention was brought back to Layland when the air exploded because of the suffocating amount of Mana that abruptly overwhelmed the air. It was the exact moment when Aurelia entered the golden Magic Barrier.

Looking at Layland, Quetzalcoatl found azure-tinted purple scales framing Layland’s neck and face. Looking down, he found Layland’s hands had been covered with scales making them look like a mix of a Dragon’s and human’s hands.

“It doesn’t make me feel like I am wearing armour. That’s a good thing, I guess.”

Layland’s remark made Quetzalcoatl return his gaze to Layland’s face. Layland’s eyes shone in blue at the same time the veins decorating his horns did. The scene made Quetzalcoatl smirk and shake his head. He raised his hands at the same time Layland spread his wings. A historical moment occured.

“You got me.”

Quetzalcoatl willingly admitted his defeat for the first time.