787 Bear, after the battle with the ice dragon - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Two ice dragons descended from the sky. Not understanding the situation, Kagari and I stayed vigilant, ready to react to whatever might happen. The ice dragon that landed on the summit looked at the frozen dragon encased in ice. "TO LOSE TO A HUMAN, YOU LACK EXPERIENCE." Hearing it say that, it implies that it could defeat me if it had been more seasoned. But perhaps it doesn’t actually intend to lose. The summit dragon walked forward, coming to a stop in front of us. "Just to confirm, is the frozen dragon back there alright?" "I HAVE FORGED A PACT OF SUBORDINATION." A pact of subordination? "Is that really possible?" "MUTUAL CONSENT IS REQUIRED." In other words, such a pact can't be made without the other party's agreement. It's similar to my contract magic. I shifted my gaze to the ice dragon frozen by the bear's magic. This dragon that had targeted the summit dragon. A dragon that dislikes humans. It's hard to imagine it would agree to submit. But I should check, just in case. "Is it possible with the frozen dragon too?" Like encasing the dragon in ice, we won't know until we try. The summit dragon moved to stand before the ice-covered dragon and remained motionless. "It seems like they’re having a conversation." "Can you understand their dialogue?" Just as I'd expect from Kagari. That's what I thought, but her response was different. "No, I can't. It's just, I sensed magic flowing between them, so I assumed." I see, they were communicating through magic. Watching the dragons for a while, the horns of both the frozen dragon and the summit dragon began to glow and then subsided after a moment. "I FORGED A PACT OF SUBORDINATION." So now, this truly marks the end. "But, how were you able to form a pact of subordination so easily?" I can't imagine the ice dragon submitting without resistance. "I SAID I WOULD SHATTER ITS BODY IF IT DID NOT COMPLY." "Is such a thing even possible?" Even their skin seemed impervious to attacks. "OUR BODIES ARE SHIELDED BY MAGIC. IF OUR MAGIC FADES, IT’S POSSIBLE." So, it was a matter of exhausting the dragon's magic to defeat it. "Did you think its magic could be exhausted to defeat it?" "Kagari, can you read minds?" "No, but it’s clearly written on your face." I silently massaged my face with the bear puppet. Poker face, poker face. "But didn't you think it would be better off dead?" "THAT IS THE THINKING OF HUMANS." There are many perspectives among people. Some might choose death over compromising their beliefs. Others might choose to enter a subordinate contract from fear of death, or endure indignity to protect something important. Circumstances, positions, and feelings can dictate such choices. "But it lost to me, right? Wasn't it satisfied with that outcome?" "THOSE WHO LOSE HAVE NO RIGHTS; IT'S A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH." So it chose to live. "HUMAN CHILD, MELT THE ICE." "Just confirming, it's really safe, right? It won't attack once it's free?" "BY THE PACT OF SUBORDINATION, IT CANNOT DEFY ME." Meaning, it's all dependent on the summit dragon's disposition? Regardless, leaving it frozen isn't an option, so I'll place my trust in the summit dragon. I dissolve the bear's ice encasing the dragon. The released water pooled onto the ground. Freed from the bear's ice, the dragon thrashed and let out a mighty roar. The very air trembled. Above all, it was loud. Perhaps sensing my annoyance, the summit dragon swung its tail, striking the roaring dragon on the head. Silence followed. The struck dragon, for some reason, glared at me. I didn’t do anything though. "HUMAN CHILD, I CAUSED YOU TROUBLE." That's certainly true. I'd rather not be pulled into any more dragon-related issues. "But, you really won't attack again, right?" I looked intently at the new dragon standing behind the summit. "THAT IS THE PLEDGE." As the summit dragon declared this, the horns of the other two dragons glowed, and with a heavy thud, their horns fell to the ground. "THE SUBORDINATION PACT IS SEALED BY THE HORNS. TO DISMISS IT REQUIRES THEM. IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME FOR THE HORNS TO REGROW." Until a new pair of horns grows, it seems the subordination pact remains in effect. And even once they grow back, don't think the pact should necessarily end. "USE THE TWO HORNS AS YOU WISH." Is this a way of saying they're giving them to me? It seems my reward this time is dragon horns. I'm a bit pleased. Dragon materials are rare, right? The summit dragon cast its gaze on the two subjugated dragons. "YOU MAY LEAVE." The newly subordinate dragon roared at me before spreading its wings and taking flight. That wasn’t an attack, right? Am I being resented? Please don’t let the subordination contract be nullified. "HUMAN CHILD, I OWE YOU A DEBT." Spreading its wings as well, the summit dragon took off. There were still things I wanted to discuss, but seeing as I'll meet it at the summit, I'll leave it at that for today. Besides, I'm worn out and need rest. "It's over now." "Yes, it is." We watched the departing dragons. "So, what should we do with these horns? Do you want them, Kagari?" "I've no need for them. Why don't you keep them?" Dragon horns, huh. I wonder if they can be used for anything. Perhaps a weapon stronger than a mithril knife? Though I doubt they’re easy to process. For now, I'll store these massive horns, larger than myself, in the bear box. Dragon horns, acquired. Riding Kumakyu, I headed toward Liese. "Kagari, are you feeling alright?" I inquired to Kagari, who was on Kumayuru. "I'm fine. Raising my body temperature so suddenly to withstand the ice dragon's chill was just a bit taxing." "There aren't any lasting effects, are there?" "You worry too much." Of course I'd worry. Because of me, she endured the extreme cold and was put in danger. "Thank you." It's somewhat awkward to formally express gratitude. "Protecting children is an adult's duty." Even with her appearance as a young girl, she's actually an elder in age more than an adult. "But Kagari, if anything were to happen to you, Sakura and the others would be worried, so please don’t do anything too reckless." "There was a way to endure it, so it wasn’t reckless." Still, seeing her engulfed in freezing cold right in front of me nearly made me cry. "But I did worry you, and for that, I apologize." "No, thank you for helping me." With Kagari and me riding on Kumayuru and Kumakyu, we returned to the mine. "Yuna, Kagari!" Liese and the others, who had been watching from the mine's entrance, ran over to us. "We're back." "Are you both uninjured? Kagari, your face looks flushed." Liese placed her hand on Kagari's forehead. "Oh, you're burning up. Your fever is high." "I'm alright." "No, you're not. You're extremely hot." Though her skin felt hot, it wasn’t enough to cause harm to a touch. If her body emitted enough heat to melt the surrounding ice and snow, it might have been more shocking. "I simply used magic to warm my body. I’ll be fine soon, so don’t worry." Kagari gently took Liese’s hand, reassuring her with a smile. Such a mature gesture, despite looking like a little girl. "So, what happened? We saw the dragons flying, but held our position by the mine entrance as instructed." "The noise was intense, but we couldn't discern what was happening." I briefly explained the situation. How a new ice dragon arrived with its ally. How Kagari and I handled one of them. That we, alongside the summit dragon, emerged victorious. "Did you truly defeat them?" I produced the ice dragon's horn as testament. Liese and her companions gasped in astonishment. "They won’t attack humans anymore, nor will they defy the summit dragon. It’s proof." "...An ice dragon's horn." "It's best not to touch it directly like that." Kagari stopped the elder who was about to reach for it with bare hands. Indeed, it seemed to be emitting a faint chill. "Will it stay like this forever?" "It should settle down eventually." I hope so. "Once the summit dragon’s baby is born, the ice dragons will disappear, right?" "That's right." Everyone seemed visibly relieved. With nightfall already here and fatigue from battling the ice dragon setting in, we decided to rest for the day. Bear House? I had a spare. Since I left one at the summit before the dragon fight started, I’d need to retrieve it tomorrow. "Kagari, thank you for everything this time." As I prepared for bed, I expressed my gratitude. "What’s brought this on suddenly?" "For everything. You accompanied me on the city's exploration, you went with me to meet the ice dragon, and even faced danger to fight alongside me." "Think nothing of it. My curiosity about the land urged me to join. When I discovered the ice dragons could communicate, my interest grew. As an adult, I couldn’t let you face the dragon alone, even if I wasn't of much help." "Not at all. Having you fight with me was incredibly reassuring." Despite the danger, Kagari distracted the ice dragon multiple times, coming to my aid repeatedly. "...Especially since you’ve risked your safety to protect me. But don’t put your life on the line just to defend me." At that moment, I genuinely feared Kagari had died, and my heart twisted with indescribable emotions. This was a feeling I never thought I’d feel, even if I'd lost my parents. "As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, I never put my life at risk. I had a plan to survive." "That method of heating your body?" "Yes. But the cold from the ice dragon was stronger than expected, so I became a fox and amplified my magic. In this form, I might not have endured the heat." I see. "By the way, how did you come up with freezing an ice dragon?" "I noticed it seemed to avoid water." I recounted how the ice dragon steered clear of areas where Kagari's heat or fire magic had melted ice into water. After my explanation, Kagari contemplated this for a moment. "Now that you mention it, there was indeed that sense. Still, that effect alone seemed trivial." "Yes, so I thought I’d give it a try. Then, the ice dragon’s own coldness froze the water, hindering its movement." Its wings were frozen, making movement difficult. "For an ice dragon to freeze itself, how foolish." "But now, if I ever face them again, I can defeat the ice dragon." "Are you planning on fighting them again?" Kagari looked at me, exasperated. "If they pick a fight." Kagari's expression was one of disbelief. "I won’t join you next time." Even if she says that, I have a feeling she'll help me. "What’s so amusing?" "Nothing at all." Though exhausted, today marked the end of a long day.