Hero or Dragon?

"Ki- Kill you??"

"Indeed!" Jefferson raised Kurt's body one more time and slammed him against the wall.

"Gaaaagh!!" the young red-haired lad shrieked.

He hurried to activate his healing flames once again but the enormous six-armed grey dragon just proceeded to slam him over and over repeatedly.

Kurt could not understand how could there be so much of a difference in power. Even though he was so strong when compared to other students, even able to send Hugh flying with one punch, he was still having this much trouble with an opponent on his second form.

He really underestimated how much power one could gain from tapping into its dragon body.

The grey beast was about to attack him again but not before trying to convince Kurt one more time to complete his father's goal, "Do you understand now, young master? This power? It could also be yours! Your father is only trying to do what's best for you two because of how much he loves you. His kids are the pride of the empire and only when you release the dragon inside will you truly achieve your full potential!"

Kurt was so tired from all the healing he had to apply over his own body that he barely managed to hear a word Jefferson said. Part skin of his arm was missing, some of his ribs were fractured, and just trying to keep his eyes open was enough to disorient him, "Pant... Pant... Yeah... Ugh! Right... I'm feeling pretty loved right now..."

The one thing in his mind at the moment was to do his best to not pass out. If he lost consciousness he wouldn't be able to heal his wounds and could possibly leave his body in a critical state.

He glanced at Saramin and Anthony and she wasn't doing that much better. The dragon with blades for arms had her locked against the ground with the two swords crossed against her neck like an open pair of scissors.

Sara was looking extremely irritated with the whole situation. Being invited to a dinner she didn't want to attend and forced to play a game she didn't want to play only to end up getting attacked, it was hard to blame her for being in a bad mood.

No matter how one looked at this situation, both kids had lost that fight.

"Okay, Jefferson, your proved your point. The second form is powerful... Yay for you! Now let us go..." the boy begged.

"I'm afraid you haven't completed your task yet, young master. Your father gave us a mission, and we intend to complete it!"

Jefferson raised Kurt one more time and proceeded to throw him by Saramin's side, "Huuf!!"

'Kid! Kurt! Are you okay?' Dorothy screamed inside his mind. She was watching everything from above the staircase and dying of worry with each passing moment.

'Define okay...' he replied.

The boy managed to stand up while continuing to heal his wounds but he still felt a wave of exhaustion looming over him. He was reminded of what his friends said about the time limit and began to wonder if had pushed his healing talent a bit too far from all the fighting he had done today against Jefferson, Anthony, and Hugh.

"Jefferson! Anthony! Let's just stop this! We clearly are in no state to fight anymore!" Saramin shouted.

"What do you think, my Lord?" the gray two-headed dragon asked while glancing at the staircase.

Kurt followed his line of sight and noticed his father on top of it just enjoying the view alongside his five wives, including Sabiri who was shaking non-stop.

"Has he unlocked his second form yet?" Lian Garen asked.

"I'm afraid not, my lord" Jefferson admitted while bowing with his two snakeheads.

"Then I see no reason to stop."

Kurt widened his eyes, "Father! Please! This is crazy!! You can't just force this thing out of us like this!"

Lian tilted his head and rubbed his chin with a confused look, "And why is that?"

"What!?"

"Is it because you're tired? Just heal up and try again!"

Kurt could not believe what he was hearing, "Are you serious?? Do you know what you're asking from me??"

"Sure I am! I'm asking you to finally become one of us! A dragon!"

"By killing!"

"It is the fastest way... What can I say? Each dragon has its own trigger but taking someone's life usually gets the job done most of the time!" Lian shrugged and smiled at the boy, "Besides... Every reward has a cost, Kurt. You can't expect life to just give you things on a silver platter without paying some sort of price first. In a way, you could look at this as your coming of age story! You're finally gonna become an adult!"

The boy tried his best to change into a dragon but he simply had no idea how. Did he really have to kill Jefferson in order to do it? Even though he barely knew him, he just couldn't bring himself to kill someone just like that so easily.

He knew it was a different world, he knew it was a different set of rules. But this was still killing. KILLING! If he crossed that line, there was no going back.

Was there really no other way to unlock his second form? And if that was the case, was it really worth it?

Was becoming a dragon and joining this competition really worth the cost of becoming a murderer?

Kurt's fist wouldn't stop shaking and his heartbeat kept increasing with every second. He glared at his father as if he wanted to stab him with his eyes, "No! I'm not playing this stupid game with you!"

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'm not doing it! I'm not fighting in your silly faction game nor am I taking someone's life just because you told me to!"

Lian Garen began to smile while staring to glare back at Kurt, "My boy... I'm your father... And your emperor... You're an outsider in this land and we have shown you nothing but the highest level of hospitality in order to make you feel welcomed here. You were born in this world as a prince! And not only that, a prince from the strongest race in existence!

All I ask in return is that you play the role you are meant to play...

And you have the nerve to say 'no' to me? After everything I did?"

Suddenly a weak red glow in the shape of a snake began to appear on Kurt's left arm.

"Are you betraying me? Are you betraying your race?" the emperor shouted.

Sabiri had her eyes glued at Kurt's arm and began to silently pray for his safety.

"I'm not betraying anyone!" Kurt claimed, "I just don't want to kill someone! Why is this so hard to accept!?"

The emperor's smile vanished, "Boy... You are testing my patience... Stop fooling around and heal yourself so you can fight again!"

Kurt gazed at his fingers and his wounded body and finally got an idea, "No! I'm not going to heal myself!"

"Kurt!" Sabiri gasped.

Lian's other wives and kids continued to watch with excitement. They never expected things to take this direction when they were invited for the dinner today.

'I'm sick of following your rules! Now I see why mother was so obsessed with keeping you away from me... You're crazy!' Kurt thought to himself.

Lian realized the determination in the boy's eyes and decided to change his tactics, "Jefferson, grab him!"

The grey dragon did as he was ordered and locked Kurt with his tail in a tight grip.

"Ugh!"

His father then gazed at Saramin on the ground and gave another order, this time for Anthony, "Stab her leg!"

"Wait! No!" Kurt shouted but in vain.

"Aaaarghh!!!" Saramin yelled as the blade crossed through her limb.

"What are you doing!!??" Kurt yelled while trying to free himself.

"Heal! And fight!" Lian ordered again.

The red mark on Kurt's arm began to glow even stronger, "You can't do this! She's your daughter!!"

"I'm her father, but I'm also an emperor, and as such, I need to set an example to all my subjects. Stab her arm next!"

"Aaarghhh!!!" the girl screamed one more time. She still had the memorized ability she got from Kurt so all her wounds were closed soon enough, but she had no idea how long that power would last.

"It's your choice Kurt" Lian continued, "Will you keep your true nature hidden inside like a coward or will you do what needs to be done?"

"I- I- I can't!! I can't transform!! I don't know how!!" he declared while starting to tear up.

"Yes, you do! Every dragon has a trigger that releases the beast inside of them! I know you have it in you as well! I saw it with my own eyes! All I want is that you show me again! Use your power to kill Jefferson!

Wake up the dragon in you!"

The boy looked at his sister, then at the green creature holding her down, and finally back at his father, "I can't!!"

"Sigh... How disappointing... Anthony..." Lian gave one last look at Saramin and closed his eyes before giving his final order, "Cut her head off."

The green dragon hesitated for a moment but the emperor glared at him and reassured him that he meant what he said.

"Forgive me, master Sara..." he whispered while raising his blades.

"Anthony! No! Please! Father!!" Saramin cried in desperation.

"STOP!!!!" Kurt shouted.

No matter how much he tried his body wouldn't change. His last resort was to try and summon the power he displayed during his fight with Hugh. If he could do it, he knew even a dragon body wouldn't be able to match him. Only problem was, he had no idea how he did that.

'Think, Kurt!' Dorothy yelled inside his mind.

'Dorothy!?'

'What motivates you?'

'Motivates??'

'Yes! Think! Think about all the times you were at your strongest! The day you unlocked your healing ability! The day you got ambushed! The day you faced with Sara and her group! And during your fight with your bone-headed brother!' she shouted, 'What do all these things have in common? What makes you strong? What's your trigger?'

'My trigger?'

Kurt began to think back to what she said.

He unlocked his healing power as a kid because he wanted to fix the wound his mother received from the black knight. He fought against the bullies that ambushed him because they were harming Dorothy. He picked a fight with Saramin to help out Gaby. And with Hugh, he felt stronger than ever before once he heard about how that person was going to try and harm his friends.

'My trigger...'

His mother, Dorothy, Gaby, his friends... Kurt began to put the pieces together.

The reason why he wanted to leave his old life. The reason he choose to stay in this new world. The reason why he was so weak when he needed to fight for himself but why he was so strong when he had to fight for someone else.

"I wanted to feel needed..." he mumbled, "I wanted to help out those who needed me!"

"Please don't do this!!" Saramin cried again as the dragon began to bring down his blade.

Dorothy began to fly and started to speak again, 'Nobody in this world right now needs you more than her! So stop daydreaming and do what you love to do!'

Kurt watched the dragon's sword moving as if it was in slow motion. A strange sensation began to come out from his right arm as if something was crawling over his skin.

'You're not just a dragon! You're a hero!

So go and save her!!'

Saramin closed her eyes and turned her face away just as her neck was about to be slashed, but the moment the blade even touched her skin, Anthony immediately stopped once he heard the sound of someone screaming in agony.

"AAAAARGHHHH!!!" Jefferson cried while stumbling across the room with one of his six arms missing and covering the ground with his blood.

The whole place froze and gazed at the commotion. On one side, the giant grey dragon was trying his best to close his wound as he continued to twitch in pain, while in the very center stood Kurt completely still with blood all over his hand.

"His arm..." Hugh whispered.

Kurt's left arm had been completely covered with metallic scales giving him the appearance of someone wearing a knight's gauntlet.

What was even more surprising was that he recognized that pattern. It was the same kind of appearance his mother would display during their training sessions.

"This is mother's ability..." the boy mumbled while raising his silver arm.

Sabiri herself couldn't believe what she was seeing, and even the emperor was just as shocked.

"He can use two talents...?" Lian Garen whispered before grinning from ear to ear, "Interesting!"