The Might Of A Retired Hero

-----

As mother took me out of the house to admire the beauty the surroundings could offer, a shadow above the skies soon emerged, cutting it short.

As it arrived, we looked above to find what seemed to be a giant flying lizard. It didn't have wings on its front limbs like birds, but it had a second pair of limbs over its shoulder. It was covered in red scales that gave off a metallic luster. It possessed sharp black claws, an enormous pointy head with a sharp black horn on top of its snout, six eyes that were red-colored, a long tail with a sharp spear-like tip, and a furious yet fiery presence.

I felt like I was about to faint out of pure horror after seeing it. This creature exuded such a tremendous quantity of mana it seemed completely impossible to me. At this point, I could not help but wonder if my parents could even match this thing. Perhaps they hid their mana at all times? Then again, unlike my parents, this one doesn't.

Not long after, it flapped its wings as it released storms that blew away several flowers near us.

Ugh, I think I'm about to faint…

"A red dragon?! Ah… Sylphy!"

Seeing my current condition, mother quickly emanated her saintly presence, her domain quickly encompassing my body. Having it cover me makes me feel relieved and safe… ugh, that was close.

"RROOOOAAARRRR!"

Wait… did she just say a red dragon?

A dragon… as in… dragons from mythology?

While we were in our own worlds, the monstrous creature spanning at least 30 meters tall slowly began to descend. During that time, father stared at it.

"GRROOOOAARRR! Where is the legendary hero? I have come to fight him!"

"Oh, that must be me-"

"You stupid uncivilized lizard! You dare make my little girl almost faint?! HOLY ARROW!"

However, before father could make a move, mother decided to act first. In an instant, she waved her hands as a gigantic 20-meter-long arrow made out of holy light emerged out of absolutely nowhere. She then shot it out at such a speed that even I wasn't able to follow.

CLAAAAAAASSSSH!

The powerful arrow quickly reached the red dragon, hitting its chest before exploding into a deadly shockwave.

BOOOOOMMM!!!

"UGGRRRRRAAGGGH…! It hurts…!"

Oh wow… the dragon immediately groaned in agony as it quickly fell to the ground. Now, there's a big wound in the middle of its chest while bleeding out everything its body could bleed.

"As expected of my wife," my father said, giving my mother a thumbs up in response to her attack.

"Finish that thing off,"my mother indifferently replied, her anger becoming more palpable with every second.

My father smiled bitterly in response. Wait a second… did I just sense a shiver run through his spine…?

"Unnnggh…! Aaghh…! S-Such magical power… and speed…! A single magic arrow possesses such intensity to penetrate through my magic resistant scales?!" the red dragon roared, slowly standing up as father walked towards him.

"Alright, man. This is your first and last warning from me. If you want to get out of here alive, feel free. If not… prepare yourself to become our dinner," father said to the dragon with a serious expression on his face.

My father looks so badass!

He walked so calmly towards such a terrifying and gigantic beast!

Not long after, he generated his own domain, a domain of infernal flames quickly spreading throughout all his surroundings. It seemed as if everything around him had turned into the image of hell itself.

His eyes flashed with fiery orange and red flames. Even his hair grew longer and waved upwards. Also… did his muscles just get bigger?!

Such tremendous power… in his current state, he far surpasses the dragon in strength. Yet all this time, he was hiding it?!

The dragon, however, confronts him with a smile. He barely stood up as my mother squinted her eyes in response to its move.

"Tough lizard…" she muttered. At this moment, the lovely personality I knew from my mother was replaced with one filled with murderous intent.

Wow mother, you're scary.

"Hahahaha! T-This is it! My whole life I have been looking for a true challenge, one where my life is on the line! And finally… I've finally found it! Now, hero, the one that defeated the Demon King, prepare yourself to fight the fourth son of the Dragon King, Ignatius Dragafier!"

Surprisingly, the dragon still had the energy to introduce himself. While that was happening, his draconic and fiery aura emerged from his body like a stream of flames.

My father's flames, however, were bigger and stronger.

In a short time, he waved his hands as a gigantic red and orange blade materialized out of his fire before holding it with a single hand… this thing was over 5 meters long while still being incredibly thick. It resembled a piece of metal… in fact, it looked more like a metal plate in the shape of a sword now that I look at it again.

And it shone, it shone so brightly it could even pierce the heavens themselves…

My father had a confident smile as he listened to the dragon's monologue. Soon, a murderous intent emerged from his fiery eyes as if he had changed from his clumsy and cute nature with me into a pure killing machine.

"Watch closely, dear. This is your father's might…" mother said to me, a malicious smile emerging on her lips, contrasting with her pure elven appearance.

"Haha, it has been a while since I fought, I may be a bit rusty actually," he said, jumping towards the dragon.

Right away, both clashed in the heavens as thunderous sounds began to resonate everywhere as countless storms of flames began to expand across the skies. The clouds quickly dissipated as flames turned the sky red…

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

I couldn't even see what's going on at this point. I could only hear the roars of the dragon, their attacks impacting one another, and then, a single powerful slicing sound, the sound that would only come out when you sliced through something very tough.

SLAAAAAAASSSHHH!

"UUUGGRRRAAAAAGGGH…!"

The dragon groaned in agony as the fight finally ends. The skies quickly return back to their original appearance as I see the dragon's head fall over the grasslands, painting the surroundings red.

Father soon descended alongside the body, jumping over it as he let the gigantic blade rest over his shoulder.

"Phew, that was a fine exercise. Let's have dragon meat for dinner! I bet Sylphy will like it!" he said.

What the hell is this?! My father just killed a mythical creature like a dragon as if it was nothing?

"Gahh… Papa… strong…" I muttered.

"Right? Papa is very strong! I wouldn't have chosen him if not for that," mother said in response to my words.

Eeeh? So… she chose him because he was strong?

I guess that's how this world works. If you see a dragon casually flying through the skies, then strength is everything to survive here…

With the battle done, mother headed towards father by flying closer to him in a flash of light with me, kissing his face afterward.

"Well done! Let's butcher it into smaller parts. I want to give the dragon's heart to Sylphy. The fresher, the better~"

"Oh, good idea!"

-----