Hibana sat across from Tsu, his tail flicking back and forth in slow, deliberate arcs. His green eyes stayed locked on her, watching her face — searching for something that wasn't there.
Tsu bared her teeth, her gaze hard as iron. "Like I said, dragon, I can't help you."
Hibana dipped his head in a slow nod. "This isn't for me, Tsu," he said quietly. "It's for all of you. If I can't figure out how to control my emotions in a fight... I'm useless."
Tsu's expression didn't change, but her fingers flexed against the hilt of her nodachi. "No," she said firmly. "You're far from useless." Her gaze sharpened. "You're a natural-born killer — a walking massacre in the shape of a dragon. What's useless is you trying to fight against that. Trying to bury your instincts? That's a waste of time — and in that regard, there's nothing I can do for you."
Hibana turned away from her, his eyes drifting toward the kobolds. He watched them working in the distance — planting, watering, tending to their crops. They had taken to farming with an eager determination, far more willing to embrace it than the goblins had ever been. It gave him hope — a fragile, stubborn thing that flickered inside him like a flame in the wind.
Tsu followed his gaze, her lip curling in disdain. "What are you hoping for, dragon?" Her voice was low, sharp as a dagger. "An empire? Built on the backs of slaves? Because that's what those kobolds are — tools for you to use and discard."
Hibana's head snapped back to her, his eyes narrowing. "Is that really all you think I am, Tsu?" His voice was quiet, but something hard and dangerous coiled beneath it. "A ferocious killer... whose only nature is greed and destruction?"
For a heartbeat, the two stared at each other, the air between them heavy with unspoken words. The wind danced across Tsu's face, his orange scales reflecting in her golden eyes — cold and unwavering.
"That's what dragons are," she said flatly. "Prove me wrong."
Hibana shook his head. "Prove me wrong first. In the time that you have been here, what have you seen from me? Do you truly see a dragon? Do you see the monster you have actually come to expect?"
Tsu stood up. "What if I decided to cut down each and every one of your friends right in front of you? I don't think you'd even try to stop me. Not that you'd be able to anyway."
Hibana shook his head slowly. "You could have killed me at any time," he said. "I was committed to following you into the Cursed Lands. You didn't kill me then... because I know you couldn't. And for that same reason, I know you couldn't do it now — not to me, not to Solryn, and not to those kobolds."
He sat up straighter, his gaze steady. "I don't know what this world has done to you," he said, his voice quieter now. "I don't care what they say you are, or what you've done."
His eyes flicked toward the settlement — the scattered kobolds working the fields, laughing and shouting as they went about their tasks. His voice grew firmer.
"You might think what I'm doing here is pointless... and maybe it is." He turned back to Tsu, his expression hardening. "But I have to try. I can't just give up."
Tsu's gaze narrowed, her scowl deeper than usual. For once, the emotions in her face weren't buried beneath cold detachment — they burned, fierce and unguarded.
"You think I didn't kill you because I couldn't?!" Her voice was sharp as steel, cold and commanding. "No... I didn't kill you because it would've been too quick of a death for a monster like you!"
She turned away, her taloned fingers curling tightly around the hilt of her nodachi. Her grip was iron — her muscles coiled so tightly beneath her fur it seemed her arm might shake from the strain.
"It would've been a mercy you didn't deserve."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them felt heavier than stone.
Then Hibana's voice broke the silence — steady, quiet, but unwavering."I don't believe that for one second, Tsu."
She didn't turn to face him, but her shoulders tensed.
"You let me follow you... and follow you, I would have." His voice faltered slightly — not from weakness, but from something heavier. "All the way to hell if I had to. Because this world had already taken everything else from me... and all I had left was to at least help you."
His gaze softened, though his voice stayed firm."Because I thought you needed it. And I still do."
Tsu turned sharply, her golden eyes locking onto Hibana's. For a moment, she said nothing — just stared at him, her gaze hard and unrelenting.
"What the hell are you?" Her voice was low, strained — not just angry, but demanding.
Hibana tilted his head slightly, as if the question didn't surprise him — as if he'd been waiting for it."I get asked that a lot," he said with a small, tired smile. "I don't know what I am."
His gaze drifted away, almost distant."My parents told me I'm not a dragon. The goblins couldn't make up their minds about what I was. Those adventurers that tried to kill you when we first met? They didn't understand me either. Solryn's asked me this... even the kobolds don't really know what I am."
Hibana's eyes lingered on hers for a moment longer."All I know is... I'm still here."
He paused, then added quietly,"And so are you."
He shifted slightly, drawing in a slow breath before continuing."So while you're here... this is the first time I've ever asked you for anything — since the day we met."
His voice softened, hesitant but firm."You can refuse. Completely. But... would you help me figure out how to better control my emotions? Because... I have a feeling this is something I'm going to struggle with a lot."
Tsu sighed, the sound heavy and sharp."So you can pretend to be something you're clearly not?" She flipped her mane slightly. "You think a dragon can just act like a man, and everything will work out fine?"
She shook her head, her voice hardening."But you don't even know what you are."
Her hand drifted to the hilt of her nodachi, fingers curling around the grip — not in threat, but in emphasis."If we do this... if you want to control your emotions... you'd better be willing to find out. Because I swear to you, dragon — waste my time, and you will know the pain of a thousand hells!"
Hibana soon found himself with a wooden pail of water on his head. Tsu paced around him, her steps slow and deliberate — like a predator circling wounded prey.
"You will balance that bucket of water on your head until the sun goes down," she said coldly. "Spill a single drop, and you have failed."
Her voice hardened. "You're always moving. Always reacting. Always chasing the foolish idea that you can fix things that shouldn't even concern you."
She stopped pacing. For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then — steel hissed against leather.
Tsu's nodachi flashed out, the broken tip hovering inches from Hibana's face. His breath hitched, and the water sloshed over the rim.
"D-Damn!" Hibana sputtered.
"Pathetic." Tsu's lip curled in disgust. "You still let your body control you."
Her eyes narrowed, and her next words came slow — sharp as blades. "You beat that Bloodhound because you were lucky. You think that means you're strong? You think that means you're special?"
She snorted. "You're not. You're weak. Soft. I already know you'll never be able to do this."
Hibana's fists clenched. "I can do this!"
"Oh?" Tsu sneered. She knelt in front of him, pulled out her water pouch, and slowly — deliberately — poured more water into the bucket until it was nearly spilling over the rim.
The liquid trembled, threatening to spill with every breath Hibana took.
"For the rest of the day," Tsu said icily, "you will not spill a drop. If you do... we start again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next — until you either succeed..." her golden eyes gleamed with malice, "...or admit you can't."
She stood and walked to a tree, planting herself beneath its branches. She drew her sword across her lap, resting her hand on the hilt.
"I'll watch," she muttered. "I'll watch you fail."
She closed her eyes, feigning disinterest. But her hand tightened on her sword — as if ready to punish him the moment he faltered.
As she gazed at him from her seated position at the tree. Hibana's thoughts wandered. the Bucket was getting heavier as the hours passed. Then suddenly he heard the familiar sound of young kobolds playing near him. They were play fighting. They scuffled in the dirt near Hibana, and one of them accidentally backed into his tail. the water splashed out over his head and he dropped the bucket. Hibana's anger welled up, and he truned to the little child and growled at him, but then he realized what he had just done. "Oh...no..." he said.
Tsu got up and walked to him. "Pathetic. Even kobold young can break your focus." When Hibana continued to stare at her without speaking. Her gaze narrowed. "Tomorrow, You'll do it again!"
The next day He held the bucket up again. and Tsu continued to watch him. He gaze never wavered. She barely ever even blinked. "How is she doing that?" he thought. Solryn came up to Hibana. He was eating what looked like an apple. "Oh...doing that useless activity again I see. I still can't wrap my head around the idea of a dragon, standing there like a scolded dog." he takes a bite of the apple and throws the core over his shoulder as he walks away. the core lands on hibana's wing, causing him to flinch. spilling the water.
"...FUCK!" Hibana shouts.
Tsu walks back to him. "This is who you are. Weak. Easily swayed by the words, and actions of fools!" and when Hibana didn't say anything, and continued to look at Tsu. "Tomorrow then..." Tsu said.
"I...I can't give up! This can be done!" Hibana thought.
Over and over again. Four more days. Four more failures. One day Solyrn came up to him again and spoke. "You know, I have seen some really stubborn fools in my time. Maybe you just can't do this? I mean surely you have to realize that dragons are slaves to thier instincts. I just don't see you doing this."
Hibana yelled. "Shut up!" and he spilled the water once again.
Tsu walked up to him again. "The fact is, You're just another lowly beast pretending to be more than what you are."
Those words crushed Hibana. and on the next day he was beginning to feel despair. "Maybe she's right. Maybe Solryn's right...what am I doing here? why am I doing this?" Then suddenly his mind began to wander again. back in time. to a day Tetsuo mopped the train station floor. The salaryman, walking over it with shoes covered in dirt. Teenagers running across it without care. Another man not noticing as a piece of trash fell form his pocket. and then he remembered the words of an old man. "You work hard, kid. most wouldn't bother."
"I've been here before," Hibana realized. "I've already done this."
This wasn't about strength. It wasn't about power. It was about patience — about focus. About knowing that no matter how many times people ignored you, dismissed you, or stomped on the work you'd done...
You kept going.
The wind shifted, The sun moved. the grass grew. the kobolds played and toiled. and Solryn read his books. He ignored the distractions, and focused. and the sun fell below the mountains in the west.
Tsu walked over to Hibana.
She lifted the bucket off his head and set it down next to him. "Don't expect a reward." she muttered. and then began to walk off again, but then she turned her head to him. "I was wrong. Perhaps you're not so pathetic after all."
After that, she walked away faster than usual, her steps stiff and deliberate — almost as if forcing herself to stay composed.
Hibana's legs shook, but he took in a deep breath, and went to go find something to eat.