I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Extra Chapter 231
8-3. Old Friends
“You’re alive.”
“Yeah, I’ve been alive all this time. It’s been quite a while since I was captured by the angels. Look at Abyss—my little sibling has grown so much.”
“… (raises an eyebrow)”
“Of course, I’m grateful to the devils who raised him without being captured by the angels. But I’m a little… irritated.”
A shock, like static electricity, crackled through the air.
It felt like the ground shook a little.
But that was probably just my imagination.
Still, the vibration seemed to linger on the soles of my feet.
Tekeris was angry.
Most of his anger was directed at the angels, but about a tenth of it seemed to be aimed at Atrak himself.
“Atrak…! Why did you abandon the fight…?! You know the power of Iubora, don’t you? It has always been my power. While I was captured, I watched everything in this world from that stone tablet. Atrak, why did you not resist the angels? Why did you not fight that?!”
Shoving aside Yuuzen, Tekeris stepped closer to Atrak.
Then, Atrak calmly raised his hand.
“…”
“Grr…!”
With a sudden stop, Tekeris’ movements froze.
He quickly understood what was happening to his body and loosened his strength.
The skill being applied was a binding skill that tightens the more you struggle.
The fact that Atrak could use such a skill so effortlessly in his current state only raised more questions about why he hadn’t shown his strength in past battles.
Atrak, who possesses a power that surpasses Tekeris, a byproduct of the world.
If he could stop someone like Tekeris, why did he not make a move against that?
“Why, Atrak…?! Why did you choose bodily death?!”
“… (sighs). … (glances at Lurimkos).”
“‘Destruction’”
CRACK!!!!
The sound of ice being forcibly broken echoed through the air.
Afterward, Atrak turned his neck, cracking it.
“it was for thou, tekeris. “
His words were tinged with an accent.
Atrak, who hadn’t spoken until now, spoke for the first time at that moment.
Lurimkos had used a skill earlier, which had likely destroyed Atrak’s affliction.
While aging seemed irreversible, his speech and body movements visibly changed.
In this state, he could fight as much as he wanted.
“For me?”
Though he was bewildered by the unexpected words, Tekeris searched hard to understand their meaning, but it did not come easily.
Realizing he needed to explain, Atrak began to speak with a slight annoyance.
“When that moves, so doth the angels. That we but had no imagining where thou were. Hence I made a move. Separating the body and mind didn’t work out well. While I was trying to detach, mine body just snapped. “
“Why would someone like you…?”
“I told you, it was for you.”
Atrak stepped forward and pressed his index finger against Tekeris’ forehead.
“A man won’t stay silent when his friend is captured.”
“…”
“That’s the end of it. Seriously, do I have to spell it out for you, you soulless creature?”
With that, he seemed to release the skill, causing Tekeris, who had been leaning slightly forward, to stumble.
Another crack echoed, and Atrak coughed.
He sighed, rotated his shoulders, and gave Lurimkos a sharp look for abruptly releasing the skill.
“Tekeris, my lord chose to save you over defeating the enemy. Do you realize how many centuries he searched for you, not even knowing where you were? You know that the body is defenseless during ‘spiritual detachment,’ right?”
“Something like an indestructible byproduct can be dealt with later…”
“But your bond with my lord was too strong to leave you behind, wasn’t it?”
“Hmm…”
Though not fully convinced, Tekeris seemed to reluctantly accept it.
To Tekeris, the concept of friendship was quite foreign.
However, just as he cherished Abyss and Iubora, whom he had created, he understood that Atrak also valued his old friend.
But to go to the extent of dying physically for it?
A sense of amazement washed over him again, but that was just the kind of man Atrak was.
“He’s been like this since the old days, honestly… what a foolish, un-devil-like bunch.”
“Ah… are we done talking?”
“Ouren, wait…!”
Ouren’s words cut through the tense air.
It might not have been the best time to interject, but honestly, I felt relieved.
What was with the tension between those people?
It was terrifying…
Even Ouren and the others were watching from a distance, and it was hard to step in.
But that’s the kind of strong person Ouren is. Bold and daring.
Tekeris then turned his head and looked over at us.
“Ah, sorry. I got a bit carried away seeing an old friend.”
“Seemed like there was some personal grudge mixed in, though…”
“That’s your imagination. But even if there was, it’s settled now. Don’t worry.”
“Alright, then.”
With a cough, Ouren turned to face Atrak.
“I’ve got some good information for you.”