BXBX NOVEL Chapter 95 95 – Returning To Youth
Standing by the dragon seal door, Haruki had Rose accompany him inside. Still possessing the powers of the demon lord, Asmodia, he didn't want to waste a second of time in case the ability retreated its effects.
"About the guards, I've removed them from the memories of the masses, but it's probably best we never talk about them," hardly caring for human suffering anymore, Rose simply nodded her head in agreement.
Lighting the path forward with a flame burning over her hand, Rose led Haruki right over to her dying brother. There as Haruki's eyes laid on a dragon for the first time, he felt struck with awe and a sense of insignificance before such an elegant being.
"Klian, are you there?" Getting down on her knees, Rose brushed her hands down her brother's nose.
Thoroughly looking over his body, she noticed that all his icy scales were slowly melting away leaving behind a water glint that was akin to a fish out of water.
"I never thought I'd see him like this," pressing her head against his, she tried her best to hold back her tears. "He used to be so full of life and energy, he even breathed out the tundra that surrounds this duchy."
'I only saw it through her memories, but even in them he was always causing chaos and destruction to a scale that's staggeringly unimaginable.' Being the one who turned the volcanic field of Laria into a tundra, there was no one more fitting to be titled the maddened dragon.
"Let me have a look," upon hearing his request, Rose stepped aside, giving Haruki space to do whatever he'd planned.
Placing his hand on Klian's head, Haruki closed his eyes searching for the best way to rejuvenate the dragon's life. The first answer that appeared in his head was to turn him into an incubus so he could be immortal so long as carnal curse didn't reach level three. However, assuming that wasn't an option Rose would be willing to accept, Haruki scanned through the abilities.
Feeling Klian's head slowly rising and falling with each dying breath, it was no surprise to Haruki that he didn't have much time to spare. And despite stumbling upon abilities upon abilities that could potentially save his life there was always some latent effect that could ruin the whole deal between him and Roselia. That is until he saw something far more potent than anything else so far.
"How old is your brother?" Haruki asked, turning his head towards Rose.
A bit perplexed as to what his age had to do with anything, Rose gave off a frown but decided to tell Haruki Klain's age regardless.
"I'm not really certain, but it's around fifteen hundred and some years," her unsure answer was quite startling on its own.
'I couldn't have guessed they were so old from that compressed shot of her memories.' Having only exchanged core memories that stayed fresh in their minds, Haruki couldn't help but feel as though he had much to learn about the sibling dragons.
"Age regression: five hundred years!" As mana began pouring out of his body and force itself into Klian, Haruki urged Rose to come closer and hold his hand. "Burn my hand, I need to drain your mana so I can complete the spell."
Taking a hold of Haruki's hand, she made her hands flare up into a raging fire. Burning under her palm, Haruki could feel his skin being charred up and his flesh cooking alive but powering through the pain, he kept pouring his mana into the struggling Klian.
"Is it working?" Asked Rose, but answering her question wasn't words, but the slow yet steady loss of mass in her brother's body.
Shrinking in size, Klian's body began growing back the icy scales. Then, as his mass reduced even more, his muscles became more solid and defined.
"A bit more!" Haruki yelled asking her to pour even more strength into the flame.
"O-okay!" Like a forge meant to melt iron, the flame under her hands tore right through Haruki's bones, but absorbing energy from the pain, Haruki had gotten all the strength that he needed.
Overcharged with mana, the two were thrown back by a small explosion charging from Haruki's hands. Somehow managing to break their fall, they were both brought to their knees as they looked back up at the maddened dragon.
"It worked, right? He seems more youthful!" Bracing her heart as a grumble left Klian's lips, Rose watched as her brother slowly opened his eyes and propped himself tall on his feet.
Stretching his limbs a little, his eyes widened in shock as the chain on his limbs clanked about rampantly. His arms felt alive, and his heart breezed a storm inside his chest. He could feel it in himself the once dying breaths could now breathe a new tundra.
"Who is this imp?" Asked Klian looking down at Haruki's demon form. "And what has he done to me?"
"Are you feeling okay?" Ignoring his questions, Rose rushed over to her brother and hugged him by his wide chest. "It doesn't hurt now, does it?"
Peering up at him like a child, she had her cheeks trailing with tears.
"I feel…" Taking a deep breath, he could feel his lungs filling up with cold air, reminding him of the time he still had some control over his body. "I feel young again."
"I'm glad!" Hugging him even tighter, she buried her face onto his body.
Noticing Klian's gaze on him, Haruki knew it was best for him to give the two some lone time, thus, turning around he started making his way toward the only door in the room.
"I'll leave you two alone, but make sure to explain everything to Klian I'll work to figure out how to get rid of the curse in the meantime," waving his hand to the dragons, Haruki left the two alone.
Although he'd garnered at least some amount of Rose's trust, to further her loyalty he still had much to do.
'I need Fay's ability to take out what little part of Snow's soul is left inside of me, but how do I do it exactly?' Coming out to the sight of his servants waiting for him, Haruki was met with curious stares dying to know some answers.
"The duchy is falling, the castle is in shambles, and all of Moriyana's servants are either dead or cripples," looking around the four, Haruki huffed out a sigh, expecting a heap load of work waiting for him. "I think we can all use some time to stretch our bodies."
Having essentially been offered a holiday, all four of them relaxed their shoulders and beamed out a smile.