The Dragon King Questions the Hero and Descends to the Land of Rabbits
Dragons. In medieval fantasy or hunting games, they're a staple—often the final boss or an essential presence, their absence dimming the story's vibrancy. They're monsters expected to be there.
A classic scenario: the demon king, facing a hero, transforms into a dragon as their true form. Or a heroine, imbued with draconic power, morphs via an item—a fan-favorite moment in games. Dragons are beloved.
And now, before Pepper and his companions stands the dragon—the unique monster, Siegverum, Sovereign of the Skies. Through negotiations with Kyoju, the Library's leader, and a deal involving Lycaon's Marking, they learned of this golden Dragon King, one of the seven mightiest beings, now towering before them.
"Which of you," Siegverum intones, "is the hero who weaves dreams that dance in the azure skies?"
His long neck cranes toward them, cat-like pupils locking onto Pepper and Laser Marlin. His powerful breaths rumble in their ears, his overwhelming presence pressing against their skin. Unlike the nocturnal Lycaon, this colossal being radiates a distinct, commanding aura.
This is Siegverum, Sovereign of the Skies—dragon among dragons, king among kings. Pepper and Laser Marlin feel this truth viscerally.
"A-a-a-a…" Laser Marlin stammers, trembling like an old phone on vibrate.
"Um… Siegverum, sir!" Pepper steps forward, shielding the boy, drawing the Dragon King's gaze. Siegverum's eyes catch the Radiant Solraia adorning Pepper's legs.
"I see!" Siegverum booms. "You're the hero who inherited the answer that soars the azure skies! Haha! I've longed to meet you!"
His thunderous laughter shakes the trees of the Verdant Hollow as if caught in a storm.
"And… heh! Bearing both the 'cursed mark of that wretched dog' and 'my friend's collar' to carve a path through this world! Fascinating… truly fascinating!"
The "wretched dog" is undoubtedly Lycaon. But Pepper, in that moment, pieces something together. When Weissash spoke of "the answer that soars the azure skies" to him and Aitoil, mentioning a visit to an old acquaintance, and now Siegverum's reference to "my friend's collar"—the dots connect.
"Siegverum, sir… could it be? Was the acquaintance Weissash mentioned… you?"
Siegverum nods. "Indeed. Your 'teacher,' 'Vash,' and I are old friends from ancient times."
The revelation hits Pepper hard. Weissash, acquainted with the unique monster Siegverum? His mind reels.
"Hey! What's that!?"
"A golden dragon!?"
"It's huge!"
Other pioneers, drawn by the commotion, arrive.
"More pioneers?" Siegverum rumbles. "This place is too cramped. Pepper, daughter of my friend, climb onto my hand."
"What!?" Pepper exclaims.
"Pyo!?" Aitoil squeaks.
Before they can process, Siegverum's commanding gaze—'Get on already'—compels them. Pepper and Aitoil, with a meek "Y-yes, sir," climb onto his left hand. With a mighty beat of his wings, the Dragon King soars between the Twin Emperor Trees, ascending into the sky.
Left behind, Laser Marlin faints, mouth agape, only to be rescued by the arriving pioneers. One, amidst the fierce wind of Siegverum's takeoff, snaps a photo with sheer grit, unknowingly sparking a chain of chaos…
Shangri-La Frontier, the Skies
As the sunset paints the western sky, Siegverum soars, four wings beating, carrying Pepper and Aitoil in his left hand.
"…The sky… so high…" Pepper murmurs.
"The wind… so strong…" Aitoil adds.
Equipped with the Tyranid Giraffa, Kaiserion Caucasus, and Radiant Solraia— relics of the fallen Twin Emperors—Pepper has never been this high. Aitoil, too, is speechless before the vastness.
"Hahahaha!" Siegverum's voice cuts through the wind. "This is my view, hero of the azure skies! If you will it, you could soar this high!"
Even amidst the gusts, his words are clear. A fall from here would mean certain death for both. Why has Siegverum brought them here? Pepper's mind, overwhelmed, struggles to find answers.
Then—
"Hero who dances in the azure skies," Siegverum says, gazing at the horizon and beyond, to the cosmos. "What is a 'hero' to you?"
The laughter is gone. This question, Pepper senses, will shape their fate—a one-shot QTE where failure isn't an option. Drawing on heroes from retro games, he speaks.
"To me, a 'hero' protects the weak. Even if unrewarded, even if scorned, they fulfill their mission without wavering."
He recalls a grizzled character from an action game, dying early but inspiring the protagonist: Be the sword that carves a future for the weak, the fangless.
"Someone once said, 'A hero isn't one who never falls, but one who never gives up.'"
He thinks of a custom robot game's captain, sacrificing himself in a battered machine to let the hero escape, his final words: "The one who never gives up is the true hero."
"And… 'merely surviving doesn't make a hero.' If I were to become one, I'd save those within my reach, join hands with others, and extend that reach. That's the hero I want to be."
He recalls an RPG's final boss, preaching the world's cruelty, only for the hero and heroine to counter with their journey's answer.
Is this right? Does it align with Siegverum's vision of a hero? Pepper can only hope it's a critical hit for survival, not a fatal fumble. If it's the latter, he'll beg for Aitoil's safety.
"Ha… Hahahahaha!" Siegverum roars with laughter. Survival or death?
"Siegverum, sir! I don't care what happens to me, just spare Aitoil—"
"Pass! Hero who weaves the dreams and wishes of the ancient skies!"
"…Huh?" Pepper freezes. A critical hit? He can't relax yet—could it be a trap?
"Exactly," Siegverum continues, gazing skyward. "I, too, was taught: a hero's duty, in any era, is to protect the weak."
Taught? By whom? Pepper's confusion deepens.
"Hero of the azure skies, bearer of the ancient masterpiece that mirrors me, a trial will come. When it does, show me you can surpass me with those you trust."
"Yes!" Pepper replies, piecing it together. The Radiant series? It's beyond extraordinary.
Time passes as they soar. The sunset fades, darkness creeping across the sky. Aitoil suddenly cries out.
"Pepper-han! Look there!"
She points to an island, separate from the vast continent housing the Verdant Hollow.
"What's that…?"
"That's Rabbits, Pepper-han! Our Vorpal Bunny homeland, where you've set up your base!"
"…Seriously?"
Siegverum's heading for Rabbits? Landing there? Won't the Vorpal Bunnies panic?
"Hahahaha!" Siegverum laughs. "Hero of the azure skies, daughter of my friend! We're landing at the Vorpal Colosseum!"
"What!? Is that okay? Without Teacher, isn't that, like, illegal entry!?"
"No… problem!" Siegverum declares.
"W-Wait, really!?" Pepper stammers.
"Pobyaaa!" Aitoil squeals.
Siegverum accelerates, forcing Pepper and Aitoil to cling desperately against the wind. In less than a minute, the golden Dragon King lands in an open-roofed arena.
Tumbling from his hand, Pepper and Aitoil feel solid ground for the first time in ages. Looking up, they see Weissash, king of Rabbits, staring at Siegverum.
"Teacher! Sorry for the disgraceful display!" Pepper says.
"Boss! We're back!" Aitoil chirps.
They kneel, heads bowed.
"Well, you're back," Weissash says. "But Siegverum, you, carrying people? That's new."
"Haha!" Siegverum laughs. "I've seen many challengers, Vash, but this one gets what a hero is!"
His booming laughter echoes as he turns to Pepper. "Hero of the azure skies… no, Pepper."
"Y-Yes, I'm Pepper."
"I see…" Siegverum pauses. "I've etched your name in my memory."
With a final, "We'll meet again, my lifelong friend, Vash!" Siegverum's four wings beat, launching him into the darkening sky. His brilliance outshines the brightest stars, his speed surpasses a meteor.
"Amazing… Siegverum," Pepper murmurs.
"Haha! He's the king of dragons," Weissash says. "And Pepper, him remembering your name correctly? That's rare."
"Really, Teacher?"
Weissash nods silently. Pepper shivers, sensing another odd twist of fate.
"Oh, Teacher!" Pepper pulls a divine capsule from his inventory, containing the Apex Star Core Big Bang Piece, buried under the Amber Emperor Tree in the Verdant Hollow, and presents it to Weissash.
"You overcame the Stag and Beetle's trial?" Weissash asks.
"Yes. The Twin Emperors said, 'Well done reaching this far,' and 'May fortune favor your path.'"
"They passed on satisfied, huh…" Weissash exhales smoke from his pipe, gazing skyward. Then, to Pepper:
"Pepper, I'll forge the three elements you've gathered into the 'answer' to soar the azure skies."
And so, the divine artisan stirs.
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