Omake no Tensei-sha

105

7 The weak meat eats the strong! Makai Survival Edition! 105 [Artists' Thoughts] About Dragons [About Dragons] In this world ardist, legends and myths about dragons are left all over the world. I won't list them one by one here, but what's really interesting is that they all have certain things in common. That is the reason why the dragons were born, and the end. ◇ ◇ ◇ Once upon a time, chaos spread throughout the world. "The earth that was a mountain became the sea the next day, sometimes a large rock floated in the sky, and the forest became thunder. This is a line that appears in the mythology of the Awan people, the indigenous people of the Ikkane continent. ing. Dragons were created by the gods to bring order to such a world. The dragons sometimes created continents, sometimes gave birth to life, and sometimes fought foreign enemies, transforming this world into a place where living things thrive. Even for the dragons, who were created as mighty beings, the hardships were extraordinary, and it is said that many dragons were injured and fell down. And after a long, long time, this world finally became stable and calm. At that time, the gods give an oracle to the dragon. "You guys did a great job. There is no more work for you to do on this earth. From now on, you can become a god and live peacefully in heaven." The dragons rejoiced. The eternal battle is over. His achievements were recognized by the gods. They all ascended to Heaven one after another. The golden dragon became a dragon god. It has become a being that protects and guides the descendants left on the earth (they are said to be the dragon species that are currently prospering in various parts of the world). Hakuryu became a law god. Working under the god of order, he became the god of law in this world. Seiryu became a sea god. He became a warm and watchful presence for all living beings in the ocean. Thus, the dragons became gods and were given new roles in the heavens. But only one. There was one who refused to become a god, continued to live as a dragon, and wished to die. That is Black Dragon. The gods asked the black dragon. Why would he want such a thing? Black Dragon replied. I am a warrior born to fight. I envy Kouryuu and Shiryu who were wounded in battle and died. I also want to end this life in battle. The gods are in trouble. For there was no creature stronger than the black dragon on this earth anymore, and his wish could never be fulfilled. Hearing this from the gods, Kokuryu decided to eat and kill one of the gods. Then I will fight against the gods. Fight gods, kill and kill, and die. That's what Black Dragon decided. The gods were amazed and outraged. Even though I made it with great pains, what does it mean to point his fangs at the gods? The battle between the gods and the black dragon has begun. In the beginning, the two fought evenly, but the gods were outnumbered. Forced into an outnumbered battle, Kokuryu was defeated. The gods would never forgive the black dragon for rebelling against them, and decided to punish him. Black Dragon was not killed by the gods, and his body was bound to the earth and sealed in the Black Forest. Kokuryu can never escape from the seal, and he will continue to live forever without being allowed to fight. ◇ ◇ ◇ If you summarize the common points of dragon legends around the world, it will be the above story. As for what happened to the black dragon after it was sealed, the descriptions differ depending on the legend. His heart died and turned into a rock, he still continues to rampage inside the seal, he fell asleep until he met a strong man again, and so on. In any case, the legend related to the black dragon is connected with the words ''The black dragon is still living in this world while being sealed in the Black Forest''. Now then, where is the "Black Forest" where this black dragon is sealed? Since ancient times, there have been many attempts to explore it by those in power. If you ask why they are looking for a dangerous being like the Black Dragon that turns their fangs against even gods, it is because of the immortality that the Black Dragon possesses. After all, Black Dragon's punishment is to 'continue to live forever'. If the lore is to be believed, there is no doubting its immortality. From Black Dragon's line, ''I want to die in battle,'' it seems that his immortality isn't absolute, but at least he's not an existence that will die of old age. Derived from that, legends such as ''You can become immortal if you drink the blood of the black dragon'' were born and passed down. That's why those in power sought black dragons. Because he wanted to become an immortal existence himself. Ultimately, the search ended in failure. There are regions all over the world worthy of being called the "Black Forest", but they are all unexplored foreign demonic realms, extremely dangerous zones. None of the areas have been explored at all, and the current situation is that no relics related to the black dragon have been found. Rather, I think that it is a fortunate thing. In a country I know, yes, a country so far away that it would never be possible to set foot on its soil again, there was a proverb that says, "Pick a bush to bring out a snake." I think it was a proverb with a general meaning, such as doing something unnecessary and getting hurt. Even if a snake comes out, the damage it does is small, but what if the one that comes out is a black dragon that can kill even gods? This world could be destroyed. I just hope that humans will not cause a situation like "poking the forest to bring out a black dragon" in the future. (Excerpt from Layten Reeves's "Ardist Essays")