III - SWORD OF THE BRAVE // Doraemon Fanfic

20 - THE STEAMY BATH

"Kill him?"

Nobita's question addled both Doraemon and the princess warrior.

Christina said, "Yes. What else? What did you think you were supposed to do when it was said that the dragon needs to be defeated in order to pass through?"

"I thought..." Nobita stuttered, "I thought we just had to defeat it in battle."

"And the dragon would just let you pass through if you defeated it fair and square?" Christina threw back.

Nobita fell silent.
He knew fully well how ridiculous he was sounding at the moment.

"It's a beast, Nobita. A wild beast. Not a social being like us. If you need to outdo it, you're going to have to kill it. You don't have a choice," Christina pointed out.

"She has a point," Doraemon said.

Nobita turned around to face Doraemon. The cat robot continued in a thoughtful tone, "We have to kill it, Nobita. Before its moustaches grow back and it wakes up. If that happens, we are all screwed."

Nobita was too weak hearted to do what was being expected of him.

Left with no other choice, he offered the sword in his hand to Christina, closing his eyes, "You do it, Christina. I'm not as strong willed as you are. I'm too weak to kill a breathing soul."

Christina sighed and turned down the sword, surprising Nobita. "That won't do. Both upon my honour and yours, I cannot be the one to end the dragon's life. That would be showing disrespect to not just you but also, the dragon. You were the one who defeated it in battle, it's only fair to him if you are also the one to end him."

Christina took two steps forward and stopped right in front of Nobita. She made him give up Gian's sword and unsheathed the Shirogane sword from his scabbard. Pulling it out, she offered it to Nobita.

"I have no doubt you are him, Nobita. You are the Shirogane swordsman and I will keep believing that until the day I die. So, I want you to start believing in it too. Take up this sword and help it fulfill its destiny."

Nobita stared down at the glinting sharp steel before his eyes.

Slowly, he reached for it and grabbed it from Christina's hands. She smiled at that.

Nobita gathered up the courage and climbed up the dragonskin, stationing himself on his head. He raised up the white sword before bringing it down on the beast.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

As far as Nobita knew, he had already commanded his body to recede the sword and stab the dragon. But strangely enough, that didn't happen.

His body plainly refused to comply.

Every muscle of his body, every bone in his body defied his command.

After a while, his body began to go numb.

I have felt this before.
....was the first thing he thought of.

"You killed them."

"You killed them just to see how strong you were. Same as me. I had the same purpose. Then why are you in the right, and I- I am in the wrong, boy?"

Nobita's vision went blurry as the world surrounding him twisted around.

"Don't you like it?
....The blood, of course. The blood of your victims. The way they bleed out..."