Dragon's Heart, Hero's Will

Chapter 1: Dragon's First Day

Flashback: The Entrance Exam

The practical test arena is alive with chaos—robots crumbling, students shouting as they destroy one bot after another in their race to score points. Kirishima is doing his best to stay under the radar, attacking smaller bots with quick punches, trying not to draw too much attention. But he feels it building—his dragon, clawing at the edges of his control, hungry for release. He can’t afford to let it out, not after what happened last time.

Suddenly, the ground rumbles, and from the distance, Kirishima sees it—a zero-point robot the size of a skyscraper, tearing through the cityscape with monstrous, mechanical roars. Buildings collapse as it advances, debris raining down, sending students scrambling in all directions. Kirishima’s heart pounds. Everyone is running, no one is attacking. It’s not worth any points.

Then, in the chaos, he spots a girl pinned under a pile of rubble. She’s trapped, screaming as the robot draws closer. And something inside Kirishima snaps.

His instincts roar to life. His dragon senses danger, not just to the girl but to everyone in the arena. Without thinking, without hesitation, he charges forward. His body begins to change, scales bursting from his skin, wings ripping through the fabric of his shirt. His mind goes blank as the dragon takes over.

And then, all hell breaks loose.

Kirishima’s full dragon form erupts—massive, red, and wild. His wings beat furiously as he takes to the air, his roar shaking the very ground. Fire spills from his jaws, scorching everything in its path. His eyes, glowing with primal fury, lock onto the zero-point robot. In one powerful swoop, he crashes into it, his claws tearing through metal like it’s paper. The robot doesn’t stand a chance.

But Kirishima doesn’t stop.

He’s lost to the dragon, a beast out of control. His massive claws shred through the robot’s chest, sending pieces of it flying. Sparks shoot from its broken frame as Kirishima slashes again and again, his teeth sinking into the steel, ripping it apart with savage brutality. The air is thick with the sound of screeching metal and his deafening roars.

Another robot moves into his path, and without hesitation, Kirishima turns on it, his fire breath engulfing it completely. The metal melts under the intense heat, and he charges again, crushing it under his weight. Pieces of burning wreckage scatter across the arena as Kirishima rampages from one bot to the next, a whirlwind of destruction. Students flee from him now, terrified as the dragon unleashes its fury.

There’s no control. No reasoning. Just raw, violent instinct driving him forward. He is a force of nature—unstoppable, terrifying, and brutal. His wings beat furiously as he barrels through the arena, leaving nothing but smoldering ruins in his wake.

It’s only when a faculty member releases tranquilizer gas into the arena that the rampage finally ends. Kirishima’s massive form stumbles, his movements slowing as the gas takes effect. With one final roar, he collapses, his consciousness slipping away into darkness.

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Back to Present Day

Kirishima blinks, his stomach twisting as he remembers the aftermath of the exam. Waking up in an empty room, Principal Nezu’s calm voice reassuring him that his secret was safe. No one knew it was him, the dragon that tore through the arena. But that did nothing to quiet the fear gnawing at his chest.

He could have hurt someone. He could have killed someone.

And the worst part? He can’t even remember the full extent of the damage he caused. It’s a blur of fire and destruction, and that scares him more than anything.