It was an ordinary afternoon, filled with laughter and the warm company of friends. Hori, Miyamura, and their tight-knit group had gathered at the park as they often did, joking, teasing, and soaking in the last rays of the sun.
"Hey, Hori, seriously, share those chips already!" Miyamura said, mock-pouting as he reached for the bag she clutched possessively.
"No way! If you wanted them, you should’ve gotten them yourself!" Hori replied, sticking out her tongue, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
Yoshikawa leaned back, laughing softly. "You two are like a married couple."
Hori flushed but grinned, glancing at Miyamura, who shrugged with a smile. "Well, maybe we just know each other too well," he teased back, gently nudging her with his elbow.
Everything felt perfect. The chatter of friends, the warmth of the day, and the simple joy of being together. But life has a way of changing everything in an instant.
Out of nowhere when they were walking across the streets, a loud, ear-splitting honk cut through their peaceful gathering, followed by the sound of tires screeching against asphalt. Hori turned, eyes wide, just in time to see a massive truck barreling toward them.
“M-Miyamura!” she cried, panic flooding her voice.
Miyamura barely had time to think. Without hesitation he tried to grab hori but in that try he also came in the path of the truck. They got hit by the truck. The pain was unimaginable, and everything around them became a blur of screams, blood, and chaos.
The only thing Hori could feel was Miyamura’s hand in hers. She squeezed it desperately, her vision darkening. Her breaths were shallow and labored, but Miyamura’s voice, soft and trembling, reached her through the haze.
“We’ll… be together, right? In the next life?”
Hori nodded weakly, tears pooling in her eyes as she held onto him with the last of her strength. "Always," she whispered.
Their friends’ voices seemed distant now, drowned out by the overwhelming quiet of their last moments. They died in each other’s arms, bound by the promise they had made.
---
But death, as it turned out, wasn’t the end.
Hori’s eyes fluttered open, expecting an afterlife filled with clouds, or at the very least, a sense of peace. Instead, she found herself lying on cold, hard stone. A cave? She sat up, confused, only to find Miyamura beside her, blinking in equal bewilderment.
“Miyamura… where are we?” Hori asked, her voice shaking slightly as she scanned their surroundings. The cave was vast and eerie, with jagged rock formations towering over them. Water dripped from stalactites, the sound echoing through the empty space.
Miyamura rubbed his head, wincing slightly. “I… I don’t know. This doesn’t look like the afterlife, does it?”
The odd part wasn’t just their strange surroundings. Something felt different—off. Their bodies, though still human, thrummed with energy. Hori flexed her fingers experimentally, feeling a strange power coursing through her veins. It was as if they had both been transformed somehow.
Before they could figure out what had happened, a deep, menacing voice reverberated through the cave, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
“WHO DARES ENTER MY DOMAIN?!”
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Startled, Hori and Miyamura turned toward the source of the voice, only to be met with the sight of a massive dragon, its glowing red eyes boring into them. The sheer size of the creature should’ve paralyzed them with fear, but instead, a strange calm settled over them both.
"Uh… hi?" Miyamura greeted, raising a hand awkwardly.
The dragon, clearly not expecting such a reaction, narrowed his eyes. "You… you’re not afraid of me?"
Hori, with her arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. "Should we be? You’re huge and all, but… I don’t know. You don’t seem all that scary."
Miyamura glanced at her, trying to stifle a laugh. "Yeah, kind of like a giant puppy. You’ve got that look."
The dragon’s eyes widened in disbelief. "PUPPY?! I am Veldora, the mighty Storm Dragon! You should be trembling before me!"
Hori stifled a snicker. "Well, sorry, Veldora, but we’re kind of… dead, or at least we were. So maybe our sense of fear is a bit off right now."
Veldora huffed, releasing a puff of smoke from his nostrils. "You mortals are strange. I like it."
Miyamura stepped forward cautiously, glancing at the enormous barrier that seemed to hold Veldora in place. "So… what’s your deal? Why are you stuck in here?"
Veldora’s expression shifted to one of irritation. "I have been sealed within this cave by a powerful hero! For centuries, I have been imprisoned here, unable to leave!"
Hori tilted her head, intrigued. "A hero, huh? Sounds like a tough break. So… if we broke you out, what would you do?"
Veldora’s eyes gleamed with hope. "If you free me, I shall become your ally! Together, we will rule this world! I will grant you immense power!"
Hori and Miyamura exchanged glances. "That sounds pretty tempting," Miyamura said, scratching his head. "But how do we break the seal?"
Hori’s eyes narrowed as she observed the swirling energy that encased Veldora. A thought struck her—a sense that this power, this energy, could be absorbed. She focused, and suddenly, the knowledge flowed into her mind. "Maybe… we can absorb him," she muttered.
Miyamura nodded, feeling the same realization hit him. "Yeah, I think you’re right. We can absorb him into us."
Veldora raised a dragon-sized eyebrow. "Absorb me? You two possess such abilities?"
“Seems like we do,” Hori said, stepping forward. “Hang tight, big guy. We’re going to bring you with us.”
Concentrating on the barrier, Hori and Miyamura extended their hands toward Veldora. As if on instinct, they began absorbing the energy that held him captive. The power flowed into them, wrapping around their bodies like a warm, protective layer. It felt overwhelming at first, but they soon adjusted, sharing the load between them.
Veldora’s form shimmered as the barrier around him dissolved, and his massive body was pulled into their beings, his power now shared between Hori and Miyamura.
"Whoa…" Miyamura murmured, flexing his fingers, feeling Veldora’s immense power now coursing through him. Hori felt the same, a newfound strength settling inside her. But despite the dragon’s power now residing within them, they still felt like themselves—just a little stronger, a little more connected.( They absorbed him in both of their bodies similarly how minato sealed half kurama in himself and half in Naruto in Naruto Shippuden)
From within, Veldora’s voice echoed, though it was more amused than anything else. "You mortals are impressive. I look forward to our adventures together."
Miyamura chuckled. "Guess we’re stuck with you now, huh?"
Hori grinned, looking toward the exit of the cave. "I guess it’s time we figure out what this world has in store for us."
Hand in hand, they stepped forward, leaving the cave behind, with Veldora’s power and presence now part of them. Whatever this new world was, they were ready to face it—together, as always.
