On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

While the Dragons were bewildered by the scene before them, they didn't think it was absurd. Quetzalcoatl lost fair and square. They didn't need to see the two fight to tell how the fight would end. Layland's Mana pressure had said it all. In Quetzalcoatl's current form, Quetzalcoatl wouldn't stand a chance.

One might wonder why a prideful Dragon like Quetzalcoatl didn't try his best first. His pride was the exact reason why he didn't. Should he fight with Layland, he would end up getting battered. It was still unsavoury, but admitting defeat without a fight was more honourable in his dictionary. That way, he could maintain his "untouchable" image.

"Not bad. It's still in its infancy, but I can tell you--"

Clap. Clap.

Quetzalcoatl's sentence was caught in his throat the moment he heard someone clapping their hands. He could feel the person's amusement and glee from the way they clapped their hands. Layland also quirked an eyebrow at the sound. It was at this moment that he registered the person's presence. Without turning around, he could tell who it was.

Stepping to the side, he left Quetzalcoatl's vision unobstructed. Quetzalcoatl's frown became even deeper as his eyes met with the person's. Layland turned around and faced the person who was still clapping his hands a second late. The moment they were face to face, the person immediately stopped clapping and flashed him a smile.

"You have surprised me yet again, Layland."

"And you surprised everyone with your visit, My Liege."

Ilschevar had come to Amizanima. It was something that everyone couldn't wrap their head around. It was a well-known fact that Ilschevar rarely left his throne. Ever since what happened slightly more than a decade ago, the farthest place he had gone to was the skirmish of the Verniculos Kingdom.

He was no longer in his prime and he had too many enemies. Therefore, his arrival at Amizanima was extremely bewildering. It was one thing if something that threatened the sovereignty of the Verniculos Kingdom was occurring there, but it wasn't. The war which put everyone through a rollercoaster of emotions had already ended.

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It was not hard to tell that his sole reason for coming there was to meet Layland whom he prized, which made it even more bewildering. It made them wonder just how important Layland was to the Verniculos Kingdom to make its King come to risk his life just to see him.

Ilschevar descended the sky and stood before Layland. The young Demon knelt respectfully which he never did whenever they were in private.

"That is enough, Layland. You can get up now," Ilschevar said with a slightly scolding tone.

"As you wish, My Liege," Layland replied with a slight smirk.

As he stood, the two Demons looked at each other for a while before flashing each other a small grin. At that moment, they looked like a pair of mischievous brothers who were eager to try a new prank that they had invented.

Shaking his head lightly, Ilschevar brought his Demon King persona back. He turned his body slightly toward Quetzalcoatl as he faced the said Dragon. The two looked at each other silently for a couple of seconds before nodding their heads at each other as a sign of respect. It was the longest and tensest ten seconds that many of the people had experienced so far.

"It has been a millennium. You haven't aged a day, Quetzalcoatl."

"You have grown more mature. I half expected you to remain wimpy for the rest of your life."

"Glad that didn't happen."

Quetzalcoatl nodded his head in approval. As always, Ilschevar didn't care about what people in his surroundings said about him. He didn't care about his image and his charisma remained strong despite whatever bad things people said about him. He wasn't embarrassed even though Quetzalcoatl revealed something that any leader would want to hide from his capable subordinate.

The resemblance between Layland and Ilschevar was uncanny. Quetzalcoatl concluded it might be the reason why they looked so familiar with each other. It was also quite baffling considering what kind of person Ilschevar was. Ilschevar was an emotionally detached person. Although he cherished the people around him, he never had any genuine relationship with them.

Quetzalcoatl could tell it was a different case with Ilschevar's relationship with Layland. Ilschevar considered Layland an equal--a friend whom he never had before.

"You have changed a lot. Great for you, I guess," Quetzalcoatl remarked with a slight smirk.

"There are still ups and downs, but I will say it is good for me," Ilschevar agreed with a small smile. "Well then, I will cut to the chase to not prolong the meaningless chit-chat. Quetzalcoatl, are you willing to be our ally?"

Quetzalcoatl hummed to himself before answering. "I am willing to be your ally, but you need to note that I won't be representing every Dragon that is currently under my wings."

"I won't ask much. I just want you to not separate Aurelia from Layland."

"Therefore, I have a proposal."

"Proposal?" Ilschevar quirked an eyebrow.

Quetzalcoatl glanced at the curious Aurelia who was behind the golden Magic Barrier before nodding his head. "Every Dragon under my wings will also become allies if you can guarantee this young man right here will marry my granddaughter."

At that, Ilschevar said nothing. He carefully looked at Layland to see how the young Demon would react, earning a quirked eyebrow from Quetzalcoatl. The old Dragon didn't expect Ilschevar to be so considerate of Layland. The deal was extremely beneficial to the Verniculos Kingdom in the long run. Furthermore, Demons rarely refused marriage proposals because of their nature. It was quite baffling that Ilschevar needed to ponder it.

Layland also wasn't shy to show his displeasure. He looked at Ilschevar as if warning Ilschevar not to say anything dumb. The scene made Quetzalcoatl realize that he had underestimated Ilschevar's friendship with Layland. A small smile slowly crept up his face.

"Is my granddaughter ugly?" Quetzalcoatl asked.

"I can remove the eyes of the people who dare to say so," Layland responded without missing a beat.

"It is not about your Aurelia's attractiveness, which she is gifted with, Quetzalcoatl. A matter of love cannot be forced upon," Ilschevar explained. "Layland already has a loving girlfriend. I don't think it will be good for Aurelia to make her the second one."

"That is a hot take," Quetzalcoatl remarked while hiding his surprise. "Never dreamed of hearing those words from a Demon."

"Furthermore, Aurelia doesn't see me that way. We may be close to each other, but our relationship is nothing more than a friendship. I have to apologize for making you misunderstand the nature of our relationship. As I have explained before, all of the claims I made in the letter I sent you are nothing but baits to lure you out," Layland elaborated.

Quetzalcoatl hummed as he caressed his beard. "You don't know anything, do you?" The Demon duo before him merely tilted their heads, prompting him to release a soft sigh. "When I told her not to leave the world I made, I sealed her power. The seal will be broken if she experiences something that stimulates her emotion greatly."

Quetzalcoatl was a loving grandfather. No matter how against he was with Aurelia's idea to leave the world he created, he didn't want to let her go through pain. Although he sealed her power, the seal would easily break if she found her life in peril. It was for this reason that he was not that worried about her safety.

"Her ability to assume her human form should also be sealed, but she can already assume it. That means her seal has been partly lifted."

The information made Layland furrow his eyebrows slightly. After all, that means Aurelia had found herself in a dangerous situation before, which she didn't. She had told him that she had been living her life leisurely for the past millennium. The day when he called her out was her first time assuming her human form in a millennium.

Then, something clicked in Layland's mind. The condition that needed to be fulfilled for the seal to be broken was for the host to experience something strongly emotional. Fear was not the only emotional thing that would trigger it. He could somehow deduce what did it for her and he didn't know how he should react to it.

"My granddaughter genuinely loves you, punk," Quetzalcoatl remarked spitefully before sighing helplessly. "Though, she doesn't realize it yet. I would like to convince her otherwise, but I am not so immoral to do that. I will let her decide for herself. If you are the one and you choose not to choose her, she will learn how to let go. In the best scenario, she will give up before you reject her."

Quetzalcoatl extended his hand, offering Layland a handshake. He quietly observed how Ilschevar reacted to it and found Ilschevar completely unconcerned. At that moment, he could see past Ilschevar's friendship with Layland. He figured out who Layland was to Ilschevar. It was hard for him to suppress his smile. The world would surely experience a great change.

Turning his gaze to the young Draconic Demon, he said, "I need you to guide her through this unexplored territory called love. Show her how bitter and sweet it is."

Layland stared at the offered hand silently for a few seconds before grabbing it. "I am just as inexperienced as she is in that matter. You may or may not make the worst decision ever, but I hope you won't blame me for what will happen."

"I have high expectations."

With a smile, Quetzalcoatl shook Layland's hand. Thus, the Dragons officially became the Ninth Demon King's allies.