Chapter 10: Entering the Human World
After the contracts were sealed, Noah felt an unexpected relief wash over him. The exhaustion that had weighed him down was fading away, his body growing lighter. He flexed his fingers, testing the newfound energy coursing through him.
Silviana chuckled at his bewildered expression. "That's one of the perks of forming a contract with legendary beasts," she said with amusement.
Before Noah could respond, a soft glow surrounded Silviana. The light intensified, forcing him to squint. Her towering draconic form began to shrink, folding in on itself as the brilliance became blinding.
Then, from the golden radiance, a figure emerged—a teenage girl, roughly Noah's height, with silver hair cascading down her back and golden eyes gleaming with intelligence.
She stretched her arms as if adjusting to the new form, then sighed. "This form isn't really my thing," she muttered.
Noah blinked, his mind struggling to process what just happened. One moment, there was a towering, majestic dragon; the next, a silver-haired girl stood in its place, speaking as casually as if she had just changed clothes. His gaze flickered between her golden eyes and the faint glow still lingering around her.
"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, rubbing his temples. Just when he thought he was getting used to this world's insanity, it threw something even wilder at him.
Azura smirked, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief as he circled Silviana, inspecting her from head to toe. "Hah, I thought you'd look more impressive," he teased. "Guess even a queen can be… plain."
Silviana shot him a sharp glare, but before she could retort, Azura chuckled and took a step back. "Now, let me show you how it's done."
A shimmering blue energy, almost like a glitch in reality, crackled around him, distorting his form. In an instant, the light faded, and standing where the playful dragon had been was a teenage boy—short, with striking blue hair and bright golden eyes, his features undeniably cute. He grinned, throwing his arms behind his head. "Ta-da! Perfection."
Azura leaned toward Noah with a playful grin, nudging him with his elbow. "So, Noah, who looks better? Me or miss 'queen of plain' over here?" He smirked, clearly enjoying himself as he shot a teasing glance at Silviana.
Noah, ever the brutally honest man, didn't hesitate. "Neither."
Azura blinked, taken aback. "Hah? What do you mean neither?"
Noah sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just have… different preferences."
Silviana chuckled, crossing her arms as she watched the scene unfold. Out of everyone, she was the only one who had seen his memories—who knew exactly what he meant. "Oh, I know," she said with a smirk. "And it's definitely not us."
Azura narrowed his eyes at her. "Wait… what does that mean?"
Noah looked away. "Don't worry about it."
Ignis let out a long, exasperated sigh before engulfing himself in flames. The fire flickered and twisted, shrinking along with his massive form. Slowly, his towering dragon body condensed, the heat distorting the air around him.
When the flames finally died down, a young man stood in their place. His deep red hair looked like smoldering embers, and his golden eyes burned with the same intensity as before. He rolled his shoulders, clearly irritated, as if already regretting his decision.
"Tch. This is annoying," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I feel… small."
Ignis turned his gaze toward the remaining two, his irritation clear. "Well? Don't just stand there. If we're doing this, then all of us are doing it."
Tenebris, the Black Dragon, simply gave a small nod, acknowledging Ignis's impatience. Without a word, a thick black fog coiled around him, swallowing his massive form entirely. The air grew dense, heavy with an eerie silence. Then, footsteps echoed within the mist.
A young man stepped out. His black hair was slightly unkempt, falling over his golden eyes, which still carried the same depth of thought and quiet intensity. Maybe it was the dark hair, or maybe it was something else, but he bore a striking resemblance to Noah.
Vaeloran shifted uncomfortably, his golden eyes darting between Noah and the others. A faint blush crept onto his face as he hesitated before finally muttering, "I… I've never done this before."
Ignis raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
Vaeloran sighed, clearly flustered. "I never needed to. Unlike you all, I actually preferred my true form."
Still, not wanting to be left out, he closed his eyes and focused. A deep green aura swirled around him, his massive figure shrinking as the light engulfed him. When it finally faded, a tall young man with wavy green hair stood in his place.
But something was off.
He glanced down at himself, then hesitantly lifted the hem of his pants slightly—revealing that the scales on his feet hadn't fully disappeared. "…It didn't work completely," he admitted, clearly embarrassed.
Azura snickered, nudging Vaeloran with his elbow. "Guess you'll just have to wear long boots forever, huh?"
Vaeloran shot him a glare, pulling his pant leg back down in frustration. Ignis let out a tired sigh, rubbing his temples as if questioning how he ended up with such company, while Tenebris simply crossed his arms, observing in silence.
Noah watched their antics for a moment before turning to Silviana, his gaze steady. "You know what I'm planning to do next, don't you?"
Silviana met his eyes and smirked. "Of course."
She knew exactly what was on his mind. The academy—the heart of the kingdom, the place where the main characters would gather, where the future of the world would be shaped. If he wanted to ensure his survival in this world, he couldn't just stand by and watch from the sidelines.
Noah was determined to get stronger.
Stronger than them all.
Noah crossed his arms, his expression serious. "And that means all of you should get into the academy too."
The dragons-turned-humans looked at him, some amused, others skeptical.
Azura grinned. "Oh? You want us legendary beings to play school with you?"
Noah sighed. "I don't have the luxury of pride here. Right now, I'm weaker than even the average student. Compared to the main character, I'm nothing but a pebble in the road."
Silviana chuckled. "So you're saying you need babysitters?"
"No," Noah corrected, shaking his head. "I need insurance."
There was no telling how the story would change now that he was free. The protagonist was destined to become a powerhouse, but Noah? He was just an NPC. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to control his own fate, he couldn't afford to let the story leave him behind.
And he refused to stay weak.
Silviana had already seen this coming. After all, she had glimpsed Noah's memories—his fears, his desperation, his unwavering determination to change his fate. She knew, even back then, that he would suggest something like this.
So she didn't argue. Instead, she simply nodded. "Fine."
The others had no problem following her decision. Vaeloran, Tenebris, and Azura had already decided to stick with Noah, and if Silviana agreed, they wouldn't question it.
But Ignis…
"Tch." The red-haired young man crossed his arms, golden eyes narrowing. "And why exactly do you think I would listen to you?"
Of course, he wasn't the type to follow orders.
Ignis clicked his tongue, looking away as if the whole conversation annoyed him. "Hah. Whatever. My contract was just to follow you, not to obey you," he muttered.
Despite his words, the truth was obvious—he wasn't about to leave his siblings alone with a weak human. He would never say it out loud, but his actions spoke for themselves.
Silviana smirked knowingly but didn't call him out on it. Instead, she turned back to Noah. "Well, there you have it. We're all in."
Noah exhaled, feeling the weight of their decisions settle. He wasn't alone in this anymore. The academy, the main characters, the looming threats—none of it had changed.
But now, he had dragons at his side.
To be continued -