"Ahhh—This world is completely destroyed. Humanity will surely perish soon. If this continues, life will have no meaning. Even for us ... the dragons. It's all in vain."
Atop a pile of blood-soaked corpses, a girl stared blankly at the sunset sky. Her chest ached, her knees trembled with fear. Her hands were covered in blood, and even her golden sword was stained a dirty burgundy. The golden wings embedded behind her back reflected the beautiful sunlight. She was like a world beyond compare.
It was a clear day, with not a single raindrop in sight. Thousands of thick clouds circled the orange sky, obscuring the few rays of sunlight that illuminated the earth.
Soon, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching. "Hey, you! Evil dragon! You damned thing! Have you no mercy? Why are you killing us? Huh?! You are the highest-ranking dragon in existence, why are you killing humans? Answer me, queen of dragons!" the man shouted in frustration. He wore thick armor, covering his entire body except his head. His right hand gripped a gleaming silver sword, reflecting the warm afternoon sun. His eyes stared intently at the girl in the distance.
He took a stance to launch an attack. It seemed as if all his anger had reached a peak, waiting for the moment to erupt.
However, at the same time, the girl merely smiled at the shout. She lowered her head, no longer paying attention to the beautiful sky above. Her eyes narrowed, her brows furrowed slightly. At the same time, her hand dropped her golden sword, as if unable to hold it any longer. She now looked at the man who held a grudge against her.
"Why? Why don't you just ask your foolish leader? They were the ones who attacked the dragons first, weren't they? In fact, I once made a pact with one of you not to kill each other between races. But you broke it. We should have both defeated the enemy invading Earth, but what happened… was the opposite. If this continues, there's no point in cooperating with humans anymore," she replied softly. She lowered her wings, closing them like a cocoon. "Have you come to kill me? If so, go whatever you want. Besides, I have no reason to live anymore. Let my kind destroy you," she continued briefly.
The boy froze in place, unable to utter a word. He loosened his grip on his sword. His hands, which had previously been trembling with fear at the prospect of facing the dragon queen, now stilled. His sword lay in its sheath, sleeping quietly there. "Then, fight me in a fistfight. If you win, I'll give you a reason to live. But if you lose, I'll finish you off. How about that?" the boy suggested. He drew his feet back slightly, his hands level with his shoulders, ready to strike.
"Give me a reason to live? You're ridiculous. But maybe I can try!" In a split second, while the boy blinked, the dragon queen was upon him, delivering a powerful blow to his stomach. He was sent flying far away from where he had been standing. By the time the boy was knocked back, the queen was behind him, as if teleporting. She grabbed the man's back and gently laid him on the ground. "I didn't want to kill you," she cried.
The boy was momentarily taken aback. His body was filled with pain, and his stomach was almost numb. He didn't even have time to defend himself. At that moment, he realized how terrifying the dragon queen was. His legs trembled with fear, but something inside him calmed him. The boy thought it might just be his own feelings. "If you had that much power, you could have destroyed this world in an instant. But you didn't. You didn't even kill me. Wh—Why?" the man asked, frustrated. He was confused, even curious.
The dragon queen circled the man, seemingly interrogating him. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "It's simple. I don't kill innocent creatures like you, even if you're a human race that I hate. But, I didn't find any hostility from you."
In that instant, the boy fell silent. His entire body was stiff, limp and powerless. No—Or perhaps, relief? He even smiled after hearing the dragon queen say that. A faint laugh escaped him. Any resentment that had been building up earlier had faded, vanished, who knows where.
After cleaning some of the dirt on his body and removing his heavy armor, the boy stood tall, staring at the dragon queen before him. He looked like a hero ready to abandon everything for the fierce battle that awaited him. "Queen of the dragons, first, I'd like to ask a question. What is your real name?" the boy asked, approaching the girl.
"A name? I... don't have one. I'm merely the leader of the dragons, who can only command them to exterminate humanity. Why do you ask about a dragon who killed your race?"
The boy smiled as he looked at the beautiful girl standing right in front of him. She had long, white hair that gleamed mesmerizingly. Her body was shapely, just like a top actress. Her figure was well-proportioned, not too fat and not too thin. Her thighs were thick yet smooth. Her blue-black outfit suited her perfectly. The sight of the sunset behind her made the moment even more surreal.
"It's okay. I told you I would give you a reason to live, didn't I?" He extended one hand forward, waiting for hope. That moment was something they would never forget. The same sight, the same pile of corpses, and the same warm light.
"Hmm—What do you mean?" asked the dragon queen, confused by the human's behavior before her.
"Oh, you nameless one, queen of all dragons. Please, be my wife!"
In that moment, time seemed to stop. A strong wind blew past them both. Their hair danced under the fading evening sky. This was their first dance. Though their bodies were still, their hearts danced together in that moment. The dusk faded, but their hearts would never fade. That was why the moon was present between them. It would continue to reflect the fading moments of dusk. The sun would never go out, and neither would their memories.
"Eh—?!" The girl was shocked to hear the human's confession of love before her. She had never expected a human to offer her as his wife. This was abnormal, generally. Normally, humans would hunt dragons to use them as tools of war, even torturing dragons for personal gain.
But this time was different. Her heart was pounding. Bang! Bang! Bang! It wouldn't stop. Her face turned red, as if on fire. Her lips curled into a wide smile without her realizing it. Her hands suddenly covered her face in embarrassment. Her legs clenched together reflexively, trembling with shame. She didn't know how to react to those words.
One of her hands began to lower, trying to look at the man. Her cheeks were still flushed, her heart pounding, unable to calm down. This was more difficult than defeating thousands of enemies. The moment her gaze landed on the man's, she felt something inside her surge, her embarrassment intensifying. However, she mustered the courage to answer, even though her face was red.
"Su—Su—Sure. Then, I want one boy and one girl. Okay?" she replied haltingly. Her mind couldn't think straight. She could only say whatever came to mind.
The boy was overjoyed by the acceptance. He immediately ran to the dragon queen and hugged her tightly. "I promise, I'll be a good father!"
This moment would lead them into a more terrifying future. A world where everything would depend on them. Humanity would be saved once again by their blessing. They would be the ones to show the world that anything different could lead to miracles. The world would once again survive.
It all began…
That day, at dusk.