Everyone jumped away from Leo, except for Gideon, who burst out laughing. He pointed at Leo. “I knew it. I fucking knew it! Ever since the cliff, I knew it!”

Leo glanced aside and rubbed his cheek, blushing. He dipped his head a little, shy and embarrassed.

“Ah, damn, I’m dying. It’s like you’re a maiden we all walked in on nude. Is that how it feels to you when you reveal your dragon form, like you’re naked? You’re a grade-A pervert,” Gideon laughed.

Leo looked at him and raised his eyebrows.

Gideon paused, then shrugged. “Well, I never said it was unusual. Just that you’re a pervert.”

“Gideon…” Jet said, then paused. What am I going to tell him? Beware of the dragon? If one of us is an expert at dragon killing, it’s Gideon. If he isn’t afraid…

Leo’s eyes travelled the room. They alighted on a skeleton against the wall, and he stepped forward, almost involuntarily, his steps stuttering.

The cultists parted around him, letting him through. Despite being ignored, the old man continued to smile. “Ah, her? She defied you, our deity. Tried to free your sacrifice. Allowed you to escape and sully yourself in the outside world. Even though she was your Holy Wife, we had to put her down.”

Leo fell to his knees. He delicately ran a hand along the skeleton’s cheek. His lips trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes, but none ran down his face. All at once, he hugged the skeleton tight, his whole body shaking.

The old man sighed. “You understand, of course, Leo. It had to be done. Be a good boy and come home. We’ll take care of you, the way we did when you were young.”

Ignoring them, Leo held the skeleton. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

“They killed your girl, huh? That sucks,” Gideon said dryly.

Leo growled, the noise escaping from deep in his throat, feral, inhuman.

“We’ll find you another Holy Wife. Don’t fear,” the cultist said placatingly.

Leo stilled.

“Ah? You think that’s worth shit?” Gideon asked.

“No one asked you, scum,” the cultist replied, glancing at Gideon from the corner of his eyes. He threw his arm out. “Men, kill them. We have no need for nonbelievers.”

The other cultists ran forward, drawing tomes and weapons both. Gideon stepped back at last, dancing away even as he drew out his tome.

Leo stood. Gently, he set the skeleton down. He took a deep breath.

“Deific Dragon! Give us your holy word!” the old man cried excitedly.

“So? You’re their god. What do you say, Deific Dragon? O mighty deity on high, pronounce the verdict for your lowly followers!” Gideon said, almost shouting.

Leo whirled. His eyes burned, suddenly a brilliant red. He jabbed a finger at the cultists, then drew his thumb across his throat. His lips parted, and a gravely voice sounded, for the first time ever.

“Kill them.”

“Ha! As if I needed your permission!” Gideon replied, jabbing his tome out.

Beside him, Jet charged toward the cultists, slashing out at the ones holding tomes, blue light trailing his blade. The cultists staggered back as ice smashed into their chests.

Gideon’s eyes glowed gold, crackling with lightning. “Critical cast, Chain Lightning! Die, dragons’ bitches, die!”

Behind him, Angel began to dance, making a simple rhythm by clapping her hands and stomping her feet. Elly raised her staff grimly, and Kat hunkered down.

“It happened, as he foretold. My brothers, do not despair. We may need to harm our deity, but it is for Leo’s own good!” The cultist threw his hands up. A bolt of light flew into the sky.

In response, a dragon roared. Overhead, massive wings blocked out the sun, letting only a dim red light through their transparent membranes. A huge red dragon glared down at them, smoke already drifting from its nose and mouth.

“And you’re the one who burned the bridge, I presume,” Gideon muttered. He raised his hand again.

Leo jumped out in front of him. He threw out his hand, staring at the red dragon.

His body shimmered. Where Leo had stood, a yellow and blue dragon nearly as large as the red dragon stood. Unlike most dragons, this dragon’s body was nearly the same girth for its entire length, from a stout neck and a thick head to a heavy tail, more akin to a wyrm if not for its powerful but stubby webbed limbs. A long, thick blue tail and huge yellow-and-blue-dappled wings stretched behind it. It threw back its head and let out a dry, gritty howl. Jerking its head back, the yellow-and-blue dragon spat a ball of water at the red dragon.

The red dragon howled in return and dropped at the yellow-and-blue dragon, claws bared. The two smashed into each other and rolled through the chamber, biting and clawing at one another like beasts. Bursts of fire and water flew all around them.

“Dragons killing dragons. Saves me half the effort,” Gideon muttered, a hideous grin on his face.

“He—turned into a dragon,” Elly gasped, eyes wide.

Jet traded blows with a cultist silently, but internally, he trembled, struck by the revelation. Leo was a dragon? Leo… that human. That boy. Right in front of me… turned into a dragon. A human turned into a dragon. Just like Gideon’s been saying all along.

…Dammit! I don’t want Gideon to be right! Anything but that!

“It’s like you haven’t been listening to me at all. Dragons can turn into humans! Do you believe it now?” Gideon complained, shaking his head.

Jet grit his teeth and scowled. He sliced out at the cultist he was fighting with his full strength, and the cultist screamed and fell back, gripping his chest. I’ll never admit it. Never!

Elly shook her head, eyes wide, wordless. Behind her, Kat gaped openly, jaw on the floor.

“I guess… we have to,” Angel said. She shimmied her hips and gestured toward Gideon, and the mana surged with her.

Gideon took a deep breath and smiled. He lifted his tome and shook out his shoulders, supremely satisfied. “Ah… feels good to be right.”