*You don''t have to call me sir. Despite my majestic appearance, I''m the youngest of the primordial elementals.


    - Right... Syphus-san, what''s a young, powerful dragon like you doing in such an isolated place? Shouldn''t you be... I don''t know, on top of a mountain?


    Flush~~


    What? Suddenly, the pressure on my body eased. Was it because of him?


    The air is less dense now, and the surrounding environment seems much less hostile. The corrosion still persists, but in a subtle way, almost contained around it. Curious... since he himself was the source of it.


    - Hm? What happened?


    *Hmph... Again... Showing myself off in this state to a human would be something to be ashamed of for ten centuries.


    - Is there a problem?


    *You''re really curious, aren''t you? But I don''t think it''s a problem to share it with you. As you''ve seen for yourself, my power makes it seem like I shouldn''t be in a place like this... But the truth is that I isolated myself of my own free will.


    - Of my own free will?


    *You may have noticed that the corrosion in this cave is prevalent. That''s because of my power. Since I didn''t want to deal with inferior and annoying creatures, I used my abilities to create a sanctuary for myself.


    Sanctuary? A putrid place, taken over by a gloomy corrosion... Indeed, beauty is something subjective. If that''s how he sees his own power, who am I to argue?


    - But what made you isolate yourself?


    *It''s not a story worthy of glory, but I can tell you a few details. It was about two hundred years ago... Being a primordial dragon, I needed to test my strength somehow. But I had no idea of the territory I was in... and, unintentionally, I ended up destroying an entire city.


    Unintentionally?


    *That''s when someone had to stop me - a formidable opponent who was fighting for humanity. I may have underestimated her for a moment, but I soon realized that I had to fight for real. Our fight ended in a draw. She recognized the threat I posed and was forced to retreat, but not before inflicting a severe wound on me. Although it healed me, it wasn''t enough to contain my own power.


    - You were holding back?


    *Being an abyssal dragon, I''m always holding back. If I don''t, I''ll be consumed by my own corrosion. Even though I''m a primordial, I''m only the third of this indirect lineage. My predecessors weren''t as lucky... But, as you can see, I''ve found my own way of dealing with it.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    - That''s curious... But also interesting. Are you telling me that a human was able to hurt you? He must have been a formidable opponent.


    *Indeed. They say she was known as the Heroine Blessed by Heavenly Protection. Humans with a gift linked to Light magic are problematic. Although I can face them, it''s an opposite element to mine... As much as I hate to admit it.


    - “Heroine of the Light”... Sounds like the kind of protagonist I''d see in an RPG.


    *Her power was inferior to mine, but her abilities gave her an elemental advantage. She wounded me with a unique technique called [Spectral Cut]. My [Abyssal Flames] managed to hold out for a while, but she was wise enough to retreat. If she were older... there''s no doubt that she would have beaten me.


    He''s been isolated for two hundred years. For a dragon, centuries are nothing. But still... it''s a long time. I feel agonized if I play a single game for more than an hour without switching to something else. He spent two centuries in this place as if it were nothing.


    - If he''s recovered from his injury and spent all that time here... shouldn''t his abyssal power be contained?


    *Common elements such as fire, water, earth and air evolve and adapt over the centuries. But the more complex elements - like Light and Shadow, which is my case - are different. Some are born with the gift of controlling them and live as their longevity allows. However, when I was wounded, my power came into direct conflict with the Light. To heal myself, I had to consume an absurd amount of my own corrosion. The result was an overload... and this had the opposite effect. You may have already understood what I was getting at.


    - ...You''re dying.


    *Precisely.


    He can''t contain his own power... and it''s taking its toll.


    It reminds me of a disease from my world. Even if the symptoms are controlled, the patient''s life expectancy remains reduced. In more serious cases... it can be fatal. Maybe that''s what''s happening to him.


    His corrosion is something abstract, but destructive. It influences the surrounding environment in a negative way... and now it''s coming back on him. His end will be slow. Agonizing.


    Damn... And he chose to isolate himself because of it.


    - Hey... You mentioned other primordial dragons. Doesn''t that make them brothers? Why didn''t you ask them for help?


    *And show them my sorry state? Hmph. I''d rather die in this isolated place than show weakness. As a primordial, keeping up appearances is essential if my status is not to fall. Besides, being a primordial doesn''t make us brothers. We just share the same title... nothing more.


    - So... that''s it? You''re simply accepting death?


    *Precisely.


    He pauses.


    *But... dying by one''s own power sounds inadequate.


    He raises his eyes to me, his voice carrying a weight that chills me.


    *Human... could you grant me one last wish?


    - Wish...? What could I do for a dragon like you?


    *Kill me.


    - What''s that?


    ***


    Let me see... I''d better recap what''s happened so far.


    I was reviewing my colleagues'' files, checking spreadsheets as usual and writing a pile of reports of my own. As usual, I ended up overworking myself and pushing my body to the limit of exhaustion until, well... I died.


    But, contrary to what I expected, I didn''t receive any kind of divine retribution. Instead, I woke up in another world. And it wasn''t just any world. It was one dominated by magic. Something that, in theory, should be surprising to anyone in my position. Imagine exploring an unknown place, going on adventures, maybe even finding true love at the end of the journey... But apparently, I skipped a few steps. Now I''m faced with something unthinkable... SLAYING A DRAGON!


    Yes, I know. It sounds surreal if it were said to any normal person. But, well, that''s my reality now.


    - I''m sorry, Syphus-San... what did you just say?


    *Don''t pretend you don''t understand, human. You know very well what I want. I want you to kill me.