The sound of tires screeching was the last thing I heard.
Then came the impact.
And silence.
It's funny. You always imagine your final moments will be filled with regret — wishing you had done more, said more, loved more. But for me, it was peaceful. I just remember the little boy's terrified face, the weight of my body shoving him out of the street, and the dull ache as everything faded to black.
> "You did well, child."
A voice — calm, endless, like the wind through the stars.
When I opened my eyes, there was no pain. Only an expanse of golden light, infinite and warm. I stood — or maybe floated — in a place that felt like both heaven and a dream.
"Uh… did I die?" I asked out loud, because my brain apparently didn't get the memo that I was talking to a literal voice of god.
> "Indeed. Your soul's journey has ended in your world."
"But your heart was pure, your actions selfless. For that, I grant you another chance — a new beginning."
I blinked. "You mean reincarnation? Like… in an anime?"
> A soft chuckle echoed.
"If that is how you perceive it, yes."
A golden figure appeared before me — radiant, serene, with wings that shimmered like constellations. The moment I saw him, my mind whispered his name without being told.
Veldanava.
God. The Creator.
He smiled gently. "You may choose three wishes for your next life."
Three wishes, huh? Every otaku's dream. Except, for once, it felt serious. I thought about all the stories I loved — heroes, monsters, friendship, the weight of power. But what did I want?
"I want the abilities of Enkidu… from the Fate series."
> "Ah, the man of clay who lived as nature's will. Interesting."
"My second wish… I want Akame from Akame ga Kill to be my daughter. Not as an assassin, but someone who can live freely — and maybe… have the power to protect instead of destroy."
Veldanava's eyes softened.
> "A soul bound by pain given a new chance. Very well."
"And for my third…" I hesitated, then grinned awkwardly. "A sword. One that can phase through anything. Walls, barriers, even immortality itself — not for destruction, but so that no obstacle can stop me from protecting what I care about."
> "A weapon that transcends limitation… I see."
"Then I grant your wishes. Live, Enkidu — True Dragon of Nature."
The light enveloped me, warm and pure, and I felt my body dissolve into something vast — infinite. I was no longer flesh and bone, but energy, mana, creation itself.
---
The Awakening
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't standing. I was floating.
Above me stretched a sky made of emerald mist. Below me… forests. Endless, breathing forests. Each tree hummed with life. The air sparkled with magicules so dense it was like swimming in light.
And then I saw my reflection in a lake below — not human anymore.
A dragon.
Massive wings of crystalline leaves unfurled behind me. My scales glowed like carved jade. I felt the wind, the heartbeat of the world, flowing through me.
> "Beautiful, isn't it?"
I turned. Floating there was Veldanava, smiling warmly.
"V-Veldanava!" I stammered. "You—you're real?"
He laughed softly. "You always say the strangest things. Yes, I am real, and so are you, my dear creation. You are Enkidu — the second of the True Dragons. The embodiment of life's balance."
"True… Dragon?"
Veldanava nodded. "My first was Velzard, embodiment of ice and silence. But you… you are born of nature's pulse — the rhythm of life itself. You shall nurture what I have created."
I looked around at the endless greenery, feeling its pulse inside me. It was alive. I was alive.
"Then what should I do?"
"Live," he said simply. "Grow, love, learn. And perhaps… guide."
His gaze turned distant, as though he already foresaw centuries ahead.
"Soon, you'll meet another who shares my essence — Velgrynd, then Veldora, and eventually… Rimuru. But before any of that, there is someone waiting for you."
Before I could ask, the world shimmered. The lake rippled, and a figure appeared at its edge — a young woman with crimson eyes and black hair, clutching a blade that gleamed with a faint curse.
Her gaze was sharp, but beneath it… there was sadness.
"Akame," I whispered.
Veldanava smiled knowingly. "She remembers fragments — enough to find you."
Akame looked up at me, her expression calm but uncertain. "So you're… my father?"
My heart softened instantly. I shifted into my human form — tall, green-haired, with the same warmth that filled the forest around me. I knelt in front of her.
"I guess I am. If you'll have me."
For a moment, she said nothing. Then, quietly, she nodded.
"…Then, please take care of me."
I smiled. "Always."
The forest wind brushed past us, carrying the scent of new beginnings.
Somewhere above, I could feel Veldanava's presence fade — but his voice lingered in the breeze.
> "Protect her, Enkidu. Protect this world. For even dragons must one day learn what it means to be human."
And so began the story of my new life — not as a man, not as a god, but as something in between.
The True Dragon of Nature.