'There are many ways for one to be acknowledged as a hero, perhaps if In another life had I been born with different talents I'd be a scholar hero seeking to make improvements to other people's lives, or in a divine mage saving lives, or perhaps I could have been a simple builder providing shelter and building homes, cooking meals... but I'm not, In this life I'm a dark angel indeed. I was raised to kill. And so I kill my targets and those who terrorise the guild. I am the master of the ambush because I intend to do each job with clean efficiency and always emerge unscathed. I wonder, could I have been a cook maybe?' — Diary of the Dark Angel

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'So what exactly is this rite of passage?' I asked as I glanced at the purple dragon who still had his eyes glued on me. 

"Ah, that is where you little one, will officially be recognized as an adult dragon!" he said excitedly, as he jumped around me. 

He was without a doubt the weirdest dragon I have met so far. Then again, I didn't meet a lot of dragons, and now that I think about it, there is also Golden boy. 'Dragons sure are weird,' I inwardly mumbled before realization dawned on me. 

'Wait! How are you able to understand me?' I asked, I wasn't even able to communicate with my parents and siblings lest I used my emotions to convey my intentions, but I was never able to hold a proper conversation like I have been doing with him all along!

"Ah, that. Well, I can do that when you come into my space," He answered as if it was a normal thing. 

'B-But I'm very sure you were able to understand me before we came here, even back in the forest!' I argued still unconvinced. 

"That child is also my space," He replied with a cheeky grin. I barely blinked before the space morphed out of existence and changed, I felt dizzy for a second as I wobbled on my feet trying to maintain my balance. 

We were back on the forest plain. 'What the—' I muttered as I glanced around me. Our eyes met before he explained with his head raised to the sky as if he was reminiscing an old memory. 

"All of this is my soul space. The moment you stepped inside the skeleton, was the moment you walked into my plane." He said. 

'Wait, the skeleton. You are that dragon?!' I asked in surprise, my eyes widening in wonder. That skeleton that I saw was massive! But the dragon was long dead, so how Is he?

"I know what you are thinking little one, and yes, unfortunately," He snickered for a second before continuing. "Or fortunately for certain bastards, I'm already dead," 

'But, if you are dead how are you still? Wait! Am I dead?' I hurriedly asked, I had barely started my life how could It suddenly be over?!

"Not that I know of, you're not. Simply put, your conscience is brought inside my soul space. Right now your body should be peacefully sleeping inside my skeleton. That sounded weird," He mumbled to himself.

'So you are dead, physically dead. But your soul is somehow not?' I asked. 

"Sharp aren't you little one, but that's not completely true. My soul is not intact, what you see before you is just a fragment of my past self, by the abyss even I was unable to get out of that fight unharmed, damn bastards,"  He growled In annoyance. 

It seemed like a sensitive subject, but I was unable to keep my curiosity. Those bastards? Did he mean the countless giant creatures that died around him? And who were they?

'Umm, those bastards?' I carefully asked. 

To which a thick aura of bloodlust, unlike any I have ever felt before suddenly leaked out of his body. For a second, what I saw was not the weird wingless purple dragon, no I was able to catch a glimpse of a glorious dragon, one who soared the skies undefeated and full of pride. 

It was for but a second before he restrained his bloodlust, yet that second was enough for my whole body to freeze as if I was doused in ice-cold water. 

My limbs were shaking, and it took me all of my willpower to not simply collapse right then and there. His white hollow eyes burned with fury as he spoke. 

"The damned celestials! Those arrogant bastards, they dare call themselves gods with their puny power! Hmph, they were getting out of line and someone needed to teach them a lesson," He said. 

I gulped before I took a deep breath, steadying my emotions. 'Gods? Those outside are the corpses of gods?' I asked in awe, this was th first time I hear about gods in this new world. 

He nodded, yet just as he was about to say something the world around us suddenly began to break like a glass mirror. 

'What is happening?!' Alarmed, I looked around me in panic as I asked.  

"Ah, damn it that's the extent of it huh? What a damn shame." The strange dragon mumbled while shaking his head. 

'What do you mean?' 

"I can't keep you in here any longer little one, I already depleted most of the energy I have gathered all these years. It was fun to meet an enthusiastic fellow water dragon after so long, stay safe youngling,' He said with a smile, perhaps the most genuine one since we met. 

'Wait! What's your name?' I asked as the world began to disappear.  

As my conscience began to fade, a single name echoed throughout the darkness. My eyes suddenly shot open, I was in the middle of the giant skeleton, surprisingly purple grass surrounded the entire area. 

As I raised my head to the sky, I muttered his name. 'Amanita...'

                                      ---

I did not find anything noteworthy in the skeleton, purple grass grew all over the place as I toured between the ancient giant bones. This was once a mighty dragon, one that fought against the gods, one that slew the gods. 

'I wonder when I'll be able to become that strong,' I muttered. My steps came to a sudden halt as I found myself within what I guessed must have been the area where the heart was situated. 

'What the hell is that?'