The sky was dark. Blood red clouds hung low, giving way for the similarly colored rain to follow. 

Woosh… like a speeding Wind Arrow, the dew of the heavens began to shower the wasteland. The colorless rain blended in nicely with the rivers of blood that flowed from the countless number of dead bodies. 

Amidst the rather unsightly massacre, one hulking figure stood tall. Just like the color of his enemies' insides, his armor was stained in a deep red, complimenting his neatly shaved head, which was coincidentally the same shade as the blood. 

Who was this man? How strong was he? Being able to slay this many people without so much as receiving a hit in return, was surely a feat that would be recognized by all gods. 

This was Syalt. And as one might've guessed, he was the strongest man known to ever live. Being the only human to ever reach the Ninth Realm, he was widely regarded as unkillable, literally. 

"This sound… is it raining again?" 

With a blank expression, he turned to the sky. The clouds were crying, as they always did. But it seemed like this time it would last longer.

All this death and destruction would surely elicit a response from the Gods. So much carnage, caused by one man.

'Good.' Syalt thought to himself. 'I guess I did need help in cleaning up the trash before I left. But seriously, would it kill the gods to consider decreasing the intensity of the storm? My sweat's going to stick to my undershirt.'

And at that very moment, at the exact place Syalt was standing at, the rain weakened. It was an instant change, and one that wouldn't go unnoticed, especially when someone like him was the target.

Syalt abhorred the very idea of rain. It falls, it rises up, it falls again, then rises up. Yet, there was not much of a difference between him and it. 

He could not remember the last time he had gone to the brothel, nor the last time he went out for a stroll in the woods next to his house– yes, he did have a house, albeit it was carved onto the side of a mountain. 

"When was it, again? When did everything just start turning… bland?" 

Being the only surviving member of a family of beggars, Syalt was taken in by an orphanage at a very young age and cared for by its residents. 

It was only a few years after his arrival did he realize his extremely abnormal aptitude for fighting. His Mana Core was thousands larger than the average human; his brute strength comparable to that of dragons, and his speed even faster than the God Of Light himself! 

But as with all journeys, everything was to come to an end. Having achieved basically everything known to mankind, Syalt's mind decided that it was bored. Bored of this world.

How could he not? He increased the common populace's knowledge in the mystics, personally lead the King's army on an expedition to explore the hidden continent, and even built thousands of homes for the people. 

What else was there to achieve? He personally tasted every woman from each country, defeated the strongest beast known to Man, the Elder Dragon, and concocted a potion that allowed his race to live longer! 

It wouldn't be a joke to say that Syalt was involved in everything in the world. You name it, Syalt was bound to have left a mark on it! Hell, the people even bestowed to him the greatest title of all! He was otherwise known as Syalt, The One Above All! 

But eventually, this desperate attempt to keep himself busy soon found itself on its last legs. He was excelling in everything, and nothing seemed to grab his attention anymore the same way swordsmanship and magic did on the first day he discovered it. 

So then, we are lead to the present. Syalt turned his back on the people who adored him and praised him as their saviour, and personally declared war on the world itself. 

His reason? He was simply bored!

After all, what was there to do? 

The mere sight of his figure would put even the most beautiful of flowers to shame. People would bow down to his supreme power. 

What else were they supposed to do? How could they defeat the very person said to be unkillable? 

Yet, Syalt praised every warrior he had come across. Even thinking about fighting against him was commendable itself. 

"How many people have I killed now? This should be the seventh million… who am I kidding? Why am I still counting?" 

Staring across the barren, dirtied land, Syalt muttered a small promise to himself, 

"One year. I will allow myself one year. When I am reborn, I will allow myself one year to explore the world I am to be reincarnated in. And after that time period ends, I will seal myself into the abyss, and finally get rid of this curse I have placed upon myself." 

Gathering energy into his vocal chords, Syalt took a deep breath. 

"As The One Above All, I proclaim to the world! The terror that has been haunting you all for so long is now dead! He is gone, gone from this world! May you all be blessed with everlasting growth!" 

His voice, amplified with what was left from his mana reserves, rang across the entire continent. Men, women and children alike heard the distant, bellowing voice of the man they once idolized. 

And then, he took his longsword, and brought it to the front of his body. 

One quick slash, and a deep scar appeared on the front of Syalt's body, grazing the surrounding grass in more red blood. 

But that was not enough. Syalt lifted his sword once again, before holding it to his chest, and muttering some incoherent words. 

And then, he threw the sword to the side, letting go of the weapon that had been with him throughout his journey. 

For his last moments, he did not want to be killed by a piece of metal, no matter how familiar he was with it. No, he would do it himself. 

He gathered the remaining mana in his hand, and in one swift motion, plunged it into the very depths of his heart. 

Pain traveled throughout his body. His face showed visible signs of anguish. Yet he carried on, even putting more force into his grip. 

Until finally, he brought his arm out. And in his hand, was the very essence of his being. 

His heart was rapidly beating. It was already brought out of his body, yet it continued pumping out in that same rhythmic motion as if nothing had happened. 

'Urk!'

He didn't have much time. He would soon pass out from the pain. Keeping a firm grasp of the heart, Syalt raised the core of his body proudly into the sky, showing his bare self to the world. 

And the next moment, a loud thud resounded across the area. Syalt had fallen. 

All that was left were the corpses that littered the plains. It just went to show that even in death, everybody was the same. The greatest man in the world was now hidden amongst a pile of bodies, many not even as widely known as him.  

"What a pity. I was too late." 

The scales of a great beast came into view! A magnificent floral pattern stood out in the wasteland of death, and the color pink bloomed. 

This was a dragon! Her body, which was twice the size of an average peasant's house, made small tremors erupt with every step she took. 

Her claws were each the size of a ballista bolt, and were each as sharp as Syalt's sword! 

But as if the glorious display of power and might was all a facade, the dragon began shapeshifting into a smaller, more inferior body! 

A common trait of all dragons was that they were able to change their appearance into a more agile, and nimble form. This would otherwise be known as "Humanizing", and was one of the spells Syalt had taught to the first group of dragons he had encountered, which would later on rise into power and be known as the "Syalter" Family.

The girl had already started searching for the body of the person she was looking for the moment she arrived. 

There, lying directly on top of the hill, was her lov—no, Syalt's body. 

In an instant, two wings hand manifested behind her, and she had already flown to the body.

"Syalt…" 

The dragon, who had now changed her appearance into a thin girl no older than seventeen, donned a small dress she had taken from her Dimensional Storage. 

"Do you remember? This was one of the gifts you gave to me on the day we met. I once thought of this dress as just a mere piece of fabric, but seeing how you spent so much time knitting it for me, I decided to keep it."

"I figured I'd wear it and say goodbye to you, since you told me you'd be going somewhere I couldn't reach…" 

"But I did not expect this to happen, no I did not." 

"I know. You wouldn't want me to follow you, but I can't, Syalt. Being away from you, my heart can't bear it."

"That's why, no matter where you are, I will find you. This will be the first time that I, Ayana, will go against your wishes." 

"For I am selfish when it comes to you."