So You're the One Who Wants to Challenge Me?

On the broad, level ground inside the cavern.

A group of dragon hatchlings had formed a circle.

At the center of the circle, a little green hatchling was roaring.

The hatchling's roar was high and babyish.

That was how hatchlings were. Their voices were tender when they were young, no different from those of seven- or eight-year-old little girls.

Chaos poked his head out at the cavern exit, the circle of hatchlings in the cavern ahead reflected in his gleaming emerald slit pupils.

Looking at the hatchlings gathered in a circle, Chaos couldn't help counting them silently.

One, two, three... fourteen.

Exactly fourteen, no more and no less. Not a single one was missing; they had all awakened from their first slumber.

Including him, that made fifteen.

"Come out! Agatha, you get out here!"

Loya stood on the ground with her claws bracing her body, roaring without restraint.

Today, she would pay Agatha back double for all the humiliation she had suffered that day!

[Tap, tap~!]

Behind Loya, the hatchlings moved aside on their own to make a path.

A red hatchling three meters tall, almost at the young dragon stage, walked out through the passage they had cleared.

Still roaring, Loya noticed none of this.

"Agatha, are you scared?"

"You despicable coward!"

Huh?

Why does my back feel a little warm?

Sensing something was wrong, Loya turned her head to look behind her.

One glance left her utterly dumbfounded, her emerald slit pupils widening blankly.

What greeted her eyes was a red hatchling sitting on the ground. She had no idea when this red hatchling had settled down behind her.

But none of that was the point. The point was...

She... she... she's really big.

Her body was more than twice Loya's size, and even the crimson claws planted on the ground were lined with muscle.

Those huge claws looked as though a single swipe would knock her flat, with no need for a second.

Scary, scary.

Loya shrank back, pulling in her neck.

The red hatchling before her had her head lowered, her crimson slit pupils fixed intently on Loya.

Then the red hatchling spoke slowly.

"So you're the one who wants to challenge me?"

Huh?

Her claws suddenly felt weak, and Loya plopped down on her rump.

Wait, the one I want to challenge is that green dragon. Why is this red hatchling saying I want to challenge her?

Can hatchlings change color during their first slumber?

Looking at the green hatchling's blank expression, Agatha narrowed her slit pupils slightly.

She began to have a vague feeling that something was wrong.

As far as she remembered, she had never offended this little green dragon. She had stolen eggshells from two green hatchlings, but this definitely wasn't one of them.

The two green hatchlings she had robbed were weak, but both were shrewd.

Then she looked again at the green hatchling before her.

So vacant...

One look gave any dragon the impression that she wasn't very bright.

Still, since the other hatchling had called her out by name, she had no reason to refuse the challenge.

Her crimson slit pupils narrowed, but she still wanted to find out why this green hatchling was challenging her.

"Before the challenge begins, I'd like you to answer a question."

"Why... are you challenging me?"

At the word "challenge," Loya felt her mind snap clear.

Her round emerald head immediately began shaking rapidly from side to side.

A challenge? Are you kidding? How could I possibly beat this big dragon in front of me? She'd beat me to death.

Even with the blessing of Life's Blessing, she couldn't do it.

"N-no, that's not it. You're not the one I want to challenge."

Agatha was puzzled by this. Could there be another dragon in this cavern with the same name as hers?

She watched the little green dragon shaking her head frantically.

She really did seem afraid of her.

"Not me?"

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm~!" Loya nodded rapidly in confirmation.

"But I'm Agatha."

"No, no, no. I want to challenge that green dragon who's also called Agatha."

The moment she heard the words "green dragon," Agatha felt she understood something.

She lifted her crimson head high, sweeping her imposing gaze over the circle of hatchlings.

Standing a head taller than ordinary hatchlings let her see every little hatchling clearly.

After scanning more than half the circle, her gaze settled on a green hatchling.

Under Agatha's stare, the green hatchling quietly began backing away.

She had planned to challenge Agatha after waking from her slumber, but now...

Forget it. We green dragons can take our time getting revenge.

Seeing the fear in the green hatchling's slit pupils, Agatha looked away.

It probably wasn't her.

After a brief pause, her gaze continued roaming.

But even after scanning the entire circle, she hadn't found that male green hatchling.

She turned her head and looked straight toward the passage.

The passage was empty.

At the passage entrance.

Chaos, who had already pulled his head back, leaned against the wall by the entrance, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.

He raised a claw and silently rubbed the thick scales over his chest.

Agatha has such sharp senses.

She clearly hadn't spotted me, yet she still looked straight this way. Luckily, I reacted quickly too.

Otherwise, if she'd found me...