I Fell In Love With A Girl Who Died Before I Was Even Born

I was flying.

Well, hovering above Ken, the bleachers, and everyone else on the grimy gym floor.

My wings pumped rhythmically behind me, just slow enough that I didn't topple onto my face, and fast enough to remind everyone watching that I was still a dragon.

At least on the outside.

On the inside, I was desperately trying to keep everything together. My stomach was turning cartwheels, my heart hammering like a caffeine-addicted drummer.

I felt time speed back to normal once I was away from Ken, and to my relief I didn't feel sick to my stomach.

At least, not then.

And that's when I heard it.

Ding.

It was my stupid, battered, cracked-screen phone sending me a damn text because, of course, this was the ideal time.

I blinked, momentarily forgetting I was in the middle of a life-or-death duel.

Ken looked up, pacing restlessly like a hungry tiger.

The ring of fire blazed around him.

Students shouted encouragement and jeers, and teachers observed silently.

Fushineko-sensei was hitting her vape.

And my phone was blowing up.

Curiosity (or sheer idiocy) won out. I pulled my phone from my pocket, fumbled briefly, and squinted at the bright screen glowing faintly through its busted protector.

One new message from Lah Lah.

You okay? You're being bashed all over the place.

Something's off.

Should I panic?

I stared at the message. "Lah Lah?" I muttered. I flicked the voice mode on, leaning into the absurdity.

"Lah Lah," I whispered urgently, glancing at Ken. "I'm in a fight!"

Oh. That explains it.

Should you be talking to your phone during a fight?

Bold strategy: Let's see if it pays off.

I ignored Lah Lah and asked a more pressing question.

"I need a way to hurt this orc. Can I access ki or something?"

A beat of silence. Then her familiar text-to-speech voice crackled out of my phone's battered speakers.

"Can you access ki?" She paused.

Insufficient information… maybe? Do you have any spiritual connections?

I blinked hard, almost laughing at the absurdity. "I'm a black dragon spirit," I whispered sharply. "Does that count?"

Oh. Yes, that definitely counts.

Having access to a spiritual animal, guardian, etc. allows you to access Ki, a spiritual energy.

She responded matter-of-factly.

In theory, anyway. As a chatbot, I cannot access spiritual energy to check for certain.

If you can ground yourself: emotionally, spiritually: you can temporarily boost strength, speed, stamina through Ki.

Now that would've been helpful five minutes ago before busting my foot.

Below me, Ken's impatient voice cut through my internal dialogue. "Hey! You phoning a friend, dragon-boy? Finish the fight or call mommy later!"

I sighed, deeply and audibly. "Thanks, Lah Lah," I whispered, stuffing my phone back into my pocket. "I'll call you later… probably."

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I heard a muffled reply from my pocket.

Before you die, try to toss me to the cat girl.

She seems okay.

Eyes closed. Deep breaths. Focus.

I centered my weight, hovering just off the floor, just like Yuki had taught me in our quiet moments. Grounding myself, even when the world spun and blurred around me, exactly how Natsumi suggested.

She had been giggling and high as a kite, so what's the worst that could happen?

I took a long, deep breath into my stomach and then back out, focusing on the its feeling as it passed through my open mouth, keeping my feet hovering just above the floor.

Then, it hit me.

Something deep and real, like roots digging into earth, connecting me to something bigger.

Ken moved, and everything slowed around me.

I saw the tension ripple through his body, the fist coming like a freight train. Calmly, I leaned to one side, feeling the air around his fist brush past harmlessly.

Then I drew my shoulder back and threw a punch of my own.

It landed, not exactly a knockout, but it connected.

Ken laughed, harsh and dismissive.

"Best you got?" I heard him sneer, his voice low and distorted in slow motion.

He swung again.

I ducked beneath it effortlessly.

But I was still too weak to hurt him.

I breathed deeper, digging into something even stronger.

And I threw another punch, just above his stomach.

My second punch hit harder. Ken grunted this time, his eyes flickering with genuine surprise.

I had him.

Third punch, in the ribs.

I breathed again, deeper still, drawing energy up from the ground, through concentration and clarity.

I could feel strength building through my legs, spine, arms, like lightning building to a strike.

Everything felt clear. Sounds muted. Vision perfectly focused.

That's when I saw the opening.

BAM!

This punch slammed hard into his chest, staggering him back a step. The crowd roared with approval.

Ken growled, swinging wildly again.

But I saw it coming, clear as day, slow as a dream.

I shifted my weight, letting his punch whisper harmlessly past, and landed my fourth hit straight into his jaw.

And when my fist connected, I could feel the way the bone shifted, cracked, and sputtered against my fingers. It made me sick.

Ken spun around hard, crashing into the gym floor with a sound like a sack of bricks. He stared up at me, dazed and furious. The left side of his face already swelling.

For a moment, I hovered there above him, chest heaving, ki humming softly through me like a second heartbeat.

And I knew, I absolutely knew, I could beat him.

But I'd have to break him. Humiliate him. Hurt him.

I remembered how his jawbone felt just a second ago, and I didn't want to do that to him again.

Winning this fight wasn't the point.

I didn't need to prove my strength.

I wanted Ken to see me, and to understand that we weren't enemies.

We were both lost in our own ways, both trying to belong. And that realization hurt, because choosing understanding meant choosing vulnerability.

I exhaled slowly, feeling ashamed of myself for punching him in the first place.

Why was I fighting him?

I lowered my fists.

Ken stood slowly, clearly confused.

Ryu?

I heard Lah Lah from my pocket.

You okay? GPS says you're just standing there.

Anger flared again in his eyes as he stepped toward me. I saw the punch coming from miles away, but I didn't move.

"So far, so good," I said to Lah Lah.

I thought of Obi-Wan, standing calmly on the Death Star, lightsaber humming, then quietly accepting his fate.

Choosing peace.

Choosing understanding and teaching that there are always alternatives to violence.

So I stood there, calm and ready.

Knowing it was going to hurt.

The instant Ken's fist connected with my face, the slow motion ended and the spinning began.

Everything happened fast.

I felt the world twirl around me as pain exploded across my cheek, swelling my eye, and dropping me to cold, hard gym floor unceremoniously.

A second later, I could taste both blood and dust in my mouth.

I spat it out, watching a glob of blood hit the gym floor beside my hand.

And I felt Ken coming.

Before I could move, his foot hit my ribs and I flew across the gym again, landing several feet away.

I lay there, looking up at the gym ceiling and tried to breath, but it hurt.

I wondered if Ken was going to try to kick me again. I hoped not. I couldn't even think about fighting anymore.

A long brong! echoed through the gym.

One of the noppera-bō had rung the gong, ending the fight.

But I could feel Ken continuing to come towards me.

Damn it. I sat up, and pain shot through my ribs.

I glanced to my side and saw Ken. He shoved three of the noppera-bō out of his way as he charged forward.

Then, I felt someone else running towards me.

Ivan, I thought, shutting my eyes and expecting the worst.

But no.

The running stopped. Ken stopped.

I opened my eyes and standing between me and Ken was Namazu. He stood in a defensive posture, ready to throw down against an enraged orc on my behalf.

"Knock it off, Ken!" Namazu yelled. "I'm not about to let this continue! You won, fair and square. Now, let Ryu get up."

I rolled to the side, propping myself up on my knees and elbows, letting my wings fold into my back and vanish as I assumed my human form.

Ken had come to a stop in front of Namazu.

Behind him, the noppera-bō were getting back to their feet. I saw the tengu, Yuuichiro-sensei, screaming at Ken.

Ken shrugged him off and turned to Namazu.

"You little traitor!" he bellowed.

Namazu flinched, but he didn't back down.

Instead, he blinked his giant, watery eyes at Ken and shook his head sadly.

"No, Ken," he said. "You did that when you continued to fight Ryu after the ref declared you the winner."

Ken stood there, fuming, as noppera-bō surrounded him.

"Now the decision will be reversed. That's your fault. You beat yourself," Namasu said bitterly, as though each word were lined in acid.

Ken roared in anger, shaking the gym with the power of his voice.

But it did him no good.

"Ryu!" Yuki said.

I grinned, feeling her coolness by my side.

In the hot gym, she felt like a breezy oasis.

"I'm okay," I muttered, struggling to stand.

She tried to pick me up, and her arms floated through me.

"It's okay, really," I said. "Yuki, please, put your hand on my face. Just hold it near the swelling. You're nice and cold, honey."

She gasped.

"You called me honey!"

I turned to her to smile, but then I saw her jaw drop in pure horror.

"Gracious, Ryu! Your face! It's—scales. Ryu, you're growing scales."