Where No One Goes, Saiki K and How To Train Your Dragon crossover

VI: A Hidden World

Out of breath, the dragon bowed its head low to meet his gaze, flaring its wings and hissing menacingly at him. Whatever this fury-like dragon was, it hissed beneath its breath, standing defensively, talons clutching the soil; he could not determine if the dragon was furious, hungry, or even anxious.

Kusuo's forest green eyes locked onto the Sand Fury's honey-colored eyes, and for a brief moment, its black pupils expanded slightly to convey that it was ashamed of the injury. During this silent battle, Kusuo noticed a thick crimson liquid gushing down the dragon's chocolate-colored leg. It was like a battlefield, with Kusuo as the commander of a troop of soldiers, judging the enemy and assessing the situation, while the Sand Fury was like a wounded combatant, unable to fight back but still determined to endure the pain. While the blood seemed to camouflage, the deep, exposed, and torn flesh wasn't. The more Kusuo's eyebrows lifted and his lips curled into an awkward but apologetic smile, the more he felt sorry for the dragon, even though he knew that if he made the slightest mistake, he would not stand a chance against the dragon. In contrast to popular belief, Kusuo was thought to be selfish, untrustworthy, and aloof, but that was only a ruse to let others leave him alone. (Only if it did work).

Kusuo flinched, breathing and his heart quivering in unison, as he realized that whatever had caused that burrow had injured this dragon in the middle. He could not understand why the dragon was wandering around a forest; its creamy beige scales and brown patterns reminded him of the sand, which was probably its habitat. Immediately, the dragon snatched its paw away and snarled, exposing its razor-sharp teeth to hide the shimmer of vulnerability. Kusuo was taken aback by the dragon's reaction. He slowly backed away, careful not to make any sudden movements. He watched the dragon carefully as it continued to move, its scales glinting in the sunlight.

Though, come to think of it, those tremors in the ground he felt before were explosive as if a landmine had been set off—these had to be connected, meaning that thing was here not too long ago. The dragon was lucky to be alive; he could still pitch the burrow in his head, and the earth was uprooted as if this creature could burst through the ground to attack.

The dragon tried to maintain its fierce demeanor, its honey-yellow eyes flickering as it reared back, until Kusuo ducked and let the silence speak for itself. He knew that beneath the intimidating exterior, the dragon was a curious, scared, and vulnerable animal. The dragon's façade was like a mask, hiding the truth of its inner emotions from view. Kusuo had slowly peeled back the mask to reveal the real truth underneath.

"It is okay," he hums, softly extending his palm as the dragon seems taken aback, but it retracts its guarded fangs, remaining vigilant. "I am not going to hurt you," the dragon leans away, causing Kusuo to cease reaching out. Not quite there yet, he nods at her broken paw, saying, "I want to help."

The sand dragon gave him a guttural purr as she bowed her head and closed her captivating honey-colored eyes. He felt the placeholder name for the dragon's species was a little too literal, mostly because she resembled a Night Fury but with more spikes and sharper eyes; nevertheless, I am going to stick with it. Sand Wraith, gods—that is a moniker Kaidou would come up with.

With a sigh of relief, Kusuo slumped forward, his heart pounding. "Thank you," he said, his voice cracking. He put his hand on his forehead, feeling the sticky sweat stick to his palms. The Sand Wraith purred softly and backed up, giving Kusuo room to stand. After brushing the dirt from his pants, he narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly at her. "Now, let us get out of here before that thing comes back."

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Nendou had been fighting with Aren nonstop, while Teruhashi and Hairo were watching out for any danger. "Come on, four eyes, why can't you let me take the lead on this? You trust Teruhashi and Hairo, but not me?" Nendou said.