Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"The Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon can't be without its Dragon King. If that's the case... I guess I'll go back."

Azura bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before finally giving her answer.

"That's amazing! The Dragon King actually agreed!"

For a brief moment, the air was still.

But as soon as those words were spoken, the dragons above the clouds erupted into cheers.

At the forefront, the elder Draconis couldn't hide his excitement either. He had been worried that Azura, after spending so much time at the Sky Sanctuary, might refuse to return to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon.

Who would've thought she'd agree so quickly?

"Congratulations to the Dragon King for returning to the Western Seas!"

"This is fantastic! Our Dragon King is back!"

The sky was filled with the joyful cheers of the dragons, their excitement palpable.

The other three powerful Dragon Kings had long been defeated by Timothy and the goddess, and their clans had replaced them with weak, unworthy successors.

With Azura's current strength and lineage, once she returned to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon, she would undoubtedly lead it to new heights.

It wouldn't be long before Azura, whose power now far surpassed the other Dragon Kings, would have all the dragon clans of Elant under her rule. It was practically inevitable.

"The Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon is about to rise again!"

However, amidst the dragons' cheers, the people of the Sky Sanctuary couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness.

Azura had only been at the Sky Sanctuary for a year, but this adorable little dragon girl had brought so much joy. Her clumsy, endearing personality had won over nearly everyone.

Whenever the female disciples had free time, they would often go out of their way to play with Azura, treating her like a close friend.

The news of her sudden departure was a bit of a shock.

Even Sylvia's expression changed slightly. The normally cold and aloof goddess showed a hint of regret on her face. But she had already made a promise, and as a goddess, she couldn't go back on her word.

"In that case, I won't stop you. If Azura wishes to return to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon and reclaim her position as Dragon King, then you may leave with them."

With a soft sigh, Sylvia looked up at the dragons in the sky.

"Thank you, Goddess!"

Draconis let out a long breath of relief, his heart filled with joy. He couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Azura hadn't refused, and the goddess had given her blessing.

With that, there would be no more obstacles.

"Welcome back, Dragon King! Please, come with us and return to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon!"

Draconis stepped forward excitedly, and the other dragons all bowed in joy, eager to welcome her back.

But despite all the times Azura had boasted about how she would one day return to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon and reclaim her throne, her face showed no sign of happiness now.

Instead, she looked conflicted.

"I..."

She hesitated, glancing at Timothy, then at the dragons who had respectfully stepped forward to greet her.

Faced with Draconis' invitation, she gently shook her head. "I'm not sure what to do right now. On the way back to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon... I want Timothy to come with me."

As she spoke, her small hand tightened around the hem of Timothy's pants, her expression tinged with sadness.

"That... that wouldn't be proper, would it? You and Timothy have already dissolved the pet contract. As a human, he shouldn't have the right to enter the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon."

Draconis looked awkward, clearly unwilling to let Timothy into the shrine.

But he quickly noticed the hesitation and conflict in Azura's expression.

Draconis hesitated for a moment, afraid that Azura might change her mind. Gritting his teeth, he decided not to delay any longer and reluctantly said, "Alright, fine. If that's what you want, Timothy can accompany you this time."

"Okay."

Hearing his response, Azura finally nodded.

She glanced up at Timothy, feeling the warmth radiating from his presence beside her. In that moment, she felt an unexpected sense of peace.

But even though she managed to calm herself a little, her mind was still a whirlwind of confusion.

From the moment the dragons had appeared, she had been unable to think clearly.

Before today, whenever she thought about the approaching deadline of the contract, Azura would fall into deep thought, torn between whether or not to return to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon.

There had been so many times when she had proudly told others that she would reclaim her position as Dragon King after a year. But whenever she truly thought about it, she could never come to a decision.

So, she kept pushing those thoughts aside, trying not to think about what would happen after the year was up.

But as time passed, Azura, who had been living happily and avoiding the issue, failed to realize how suddenly this day would arrive.

She didn't want to face this moment, but the dragons of the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon had been waiting day and night for it. And now, they had come to the Sky Sanctuary the moment the time had come.

The suddenness of it all left her no room to react.

Walking beside Timothy, Azura slowly made her way toward the clouds, step by step. Together, the two of them—one human and one dragon—ascended to the misty cloud layer where the dragons were waiting.

"Welcome back to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon, Dragon King!"

The excited cheers of the dragons stood in stark contrast to Azura's somber expression.
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But the dragons and the Sea Folk didn't seem to care whether Azura was happy or not. All that mattered to them was that she was returning to the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon.

"Thank you, Goddess. We will take our leave now," Draconis said, bowing respectfully before preparing to depart.