「Nee, friends, do you have a lot?」

Nyuju asked me when we were leaving Lamia’s place.

I was inwardly surprised that she asked me that but I didn’t show it.

「Umu. I’ve been blessed with some friends.」

「So . ., I see.」

Nyuju had fallen silent from then on.

What’s with this conversation, it might be unexpectedly serious.

Well, what should we do next . . . . I could continue making the totem pole, but I want this girl to have some more experience.

When I thought so, I noticed it.

Somehow the girl was like me. The people and events I came across on the island and the desire to learn about various things.

Where should I take her and then just when I was tilting my head I heard a familiar cry from the distance.

「Kukuku . . ., our next business has been decided.」

「Next business?」

「Ah, my nemesis (friend) sent an invitation.」

Though Nyuju looked puzzled, my heart had already begun to dance.

「Come! Nyuju!」

Through the sky I flew towards the cry of my friend.

This was a yellow wilderness.

There in the center of the wide wilderness, with a gigantic figure comparable to mine, my rival was waiting.

「Geko geko?」

「Did you think I was frightened? Don’t be a fool. I only flew slowly because I have a companion.」

「Gekoo?」

「Ahh, I got acquainted with her yesterday. Don’t you think she would be a good umpire?」

「Geeko geko geko」

「Kukuku, you will teach me what defeat means huh? Don’t underestimate me, even if the power of my roar has lost its power due to my overweight, my melody and musical sense is still great.」

「Geeko geko geko geko」

「Ahh, let’s fight seriously like you wanted! Then let’s start Geeko! Nyuju! I ask for your judgment!」

Now, the two soul (Soul) fight begins!

First, the prelude as a light jab, it’s a preliminary test but no corner was cut.

I threw the sound and melody that had a light and lively nature at Geeko.

How’s that? Now it’s time for your cry. Your unique cry.

However, Geeko didn’t cry.

He took a deep breath and firmly shut his mouth, so that his throat puffed out Pukutto like a globefish.

(Geeko, what are you thinking?)

Though I was confused, I still need to sing more strongly. From Geeko who had shut his mouth I felt a strange pressure.

(The song, must not stop)

What was Geeko going to do, though I couldn’t guess it, but if I relaxed my guard, I would be done for. I was overcome with a JiriJiri feeling of impatience.

I could only go on the offensive. I sang an attack at Geeko with my best effort.Geeko was looking at me while grinning and held both his hands to his puffed out throat.

Truth reversal (No way) !?

(TLN: 真逆 (まさか))

And I finally understood what Geeko was going to do.

Geeko began to beat his throat which was swollen to the limit alternately with both hands.

(This . ., it’s a drum!)

Geeko matched my cry with a force and rhythm like from my cheek and throat pouch which were like a drum.

Moreover it wasn’t just any drum.

The rhythm and sound created by Geeko sounded like a prayer to the earth, it tempted the brain into a trance and the melody was from an old time.

This sound, the deep dragon knowledge knew it.

「Geeko you! It’s a Djembe1!」

Geeko only grinned at my question and continued to the Djembe sound from his cheek pouch with increased speed.

The cheek below his chin, like playing a piano, was clapped while changing position.

The drum which should lack variety, he was able to change rhythm and sound at will.

What was the Djembe, it was a kind of drum from the southeast continent of the island where the dragon lived.

It was used for folk music while beating the drum with both hands without using a drumstick.

Not only the drumhead but part of the trunk was also used and creating sound and rhythm from its whole body was its feature. It was native to the southern continent and was used for playing music for night long festivals.

The audience was charmed by the “Good behavior” and unlike songs, the music appealed directly and made one’s heart throb. There was no other percussion instrument as troublesome as this.

It was the soul of the native people that live under the sun in the wilderness and the sound that shook the earth.

My monotonous cry was pushed aside by Geeko’s performance in an instant.

I didn’t know that Geeko was a master of the Djembe.

Then I realized it. Geeko had gone easy on me so far.

I thought Geeko could only cry, but he had an ace which exceeded my imagination.

When in a one on one fight the number of hands was important. Especially in a fight where both parties were equal.

With a change of hand, how would you disturb the pace of your opponent, it was the path to victory in a one on one music confrontation.

Geeko hadn’t shown the Djembe to me. For a truth reversal this time, had Geeko kept the Djembe?

Because he didn’t show me his trump card . . . .

The soul of Geeko sinks into my soul and I had the illusion as if was crushed.

「Miin min min min」 (TL: Don’t make light of me!)

I dispelled the timid fantasy with a voice filled with spirit.

Geeko! Making light of a dragon, I will teach you that it was foolish conceit!

As the world’s strongest dragon, I meet you head on with my body and soul!

Did you think you were the only one that could make part of his body into a musical instrument?

Interrupting Geeko’s Djembe was a long sound. It was a sound born from noise, but it resounded through the vicinity with a unique feeling.

Once again. The left hand and now the right hand.

The source of the sound was from below collarbone of my gigantic body where my dragon nail ran and shook irregularly.

Because the nail traced the grooves that the scales produced, sound was created.

「Geeko?!」「Do recognize it? As expected of my rival. It’s a Güiro2.」

The Güiro is a musical instrument.

It was a musical instrument that came from the southwestern continent of the island where the dragon lived.

It created burr sounds from the carved gourd and the thin stick rubbed against it. If the stick hits the groove 「Gari」 the sound created by the musical instrument completely changes.

The sound became a high cha when rubbed fast and a low gi when rubbed slowly.

Though it wasn’t suitable for creating high pitch sounds, but the audience was invited by the light rhythm which was different from the drum which was a percussion instrument.

With my fat body echoes couldn’t be produced, but by matching my magic with my nail scrubbing my nails, I succeeded in creating a powerful sound that exceeded a genuine Güiro.

Ordinary scales and nails wouldn’t be able to endure this intense friction, but I’m a true dragon.

Don’t underestimate the scales and nails of a true dragon.

Sweat began to appear on Geeko.

It was folk music against folk music.

If Geeko used the sound from southeastern continent then I would choose the sound from the southwestern continent.

The scales at the part were human’s nipple would be, I strum them with my five nails like a guitar.

Alternating both hands, while moving them up and down, sometimes long, sometimes short. The Güiro of the dragon that contained magic resounded through the wilderness.

However, Geeko wasn’t a person to surrender so easily. He challenged my Güiro with his whole body.

We naturally perform and additionally to the music we moved by a three beat rhythm.

The right front, left front, back left front, right front, back

One and a half step forward and one step back and the distance between Geeko and me shrank.

The tempo rose steadily.

My chest and Geeko’s throat.

Both hands at almost the same time, but the rhythm and sound were created while alternating them.

The tempo continued to rise and the two of use transformed while playing.

The sounds faced each other, formed a lump and it wasn’t possible to distinct whether the sound was made from me or Geeko.

The sound intertwined, blended into each other and accelerated.

Reaching the maximum speed, where the muscles of both arms were screaming, while performing dance steps, the shoulder of Geeko and me who kept moving forward finally touched.

Then we realized that we had advanced to a position where we knocked into each other.

(It looks like this is the place!)

I produced a long scratch with both my nails.

Geeko read my intent and matched me exactly.

Three sounds of the end came in succession at the same time.

And the silence of the wilderness was once again revived.

After Geeko and me high fived with our right hands, we firmly clasped each other’s hand.

Harmony of the moment while we praised each other’s good fight.

However, it was a fight, so a victor and loser had to be decided.

Geeko and I turned towards the umpire Nyuju at the same time.

「Nyuju! Who won!?」

「Geeko?!」

Nyuju who I asked to be the umpire was covering both her ears for some reason and she was burying her head in her knees.

↑[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djembe

↑[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Güiro