No NOOOOOOOO! I woke up from what seemed to be an endless slumber. Again with that same nightmare. How many times do I need to relive that day, that mistake? The day I gave my child to the Dragon King. I wished if only I caught that malicious smile he gave me, I would still have had my daughter. I thought he would take care of her, but instead his lack of care caused her illness, and ultimately, her death.

I’m Kaido, a humongous centipede who drew his last breath saving children. My life goal was to make sure every child has a good life!

When Ari, my daughter,  came back from the Dragon King’s care, she was slightly frail and injured. She looked famished, so I gave her carp. Ari had a severe fever, which prevented her from eating it. Ari later told me how she was treated by the Dragon King. After tending to her for a week, she later died to the unknown disease.

An immense amount of anguish and guilt washed over me as I remembered the event. My precious daughter was gone, never to come back. I went back to sleep to try to get my mind off of Ari’s death. When I reawoke it was night and all of my drowsiness gone. I decided to storm the Dragon King’s mansion.

I couldn’t allow his children and grandchildren to follow the same cruel path. I crawled around the tall mountains toward his palace. At first sight of the white marble I bolted. The closer I got, the more I observed the massive palace. The beautiful palace was large enough for my head to fit the doors.

When the doors burst open from my headbutt, I took the first child I saw. With that, I quickly retreated to the mountains.

“No! Don’t eat me!” the child sobbed.

“I wouldn't dare to do such a thing,” I said sincerely.    

  “Y-you, promise?” he asked.

  “Of course.”  

“There is no reason to waste potential,” I reassured him.

After that night, I continued to repeat this action time and time again. The mountains were bustling with joy and laughter, it was as if the mountains themselves were alive. I relished that I saved 100 of the Dragon King’s family. 100 people I steered away from the Dragon King’s path, so no one else needs to suffer the fate of my precious Ari.

I rounded the mountains to save another child. Unlike the last 100 times, there now was a muscular warrior. He made a gesture to the Dragon King. The Dragon King ran away, quickly returning with a bow and quiver. The warrior calmly drew the bow and fired at my skull.