Ch.132Final Battle (1)

Weather, or more precisely, nature, was a realm that couldn’t be predicted even with advanced magic.

While one might understand rain or snow, how could anyone perfectly measure phenomena that occurred only once every few years?

However, lunar and solar eclipses were considered crucial phenomena in this agricultural era. They had been studied for hundreds of years before they were observed, and their prediction accuracy increased as the time drew near.

Therefore, if what they had predicted was a total lunar eclipse, unless the moon moved on its own or someone cast an illusion spell to make it appear as if the moon had moved, the prediction would certainly be successful.

But why had the moon’s orbit suddenly shifted so dramatically?

“Impossible! Why is the moon suddenly moving on its own…!”

When the astronomer watching the moon shouted, the magicians beside him gathered around, looking up at the moon and murmuring among themselves. What surrounded the moon was unmistakably magical power. Who on earth could influence the moon in the sky?

As if to make people mistake the day of the total lunar eclipse.

At that moment, something flashed through the magicians’ minds,

and their shoulders trembled as they all thought of the same being.

Overcome with fear, one magician finally raised a trembling finger toward the sky and spoke.

“…It’s a dragon.”

Dragon—a name already forgotten hundreds of years ago, remaining only in myths.

The magical power scattered by the moon’s cover was not something humans could comprehend.

Magical power that made even non-archmages tremble just by sensing it.

If that power had affected the moon, if it had made people hallucinate and mistake the date of the total lunar eclipse…

There was only one such being called a dragon.

“Mabet.”

At someone’s murmur, all the magicians’ faces turned deathly pale.

The imperial army’s deployment, which had begun under the assumption that the total lunar eclipse would be tomorrow, being wrong meant…

that the imperial forces were now facing the ancient dragon Mabet.

In an instant, the expressions of all the magicians in the tower crumbled into despair.

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There was a woman. Like white paint, she was born with innate purity. It was obvious that even a speck of dust would instantly soil her—that supreme cleanliness drew everyone’s attention.

That flawless purity meant she could become anything, which is why…

perhaps her being dyed purple was a future that had been foreseen.

“…I should have realized sooner.”

Kaisel smiled bitterly. Claiming he was just dealing with extinction,

he could only blame himself for trying to excuse his own feelings.

What if he had been a little more honest? If they had met a little earlier,

if they had opened up and talked more. Would they have avoided meeting again like this?

It was a cold wind. And an unreachable wind at that.

Her black hair gradually blurred as it blended into the night shadows.

Where had things gone wrong? If he had returned from the Hatan expedition sooner and caught Scarlet, could he have avoided seeing this?

But reality was already before his eyes. No longer the woman he had held in his heart,

but Scarlet who had become the ancient dragon sealed a thousand years ago. She was spreading her wings before him.

“Child, there is no need to be so afraid. Wasn’t everything already foreseen anyway?”

When Mabet spoke, Kaisel’s body trembled at the overwhelming power in that voice.

The sheer terror felt from just the voice—could he possibly cut through those scales if he fought?

It was a sensation completely different from facing a born dragon.

Rather than calculating his chances, his entire body screamed warnings to flee immediately.

If he ran away, he could survive. But what would be the point of living that way?

A reason to live—amid his repeated thoughts, Kaisel couldn’t find one in the end.

Was being the imperial crown prince such a great existence? Someone who couldn’t even protect his woman,

if he were to live on pathetically from here… he would surely regret it for the rest of his life.

“The voice is exactly the same.”

Kaisel murmured as he looked at Mabet. It was a voice he had always heard.

Though he hadn’t heard it much, it was a voice he always remembered. What that voice meant was

that Scarlet had undoubtedly been completely taken over by Mabet.

Crack—the tightly gripped sword handle trembled and shook.

Blood flowed from his pale knuckles, and his bitten lip was torn, with blood already soaking his mouth.

Kaisel felt his entire soul being torn apart under Mabet’s gaze.

Though it was just a gaze, the stare of an ancient dragon who had lived for a thousand years was already a curse surpassing all magic.

In that crushing pressure that made his body feel heavy, as if taking one step would break his bones…

Step—

Kaisel managed to take a difficult step forward.

Whoosh—the flame that had been flickering under the pressure suddenly blazed up.

His red eyes gleamed with unusual light. Filled with fighting spirit and unbreakable will, Kaisel walked forward.

He might not win. No, he would certainly lose. But if he ran away from here…

“I wouldn’t know what to say to Scarlet later.”

He was quite skilled with words. He was used to sweet-talking women,

and confident he could make a woman his in just one night.

But if there was one woman he couldn’t do that with, it was Scarlet.

A woman he somehow couldn’t lie to. She was just a woman he had met for the empire,

but at some point, he had been the one trying to make appointments with her.

To live, and meet Scarlet again.

That single thought created flames once more. When he first reached Master rank,

that explosive power he had felt began to slowly envelop Kaisel’s body.

The flames whirling like a storm temporarily cleared away the darkness.

Dispelling the shadows created by Mabet, the starlight briefly reflected in the sky shimmered on Kaisel’s head.

Crash! Mabet’s body soared toward the sky.

As that massive body moved, the fortress of Terazein, which had been holding out until now, instantly collapsed and was swept to the ground.

Wings spread, and the wind created by a simple flap blew like a hurricane, sending soldiers flying into the air.

The ground shattered, and lava spurted from the violently splitting earth.

The sky was covered in darkness, with only the red moonlight strangely illuminating the sky as Mabet’s purple eyes glinted.

“Arrogant.”

“I know. I’m not a fool.”

Kaisel replied. Chances of winning? Pointless talk.

Even objectively speaking, even if Mabet’s current appearance was just for show, it was a fight he was bound to lose.

No one could help him. Theorad was fighting behind him to deal with the ghouls that had rapidly increased due to Mabet’s magic.

Evan had gone in the completely opposite direction, so even if he came here, it would take time.

“Yet if you choose to fight, are you ultimately choosing your own death? How foolish.”

“…Don’t say that with that voice.”

Creak—Kaisel readjusted his grip on the sword and pointed it at Mabet.

Scarlet was dead. Or perhaps she was still alive.

The hair tied to the end of the sword handle was still there.

If Scarlet had completely disappeared as a being, that hair would have vanished too.

But it was still there. Kaisel allowed himself to hope. Kill Mabet, save Scarlet.

‘I might not be able to do it.’

He knew. Just as a person cannot strike the sky with their fist,

it might be a wall he couldn’t even touch. Even the founding Emperor Alar couldn’t slay a dragon.

All that he, extraordinary yet ordinary, could do was perhaps inflict a single scratch on that dragon.

Perhaps he couldn’t even manage that much, and Kaisel knew it well.

He steadied his breathing. His beating heart pumped blood,

and the mana that filled his entire body once again ignited blue flames.

His domain expanded, and in the slowed time, only one knight—Kaisel—had complete control of time.

He knew he couldn’t do it. But would he give up because of that?

Swoosh—

The sword cut through the air. A fluttering falling leaf touched the sword’s tip and was bisected.

Sharp. If he were to call himself a sword now, his edge was sharper than anything else.

But it wouldn’t reach. He knew. Even for Evan, killing that dragon would be difficult.

However.

He would not back down. No matter if the enemy was the sky itself, even if it was a dragon no one had ever slain before.

Because he held a sword at this moment, because he had the selfish desire to save just one person.

Kaisel raised his sword. Blue flames surged, creating a small space on the ground where lava flowed.

Fire gushed from Mabet’s mouth. Roar—it was as if all the darkness of the night gathered in those flames.

Overwhelming power—trees that weren’t even touched by the flames burned to ash from the heat.

Kaisel gritted his teeth at the tingling sensation on his skin.

The heat from the flames momentarily created a mirage in the sky. Tap, Kaisel stepped on the ground.

The movements of Kaisel, with his Master’s body, were like the wind. He advanced, cutting through the flames that sparked in an instant.

Though the dragon was in the sky, Kaisel leaped into the air and spread wings made of mana.

Clash! Sparks flew from the sword as it collided with the dragon’s claws. Because the claws were harder than any metal,

Kaisel’s face contorted from the impact transmitted to his shoulder.

Perhaps it was arrogance to have briefly held hope. The dragon was stronger than imagined. Would he die here? No, Kaisel smiled.

This was not where he was meant to die.

If he were to die someday, it wouldn’t be… now. Crash! Flames pierced through the air beside Kaisel as he leaped in the void.

As Mabet’s eyes showed slight disappointment, Kaisel saw it and began running forward again, stepping on Mabet’s scales.

He couldn’t cut it anyway. Those scales were too hard for his sword to slice through.

But what about the eyes? If those purple eyes were vulnerable, couldn’t he cut them?

The thought didn’t last long. Tap, Mabet twisted in the air to shake off Kaisel who was digging inward.

Mountains crumbled and clouds scattered with each movement.

Soldiers fighting ghouls were startled and fled as the earth shook again.

Seeing this, Kasim clicked his tongue and finally ordered a retreat. They couldn’t fight now.

In this transcendent battle between a dragon and a human, all other races could do was preserve their remaining forces.

“Everyone retreat! Fall back!”

“What about the ghouls?”

“Ignore them! If we stay here any longer, we’ll be engulfed by Mabet’s flames!”

Anis narrowed her eyes. It had been fine until now,

but no matter how well Kaisel fought, he was just buying time.

Could he hold out until Evan Fried arrived?

More precisely, even if Evan came, would it be possible to kill that ancient dragon?

Anis had already received a message from the queen. If a dragon appeared, help Evan fight it—that’s what she had been told.

But could Evan hold out until they dealt with all these ghouls?

As Anis nocked another arrow to her bowstring and looked around,

she noticed the ghouls were gradually decreasing. However, there were still many.

‘One hour.’

The time needed to deal with all these ghouls.

Thwack—an arrow pierced through a ghoul’s head, but Anis’s expression remained dark.

The night deepened. Still a long time until dawn.

The red moon grew brighter, while the blue flames gradually faded, emitting only a faint light.