Chapter 57: Burning Bright

The Dragon Girl of Calamity

Nikita Cynthia.

Facing her, I felt a coldness that froze me to the marrow.

The gaze Nikita fixed upon me was chillingly cold, devoid of warmth.

Her face might still appear noble, but the Nikita I knew always carried kindness in her heart.

Yet, today, not a shred of that kindness remained.

Instead, only a burning vengeance consumed her entirely.

“…You’ve come, I see.”

A low, subdued voice slipped from Nikita’s lips.

She repeated my words back to me.

“So, you knew I would come?”

Our senior, Nikita, was always perceptive.

“Yes.”

I answered as I threw the sword in my hand onto the ground.

Clang-

The blade clattered and rolled against the icy ground.

Seeing this, Nikita’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

She hadn’t expected me to abandon my weapon so readily.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Her eyes still held doubt, though that doubt soon faded.

Instead, a bitter chill began to swirl like a storm around her.

“Hand over Iris Hyserion.”

Her next words made my eyes widen in shock.

“Are you saying if I hand over the princess, you’ll spare our lives?”

“Yes. This matter doesn’t concern you.”

Even while wielding elder dragon magic, which must have consumed part of her sanity, Nikita’s only desire was vengeance against Iris.

She had no intention of harming anyone else.

That’s why she waited until no one could resist any longer.

Such restraint was a testament to Nikita’s inherent kindness.

But now, her kindness was not something I could rely on.

“No, I won’t.”

“…Hania, I know you care for the princess, but you should value your own life.”

“Of course, my life is precious to me.”

Instead of a sword, I raised the edge of my hand.

Setting down the blade brought me an odd sense of calm.

“But there are things more precious than life.”

Preventing this damned world from reaching a bad ending.

That was the only way to safeguard my own life as well.

“So, Iris is that precious to you?”

Nikita spoke, bowing her head slightly.

A tear formed in her eye, crystallizing into ice before it fell.

The overwhelming sorrow emanating from her was enough to make my chest ache.

“I, too, lost the thing I held most dear.”

Nia Cynthia.

Her elder brother, the only one in their family who supported and trusted her.

He had been unjustly murdered.

“So, I will take something away as well.”

As Nikita finished speaking, her figure vanished.

In her place, there was only a single footprint left behind.

She’s coming.

The moment I realized this, I immediately swung my hand edge.

Kaaaaaang!

A fierce clash of blades echoed in front of me as I stood shielding Iris.

Nikita’s gleaming white sword collided with the edge of my hand.

Crunch!

The freezing cold imbued in her blade began to instantly freeze my hand.

As expected of elder dragon magic.

Even the mere touch of her sword made it feel as though my hand might shatter.

Whiiiiing—

But I was prepared for this.

The magical engravings embedded in my steel-like skin began to glow all at once.

With them, the temperature of my body rapidly surged, and flames erupted across my frame.

Steel is highly conductive to heat, after all.

The magic engraved on my steel skin was fire-based—A spell I had specifically asked Sharin to inscribe for me in preparation for today.

The intense heat spread throughout my body.

Though I may not have the unyielding flame of determination that Lucas possessed, I could mimic it, if only a little.

Noticing the heat radiating from my body, Nikita frowned slightly.

“With something like that?”

In response, the cold she exuded grew even more intense.

The magic Nikita had mastered was the extreme cold magic of the elder dragons.

The very reason the Dragon’s Spine Mountains were eternally covered in snow and ice was due to the frost of those ancient beings.

It was no exaggeration to call it the strongest of all ice magic.

‘Nikita may lack talent in other types of magic.’

But ironically, she had an exceptional aptitude for the elder dragon’s magic.

However, the unique side effects of such power were beyond even her control.

The more one used elder dragon magic, the more they transformed into a dragonkin.

And in the end, they would be consumed entirely by the magic—a fate worse than death.

The frost pouring out from Nikita collided with the heat radiating from my body.

The clash of such opposing forces—

Boooom!

A deafening explosion erupted, blanketing the surroundings in a thick, white mist.

Through the haze, I sensed Nikita step back.

As her eyes darted around, searching for me—

Thud!

I grabbed Iris and bolted.

The explosive magic engraved on my feet activated, propelling me forward at desperate speed.

I tore away from the battlefield with everything I had.

Realizing this too late, Nikita surged after me, her face twisted into a demonic snarl.

‘I just need to get out of here first.’

There was no way to defeat her head-on.

I had to lure her to the place I had prepared.

“Ugh…”

I felt Iris groan faintly in my arms, likely from the explosions and my searing heat.

But I couldn’t afford to worry about her now.

All I could do was push my legs harder, trying to escape.

Bang! Crash!

In the blink of an eye, Nikita was closing the distance between us.

Before mastering elder dragon magic, Nikita had already proven herself capable, serving as vice president.

She had spent even her sleepless nights relentlessly honing her skills.

It was no surprise that Nikita’s combat prowess was among the best.

Now, with elder dragon magic enhancing her physical abilities even further, shaking her off would be anything but easy.

That’s why I had spent days preparing.

BOOOOM!

At that moment, the ground beneath Nikita’s feet exploded, shaking the entire space.

Beneath the frozen snow, torn scraps of paper, caught in the blast, fluttered through the air.

What Nikita had just stepped on was a scroll engraved with explosive magic.

Magic Scrolls.

A relic of the ancient era, the magical engravings of old had been refined and adapted for modern use.

Though they don’t compare to the power of true mages, the scroll I just used was no ordinary one.

‘It was made by the Frenzied Sorceress.’

Stolen from the mid-tier boss, Vinesha.

Its performance was nothing short of exceptional.

Whoosh!

Emerging through the smoke of the explosion, Nikita resumed her pursuit.

She had taken the full brunt of the explosion magic, yet she was barely singed and continued after me, unscathed.

Of course, it was to be expected.

The body of an elder dragon is far too strong to be harmed by the mere explosion of a scroll.

Still, the limited visibility and unstable footing gave me just enough of an opening to widen the gap between us.

BOOM! BOOM!

But even luck has its limits.

Nikita recklessly trampled over the remaining explosive scrolls as she charged forward, her fury clearly ignited—her gaze now sharp and murderous.

But not yet.

Not until I’m ready.

Before long, I reached a sloping surface.

Amidst the icy floor, another scroll came into view.

Without hesitation, I stomped on it.

Fwoosh!

Black smoke erupted from the ground, rapidly spreading and obscuring everything around us.

In the cover of the smoke,

I stomped on another scroll directly in front of me.

CRASH!

A loud, dramatic sound of someone falling echoed from behind.

It was Nikita.

The magic I triggered had made the surface of the floor slippery.

With her vision obstructed by the black smoke and the ground slick, even Nikita couldn’t avoid slipping.

This gave me even more distance.

Using every trick I had prepared, I desperately kept increasing the gap between us.

‘Just a little more.’

I was close to the final location I had set up.

That thought drove my legs to move faster than ever.

Shiver!

A chilling instinct suddenly swept over me, forcing my body to lunge forward.

CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK!

A beam of ice shot out from behind, grazing past me.

The icy ray streaked forward, colliding with the art gallery’s wall.

BOOOOM!

The wall shattered under the force of the ice beam, sending shockwaves that knocked me to the ground.

A sharp pain ran down my back.

It seemed the spot grazed by the ice beam had frozen solid.

Fwoosh—

Even with the heat from the magic engraving, the ice on my back refused to thaw.

“Grrrr.”

I muttered under my breath, forcing myself to stand despite the pain.

There was no time to waste.

Just as I was about to resume running, I saw a blade filling my vision.

I quickly leaned back to dodge.

Whoosh!

The gust trailing the blade grazed over me, making me stagger.

Nikita, her silver hair whipping through the air, stood before me,

Her face now adorned with shimmering scales.

She had closed the distance right after firing the ice beam.

Her speed was utterly inhuman.

Even as I stumbled, I found an opening and drove my fist into her exposed side.

Thud—

But Nikita remained unfazed.

Instead, pain shot through my hand, as if my bones had cracked.

Her body was immune to most physical attacks now,

Encased in a living armor of hardened ice thanks to her elder dragon magic.

I had no choice but to prioritize escape over counterattacks, but she was faster than I anticipated.

I barely dodged another swing of her sword, each strike carrying the promise of instant death.

My desperation to survive was painfully obvious.

BOOM!

Using the explosive power of a magic engraving, I managed to create some distance and caught my breath.

The heat from the engraving kept the freezing air at bay, but it raised my body temperature so much that my stamina was depleting faster than expected.

Nikita lowered her sword slowly and turned to face me.

“Hania, I understand now how determined you are to protect the princess.”

Unlike me, Nikita wasn’t even out of breath.

I had burned through an absurd number of magic scrolls—enough to make even the wealthiest nobles balk—Yet I hadn’t left so much as a scratch on her.

“But this is the end.”

She gave me one last chance.

“Put the princess down now and head for the exit.”

If I complied, she’d spare my life.

Hearing her words, I stayed silent.

Then, after a moment, I let out a soft chuckle.

Nikita’s eyes twitched with confusion, her expression as if questioning whether I had lost my mind.

Looking at her, I took a deep breath in, then out.

“Nikita-senpai.”

I said, ready to reveal the truth.

“Have you perhaps misunderstood something?”

Misunderstood?

Her eyes narrowed with doubt.

To answer her, I carefully set down Iris.

Instead of explaining,

I began unwrapping a bandage that connected the two of us.

As the bandages unraveled, Iris’s form started to shift.

The bandages were no ordinary ones—they were a Veil Bandage.

When the transformation began, Nikita’s eyes widened in shock.

What stood there now wasn’t Iris.

The second in rank of the School of Magic Studies.

The idiot who was the first to drop out among Iris’s team.

Dorara Korajin.

He’s the one I disguised as Iris using the Veil Bandage.

I flung him aside like a discarded rag.

“Ugh!”

The unconscious man tumbled through the snow, rolling helplessly.

Watching this, Nikita’s head slowly tilted back.

“The real Iris is…”

“She’s probably where you left her earlier.”

Nikita pressed her lips together, biting back her frustration.

Her head slowly turned back to me, her eyes now brimming with annoyance.

“No matter how much time you try to buy, it won’t make a difference. I’ll take you down, return to the princess, and finish what I started.”

“Nikita-senpai, there’s no such thing as a meaningless act in this world.”

Everything carries meaning.

There’s a reason why Nikita had to end up like this, and why I had to do what I did.

It all has meaning.

Nikita targeted Iris.

She pushed her into a dire situation.

That fact alone has now become an undeniable truth in this world.

Act 3, Scene 6.

The ‘Dragon Girl of Calamity’ storyline is fully underway.

Now, only one thing is needed for the scenario to proceed.

The protagonist must defeat the Disaster Dragoness, and the Disaster Dragoness must meet her death.

Lucas tries again and again to reason with Nikita.

But Nikita, shattered by Nia’s death, is unmoved by his desperate pleas

And remains determined to kill Iris.

At that point, Lucas is forced to make a choice.

Kill Nikita.

Or let Iris die.

This is the choice, the trial, forced upon the protagonist.

Nikita’s death is inevitable.

It drives the narrative forward and aligns the story with its intended course.

This world demands the death of the Dragon Girl of Calamity.

But my thoughts differ.

‘I am not Lucas.’

Lucas is coerced by the world into choosing between two paths.

But I am not Lucas—I am the extra, Vikarmern.

Thus, I will choose a path the world does not dictate.

A path that progresses the story in my own way.

I’ve prepared and prepared again for this moment—

The only way to save Nikita from the abyss of despair.

And allow her to live freely.

Fwoosh—

The sound of flames crackling arose from somewhere.

“And Nikita-senpai, your assumption is flawed.”

I decided to correct her misconception.

“First, you’ll need to defeat me.”

Fwoosh—

Nikita soon realized something was amiss.

Throughout the Ice Garden, the sound of flames crackling began to echo.

Crimson fire erupted here and there, blazing furiously.

But these weren’t ordinary flames.

They came from a stone—

The Essence of Fire, a remnant left behind when a fire spirit lord reaches the end of its lifespan and perishes.

Meanwhile, I loosened my chest garment, revealing my torso.

As I did, my appearance began to shift.

Not as Hania, but as Hanon Airei.

Nikita’s eyes slowly widened in shock.

“V-Vice Captain?”

Her face revealed utter disbelief, as if she had never imagined I would be here.

“Why… are you here?”

Her confusion was my opportunity.

Inside the Veil Bandage, a vivid crimson stone emerged, wrapped securely within.

The magic of an elder dragon is undeniably powerful.

And the traditional counter to it is the flame of determination.

However, alongside those flames of resolve, there exists another method capable of countering elder dragon magic.

A Spirit Lord.

A being at the apex of all spirits.

Their power could rival even that of an elder dragon’s magic.

But I cannot form a contract with a spirit.

So, I prepared an unconventional solution.

The Essence of Fire embedded throughout the garden ignited fiercely, and all the flames surged, converging toward one singular point.

That point was me.

Or, more precisely, the stone embedded in my chest.

“That’s…”

Nikita finallt recognized the identity of the stone in my chest.

This wasn’t an ordinary Essence of Fire.

It was The Flame of Fire.

The corpse of the Fire Spirit Lord.

「Speak, boy. What is your desire?」

This was a reward granted to me by the Sovereign Artisan under the Hero’s Special Provisions Act.

What I had requested was precisely this—

The rarest artifact in the world,

And a temporary substitute for the flame of determination.

Whoosh!

The Flame of Fire consumed every trace of the spirit’s flame lingering in the surrounding Essences of Fire, roaring madly as it burned.

The heat radiating from the Flame pounded against my body like a raging storm.

Engulfed in the Fire Spirit Lord’s flames, I let out a slow, steady breath.

My eyes met Nikita’s bewildered gaze.

Seeing her expression, I steadied my stance, raising my hand like the edge of a blade.

The searing heat scorched my body.

It was suffocating, the intensity overwhelming.

But the Steel Empress, who had longed for warmth, had crafted this steel skin imbued with her will, allowing it to perfectly withstand and absorb the heat.

The Steel Empress had ascended to divinity to chase the heat.

Thus, her steel was optimized to retain warmth.

Even so, the time I could endure the Flame of Fire wasn’t long.

“I did warn you it’d sting, didn’t I?”

So, within that brief window,

I would finish things with Nikita.