“Sir Killian!”

“Reinforcements from the main castle!”

“Uwaaahhh!”

The troops of Fort Bellint cheered as Killian and some of the griffon riders landed on the ground.

Kiyaaaahhk!

Above their heads, the Pendragon griffons faced off with the evil spirits. Unlike the imperial griffons, Pendragon griffons held their ground against the evil spirits.

The reason was simple.

While the imperial griffons were tamed and trained by humans for generations, the griffons of Pendragon were Soldrake’s familiars. They took action based in response to the energy being emitted by Soldrake and Duke Pendragon.

In other words, the griffons of the Pendragon Duchy were influenced by the Spirit of the Dragon. They were better suited to counter the energy of death emitted by Elsaroa compared to regular griffons.

Kiyaaaaaahk!

The cold, blue light of the moon shined down from the dark sky, and evil spirits coated in ominous dark green energy clashed with the hundreds of griffons. Below the fierce battle, the elite heavy cavalry took their position in the middle of Fort Bellint after arriving on griffons. They fought against the dead.

“My lord! Are you all right!?”

“Hmm! Thank you for coming, Killian.”

Raven gave a firm nod, looking at the most reliable knight of the Pendragon Duchy.

“Not at all. I apologize for being late. The second wave of reinforcements will arrive tomorrow at the earliest. My lord, will you take command of the troops?”

Killian spoke while looking around. The dead filled every nook and cranny he could see.

“No, you lead them, sir. That will be more efficient.”

Raven responded. It only made sense since the heavy cavalry were personally picked and trained by Killian. After receiving permission from his monarch, Killian took a deep breath and raised his sword. He thundered.

“All troops! Ready!”

Thud!

At Killian’s words, the heavy cavalry reached for the shields hanging from their backs, mounted the shields on their left gauntlets, pulled out a sword, then stomped down with their left foot at the same time.

“Ha!!!”

Boooom!

When around a hundred members of the heavy cavalry stomped their foot with thunderous shouts, the very ground seemed to shake. Their helmets were pressed deeply, and the eyes contained within were burning brightly with determination and fighting spirit. They were truly an elite force honed by experience.

Their solid, heavy armor was different from ordinary soldiers, and it provided increased defence against the dead.

Kuwuughh!

The dead once again rushed in like a wave.

“In the glorious name of Pendragon! Under the blessing of the great White Dragon! Vanquish evil!”

“Uwaaahhhhh!!!”

The soldiers of the heavy cavalry formed in the groups of five at Killian’s shouts, then began their offense with Raven at the lead.

***

Shuack!

A blade flashing with sharp spirit split the heads of the corpses. However, the dead were ignorant to the fear of death. Their only purpose was to attack and devour the living, and they were faithful to their instincts.

Kuwuuuugh!

Any living creature would have been frightened in face of Spirit of the Dragon, but the monsters created by the Queen of Death flocked endlessly without hesitation.

“Huap!”

Raven stabilized his breath and faced the endless waves of monsters while wielding his scimitar and longsword.

“…..!”

His eyes started to widen. A figure was walking towards him, mixed with the others in the army of the dead. The figure had a missing arm and a large hole in his stomach.

He was once called the monarch of the Great Territory of Seyrod.

“Count Seyrod…”

He was no longer the same man who asked for revenge while shedding tears of blood at his daughter’s death. But Raven could understand why Count Seyrod was standing there in such a shape.

Perhaps due to his love for Luna.

Perhaps it was because of the faint hope that his cherished, loving daughter could be revived.

‘Goodbye.’

Raven could not bring himself to resent the man. As Count Seyrod reached out for him, Raven sliced off his head. Raven then turned to the existence that misled Count Seyrod to death, using the deep affection of the father who lost his daughter.

“Louvre…!”

Raven raised his voice without realizing it. In the far distance, Louvre stood among the dead knights and soldiers, smiling with a calm demeanor. It did not make sense for the dead to avoid Count Louvre, since they attacked and ate anything that was alive.

Then there was only one explanation.

The one responsible for summoning Elsaroa, killing Isla, and bringing hell to this place… Louvre was working together with the Nameless Necromancer, Jean Oberon.

Fwooooosh!

“Did you sell your soul to the devil!?”

Raven shouted while rushing towards Count Louvre, sweeping away the dead that blocked his way like straw. His swords emitted an even stronger spirit. Count Louvre laughed maniacally in response.

“Kuhahahahaha! The devil!? That’s right! I sold my soul to the devil. You who are responsible for my child and successor… I will willingly sell my soul to the Evil God if that is what it takes to burn you and Pendragon to the ground!”

Count Louvre stopped laughing, then spoke while glaring at Raven with bloodthirsty eyes.

“You need to experience it! That anger! That emptiness! And… the despair and sadness!”

Pat!

A sword left Count Louvre’s hand and shot towards Raven like light.

Clang!

After knocking it aside with his scimitar, Raven kicked off the ground to avoid the corpses, then thrust forward his longsword.

Puck!

The sword penetrated Count Louvre’s armor.

“Keugh!”

He vomited blood and trembled after being stabbed in the chest. He spoke with disdain after collapsing to the ground.

“Kekeuk! I will… be waiting for you... My only regret… is not seeing your end in person…”

Boom!

Following the father who made a foolish choice after losing his daughter, the father, who became obsessed with vain anger after losing his evil son, also breathed his last.

“Huap!”

Raven took a large breath, then glanced towards the sky while disposing of those who rushed toward him.

‘Sol…!’

In the sky, Soldrake faced off the Queen of Death. She seemed to be in a precarious situation.

***

Kwarrrrrruck!

Spirit of the Dragon climbed through Soldrake’s arms like a tsunami and pushed back Elsaroa’s barrier of death.

Rumble!

“Kiyaahk!”

Following a thunderous roar, the barrier collapsed with a sharp scream. Elsaroa’s body was swept away by Soldrake’s enormous spirit.

Passssss!

She seemed to dissipate into a dark green ash in the dragon’s spirit, but it was just an illusion.

Fwooosh!

Dark green energy once again exploded from within the dazzling blue-white Spirit of the Dragon. It quickly took the form of a person.

“Oh-hohohohoho! Soldrake! You still don’t get it? You cannot get rid of me! Only the one who has my heart can achieve it! The only one who can completely extinguish me is a true Pendragon! Only Alex! And…”

She spoke as she gradually took form. Soon, she was no different from how she was before, and she continued while turning her eyes with an alluring smile.

“That child over there isn’t Alex, nor a real Pendragon any longer. Therefore, you, and every being in this place, will head to death. They will sing the hymn of death and fear under my feet!”

Kwaaaaahh!

The energy of death pushed towards Soldrake like a tide.

Boom!

The spirit surrounding her body quickly rose over dozens of feet and protected her and the others under her.

[…..]

Soldrake’s expression was unchanged from the beginning.

But she knew.

It was just as Elsaroa said.

Even though she was the Queen of Dragons and this was her territory, where her Dragon Vein flowed, she could not annihilate Elsaroa no matter what.

It was something that could only be achieved by the true Duke of Pendragon. However, the soul of the man fighting fiercely in the form of Alan Pendragon belonged to Raven Valt. If he wanted to kill Elsaroa, he needed to give up his soul.

It would mean the end of his life in this world.

It was something that should never happen.

Even if Raven decided to sacrifice his soul, Soldrake would not tolerate it.

This was the worst situation possible

Nevertheless, Soldrake did not give up.

She was still left with a third choice that was unknown to even Elsaroa.

Kwaaaaaaahh!

She took a sideway glance while continuing to block the energy of death.

“Hmm?”

Elsaroa also turned her head with a bizarre smile. Under the cold, silver light of the full moon, creatures possessing a mighty energy were flying toward Fort Bellint.

A slight frown appeared on Elsaroa’s face when she noticed their identities.

But soon, a peal of mocking laughter came to her face.

“Dragons? Hohohoho! Fine, come! Even if all of you come, you will not be able to do anything about me!”

Kwaaaaaah…!

All remaining dragons in the world, including Amuhalt, were flying towards them with powerful flaps of their wings.

[Brothers. Let us protect our queen under the oath we made as her knights.]

The other five dragons opened their jaws agape at the words of the Black Dragon Amuhalt. In an instant, their giant bodies boiled with mana.

Different colored spirits stormed fiercely as if tearing up the night sky. The storm of energies gathered in the jaws of their masters, then transformed into rays of fire and light, stretching over the skies of Fort Bellint.

Rumbleee!!!

Six stems of light and flames swallowed the demons hovering in the sky of the fortress. They had utilized Dragon Breath, which could only be described as the authority of the gods.

Kiyhaaaaaahk!

Terrible screams resonated in the sky and on the ground.

Amuhalt, Ellagrian, and the remaining four dragons scattered in six directions, continuing to discharge their breath.

Once the beams of fire and light disappeared, evil spirits could no longer be found. Dark green snowflakes covered the sky.

Kwarrrrruk!

[Hmm!?]

Amuhalt stopped his Breath and jerked his head around.

[That is…!]

Upon hearing his voice, the five dragons also turned their gaze toward it.

Boom! Boom!

Led by a huge swamp ogre, countless monsters began to appear from the forest under the moonlight. The pupils of Amuhalt’s cold, sharp eyes were erected vertically like a knife. He burst into a single word after seeing the figure sitting on the shoulder of the swamp ogre.

[The Nameless One…!]

“…..!”

The Nameless Necromancer glanced at the distant sky with empty gray eyes. As if hearing Amuhalt’s voice, a glimmer hovered in the eyes of the Nameless Necromancer for a brief moment, then disappeared. A smile came to his lips.

“The tribe that undermines the order of causality under the disguise of being the olden brothers of the gods... It has truly been a long time.”

He whispered. His eyes headed to the sky of Fort Bellint, and he spoke once more.

“Tonight, the blood of a thousand humans and a thousand monsters, and the blood of the dragon monarch and the human monarch will gather here where the sun and the moon meet.”

[…..!]

Although it was a dark night and there was quite a distance, the eyes of the Death God’s high priest met the gaze of Soldrake, the Queen of All Dragons.