“…..”

No one could speak a word as they looked at the dark green particles slowly falling like petals of snow flowers under the moonlight.

Duke Pendragon was dead.

He eradicated the witch, then his body was extinguished by the flames of her curse.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!”

Killian’s roar broke the silence.

“Kuaaaghhh! Kuaaaghhhhhh!!!”

Tears flowed from his eyes like a waterfall, and he knelt on one knee after striking his sword into the ground. He shrieked like an enraged beast.

Clink!

“Your Excellency!”

“Keuuugh!”

Soldiers and knights dropped their weapons on the ground and shed tears of anger. Their lord always defeated the enemy at the forefront of every battle, leading the Pendragon Duchy to an era of glory. The death of their monarch brought an indescribable shock and grief.

“Pendragon…”

Kuwuugh…

Even centaur warriors and the Ancona Orcs could not hide their vain expressions and trembled. However, their sadness and shock was nothing compared to that of a specific being.

“How unfortunate, Queen of Dragons. Hmm?!”

Seiel turned his regretful gaze towards Soldrake, then flinched.

Kwarrrrrrruuu!

The Spirit of the Dragon was blossoming.

Wooong! Wooong!

The air was crushed under the overwhelming wave. Even the cold moonlight bowed its head before the light of the spirit.

Boooom!

Soldrake spread her wings as if to embrace the entire fortress, and her spirit spread in all directions like an angry tsunami.

Rumbleee!

The waves of spirit quickly tore down the walls and destroyed the castle tower. Dust bloomed from the ground like a volcano, covering the entire fortress in a thick veil of soil. 

“Keugh!”

“Heugh!”

Everyone on the ground clenched their eyes shut at the terrifying sight that shook both the sky and the ground.

Kwakwakwakwakwa!

In the meantime, the Spirit of the Dragon continued swirling violently over their heads, creating an enormous vortex. At its center was Soldrake, the strongest being in the world, the Queen of All Dragons.

“Soldrake!”

[Queen!]

Seiel and Amuhalt called out at the same time. Soldrka’e eyes slowly turned toward them.

[Ray, Ray…]

“…..!”

Seiel became wide-eyed.

The color of Soldrake’s eyes was abnormal. No emotion could be found in her eyes, which was filled with silver and white.

[Ray… Ray…]

She continued muttering a name, then suddenly opened her large mouth.

Kwararararara!

The storm of spirit sweeping the entire fortress began flocking toward Soldrake’s horns like a storm.

Kwaaazz! Kwazz!

The silver-white light crackled like lightning while swirling around her figure.

“N, no!”

Seiel was greatly surprised. He knew exactly what the phenomenon represented.

It was a Dragon Breath.

However, it wasn’t restricted in power like before, when she swept away the evil spirits. It was a true Dragon Breath that concentrated all the mana present in her body, a true emission of pure magic.

[Queen! You cannot!]

[You must restrain yourself!]

Amuhalt and the other dragons raised their voice while hovering around her head. This was the Pendragon Duchy, where Soldrake’s dragon vein existed.

If she exhaled a Dragon Breath containing all her power in this place, an area of at least three miles (about five kilometers) in radius, as well as Fort Bellint, would be devastated. The heat from the breath would transform the nearby area into a barren land incapable of sustaining life, even plants, for years to come.

Kwaaaaaaa…!

In the meantime, the Spirit of the Dragon continued climbing Soldrake’s body, wrapping around her horns and mouth in the form of dozens of lightning streams.

“Soldrake! Stop it!”

Seiel started panicking, bursting into a roar containing the authority of the goddess. However, it had absolutely no effect on the Dragon Queen. She was blinded by the death of her companion, and she had lost her sense of reasoning.

[Brothers!]

Amuhalt shouted in an urgent voice. The dragons started gathering their spirit.

Rumblee!

The spirit of six dragons gathered together and headed towards Soldrake like a raging storm. They had to block her Dragon Breath if she erupted. However, the spirit of the six dragons disappeared into nothingness. It was because their Queen, Soldrake, was currently standing on the land of Pendragon. She could draw all her strength in her own territory.

[No…!]

Although he had been somewhat expectant, Amuhalt’s eyes shook greatly. Their powers dissipated, and they could not even erect a barrier.

Kwaaaaaaa!

The storm of spirit glowed brilliantly, eclipsing even the moonlight. Amuhalt hurriedly turned his long neck.

There was only one being who could stop Soldrake.

[Seiel!]

Despite Amuhalt’s urgent cry, Seiel gazed at the Nameless Necromancer and Soldrake with burning eyes.

“Was that it? That evil being, and you. Were you both thinking the same thing?”

[Stop her! Seiel! You are the only one who can stop the Queen.]

Amuhalt shouted in a desperate voice. If Soldrake started running rampant now, the affected area would not be limited to only the Pendragon Duchy. It could quickly escalate into a global disaster.

In the past, Biskra also eradicated an entire mountain range where his lair was located. They barely prevented him from flying to a human settlement. Soldrake possessed powerful mana that was incomparable to Biskra. If she went out of control and on a rampage, the damage would be indescribable. 

“I alone cannot handle the Queen’s power. But it is possible if I borrow the power of the goddess. That means there is only one way remaining…”

Seiel continued after turning to Amuhalt.

“All six of you dragons! Are you okay with that?”

[What are… Ha! It can’t be!?]

The dragons were struck with disbelief. The death of Soldrake – that was the only remaining method that Seiel spoke of.

[…..]

The six dragons fell into silence.

Soldrake was their Queen and their eldest brother. They had been with her ever since they were born. She had been the one who took care of them as hatchlings. She found ownerless dragon veins for them to create their territories.

Soldrake would die?

[We cannot do such a thing! The Queen is our pillar! If our pillar disappears, does that not represent success for that evil being?]

[That is correct! Now that the body of Pendragon is gone, the balance of the world will surely be demolished if even the Queen walks down the path of death!]

[Impossible!]

The five dragons voiced their disagreement, but Amuhalt, the oldest and the strongest after Soldrake, remained silent.

[Amuhalt?]

At Ellagrian’s call, he spoke with a glimmer in his eyes.

[I accept it.]

[…..!]

The other dragons were greatly surprised by his response. Amuhalt shouted towards Seiel.

[The Queen spoke of a way for herself and Pendragon through death! As her knight, I believe in her words!]

[Amuhalt…]

The other dragons lowered their tails at Amuhalt’s declaration.

[As such, Seiel! Lead her, the Queen of the Dragons, to death with the authority of Illeyna!]

“All right.”

Seiel gave a short answer, then turned towards the Nameless Necromancer. He had been maintaining his silence thus far.

“You, evil being who serves the evil god. No matter what your intentions are, you will never succeed!”

Seiel’s eyes blazed brightly with heavenly power. The Nameless Necromancer slowly replied while looking straight into the angel’s eyes.

“Carry out the task that was given to you, angel. My disposition is to come afterwards.”

“…..”

Seiel’s eyes blazed. It burned so brightly that it felt even cold. After glaring at the Nameless Necromancer for a moment, he turned around.

Kwararara!

A brilliant golden glow started to radiate from his platinum armor, and he unsheathed a sword from his waist and raised it.

Rumble!

The night sky split along with a thunder that shook the heavens and earth.

“T, that is…”

Everyone on the ground became wide-eyed.

A huge wound had appeared in the night sky. A dazzling light descended from the cross-shaped opening in the sky, then absorbed into the sword of the angel.

Kwaaaaaa!

After receiving the heavenly light, the sword quickly transformed into a brilliant blade of light, growing as big as a castle tower.

It was the sword of the goddess.

[Ray… Ray…]

Soldrake continued muttering the name. Slowly, her mouth started opening.

Kwararararak!

All the magic she gathered over the period of time was conveyed through her five horns, gathering inside her mouth.

[I will… kill everyone…]

Soldrake looked down at everything with her silver-white eyes. No intelligence could be found in her gaze. 

Her fellow dragons, the angel, humans and other races, and even the sorcerer who served the evil god…

Mountains, rivers, fields… Everything felt insignificant.

There was only one thing that remained in Soldrake’s mind – the other half of her soul that passed away. The world meant nothing to her without him. It was only righteous for everyone, for everything to disappear.

‘Everything’ included Soldrake herself. That way, her promise to Raven…

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhk!!!]

The last thread of her sanity disconnected, and the Dragon Queen was liberated from anger and all emotions. The pure accumulation of her power was discharged as well.

Kwaaaaaoooooon!

A silver-white pillar drew a long line across the night sky, and even the moonlight was overshadowed.

[Keugh!]

The six dragons flew with all their might to avoid Soldrake’s Dragon Breath. Her attack stretched three miles long and evaporated an entire mountain. Soon, the overwhelming flames, which could only be called the anger of a god, began to bend towards the ground.

“Soldrake…!”

Even though Seiel rarely revealed his feelings, he roared with emotion. The sword of god was granted to him by the authority of Goddess Illeyna. It cut through the Queen’s Breath, which shattered mountains and split the ground.

Rumbleee!

Hundreds of trees were pulled from their roots and evaporated at the place where the two unrivalled powers collided. The golden sword of god sliced through the white pillar of fire and headed for the opponent.

Kwararararark!

The sword of light overpowered the breath, then split into hundreds of beams. The streams of light pierced into the body of Soldrake.

It wasn’t that Soldrake was weak. Her power was truly overwhelming when she was in her own territory. But even so, she was ultimately a creation of the goddess.

Illeyna was her parent and brother. She was the root of the giant tree called Soldrake. As such, the Dragon Queen could not stop the sword of the archanagel Seiel, who borrowed the power of the goddess.

Paaaaaa…

The flaming pillar of silver-white had been about to burn everything to the ground. However, it lost its color and gradually began to disappear. And the one responsible for causing the commotion, the Queen of the Dragons, fell helplessly from the air.

[My Queen…!]

Booom!

Amuhalt and the five dragons spoke in a somber voice. Soldrake’s body dropped in the middle of Fort Bellint.

Kwaaaa…

The sword of the goddess gradually lost its light as well. The Grand Cross, which opened fully to pass judgement, slowly faded into darkness with a thundering sound.

Seiel silently lowered the sword.

Evoking Illeyna’s power in this world was of great significance to him. An angel was only allowed to use the sword of god for a single reason. It was when they were returning an evil god, or an old brother of the gods back to their original place.

In addition, Seiel had to pay a price after expressing the power.

It was…

“Now, go back to the heavens, archangel.”

The Nameless Necromancer spoke with a smirk.

“You, evil thing…!”

Seiel’s gaze contained fury, but the dark sorcerer laughed.

“Everything is flowing according to causality. The one who went against causality is dead, and the Dragon Queen is dead as well. And… you, who became involved in this world with the power of a god, will return to the heavens. This is the way things must flow.”

“You…”

The enraged dragons and Seiel surrounded the Nameless Necromancer.

However, despite the threat of their overwhelming presence, the smile around his mouth did not disappear. Rather, he slowly evoked his own mana, then slowly opened his lips.

“A thousand men’s blood, and a thousand monsters’ blood. The blood of a dragon monarch and a human monarch soak the ground. Today, when the sun and the moon meet…”

[That’s…!]

Amuhalt shouted with shock.