The clouds covering the dark night sky slowly moved, and the crescent moon appeared from its slumber. The blue hue of the celestial light gradually laid its eyes on the ground, and Number 2 could finally see his opponent in detail.

He had black hair like the night, and a relaxed expression with sharp eyes. 

At first glance, he seemed unguarded, but his posture was quite unusual. It was as if Number 2 was standing near a sword waiting to cut him into pieces if he got close.

‘He came knowing everything. Is it Berna?’

Number 2 roughly grasped the situation while gazing into the opponent’s eyes, which were as cold and sharp as the moonlight. 

Berna must have surrendered to the opponent after having her arm severed. Otherwise, there would be no possible way for the figure, who overpowered both Number 3 and Berna, to appear in Edenfield at this time, and at their exact hideout.

“You are not giving me an answer. I will take your silence as an affirmation.”

“Are you the one who overwhelmed our brothers and rescued the prince?”

“Why are you asking when you already know the answer? The one who ran away looked like the one who ran with his tail between his legs like a rat. I’m sure he must have told you everything.”

“Hooho. That is correct. But this feels a little unfair. When he first told me the story, I also thought of him as a little rat, but now that I’m seeing you in person…”

Number 2 gazed at Raven for a while before continuing.

“It seems he made an excellent choice. Those two went around the world without knowing their place, but finally met their match.”

Shing.

Raven’s scimitar and longsword reflected the cold, blue light of the moon.

“And it will be the same for you.”

“…..!”

Number 2’s eyebrows wriggled. No one had ever spoken such words to him, but he had to agree. The black-haired man was every bit deserving to say such bold words.

“I want to ask you something.”

“That’s great. The same goes for me.”

“I heard you rescued the prince of the Pendragon Kingdom, right? Is that not all you need? Why did you chase us all the way here? Perhaps you are wanting to become a knight of the Pendragon Kingdom with your achievement? Everything you’ve done so far should be more than sufficient.”

Number 2 was curious. 

The opponent was strong enough to overwhelm Number 3 and Berna. Even if he did not bother himself with such matters, he would be guaranteed a great life. Any of the territories or even the duchies and high lords would fight to hire the man.

“It’s more than sufficient? Haha…”

“Hmm?”

Number 2 narrowed his eyes after hearing the man’s laughter. Raven slowly lowered the two blades from his shoulders and spoke with a cold smile.

“From the moment I opened my eyes, I was a knight of Pendragon.”

“…..!”

Number 2 was startled. 

The Shadow Brotherhood was an organization of assassins. They were knowledgeable about most of the important figures of different territories and nations. And he was the overseer of the organization’s information network. However, he never heard of such a knight belonging to the Pendragon Kingdom.

“And…”

The man continued in a low voice. 

His following words placed Number 2 in a stupor.

“It is the right of a father to condemn those who kidnapped his children.”

“What!?”

Shing!

Raven broke through the night air and charged at Number 2.

Shishing!

The blades were imbued with spirit, and they produced piercing shockwaves as they left behind several streams of light.

Kakakang!

“Keugh!”

Number 2 was adorning gloves made of an ogre’s hide and special metals. However, his fists could not fully absorb the shock of the blows, and he felt his hands numbing after receiving the attack.

“Hooh? Not too shabby. Maybe you are on the level of Argos in the past.”

“Hmm…!”

Number 2 gulped loudly with shock. Ordinary knights and mercenaries might not know the name. However, a person who relied on his two fists could not know the name uttered by his opponent.

Argos. 

The Black Tiger of the Tiramis Temple…

About ten years ago, he was taken in by Duke Pendragon of the time. He had been the strongest fighter of the time. 

Although he lost one arm, numerous fighters admired him for defeating countless knights with his fists. It was the same with Number 2. 

But the one standing in front of him was speaking the name so casually.

No, more importantly…

“You, you cannot be…”

Number 2 spoke in a trembling voice. He trailed off, as if finding his own words to be much too incredulous.

It was truly ridiculous. 

The person who came to his mind had died seven years ago, and the man who was grinning under the pale moonlight possessed a vastly different appearance compared to ‘him’. 

However, the opponent possessed tremendous power and skills capable of causing him to retreat with just three blows. Moreover, the strong spirit emitted by the man caused his hair to stand on edge.

“Yes. I am Alan Pendragon.”

Fwoosh!

“Heup!”

When Raven displayed the full force of his spirit, Number 2 was forced to take a sharp breath.

Gwuooo…

A wave of clear energy rose from his shoulders. The spirit was like a deep, blue flame, and it was nothing like anything Number 2 had faced thus far. 

Regular emission of the spirit took a translucent form that was invisible to the eyes of ordinary people. However, when it reached a certain level, the spirit became refined and took on a form similar to vapor.

And…

Very few beings were capable of going even further beyond, those fit to be called monsters. They were able to materialize the spirit such as

 the man who stood in front of him – the one self-proclaiming to be the founding king of the Pendragon Kingdom…

“D, dragon…”

Number 2 stumbled back while muttering. The man’s spirit was materialized above his head as a dragon with its wings wide open.

Nothing more needed to be said. 

The man was either telling the truth, that he was indeed Alan Pendragon himself, who was considered the strongest knight in the past, or a hidden figure with an unparalleled ability close to Alan Pendragon’s.

However, absolute powerhouses capable of looking down on the world did not lie.

They had no reason to.

“Hmm…”

Number 2 was strong. It was a fact that both himself and those who knew him admitted. He knew that he could be counted in ten fingers within the empire if it was a one-on-one battle. However, he felt like he was standing before a humongous wall – a wall that he could never overcome, even if he were born again.

Even though they had clashed briefly, Number 2 felt both fear and awe for the first time in his life after facing off against the full brunt of the man’s released spirit. 

However, even though he was placed in such a precarious situation, he was Number 2 of the brotherhood. He quickly devised a plan.

There was only one choice to make in this situation.

Fwoosh!

A strange light lingered in one of his eyes, and Number 2 suddenly opened his right hand.

A group of lights with various colors dissipated like a fog.

Kiyaaah!

Along with piercing screams, translucent wraiths made their appearance. The specters rushed towards Raven while swinging their long scythes.

“Hmm.”

However, Raven remained calm as if he had expected the situation. He kept his calm gaze fixated in one place while swinging his sword.

Shuack!

Kiyaaahk!

The blows containing spirit decimated the evil spirits. After they scattered into particles of light, Raven turned his gaze back towards where Number 2 had been standing.

He was long gone.

“All of them are like little rats. But I will not miss this time.”

Raven focused his senses with a concentrating gaze. Then he stabbed his longsword in one direction.

Shing! Pssss!

“Keugh!”

Number 2’s body scattered like fog before reappearing. He had been hiding his presence by assimilating with darkness.

“If you are a fighter, fight with your fists. Stop employing cheap tricks like a coward.”

“Keugh!”

Number 2 did not respond to the obvious provocation. The insides of his body had been greatly shaken from the slight blow, in addition to having his illusions broken.

‘This is insane… To think there was another monster like this besides Number 1…’

He could finally understand where Number 3’s fear stemmed from. Moreover, he felt certain that the average-looking man in front of him was truly Alan Pendragon. Only the direct descendants of the Pendragon family could utilize the Spirit of the Dragon, and only such a powerful spirit would allow him to easily defeat the wraiths he summoned.

‘How could this be…?’

Number 2 clenched his teeth. However, he wasn’t given long to despair.

“Are you not going to come? Then I will go instead.”

Shuack!

Raven’s body shimmered under the moonlight. In the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of Number 2.

Papang!

Short, sharp shockwaves followed one after another. The sword strikes were almost naked to the invisible eye, and Number 2 was bathed in a flurry of such strikes. 

But Number 2 was also a rare powerhouse.

His eyes glimmered, and he let loose a burst of attacks.

Kakang!

Sparks flew between the two men.

Puck!

“Kuagh!”

But he was unable to block all the attacks. 

If he had been able to retain his normal composure, Number 2 could have blocked or deflected all the attacks. However, he was in a weakened state due to the trauma and injures he suffered from the clash a while ago.

In addition, Raven’s attacks contained too much power for him to simply deflect the attacks.

Number 2 collapsed. His left leg was almost cut in half. He attempted to conjure an illusion once more.

Fwoosh!

However, Raven noticed it immediately and a beam of light shot forth from his eyes. The Spirit of the Dragon immediately dispelled the conjured illusion.

“Ugh…!”

Shing!

Number 2 desperately crawled back, and Raven slowly sheathed his two blades while looking down. Then he squatted before making eye contact with Number 2.

“W, what…”

He felt puzzled even as he sweated profusely with fear. Raven spoke with a cold smile.

“Did I not tell you earlier? I have something to ask you.”

“…..!”

The eyes of Number 2 fluctuated violently.

The absolute being in front of him, Alan Pendragon, wanted something more than his life. He was intending to completely eradicate the Shadow Brotherhood.

***

Mia was walking alone on the dark, night road.

“Where is this…?”

She looked around her surroundings. Neither the sounds of grasshoppers nor the sound of mountain birds could be heard. Only silence greeted her in the forest, where even the moonlight could not reach.

Then, she saw a faint light in the far distance. Instinctively, Mia hastened her steps towards the source of the light.

“Ah…”

The light was in the form of a person.

It was a man with broad shoulders and black hair as dark as the night sky. He wore two swords on both sides of his belt.

“E, excuse me…”

Mia called out cautiously. The man suddenly stopped walking. Normally, she would never call out to an unknown man on a dark night like this. However, Mia did not feel afraid. Rather, she felt a strange sense of comfort and relief.

She continued while inching closer to him.

“Where is this place? And you…”

The man slowly turned around.

“Ah!”

Mia became wide-eyed with shock. 

The person’s face was all too familiar. He was smiling brightly with the face of a person she could never forget.

Mia felt intense emotions as she called out.

“Brother…!”

A flash of light obscured her vision in an instant, and her vision was instead filled with the image of the Pendragon family’s crest, a group of lights formed into the shape of the White Dragon. However, she called out once more while stretching her hand.

“Brother! Brother Alan!”

Unfortunately, her hand never reached him, and Mia woke from her dreams.