ScreeeeeEEECH! A monstrous bird from beyond let out a piercing screech, its beak raised high in the air.
In contrast, the dragon emitted no sound other than the magnificent explosions conjured through magic.
Grk— Mikhail clenched his teeth in frustration at his own powerlessness.
At the edge of the lake, where the clash between the dragon and the beast unfolded, Mikhail watched with growing desperation until finally, he shouted,
“…This won’t do. I can’t just stand here and watch anymore!”
He looked ready to hurl himself into the black lake at any moment, but a soldier quickly grabbed his arm in alarm. He wasn’t the only one trying to stop the prince. The legion commander, Kyle, and Catherine all stepped in to block his path.
“You absolutely can’t! If you get any closer, you’ll be swept up in that fight!”
That’s exactly what I want, Mikhail thought.
He shook off the arms holding him with cold determination and moved forward.
“Mikhail!”
Catherine made a move to rush after him, but Kyle caught her arm. As she turned her head sharply, she met Kyle’s serious expression. Holding her back, he slowly shook his head. His gaze was fixed on Mikhail’s back.
Catherine followed his line of sight—and her breath caught at the astonishing scene before her.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Mikhail was walking across the surface of the black lake as if it were solid ground.
The dark mana that devoured every living thing on the continent seemed to be repelling Mikhail alone.
***
Fighting the monstrous bird, which showed no signs of faltering, was no easy task.
The creature, having crossed over into this world after claiming the black mana as its domain, restored its form endlessly with each strike it took.
Adrian, though he had no choice but to stand his ground, was growing weary of the never-ending battle.
Damn it, another waste of effort.
Abandoning the idea of killing the beast outright, Adrian shifted his focus to suppressing the black miasma.
“Silence.”
The moment the dragon finished casting the incantation, golden chains materialized in midair and tightly bound the beast.
All three of the bird’s heads writhed in agony, twisting at the necks as they thrashed violently.
In that state, it wouldn’t be able to drink the black mana again or move elsewhere.
He just needed time.
If the seal held long enough for Mikhail to unleash his power, they might be able to destroy the creature completely.
My role is…
Adrian was in no state to cast any more spells—or even swing a limb.
The black lake was slowly pulling the weakening dragon into its depths like a swamp.
So this is how it ends… Trying to stop the beast only to be consumed by the black mana… Is this how the vision from the ceiling mural becomes reality?
If so, then honestly, whether it’s the dragon or the monster that goes berserk in the end… the outcome wouldn’t change much.
The Gold Dragon let out a dry thought.
Watching this unfold, Mikhail’s eyes trembled faintly on either side.
“Adrian!”
The dragon, barely floating in the center of the lake, twitched an ear at Mikhail’s voice.
He could also hear Mikhail’s footsteps pounding across the lake’s surface—no boat, no bridge—charging straight at him as if it were solid ground.
“Adrian! Snap out of it! Don’t fall for the black mana’s illusions!”
Easy for you to say.
The dragon let out a short sigh, feeling his heavy eyelids begin to close. Warm blood flowed across his body, and the miasma seeping into his wounds burned like fire.
Worse still, his pure draconic mana was being corrupted by the black mana, making his entire body feel as though it had been plunged into molten iron.
Mikhail sprinted toward the dragon, shouting with every ounce of his strength.
“Don’t lose to that foul energy! Do you remember the ceiling mural? You said you didn’t want things to end that way! I know—you care more for this continent than anyone!”
Is that true…? Did I really say that?
With his eyes closed, Adrian hesitated. But fate didn’t grant the dragon the luxury of such idle pondering.
Grrrrrrrk—
A grinding sound came from within the dragon’s mouth as his teeth clenched tightly, followed by a groan of pain. And then—something far hotter than his feverish, mana-afflicted body brushed against his cheek.
GRAAAAGHHHH! Adrian roared, wrenching his entire body as he opened his jaws wide. The violent thrashing caused his body—barely floating atop the black lake—to sink even deeper.
“…Shhh— I’m not trying to hurt you.”
What had touched the dragon’s cheek was none other than Mikhail’s palm. His voice, tinged with sorrow, murmured softly by Adrian’s ear.
Yet those words couldn’t fully reach him—not while he was still locked in battle with the pain tearing through his body.
The Gold Dragon lifted his head to the sky and let out a thunderous cry.
It was a mirror image of the monstrous bird he had just been fighting.
The scales around his eyes and down to his neck had turned pitch-black, as if burned. He was being consumed by the miasma.
Having lost all reason, the dragon, once slumped limply over the lake’s surface, suddenly reared up.
Mikhail, who had been standing beside him, instinctively stepped back.
The darkened scales spread uncontrollably across Adrian’s body.
At that same moment, the monstrous bird—sensing the weakening of its bindings—began thrashing violently in its chains. Then it happened. A white light began to glow brightly around Mikhail’s palm.
“…This power…”
Mikhail whispered.
The power Adrian had once spoken of—that lay dormant within him. The gift Ordinas had bestowed.
Shutting his eyes tightly, Mikhail fell silent, focusing wholly on the power within his hand.
In the darkness behind his eyelids, a single orb of radiant white light floated, glowing alone. It moved restlessly, as if beckoning him to seize it.
“…You want me to take it?”
Slowly, Mikhail reached out toward the light. The moment his fingers touched it, it flared so brilliantly that it felt as though he might go blind.
Moments later, beneath his lifted lashes, only a pair of blazing red eyes shimmered.
Awakened to his power, Mikhail turned toward Adrian, whose body was succumbing to the black miasma. With resolute steps, he strode forward and wrapped his arms around the dragon’s violently thrashing foreleg.
“Adrian…”
Mikhail squeezed his eyes shut and poured his focus into his newfound power.
He had to purge the wicked miasma and the black mana—he had to pull Adrian free from its grasp.
“Can you feel it? My power?”
Before long, the dragon’s furious convulsions atop the lake began to ease. The change started right where Mikhail clung to his foreleg.
The darkened scales began to slowly return to their original hue.
Grrrrrk—
The dragon’s rough, uneven breathing echoed from above, still not fully recovered. Yet Mikhail didn’t loosen his hold for a second.
“…Now it’s my turn… to protect you.”
His voice was soft—but firm.
At the same time, a steady whoosh of breath escaped the dragon’s body, calm and deep—as if to say, thank you.
***
Had he lost consciousness?
Adrian, his bright scales restored, opened his eyes slowly as he stood in the lake. Reflected in his golden eyes was the image of Mikhail, radiant with light.
The monsters that had been drinking the black mana crumbled into ash the moment Mikhail’s sword brushed them.
All of that—he had achieved in such a short span. Even a dragon who had lived for countless eons had never once imagined such a moment possible.
Beautiful.
So beautiful, it stole his breath.
He had never once used that word to describe a human before. Everything a dragon touched had always blossomed into creations far greater, more magnificent than what humanity could achieve—yet this time, it was different.
Had Mikhail surpassed his own limits?
Only now did Adrian understand why some dragons, under the guise of curiosity or amusement, chose to live among humans.
Perhaps it was to learn humility—a lesson for a race born with such overwhelming pride. Of course, that didn’t mean the ideals of humans suddenly seemed grand or worthy. They remained abstract and vague.
But…
But the result—born from a human surpassing their own limits in pursuit of that ideal—was beautiful enough to move even a dragon’s discerning eye.
Mikhail swung a sword wreathed in radiant light with a gentle sweep. With that single motion, the black mana disintegrated like dust. The black sphere floating in the air did the same. Pure mana began to rapidly gather around Mikhail’s blade. The flow of mana shifted violently in response, and a fierce wind blew—whipping his bright silver hair in every direction.
KIIIIIEEEEAAAAHHH!
The monstrous bird, still bound in golden chains, shrieked and thrashed harder, recognizing its nemesis at last.
Mikhail’s crimson eyes locked onto the massive beast in the sky.
The sword of Fellen Deeps, now in his grasp, gleamed with a white blade.
The moment marked the birth of a true Swordmaster.
“……”
No one interfered with the birth of a true Swordmaster—not even Ordinas, nor the dragon.
They simply bore witness in solemn silence.
This was a moment Mikhail had achieved on his own.
