Chapter 119: Slay the Dragon

The capital of the Holy Kingdom of Hibernia.

True to its reputation as the capital of the Holy Nation, home to the Sanctuary, it is a city renowned for its pristine, spotless, and beautiful architecture.

Of course, now, it was nothing more than a battlefield.

A war zone where Dragon and human clashed.

A continuous barrage of violent collisions unfolding in the night sky above the city.

KWAANG—!

The clash of green and yellow lights against the backdrop of darkness filled all who watched with awe.

Compared to the massive body of the Dragon, the man seemed far too small—an impossible fight. Yet, in reality, the truth was the opposite.

It was the man who remained at ease.

A Dragon is the strongest of all lifeforms, master of infinite mana, and the very progenitor of magic.

Yet now, it was nothing more than huge and tough.

Even as he blocked the Dragon’s destructive movements and mana-infused breath, the man seemed relaxed.

“Regarda, grant us strength!”

“Ohh, the Dragon Knight…!”

Still, even if he appeared unfazed, he wasn’t able to land a direct hit on the Dragon.

‘Was it that even a Messenger of God could not pierce those impenetrable Dragon scales?’

Everyone watched the battle above with sweaty palms, thinking the same.

But Irina’s thoughts differed.

If it was that he couldn’t pierce the Dragon’s tough scales… it seemed more like he hadn’t even tried.

But that was just her personal feeling.

The man’s movements were too quick for her eyes to follow.

He appeared calm on the surface, but perhaps the fight itself was dangerously tense.

So she thought.

And soon enough, she would learn what a truly desperate battle was.

Aerial, unable to wield magic, was, from Regarda’s perspective, nothing more than a large child.

Physical attacks fueled by a huge body, hard scales, and swift movements—powerful enough to topple a building in a single blow.

But Regarda had enough skill and experience to easily evade such attacks.

‘Was he not the Dragon Knight?’

He had learned how to face such noble creatures directly from Aerial herself.

If Aerial were able to wield mana, even channeling magic into her physical attacks would have put Regarda on the defensive.

Then it would no longer be the clumsy movements of a child, but the true assault of a Dragon.

But now, with Aerial reduced to mere instincts, there was no way she could handle mana—thus, Regarda’s calmness.

He had grown used to her simple attacks; he could see right through her movements now.

— I cannot cast a spell to bring you back, you know that, Aerial.

He spoke endlessly in the midst of the battle.

So please, come to your senses.

Even with only a faint hope, he wished his words would reach the Dragon’s soul.

He wanted her to look at him again, as she once did.

— I can wait. A thousand years, two thousand years—however long it takes, I’ll wait. So just go back to sleep.

He continued to speak.

— Even if you slumber and awaken again, I will still be here.

But nothing changed.

KWAANG—!

Aerial’s eyes grew ever darker, her violence unceasing.

Regarda did nothing but block every blow.

KWAAAANG—!

It was enough to make one despair, but Regarda did not give up.

‘Had there not been trials during the thousand years of promises and duty he’d kept?’

This, too, was merely one more severe trial—one he would overcome as always.

He was determined to bring her back, no matter what.

But.

Around then, the situation began to change.

—…Aerial.

Her once radiant green eyes were now completely black.

All traces of mystery had vanished; the wind-like blue she once carried was swallowed by darkness.

—…It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I can bring you back.

He murmured, but the change wasn’t only in her eyes.

Her shimmering scales lost their luster, turning pitch-black.

Around her, an ominous energy began to spread.

It was the aura of the Abyss.

— How dare…

That accursed energy dared to defile the Dragon’s body.

— How dare you!

Regarda’s aura blazed even fiercer.

He unleashed the anger he had so long suppressed.

At what should he direct his rage?

The answer soon became clear.

— Grrrrr!

A low, beastly growl sent tremors through the night sky.

Within it was not mana, but Abyssal Depths.

KWAANG—!

A Dragon, now wholly moved by the Abyss, was incomparably faster and stronger than before.

KWAAAANG—!

Even Regarda, giving his all, could not force her back.

Worse, she grew even stronger by the moment.

As if adapting to her new body and newfound strength.

—How dare you covet what is not yours!

Regarda’s shout, thick with rage.

The roar of a Dragon now fully tainted by the Abyss.

Their increasingly fierce clashes filled the skies over Hibernia.

KWAAAANG—!

Such collisions soon affected even those on the ground.

The earth shook; stone dust fell from trembling buildings.

The wind was so fierce it was hard even to look up at the sky.

“L-Lady Holy Maiden! Are you all right?!”

Only then did the city guard regain their senses and spring into action.

“I’m fine. Please, help the priests here before me…”

“Yes! Hurry, gather the priests!”

The priests, who had exhausted their Holy Power to the very limit blocking the Dragon’s attacks.

The fallen priests and Cardinal Herald were swiftly evacuated to safety.

KWAANG—!!

The clashes grew even fiercer.

Around the Dragon, an endlessly ominous energy streamed forth.

In response, Regarda also increased his power, escalating the battle.

Fragments of powerful energy deflected from the fight rained down on the ground almost every second.

“Holy Maiden! You must go!”

The Cathedral was no longer safe.

Thus, the captain of the guards urged Irina to evacuate.

But Irina shook her head.

“I… still have something to do.”

The Dragon’s energy was unbearably ominous.

What’s more, the now-black Dragon was openly targeting the Cathedral for destruction.

The Cathedral must be protected.

With Holy Power, she could resist even that evil energy.

If only she had a bit more time to recover her power, she could cast a protective blessing over the Cathedral.

KWAAAANG—!

Of course, that was almost an impossible wish.

“L-Lady Holy Maiden! Please, hurry, you must go…”

The captain approached, determined to protect Irina.

“Just a little longer and I’ll have enough Holy Power to protect the Cathedral…”

“You won’t last that long. It’s too dangerous!”

Now, the crash was so loud it made their bodies flinch.

Violent winds, trembling earth.

“But…”

‘How could she abandon this place, her Sanctuary, and simply flee?’

Irina hesitated.

Her time as Holy Maiden was short, but in that time, she had earned endless respect, a lofty position.

She saw the hope in the eyes of priests who looked to her.

Now, she understood the great responsibility such hope carried.

“Holy Maiden!”

But perhaps it was only stubbornness.

She was still inexperienced, unable to be confident in her decisions.

“Please, you must go. It truly isn’t safe.”

‘Should she evacuate to safety, cherishing hope?’

‘Or risk her life to protect the Cathedral, safeguarding its very roots?’

“…I understand.”

Unable to be sure, she eventually followed the captain’s advice.

Under protection, she began to leave the Cathedral.

‘Why did the blackened Dragon show such intense hostility toward the Cathedral itself?’

‘Who was the one fighting the Dragon, and why was he so sorrowful?’

With this decision, she might never know the answers.

That was her intuition.

She felt she must stay, risking her life to protect the Cathedral.

But could she survive, directly beneath those two, until her Holy Power recovered?

‘How many would be sacrificed for her sake?’ She still could not be sure.

With heavy steps, Irina moved away.

As she walked, she looked up at the sky one last time.

KWAAAANG—!

A clash utterly beyond the limits of human power.

Her hair whipped wildly in the fierce winds.

In that moment—

“…What is that…?”

A brilliant white light pierced down from the heavens.

KWAANG!

Something pure white fell before Irina, like a shooting star.

“Holy Maiden! Behind me…”

The captain quickly drew his sword, shielding Irina from the dust cloud, but Irina grabbed his outstretched arm.

“Wait.”

She had seen something within the falling white light.

Something dazzling, unforgettable.

And then—

“It’s been a while.”

A man appeared through the clearing dust, looking much as he did in her memory.

“Irina.”

Hio Pavlenko.

The Guardian Knight of the Empire, the Magician who had changed her destiny.

“…Magician!”

Standing beside Hio was the source of the white light.

A White-winged Horse.

Bathed in a gentle radiance, it looked every bit the Sacred Beast described in the scriptures.

“It’s a complete mess here.”

Hio sent the holy beast away and gazed up at the sky.

In his left hand was a staff taller than himself.

The captain raised his sword toward Hio.

He was simply doing his duty.

“Who are you?!”

“It’s fine. He is my benefactor.”

“…If you’re the Holy Maiden’s benefactor… Could it be, the Guardian Knight of Verden?”

The start of Irina’s journey was the very moment Hio Pavlenko’s name became known, so most in the Holy Nation recognized him.

At that, Hio lowered his gaze and looked around.

Irina did not miss the moment when his once steel-gray eyes softened, returning to normal.

“Irina. Can you issue an evacuation order to the entire city right now?”

There was no time for pleasantries.

Irina hesitated, then shook her head.

“It would be difficult. Even if I issued the order and everyone acted, it would take hours to reach them all…”

In reality, many nearby had not yet evacuated.

Even as the battle intensified, no clear orders had been given.

It meant even the leaders were unable to make decisions.

So those remaining prayed, believing Regarda would protect them.

“It can’t be helped.”

Hio nodded, raising his staff lightly.

“It might be a little rough, but it’ll work.”

With those words, he spun his staff in his hand.

「Skill – ‘Shout’ is activated.」

A golden light shot forth from the tip of his staff.

The golden light, so bright it reached the very sky where the Dragon flew, gathered and began to take shape.

Soon, it formed a giant made of pure gold.

A messenger, carrying out the will of God.

As Hio opened his mouth, so did the giant.

Their lips moved in perfect unison.

Evacuate.

A resounding voice pushed away all other noise.

— Do not wait and watch, do not pray—just run.

It was the will of God, delivered by His messenger.

With the Dragon rampaging and the Dragon Knight fighting, the will of God was laid bare.

‘Who could defy it?’

— Do not die in vain.

At the same moment, Hio lifted his staff again.

The giant’s hand rose in tandem.

「Skill – ‘Earth Break’ is activated.」

KWAAAAAANG—!

The ground exploded and the earth turned over.

The explosion, starting at the giant’s feet, seemed to upend all the land.

People fled in terror.

‘Was this what the end of the world looked like?’

A Dragon in the sky.

A giant on the ground.

Heaven was shaken, the earth overturned.

“U-uaaah!”

“Run, hurry!”

“It’s the will of God! Everyone, fall back!”

“Go as far as you can!”

‘Who could remain still, having witnessed such a sight?’

Most of it was illusion, but within it lay undeniable truth.

In the chaos of battle, people believed it to be real.

This was no different for Irina and the captain.

But there was one clear difference.

“I… I’ll protect the Cathedral!”

Even as the giant rose and the earth exploded beneath, she found a new hope.

“I can do it! Once my Holy Power recovers a little more, I’ll protect at least the main Cathedral building!”

“L-Lady Holy Maiden, b-but…”

The captain stammered, still trying to dissuade her, but Irina’s steadfast gaze looked only upward.

At Hio.

Hio met Irina’s eyes for a moment, then nodded.

“All right, I believe you, Irina.”

Her face brightened with a radiant smile.

“…Yes!”

The situation on the ground was mostly resolved.

If there was a problem, it was the aftereffects of the battle.

The countless people caught in the aftermath.

Now that Hio was joining the fight, the scale of destruction would be truly unimaginable.

His eyes once again steely gray, Hio looked to the sky.

Now it was time to solve the problem above.

As he did, he heard Irina and the captain’s conversation.

“What on earth is going on? Why is the Guardian Knight of Verden… Will you really be all right, Holy Maiden?”

“I’ll be fine. He’s the Empire’s new hero, the continent’s hero.”

“Haah… Then I’ll stay by your side until the end.”

Hearing their exchange, Hio could not help but let out a small laugh.

A hero, huh.

Of course, that might be how he appeared to them.

At the very least, he had evacuated hundreds of thousands.

He’d saved as many as hundreds of thousands, after all.

“A hero, huh…”

KWAAAAANG—!

At that moment, Aerial and Regarda crashed together again, their bodies thrown apart, the distance between them widening.

A brief lull.

Regarda naturally looked down.

“Whether hero or villain, behind such dazzling titles lies only pitiful reality.”

Hio’s steely gray eyes met Regarda’s bright yellow ones, full of conviction.

“Sorry I’m late, Regarda.”

— …Magician.

Their gazes met.

— You’re not late.

“No, I am. Unfortunately.”

Hio saw it clearly in his gray eyes.

The Dragon’s soul, perfectly sunk in darkness.

‘Did Regarda not sense it?’

It could be reversed.

“But as far as I know, there’s no way. Even if there were, thousands, tens of thousands would die.”

—I will stop it.

“You can’t keep this up forever. Even now, you’re barely holding on.”

—I have endured far worse, for a thousand years.

“…No, this is nothing like before.”

Around Regarda’s body, a massive force began to take shape.

The willpower he had carried for a thousand years was visible to the naked eye.

His voice was calm, but within was a rage he could not hide.

—Is this truly your choice?

Hio squeezed his eyes shut.

And when he opened them again, all hesitation was gone.

“Yes. That is now nothing but a disaster. Therefore…”

Successor to the Order of the Sword, the new hero of the Empire.

The continent’s hero, who had saved it from evil.

He was called hero by countless people.

“I will slay the Dragon.”

But at least, to the one standing before him, he would be the worst villain.

—Impossible.

Perhaps, that’s what a hero and a villain truly are to each other.