The chamber trembled without end.
The colossal Abyss Dragon’s sapphire eye shed a single tear while its crimson eye burned with madness.
Two wills.
One body.
One fought to protect.
The other longed to destroy.
The ancient crystal surrounding the dragon continued to crack.
Seal Integrity: 89%…
88%…
87%…
Every second brought the kingdom closer to disaster.
Kael slowly stepped forward.
In his hand rested the sapphire-blue blade of the Fourth Sovereign Sword.
Nerina.
Unlike Astra’s elegant silver aura or Scarlet’s overwhelming crimson flames, Nerina radiated a calm ocean-blue light that soothed everyone nearby.
The suffocating pressure inside the chamber lessened.
Students who had been struggling to breathe suddenly felt relief.
Nerina smiled gently.
“Master…”
“The dragon is asking for help.”
Kael nodded.
“I know.”
The silver-haired woman looked at Kael with disbelief.
“You can hear him?”
“Only fragments.”
“He isn’t trying to kill us.”
“He’s resisting.”
Lucien quietly stepped beside Kael.
“Then someone else is controlling him.”
Kael glanced at him.
“You knew?”
Lucien shook his head.
“I suspected.”
Suddenly—
The dragon roared.
ROOOOOAAARRRR!!
The mountain shook violently.
Its massive claw crashed toward the expedition.
Professor Roland immediately formed a defensive barrier.
“Everyone behind me!”
BOOM!!
The barrier shattered instantly.
The shockwave threw everyone backward.
Lyra was knocked off her feet.
Before she could hit the stone floor…
A familiar hand caught her.
Kael.
“You okay?”
She looked into his blue eyes.
“I’m fine…”
Their hands remained together for a brief moment.
Neither noticed.
Everyone else did.
Victor awkwardly looked away.
Cedric rolled his eyes.
Lucien merely smiled.
Inside the Infinite Sword Archive…
Scarlet smirked.
“Oh?”
“They’re getting closer.”
Astra folded her arms.
“It was inevitable.”
Solis chuckled softly.
“Love born from trust is stronger than love born from admiration.”
Scarlet blinked.
“…You’re surprisingly romantic.”
The dragon attacked again.
This time…
Kael moved.
He disappeared in a flash of blue light.
WHOOSH!!
His sword gently touched the dragon’s claw.
Instead of cutting…
Water spread across the corrupted scales.
The black chains wrapped around the dragon’s soul trembled.
A painful roar echoed through the chamber.
The dragon wasn’t injured.
The corruption was.
Far beneath the mountain…
A shadow opened its eyes.
The figure laughed quietly.
“So…”
“The new Sovereign chose mercy.”
“Just like Aurelius.”
The chamber suddenly darkened.
Black mana poured from the dragon’s body.
One chain snapped.
Another tightened.
Then…
A human voice echoed from the dragon.
“Run…”
“Please…”
“Before…”
“I lose…”
The dragon slammed its own head against the crystal prison.
BOOOOM!!
Everyone stared.
It was trying to stop itself.
Kael clenched Nerina’s hilt.
“There has to be another way.”
Nerina nodded.
“There is.”
“But you’ll need someone’s help.”
Kael frowned.
“Whose?”
She smiled.
“The one beside you.”
Kael turned toward Lyra.
Confused.
“Me?”
Nerina nodded.
“Your mana.”
“It resonates with Master’s.”
Scarlet looked genuinely surprised.
“…Already?”
Solis smiled knowingly.
“So the prophecy was true.”
The silver-haired woman suddenly spoke.
“Blue and silver…”
“The Sovereign and the Moon.”
She looked directly at Lyra.
“I wondered when you would awaken.”
Lyra frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
A sharp pain shot through her head.
Memories flooded her mind.
A burning battlefield.
Endless monsters.
Kael standing before her, covered in blood.
He smiled despite dozens of fatal wounds.
“Live…”
“Please…”
“At least you…”
The memory shattered.
Lyra staggered.
“No…”
“…That wasn’t…”
Another memory appeared.
Kael laughing beside a campfire.
Teaching her sword forms beneath the moon.
Promising…
“When this war ends…”
“Let’s finally live for ourselves.”
Her eyes widened.
“…Kael.”
She whispered his name.
Not as someone she had just met.
But as someone she had known for years.
Kael immediately caught her before she collapsed.
“Lyra!”
She grabbed the front of his jacket.
Tears formed in her eyes.
“…You idiot.”
Kael froze.
“…What?”
“You promised…”
“…you promised we’d survive together.”
His heartbeat stopped.
She remembered.
Not everything.
But enough.
Before Kael could answer— This story is hosted at novelping.com.
The dragon roared once more.
The black chains glowed brighter.
A deep, sinister laugh echoed throughout the chamber.
“So…”
“The memories have begun returning.”
Everyone looked around.
The voice came from nowhere.
And everywhere.
Black mist gathered above the dragon.
It slowly formed into the silhouette of a man wearing a crown of broken horns.
His body appeared translucent, as though he were only a projection.
The silver-haired woman’s expression turned pale.
“…Malachar.”
The projection smiled.
“It has been ten thousand years.”
“I see your seal is finally failing.”
He looked toward Kael.
Then smiled wider.
“And you…”
“The newest Sword Sovereign.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
Kael raised Nerina.
“Who are you?”
The projection bowed theatrically.
“My name is Malachar.”
“First Apostle of the Void.”
“The one who corrupted the Abyss Dragon King.”
Every Divine Sword inside the Archive immediately reacted.
Scarlet’s flames erupted.
Astra drew her blade.
Even Solis’ calm expression disappeared.
Aurelius’ voice echoed throughout the Archive.
“So…”
“My oldest enemy has returned.”
Malachar looked amused.
“You’ve grown weaker, Aurelius.”
“And your successor…”
He observed Kael for a moment.
“…still has much to learn.”
He raised one finger.
The chains around the dragon tightened violently.
The Dragon King screamed in agony.
“NOOOOO!!”
Kael instinctively took a step forward.
Malachar laughed.
“Come, little Sovereign.”
“Show me whether you inherited Aurelius’ resolve…”
“…or merely his title.”
The projection vanished.
But the corruption remained.
The dragon’s sapphire eye slowly turned crimson.
Seal Integrity: 80%…
79%…
78%…
The silver-haired woman closed her eyes.
“If the seal reaches fifty percent…”
“…the Dragon King will be completely consumed.”
Kael tightened his grip on Nerina.
His blue eyes filled with determination.
“No.”
“I’ll save him.”
Lyra stepped beside him.
She drew her sword.
This time…
Without hesitation.
Without uncertainty.
She looked at Kael and gave a small, confident smile.
“You won’t fight alone.”
For the first time since returning to the past…
Kael smiled without the weight of regret on his shoulders.
“Then…”
“Let’s save this world together.”
Far above the mountain…
The clouds split apart.
Unseen by everyone…
A pair of ancient golden eyes watched the two young swordsmen.
Aurelius smiled.
“So it begins…”
“The era of the Second Sword Sovereign.”
End of Chapter 19