PITTER-PATTER.
PITTER-PATTER.
After meeting the Spirit within me, I slowly opened my eyes. The surroundings were filled with noise and confusion.
“AARGH!”
BANG. BANG. BANG.
“Protect the Barrier first!”
“What are you talking about?! Stop the summoned Dragons first!”
“AAAAARGH!”
The area where flowers had once bloomed was now engulfed in flames, and the screams of Elves echoed from within the fire.
PITTER-PATTER-PATTER-PATTER.
The sky shed tears as though wailing at the sight below. Yet even the torrential rain could not extinguish the endlessly burning flames.
In the distance, an enormous lizard-like creature beat its wings and breathed fire.
A dragon?
The High Priest’s urgent voice came from beside me.
“We could not wake you because the Blooming Ceremony was still underway! Your Highness, the traitors have summoned Dragons. You must flee at once!”
So the creatures they called Dragons were what I knew as true dragons?
Then had they been fighting spiritual beasts all this time? Of course, to them, such creatures would probably be demonic beasts rather than spiritual beasts.
Whether spiritual beasts or demonic beasts, were they not beings of an entirely different order from Humans? Was that why the Elves had never been able to kill them and could only struggle to hold them back?
“What is happening?”
The High Priest hurriedly helped me to my feet from the lotus position.
“Your Highness!”
In the distance, the Elves fired Energy Projectiles at a Dragon. If they could release Energy Projectiles, did that mean they had reached at least the Transcendent Realm, a level attained by fewer than thirty people across the Righteous Faction, the Blood Cult, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult combined?
FWOOSH!
“Block it!!”
The Elves joined forces and erected a Barrier against the flames spewing from the Dragon.
I already knew they were a different race from Humans, but was the Transcendent Realm common among Elves?
Even so, the Dragon’s assault was stronger. The Barrier eventually shattered, and the Elves’ bodies began burning.
Amid the chaos of battle, the High Priest frantically shook my shoulder and continued.
“Your body may not have fully recovered, so I will lead the way. Stay close behind me!”
[Bloom.]
When the High Priest shouted the word, his long hair fluttered as wind swirled around his body. I did not know where they had come from, but faint, luminous white flowers scattered behind him.
[Haste.]
He uttered an unfamiliar spell and began running ahead.
[Moon Step.]
I followed him as instructed and quickly surveyed the surroundings.
Three Dragons had been summoned inside the kingdom.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Outside the Barrier, another eight Dragons were attempting to break through, as though they had begun a war.
King Hellorn and the Elders were struggling to maintain the Barrier, so they seemed to have no strength to spare against the Dragons rampaging within the kingdom.
“AARGH!”
The Elves formed an advanced battle formation and attacked a Dragon together. However, the Dragon swept away the Elves behind it with its tail, then opened its jaws and tore apart the limbs of those charging from the front.
I had been told that Dragons could not enter the Barrier.
Then had someone summoned them through a Formation, just as I had been summoned here?
Whether in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or among the Elves, traitors existed everywhere.
FWOOSH!
At that moment, flames flew toward us.
Even as he ran, powerful Energy began gathering in the High Priest’s hand.
[Wind Cutter.]
The torrent of fire split in two beneath the unfamiliar Energy Projectile he created, opening a path between the flames.
“Your Highness, are you unharmed—”
The High Priest stopped abruptly while asking after me.
Two Dragons stood before him, their mouths drenched in blood. They stared at him while breathing heavily, and Energy far stronger than any flame they had released thus far began gathering within their jaws.
Without turning around, the High Priest spoke calmly in a very low voice.
“I will lure those two into the Subspace. You must continue running until you reach the safe zone.”
STEP. STEP.
The High Priest, who had stopped in front of me, began walking toward the Dragons with determination and murmured softly.
“Mother of Nature… May my wish ride upon the wind and reach you!”
[Scattering Blossom.]
The moment he spoke those words, the wind flowing around his body became chaotic. Powerful gusts burst from every part of him, and everything nearby began to tremble.
Final Bloom…
Did that mean he was sacrificing his life?
When the wind he released brushed the tip of my nose, a faint floral fragrance spread through the air.
FLUTTER.
Bright white flowers I had never seen before began falling above the High Priest’s head.
His body flickered like a flower scattering its petals, then slowly began dissolving into the wind.
“Those are anemones!”
“High Priest!!”
“Please, stop!”
The Elves burst into tears and rushed toward him as one.
The High Priest spread both arms and shouted.
[O Spirit, unworthy though I am, I dare call upon your true name.]
[Anemos.]
[Salare Venti.]
Wind drifted gently around both of the High Priest’s outstretched arms as he faced the two Dragons.
Before long, the bodies of the High Priest and the two Dragons began dispersing like smoke.
Just as they were about to vanish, one of the Dragons raised its voice and shouted.
“Pnekoa!”
FLAP. FLAP.
A terrifying killing intent descended from the sky.
Was it the last of the three summoned Dragons?
“Helmut! Baidola!”
“He is trying to drive us beyond the Barrier! Kill them all in our place! It does not matter as long as the World Tree remains unharmed!”
Pnekoa snorted.
“I will take a gift back with me.”
“High Priest!”
The High Priest, now faint as smoke, smiled as though telling them not to worry.
“Protect His Highness at all costs. I will take these two with me, no matter what!”
His voice faded.
His body scattered like smoke, and he transported the two Dragons somewhere else with him.
The two Elves who had been crying out for the High Priest soon caught their breath. Each seized one of my arms and shouted urgently.
“Your Highness! You must flee!”
No…
I had to save them.
I had failed to save anyone before.
I had to save them.
This time, I would never flee from war.
I gathered Energy within my Dantians.
THROB.
My Middle Dantian began to ache.
There had been no problem when I connected my Lower and Middle Dantians. Was the pain occurring because I had not had enough time to connect them to my Upper Dantian?
THUMP. BANG. THUMP. BANG.
Suddenly, the blood within my body began flowing in an unfamiliar direction.
Was something going wrong with my body at a time like this?
FWOOSH!
As though refusing to miss the opportunity, the Dragon in the sky launched flames toward us.
The two Elves holding my arms released me and shouted.
[Bloom.]
[Bloom.]
Different flower petals scattered around each of their bodies, unlike those surrounding the High Priest.
CRACKLE.
“The Barrier will break soon!”
“We cannot hold it any longer! Please flee—”
Clutching my heart, I picked up a tree branch lying on the ground, shattered by a Dragon’s tail, and leaped into the flames.
I had to stop it.
If I failed, how meaningless would the deaths of those who perished protecting me become?
[Nameless Three Swords, First Technique.]
[Wind Scatters the Clouds.]
SLASH!
As I swung, my Sword Aura took the form of black clouds and split the Dragon’s flames in half.
The Elves maintaining the Barrier beside me stared at me in astonishment.
“Go.”
STEP. STEP.
“Your Highness! You must flee!”
Ignoring the worried voices around me, I slowly approached the Dragon.
I still did not know what I wished to do with this life, but this time, I would live according to my own will.
And I would remain true to the part of me that refused to disregard the sacrifices made for my sake.
[Nameless Three Swords, Second Technique.]
[Clouds Gather and Part.]
SWISH!
The black clouds drifting around my feet shot toward the Dragon in the direction of my swing.
[Burn.]
At the Dragon’s quiet command, my approaching Sword Aura was blasted aside into the air together with a burst of flame.
Was this what it meant to be a being of an entirely different order from Humans, whether spiritual beast or demonic beast?
THUMP. BANG. THUMP. BANG.
My heart pounded even faster, making it difficult to breathe. The smell of something burning began rising from the aching place within my chest.
“Ugh…”
Cold sweat covered my body as I stared at the Dragon.
The Dragon lowered its eyes while holding its head arrogantly high.
“Black hair. Are you the prince? Why is your hair the only one of a different color?”
“Who knows…”
“Your ears are still rounded as well. It seems you have not yet received the full power of your Spirit. Surely you understand that even if you unleashed all of it, you still could not defeat me?”
[Explode.]
At the command, flames began gathering inside its mouth all at once.
Then a hollow, low voice echoed in my ears.
[Attack again while Bloomed.]
The Flower of Death?
Was it speaking to me through Sound Transmission?
The other Elves had also shouted Bloom before using their power.
Was that how they called upon the strength of a Spirit?
Enduring the throbbing pain around my heart, I shouted.
[Bloom.]
My heart, which had been racing beyond control, instantly returned to its normal rhythm.
At the same moment, the mass of flames gathered in the Dragon’s mouth surged toward me like a wave.
I could not block that with Sword Aura.
I had to throw myself aside.
Yet just as I tried to dodge, the overwhelming flames rushing toward me vanished directly before my face.
Dark, viscous black clouds began creeping outward around my body.
THUMP. THUMP.
Pnekoa, the Dragon that had breathed fire at me, looked back and forth between me and the black clouds slowly moving across the sky.
Then he grinned.
“Those repulsive, sticky black clouds… and that purple Energy…”
The Dragon beat his wings powerfully and charged toward me with intense killing intent.
“So it was you, you wretched Spirit who dared harm me! You are nothing but a mere Spirit!!”
The Dragon savagely swung his enormous claws.
[Moon Step.]
His attacks were heavy, yet swift and unpredictable.
Half a step to the right.
Two steps to the left.
Lower my waist and advance one step.
SLASH.
Even the Heavenly Demon and the strongest members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had struggled to wound me.
Yet beings of an entirely different order from Humans truly existed.
Unable to contain his excitement, the Dragon unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
Then he abruptly stopped and stared above my head.
“What is that unpleasant Energy? A flower hidden behind the clouds…”
He was distracted.
This was my chance.
[Nameless Three Swords, Third Technique.]
[Empty Gate, Cloudless Sky.]
SPLASH. SPLASH.
With every step I took, the sound of water echoed.
The black clouds rippling overhead thinned into mist and began settling beneath my feet.
SWISH!
The mist-like Sword Aura shot toward the Dragon all at once.
Immediately afterward, I ran in the direction of the flowing mist and thrust the branch toward the Dragon’s claw.
CRACK.
I had continued wielding the branch because I lacked a sword, but it finally shattered against the Dragon’s claw.
Even a being of a higher order had to possess a weakness.
I slowly steadied my breathing and gathered my Energy.
“Those who cannot maintain the Barrier, support His Highness!”
“Understood!”
A volley of arrows flew toward the Dragon from afar.
However, Pnekoa spun once and swept all of them aside with a single swing of his tail.
“It is regrettable that I must kill you before learning the secret behind that power, but it is time for you to die.”
Pnekoa spread both hands and continued.
“Consider it an honor to witness the power of a god.”
[Authority]
A brilliant light flashed with the command, and an unfamiliar Human-shaped figure appeared before me.
It was a woman with a pale crimson body and hair the same color as the Dragon’s scales.
When the strange woman extended one hand, the Dragon I had been fighting opened his jaws wide behind her.
Just as the Dragon was about to swallow me whole, a horrifying beast’s roar erupted above my head.
The woman raised her head and looked above me.
Her body trembled as she muttered,
“There cannot be a Spirit capable of breaking Authority, the privilege granted by the Primordial God…”
DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.
I absently looked at the raindrops falling upon the back of my hand.
DRIP. DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.
“Dark… crimson blood… Th-That is…”
At that moment, the enormous beast’s roar above my head thundered even louder.
All the Dragons unleashing their Energy against the Barrier surrounding the kingdom, and all the Elves desperately moving to withstand their assault, stopped at once.
Every one of them looked above my head.