Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the long sword that had naturally appeared. Its interior was transparent, as if made of water droplets, with water currents spreading out like the sea.
It wasn't just the shape of the sword that was peculiar. From the water sword, he could sense not only Kaivar's mana but also the flow of Alice's aura.
Chiing!
The water sword slowly descended and, like the other swords, embedded its blade into the mental world.
Hwaaaaaa!
The cracks that had emerged due to the Descent of the Demon King slowly filled in, returning to their original state.
The remnants of Wrath that had been left by Wrath melted away, completely eliminating the headache that had been tormenting him.
Although the mental world had recovered to its state before the Descent of the Demon King, the changes were not yet over.
Kuuung!
With a heartbeat that felt like his heart was bursting, the mental world expanded, and new swords sprouted. It was the growth of the upper dantian.
'To achieve growth beyond recovery….'
He felt that he could use the Sword Domain more perfectly than before.
'It's not just the Sword Domain.'
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the water sword embedded in the mental world.
'I've also grasped the subtleties of the spatial sword.'
The reason he could feel Alice's aura flow from that water sword was that he had somewhat grasped the subtleties of the spatial sword during his battle with Kaivar.
'If I train with all my might, I might be able to wield the spatial sword in my own way.'
Alice's spatial sword was different from ordinary swordsmanship subtleties. The thought of obtaining that mysterious swordsmanship made his chest burn with excitement.
After examining the revitalized mental world, Raon opened and closed his eyes.
The state of enlightenment dissolved, revealing the blue sky and Wrath' grimacing eyes.
-You damn bastard!
As soon as Wrath made eye contact, he screamed.
-Recovering was enough! Why are you growing as well!
He frowned, seemingly realizing that the mental world had expanded.
-Helping even with a dragon heart! Why are you so lucky! I really can't understand it!
'It's not luck, it's skill and effort.'
-Shut up! Can't you see the constant misfortune that visits me every day!
Wrath ground his teeth, telling him to shut his mouth.
'Alright, get away from me.'
As Raon pushed away Wrath, who was leaning in, Lawaine approached.
"Raon, are you alright?" he asked, looking worried while infusing his body with aura.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"You're more than just fine."
Alice's red eyes gleamed faintly.
"He's fully recovered."
She seemed to understand what had happened in the mental world, smiling refreshingly.
"You might even be stronger than before."
"That's truly fortunate!"
Lawaine smiled, seemingly unconcerned with who was stronger, just happy that Raon had recovered.
Despite his bald head and pirate-like appearance, he seemed to be the kindest of the Zieghart warriors.
"Such a boring guy."
Alice clicked her tongue, seemingly displeased with Lawaine's answer.
"Did you know?"
Raon turned his gaze to Alice while still seated.
"I expected you to recover because I felt a strong surge of energy from your upper dantian. But…"
Alice looked at Raon with heated eyes.
"I didn't expect you to grow as well."
"I was surprised too. The mana from the dragon heart seems to have played a significant role."
Raon handed the dragon heart, still grasped in his hand, to Alice.
Despite the massive mana aiding his recovery and growth, the dragon heart still contained an unfathomable amount of mana. It truly lived up to its reputation as the ultimate elixir.
"Look over there."
Alice handed the dragon heart to Lawaine and lifted Raon to his feet.
She pointed to the approaching warship with her finger.
"Wooaaaaaaa!"
"Raon! Raon! Raon! Raon!"
The crew on the warship were still cheering at the top of their lungs.
Kuberad was holding two children, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Wave your hand at least."
Alice raised her hand first, laughing brightly.
"Everyone here is a hero, but you've become the hero of heroes."
She turned her back, saying something embarrassing.
"Hmm…"
Raon looked not at the people but at Kaivar's severed neck and head.
Seeing the sword marks he had made with the Heavenly Drive brought back memories of the arduous battle and the moment he overcame it.
If he hadn't fought with all his might, he wouldn't have witnessed this scene. He was glad he hadn't given up until the end.
'This isn't just my victory; it's everyone's victory.'
-Victory, my ass.
As he waved to the cheering crew with a smile, Wrath butted in.
-You're going to take that dragon meat, right? It's perfectly salted, so it doesn't need any seasoning!
Wrath swallowed his saliva, insisting they had to take it.
'Hmm, let's see….'
-If you ignore me again, I'll really cry this time! I'll truly cry!
Raon laughed at the not-so-scary threat.
'Do as you please.'
Lushain Mountain, blocking the west of House Robert's territory.
Derus Robert descended into the underground of the scenic yet grand mountain.
Walking through the familiar, pitch-black corridor, he headed for the central chamber.
"Welcome."
An elderly man with a solid build, dressed in black night clothes, bowed his head.
Derus silently nodded and stood beside the old man. Under his cold gaze, children who seemed no older than ten knelt with blindfolds over their eyes.
"Ugh."
"W-where is this?"
"Mom! Dad!"
"Please send us home!"
The children trembled, begging for their lives, seemingly aware they had been kidnapped.
"About 210?"
Derus counted the number of children as if their screams didn't affect him.
"Yes. Exactly 213."
The old man bowed his head, reporting the exact number.
"More than usual."
"This time, thanks to the involvement of the Six Kings and the Five Demons, as well as the demon king and the dragon, many children lost their parents. We could have captured more, but many were in poor condition, so we selected only the best."
He spoke as if choosing vegetables or fruits, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Their physiques are indeed good. They are sufficient to be trained as assassins. Some could even be nurtured as martial artists."
Derus Robert smiled faintly as he looked at the terrified children with purple lips.
"Start the brainwashing as usual, and feed the Rage Worm to those who show no abnormalities."
"Yes, sir."
As the old man nodded, shadows emerged from the darkness and took the children away.
"Sorry to burden you with this task again."
Derus patted the old man's shoulder as he watched the children being taken away.
"Please don't say that. It's because I brought you such useless ones."
The old man bowed deeply, his eyes flashing fiercely as he called them useless.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Derus turned away from the old man and ascended the stairs beside a pillar. He entered a neatly arranged room, sitting on a dark-colored chair.
Woooo.
A shadow under the bookshelf quivered, and Kubara appeared, dressed in a black gown instead of her usual maid outfit.
"Any news about Raon Zieghart?"
Derus asked without turning around.
"Still nothing."
Kubara, kneeling, looked up.
"There's no word from inside Zieghart either, and no movement."
She shook her head, indicating that Raon's name had disappeared from the Zieghart territory.
"Is he really dead…?"
Derus looked down at the empty chamber for a long time before slowly shifting his gaze.
"How's the Water Demon Guest project progressing?"
"Based on the information gained from Siris's failure, improvements are underway. We are researching how to enhance the intelligence and explosive power of the Water Demon Guests."
"Send double the personnel and funds to that project."
"Double?"
"It might be an excessive investment, but it will be worth it in the end."
He lifted a glass, wetting his lips.
"The day the flames of war reignite on the continent is not far off."
Derus placed the empty glass down quietly, smiling chillingly enough to raise goosebumps.
"On that day, the Water Demon Guests will be the greatest variable."
Raon returned to Aikar's harbor with eight warships.
It took four days to return, as they brought back Kaivar's bisected body.
Despite the time it took, the crew's expressions were brighter than ever, having ended the war by slaying the dragon.
Standing on the deck, Raon looked at the harbor. He could see the residents of Aikar who had stayed behind in front of the partially restored barrier.
People had come out to wave, seemingly having heard rumors of the dragon's death.
Though too far to hear clearly over the crashing waves, it was evident they were cheering, crying, and laughing.
"Uwooooo!"
"It's Aikar!"
"It's all over now!"
The sailors on the Azure Wind and other ships waved back, shouting.
-Uwaaaaaa!
Wrath also emerged from the bracelet, roaring at the harbor.
-Dragon meat! We're finally free from beef jerky and Nadine bread!
Of course, his enthusiasm had a different meaning than the others.
"Wooooooo!"
As the slowly approaching warships docked at the harbor, the residents of Aikar screamed with joy, loud enough to make ears ring.
"Alright, bring it out!"
Alice was the first to disembark, clapping her hands as the magicians hauled Kaivar's body from the ship to the harbor.
When the spell lifting Kaivar's body was released, the massive form reappeared, causing the partially restored barrier to collapse again and the harbor entrance to sink.
"Ugh…"
"Is that really Kaivar?"
"Crazy…"
"What kind of creature is as big as a city!"
The residents of Aikar gaped at Kaivar's corpse, unable to close their mouths, astonished by its unimaginable size.
"Did you really kill this?"
"It's unbelievable…"
"Thank you so much."
"She did it all."
Alice, standing on Kaivar's head, pointed at Raon.
"I just cleared the way; he beheaded it."
She started clapping first, asking everyone to applaud Raon.
"Wooooooo!"
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
"White Sword Dragon!"
"We need a new title now, don't we? He killed a dragon."
"Right. He even defeated a Grandmaster before coming here; he needs a new name."
The sailors and residents began discussing new titles for Raon.
"Let's save that for later and start the celebration first!"
Alice laughed, waving her hand. She put her arms around the shoulders of those in front, shouting for them to bring drinks quickly.
Despite her appearance, Alice was a thoughtful person. She seemed to want to celebrate their victory and console those who had lost comrades.
Raon disembarked from the Azure Wind, examining Kaivar's body.
Despite being submerged in the sea for four days, its body remained firm. It seemed that the natural mana in its bones and flesh was still intact.
-I told you! The meat is perfect! It must be eaten now!
Wrath drooled, urging to grill the meat quickly.
'I got it. I'll ask.'
Just as Raon was about to suggest eating the dragon meat to Alice.
Woooooo!
A golden light shimmered above the harbor, revealing an elderly man with golden hair, floating gracefully without any visible means of support, radiating a massive flow of mana.
'That's….'
The amount of mana was indescribable. It was beyond transcendence.
-That guy.
Wrath glared at the old man, narrowing his eyes.
'That guy?'
-The shiny dragon that fired a breath at me. He's transformed into a human!
'Ah….'
He was talking about the Gold Dragon that had fired a breath while fighting the Leader of the White Blood Religion and the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance.
'Why now….'
Though he wasn't without strength, if a battle broke out now, everyone except himself, Alice, and Lawaine would die. His chest ached as if it were burning.
"It's come to this."
The Gold Dragon landed quietly on the ground. He clicked his tongue as he looked at Kaivar's severed neck.
"Did it have to come to this?"
The dragon's dry gaze turned to Alice. The atmosphere of the harbor, which had been buzzing with excitement, darkened as if a weight pressed down on their shoulders.
"What?"
Alice sent the people she had her arms around behind her, tilting her chin.
She seemed to know that the old man was a dragon.
"What did we have to do?"
"We could have ended it amicably."
The dragon sighed, leaning on his staff.
"You should have said that to this crazy bastard first."
Alice kicked Kaivar's corpse with her toe.
"If you had stopped him before he started massacring humans, this wouldn't have happened."
Her lips twisted upwards. Her face turned red with rising anger.
"Dragons are independent beings. Unless it's a situation where the balance is disturbed, like the Descent of the Demon King, they are not obligated to follow my orders."
"That just means you're incompetent."
Alice snorted, looking at the dragon's staff.
"Hm…"
Raon swallowed dryly, looking at the old man.
'Is that old man the Dragon Lord?'
He knew the man was strong but didn't expect him to be the Dragon Lord. The looming sense of crisis felt even more sinister.
"Dragons use their power for the existence of the world. They do not act on simple emotions. Kaivar was a wise being, nearing the level of an ancient dragon. If he killed humans, he must have had a good reason."
The Lord's eyes narrowed as he insisted dragons only thought of the greater good.
"Hahaha!"
Alice threw her head back, laughing loudly.
"The greater good? That's just madness wrapped in insanity. Neutral protectors of the continent? Guardians of the continent? All nonsense. You're just overgrown kids who can't handle your power."
Her eyes cooled sharply.
"It's a difficult concept for short-lived humans to grasp."
"Every time you open your mouth, it's nonsense."
"I won't take revenge for my fallen kin. As I said, we are an independent race. However…"
The Dragon Lord sighed, shaking his head.
"I will take Kaivar's dragon heart and body."
He extended his hand, demanding Kaivar's dragon heart.
-What the hell is this lizard saying! The salted meat is mine!
Wrath trembled with anger.
-Summon me now! I'll twist his neck!
He flailed, demanding Raon hand over his body immediately.
Koooo!
Raon lowered his stance, ready to move at any moment, placing his hand on the hilt of the Heavenly Drive.
"Enough of this nonsense."
Alice laughed, showing her white teeth.
"Kaivar's body is our trophy. We won't give you a single piece."
"If that's the case, then it can't be helped."
The Dragon Lord raised his hand. An explosive wave of mana spread, distorting the sky and sea.
"This is not revenge for my kin, but a measure to prevent a crisis on the continent. Do not resent me."
The overwhelming mana of the Dragon Lord, who had fully surpassed the ancient dragon level, enveloped Aikar.
Controlling lightning and weather, the terrifying aura of the Gold Dragon rendered his arms and legs immovable.
'That sneaky lizard….'
The Dragon Lord claimed it wasn't revenge, yet it was clear he was out for it. He wasn't a dragon but a serpent.
"This feels like dealing with a kid and having an adult show up."
Alice kicked Kaivar's corpse again, laughing.
"It's not that…"
"Then we'll have to call an adult too."
"What do you mean?"
The Dragon Lord's eyes narrowed.
"Do you know who his grandfather is?"
Alice pointed at Raon with her finger.
"Hm…"
"Glenn Zieghart, the Destructive King of the North."
As the Dragon Lord narrowed his eyes at Raon, Alice continued.
"If you want to see your kind slaughtered by his grandfather, go ahead and keep pushing."
"Ah…"
Alice spread her arms, invitingly, as the Dragon Lord's fingers trembled.