Allaric's breathing was heavy, his hands still gripping his bloodstained sword. Beside him, Kaelen lay unconscious, his body faintly glowing as Founder's ability continued drawing the dragon's corrupted essence into itself.
"Kaelen... hang in there," Allaric muttered, crouching over him.
The sound of hooves echoed through the forest. Instantly alert, Allaric turned. From the treeline emerged the knight who had once stood at Velgrynd's side during the delegation—his imposing figure unmistakable even in the dull light. Behind him rode Lyra and Selianne, their faces pale with fear.
As they drew near, their eyes fell on the battlefield: the fallen dragon, blood still steaming, and the brothers standing before it. Lyra gasped, covering her mouth, while Selianne's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You... you two defeated that!?" Selianne whispered.
Allaric gave a half-smirk, exhaustion clear in his tone. "Hard to believe, huh? But yeah... somehow."
The knight dismounted with calm, practiced ease. His voice was even, but there was weight behind his words:
"So, the rumors were true... a corrupted dragon."
"You're the knight from before," Allaric said, standing to meet him. "If they sent you here alone after hearing there was a dragon, then... you must be pretty strong."
The knight smiled faintly, resting a hand on his sword's hilt. "You could say that. I'm... a special elite of the Empire."
Before more could be said, Lyra and Selianne rushed forward, kneeling beside Kaelen.
"Kaelen!!" Lyra's voice cracked as she shook his shoulder.
Allaric quickly raised a hand. "Calm down. He's not hurt. Neither of us are. He just... burned out his magicules."
The girls froze, relief washing over their faces.
But that calm shattered when the ground shook again.
RUMBLE
The dragon's massive body, which had lain motionless, suddenly twitched. Then its claws scraped the earth as it began to rise once more.
"What—?!" Allaric shouted, his eyes wide. "That's impossible! We killed it!"
The knight's expression hardened. "You did kill it. What you're seeing now is nothing but a corpse... a husk. The body is moving, not the soul. That's the corruption, clinging like a parasite."
He slowly drew his blade. The steel shimmered with divine brilliance—Deva, a Genesis-grade weapon.
But before he could act, the sky split.
A flash of light—so sharp it blinded them for an instant.
SHHHRK!
The corrupted dragon's head was cleaved clean off, falling with a thunderous crash. The body collapsed instantly, lifeless. A haze of smoke and dust swirled through the battlefield.
As it cleared, a tall figure descended gracefully, black hair cascading, clad in radiant armor of white and gold, feathered wings unfurled. His presence was suffocating—both beautiful and terrifying.
Allaric's jaw tightened. Lyra and Selianne instinctively stepped back.
The knight lowered his sword, smiling faintly. "...Zalario."
One of the Seven Primordial Angels.
Rudra rested his blade back in his hilt, his crimson gaze sweeping over the children. His voice was calm, almost reassuring.
"It's over. You can relax now."
The siblings froze at his sheer aura, but Zalario gave them a small nod—acknowledging their courage. Then he turned to the knight, speaking in a low tone only the adults could follow.
Rudra (disguised): "I didn't expect you to intervene."
Zalario: "It had to be done. That dragon wasn't just corrupted—it was poisoned by the magicules of Ivarage."
Rudra frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Ivarage...? Then that means—"
Zalario nodded. "Most likely, one of the weaker Insectars slipped past my net. It must have strayed into this world. The dragon probably consumed it... and the corruption spread."
A shadow passed over Rudra's features, though his smile never faded. "Tch. If even scraps of those things can twist a dragon, the Cardinal World is in more danger than we thought"
Zalario's gaze was firm. "Danger... but not without hope. These children stood their ground. They cut deep enough to kill it. That's no small feat."
With that, Zalario turned, his wings unfurling as he prepared to depart.
"Rest easy, children," something like "Be at ease—for now, the corruption is severed.
Without another word, his form dissolved into light, vanishing into the skies.
The knight—Rudra—watched him go, his smile faint, eyes contemplative. Then he turned back to the siblings.
"Come. This battle is finished. Return to your estate. Rest... and get stronger for the future"
Allaric gently lifted Kaelen onto his back. The group mounted their horses and began the ride back to the Caelthron estate, the weight of the day pressing on their hearts.
Behind them, the corrupted dragon's corpse lay still... but its blackened blood seeped into the earth, leaving a mark that would not fade easily.