As I moved regardless of my will, I felt a sense of helplessness that I never wanted to feel again. It felt as if no matter how powerful I became, all I would ever face were people who faked their identities just so they could put all their burdens on me.
My sword moved, cutting through the dark aura spreading from the dragon. It wasn't mana—it was something far more reactive. As I dashed forward, slicing through the aura, it began to aggressively drain my mana. I could tell it wasn't like Lysandria's drain... it was painful. Not enough to kill, but like a kid donating blood for the very first time.
I shouted inside my own mind, Ryn!!!!! Retreat! You know archery, too!
Yet my body refused to obey my orders.
Lysandria yelled, as if invoking a command, "Mee'mee, hear my command!"
As she chanted, a book split the air, passing through the threshold of the girls' dorm in front of her. The cover of the book seemed to be a refined creation made of this world's wood. On its plain center lay a four-leaf clover, each leaf carrying a color distinct from the others: the coldness of ice, the light of evening, the greenery of plants, and volcanic red.
As the pages turned themselves and reached the center, a small wand appeared with a tiny mana stone embedded beneath it. She pulled it out and began to cast:
"The sun rises, the moon falls, the autumn leaves grow and fall, and all that remains is the herb itself."
As the final phrase left her lips, a flower resembling a hydrangea—glowing with a deep green color—cracked through the stone floor. It immediately began absorbing and sucking in the black dragon aura itself.
Unable to summon my Anti-Magic Sword from my inventory in my possess state, I use a normal blade instead. I jumped toward the dragon, igniting the steel with the chant, "Ignis Flamia!"
It was a simple fire chant meant to set things ablaze, and its flames were usually enough to burn a normal beast. Yet the only result I got was pure despair. The moment my ordinary sword touched the dragon's skin, my flames evaporated into mana particles like water vapor in heat, leaving me completely exposed right in front of the beast.
Stunned, I couldn't move an inch. Black fire erupted inside Nyx's mouth, looking as if it would incinerate me at any second. All I could do was watch—watch my own death after losing control of my body, stuck in close quarters when my physical form hadn't even recovered from traveling.
[System Message: Two Soul Oaths confronting each other.]
[Side Effect: One of the oath-binders must fall for you to regain movement.]
As these words appeared in front of me, I cursed every vow I had taken—the promise to protect Nyx, the promise to protect Lysandria. Now that both were confronting each other, I couldn't take a side, leaving me frozen to die by the hands of one.
I closed my eyes as the fire surged from Nyx's maw, preparing to accept my death in this world. In that quiet grief of reckless failure, I felt a sudden pull from behind accompanied by a quick chant:
"Barrier Magic: Stone Chrysalis!"
A thick stone wall erupted from the floor, shielding me from the inferno. A loud voice yelled, "Are you crazy?! Do you want to die?!"
Opening my eyes, I saw a knight clad in armor with golden trim—a broad, disciplined figure who always kept his head hidden under a helmet. Although my memory is usually weak, in situations like this, it becomes sharp. It was a man who always made me feel like a kidly weak: the Academy Dungeon Keeper.
[System Message: Soul Convergence has started. Oath's effect is diluting.]
A wave of relief washed over me as my fingers began to twitch. My body started moving again—not enough to fight yet, but enough to shout, "I'm stunned!"
Holding the wall with his mana, the Dungeon Keeper glanced back at me, calculating quickly. In one swift motion, he threw me backward toward the mountainside and backflipped away, narrowly escaping a fresh wave of fire that melted Lysandria's flower, the stone pathways, and everything in its path.
I slammed onto the ground, groaning as I tried to stand, resisting the lingering authority of the oaths to regain total ownership of my body.
I stared back at the battlefield. The Dungeon Keeper and Lysandria were fighting off the dragon while soldiers, the Headmaster, and other teachers evacuated the terrified students and royals, whose panicked cries filled the air.
Why shouldn't I protect them? I asked myself. Even if they aren't human, even if they're from a completely different world, it doesn't change the fact that they are someone's children. Just as I couldn't bear to see my own mother hurt, their mothers shouldn't have to suffer either.
[System Message: Soul Convergence surpasses 5%. Effects of Soul Oaths reduced to near negligible.]
I stood up, locking my eyes on Nyx. What I felt wasn't vengeance, but deep grief at the thought of having to kill my only pet—or rather, the closest thing I had to a daughter. But if letting her live meant a massacre, putting her down would be the lesser evil. Deep down, I knew Nyx wouldn't want this either. Someone else was possessing her.
{soory guys for late I am going to publish next ch in less then 24 hours ,the thing is my internal clock goes to sucked that for me its alike 2nd august but I will try to beocme consistant so stay tune}