CHAPTER 67………………………
The Magic That Kills Dragons
You won’t wait obediently?
Valhar sneered.
Esric had been struggling just to defend against his magic until now.
The only missed Sulli—it didn’t even scratch Valhar.
Even had only landed because Valhar attacked unexpectedly while he was using .
And even that only caused a momentary paralysis.
In reality, Esric had never once landed a proper hit on Valhar.
Valhar hadn’t even cast a protective spell.
It was just overwhelming mana.
That alone was enough to stop Esric’s magic.
No matter how much purification he used, Valhar’s mana was still nearly infinite.
“Go ahead, try your tricks. Once purification ends…”
Gritting his teeth, Valhar glared at Esric.
“…You’re already dead.”
“You know that?”
It didn’t matter.
“The fact is, in a magic duel between dragons and humans, humans actually have a higher win rate.”
“What nonsense.”
Humans beat dragons? With magic? Impossible.
Even when he had seen the Dragon Heart before, and now with it implanted in his own body, he was certain of this.
A being born with this much mana could never lose to a mere human.
In reality, it was Siruela’s sword that ended the disaster in the snowy mountains, Bibriont.
No, from the very beginning…
“Where are the humans who have ever dueled a dragon with magic?”
“Oh, right. Maybe there aren’t any here.”
Esric smiled faintly and raised the book he had opened.
“Let me tell you why from now on.”
“…?”
“<Darker than twilight, redder than flowing blood>.”
As Esric began chanting, a red light flashed above the book.
“<In the eternity of time, in the gaps of countless worlds, I borrow your great name>.”
Crackle—crackle—black lightning sparked over the red light.
“.”
Sizzle—the black lightning surged upward, slicing through the air.
Vrrrrr, vrrrrr.
“…!”
This is dangerous.
Whatever magic this was, the Dragon Heart was resonating violently like never before.
“.”
I can’t leave this as it is.
Valhar stopped his ongoing purification and drew mana inward.
The vast mana that had been spread in all directions gathered into his grasp.
“.”
“Not a chance!”
Vrrrrr—the Dragon Heart resonated, giving form to the mana.
The dragon’s breath he had imagined countless times in his mind.
Though called a “breath,” it was more like a storm of immense mana.
Valhar intended to release all the mana he had gathered at once to unleash his breath.
“Die, fool!”
He shouted while thrusting his hand toward Esric.
Kraaaang—!
A fierce storm of mana surged toward Esric.
Amid the storm that tore through the entire basement…
“.”
Esric spoke the activation words of his spell.
Zhezz—
The air torn by black lightning split open, revealing a pitch-black rift.
Whooosh—the wind blowing from the rift clashed with the mana storm like a dragon’s breath.
The two forces swirled together and then—paang—they dispersed into the void.
“…?!”
What just happened?
Why did the breath I made disappear?!
“Demon King, Shardgna…”
Esric pointed at the crimson rift splitting open above his head.
The rift had widened into a large, circular shape.
Inside, it seemed like a small universe had unfolded.
In the pitch-black darkness, crimson light glittered like blood-red stars.
“Let me introduce you.”
As soon as he spoke…
Zheok—the darkness that had glittered like stars split open, and a sharp, blood-red eye glared at Valhar.
“Th-That is…”
Valhar knew that type of eye.
“A dragon’s…”
But he didn’t finish speaking.
Fwoosh.
The crimson flames shooting from the giant eye had already engulfed his body.
Valhar’s body began to melt in the roaring fire.
Plop, crack—molten flesh fell to the floor.
The blood-red flames incinerated even the Dragon Heart embedded in his body.
The head of the northern faction, the current head of the Icemaker family.
In the end of Valhar Icemaker…
Nothing remained.
The magic that kills dragons, , works in any world.
The core principle of the magic is opening a “gate connecting to another world.”
Through this, one can borrow the power of the Demon King Shardgna.
Just like Esric, who was the original owner of this body, there’s no need to offer blood or make a contract.
The magic simply uses the heart of the defeated dragon—the Dragon Heart—as its cost.
For any reasonably skilled mage, losing a magic duel to a dragon was impossible.
All that was needed was the knowledge and time to use .
However…
[[ ……. ]]
The gate that should have closed long ago had not yet shut.
Shardgna’s crimson eye was staring at me blankly.
[[ A “contractor of 『Magic』”… the aura is unusual. ]]
The Demon King’s voice echoed lowly.
Though powerful and of high rank, he was still a being from another world.
A demon cannot exert much power without a contract.
Esric had confirmed this from other mages who had made contracts with him before.
Perhaps if fully summoned it would be different.
But he had never spoken directly like this…?
[[ I see… it’s a page of 『Magic』. ]]
“What are you talking about? The contract is over, so just go in already.”
The crimson eye blinked, then closed, revealing its original dark backdrop.
[[ Though I lent power due to the contract, never summon me for a half-baked creature like that dragon again. If you do… ]]
Crackle—the rift caused by black lightning began to close.
[[ No page of 『Magic』 can remain unharmed forever. ]]
Szzz—the rift in the air closed completely, vanishing.
The Demon King’s voice lingered in Esric’s ears.
A page of 『Magic』…?
Esric quietly looked at the 『Magic』 he held, mulling over the words.
“…What does that mean?”
He couldn’t understand it at all.
“Ah… ahh…”
Sulli Mordis groaned, looking down at the stairs that had collapsed all the way to the basement.
Debris from the broken stairs continued to fall, plop, plop.
The blond man had fallen with Valhar.
If he fell here…
Hoping against hope, Sulli shook her head.
No.
There was no way that monster could die from just this.
Sulli, who had been crushed daily under the overwhelming mana of the Dragon Heart, knew this better than anyone.
Even without taking any special measures, Valhar would be protected by mana.
Then that blond man…
“Ah.”
Suddenly, she lifted her head.
“Sirina!”
If the blond man had followed here, then Sirina, who had blocked him…?
“Oh, oh no no no no!”
Pale-faced, Sulli crawled along the ground, groping her way forward.
Her knees and palms were scraped, and she staggered, leaning against the wall to rise.
With trembling legs, she took step by step toward the grand hall where Sirina was.
“Ah… Sirina…”
Whatever happened to the two who fell into the basement was of no concern to Sulli.
The only thing that mattered was Sirina.
The useless mother could only think of saving her daughter.
She didn’t even notice that her body was nearly broken.
“…?”
Sulli couldn’t walk any further even leaning against the wall.
She had no sensation below her waist and didn’t know her legs were trembling.
Her body, already exhausted, had collapsed under the tension and stress of fearing Sirina might be dead.
“Ah, no…!”
She clawed at the wall, screaming through the tightening throat that refused to let air pass.
“I have to… go…!”
“Where are you going?”
“…?!”
Sulli, who had been clawing the wall, turned sharply at the voice behind her.
“Y-You… how…?”
The blond man who had fallen to the basement with Valhar stood there.
And he was completely unharmed, looking neat and composed.
“V-Valhar…?”
“He’s dead.”
“Could it really be…?!”
Only then did Sulli sense that the intense mana that had been emanating from the basement was completely gone.
“S-Sirina! What about Sirina?! What did you do with my daughter!”
“Daughter? Sirina? You’re her mother?”
The blond man chuckled and nodded.
“I kept her safe for a while. She wasn’t a target of my revenge.”
“Ah… ahh…”
Sulli felt her blocked throat finally open, letting her breathe freely.
“Thank you… thank you…”
She grabbed the hem of the man’s robe, bowing her head and repeatedly expressing her gratitude.
“Feeling a bit calmer?”
“Ah… yes… thanks… to you?!”
Sulli’s body floated in the air.
The blond man ascended the stairs first, and Sulli floated behind him, moving along.
“Then let’s go. Things over there should be mostly settled.”
“Ah, I, I…”
“Stay still. You have very little mana left, so you’ll be exhausted.”
“I-I don’t need to go! Really…”
“Why are you embarrassed? You’re her mother, right? Aren’t you going to see her?”
“B-But…”
All that mattered was that Sirina was safe.
What right did a useless mother have to see the child?
The child who had silently endured hellish days because of her mother…
“B-Because of me… she must have suffered… a lot…”
“She probably did.”
The man let out a small sigh.
“But I hear she still needs to forgive.”
“…Pardon?”
“She hasn’t forgiven yet. She talks in her sleep. I didn’t understand it back then…”
The man ahead glanced back at Sulli.
“Seeing you, I understand who she needs to forgive.”
“…!”
She barely held back the tears threatening to spill.
Biting her lower lip, she covered her face with her hands.
“It might not even be her.”
While Sulli restrained her overflowing emotions…
“Ask her directly.”
They returned to the grand hall.
“…!”
Sulli’s mouth dropped open at the scene before her.
Soldiers of the Icemaker raised by Valhar.
Northern lords and their soldiers who had gathered here in allegiance to him.
Even mercenaries hired from her own family, the Mordis, to curry favor with Valhar.
“Th-This can’t be…”
They all lay on the floor, drenched in blood.
Whether alive or dead, they could not rise.
The only ones standing were two strangers.
“…Have you arrived?”
“Y-You’re safe!”
Only the party that came with the blond man.
“Sirina is over there.”
“…?!”
He nodded toward the throne covered with bear skins.
“Si… Sirina…!”
There, her poor daughter lay asleep, eyes closed, peaceful.
Her legs, which had trembled and couldn’t move just moments ago, now moved as if lying.
“Sirina!”
Sulli rushed up the steps to the throne.
She held Sirina’s sleeping face in her arms and finally let out all the tears she had been holding back.
“Ah, Sirina! I’m sorry! Mommy’s sorry! I’m sooo sorry…!”
Half-awake, Sirina patted Sulli’s back like a child, whispering with her small, trembling lips:
“It’s okay, it’s okay, Mommy.”
She muttered in her sleep.
