Duke Pendragon

Boom!

The gate of Fort Bellint closed shut with a loud noise, following a deepening of the dark green light.

“Heuk?”

The troops of Alice became momentarily dazed.

“What is going on?”

“Is it magic?”

The soldiers could not hide their anxiety. They whispered amongst themselves.

“Y, your Excellency.”

The knights were also at a loss, looking towards Count Louvre for directions. But at a time when everyone was thrown into confusion, he was calm. Rather, it was as if he was in a good mood. The hands that held onto the reins trembled ever-so-slightly, and the tiniest smile could be seen around his mouth.

Count Seyrod looked alternatingly at Fort Bellint and Count Louvre was anxious eyes. He instantly recognized the emotions contained within Count Louvre’s expression and subtle gestures.

It was a joy of madness.

Count Louvre could not suppress his anxiety. Even though the gate of the occupied fort had suddenly closed, Count Louvre seemed even more aggravated by the feeling of joy.

‘What on earth…’

At that moment...

Kiehehehehehe! Kiyahahahahahaha!

A burst of resonant, menacing laughter penetrated everyone’s ears.

“…..!”

“W, what?”

The knights and soldiers faltered before looking towards the fortress. They were absolutely stunned. It was impossible to believe that the sound originated from a worldly being.

Kwaaaah…

It was clearly visible to all of them.

A pair of gigantic wings was rising above the fortress and embracing the entire fortress. The wings appeared as if it was created by gathering all the fear and the horrors of the world.

“T, t, that’s…”

It was evident even without hearing the trembling words. Evil spirits of all shapes and sizes were contained in the gigantic wings, each displaying its horror to the material world.

Fwoooosh!

Kieehahahaha! Kiehehehehe!

The evil spirits started rushing out of the wings. Soon after, terrible screams resounded from the inside of the fortress.

“Kuaaghh!”

“Save me!”

The screams were not originating from a battle. The screams were instinctive. When a creature was faced with the realization of an unknown, all-consuming fear, this was the way it would react.

Kihehehehehehe!

The evil spirits attacked the soldiers who were about to jump off the wall.

Puck! Pupupuck!

Their heads were smashed apart, and their limbs were broken to pieces. Before their humanly bodies hit the ground, they dissolved into a dark, green liquid. After a short while, the figures stood up while creating a racket. It sounded like nails scratching against an iron plate.

“Heuk!”

It was truly a grotesque, diabolical sight. Soldiers who were alive and kicking just a moment ago were transformed into terrible corpses, slowly moving in unnatural ways. However, the corpses did not even spare a glance towards the troops outside of Fort Bellint. They turned towards the walls and started to climb. In the meantime, horrible screams continued to burst from inside the walls.

“Y, your Excellency!”

The knights called out to their lord in cold sweat. They could not believe their eyes. However, he ignored the knights and continued to grin while looking at Fort Bellint.

“It is done. It is done… It’s finally beginning. Kuheu... Kehehehe…”

“…..!”

The high lord mumbled like a crazy man. The knights could not find words to speak, only trembling in place with their mouths agape.

Anyone would realize at this point unless they were a fool. Whatever horror was taking place inside Fort Bellint at this moment was related to their monarch. Although they were not completely aware of the situation, it was clear Count Louvre knew what was happening and the reason behind it.

“L, lord Louvre!”

Count Seyrod called out with a pale expression.

“Let us go back! Even now, it is not too late! What in the…”

“Kuhahahahahahaha!”

Count Seyrod’s voice was buried by Count Louvre’s maniacal roar. He turned his bloodshot eyes to Seyrod and snickered.

“Why…? Why do you want to go back? It’s only just beginning, hmm? Kekeuk!”

“Hmm!”

His crazed words sent a shiver up Count Seyrod’s spine.

“Do you not want to see your daughter?”

However, Count Louvre’s following words caused him to tremble.

“Your daughter… she is in there, hmm? Let us go. You just need to walk to that fortress with…”

Count Louvre continued to talk with a face of joy and madness, then suddenly stopped. His eyes began growing bigger and bigger. It appeared he was shocked after seeing something.

Kwaaaa…

A strange noise grew louder, and everyone, including Count Seyrod, turned their eyes.

“Heuk!”

His eyes filled with astonishment as well.

Far away, a giant dragon was flying towards them in the sunset.

***

“The Duke… His Excellency the Duke and Lord Soldrake are here!!!”

Sir Jade shouted vigorously. His voice was hoarse and cracked.

“Your Excellency!”

“Keugh!”

“The guardian of the forest is here!”

“Duke Pendragon!”

The surviving knights and soldiers shouted, as well as the centaurs and the Ancona Orc warriors. Everyone who gathered and fought under the name of ‘Pendragon’ erupted into loud cheers while waving their weapons. Their hope was found in the White Dragon, who was bringing them salvation from the far side of the crimson sky.

Kwaaahhhhh!

Soldrake was like the storm as she orbited the sky above the fortress. The evil spirits and the soldiers consumed by them ran rampant at her majestic appearance. Although the dead and evil spirits considered all living things to be their prey, they were deathly afraid of dragons, the brothers of the gods.

Soldrake stopped and hovered above the fortress.

An absolute, overwhelming presence was conveyed. She was like an ancient, immovable mountain from the legends.

Flash!

The three horns resting on her head resembled a crown. A blinding light appeared from her horns, then instantly wrapped around her body. The flow of light pulsed and emitted an even brighter light before soaring towards her head like a whirlwind.

Kwaaaaaah!

She opened her mouth.

Fwoooooshhh!

A storm of light as intense as the midday sun blinded everyone’s eyes.

“Keugh!”

Sir Jade and the warriors of Pendragon clenched their eyes shut and turned their heads.

Fwoosh!

“Ugh!”

They shrivelled after feeling a sudden heat. A pain shot from their bodies, but none could even think of opening their eyes. Even with their eyes closed, all they could see was a blinding light.

As the light faded, everyone opened their eyes one by one.

“…..!”

They were struck with awe by the sight that greeted them.

Nothing. The evil spirits that filled the fortress were gone… Even the knights and soldiers of Alice, who threatened them after being transformed into undead, were gone. All they could see was the scattered remains of a bright fire, slowly sinking to the dark, green ground like snowflakes.

“O, over there!”

“Ah…!”

The hundred-or-so warriors became startled by someone’s urgent shouts. There was only one being remaining. She was standing on the ground with her two feet, even when everything else had disappeared.

It was the witch who had been adorning a horrifying smile.

The flames that wrapped around her body had disappeared, and she looked up at the sky with a blank expression. She seemed to be a completely different person from the witch, who considered every living being as her ‘food’.

Even more surprisingly, any of the knights from the Pendragon Duchy was able to recognize her identity.

“L, Luna Seyrod?”

Sir Jade and the other remaining knights called out in disbelief. Then, a voice burst out from the air. It belonged to the one they had been waiting for until now.

“Do not be fooled! That is not Luna Seyrod!”

With a loud, awakening shout, the figure jumped in front of the Pendragon Duchy’s troops. He was donned in silver-white armor and covered with a mysterious light. He held a weapon in each hand, a longsword and a scimitar. Everyone shouted in one voice when they saw the knight’s backside.

“Your Excellency!!!”

“Duke Pendragon!”

Kwaaaaaaa!

Indeed, it was Raven. He turned his head and looked towards them while emitting an overwhelming spirit.

“I’m late.”

It was just two words, but it caused everyone to boil with courage.

“For Pendragon!”

“For the guardian of the forest!”

The warriors of the three races shouted with renewed strength and vigor, tightening their grasp on their weapons. However, unlike them, Raven had mixed emotions. Isla’s death had caused him perfect anger, but the sight unfolding in front of him was truly shocking.

He had experienced countless battles in his previous life. It was always chaotic, and he was always accompanied by death. He tasted suffocating fear several times as well.

But this was different.

It had been more than a year since he became Duke Pendragon, but he wasn’t used to it – the fact that the defenders of Fort Bellint had perished while fighting for him.

“I will not… forgive them…”

That was more the reason why he could not forgive them.

He could not forgive Elsaroa, the Queen of Death. The witch was still wearing the mask of Luna Seyrod, looking at himself with blank eyes.

Just then, the tightly sealed gate opened.

***

“Y, your Excellency!”

Ignoring the desperate shouts of his knights, Count Louvre directed his horse towards Fort Bellint.

“You cannot! T, the White Dragon is there! It’s all over, Your Excellency!”

The knights blocked his way.

The White Dragon had arrived.

Then she had unleashed a dragon breath, something they only heard about in stories. The single attack caused an immense storm, disintegrating all the evil spirits surrounding the fortress walls.

This was the power of the gods.

No one could stand up to it. Moreover, the creatures flying above their heads were imperial griffons. It meant that the empire was now involved in this war.

Everything was over.

However, a glimmer still remained in Count Louvre’s eyes.

“It’s over…? Kekeuk! Says who?”

He unsheathed his sword and swung it.

Slice!

The knight’s head flew into the air, and he collapsed to the floor. The body spewed blood after losing its head.

“Gah!”

Everyone became wide-eyed when their monarch killed one of his own knights. Count Louvre shook the blood off his blade while speaking.

“I am your lord. I am your master. All of you, follow me.”

“…..!”

It was an order by the high lord.

However, no one abided by his words. He was already deranged.

“Kekeuk! Fine, I guess it will not matter, since your ends have already been decided. Kekeke…”

Count Louvre turned his head with a chuckle.

“But you are different. Your daughter is right in there.”

“Hmm!”

Count Seyrod trembled. He knew that it was all over the moment hundreds of imperial griffons and White Drake Soldrake made her appearance.

But why had he come all this way in the first place?

Did he not have a reason for betraying the Pendragon Duchy, their blood ally? Did he not have a reason for throwing everything away and coming all this way?

“L, Luna…”

“Keke! Yes, exactly. Now, let us go meet your daughter. After all, we can’t go back after coming all this way, right? Since Luna Seyrod is just around the corner, hmm?

He spoke in a jesting tone.

“…..!”

However, the moment he heard Count Louvre’s words, memories of Luna flashed by Count Seyrod’s mind. He remembered all the moments he shared with his daughter. Seeing his ever-changing expression, Count Louvre’s smile deepened.

“Kehehe! Exactly. That’s right. I know. I know very well. The heart of a father who lost his child…”

He spoke with a strange expression as he turned towards Fort Bellint. It was hard to tell whether he was crying or smiling.

“So… follow me. And observe silently. This is just the beginning.”

“Yes. My daughter… Luna…”

Count Seyrod rode his horse to Count Louvre’s side while mumbling with a blank look. The horses of the two high lords headed towards the fortress gate, which was wide open.