MTM 120

…Boom!

“Wh-what’s happening…!”

The heads of the knights and Ser in the underground dungeon all turned upward when they heard the deafening sound that felt like the sky were falling.

“N-no way it’s collapsing…?”

A terrified knight murmured in a trembling voice, and anxious gazes all turned to Ser. Ser was standing before the prison cell where Prince Damien was imprisoned, he concentrated as he deciphered and dismantled each intricate spell embedded within the magic stone.

As murmurs spread, Ser shouted.

“Stop interfering! Shut your mouths and wait in silence!”

The knights swallowed dryly and closed their mouths under Ser’s imposing presence. The sound of falling structures still echoed from somewhere within the palace, sending chills down their spines, yet none dared to move. It was because of their pride as members of the Royal Knights’ ‘Golden Wings’ unit, and they could not disobey the orders of their commander, Isadora.

Leaving the grim resolve of the knights behind, Ser was fully occupied with breaking the prison’s seal.

‘What kind of madman twisted this thing like this? Ha… It’s too intricate.’

Ser suppressed his rising irritation as he inwardly cursed. The problem wasn’t the magic stone, but the layers upon layers of magical locks embedded within it. If only he had a little more time, but the situation allowed for none.

“Ha.”

Ser took a deep breath, then focused his concentration to the utmost.

“……”

Damien, who had been silently watching Ser focus so attentively that beads of sweat formed on his chin, spoke with a heavy tone.

“…My life isn’t worth putting you all in danger. You should flee now, even at this moment.”

“Tsk! You keep quiet too. I’m just doing my job.”

“……”

At Ser’s curt reply, Damien, like the knights, also fell silent.

A moment later.

Whoosh-!

“It’s done!”

The intricately intertwined spell was finally dispelled. Simultaneously with Ser’s shout, the knights, who had been waiting anxiously, opened the iron door and entered. One knight carefully lifted Damien, who was limp like a doll. His body felt light, like a lifeless fallen leaf, it defied the weight of a human being.

Boom!

“Get out of the way!”

Immediately after, another sound echoed as one side of the corridor ceiling collapsed. Fortunately, the knights moved quickly and avoided the debris, but it was clear the entire imperial palace was crumbling.

Ser and the knights who rescued Damien immediately escaped the underground dungeon. They emerged above ground and saw palace soldiers screaming and fleeing amidst the destroyed buildings. In the chaos, no one paid any attention to the Royal Knights or Ser.

“Is war breaking out, what is happening…?”

“It’s the north.”

Just as Ser couldn’t hide his bewilderment, Damien weakly raised his arm and pointed toward the northern tower. The knights, including Ser, all turned their gaze there simultaneously.

“Th-that…?”

Then, their expressions turned to horror.

Beneath the large moon, a tall white tower. Along its crumbling outer walls, a colossal form unlike anything they’d ever seen was coiling around the entire structure.

Damien’s eyes held a vitality they’d never possessed before as he witnessed the scene.

“The Guardian… It must be the Guardian awakening.”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Zed rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Something was filling his vision. It was coiled around the tower as if about to swallow it whole.

Srrrk

Fragments of the tower crumbled and fell away.

“Krrk…?”

Even the giant spider Magnus couldn’t hide his confusion at the unexpected intrusion.

His four eyes darted around the tower, scanning the unidentified entity that bound it. The swarm of spiders that had filled the area had vanished without a trace.

Now was his chance. While Magnus’s attention was diverted, Zed squeezed every last shred of remaining holy power from within himself and concentrated it at the tip of his greatsword.

The moment the power gathered, Zed jumped off the ground. But just as he was about to strike, a cold sneer pierced his mind.

[Fool.]

“……!”

Shiiik!

Magnus had seen this coming. By the time Zed realized it was a decoy to lure him in, it was already too late. Thread-like webs instantly engulfed him, binding and pulling at his entire body. Magnus opened his mouth wide, dripping venom, ready to swallow the cocooned Zed whole.

Thud!

“Argh!”

At that moment, a crashing sound rang out as the sharp claws of an unknown entity slammed into the giant spider’s chest. Crunch! With a single strike, the spider’s sturdy exoskeleton shattered, his legs snapping. Foam mixed with viscous fluid gushed from the gaping maw.

Taak!

“Ugh!”

Just as Zed, flung into the air by the recoil, was about to plummet beneath the tower, a massive, clawed hand gently snatched him up.

“Ugh… What is this…?”

Zed gasped for breath as he emerged from the cocoon. He struggled to steady his spinning vision. One thing was certain: the entity that had just surrounded the tower had saved him.

The entity holding Zed in its hand stepped over the tower’s debris and climbed higher. It stopped in a spot bathed in moonlight.

“……!”

Zed gasped at the figure finally revealed.

A long body covered in smooth, jet-black scales, black horns shaped like deer antlers rising above its head, and a long beard fluttering in the wind. Its head resembled a dragon’s yet was different. Even without wings, its smooth movements as it glided through the air made it look more like a noble spirit from myth than a demon.

It bore the exact likeness of the dragon from Eastern legends, a creature that did not exist in this world.

Zed, who could not have known this, was transfixed by the mysterious being before him. It was because of those eyes, clear and deep blue, like a lake.

“…Harto?”

At the sound of his name, the dragon’s blue eyes narrowed.

“Is it really you, Harto…?”

Instead of answering, the dragon brought his massive head close to Zed. Zed briefly hesitated before he cautiously reached out. He placed his palm against his jaw and felt warmth radiating through the hard scales.

“Grrrrr…”

“Is that… good?”

A vibration flowed directly through Zed’s palm. Unsure even after asking, he cautiously looked at him. The dragon’s mouth corners lifted slightly, then he exhaled a fierce breath from his nostrils. The force sent Zed’s golden hair flying.

“What happened? You suddenly vanished, and I was really…”

Just as Zed smiled and was about to continue, the flow of air instantly changed. He felt an ominous aura of killing intent.

“…Harto, danger!”

Swish!

The swarm of spiders, thought to have vanished, suddenly surged up the tower all at once. They charged toward the dragon’s massive torso. Zed instinctively tried to re-grip his greatsword, but the weapon was nowhere to be seen.

“Damn it…!”

In that moment the dragon casually turned his head to look down at the swarming spiders. Then, he opened his mouth slightly and exhaled a single breath.

Whoosh-!

Crimson flames pierced the darkness, cascading down like a waterfall toward the swarm of spiders. It was a death that didn’t even grant them a scream. Engulfed by the immense inferno, the spiders evaporated on the spot, vanishing before they could even turn to ash. And that wasn’t all. The aftereffects of the flames reached the imperial palace buildings across the way, causing them to crumble like melted taffy, dripping down viscously.

“…….”

It was just a single breath from the dragon.

[Zed, it’s okay now! I took care of everything!]

Harto called out in a bright voice, but Zed couldn’t bring himself to speak in the face of this overwhelming spectacle unfolding right before his eyes.