Chapter 90

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Black sparks exploded outward like a volcanic eruption. Though the dragon’s breath caused a fierce explosion in mid-air, blocked by Brita’s defensive magic wings, it didn’t harm anyone on the ground.

However, Sian, who had crossed swords with Revenant at the moment of the dragon breath’s explosion, suddenly felt something strange and widened her eyes.

The shuddering sensation that had accompanied each clash with Revenant’s sword was gone. There was only the harsh recoil of sword meeting sword.

Revenant too seemed to notice something wrong with Sian’s unwavering stance despite their clashing blades, and slightly furrowed her brow. While Sian was wrapped in this strange sensation, Revenant pushed back her sword with tremendous force and retreated like a swift cat.

“Summoning the black dragon? You’ll be recorded as the dragon master who brought calamity to the Empire!”

Carl too realized the choking pain had vanished and opened his eyes wide at the Revenant’s shout.

“Who gives a damn? Everyone’s already pointing fingers, why should I cower anymore?”

Carl found himself almost glad to hear Sian’s familiar harsh cursing. He breathed evenly and straightened his knees to stand.

Revenant bit her lip in bewilderment as she watched Carl regain his color and rise.

What’s happening?

She wondered, looking at the blade in her hand. The single-edged sword made of beast bones seemed fine.

But unlike Revenant, who was just a dragon hunter unable to handle magic, Sian noticed what had changed and pulled her lips into a smile of triumph.

“What’s going on? The magic – it’s gone, isn’t it?”

The dragon bones that had been emanating increasingly strong red energy were now clean as if washed. The agonized magic of the dying dragon was gone as if it had never existed – the sword in Revenant’s hand was now just a simple blade made of animal bone.

“That’s impossible….”

Revenant alternated between glaring at Sian and staring at her sword in disbelief. By then, Carl had risen and pulled his sword from the ground, exhaling as he brushed his hair back.

“Brita!”

Without Elena’s magic imbued in her weapons, it would be difficult to overcome both Carl and Sian with mere physical force.

Revenant ground her teeth and called for Brita, but Brita merely hovered in the air, wings fluttering, without responding.

“Seems Brita has no interest in cooperating with your power play anymore.”

Sian, who had watched tensely for Brita’s reaction, soon smiled and adjusted her grip on her sword.

It was natural. She too was a being with intelligence greater than humans.

With the threat of living dragon bone gone, she would clearly know that Revenant could neither harm her as a dragon nor save her master.

“You oversized lizard!”

Sensing danger, Revenant stomped her foot and screamed. In the sky, Luna, the black dragon who had swept over the palace towers after dropping her dragon breath, was turning back toward the garden.

Revenant’s face drained of color upon spotting the black dragon’s shadow.

“Brita!”

Revenant screamed for Brita, but Brita, after gliding low, soared high into the sky, abandoning Revenant as if she had no further business there.

Revenant stared blankly with a shocked face at Brita’s disappearing trajectory. Finding her previously triumphant smile now gone utterly satisfying, Sian raised her sword with a grin.

Luna, having returned and observed Brita’s reaction, settled on the ground with a flap of her wings that cast shadows after Brita flew away.

‘Elena…’

Idelin, freed from the Dragon King’s magic, swayed his body while murmuring lowly. His silver scales were a mess, stained with blood, but the dragon’s eyes, now free of pain, flashed with clear golden light.

Idelin stumbled to his feet and bared his teeth at Revenant. His fangs gleamed as if ready to tear apart Revenant, remembering the pain she had caused.

“Put down your sword.”

Revenant was surrounded by two dragons and their masters. Having lost her overwhelming weapon, she ground her teeth and gripped her sword tighter, defying Carl’s command.

“I apologize, but I won’t go down quietly.”

The foolish dragon hunter raised her sword despite being outnumbered, refusing to give up. Whether she planned to flee or had given up hope was unclear.

“Surrendering would at least buy you a few more days of life.”

“What meaning is there in a few cowardly days of life?”

Revenant countered Carl’s words.

“Lucky you, Sian. You ended up the victor after all. You got what you wanted – Idelin’s master.”

“All thanks to you.”

Sian smiled at Revenant.

“Thanks to your greed extending even to harming the prince, I finally revealed my identity that I might have hidden for life. You can’t understand this feeling, sister.”

Revenant glared at Sian with deep hatred.

“…How did you neutralize Elena’s magic?”

Revenant finally spoke after a moment of silence. She seemed to believe Sian’s tricks were behind the disappearance of Elena’s magic, her absolute weapon. But that was a question Sian wanted to ask someone else as well.

‘Elena has returned.’

Idelin spoke with a rumbling growl. Revenant furrowed her brow as she looked at the dragon.

“What nonsense – how can a dead dragon return?”

“Carl.”

Just then, a quiet voice came from behind Carl and Sian. Though they couldn’t turn around due to facing Revenant, they immediately recognized it as Hendrick’s voice.

A cascade of sharp metallic sounds erupted behind them as weapons clashed. It seemed Hendrick had returned with soldiers after subduing the Marquis.

Revenant, facing the palace’s main gate, could directly see Hendrick emerging from the palace, clutching his bleeding shoulder. Her expression twisted upon confirming the Crown Prince’s face.

“Stand back.”

Hendrick, having reached Carl’s side, placed a hand on his shoulder while watching Revenant. With the sound of wind being cut, another dragon flew down from the sky.

It was the Crown Prince’s Nathan.

The sacred dragon with self-luminous purple scales landed to block Revenant’s retreat, joining Idelin and Luna.

Revenant’s face darkened in the dragon-stirred wind that tousled her hair. She seemed to despairingly accept that there was even less chance of escape now.

Unable to even step back, Revenant bared her teeth viciously and gripped her sword tightly.

“You’d do well to give up now, Mrs. Carter. Or should I say, Dragon Hunter Revenant.”

“I was once renowned as a dragon hunter. The corpses of dragons I’ve killed would more than fill this maze garden, Your Highness.”

Revenant raised her eyes.

“Idelin, the black dragon, Nathan – you think I can’t handle them all?”

“Living dragon bone was your most powerful weapon. But I’d advise against rash thoughts now.”

“I don’t need such things as living dragon bones!”

As Revenant continued to boldly defy him, Hendrick smiled easily.

“Even though your karma will return as pain?”