《Vesryn Pulse [Completed]》 The Vesryn Pulse Long ago, mighty creatures called dragons ruled the planet of Alterra. Their reign lasted for a thousand years, destroying everything in their wake. They spread terror to humans and other species forcing them to flee, and make shelter beneath the ground where at least they were safe from the monstrous beasts that lay above the surface. Humanity¡¯s extinction is at hand, but then a gift from heavens came. A woman, named Vesryn was born and raised to become the world¡¯s most powerful sorceress. Her magical prowess is overwhelming to her fellow magicians which gave hope to humanity. She convinced the king of mankind to defeat the evil dragons. Having no second thought, mankind waged war against the dragons for the last time, which opened the gates of mankind to their supremacy. Vesryn sealed all the dragons¡¯ powers and transmuted them into a powerless human mortal, leaving them all vulnerable to the mankind¡¯s army. The dragons were defeated in an instant, and the empire of humans emerged and became the superior race for millennia until now.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The dragons trapped in a human body, now known as dragonoids has been enslaved by the humans. They are forced to do manual labor. They are often abused by their masters. They are treated like disposable tools. They were oppressed like animals. Their red eyes are the proof of their dragon blood. It is the proof of their might in the ancient century. But now it is the proof of their pitiful existence. But Vesryn believed that not all dragons are evil. She knew that humans and dragons can coexist. But the people, who are always scared of dragons never accepted her proposal. Vesryn passed her knowledge to the ancient knights. She taught them how to unleash a dragonoid¡¯s hidden power by altering and synchronizing the heartbeat of a human and a dragon that has a powerful bond to each other. She believed that this magical harmonization between a human and a dragon¡¯s heart will be the key to a peaceful cohabitation. It is now known as the Vesryn Pulse. Prologue Prologue Duchess Corasell¡¯s manor is quite big; a half square kilometer. Everyone¡¯s first time visiting this place could get lost in minutes. Following the red carpet will only lead you to the main office of the duchess. There are plenty of rooms in the hallway, which makes me wonder one thing; which one is the rest room? There are dragon statues everywhere. Two beside the stairs, one after each door alternately, and the sigil of this house is a golden dragon silhouette in a red background. Duchess Corasell is known for being kind to dragonoids. All her household assistants are dragonoids, including the butler beside me. ¡°State you name.¡± He asked me. He glared me with his red eyes, maybe because of some suspicion. This butler is an old man with white hair and mustache. ¡°Amphere Harrison, Dragon Knight 3rd Class.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not obvious that you are one of those glorious dragon knights.¡± He said. This guy is grinding my gears. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to believe me, you can return me back to the academy immediately.¡± I¡¯m slightly pissed that a dragonoid like him thinks lowly of me. The butler ignored me and walked forward, and I followed him. We reached the door of the duchess office in no time. The gigantic three feet wooden door has their golden dragon sigil molded in it. The butler opened it slowly and it revealed the office: just a regular tidy place which comprises of bookshelves on the walls, and a desk on the center. A girl that looks like in twelve years of age was there, dressed with glamorous pink childish gown. She has hazelnut brown hair and eyes in a childlike face. She is indeed the young duchess, Marieflorine Corasell. You can call me redundant, but did you know that the duchess was a child!? ¡°Is this the dragon knight Sir Wraith recommended to be my bodyguard?¡± the duchess asked the butler. The butler bowed in a gentleman-like manner and said. ¡°Yes, milady.¡± ¡°You must be Sir Harrison.¡± She stayed on her seat, ticking her fingers on the table impatiently. ¡°I requested the Dragon Knight Academy for a temporary replacement to my Dragon Knight, which is currently ill. You will have to stay here for one or two weeks, until my Dragon Knight fully recovers.¡± That lady is just as arrogant as I know her from rumors. ¡°I-It will be an honor for me to protect you, milady¡­¡± I bowed. ¡°Yeah, it is! You should be proud of yourself just by letting you disgusting dragon knights inside my office!¡± I already concluded that I will never enjoy working in this place. ¡°By the way, where is your dragonoid?¡± the duchess asked curiously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to come with your partner?¡± ¡°P-Partner?¡± I stuttered. Bollocks! I forgot that my dragonoid was buying fish pancakes in the square, and I left her thirty minutes ago! I hope she won¡¯t get lost¡­ I also hope that the duchess won¡¯t think of me as a terrible dragon knight¡­ ¡°She¡¯s doing some errands, and she should be here in any minute¡­¡± I forced a smile. ¡°Well then¡­¡± The duchess cooled herself with a brand new pink fan. ¡°Sebastian, please tour him inside the mansion.¡± ¡°Yes, milady!¡± the butler bowed again. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion! The ground shook for three seconds, and little debris from the ceiling fell down. ¡°W-What was that!?¡± the duchess shrieked.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The duchess, the butler and I dashed out of the room and went to the main hallway. There are four guards firing their rifles to a mysterious man in a black cloak. He is wearing a magician¡¯s hat, and he got a white mask covering the upper part of his face. The mysterious man flapped his cloak, which made a gust of wind that slowed and finally stopped the bullets from reaching him. The bullet shells clinked to the porcelain floor. Beside the cloaked man¡¯s feet are several dragonoids bathing on their own blood. They don¡¯t seem dead, but their wounds appeared to be fatal due to some pierces on their body that has been oozing with red liquid. Then, the cloaked man ran towards the guards. He withdrew his sword; a golden rapier from his waist and he is ready to pierce the first guard so I made my move immediately! I bolted forward and blocked his attack with my sword that has been stuck on my back; a glass-like sword which is covered by bluish laser on its blades. This is my sword as a knight. The photon sword. Our blades clashed and made an echoing clank. From this distance I sensed an enigmatic aura flowing through him. His strength is not normal. ¡°Heh!¡± the masquerade smirked. ¡°Judging from your uniform and your impressive reflexes, you are a dragon knight!¡± It should be obvious that I¡¯m a dragon knight. I am wearing a white tuxedo having the sigil of wings and sword ¨C the sigil of the Dragon Knight Academy. But¡­ judging from this guy¡¯s ability, there¡¯s no mistaking it. This man is a dragon knight too! The masquerade stepped back. His sword glowed in golden light and then made a blinding thrust towards me! In the nick of time, I parried his rapier with my sword. Then he dashed backward again, now with a safe distance. ¡°Now let¡¯s see if you can block this!¡± He shouted. He bolted forward again with his shining rapier and made consecutive extraordinary thrust! Hundreds of golden streaks flew through me! I managed to parry and block other attacks, but I can¡¯t keep up with his fast strikes! He managed to scrape my cheek, my left leg and my right arm! If this continues, I will be caught off-guard and get killed! I have to use this! In a split second, I drew out the second photon saber hidden on my back and deflected the rapier to the side. With my right sword, I made an uppercut slash to send his rapier flying! He jumped backward to evade my third hack and went back to his safe distance again. His rapier stuck in the ceiling. Seeing that, the masquerade clapped his hands and laughed. ¡°Bravo, mister dragon knight! Truly splendid! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone like you!¡± I sheathed my two swords back on my back. The duchess and the butler were impressed with my swordsmanship skills, but now they are wondering why I stopped pointing my sword towards the enemy. I sheathed my swords because I know that this guy is just playing with me. If it comes to it, I can use my fist for a close quarters combat because he¡¯s unarmed. It¡¯s a knight¡¯s honor to fight fair after all. ¡°I see. You¡¯re not the talker type.¡± The masquerade was pertaining to me. ¡°Who are you!? What do you want!?¡± Duchess Corasell shouted. ¡°My apologies, young duchess.¡± The man held his magician hat making a mystery pose. ¡°I am the infamous Black Phantom. I was hired by a mystery man to bring your head to his office.¡± ¡°Tell me, who is your client!¡± the duchess shouted with more passion. There is a hint of ferocity on her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry madam, that¡¯s not part of my job. My job is to KILL YOU!!!¡± The walls broke open, revealing a gigantic white claw. Gazing to the windows, I concluded this building was being scratched by a giant arm of a seven-meter tall white lizard-like creature to our side! I immediately carried the duchess and jumped out the windows. Luckily, we landed in a soft bush. His butler followed me as well, so he didn¡¯t have any major injuries and just had scratches on his body. The dragon has ice shards as its scales and it have two bat-like wings. Its white body reflects light like a blurry mirror. And its mouth gave off a cold white smoke. I am certain that this is an ice dragon! The Black Phantom retrieved his rapier and jumped to the ice dragon¡¯s head. The ice dragon began flapping its wings and gained altitude. The guards in the scene readied their assault rifles and fired numerous bullets to the dragon, but it seems like the dragon is also bulletproof! The flying lizard charged a ball of ice on its mouth and launched it to the guards. Unlucky guards that got hit became ice sculptures in a matter of split seconds. Then it turned its gaze towards us. ¡°Bye bye, Duchess Corasell!¡± The Black Phantom laughed as his dragon charged another ball of ice in its mouth. Then the dragon launched the projectile with an unbelievable speed. There¡¯s no way I can dodge the incoming ice ball with the duchess on my arms. This is a hopeless situation. Is my life going to end here!? ¡°Hyaaaa!!!¡± A red-haired woman flew from the sky and kicked the ice ball, deflecting it and returning it to the owner of the attack! There was a huge explosion and the flying dragon backed off because of the sudden impact! The woman landed in front of us. ¡°W-Who are you!?¡± The duchess asked, now being dumbstruck because of the turn of events. With an attractive smile on her face he looked at us with her enthusiastic crimson eyes with joy. She placed her hand on her hips and made an arrogant but charming blush. I know her. I very much know this woman more than I know myself. ¡°I¡¯m Airelina Frembell, Amphere¡¯s adorable dragonoid! Totally!¡± Chapter 1: A Dragon and a Knight Chapter 1: A Dragon and a Knight Airelina Frembell, or in short, ¡®Airi¡¯, is my one and only dragonoid partner. She is wearing a white tank top underneath her shockproof blue blazer, and a black short skirt utilized for easier movement in battles. She was a year older than me, but her petite figure makes her more look like a younger sister of mine. Her butterfly wings-like bow on the back of her head danced as the breeze of the explosion of the ice ball she just deflected. ¡°Are you okay, Amphy?¡± She said with a jolly smile. ¡°Like, totally?¡± ¡°I told you a thousand times, it¡¯s Amphere not Amphy.¡± I groaned. Then I drew one of my photon sabers and showed it to her. ¡°You need a sword?¡± Actually, I¡¯m no expert in two-sword style. I¡¯m better off using only one photon saber, and I¡¯m still studying dual wielding. I just used it a few minutes ago without much knowledge about it. Airi took it and prepared herself into a centered stance, ready to clash with the ice dragon who finally recovered from the impact of its own attack. The Black Phantom is still there at the head of his dragon. He smiled at us. ¡°You are not going to use Vesryn Pulse?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll try to kick your ass in this form first! Totally!¡± Airi shouted, pointing her sword to the flying white dragon. ¡°You¡¯re¡­the Crimson Dragonfly¡­¡± the masquerade¡¯s smile faded. There was a long pause. Then he patted his dragon¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯re not going to win this, Emy. We should retreat.¡± Crimson Dragonfly? Is he pertaining to Airi? What is he talking about? Are they going to flee this early? The ice dragon roared in acceptance of its master¡¯s proposal. It flapped its wings and dashed upwards. The strong blow of wind made the bushes in this garden sway. Pink and white petals waltzed through the thin air. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that we will meet again, young Dragon Knight!¡± The masquerade took his hat off and bowed as he and his dragon soared up in the sky. It was extremely fast that their silhouette in the sky suddenly disappeared. I can¡¯t just trail that fleeing Black Phantom right now. My main purpose is to keep the duchess safe. Chasing the assassin means leaving the manor, and it will leave the duchess vulnerable to another attack. So the best course of action is to do nothing. I sighed, retracting myself from my surge of adrenaline. Part of me says that I want to fight that man longer, but I can¡¯t fight him head on with someone to protect in mind. ¡°Will you please bring me down now?¡± It was the duchess, who I was carrying on my right shoulder. ¡°¡­O-Oh.¡± As soon as I brought the duchess down, her face became red. I am certain that she was blushing and embarrassed, but still she mumbled ¡°thanks¡± to me. I smiled in response. ¡°Hey, Amphy!¡± Airi shouted. ¡°HERE¡¯S YOUR TAIYAKI!!!¡± Smack! She slapped a paperbag containing hot fish pancakes she just bought earlier! It¡¯s really hot that made my cheek suffer from burn! Good thing my reflexes are superb enough to catch the falling fish pancakes and returned it to the paper bag even though it¡¯s sweltering. Airi held her hips again and pushed her face towards me. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare leave me again, okay!? Like, totally!¡± ¡°Y-Yes ma¡¯am¡­¡± I looked away while forcing a smile. How forceful.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Fufufu¡­¡± I was surprised. The duchess was chuckling. I never knew that this young brat can laugh, given her arrogant serious form. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any Dragon Knight who was being scolded by his Dragonoid.¡± Well technically Airi is my senior¡­but she¡¯s a dragonoid. Most people think lowly of dragonoids but I¡¯m not selfish enough to take away her honorifics. ¡°Is that girl the duchess?...Like totally???¡± Airi whispered at me. ¡°Yes. I told you before, right? She¡¯s a twelve year old kid.¡± I whispered back. Airi walked closer to the duchess then lent her hand to her. Airelina has a thing for cute kids, even though the duchess speaks more like an aristocratic adult. ¡°You must be Duchess Carousel. I am pleased to meet you¡­Totally!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Corasell. Nice to meet you, Miss Airelina.¡± The duchess shook Airi¡¯s hand with a smile. Hey, why is there a special treatment? She¡¯s not rude with Airi! Airelina is usually hostile to nobles, especially if it was a human noble. But duchess Corasell is well known for being a kind noble for dragonoids like Airi. The duchess even seems to trust dragonoids more than humans, given that her introduction with me is not friendly at all. Her approach at me and Airi is a lot different. We went back to the office for some briefing. The wounded bodyguards are now being treated by the duchess¡¯ medic team so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. The dragonoid maids prepared us some green tea and a slice of black forest cake to our table. Airi was really pleased to see the cake, so she immediately munched it down. She already finished her slice so she asked me if she can get mine, so I gave it away. The old butler was standing beside the duchess. He really looks like a bodyguard. But he is useless in battle, given the circumstances earlier. ¡°If I may ask, milady¡­ You have an idea who is the one behind this assassination attempt?¡± I asked the duchess after sipping my tea. ¡°There are a lot of nobles who hates my family for generations. Dukes, knights, and more importantly, government generals. They all hate me for supporting the dragonoids. It seems like my only friends are the dragonoids themselves.¡± Duchess Corasell is the author of the Dragonoid Rights Bill which she passed on the senate. That particular bill is still being studied by the highest nobles of our country. And that bill might be the main source of hate. Actually, her parents were the ones who originally drafted the bill. But due to a fortuitous accident that was never disclosed, her parents died, leaving her the only one who could live in their legacy. The Dragonoid Rights Bill will give basic rights to all dragonoids to our country, making them free. It will make dragonoids and humans equal in the eyes of the law. It will make dragonoids able to have the benefits a human being has, as well as ownership of properties and granting them free education. They will never be treated like an object or a slave if the bill was approved by the senate. Most of the humans who hate the dragonoids are angry at her because of this, especially the nobles. They are scared of dragonoids because of their abilities. They wanted the dragonoids to stay being their slave and property. If the Duchess were killed, no one will have the power to push the bill to effect. So pretty much all human beings can be a suspect in this case. I don¡¯t care about the Dragonoid Rights Bill. I¡¯m just doing my job to protect the duchess from any potential assassins and to keep her safe until I got reassigned to another task. I really don¡¯t care about the clown acts Estoff keeps forcing me into. ¡°Sir Estoff already knew that there would be an assassination attempt, which is why he sent you here.¡± The duchess said. ¡°That guy is really doing what he wants¡­¡± I said to myself. Sir Estoff is also a Dragon Knight, a senior of mine. He also serves as my battle mentor. Every battle techniques I learned in the Dragon Knight Academy were taught by him. If it wasn¡¯t because of his adamantt personality, I could¡¯ve rejected this mission. Well, there¡¯s money involved so I accepted it like an ordinary errand. ¡°I never thought that an uninspiring boring bland teenager like you is a skilled Dragon Knight.¡± The duchess said. It¡¯s a brutal insult, not even close to being a compliment. Am I really that tedious? I just kept my silence. Well, I think she¡¯s right about me. I really have that mild personality. ¡°Amphy is one of the most powerful knights I ever seen, totally!¡± Airi said happily. ¡°Well he has an unexciting personality so he just keeps his silence a lot.¡± Darn this lizard. You two get along in so many ways. Like totally! ¡°Tell me, what kind of dragon are you?¡± the duchess asked Airi. ¡°Futuretech Dragon. Why?¡± Airi tilted her head. ¡°Wow. Futuretech Dragon¡¯s powers are hard to control.¡± ¡°That is because Amphy is totally amazing~ We have a ninety seven percent compatibility rate, that is why I chose Amphy to be my dragon knight!¡± She said. For the nth time, it¡¯s Amphere. Stop making weird nicknames. The duchess¡¯ mouth opened like an oval. ¡°Ninety seven percent¡­ How did you achieve such a high compatibility rate? How did you two meet?¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s meant to be¡­totally¡­¡± Airi looked at me and smiled safely. Chapter 2: A Fateful Encounter Chapter 2: A Fateful Encounter When I was a child, I wanted to become a Dragon Knight. I idolize them for their honor and power. I also wanted to have a dragonoid friend who will bring me up to the clouds and soar in the sky. But I never knew that this bubbly idiot will be the woman I would spend the rest of my life with, as a Dragon Knight. Three years ago is where we first met. There was a time when we had a fieldtrip in the Goldcliff City. The city is purely urbanized and has been polluted for many generations. The main source of energy in this city is objects called radiation crystals, which produces thick smoke and radioactive wastes. And we are here to learn more about these so called radiation crystals. All students had a great time, but not me. When I and my friends were wandering to some shops in the square, there was a kid who snatched my bag. I chased them until I got lost into a part of the city where all disgusting dragonoids live. The slums. Given that I have an aristocratic background for being a noble, I knew deep inside myself that I would never have a dragonoid friend because of their filthy mischievous nature. Those poor dragonoids only have plywood as the walls of their homes. They all wear ragged clothing. Beggars everywhere. Almost everyone is holding a cup or a basket for begging money. Some of them prefer searching garbage cans or stealing apples in a small store. Men, women, elderly or children. They all look so pale and weak, and also sickening. Nighttime came, and I failed to retrieve my bag. All my things are in there, so I can¡¯t survive without it. I was lost at that time, so I didn¡¯t know what to do. I decided to enter an inn in the slums which are filled with athletic and muscular dragonoids who looks like they could drink liquor every day. Red eyes. They are all gleaming at me, a human with a noble lineage. I can sense their hatred, but I continued to stay. I really need some place to stay. I have no choice. ¡°You seemed totally troubled and exhausted. What do you like?¡± That was the first time I saw her. Airelina Frembell. Her red hair was not that long at that time, it only reached her shoulders and is tied in twin ponytails to look cuter to customers. She was the one and only stewardess of the inn. ¡°I¡­I¡­don¡¯t have any money in me. Is a glass of water free?¡± She gave me a glass of water. She seemed friendly, as she talked to me comfortably like we¡¯re close friends. I feel relaxed with her also, even if she was a dragonoid. Those red eyes have no hostility in them. Or so I thought at that time. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that some kid snatched your bag and now you lost your way and you don¡¯t have any place to stay? Worry not! I¡¯ll give you something to eat and place to stay for the meantime, for one condition. You should do the dishes on the back. Pleeease~ Like totally, I¡¯m the only one left here! Is it a deal?¡± At first, I am quite annoyed by her speech pattern and bubbly attitude. But I didn¡¯t have any choice. If you think of it, it is really the best offer I can get. So she gave me a delicious meal and a place to sleep by being her dishwasher just for this night.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The next morning, he insisted to help me find the snatcher. She said that she¡¯s quite close to the slum people so I let her be. We searched everywhere; the dirty wet market, the orphanages and visited some random houses. Night came and I failed to retrieve my bag again. I don¡¯t know what to do at that time but Airelina said that she can lent me some money and I can just pay it later. That relieved me a little, but there¡¯s nothing better that reclaiming my own bag¡­ When I was washing dishes, Airelina introduced me to the other crew of the inn who were absent the past night. There was a big guy whom you can easily mistake as a grizzly bear. His complexion was somewhat brownish, and he has a black Mohawk hairstyle. Then there is this guy who looked like a mercenary judging from his leather armor and bronze sword on his back. He may be eighteen years old, and he look handsome but dirty due to some grease on his face. Then there was a snotty dirty kid who has this spiky red-dyed hair. He was wearing a white torn dirty jersey. The grizzly bear guy is Brow, who serves as the inn¡¯s bouncer. The mercenary is named Richard, who is the one in charge of the dishes. And the snotty kid is Gaz, who seems to be familiar to me. That kid is the one who stole my bag! I chased the kid in the kitchen, in the bedrooms, and in the tables breaking some plates, bottles and glasses on the process. I finally cornered him in the counter and kicked him in the face brutally asking ¡°Where is my bag, you filthy lizard?!¡± The kid was really terrified. In an attempt to stop me, Richard pointed his sword towards my throat. Airelina helped the poor kid to stand up. All their customers¡­all the dragonoids¡­including Airelina and Richard glared at me furiously. ¡°You have to leave. Now.¡± Richard furiously said to me. I didn¡¯t care what I just did to the kid. He¡¯s just a filthy dragonoid who snatches anyone¡¯s property to live. So I immediately left the inn. Airelina accompanied me until we reached the hotel where I¡¯m supposed to stay during the duration of my field trip in this city. Before we bid farewell to each other, there was a hint of tears on Airelina¡¯s crimson eyes. ¡°I thought you¡¯re better than other humans.¡± She said. ¡°I hope we never see each other again¡­like¡­totally¡­ever again¡­¡± And that is what almost happened. I enjoyed my field trip for three days. For three days, the events that¡¯s supposed to happen in this trip happened. The duration of our field trip is about eight days so I stayed in Goldcliff City long enough to get myself into trouble again. On the fifth day, I noticed some posters in the bulletin board. It says Wanted. Dead or Alive. Brow Gattling and Richard Astherson of the terror group Arcadia. The posted faces are the ones I met in the slums. They are the ones responsible for bombing the powerplant, which happened three days ago, the day I departed from their inn. I never knew that those guys are actual terrorists! I¡¯m so lucky that I returned here, unharmed. But does that means¡­ Airelina is also a terrorist? That didn¡¯t bother me much. I¡¯m just glad that I¡¯m still alive. Hanging around with terrorists will make my life in danger in so many ways. I¡¯m so lucky to be casted off the inn in one piece. The next day, according to our itinerary, is a learning experience from a power plant. There was six of it in the Goldcliff City. I¡¯m sorry, only five more. The one has been completely destroyed by the terrorists. According to our tour guide, the power plant is run by radiation crystals of some confidential origin. A single power plant ran by these mysterious crystals are capable of giving electricity to the whole continent, but it was still in the development stage. Approaching the crystals are dangerous, so they hid it somewhere deeper in the powerplant. It was already afternoon when my life¡¯s fate has changed. We were still in the power plant at that time. There was a tremor. The building shook and there was another series of explosions coming from the other wing! The alarm came noisy, and there was a loud announcement. ¡°Location Breached. All personnel must evacuate using the emergency exit. This is not a drill.¡± Chapter 3: Pledge to Protect Chapter 3: Pledge to Protect The siren has been beeping loudly for five minutes now, and it¡¯s hurting my eardrums. Everyone is panicking, rushing to the main entrance or the emergency exit. Our tour guide is leading us students to the narrow pathway but it¡¯s no good. This is a stampede. ¡°Hey, Amphere!¡± It was my friend, Rudolf. ¡°Let¡¯s go around, I found another exit a while ago.¡± We separated ourselves from our classmates. We turned right, then right, and then left then right in this maze-like hallway. I don¡¯t know this way but I trust him. I slowed down because of my poor stamina. Little by little, I halted running and walking just to catch my breath. I¡¯m not expert at running. When Rudolf noticed me, he turned back to check me. But there was another explosion, and the ceiling fell down, separating me from my friend. ¡°Go!¡± I shouted at him. ¡°I¡¯ll find another way out!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be calling for some help! Just hang in there!¡± He shouted back. The sound of his footsteps was my cue that he was already dashing away. I turned away and ran again. I have to go back to where I came in order to find another exit. But then someone bumped into me. ¡°Uwaaaa!!!¡± Our head collided, and we both fell down. ¡°Geez, totally! Look where-!!!¡± It was the red haired woman I knew. Airelina Frembell. She was different from what I know. She¡¯s wearing a black bow on her hair that looks like dragonfly wings. And she¡¯s on a leather armor with chest plate, carrying a short sword. ¡°A-Amphere!? What are you doing here!?¡± Another person came up. It was Richard. He was still wearing his leather coat and he is carrying the same sword as Airelina. I clenched my teeth. I didn¡¯t know that I would be involved in something so dangerous! These guys are actual terrorists! I¡¯m pretty sure that they are the ones who blew up this power plant! It will be bad if they got me as a hostage! Shit! What should I do!? Airelina is approaching me! ¡°You have to get out of here, like totally!¡± Airelina helped me stand up. ¡°Now!¡± What? Aren¡¯t¡¯ they going to make me a hostage? ¡°Damn! We can¡¯t blow this power plant with a civilian involved!¡± Richard grunted. ¡°Come follow us! We¡¯ll get you out of here!¡± Airelina grabbed my arm and started dragging me. I didn¡¯t have a choice since they are wielding weapons. I might get killed. But what they¡¯re saying¡­Is it true? They won¡¯t blow up the power plant if there¡¯s civilian involved? Come to think of it, there¡¯s no actual casualty in the last power plant explosion. We went deeper in the power plant, where the main reactor was there. In the center was a humongous glass tube. Inside it is a glowing orange diamond; a radiation crystal, which is the main power source of the power plant.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. As we ventured lower, a horrifying revelation was burned to my brain. At the lowest ground part of the power plant, there were several glass capsules. Each capsule contain one people, no, dragonoids. There are wires which are connected to their chest and tubes which are connected to their mouth. Those chest wires go directly above where the radiation crystal is. And the tubes on their mouth were the food pathway, from a transparent tank which contains disgusting fluids. It was a horrifying sight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this sight, Amphere. But this is the truth. Humans use us dragonoids to produce electricity. You humans treat us worse than livestock. You humans treat us like disposable slaves¡­¡± Airelina made a sorry smile at me. But there was a blazing anger on her crimson eyes. A gigantic man with brownish complexion welcomed them. It was Brow, the grizzly bear man. He was holding a rifle and was busy pressing some buttons on a computer-like device. Suddenly, the tube-like capsules opened. Airelina, Richard, and Brow helped them remove the tubes and wires, then waked them up. All of them are naked, and worn out. They are in a condition worse than being a slum beggar. Some are able to stand up and carry their kin, but others are not even able to move a finger. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the underground entrance before the dragon knights come!¡± The ceiling bursts open and an angel¡­no, a white dragon with six seraphim wings descended. It was a seven-meter dragon with two razor-claw arms and a muscular set of legs. The white dragon was wearing a golden helmet, and above its head is a man, with a silver hair wearing a black cloak. The back of his cloak has a symbol of sword and wings; the sigil of the Dragon Knight. ¡°Dragon Knight Kyle Leviticus¡­¡± Richard muttered. ¡°And his Angelic Dragon.¡± The white dragon growled, which echoed throughout the power plant. Kyle Leviticus is known as a hero in the last 3rd Dragonoid War five years ago. He is known to pacify the dragonoids using his goodwill together with his kindhearted dragon Elumina. I have read all his magazines and he is the reason why I¡¯ve dreamt of becoming a Dragon Knight. His power in the battlefield is unmatched by anyone. ¡°Airelina, go!¡± Brow shouted. Airelina nodded and led the way for the rescued dragonoid to escape using the underground path. The silver haired man jumped out of his dragon and slowly walked towards us. There was a strange aura this dragon knight is emitting. I felt intimidated even though he was supposed to be the one to rescue me. His eyes¡­are the eyes of a killer. Cold as ice. Alerted, Richard rushed and locked me on my back. He pointed his sword to my throat. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move! I have a hostage!¡± He said to the dragon knight. Then he whispered to me. ¡°I will never hurt you. Just play along so we can all be safe¡­¡± Everything happened so fast¡­The dragon knight immediately unleashed his slim sword behind his black cloak and then stabbed my chest¡­together with Richard who is holding me on my back. But I was never wounded. I felt nothing. It seems like the sword just passed through me, but¡­Richard has been spurting blood from his mouth. The dragon knight withdrew his sword and sheathed it again underneath his cloak like nothing happened. Richard fell to the ground because of the damage he accepted. His chest has been oozing with blood and he started coughing like he¡¯s lungs has been shattered. He has been struck in the heart. I was dumbstruck. I didn¡¯t know what happened. I¡¯m not injured but¡­Richard is in grave danger! The knight passed through me like I was air. He then said ¡°Elumina, take care of the civilian. I can handle these terrorists by myself!¡± The white dragon¡¯s body became covered with light, and then its body minimizes until it was just in the shape of a beautiful woman. A golden haired woman wearing a white princess¡¯s robes. Her eyes are red, and she was a dragonoid¡­but how can she just have her knight kill one of her kind? ¡°You bastard!¡± Brow used his assault rifle to shoot hundreds of bullets to the knight, but the knight effortlessly dodged all of it by sidestepping, spinning and waltzing like he¡¯s dancing in the wind. ¡°A¡­.Amphere¡­cough!¡± It was Richard, lying beside me. He¡¯s reaching his hand to me, which I immediately took without a second thought. ¡°Promise me¡­ You¡­will¡­protect¡­Airelina¡­promise me¡­¡± Without waiting for my answer, the glow of his eyes faded. His grip to my hand loosened as his life faded away. Chapter 4: Dawn of the Futuretech Dragon Chapter 4: Dawn of the Futuretech Dragon What happened to a Dragon Knight¡¯s honor? Does Kyle doesn¡¯t have that anymore? He just mercilessly killed a weak dragonoid in front of my eyes. He didn¡¯t even try to negotiate! Are all the magazines and comments about him forged? Brow has been impaled to the ground by the sword that has been struck by the dragon knight on his shoulders. He can¡¯t move because of the pain. After dealing with the grizzly-looking dude, the dragon knight named Kyle rushed to the underground path to chase the fleeing dragonoids. The beautiful golden haired woman immediately rushed to me. She held my arms and checked for any injuries but I am completely fine. This filthy dragonoid¡­ is a disgrace. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s wearing a mask to be this comfortable at me¡­she shouldn¡¯t let her guard down! ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked. I grabbed the sword beside Richard and then made a slash to the dragonoid! The golden haired dragonoid managed to evade but her clothes has been sliced. It revealed the upper part of her chest. As I thought, dragonoids are weakest if their dragon knights are not with them. They don¡¯t have the ability to transform into dragon form on their own. Aside from that, I have learned from magazines that Elumina is not a battle type dragon. She specializes in healing! I wordlessly glared at her. She made a sorry face, but that¡¯s not the deal right now. I have to go after that damn dragon knight! ¡°Amphere, follow Airelina!¡± Brow shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay!¡± I will do it even if you didn¡¯t tell me. My top priority is Airelina¡¯s safety, and no one else¡¯s! I raced through the underground path like hell. I have to stop the dragon knight from massacring those poor dragonoids! I have to save¡­ ¡°Airelina¡­¡± I¡­ Why am I doing this? Why am I going to defend a terrorist!? Is it because she helped me? Is it because she is my first dragonoid friend? Is it because of her adorable smile? Is it because it was the dying wish of Richard!? I don¡¯t know! All that matters is¡­ ¡°Airelina¡­Airelina¡­Airelina¡­Airelina¡­¡± I kept muttering her name until I reached light; the surface. There were tall buildings everywhere. There were no people in this place maybe because of the bomb threat. I looked left, right. Where is Airelina!? ¡°Kya!¡± there was a faint shout. Without thinking twice, I dashed forward to the source of the sound and then, I finally saw her. She was crucified by knifes that has impaled her palms and shoulders to the wall. Her leather clothes has been torn and stained with blood. She was being tormented by the dragon knight with a cold stare, Kyle Leviticus! ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again before I put this knife to your chest. Where are the dragonoids?¡± Kyle asked blandly. ¡°Get away from her!¡± I made a thrust with Richard¡¯s sword. The dragon knight immediately stepped back and grabbed the blade while having his finger avoid the edges then threw it upward to disarm me. He made a roundhouse kick to my left neck which resulted me being knocked down. ¡°A¡­Amphere¡­¡± Airelina called my name in a faint voice. She was just a meter beside me, yet I can¡¯t reach her.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. When the dragon knight turned around, I immediately stood up and rushed to Airelina! I grabbed the knife that has been keeping her pinned on the wall then stabbed it to the dragon knight! Too bad, he managed to block it with his arms, which blood sprayed to my face. He stepped back, and withdrew another slim sword from his waist. He made a straight line hack, but I luckily managed to block it with the knife I was holding! There was another attack, a thrust directing to my chest! But I parried it away using the knife! My body has been constantly moving like I¡¯m not the one using it. This is my first brutal fight, but I managed to block impressive blows from a dragon knight! There was another slash again, but I blocked it perfectly. Then another, then another. The last attack was a thrust but I evaded it by sidestepping, but then the cold knight made a straight kick to my stomach. I fell down in pain. His eyes glared at me, telling me that this is the end of my life. A chill was brought to my spine. Am I going to die here!? ¡°Hyaaaaa!¡± Airelina, with her sword, scythed the dragon knight who immediately stepped back to evade the attack. Then, Airelina grabbed me and dunked me on her soft chest. I was about to complain, but then she dashed away carrying me to flee from that overpowered dragon knight. ¡°Amphere¡­You totally¡­¡± She made an adorable smile. She looks cute, even though her face looked battered. My heart has been beating fast and nonstop. I felt a burning sensation in my chest, but it was never painful. Instead, it was an enrapturing feeling. It was because of her¡­the crimson haired dragonoid who lightened up my world. Suddenly our chest glowed with golden light. Airelina began chanting words deep below from her heart. ¡°I wish to become Amphere Harrison¡¯s wings To be the protector of my knight To be his guiding light In his darkest night To be the proof of his power and might!¡± ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse¡± Our body was covered with white veil of light. It inflated and enlarged, and reshaped itself to a seven meter dragon. When the light faded out, I found myself on top of the head of a platinum dragon. She is not just an ordinary black dragon. She was covered with cybernetic enhancements and metal armor that she looked more like a robot. Her scales are mostly metallic dark matte but the center of her body and also her wings are colored white. She has a row of bony plates along her back which are colored gold. She is¡­ ¡°Futuretech Dragon, a dragon that has access to advanced engineering of the future¡­totally! ¡° The voice directly entered to my brain. It was telepathy. It seems like our minds are connected. She then dashed forward gaining a Mach speed as we soar to the wide blue skies. The Dragon Knight chased us but he got swept away by the shockwave and the sonic boom, leaving him unconscious. The wind shoved on my face like water, making a refreshing sensation. My heart has been pounding for this very enthralling moment! There¡¯s no better feeling like flying with a person who trusts you! This is the power of our connected hearts! This is¡­ This is the Vesryn Pulse! I have three words to say to her! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re so cool!¡± ¡°Am I? That¡¯s totally flattering! Thanks! By the way, how is Brow and Richard?¡± My smile immediately faded as she said those words. I bowed down and closed my eyes. ¡°Brow is still stuck in the power plant while Richard¡­he¡¯s gone¡­¡± There was a strong and long silence as she hovers on top of the building. I can¡¯t see any hint of expression in her dragon form, but I can feel that her heartbeat slowdown. We are attempting to escape from the dragon knight but now that Airelina knows everything, she will definitely go back to the power plant and rescue anyone. She turned around and dashed forward to the direction of the power plant. ¡°The dragonoids who were held captive in the power plant are totally safe. They took a truck earlier and I served as a diversion to make the escape plan a success¡­But having both Arcadia members dying makes this plan a failure¡­ I have to rescue Brow at least¡­I hope you understand.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I said. Then everything happened in an instant. Five dragons from every direction emerged that came from underground. Fire, earth, water, wind, and shadow dragons. They are being ridden by Dragon Knights of the Imperial army. This is a trap! There¡¯s nothing we can do about this! ¡°Fire!¡± One of the knights shouted. The five dragons charged different colored beams on their mouth, and then released it to our direction. We were directly hit and a loud explosion from the skies echoed throughout the city. Chapter 5: From Then and Now Chapter 5: From Then and Now We got hit directly by the five dragon¡¯s attack. Or so they thought. There was a huge explosion. A blinding flash covered the skies, and then smoke spread the area quickly. In the nick of time, Airelina returned to her human form, and made a free fall with me to avoid the flying projectiles, and then hugged me tight. She¡¯s¡­she¡¯s soft. But it¡¯s not the time to savory the feeling! We¡¯re in midair, and we¡¯re falling! My mouth failed to scream because I was stunned. Everything¡¯s happening so fast! Cybernetic white wings emerged from Airelina¡¯s back, a lot similar from her wings in her dragon form. She moved her wings to cover ourselves, making a cocoon made out of steel. ¡°H-Hang on!¡± She said to me. Then there was a huge impact. I think we finally crashed to the ground. When she opened her wings, I realized that we landed just beside the power plant. We left a small crater on our crash site. ¡°Amphere¡­¡± It was Airelina, lying on the ground. I knew that her whole body is suffering from immense pain because of our crash landing, but I think she¡¯s not in grave danger. But I know¡­ all her nerves are aching¡­ She¡­She protected me. She took all the impact by herself. I rushed to her side and took her hand. ¡°Airelina!¡± Her consciousness faded out. She was still breathing, but she¡¯s extremely strained and exhausted. I have to take her to a hospital! A red dragon which was covered with crimson gravel flapped its wings and landed beside us. It was definitely a flame dragon. An early adult man wearing a militaristic blue leather uniform jumped out from the top of the earth dragon and approached me. That¡¯s definitely a dragon knight!? What will I do now without Airi? Fighting again would be reckless! I have to run¡­but my legs aren¡¯t listening to me! He raised his index finger to his lips and made an ¡°Ssshhh¡± sound. Then he immediately carried the fainted Airelina on his arms. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you.¡± I am a bit cynical in this man. He¡¯s one of the dragon knights who fired upon us earlier. Maybe they wanted to imprison and extract information to an accomplice of a terrorist¡­ But I have to obey; I don¡¯t have power to defeat a dragon and a dragon knight. Man, what did I do with my life? ¡°It is a long story, but I will explain later. But all I can tell you now is that I will help you. I already rescued your comrade who was stuck in the power plant.¡± We were delivered to a nearby hospital with his flame dragon. There, Airelina and I got an immediate proper medical attention. Airelina got a lot of serious damage, but I just have a broken rib and a hurting neck.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I didn¡¯t even notice that the right part of my forehead was bleeding. I don¡¯t know why I tried to help those terrorists. Just by thinking of it makes me feel so dumb and worthless. I suddenly regretted being heroic. ¡°My name is Estoff Wraith, a member of the Pentagram Imperial Knights.¡± The dragon knight who helped me said. ¡°I know that you¡¯re innocent and just got dragged into some shocking circumstances. But I¡¯ll have you know that I am on your side. To the outside world, I am a prestigious dragon knight. But in the shadows, I am known as the leader of the Arcadia. Due to my incompetence, one of my comrades got killed, and I am sorry for that. ¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a terrorist too?¡± I tilted my head obliviously. ¡°Ssshh, don¡¯t talk so loud!¡± He said. Then he locked my head to his arms. Ouch, my neck hurts! ¡°We are currently short in members and I saw you fight Kyle unarmed. We need you in our group.¡± ¡°Sorry I¡¯m not interested in your idiotic clown acts.¡± ¡°You are the one Airelina chose to be her knight, and that makes you a very special person. If you consider joining us, I will refer you to the Dragon Knight Academy.¡± Dragon Knight Academy¡­ It is said that it is easier to find a needle in a haystack than to enter that Academy. Only a chosen few are even allowed to take the entrance examinations, and the elite among the elites are the ones who are lucky enough to enter a prominent institute. Entering that school the best route for nobles like me. Not only that. I also dreamt to be a Dragon Knight someday. If I became a Dragon Knight, I can get rich in just a small amount of time. People will look up to you for being powerful and honorable. Children will idolize you for your good deeds. But joining a terrorist group seems to cut off the advantages. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± I gazed on the floor. ¡°Why do you care for dragonoids so much?¡± ¡°The same as you care for Airelina. It¡¯s like an instinct which will just come and consume your mind. I can¡¯t leave dragonoids suffering. I know that if I didn¡¯t do something, my honor will be stained. I don¡¯t want to leave a bad aftertaste for not doing what is right. Maybe it¡¯s the power of the Vesryn Pulse.¡± Days have passed. The conspiracy behind the power plant; ¡°Dragonoids as the horrific source of power behind¡± became the headlines of newspapers, and the Dragonoid Rights Activists demanded the shutdown of the power plants that uses radiation crystals, which was done almost immediately. Sir Estoff Wraith covered the news in order not to expose Brow, Airelina and I. The secrets of the terrorist group Arcadia was never disclosed to anyone. The famed hero Kyle Leviticus never submitted a testimony against us for some hidden reason, or maybe he doesn¡¯t have any solid proof. Sir Estoff referred me to the Dragon Knight Academy without me knowing it. He asked the consent of my parents for me to enter the Academy which they immediately approved. He never said anything about working under a terrorist group so obviously my parents accepted. Because of this, I was forced to accept his proposal. Airelina and I entered the Dragon Knight Academy and studied there for two years until now. The terrorist group Arcadia was inactive for that span of time, and I¡¯m afraid that Estoff is just waiting for me to graduate before making another dumb inhuman actions. Sir Estoff justified himself by saying ¡°At least we don¡¯t kill people.¡± Yeah, but your terrorist group will have numerous cases of arson. And that involves paying a lot of money. Arcadia¡¯s goal is to liberate all dragonoids from the harsh imperative of mankind. They condemn dragonoid slavery, prostitution and abuse. And they are mainly the Dragonoid Rights Activists. The young duchess Corasell was one of the nobles who support these activists. For the past two years I studied with Airelina. We got emotionally closer to each other so I prefer to call her Airi so that I will save saliva. But she chose to call me Amphy. I don¡¯t like that name, so I¡¯ve been correcting her for years, yet she seems to keep it that way. Airi doesn¡¯t seem to look like a terrorist. She looks so innocent, yet she has a harsh past that she never bothered to tell me. But deep inside her adorable crimson eyes, is guilt. I can tell because I signed a contract with her, to be his Dragon Knight. Our heart can beat in sync, and I can feel that we are strongly connected. From then and now, we faced many trials and tribulations in the Dragon Knight Academy. Chapter 6: A New Opportunity Chapter 6: A New Opportunity Airelina Frembell It¡¯s already midnight. I was sitting on my cushiony bed, staring at the black ribbon I always wear on my head as I reminisced my past. Amphy and I came in a long way, and now he¡¯s in the verge of promotion from Dragon Knight 3rd class to 2nd class after this assignment with Duchess Carousel. Just by thinking of it makes me jump with joy. If Amphy was promoted to first class, he will be able to support the duchess¡¯s bill. And the Arcadia¡¯s goal; to free all the dragonoids will be a dream come true. There was a knock. When the door opened, the young duchess came in. ¡°Duchess Carousel¡­¡± ¡°Corasell¡­¡± She said, her eyebrows twitching. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for barging in, but we have to talk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears! Totally!¡± I answered energetically. I led her to a small stool which she sat uncomfortably. ¡°It¡¯s about Arcadia. I¡¯m pretty sure that you know that I negotiated with Sir Estoff about funding your group for the exchange of my security. It¡¯s no matter at all to me since we¡¯re all fighting for the same cause, albeit not the same procedures. I prefer peaceful actions but you guys prefer a blood revolution. The question is, where is he going to put the money? Arcadia has been inactive for almost three years.¡± ¡°Sir Estoff is using those money for recruiting young soldiers and Dragon Knights for our cause. He also targets small companies that support the bill. But most of the money spent is used for buying information from government personnel. He¡¯s really smart, totally!¡± ¡°Recruiting Dragon Knights is getting hard, I suppose.¡± She cooled herself using her golden fan she¡¯s always holding. ¡°The only dragon knight in your group aside from Sir Estoff is Amphere.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s true¡­but I think Amphy is good enough to do the entire job, totally¡­¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re really supportive of Amphere. I see where the ninety-seven percent compatibility rate is coming from.¡± Compatibility rate of dragonoids to dragon knights are measured by heartbeat reading devices. Higher compatibility rate means the dragonoid and the dragon knight¡¯s heartbeat waves are more identical. This is to measure how powerful Vesryn Pulse can be, and how often can a dragon knight handle a dragonoid¡¯s power. ¡°They said that a compatibility of above ninety-five percent means that a dragonoid has an emotional attachment to his knight.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Hearing those words immediately made me cough and blush. There was a warm sensation on my face, and my heartbeat quadrupled in speed. ¡°¡­N-No! Not at all! Totally!¡± I shrugged. ¡°T-That must be a lie!¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯ve read it from a lot of books. But if it¡¯s a lie, it is maybe a lie, I suppose.¡± The duchess glared at me with sarcasm. Well, Amphy is really kind and gentle. He might be silent and aristocratic, but he really brave especially when he saved me three years ago even though he knew he¡¯s powerless. Whenever I think of his brown eyes, adorable face and black shaggy hair, it makes my heart pound. ¡°¡­I¡­I¡­ Is it obvious? Like, totally!?¡± I held my cheeks which is already pinkish red in color. I really think I have to admit this early. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to read a dragonoid¡¯s heart because I was gifted with that power. But you¡¯re damned knight is so friggin silent that it bores me to learn a lot from him. I guess you¡¯re attracted with his mysterious invisible charm that I can¡¯t even comprehend.¡± What is this duchess talking about? She blushed when my Amphy carried him on his shoulders! I¡¯m almost jealous about it! There was a sudden change in the duchess¡¯ facial expression; from playful to serious. ¡°Did he already know the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± My reddish cheeks faded, but my heart maintained its speed. Crimson Dragonfly. It is a forbidden word that shouldn¡¯t be spoken of. It is the name I should conceal its existence to Amphere. At all cost. ¡°He doesn¡¯t. I knew that if he discovered everything about the Crimson Dragonfly, he will hate me. Totally.¡± I glared at the duchess. ¡°Out of respect, please don¡¯t tell anything to him. Once he knew, he would definitely quit Arcadia and the Dragon Knight Academy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will tell Amphere about it.¡± She waved her hand with a forced smile. ¡°I guess Amphere has the most important role in Arcadia. It will be troublesome if my allies lost their most important asset.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I exhaled and reverted back to my smile. ¡°One more thing¡­¡± The duchess reached her hands to her pocket of her skirt and revealed a single-page newspaper. It has a headline of ¡°Pentagram Knight Found Dead¡±, which is apparently an issue two weeks ago. I reached it and read about the article. ¡­The authority has confirmed that a man with a white mask and a black cloak is the one responsible for the death of the Pentagram Knight. Apparently, the deceased Dragon Knight Birdge Lorsighte is a known supporter of the Dragonoid Rights Bill¡­ ¡°The Black Phantom is after the ones who actively support the Dragonoid Rights Bill. That means even Sir Estoff is in danger of being assassinated.¡± ¡°That Black Phantom is totally troublesome!¡± I clenched my fist. ¡°I¡¯m sure Amphy and I will beat his ass someday!¡± ¡°I really hope so. But there are new opportunities for us.¡± The duchess reached a black brochure from her sleeves. It has a golden dragon sigil engraved on a diamond shield and has a title: The Dragon Knight Tournament. I opened it and have the following invitation. ¡­The Dragon Knight Tournament is held every ten years which the aspiring knights from the Dragon Knights Academy are privileged to participate. It will be held in the floating city of Guardian¡¯s Haven two months before the debut of our beloved Princess Serenity Elkyria. The champion of the tournament will be entitled as the Princess¡¯s Royal Knight¡­ A Princess¡¯s Royal Knight is the highest military rank that is even higher than the generals. The Pentagram Knights are something but a Princess¡¯s Royal Knight is way above them! It is the ultimate dream of every Dragon Knight! Having this title is like having the military power of the whole empire! ¡°This is the easiest way to have the Dragonoid Rights Bill approved by the royal family. There will be no need for bloodlust for dragonoid¡¯s freedom anymore.¡± The duchess said. ¡°Sir Estoff said that we should have you and Amphere participate.¡± Chapter 7: Metal Rocks! Chapter 7: Metal Rocks! Airelina Frembell Slash. Hack. Sidestep. Thrust. It¡¯s been a week since we stayed here at the Duchess¡¯ Manor. For the past days, nothing out of ordinary happened. The mysterious Black Phantom never showed his face again. Thrust. Block. Slash. Thrust. After I informed Amphy about the Dragon Knight Tournament, he has been working out in this wooden wide training hall. Every dawn, he would rise up early, jog around the garden and have a shadow swordfight all by himself. He¡¯s been using a cranky wooden sword. I always watch him train. I do believe that he¡¯s already improved a lot. After getting bored in slicing thin air, he sat on the shiny polished floor and watched his sweat dripping from his hair. I approached him and gave him a bottle of mineral water. He wordlessly took it and drank half of it. Then he splashed the rest on his face. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not good for your body. Totally!¡± I yelled at him. But seriously though, he looks awesome just by watching him soaked with water. He looks so cool! He just made an innocent smile at me. My face became red and there was a hot sensation in my cheeks. Being slightly irritated, I pinched his right cheek and pulled it off. ¡°Owowowow-Ouch!¡± He screamed. ¡°Yeah, like that! At least you¡¯re not that dully silent anymore! Totally!¡± ¡°Ouch! What¡¯s the deal with you?¡± He removed my hand and then covered his swelling cheeks. ¡°Nothing!¡± I pressed my face towards him and gave off a blameless smile. It should be obvious that I¡¯m red-faced right now. I don¡¯t want to hide my feelings to him, but I don¡¯t want to be the first either. Luckily, his cheeks became flustered too. I can feel a sense of infatuation towards me! ¡°Say¡­I wanted to test your sword skills. I wanted to see how well you improved, totally!¡± Amphy shifted to a smile and nodded. The two of us stood five meters away from each other. We¡¯re both wielding wooden swords with the very same centered stance. Our sword styles are completely identical, given that I am his sword instructor for the past two years. ¡°Here I come!¡± I shouted. I surged forward, readying a lunge targeting his left shoulder. Amphy swayed his wooden blade, parrying my first attack. But I¡¯m not finished yet! I twirled around having my right feet as a pivot and made a slanting slash! He managed to block it using the hilt of his sword! He pushed his sword and dashed backwards, and then performed a side hack! I made a back step, completely evading the attack and then countered with a double thrust! Amphy moved left and right to evade my weapon, and then released simultaneous curve slashes. I avoided his bout and then countered with a continuous blinding sweep.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Our sword clashed over and over. We evaded and blocked attacks with precision. It looks like a waltz between two swordsmen trying to give everything to each other. If this goes on, it could result into a stalemate. Amphy¡¯s sword skills are the same as mine, if not better. Our swords collided again, this time, Amphy making a gamble. He used his right arm to hammer my hands which resulted on me dropping my weapon. I dashed back to avoid his other cheap sword blows. ¡°That¡¯s totally cheating!¡± I held my hips as I sermon him. ¡°Nothing has been happening in this swordfight because we¡¯re evenly matched.¡± He said with a pokerface. I¡¯m mad at him! What happened to his honor?! He¡¯s a knight, and he should know that cheating is un-knight-like! Because of this, I surged forward with a serious look on my face. My back materialized a small jetpack which gave of a rocket flame, which boosted my speed to unbelievable. In response to this, Amphy made a straight hack ready to crash to my left shoulder! In the nick of time, my robotic tail emerged and grabbed the blade of his wooden weapon and tossed it away. Once that he¡¯s finally disarmed, I made a roundhouse kick straight to his left jaw. His eyes widened as he witness his own impending doom. But I didn¡¯t continue my attack. I don¡¯t want my precious knight to be injured because of me. Amphy¡­His face is completely terrified. I withdrew my feet and then pushed my face to him, which his face began to blush again. ¡°That should teach you not to cheat on me again, totally!¡± ¡°Y-Yes ma¡¯am¡­¡± He was sweating non-stop. Maybe he¡¯s scared of me now. I turned my back and then stretched my arms upward with a big yawn. I felt that the acids on my stomach are boiling, so I totally need to fill myself up. ¡°Man, I¡¯m totally hungry! I think its breakfast time already. I¡¯ll go ask Sebastian to brew us some tea.¡± I started walking away but I noticed that Amphere is not following. When I looked at him, he was still blushing but expressionless. He looked astonished. Don¡¯t tell me¡­my attack gave him a permanent shock!? ¡°Um¡­Airi¡­¡± He said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­I think you should refrain using a high kick in battles¡­especially if you¡¯re wearing a skirt¡­¡± D-Darn! I forgot that I¡¯m wearing a really short skirt! That should¡¯ve exposed my¡­ ¡°EEEEEEK!!!¡± I screamed. ¡°Amphy, you pervert!¡± I knew he liked it. Before going to the kitchen, Amphy and I changed our clothes. I resorted wearing a white tank top and blue shorts that reveals my thighs and my legs. I think it¡¯s better than wearing a miniskirt that would reveal my assets to my knight. Geez, totally! When I¡¯m finally finished changing, I went to the corridor and crossed roads with Amphy. He was wearing a black shirt with a printed screaming emoji. There was a huge text above the emoji saying ¡°mEtAL rOCkZ tHe wOrld!!!¡± I was quite embarrassed when I saw him wearing one, since he always wear a plain white shirt. ¡°Do I look good in this shirt?¡± Amphere scratched his head. ¡°I think this will add uniqueness in me.¡± Is he still bothered what the duchess said? ¡°I never thought that an uninspiring boring bland teenager like you is a skilled Dragon Knight.¡± I¡¯m partly to blame because I often call him dull and boring. And I¡¯m sorry for that. I should keep his confidence high and not the other way around. This might affect our relationship as a knight and dragon. Though his shirt won¡¯t give him a unique personality, I should support everything he desires! ¡°It looks good on you, totally!¡± I gave a two thumbs up. ¡°Really!?¡± He smiled brighter than before. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wear this T-shirt from now on!¡± We went to the dining room where the very long table is filled with luxurious meal like honey pancakes, steaks, and macaroni cheese salad. The duchess was there on the end of the table, and beside her is the butler Sebastian. ¡°Good morning Miss Frembell and Sir Harrison.¡± Then the duchess glared at Amphy without impressiveness. ¡°What¡¯s with that disgusting T-shirt?¡± YOU SADISTIC DEMON!!! Chapter 8: The Way of Freedom Chapter 8: The Way of Freedom Amphere Harrison The Guardian¡¯s Haven. It is a floating island of five kilometers in diameter. There was a castle on top of it where the royal family, Pentagram Knights, government generals and other higher dukes was residing. Around the castle are facilities such as malls, barracks, theatres and the coliseum; where the Dragon Knight Tournament will be held. Nobody knows why or how the island is able to fly. Somebody say that there was once a mage who made a huge chunk of earth levitated. But others say that this is due to the planet¡¯s gravity being unstable. But even though, the sight of it is breathtakingly amazing. The only means of transportation here are skyships; wooden gigantic arks that has a wyvern-like mechanical wings. It is powered by solar crystals which gets its energy from direct exposure to sunlight. Riding one is quite expensive but the duchess gave us tickets to avail this luxurious vehicle. ¡°Wooooow!¡± The duchess¡¯ jaws dropped as she fell in love with the floating island. She was viewing in the windows with amazement like a twelve-year old child should be. ¡°This is amazing, totally!¡± Airi shouted jollily. ¡°Look, Amphy, look!¡± I have seen the Guardian¡¯s Haven before. This is where the entrance examination of the Dragon Knight Academy was held. But I never strolled around the island because I was busy studying back then. And after the said exam, I immediately went home, not caring about how beautiful the place would be. Duchess Corasell decided to leave her manor and stay in the Guardian¡¯s Haven for better security, as Sir Estoff Wraith suggested. For that span of time, she will study a lot of things about developing the bill and supporting me during the tournament. As soon as we arrive at the skyship terminal, a limousine went in front of us. When it opened its windows, a long haired blonde man smiled and greeted at us. It was a familiar face that can make my eyebrows jerk and get me irritated. ¡°Bonjour, Duchess Corasell.¡± He made a handsome charismatic smile. With sparkles. ¡°Sir Estoff!¡± the duchess jumped in joy. It was an activist-terrorist alliance reunion, but they look more like a big brother and little sister. It was obvious when we hopped on his limousine and the duchess has been talking nonstop to Estoff. She has been storytelling like what kind of food she feeds on her goldfish and what types of daisies she propagates in her garden. The Limousine¡¯s driver is a young adult with a large sword scar on his left cheek. What¡¯s notable is that this guy¡¯s eyes are green and his hair is snow white. It is Gilliard, Estoff¡¯s Dragonoid. He''s wearing some leafy contact lenses to blend with the humans. He¡¯s awfully silent, so there¡¯s no way I could have any conversations with him. And also, his Fire Dragon form is scary, so I always keep my distance.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. In the course of this ride, my loud dragonoid was now completely silent. Because she¡¯s asleep on my shoulder¡­drooling nonstop. After thirty minutes of roadtrip, we ended up in a hotel. Estoff reserved two rooms for us; one for the duchess and one for Airi and me. Airi can¡¯t get a separate room because dragonoids like her are treated as dogs. Airi didn¡¯t oppose, but she happily accepted the only choice. Nighttime came. Hours of watching movies after the dinner made Airi sleeping on her bed. I was about to sleep too when I heard a sudden knock. ¡°Amphere?¡± It was Estoff¡¯s voice from the other side of the door. ¡°I need to talk to you for a second. Meet me at my room.¡± I went to his room after changing my clothes into my black ¡°Metal Rockz¡± shirt. I know he will not think of me as a boring character if I wear this. There was a couple of cushiony sofa in this yellow room. Estoff was there sitting comfortably and he¡¯s holding a glass of pint with small amounts of ice. His facial expression became shocked as he saw my new shirt. ¡°What¡¯s with that weird T-shirt?¡± He asked, obliging himself not to laugh. ¡°¡­So this won¡¯t add personality in me at all?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°You¡¯re not that boring. You¡¯re just silent.¡± He said. Then he filled another glass of beer and reached it to me. ¡°Here, drink.¡± I accepted his glass, out of respect for him. I drink beer not because I wanted to, but because my comrade is forcing me. It doesn¡¯t taste good anyway. But I know Estoff¡¯s about to become emotional once he holds this kind of drink. He just wanted to talk about something to a man who silently listens to anything. He¡¯s always like that to me. ¡°You know, Airelina used to serve me this kind of drinks every Saturday night in her inn. That¡¯s three years ago. Before you joined us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I want to say something like ¡®I only joined because you referred me to become a Dragon Knight¡¯ but then he raised his hand, telling me to keep silent and listening. ¡°I know that bombing a lot of government facilities won¡¯t give Airelina and her fellow dragonoids a bright future. I just don¡¯t know how to find a better way. I just wanted to save them from the abusive humans. But I don¡¯t have the power¡­But you¡­I know you will have the best opportunity to lead them to their way to freedom. You will have to win the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament for me. Win it for Airelina. Win it for the dragonoids who has been oppressed for centuries.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I wanted to say something like ¡®I¡¯ll do it!¡¯ but then he muted me with his hand, telling me to finish him first. ¡°I once had a lover. She was very beautiful. She has beautiful ruby eyes like those of Airelina. She swore to me that she will be my dragon, and I will be her knight. That is why I had myself enter a military academy, to study hard dreaming to be drafted into the Dragon Knight Academy. Of course, I won. I succeeded in becoming a dragon knight. But I failed winning her. She was bought by an obnoxious rich noble that disguises as a hero. That bastard was known for sexually violating dragonoids he owns. Whenever I meet her again, I would see bruises and scratches on her face¡­And I¡­I can¡¯t do anything for her! I¡¯m so powerless!¡± Estoff ruined his stylish bangs and then started to cry. I know it¡¯s hard to have that chaotic happening to the woman he loves. If that happens to Airi¡­I¡­I will surely torture that man nonstop¡­God forbid me. Immediately, the ruined knight tapped both of my shoulders with a painful impact and then gripped it so hard. ¡°That is why you have to win. Winning the tournament will ensure the bill to be accepted by the government. And that bill will free them all.¡± Chapter 9: Registration Chapter 9: Registration Amphere Harrison The sunlight heaves unto my face which forced me to open my eyes. I turned to my left, and the beautiful clear blue skies made me relax in this comfortable bed. I wanted to sleep some more but I have to get early. Today is the registration of the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament. I slightly rolled to my left, and then an adorable face welcomed me with a smile. Her ruby eyes is the perfect form of the word beauty, yet right now it is filled with lust. Wait, why is she lying in the same bed as mine? ¡°Good morning Amphy~¡± My reflexes jumped in. I unleashed a full power karate chop on her head which made her utter a sudden cry. She fell down on the carpet and then rolled in pain while covering her forehead with her arms. ¡°Uwa! That¡¯s very rude, Amphy! Totally!¡± ¡°W-Why are you staying on my bed?¡± I glared at her coldly. ¡°That¡¯s my bed!¡± She immediately sat while still covering her steaming forehead. ¡°You¡¯re the one who jumped unto my bed last night! Totally!¡± Come to think of it, my bed is over there beside her. Darn, I also smell like beer. I don¡¯t remember anything last night except Estoff being hysterical about his past. Maybe I got drunk, considering how insistent that damned Pentagram Knight was. Anyways, I think nothing happened last night. I¡¯m still wearing my ¡®Metal Rockz¡¯ shirt and jeans and Airi¡¯s wearing her cute pink nightgown. ¡°T-Then why didn¡¯t you switch beds?¡± I asked boorishly. ¡°Geez, you totally¡­¡± Then she mumbled on herself. ¡°I wanted to watch you sleep because you¡¯re cute.¡± She didn¡¯t know but I overheard it. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we have to register ourselves to the tournament.¡± ¡°Totally!¡± She hyperactively raised her fist and stood up like nothing embarrassing happened. We prepared ourselves quickly. I suited up into my white tuxedo uniform. I had to throw my favorite shirt to the laundry because it already smells with beer. So I have to make up with something that would fill up my personality. As we step out of the hotel, the black limousine was waiting in front of us. The window opened, and the long-haired blonde man smiled at us. With sparkles. Again. This Estoff¡­He looks so cool but deep inside he¡¯s overdramatic whenever he gulped five bottles of pint. ¡°Sir Estoff!¡± The duchess exclaimed. Apparently, she has to go with us for better security. It¡¯s the same scenery in the limousine as yesterday. Duchess kept talking and talking, Estoff kept maintaining his cool aura and smiling, and Airi kept sleeping and drooling on my shoulder. So after twenty minutes of ride, I felt refreshed as I made my first step to the castle.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Oh, Amphere!¡± A familiar guy waved at me. He was wielding a smile as he grabbed my attention. ¡°¡­Rudolf.¡± My best friend, Rudolf Azregon. He was my friend since grade three and until now he was my classmate in the Dragon Knight Academy. He is a handsome individual with curly brown hair and blue eyes with a mighty physique that is obvious even if he¡¯s still wearing his academy uniform. No homo about that, but we keep tagging along with each other until now. That¡¯s what best friends always do. He was being accompanied by his pretty dragonoid, Kyrie. Kyrie is a shy but loveable lady with long hair. She¡¯s wearing the same outfit as Airi; a business casual shirt under a blazer and a short black skirt. That¡¯s what female dragonoids are supposed to wear inside the academy. Among the dragonoids, Kyrie is a special one¡­or very strange. She doesn¡¯t have the ability to hide her wings and tail. And the colors of her angelic wings are different; one is white and other is black. Her tail is colored pure black. ¡°Kyrie!¡± , ¡°¡­A-Airi!?¡± Airi greeted Kyrie merrily and Kyrie welcomed her timidly. Those two were friends since we entered the academy. No, more than that. Kyrie also came from the slums with Airi and they know each other than anyone. But Kyrie didn¡¯t know anything about the Arcadia or the group members. ¡°I knew you¡¯re going to sign up for the tournament! I am sure we could see awesome dragons in this event!¡± Rudolf energetically said. Rudolf is really fond of dragons, and unlike some other dragon knights or dragon maniacs, he treats his dragonoid with extreme care. ¡°Hm!¡± I nodded with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s fight until we get to the finals!¡± ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the top!¡± We crossed our arms together as we glared with blazing will to each other. I know that he wants to battle me in an official tournament, and I want that too. We¡¯re a bunch of blood thirsty idiots. ¡°¡­Um¡­I prefer not to fight but I¡¯ll do my best for Rudolf!¡± Kyrie said to Airi. ¡°Yoooosh! I will not lose to you guys! Totally!¡± Airi fistpumped with composed resolve. The registration for the tournament is really quick, even though almost every student participated in this event. Only a few paper to fill up, some pictorials and such. After ten minutes, we were instructed to go to the main hall, the deeper part of the castle. I never thought that the hall was this wide and big! Everything is golden, and there is a red carpet from the entrance which leads to the stage. This place is filled with prestigious Dragon Knights. Most of them look strong, but others are meh. There are plates of luxurious cakes on the table, so Airi dashed and chomped freely as she could. ¡°Mmmm~, this cake is lavishly sweet, but the texture is so cushy that melts in your mouth! Totally!¡± I didn¡¯t know that Airi is such a food critic. Kyrie drooled so she followed Airi and started to taste a white cake. I felt embarrassed for Airi¡¯s sake, but then Rudolf gnawed down too when he felt envious about those two. Those three idiots look barbaric, and the other knights are starting to watch them. I just smiled there dumbstruck. I would like everyone to know that I didn¡¯t know these guys. ¡°So these are the disgusting Dragon Knights.¡± Duchess Corasell muttered. She seems to hate every dragon knight with a special exception of Estoff whom she really adores very much. ¡°But that kid is not ¡®that¡¯ disgusting.¡± Estoff, who was beside the duchess said. He is certainly pertaining to Rudolf. ¡°That boy has a powerful bond with his dragonoid. They have a compatibility of a hundred percent.¡± The duchess¡¯ jaws hanged. ¡°H-How is that possible?¡± ¡°Simple.¡± Estoff crossed his arms. ¡°A knight loves his dragonoid, and his dragonoid loves his knight.¡± Is that possible? A hundred percent compatibility just because they ¡®love¡¯ each other? There¡¯s no scientific evidence to conclude that affection between knights and dragonoids can affect the compatibility rates. It¡¯s a laughable matter. But Estoff looks serious. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll lie about something like that. I glared at Estoff to see if he¡¯s going to burst out laughing but he wouldn¡¯t. He must be serious after all. There was a shiny golden vase above Estoff¡¯s head, which reflects to the upper aisle. There was a cloaked masked man in a magician¡¯s hat. And he was holding a pistol. It was pointed to our direction. A gunshot echoed throughout the hall. Chapter 10: The Silver Woman Chapter 10: The Silver Woman Amphere Harrison Adrenaline gushed to my veins, which made everything in my surroundings two times slower. But it was not enough. I¡¯m only able to turn around, watching the bullet jet through thin air as it went to the duchess¡¯ direction. There was a quick swipe in the air. It was a broadsword which immediately blocked the bullet from reaching its target. The bullet chimed in the ground before I was able to recognize the wielder of the sword. It was Estoff. ¡°You okay?¡± Estoff asked the duchess, who¡¯s eyes are currently widened in shock. In response, the duchess nodded silently. As I thought, Estoff¡¯s reflexes are far more superior than mine, or with anyone else. That bullet is just nothing. He can sense the incoming impact of any projectiles in a kilometer radius. He¡¯s not a Pentagram Knight for nothing! And he¡¯s also the leader of Arcadia! The people here in the hall became astounded. All of the eyes gazed at the duchess and Estoff. Some knights withdrew their blades from their sheaths and scanned the surroundings. But there¡¯s no way they can distinguish the culprit in this crowded place. They didn¡¯t have any clue who fired the gun. What¡¯s worse is that the masked man is no longer where I last saw him. ¡°Amphy, second floor aisle to the left!¡± Airi shouted. ¡°He¡¯s getting away!¡± I immediately dashed forward, gaining a momentum for me to kick the wall in order to jump to the second floor instantly. I never spotted him, but there was a broken window that could have been destroyed for his escape. I gazed on the window. A silver-haired woman was running on top of the castle walls fleeing away from here. It¡¯s not the masked man, but that girl might be an accomplice. There¡¯s no time to waste. I jumped out of the windows and rolled on the castle wall, then hastened forward. The silver woman glared at me with her red but cold eyes. She turned to me and then launched three icicle shards that have a shape of kunai. I withdrew my photon saber on my back and parried the incoming projectiles. The lady then hurled more and more of these ice shards to me which halted me to chase her. I have to block or evade her attacks first to be safe! I failed to avoid two of those shards. It pierced my left shoulder and right leg. Blood began oozing that stained my white uniform. But the wounds are not that deep. I can still fight that woman though my moves should be slower than normal because of my injuries. The silver woman jumped down as soon as she reached the edge of the wall. Below the castle is a ghost town filled with old ruined buildings. She could be hiding in one of it and it will be very hard to tract her.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Amphy!¡± Airi approached me after running so hard. This idiot, she didn¡¯t use her wings to chase the culprit! ¡°You okay? Totally?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I said. I grabbed the ice shards that has been stuck in my body parts and threw it away. ¡°I need your dragon form.¡± ¡°Totally!¡± she said jollily while raising her two fists. We turned to each other and closed our eyes. Our hearts projected a bursting golden light as we manage to synchronize our heartbeats together. My chest began pounding with quadrupled speed. As I opened my eyes, Airi¡¯s body has been coated by golden white light. She opened her eyes with a smile. I held her soft hand as we jump away from the colossal castle wall. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± I was surrounded by a veil of light and then before I know it, I was already riding a platinum mechanical dragon¡¯s head. Airi glided through the skies and she slowly gained an altitude. We circled the area trying to search the ghost town in bird¡¯s eye¡¯s view. ¡°Airi, search for heat signatures.¡± I whispered to her. Being a Futuretech Dragon has a lot of perks. Because she possesses futuristic technological powers, she is able to do almost anything in her dragon form as long as I¡¯m the one instructing her. For example is this hologram screen that just popped in front of my face. This screen shows what Airi can see with her heat signature vision. There were two heat signatures in a shape of a human, and they are hiding in that small house. Before we could take any action, there was a blinding light that disrupted Airi¡¯s heat detection. The heat signatures disappeared. ¡°¡­What?¡± I asked to myself. And then a huge chunk of ice launched upwards, towards our direction. It has a speed of a bullet, and there is almost no way for us to evade it! ¡°Hang on!¡± Airi shouted telepathically as she made a sudden maneuver that involves spinning in midair. Her action made her evade the giant ball of ice properly, but it resulted in me not able to hang on tight. I was so stunned in that attack that made my mind blank. And then I found myself falling to the ground! Throat became dry, and I failed muttering any sound on my mouth. ¡°Amphy!¡± Airi dived midair with a sound barrier breaking speed. Her giant mechanical arms managed to get me on her grasps. She pressed me on her metallic abdomen and covered herself with her steel wings. We crashed on an antique house. Dust flew everywhere, as a result of my dragon creating a small crater because of the impact. Airi laid me to the ground where I can stand freely. I was concerned at her so I stroke her giant head. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, totally! Though I wanted you to pet me more, we¡¯re completely in a dire situation right now.¡± Airi is right. About a hundred meters above us is a giant flying lizard with an armor of icicle scales. It was the ice dragon. And above its head is the masked dragon knight; The Black Phantom. So that giant ice ball was that dragon¡¯s doing. It¡¯s what I thought. ¡°I told you we¡¯ll meet again sooner, mister dragon knight. Or should I call, Sir Amphere Harrison.¡± The masquerade tapped the tip of his magician¡¯s hat. ¡°I came here with two purpose. One is to kill Duchess Corasell and the other¡­is to talk to you.¡± Screw talking! I ride above Airi¡¯s head as she prepared a launching position. As soon as Airi kicked the ground, we elevated ourselves in the same height as the masked dragon knight. I withdrew both of my photon sabers from my back and posed a parry stance. ¡°So a dragon knight¡¯s talk is done with the way of the sword. I see that you¡¯re a person full of honor. Well then¡­¡± He raised his hand in a glamorous manner, making his black cloak flutter. Then he pulled his golden rapier from his waist. The two dragons roared as they charge on the way to each other with a mighty haste. Chapter 11: Mask鈥檚 Mystery Chapter 11: Mask¡¯s Mystery Amphere Harrison The two dragons bashed their skulls with a glorious impact which made a small shockwave. Because of Airi¡¯s metal head, it is easy to predict that she will win this dragon headbutt. The ice dragon rocketed downwards suffering a serious damage. But the Black Phantom managed to jump away from his dragon and flew to me with a golden flashing rapier attack. I crossed my two sabers to block his glowing attack but he was strong! I easily lost my ground and got ejected from Airi immediately! ¡°Ack!¡± I crashed to a rusted roof which immediately collapsed as soon as my body made contact in it. Now, I find myself in an abandoned old building. My fall was not even close to fatal but it¡¯s enough to have my back hurt. I unintentionally swallowed a pebble so I spitted it out on the ground. Then the masquerade landed on the very same room in an elegant manner using his magical cloak as a parachute. This is what they call a dramatic superhero entrance. The masked man made a smirk and prepared a fencer stance. He¡¯s wordlessly saying that we must continue our battle one versus one. I accepted his offer and held my sabers tight, in the very same parry stance. Then the two of us charged to each other. Blinding scythes, glowing hacks, and violent barrage of stabs gave of echoing sounds in the room. Our sword made a lot of the talking. Because of my slight mastery on dual wielding which I practiced for days, this time, he was not able to make a scratch at me. His rapiers are faster than my sword, but there is no way I can¡¯t block his attacks with two of my swords. Instead, I managed to graze his outfit. I sliced his black suit which revealed a white uniform; the uniform of the Dragon Knight Academy. I didn¡¯t get surprised by that. I continued to attack while he started to step back and try to get away with the fight. The masked man¡¯s sword glowed gold and then gouged it to the ground. A blinding flash emerged for a split second, and before I know it, he already made a safe distance from me. He must be annoyed with my continuous attacks. But he smiled. ¡°As I thought, your sword skills are better than mine.¡± Then he hid his rapier on his waist. ¡°I can¡¯t expect less from a knight trained by Arcadia.¡± I bit my lip nervously. If he already knew that I¡¯m with Arcadia, then I should finish him off before he could leak this information to the government. I can¡¯t risk everybody¡¯s safety. I was about to charge in but then he issued another revelation. ¡°Before we continue this battle¡­ Let me ask you one thing. Do you even know your dragonoid?... Do you really know the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± Crimson Dragonfly. This is the second time he spouted such nonsense. Maybe it¡¯s just a battle tactic he¡¯s preparing just to escape from my grasps. ¡°Maybe you should ask your cute Airelina. Then maybe you¡¯ll change your heart about helping the Arcadia.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. He gazed in the skies as soon as he was covered with a gigantic shadow. It was a robotic dragon; a Futuretech Dragon charging an immense light particle ball on her mouth. The ball glowed as the electricity inside it intensifies. It is a photon bomb! I can tell that she was furious on the masked man. She was emitting a terrifying gaze right now. I-Is she serious? I¡¯ll get caught in that explosion if that ever made a direct hit on the Black Phantom! This building¡­no, this deserted town will evaporate in an instant! She launched the ball without thinking twice! Luckily, the ice dragon intercepted the projectile and covered the glowing bomb with all its body. Even its wings and tail were used in order to cover the gigantic orb of light. Then a deafening noise and a dazzling flash occurred. As soon as it went out, a silver-haired woman fell down from the skies. The silver dragonoid didn¡¯t utter any sound or cry. She was indeed unconscious and it is a mystery if she is still alive or already dead. ¡°Emy!!!¡± The Black Phantom cried as he went by her side. ¡°Oh my gosh! What did they do to you!?¡± I feel sympathy for him. Kneeling by his dragonoid¡¯s side and holding her arms, it is indeed a touching bond between a dragon and a knight. Airi landed beside me and then reverted back to her human form, but she kept her cybernetic wings and tail exposed. She snatched the photon saber on my right and then charged to the kneeling enemy! Airi¡¯s rage¡­ I don¡¯t see anything that could result to her blood hunger. Her anger seems to be so prevailing that she could really thrash heartlessly. ¡°YOU TOTAL BASTAAARD!!!¡± She shouted with full rage as she thrust forward. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare poison Amphy¡¯s mind!¡± ¡°Like how you poisoned Zac¡¯s mind?¡± The masquerade stood up calmly. ¡°You still remember him?¡± ¡°Z-Zac?¡± Airi stopped her assault. Her voice and her hands were trembling. Her eyes widened in shock upon remembering. Then she dropped the saber. Her willpower to kill faded. Then the masquerade laughed like a crazy man. ¡°¡­Kukukuk! You Arcadians really don¡¯t care about humans you use for your personal ambitions. First is Zac. Then the duchess Corasell. And finally, Amphere Harrison. Don¡¯t you have any conscience at all!? ¡­CRIMSON DRAGONFLY!!!¡± Then the silver haired woman got up and immediately jumped, and released ice shards to Airi! Being completely open, Airi got her shoulders, legs, and her wings speared by the sword-shaped icicles. The silver woman is good at playing dead! ¡°Ugh!¡± Airi uttered a painful cry as she backed out. She fell down on her back. This is not good! I ran to check Airi. Slowly, the shards began emitting a freezing sensation on her body. She was now unable to move due to the shards hitting her pressure points. It looks like the two are not planning to kill Airi after all. They are just planning to paralyze her. The masked man and the silver haired woman jumped a couple of meters backwards, and their chest glowed with a glimmering light. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The silver woman transformed into an ice dragon again. But now, she¡¯s heavily flapping through the wind. She must be really injured by that photon bomb earlier. The masked man jumped to its head by ricochet jumping through the wall. ¡°Maybe you should think about what I¡¯ve said, Sir Amphere Harrison. If you try to uncover the truth¡­who knows if you change sides.¡± Black Phantom arrogantly said. ¡°Until then, adios!¡± Then the masked dragon knight flew away like the very same last time. I can still fight and I can give it a chase but Airi¡¯s condition is my top priority. I grabbed her weakening hand and she made a faint smile. ¡°That guy is crazy.¡± I uttered a forced smile. ¡°Hehehe¡­Like totally¡­¡± Airi said, with way less energy than she usually have. Her eyes closed and her smile faded as she completely fainted. Her body was completely okay, and I think she lost all her energy by releasing her anger to the masked dragon knight. Though the icicle swords might slightly cause a problem because she won¡¯t be able to move at all. I have to get Airi to the hospital. As I carried Airi on my arms, the vague thought continued to trouble my mind. I¡¯m now more concerned about Arcadia¡¯s secrets. About the Crimson Dragonfly. About the man named Zac. And about the Acadia¡¯s real objective. I should uncover that mask first, before I trust his words. Chapter 12: Chevalier Unit Chapter 12: Chevalier Unit Rudolf Azregon Dragon Knight Academy. The classroom has been awfully quiet as our professor writes down formulas of Magical Physics on the board. Everyone is quietly writing on their notebook, copying the wall of numbers on the board. I¡¯m bored, so I refused to do what the majority does. I leaned back on my seat and gazed in the window. Then I shifted it to my seatmate, Amphere, who was in his deep daydream. He¡¯s just staring at his pen creepily. It¡¯s been two days when the registration for the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament became messy due to a masked man who named himself Black Phantom. During that chaos, Amphere and his dragonoid chased the culprit but they failed. Their loss troubled Amphere for these past two days. He¡¯s often lost in thought. ¡°Hey, whazzup?¡± I patted his shoulder. He jolted in shock and dropped the pen on the ground. ¡°W-What?¡± He gave off this angry stare at me. ¡°You have been out of the real world lately. Is something troubling you?¡± He picked his pen up and then pressed the soft end of it in his forehead like he¡¯s calculating something on his mind. Then he spoke ¡°Not that of a big deal, but¡­Have you ever heard of the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± ¡°I have no friggin idea.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He held his silence for the rest of the hour. He¡¯s lying. This Crimson Dragonfly thing is a big deal for him. It won¡¯t occupy his thought if it wasn¡¯t. When our classes ended, we rendezvous with our fellow dragonoids. The Dragon Knight Academy is holding separate classes for knights and dragonoids, but we¡¯re basically learning the same subjects. Even our teachers are the same! In my personal opinion, having our dragonoids beside us will make the learning part of the classroom fun. But because dragonoids are treated like animals in our society, there is no option but to go with the flow. No big deal. The classes have ended. Kyrie and I can have all the free time we want! ¡°What¡¯re you planning? You two seem awfully happy, totally!¡± Airelina asked me and Kyrie. ¡°Where going on a date~¡± I proudly held my hips with a smile on my face. Kyrie¡¯s face began to blush as she shyly pinch my shoulder. She kept muttering ¡°Don¡¯t say that, it¡¯s embarrassing!¡± on me. ¡°D-D-Date!? T-Totally!?¡± Airelina¡¯s face reddened too. She looked at the pokerfaced Amphere then she sulked and slurred. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how a hundred compatibility rate for you¡­ I¡¯m actually jealous, totally¡­¡± ¡°We have to treat your wounds first.¡± Amphere scolded coldly. It makes sense, because Airelina has been acting strangely after they fought the Black Phantom. Sometimes, Airelina¡¯s body parts would stop working. Just like yesterday¡¯s event, she collapses in every five friggin minutes. She can¡¯t even use her wings properly, and she can¡¯t hide her tail anymore. ¡°D-Don¡¯t you mean you¡¯re going to send me to Croft again!?Like, totally!?¡± Airelina held a frightened face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to! Totally! She¡¯s going to experiment in my body again!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Who is this Croft?¡± I whispered to Amphere. ¡°Croft is a friend of Duchess Corasell. She¡¯s not a doctor, but her father¡¯s uncle¡¯s son¡¯s friend is an expert at dragonoid medicines.¡± ¡°You know what they call that!?¡± Airelina shouted at Amphere¡¯s left ear. ¡°A total stranger! Totally! I won¡¯t let that woman touch my body ever again!¡± ¡°Stop whining and let¡¯s go already!¡± Amphere grabbed his dragonoid¡¯s tail while Airelina impaled her fingers on the soft ground to resist. She really looked like a scaredy cat. Amphere is a lot more powerful at this point so he successfully dragged Airelina out of the scene. She left a set of long scratch marks on the earth. Those two never fail to amuse me. Their relationship is a lot more developed than friends, but it is slightly lesser than lovers. I know they treat each other with love and care just how I treat my dear Kyrie. I know that Airelina love love loves Amphere very much; the only thing is Amphere is oblivious enough to ignore all those signs. There is no written rule that a romantic relationship between humans and dragonoids are forbidden, but humans will easily judge and despise you. That¡¯s how society works. We are walking hand by hand with Kyrie as we reached the gate. The scene is always like this whenever our class ends. Everyday we would grab a lot of attention from teachers, knights, and dragonoids. Some nobles would think poorly and disgusted at me for loving a dragonoid but I don¡¯t care what they say. All I care is to be with Kyrie. This time, as we reached the gate, a tall man with a long black hair grabbed my attention. He has this chilling gaze at me but I know he meant no harm. He is wearing a blue military tux with the sigil of a shield and wings on his back. It is indeed a uniform of a glorified Knight General. He is¡­ ¡°General Kyle Leviticus.¡± ¡°Good day, Sir Rudolf Azregon.¡± He made a smile. What would a heroic knight like him want to do with me? Before I could ask that, he reached his vest and showed me a sealed letter. ¡°You have been invited by the Chevalier Unit.¡± Our date was moved to the other day as we followed the General to the headquarters of the Chevalier Unit inside the Academy. The Chevalier Unit is an elite group of people formed by the hero Kyle Leviticus. Everyone, including me, dreamt of being a part of his team. Working with him will prove a lot of honor in a dragon knight. As we entered the headquarters, I saw his team members. One is a brown-haired man who is keeping his gaze at us while relaxing on his desk. Beside him is a silver-haired dragonoid who has several bandages on her body that she looked lika a mummy! That dragonoid¡¯s condition is awful! There was a beautiful woman with blonde hair. I very much know this woman because I¡¯ve seen her before. She is the famous student council president, and is the model Reina Stephanie Fleuret. She is with her female dragonoid Eva; a girl wearing a magical girl outfit. As Kyrie and I nervously sat in the front seat, a astoundingly beautiful dragonoid woman entered the room. It is the blonde beauty Elumina, Kyle Leviticus¡¯ dragonoid. She stood beside Kyle, who was preparing a presentation in front. This is the Chevalier Unit. There are only six members as of now, but their abilities are top-notch! ¡°I have seen your abilities as a Dragon Knight, Sir Azregon. And now I have a ridiculous offer for you.¡± The General smiled at me. ¡°I have decided to recruit you in my team for one easy condition.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kyrie and I behaved as we gulped. This is an ultimate opportunity indeed! The monitor flashed two faces. One is the face of Sir Estoff Wraith, and the other is the face of Duchess Marieflorine Corasell. Elumina handed us folders full of papers. The folders are labled ¡°Confidential File: Arcadia¡± Then the general spoke again. ¡°These two people are suspected of being involved in the terrorist group Arcadia. You already know them because they are close friends with your best friend; Sir Amphere Harrison. But don¡¯t be deceived; they might be plotting something which we do not know about. I know that this is ridiculous but your best friend¡¯s life is in danger if ever it was proven that they are involved with the terrorist group. So I want you to investigate them and report to me in a daily basis.¡± This is a win-win situation. All I have to do and investigate. I also have to see if their allegations were true. My job here might save my best friend one day if General Leviticus¡¯ hypothesis is accurate. And this is such a ludicrous offer that I can¡¯t refuse. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°I accept.¡± Chapter 13: Elimination Round Chapter 13: Elimination Round Amphere Harrison This is the first day of the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament. All two hundred and forty three dragon knights who registered in the tournament assembled in the main hall of the castle for the speeches of the ones who will supervise this tournament. We are standing in line with our dragonoids. As I gazed on the mass of people, all of them are not just an ordinary dragon knight. I can sense talented individuals and even dragonoids from their postures. These are all my opponents. And I have to bring them down in order for the bill to be passed. In the stage are thirteen seats, whereas the middle seat appeared to be more like a golden throne. The twelve seats on the sides of the throne are the seats of the twelve Generals, the highest officials of the empire. They are distinguished with their blue military tuxedo. And on the center is a princess; a blonde fifteen-year old woman with blue eyes. She is wearing a delicate white gown and a golden crown which shimmers whenever it reflects the chandelier¡¯s light. Even from this line, I can see her elegance and innocence. I looked at Airi, which seemed a little mad and serious like she wants to avoid eye contact with someone. From there, I scanned my surroundings and then I saw him. On the stage. General Kyle Leviticus. He still has this fierce cold glare at us. Even after two and a half years, he still looks the same, albeit his hair now a lot longer. I clenched my hand tight as I returned his fierce gaze. I should let him know that he will pay for what he did to Richard. Our intense stare fight was interrupted when the emcee spoke loudly with his mic. ¡°Good morning, worthy Dragon Knights of the Academy! Welcome to the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament! This will be the golden opportunity for you all to be the Princess¡¯ Knight, the one who has the highest military authority in the whole empire. There are two phases of the tournament. The first is elimination, and the second is the bracket battle. The elimination will be conducted today. After this briefing, you will be transported to the vast Ancient Forest.¡± There were some dragonoid maids that gives one metallic plate to the participants. When I got my own plate, I noticed that there is a screen on it that says ¡°Shield not Equipped.¡± The emcee continued. ¡°Those metallic plates are called Shield Plates, which absorbs incoming damage to the one wearing it. You have to attach it to your left chest for it to activate.¡± I did what the emcee said. It completely magnetized on my chest. And then, the screen changed. It now has a ¡°100%¡± in it. So this is the newest technology to protect dragon knights, and it will be used to prevent fatal damage. But they didn¡¯t provide any for our dragonoids. This means Airi can still get hurt in this tournament.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The rules are simple. Get your shield reach zero percent during the elimination and you¡¯re out of the tournament. Among two hundred and forty-three knights, the last sixty-four dragon knights standing will advance to the next round.¡± So this is a free-for-all battle. No. There is no such rule that prohibits an alliance with a fellow dragon knight. Then again, betrayal is a different story considering all of us are enemies at the end of the day. I should find someone trustworthy. That means I have to form an alliance with Rudolf as soon as possible. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± When the speech ended, we were brought to a cargo plane that flew to the vast Ancient Forest. Trees, trees, and nothing but trees in there. The actual size of it is about five kilometers radius. There¡¯s no doubt that looking at the forest from the plane window is utterly hypnotizing. ¡°Five minutes before discharge!¡± The captain said through the radio of the plane. ¡°Airi¡­¡± I muttered, covering my mouth with my hand. ¡°I have a question, but it doesn¡¯t have to do with anything¡­¡± ¡°Say it.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°¡­Just what is the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airi made a long silence. She hid her facial expression by bowing and staring her feet. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to. ¡° I added. It is a trivial matter, and I don¡¯t expect her to say everything to me. I wanted to test her loyalty and credibility. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing for you to be concerned off¡­ I totally promise!¡± Airi gave off a fake smile. ¡°Thirty seconds before discharge!¡± The radio said. It¡¯s time to break the gloomy mood. I don¡¯t want myself and Airi processing those trifling matter, so I completely changed the topic. ¡°Are you ready?¡± I burst out a smile to my adorable dragonoid. She smiled back as lovely as possible. ¡°Totally!¡± She raised both of her fists. ¡°How about you!?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± As soon as the platform opened, knights and dragons jumped off the plane. We are about four hundred meters above ground, and no one wears a parachute. But we have our dragons beside us. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Several voices merged in the air. The people who have jumped off had their body glowed with light as their dragonoids transformed into seven-meter tall lizards that can fly! Airi and I jumped together as our hands hold each other tight. We are still having a free fall, but the dragons around us have been battling as soon as they got out of the plane. There are blue fireballs, spiky missiles, and giant boulders hurling towards each other. I know we wouldn¡¯t survive this in this state, so I readied myself to conduct the Vesryn Pulse. But Airi immediately opened her mouth. ¡°I have a plan, Amphy! But you have to trust me, totally!¡± Whatever her plan is, I completely trust her! As soon as I nodded, she pulled me to her side and projected her wings. Then her wings covered our whole body! It is a familiar scene. This is her ¡°Metal Cocoon¡± technique! The gravity of the planet pulled us faster, leaving the wild projectiles avoided. A sudden clatter echoed, signaling our safe landing in the forest. As she opened her wings and let go of me, I fell to the ground. I feel like my word is spinning¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again¡­¡± I whispered to myself. 97%. This Shield Plate is so strict. I never suffered from physical damage, but our landing must have been so hard that it removed three percent of my shield. ¡°Are you okay? Like, totally?¡± Airi helped me get up. I replied with an empty smile at her. Then she smiled back at me obliviously like nothing happened. As my dizziness fades, I realized that faint shadows of six people surrounded us. [Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament Participants = 243 -> 169] Chapter 14: A Deal with the Phantom Chapter 14: A Deal with the Phantom Airelina Frembell Six shadows started walking towards us. We are in a grave situation right now. Are we going to flee? Or run? They are totally surrounding us, which makes any of the two choices impossible. ¡°Amphere?¡± It was Rudolf¡¯s voice. The six shadows revealed themselves. It was Rudolf, Kyrie, the beautiful student council president and her child-like dragonoid who is cosplaying as a magical girl, a slender man with black eyes and hair, and a mummy-looking silver-haired woman who have half of her face and body covered with bandages. This group is quite odd. Amphy smiled at Rudolf, as he helped him stand. Amphy scanned the faces of Rudolf¡¯s allies silently. Rudolf broke the silence as he created a proposition. ¡°Join our team! We need to get to the second round after all.¡± Rudolf prepared his hand for a handshake. Amphy looked at me, silently asking me if we should accept his proposal. If it was only Rudolf and Kyrie, we would take it without a second thought. Those other four people aren¡¯t trustworthy enough for me. But then again, it would be impossible for us to survive the eliminations if we don¡¯t make an alliance with someone. This is our only option. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll join your squad.¡± Amphy shook Rudolf¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s good to know!¡± Rudolf celebrated. ¡°By the way, you already know my friends, right?¡± Amphy scanned their faces again and then concluded with a simple gesture. He shook his head vigorously. You mean you didn¡¯t even know the student council president and her dragonoid!? ¡°Y-You know¡­¡± Rudolf forced a smile as he scratched his head. ¡°This is Reina Fleuret, our student council president. And her dragonoid is Eva¡­¡± Then he switched with the weird couple. ¡°This is Alder Windstrafe, and his dragonoid Emy¡­¡± E-Emy? Come to think of it, that mummy woman and the ninja dragonoid of the Black Phantom looked alike. Amphy shifted his eyes to the man named Alder, and he clenched his fist. That posture and stare, and also, this man is carrying a golden rapier. He couldn¡¯t be¡­ Amphy was about to reach his sword when Alder guy spoke. ¡°Wait!¡± He backed off and raised his arms. ¡°I know you know me, and we have not so good memories before. But I would like to have a temporary ceasefire as for now. We have the very same objective; to survive the eliminations. I don¡¯t have any intention to fight you the very least. And I know we have a lot to talk about, so please, no bloodshed, Sir Amphere Harrison.¡± Amphy looked at me again silently asking for decision. I don¡¯t like this Alder guy the very slightest. But it is true that there¡¯s a lot to talk about. I have to shut this Alder, no, Black Phantom from spouting about the Crimson Dragonfly. I have to keep cool for now, so I slowly nodded at Amphy and accepting the ceasefire. But if ever that man gave off some spoiler again, I¡¯ll gladly slit his throat.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Rudolf doesn¡¯t have any slightest clue about the tension, but he killed it off by changing the topic. ¡°So our strategy is simple; We must avoid any attention as possible. Staying hidden in these vast trees and not using Vesryn Pulse is necessary to be invisible to the many. And oh, also¡­ President will be our tactician and leader. Are you okay with that?¡± President Reina Fleuret is widely known for her beauty and brains. She might just be low on her sword abilities, but her brilliance in the battlefield is a force to be reckoned with. I don¡¯t have any questions for that. Amphy and I nodded in acceptance. We luckily found an underground cave which was infested with bears. With the four dragon knight¡¯s power, driving off the bears is a piece of cake. It is getting dark already, so we decided to set camp on that cave. We don¡¯t have any idea how long this elimination will take. It may take weeks just to have those last sixty-four standing to be confirmed. We set a bonfire and all eight of us gathered around it. We roasted rabbit and wild pig meat we hunted earlier. I¡¯m not in my complete mood to eat especially with that Black Phantom and his ninja dragonoid sitting beside them. I only ate half a kilo of meat. After the dinner, our group was awfully quiet. Alder is busy treating Emy¡¯s wounds with some herbs. I know I¡¯m the one who made that silver-haired dragonoid suffer, but she deserved it. She also made my bodily nerves paralyzed for three days so we call it equal. They didn¡¯t know the true colors of this jerk. Only Amphy and I knew the appearance of Emy¡¯s, no, the Black Phantom¡¯s Ice Dragon. I have to stay alert. The student council president is busy staring at the fire reminiscing something. Her dragonoid Eva is patrolling outside. Amphy is in deep thought. He¡¯s somewhat staring at the Shield Plate on his chest. And Rudolf and Kyrie are just switching gazes at us who are creating the quietness right now. ¡°Airelina, right?¡± Alder grabbed my attention after he finished treating Emy¡¯s wounds. ¡°I think we have a lot to talk about.¡± Alder dropped his sword near Emy to prove that he doesn¡¯t want any violence. I looked at Amphy to see his confirmation and his only reply is a nod. Amphy only said one line in this chapter, and I think he¡¯s boring right now¡­totally! We walked to the entrance of the cave where no one can hear us, but Eva can totally see us. She¡¯s scouting on top of the tree a few meters from us. ¡°What would a totally cowardly murderer like you want to discuss with me?¡± I released a serious tone, with my arms crossed and a fierce glare at him. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a murderer. But at least I didn¡¯t kill thousands of defenseless people.¡± He made an irritating smirk. His words made my brows twitch, but I have to take it professionally. ¡°Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I will never take Amphere¡¯s life. My only concern is to make a better world for Emy. I love Emy as much as you love Amphere.¡± ¡°Then why are you trying to kill Duchess Carousel, totally?¡± I suppressed my angry tone. ¡°Who is your client!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t disclose that.¡± Alder frowned. ¡°I am only here to talk about a fair and knightly proposition. I wanted you and Amphere not to reveal the Black Phantom¡¯s identity, or Emy¡¯s connection with the Black Phantom. In exchange, I will prohibit myself and Emy anything regarding the Crimson Dragonfly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re totally desperate about hiding your true colors.¡± I smiled arrogantly. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking. Remember, we¡¯re on the same boat here. Once Amphere learns everything about the Crimson Dragonfly, the Arcadia and your dark funny ideals are completely done with. Not just that. He will completely resent you with all his heart. You will all be destroyed. The same goes for me if my identity went public.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± I said. It¡¯s a totally good offer for me. All I care is that all information about the Crimson Dragonfly must be buried away. ¡°It seems that you totally have your honor as a dragon knight.¡± ¡°Heh!¡± He turned away arrogantly. ¡°And oh, I forgot. I would rather not fight Amphere and you. I¡¯m after the duchess, and not your head. I don¡¯t want an innocent man like Amphere to be dragged in this chaotic war.¡± ¡°So you better flee faster next time!¡± I smiled at him. ¡°But you will never succeed on killing duchess Carousell! We will always prevent you, over and over again! Totally!¡± Suddenly, Eva dashed to our direction quickly thanks to her fairy wings. She was sweating nonstop, and she looks rattled. Aw, that ruined her cute face, totally¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been spotted! Enemies!¡± [Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament Participants = 169 -> 112] Chapter 15: Dragon Clash Royale Chapter 15: Dragon Clash Royale Amphere Harrison ¡°Geez, totally! Wake up already!¡± It was Airi¡¯s worried voice. As I slowly open my eyes, I found her face just a few centimeters from mine. She¡¯s anxious. She¡¯s grabbing my collar and shaking my body which made my vision a lot more blurry. Darn, I¡¯m still sleepy. It¡¯s not even morning already. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Amphy, but I have to do this! Totally!¡± She shouted. And then punched me directly to my face! ¡°Uwahak!¡± I held my aching nose. I immediately stand up and glared at her furiously. Now I¡¯m wide awake! ¡°W-What was that for!?¡± I find myself still inside the cave, but there was no light. They must have turned the bonfire off for some reason. My eyes adjusted in the dark, now completely able to perceive Airi¡¯s face. I scanned the surroundings and noticed that the student council president, the unmasked Black Phantom, and Rudolf gearing up. ¡°Good thing you already woke up.¡± Rudolf said. ¡°We have to get away from here as soon as possible. We¡¯re under attack.¡± I turned to Airi then tried to scold her. ¡°Was that punch necessary to wake me up? You could¡¯ve just splashed some water in me!¡± ¡°I did it to save you, totally!¡± She angrily pushed her face towards mine as she held her hips. Her expression is rather cute. Meanwhile, President Reina was channeling her short sword with yellow particles of light. She was murmuring, or rather, chanting her weapon. It must be a Sword Spell, a process of using magic with a sword instead of a staff. Only the masters of magic and sword arts are able to create a powerful spell like this! ¡°Lightsurge!¡± the president shouted. A golden laser emerged from her sword that made a hole upwards this cave. It destroyed everything in its path until it reached the surface. Once the laser faded, a giant pathway revealed itself. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Rudolf shouted. We reached the surface in time. It¡¯s still dark in this forest, but there are shooting projectiles in the skies. Those¡­are dragons. So even at night they are still fighting, shooting each other with everything they got. This is getting a lot more like a real battlefield. ¡°We¡­We¡¯re surrounded.¡± The president clicked her tongue. Several shadows emerged, circling our position. There were twenty¡­No, above thirty of them. Some of them withdrew different shaped swords. And others had their red eyes glare at our soul, giving us complete despair. But our will is not broken. Alder drew his golden rapier with a smirk on his face as Emy revealed ice shards from her hands. Rudolf readied a kendo stance with his thick broadsword as for Kyrie...an orb of darkness materialized from her palms. Kyrie is expert in dark and light magic. The president also withdrew her blade but her dragonoid Eva took out her magical staff. This is the proof that this dragonoid girl is not just cosplaying.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I gave my other photon sword to Airi and readied ourselves. Using Vesryn Pulse in this chaotic place is just our secondary option. We want little attention as possible. If we¡¯re able, we wanted to defeat these guys in our dragonoid¡¯s human form. ¡°Here they come!¡± Eva shouted as soon as several knights jumped above us! All of us who are wielding a sword blocked their sky attack and drove them away as we deflected their sword. Some were disarmed, some fell, but others are strong enough to back off a little and not get injured by our synchronized block. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Several voices mixed that broke the silence of the night. The enemies held their chest that glowed with thin light. Their dragonoids had their bodies filled with radiance as they shaped themselves into lizards of different colors. There are about sixteen of them, and they completely surround us! There¡¯s no way we can survive this! ¡°All of you run!¡± Reina shouted seriously. ¡°They are all after me, so you don¡¯t have to get eliminated.¡± That makes complete sense. Reina Fleuret is the student council president, and her abilities are widely known in the whole world. They fear her magical and battle capabilities, and her brilliance in the battlefield is topnotch. Dragon knights would certainly finish her off first in order to remove their biggest obstacle in the tournament. If I wasn¡¯t in this group, I should¡¯ve done the same and ambush her. Though I didn¡¯t know her a bit¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± Alder said with a smirk. Then he grabbed his chest. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± ¡°I will never leave a fellow Chevalier Unit member behind.¡± Rudolf said in a composed tone. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Emy and Kyrie¡¯s body was engulfed with golden light as they transformed themselves into their dragon form. Kyrie¡¯s dragon form is a seven meter dragon that is equipped with golden armor. A golden helmet with dark feathers was protecting her head. Golden gauntlets and plate mail shimmered as it reflected the moonlight. Her black and white wings stays the same appearance but larger. She is a Chaos Dragon. Ice dragon and Chaos dragon ruled the place with their deafening roar. Because of this showoff, the president and I was filled with determination. ¡°What about you, Amphere?¡± Reina looked at me. Her eyes are showing off her blazing spirit. ¡°We¡¯ll do it, totally!¡± Airi jumped in our conversation before I could speak. So all I can do is nod with the beautiful lady in response. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The two of us shouted as we grabbed our glowing hearts. Eva transformed into a peculiar being. Her dragon form has a blue skin and humanoid upper body. Her lower body consists of her long tail that could reach five meters. Her golden head has a crimson horn above it, and she has a long bluish silver hair that can reach her hips. Her wings look more like fairy¡¯s, which is why she is called a Fairy Dragon. All of the knights rode their dragon¡¯s head hastily, preparing themselves for this dragon battle royale. Sixteen versus four. This might be a one sided battle. Or if we¡¯re lucky, we can survive this. Looking at my comrades, I know that they are skilled. I know how powerful the Black Phantom and the President is. And Rudolf¡­He is the most powerful dragon knight I¡¯ve ever seen. If what he said about them being part of the Chevalier Unit, we can definitely win this. Airi launched to the air as soon as I telepathically commanded. Aerial battles are Airi¡¯s forte in her dragon form. Three dragons followed us with their knights on their head. This is our basic lure tactic, our airstrike! Airi morphed her dragon claws into chain gatling guns and fired numerous bullets to the dragons. We succeeded in thrashing a knight with barrages of bullets, leaving his Shield Plate at zero percent! But the other two managed to evade and block the bullets! Ice ball and dark ball came in soaring to hit the two chasing dragons, which finished our opponents off as they fall to the ground. It was Ice Dragon¡¯s and Chaos Dragon¡¯s attack! I thanked them with a smile. If it wasn¡¯t for them, I could¡¯ve been eliminated in this tournament. Now that I think of it, Alder seems to be a good guy. Or maybe he¡¯s still wearing his mask, trying to win my trust and ruin my loyalty to Estoff and Airi. I should be careful. That ice ball might be directed to us if I let my guard down. [Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament Participants = 112 -> 99] Chapter 16: Overload Chapter 16: Overload Amphere Harrison The Fairy Dragon charged green balls of light from its humanoid hand, and then threw it simultaneously to a white-feathered dragon that has talon arms and feet. Eva¡¯s enemy looks more like a griffon, but it is the innate physical feature of an Avian Dragon. The knight, who was riding on its head, fell to the ground. His Shield Plate dropped to 23%, but it didn¡¯t end there. Reina charged with her glowing short sword and slashed the foe, completely depleting the energy of the enemy¡¯s Shield Plate to 0%. Once the Shield Plate reaches 0%, a participant will be eliminated in the tournament. Not just that, but once you are eliminated, you are immediately fetched by a transporter. It is a special crawling tank that is invulnerable to any attacks. Our team already managed to take down seven of the dragons, and the other nine remaining dragons poses a problem. They are not that strong for us, but our dragons are now exhausted of battling. We have been fighting two if not three hours, and it¡¯s almost dawn. A flying wooden spear struck Airi¡¯s left wing. Because of that, we crash landed on the vast forest. Then Airi reverted back to her humanoid form. Huff puff. She was panting heavily as she checked the scrapes all over her body. The way they conduct the tournament without providing Shield Plates for dragonoids¡­I hate it. Airi noticed me clenching my fist in anger so she looked at me with a charming smile and raised her hand to my face with a peace sign. ¡°I¡¯m okay, totally!¡± She said in a jolly manner. Then she continued to wheeze. 23%. I wonder how long I can keep this Shield Plate going. Since no one saw our landing site, I think we could rest in this place for a bit. I scanned the surroundings. The other three dragons; our comrades are in deep trouble. Electric balls surged to the Chaos Dragon which resulted to its immediate defeat. Kyrie returned to her humanoid form in an instant and she almost crashed to the ground. Good thing Rudolf caught her in time. I didn¡¯t notice that Emy and Eva has been reverted back to their humanoid form too. They are too exhausted that they fell to the ground and hardly gasp for some air. Alder and Reina used their swords to drive off charging knights while protecting their exhausted dragonoids. Alder challenged a swordfight with a group of four knights, and he seems to be able to hold his own. Emy is fighting a brown wooden dragon that has a long coconut neck. The Coconut Dragon fired coconuts to Emy, but Emy easily dodged all of those projectiles despite being injured. Rudolf is facing two dragons; one is a yellow one that has a thunder shaped whiskers that can shoot lightning orbs and the other dragon is a brown skinned drill-headed lizard. He is busy blocking their attacks, protecting his loved Kyrie who is unable to get up due to fatigue. But the dragons are able to chip away a dozen of percentage on his Shield Plate one by one.Stolen story; please report. ¡°H-Help!¡± It was a child-like feminine voice. Her tone gives off a lot of pain. It was Eva, and she was being squeezed by a giant silver colored dragon! What the heck! Are they going to kill her!? Airi grabbed one of my photon swords and then a jetpack materialized on her back. She took off the ground with a blinding speed and slashed the dragon¡¯s arm without any second thought! The silver arm fell off, but Eva managed to materialize her wings before colliding to the ground. If Eva¡¯s here, where¡¯s the president? There are a group of people clustered just a few meters from here. Those are our enemy knights, and they are ganging up with someone. Don¡¯t tell me she- I immediately ran forward, readying my sword with an energy thrust! My glass-like saber glowed with blue light. My speed quadrupled, which made a golden streak as I ran faster far exceeding a human can ever achieve. Some knights tried to block me, but I easily swept my way through them! All of the enemies came out flying as I cleared the way for the president, who was on her knees due to enervation. She was already at her limits, and her Shield Plate is already 4%. ¡°Watch out!¡± I turned my head, and a terrifying end welcomed me. A gigantic orb of light, coming from a dragon¡¯s mouth. There is no way I will be able to dodge this, nor push the president out of this attack¡¯s area of effect. This¡­is the end of the line for me. There was a deafening noise. Smoke covered the whole place. My Shield Plate reduces to 0%... Or so I thought. There are still 12% left for me. The president¡­still have 1%. I thought it was a miracle until I looked behind. It was Alder, with his arms spread. His Shield Plat¡­ is 0%. He took the whole projectile for us. ¡°¡­I told you to watch out¡­¡± Alder made a smirk. Then he fell on his knees. ¡°Why you¡­¡± I muttered. I approached him and held his shoulders. ¡°¡­Win this tournament, Amphere Harrison. Win for what you believe. Win¡­for dragonoid¡¯s freedom¡­ Win this tournament because you wanted to, and not because they want you too¡­¡± I was about to reply in his riddles, but then he passed out to my arms. The transporter approached us, and two steampunk humanoid robots carried him inside. Emy followed them worriedly, as she loves his knight much more than everything else. Why the heck did he save me? What¡¯s with the sudden change of hearts? Why¡­? I wanted to find a real motive behind the Black Phantom¡¯s actions. The alliance, the ceasefire, and the act of heroism. But as I process it on my brain, my vision became hazy. I tried blinking but it wouldn¡¯t help. Darn, we¡¯re still surrounded by enemies! I don¡¯t have time for this! Suddenly¡­An image of a silver-haired woman appeared in front of me. She is not Emy. This woman is about twenty five years old, and she¡¯s wearing a kimono. She has these crimson eyes, but her sclera¡­is colored black. There was a terrifying aura flowing around her. ¡°Amphere Harrison¡­¡± Her words directly entered my brain. ¡°Boy has the necessary power to win this fight¡­. I¡¯ll teach the boy¡­to control his power¡­¡± A sudden surge of strength entered my veins as the image of the woman faded. My chest glowed a faint light. My right hand grabbed my left chest on its own. My lips moved involuntarily, saying these words. ¡°Overloading Vesryn Pulse!¡± Airi, who was fighting the enemy dragon, was interrupted when her body was coated with golden light. Eva and Kyrie¡¯s body was also converted into human-shaped light. The three lights coming from the body of the dragonoids launched upwards to the sky. The lights twirled and twirled until they reach the stratosphere. Three dragon hearts resonates with one human heart. The three lights collided. The heavens opened as a divine being slowly came down. The three headed white dragon roared, beckoning the dawn of true power. [Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament Participants = 99 -> 80] Chapter 17: Promise for a Free World Chapter 17: Promise for a Free World Estoff Wraith I never slept this night. I was worried on Amphere and Airelina, who are risking their lives in the elimination round. Even a Pentagram Knight like me would have a hard time surviving the Ancient Forest for a day, mainly because it is a messy free for all fight. I stayed the royal hall in the castle together with some nobles who are concerned about their bet. Yes, the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament is also the source of a massive gambling. There is a board which have the lists of the participants and the money betted on them. And there are several screens on the other side of the hall, which presents the surveillance camera in a bird¡¯s eye¡¯s view via satellite. I noticed that Amphere Harrison¡¯s pot money had risen drastically. I was intrigued, and searched his location on the gigantic monitor. Where¡­is¡­Amphere? There he is. ¡°How can he¡­¡± My eyes widened in shock. He is riding the center head of a three headed dragon. Its body is shimmering mainly because of the energy stored in its body. I can hardly distinguish its skin. It looks like colorless metal, yet shiny as silver. Aside from that, its body is about fifteen meters! It also has gigantic silver-colored wings, razor claws and extensive spiky tail. The camera zoomed in. Amphere¡­no. It¡¯s not him. It¡¯s him, in a physical sense but¡­his eyes, are crimson-like dragonoid¡¯s. The sclera of his eyes is completely dark. This terrifying being¡­ It¡¯s not Amphere anymore¡­ The three headed dragon roared deafeningly that made a colossal sonic boom! Trees surrounding the area flew off, which converted a wide are of the forest into a wasteland. All flying dragons that surrounded the three-headed entity were expelled out of the area immediately. Several dragons that got injured by its voice immediately reverted back to their humanoid form, unable to continue the battle anymore. The pot money on Amphere¡¯s name increased for one hundred units per second. The counter started ticking rapidly. Because of the tension, I started betting my money on him. Hahaha! Nice work, Amphere, you¡¯ll win me a lot of money! Amphere noticed the three-headed dragon¡¯s power. He was completely stunned and amazed. After concluding that it is too much for this tournament, he reached his chest and whispered. ¡°Canceling Vesryn Pulse.¡± The three-headed entity¡¯s body was veiled with white light as it reaches the skies. Then, three light rays crashed to the ground, containing the exhausted dragonoid bodies. It was Airi and their fellow comrades. Good thing is that those dragonoids are not injured nor exhausted. Instead, they look like their energies have been replenished! Just what the heck did Amphere do? ¡°W-What was that?¡± Rudolf approached Amphere. The president also wordlessly walked closer to them. ¡°That was so cool!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Amphere stared at his hands, which is trembling. He may not know it, but his eyes are still glowing red, not giving any signs that it will return to normal. ¡°I think that creature¡¯s power is too overwhelming so I canceled my Vesryn Pulse.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Several standing knights stood up from the rubble the divine creature created. They all look exhausted, but all of them possessed the blazing heart to survive till the very end. They all gritted their teeth and glared at Amphere with intent to kill. Airelina and the other two dragonoids regrouped with their knights, ready to defend. Rudolf and Reina readied their swords. But then, Amphere tapped their shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. I want to test something¡­¡± ¡°Will you be okay?¡± Airelina worriedly asked. ¡°There are ten of them, and you¡¯re outnumbered! Totally!¡± ¡°¡­If one managed to hit me, rescue me. Okay?¡± Amphere smiled. Then he dropped his two photon swords. ¡°You totally¡­¡± Airelina pouted as Amphere straightened his body and started to walk to the enemy knights. Seriously, is this idiot trying to fight all ten knights unarmed? The ten knights slowly backed down while pointing their sword to the composed Amphere, who is arrogantly advancing with his slow footsteps. Amphere¡¯s crimson eyes produced pressure to the one facing him. They are trembling in fear, but they chose to fight. Their honor as a knight will be stained if they run away from a lone person. ¡°Hrrraaaaaah!¡± One of the knight started charging. Because of this, the other knights surged as well. Ten of them versus the crimson-eyed knight. The first one came in with a thrust. Amphere made a sidestep to evade the blade and then grabbed the enemy¡¯s wrist, then smacked him to the ground, leaving the knight¡¯s Shield Plate to 0%. There was another hack from a sharp sword, but he evaded it by bending backwards and then kicking the man¡¯s face. Other three enemy knights decided to attack him from left, right and back. Amphere¡¯s crimson pupils moved left right, up and down, as though the time is so slow for him that he can detect the attacks from every directions. He jumped, evading the enemy¡¯s sword attacks, and then dipped the three enemy¡¯s heads to the ground using his hands and feet. The impact was so strong that it left a small crater. This is a one-sided battle. He dealt his enemies using his expertise in unarmed combat, with an addition of a mysterious power boost. 20%...12%...3%...0%. All ten of them depleted their Shield Plates. There was a loud buzzer from the skies as soon as the sun peek the surface. Then there was a loud announcement from the speakers of their Shield Plates. ¡°Good morning fellow knights. As for the moment, there are only sixty-four knights standing with their Shield Plates. The Elimination Phase of the Tournament is now over. Congratulations on advancing to the next round!¡± Then there was a loud ring! That is the signal! I immediately rushed to the counter to get my prized money! Yay! I¡¯ll surely treat Amphere a drink once he returns! Hahaha! Though I¡¯m quite terrified in his weird mysterious power. I should ask Airelina about that later. ¡°You¡¯re still the same, Estoff¡­¡± It was the voice of a man I absolutely hated¡­ ¡°General Kyle.¡± I turned and gave him a serious glare. I became more irritated when I saw the smirk on his face. And what¡¯s more, he is with his ¡®precious¡¯ dragonoid Elumina. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve trained that kid to do a lot of things for yourself.¡± He crossed his arms and raised his chin. This guy is grinding my gears. ¡°Are you going to ruin his life? The same as what you did to Zac?¡± ¡°He will bring freedom to the dragonoids. You¡¯ll see.¡± I scowled at him wrathfully. I switched stare to Elumina, who is bowing down to hide her frown. She is still avoiding direct contact with me, the same as always. There was a burnt mark on her left shoulder, and I also noticed several scratches on the nape of his neck. This enraged me more. I bit my lip until it¡¯s in the verge of bleeding just to suppress my feelings. I turned my back and started to walk away. Seeing that smug on that devil makes me want to kill him. No, torture him¡­I will never forgive him! I swear to free all dragonoids from their misery. No matter what it takes? I can burn a thousand more innocent humans if I can, just to free them. I will kill the princess and bring this empire down just to gain liberty for all of you dragonoids. If the price for your independence is to kill all my friends¡­I would gladly do it. I would pay every price for your freedom. I swear Elumina. I swear that I will create a free world for you. Just as we promised when we were a child. [Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament Participants = 64] Chapter 18: Exit of the Phantom Chapter 18: Exit of the Phantom Alder Windstrafe I was hardly catching my own breath when I woke up in this pitch black place. There is a lantern hanging in front of me which reveals a portion of this place. It seems like I¡¯m sitting on a metal chair with my arms tied. I struggled, but there¡¯s no way I can get away from this chair. My body¡¯s so weak that I¡¯m in the urge of sleeping again. What happened? Oh¡­yes. When the tournament ended, I got electrocuted in the nape of my neck. I didn¡¯t even have the proper moment to fight or flee. Looks like I¡¯m too na?ve for being a skilled assassin. I¡¯m even naked as of this point. From the look of this place, I know what scene I¡¯m into. And I won¡¯t have any chance to escape. Interrogation. Torture. Death. ¡°Black Phantom¡­That¡¯s what they call you.¡± It was from a microphone, making it impossible to recognize the voice. ¡°You are also known as Alder Windstrafe of the Chevalier Unit. You surely have too many assignments to do. You also know almost everything about the Arcadia and the government.¡± ¡°¡­You surely know that I won¡¯t feed you information¡­¡± I made my creepy smile. My gums are aching, and there¡¯s blood dropping from my mouth. I am surely beaten up like hell. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning. Your loyalty¡­it belongs to whom?¡± I never answered and kept my smile. After five seconds of waiting, they triggered something in the chair. Electric currents flow through my veins rapidly, making all my nerve cells engulfed in painful sensation! ¡°We already know who you serve. Duke Yuri Dragunov. Your foster father. He raised you to become a Dragon Knight. The Black Phantom¡¯s motives are from the legacy of Duke Dragunov.¡± The interrogator said. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve done your assignments too.¡± I laughed like a crazy man. I didn¡¯t mind having the blood form my mouth spurt all over the place. ¡°You joined the Chevalier Unit to gather information about the Duchess Marieflorine Corasell, Arcadia, and the government archives. You and your foster father wanted to kill the duchess so that the bill will never get approved by the congress. The Dragonoid Rights Bill that has been rejected and the murder of the duchess will immediately ignite a human-dragonoid war. Or more precise, a war between the empire and the joint forces of Arcadia and dragonoids. Then the Crimson Dragonfly, the secret weapon of Arcadia will once make its appearance. Duke Dragunov will capture the so called Crimson Dragonfly and will make it his own, and seize the throne.¡± A chilling sensation from my spine bursts out. I am awestruck by this leak of information! Just¡­who is this guy? How did he know everything!? I removed my smile and gritted my teeth. ¡°There is only one thing we don¡¯t know about, and you and your foster father are the only ones who know about it. What is the Crimson Dragonfly?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I am planning on not answering but then the lamp swayed, giving me a glimpse of someone in front of me. It was an unconscious silver haired woman, who is sitting uncomfortably on the very same metallic chair. Her arms, feet and neck are shackled by metal chains. She has been blindfolded, and her ears have cuffs. There are scrapes and wounds all over her body; a definite sign of torture. ¡°Emy!¡± I cried. ¡°What did you do to her!?¡± ¡°What is the Crimson Dragonfly!?¡± The interrogator asked in an intimidating tone. ¡°You have five seconds! Or else, your dragonoid will be fried with a five-thousand-volt shock!¡± ¡°Emy! No, no, no, no! Don¡¯t do anything to her!¡± I shouted and cried at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything about the Crimson Dragonfly!¡± Vanilla City. Zac Schneider. Airelina Frembell. Arcadia. Amphere Harrison. I told everything to the interrogator. There was nothing left in secrecy. If everything I knew about the Crimson Dragonfly is the only price to pay for Emy¡¯s freedom from this torture, I would gladly do it without a second thought. Emy¡­ She¡¯s the only woman I love. She made me special. I am hers, and she is mine. Our bond, which has a compatibility of 99%, is the most precious treasure in my life. Some information about the monster Crimson Dragonfly is not worth keeping if it is all about Emy¡¯s safety. As soon as I finished my statement, the lights went in. Two people revealed their faces, and started to untie us in this metallic shackles. Emy¡­ She¡¯s still unconscious. So I carried her with my weakening arms. ¡°You are¡­.the interrogators?¡± Rudolf Azregon. Kyle Leviticus. ¡°Good morning, Alder!¡± Kyle made his sarcastic smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you in one piece!¡± Don¡¯t make me laugh. ¡°Alder, you should rest again. I¡¯ll be the one to carry Emy to the hospital.¡± Rudolf said with a fake grin. Don¡¯t make me laugh! ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll permit you to hurt my Emy again!¡± I gritted. I clenched my hand, ready to retaliate from these monsters. They extracted information from me. They tortured me and Emy. They knew my identity. They knew who I really work for. There is no way I can have these people in front of me alive! I know that I¡¯m unarmed and weak right now, but leaving this two be will create a lot more chaos! ¡°Oh, Rudolf. Seems like he wants to kill us. So scary.¡± Kyle said with mockery. ¡°Here is your golden rapier.¡± Rudolf revealed my sword on his waist and threw it to me, which I easily caught. ¡°Bring Emy down and fight me. If you manage to kill me, you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°I shall heal his wounds first.¡± Kyle said. ¡°Heal!¡± He pointed his palms to my direction and magical sparkling dust covered my body. All my wounds closed instantaneously, and my strength¡­I can feel that it¡¯s surging through my body! These guys are nuts. Rudolf is currently unarmed, and they wanted me to fight in full condition!? Don¡¯t make me laugh. I¡¯ll finish this quickly. I laid down the unconscious Emy and prepared my fencing pose. On the other side, Rudolf appears standing stiff and motionless. ¡°Hraaaah!¡± I bolted forward with a breakneck speed. My rapier glowed with yellow light as I targeted my enemy¡¯s throat! ¡°Chaos Claw.¡± Rudolf whispered to himself. His two fists became covered with dark shadows, and shaped itself to a razor griffon¡¯s talons! This¡­This is the power of ancient dark magic! I never knew he have this kind of overwhelming power! It was so fast. He made a jab, directed to my sword. My golden rapier dissolved particle by particle! It looks like the shadow claws on his fist are devouring my sword! Once my sword is gone, his other fist came in and pierced through my heart. I fell to the ground. Unable to blink. Unable to breath. My heart was completely eaten by the shadows of his dark magic. There was no blood. There was just a large hole on my chest. ¡°E¡­.Emy¡­¡± I tried to reach out my hand to my unconscious love. But I¡¯m unable to. It seems that this is the end of the line for me. Now if I can only wish for one thing¡­ It would be Emy¡¯s freedom. [Alder Windstrafe ¨C K.I.A] Chapter 19: Vanilla City Chapter 19: Vanilla City Amphere Harrison I suddenly got sick of my hot chocolate. In this early Sunday morning, a piece of paper made me lose my mood. That is because the newspaper had me in ridiculous shock. The headlines¡­There¡¯s no way that it happened. ¡°Dragon Knight killed by the Black Phantom.¡± According to this news, the dragon knight was Alder Windstrafe, who was assassinated by the infamous Black Phantom. Impossible. Alder is the Black Phantom. Alder and the masquerade¡¯s swordplay are identical. They share the very same dragonoid which is Emy. What the heck¡­What the heck is going on? Or maybe it¡¯s just Alder¡¯s gimmick to hide his true self away from us? Maybe that¡¯s it. Now that we know that he¡¯s the Black Phantom, he has to fake his death to hide and run away from us. That might be it. ¡°Sooooo, have you read it? Totally!?¡± Airi closed the dresser and revealed her outfit. She¡¯s wearing a slightly oversized pink and white striped sweatshirt and blue jeans shorts that exposes her flawless white legs. And what¡¯s more is that she had her red hair tied in a ponytail. It¡¯s rare to find her change her hairstyle, and her appearance right now is really making me captivated. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­something fishy is going on¡­¡± I said. But then a bolt of electricity came through my brain which made me glare. ¡°Hey, where did you get that sweatshirt?¡± ¡°Um¡­.Er¡­They say that what¡¯s your property is mine too¡­so I spent a little of your credits¡­t-totally¡­¡± She scratched her head and looked away. Then she began whistling like what she has done is nothing. There are sorts of merchandises sold in the small market here in the Dragon Knight Academy. I hate buying there because they are way more overpriced. That particular market only accepts payment using the Academy Card, which dragon knights have. Dragonoids are usually unable to buy anything in that small market because they are not provided with that card. And this idiot¡­.spending some of my credits¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll let you off this time because you¡¯re c-c-cute in that outfit.¡± I looked away, trying to hide my facial expression. Darn, I¡¯m stuttering! ¡°¡­T-Totally!?¡± Her face was red but she still managed to pull off a lot of energy. Then she made the most adorable smile in the planet. ¡°Thanks Amphy!!!~¡± She¡¯s dressed like this because she will be attending a concert in Twilight City. It was a concert of the boyband Cherizart, which consists of puny red eyed handsome dragonoids. Even with their standing, they have appealed a lot of girls, dragonoids and humans alike. Their band is funded by Duchess Corasell, so it is certain that the duchess will be there. Aside from that, Airi invited Kyrie, Eva, and even our student council president Reina to watch the concert. Girls really get along, regardless of races.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. As for me, I have a trivial matter to solve. Thirty minutes riding the train, and I¡¯m here. The Coastal Hangar. It consists of an old runway. There are three fighter jets that have been docked and is being repaired by a lot of mechanics. Even if their place is old, they repair all the aircrafts using a high tech laser technology. As soon as I entered the office, the person I¡¯m looking for stood in front of me. She¡¯s wearing a fedora over her short brown hair. Her leather jacket and long boots looks big for her, but she didn¡¯t care. If there is one thing I could describe her, I would say that she¡¯s an old fashioned detective. ¡°Hiya Amphere!¡± She smiled. She is Croft Mariannos, my personal mechanic. ¡°Where¡¯s my lovely Airelina!? Wait, you didn¡¯t bring her!?¡± Well she is a mechanic and a detective. I don¡¯t know about the specifics, but she has pursued two of her dreams at the same time. Whenever Airi have problems on her wings, tail, or in her dragon form, I would send Airi to her to have some checkup. Mechanics have no problem coping and repairing parts of a Futuretech Dragon, as long as they stay in their dragon form. Most of the time, I would come here looking for a mechanic. But this time, I¡¯m looking for a detective. ¡°¡­Do you have the thing I asked you?¡± I said, straight to the point. ¡°Oh, here.¡± She reached her pockets and gave me a tablet showing words and abbreviations that I couldn¡¯t get at all. All I can think is that it is some articles in the internet. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to investigate something that has been wiped out. This is the remaining encrypted data of the records of the Crimson Dragonfly.¡± ¡°How about investigating a man named Zac?¡± I followed up. ¡°You need to be a lot more specific, it¡¯s like there¡¯s ten thousands of men who are named Zac!¡± He scolded me like how my mother used to. So this is it? All data has been corrupted, if not deleted? Is there no way to uncover some truth about Crimson Dragonfly at all? I am not sure, but the Crimson Dragonfly¡­or Airi¡­ has something to do with the power boost I got in the elimination round. Just what is it? I need to know more! ¡°If you wanted to know something more, you should visit the site where this so called Crimson Dragonfly appeared a couple of years ago.¡± Vanilla City. We rode Croft¡¯s jeep towards the place where I could find some answers. When we arrived in that place, I was flabbergasted. I¡¯ve seen this place a thousandth time in the news before, but I never knew that this is a lot worse. Vanilla City¡­or what it was supposed to be called five years ago is not what it is anymore. There was a huge crater of about ten kilometer in diameter. On top of the gargantuan crater is rubble. Gigantic pieces of junk, wood, and plastic. There are a lot of buildings that has been partly reduced to dusts. Everyone who has seen this place would easily mistake it as a nuclear fallout site. There¡¯s no sign of life. Fifty thousand used to live in this place. And now, it¡¯s a ghost town. We have to slide on the ledge in order to approach the remains of the so called ¡°Friendly City¡±. We walked and scanned our surroundings. Croft has this metal detector device that has been producing weird beeping sound. ¡°According to my background check on your Airelina, I discovered that Vanilla City is her birthplace. That¡¯s the only thing I discovered.¡± Croft broke the silence. Vanilla City¡­ Airi never told me anything about her story. If I ever asked regarding her past, she would suddenly change the topic. I know she¡¯s hiding something. Something dark about her past that should¡¯ve stayed hidden. I feel bad about it, but I have to do this. Because right now, I don¡¯t know whom to trust. I have this crazy theory that one of the Arcadia killed Alder since Airi already knew his identity. Then they forged all the other evidences and made it appear like the ¡°Black Phantom¡± the killer. But it¡¯s just a theory, and doesn¡¯t even have any evidence. At the end, we never saw anything weird in the site. We wasted four hours for searching wreckage and ended up collecting junk parts for Croft¡¯s hangar. Vanilla City¡­ Just what happened there? Chapter 20: Please Trust Me Chapter 20: Please Trust Me Amphere Harrison Estoff¡¯s office is still a minimalist type, as ever. The pitch black table on the center of this room only holds one ash tray. There are one or two bookshelves on the corner of the room, and beside it, is a window without a curtain that can be leaned to view the other facilities of the Dragon Knight Academy. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Estoff still have this smug on his face while holding a glass of beer. He got his feet on top of his clean desk and leaned to his comfortable chair. ¡°It¡¯s pretty rare for you to visit my office here in the academy.¡± ¡°¡­I would like to ask you something.¡± I said coldly. ¡°I also wanted to ask you something. Why are you still wearing that trash?¡± Estoff pointed at my favorite black metal shirt. ¡°That makes you look a lot more like an idiot.¡± Okay, I was hurt. I¡¯ll donate it to the beggars of the streets later. I looked away, but then Estoff grabbed my attention. ¡°What would you like to know again?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s about the Crimson Dragonfly¡­again.¡± ¡°I told you to ask Airelina about that crap.¡± Estoff snorted. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure that what happened in the elimination round has nothing to do with Crimsond Dragonfly, or Airelina.¡± ¡°¡­How can you be so sure?¡± I tilted my head. Estoff drank up the last droplet of beer on his glass, and then put it down into the table. The silence in this room made the two ice cubes inside the glass made an echoing chime. Then he finally spoke. ¡°No one has ever been made three dragonoids fuse into one ultimate dragon. No one in history. You¡¯re the first and the only one who can do that. And that ability of yours¡­ it¡¯s a lot more terrifying than the Crimson Dragonfly itself.¡± There was a chill on my spine as I looked into my hands. My body has been frozen, but my hands and toes are trembling. How could I have such power? I¡¯m a hundred-percent human! My ancestors don¡¯t have any knowledge about any magic or witchcraft. I¡¯m the first on my clan to activate a Vesryn Pulse! Suddenly, I remembered. The white-haired kimono girl. Her crimson red eyes and terrifyingly dark sclera burned an image to my head. ¡°¡­B-But that wasn¡¯t me. Someone¡­gave me power¡­¡± My lips trembled as I said those words. ¡°Oh.¡± Estoff crossed his arms. ¡°You¡¯re quite peculiar. Then who is?¡± ¡°A silver-haired kimono girl with red eyes. I don¡¯t know how or why, but she¡­she talked to me inside my mind¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just half asleep at that time.¡± Estoff said. ¡°Or maybe your passion in saving your friends made you nuts¡­just like when you battled General Leviticus to save Airelina.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. No, that¡¯s not it. I went back to my dormitory while lost deep in thought. There are too many mysteries to discover, and so far, I¡¯ve only learnt the Black Phantom¡¯s identity! Darn, my head hurts! Maybe I¡¯m over processing things inside my head, but everything doesn¡¯t make any sense! And I still have to concentrate on the tournament! As soon as I opened the door in my room, I got off my Metal Rockz T-shirt and threw it unto the laundry basket. But then, I realized that the lights in my room are on. There were girls that glared me with contempt. Airi, and the president Reina! They are sitting comfortably on the carpet in circles! What the heck are they doing here in my room!? I shrieked and covered my chest with my arms then stutteringly shouted ¡°W-W-What a-are you d-doing in my room!!!¡± But then, I was silenced when I realized Emy, who was sleeping safe and sound on my bed. There are a lot of bruises on her face. ¡°Sssshhh!¡± Airi jumped on me and pushed her face forward. ¡°For now, cut the comedy! There¡¯s something chaotic going on, totally¡­¡± After I calmed down, Airi told me Emy¡¯s story. According to her, Emy has been kidnapped after the elimination round. She woke up in a dirty alley two days later, and found bruises all over her body. She never knew what to do until she reached the city proper and discovered the news about her knight, Alder, who was killed by ¡°Black Phantom.¡± Emy immediately went to Reina to ask for some help. Reina can¡¯t keep Emy on her mansion because of some racism issues on her family, so she asked Airi to accommodate Emy just for this night. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience, Mister Harrison. The student council and the Chevalier Unit are in great debt. I promise we will repay you.¡± Reina said in a polite manner. ¡°No, no¡­It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± I smiled and scratched my head. Deep inside, I¡¯m wondering how I could sleep for the night. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Amphy!¡± Airi grinned. Then she poked my stomach with her elbow. ¡°I can still share my bed with you, if you like! Totally! Just don¡¯t do anything weird or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± I said coldly. How can she talk about killing with such a cute smile? Reina was about to leave the room when she immediately turned to me and switched to a serious topic. ¡°Mr. Harrison¡­ If I may ask¡­ Why did you choose to be a Dragon Knight?¡± ¡°¡­Ummm¡­Er¡­to earn a lot of money, I guess?¡± I scratched my cheek. Of course it¡¯s a bluff. ¡°I see¡­such a shallow reason after all.¡± She sighed and looked disappointed in my answer. ¡°¡­How about you?¡± ¡°I became a Dragon Knight to kill a certain someone.¡± The fierceness of her eyes ignited stronger than any flames. It was rather horrific. Then she left. Well, that was creepy. I turned to Airi who was changing a damp cloth on Emy¡¯s forehead. She did it in a tremendously caring manner, like a mother to her sick child. This Emy¡­ She didn¡¯t even know what happened to the real Black Phantom. And it looks like she didn¡¯t have any answers at all. Or maybe she knows something. Right. I should ask her about the Crimson Dragonfly. ¡°Amphy?¡± Airi turned to me. I didn¡¯t respond. I just glared at her jokingly, but I maintained a serious atmosphere. ¡°I know that you doubt my loyalty to you¡­totally.¡± She bowed down. ¡°Is it because of the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I maintained my silence. Is she reading my mind? Airi sighed, and then held her chest. She made a step close to us and looked into my eyes, as if she is reaching my soul with her bare hands. Then she bowed down in despair. ¡°I know that you doubt me as your partner, because I hide a lot of secrets from you. You¡¯re totally hungry for answers, but I have to tell you¡­I can¡¯t give you what you¡¯re looking for¡­ The Crimson Dragonfly, no, me¡­I¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± Tears started flowing to her cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to know what doesn¡¯t worthy of knowing¡­so please¡­ Please trust me, Amphy.¡± Chapter 21: Blackmail Chapter 21: Blackmail Airelina Frembell It was early in the morning already, but Amphy is not in the verge of waking up. Reina already dropped by in the morning and fetched Emy a few moments ago. So the two of us are alone again, in this room, in the same bed. I lifted his head and lay it down on my lap. I have heard that guys like Amphy likes this much, maybe because it¡¯s comfortable. What¡¯s more is that my legs are totally shiny, totally appropriate for Amphy¡¯s fetishes. I don¡¯t want to seduce him, but I have to win his trust back. He has been doubting me ever since we fought the Black Phantom¡­or Alder Windstrafe originally. Slowly, Amphy¡¯s eyes opened. The first thing he saw in this beautiful morning is my adorable smile. ¡°Good morning, Amphy~¡± ¡°U-Uwaaaa!¡± He hollered, then made a hard karate chop on my forehead. I made a strange cute noise because of his painful attack. But that didn¡¯t lift his mood. Instead, I made him more upset. ¡°What the heck are you doing, desu!?¡± I held my red lumped forehead and projected the cutest pitiful face possible. ¡°I-I was trying to win your trust, totally!¡± ¡°Well that didn¡¯t win any of my trust, desu.¡± He glared at me and crossed his arms. Wait, there¡¯s something wrong. ¡°Desu?¡± I tilted my head. Suddenly, Amphy stood up away from the bed. He was still wearing his pajamas, but he¡¯s now fully charged more than I do. What¡¯s with the change of personality, totally!? ¡°Well, I just realized that my ¡®Metal Rocks¡¯ T-shirt won¡¯t add some personality on me so I decided to change my speech pattern and start the morning hyperactively, just like what you do!¡± I¡­I don¡¯t have any word for his foolishness. I held out a soft chuckle. So he was still bothered by his boringness and lack of personality. He¡¯s always trying so hard to change himself, in a ridiculous manner. Maybe that¡¯s why I love him. Totally. ¡°Stop blushing like that, we¡¯re going to be late in class desu!¡± He scrunched. Oh yes. This is our regular school day. The next round of the tournament will be held a week later the elimination round, so those things are out of our minds for a brief moment. Classes are also important. These are necessary to attain a promotion. Right now, Amphy is a Dragon Knight 2nd Class. One more year until he will get promoted to 1st class and finally graduate. Then, if one of the five Pentagram Knights retire, Estoff will recommend him to the royal family to fill up the position. Of course, winning the tournament will skip all those processes. Once he gets the title of the Princess¡¯ Guard, he can finally have the bill signed by the princess. Though everything is just a matter of chance, this is the right peaceful way.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. If we fail, then maybe a war will outbreak. And we don¡¯t want that to happen. That is why Arcadia has been inactive for years. The day went on smoothly and peacefully. I waited for Amphy in the front gate of the academy. We always do this every afternoon together with Kyrie and Rudolf, but it seems like the other two are busy on some sort of things. It works on my favor because I wanted to treat Amphy to a caf¨¦. I¡¯ll try to talk about all the things that have been bugging Amphy¡¯s head. I¡¯ll try to win his trust again without exposing my secret. ¡°How¡¯s your class?¡± I asked at Amphy when we finally met. ¡°My classmates mistake me for a weabo.¡± He said it with a smile but in a tired expression. ¡°I¡¯ll drop desu from now on¡­¡±He sighed heavily. I forced a smile. Well, his classmates are totally right. ¡°Well then, shall we go?¡± ¡°Waiiiiiiit!!!¡± There was someone shouting from a distance. It was Rudolf and Kyrie, running towards us. ¡°Amphere! You have to look at this!¡± What a really good timing. The ending result is that we ended up in the caf¨¦ as planned, but including those two. Well a double date is totally okay for me, but I can¡¯t talk about Amphere¡¯s thoughts if Rudolf and Kyrie is on the way. There are four teacups for all four of us in the table. Kyrie is busy sipping her tea, as well as Amphere. Rudolf¡¯s expression is quite distasteful, specially the way he stares at me. He looks at me with contempt. I can sense that there¡¯s something off this guy. Wait¡­ Rudolf is with the Chevalier Unit, which is led by that devil Kyle Leviticus. He is with Alder and Reina. Kyle Leviticus knows that I am a key member of Arcadia. That demon might have said it to Alder, which is why he knows a lot of things. I don¡¯t know what happened to Alder and Emy, but his gaze. I know he¡¯s about to blow something up. ¡°Um, Amphere¡­I asked your attention because I have found something.¡± Rudolf finally talked. ¡°About what?¡± Amphere said. ¡°About the information you¡¯re looking for¡­The Crimson Dragonfly.¡± Rudolf reached the pocket of his jacket and revealed a photo. My face froze. There¡¯s no way¡­ They have found me! I¡¯m done! If Amphere knows everything about it¡­all my dreams¡­all dragonoid¡¯s dreams¡­are completely gone. I have to stop it. I have to stop Rudolf from spewing nonsense to Amphy! Do I have to kill him!? No, Kyrie is totally on guard. She might be drinking her tea, but I can sense her gaze to me. A killing intent. One finger I move, and a battle will broke out. ¡°This is¡­¡± Amphere looked closer at the photo. ¡°The Crimson Dragonfly?¡± It is a gigantic dragon with steel plates all over its body, similar to a Futuretech Dragon. The only weird difference is the four red crimson wings that looked like a blazing fire on its back. There is no way that it is a Futuretech Dragon given that its size is compared to tall buildings. It might be seventy meters high. ¡°It¡¯s a Monolith Dragon.¡± Rudolf grinned. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you a lot from the Crimson Dragonfly for one condition.¡± Amphy looked at me, and then looked seriously at Rudolf. Rudolf¡¯s lips slowly moved, at least from my perspective. ¡°Join the Chevalier Unit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t want to.¡± Amphere immediately answered. Rudolf looked like a rejected man on a confession. ¡°I don¡¯t like General Kyle a bit.¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡± Kyrie and Rudolf stood up. I readied my mental state for combat. I have predicted that a battle will be an inevitable result in this negotiation, but Rudolf spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a lifetime, Amphere. You will stick to your decision to the very end¡­ But let me tell you this¡­Be careful on whom you trust. Because in my perspective, you¡¯re on the wrong side.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Amphy made a fake laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I was just about to tell make an oath to Airi that I won¡¯t be touching that Crimson Dragonfly subject anymore, since it¡¯s ruining our relationship. It¡¯s been affecting the two of us in a big deal, and I realized that I wanted some peace. I hope you understand¡­¡± Then the two left. Amphere sipped his green tea peacefully, and I¡­ I exhaled a lot of carbon dioxide. I can¡¯t believe that nothing happened between the two. But I know that the next time I meet Rudolf and Kyrie¡­ It will be in the battlefield. First Days in the Dragon Knight Academy First Days in the Dragon Knight Academy Amphere Harrison ¡°Introduce yourselves in front.¡± The very first command in the school year. I guess every school does this. ¡°Amphere Harrison.¡± My name was finally called. It took me three seconds to think if I should just go with the flow or run away. I¡¯m feeling grumpy and not in the mood to do this. I wanna go home and ask Estoff why he lied to my parents. About working as a Dragon Knight of the empire. Opposite. The truth is I will be working with the terrorist group Arcadia. I guess I could go with the flow for now. As I stood in front of the classroom, all of their eyes switched focus on me. I¡¯m definitely in the hotseat, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I am pressured right now. What I¡¯m feeling is hate. Hate to this very world. I wanted to become a Dragon Knight but not like this. I kept my pokerface and tried to speak as loud as possible. ¡°I¡¯m Amphere Harrison. My mother forced me to come here. Don¡¯t touch me, don¡¯t talk to me, I don¡¯t like anybody. Thank you.¡± Then I went to my seat. There¡¯s no reaction from the class. There¡¯s literally no reaction. Nice. I don¡¯t want any attention on this very first day. My actual style of studying in this academy is gray. Avoid recitations, never raise questions, forbid yourself from raising your hand, focus on the professor¡¯s word but don¡¯t take down notes and act like you can memorize it. Yeah, I¡¯m fun at parties. I have low grades on high school too. My first day on this very academy went on smoothly. Nobody talked to me, nobody befriended me. Not until dismissal of my last subject. A loud idiot hooked his arm to my neck like we¡¯re even close. It¡¯s Rudolf. Yeah, we¡¯re close. ¡°I never thought that we¡¯re going to enter the very same academy after high school!¡± He said it loudly so that other students could clearly hear. He¡¯s like proclaiming our friendship to the whole world. ¡°I never knew that you have a plan to become a Dragon Knight.¡± I commented bitterly. I honestly didn¡¯t know. Last time we talked about our dreams, he said that he wanted to become a computer engineer. And me, a computer engineer. Too. Who knew that we would still end up in the very same place! ¡°Well, there¡¯s a drastic change of plans.¡± Rudolf scratched his head. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s with that grumpy attitude of yours this day? Did you eat something bad? It looks like you really meant everything you said in that introduction earlier.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Well, kinda. It¡¯s a long story and also a drastic change of plans.¡± We parted ways when we finally reached the main gate of the academy. He was living on the dormitory south of here where almost every student resides. Me? I reside in the small Inn Estoff owns near the academy; A.K.A the Arcadia¡¯s secret base near the school. It is a lot cleaner and wider than Airi¡¯s Inn in the slums so I feel a lot comfortable now. When I opened the door, Estoff was already there in the round table drinking a can of beer. It¡¯s still early afternoon and he¡¯s already getting himself tipsy. ¡°How was school?¡± He greeted me like a drunken father. ¡°It was fine.¡± I said coldly. ¡°You know, a Pentagram Knight like you shouldn¡¯t waste your time drinking.¡± ¡°Bah! Shut up. This is my rest day. I could do what I want. Tomorrow is more paperworks. Do you even know what paperworks mean!? It¡¯s hell! You know, being a Pentagram Knight is a pain in the ass! Literally! Totally!.... Hey Airi¡­¡± Estoff immediately shut up after seeing the woman on my back. It¡¯s Airelina on her sailor uniform. I don¡¯t know how I didn¡¯t notice her tailing me but I know she¡¯s with me as soon as my classes dismissed. I forgot that dragonoids like her are attending the same school as mine. I almost forgot that I have a dragonoid. Maybe because I always go home all alone when I was younger. Or maybe because I don¡¯t like her a little. No, It¡¯s not that I hate her. I love her because she¡¯s my first dragonoid friend. It¡¯s just that¡­I don¡¯t like what they¡¯re forcing me to do. Entering the Dragon Knight Academy to overthrow the empire¡­It¡¯s just ridiculously evil. ¡°It seems like we needed to talk.¡± Airelina seriously glared at me with her ruby eyes. ¡°Totally.¡± I have a lot of questions and complaints to Estoff but I know I can¡¯t talk to him right now, not on his current state. Besides, Airelina is the Arcadia¡¯s sub-commander due to her battling and leadership skills. It is just logical to discuss all these matters to her. So I followed her to her room, and then she shut the door. ¡°Hand.¡± She said. ¡°¡­¡± I slightly twisted my gaze to her, wondering what would she like to do. ¡°I said hand.¡± Then she grabbed my right and held it with her warm hands. ¡°Geez, totally!¡± Then there was a strong silence. Even crickets won¡¯t dare to break this awfully awkward atmosphere. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous again. Not with you. Totally.¡± She said serenely. Arcadia fight for the freedom of all dragonoids, and to end mankind on its cruel abuse of their power. The empire is the very source of this evil, so being in Arcadia means defying the very law of mankind and its empire. I have seen enough dragonoid blood and corpses to join their cause, yet I¡¯m hesitant to fight with them. My heart is split into two- one is logical, and one is pure justice. The logical choice is to stay alive and go with the flow and ignore my ideals, while my sense of justice says that I have to free every dragonoid who has been oppressed. ¡°Estoff and I talked about it yesterday. We will never involve you on our ¡®acts of terrorism¡¯, totally! You will be totally safe in our care. We¡¯ll assure you that.¡± She made an innocent smile and a cute blush that grabbed and threw my bad vibes away. I know that I can trust her. It even made me smile for some unknown reason. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the real meaning of the Vesryn Pulse. All I know is that it is the synchronization of a human and a dragonoid¡¯s heart. Does it involve fast beating? Butterflies on stomach? Blushing? Being in love? Is it all somehow connected to the Vesryn Pulse? Chapter 22: Fairy Dance Chapter 22: Fairy Dance Kyle Leviticus This is the day of the second part of the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament. Unlike before, this worthless tournament is now held at the coliseum of Guardian¡¯s Haven. Everything is being explained to the participants while we, the twelve generals and the princess, sit with comfort on our chair here up in the stage. We all have a great view of the puny candidates above here. The coliseum is filled with ignorant civilians and idiotic dukes who are here to watch the battles that will be held in this event. All of them are noisy, and I can¡¯t stand it. If it wasn¡¯t for Rudolf and Reina that will be participating in this very tournament, I would¡¯ve gone home and played a little more with my precious Elumina. But I have to endure. This is to have my plans gain fruition. ¡°Good morning, powerful Dragon Knights of the academy!¡± The emcee started. ¡°This is the start of the second round of the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament! As you all know, the second round will be bracket elimination, and will be fought one versus one! As for this whole tournament, we will still use the Shield Plates to determine the winner! Once the participant had their Shield Plates to zero, the battle will be over! So let us see who will be fighting who, in this battle!¡± There was a humongous electronic board at the opposite side of the stage where all names and faces of the sixty-four participants are presented. The board shuffled all the profile pictures. Everyone started to have a pathetic nervous looks who are worried about their first battle, wishing that they wouldn¡¯t face a strong opponent. As for me, I don¡¯t want Rudolf or Reina to face three people. Number one is the man named Mark Anthony Octavius, also known as the Vesryn Pulse Canceler. He took down almost fifty of the Dragon Knights in the preliminaries, and rumors say that he can revert a dragon back to its human form just by stroking his halberd. I¡¯ve seen him fight, and I know that his strength is on par with the generals. Number two is the plebeian Cleru Neos. His swordsmanship is topnotch, and his knowledge about magical evocation surpasses the powerful wizards as of this time. His dragon is also an epic rare type, a Rainbow Dragon which only appears one in a billion. And lastly, number three; Rudolf¡¯s best friend Amphere Harrison. His sword skills are just average. His ranking is always low but he hides a great potential, which is on par with Rudolf. I can never forget the face of a man who defeated me years ago. And also, his dragonoid is the Crimson Dragonfly. He managed to fuse three dragons and summon a horrific creature in the eliminations. He and his dragonoid are the biggest threat I could think of. The computer screen finally showed the people who will be fighting each other. Luckily, Rudolf and Reina will not be battling those three people. ¡°First battle will be our beautiful student council president Reina Stephanie Fleuret vs. Raeghar Thornes¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The first two dragon knights who will be entertaining us audiences made their appearance on the center of the sandy arena. Their dragonoids followed after them. Raeghar Thornes is not so well known on the academy. His brown hair was spiked like wolverine and he has these thick eyebrows that would be a reason to mistake him for a lion. He has a burnt tan complexion, and on his right arm is a tattoo of an anchor. He¡¯s going to fight topless, revealing his steel-hard six pack abs. His dragonoid is a woman with wavy navy hair in a white dress. From the look of that dragonoid, I can already conclude his dragon type. The two of them placed their Shield Plates to their left chests. The giant screen showed the two participant¡¯s portraits, and below their faces are numbers which represents the power of their astral shields; percentages of their ¡°lives¡±. Once a participant¡¯s Shield Plate reaches zero, he or she will be out of the tournament. ¡°Ready?¡± The two participants readied their weapons. Reina posed a fencing stance while glaring intensely at Raeghar, who is wielding a trident. ¡°Fight!¡± ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The two shouted. They never wasted any single second. Raeghar¡¯s blue maiden dragonoid transformed into a sapphire limb-less serpent with five set of fins. This dragon has two pairs of wings which made it capable of flying in the center of the arena. It has crimson red teeth capable of gnawing any types of metal. The very end of its tail is same as those of a shark. I knew it. It is a Deep Sea Dragon. Reina¡¯s fairy dragon flew upwards and made an echoing roar. Then the crown cheered excitedly. ¡°Ball of light, illuminate my enemy!¡± Reina pointed her sword. At that moment, light particles gathered on the tip of her short sword. Then all those light energy that was gathered transferred to her fairy dragon, Eva. The fairy dragon unleashed a ball of light to the enemy. To counter this, the deep sea dragon unleashed a hydro pump from its throat. The water pressure of his attack is capable of drilling a cave in a mountain, but it didn¡¯t do much in the fairy dragon¡¯s attack. There were consecutive balls of light that made it through the water pump. It hit the Deep Sea Dragon on its head and body which made it collapse on the floor. Then the Deep Sea Dragon reverted back to its humanoid form, unconscious and unable to continue the battle. Reina then leaped forward to clash with the muscular deep sea dragon knight. Raeghar managed to block some of Reina¡¯s fast hacks and thrust, but it chipped away his shield. 80%...65%...43%. He fell down on the ground when his shield was already 12% due to the impact of Reina¡¯s latest stab. ¡°Hraaaaaaaa!!!¡± Gathering all his remaining strength, Raeghar stood up and charged to the blonde maiden. But his enemy¡­Reina already knew that she will easily win this fight. Then Reina delivered the final blow. The end. What a disappointment, but the crowd kept going nuts anyway. ¡°The winner is President Reina Stephanie Fleuret!¡± The announcer shouted with enthusiasm. Honestly I know that it will be a one sided battle. Reina may be weak against multiple enemies, but one versus one battle is her forte. She even made it on the first round unscathed. Her battle prowess in this arena is unmatched, even comparing to Rudolf. If I have to bet on someone winning on this tournament, it would be the student council president. The other fights are just plain one sided, if not two idiotic knights fighting each other that prolonged this fight. Seriously, there are thirty two fights as of this day, and they are all doing a clown act. I wanted to play with Elumina, but I guess I have to endure it a bit longer. The next battle is Rudolf¡¯s. In the arena, the two knights stood in front of each other. His opponent is a blonde pretty boy who has green eyes. He emits a seductive aura for girls who wanted to get laid desperately. If I were to describe this man, it would be a ¡°Little Estoff¡± since they resemble that damned terrorist. His dragonoid is a twelve-year old girl who has black hair and eyes. She was wearing a black maid outfit. Maybe this gecko works under this pretty boy. ¡°Next battle! Rudolf Azregon versus Sherman De Froulle¡± Chapter 23: Poison Gas Chapter 23: Poison Gas Amphere Harrison I can¡¯t believe it. How can Rudolf become so powerful? It happened so fast. The blonde knight named Fang started the fight by piercing his broadsword on the ground. White petals started emerging from the ground and waltzed through the shrill air. Those razor sharp petals hove to Rudolf like homing missiles. Kyrie rushed forward and protected her knight using her black and white wings as a shield. While keeping his enemies busy, Fang used his Vesryn Pulse to transform his dragonoid into a giant white lizard. The dragon¡¯s scales consisted of white rose petals, yet those very petals are keen like daggers. This dragon didn¡¯t have any wings, but it has white rosebuds on its shoulders. Its arms and claws closely bear a resemblance to iguanas. It is a White Rose Dragon. But before Fang and his dragon knew it, Rudolf already launched himself to the air. There is a dark aura emitting around Rudolf as he hacked the flabbergasted knight. It was a direct hit to the head, and the Shield Plate never gave any consideration on it. It was already on 0%. The loud buzzer rang, signaling the end of this quick battle. ¡°The winner is Rudolf Azregon!¡± The emcee shouted. The crowd went wild as they spotted a perfect candidate for the Princess¡¯ Knight. Fang slammed the ground with his fist due to frustration. But then Rudolf came in and lent him a hand with a smile on his face. The angered loser didn¡¯t accept it. Instead, he struck Rudolf¡¯s helping hand and walked away, gritting. It was such a humiliation. The fight just took about fifteen seconds. Rudolf didn¡¯t even use his Vesryn Pulse to defeat that knight. Airi and I were watching the fight off stage. When our paths crossed, I gave off a congratulations-smile at him, and he returned it back with an innocent smile. Meanwhile, the two girls¡­they are not getting along. Kyrie and Airi. Airi is trembling with¡­I don¡¯t know if it is fear or anger. Airi¡¯s clenching her hand, while Kyrie just kept her silence in an arrogant manner. I know that Kyrie looks at Airi with disgust and hatred. Now that I noticed it, Rudolf also avoided eye contact with Airi too. Maybe it¡¯s about Airi¡¯s secret; the Crimson Dragonfly? I would like to know more about it, but I promised Airi that I will never bring that topic back again. Besides, the more I know about that secret, the more distance I see myself with Airi. I can¡¯t have that. I have to focus in the tournament. When everything¡¯s over, that¡¯s where I¡¯ll have to learn more about her secret. ¡°Next fight will be Amphere Harrison and William Eiffer!¡± I stood stiff in front of my opponent in the center of this very arena. How should I describe this enemy knight? He has muscular limbs, tan complexion, and his black spiky hair are all pointing to the skies. This guy is a super saiyan. He¡¯s also with his green thick headphones. I can even hear his death metal music clearly. And also, this knight is using a pipe. Yeah, not a sword. What makes it more ridiculous is that he¡¯s with dragonoid who is a baldo kid wearing white judo uniform. Black belter. But still a kid. I can¡¯t take it seriously because I will be fighting a kid that looks like a cancer survivor. Not to mock those who are ill, but I feel pity on him.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± the emcee shouted. ¡°LET¡¯S ROCK!!!¡± William shouted as the same time as his loud headset screamed the very same phrase. Darn, he makes me miss my Metal Rockz shirt. He surged forward with a cheetah-like speed as he hacked sideways from his left. I evaded it easily by ducking and prepared for a counter attack. Without drawing any of my swords, I answered with an uppercut that directly went to his chin and made him fall back. Annoyed, he then shouted ¡°DIIIIEEEEE¡± the very same time as his music cried the very same word. He snapped something on his sword-pipe, and then black baseball balls started launching to my direction! I had no problem evading all the twelve balls that has been scattered around me, but the real problem arises. The balls exploded and a thick greenish smoke surrounded my body! Is it a smoke bomb? No! It has a putrid rotten corpse smell in it! I have to avoid breathing in this area! I have to get out of the smoke¡¯s area of effect! Suddenly, the cloud of smoke opened and revealed the bald kid who pressed a palm to my chest! My lungs were compressed by force for a second and made me out of breath. I fell defenselessly to the ground. The bald dragonoid readied his other fist for another attack, but thankfully, Airi came in and made a head-to-head collision with the baldo. Airi¡¯s forehead hit the kid¡¯s nose, which made the baldo lose his ground. I can no longer hold my breath, so I heavily grasped for air. There is no way I could pick the air I should absorb, right? So I was forced to inhale the green air. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± William shouted as he grabbed his chest. The kid transformed into a wyvern-looking lizard. Every part of this creature is colored moss green, except for the eyes. It has a yellow sclera on its red eyes, and also, its wings and arms are fused together like those of a bat. Its mouth gave off a green gaseous smoke when it opened its jaws. I¡¯m pretty sure this is a Venom Dragon. I¡¯m also about to use my Vesryn Pulse, but my body refused to move. Is it because of the gas I inhaled earlier? I can¡¯t even touch my chest in order to activate it! ¡°Hahaha!¡± William laughed like a madman. ¡°You finally inhaled my neurotoxin bombs. You¡¯re now as good as dead! With you unable to move, I can finally assure free hits!¡± The venom dragon charged a lime vaporous orb on its mouth. Then it launched to my direction. 87%. There are still a lot of Shield Plate batteries left on me. But with me unable to move, I¡¯ll certainly lose in this fight! Just when will the toxin wear off? ¡°Are you totally forgetting me!?¡± Abruptly, Airi kicked the ground and launched herself to the air. Combined with cybernetic boosters and white platinum wings on her back, she crashed to the venom ball the dragon unleashed. I wanted to shout her name, but my lungs are so weakened that I can¡¯t even draw some air and make a sound. But all my worries washed-out when I saw her continuing her flight with full speed! ¡°You idiots totally forgot that machine-based dragons like me are completely immune to any kinds of poison!¡± Airi cried with a smirk. Airi revealed the two photon sabers she just stole from me and dashed forward to the spiky-haired knight. Airi is an expert in swordplay, and combining her skills in flight, she is a force to be reckoned with. Her aerial agility is top notch! Aside from that, she is as reliable as the Beatles when it comes to delivering hits! There is no way for William to win this sword fight. His pipe is only good for launching poison bombs, and not for whacking some crazily speedy-flying dragonoids. His venom dragon is not able to help either, since the battlefield is on top of his head. That lizard is as helpless as me right now. Sparks fly in the skies. Williams shield goes down and down as Airi kept her sword combos connected and swift. 73%, 65%, 50%, 30%, 12%, 0%. His Shield Plate ran out of power in a matter of seconds due to continuous pressure of my dragonoid. ¡°The victorious one is Amphere Harrison, and his skillful dragonoid swordswoman!¡± the emcee shouted as the buzzer goes off. The crowd went wild again as Airi carried me on my shoulder and helped me to walk. Duchess Corasell was waiting impatiently on the door. She was ticking her fingers on her arms, and when she saw me being carried by Airi, she immediately ran to me. Then I got a brutal slap on my right cheek. It never hurt because the toxin apparently gave me a feeling of anesthesia, but I know that my cheek is now rosy. ¡°How dare you fight recklessly like that? How can I entrust you the progress of the bill if you¡¯re just a useless half-assed knight!? That¡¯s not how you fought with the Black Phantom! That¡¯s not how you fought when you protected me!¡± Chapter 24: Deduction Chapter 24: Deduction Rudolf Azregon Dragon Knight Academy, in a certain classroom. The professor dismissed our class already, but some students preferred to stay on their seats. Amphere has been leaning his face on his right hand, trying hard to act cool and not to show his real feelings right now. That slap from the Duchess Corasell yesterday (Yeah, I witnessed it) must¡¯ve hurt a lot that he¡¯s concealing his pain. There¡¯s no bruise, but his right cheek is still reddish. He¡¯s like a man who forgot to use his blush-on on his other cheek. Amphere now made another sigh as he pulled his bag under the desk. I forced a smile when he looked at me, but he maintained his grumpy yet emotionless face. Airelina is right about being so bland and boring about this person, but I¡¯ve known him for about two decades that I can easily read his emotions like a book. ¡°Maybe you should stay away from Duchess Corasell from now on.¡± I said. ¡°Your assignment for her is long over.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He said with a bitter smile. ¡°As much as I wanted to run away, I can¡¯t. I need to protect her.¡± ¡°You know that the Black Phantom is after her, right? It¡¯s dangerous.¡± I said with a caring tone. Of course I lied. I already took the Black Phantom¡¯s life. ¡°I know. But someone is more dangerous.¡± He stared on the floor for a couple of seconds. Then he made a long silence as he was engulfed in deep thought. As far as I know, almost everyone whom you¡¯re working for; Estoff Wraith, Marieflorine Corasell, and more importantly your dragonoid the Crimson Dragonfly are the most dangerous crew in the world. There is a lot of proof that connects them to the terrorist group Arcadia, and you have been blinded by them. I know that they¡¯re using you for their own sakes! I can¡¯t tell him that for sure. If I started an argument about that, his attachment to those evil scumbags would grow, and his hate for me and the Chevalier Unit might arise. Kyle said that I should recruit him to the Chevalier Unit as soon as possible. I have to save him before it¡¯s all too late. Reina approached us and crossed her arms. This girl always looks serious and strict, but she¡¯s cool at the same time. It looks like he was about to tell us some update. ¡°Emy has been delivered safely to the Dragonoid Facility on the Guardian¡¯s Haven. She should be safe there for the meantime.¡± Then she stared on the ceiling. ¡°That Black Phantom is really a dangerous person, huh. That guy already killed four skilled Dragon Knights.¡± Reina didn¡¯t know the whole story. Only Kyle, I, and our dragonoids know everything about the Black Phantom and the Crimson Dragonfly. If Reina gets hold of that information, her acts would be certainly uncontrollable. We need her help as a skilled leader and as a powerful Dragon Knight. Still, I don¡¯t know if letting Emy go is a good decision. Kyle said that we should eliminate her too but I wanted her to be alive. I know that Emy didn¡¯t have any idea who killed Alder or the ones who tortured her, but she might be able to lead us to the Duke Dragunov, who is the leader behind all the Black Phantom¡¯s motives. We consider the Duke and the Arcadia the same level of threat to the empire.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You two look like you know something.¡± Reina frowned at Amphere, then to me. ¡°N-No, nothing at all!¡± We answered in sync. It should¡¯ve been obvious, so I tried to reason out myself. ¡°It¡¯s just that almost all Dragon Knights are connected to the Dragonoid Rights Bill, or the Duchess Corasell. Well maybe Alder is just out of place there.¡± ¡°Or maybe Alder knew a lot.¡± Amphere added. This guy¡­He certainly knows what¡¯s going on. ¡°You¡¯ve been sticking your nose to the young Duchess. Maybe that slap from yesterday is a warning sign that you should stay away from her.¡± Amphere had his ¡°You witnessed that too!?¡± face and scratched his head. He is certainly embarrassed. Well there were a lot of people who saw that magnificent slap in the backstage. It was certainly attention grabbing. The sermon after the slap is somewhat entertaining too. I should¡¯ve bought some popcorns hahaha! ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± Amphere said. ¡°There¡¯s no way that the Black Phantom would come after me.¡± Amphere¡­knows everything. I scowled at him and took note of every gesture he made. His hand and head gesture as well as his facial expressions. When he noticed me being stern, he quickly continued to defend himself. ¡°Do you remember my power back in the elimination round? Black Phantom would be scared of me. Ha ha ha.¡± What a fake laugh. The three-headed white dragon. He successfully used Vesryn Pulse to three dragonoids at once. Not just that, he managed to fuse them together as one. It¡¯s a power that is to be feared, even by the empire. It is the newest mystery that no one has been able to solve. Now to think of it, why would Airelina choose Amphere as his knight? Did she already knew the full extent of Amphere¡¯s abilities? The more I apply logic it, the more I hate Airelina. I should investigate more. When the sun faded, I made my resolve to study more in the Chevalier Unit Office. For the next nights, I effectively used the bulletin board to learn everything about all these mysteries. I have a lot of data and documents to analyze in this office. I am sure that Estoff and Airelina are involved in the Arcadia, but I need a definite proof. Darn. I slammed my head on my desk. My brain is already overheating trying to guess what the Arcadia really wants with Amphere. My knowledge about Dragunov¡¯s plot and the secret of the Crimson Dragonfly didn¡¯t offer much help. All of them are unconnected to Amphere, so I¡¯m close to believing that Airelina and Amphere¡¯s contract as a dragon and a knight is coincidental. How did they meet in the first place? Amphere said that she bought her in a good price in Goldcliffe City. And that is a terrible lie. I know Estoff has been involved somehow on their first meeting. Arcadia¡¯s motive is to free the dragonoids. Duchess Corasell must be getting support from the Arcadia because she is the author of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. And also, Amphere joining the tournament¡­ There¡¯s still so much to know. But I am certain for one thing: Once Amphere wins the tournament, Arcadia¡¯s plans will come to fruition. I¡¯m not against the freedom of dragonoids. But I can¡¯t help but to doubt their true objectives after that. With Crimson Dragonfly and all the free dragonoids on their arsenal, they can overthrow the empire. And I can¡¯t afford that. That means I have to defeat Amphere in this tournament. I looked at my watch to see the time. It¡¯s already past midnight. Come to think of it, I was deprived of sleep for the past three days. I think it¡¯s worth it anyway. I finally have a conclusion, yet there are still mysteries to be revealed. Suddenly¡­ I saw a reflection on my watch. There was an apparition on the window. A man with a black magician¡¯s hat and white mask. A long platinum cloak. A ghost that shouldn¡¯t be here in this world. I tried to rub my eyes, believing that it was just all a hallucination. But when I looked at the window, I immediately concluded: he¡¯s completely real! The Black Phantom! Chapter 25: Phantom Revival Chapter 25: Phantom Revival Amphere Harrison Three days ago¡­ My heavy breathing is the only ones making the noise on this mini-hall. Except maybe the dripping of my sweat, and Estoff¡¯s chuckle that sounded like a teenage grunting. The wooden floor has been soaked by our two-hour sword spar perspiration. No, I¡¯m the only one sweating. Estoff has been acting so cool that he hasn¡¯t even made himself half serious. He¡¯s just toying with me. My right shoulder hurts. My left leg hurts. My abs hurts( Just kidding, I don¡¯t have any. But my tummy hurts.) Even though we¡¯re just using wooden swords for practice, he never gives me a chance to flee and continue to hit me like a battered dog. ¡°You¡¯re getting rusty.¡± Estoff said, still chuckling. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re refining your ¡®other¡¯ skill than your swordplay. Maybe that¡¯s why you almost lost.¡± ¡°Well, my ¡®other¡¯ skill will help me in battle.¡± I made a tiresome smile. ¡°That¡¯s why you should use that on the next battle. Remember, Airi is not always there to protect you. Well, you can count on her, but not always.¡± Estoff¡¯s right. If I keep relying on my dragonoid in battle, I would end up losing the tournament. I can¡¯t even control her powers properly, and also I don¡¯t know how to make use of those ¡°Dragonoid Eyes¡± back again. I need to refine my known skills. But I admit, I¡¯m sloppy in swordplays like this. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. I¡¯m not here just to spar with you. I need you to meet someone.¡± Estoff lowered his sword and turned his back, signaling the end of this sparring. After we had our shower on his office and change our clothes, we immediately rendezvous with Airi and Duchess Corasell. We rode on Estoff¡¯s limo which has Gilliard (His dragonoid, remember?) as the driver, like always. It was a two-hour ride. Every time I sit on this limousine, the scene is the same; Airi sleeping and drooling on my shoulder, the duchess talking jollily to our pretty boy Estoff, and Gilliard being silent as me as always. For the whole travel time, the duchess avoided any conversation with me. She didn¡¯t even make any eye contact. She clearly hates me until now. My cheek already healed from her slap, but my heart didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t get me wrong. It hurts when somebody hates you. Well, if she hates me, I hate her too. She¡¯s really rude to Dragon Knights, and has no manners to the elderly. I¡¯m a son of a duke too, you stuck-up bitch! We finally stopped in a garden filled with fairy bushes. Fairy bushes are like bonsais which bears white fairy wing-like flowers. There are also a lot of dragonoid maids who keep those fairy bushes trimmed and healthy. This is like the Duchess¡¯ garden back in her manor. On the center of the garden is a middle-sized manor. It is just a two-story house that has a Big Ben-like clock tower on top of the roof. Quite peculiar. The clock says that it is already past eleven AM, when we normally ate at the cafeteria. Maybe that¡¯s why Airi has been complaining that she¡¯s hungry. Just how many stomachs does a female dragonoid have?You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I was about to knock the door of the manor when Airi immediately grabbed me back to the duchess. The duchess¡¯ cheeks are somewhat reddish, and I know that she¡¯s quite embarrassed at me. ¡°Come on, say it! Totally!¡± Airi said to the duchess. Then she forced both of our hands to shake. ¡°We needed to reconcile!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± There was a long pause on the duchess¡¯ side. She inhaled a lot of air, and then looked at me in the eyes. ¡°I-I apologize for what I have treated you for the past days¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing, milady.¡± I scratched my head and turned away in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s kinda my fault, and I deserve it.¡± ¡°Yay! Now the Arcadia has been reunited! Totally!¡± Airi celebrated. Meanwhile, Gilliard and Estoff laughed in the corner. Then the door opened. There was a white haired man with a white complexion and white beard. He was wearing a white tux. This guy is about on his sixties or seventies. On his side is a bland teenager¡­with nothing special. Maybe the special thing about this guy is that he¡¯s not special at all. ¡°Welcome.¡± The white haired man received us. ¡°Please come in.¡± I whispered ¡°Who is he?¡± to Estoff, but he didn¡¯t answer me. I also noticed that the duchess started clinging to my arm, shaking. Maybe she¡¯s scared of the house or something. Airi noticed the duchess, so she cling herself too to my other arm. What the heck is happening with these girls? Their living room is not that wide. The house is made of narra woods that are varnished thoroughly. Now that I think of it, this is more like a rest house. We sat on the golden sofa while the dragonoid maids prepare us some tea. Then the white man introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Yuri Dragunov, a regular businessman.¡± Then he referred to the bland man on his right. ¡°This is Nox, my personal bodyguard. And also, the Duchess¡¯ former knight.¡± ¡°I hate him.¡± The duchess whispered to me as she tightened her grip to my arm. Owowow! That hurts! Estoff hit that spot earlier! ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase, Duke Dragunov.¡± Estoff said with a smile on his face. ¡°We came here for a deal.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forget about that.¡± Dragunov said. ¡°I will deposit the money to the Arcadia and I will support and vote for the Dragonoid Rights Bill in exchange for the information about Kyle Leviticus¡¯ Chevalier Unit. Is that sufficient enough?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Estoff and Dragunov stood up and shook their hands. After their quick deal, Dragunov turned to me. ¡°Is this the young knight you told me about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Estoff presented me proudly. ¡°He is Amphere Harrison, 2nd Class Dragon Knight. He made you a lot of money last time, wasn¡¯t it?¡± He¡¯s certainly referring to my performance in the elimination round. ¡°Yeah, I went all-in to bet for you! Your three headed dragon is cool and powerful!¡± Duke Dragunov is surely hyped. ¡°What was that thing¡¯s name again?¡± ¡°Ultima Dragon.¡± I answered with a boring smile. Duke Dragunov immediately shifted to a serious face. His green eyes glared at me with a burning will. ¡°That was the last time I saw my foster son, Alder Windstrafe.¡± He said. Airi and I was about to react, but then Estoff raised his hand, telling us to keep listening and finish his story. ¡°The Black Phantom is the figure of my village¡¯s honor. He is well known for being the assassin of the corrupt. I became the Black Phantom at one point, and when I got older, I passed it to Alder. At first, he managed to do the righteous assassination to those who are wicked. But everything changed when he was recruited to the Chevalier Unit of Kyle Leviticus.¡± I¡¯m going to leave a side note here. There is no way that an assassination is righteous. Period. ¡°He began killing Dragon Knights that are in favor of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. I believe his mind has been poisoned by that devil general to do such things, and stain the name of the Black Phantom. Now that he¡¯s dead, I can¡¯t help but to conclude that Kyle is behind all those things. He used my son. He even used the name of the Black Phantom to get away from his sins. And he has to pay for it.¡± The bland man Nox showed us a metal briefcase, which he immediately opened. There was a black cape, a platinum chaleco and white long sleeves. There is also a pair of glossy leather shoes and dark slacks. And more importantly, the white mask. ¡°Investigate the Chevalier Unit. Restore the mask¡¯s honor. Be the Black Phantom!¡± Chapter 26: Ghost of the Past Chapter 26: Ghost of the Past Amphere Harrison Even though it was already midnight, the moonlight gives a clear view of the whole area. I can say that this Black Phantom costume suit me better than Alder. This clothing is surprisingly lightweight while being fashionably formal at the same time. The leather shoes also have some cushion inside which makes it feel like I¡¯m wearing regular running shoes. But no matter how comfortable this costume is, I can¡¯t stay spying for a skilled Chevalier Unit Dragon Knight for five hours. I¡¯ve been watching him from a distance for hours, and that didn¡¯t give me any information. So during the fifth hour, I tried peeking on the office to see what he¡¯s been studying. Rudolf finally detected me. When he saw me on the window, I immediately ran like a ninja through the mini-forest at the back of their office. Rudolf didn¡¯t have any tolerance for creepy masked man, so he jumped out of the window and ran like an Olympian. He reached his broadsword from his back and then created a crescent slash! There is an invisible shockwave or air or something that cut through some trees! I evaded it by ducking while continuing my sprint. He didn¡¯t give up there. He opened up his palms and projected floating mini-black hole on each hand, and then shoots it to my direction! One, two, three¡­. There is eight of it! Because of the whirling sound the projectile makes, I managed to evade the first five even without looking. Three dark balls remained. I finally decided to unleash the sword on my waist- a golden photon saber. I used my glamorous new sword to deflect all incoming black holes! I cannot outrun him like this. I finally stopped running and decided to face my predator. ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Rudolf¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Who are you!?¡± ¡°I am the Black Phantom.¡± I said. My voice reverbs through the area. Thanks to this cybernetic choker on my neck, my voice won¡¯t be recognized even by my best friend. ¡°You¡¯re just a fake.¡± Rudolf chuckled while preparing for a centered stance. ¡°The real Black Phantom doesn¡¯t use that kind of sword.¡± Well, I don¡¯t have any comment for that. If he thinks that I¡¯m fake, that will work on my favor. I hopped to the nearest branch, trying to flee again but with a blinding speed, he finally intercepted me! How¡­did he get so fast? ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away!¡± Rudolf said as he smashed his sword to me! Luckily, my reflexes made me block the sword with my golden saber. But his strength is so unbelievable that it made my body shoot to the ground and leave a small crater. I was never hurt thanks to my shockproof costume! ¡°Are you¡­¡± Rudolf continued to ask. Darn, he¡¯s really an annoying enemy! ¡°Are you the new puppy of Duke Dragunov?¡± I see. So Rudolf knows that the Black Phantom and Duke Dragunov are connected. Duke Dragunov¡¯s theory must be correct then.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°General Kyle Leviticus is behind the killing of my foster¡­no, my son. ¡° Well, I might have to ask too. I slowly got up on my feet and looked upward, to the branch, where the Chevalier Knight was standing stiff. The full moon¡¯s rays shoved upon my shiny mask¡¯s face. ¡°It seems like you know who killed the original Phantom.¡± I said with certainty. ¡°Original or not¡­¡± Rudolf clenched his fist. I have a feeling that he¡¯s not going to spill some beans. ¡°I will not let any Black Phantom leave this place alive!¡± Oh right, Black Phantom is a criminal. A murderer! If I got caught here, I¡¯m dead. Rudolf¡¯s whole body has been engulfed with dark flame-like aura. Some of the black particles compressed itself to Rudolf¡¯s arms and feet. There are some black smoke-like figures emitting from his back. ¡°Chaos Claws.¡± He muttered to himself. So this is his newfound power. He inherited his dragonoid¡¯s witchcraft balls and now this diabolic aura power-up. Man, I wish I never agreed to the duke¡¯s proposal after all. With a blinding surge, he swept his right claw to me! I evaded it with a side step and wrapped his arm with my bulletproof cloak. But the cloak dissolved in no time! But he didn¡¯t stop there! His left claw, now tightened, made a straight uppercut to my stomach! But I have an extra protection that Rudolf forgot to bring. The Tournament Shield Plates. Shield Plate is now 0%. Then the plate went off. Thanks to that Shield Plate which absorbed the incoming damage that I¡¯m still alive by now. This Chaos Claw is terrifyingly dangerous! If I got hit once more, I¡¯m done for! I dashed backward, gaining a lot of distance from my best friend. This guy is seriously trying to kill me! Suddenly¡­ There was a golden arrow-shaped streak that gushed just above my right shoulder. I luckily evaded that magical attack. It seems like I¡¯m effectively using all the luck in my stash, but now all my luck is about to get depleted. That magical streak¡­I saw it before. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve hooked a big fish this time, Rudolf.¡± Reina said. She was just right behind me, but there¡¯s a lot of space. She had her short sword pointed at me. ¡°Now the Black Phantom will be finally unmasked.¡± Not just Reina. Kyrie and Eva are here as well. The four readied their weapons and magical projectiles as they surround and circle me. Great. What¡¯s my chance in surviving two Chevalier Dragon Knights with their Dragons? Negative fifty percent. I have this distress button that can call Airi right away, but revealing Airi will be a losing cause. Airi¡¯s life will be in danger if I do that. I will never let that happen, even if I got caught here and get a deadly humiliating punishment in front of the empire¡¯s court. But then¡­ ¡°W-What the¡­¡± Rudolf grunted. There was a circle of light where I stood, which glimmered throughout the area. Light walls emerged that covered my entire body and then woosh! There was a blinding light. The next time I knew it, I was not in the Chevalier Unit¡¯s compound anymore. I¡¯m now in the middle of the street, a few meters away from the Dragon Knight Academy. It seems like I¡¯ve been forcefully teleported here. And I¡¯m grateful to that. But who did that? Who saved me? In front of me, is a familiar young adult man wearing leather armor. His black long hair and his crimson red eyes made me realize that a miracle is certainly possible, but yet unbelievable, in this world. ¡°You¡­Richard?¡± I cried in surprise. It is Richard Astherson, the dragonoid that was killed by Kyle Leviticus about four years ago. There is a little difference from what I remembered from his appearance. There is a blue tattoo on his forehead that resembles the omega sign. There are floating balls of light on each of his shoulders. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve grown a lot stronger, Amphere.¡± He smiled at me. ¡°R-Richard¡­¡± I was about to approach him but then he raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. Please continue to protect Airelina. Take care.¡± Then there was a circle of light on the same ground where he¡¯s standing. It was the very same light that transported me away from danger. As soon as his body was entrapped by the cylinder light wall, a dazzling light flashed again. And he¡¯s gone. Story of Rudolf Azregon Story of Rudolf Azregon Rudolf Azregon When I was a child, I never wanted to become a Dragon Knight. I¡¯m approachable and friendly to dragonoids. I don¡¯t find them disgusting unlike my best friend. I find them as cool creatures and I see them as my equal. What I don¡¯t like in being a Dragon Knight is the job itself. A Dragon Knight must be present in almost every battlefield. Sure, a Dragon Knight is an official in the military hierarchy of the empire, and that means I have to take lives directly or indirectly in the battlefield. Every life taken by my wits or by my hands will be a burden that every Dragon Knight should bear. But I never thought that I would take a life just before I can enter the Dragon Knight Academy. There was a time where I was accompanied Amphere to Goldcliffe City, three months after the power plant explosion that was made by the terrorist group Arcadia. Actually, I have a seminar at that time in a five-star hotel in that city (Because I¡¯m the school president back in high school.) Amphere has his own appointment or something in an inn in the slums so we parted ways almost instantly. The five-star hotel accommodated all student councils of the empire. The seminar is about some school rule changes and school charter changes that will be applied in the upcoming years. It includes both human and dragonoid schools. That was the time I first met her. Platinum-black hair and cream-white skin. Her crimson eyes dominated my heart instantly. She was petite, but gorgeous at the same time. My heart quadrupled its pumping speed when she first said ¡°Hi¡± and waived her hand at me. She was Kyrie Fenrir, the student council secretary on a dragonoid school in the slums of Goldcliffe City. Aside from her good looks, I found her keen on her studies and caring to her fellow officers. She was a hard worker with charisma. I just had a breakup at that time, so I have a hard time moving on. I think I¡¯ve confused my feelings for my ex and my feelings for that charming woman. So I decided to call Amphere and treat him a drink in a local pub. I need advices from my best friend. Amphere chose the inn in the slums. The adorable red-haired bartender (Who was Airelina) gave us a strong glass of beer whatever, I¡¯m not an expert. I know we¡¯re somewhat minors but never mind. I¡¯m just here to let off the steam that was stuck in my heart. So I cried like a puppy in the middle of our drinking session. ¡°You need to move on dude.¡± Amphere¡¯s face is now pale red. ¡°Those hoes ain¡¯t loyal.¡± The endearing red haired bartender glared her crimson eyes at Amphere upon hearing those words. But Amphere just tolerated it. I had a feeling that this two knows each other. Anyway¡­ ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find some chick we both like if we scroll through your contacts.¡± Amphere continued. I revealed my tablet and searched for beautiful girls on social media, and then to the dating sites. There were a lot of potential girlfriends of my type, so I recorded their numbers on my phone. Amphere searched for chicks too. I know Amphere wanted to have a girlfriend too, because that dude¡¯s a complete virgin in terms of romantic relationships.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Hey, this girl is cute too.¡± I showed him the profile of Kyrie, who is currently on my friends list. Amphere immediately got the number and saved it on his contacts. We both got wasted and slept in that very same inn for the night. The outcome is that I returned to the hotel with a hangover. I struggled to walk, to go back to my room in this hotel and sleep but when I was finally in front of my door, a beautiful maiden was there, smiling. ¡°U-Um, you¡¯re Rudolf Azregon, right?¡± She asked me in a worried tone. ¡°Y-Yeah. Why?¡± I wish I could hide my smell. ¡°The house speaker said that the seminar will be moved from 7 PM to 9 PM.¡± She scanned through the papers she¡¯s holding. ¡°Oh, thanks for informing me.¡± Then there was an awkward silence. She¡¯s completely blocking the door, and she¡¯s not moving! ¡°Ummm¡­ you messaged me last night, right?¡± Kyrie¡¯s face reddened as she turned away. ¡°W-What?¡± I exclaimed. Maybe I sent a message while drunk and half asleep! This is so embarrassing! ¡°T-Thanks for that.¡± She said. Then she rushed away. I laid my back on my bed and checked my phone. Kyrie is really telling the truth. Good evening. I am just here to say that you¡¯re astoundingly gorgeous. That is my text message. Now I remembered everything. Amphere helped me construct this short and simple yet sweet message. I thought it was an embarrassing one. That message even made Kyrie flattered. I attended the seminar smoothly. My hangover¡¯s gone, I feel good, and I¡¯m gonna get things done. I don¡¯t need to have another glass of beer for the next weekend. I think I¡¯m over with that love problem! I¡¯m gonna look forward and take a step to a new world! When the meeting has been finished, I noticed that Kyrie has been pestered by three other student officials. They are dragonoids too, but they¡¯re up to something nasty. I can¡¯t just act and defend Kyrie since those dragonoids are her schoolmates. I won¡¯t meddle in some business if I don¡¯t have the right to. Everything¡¯s different though if they started doing illegal. They grabbed Kyrie outside the hotel, into a dark alley. Kyrie is resisting but she didn¡¯t call for any help. It¡¯s clear that she didn¡¯t want to harm these three crimson-eyed men. She just tried to struggle and break free, but she can¡¯t. They¡¯re too strong for her! ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what you¡¯re true form really is!¡± One of the men pulled out something in his jacket. It¡¯s an injection, containing a caramel-colored liquid. As soon as he injected it to Kyrie¡¯s neck, she fell down on her knees. The three boys freed her, but she won¡¯t be able to run away because of the drug they just injected. Her black and white wings emerged. Her dark tail also made its appearance. ¡°What a rare one!¡± One of the men said. ¡°She¡¯s a Chaos Dragon! You will be sold high in the capital, Ms. Secretary!¡± ¡°Let go of her!¡± This time, I revealed myself! I can¡¯t stand this scene any longer! Just by hearing that they¡¯re selling their own kind¡­It¡¯s disgusting! ¡°R-Rudolf.¡± She crawled, trying to make a step closer to me but she can¡¯t. That drug should¡¯ve paralyzed her muscles by forcing her heart to reveal her wings and tail. The three dragonoids picked their own pockets and readied their Swiss knife. I¡¯m now in a tight situation, but I can¡¯t just leave Kyrie here! The first man prepared a stab, but I parried his arm and swung my elbow to his jaw which made him knocked out in an instant. The second guy and the third guy charged at me! One straight punch to the nose was all it took to defeat the second attacker. But the third got me on my stomach! Blood ooze throughout the floor. My vision blacked out. But my strength didn¡¯t run out. I roared that echoed throughout the street. The next time I knew it, I was already in the hospital, with Kyrie sleeping beside my bed. I got a single injury which is a stab to my right stomach. Thankfully, that didn¡¯t hit a vital organ. But Kyrie¡­She suffered a greater damage than me. Because of the drug injected to her, she will never be able to hide her wings and tail. According to the news, I ended up killing all those three people. Unconsciously. The three dragonoids received a stab on the heart, each of them. That was just a small price to pay for what they did to Kyrie. I was never acquitted guilty of murder because the law of the empire states that ¡°No man shall ever go to prison in taking a dragonoid¡¯s life.¡± Humans are the superior race after all. Chapter 27: Tropical Madness! Chapter 27: Tropical Madness! Airelina Frembell ¡°Eeeeeeeh? Totally!?¡± This is my overreaction to Amphy¡¯s words. Thirty minutes before the second round of the tournament. Amphy and I has been really noisy in front of the restroom here the backstage. At least no one can hear us talking here. Amphy just told me the story on how he miraculously escaped in that hellish Chevalier Unit Compound. When he talked about Richard being alive, I first thought he was joking. But there¡¯s no way that he is. He didn¡¯t know what kind of dragon Richard is. I never told him. But based on what he said about the floating ball of lights, the more I¡¯m convinced on his silly story. ¡°Err¡­I don¡¯t know, totally¡­¡± I scratched my cheek softly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who saw him die on Kyle Leviticus¡¯ sword, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but Brow saw it too. He was certainly struck in the heart. As far as I remember, that is.¡± Amphy said worriedly. ¡°But we failed to recover his body.¡± That¡¯s right. At that time, when we first made the pact of the Vesryn Pulse, we were ambushed by the Pentagram Knights. We¡¯re so tired at that time that we ended up rescued by Estoff. Brow was also rescued by Estoff when he was impaled to the ground. That means Estoff is the one subject to the question. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll ask Estoff about it later.¡± I smiled at my cute knight, trying to cheer him up. ¡°We should focus more on this upcoming fight of ours, totally!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right!¡± Amphy¡¯s mood immediately changed. His eyes now reveals a will of fire as he raised his fist, preparing for a fistbump. ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± As soon as I returned a fistbump, our names have been called by the emcee. The crowd went wild! Totally! ¡°The first fight for this Sunday will be Amphere Harrison and Maya Bullwick!¡± Maya Bullwick is a petite woman with brown hair. She looks like a fifteen-year old girl who had her hair braided by her mother. She¡¯s cute, but not half as cute as me! Totallly! Her dragonoid is a tall tan man who is wearing a red-and-white cap. This guy looks like he came from a tropical country overseas. The two knights stood in front of each other in this dusty arena. They installed the shield plates on their left part of the chest, and unsheathed their weapons. Our opponent knight is wielding dual scimitars, and her dragonoid partner is wielding a¡­toilet paper. Maybe it¡¯s a scroll or something, if I¡¯m mistaken. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± The crowd roared as the signal for the start of this battle went in! The enemy dragonoid made the first attack! He stripped pieces of napkin from his roll (I told you it was a toilet paper) and threw it towards me! He used those as a literal shuriken! I waltzed to the left and right to evade those silly weapons as I close my distance to him! Multiple clanks echoed through the area. Amphy and Maya are having an intense swordfight like those in the pirate movies. Amphy is quite troubled because he¡¯s only using one photon saber as of the moment. He can¡¯t block the scimtars easily so Amphy decided to evade the incoming slashes and hacks. But even so, he can¡¯t just evade those attacks easily, which made the opponent chip off some of his shield power.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. As for me, I don¡¯t have any trouble in my enemy. Those tissue shurikens are way easy to dodge and block. Besides, photon sabers cut through like knife and well¡­napkins. I managed to close in the distance. Unlike us dragonoids, we are not protected by Shield Plates. A single slash might be fatal, so I decided to punch him right to the nose, which made him immediately fall to the ground. ¡°Max!¡± the opponent knight grunted as she dashed away from Amphy and rushed to her injured dragonoid. ¡°Stand up! You have to keep fighting!¡± I went back to Amphy¡¯s side to watch the scenario. As soon as Max the tissue guy was back on his feet, his knight reached her flat-chested torso and shouted with a blazing spirit! ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The enemy dragon is a green gecko which is standing in two feet. It is a seven-meter lizard without any wings, but there is a set of leaf-blades on its arms. It has a tail of a literal coconut tree. On its back are six eggs or something, but it looks like a coconut to me. It is a Coco Dragon, if I were to name it. Unfortunately, it is called a Tropica Dragon. ¡°Amphy.¡± I called his attention. I wanted to transform and ride on me (I think I want him to ride on me even in humanoid form. Just kidding! Totally!) but he seem to be hesitant. ¡°Requesting Heightened Clearance.¡± Amphy said to me. Futuretech Dragonoids like me have a limiter installed to us, which are called Clearance Systems. Unlocking a clearance layer will grant our dragon knight access to our latent powers. This will mean Amphy will borrow my powers just as powerful as Rudolf¡¯s Chaos Claw and Reina¡¯s Fairy Arrow. I quite agree to Amphy¡¯s idea. I¡¯m kind of out of mood to fight right now. Besides, I did all the fight last time in this tournament. This is your chance to show off your true power, Amphy! Show that Duchess Carousel what she wanted to see! ¡°Heightened Clearance Authorized! Totally!¡± I replied to him with a jolly tone. Four homing drones boosted out from his back and floated beside Amphy, and flew freely around him in a perplexed manner like bees protecting their beehive. These drones are colored the same way as our photon sabers; glasslike with a white laser lining around it. They all look like a floating edge of a sword without a hilt. But these drones are not just your ordinary drones. They are controlled automatically by the instinct of Amphy. They are called Dynamos. The Tropica Dragon shoots hundreds of scimitar-shaped leaf blades from its arms! But the dynamos never ignored it! It fired tiny laser beams that roasted the incoming leaf scimitars! But the grassy dragon¡¯s attack didn¡¯t stop there! Giant green claws smashed in front of my beloved knight. He jumped up, completely dodging the dragon¡¯s fist. The dragon¡¯s claw dug the hard dusty ground, making it hard for it to pull off. Amphy rushed forward, using the dragon¡¯s stuck arm as a ladder to reach the enemy knight. Maya readied her scimtars, but the dynamos never gave her a chance! It fired of lasers that made the scimitars flew in the air! Amphy¡¯s saber glowed in white light, and then he surged with a wonderful speed that naked eye wouldn¡¯t see! He left a white streak due to his agility breaking the sound barrier as he pushed through the photon saber on the enemy¡¯s shield plate! ¡°Wha-!!!¡± That was the only word Maya released from her mouth. When she realized that Amphy¡¯s sword finally reached her, her Shield Plate is already at 0%. The buzzer came in with a deafening sound, and then the emcee finally proclaimed. ¡°The first match has been decided! The winner is Amphere Harrison! What a fantastic speed from our winner!¡± As soon as Amphy went to my side, he made a big sigh. The dynamos immediately went back to his back and dissolved like bubbles. And then Amphy smiled at me like a child who won a candy. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°Amphy!¡± I jumped to him and hugged him tight, pushing my breast purposely to his face. ¡°You totally did it!¡± When we went back to the backstage, the Duchess Carousel and Estoff congratulated us. Unlike before, the duchess was really proud of him in this fight. She even shook Amphy¡¯s hand without having any gloves, for the very first time. It seems like the duchess is beginning to like my Amphy! Estoff immediately cut off our celebration and revealed a letter to us. ¡°Amphere. This is for you. From Richard.¡± Chapter 28: The Ruined Cathedral Chapter 28: The Ruined Cathedral Amphere Harrison Amphere, meet me at the ruined cathedral on the west side of the floating island. I¡¯ll be waiting for you until sundown. That¡¯s what the letter said. It might be a deceptive trap. I¡¯m not sure about this letter, but it came from Estoff. Estoff wouldn¡¯t give me this letter if it wasn¡¯t verified that it really was from Richard. Besides, I knew that Estoff knows that Richard is alive all along. He kept a secret from us, and I have yet to hear his explanation. Upon finishing the letter, I immediately bolted forward. Towards the exit. I must see Richard as soon as possible! He is one of Airi¡¯s friends after all. Or was it? I think Richard had a liking to Airi when I first looked at him. Airi dashed too, following my lead. ¡°Are you totally sure that you¡¯re not going to watch Reina and Rudolf¡¯s fight?¡± Airi asked, tilting her head. ¡°Richard said that he will be there until sundown. But it¡¯s just past ten, totally¡­¡± Airi has a point. The sun is still giving its radiant heat waves that make everyone in this coliseum soaked with sweat. It¡¯s really hot in here, except for the stage where the twelve generals and the princess are seating. That place looks like it¡¯s air conditioned. ¡°I don¡¯t need to watch those Chevalier Unit fights. I already know that they¡¯re going to win.¡± Airi nodded in agreement. As soon as we reached the light; the surface; or the exit of this coliseum, I activated Vesryn Pulse and rode on Airi to the destined place. Hiring a cab or uber driver is expensive, so using Airi as a free transportation is the most logical and most practical way. Besides, Airi enjoys taking me a ride on the vast thin stratosphere. Airi didn¡¯t deploy her jets. We flew as slow as possible, enjoying the view of the paradise-like Guardian¡¯s Haven. The heat didn¡¯t bother us because the wind up here is so refreshing, though I worry that my light complexion will get darker after some time. There is a wide plain which is full of cute yellow sunflowers on the northwest, and a green grassy hill on the southwest. ¡°This place is so beautiful, totally!¡± Airi cheered on my head. Maybe I¡¯ll ask her out to picnic in here some other time. Right now, I have an important thing to do. The ruined cathedral is just another landmark on this floating paradise. About four hundred square meters, this abandoned place stood still on a hilltop. Debris and bricks of this giant church looks like it already lasted for a thousand centuries. The right wing of the cathedral has been completely ruined, but the center and left wing seems to be strong. We landed on the main entrance. As I canceled the Vesryn Pulse, the humanoid Airi clung to my right shoulder. She was shaking. This place is considerably creepy, and I am just concealing my fear. As soon as we set foot inside, our fears faded. We were bewildered by this breathtaking view from inside the church. This is an indoor garden. The walls are crawling with vines that bear rainbow-colored flowers. The floor has been dominated by Bermuda grass. And the center is a fountain that sprinkles cool water to the plants.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. On the dry part of the fountain sits a man who should¡¯ve been dead for three years. ¡°Welcome, Amphere¡­Airelina.¡± The miracle man smiled. ¡°Richard.¡± Airi muttered. I thought that Airi would jump to Richard like those romantic movies, but no. Airi is composed as ever, and she almost didn¡¯t care if this man is dead or alive. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve grown a lot of muscles in you, Amphere. Last time I saw you, you¡¯re just a wimpy brat.¡± Richard chuckled, and then he turned to Airi. ¡°And Airelina, I know that you have been taken care of by your ¡®husband¡¯¡±. ¡°Totally!¡± She pumped her fist. I thought she would react on the ¡®husband¡¯ part, but no. I also thought that Richard is just being sarcastic and he is jealous and mad at Airi because she¡¯s clinging to me, but no. Looks like they¡¯re no lovers after all. ¡°Where have you been for the past three years?¡± I asked in a composed tone. I feel tricked for concealing the information that he¡¯s completely alive. ¡°I was dead for two years, but then I woke up in the Cathedral Exa.¡± Richard rubbed his chin. ¡°Apparently, Estoff took my body there for preservation. They engraved runes all over my body in attempt for my resurrection, and it looks like we succeeded.¡± Cathedral Exa is the largest cathedral on the capital. Since the cathedral accepts anyone without any racism or other discrimination, the cathedral is widely known for the dragonoid priests, or Crimson Priests. Almost eighty percent of the population of the clerics there are dragonoids, which is why they lost the trust of the human society. Since most of the humans believed that dragonoids are demons, they stopped attending masses of the Crimson Priests. There are also rumors that Crimson Priests are engaged in illegal witchcraft such as summoning spirits of the dead and revival of dragons. I¡¯ve once done my research about these allegations (because that was my report during my freshmen years on the Dragon Knight Academy) and found out that these are always not the case. Only special ¡®holy¡¯ priests are allowed to conduct resurrection ritual, and the chance of it succeeding is 0.0112%. I¡¯ve never seen an actual resurrection, but the tattoo/rune on Richard¡¯s forehead and the runes used in this ritual are the same. ¡°Did Estoff totally know this?¡± Airi crossed her arms. ¡°Just a few weeks ago. He told me to take a break from Arcadia since there¡¯s no operation for the moment. And also, he gave me the freedom to do what I wanted in this second life of mine.¡± Richard looked at his right hand with hope. He¡¯s grateful to Estoff being so considerate. Well, not for me. Estoff has been forcing me to run some errands such as protecting an ungrateful young duchess and forcing me to enter the terrorist group. But I really enjoyed being the Black Phantom last time. ¡°By the way, thank you for rescuing me last time.¡± I lent my hand to him. ¡°If you weren¡¯t there, I should¡¯ve been on the garrote right now.¡± He took my hand and shook it. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Estoff ordered me to watch you, just in case you got made.¡± ¡°Hey, what kind of magic did you do to teleport me away from the enemies?¡± I rotated my head like an owl. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you earlier?¡± Airi jumped between our conversation. ¡°Richard is a Warp Dragon! Totally! That¡¯s why he¡¯s able to create protals and teleportation circles at will!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Richard nodded. Then he opened up his palm, and a floating circle of light emerged. ¡°My powers seemed to become more powerful than the last time.¡± I remembered when Richard and I encountered Kyle Leviticus. When that evil general stabbed me, the slim sword passed through my chest, and Richard got hurt. Richard should¡¯ve created a warp to protect me from that bastard¡¯s sword at that very time. He saved my life in exchange of his. That was two times in the row now, when he made me flee against the Chevalier Unit. I can¡¯t help but to clench my hand. I always end up getting saved by my friends. I¡¯m so pathetic. Suddenly¡­ Richard¡¯s eye widened in shock, as if he swallowed an adult rat on his mouth. When I looked around, I concluded that a person has been watching us the whole time. It was the beautiful blonde woman, who is feared on her brilliance and battle prowess. It was the student council president, Reina Fleuret herself. ¡°R-Richard¡­¡± Reina muttered. The Story of Twin Stained Hearts The Story of Twin Stained Hearts Richard Astherson I never grew up in the Goldcliffe City Slums. I was born in the dragonoid-friendly city, Vanilla City. My father was the private bodyguard of Duke Geralt Fleuret, and my mother is a housewife. We had a tiny bungalow and my family¡¯s finances are generally high if you compare it to an average dragonoid family. When I was four, my father would take me to the Fleuret Manor. Duke Fleuret would hire a sword instructor for me to study basic sword combat for the reason that I will be the successor of my father¡¯s position. Also, Duke Fleuret would want to have me as a bodyguard for his only daughter. Duke Fleuret has a beautiful daughter, named Reina. Her golden blonde hair looks like jewelry, and her emerald green eyes also look like gems (spare me this description, dragonoids like me didn¡¯t have any education on Literature and Advanced English.) She is the best treasure of the Fleuret household. She had the same age as mine at that time, and unlike me who only studies to become a powerful dragonoid, she studies to be an elegant lady. (She had a background on Literature and Advanced English.) Reina would often watch me in the distance. A keen observer, she watches me train and train until my sword skills get better. Days, and weeks, and months have passed. I noticed that she was practicing the very same sword lessons on an empty library, or sometimes in the training hall. She hid it to her mother and father in fear of being unaccepted. No parents would want to have their daughter fight in the battlefield after all. When I caught her practicing, I decided to teach her whatever I learned on my lessons. Because of this, we became closer and closer until we¡¯re finally teenagers. That¡¯s where I learned a lot from her. She has an incredibly high rate of pick up on theories and applications of sword arts. Even though she¡¯s a lot better in sword plays than me, she¡¯s not a tomboy. In fact, all her etiquette is more ladylike unlike most duchesses out there. She¡¯s very aristocratic and very picky about food. She would wear white gloves every time she goes out of the manor, and avoid any skin contact with anyone as possible. But there are exceptions. We were fifteen when she first held out my hand. After a one-hour sparring on their garden, we managed to sit on their vast grass field and stare on the falling sun on the horizon. Our spar resulted to her win, even though our skills are evenly matched. I held back because I don¡¯t want to hurt the woman I would protect in the future. And the duke might kill me if I did. ¡°Hand.¡± Reina immediately said out of the blue. ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head, completely unaware of what she¡¯s talking about. ¡°Hand.¡± She repeated. It¡¯s like a master who¡¯s commanding her dog to raise its paws to her. I leant out my hand to her. To my surprise, she took off those gloves and locked hands at me. At that very moment, the two of us were blushing. My heart quintupled in speed, and there¡¯s a butterfly on my stomach. Actually, our chests are glowing bright. Literally. The only missing is the oath in order for us to activate Vesryn Pulse at this state.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°I am planning to enter the Dragon Knight¡¯s Academy. I¡¯m commanding you to stay by my side for the rest of your life.¡± She said in a joyful manner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my parents. They would understand my life choice as time goes by.¡± ¡°Yes, milady.¡± I softly clenched our locked hands. ¡°I would follow you to the depths of hell, or to the gateway of heaven. Until death do us part.¡± This promise might sound like some lines stripped off from a marriage ceremony, but who cares. I love her. But our love has been cut. The Crimson Dragonfly; the black gargantuan high-tech robotic dragon that has the wings of red eternal flames. No one knows who or what it was, nor its origins or its proprietors. It just emerged in the center of Vanilla City without warning. The Crimson Dragonfly charged a particle bomb on its mouth and released a photonic light beams that reduced the whole city into ashes. After making a catastrophe, it immediately vanished into thin air. Among the fifty-thousand victim of this calamity is Reina¡¯s mother. That is why she has a grave grudge on the Crimson Dragonfly. She pledged on her dead mother that she will get her revenge, no matter what. After a few weeks, a new disaster happened. The massacre of two-thousand helpless dragonoids in a mall in Highwind City. This ignited the Third Dragonoid War, and the birth of the terrorist group Arcadia. During the war, my mother was slaughtered by unidentified Dragon Knights, even though she¡¯s just a civilian and didn¡¯t have any faction in that war. At that time, I hated Duke Fleuret and my father for not able to do anything just to save my mother. From my eyes, they appeared like a lion who kept running away from an angry antelope. I wanted to do something, to get vengeance for my mother. My hate for Dragon Knights is just as colossal as Reina¡¯s hate for the Crimson Dragonfly. That is where my life changed. I met Airelina Frembell, who is the second-in-command of the Arcadia. She recruited me and promised to help me grant vengeance. At that time, Reina has been preparing for her entrance to the Dragon Knight¡¯s Academy, and hone her skills to finally hunt and kill the Crimson Dragonfly. We last met three years ago, in Airelina¡¯s inn in the slums, a few months before the operation of blasting power plants in Goldcliffe City. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve joined Arcadia.¡± Reina said. Unlike before, she looks more composed and stricter. ¡°We may be fighting, not sparring, next time. We might end up killing each other. I know your reasons, but are you really sure about it?¡± ¡°I have already cemented my resolve. I would eliminate every last one Dragon Knight, except you.¡± I said with a fake smile. ¡°I hated Dragon Knights, but even if you¡¯re already one, I can¡¯t have you killed. I promised to protect you until my death, and I¡¯m planning to keep that.¡± ¡°The Arcadia certainly knows something about the Crimson Dragonfly. I will catch every last one of them, except you too.¡± Then she left bitterly. That was the last time we saw each other. On my first life, that is. I wanted to know more about the Crimson Dragonfly in order to minimize the casualties of Arcadian members on Reina¡¯s hands, but everyone is denying that they know something. I know that Reina investigated about the murder of my mother, but it would certainly lead to dead end. There were no proof, identity, or anything that would help me know who¡¯s the definite killer. Dragon Knights will never remember the names, or the faces of the countless ones they killed during a war. That is why I have to kill them all, just to be sure. Now that I¡¯ve been revived, I am now questioning myself why would I be gifted with a second life? Was it to fulfill my promise on murdering the Dragon Knights? Was it to finally give up and let go, living in peace for the rest of my new life? Or was it to continue my sweet memories with Reina, and fulfill my promise to protect her till the end of my last breath? Chapter 29: Confessions Chapter 29: Confessions Amphere Harrison Aside from the flowing water in the fountain, Reina¡¯s steps towards us are the only noise that can be heard inside this ruined cathedral. She was emitting an intense aura that gives off pressure to Airi and me. I can¡¯t read her. Did she hear everything we just talked about? Is she going to fight us? ¡°Richard¡­I thought you were dead.¡± Reina¡¯s eyes glimmered, but that didn¡¯t make the pressure disappear. ¡°I-I¡­¡± Richard muttered as he turned away. ¡°I was¡­¡± ¡°You were killed by Kyle Leviticus.¡± As Reina released those words from her mouth, Richard clenched his fist and trembled. ¡°And you were revived by the Crimson Priests. Is that right?¡± Just how much did Reina overheard? ¡°How did you¡­?¡± I cried. But she cut my sentence off. ¡°You were the one who discussed it in class one or two years ago. It was your report, remember?¡± She gave off this oblivious smile at me. The way she said it made me doubt my own memories. Of course I remember all that! And then she continued. ¡°Aside from that, I knew all along that you three are involved in Arcadia.¡± There was a chill down on my spine. I know Airi felt the same way too. A Chevalier Unit, who is in charge of capturing or defeating Arcadia, already knows our secret. Since Reina tailed us, they should have an idea that Airi and I are connected to the terrorist group! What should we do? Killing her is not an option, unless she¡¯s going to kill us too. There are three of us here. I highly doubt that she didn¡¯t bring Eva in this place. Eva might be waiting outside, ready to back her knight up once Reina got in trouble. I¡¯m not even sure if we can defeat Reina. Airi and I readied our hands to draw our sword, but then Richard came between us and the blonde knight. Reina smiled and looked at me as she rose up her hand. The pressure aura surrounding her faded, and somehow my fears for her disappeared. ¡°You¡¯re secret is safe, Neo Black Phantom.¡± ¡°How did you¡­?¡± I cried but I was cut again. ¡°Your sloppy movements three nights ago made me remember your moves in the tournament. It¡¯s not that hard to spot identical battle patterns, at least for me. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m the only one who suspected you as of the moment. Rudolf and Kyle didn¡¯t know.¡± Making her say it makes me a lot more uncomfortable. So I¡¯ve been under surveillance by her for a while now. If she already knew from the start that I¡¯m the new Black Phantom and never said it to anyone, I think I could trust her. Then she turned to Richard again. ¡°I also knew that the teleportation circle was you¡¯re doing. I know your magical prowess since we were four, Richy.¡± Richard became embarrassed as he hears his long lost nickname from his childhood friend. But then she continued again. She raised her index finger. ¡°I will keep your secret for one condition. I knew that Richard and Airelina are members of Arcadia long time ago, but I don¡¯t feel like having all you Arcadians slaughtered. I don¡¯t have any grudge on dragonoids, Arcadia, or the Black Phantom. I only wanted information from you.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Information about what?¡± I said. ¡°Information about the Crimson Dragonfly.¡± Richard sustained Reina¡¯s subject. ¡°Reina¡¯s mother was one of the victims of the Vanilla City incident. She wants to know who or what the Crimson Dragonfly is.¡± My whole body froze. So I was right after all. The Crimson Dragonfly is the one who made Vanilla City a wasteland. According to Croft¡¯s researches, fifty thousand people died in that incident. A gigantic abomination took all those lives as it wreaks havoc in the so called dragonoid-friendly city. The way Richard said it makes me realize that he knows nothing about Crimson Dragonfly after all. I turned to Airi, who is trembling and sweating nonstop. She is the one responsible to those lives. She is the Crimson Dragonfly. But something doesn¡¯t add up. Airi didn¡¯t want to kill innocent civilians, as what I saw three years ago when she tried to evacuate all other people before making the power plant explode. The only thing that links Airi to the Crimson Dragonfly are the Black Phantom; Alder¡¯s words. ¡°Let me ask you one thing. Do you even know your dragonoid?... Do you really know the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± Aside from that, I have no other proof that Airi is the Crimson Dragonfly. The picture Rudolf sent me was a fifty-meter metallic dragonoid with crimson flare wings, a Monolith Dragon. There is no way a Futuretech Dragon would look like that. I highly doubt any of it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we don¡¯t know anything about the Crimson Dragonfly. It¡¯s all news to me.¡± I replied coldly. ¡°As I thought, you don¡¯t know anything at all.¡± Reina said. ¡°You¡¯re too innocent to know anything.¡± Airi¡¯s expression brightened. There¡¯s no way I would reveal my partner¡¯s identity even if she is really the Crimson Dragonfly. Airi will be immediately murdered by Reina if I said the wrong thing. Besides, I have another excuse to myself if ever Airi was really the Crimson Dragonfly. Futuretech Dragons are hard to control. If ever Airi has the ability to transform into a Monolith Dragon and slaughtered thousands of humans and dragonoids, she might as well be the victim. She might have lost control over her power during that time. I pretty much have the whole story stuck in my head. The only questions remaining are how did Airi become the Crimson Dragonfly? And Zac¡­ What exactly is his role? Who is he? Why did Airi tremble when she heard that name from Alder? Reina took of her gloves as she turned to Richard. Then she leant out her hand. ¡°Hand.¡± She said in an imperative manner. Richard¡¯s cheeks blushed, and somehow hesitated at first. But when he saw Reina¡¯s serious expression, he couldn¡¯t just reject it. Richard followed Reina¡¯s words and locked up hands with her. A few seconds later, Reina¡¯s white cheeks reddened and then jumped to Richard with a hug. This is truly a romantic sight between lovers who were separated by time and destiny itself. ¡°I really missed you, Richy.¡± Reina¡¯s voice is shaking, and then she uttered a loud cry. ¡°I thought you were forever gone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already here for you, Rei¡­¡± Richard also had his tears flowing out from his crimson eyes. ¡°I am here to fulfill my promise to you. I will never leave you again¡­I promise.¡± Airi and I were both touched with this reunion of their separated hearts. I can sense this intimate feeling between them, and also I can estimate their compatibility rate at a hundred percent. Their chests are glowing as of the moment, and I fear there will be an emergence of a seven-meter Portal Dragon if either of them starts chanting the pact. I noticed that Airi slowly moved closer to me. And then she whispered. ¡°Thanks for keeping my secret, Amphy. This is why I totally love you.¡± Looking at my partner dragonoid, I realized that she became a lot more beautiful than we first met. Her rosy cheeks made her adorable that became the pleasure of my eyes. Her eyes glimmered like ruby gloss that gives off the reflection of my face. Our face attracted each other closer and closer like opposite poles of the magnet. ¡°I love you, Amphy. Totally!¡± She screamed that made her voice echo throughout the cathedral. Chapter 30: A True Bond Chapter 30: A True Bond Amphere Harrison My vision is still woozy. Looks like I overslept again. It¡¯s morning already, though this time, the sunlight didn¡¯t shove my face to wake up. Instead, an adorable face with red eyes is two-inches away from mine. There was a warm soft hand on my forehead that makes me remember how my mother used to treat me when I¡¯m sick. But I¡¯m not sick at all. ¡°Good morning, Amphy~¡± It was Airi¡¯s cute voice. ¡°Good morning, Airi.¡± I greeted and smiled. It took me five whole seconds to analyze the situation. When realization possessed me, I immediately jumped out of my bed and made a whacking karate chop on my dragonoid¡¯s forehead! What a way to start your day with a loud bang! ¡°Uwa!¡± Airi cried, covering her reddish forehead. ¡°Amphy totally hit me!¡± ¡°Come on, we¡¯re late again.¡± I said coldly. I ignored her scream, and tolerated what she just did. She always does this kind of thing almost every other day, and I¡¯m tired scolding her over and over and over again. I¡¯ll just give her a karate chop whenever she starts doing perverted acts to me in early morning. We quickly geared up since I woke up twenty minutes later than usual. We just got our toast and got going, rushing to the academy without any talk. Darn Airi. Never waking me up. I use the sunlight as my alarm clock since I¡¯m too lazy setting up one, but she always block the windows¡­or even my face. Thankfully, I got myself five minutes before class. The classroom is almost filled up with students. Reina and Rudolf were already here. Of course, we knights conduct separate classes from our dragonoids so I¡¯ll never see that annoying Airi for eight hours. At least there¡¯s no loudmouth here. Or so I thought. ¡°Hey, I heard that Airelina confessed to you last Sunday.¡± Rudolf went in front of my desk and made a grin. ¡°What happened next?¡± Wait a minute¡­ There are only two other person who knew that Airi confessed her love to me. I turned to Reina, who happened to be avoiding glance to me while whistling. If Reina can keep my Black Phantom secret, why wouldn¡¯t she keep the Confession secret too? I tried to act as cool as possible in front of my best friend. ¡°I didn¡¯t give any answer.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Rudolf tilted his head. As a wise man said, ¡°mankind¡¯s curiosity will bring disaster to itself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡± I answered as cold as possible. ¡°Awww, that¡¯s so sad.¡± Rudolf seems disappointed. ¡°You know, love sometimes unlock the Dracaryx.¡± I didn¡¯t react to what Rudolf just said. This made the two Chevalier Unit got bored talking to me, realizing that I will never give confidential answers to them about my romantic life. Dracaryx. It is the ultimate weapon of Dragon Knights. They say that a powerful magic between the dragonoid and the dragon knight can be unleashed once Vesryn Pulse is reciprocated. Dracaryx has no definite form, and varies to the dragon and human¡¯s trust to each other. Only two percent of Dragon Knights can unleash this, and it also requires that the dragon and the knight are in opposite sex.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I¡¯ve heard the theories, but I have yet to see in my own eyes what the Dracaryx is. I don¡¯t understand it myself. Hearing Rudolf lecture it to me makes me realize that he has already unlocked it. He has so much power hidden to the public. Today¡¯s Magical Physics class is about a scientific project of the Hyperion Inc. Their new project is the Dragon Splicer. It is a triangular shaped plate that has the same size of the Shield Plate. There are photon circuits running along it together with some small motherboards that a tech genius would make an orgasm just by looking at it. ¡°The Dragon Splicer is made from various Futuretech Dragon Cells. It has the ability to merge the cells of two different dragons. It has a nanotechnology brain wave circuits that makes the consciousness of two dragons combine in a single body. It is still in the prototype stage, so the so called ¡®fusion¡¯ of two dragonoids will only last for fifteen minutes.¡± The professor said. Rudolf leaned to me and whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hint about the Crimson Dragonfly. It involves that thing.¡± He is pertaining to the Dragon Splicer. I pretty much have all the information about the Crimson Dragonfly. My guess is that Airi used the Dragon Splicer with another dragonoid to become a Monolith Dragon. Futuretech Dragons are hard enough to control, what¡¯s more with a gargantuan one? Airi killing thousands of people is when she was in frenzy state, which clearly gives that Airi is not liable for those deaths. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not even surprised.¡± Rudolf made a serious stare. ¡°Airi already told me everything about the Crimson Dragonfly. Your General won¡¯t be able to blackmail her anymore.¡± I said. ¡°Oh?¡± Rudolf seems unimpressed. ¡°Tell me what you know.¡± ¡°Airi fused herself to one other dragonoid using the Dragon Splicer to become the Monolith Dragon. Because of this overwhelming power, she failed to control it and started melting away the whole Vanilla City. Savvy?¡± Rudolf clicked his tongue and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s just so wrong. Airi really wants you to have the wrong idea.¡± I clenched both of my fists. I wanted to punch him, for playing dumb with me. For ruining my trust with Airi once again. For doubting my reason in entering this Academy. What else is there that I miss? ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want you to be played fool by terrorists.¡± Rudolf tried to calm me but it didn¡¯t help one bit. ¡°I also didn¡¯t want Airi to be hurt that is why Kyle and I never revealed the real identity of the Crimson Dragonfly to Reina. But if Airi¡¯s going to use you too, just like her past Dragon Knight, then I¡¯ll prevent her with all my bullets in my bag. You¡¯re my best friend after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re clearly sounding like Alder¡­No, the Black Phantom.¡± I tried to force my smile to intimidate him. Rudolf¡¯s brown eyes widened in shock for a millisecond then calmed himself down almost immediately. He knew that Alder¡¯s the original Black Phantom. He should have been involved in Alder¡¯s killing somehow. Or worse. He could¡¯ve been the killer. He made a long sigh and smiled at me. ¡°It seems like we¡¯re not gonna settle this anytime soon.¡± ¡°Yeah. We often quarrel like this when we were a kid. Just like before, none from us will ever quit our allegiance to the factions we trust. ¡± I smiled at him too. I feel refreshed that the tension between us lessened. We made a fistbump to sign this temporary ceasefire. We never had any argument, and continued to fulfill our ordinary roles as best friends until the end of the day. When our classes have finally dismissed us, we rendezvous with our dragonoids in front of the main gate. There, Airi was waving her hand shouting my name. Beside her is Kyrie who had her cheeks red just by seeing Rudolf from a distance. It seems like the tension between those two girls has been weakened. Or they¡¯re just putting a mask, showing a fake personality to one another. Not so sure. What¡¯s important right now is no one will be getting hurt. Not today. Not tomorrow. There are still a lot of mysteries to be solved. ¡°How¡¯s my Amphy doing?¡± Airi rushed to my side and pushed her face forward. I avoided eye contact and replied uninterestingly with ¡°Fine, I guess.¡± ¡°Ooooh, you¡¯re totally blushing~¡± Airi screamed like an idiot. Wait, she is an idiot. ¡°Let¡¯s go home together like normal couples do!¡± The she pulled my arm, locked hands and skipped along the way instead of walking normally to our home. This is not normal at all. People have been looking at us, but Airi didn¡¯t mind. Darn this idiot. If she weren¡¯t this forceful, I would¡¯ve said I love her too. Chapter 31: Estoff鈥檚 Wrath Chapter 31: Estoff¡¯s Wrath Estoff Wraith I feel like there¡¯s not so much action these days, except for the seventh days which the tournament are conducted. So I am here to narrate you some action. I have received intel a few days ago that the Hyperion Inc., a company specializes on military weapons are in charge of dragonoid experiments. They use dragonoids as guinea pigs. For what? For money of course. All their researches and inventions are for the sole purpose of the companies and its shareholders. I felt that Arcadia is already inactive for so long so we have to conduct this operation to free all the dragonoids in that facility. This will be our first operation since Amphere and Airelina joined the tournament. Also, this is the first mission where Amphere will be involved, as the Black Phantom. I don¡¯t know what kind of breakfast Amphere had, but this is all new to me; Amphere volunteered to become a part in this operation. He said that he was curious on how we make abusive companies explode, but I think it¡¯s not the whole truth. Entering the facility is easy, especially my vice-commander; Airelina Frembell is here. A Futuretech Dragon almost has no limits. She can morph her hand into a laser drill that can melt steel fences and make holes on concrete walls with ease. She can hack security alarms and cameras once she saw one. And she can download the blueprint of the whole facility on her head. It¡¯s like she have this wifi on her head wherever she goes. Aside from that, she can detect heat signatures. We evaded all the guards with ease. We finally reached the door of the main lab in just fifteen minutes. The main door is fully automatized with twenty-four digit password. Also, the password doesn¡¯t just require numbers and letters. There are ancient symbols, Japanese, Chinese, and middle eastern alphabet and also shapes such as stars and rectangles. Even hackers with high speed hacking software will have their brain explode for these. But Airelina just barely touched it, and the door opened as the voice said ¡°Access Granted.¡± Amphere had his jaw dropped when he saw this. My first reaction was the same too. ¡°I told you this is my jam, totally!¡± She cheered jollily. Since it¡¯s already past midnight, there¡¯s no one working on the main laboratory. There are life-sized tubes on the side of the walls, and all of them contained naked bodies of dragonoids. I swear to god, I¡¯ve seen enough dingdongs and titties to haunt me every time I fall asleep. ¡°They¡¯re all¡­dead?¡± Amphere asked me. I shrugged my shoulder in response. It¡¯s not sure if they¡¯re dead or just in a temporal stasis. At least it¡¯s not worse than those abusive powerplants which really contains disgusting features. Airelina pressed one of the buttons beside the glass tube, and it opened. The dragonoid body fell, but Airelina was there to catch the body. She put her index finger on the dragonoid¡¯s neck, and then she turned to us. ¡°He¡¯s alive.¡± Airelina then swiped her hand on thin air, and all other tubes opened! This girl really¡­ Her powers are a lot more marvelous than before. Bodies started falling to the ground. Some fell on their face, some fell on their stomachs. Ouch, that might hurt, but it¡¯s not enough to make them awake.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°How are we supposed to transport them away from here?¡± Amphere asked. ¡°There¡¯s roughly fifty of them. Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re supposed to carry them out one by one?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to.¡± I said with certainty. Then I turned to my earpiece, trying to contact Richard who is currently watching in the skyscraper. He¡¯s in charge of making teleportation circles for us to escape. ¡°Richard, can you teleport everyone here? Radius would be¡­ thirty meters.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Estoff, I can only create teleportation circles of three meters. Unless maybe I can transform into a Dragon. If we transport them by threes or by fours, I¡¯ll be running out of strength. Until then, it will be impossible.¡± Clap. Clap. Clap. My sweat became cold as those echoing clasp entered my ears. We have been tailed! ¡°Estoff Wraith. I know you after all.¡± It was General Kyle Leviticus. Beside him is his dragonoid Elumina. It¡¯s not just them. The student council president, Duchess Reina Fleuret is also here with her dragonoid. And much worse, Amphere¡¯s best friend; Rudolf is here, with his lover Kyrie. They have their hands on their swords and other weapons, ready for attack. Airelina was able to morph her face into a metallic skull-like mask. Amphere is wielding the Black Phantom Costume. So the only identity at stake is mine. It was a dumb move for me. I was overconfident that we will finish this mission as ¡°stealthy¡± as possible. Oh well, what¡¯s done is done. I¡¯ll get stripped off my Pentagram Knight title for sure. If one of them left this place alive, that is. ¡°I thought you¡¯re just a supporter of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. I was wrong about you after all. You¡¯re a freaking terrorist! A MURDERER!¡± Kyle screamed like crazy, and then he followed with an obnoxious retarded laugh. ¡°I told you, I will free all the dragonoids.¡± I forced a smile, and then gazed to Elumina. ¡°I¡¯ll free you, for sure.¡± As my sentence ended, I surged forward, unsheathing my broadsword on my back! I made a side thrust, but Kyle evaded it by turning to the left. Time was so slow the moment my attack was evaded. This crazy general had his creepy smile and lunatic eyes stare on my soul. Rudolf clashed swords with the Black Phantom, and their dragonoids faced each other. Too bad I will not be able to see the fight of these two outstanding knights. I have to focus on this fight with this demon! ¡°Elumina! Activate Vesryn Pulse!¡± Kyle shouted as he dashed backwards, away from me. ¡°No!¡± Elumina shook her head as she bowed down, and then she cried. ¡°Estoff, please stop this at once! Stop fighting for me! I have already accepted my fate!¡± Tears began gushing out from her lovable eyes. I know that seeing me fight Kyle for her sake hurts too much. But I can¡¯t just stand Kyle¡¯s abuse of his power over his dragonoid. Elumina should¡¯ve been mine when I became a dragon knight. It was fine by me if she was under another knight, but not hime! Not that lunatic perverted general! ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen to your only loved one, Estoff?¡± Kyle continued to provoke me. ¡°Elumina¡¯s heart is aching whenever she sees us ¡®best friends¡¯ fighting over her!¡± This time, I lost my temper. My blood continued to burn as I was consumed by my own anger. I gripped my sword tight, and then jumped to my enemy! ¡°You¡¯re not my best friend!¡± I screamed out. I continued to swing my heavy sword without any technique. This guy¡­I¡¯ll surely kill him! But he continues to evade all my attacks, or if not, parry my sword! I can sense his hatred towards mine, but he can still be joking around in this fight! ¡°Since you¡¯re my best friend, I may be able to share some moments with my woman! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Shut up! You¡¯ll pay for everything!¡± I released an uppercut slash which got his right elbow peeled. But he seems like he never felt any pain, and continued to counterattack! He pierced his slim sword on my right shoulder. Blood splattered all through the floor, but that¡¯s not enough for me to stop my fury! I continued to attack recklessly, and I was able to graze his right cheek. Blood oozed from that slice which dropped to his mouth. We jumped away from each other. Not to turn back or retreat. But to draw some air. Both of us are already panting in this exchange of killing blows. If only Gilliard was here, I could¡¯ve used Vesryn Pulse to annihilate this fucker. By the way, I don¡¯t see Reina and her dragonoid here. Are they calling for backup? That¡¯s not the issue right now. The two young knights are trying hard to kill each other. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Rudolf and Amphere cried in unison. Chapter 32: Voice of the Emperor Chapter 32: Voice of the Emperor Amphere Harrison I have fought Rudolf many times without my Black Phantom mask. But all of them are just mock battles. We¡¯ve never fought using my Heigthened Clearance or Chaos Claws before. We didn¡¯t even use Vesryn Pulse to any of our spars. That is why this fight is different. There is an intent to kill on his heart. There¡¯s not enough room for two seven-meter tall dragon to battle in that laboratory, so we commanded both dragons to destroy the ceiling and fight outside. I also don¡¯t want to involve the unconscious dragonoids that we¡¯re supposed to rescue. We flew thirty meters above the facility. Its past midnight, but the lights of the buildings, the houses, and streetlights makes it bright enough to see the shadows of our enemies. The view throughout the city is astonishing, but it¡¯s not the time to appreciate it. I am here to have the first serious fight with my best friend. Because of this wreckage, the Hyperion Company¡¯s alarm went on. Sirens began producing deafening noise. Security guards started rushing to the epicenter of this mess, which is apparently where Estoff is. I doubt a thousand, or even a hundred thousand of those ordinary guards can take down Estoff. The only problem is that he¡¯s occupied by Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ll transport backup to Estoff¡¯s location!¡± Richard said through my earpiece. ¡°Try to hold your friend for a while!¡± ¡°No problem. I intend to fight him fair and square after all.¡± I said. ¡°Totally good answer, Amphy!¡± Airi cheered directly to my brain. ¡°I wanted to fight Kyrie too!¡± The golden armored dragon; the Chaos Dragon started charging up little black holes from its mouth. I commanded my Futuretech Dragon to jet upward, raising the altitude. As I said before, aerial mobility is Airi¡¯s specialty. Maybe that¡¯s why Airi is her nickname in the first place. Dark balls shoot through us, but Airi elegantly maneuvered to evade all those projectiles. Those dark holes are quite dangerous! Once those projectiles reach their target, it will explode and there will be a huge burst of electricity! In answer to this blasts, Airi deployed rockets from her metallic shoulders. Six homing missiles targeted the head of the Chaos Dragon, where Rudolf is standing stiff. Rudolf jumped upwards and slashed every last one of the missiles. The sliced missiles exploded, but it just had enough firepower as a regular firecracker when it¡¯s already cut in half. ¡°Chaos Claw.¡± Rudolf muttered. His arms began to be engulfed with dark particles. This guy is serious. ¡°Heightened Clearance Authorized.¡± I said, then six sword-shaped dynamos began floating in my aid. Chaos Dragon began to be coated with dark smoke, and jetted upward with a Mach speed! Airi evaded the surging aerial tackle and then started blowing photon bombs, which missed the target once Kyrie made an aerial drift. Rudolf did his part of the battle too! Apparently, his Chaos Claws can spread long enough to reach me, but I used my dynamos to create a prism barrier every time he¡¯s ready to pierce us! I tried my dynamo¡¯s lasers, but Rudolf¡¯s sword deflects every ray of light I unleashed.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. If you¡¯re watching this fight in a distance, you would mistake this as two shooting stars clashing, circularly evading, clashing again, and releasing some defective fireworks over and over. It took ten whole minutes until some changes were made. Several teleporting light circles emerged from top of the skyscrapers as they revealed their humanoid shadows. They are well equipped with leather armor just like what Richard is supposed to wear. They also have light machineguns on their hands, and some of them even hold missile launchers! Dragonoids. Terrorists. Arcadians. They are our backup! ¡°There¡¯s your backup!¡± Richard said through my earpiece. I never had the chance to reply or thank properly, because our aerial battle is continuous. Richard won¡¯t hear my voice through this loud explosions and wind gushes anyway. I¡¯m so occupied that I can¡¯t even worry on Estoff¡¯s situation down there. There are roughly thirty Arcadian Dragonoids who were transported just below our clashing area. They prepared their ¡®toys¡¯ and then aimed their big guns at the Chaos Dragon. ¡°Fire!¡± As one of their commander shouted, rains of bullets flew upward. Five rockets dashed out from the terrorists stingers. The whole place is now so noisy that everyone in the city would mistake this battle as a civil war. Gunpowder and smoke became mixed in the air that it makes hard for everyone so hard to breathe. The Chaos Dragon stopped chasing us, and faced all incoming bullets. Rudolf¡¯s expression is quite calm and composed as he inhaled some air. And then he released it in a deafening warcry! ¡°FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!¡± Bullets stopped as the shockwave from the Chaos Knight emerged. There was a loud shockwave which broke all the windows of the skyscrapers. Even the rocket missiles seemed like they stopped chasing the Chaos Dragon out of fear. Arcadian Dragonoids fell down on their knees, and dropped all their weapons. All thirty of them trembled as terror swallowed their body and soul. Their will to fight, no¡­ Their will to gaze upon the Chaos Dragon is no more. This is the ¡°Voice of the Emperor.¡± It is a divine magic passed through the royal noble lineage. I know my best friend¡¯s background. Apparently, Rudolf¡¯s Grandmother in his father¡¯s side is the younger sister of the late late Grand Emperor. You can say that he has the right to the throne itself, since he has the emperor¡¯s blood. Voice of the Emperor gives all living things the fear of the wielder¡¯s power. Loss of hope, faith, and will to fight are the main effects of it to the people who are able to hear this war cry. It is mainly used to show who really has the right to govern things. It is the right of power. Even Airi and me¡­is affected greatly by this sonic shockwave. ¡°M-My body feels totally numb¡­And I feel weakened.¡± She said to me. It¡¯s totally obvious. Because right now, riding her is like riding a car in a rough road with three flat tires. Even though, she managed to land safely on the roof top of a twenty-story building. Then she returned to her humanoid form¡­with the metallic mask of course. I feel the intense distress too. There was a sudden chill on my spine with no apparent reason. My toes are vibrating and my knees feel weak. My sweat is cold as ice. I can¡¯t even speak since my jaws feel like I¡¯ve chewed a live electric eel. Suddenly, Airi became unconscious. She fell on her knees, and then to her face. That could¡¯ve hurt if she didn¡¯t morph her face to a platinum skull mask. Without my dragonoid, I concluded my defeat. Rudolf is seriously overpowered even for me. The Chaos Dragon flew in front of me. Rudolf glared penetratingly at my fearful eyes. I have no strength left. My dynamos returned to my body already, and I can¡¯t summon them anymore. My hands refuse to draw my golden photon sword on my waist. I¡¯m completely finished. ¡°Now, tell me who you are¡­ Neo Black Phantom.¡± I was about to reach my mask and reveal my true face, but then there was an image that flashed through my head. The silver woman in a kimono. With red fearless eyes. Her gaze is the most terrifying thing I¡¯ve seen in this universe. Her pale white hand reached to me, as if she is willing to give me some help. Her voice echoed all through the sides of my skull, which made my headache worse with some brain freeze effect. ¡°The boy needs his true power to be awakened again¡­ Well then¡­I¡¯ll show you how terrifying you really are.¡± Chapter 33: Overtech Dragon Chapter 33: Overtech Dragon Rudolf Azregon I thought I have assured my win over the Black Phantom. But I¡¯ve never been so wrong. I succeeded on taking down Arcadians and his Futuretech Dragon with the Voice of the Emperor, but this magic of mine has currently no effect on this ¡®awakened¡¯ Black Phantom. His left eye¡¯s pupil is colored red, yet his sclera is dark as the night. He kinda reminds me of Amphere. Back in the Elimination Round, both of Amphere¡¯s eyes turned the same. Maybe they are related in some sort. The masquerade leaped forward, completely ignoring the ten-meter distance in altitude, but he managed to land in Kyrie¡¯s head. No one has ever leaped like that before! He seemed like he was flying like a super hero! Now all his fears are gone, I can completely tell it. His eyes are full of enthusiasm in this battle. Great. I quite enjoy fighting him too. He unsheathed his golden photon saber and thrusts forward with a golden streak! It was so fast that I was caught off-guard and got in a direct hit to the chest! My Shield Plate is down to 3%! I answered with a heavy swing right to his left arm! But he waltzed away to avoid being grazed. I highly doubt that this guy has a remaining Shield Plate at all. I am sure I have delivered direct hits long before I used my Voice of the Emperor. Just after a split second after we separated swords, he immediately surged forward and unleashed hundreds of glowing thrusts! This made my Shield Plate go down at zero, and not only that, I got stabbed to my right arm and leg, and left shoulder! He managed to slash my stomach at the end of my combo. Thanks for the thick steel armor I¡¯m wearing; all my wounds are not that deep. ¡°FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!¡± I unleashed the Voice of the Emperor once more, directly to his face. The shockwave made me back down a little to my Chaos Dragon¡¯s back. But the Neo Black Phantom¡­ He remained standing stiff on the forehead of my Kyrie. Now, my Voice of the Emperor¡¯s effect is just the same as a simple gust of wind in this enemy. He¡¯s not affected at all. Just who is this guy? Kyrie decided to crash her head to a building, in order to shake off the masquerade away from her face. Windows and debris flew everywhere, but the Black Phantom managed to jump away before he gets sandwiched. He ran upwards on the side of the building, completely ignoring the laws of gravity. His flexibility is superb! Once he reached the rooftop, his chest glowed bright and shouted. ¡°Overloading Vesryn Pulse!¡± There was a huge bang and a dazzling flash of light. It took five whole seconds for the surroundings to return to its original contrast. As I opened my eyes, the true meaning of terror colonized my spine. All the unconscious Arcadian Dragonoids that I took down in a single shout was no more. And I¡¯m certain that the abomination in front of me is the cause. There was a giant cybernetic orb, maybe about ten meters in diameter. Because of its holes, you can easily mistake it as a giant futuristic soccer ball. There is a glowing photon core on the inside. Pulsing, pulsing. Like a real fauna¡¯s heart. Suddenly, drones¡­or dynamos in a shape of a dragon¡¯s head came out from the holes. They all look like floating Futuretech Dragon¡¯s heads, but their eyes are crimson red and their sclera are black. There are about thirty of them that surrounded the gigantic cybernetic core.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The Black Phantom stood proudly on top of the core, and then proclaimed his win in this fight. ¡°Fear the power of my Overtech Dragon, Rudolf!¡± It sounds cool, but kinda a corny name. Anyway, I have to get away fast! Kyrie kicked through the air to accelerate her flight! I used my Chaos Aura to remove wind resistance and friction to make her flight a lot quicker than normal. I should¡¯ve been at the same speed as any Futuretech Dragon can be, but it¡¯s not enough! Dragon-head dynamos blew out photon beams that are on par in the speed of light! Aside from that, I know that dynamos have target lock precision sights and can forecast enemy movements! There¡¯s nothing that can evade its attacks in existence! Lasers ripped out Kyrie¡¯s wings, which made us make an emergency landing to another building. I cancelled out the Vesryn Pulse for Kyrie to rest, at least for minutes. We¡¯re no match with this Overtech Dragon monster. I get this feeling that he¡¯s just avoiding to kill me and Kyrie. He didn¡¯t aim for me, or Kyrie¡¯s head. He just destroyed my Chaos Dragon¡¯s wings. There was a thought that I don¡¯t want to acknowledge. I suspect this guy as Amphere Harrison. They have the same way of fighting, same dragon, and same hidden power. This guy has the very same power as Amphere. He can overload the Vesryn Pulse and fuse all dragons in his arsenal at will. And lastly¡­He didn¡¯t want to kill us. He glared at me on the top, saying quietly that ¡°I will never kill you.¡± Then he turned away. Apparently, backup is here. The police force and the military are my allies. They started firing bullets to the floating abomination but the giant soccer ball shoots nano lasers that destroys any incoming projectiles that targets it. The Overtech Dragon and the Black Phantom refused to go offensive on small fries. They are just there to get as much attention as possible. There are three dragon knights who activated their Vesryn Pulse to summon Fire, Ice, and Wind Dragons and used long ranged attacks in fear of what the monster dragon can do, but long range attacks won¡¯t work on it. I didn¡¯t have the remaining strength to keep battling. I sat beside Kyrie who was heavily panting and enjoyed the view of the night lights of this city. We¡¯re now about a quarter kilometers away from the facility. I wonder of Reina and Kyle are alright? Even if I came to their rescue, there¡¯s nothing much I can do. My right shoulder feels dislocated, and since I¡¯m a right handed person, I cannot wield my sword without hurting myself. Suddenly, a seven-meter long white dragon broke out from the facility. It is a flying snake with small pair of claws and feet. It very much gets the image of a traditional Chinese Dragon, except that its scales are sparkling like diamonds. It has the head of a crocodile, with two long dancing whiskers. There are four rings of light that follows it wherever it goes. It is a Portal Dragon. ¡°Rudolf, come here and regroup.¡± Kyle said through my earpiece. Hearing his voice makes me glad that he¡¯s safe. There was a giant ring of light that surrounded the Overtech Dragon. The Black Phantom gazed back to me and then smiled. I smiled in response. There was an invisible bond between us, I can tell. But not our ideals. Our ideals are always at conflict. There was a huge flash of light once again. And then all Arcadians, and the Black Phantom¡¯s shadows are gone. Just like what happened in our last clash. Last time he fled because he¡¯s in a disadvantage. But this time, he fled to let me go. I regrouped with Kyle and Reina who was still in the facility. No trace of Hyperion Company¡¯s dragonoids was left there. Arcadia completely kidnapped all their test subjects. Aside from the injuries the guards took from collapsing debris and shattered glass, there were no casualty. Arcadia does their terrorism clean after all. Kyle was being healed by his dragonoid Elumina, who is still drenched by her own tears. Kyle didn¡¯t suffer any fatal injury, but he suffered from mental injury when the Arcadia¡¯s Leader fled easily from his grasps. He seems pissed more at Elumina than Estoff. I feel like Elumina is the source of their fight after all. ¡°You stuck-up bitch!¡± Kyle immediately slapped Elumina out of frustration! Elumina fell on the ground and continue to cry wordlessly. Kyle is about to unsheathe his sword but then I held his wrist, telling him to stop. Kyle didn¡¯t struggle or fight back. He just turned away and walked grimly and mad, leaving his dragonoid behind. Sigh. Both the Chevalier Unit and Arcadia have good and bad sides. I¡¯m just glad that Amphere already chose one and straightened his resolve. Because I still don¡¯t know if I wanted to change sides or not. Chapter 34: Dracaryx Unleashed! Chapter 34: Dracaryx Unleashed! Amphere Harrison This is the third round of the Dragon Knights Tournament. From the first round which originally have sixty four contenders, they were cut into only thirty two to fight in round two. Now, there are only sixteen participants to fight in the coliseum for round three. Rudolf and his lover Kyrie stood modestly in the center of the arena, facing their two enemies. The dragon knight is a buffed guy with impressive set of biceps, which makes his white tux uniform fitted. He has a lot of tattoos on his arm, primarily of Japanese characters. I think those words translate to ¡°Unleash¡±, ¡°Prison¡±, ¡°Discipline¡± and stuff. His dragonoid is a petite lady, maybe even shorter than Duchess Corasell. She has a dark complexion, yet there is a sense of wealthiest on her. She¡¯s wearing frills, and there is a diamond tiara on her blonde white hair. ¡°This is our first battle in this Sunday! Rudolf Azregon versus Adrian Kruszewski.¡± The Emcee shouted. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± The two knights unsheathed their swords and dashed to each other. The macho Adrian revealed his buster sword, which is about as big as his whole body. Buster swords are the heaviest kind of swords and would weigh above fifty kilos each. Wielding those would mean you will be sacrificing your attack speed for attack power. But in this case, Adrian seems to be keeping his speed up. Everytime Rudolf makes a slashing attack, he is able to block it in time. He¡¯s only slower than Rudolf for a quarter of second. But his timings are very good, but not enough. Rudolf managed to shave off three percent of shield every time he makes wonderful combos of side thrusts and swift hacks. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Adrian shouted. It is the ideal timing since his Shield Plate only have around 40%. Rudolf is currently winning with his shield for 87%. Rachel (Adrian¡¯s dragonoid partner. Airi told me her name a few seconds ago.) transformed into an eight-meter dragon. This dragon has no legs nor arms, but it has three paris of tattered reddish wings. It has the head of a skull of a tyrannosaurus, and its body is mainly a gigantic series of chains. Chains, up to the extent of its tail. That is why this type of dragon is obviously called Chain Dragon. To his arrogance, Rudolf didn¡¯t use Vesryn Pulse. He ordered Kyrie to stay at the back and just support him with her magic. He may be boastful but his power is enough to take down the two. Especially with his Voice of the Emperor. Talk about imbalanced power. The Chain Dragon opened its mouth and nine chains chased Kyrie. Rudolf managed to cut those chains with his reflexive sword defense, but additional chains continued to release from the dragon¡¯s mouth as if those steel ropes are endless! In the end, the Chain Dragon got both of Kyrie¡¯s arms constricted. Rudolf clicked his tongue. I know that he underestimated his opponent. Adrian is also a forced to be reckoned with. That guy will not survive until third round if he is not outstanding. Rudolf has to use Vesryn Pulse after all. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± He shouted. Kyrie finally evolved to the powerful Chaos Dragon. The chains dissolved as soon as the Chaos Dragon emitted a dark aura that coated her own body. That Chaos Aura is like a flame that can even melt steel beams.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. His macho opponent was impressed, but he held a confident smile. ¡°As I thought, a Chevalier Knight is a powerful opponent.¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯re powerful too.¡± Rudolf smiled back. ¡°There are only two opponents where I needed to use my Vesryn Pulse.¡± Then he turned to me, who happened to be watching from the bench. He keeps his smile, saying that I¡¯m the one he¡¯s talking about. Why? Yes, I¡¯ve fought him and his Chaos Dragon when I am the Black Phantom. I don¡¯t remember fighting him and using Vesryn Pulse. Maybe he already caught me. Darn. ¡°DRACARYX!¡± Adrian immediately shouted. The Chain Dragon is now absorbing particles of light from its mouth! ¡°Activating Iron Maiden Imprisonment!¡± Suddenly, there was a long tremor. The audiences lost their composure and started to become terrified. Duchess Corasell, who was watching along with us, hung onto my arm in fear. Airi also hugged my other arm in jealousy of the duchess. It felt so awkward to me that I just never reacted to these girls, making me look like I¡¯m a womanizer. Countless gigantic chains broke open the arena grounds and wrapped Rudolf and the Chaos Dragon to completely immobilize them. But what¡¯s surprising is the chaos aura seems to have no effect on the chains! It can¡¯t be dissolved by magic, nor can be broken by brute force! Those are certainly destruction-resistance chains. It seems that the more force exerted to destroy the chains, the more it hardens! I was astounded. So this is the power of the Dracaryx. It was such an amazing power. I turned to Airi who seems to have her eyes sparkling on the view of the power of this divine magic. We wanted to have that kind of power too. If only we know how to unlock it¡­we would¡¯ve had no problem fighting the Chevalier Unit¡­maybe¡­ Meanwhile, the Chain Dragon reverted to her humanoid form, which immediately lost consciousness. The only drawback of the Dracaryx is that the dragonoid¡¯s heart will completely stop for a minute, thus cancelling the Vesryn Pulse. Adrian walked slowly to the constricted knight, who is struggling not to pass out. The chains are seriously suffocating Rudolf, and for some reason, the Shield Plates are not affected. His shield is about 80% but without the ability to move a finger, he can¡¯t continue this fight. Adrian can just secure free hits until he depletes Rudolf¡¯s shield. Victory is at hand but then¡­ ¡°DRACARYX!!!¡± Rudolf shouted with all his might. ¡°Activating Swords of Eternal Light!¡± The Chaos Dragon was converted into a glowing ball of golden light, and then it surged towards the skies! The heavens opened and then fifteen golden swords, about three meters in length and half a meter thick, started raining on the winning opponent! There was a series of crashing noise and thick smoke that makes it appear like a warzone. A few moments later, the center of the coliseum made it clear to see the standing victor. The macho dragon knight is there lying unconscious in the dusty ground with his shield plate at 0%. All the chains are finally gone for good. Rudolf is the last man standing, carrying the humanoid form of his love. I can see in his eyes that he wanted to fight without hurting Kyrie, but he has no choice. He has to win no matter what. Now that I think of it, what¡¯s the reason for him in winning this tournament? Both of us decided to join in order to fight stronger opponents and savor the thrill of battling, but is that it? I doubt he doesn¡¯t have to use Dracaryx and should¡¯ve used his Voice of the Emperor instead. I have a feeling that he used his Dracaryx to show it to me. To show how powerful he really is. ¡°The winner of this awesome fight is Rudolf Azregon!¡± The emcee shouted in enthusiasm. Then the crowd went frenzy and loud. The first battle of the third round is certainly entertaining to watch, especially to General Kyle over there, which is having that lunatic smile. He¡¯s proud of his subordinate who is able to defeat almost anyone in this tournament. Now, Kyle¡¯s other subordinate- Reina will fight in this very moment. But then another plot twist surprised us. Reina entered the stage as usual. But her partner¡­is not Eva. Her partner is now tall man with a black spiky hair, with a tattoo of omega sign on his forehead. As we saw this very man, Airi and I jumped in confusion as we looked at each other. It was Richard! Chapter 35: Identical Hearts Chapter 35: Identical Hearts Amphere Harrison If Reina¡¯s legal dragonoid is Richard, what happened to Eva? ¡°Yo!¡± Speak of the devil. It¡¯s her. She has this guilty smile at us when she surprised Airi and me. Then she decided to sit beside Airi. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Yo¡¯ us, totally!¡± Airi screamed. ¡°What happened? Why are you not there? Why is Richard there? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Eva looked at the skies, trying to formulate a sentence. ¡°Actually, I volunteered to resign as her dragonoid partner since I know that Miss Reina and my cousin are lovers after all.¡± ¡°Cousins? Totally?¡± Airi and I jumped in question. I think the ¡®Totally Syndrome¡¯ is totally contagious. Suddenly, I remembered the night where I fought in the Hyperion Inc. Research Facility. The Portal Dragon that was responsible for our escape is Richard himself. He never told us who used the Vesryn Pulse to him; he just said that a ¡®neutral party¡¯ aided our escape. That neutral party certainly fits Reina, since she didn¡¯t care about the terrorism or the oath she took in the Chevalier Unit. Reina is just interested in the Crimson Dragonfly. I turned to Airi who was now fully focused in Reina¡¯s fight. I know that someone, or something will reveal Airi¡¯s secret to Reina and there will be a time where they¡¯ll fight or kill each other. I don¡¯t care if Richard will switch sides and go with the Chevalier Unit (Though I still doubt that since Kyle killed him on his first life). I will stay on Airi¡¯s side and protect her, even if it means my life. Even if I have to cross swords with the man I promised to protect Airi with. ¡°DRACARYX!!!¡± Reina shouted. ¡°Activate Hyperspace Fury!¡± Suddenly, hundreds of portals materialized above the arena and then rays of light rained towards the enemy knight and his Boulder Dragon! Echoes of loud consecutive explosions ruled the arena! What? I wasn¡¯t really paying attention! I missed everything from their fight! By the way, Boulder Dragons are just like Earth Dragons who have no set of wings, but their arms usually a lot longer, resemble a gorilla¡¯s. Their scales are made of rocks, except that Boulder Dragons have darker blue complexion than a Earth Dragon which is usually colored desert brown. When all the smoke faded, Reina¡¯s enemy knight and dragon are now lying unconscious in the ground. That was really quick. I totally missed the whole fight. Now I have to be wary of Reina and Richard too. They even have unlocked a powerful Dracaryx. ¡°The winner is Reina Fleuret!¡± The emcee proclaimed. Then the whole arena was filled with noise barrage from the audience. The next fight would be mine, so I have to focus. I slapped both of my cheeks then ran down to the backstage. But because of hurry, I tripped myself, and rolled on the stairs all the way to the ground! Several people saw me, including some 1st Class Dragon Knights and celebrity dukes and duchesses. I really feel embarrassed right now. ¡°Amphy, let¡¯s go! Totally!¡± Airi landed just in front of me and pushed her face forward. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± I got up immediately and rushed to the arena.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. My next opponent is the most interesting and the most vague dragon-knight partners I¡¯ve ever had. Vladimir and Brixter Mysticpeak. No one knows who¡¯s the dragon knight or the dragonoid. All we know is this: they are identical twins, but their complexions are opposites. Vladimir is white, while Brixter is black. Vladimir has a red dragonoid eye on his left, but the other eye is just normal black. Brixter has the opposite: his red dragonoid eye is on his right. Their other similarities are that they have the same mushroom hairdo and they both wield a short sword. The short sword¡¯s colors also differ, the one is red and one is blue. I had some of information regarding both of them, and also since I used to copy homework from this twins almost once a month. Apparently, the identical twins had some complications, leaving the two have their body parts missing. Both didn¡¯t have left and right eye respectively, and they share the same heart. So the doctors advised their parents to buy a pair of eyes and an identical pair of hearts. Their parents bought body parts from the black market, which turns out to be a fraud. The body parts that were delivered were originally from dragonoid¡¯s. I don¡¯t know what happened next, but it appears to be that the operation was a success. They can even use Vesryn Pulse since they both have dragonoid hearts. ¡°Amphere Harrison vs. Vlad and Brix! Let the battle begin!¡± The two charged together as soon as the buzzer goes in. The twins started with a hack in a synchronized manner, but luckily, Airi and I managed to pull out a synchronized block using our photon sabers! We answered their attacks with a high thrust and a side swipe in a harmonized dance. This managed the twins to pull back and get some distance away from us. ¡°See?¡± Airi smiled mischievously. ¡°You may be twins and have identical hearts, but we are husband and wife who share the same heart through our love! Totally!¡± Vlad and Brix almost burst from laughter but then I cut them off. ¡°We¡¯re totally not lovers!¡± I thought my voice delivered a good message but then they realized that I already adopted Airi¡¯s way of speaking. Darn it, totally! The twins attached the end of their sword¡¯s hilt, and then a double edged sword was born! The two are holding it together really tight. I have never seen this kind of swordplay before, but I know shit¡¯s going to get real. I activated my Heightened Clearance and six dynamos came out from my back, ready to protect me. The two waltzed as they spun their double blade upward in the air, creating a mini typhoon-like wheel with some spark and lightning effects like those CGI from apocalypse movies. As they stroke their sword(s) forward, the typhoon wheel chased our location! My dynamos made a hexagram formation, and telepathically commanded them to project photon barrier to protect us from the incoming hurricane wheel. These dynamos are as flexible as my hands and feet, so I made it in time. When I was being busy in blocking, Airi revealed her metallic black wings and dashed towards the twins for a counter attack! But then¡­ ¡°Activating Double Vesryn Pulse!¡± The two opponents had their body covered with golden white light and then it merged together as one. It produced a weak shockwave that made Airi fall down and roll to the ground. When the light faded, a truly shocking entity bewildered our eyes. It was a nine-meter tall dragon with two heads. Not just that, it is immune to racism. The left part of the dragon is completely white, and the other half is completely black. It has a muscular set of arms and feet, and it also have standard bat-like black and white wings, maybe a lot similar to Kyrie¡¯s. But this dragon is a lot similar to Ultima Dragon with only one head difference. It is a Gemini Dragon. Gemini Dragons are usually a dragon knight and two twin identical dragonoids, but their case is different. Their roles are completely merged. The two of them are dragon knight and dragonoids of each other. I wonder how the society treats them since the Dragonoid Rights Bill has to be passed yet. But since they¡¯re the sons of a duke and a duchess, maybe they had a better life than any dragonoids here participating in the tournament. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± I shouted. Then my Futuretech Dragon flew into battle. The Gemini Dragon raised its hands and then an electrifying particle took its shape. Two swords materialized from its hands! I can¡¯t believe it! These twins are revealing so much awesomeness in this fight! Don¡¯t tell me they have a Dracaryx too!? ¡­Urgh, maybe no. Dracaryx only applies if the partners are in opposite sex. ¡°Let¡¯s totally reveal our true power, Amphy! Shout Dracaryx!¡¯ Airi said through telepathy. ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± I shrieked. ¡°We haven¡¯t unlocked it yet!¡± ¡°Nobody knows how to unlock it, totally! Just try it, geez!¡± Well she has a point. We should try it if we already unlocked it. Nothing to lose, I guess. I inhaled a lot of air and then shouted with all my might. ¡°DRACARYX!!!¡± Chapter 36: Wanted Chapter 36: Wanted Amphere Harrison ¡°DRACARYX!!!¡± I shouted again. But nothing is happening. Even the audiences, the twelve generals, the princess, and the emcee are deadly silent. Not even a cricket made a noise. They all look surprised yet devastated, or even disappointed. That¡¯s when I realized I really haven¡¯t unlocked our Dracaryx yet! ¡°As I thought, we can¡¯t totally use that yet.¡± Airi said telepathically. She should¡¯ve said me that it won¡¯t work in the first place! Now I got myself embarrassed in front of all officials of Alterra! The black and white dragon with two heads are readying their dual-wielding sword stance, ready to counter our attacks any time. I have yet to see a two-swords arts of a dragon, so this is a great experience for me! Also, these two didn¡¯t have any Dracaryx! I¡¯m really lucky! Airi charged a glowing ball of photon bomb on her mouth and launched it, not just once or twice, but five times. Those are quickly charged photon bombs, so the damage it can cause is minimal. If only Airi can charge photon bombs for a minute, she can destroy the enemy¡­no, even the whole arena! The dual wielding dual headed dragon sliced through projectiles like cutting some onions. The photon bombs exploded upon being slashed, making a quarter of the arena full of flying dust and smoke. We used it as a diversion to prepare my Futuretech Dragon¡¯s machine guns from her wings. She morphed two on each of her wings, and then created an endless barrage of bullets. But then the Gemini Dragon surged towards our direction and made a brave slanting slash! Airi evaded it by flying like a harrier plane. The Gemini Dragon¡¯s movements are a little sluggish thanks to its height and weight, but we have no way dealing it in close quarters combat. We gained altitude and fired rockets from my Futuretech Dragon¡¯s chest, but all the missiles was slashed just before it hit our opponent. ¡°What¡¯s our plan?¡± I asked Airi since she¡¯s a lot smarter than me. ¡°I don¡¯t know, totally!¡± She modestly said. ¡°You¡¯re the dragon knight, you should be the one to think of a way.¡± How irresponsible of her. How irresponsible of me too, I guess. She has the point. Our edge is our speed in flight and ballistic homing projectiles, but our enemy¡¯s specialty is cutting through long range attacks. Our missiles, bullets, or bombs will do nothing to the enemy as long as its armed with two swords. Disarming him seems to be impossible too. The black and white Gemini Dragon started to flap its wings! Now they¡¯re going to chase us in the skies! But their flight is still not as fast as Airi¡¯s. Oh yeah, about the shield plates! Originally, Vlad is carrying the shield plate but now that they are in dragon form, the shield plate is activated on the dragon itself. A simple damage to the dragon will have their plate drop percentage. All that¡¯s left in theirs are 73%. As for me, I still have 82%. As they charge to our location, I immediately confirmed a plan on my head. ¡°Airi, fire four remote controlled missiles and make them circle around the enemy dragon. Make sure it won¡¯t get to their sword range.¡± Airi did what I said. Four white flying torpedoes launched and revolve around the Gemini Dragon. Since the dragon has limited sword range, he can¡¯t deal with it. The enemy can go forward to reach the missiles, but Airi will adjust their ballistics to make sure the missiles won¡¯t get destroyed. I really think Airi already know what I¡¯m thinking. We¡¯re connected telepathically after all.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The Futuretech Dragon fired six photon bombs to the Gemini Dragon, but same case scenario, the photon bombs were sliced in half and the Gemini Dragon became covered in smoke. This is it! Airi commanded the remote controlled missiles to hit on the Gemini Dragon¡¯s back! But I know their reflexes are better than that! They managed to slice the three missiles, but the last missile hit their left shoulder. That was not enough. The shield plate went down to 34%. But, as they were busy on blocking the attacks, we already charged a ten-second-charged photon bomb! This will make their plate go down to zero! There was a loud whirling noise as the Futuretech Dragon fired her last attack! But alas! Our computation was flawed! They managed to slash it before it touches them! Good thing I have a backup plan! I had my dynamos positioned at the back of the Gemini Dragon the whole time. I commanded them to fire the final laser beams to the enemy¡¯s spine, making them endure a great burning pain as their shield plates went off to zero percent! ¡°The winner is Amphere Harrison and his magnificent combos!¡± The emcee proclaimed. I inhaled a lot of air as soon as we landed back on the arena grounds. This battle¡­I pretty much used all my power in this fight. I know that if ever I fought someone who has unlocked Dracarys like Rudolf or Reina, I¡¯ll certainly lose. I went back to the backstage and Duchess Corasell and Eva congratulated me. Reina and Richard was there too, who were quite impressed in our fight. The only ones who were not here to congratulate me were Rudolf, Kyrie, and Estoff. Rudolf and Kyrie must be very busy at this time. Estoff never showed his face again to the public, since he¡¯s now labeled as a terrorist. That idiot¡­I told him to wear a mask, but he¡¯s too stubborn to show off his pretty face to our enemies. Now look who got stripped from being an honorable Pentagram Knight¡­ By the way, there is also someone who got his name and face in a wanted poster¡­ ¡°Hey, Richard¡­¡± I said, and then I looked at the surroundings. When I confirmed that no one here beside from us is listening, I continued. ¡°How are you able to roam freely if you¡¯re a wanted terrorist?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard?¡± Reina crossed her arms below her breasts. ¡°Richard Astherson is already dead¡­at least in the eyes of the law. You¡¯re now talking to Richard Harrison from now on.¡± Richard gave off this oblivious smile at me. How dare he change his last name and use mine? We¡¯re not even related! There¡¯s no way that I share the same ¡®blood¡¯ as that disgusting lizard! There was a chill down on my spine. I thought it was just a feeling until I heard three different sets of footsteps from my back. Kyle Leviticus. Rudolf. Kyrie. All three of them are emitting the very same grim eyes on them. What¡¯s the matter with this people? Richard, Airi, Duchess Corasell and I gritted our teeth. Why are they here? ¡°Congratulations on your fight in the third round~¡± Kyle have this fake smile, offering me a fake hand shake. I have a grudge on him¡­since he exposed Estoff¡¯s identity, poisoned Rudolf¡¯s mind, and killed Richard¡­Well, not kill Richard. He¡¯s been revived. Richard clenched his fist. It seems like General Kyle Leviticus didn¡¯t recognize him at all. He have already killed hundreds if not thousands of dragonoids, so maybe Richard¡¯s face has been written off from his memory. I felt that Richard has the urge to draw his sword, but Rudolf and Kyrie are on guard. To release the upcoming tension, I tried to play cool and took the lunatic General¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, General¡­¡± Kyle reached a letter from his pocket and lent it to my hand. It has the seal of the golden sword; the seal of the Chevalier Unit. ¡°I have seen your extraordinary abilities in combat. I have decided to appoint you as the new member of our Chevalier Unit. In exchange, you will learn everything¡­everything that you wanted to know. Even the Crimson Dragonfly.¡± Kyle gave off the most disgusting oblivious smile I ever had. ¡°SHUT UP, LUNATIC!¡± Airi lost her temper and gave a more deadly facial expression. Her eyes are now wide open but her scarlet pupil appeared so small... just like those serial killers. I have to evade this scene as possible. ¡°I refuse.¡± I said. Then I grabbed Airi¡¯s hand and attempted to walk away. But then Rudolf swiftly installed a handcuff on my wrist. I tried resisting, but Rudolf is the very one who tried to suppress my struggle. Then he finally released these words. ¡°Neo Black Phantom¡­No,¡­ Sir Amphere Harrison, 2nd Class Dragon Knight. In the name of the Empire of Alterra, you are now under arrest.¡± Chapter 37: Ally of Justice Chapter 37: Ally of Justice Amphere Harrison General Kyle Leviticus¡¯s military offices. That lunatic general also commands a portion of Alterra¡¯s military foot soldiers, airplanes, tanks, and intelligence networks. There are no dragon knights in this branch of military since dragon knights are so rare in this era. Maybe Kyle only has the Chevalier Unit as his ¡®own¡¯ dragon knight team. I was in the office, sitting uncomfortably in front of a desk of a pretty lieutenant who is in charge of recording all my charges. Oh, right. I¡¯ve been found out as the Black Phantom. Apparently, I have a case on homicide, murder of Alder Windstrafe, and also being a member of a terrorist group. My toes are shaking as minute goes by, but Airi has been eating her fish pancakes comfortably on the corner. We both have handcuffs on our wrist. Airi is going in jail with me too, but she seems so calm in this situation. Airi is smart, so maybe she already have a plan in mind. Rudolf was there beside the lieutenant. He was the one questioning me as if he¡¯s a professional prosecutor. I don¡¯t think he still remembers that we¡¯re still best friends. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll stay friends too. Selling your best friend out is the worst act you can ever commit. Rudolf has a special place in hell. ¡°How long are you with Arcadia?¡± Rudolf gave me a burning glare. I clenched my fist. I would punch his jaw until there are no teeth left, once I got this handcuffs off. I remembered what Airi told me when we were being arrested. ¡°Deny all the charges, and don¡¯t resist. Just trust me, totally!¡± ¡°No.¡± I made a short response. That¡¯s not even a proper answer to his question. Actually, he¡¯s been asking for yes/no questions like ¡®did you kill Alder¡¯ and ¡®is Estoff your leader¡¯ and also ¡®are you a member of Arcadia¡¯. That should be answered by him, since he¡¯s the one who arrested me. I felt that Rudolf is already tired in interrogating me. When the recording officer left, Rudolf stood in front of me with the very same stare. I gave off the same fiery eye on him in return. I think I would like to kill this guy after all. But my resolve changed when he immediately put his lips two centimeters away from my right ear. ¡°I¡¯m doing this to clear your name. I¡¯ll weaken your prosecution to make you innocent, but I will forge an evidence to have Airelina imprisoned. You can¡¯t do anything to save her.¡± He whispered. ¡°So after all this time, you really want to get Airi?¡± I whispered back. My blood boils no longer, but I still keep this anger for what he¡¯s about to do with my partner. ¡°I¡¯ll protect her, even if I have to step on your corpse!¡± This time, Rudolf pulled away and exclaimed. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T KNOW ANYTHING!¡± Then she pointed to the chillax Airi who was busy eating her taiyaki. ¡°THAT GIRL IS JUST USING YOU! WHY ARE YOU SO DUMB!?¡± There was a TV screen that was currently airing the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament in this very office. After the last fight, the middle of the arena exploded! Dust and smoke was abundant everywhere, and it made almost all of the audiences panic. As the blockage of the vision faded, an unbelievable show was witnessed by our eyes. It was Estoff Wraith, now stripped out of his dragon knight stature. On his right, is the Black Phantom and his scarlet haired masked dragonoid. On his left is his trusted dragonoid, Gilliard. They were circled by about thirty Arcadians who are wearing leather armor and metal masks that looks like steampunk skull. The Arcadians are well armed with assault rifles, but they are not pointing their weapons to anyone.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Rudolf and my eyes widened in shock. We couldn¡¯t believe what Estoff did! Moreover, Rudolf can¡¯t believe that the Black Phantom is there in the Arena! He switched glance with me, and the TV screen. Now who¡¯s dumb? ¡°I am Estoff Wraith, the leader of the righteous movement of Arcadia.¡± Estoff talked in a loud voice. Just hearing the word Arcadia made most of the dukes run in terror or if not, covered by their dragon knights. But Estoff calmed the crowd. ¡°I am here not to spread terror, but to spread hope. We are the ally of justice, the protector of the oppressed, and the enemy of the wicked. We are the people who embrace righteousness with all our hearts. We are the voice of every man who contains goodwill in their soul.¡± ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Rudolf muttered. And he clenched his fist. I looked at Airi, and Airi smiled back at me like she¡¯s saying ¡®I told ya before that we¡¯re getting out of here, totally!¡¯. So this is their plan. Finding a substitute Black Phantom for that show is easy, as well as finding the Black Phantom¡¯s masked red-haired dragonoid. Estoff and Airi should¡¯ve planned this card from the start and will commence once we both got arrested. Now that there is a Black Phantom in the Arena, everyone will think that I¡¯m completely a different person. I just realized that Rudolf is just trying to frame Airi for being a terrorist, but he just has no proof. If I or Airi got a case involving Arcadia without solid evidence, the Chevalier Unit¡¯s credibility would decrease since they have the contradictory statement. And I think that pretty convinced Rudolf that I¡¯m really not the Black Phantom, at least in a logical sense. After Estoff¡¯s short speech, a lot of dragon knights activated Vesryn Pulse and charged to the ¡®ally of justice terrorists¡¯. Several projectiles like missiles, bullets, fire balls, ice spikes, electric surges and flying boulders went to their direction. But then a glowing ring of light circled all the Arcadians, and then in a blink of an eye, they were no longer there. Just like bubble. It was certainly the work of Richard in his Portal Dragon form. Rudolf was shaking as he turned to me. He hid his expression by blocking his eye with his bangs, unlocked our handcuffs and then made a soft statement. ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡± ¡°Now who¡¯s dumb?¡± I left him a message as me and my dragonoid walk away. I sensed an intense anger aura on him. Estoff is way too smart for him to deal with. It was already night when Airi and I arrived home¡­or the secret hideout of Arcadia in the Guardian¡¯s Haven; the ruined cathedral. Apparently, the ruined cathedral has an underground library, which was also discovered by Richard. Since the Arcadians usually exit using Portal Dragon¡¯s power, we can¡¯t be tailed here. My allegations have been dropped, so I don¡¯t think that someone will still investigate us. Airi has sensors to back my statement up. Our secrets are safe¡­for now. Estoff¡¯s office was remodeled the very same manner as his Pentagram Knight Office back in the Dragon Knight Academy. And now, as we open the door to his office, he has this old fashioned glass of pint ready to be consumed on his table. Drinking again, eh? Anyway, the old white man Duke Dragunov was with him today as his drink-mate, but the Duke preferred a sassy glass of purple wine. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Estoff said with a clean smile on his face. ¡°How¡¯s the interrogation and the torture?¡± ¡°No one got tortured thanks to our plan, totally!¡± Airi answered jollily. But then, she made a grim expression. "Now that the show cleaned Amphy¡¯s name, are we really going to proceed with the second step of the plan?¡± Second step? What are we talking about? I was about to ask some question but Estoff raised his hand, telling me to shut up. ¡°Amphere¡­ I hate to tell you this¡­but¡­¡± Estoff gulped the last drop of his beer, leaving tubes of ice behind. ¡°You have to take the lunatic¡¯s offer¡­in joining his Chevalier Unit. If they still give you a chance, that is.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked. Finally I felt that I have a voice here in his office. Since he¡¯s always cutting me off. ¡°Apparently, Airi¡¯s life is still in danger. If what you¡¯ve heard about them targeting Airi, then you have to do this to win their trust. They seem to want the powers of the Crimson Dragonfly.¡± Estoff dragging me to join Arcadia in exchange for scholarship in Dragon Knights Academy is a drag. Estoff commanding me to become the Black Phantom is also a drag. But now it is different. I really have to join Chevalier Unit in order to know their plans for Airi. Come to think of it, why is Rudolf trying to separate Airi from me!? Is it because they wanted to use Airi for their own benefit? I¡¯ll prevent them. For Airi¡¯s sake. Chapter 38: The Oath Chapter 38: The Oath Rudolf Azregon Slash. Sidestep and thrust. This is what I¡¯ve been working for. Now that I have succeeded on recruiting Amphere on the Chevalier Unit, he can finally learn everything. About Arcadia. About Airelina¡¯s sins. I will just have to wait for my opportunity to tell him. Wait for the perfect timing. Hack, thrust and thrust. Clashing metals echoed throughout this training hall. But right now is not the time for revelations. Currently, Kyle is testing out Amphere¡¯s sword skills. No one is using their full power right now. It feels like a farce to me. Kyle and Amphere are not that lousy, but they seem to be talking about something as their swords smash to each other. Reina and I were watching them from a distance. ¡°This is not what I wanted to see.¡± Kyle said disappointingly. ¡°I wanted to see your crimson eyes, the one you activated when we first crossed swords. I wanted to see the fury and the fire of protecting your loved ones.¡± ¡°So my crimson eyes were there when I saved Airi?¡± Amphere made a yucky fake smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have any idea to activate it.¡± Kyle scrunched as he immediately snapped. He made a heavy uppercut slash using his slim sowrd, which was immediately blocked by Amphere¡¯s saber. But the force was so strong that it made the photon saber flying, rotating for two thousand degrees and then finally stabbing itself to the ground. ¡°Then this swordplay has no point then.¡± Kyle pointed his sword to the unarmed Amphere¡¯s throat. But Amphere didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s threatened. He looks like he¡¯s still playing and not paying attention. Kyle immediately backed out, seriously pissed, and walked away with a click on his tongue. Seeing that, Amphere made a smile as if he finally triumph his greatest enemy. He then approached me so I threw him a bottle of water. He¡¯s not even drenched with sweat. ¡°Are you really staying with a boss like that?¡± Amphere looked at me and Reina with curiosity. ¡°That guy is harebrained bipolar bastard. And also, a sex offender¡­at least to his dragonoid. Why do you stick with him?¡± ¡°Maybe because we¡¯re on the right side?¡± I said with confidence. ¡°Our boss might be somewhat crazy but it doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯re on the dark side.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re still accusing me for being a part of Arcadia?¡± Amphere finally raised his voice. ¡°No. I¡¯ve been telling you that Airelina is just using you. Estoff, Arcadia¡­They are the worst enemy you would encounter.¡± Though I still suspect him for being the new Black Phantom. My guts tell me the truth, but I have no definite proof. That show in the stadium in the tournament two days ago must¡¯ve been staged to protect Airelina and Amphere. Amphere didn¡¯t answer by then. It may be a strongly conflicting argument, but I still consider him as my best friend. I will save him from that evil dragonoid¡¯s hands even if Amphere will hate me.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. I have to let off some steam so I went to the school cafeteria to have an iced tea, and then relaxed myself in the rooftops. Kyrie tailed me and noticed that I¡¯m in deep thought so she sat beside me, while eating her chicken sandwich. ¡°You and Amphere used to take lunch here, right?¡± Kyrie relieved me from overthinking. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been friends for a long time, and never did he make any absences in our lunch in the school. It can all be traced back in grade school.¡± I gulped the last drop of iced tea on this plastic bottle. The last drop taste bitter, as bitter as our friendship right now. ¡°I know that there will be a time that Amphere will understand everything that you¡¯ve done.¡± Kyrie pulled my face with her soft palms and then kissed me on the lips. The soft sensation made myself comfortable with her every time she keeps encouraging me. Then she continued. ¡°Just do and fight for what you believe, my dear.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I would do!¡± Thanks to my love, my energy was finally replenished and my stress is no more, at least. ¡°He maybe distant from me and more attached to Airelina and Estoff right now, but I will certainly save him! For I know what is right!¡± Actually, Amphere has a point on hating General Kyle. Kyle usually oppresses the poor Elumina that would embarrass the lady for the rest of her life, which makes me wonder how come Elumina still sticks to that kind of person. He treats his dragonoid like a punching bag and every time I see Elumina, I would see countless bruises and scars all over her body. It seems like his image as a hero is a myth. I don¡¯t like his ways, but I need Kyle to drag Amphere away from the Arcadia. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Kyrie raised her index finger. ¡°You have to get ready for your promotion this night.¡± Hours go by in the Dragon Knight Academy with ease. It was already afternoon when I know it, and I find myself in the dressing room of the Dragon Knight Academy¡¯s celebration hall. Today is my best day in terms of my career as a dragon knight. Currently, I am wearing a black tux with some silver shoulder armors and knee steel plates. I had my darling Kyrie to dress me up and fix my neck tie. By the way, Kyrie is also dressed with a magnificent white gown that only lacks a hair dress to be considered a wedding one. Every time I look at her, I see her walking by the altar, approaching to me and saying our sacred vows. I have to get away with my fantasies. This is not a wedding. This is a promotion night. Trumpets sing as the spirits of the planet dance with joy. As I entered up on the stage, the dukes and duchess, the generals and the dragon knights who are invited in this party was clapping as I made my grand entrance. Everyone except two people. Amphere and Airelina. They gaze at me with a fighting spirit, as if they didn¡¯t approve my promotion as of this time. ¡°I proudly represent to you, Rudolf Azregon, 1st class Dragon Knight of the Dragon Knight¡¯s Academy.¡± Kyle said, as he was the one holding the mic for my promotion. General Kyle lent me a golden sword, which I made the royal salute which involves unsheathing the sword and raising it up high pointing to the ceiling. Then General Kyle continued the ceremony. ¡°As the law of the Empire says, a General has the right to appoint a Pentagram Knight. I hereby appoint Rudolf Azregon to the position of the Fifth Pentagram Knight of the Empire of Alterra in place of Estoff Wraith, who disrespected his vows in the empire.¡± The trumpets made a more unfathomable yet royal theme orchestra as I got my tuxedo pinned with a golden face of a dragon badge; the sign of the Pentagram Knight. When I was presented, I put my right hand on my heart, and my left hand raised the golden ceremonial sword as I take my oath. ¡°I, Rudolf Azregon, solemnly swear that I will maintain my allegiance to the Empire of Alterra. I will obey the law as well as the legal orders of the duly constituted authorities therein. And conduct myself as an ally of justice according to the best of my knowledge and discretion. I will pledge myself to protect the Empire at all cost, in the price of my life, and in the price of my dragonoid. I will impose upon myself this voluntary obligation without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me god.¡± The dukes and duchess celebrated as I finish the last sentence of my oath. But my personal oath doesn¡¯t end there. I promise to save my best friend from eternal darkness that is waiting to consume him. Even if it means my own life. Chapter 39: Sin of my Friend Chapter 39: Sin of my Friend Rudolf Azregon It was awfully silent in this morning. Not even chirping birds are here on the acacia tree just beside my window. I have to do a lot of paperwork so I woke up early. It¡¯s been two days since I became a Pentagram Knight, and I think I¡¯ll be busier than anyone soon. There are piles of complaints, criminal cases and Arcadia profiles on my desk, and I have to read all of it. I have this hypothesis where Estoff Wraith really hate this job because it lacks some action, so he became a terrorist. Because I¡¯m now a Pentagram Knight, it is compulsory for me to concede in the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament. That means that I will never be able to fight Amphere in the arena. No matter how much I wanted to fight him, my job to do greater good must be my priority. There was a faint knock on the door. I answered ¡°Come in.¡± as I set aside the piles of folders. Talking about priorities, this meeting is at the top of my concerns. I know what or who to expect at this hour. It was Amphere. There¡¯s something new to him. His spiky black hair is now having several bangs framing his face. It was a trifling transformation of him, but I think it suits him well. He appears to have broader shoulders and also, bigger muscles. Airelina would be very aroused if she already saw his lovely Amphy. ¡°What?¡± Amphere tilted his head. This guy is pretending to be oblivious. He just went to a salon. I shook my head in response while holding my laughter. I can¡¯t just imagine the two after his dragonoid sees his transformation after he joined the Chevalier Unit. ¡°Nothing. Have a seat.¡± Amphere immediately sat uncomfortably on the chair beside my desk, and then watch me organize my table. ¡°The last time I went here, Estoff was sitting in that chair.¡± He said. His tone somewhat provides hostility to me. ¡°Yeah, but now I¡¯m a Pentagram Knight.¡± I grinned. I reached for the remote control of this room and pressed a button. All the windows automatically closed, leaving the room engulfed with eternal pitch-darkness. No one can see anything here. ¡°I¡¯ll conceal this room from outsiders so that no one can hear us talking here.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re going to rape me?¡± Amphere said jokingly. ¡°Fucker.¡± I immediately replied. ¡°I am here to have you confess.¡± The projector I have prepared gave of a satisfying light. The sigil of a golden dragon¡¯s head- the Pentagram Knight flashed through the screen. Well this is my computer, and that is my new wallpaper. I have to be proud of being the new Pentagram Knight at least. ¡°I know Amphere¡­that you¡¯re the new Black Phantom. The Black Phantom that entered the tournament grounds is just a fake.¡± There was a strong silence. I must have hit the bull¡¯s eye. I trusted my gut in this. I know the way he fight. I know every movement he makes. I know his mysterious power. I know his blazing stare at me. I know his heart and soul. I know¡­that he¡¯s the Black Phantom.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Amphere bowed for a second, and then turned to me with a gritting smile. ¡°And I¡¯ll have you confess too. You¡¯re the one who tortured and killed Alder Windstrafe, aren¡¯t you? ¡­I have read the autopsy, and that kind of bloodless burnt wound on his chest¡­Only your Chaos Claws can do that.¡± I returned with a chuckle. I¡¯m impressed. Of course he knew from the start. He¡¯s the new Black Phantom after all. ¡°So now that we are both sinners, we¡¯ll go to jail if one of us sang anyone out.¡± I said. ¡°I will not sell you.¡± Amphere slightly pouted. ¡°My only concern is to keep Airi have a free and happy world to live in.¡± ¡°If it involves passing the Dragonoid Rights Bill by Duchess Marieflorine Corasell, then I¡¯ll help you. But I can¡¯t have you running around with your terrorist friends.¡± ¡°Is it because of Airi again?¡± Amphere clenched his fists, suppressing his urge to run amok here in my office. ¡°Just what do you want with Airi?¡± ¡°Airi is a murderer, Amphere. A devil who is responsible for thousands of lives.¡± ¡°Is it about the Crimson Dragonfly again?¡± Amphere¡¯s voice is considerably higher. ¡°I told you it was all an accident-¡° ¡°It was never an accident! It was planned by both Estoff, Zac and Airelina.¡± I cutted him out. ¡°The destruction of Vanilla City was planned by the three original members of the Arcadia!¡± Amphere was trembling as he stood up and slowly stands back. He¡¯s muttering to himself ¡°No. no. no. no. no.¡± as his eyes widened in shock about the revelation. Of course he won¡¯t believe me even though I¡¯m his best friend. But I need to give him proof. The projector flashed a video screen of a naked man constricted on an electric chair. The man is blindfolded and has several grazes and wounds all around his body. That should be familiar to him. It was the interrogation of Alder Windstrafe. ¡°What is the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± the interrogator with the cybernetic voice asked. ¡°Crimson Dragonfly is the Dracaryx of Zac Schneider and his dragonoid, Aleria Turner.¡± Alder answered while panting. ¡°Aleria Turner¡­Is the fake name fabricated by Airelina Frembell to herself in order to not get herself caught. She has been using aliases by then, until she met her new legal knight, Amphere Harrison.¡± ¡°How does the Dracaryx¡­ the Crimson Dragonfly work?¡± ¡°The Crimson Dragonfly forces any other dragonoid to fuse with Airelina Frembell, just like the same manner of fusing two dragonoids using Dragon Splicers. But the combination of the two dragons will be a lot stable. Airelina Frembell¡¯s mind will be dominant in that case.¡± ¡°What happened in the Vanilla City?¡± ¡°Airelina Frembell fused with her unnamed dragonoid friend who turns out to be a Titanus Dragon. Once the Titanus Dragon and the Futuretech Dragon fused, they created the monstrous Monolith Dragon that destroyed the whole city with its photon blasters.¡± ¡°The Crimson Dragonfly incident happened before the formation of the Arcadia, yet you said that the Crimson Dragonfly is Arcadia¡¯s fault. Why is that?¡± Alder chuckled before answering. ¡°Everything is just a show. Airelina Frembell killed thousands of humans and dragonoids in order for all the dragonoids blame the government. They framed the empire! You can ask each and every one of Aracdian Dragonoids with the same question, and they will answer ¡®the government is responsible for wiping out the only Dragonoid-Friendly City.¡¯ Because of the hatred of the dragonoids against the government, Arcadia was finally formed. Airelina and Estoff are surely smart to make that move.¡± ¡°How about Zac Schneider?¡± ¡°Zac Schneider was just used by Airelina Frembell. They just wanted him for his Dracaryx. Zac Schneider thought that his dragonoid loves her, and he loved her too. Zac is involved in all of it because of his love for Aleria Turner, aka Airelina Frembell.¡± I immediately paused the video. Amphere was truly stunned. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°That can¡¯t be true!¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re a good and a brilliant man, Amphere.¡± I said with a calming voice. ¡°I know it than anyone else. Now answer my question¡­ Why is it that every time your Airi hears the word Crimson Dragonfly, she¡¯s suppressing herself to get rabid? Whenever someone is trying to blackmail her, she would do everything on her power just to not let you know?¡± ¡°¡­No¡­¡± Amphere bowed as he shook his head. ¡°¡­You¡¯re lying, right?¡± ¡°I certainly wish that I was.¡± Chapter 40: Don鈥檛 Call me Amphy Again! Chapter 40: Don¡¯t Call me Amphy Again! Airelina Frembell Estoff and Duke Dragunov have been drinking their cold glasses of beer while sitting uncomfortably on the sofa while I got busy licking the red bean paste on my fish pancake on the corner. Geez, there¡¯s no time that Estoff is not drinking, totally! That¡¯s not very leader-like! The humid atmosphere of this office makes the afternoon hot enough for tension! I wanted to scold him but I guess I could let it slide. He just sacrificed his name for Amphy and my sake. Even if the Dragonoid Rights Bill is to be passed and make his love Elumina free, Estoff wouldn¡¯t be able to live a normal life anymore. What¡¯s more is that one of our enemies, Rudolf Azregon is now a Pentagram Knight. The odds are now in Kyle¡¯s favor. But I never knew that it would become so totally worse. Amphy silently open the wooden door. He¡¯s not showing his emotions right now. His new hairstyle makes it hard to read his eyes. But I noticed that he is clenching his hand so hard that it looks like it¡¯s in the verge of squeezing out his own blood vessels on his palms. ¡°Look how these witty devils enjoy their free time.¡± Amphy muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t get so full of yourself, boy!¡± Estoff made a joking smirk. ¡°Just because you changed hairstyles and got your biceps buffed doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re a better scum than us.¡± Then he guzzled a mouthful of his beer. ¡°Yes.¡± Amphy quaked with anger more than before. ¡°You three are the most demonic scums that I¡¯ve ever met. Maybe more evil than that lunatic general.¡± Is Amphy pertaining to us? There are only four of us in this room right now. Duke Dragunov and I maintained our silence. Estoff dropped his glass of beer in the table and then raised his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t like what¡¯s coming out from your mouth, kid!¡± He said. Good thing Estoff is not drunk yet. He could¡¯ve pointed his sword to Amphy if he was. ¡°I don¡¯t like what¡¯s coming from three of you, either.¡± Amphy made a smart-aleck smile. ¡°I know all of your sins. ALL OF YOU!!!¡± I¡¯ve never seen Amphy so angry before. His brown eyes are filled with hatred, as if he wanted to destroy everyone here in this very room. I slowly stepped forward to calm her down. ¡°Amphy¡­please calm down.¡± As my hand was about to reach his, he immediately swiped it away. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me, ALERIA TURNER!!!¡± A-Aleria Turner¡­ How did he know that name!? This¡­This is impossible! Did Rudolf¡­.Damn that human! He poisoned my Amphy¡¯s mind! ¡°I know each and every one of your ridiculous secrets.¡± Amphy looked at Estoff with disgust. ¡°You Estoff¡­ You¡¯re so hungry with Elumina¡¯s pussy that you never thought about sparing the lives of the innocent, are you? You used a lot of people! Blaming the government for the destruction of Vanilla City in order to get the dragonoid¡¯s trust¡­Is it all true?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. There was a strong silence. Estoff bowed down and hesitated to answer at first, but then he made an honest answer. ¡°¡­Yes¡­ I need to trigger all the dragonoid¡¯s hatred to humans since they are scared. I should set an example for them¡­and I succeeded. Without the Crimson Dragonfly Incident, there will be no revolution. There will be no Arcadia.¡± Estoff made a long pause. ¡°Blood sacrifices are needed to achieve the everlasting freedom.¡± Amphy shooked his head and disagreed. ¡°You only think about Elumina. That¡¯s all to it, Estoff. You will sell everyone just to have Elumina free. You¡¯ll walk on a mountain of innocent corpses just to reach her hand.¡± Estoff didn¡¯t answer anymore, making Amphy win this argument so easily. Then he turned to me with the same killing gaze. ¡°And you, disgusting lizard¡­is your love to me a big fat lie too? Just what you did to Zac Schneider?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± My throat acted like it was dry, unable to give a proper answer. I held my aching chest. It hurts so much when the man you love most remove all their trust in you. ¡°Feeling bad now, huh?¡± Amphere made a sarcastic laugh. ¡°You should¡¯ve felt guilty a long time ago, before you killed Zac, your first lover.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not true!¡± I shouted out from the depths of my heart. ¡°That¡¯s totally not true, Amphy-¡° ¡°DON¡¯T CALL ME AMPHY AGAIN!!!¡± Tears fell down from my eyes. My heart aches more as each second goes. I can¡¯t breathe. I feel like my chest has been drilled by a thick jackhammer. Amphere¡¯s hatred¡­is beyond my imagination. I was planning to reveal everything to him once it¡¯s all over, but¡­ ¡°Airelina¡­¡± Amphere hid his left eye with his palm and made a painful laugh. ¡°I thought you were in the good side¡­but it seems that your hands are the dirtiest of all.¡± I fell down on my knees. Fish pancakes scattered on the floor. My mouth opened but no words came out. My mind is completely blank, as a clean slate. My eyes became blurry and it slowly became dark. I can¡¯t breathe. Help. I¡­can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m dying¡­ I was so helpless that I closed my eyes and hollered on his feet. I wanted forgiveness from the man I truly loved. But it seems that my sins are too much to be forgiven. He forcefully kicked me out from his feet. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Amphere said. ¡°I should¡¯ve believed everyone from the start. You all are just cold blooded terrorists.¡± Amphere slowly walked out of the room with anger on his heart and soul. There was a long silence. I tried to cry out loud, but voices refused to come out. I stayed in my position, letting go all of my tears until my eyes dry out. Estoff proceeded to finish his beer. Duke Dragunov bowed in silence. After a few minutes when I recovered my strength, I finally stood up. ¡°Where are you going, Airelina?¡± Estoff asked. ¡°To Amphy. I¡¯ll try to talk to him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­ It¡¯s all over... Did you see his hatred towards us?¡± Estoff replied. When I turned to him, it happens that he was shuddering out of terror. I can see it as he acts cool even though the ice tubes on his beer collide with the glass. ¡°The Dragonoid Rights Bill will be nothing if Amphere turns away from us. Without him, there will be no peaceful process. The only way left for us is through asperity. We shall wage war to overthrow the empire.¡± I was completely silent. Estoff is totally right about this. We shall make another ocean of blood, how hard it would be. This is our only way to freedom. ¡°Airelina¡­ I really hate to say this¡­but¡­¡± Estoff continued. ¡°Amphere¡­ Amphere Harrison has to die¡­ He already knows a lot.¡± Filled with resolve in my heart, I wiped out all the residual tears left in my face. Then I looked at the leader of Arcadia with loyalty and confidence. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I said. Estoff and the duke are totally silent about my answer. Knowing that they weren¡¯t clear about what they just heard, I repeated. ¡°I¡¯ll kill Amphere Harrison with my own hands.¡± Story of Airelina Frembell Story of Airelina Frembell Airelina Frembell I think he can¡¯t remember anymore. Amphy can¡¯t remember when we really first met. It was fifteen years ago, when we were both too young. My mother used to serve the government, as a doctor. My father is a soldier of the human empire. They both served the human empire in the Second Dragonoid War. At the time of the great war, they served Captain Ador Harrison, Amphere¡¯s father. Captain Harrison is a very good man. He treats all his subordinates with care. He would disobey the general¡¯s orders if it involves sacrificing anyone on his platoon. His honor knows no boundaries. No wonder why Amphere holds a lot of it. He¡¯s a lot like his father. During the war, families of the soldiers were put into a safe camp in the center of Ancient Forest of the Guardian¡¯s Haven. The floating continent makes it the safest place anywhere at that time. Even with the ongoing calamity, children like us continued to study in the improvised school the government made. They taught mixed dragonoid and human classes in all grade school. That¡¯s where I first met Amphere. Both of us are so cute back then, totally! I swear that if I ever see the young Amphere again, I would pinch his cheeks for two hours! I didn¡¯t feel anything for him at that time, well because we¡¯re still a child. But my feelings for him developed when we both got lost in the ancient forest on a specific night. The reason why we got lost was irrelevant¡­Or maybe I just forgot. Anyway, we held each other¡¯s hands while wandering the eerie forest, fearing that we might lose each other. Amphere was a crybaby since he¡¯s still four at that time. Being his senior, I promised to bring him back home. But we got assaulted by a dark wolf. Luckily, I was able to block its claws using my arm, which was dripping a lot of blood at that time. The dark wolf was so hungry and angry at us that he didn¡¯t let us escape, even though we tried to run for a quarter of kilometers. We were backed off in a ledge. At that moment, Amphere awakened his fighting instinct and used a hard twig as a weapon. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my princess!¡± he shouted at the wolf. It may be a silly line from a fairy tale that his mother used to tell him as a bedtime story, but even up to this day, I consider it cute and heart-pounding. He managed to land three blows to the wolf¡¯s head. The wolf was in pain, and decided to finally leave us for good. When Amphere saw the wound on my arm, he pulled off a dark crimson handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it to stop the bleeding. At that very time, I was astounded by this young man. He is my real hero. My personal Jesus. He is a real knight.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The search parties finally picked us up and returned us home. I had a crush on him but our moments as a child was short lived. The war expanded and it even reached the Guardian¡¯s Haven. We got separated for a very long time. I kept the handkerchief he gave me and used it as a hair ribbon, up until now. One year later, my father and my mother was accused of being a traitor, just because they are dragonoids. The discrimination among us back then is not different from now. They both got the same public death punishment at the very same date. They held each other¡¯s arms and said ¡®I love you¡¯ to one another. Both their heads fell to the ground at the very same millisecond. I was there to witness all of it. I was there to witness the human¡¯s discrimination and abuse of their power. At that time, I filled my heart with my resolve. To destroy the human empire. To make all dragonoids free. Meanwhile, Amphere¡¯s father hated the jury for punishing my parents. Because he can¡¯t stand his subordinates have the false judgement, he decided to release his position as a captain and resigned from the service of the military. The Harrison Family lived a peaceful life from then and now. Being an orphan dragonoid is a gift from hell. Everything was hell in that time. I tried to become dragonoid maids from different dukes and duchesses, and almost all of them treated their dragonoids harshly. I was traded and sold from city to city. I endured all of it just to live. There was a time where a perverted duke tried to molest me. It just so happen that I managed to snatch out his knife and slit his throat just before he was able to touch my private parts. He died instantly. That was the first time I killed someone. And that was the first time I discovered my passion. To kill humans. I decided to sell myself to a lot of rich people. Human celebrity scum, human businessman scum, human soldier scum. All humans are scum. Because of my beauty, it was never hard to jump from one human to another. Once they try to rape me, I¡¯ll stab their heart or shoot a gun on their brain with a smile on my face. Then I¡¯ll steal their money and hop on to my next customer. That became my way of living for so long that I forgot to recognize the term ¡®honor¡¯ and ¡®justice¡¯ anymore. Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m still a virgin. I would kill them just before their fingers reach my thighs. I never get caught because I always use fake names and aliases. I changed my appearance by shifting hairstyles and trying new make ups. The police never knew my real identity. The name Airelina Frembell was deemed to be wiped out in any records. The last duke I killed was a kindhearted man. His name is Zac Schneider. He is five years older than me, and I was sixteen at that time. He promised to treat me carefully and wanted to marry me. For the second time in my life, I felt loved by a human. Zac has a golden heart. He never lays a finger to any of his dragonoids, even if they upsets him. He is one of a kind. Once, he got an assassination attempt and got stabbed in the back. To get his trust, I tried to defend him and ordered the other dragonoid guards to catch the culprit. It just so happen that assassin was a dragonoid, and moreover, it was his gardener. The gardener has personal hatred to humans and released his anger by killing his master. Even though Zac was wounded because of that particular dragonoid, he decided to let his gardener free and continue to serve him. I was moved by Zac¡¯s actions. I said to myself that this man is not like other humans. Maybe this man can erase all hatred in my heart. Maybe this man will change everything in my life. Story of Airelina Frembell II Story of Airelina Frembell II Airelina Frembell Did you know the fairy tale about an angel and a demon that was madly fallen in love? Here¡¯s the spoiler; the two happily lived ever after on earth, with two human kids. It was just a bed time story our kindergarten teacher used to teach us. But now this is the explanation of the man who promised to be my husband. ¡°Love destroys the barrier of good and evil. Love breaks all boundaries.¡± Zac said to me on the ruined church in the Goldcliffe City Slums. ¡°Even if you killed a lot of humans like me, I will continue to love you¡­Aleria Turner¡­¡± I was hesitant on taking her hand at that time. I really wanted to marry my first love; my first hero. But as time goes on, I realized that the two of us crossing fates again will never come. ¡°If what you want is justice for the death of your parents, then I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ll overthrow the human empire and give you the crown if you wish.¡± Zac added. Then he introduced me to Estoff Wraith, the man with a tragic past just like me. I learned that we three have the very same cause; to help the oppressed, to free all the dragonoids from harm, and to destroy the human empire that is abusing their power over all. It was hard to get manpower or help from other dragonoids, because most of them are scared. If all dragonoids will be like this forever, then change will never come. We have to act. The three of us devised a plan to trigger the dragonoids¡¯ anger towards humans. As Estoff once said, ¡°There will be no revolution without bloodshed.¡± The plan is the mass extermination of humans and dragonoids alike, in the Vanilla City. Everything fits on our plan. Zac and I already unlocked our Dracaryx when we first met, and I still don¡¯t know how we did it. All that matters is that I can become the Crimson Dragonfly. Zac forcefully grabbed one of my friend and coworker whose name is forgotten through time. All I remember about her is that she is a Titanus Dragon, a type of scale less lizard that can reach up to forty meters. As we activated Dracaryx, four fire-like wings came out from my back and absorbed the Titanus Dragonoid. My body transformed into a fifty-meter abomination with the steel electronic armors of the advanced engineering of the future. I am the Monolith Dragon. The Crimson Dragonfly. I charged a particle beam on my mouth and sprayed it on the main city, on the square, on the malls, and on the houses of the innocent. Everything vanishes as all things that was touched by my particle beam separates each and every atom, one by one. Everything was converted into thin air on my wake. Casualty is about one thousand and two hundred. Only about fifty people survived. Vanilla City is written out of the map in just a matter of five minutes.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Because Zac Schneider didn¡¯t have any training on becoming a dragon knight, all the negative effects of the Vesryn Pulse and my Dracaryx backfired to him. Every cell on his body succumbs with pain, and he got a severe heart attack. We tried to run, but because of Zac¡¯s condition, he got caught by the authorities, mainly led by Kyle Leviticus. Luckily, Estoff and I managed to escape. Zac Schneider was put into the detention center for a couple of weeks before coming to an unfair trial. Estoff, as an Imperial knight at that time, visited him every day to keep him on check as we formulate an escape plan for him. But then Zac said: ¡°I wanted to have all the blame on me. Allow them to prove me guilty. Then they will never doubt you or Aleria ever again.¡± Estoff wanted to protest but Zac continued. ¡°My promise for a free world for Aleria to live in will be granted. And this is my only way to help. I¡¯m neither knight nor a politician. Being the decoy will be my best role in our group.¡± Zac pressed his hand on the mirror. ¡°I want you to have my name as the destroyer of the Vanilla City. Make each and every dragonoid blame me! Make them believe that all humans are the enemy of dragonoids! Make them¡­The Arcadia!¡± When the trial finally came, Zac Schneider¡¯s name was forever stained by the sins that I¡¯ve done. No lawyer accepted his case and was proven guilty in just a matter of seconds. His punishment was public execution. Beheaded. The very same fate my parents have. I attended his execution on the plaza slums and his words echoed over and over again inside of my head. ¡°Be free¡­. Airelina Frembell.¡± Then his head fell on the floor as blood splattered all over the area. I was astounded. It really seemed that Zac knew my real name from the start, and played fools with me for the rest of his life. He sacrificed everything he has for me. And now we are here, spreading the fake news that Zac was ordered by the empire to massacre thousands of dragonoids in the Vanilla City. His name was forever disgraced in both human and dragonoid¡¯s history. The Crimson Dragonfly Incident was the worst even in history that both races wanted to erase in all records. And that is totally my fault. Guilt has forever engraved in our hearts and minds. Estoff and I. We were the true culprit of this chaos. We sacrificed a friend¡­and a loved one just to brainwash a lot of dragonoids in a whim to overthrow the human empire. That was the last time we killed anyone. Estoff and I promised to not involve any civilian in our operations again. I was elected as the leader of Arcadia just because most of the dragonoids didn¡¯t have trust on Estoff in the start. Estoff didn¡¯t really want to become a leader back then, but he proved his goodwill for all dragonoids. He provided information, weapons, and funds to our group. He became the leader of various critical missions such as freeing the dragonoids from the power plants and slaughter houses. He made enough trust points that made me pass the baton of leadership to him. We had a lot of mini-secret bases on three cities, including the inn in the Goldcliffe City Slums. Through these bases we scattered our propaganda and our intelligence networks became vast. Various dukes and duchesses supported our cause, including Duchess Carousel and Duke Dragunov. From the small group of three, then to two, then to a thousand and finally two hundred thousand members. We have members on every city of the empire. Arcadia is the worst threat of the Empire of Alterra. We may be weak as livestock, but we have the power to make a scar in the government. The only problem is the empire¡¯s dragon knights. They are using our own kind to exterminate us; those dragonoids who refuse the idea of freedom and would rather stay oppressed by their masters. Dragon knights are extremely powerful in an ordinary Arcadian soldier¡¯s eyes. No one has ever had an idea how to defeat them, until a miracle happened. A young man who happened to be forever lost in my eyes made an appearance. Amphere Harrison. Chapter 41: Betrayal Chapter 41: Betrayal Airelina Frembell This room feels so large that I¡¯m now the only one left. I can get lively if I can, but I don¡¯t feel like it. Amphere didn¡¯t sleep on our inn last night. It sure feels lonely without him. He should¡¯ve slept in the Chevalier Unit Office. I can¡¯t contact Reina and Richard either. They must¡¯ve known the truth from now on, and they will certainly switch sides. I, the Crimson Dragonfly, was the most hated entity in the world. There will be a good chance that everyone is after me. Humans, dragonoids¡­I¡¯m no longer safe with anyone but Estoff and Duchess Carousel. I have the option to hide under their beds and cower in fear, but that is not the time for that right now. My highest priority is to look for Amphere. And to kill him. Amphere knows everything from Arcadia. He knows all our intelligence networks, hideouts, and spies. He can become a whistleblower and talk for one hour which will lead to Arcadia¡¯s total destruction in just a matter of days. I can¡¯t let our years of hard work become dust in my own very eyes. I have to act fast. Suddenly, there was a phone call! I was so excited to answer it but then I was disappointed. ¡°¡­Airelina¡­can you hear me?¡± It was Estoff¡¯s voice. There¡¯s a lot of static and random noises that it makes it hard to comprehend. ¡°-got compromised¡­ Listen to me¡­-base in the Ruined Cathedral is under attack¡­-Rudolf Azregon. Don¡¯t worry about us¡­-escaped using a hijacked airship. Don¡¯t¡­-¡° Then the line was cut. It was really messy but I get the situation. Rudolf Azregon raided the Guardian¡¯s Haven base. So I was right. It¡¯s either Richard or Reina who sold us out. I can¡¯t think of Amphere doing this to us. But I¡¯m open for possibilities, at least. For now, I have to find Amphere- Speak of the devil. Amphere just peeped the door and waved at me, as if he wasn¡¯t angry in the first place. ¡°Airi¡­¡± He said. ¡°Amphy-¡­Amphere¡­¡± My feelings¡­It was a mixture of happiness, love, doubt and fear. ¡°You have to come with me. We have to talk.¡± Amphere held his serious face. Without any hesitation, I hopped to his side and nodded. This will be our only time together. This will be the last time. Because at the end of the day, I have to silence his mouth forever. I have to kill him. There are no classes on this day because this is the day of celebration about the end of the First Dragonoid War that happened a hundred years ago. This is why we can roam in the streets without any trouble in mind. No, I¡¯m completely in trouble. I wish Amphere is not troubled as I am¡­ I love him. That is not a lie. I don¡¯t know if I can still fulfill my duty to kill him. Relax Airi. I have killed a thousand people. Amphere is just one. I can do it¡­I can. Totally. Surprisingly, we stopped by to a caf¨¦, as if we both are in the mood to relax. This is the first time Amphere has ever lead me to this place. Most of the time I will pester him to treat me a chocolate almond frappe. And now it¡¯s him who wanted to sit back and chill. ¡°You know¡­ Estoff and the others are totally on the run, right?¡± I tilted my head and frowned. ¡°What?¡± Amphere exclaimed. His reaction was genuine, and no stain of any acting. But then Amphere crossed his arm and indulge himself in deep thought. ¡°I think Reina revealed it to General Leviticus. Rudolf and I have nothing to do with it. I promise.¡± Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the caf¨¦. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. Everyone¡¯s eavesdropping.¡± I can¡¯t process Amphere¡¯s logical way of thinking right now, but I know he¡¯s up to something. I can tell it from his fast heartbeat. Thanks to the connection of the Vesryn Pulse, I can feel his heart.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. There¡¯s only two or three tables occupied in this caf¨¦, making it totally safe to talk about terrorism and escape plans. As we wait for our orders, Amphere was silently daydreaming while staring in the windows, while I¡­ I have this knife on my sleeve. Amphere is totally unarmed. He¡¯s not good in handling surprise attacks either. I can end his life right now. But I think it¡¯s wise to hear him talk first. ¡°I forgot to warn Estoff.¡± Amphere murmured. ¡°I should¡¯ve grabbed Duchess Corasell earlier too.¡± ¡°Umm¡­what are you talking about?¡± I scratched my head in embarrassment. ¡°Listen Airi. Rudolf is right¡­about everything. We¡¯ll be doing things on our way from now on. As long as we best friends arhe together, we are unstoppable. Not even you, or Estoff, or anyone else in Arcadia.¡± Hearing those words immediately made all my blood boil and reach to the top of my brain! So it¡¯s true that he¡¯s going to change sides! He¡¯s just here to¡­He¡¯s just here to say his last farewell to me! I know something¡¯s fishy from the start! I immediately pulled the knife and pushed it to his chest! ¡°Y-YOU BASTARD!!!¡± There was now a bloodstain on his white shirt. But it was so small. My knife only cut his skin and some veins, but I didn¡¯t exert much effort for the blade to reach his heart. I can¡¯t finish him instantly right now. Not with those fearless maroon eyes that glares inside my soul. He appears that he¡¯s not even hurt. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me Airi¡­Because I know¡­You love me¡­¡± He said calmly. Tears started racing out from my pitiful crimson eyes without me knowing. My heart ached more than ever. I withdrew the bloody knife and dropped it on the floor. Then I reached the back of my head and untied the dark scarlet ribbon that I have kept as an ornament for my hair. ¡°Amphere¡­Do you remember me?¡± I presented the ribbon. ¡°You gave this to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I don¡¯t remember you, nor that ribbon you¡¯re wearing.¡± He sighed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t remember me.¡± My voice are shaking as I continued to speak and cry at the same time. ¡°All I know is that I love you. And I have to kill you. But I can¡¯t. It¡¯s silly for a murderer like me to pull my knife without delivering my target to his end¡­ For the sole reason that I love you more than the reason I¡¯ve been living for.¡­¡± Amphere shut his mouth. It¡¯s the same as my regular Amphy; bland, silent and boring. It was the very same person I fell in love with, not once or not twice, but over and over again. Every day I would force him to accept my feelings even though I always get a null answer. But I will never give up¡­ Totally¡­ I stood up and reached my hand to him and released all my honest feelings for him; the very first time I confessed everything in my heart, in my mind and in my soul. All my tears went out non-stop as I formulate my words. ¡°Amphere¡­Take my hand¡­ Let¡¯s run away together. I¡¯ll leave Arcadia. I¡¯ll leave all my principles and sins behind. Let¡¯s start a new life together¡­in a faraway village, or even in another nation. Let¡¯s build a house¡­a small bungalow is the only thing I need. Let¡¯s have a family¡­maybe two or three children will do. You have a background on business and have a high educational attainment so you will have no trouble looking for another job. And I will just stay on our house; taking care of you until our children grows old and marries. And we will stay together till the last of our breath.¡± ¡°No.¡± Amphere bowed. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. That¡¯s not what you liked. That¡¯s not your wish.¡± ¡°But Amphere-!!!¡± I was immediately cut out when Amphere surged to me and tightly hugged me like a koala. This¡­This is the first time ever that he initiated a hug to me. I do feel loved even though my honest confession was just rejected. I can feel the warmth of his heart. I can feel that we¡¯re still connected, even though our minds are in conflict. ¡°Airi. Trust me. You¡¯ll get the justice that you deserve.¡± He whispered in my ear. Suddenly, all the windows broke as several gas-masked man breached the place. They are all wearing a standard soldier armors such as bulletproof, and all of them are armed with assault rifles, if not long taser guns. I know their uniforms¡­they are the Black Ops by the military which was led by General Kyle Leviticus! Amphere released me from embrace and pushed me to the most disgusting man in the universe. General Kyle Leviticus himself. I was about to resist and kick the lunatic¡¯s throat, but then I got a taste of the taser gun on my spine. A bursting sensation made me paralyzed and helpless as I fall to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mistress Massacre.¡± Kyle slowly clapped his hands. ¡°Airelina Frembell, or more properly¡­Crimson Dragonfly¡­ You are under arrest.¡± Two soldiers carried me up and dragged me away to the exit of the caf¨¦. And there, my dragon knight watches me disappear from his sight. ¡°W-What gives Amphere! W-What are you doing!?¡± I shouted out with all my might. But my words never entered his consciousness. His ears repelled all the sound waves that came from my mouth. All he gave to me is a genuine smile and a blazing set of eyes, full of determination. This bizarre set of events left me unable to breathe as my vision blurred and finally blacked out. Amphere¡­ Please tell me what¡¯s going on¡­ Chapter 42: Dragunov鈥檚 Secret Chapter 42: Dragunov¡¯s Secret Marieflorine Corasell Sir Estoff kept his promise to keep me safe even though I¡¯m such a dead burden by now. We are currently aboard the S.S. Maryjane, a private airship that is docked in the terminal which is usually used to get down from the flying continent Guardian¡¯s Haven. And all I can do is sitting comfortably on this five-star hotel-like VIP room while some soldiers led by Rudolf Azregon is catapulting us some cannonballs. It just so happens that I visited their hideout when that damned new Pentagram Knight sieged us. Sir Estoff decided to flee with me in order for my name to stay clean. They might suspect me for being a part of Arcadia if I was caught in the raid. That Rudolf Azregon¡­ He¡¯s really playing all his cards against us. He already succeeded on snatching Amphere Harrison from our team. And now, we don¡¯t know how much information about Arcadia they have access to. We all feared that this will happen, but not too soon. Suddenly, there was three knocks on my door. I hopped through the wooden floor and opened it excitedly even though I was in the verge of death a few hours ago. I was hoping for Sir Estoff. Sir Estoff Wraith makes me calm even if there are thousands of enemies behind us! Sir Estoff is too old for me and his heart already belongs to Elumina, so I wished that there comes a time where I can meet someone as valiant as him, and marry that person! Sadly, it was no Sir Estoff. The one standing in front of me was Duke Dragunov, who was also dragged in this mess. I frowned at the old white man and returned to my bed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m not the person you wanted to see.¡± Duke Dragunov made a fine laugh. ¡°I¡¯m just here to report to you that we are now completely safe. Estoff managed to lose the pursuers. We are now away from the floating continent, but above the ruins of Vanilla City.¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± I sighed. ¡°And there is another thing.¡± The Duke continued. He reached something on his sleeves. My eyes widened in shock! It was a revolver! And now he¡¯s pointing it to me! W-Why? Is the duke changing sides too? ¡°The Arcadia has no need for you now, Duchess Marieflorine Corasell!¡± The duke made a genuine smile. ¡°Since Amphere Harrison is now against us, there will be no one who can support the Dragonoid Rights Bill. The piece of garbage wrote by your parents is now just a dream!¡± I resisted my urge to cry, but even so, I tried to act bravely as I tried to argue. ¡°Estoff won¡¯t allow me to die!¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Where is he now?¡± Duke Dragunov even made a Cheshire cat smile. ¡°He¡¯s busy, trying to formulate the course of this ship in order to make us untracked. You can¡¯t call your hero now.¡± ¡°B-But¡­¡± I finally cried. There¡¯s no one to run into. There are only two of us in this room! The duke slowly made five steps nearer to me, until the gun is two inches away from my forehead. I can¡¯t just run in this almost point-blank range! ¡°Brings me back my old memories. Your mother made the very same brave yet wet eyes when I pointed this revolver to her chest.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. My emotions became mixed as I processed all his revelations on my head. Fear and cowardice became bravery and anger in my heart. ¡°Y-You killed my parents¡­¡± ¡°Oh yes. I just framed that it was all just an accident. But the truth is your mother and your father died with a wonderful scream. They sound best when they harmonized with the bang of my glorious gun.¡± ¡°Y-You lunatic!¡± I cried. ¡°You¡¯re worse than the retarded general!¡± ¡°Well, maybe we¡¯re just in the same caliber.¡± He said. ¡°Time for you to die.¡± The moment the trigger clicked, there was a loud clang! It was just in time to make the revolver fly away and its bullet hit the window beside me. I barely managed to evade the projectile, and thankful that I¡¯m still alive. ¡°What the-¡° Behind me, are floating golden fans. These are the fans I regularly use, and they are multi-purpose. They are controlled by my brain waves and can defend me if I am in absolute trouble. The fans work perfectly the same as Amphere¡¯s Dynamos, though I can¡¯t make them shoot laser beams. This is my recently-awakened ability. This is my Heightened Clearance. ¡°I never thought that what Amphere taught me comes in handy.¡± I muttered to myself. Then I shot a killing glare to the duke! ¡°Now I¡¯ll get my revenge!¡± The floating golden fans revealed razor-blades on each of its corners and flew to the duke! The duke is completely unarmed and not agile enough to dodge my killing fans, so victory is mine! Or so I thought. The wall broke and two of my fans got parried by icicle daggers. It was a silver haired woman, wearing a purple princess¡¯s dress. The silver woman clutched and made her way in front of the duke, ready to protect him at all cost. She¡¯s¡­ ¡°Thanks, Emy.¡± Duke Dragunov said. Then he picked up the revolver on the floor. Now that the silver ninja lady is here, I don¡¯t have any way to defeat them! I haven¡¯t perfected controlling my fans yet, so I have trouble in making them fly again. Emy revealed four stalactite daggers on each of her hand, and then launched it to my position! It got my royal dress torn up, and I was pinned on the wall. Thankfully, I¡¯m not even grazed. But right now, I¡¯m fully incapacitated. Duke Dragunov went near me again, for the last time, and pointed his gun on my forehead on point-blank range. ¡°For your information, I also ordered the real Black Phantom to kill you. It was not the will of Leviticus¡¯ or Alder¡¯s. It was mine.¡± I tried to struggle, but it¡¯s no use. Am I going to die here? The sound of the gunshot echoed throughout the room. But I was not the one who¡¯s hit. It was a blank bullet. Duke Dragunov and Emy¡¯s face looks so puzzled, as so do I. How did it happen? ¡°The duchess won¡¯t die as long as I¡¯m here!¡± It was a childish voice. The mad duke and his ninja dragonoid turned around to see who it really is. It was a twelve-year-old girl who is always cosplaying as a magical girl. She¡¯s Eva! The former dragonoid of Reina Fleuret! Eva revealed her palm which contains a single bullet. ¡°I used street magic to swap your bullet with a blank one.¡± Emy the silver ninja reacted fast! Her hands magically produced ice daggers and shoots all of them to Eva! But Eva¡¯s agility is on a greater level! Eva materialized her fairy wings and then she shrink into a cockroach-size, totally evading all the projectiles! She flew like a moth with sparkling glitters as a trail! When she finally reached me, she touched my chest with her tinny-winny hand and pronounced these words: ¡°I wish to become Marieflorine Corasell¡¯s shield To be the guardian of my knight To be her guiding light In her darkest night To be the proof of her kindness and might!¡± ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse¡± The room exploded, and the next time I opened my eyes, I was already flying in the stratosphere. I was sitting on top of the head of a blue Fairy Dragon, which is Eva I suppose. Behind me is the S.S. Maryjane, which is now as little as a basketball from my eyes. Considering the distance, I pretty much escaped from that murderer. I¡¯m sorry, duchess. Eva spoke through my head. I need to ¡®kidnap¡¯ you from the Arcadia to keep you safe. Don¡¯t worry about Estoff, Dragunov will not hurt nor betray him. Dragunov needs Estoff and Arcadia for his evil plans. My first priority is to save you away from harm. There was no flaw on her logic. Instead, this is the best course of action. But who formulated this entire plan must have known everything from both sides. As I was about to ask a question, the answer came off. Amphere Harrison¡¯s orders. Eva supplemented. Story of Star Berries; Tale of Friendship, Love, and War Story of Star Berries; Tale of Friendship, Love, and War Estoff Wraith Kyle is right. We were best friends, at some point in our lives. When I was eight, we used to live in a small village near Twilight City. The Heaven¡¯s Village. As much as it sounds like, the village can be considered heavenly for people who have crimson eyes. Unlike any other places in Alterra, the village is filled with angel-type dragons which excel in healing and protection magic. Most dragonoids there avoid contact with humans who live in the vicinity, except for the house of Leviticus. Duke Roswald Leviticus, who is Kyle¡¯s father, is a kind man. His sympathy to dragonoids are as well can be competed to the Corasells benevolence. He is the primary investor of the village, building shrines, hospitals, museums and even the village hall. The Leviticus family even has the only garden of star berries, which is the most delicious berry in the whole world and is considered luxurious. Their facilities gave a lot of jobs for the dragonoids. He was praise by the elders of the Heaven¡¯s Village for his chivalry and gentleness. Kyle¡¯s father is the sole reason why we stayed in the village, even though we think the whole village is afraid of our family just because we¡¯re humans. Apparently, my father and his father went to college together. My father¡¯s life didn¡¯t go so successful, so his friend Duke Leviticus offered us a simple house in the village. He even gave jobs to my parents, which is certainly angelic of him. This is how I met Kyle Leviticus, who is upbeat and full of energy. He has a dream of becoming the strongest dragon knight. He was the one who taught me to skip classes and steal some star berries on his father¡¯s vineyard. He even pushed me to drink wine even though we¡¯re still in grade school. Maybe I can blame my alcoholism to him, since he¡¯s the one who taught me how to party at a very young age. There was a time when we skipped classes to snatch another set of star berries. In the process of collecting, we spotted a pretty dragonoid girl who was doing the same act as ours; stealing the fruits and putting it on a plastic bag. Because of the competition, we chased down the girl until we finally pinned her down, making the berries squash to the ground in the process. The girl revealed herself as Elumina Cryst, the daughter of the chief of the village. She was just curious on what the star berries taste like, so she decided to take a bunch and make it into a fruit shake later. We were both fancied by the idea so we decided to release her, and make a star berry shake with the berries we gathered altogether. And that is how we three became best of friends. Elumina is the same as she was now; shy, approachable and sweet. Because of her personality and looks, falling in love with her is just a matter of months. Kyle and I waged a friendly war against each other. Whoever Elumina chooses will be his groom. May the best man win. Our rivalry continued when we were in high school. Kyle slightly focused more on his studying and training to be admitted to the Dragon Knights Academy, so Elumina and I had plenty of time together. Every time we meet, I would give her a paper crane that has some cheesy romantic poems I wrote. After my class, I would wait in front of the classroom to escort her back to her home safe and sound. We managed to pull off uncountable number of dates.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. There was one time when we were sitting in a grass, watching the orange sunset while talking about our dreams. ¡°I wanted to perform Vesryn Pulse with you. Even just once. But I heard that dragon knights are the only ones who can do that.¡± Elumina muttered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll become a knight!¡± I jokingly smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll perform Vesryn Pulse so that I can see your beautiful dragon form.¡± Because of these happenings, I know that I have won Elumina¡¯s heart. Everyday is filled with love. Until the Second Dragonoid War broke out. Elumina¡¯s rogue brother, Eliseo Cryst is one of the commanders of the Dragonoid Liberation Army. He was the one responsible for massacring humans in the village. My family fled at that time to the floating city of Guardian¡¯s Haven, together with Elumina and other dragonoids. But Kyle¡¯s family is not so lucky. Duke Leviticus got beheaded, which was displayed in the central square until the war subsided. His mother was beaten, raped, and butchered by Eliseo¡¯s unit. Kyle¡¯s two younger sisters also suffered the same fate as her mother. Kyle Leviticus was enraged into the deepest part of his soul. He wanted all dragonoids to suffer, to pay for what they have done to his family. He studied hard in order to get admitted to the Dragon Knight Academy. He also got this trauma of having nightmares since he witnessed the dark fate of his family. His personality immediately changed, and his crazy gaze in his eye speaks everything for him. He totally lost his mind. The elder chief of the village felt guilty of what had happened, even though he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Elumina¡¯s father wanted forgiveness, so he proposed his own daughter to be in Kyle¡¯s care for the rest of her life. Elumina will serve Kyle until death do they part. Kyle accepted the proposal and let the sin of the chief¡¯s terrorist son slide¡­at that time. ¡°I wanted to say that I¡­I love you¡­Estoff Wraith¡­ And I¡¯m so sorry. We can¡¯t be together from now on¡­Goodbye¡­¡± That was Elumina¡¯s parting words to me before she left with Kyle to the academy. I tried talking Elumina out from her shackles, but Kyle turned a deaf ear to me. I didn¡¯t know the full extent of Kyle¡¯s anger, so I fear that he might do inhumane things to her. So I also decided to enter the Dragon Knight Academy to ensure that Elumina¡¯s safe. I entered with Gilliard, my local drinking buddy back when I lived in a dorm in Goldcliffe City when I was in senior high school. I didn¡¯t like what I saw everyday. If not bruises, Elumina will have those black eyes or cuts on her cheeks, lips, arms or legs. There was a time when I spied on their room and I heard screams. When I opened the door, I saw my love tied up, and her shoulder back being whipped by the abusive cunt. Anger swelled up on my veins and proceeded to punch Kyle. I made that douchebag¡¯s face wet with his own blood, but when I¡¯m about to strangle him, Elumina stopped me. We had a quarrel because of that. I asked why she keeps standing by Kyle¡¯s side, but she keeps reasoning out that she must repent from her family¡¯s sins. I could not agree in her logic. Does she mean she would endure being tortured and raped by this retarded prick!? I can¡¯t grab Elumina out since she¡¯s the one who chose to stay by Kyle¡¯s side. I will never understand that. Years have passed until the Third Dragonoid War broke out, which is led by Elumina¡¯s brother. All dragon knights went to war at that time. Thanks to that particular war, Kyle¡¯s dreams and revenge was fulfilled. Kyle has been dubbed as the hero of the Third Dragonoid War because of his performance in the battlefield. He had Elumina watch his brother¡¯s execution in public. I also gathered some news that Kyle tormented almost tens of thousands of dragonoids before killing them. Kyle became the public icon of the dragon knights. I made the same good performance during the war, making me a Pentagram Knight. But unlike Kyle Leviticus, I preferred not to kill dragonoids. I met a lot of them who possessed goodwill. I managed to convince some dragonoids to stop the liberation army. That was the time where I first met Duke Zac Schneider, who wanted to liberate all dragonoids. He made a fine hell of points making me convince to join his ideals. We both have the same goal; to free all the abused by reuniting all dragonoids all over the world to join our cause. We created a scene; the Crimson Dragonfly Incident in order to destroy the government¡¯s image and to enrage all free-willed dragonoids. It surprisingly got well even though Zac Schneider was sacrificed himself. And thus the formation of Arcadia. Chapter 43: Objection! Chapter 43: Objection! Airelina Frembell Only one day in the detention center, and after that, I face the court. Totally no prep time. This is the law regarding to the trials of dragonoids in court. Because I¡¯m a convicted murderer, destroyer, and a terrorist, I can¡¯t and will never find a lawyer. It totally looks like I¡¯m just waiting for my execution day, which is tomorrow. I can¡¯t win this. No one visited me yesterday, not even that betrayer Amphere Harrison. I should¡¯ve killed him, but I think I can¡¯t. I love him, and there¡¯s no way I can hurt him like that ever again. I feel guilty of stabbing him in the chest. It gave me restless nights. I haven¡¯t got any sleep for the past two days actually, and I have these black eyes on my pale skin. My face now looks like a panda. Aside from that, I cried for the whole day, and I still can¡¯t stop my damn eyes. I¡¯ve been wiping my tears for every ten minutes. I¡¯m so pitiful. ¡°The court is now in session for the trial of Airelina Frembell¡± The judge said as he strokes his gavel. Then he looked at the empty defendant¡¯s counsel¡¯s side. ¡°It looks like no one will defend our lovely lady here.¡± ¡°I WILL!!!¡± The voice echoed throughout the four sides of the court as a shadow entered the main door. This man¡­ ¡°I will defend the defendant.¡± Amphere loudly proclaimed, which made all the dukes, the knights, and the authorities astounded. Totally all of them, all who are the audiences in this very room. The duchess Carousel, Eva, Rudolf, Kyrie, Reina, Richard, Kyle, Elumina, Amphere Harrison¡¯s father, Gaz, the apple store vendor Lorelei¡­ Even I got my brain explode. W-What is he trying to do? Amphere betrayed me. He got me arrested. He sold me out. He hated me. And now he¡¯s acting like my lawyer? ¡°Since there is no legal counsel for this trial, I assign myself as one. I am the dragon knight of the accused dragonoid.¡± Amphere politely genuflected in front of the desk of the judge. ¡°I ask permission to stand as the defense, your honor.¡± ¡°Permission granted.¡± The judge hammered the gavel. ¡°Prosecutor, your opening statement.¡± ¡°The defendant, Airelina Frembell is accused of murder, homicide, and multiple damages to property. She is known for multiple aliases such as Aleria Turner, Aisha Frisk, Florisse Casterdyne, and many more, ¡­And the infamous Crimson Dragonfly. She is accused of being a member of the terror group Arcadia which is led by Estoff Wraith. There is one and only hard evidence¡­The interrogation of the Black Phantom.¡± The tape played that gives facts to the people here in this room. I¡¯m more troubled about the voice. I-Is that Alder¡¯s? That¡¯s totally Alder¡¯s voice. He sounds like he was in pain and suffering. I keep wondering¡­ How did Alder Windstrafe know everything about the Crimson Dragonfly? When the tape ended, Amphere shook his head in disappointment. ¡°That is terrible evidence, your honor.¡± He said arrogantly to the prosecutor. ¡°Certainly, Black Phantom is a key member of Arcadia who can light up these mysteries, but how am I gonna cross examine the witness if the witness is already dead?¡± Amphere presented a folder of documents containing the profile of Alder Windstrafe. ¡°This is the evidence that proves that the Black Phantom is the late Alder Windstrafe! This are the documentation of the Chevalier Unit¡¯s interrogation with the said masked man. Unfortunately, Alder tried to ¡®resist¡¯ and the Chevalier Unit didn¡¯t have a choice but to kill him.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We have a witness to back it up.¡± The prosecutor proclaimed. Then the lunatic general come to the stand. They asked him about his name and profession, and pledged in front of the judge to say the truth, the absolute truth and nothing but the truth. Then he told everything he saw from that day¡­ The day where I was brutally defeated by this knight in the powerplant. And not even that¡­ ¡°¡­I also saw the defense, Amphere Harrison, on the site. He protected the defendant, and flees outside the scenario.¡± This retarded man¡­ Now he¡¯s using everything he knows against Amphere! But Amphere held it so chillaxed that he clicked his tongue as if he was waiting for this very moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General Leviticus. Your baseless allegations needs more evidence.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need evidence, I saw you at that time.¡± The general kept his smug. ¡°In the court, evidence is everything!!!¡± Amphere slammed his desk and glared with blazing willpower. ¡°The fact that you are bringing this story in this particular point makes us doubt your credibility! Why reveal this now and not in the past? Huh, general?¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± General Leviticus clenched his fist and then finally busted. ¡°This is my trump card to get you into prison, the two of you! You¡­Amphere Harrison¡­ should know your place! So this is your plan after all! You¡¯re just going to clean your hands in this comedic play! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU AND EVERYTHING IN THIS COURT! FUCK YOUR FARCE, AMPHERE HARRISON!!!¡± Amphere coldheartedly turned to the judge. ¡°Your honor, this witness is not credible. I have his medical records, and there are several testimonies say that he has some kind of mental disorder that leaves him in unstable state. Aside from that, the general has personal grudges on me, so I take it he¡¯s trying hard to get me to prison.¡± The judge nodded with a promising answer. ¡°General Kyle Leviticus is now held in contempt due to his use of inappropriate words and being impertinent to the court. This witness is no longer credible.¡± As he strokes his gavel again, the bailiff and the police officers went around the crazy general. Knowing that he has no power here in this very room, he walked out with suppressed rage on his steps. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that his testimony about the defendant isn¡¯t true.¡± The prosecutor cut my lawyer. ¡°The evidence lacks proving Airelina Frembell as a member of Arcadia, indeed. But the evidence only proves one thing. THAT AIRELINA FREMBELL IS THE CRIMSON DRAGONFLY, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIVES OF A WHOLE CITY!!!¡± ¡°OBJECTION!!!¡± Amphere shouted with all his might. ¡°Airelina Frembell is indeed the Crimson Dragonfly. She is guilty for taking out thousands of life and destroying the whole Vanilla City. But there is a major flaw that makes Airelina Frembell a victim to all these happenings, just like those innocent souls.¡± Everyone kept silent and turned themselves to Amphere. ¡°According to the tape, Crimson Dragonfly is the Dracaryx of the defendant¡¯s late unofficial knight, Duke Zac Schneider. Dragonoids are not bound to be protected by our law, at least as of this point. Dragonoids are treated as pets, or more properly, slaves. They don¡¯t have the right to own any property. And that means that dragonoid are treated as dogs.¡± Suddenly, Amphere went to my side and grabbed the back of my silky hair. I feel like my scalp is leaving my head and it totally hurts! H-He¡¯s harassing me in front of this very court as he continues to speak! ¡°A dog is also considered as a property, and if the dog runs amok, the owner will be liable for any damages. This beautiful dragonoid is my property, and no one else¡¯s. Anything my dragonoid does, will be redirected to me! As the facts said, at the time where the Crimson Dragonfly Incident, Airelina Frembell¡¯s master is Duke Zac Schneider, which makes Duke Schneider fully liable for the lives of the whole Vanilla City!¡± The audiences murmured and whispered to each one another, trying to process Amphere¡¯s reasoning. Amphere finally handed me down as he calmed himself. ¡°I rest my case, your honor.¡± This man¡­ He totally defended me with all his might. I can see sweat dripping from his chin as he makes a deep sigh. Then he whispered something to me like ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°A-Amphy-Amphere¡­totally¡­¡± I muttered. I¡¯m astonished by this man. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. He¡¯s completely unpredictable. And that what makes me love him even more. ¡°Order in the court!¡± The judge smacked his gavel. Thinking that he finally has the decision, he prepared for the final statement. ¡°I find the defendant, Airelina Frembell¡­¡± Chapter 44: Reassortment Chapter 44: Reassortment Airelina Frembell Not Guilty. That¡¯s the judge¡¯s decision. Actually, I totally shouldn¡¯t be surprised; Amphere is getting ready for the bar examinations a few months ago after he finished his assignment on Duchess Carousel. The opposing prosecutor is his senior on his senior high school. And the judge is his instructor back in law school. The chance of having me executed is lower than zero percent. Amphere kept his promise to keep me safe. Now I¡¯m living my life normally with him for the past two days. Not normally, I¡¯m sorry. The hatred for me by the humans and the dragonoids are inevitable. I became the apple of the eye of the instructors in a very bad way. Most of my friends in the academy hated me. I have no place to be¡­ Arcadia, Chevalier Unit or the Dragon Knights Academy. They now considered me as hostile entity. ¡°Death is not your punishment. The real punishment for your evil deeds is to keep living, to endure humiliation and criticisms from each and every person you knew.¡± Amphere told me. He¡¯s right. Death is a lot easier, and it will just make me escape from my sins. I¡¯m living in hell right now. Amphere and I were walking down the road to the Pentagram Knight Office, maybe to visit Rudolf and Kyrie. There has been a lot of questions that¡¯s totally bugging my mind which I didn¡¯t have enough bravery to ask my partner. Why? Because he¡¯s acting like he didn¡¯t hated me at all. Amphere continues to treat me like a normal person, despite learning the truth about my dark past. This time, I mustered the courage inside my heart and asked him eye to eye. ¡°Amphy-¡° ¡°Yes?¡± He replied. I¡¯m surprised that he answered to my call. I thought the nickname ¡®Amphy¡¯ is prohibited, but he seems to forgot everything. ¡°N-Nothing¡­ Totally¡­¡± In the end, my resolution is not enough to ask him even one of my questions on my head. When we finally got ourselves in Rudolf¡¯s office, there was a peculiar guest. He¡¯s wearing a dirty brown leather coat and a hijab to cover his face. He was standing uncomfortably in front of the chillaxed Rudolf and nervous Kyrie who were in the desk. The mysterious man looks familiar to me. His green eyes and blonde long hair that has been tucking out from his face cover gave hint to me. ¡°I thought you would never come¡­Estoff.¡± Amphere had his tone somewhat arrogant. So it was Estoff Wraith in disguise as a homeless man. ¡°I know you¡¯re going to get me arrested. That is why you summoned me here, you scumbag. Fine. I¡¯m all yours now.¡± Estoff revealed his arms, ready to get handcuffed. ¡°Unfortunately, Amphere summoned you for a small talk.¡± Rudolf cut impolitely. ¡°Don¡¯t get so cheeky just because you snatched this office from me.¡± Estoff have this painful smile and then turned to Amphere. ¡°So now what?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Estoff¡­Airelina¡­¡± Amphere bowed down, shaking, and clenching his hand. ¡°What you did was unforgivable but¡­I have known you two for three years. You never hurt a fly for that span of time. I know why you hid those information from me, to keep me from trusting the two of you. But now I don¡¯t trust you two at all.¡± Those words broke my heart again. Guilt, sorrow, and anger to my past self. I¡¯m such a horrible person¡­ I¡¯m sure Estoff shares the same way too as he curved down. I know there are a lot of reasons on his mouth but he can¡¯t speak. ¡°I-¡­We¡¯re totally guilty of that happening.¡± I said. ¡°That is why I chose you to become my knight. We hoped that we can change this world in a peaceful manner, by having the Dragonoid Rights Bill passed. We needed you more than anyone else¡­Amphy¡­¡± Amphy revealed his glistening eyes and looked at Estoff, and then to me. ¡°I won¡¯t be working with Arcadia anymore. But I will make all your wishes come true. I¡¯ll win the tournament, and have the Dragonoid Rights Bill passed.¡± ¡°I completely understand your reasoning, Sir Estoff Wraith.¡± Rudolf included himself in this terrorist forum. ¡°Amphere told me. If what happens to Elumina happens to my Kyrie, I¡¯m sure I would do the same thing. We¡¯re all murderers after all. That is why as the successor of your power in the Alterran Empire, I pledge my whole heart and soul to support the Dragonoid Rights Bill. In a peaceful manner, that is.¡± Amphere genuflected in front of me and slowly lent out his hand. There was a dark crimson ribbon, the very same handkerchief that I always use as a hair ornament. ¡°Airelina-¡­Airi¡­. I still don¡¯t remember you yet. But I do remember the past three years we¡¯ve been together. You will have to repent for your sins for the rest of your life because of me. I¡¯m sorry¡­ Please be my dragonoid again¡­and help me win the tournament.¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Tears ran down on my eyes. ¡°Y-You¡¯re an idiot, totally! You¡­sniff¡­You saved me a lot of times from my¡­sniff¡­hellish life¡­ I can¡¯t go back to Arcadia now that all humans and dragonoids hate me¡­but¡­sniff¡­You¡­You¡¯re the only home that I got¡­ that is why I will help you, with all I got!¡± I grabbed the handkerchief and carefully tied it back into butterfly wings behind my head. I wiped out my tears and made a bright smile. The same bright smile Amphy used to see me when we were a child. ¡°TOTALLY!!!¡± Suddenly, the wooden door creaked open. A set of ruby eyes peeked at the gap. It was Elumina. Estoff was astounded as he got his jaws drop. When Rudolf saw this, he requested Kyrie to lead them to a room so that they can talk privately together. Fortunately, Kyle was out for three days due to his contempt of court case. Now there are only three of us in this office. Rudolf pressed a remote on his hand which made the whole room covered with absolute darkness. ¡°Enough with the touchy moments.¡± Amphy finally stood up. ¡°It¡¯s my time explaining my side to Rudolf.¡± Amphy asked me to project a presentation about the evidences. I used my high-tech platinum wing to make hologram projections which made the young Pentagram Knight in awe. It showed a lot of videos including the horrific and disgusting dragonoid ¡®batteries¡¯ and test subjects in the power plant and in the war factories that the government owns. Rudolf was pretty convinced by Amphere at this point. After thirty minutes, Rudolf finally had the conclusion. ¡°I really can¡¯t judge you, Amphere. If I were in your position, I will also support Arcadia. Airelina and Estoff seemed to be a good guy, if it weren¡¯t for that Crimson Dragonfly Incident.¡± ¡°I told you.¡± Amphere smiled. ¡°But I think your general is a lot worse than Estoff and Airi combined. According to some rumors, Kyle Leviticus have killed ten thousand dragonoids and tortured them in the last dragonoid war.¡± ¡°I already know it just before I joined his unit. I primarily joined Chevalier Unit to get you away from harm, but it seems that it wasn¡¯t necessary.¡± Rudolf answered. ¡°You¡¯re perfect plan is in action. The only one problem standing in your way is Duke Yuri Dragunov. Reina and Richard might join that side.¡± ¡°Yeah. And also¡­The tournament is tomorrow. I heard I¡¯ll be fighting someone who has a Dracaryx this time.¡± Chapter 45: Into the Abyss Chapter 45: Into the Abyss Amphere Harrison I have my personal reasons why I have decided to create a new faction between Arcadia and the Chevalier Unit. I haven¡¯t forgiven Airi and Estoff for what they did, but I still do have a little trust in them. They wanted to change in a peaceful manner and start over again. Airi regret killing people, which is why for the past three years, they decided to avoid any casualty on their operations. I wanted to make me look like I¡¯m still on their side. My only reason for keeping this alliance is to have the Dragonoid Rights Bill passed. After I win the tournament¡­After every war subsides¡­I¡¯ll ditch the Arcadia. I will leave Airi behind, and cut all our bonds. I wanted them to experience how it feels to be used and betrayed like a dirty rag. Just like what they did to Zac Schneider. That is why I will give everything in this upcoming fight. ¡°Welcome to the Quarterfinals of the Dragon Knights Tournament!¡± The emcee proclaimed loudly. ¡°Today we will see the last eight dragon knights standing in this tournament!¡± Blah blah blah. The emcee¡¯s introductory speech is pure sweet garbage and lengthy. But the audiences are buying his words, I can say because I can hear the cheers here back in the offstage. I am impatiently tapping the sole of my foot while waiting for my noisy dragonoid. She¡¯s still on the women¡¯s restroom to do her ¡®final touch¡¯. What¡¯s the sense of wearing make-up if you¡¯re going to a bloody battle in the middle of the coliseum? Do all ladies do that? ¡°AM-PHERE-HA-RRI-SON!!!¡± There was a sudden outburst. It was Airi! And she¡¯s running to me! She leaped forward, flipping her body in the midair like a ninja! Then she crashed to my face! She had her thighs locked on my neck, and her breast above my head. She¡¯s covering my vision with her skirt! I can smell a weird yet soothing perfume. ¡°Let¡¯s win this battle fast! Totally!¡± She shouted as she hugged my head. When she managed to calm down a tad bit, we readied ourselves to march into the light- the center of the arena. Since there are only eight participants left in the Dragon Knights Tournament, the emcee took his sweet time to introduce our entrance. ¡°In the left corner, is the now-famed attorney-knight! His wits and his dragonoid¡¯s power is a perfect match that destroyed every opponent they encounter! Sir Amphere Harrison!¡± The crowd got wild. It¡¯s certainly weird because I haven¡¯t got this much fans before. What¡¯s weirder is that there are female performers who have this cheer: ¡°Harrison! Harrison! L-O-V-E Harrison!!!¡± These¡­are my new fan girls. It¡¯s certainly embarrassing and annoying. Airi told me that I got my fans through displaying my battle capabilities and also the court trial that happened a week ago. That really gave me the spotlight. ¡°Introducing to the right corner, is the playboy of the academy! His dark aura makes all his enemies tremble! Sir Dennis Rychenn!¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Dennis Rychenn is a short man who have this spiky black hair. He¡¯s always wearing a white bandana, and his primary weapon is a wooden bow. He calls himself the ¡°Cupid¡± since he always gets most of the girls in class. That is why there is an opposing band of cheerleaders on the other side. ¡°Go, go Rychenn! Handsome Rychenn!!!¡± Dennis¡¯ dragonoid is a short maid, who has this blue-dyed bowl cut hair. I don¡¯t know her real name, but Dennis call her Waifu. Friggin weab. And also a pedo. His dragonoid is just twelve years old, and considering that they already unlocked Dracaryx¡­ Well¡­ That¡¯s something. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± The emcee shouted and the buzzer screamed. ¡°By the way, that dragonoid is Lyka. Totally!¡± Airi reminded me as she prepared a centered stance. I immediately lead the charge, pointing my photon saber. Lyka leaped forward and attacked me with a series of swings of her heavy chains, which are attached from her wrists. Airi and I blocked it in a synchronized manner, and then prepared for a hacking attack! Lyka dodged back, giving clearance for Dennis to fire three arrows to me! I barely evaded the two arrows, which grazed my shield to 70%. The last arrow is supposed to be a direct hit on me, but Airi deflected it with her photon saber! I didn¡¯t have the time to thank her, because the enemy dragonoid is now making a ranged attack! The maid slammed the ground with her fist, and hundreds of debris floated. She used the chains to wrap and throw the rocks just like how a slingshot does things! This is not your regular twelve-year-old dragonoid! I managed to block and parry ten or eleven rocks, but the arrows seem to be a problem! I can¡¯t maintain my shield on if I¡¯m just single-wielding! ¡°Airi, give me your sword and switch to armament mode!¡± I commanded. She answered ¡°Totally!¡± as she threw me my other photon saber. Chunks of metal emerged from her back, the same way how Doctor Octopus deploys his robotic tentacles. But Airi didn¡¯t have those steel limbs for walking. It morphed to cannons which she used to fire aerial torpedoes to intercept the rocks and arrows! As soon as I got my dynamos on the move, I already know that we are taking the upper hand. My dynamos¡¯ lasers got Dennis shield working at 50%, and his arrows failed to approach me. That is why he decided to fight us more seriously. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Bill of the American eagle. Talon claws of a griffon. Scales of a komodo dragon. This seven-meter lizard¡¯s body is mostly covered by black feathers, except for its body which is covered by bulletproof scales. It has the wings of a giant black hawk. This is why my enemy dragon is called a Black Feather Dragon. There is no way to defeat that in human form, so I activated Vesryn Pulse to have Airi on her Futuretech Dragon form. As soon as Airi¡¯s transformation ended, the Black Feather Dragon stormed us with countless black feather-arrows! I tried toasting them with my dynamo¡¯s lasers and Airi¡¯s machine guns but there¡¯s a lot of it, probably ten thousands! Activating Force Field Airi said. Then a bubble wrapped the entire Futuretech Dragon¡¯s body. The bubble repelled seventy percent of the incoming projectiles. Thirty percent of those arrows came through, which gave random sparks to my dragon¡¯s robotic body. It looks like she¡¯s suffering from short circuit, which made her movements sluggish. Our opponent doesn¡¯t have a killing blow, but uses their long range to decapitate their enemy¡¯s dragon. Those black feather arrows are completely unevadable. Good thing it only scraped about 20% of my shield. ¡°I acknowledge your power, Amphere Harrison.¡± Dennis sighed. ¡°We are honored to fight you. But this battle ends now.¡± There was a chill on my spine as he opened his mouth again. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Abyssal Hole!!!¡± The Black Feather Dragon formed a ball of darkness on its talon hands, and launched it to our direction! Because of having a slower reaction time than usual, Airi has no choice but to catch it with her arms and wings. That ball, which is about two meters in diameter, works as a black hole! There is a strong gravitational pull that even peels the ground and absorbs it to the void of eternal darkness! ¡°This¡­is the power of Dracaryx!?¡± Airi complained on my head. Meanwhile, my shield plate is reducing by one percent as a split second goes by. Chapter 46: Deus Ex Machina Chapter 46: Deus Ex Machina Reina Fleuret Richard has been uncomfortable while watching this fight. As I thought, he¡¯s still worried for Amphere and Airelina¡¯s wellbeing. While I am here watching in the backstage, crossed arms and impatiently tapping my fingers, I am praying for their defeat. Using Dennis¡¯ Dracaryx on his enemy, he has secured his victory. The Abyssal Hole is a perfect killing move. The caster of that spell alone can stop the ball of darkness that pulls everything inside into the void. If it weren¡¯t for Amphere¡¯s Futuretech Dragon¡¯s claws which was coated with photons, it was able to last for a minute. But I can say that this fight is going sideways. Airelina Frembell. The woman who killed my mother when I was a kid. I will never forgive her. I wanted her to exhaust herself and lose this fight, and then, for the right moment, I¡¯ll kill her with my own sword. I have entered the Dragon Knights Academy, Chevalier Unit, Student Council and the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament for the purpose of getting information about the Crimson Dragonfly. And now, my goal is just in front of my eyes. The Futuretech Dragon proceeded to cover the Abyssal Hole with all its metallic body parts possible, just to prevent the ball from pulling his knight. She covered it with her wings and tail, which made the strong gravitation stop. Amphere jumped out of his dragon and prepared a dual wielding stance with his glowing swords. Since Dennis already used his Dracaryx, his dragonoid Lyka was reverted back to her human form. I can see Lyka panting due to fatigue, but still able to fight at least. Dracaryx momentarily stops the dragonoid¡¯s heart, so her pain is understandable. The lawyer-knight¡¯s dynamos circled around him as he took a strong grip on his swords. There is only a little chance that he can survive a two-versus-one battle, especially which Dennis¡¯ and his dragonoid¡¯s attacks are for long range. Amphere¡¯s shield plate will go off in no time. If my lip-reading is correct, he murmured something like ¡°Requesting Maximum Clearance.¡± ¡°Maximum Clearance Authorized.¡± The Futuretech Dragon ringed a cybernetic voice. The revolving dynamos found its way back to Amphere¡¯s back, attached itself altogether which formed an X. Blue flames started bursting out from the edges of the dynamos, making a miniature version of wings of the Crimson Dragonfly. After a second, the flame goes out. The combined dynamos behind Amphere slowly morph and elongate itself to partially cover the knight¡¯s body! From afar, it looks like Amphere is inside a metallic steampunk ribcage. There was a loud whirling and clanking sound as pieces of metal on the sides of the ribs form itself into a robotic human arm! Realizing that something was off, Dennis fired numerous black feather arrows, but Amphere controlled the metallic arms to shield him from those projectiles. Lyka throwing football-sized pebbles didn¡¯t help either. The audiences cheered in awe, but it became louder when they saw Amphere¡¯s surprise. A gigantic humanoid skull materialized on top of the metallic ribcage, which makes it look like an upper body of a robotic titan!. The steel skull glowed red, and made a terrifying roar that echoed throughout the arena!The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°This is the limit of my power!¡± Amphere proclaimed loudly. ¡°Finish them, Deus Ex Machina!¡± Deus ex Machina opened its mouth, and a pointed laser gun revealed its existence and released a laser in a light speed! Dennis didn¡¯t have any time to avoid it, so a direct hit made his shield plate go to zero. Then the loud buzzer came. ¡°The winner for this dazzlingly spectacular battle is Amphere Harrison!¡± The crowd went wild. Amphere¡¯s fangirls shrieked like a group of bitches as they shout their idol¡¯s name. Moreover, his scarlet haired dragonoid reverted back to humanoid form and hugged him tight. Airelina¡¯s clothes have been tattered because of the Abyssal Hole earlier. It even reveals her pink-and-white striped bra. That immodest bitch! The next fight would be mine. ¡°Please welcome the Student Council President and an honorable member of the Chevalier unit, Reina Fleuret! ¡­And on the other side is an exotic force to be reckoned with, Darius Worewick!¡± Darius Worewick has a dark skin and wears dragon bones as a rosary on his neck. He has this purple paint on his face which makes me remind of the tribal humans which used to live in the far east islands. Darius Worewick is the prince of his tribe, and joined the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament to have his tribe well known to the whole world. His Dragonoid is just like him, a tribal-looking man. Except that this man looks like a giant and has humongous biceps that would make everyone tremble in fear. But not me. I won¡¯t be scared in such appearance. Appearance could be deceiving. For example: Airelina Frembell looks friendly and adorable, but deep inside, she is a massacre mistress. I¡¯m sorry for always pointing Airelina. My rage knows no limits to that person. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± The buzzer cried. I wanted to finish this fight as soon as possible. I activated Vesryn Pulse on Richard which made him an eight-meter long white Portal Dragon. My enemy also mimicked my actions. Red gems glaring from the eye sockets of the thick tyrannosaurus skull, which was supported by gigantic spine; this dragon has six limbs, which are majorly used for crawling. It also has skeletal wings which are covered by blazing red flames. The ribs are protecting a dark core of glowing energy, which makes it obvious that it is indeed its heart. This is the Skull Dragon. The Skull Dragon dropped its jaws, and series of basketball-sized infernal fireballs shoot to our direction. Richard, as a Portal Dragon, magically summoned a gigantic ring of light that absorbed all the incoming projectiles. Those fireballs will be transported to the skies. The audiences looked up to see those very same blazing balls. They were amazed that they mistook it for some reverse-falling meteor display. Our enemy can¡¯t use Dracaryx, so I would want to have our edge as soon as possible. ¡°DRACARYX!!!¡± Activate Hyperspace Fury!!!¡± Hundreds of portals opened up the sky. These portals from different space and time, and even dimensions are the symbol of my love for Richard, and Richard¡¯s love for me. Every time I chant this spell, our heart resonates with warmth in our heart. The portals projected beams of light that pierced the helpless Skull Dragon and its knight. A deafening noise echoed, followed by endless wave of smoke. Five seconds passed, and the dusty air left the place. It revealed my opponents who are now unconscious. His shield plate is completely depleted. ¡°It¡¯s a one-hit K.O.!!!¡± The emcee shouted. ¡°This is a quick victory for President Reina Fleuret!!!¡± I raised my sword, pointing at the person I hated for my whole life. Airelina Frembell. She halted flirting her dragon knight when she noticed me glaring at her with intent to kill. I may not be able to take out your life, Airelina Frembell. I will kill you. Not today, not tomorrow. But I will certainly kill you. Chapter 47: The Mastermind Chapter 47: The Mastermind Estoff Wraith ¡°I¡¯ll be back for you.¡± That¡¯s what I said to Elumina at the time when Amphere arranged our meeting. At that time, she just tearfully smiled. We never had that long joyful conversation for a very long time. It¡¯s all thanks to Amphere and his plans. It¡¯s really bugging me why Amphere still chose to help me and Airelina. I know him for a long time now, and it¡¯s almost impossible for him to forgive our sins in a short amount of time. I don¡¯t even know if I can question his loyalty either, since he cleared Airelina¡¯s name in a staged trial. He putted a lot of effort on that one. One thing is sure. Amphere¡¯s information about Duke Yuri Dragunov is correct. Marieflorine also informed me that he tried to kill her. At first I find it hard to believe, until I got my hands on some Crimson Dragonfly files on the duke¡¯s briefcase. That is why I have to apprehend him as soon as possible. S.S. Victoria, one of Arcadia¡¯s airships. It was a peaceful flight. We were watching the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament via television in the captain¡¯s cabin. After the last fight ended, I ordered two guards to block the only door in the room, preventing the duke from escaping. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Estoff?¡± Yuri Dragunov strokes his white short beard while having a forced laugh. ¡°I just realized that you¡¯re on a completely different faction.¡± I revealed my thick red broadsword and pointed it to his throat. ¡°You¡¯re not just an investor to the Arcadia. You¡¯re¡­someone else. Tell me everything you know.¡± ¡°That little runt should¡¯ve told you.¡± Yuri made a coughing chuckle. ¡°Corasells are really annoying.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just ask one question to settle it all. And then I¡¯ll slit your throat really quick.¡± I held a grin. ¡°How did you know everything about the Crimson Dragonfly?¡± This is a little bit of a giveaway. Only three persons are the only ones who knew our plan to massacre the Vanilla City. Airelina Frembell, Estoff Wraith (me) and Zac Schneider. We never told the plan to anybody since we are the original members who formed the Arcadia. Unless my hypothesis is right¡­ ¡°It can all be traced back in the Second Dragonoid War.¡± Yuri settled down and drank the last drop of his wine. ¡°I discovered three little orphan boys in the mountains of corpses. I fed them, gave them shelter, and provided protection for them. I molded them from the ashes into men who can see the darkness. I shared them my knowledge and wealth in order to have my ultimate plan bear fruits.¡± As I thought. My hypothesis is now a fact. I tried to cut his words and fill up the story on my own. ¡°The three boys were Alder Windstrafe, Nox, and¡­Zac Schneider. You used their original surnames so that no one can trace their connection to you. Your ultimate plan is to wage war and profit. You are the number one arms dealer and investor of the government, the disavowed Dragonoid Liberation Army, and even my faction, the Arcadia. You treat the dragonoid wars as opportunities to raise your financial standing.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I never thought you would get all that information, Estoff Wraith.¡± Hearing that makes me grind my gears. I clenched my fist as hard as it can. Dragunov saw my expression, so he laughed on my face. ¡°As expected from the disavowed Pentagram Knight and the leader of the most powerful terrorist group in existence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave the idea of massacring people to Zac Schneider. He even sacrificed himself for your money.¡± I gritted. ¡°Your vast knowledge in manipulating human emotions is a dangerous weapon.¡± ¡°Hey, you and that red haired dragonoid had the same idea too. You two are the ones who must take the blame. Zac sacrificed himself for you two as well. My hands are clean in that case!¡± ¡°SHUT UP!!!¡± This time I lost my temper and slightly pushed my sword, tearing up one centimeter of flesh on the duke¡¯s neck. ¡°You brainwashed Zac! You had him channel the anger in me and Airelina! You¡¯re the root of all these wars! You¡¯re the one responsible for the millions of lives who died in each and every conflict between humans and dragonoids! You are the ultimate mastermind in all this mess!¡± Suddenly, I heard multiple gunshots coming from below. The two guards stood confused, as well as I. Duke Dragunov held this smug on his face, silently telling me that everything up until now, is part of his plan. Just how brilliant is this devil? ¡°Looks like one of my boys will be delivering me a ticket out of here.¡± He said. Then there was an explosion from above! Since we¡¯re residing in an airship which is docked near the vast Ultima Ocean where no village is near for fifty miles, it was certainly impossible that it is an act of the government Dragon Knights. But when the roof of this very office was ripped off and a giant lizard-like arms reached the duke, it made all my doubts fade away. The white hand which has reflective ice shards as scales, it was certainly an Ice Dragon. Ice Dragon Emy to be precise, since I know every texture in it. What¡¯s more is that there is a man who wears a black cloak and magician¡¯s mask on top of the enemy dragon. Black Phantom? But Amphere does not control Emy or any other Ice Dragon. The person behind the mask is completely somebody else, since that person is pale skinned and malnourished as fuck. There are stains of blood everywhere on his long sleeved polo shirt and slacks. This guy has a hole on his chest. His right hand holds a slim golden rapier, and his left is a pale violet beating object¡­ Is that a heart? ¡°Adios amigo!¡± Duke Dragunov waved his hand as soon as he got a comfortable spot on the Ice Dragon¡¯s neck. The Ice Dragon then launched itself to the air and flew away like a jet, leaving sparkling snowflakes behind as a trail. I was about to call the captain¡¯s crew of this airship, but I was astounded for what I witnessed in front of me. A gigantic shadow blocked me from getting direct rays from the sun. I then realized that it was a dragon with six angelic wings. Scales as white as snow, and crimson eyes that didn¡¯t have any intent to kill. The only problem is the one who is riding on top of the dragon¡¯s head. ¡°Long time no see, my dear best friend.¡± The man I hated the most gave the most irritating grin I ever saw in my life. ¡°Kyle Leviticus!¡± I gritted and clenched my broadsword. I have pressed the distress signal for Gilliard to show up on my side, and I think it¡¯s already time¡­ to fight Kyle and Elumina. I have to force my way out of this! I need to capture Duke Dragunov as soon as possible, because that bastard has all the essential information to take the whole Arcadia down. I grabbed my chest as it glowed with navy blue light. I mustered all my courage to fight the person I loved the most, and the person I hated for eternity. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The surface of the airship broke, making countless of wooden chunks and metallic scraps rain through. Gilliard, the Magma Dragon made his dramatic entrance by being an oversized eight-meter dragon. His muscular lava arms resemble those of a gorilla, except that with claws. He has this bloody red pair of wings which is usually used in flight. ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re going to fight your darling?¡± Gilliard asked telepathically in a teasing manner. ¡°Try not to hurt her, or I¡¯ll hurt you.¡± I smirked at my not-bold dragonoid partner. ¡°The goal is the same as always. Burn Kyle¡¯s head to crisps.¡± Chapter 48: Old Friends Chapter 48: Old Friends Amphere Harrison The quarterfinals of the tournament have just finished. Apparently, the only four left in the tournament are the most powerful enemies I could face in my life time. The first semifinalist is me, Amphere Harrison, who won fights miraculously with my intelligent and skillful dragonoid Airelina Frembell, who happens to be a key member of Arcadia and is the one behind annihilating a whole city. We fight to become the Princess¡¯s Knight, and convince the very princess about the approval of the Dragonoid Rights Bill; the law that will liberate all the dragonoids. Second is the Student Council President and a Chevalier Unit member, Reina Stephanie Fleuret and her new dragonoid Richard Harrison (Astherson). Now that they both knew Airi¡¯s secret, they have a goal of revenge against my dragonoid. Honestly, these two are the scariest couple I could ever face since they have the intent to kill. I need Airi alive to pass the Dragonoid Rights Bill. After that, I won¡¯t care whatever they do to Airi. Third is the dubbed Vesryn Pulse Canceler, Mark Anthony Octavius. I have seen almost all of his fights, and all of them are one sided maybe because of the fact that he cannot just cancel the transformation of the enemy dragonoid, but he can also prevent anyone from casting spells or enhanced skills. And lastly, Cleru Neos. I¡¯m quite confident about taking out this guy since each and every fight, he struggles to win. His shield plate is almost below 10% whenever the battle ends, but I¡¯m sure that it wasn¡¯t just his luck. I have sensed a fine swordsmanship in him, and his burning desire to become the Princess¡¯s Knight makes him to win every battle he faces. All, except for me, have already shown their Dracaryx. It may be advantageous information to us, but also a handicap for the reason that Airi and I are the only ones who didn¡¯t have any Dracaryx in this tournament. We have one more week for the next fight, and I hope we can unlock our own unbalanced special attack. When the tournament ended, a lot of my annoying fans came rushing to me in the backstage. Every one of them wanted some selfie pics and autographs. Some even wanted me to shout ¡°Objection!¡± just to hear my manly voice. I guess my popularity went uphill after they saw how I defended Airi in the face of the Regional Trial Court. Yes, they¡¯re annoying but I didn¡¯t have any balls to shove them away. I did what they asked me to do. I totally lost my screw when this one fan approached me. She lifted up her skirt, and revealed up her white¡­.undies and pointed her buttocks at me, while modestly saying this: ¡°Can I have your autograph on my butt?¡± I don¡¯t have enough sanity for this! What¡¯s more is that the girl is silently blushing! W-What the hell! Good thing, Airi is here to save me. She¡­She immediately bolted forward, morphed her right heel to have some rocket-powered boosters and kick the girl¡¯s arse with all the power she had! She even shouted ¡°GOAL!!!¡± as she saw the girl outrageously crying and flying like a fireworks! T-That¡¯s¡­ above fifty meters, right!? Deadly! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Amphy. She¡¯s safe, totally! She¡¯s wearing a Shield Plate, so the impact in her fall will not hurt.¡± Airi have this na?ve smile at me as she dragged me out of the mountains of fans begging for my attention.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Good grief that girl is wearing a Shield Plate. I swear to heavens that I will never defend you again if you ever kill somebody¡­again. Just when I thought I¡¯m no longer in trouble, I was caught up with more. ¡°Horaaa!¡± It was a familiar voice from behind. When I turned around, I saw a thirteen-year-old boy dashing to me, and then he jumped forward and hit my right cheek with a flying kick! What a way to greet someone! The thirteen-year-old boy is Gaz. If it doesn¡¯t ring a bell, he was the one who stole my backpack a few years ago, which led me to know Airi and the Arcadia. Maybe everything has happened is all thanks to him, but I still hate the guy. Also, this boy is part of Arcadia. ¡°You dare cheat on my wife Airi!¡± Gaz held his hips as he glared at me. He looks more mature now, wearing normal clothes and not a beggar boy on the streets. ¡°I can¡¯t forgive you for humiliating my wife Airi!¡± This dumb kid, blabbing about wife and crap. I was about to get up and reply with a punch but then Airi went between us, making this childish quarrel in a phase of temporary halt. ¡°Stop this, you two!¡± Airi gave of some chilling aura beside her. Whenever she does this, she¡¯s up to no good. Gaz and I know this better than anyone so we took a step back and calmed down a bit. Gaz cleared his throat and then gave a letter to Airi. ¡°Commander Estoff said that the communication signals are tapped if not jammed, so he sent me to deliver this information.¡± When Airi opened the envelope, a three-page coupon with the lists of transactions and other information about Duke Dragunov showed up. It seems like it is the financial statements of the duke, and his income during the Second and Third Dragonoid War, including the Crimson Dragonfly Incident. Several billions of credits are involved. At the back of the paper, is a red permanent pen which told us something. Duke Dragunov is the mastermind of all these wars. It may be incomplete evidence, but I already know that something is off with that duke. Alder hinted these when he was interrogated by Kyle and Rudolf. ¡°So that¡¯s how it was.¡± I never knew that Richard and Reina was eavesdropping and also, secretly spying on our back. Richard have this friendly smirk at us, but Reina¡­She¡¯s been staring at Airi in a horrifying mental manner. She¡¯s clenching her fist, trying to suppress her anger. She¡¯s trying hard not to kill her mother¡¯s killer. ¡°Reina.¡± Richard turned to his love. ¡°You know it¡¯s not the time for this. We can have your revenge later, after we have dug all information about this.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re going to hear and watch them point fingers at each other, passing the baton on whom to blame?¡± Reina¡¯s tone is somewhat in the verge of crying but full of hatred. ¡°I can¡¯t afford seeing my objective run freely after chasing for information all this time.¡± Airi bowed down in guilt, while Gaz seems expressionless. He doesn¡¯t know anything about the Crimson Dragonfly after all. And me¡­I just held this pokerface. I don¡¯t have any slightest intention in joining this rebuttal. ¡°I trust Estoff¡¯s words. I trust Airelina¡¯s actions. They were there for me when I was in the middle of darkness. The least I could do to them is to give them chance to justify their sins. Give them chance to explain first.¡± Reina, still shaking of anger, took a deep breath and then sighed. She crossed her arms below her bosoms and when she opened her eyes, we saw the past Reina, who is friendly towards others. ¡°Think first and action later. That is my motto. I wanted to hear Estoff¡¯s and Airelina¡¯s justifications after we caught and extracted every bit of information from Dragunov.¡± Richard turned to me and smiled. I did the same in response. This temporary ceasefire will do. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re getting into trouble again, Amphere.¡± It was Rudolf¡¯s voice. I turned around again, and saw him fully geared up with silvery ceremonial knight¡¯s armor. It is the uniform of the Pentagram Knight in battle after all. Beside him is his beloved dragonoid Kyrie. ¡°I had information that General Kyle is currently confronting Estoff Wraith. But that¡¯s not our concern since I know both sides can last long. Our mission is to capture Duke Dragunov in the nearby Twilight City. Are you guys on it!?¡± Rudolf¡¯s enthusiastic voice made everyone pumped up for action. Once Duke Dragunov is captured, we will complete everything in the puzzle. The whole truth that everyone is yearning for. ¡°Yeah!¡± Everyone replied. Chapter 49: Heaven and Hell Chapter 49: Heaven and Hell Estoff Wraith Endless noises. Gunshots, screams, and even explosions are everywhere. I have ordered two hundred Arcadians to chase Duke Dragunov, and I am currently waiting for my back up of five hundred from the other cities. It seems like the government troops are fighting my army for a while now. Fortunately, one of the largest hideouts of Arcadia resides below us, the Twilight City. I commanded fifty Arcadians to watch the S.S. Maryjane while I fight my most inevitable foe, Kyle Leviticus and Elumina Cryst. Fifty meters above the ground, where angel and magma dragon dance in the edge of atmosphere. Gilliard, my Magma Dragon has been spitting out burning boulders in a size of a soccer ball, but all of it was effortlessly evaded by the Angelic Dragon Elumina. Elumina knew how to elude those mortars after all because Gilliard is only aiming the apple on her head; the devil general. ¡°What the fuck are you doing, Elumina! Release your Lightrays to that garbage!¡± Kyle protested. It¡¯s been fifteen minutes since we have this aerial battle but the Angelic Dragon always stays on the passive. She didn¡¯t want to fight after all. Elumina never made a reply, which made Kyle furious. He angrily stepped on his dragon¡¯s forehead repeatedly that it was already hurting her! That lunatic shmuck! I can¡¯t stand this shit! ¡°Hey, Kyle!¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°Your enemy is not Elumina! Your enemy is me! Let¡¯s take it one versus one! A fight to death!¡± Hearing this, Kyle turned to me and held this sadistic smile. His glare is like a warfreaked child. ¡°Well then!¡± Gilliard dived with a fabulous speed until we reached the neares rooftop building of the Twilight City. Elumina and Kyle followed as well. As Kyle and I took off our dragon¡¯s head, we cancelled our Vesryn Pulses just to ensure that our dragonoids will not be able to interrupt this fight. I revved the handle of my broadsword as I prepared a centered stance. My broadsword is not just a simple blade; it has the handle of a motorcycle. Whenever I throttled it, temperature of the blade increases. The broadsword was covered with smoke and reddish flame color. Kyle readied his fencing stance. His slim sword glowed with golden light, and light particles fall off whenever the sword moves. He has been murmuring some latin words and after five seconds, he shouted ¡°Lighten my spirits up, o divine being.¡± Six wings of light, which resemble a dominion angel, surged from the back of the enemy general. This bastard, still borrowing Elumina¡¯s powers! I will not accept this! I tightened my grip in my sword and uttered a war cry! Smoke came out from my shoulders, and slowly molded a lava spaulders and chest plate to protect me from any upper body blows. Both of us bolted forward as soon as our power-up transformation is over! The slim sword and broadsword clashed, making a little shockwave around the area. I have the power of the earth¡¯s core, while Kyle has the power of divine light. I can say that this is a battle between heaven and hell. Except that in my perspective, I¡¯m the one righteous. And Kyle is the evil one.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I hacked forward to the left, but Kyle used his wings to avoid my attack and fly. He tried numerous thrust using his glowing sword, but I managed to parry each and every one of his blows. He tried stabbing my spaulders and chest plate, hoping that his sword can make it through my skin, but he¡¯s wrong. My magma armor is one of the strongest armor in all Alterra. Realizing this disadvantage, Kyle flew backwards and landed ten meters away from me. Kyle chanted another set of words until he reached the spell name. ¡°Lightsurge!¡± He shouted, as a meter-thick ray of light flowed to my direction. I used my broadsword to slash through the beam of light! As soon as the blaster ended, I roared as I prepared for a serious blow! But Kyle¡¯s agility with seraphim wings is topnotch. I know he can fly as fast as light, so I can¡¯t expect my attacks to hit him. He is also struggling with the same problem. As long as I¡¯m not lowering my sword, his spells won¡¯t work on me. My magma spaulders repels magic, and Kyle¡¯s slim sword attacks are too weak to graze me. If this goes on, it will be considered a stalemate. This is just a battle of stamina. The one who have his power-up expiration first, loses this fight. ¡°You may be thinking that we¡¯re even.¡± Kyle laughed hysterically. ¡°That is why I have to cheat in this fight!!!¡± There was a chill down on my spine as the lunatic general pronounced these words: ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Spear of Judgment!¡± ¡°N-No!¡± Elumina screamed. That Kyle¡­ forcing Elumina for casting Dracaryx! Unforgivable! He¡¯s always depending on his underhanded tactics! This guy doesn¡¯t have any honor left on his soul at all! Elumina¡¯s chest glowed with golden light, as though there is a portal from her heart. A sharp triangular-shaped blade slowly appeared from the portal¡­and then everything happened so fast. In an instant, the blade from my lover¡¯s chest rocketed in a speed even faster than a Planck instant. It appears that the blade is a spear, with an infinite length. It surged forward to my direction. The ridiculous speed of the projectile made avoiding or blocking the spear unfeasible. Is this¡­the end of the line for me? ¡°Estoff!¡± It was Gillard¡¯s voice. Before the spear reached my throat, Gilliard tackled me away from the way of the blade. In the process, Gilliard was the one who took the whole projectile on himself. He got his right shoulder evaporate as soon as the Spear of Judgment touched his skin. The spear of light keeps going and going until it reached the outer space. After five seconds, the Spear of Judgment faded. ¡°Gilliard!¡± I rushed to my dragonoid¡¯s side. It¡¯s no good. His shoulder and neck are severely damaged. Blood started gushing out from his body. I can see well that a part of his spinal cord has been eliminated by that overpowered Dracaryx¡­ Kyle made an obnoxious laugh as he fly like a fucking angel, looking at me below. He was carrying the unconscious Elumina. ¡°This is the combined power of me and your love Estoff. This is why you should give up!¡± I growled in response and shouted his name with hatred. ¡°KYLE LEVITICUS!!! I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!¡± Kyle replied with a disgusting smirk, and then glided away in a speed of light, just like a shooting star. I wanted to punch his face on his full teeth for everything he has done until now! I¡¯ll never forgive him! ¡°E¡­Estoff¡­¡± Gilliard mustered all his remaining strength to talk. I wanted to stop him because it might worsen his condition, but he held this steady glare at me. He coughed for three times, which made some blood sprinkle to my face. ¡°¡­Go get your girl¡­Tiger¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that.¡± I said. He reached a pistol from his pocket and put it on my hand. ¡°¡­Promise me¡­you¡¯ll perform¡­Vesryn Pulse with your Elumina chick¡­promise me¡­¡± As soon as his hands hit hard on the floor, the colors on his eyes faded. I uttered a loud cry for the loss of my friend. It may not be a long journey, but Gilliard is still my silent buddy in the end. After a whole minute, I wiped away my tears and left the dead body of my dragonoid rest on this rooftop. I am planning to go down from this building and rendezvous with Amphere or Richard¡¯s team, but then my radio came in. ¡°Estoff¡­¡± It¡¯s Richard¡¯s voice. ¡°We have a big problem.¡± ¡°Gilliard has died. What else is worse than this?¡± I answered with sarcasm. ¡°So it became worst.¡± Richard made a very long pause. It was as if a whole hour before he continued to talk. ¡°Amphere and Rudolf too.¡± Chapter 50: Blood Brothers Chapter 50: Blood Brothers Rudolf Azregon 2 Hours Ago¡­ We finally set foot on Twilight City. As a Dragon Knight, we were able to command some troops and give them misleading information in order to avoid clashes against Arcadians. Communications was made easier thanks to Amphere¡¯s Futuretech Dragon. Airelina, in her dragon form, released two wireless earpieces with microphone function that can intercept and replace radio waves. It also have the function to change voices. Now I know how the Neo Black Phantom and the Arcadia¡¯s stealth work. Airelina is their bread and butter of almost all their operations. ¡°Charlie six, we have multiple hostiles clearing up the northern area. We advise that you must take a detour to avoid an imminent threat. Baseplate out.¡± Amphere said, while covering his nose. He has succeeded misleading fifteen platoons out of battle, but that¡¯s not my problem about him. He doesn¡¯t need to cover his nose to change the voices. ¡°You¡¯ve been enjoying that job, totally¡­¡± Airelina was slightly embarrassed. ¡°Time to move to the second phase of our plan, so get off from that earpiece now!¡± Right. Our first plan is to lessen government troops from engaging battle against the Arcadia, and let them focus on finding Duke Dragunov to be transferred to our custody. Second plan is to divide the teams into two; first team is the one who will lead the government troops on the field to gather information about the duke¡¯s whereabouts, while the second team will be hunting the so called Another Black Phantom and Emy the Ice Dragon as reported earlier by an Arcadian informant. The first team will be consisted by me, Kyrie, and Amphere, while the second team consists of Airelina, Reina, Richard, and the Arcadian kid. We have to separate Amphere and Airelina because we needed emergency communication, since the radio signals are almost jammed in this warzone. Amphere and Airelina can communicate via telepathy because of the mystic power of the Vesryn Pulse. Aside from that, the two can act as a medium for both opposing parties since they are both Arcadian and a Chevalier Unit member at the same time. Actually this plan is a mess considering we don¡¯t even know what faction we¡¯ll be helping. Our main objective is just to extract information from the duke. We got Arcadian and military units to search for us, so we expected him to be here in out care in just one hour. As we thought, an unarmed Duke Dragunov reported himself to the military, seeking for protection against Estoff Wraith and the Arcadians. Since General Kyle is busy fighting Estoff Wraith as of the moment, I became the commanding officer of the whole Twilight City Troops. I commanded them to send Duke Dragunov immediately after they have taken custody. Everything falls under the plan. As soon as Dragunov opened the door to the commanding office where I sat, his face made a bewildered expression. Before he can afford to run, the soldiers handcuffed him and held both of his arms. ¡°It was your plan after all, huh? Amphere Harrison!¡± Dragunov¡¯s voice echoed throughout the room. ¡°Too bad, I have a plan for your plan.¡± Suddenly, white crystal claws ripped the walls of this very office! The roof was converted into wooden and cements chunks. It was Emy in her Ice Dragon form again! Just how many times have this bitch made some explosive unexpected entrance! She grabbed the duke with her other icy crystal hand, and then flew upwards to make an immediate exit! The empire troops fired their rifles, but obviously, bullets have no effect on Emy¡¯s steel-hard ice scales.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Rudolf, take it from here! I have to chase the ¡®other one¡¯!¡± Amphere said and dashed away, without waiting for my answer. What was the ¡®other one¡¯ he¡¯s talking about!? It seemed like an emergency business. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± As soon as Kyrie transformed to the golden Chaos Dragon, I rode on her and made the most dramatic dragon chase in the history of cinemas. Our obstacle course consisted of several skyscrapers, rushing tank shells and lines of bullets, bazooka rockets and other exploding objects. Kyrie can certainly keep up with Emy¡¯s speed. My only trouble is that if Emy is in her dragon form, who performed the Vesryn Pulse with her? Is it really true that another Black Phantom has appeared? Just how many Black Phantoms are there!? I got tired of this air chase, so Kyrie and I decided to end it with a blast! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Swords of Eternal Light!¡± It was already dark, but our Dracaryx made the heavens brighten for a short amount of time. Eight gigantic swords of light surged relentlessly to the Ice Dragon, tearing away her wings, tail, arms and legs. Emy crashed towards a five-story building. Using her semi-human form, Kyrie carried me as she slowly flapped her wings for us to land where Dragunov is supposed to be. Dragunov, still on his handcuffs, tried to run again by rushing downstairs but it¡¯s no good for an athletic knight like me. I managed to do a slight parkour and stomp his face in the process. The duke had his face slammed on the ground. Then I carried him through his cuffs. Kyrie had Emy¡¯s hands shackled, so we decided to get out of the building. But then my radio gave a message. ¡°Rudolf, are you still there?¡± It was General Kyle¡¯s voice, and he seems to be panting heavily. ¡°The Black Phantom has been sighted a hundred meters north of your direction.¡± Something is fishy. How did the general know my certain location? Is he watching me from above? Anyway, it¡¯s not the main issue now. The Black Phantom must be really close to me; maybe he will be trying to retrieve Emy and the duke. I have to take action. Thankfully, there is this sniper rifle lying on the ground. Actually, there are three of them. Other are pistols and grenades. It seems like Arcadians had this place a few hours ago. I used the scope of the sniper rifle to scan the surroundings for the Black Phantom. Right as where the general described it, I saw the Black Phantom facing this way. His posture looks sluggish as if he¡¯s walking like a zombie. He takes a few step forward, getting nearer to here every second. It will be impossible for him to block a surprise bullet, so I loaded up the rifle, aimed for the chest. I took a deep breath and then¡­the gunshot echoed. The masquerade fell down, with a severe puncture on his chest. Now the only thing left is to know who is behind the Black Phantom mask again. Maybe the empire should call me the Black Phantom Unmasker next time I get a medal of valor. Kyrie and I slowly dragged our captives to the scene. But then I realized that the duke was holding an evil smile at me. ¡°What¡¯s with that smug?¡± I asked him. He continued to glare at me as if he¡¯s trying to drag my soul to hell. ¡°I told you. You¡¯re all playing in my hands.¡± There was a chill down on my spine. An impossible idea entered my cerebellum as I was engulfed in fear. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ I rushed to the scene where the Black Phantom is lying. He¡¯s still breathing, but the blood has been gushing rapidly. It will be safe to say that the masquerade will die on his own¡­ But he shouldn¡¯t be! As soon as I removed the white mask, an unconscious familiar face gave me the ultimate horror. ¡°A-Amphere!!!¡± I cried! ¡°H-How did you-¡° Before I was able to finish my words, someone shouted from behind. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Spear of Judgement!¡± There was a flash of light! When I came to it, I discovered that my right shoulder, as well as my right arm and leg are no more. Blood fountained out as I lose my ground and got my body smacked on the asphalt. An unspeakable pain surged through my brain that even rendered me unable to scream. I turned around, and saw the evil general Kyle Leviticus. He just impaled my love Kyrie with his sword, which made my love unconsciously drop down a few meters from me. Blood started gushing out from her chest as well. I can¡¯t believe it. I shot my best friend, and got my love killed by those bastards! That Kyle Leviticus! He¡¯s in cahoots with the duke! ¡°Rest eternally, Sir Rudolf Azregon.¡± Duke Dragunov arrogantly said. Then he stomped on my face. Everything became black. Chapter 51: Vengeance and Existence Chapter 51: Vengeance and Existence Richard Astherson All of us were traumatized when we saw the three people lying on the floor, bathing on their own blood. The petite dragonoid Kyrie appears to have been stabbed from the back with a long slim sword. I checked her pulse and concluded that she¡¯s still alive. The only problems are those two. Rudolf Azregon had his right part of his body amputated. I can¡¯t see any remnants of his limbs, and the wound clearly says that it has been vaporized by some attack. We can¡¯t stop the bleeding with such broad injury. On the other hand, Amphere suffered a vital damage to his chest. He was lucky enough to have the bullet five centimeter away from his heart, but unlucky to have the bullet on his major artery. That made a sea of blood on the surroundings. When Airelina first saw her love lying on the ground, the atmosphere between her changed. Her crimson eyes were filled with distress and sadness, as if she had lost her whole world. It was good enough that their hearts are still beating, but the wounds are almost impossible to reverse. Reina was the one who first approached Kyrie, and treated her wounds with a healing spell. Gaz searched for some clothing to cover Rudolf¡¯s body to stop the bleeding, while Airelina morphed her hand into an electromagnet to draw the bullet from Amphere¡¯s chest. After a while, Amphere and Rudolf¡¯s heart declined. Everyone was in the state of panic, especially Airelina. She started crying as she dipped her face to the wounded chest of her loved one. She shouted ¡°Amphy, don¡¯t die!¡± several times while her tears mix up with her knight¡¯s blood. I don¡¯t know what to do, so I tried calling Estoff from the radio and explained him the situation. But as everybody knows, it has become much worse. Gilliard is dead. Without his trustworthy dragonoid, Estoff is as good as an ordinary knight. Thankfully, Estoff knew the right radio channel to communicate with Twilight City¡¯s medic team. He even gave me the coordinates in order for me to deploy a portal for fast response of the doctors. Once the nearby hospital accepted the call, I opened up a magical portal in order to have a fast response. The medic team went through my portal and then took custody of the three injured people. Good thing is that the doctor has a defibrillator in him. Two sessions of one thousand joules was necessary for Rudolf to stay alive. Meanwhile, after three tries, Amphere was successfully revived. The doctors and nurses had our friends in the stretcher and transported them to the ICU of the Twilight City Hospital via my portals. As much as we wanted to accompany our friends, we shouldn¡¯t. We have to go and locate Yuri Dragunov first. Airelina is a special case. She should¡¯ve stayed by her Amphy¡¯s side but she insisted to come with us. I asked why but she answered: ¡°I don¡¯t want to see Amphy in that state.¡± There are three symptoms on Airelina¡¯s sudden melancholy. One is that she will totally drop ¡®totally¡¯ on her speech pattern. Two is that she will be uninspired and supremely low on energy. She looks pale and her mind seems to be flying as we patrol the area for any signs of the duke. The third symptom is much worse. Normally, Airelina is a bright intellectual idiot. But now, she¡¯s just a pure fool who will be blabbing nonsense which can make the situation worst. She suddenly stirred up a fight with Reina, who is currently her worst enemy on this team.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of this fake teamwork, Reina. If you wanted your revenge, come and get me. Only if you can keep your head.¡± Airelina, with her crazy looking eyes, provoked Reina. This made the student council president¡¯s blood boil to the highest temperature and draw her white short sword from the sheath. ¡°Oh. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that!¡± Airelina responded by drawing a photon blade and making a centered kendo stance, pointing at Reina. ¡°Let this battle decide if I still deserve Amphy¡¯s love or not!¡± Just because you¡¯re stressed out doesn¡¯t mean that you can start a fight and become suicidal, Airelina! Remember, Amphere is still alive and fighting for his life! That¡¯s what I wanted to yell at her. But before I was able to open my mouth to speak, the two girls dashed forward and had their blades crossed! They have totally made up their mind and violate this temporary ceasefire I worked hard to gain. No one is backing out. The two dashed backward with a distance of two meters, and then they started their changing blows! Hack, slash and thrust. This is a swordfight of girls who have gone nuts because of their emotional breakdown! No one is on edge. Both of them are skilled swordswoman! ¡°Commander Estoff is here.¡± Gaz reminded me. Estoff went to my side and watched the two girls have a fair sword fight. He scratched his chin and then wondered what happened between those two. ¡°I thought there¡¯s not enough trouble here, but I was mistaken.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll never catch Dragunov at this rate.¡± I sighed. ¡°Gaz, on me. We¡¯ll find the duke. Richard, you go fix this trifling matter.¡± Estoff said. I was about to reply but then he and Gaz already got away from the scene. I¡¯ll let you know, when Amphere was not yet involved in Arcadia, I was Estoff¡¯s personal lackey. Amphere became my substitute when I was presumed to be dead for three years. Now that Amphere is unable to resolve some useless matters, the baton is back to me. I really hate Estoff when it comes to this. My girlfriend and my best friend are trying hard to kill each other. The clinks and clashes of steel made me lose my patience, which drove me to step forward and become a pacifist. ¡°STOP!!!¡± The two girls halted attacking and turned to me. They didn¡¯t lower their swords or their guard though. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re preparing for another attack once one got disrupted. ¡°Stop this, Airelina! Amphere never wanted you to be like this! Amphere defended you in court so that you will have the chance to live and repent your sins! Don¡¯t you dare try to throw your life away just because you failed to be on his side when he was in danger! You¡¯re a total idiot, totally!¡± It may sound absurd, ridiculous and comical line but that did reach Airelina¡¯s heart. Tears rushed down to her cheeks without knowing. She dropped her sword and reached her chest, muttering ¡°Amphy..¡± Now it¡¯s time to give Reina a sermon. ¡°You also, Reina! You and your vengeful ways don¡¯t suit you at all! If your mother was still here, will she approve your vengeance!? Is killing Airelina really worth it? Will it solve your problems and fill the gap on your heart? Your mother won¡¯t come back even if you had Airelina¡¯s head! Moreover, Airelina was also a victim here! What happened to your style of thinking? Did your emotion take over your fair reasoning?¡± Reina bowed her head. Becoming powerless, she dropped the sword and kneeled to the ground. Suddenly, rain started pouring from the dark skies. Reina¡¯s empty face just stared at the clouds, while mumbling something¡­¡±My mother¡­forgive me¡­¡± I let them think over for what they just did for a couple of seconds. We let our clothes get soaked to savor the moment of peaceful raindrops that has been synchronizing with our heartbeats. I opened up my hands and tried to dramatically reach the skies. I wanted to say those words to Reina when we were a child. Now that I have finally said it, I have attained nirvana. Suddenly, the radio communicator vibrated. It was Estoff¡¯s voice. It seems that the signal has been partially jammed. ¡°Richard, ¡­-need you and ¡­-one here! Immediately! The Black Phantom is Alder¡¯s-.... Duke Dragunov and Kyle Leviticus are-¡­be careful!¡± Then there was an endless ocean of static. Chapter 52: Divine Suffering Chapter 52: Divine Suffering Estoff Wraith I hope Richard¡¯s group will come here immediately¡­ Because at this rate, all our dreams and hopes for the future will be destroyed. The second brigade of the Arcadia¡¯s force was commanded by me to fight the ridiculously powerful lunatic general. At first, I was commanding about two hundred of them to fire their bullets to the six-winged retard, but everything is in vain. Kyle, with his inhuman, no, impossible speed took out eighty percent of my forces alone. Kyle has attained the power to be as fast as light. No one has a bullet or sword that can even graze him. I¡¯m just lucky to parry his blinding attacks whenever he rush his way through me. What¡¯s worse is that what he¡¯s been doing to Elumina! She¡¯s unconscious, but there is this cross of light behind her that makes her floating thirty meters above us. I can see in her face that she was exhausted. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Spear of Judgement!¡± Kyle shouted. There was that spear again, coming out from the portal that just appeared on Elumina¡¯s chest! The gigantic lance of light surged forward to annihilate my remaining dragonoid forces. There¡¯s no use in blocking it for everything it touches vaporizes in an instant. And there¡¯s not even time to evade it either, because it will hit you just before your brain synapses pull the order to your body. Twenty seven dragonoids got hit by the spear. Most of them lost a limb, but there are also others who are unlucky enough to have their heads and body vanish. Everything in this place became as gory as possible. Screams of my comrades echoed throughout the night. Kyle made an obnoxious laugh as he saw the absolute destruction of the army of the dragonoids. He really lost it. He has been enjoying slaughtering dragonoids since the beginning of his career as a dragon knight. General level Dragon Knights are certainly powerful. Because of their rigorous training and knowledge about magic and thaumatology, they can use Dracaryx multiple times, which is contrary to ordinary Dragon Knights who can only use it once a day. But the drawback to the dragonoids in using Dracaryx is nothing to be laugh about. Dracaryx means stopping the heart of the dragonoid for a brief period. This is why it is only advisable to use Dracaryx once, or not if possible. Elumina has been unconsciously uttering painful screams whenever General Kyle uses Dracaryx. He keeps spamming the Spear of Judgment to my armed forces. He didn¡¯t care what happens to Elumina after all. If I counted correctly, he already activated it for seven times. ¡°Kyle, stop it!¡± I screamed. ¡°Elumina¡­Elumina is suffering! Stop this!¡± ¡°Oh, you think I care for that bitch!?¡± Kyle grinned maliciously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make it sure that our Spear of Judgment will be the one to finish your life!¡± Kyle bolted forward and clashed with my blade once again. Whenever he attacks me, he slows himself for a bit for me to react. It seems like he¡¯s just giving me handicap in order to maintain my pace. It also means that he¡¯s just toying with me. I know in myself that I have no chance in defeating such a dragon knight since I¡¯m no longer one of them. Gilliard¡¯s death also means my death in this war. Suddenly, a ring of light; a portal opened in the face of Kyle. Because of the force and weight of his body, he fell into the portal and transported to somewhere else. He disappeared like a bubble. This spell¡­ ¡°Sorry we¡¯re late, totally!¡± Airelina waved her hand at me. She was standing on top of a white snake-like Chinese dragon. Beside her is Reina Fleuret. It seems that the score has been settled between those two.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Estoff Wraith.¡± The beautiful blonde lady landed at me. ¡°Our concern is mainly about Dragunov. We can¡¯t be staying here fighting our own general. I need to maintain a clean image if possible.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I snorted. ¡°Dragunov has fled again together with the Ice Dragon and the Black Phantom.¡± ¡°You said something about the Black Phantom earlier. It was Alder¡¯s-¡° ¡°It was Alder¡¯s corpse.¡± I cut her line down. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the heck is happening, but judging from his posture, his fighting style, and his Vesryn Pulse with Emy, the body is certainly Alder Windstrafe. But there are a lot of weird things after his resurrection. There is this hole in his chest, and he is always holding a heart-like object like it was something precious. His skin is covered with decaying flesh. And also, Alder is a talkative fighter. That Black Phantom never talks. All he can do is to make chewing noises. Like a zombie.¡± ¡°That corpse must be under some spell or witchcraft.¡± Reina said. ¡°Richard and I will chase the Ice dragon. Airelina will be left here to be your back up against our general. Is that alright with you?¡± ¡°Totally!¡± Airelina energetically said. There¡¯s something going on with this moron. The Portal Dragon created a breach in the dimension and exited from the scene, leaving me with this loud moron. I glared at Airelina to see if she has some symptoms of drug consumption. She¡¯s gloomy an hour ago, and now she¡¯s back to normal. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked her. Airelina replied a smile and said ¡°Amphere¡¯s condition is getting better. I know. Because I can feel his heartbeats in my heart.¡± She hugged herself as dramatic as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll be doing my best from now on, totally!¡± That¡¯s good to hear. That means she¡¯s in her primal condition to fight. ¡°We have to get Elumina out of that eerie floating cross.¡± I said as I point the glowing x above us. ¡°Leave it to me, totally!¡± She said as she revealed her platinum wings and blasted off from the ground. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± It was Kyle¡¯s! I suspect he¡¯s the one who is flying like a shooting star and blocked Airelina¡¯s path. Kyle then used his slim sword to thrust the scarlet dragonoid while dashing with an unbelievable speed! Unlike earlier, this fight has a better chance. Airelina is the fastest dragonoid in the Dragon Knight¡¯s Academy in terms of aerial combat. Because of this, she can keep up Kyle¡¯s speed. Airelina barely evaded the sword¡¯s contact. She had her cloth ripped on her left waist. Seeing this, Airelina made a strong serious gaze towards her enemy and withdraw her glowing photon sword! With a shout, Airelina dashed in a speed surpassing sound and made an upward slash! Kyle managed to parry it with his silver slim sword. But that¡¯s not everything! Airelina revealed her other photon sword and made a thrust, which slightly scraped Kyle¡¯s right cheek. Blood slowly dropped from above. ¡°You¡¯ve become better, you cute runt.¡± Kyle forced a smile. ¡°But you can never surpass me! DRACARYX!!! Activate Spear of Judgment!¡± Elumina screamed again due to excruciating pain as the lance of light surged forward. Surprised, Airelina never managed to evade it, and suffered a direct hit! There was a deafening crash on the highway just a few meters from my position. Surprisingly, Airelina¡¯s body was intact. I was about to consider it a miracle until I noticed some plate on her chest. A Shield Plate. Amphere should¡¯ve given it to her earlier. A direct hit from the Spear of Judgment made the Shield Plate deplete 100% to 0%. It is truly a one-hit kill spell if one is not protected with those useful plates. But Airelina doesn¡¯t have the strength to fight anymore. All the muscles on her body are suffering from agonizing pain maybe because of the impact of the fall. She tried hard, gritting her teeth. But her arms and legs are not listening to her. I took a centered stance in front of Airelina. I should¡¯ve defended her earlier but I¡¯m quite powerless right now. And what¡¯s more is that I have been seeing Elumina being hurt every fucking time that lunatic uses his Dracaryx! ¡°Kyle! Stop!¡± I shouted. There was a thought that entered my mind that will only stop Elumina¡¯s unbearable pain right now. Yeah, that¡¯s right. I should definitely do it. In times like this, being desperate to stop the suffering the love of my life is an absolute decision. I should finally do it, even if it will mean giving up everything else. My honor, my freedom and my ideals. I¡¯ll gladly sacrifice everything for Elumina¡¯s sake. ¡°Stop this, Kyle.¡± I dropped my sword and raised my hand. ¡°I surrender. Just make sure that you won¡¯t use Spear of Judgment again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my best friend after all.¡± Kyle made a disgusting chuckle, and then a long pause. He closed his eyes, inhaled the contaminated air from above and then spoke again. ¡°That is why I have to kill you with this spell! DRACARYX!!! Activate Spear of Judgment!!!¡± Chapter 53: Blacked Out Chapter 53: Blacked Out Amphere Harrison Three hours ago¡­ I left Rudolf and Kyrie to chase someone I know. That apparition¡­it can¡¯t be. It is really the Black Phantom! But how? Who? Did Dragunov give some spare costume to someone else? But there¡¯s something weird about that man¡­ I ran through the empty highway and found the masquerade waiting for me. It is as though it¡¯s his plan to lure me here in this particular place. I ignored my spider-sense and tried to be courageous as possible and took a step forward. ¡°Alder¡­Is that you?¡± I had my voice slightly shaky. The way he gaze at me with his amber eyes, his posture, and the way he sheaths his golden rapier. I was ninety-nine percent that he was Alder Windstrafe; the original Black Phantom. The Black Phantom opened and closed his mouth as if he¡¯s chewing or biting something. He¡¯s certainly telling something to me but I can¡¯t understand anything! I shifted my focus on her left hand, which appears to be holding some disgusting flesh that has been pulsing. It took me whole three seconds that it was definitely a heart! I scanned his body and then realized that the Black Phantom suit he¡¯s wearing has been covered by blood. His skin is pale and rotten. And there is a big hole on his chest. It was definitely Alder, in zombie form! Is he revived by some evil sorceress or something? ¡°Surprised?¡± Cold ran down on my spine as I heard that voice. When I turned around, I saw Kyle Leviticus face. He revealed a needle about the size of a chili pepper and then stabbed it on the right part of my neck. There was no pain, but my vision became woozy in just a matter of a split second. That needle must be drugged¡­ My head gave off pain similar to a hangover. And then I blacked out. When I woke up, I was already in an open field, in an abandoned expressway. I scanned myself, and got me wondering how did I get myself into the Black Phantom¡¯s costume? Did Kyle forced me to wear this getup? Why so? I don¡¯t know. All I need to do is to get out of here. I need to rejoin Rudolf¡¯s group. There are buildings one hundred meters away from here. Those might give me a better view of the scenario. Because of the roofy Kyle injected to me, my eyes are a bit dizzy, which made each and every step I make on a slow-mo. I realized that I don¡¯t have my sword in me anymore, so I have to hurry and get some cover. This situation makes me vulnerable. There was a swish of the wind, and when I realized it, my chest exploded! I never felt the pain, maybe because of the anesthetic effect of the drug. I just fell on the floor, with my blood pouring out. My vision blacked out again, but my ears are still operational. I heard Rudolf¡¯s voice shouting. Another burst and explosion. And then I heard bodies fall in this dry asphalt. Then I lost consciousness again. The next time I know it, I was already in a completely white room. Several nurses are there who are checking my vitals. The beeping sound of the heart rate monitor irritated me. One of the nurses checked my eyesight using a flashlight. There was a clock which revealed the current time. It still dawn, means that I passed out for just an hour. My head still hurts, and there is a burning painful sensation on my chest. At this rate, I would never be able to go back to the battlefield.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I closed my eyes and got back to sleep. I¡¯ve been blacking out three times in just a matter of three hours, and I hate it. But then, I dreamt that I was in a place I have never been able to see before. I was¡­outside in an ancient abandoned church. There are vines crawling everywhere on its maroon bricks. Between the gaps of the autumn trees, a ray of light shoves on my face. There was a strong gust of wind somewhere that made some of the leaves dance in the whirlwind. In front of me is a woman, about twenty five years of age. Her silver hair danced as the wind goes on. She was wearing a white daring kimono. What make her a lot different from any other creature are her crimson eyes with black sclera. She¡¯s the lady who has been appearing before me every time I get that unbelievable power. ¡°Boy has cheated death and came to my sanctuary.¡± The lady said. ¡°And you are here for help.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± ¡°The boy is not ready yet for some answers. Boy must not worry. We shall meet again, in person, soon enough. Right now, the boy should focus more on the problem at hand. Boy¡¯s friends and loved one¡¯s are in danger.¡± Suddenly, images of Estoff, Rudolf, Kyrie, Richard and Reina entered my brain. But the image that got stuck on my head is Airi¡¯s adorable smile. I clenched my fists and acknowledge the hunger of power deep inside my heart. ¡°I shall help the boy unlock his true potential once again.¡± She reached my face and then kissed my right eye. Warm sensation enveloped my eye which reached all throughways my heart. I can¡¯t help but to blush in this sudden concurrence. And then a flash of light made me come back to the real world. As I opened my eyes again, I felt a triple dose of adrenaline. The nurses was stunned when they saw me immediately got up and stripped all those wires and tubes all over my body. I looked at my chest, and it was already covered with bandages. With this, I can still go on. I searched for my uniform (which was still clean and good) and grabbed the Black Phantom¡¯s cloak. I used my Heightened Clearance to summon my floating dynamos. As soon as I jumped out of the window, my four dynamos aligned themselves to form a metallic raft for me to land. Then the Dynamos burst forward with a fabulous speed. Thus, the ¡°Dynamo Airboard¡± was born. I can feel my connection; my heartbeat¡¯s resonance with Airi. Using my beating heart, I pulsed to detect a similar heartbeat pattern like sonar. I can easily locate her with ease using this method. Suddenly, I detected a glowing golden cross in the sky. My crimson right eye, which was amazingly powerful made me realize that the cross was indeed Elumina. I can also feel Airi¡¯s heartbeats a few hundred meters from here! There are two glowing objects flying, clashing, turning and clashing again. I was certain that it was an aerial battle between two humanoid-type creatures. As I zoomed forward, I finally found her. Airelina! She¡¯s currently having a swordfight with Kyle Leviticus! Kyle Leviticus shouted ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Spear of Judgment!¡± and then a ray of light surged from the distant glowing cross. It was a direct hit, making Airi crash to the ground. I was thankful that she was completely intact, yet she¡¯s definitely harmed. Estoff went to his side and then readied himself to face the angelic devil general. It seems like they were having a conversation but then Kyle Leviticus shouted again! ¡°DRACARYX!¡± As soon as I heard those words, my adrenaline gushed more. I won¡¯t let him attack them again! Not on my watch! I activated my Maximum Clearance, and summoned the half body of a gigantic skeleton robot. Deus Ex Machina! The skull opened its mouth and revealed a laser gun that unleashed a beam of light which went straight to the six-winged knight. And then there was a loud explosion in the skies. Airi and Estoff turned to the source of the blue beam of light, and saw me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late!¡± I confidently said with a salute. ¡°You really have a big trouble here, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A-Amphy¡­¡± Airi cried. It feels good to see her again. ¡°Cheeky wanker.¡± Estoff made a single laugh. I rushed to their side and lend my hand to my scarlet-haired dragonoid to help her back on her feet again. She gave me the photon sword she¡¯s wielding. And then a glowing blue light was emitted from her chest. Meanwhile, General Kyle Leviticus was unscathed. The Shield Plate which was protecting him from deadly blows all this time went zero percent. Because of this, he threw the plate away and glared at us with a killing intent. Negating this is Airi¡¯s loud mouth. ¡°Now that Amphy¡¯s here, we three will kick your ass! Totally!¡± Chapter 54: Love and Freedom Chapter 54: Love and Freedom Estoff Wraith Amphere¡¯s eyes are now crimson red and his sclera are night-dark. He has been holding his wounded chest for a while now, and I can see that he¡¯s enduring the pain. Thanks to him, Airelina and I were both safe. I can¡¯t help but to be amazed in this kid. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Amphere and Airelina shouted. With this, Airelina¡¯s body became a seven meter platinum robotic dragon. A Futuretech Dragon. Amphere lend his hand to me, which I immediately accepted. ¡°I can¡¯t wield a sword in my current condition. You will ride with me here on Airelina¡¯s head, and you¡¯ll serve as a dragon knight once again. Use that sword to attack Kyle. I¡¯ll be just supporting you with my dynamos.¡± Amphere said, as he tried to hide the pain in his facial expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare order me around, kid.¡± I chuckled as I revved my sword. ¡°Watch and learn from your senpai, will you?¡± Just before the Futuretech Dragon takes off, Kyle used his absurdly powerful spell yet again. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Spear of Judgment!¡± With Elumina¡¯s cry, the lace of light once again made its appearance and surged its way to us! It was so fast that it even broke the sound barrier! Amphere had it ready. He has this skeleton mech¡¯s arm (I believe it¡¯s called Deus Ex Machina.) and positioned it to catch the spear! It was a ridiculous idea, but we didn¡¯t have any option either. Surprisingly, the gigantic mechanical arm caught the spear of light! The only problem is that it exerts to much force, still charging like an angry bull even though the spear has been constrained. The gigantic arm slowly dissolved from the light that was emitted from the spear. Noticing this, he commanded the arm to redirect it a few degrees upward- away from us. Then he let the spear go, making a loud whirling noise as it dissolves the chunks of metals that was supposed to be the Deus Ex Machina¡¯s right arm. Now Amphere can only use the remaining left mecha arm. ¡°H-How did you redirect it!?¡± Kyle¡¯s facial expression is priceless. He never made the same astounded gesture before. And then he calmed himself for a bit as he stared at Amphere¡¯s eyes. ¡°As expected from the kid who has inherited the Eye of Deus. I¡¯ve been waiting to see that gem for a long time. Thanks to that particular ability of yours, I was defeated for the first time three years ago.¡± I turned to the glowing cross above us. Elumina still had her eyes closed, but she was panting heavily. She¡¯s already at her limits. ¡°That Kyle¡­He¡¯s using Elumina as much as he wants¡­¡± I clenched my hand. One more Dracaryx and it will cost her life¡­ ¡°Amphere. I need to get to Elumina.¡± I said. ¡°Roger that, commander.¡± Amphere replied without any hesitation whatsoever. Airelina finally took off and jetted forward the glowing cross! Our speed must¡¯ve surpassed any fighter planes invented in this era! Suddenly, Kyle, with the help of his six divine wings, bolted forward with a lightspeed! He made a blinding thrust to Amphere, but thankfully, Amphere used his sword to block the evil general¡¯s sting! Amphere lost balance and then made a forty-meter free fall!This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Airelina spun on the midair in order to repel any attack from Kyle, and then dived for Amphere¡¯s sake. She manages to catch her knight with her cybernetic dragon arms. Airelina¡¯s joy was short-lived, because Kyle saw this as an opportunity to cast a spell. ¡°Lightsurge!¡± Kyle thrusted in the air, and a gigantic arrow of light surged forward to pierce the Futuretech Dragon¡¯s right wing. Because of this, Airelina once again crashed on the ground; leaving a small crater behind. Airelina was so exhausted that she already reverted to her human form. And Amphere is still trying hard to stand, but the awful pain on his chest makes it impossible. In fact, the wound already opened again, making blood stains on his white uniform. There is no way that two can win this fight. But I can. While Kyle was busy, Amphere used his dynamos as my flying raft and transported me to the floating golden cross; where Elumina is bound. When I arrived, I touched her soft right cheek for the first time in ten years. The warmth of my hand rendered her awake. ¡°Estoff.¡± Tears ran down from her eyes. ¡°Save me, Estoff. I¡­I don¡¯t want to suffer anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m finally here, Elumina. I¡¯m now fulfilling my promise to you. This is your freedom from now on, my love!¡± Elumina and I¡­the two lovers cried rivers as we bumped each other¡¯s forehead. I caressed her golden hair and made our nose collide. And finally¡­a sweet kiss made all the agony inside our hearts vanish within the brightness of our love to each one another. Her lips are still as smooth as ever. Every time we kiss, I see myself in heaven. Images of our childhood flashed on my brain. The time where we first met in the vineyard. The time where I first gave her a paper crane. The time where we had a picnic in the gardens of the ruined cathedral. The time where she first cooked me a burnt meal. The first time we confessed our love to each other. The first time we kissed. All these years, I have endured living in the shadows. For that span of time, she lived in a cruel care of his master. We have endured a lot. And this is the time where all our seeds; all the things we endured together will be paid off with the sweetest fruit! The sweetness of having two separated hearts reunited again is a lot sweeter than any star berry in existence! Our chest glowed together as we held each other¡¯s hands. When Kyle finally noticed it, he turned to us, and then flew to our direction with maximum speed. He was screaming ¡°NOOOOOOO!!!¡±. Too bad, he was already too late. Three light rings covered the both of us and rotated, shielding us from any harm. As soon as Kyle made contact to one of this ring, he was immediately ejected and crashed to a building. Elumina started our everlasting chant towards our love. ¡°I rescind my contract with Kyle Leviticus, and form a new one with my love Estoff Wraith, I pledge myself to be his healing light, and proof of his might, Aid him in an everlasting fight, And keep him away from endless night! Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Elumina¡¯s shackles from the cross finally broke, and her body was submerged with golden light! My eyes were filled with beauty as I watch her transform. I have seen her dragon form before, but this time it¡¯s completely different! It was the power of our resonating hearts! I remembered my promise to her when we were in high school. ¡°I wanted to perform Vesryn Pulse with you. Even just once. But I heard that dragon knights are the only ones who can do that.¡± Elumina muttered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll become a knight!¡± I jokingly smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll perform Vesryn Pulse so that I can see your beautiful dragon form.¡± This is our dream that became a reality! Eight angelic wings formed at the back of her long slender dragonic body. Her violet-white scales clearly reflect the beams of the moonlight. Holy aura was pulsating from her heart. There was a golden halo floating above her head. This dragon; the Seraph Dragon is truly a magnificent existence! She is the most gorgeous creature in the whole universe! The sweetness of love and freedom¡­is the best feeling in the world. Chapter 55: Seraph and Diablo Chapter 55: Seraph and Diablo Estoff Wraith Two hours before the sun will show up, and it¡¯s morning again. The skies are still dark, but the brilliance of Elumina¡¯s Seraph Dragon form gave of lights everywhere. The moon was currently overshadowed by my love¡¯s bright holy aura. I turned down on a three-story building where Kyle crashed. The rooftop of the building is half demolish because of the impact. When the dust smoke went off, the lunatic was there, gritting his teeth and trying hard to stand up. He has finally lost his right to borrow Elumina¡¯s power thanks to the newly signed contract between me and my lover. Now he shall suffer the consequences! Kyle seemed to have a broken left elbow and right knee, and there is some metal tube impaled on his right kidney. He¡¯s in complete pain, but managed to give off an evil laugh. ¡°MUHAHAHAHAHA! Beautiful! Truly astounding, Estoff Wraith, Elumina Cryst. The Vesryn Pulse of two lovers is really the best creation of God. I bet you have a compatibility rate of a hundred percent.¡± He reached something underneath his tattered General uniform, and revealed a black beating object about the size of a baseball. I¡¯ve seen it before. It was something identical to the zombie Black Phantom! It is a dismembered black heart! ¡°I never thought I would face you two in a battle. But this is the perfect event that I¡¯ve dreamt of! I¡¯ve been waiting for years, for you Estoff, to steal Elumina away from me! This is PERFECT!¡± Ignoring the size of the beating object, he immediately putted it on his mouth and swallowed it without chewing. Kyle fell again on his knees, now with awful pain on his chest. He felt like he was choking, and then his skin were torn to shreds. Particle by particle, the outer part of his body slowly evaporated until his muscular system is completely visible. His circle eyes which are now completely round for the reason that there are no more eyelids to cover it makes it utterly creepy. The pupil on his eyes glowed with crimson light. The General screamed louder as his body bulk up like those zombie powerups in a movie. Six bloody wings emerged from his back. His body now contains a lot of red muscles bulked him up until he was a seven meter abomination who is on par with a dragonoid¡¯s dragon form. Two gigantic black horns grew from his ear and twirled as if he was Satan himself. Long spiky gory tail smashed through the second floor of the building which completely turned to ashes. Then he flapped his wings to gain altitude. ¡°W-What the-¡° I muttered. This power¡­I have never seen anything like it. Was it magic? Science? How did he attain a dragon form? ¡°THIS IS MY TRUE POWER, ESTOFF WRAITH!¡± Kyle¡¯s vocal cord must¡¯ve evolved to a demonic one. ¡°I AM THE LIGHT BRINGER DRAGON, THE KING OF JUDGMENT!¡± Two dark balls materialized on each of the demonic dragon¡¯s hands and then threw it to us! Elumina maneuvered in the air with an impressive clutch control, totally evading all those witchcraft projectiles he fired at us. But unluckily, the demon has a trick on his sleeve. He opened his long jaws and fired a beam of crimson flame at us, which caught the Seraph Dragon¡¯s back. It burned a great deal which made my white dragon scream in pain. ¡°Elumina!¡± I screamed. But she replied telepathically: ¡°I¡¯m alright, this is nothing for me.¡± As she continue to whirl in the sky and retain her aerial grip.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. There was a blue blaster that slashed the Light Bringer Dragon¡¯s right wing. The blaster was strong enough to give a first degree burn to the Diablo. It was Amphere¡¯s mutilated Deus Ex Machina, with only half rib, one eye, and left arm left. Angered, the Diablo charged a red sun on his mouth and unleashed it to Amphere! For the last time, Deus Ex Machina achieved its purpose; to protect its knight and dragonoid. The metallic skeleton titan melted into mercury. But Amphere and Airelina remains uninjured by Kyle¡¯s last attack. We pose a great problem. Elumina is not a battle-type dragon, and her specialty is healing and creating protective barriers. The only spell that can be borrowed from her is Lightsurge which requires a light sword (like Kyle¡¯s slim sword or Reina¡¯s short sword). I don¡¯t even know the chant to activate that spell. I doubt my sword would work on that demon either. ¡°We have a single attack that can defeat Kyle once and for all.¡± Elumina said through my mind. ¡°No, we can¡¯t.¡± I shook my head. I know what she¡¯s thinking. Dracaryx. Activating Dracaryx means stopping Elumina¡¯s heart again. She has used Dracaryx for about twenty times already, and the next one¡­ might cause her life. I don¡¯t want to hurt her! ¡°We have no choice! Do it, Estoff!¡± Elumina cried imperatively. ¡°Promise me Elumina¡­that you have to endure this pain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure of it! Do it my love!¡± For the first time in our life, did she stand by my side and order me to attack Kyle. Hearing those telepathic words made me smile. I inhaled a lot of air and then shouted with all my heart and soul! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Crusader Arrow!!!¡± Elumina reverted back to her humanoid form, but her eight wings remained existent. To prevent me from falling down, she carried me by my armpits. My left arm moved itself, targeting the demonic dragon fifty meters away from me. Suddenly, eight wings emerged from my left arm and shaped itself into a gigantic white bow. With my right hand, I swiped my fingers in the thin air and a golden arrow materialized from light particles around me. Noticing this, Kyle roared and glided forward, trying his best to reach me first before I could fire my arrow. He fired two, three, four dark balls but all of it was deflected by Elumina¡¯s barrier! Too bad, he already lost lightspeed. He¡¯s just a slow fat chicken flying to his demise! ¡°Be gone, Kyle Leviticus!¡± I released the arrow from my grasps. As a little millisecond pass by, the arrow enlarges itself by gathering the stored energy of the wind as it travels through. By the time it hit the Light Bringer Dragon¡¯s forehead, it was already the size of a regular dragon! When the arrow made contact, it bursts, making a cross-like golden flame explosion that brightened the whole Twilight City. There was a deafening explosion in the skies, and the shockwave gave off dust storms everywhere. The demon dragon¡¯s body dissolved, and a smaller body- Kyle¡¯s humanoid body made a free fall to the ground. It was a forty-meter fall, but it didn¡¯t really finish the lunatic off. When Elumina and I landed, I immediately went to my ex-best friend who is currently in a pitiful situation. Kyle already lost his limbs. Only his body and head remained intact, yet gruesome. There is blood everywhere on his landing site. He has lost the skin of the right side of his face, and his left eye is no more. Kyle looked at me with tears in his eyes, and raised his amputated right arm, trying to reach me. ¡°Estoff¡­Before¡­I¡­die¡­ Please forgive me¡­¡± He coughed blood. ¡°Please forgive me for my sins¡­¡± I gazed at him full of pity. ¡°I forgive you, my best friend.¡± I said. And then I drew a colt pistol on my back, cocked it, and pointed at his forehead. ¡°But Gilliard¡¯s pistol doesn¡¯t.¡± Countless gunshots echoed throughout the area. I even got two magazine reloads, shot at the corpse mercilessly like there¡¯s no tomorrow. After letting off my hatred, I went back to Elumina. She was holding her chest as if she has finally got rid of barbed wire that has constricted her heart for a whole decade. Seeing me, she rushed forward and hugged me tight and uttered a loud tearful cry. I hugged her like a koala in response, until I know that something isn¡¯t right. Her sweats are cold and I can¡¯t feel heartbeats on her chest. There was a chill down on my spine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Estoff. I know you fulfilled your promise for me, but I can¡¯t keep my promise for you. I¡¯m so pathetic, you know.¡± She said with a smile. And then she fell to the ground. Chapter 56: Blood-stained Hero Chapter 56: Blood-stained Hero Estoff Wraith ¡°Elumina!¡± My shout echoed throughout the area. I immediately caught her before her head hits the ground. What is this? Her trembling hands¡­are so cold. Her heart gave up on pulsing. Why? Was it because of the repeated usage of Dracaryx!? ¡°¡­Estoff¡­¡± Tears from her eyes flowed to her cheeks and dropped to the dry asphalt. But she kept on giving a joyful smile anyways ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­I can¡¯t keep the end of my promise to you¡­¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± My mind turned blank. What should I do in this situation? How can I get her heart beating again!? I know! I should pump her heart! I laid her down and put my two hands on her chest. As I was about to apply force, Elumina¡¯s soft hands covered mine. ¡°¡­It¡¯s no use¡­ Estoff¡­ This is the end of me¡­¡± Her breath became a lot heavier, as if she¡¯s having a severe asthma. ¡°I-I¡¯m glad¡­that we used Vesryn Pulse¡­even for just once¡­It made me happy¡­¡± Elumina gave off the brightest smile I ever saw. The dawn sunlight shoved upon her face which revealed her innocent beauty. ¡°¡­I love you¡­Estoff¡­ I¡¯ll¡­be waiting¡­for you¡­in the other side¡­¡± Then the life of my love faded away. She passed away peacefully, eyes closed and a bright smile, as she turned her way to the sun. Her suffering finally ended. But I refuse to accept this! I promised her to be free, and to be happy for the rest of her life! This is not the ending I wanted to happen! ¡°ELUMINAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± My vocal cords halted producing sound as soon as my throat has done dry. I kissed my love for the last time. A kiss that lasted for five minutes. For that span of time, Amphere and Airelina arrived the scene with grief on their faces. Airelina sat down and approached me and commanded me to keep a short distance. She morphed her hands to a defibrillator and shocked the corpse of my love for three, five, ten, twenty, fifty tries. But it never worked. Soon, an empire soldier spotted us. He reached for his radio and muttered. ¡°Baseplate this is Charlie Five. I have spotted Estoff Wraith. I need backup on my coordinates. He was with Amp-¡° I never let him finish his sentence. I used the colt pistol to make a forehead shot to the soldier, which made his immediate death. And then I drew my broadsword and pointed it on Airelina¡¯s throat. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this, Amphere.¡± I said coldly. Amphere¡¯s face is certainly astounded. ¡°W-What the heck are you trying to do!?¡± ¡°That soldier spotted us. It will be bad if they discovered us working together. Escaping would be useless either. So we¡¯ll have to fight¡­to death.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you trying to say!? You¡¯ve gone mental!¡± Amphere screamed. And then he turned to the far south east side of the skies. It appears that he has sensed them too. From this distance, those fly-like objects look so tiny, but in reality, they are dragon knights. They must have known the coordinates that pesky soldier send earlier.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Time is running out. Kill me, Amphere Harrison!¡± I shouted. Then I swung the sword, ready to cut Airelina¡¯s neck! Amphere has formidable reflexes, so he used it against me. He used his photon sword to block the blade and then kicked me aside, giving me distance away from the scarlet haired dragonoid. ¡°I won¡¯t fight nor kill you, Estoff!¡± Amphere cried. ¡°I will force you!¡± I bolted forward for a thrust, but Amphere twirled his glasslike sword and parried my attack! My sword got flying into thin air, but I caught it with my other hand and prepared a forceful blow! Amphere blocked it again with his sword. He stayed defensive in this deathmatch. I have to convince him, or else everything we have worked for will be turned to dust. ¡°You¡¯re not a kid anymore, Amphere! Think about it, killing me in front of those knights will give you honor and charisma of a hero! It will be favorable for the Dragonoid Rights Bill if it is supported by the dragon knight that killed the revolutionist, Estoff Wraith!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± He cried as he blocked again a deadly blow from me. ¡°I won¡¯t do it! I won¡¯t kill a friend!¡± ¡°My life is over now, Amphere.¡± I said with a bitter smile. ¡°You¡¯re completely right. I erected the Arcadia for the sole purpose of granting Elumina freedom. Now that Elumina¡¯s gone, everything may now cease to exist!¡± Time became so slow as I drew my pistol and pointed it to the stunned Airelina. With this, I have secured my perfect plan. Amphere can¡¯t stand to have his dragonoid hurt. Both his eyes turned red and his reflexes triggered, dashed forward with a speed of sound and pricked my heart with his glowing sword. But I never suffered pain, for the loss of my love earlier has already gave me the maximum agony possible. Instead, my heart felt refreshed. ¡°N-No¡­¡± Amphere muttered. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want it like this¡­¡± Blood spurted out from my mouth. ¡°Yes¡­ This is how it¡¯s supposed to be¡­¡± Several dragon knights landed in the area, witnessing the blood-stained knight impale a notorious villain that is responsible for a lot of murders and terrorisms. Their eyes are filled with amazement as they witness a hero being born in this particular highway on Twilight City. I held my numb chest which was soaked with my own dirty blood. ¡°I thank you¡­Amphere Harrison¡­ You have been a damn fine student¡­and a friend¡­ I was happy that your effort went so far that you granted a glimpse of my dream¡­¡± Amphere closed his eyes, suppressing water from going out from her eyes. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he said. His hands was trembling, I felt it. ¡°I-If only I was stronger¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, dimwit.¡± I smiled. Blood oozed from my lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare blame anyone. That¡¯s how a dragon knight is supposed to think. Don¡¯t blame your lack of strength, nor your enemy¡¯s actions. Stand and man up, muster your courage to attain better honor.¡± I reached his face with my blood-wet left hand and hugged him with the other. Amphere¡¯s face was so agonized that he could be mistaken for a crying snotty kid who got his cotton candy snatched by a stranger. ¡°¡­Free the dragonoids¡­ Do what I can¡¯t do... Be their hero...¡± A satisfying pain from my chest emerged as Amphere withdrew his sword from my body. My strength faded away. My hands were left hanging, and my feet lost balance. Coincidentally, I drop down next to the lifeless body of my golden-haired dragonoid. I slowly reached her hand. After a few seconds, my eyes failed to project vision even I¡¯m certain that they¡¯re wide open. There was a bursting loud cry nearby. I¡¯m sure that it was Amphere. I can imagine his lonesome face covered by his own tears. When my consciousness faded as if I was asleep, a bright light welcomed me. Everything in this place is white as if I was in the nothingness. There was a blonde woman wearing a perfect white wedding dress. Her innocent eyes made me feel eternally comfortable, as if she was the physical embodiment of heavens itself. ¡°Estoff¡­ You followed me again. Are you sure that everything will be alright in the Alterra?¡± Elumina asked. I scratched my head and made a childish smile. ¡°Amphere have it all handled. There will be a lot of trials, and he may lose more in this war, but I¡¯m certain¡­That wanker will get things done.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Elumina bowed down. After a few seconds, she lent her hand to me. ¡°Shall we go, my love?¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate to take her hand. And we, the two lovers lived happily ever after. [Estoff Wraith ¨C K.I.A] Chapter 57: My First Love Chapter 57: My First Love Amphere Harrison After a minute of watching the two lover¡¯s corpse who is holding hands, I wiped away my tears. I have been kneeling in the ground for the whole time, so my toes are heavy when I tried to stand up. My vision blurred and my chest wound gave off an unbearable pain. I lost my balance, but thankfully, Airelina is there to support me away from falling. She carried me by my shoulders until we reached the dragon knights who have been watching Estoff¡¯s death. They are all smiling and celebrating upon witnessing my ¡®heroic act¡¯. Why are they¡­I don¡¯t deserve all of this! Estoff sacrificed himself just to make me look like a hero! This is not¡­ This is not knight-like! What honor is he thinking? All of this is fake! ¡°We have confirmed a nuclear threat in the underground part of the city hall of the city. All units are advised to evacuate immediately. I repeat. A nuclear bomb has been detected in the central of the city. All units are advised to evacuate immediately.¡± It was the radio that keeps on blabbing and blabbing. I¡¯m so irritated that I wanted to throw it off, but I need to calm myself down. It is for my sake. Estoff left me with a legacy, and that wouldn¡¯t be fulfilled if I am dead. A man with rectangle eyeglasses and spiky hair, with about the age of thirty is beside me, watching my movements. He is wearing a royal blue uniform with a star on his shoulder; the sign of one of the empire¡¯s general. He is General Holster, a joyful man who is often dubbed as the Awkward Joker. He has a habit of cracking a joke where no one laughs, except himself. His standing between the dragonoid and the humans are balanced, so I can safely say that he will not turn out to be as terrifying as Kyle Leviticus. ¡°Hey, cheer up!¡± Holster tapped my back. ¡°Your ¡®explosive fight¡¯ earlier with Wraith made you the hero of the Twilight City! But now, we have to get the hell outa this place, because there will be another ¡®explosion!¡¯ HAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± That obnoxious laugh irritate me the most. But he¡¯s completely right. I should save my tears for later. I wanted a cold pint of beer once I get the hell out of this hellish city. Right now, we are trying our best to run away together with five other dragon knights under the command of General Holster. ¡°All the civilians have finally evacuated via Portal Dragon¡¯s magical warp points.¡± A short-haired lady reported. She was Iris, General Holster¡¯s dragonoid, and also his wife. This particular lady is wearing a ninja suit, which makes her outright cool. ¡°The nuclear bomb was planted by an Arcadian soldier. It is a black bionic device that resembles a gigantic radioactive heart. The bomb squad has no idea how to turn off that thing, so the best course of action is to evacuate.¡± Airi kept her speed and pushed her head closer to my neck. I thought she was about to flirt again but I was wrong. She whispered. ¡°There was never a plan to bomb the city. And that radioactive heart she mentioned¡­ It is never the work of Arcadia.¡± ¡°I thought so, too. Maybe the zombie Black Phantom has something to do with it.¡± I replied. ¡°There are still answers to be told by that old geezer (Dragunov).¡± About some other topic, Airi dropped ¡®totally¡¯. She didn¡¯t cry earlier, but I know deep in her heart, she was filled with melancholy. I was examining the details of her face but suddenly, a static entered on our earpiece.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°We failed to capture Dragunov.¡± It was Reina through the radio. ¡°That Black Phantom zombie is able to use Dracaryx. After he shouted, he immediately vanished. We really don¡¯t know what happened, so we¡¯re now on duty to transport you away from that place. Give us your coordinates.¡± I tapped my touch-screen interface watch and turned the GPS signal on. With this, they will be able to pinpoint our current location. But then¡­ ¡°Hostiles!¡± One of the soldiers screamed. Suddenly, a wave of zombies run rampant like ants! Some of them have Arcadian and Empire¡¯s uniforms, but what makes them distinct from us not undead is that their bodies are already rotting! From our vision, they look like a horde of hungry ants that just saw their lunch! The soldiers, which are escorts of the dragon knights, used their assault rifles to fire the countless zombies rampaging throughout the vast space of the city. The knights used their sword to fight hack off the heads of the undead. General Holster¡¯s performance in zombie-killing is top notch! He is wielding dual desperado pistols that can take five zombies in one bullet! His wife Iris is able to throw shurikens straight to the zombies¡¯ heads! A ring of light finally opened, which indicates our ticket out of here. ¡°Over here!¡± I shouted as I pointed to the portal. The three dragon knights and their dragonoids jumped in first. Because of my dynamos and help of Airelina¡¯s Armament Mode cannons on her back, we can screen out passing zombies that could chase my allies. ¡°General!¡± I shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With my signal, General Holster and his wife left the battlefield and jumped to the portal. The only ones left here in this particular city is Airi and I. When we finally cleared a twenty-meter distance from the legion of zombies, both of us decided to jump in the portal. But then¡­ There was a deafening explosion. A crimson mushroom cloud emerged, and a powerful shockwave crawled in the atmosphere. The portal became disrupted and vanished without us entering it! Thankfully, the shockwave made the zombies immobile, meaning; they reverted back into a lifeless corpse. Thousands of zombies fall to the ground. ¡°This is not good!¡± Airi screamed as she jumped to me and hugged me tight. I can feel her soft chest within my cheeks, as if she was curling to protect her baby from danger. Moreover, she projected her metallic wings and covered our bodies. W-What is she doing!? Everything became dark inside our cocoon. There was a surge of heatwave, but because Airi is covering me, its effect is not relevant. It must be the radiation of the nuclear explosion. I just realized that she made this to protect me¡­again. ¡°¡­You know Amphy¡­¡± Airi talked in a faint voice. ¡°¡­We used to hug like this when we were lost in the forest¡­to make our bodies warm and make through the night¡­remember?¡± Suddenly, images from my past entered my head. An adorable scarlet-haired five-year-old girl who has the most beautiful red eyes in the world. The Ancient Forest in the Guardian¡¯s Haven. And the big bad wolf that attacked us. And the dark crimson handkerchief that I gave to the woman I first loved. That was the time where I first had the adrenaline to fight for the protection of someone dear to me. My childhood friend¡­ I can finally remember her name. ¡°¡­Airi?¡± I widened up my eyes, though it¡¯s useless. I can¡¯t see anything. ¡°¡­So you were the girl back then!?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re so slow, totally!¡± Her voice is mixed up with laughter. ¡°Back then, I have decided that this man, who protected me from harm¡­this man, who is my hero, will be the love of my life¡­forever¡­¡± As she said those final words, the cybernetic wings slowly dissolved in the air. Was it due to the corroding effect of the EMP waves and radioactive area? I gazed upon the surroundings, and witnessed hundreds of buildings turn to ashes as soon as the wind blows them. The cars, the stalls, the signages; everything was turned into dust. A-Airi¡­ ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, Amphy.¡± She made an innocent, yet fake smile. ¡°¡­I have purified the air for you to breathe. I have removed the radioactive waves in this area¡­ You don¡¯t have to worry about being hurt¡­¡± ¡°Airi!¡± I cried. As soon as I released those words, the worn out woman fell to the ground. I caught her backbone with my arms, and noticed one thing¡­The back of her body has completely skinned out. Dust. Dust in my fingers. I am able to touch her very spine. My eyes are filled with terror as soon as Airi¡¯s consciousness declines. ¡°No no no no no¡­ AIRIIIIIIIII!!!¡± Chapter 58: Fake Honor Chapter 58: Fake Honor Amphere Harrison During that time, Richard managed to pull off another portal from Twilight City. I carried the dying Airi on my arms as I rushed through. I managed to deliver her to the Guardian Haven¡¯s Hospital, and she was immediately sent to the Intensive Care Unit. There, she has undergone several operations for three days. I also noticed that the vision on my right eye faded when Airi left her consciousness. I thought it was blind, so I covered it with an eyepatch. It¡¯s the fourth day after that bloody incident in the Twilight City, and Airi still failed to regain her consciousness. She¡¯s in a state of coma, and the doctors are trying their best to return her back but it¡¯s no good. All we can do is wait like a sitting duck, unable to do anything. I sat beside Airi¡¯s bed after I changed the daisies on the vase of this room. Airi doesn¡¯t want to see withering daisies, she once told me. As soon as she wakes up, I wanted her to smile as soon as possible. Except the beeping of her heart monitor, everything here is silent. She¡¯s not breathing heavily on her oxygen mask unlike the first three days of her stay here in this hospital. I¡¯ve been bowing, staring at the handkerchief which she used as a hair decoration for the past two decades. I hate myself. I¡¯m so stupid. I killed my mentor. I got my best friend heavily injured. And then the woman, who loved me the most, sacrificed herself for me. Estoff said that I shouldn¡¯t blame myself, but it¡¯s easier said than done. All the burden drops to my shoulders, and my guilt is now killing me. I looked at the golden dragon-head badge I just received this morning. It¡¯s from the awarding ceremony. They just gave me a medal of valor due to my ¡®heroic deeds¡¯ for killing the Arcadia¡¯s commander, Estoff Wraith. Little did the majority know that it is all staged, which makes me feel bad even more. ¡°¡­Hey Airi¡­¡± I muttered as tears fell off my eyes. I tightened my grasps on her soft hand. ¡°¡­I totally forgive you now¡­ Please wake up¡­ You¡¯re everything that matters to me¡­ C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll take your offer. I¡¯ll strip my hero status and live with you in a peaceful province for the rest of my life¡­Just wake up¡­Please¡­¡± I kissed her hand, which was soaked with my own tears. It took five whole minutes. And then the door opened. There were three people. Duchess Corasell, Kyrie, and Rudolf. Kyrie is currently pushing Rudolf¡¯s wheelchair because his lover cannot walk due to his amputated limbs. My best friend¡¯s half body is covered with bandages which makes him look like a mummy. Meanwhile, Kyrie only has a small wound on her chest, and it seems that she finally regained her strength. Duchess Corasell bowed, hiding her facial expression as she clenches her hand with suppressed anger. ¡°Is it true?...Did you really kill Sir Wraith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I answered directly. ¡°Was it true that Airelina sacrificed herself to protect you?¡± She asked again. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why it all happened.¡± Duchess Corasell¡¯s eyes revealed itself in its teary form. ¡°It must¡¯ve been you who must suffer these consequences. That poor Mister Gilliard and Miss Elumina¡­ Airelina and Sir Estoff¡­ They don¡¯t deserve to feel pain! It must be you! IT¡¯S YOUR ENTIRE FAULT!!!¡± ¡°YES!¡± I stood up and tried to provoke the duchess using my height. ¡°It¡¯s my entire fault! But I never wanted it to happen! I¡¯m blaming myself for being so weak! I wanted to suffer all those sins and die miserably!¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Y-You¡­¡± the Duchess readied her hand to slap me with her full force, but she stopped herself. Instead, she just walked away while crying like a little bitch. I was left there, lonesome and dumbfounded. ¡°You know Amphere¡­¡± Rudolf finally talked. ¡°I would smash this wheelchair to your face if I could.¡± ¡°The duchess is right.¡± I said. Then I looked the golden badge in my hand ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be keeping this honor and live like I¡¯m the real hero.¡± ¡°You know it wasn¡¯t the case. She¡¯s just upset about what happened to Airelina and Estoff. She¡¯s in a mental condition where she would put the blame on someone. But sooner or later, she will discover the relevance of Airelina and Estoff¡¯s sacrifices.¡± ¡°Sacrifices?¡± I gave out a single laugh. ¡°They sacrificed themselves for me, to have a fake honor?¡± ¡°That fake honor will help the Dragonoid Rights Bill to be passed. It may be a moral and emotional defeat, but it was a strategic win. I know that Estoff is laughing up there, and saying ¡®It¡¯s all falling under the plan¡¯ while drinking his beer.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± I turned to him. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me? Because of my stupidity, you and Kyrie got gravely injured.¡± ¡°Believe me, no one hates you. You should hate me more because I almost sniped your heart out. I felt the same way. I thought I just killed a precious comrade. That is truly a vexing experience. I¡¯ve been having nightmare since then and made me thinking¡­What if I shot Kyrie next by mistake? It took me a day until I realized that worrying is the most useless thing you can do. So you have to stand up, get over it, stop whining about your mistakes, and be a man! Don¡¯t think of what you have done in the past. Think about the future!¡± My eyes widened in awe. This man, who looks like a sitting potato, is now delivering a speech better than those overly optimist motivational speakers. I hid my chuckle, and then looked at him with a smile. ¡°You and your movies should definitely go to the garbage. But anyway, thanks man.¡± We answered with a fistbump. Kyrie made a beautiful smile as she witnessed the two best friends come together. Airi and I were left in the room after a few minutes. I looked at the handkerchief again and cherished the moments we have shared together. She was as adorable as back then when she was five. I never thought that I would see her again. Destiny is surely playful. Suddenly¡­ The heart monitor gave a long beep. Airi¡¯s heart is no longer beating. My head went completely blank. I can¡¯t believe that my nervous system shut itself down. Is it Airelina¡¯s end!? The doctors and nurses came, murmuring some numbers and terms I couldn¡¯t comprehend. They pulled out a defibrillator, shocked her heart twice, thrice, four times. But her heart fails to be revived. My eyes widened as I heard the doctor¡¯s words. ¡°Time of death¡­ Ten forty four AM.¡± There was a surging pain in my chest, and in my brain. W-What the heck is this!? Why is this happening!? ¡­Airi¡­ There was a hard tap on my shoulder. ¡°Amphere!¡± It was Richard, who was trying to get my attention the whole time. ¡°Carry Airelina¡¯s body. I know a way. If the Holy Guardian was able to revive me, then there¡¯s no doubt that she can revive Airelina!¡± Right! Richard was revived due to the experiments of the Cathedral Exa. There¡¯s still a chance to retrieve Airi! Without any hesitation, I removed all the electronics and dextrose tubes on Airi and carried her in my arms, princess style. I murmured ¡°I¡¯ll totally save you!¡± and then we jumped to the portal Richard created. We¡¯re back in the Cathedral Exa. The church seemed to be in ruins, and there are vines crawling everywhere on its medieval style brick walls. There are priests who are wearing white hooded cloaks who hide their faces. ¡°Over here!¡± Richard raised his hand as he ran through the hallway. I followed him while heavily panting. We ran through a dark spiral staircase leading to the deepest part of the Cathedral. I do research this place before, but I have never been able to discover this particular area. I was astounded when at the end of the staircase, a giant wooden door with a sigil of a crucified dragon blocked our way. As if reading our minds, the door opened itself. Inside, is a spring full of glowing blue waters. There are golden light particles dancing through the thin air. In the middle, is a beautiful woman about twenty five years of age, wearing a priestess¡¯ kimono. Her silver hair and crimson eyes with black sclera made all my skin hairs stood up. She reached out her arms to me. ¡°The boy has finally made his appearance. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time¡­ Amphere Harrison.¡± Chapter 59: The Holy Guardian Chapter 59: The Holy Guardian Amphere Harrison I slowly bathed Airi¡¯s corpse on the waters of the spring, as the silver-haired woman commanded. As soon as my body left those waters, particles of light started gathering like flies to her corpse. Her whole body is now glowing thanks to these fairy dusts that feasts like iron filings which were attracted to a magnet. Five beautiful shrine priestesses surrounded the spring and started singing in latin. It seems like a praying ritual of some sort, and their voices are giving me chills. Moreover, the five priestesses have the same red-eye and black-sclera as the silver-haired woman in front of me. ¡°The boy has a lot of unanswered questions. I am willing to answer some of them right now.¡± The silver haired woman smiled with sarcasm, as if she was reading my mind all the time. ¡°I suppose I haven¡¯t introduced myself to the boy. I am the Holy Guardian of the Cathedral Exa. The boy can call me H.G.¡± I smiled wryly and grunted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t help me know your identity a bit.¡± ¡°Hey, watch your manners!¡± Richard thrust his elbow to my stomach and whispered to me. ¡°She has the highest position in the cathedral. No one knows her real name. All we know is that she is biologically immortal, and she lasted for ten millennia!¡± I was astounded! Ten millennia? Impossible! But these guys are also responsible for reviving Richard when he was killed by Kyle three years ago. Just what the hell are these freaks? ¡°It¡¯s okay, kid Richard.¡± The holy guardian H.G. laughed. ¡°The boy may speak his mind as much as he wants.¡± ¡°How can the prayers help to revive Airi?¡± I asked. My report (About Dragonoid Revival) was about the priests using sacred magical items to revive a dragonoid. But this process is rather strange. ¡°No. The boy is wrong. We are just singing, praying for her soul to go back to her heart. The healing spring will give her regeneration of a thousand fold. You will have to wait for twenty four hours to see if the prayers work. Our prayers are able to guide the soul back to the body in a hundred percent success rate, provided that the following requirements are fulfilled... One, is that the body must¡¯ve been dead for a maximum of five hours. Any later than that, and the song shall fail. Two, is that the dragonoid must be willing to return back to the mortal¡¯s world. A dragonoid who had a peaceful death can never go back. And finally, the third, is that the dead dragonoid must have a hundred-percent compatibility heart rate to a mortal, who he/she is deeply in love with, in this world. It doesn¡¯t matter if they signed another contract or haven¡¯t used Vesryn Pulse.¡± That¡¯s a really long explanation. I¡¯m quite sure about the first two requirements, but the third¡­ I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t checked our compatibility rates for the past three weeks. The last time I know is about 99%. We haven¡¯t even unlocked Dracaryx yet. Dracaryx and compatibility rates are somewhat relatable, so I¡¯m not so sure about that. ¡°What about that unbelievable battle prowess?¡± I changed the topic. ¡°Whenever I or my friends are in grave danger, your image shows up inside my brain. I know you have something to do with it, and I thank you with all my heart for that. It just doesn¡¯t add up¡­Why did you choose me?¡± H.G. laughed with sarcasm, as if she was the princess of mockery. ¡°The boy is wrong again. It was never my power. The Eye of Deus is yours and yours alone. I¡¯m just an instrument to activate it. Don¡¯t be wary of your eyes. Treasure it. It is a gracious gift from God.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Two hours later, I was walking in the cathedral hallway in deep thought. H.G. certainly gave me some answers, but most of them are ambiguous. Did she say that my eye¡­The Eye of Deus is a gift from heavens? What do they actually do, except from controlling Vesryn Pulses and having enhanced reflexes? Those singing priestesses, do they have the Eye of Deus too? They have the same eye as mine, albeit they can completely control it. One of the beautiful priestess of the cathedral offered me medication for my chest. She told me to drink a tea which was made from the healing spring. Magically, my wounded cells started regenerating five hundred times faster than before. I watched the hole in my chest enclose itself without any effort. But my right eye can¡¯t still see, so¡­ Tracing my family tree, I never found anything about weird crimson eyes. It was not bloodline magic either. My bloodline magic is supposed to be slow-mo vision, by the way. It only activates in me whenever the Eye of Deus kicks in. My father can activate it willfully. That is why I¡¯m so special. Using Richard¡¯s portal, we went back to the Dragon Knight Academy. Kyle Leviticus¡¯ funeral is now on going, and it will be best if we appear there halfheartedly. I¡¯ll just come back for Airi tomorrow. I¡¯m completely trusting my dragonoid on their hands. Everyone, including us, is wearing black formal attire. Kyle¡¯s coffin is a white porcelain with golden medieval design on the edges. There were gun and sword salute, playing of the Empire¡¯s Anthem, and then awarding the medal of valor to this general. A hero¡¯s tale has been published which has his name on it, his adventures, his contributions to the Third Dragonoid War, etc. It may have an appeal to children, but that book won¡¯t fool us grownups. Everyone, even all his colleagues and fellow generals, know that he¡¯s one of the worst sexual abusers of all time. General Holster appeared on the stage and honored himself. ¡°From now on, I will be the one in charge of the elite group Chevalier Unit. I¡¯ll continue General Leviticus¡¯s hard work, and see to it that his goals be fulfilled.¡± Suddenly, he made a roll call. ¡°Amphere Harrison, please take the stage.¡± I was so nervous as I stood in front of everyone. I don¡¯t have any idea on what¡¯s happening here! I shouldn¡¯t have appeared this funeral in the first place! Finally, General Holster spoke. ¡°Due to your chivalry and zealous efforts in the Twilight City Incident, I shall promote you to Dragon Knight 1st Class.¡± Then he reached out a platinum sword badge; the sign of the Dragon Knight who has surpassed the trials of our fate. ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡± I saluted. Then everyone clapped their hands. Reina, Richard, Kyrie, and Rudolf had their smiles for me. I have worked hard for the past years just to attain this promotion. But I didn¡¯t imagine that I won¡¯t have any relevant reaction upon receiving this badge at all. I thought I would be happier, but no. I¡¯d rather stay in 2nd or 3rd class, than be a hero in 1st class if it means having Airi suffer. I¡¯m just a fake hero celebrating a fake glory, just like how Kyle was. Suddenly, the mood changed. General Holster spoke loudly through the mike. ¡°We are here to welcome our very own princess to award more honors for the hero of Twilight City!¡± The trumpets blew loud as the young princess made her entrance. Is she¡­She¡¯s Princess Serenity Elkyria herself! Her sparkling golden hair dances as she walk to the platform and stood in front of me. I immediately genuflected, acknowledging the presence of her majesty. I bowed my head and I closed my eyes. ¡°Sir Amphere Harrison, 1st Class of the Dragon Knights. You are now awarded with the replica of the legendary relic, the Twilight Sword.¡± The princess loudly proclaimed with her sweet voice. The Twilight Sword is a marvelous gift from the royal house. It is a white sword covered with golden flame ornaments that would shine and sparkle whenever light touches it. It maybe looks majestic, but it¡¯s just a trophy. Actual usage of it in battle would certainly break it like glass. It¡¯s just an ornament. She gently put the sword on my hands, had her palms on my forehead and blessed me as a hero. But then, I heard something weird as her highness murmured softly to me. ¡°¡­I know I¡¯m asking too much¡­But please lose your next battle in the tournament.¡± Chapter 60: Troubles and Liquor Chapter 60: Troubles and Liquor Amphere Harrison I¡¯ve been drinking my morning coffee for the past five minutes. I¡¯m readying myself to go back to the cathedral, to see Airi¡¯s condition. It¡¯s still five in the morning, and I¡¯m so excited. I forgot that H.G. needed twenty four whole hours. That means I have to go back at eleven AM. I¡¯m overly excited. What troubles me now is what the Princess Elkyria told me yesterday in the funeral. ¡°Please lose your next battle in the tournament.¡± That¡¯s all she said, and we never had the chance to talk again. Judging from her expression, she really meant it. And that seems to be a really big trouble. Those words mean that she doesn¡¯t want me to become her knight¡­ever. If I do win the tournament and she still hates me, then there will be a lot of conflict regarding the passing of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. All that I¡­No. All that we¡¯ve been working through will be utterly nonsense. But there¡¯s a somewhat evil thought in my mind. Maybe I can have the bill passed without actually winning the tournament. Maybe I can bargain. Losing, equivalent for the bill. I don¡¯t know if it will work, but it¡¯s still a freaking ridiculous idea. Just why does the Princess want me to lose the tournament? I don¡¯t get any of it. There was a knock in my room. I sipped the last drop of my coffee and then opened it. It was the young Duchess Corasell. She¡¯s usually beautiful, but now, her hazelnut hair seems to be at mess. She¡¯s on her pajamas, and her eye sockets are so deep that I could mistake her for a panda. Look who failed to have some sleep. ¡°I-I came here to apologize, Sir Amphere.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rude to you all the time. I promise I won¡¯t have that kind of harsh treatment to you from now on.¡± Liar. No one knocks at dawn to apologize to a fake hero like me. I let her inside and gave her a hot glass of chocolate milk while she watches the morning news on my TV. But then she continued. ¡°Miss Kyrie and Miss Reina told me your side of the story. I do understand your actions, but losing Sir Estoff Wraith is hard for me. He¡¯s like a big brother to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± I said. ¡°Since it¡¯s my entire fault, I¡¯ll try my best to become your second big brother.¡± My words got the duchess all flustered and she tried hard to hide her expression again. ¡°Y-You d-don¡¯ t have to do that¡­ I-It¡¯s not y-your f-fault.¡± Suddenly, the news reporter delivered some shocking news that made both of us awestruck. ¡°According to our sources, the new leader of Arcadia is the former duke Yuri Dragunov. He has released a private press conference in an unknown location. We have to current footage which is going viral as of this moment.¡± The screen shifted to a white bearded man on a stage. The background has a new flag of the terrorist group Arcadia; a dragon sigil wielding a sword and a shield. I don¡¯t know how that sly demon got the support of the Arcadia, but that¡¯s not the main problem. The main problem is somewhere on his speech.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°My dear citizen of Alterra. I am Commander Yuri Dragunov, the new leader of the freedom group Arcadia. As you have known, the former freedom fighter,Commander Estoff Wraith, has been slaughtered by his student Amphere Harrison and Airelina Frembell. That is why I am here in front of you dragonoids, to lead and serve you. I will continue Wraith¡¯s will of freedom to all dragonoids in the world. I shall show you the proper way to attain freedom! And now, I, the humble crusader of liberty¡­shall announce¡­the declaration of the Fourth Dragonoid War! Dragons versus Humans! Dragonoids versus the Empire of Alterra! We shall take the empire to the hands of our freedom! Viva Arcadia!¡± There were several voices behind him. ¡°VIVA ARCADIA!!!¡± I immediately searched for the remote and turned it off. This¡­Is getting a lot dirty. The evil general has been deal with a lot of sacrifices. A lot of deaths. Now, a new trouble appears! My brain is already overloaded! I have to think of Airi¡¯s revival, think of a way to defeat our next enemy in the tournament who appears to have Dracaryx, think why the princess disapproves me being her knight, research on my Eye of Deus power, and think of a way to avoid confronting Arcadia while taking down Dragunov. What would Estoff do if he¡¯s in this kind of situation? I know! Drink a lot of beer until you¡¯re wasted. Right. Before I know it, the duchess was already searching for it in my refrigerator! ¡°Here!¡± She said, as she passed me a canned pint like an American football pitcher. And then she drew out a bottle of wine. ¡°You¡¯re too young for that!¡± I screamed as I witness her pour out the dark violet liquid to her glass. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m used to it. My father always let me to taste our wine back in the plantation.¡± The duchess said. And then she gulped half of the content out. Just what kind of bad parents Corasells are!? They failed to teach her all kinds of proper manners! Five hours later, and I¡¯m already regretted drinking. Richard escorted me again at that time and had a portal ready for fast transport. That¡¯s very great because if we¡¯re taking a car, a ship, or a plane, I¡¯ll certainly puke out. But after jumping to the portal, I vomited out anyway. All the priests¡¯ and priestess¡¯s eyes are on me. Richard apologized on my behalf. I made a ¡®dramatic¡¯ entrance on the grand door in the healing spring by slamming it out. The six priestesses and her holiness H.G. was surprised when I barged in outrageously as a prank. I¡¯ll apologize for my manners later. All I care about is my dragonoid, who¡¯s supposed to be revived right now. I don¡¯t know if my remaining left eye is playing games on me, or I¡¯m just drunk. I am drunk. But a pretty lady with scarlet hair was there, in front of me. She¡¯s slightly taller than Airi, and marginally bustier too. Her hips and buttocks make her a very great supermodel. But too bad, she¡¯s wearing a shrine maiden¡¯s outfit. ¡°A-Amphy¡­¡± The shrine maiden had her crimson eyes tearful. What a crybaby. Wait¡­ her eyes seems a lot familiar to me. ¡°Hey, is this Airi¡¯s sister?¡± I turned to Richard and then made a hiccup. ¡°She¡¯s a lot prettier.¡± I¡¯m already drunk, but I know that Richard¡¯s face is currently astounded. He replied to me. ¡°¡­That¡¯s Airelina¡­¡± Ehehehehe I thought I was the only one drunk here. I tried examining the face of this Airi-wannabe. This girl is really beautiful. A matured body with an adorable baby-like blushing face¡­I would really marry this kind of woman. This feeling¡­It¡¯s certainly love! I touched my chest in order to record my heartbeats. Suddenly, the shrine maiden¡¯s chest glowed with blue light. A sign of a Vesryn Pulse. If I shouted ¡®Activating Vesryn Pulse¡¯ right now, it would wreck the whole underground cathedral. There was a dead silence. I hanged my jaws in confusion. It took me a minute until I finally realized. ¡°A-A-A-Airiiiiii!!!¡± I jumped with tears of joy and hugged her tight as if she was my missing teddy bear when I was two years old. I didn¡¯t care if I got her breast squeezing in my chest. I just want her to hold her constricted by my very own arms. ¡°W-We can continue in bed if you like! Totally!¡± She said. I felt that her cheeks are getting hotter. ¡°Shut up! Hic! Don¡¯t you dare take advantage of me just because I¡¯m drunk!¡± I cried as I tightened my grip a bit more. She¡¯s not even in the verge of suffocating. Airi gave of a smile at me as she embraced me the same way I cuddled her. ¡°I¡¯m back, Amphy. Totally!¡± Chapter 61: Airi鈥檚 Upgrades Chapter 61: Airi¡¯s Upgrades Amphere Harrison The sunlight shoves upon my face. Like regular mornings, as always. It is Sunday, certainly a no-class day. But that means that I have to get up as soon as possible, because this is the Semi-Finals of the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament. As much as I want to keep my remaining eye shut, I can¡¯t. My punctuality is always a part of me. My eye gave me a blurry vision of an adorable face. Her passionate red eyes are locked on mine, and I can feel her breathing on my cheeks. Our noses are even sticking. It¡¯s like we¡¯re in a romantic movie, where we¡¯re about to kiss. W-What the heck! I immediately reacted and made a karate chop on the forehead of this pervert! ¡°Uwa!¡± Airi uttered a quick yet cute cry. ¡°Amphy totally hit me again! I thought my new womanly charms are enough for him to love me, but I was wrong!¡± ¡°Stop your nonsense and let¡¯s get prepared.¡± I said coldly as I removed my upper shirt and went to the shower room. As I indulge myself with the warm sprinkling waters, I was drowned deep in thought. Just what did those priestesses do to Airi? She has become more perverted, trying to steal a kiss while I sleep! Did they mess her brain? But even though she¡¯s more green-minded, I don¡¯t mind if she¡¯s still active and safe. Totally. When I was finally finished, I turned the shower off and turned back. But then speak-of-the-devil. Airi is stark naked in front of me, sharing the very same narrow shower room! My cheeks became red and my jaws kept hanging. ¡°Would you want to do it in the shower? Totally!¡± She answered her own question immediately. Another karate chop made her silent for the next two hours. We finally arrived at the coliseum. Rudolf on the wheelchair and Kyrie was the first who greeted me. The too was also the pioneers of being the witnesses of our transformation. Both of them are filled with mixed amazement and confusion. ¡°W-Wow!¡± Kyrie was stunned. ¡°Your body is a lot sexier than before! You look like those top models the internet talks about!¡± Rudolf¡¯s comment is slightly different because he¡¯s pertaining to me. ¡°I understand Airelina¡¯s transformation because of the Cathedral Exa¡¯s priestesses. What I don¡¯t understand is your behavior, Amphere. You keep hopping around¡­As if you¡¯re a moron.¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Airi answered on my behalf. ¡°Duchess Carousel teased him again for being a boring character, so he¡¯s trying a new gimmick¡­totally.¡± She forced a smile as if she¡¯s embarrassed for my sake. Hey, I¡¯m not the only one weird here! You too! Since Airi¡¯s revival, almost eighty percent of her changed. Not only her body matured, or mind stained with dirty adulthood¡­There is some weird aura on her whenever I slightly attempt to synchronize our heartbeats. Richard said that there will be a drastic increase in her magical prowess upon her resurrection. And that is what we¡¯re going to test out in this round of the tournament. ¡°Welcome to the semifinal round of the Dragon Knight¡¯s Tournament!¡± The emcee proclaimed, and the crowd goes wild. ¡°One of this glorious knights will have the privilege to be the Princess¡¯s Knight! Who will it be? Will it be the unmatched wits of the student council president Reina Fleuret? Or the pseudo general magic canceller Mark Anthony Octavius? How about the hero of the Twilight City Siege, the lawyer-knight Amphere Harrison? Or will it be the plebeian¡¯s choice and the skillful swordsman Cleru Neos? We¡¯re here to find out!¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The large screen rolled on the randomizer. There was no climactic effect. The names and faces immediately gave off the first and last matches to be conducted this morning! ¡°The first battle would be Mark Anthony Octavius and Amphere Harrison!¡± This is not the best matchup. I¡¯m quite confident about fighting Cleru Neos. Reina Fleuret would put up a good fight, but at the end, it will not matter because she¡¯ll support the Dragonoid Rights Bill anyway. But now, I¡¯m in charge in taking down a General-level dragon knight. That just means that I¡¯m going to fight Kyle Leviticus¡¯ caliber. Mark Anthony Octavius is a curly-brown-haired man who has amazing physique. In the classroom, he is said to have matched Reina. He is the current salutatorian of our year, so I expect that this will be a bloody fight. He¡¯s wielding a steel halberd that has a short sword on the edges. His dragonoid is Abigail, who has an ancient Greek fashion. She¡¯s wearing a pure white robe that makes her sexy curvy body stand out. Sword and shield is her weapon of choice. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± The emcee proclaimed and the buzzer went loud. The crowd went wild as they cheered their idols. My cheer is a lot louder, by the way. Those cheerleaders, each wearing a letter and they aligned themselves to spell out my name as they dance with pompoms. ¡°L-O-V-E!¡± Then they made a sexy pose. ¡±A-M-P-H-E-R-E¡± Sexy pose again. ¡°H-A-R-R-I-S-O-N¡± These idiots are embarrassing me! Both knights bolted forward and our blades clashed! Being a single sword wielder at the moment, I find it hard to block and parry Mark¡¯s attacks! The way he gracefully spins his halberd all over his body makes it almost impossible to win a one-on-one fight! He¡¯s a fast attacker, but his strength is his biggest criteria! Because of this, I stayed on the defensive side as I watch my shield plate chip of little by little. Three halberd pinwheels and five flips were made, until he finally got an opening! Mark smashed his dangerous lance to the hilt of my photon saber, which flew out of my hand! Then the gladiator prepared for a stab to my chest! ¡°Maximum Clearance Authorized.¡± Two gigantic mechanical arms emerged and blocked the darn halberd from harming my shield plate. But I prepared for a counter attack! I materialized another two mechanical arms and smashed the enemy! Mark¡¯s reflexes are also topnotch, so he dashed backwards just before he was hit by my additional limbs. The ground cracked open, and several dust particles few in the air. It was weird for me having able to deploy four Deus Ex Machina arms. Maybe I got it from Airi since I¡¯m just borrowing her powers in the first place. Richard said that upon revival, the dragonoid¡¯s powers became four times stronger. I checked at Airi who is having an intense swordfight with the enemy dragonoid. Airi noticed me staring at her and then blushed. She held her warming cheeks and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that as if you¡¯re undressing me, Amphy! Totally!¡± Then she ducked, barely evading the sword hack her enemy made! That was close! Richard is maybe right. Airi¡¯s autism became four times stronger. Seeing my Deus Ex Machina deployed, Mark kept his distance. ¡°Fall back!¡± He commanded his dragonoid, which she immediately obeyed. Their chest glowed in blue light. Finally. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The two shouted. Abigail¡¯s body became engulfed in golden light and shaped itself into an eight-meter-tall humanoid dragon. This dragon is different because it somehow resembles a human body with dragon¡¯s black scales. This dragon has a golden helmet similar to Chaos Dragon¡¯s, and it has golden Egyptian-style wings. It is wearing the armor of Athens in the ancient ages. What¡¯s more is that this dragon is wielding a gigantic golden round shield and a sword that reveals fair light. This is the majestic Gladiator Dragon. Airi went to my side and we both stared at the gigantic dragon with determination. Suddenly, she asked me. ¡°You finally noticed that your Deus Ex Machina got stronger. That is because I¡¯m no longer a Futuretech Dragon now¡­ I evolved¡­to a Chimeratech Dragon. Now, let¡¯s show them my new form, Amphy! Totally!¡± I was surprised when those words entered my ears. Due to excitement, I didn¡¯t hesitate to grab my chest. Airi¡¯s body was enveloped in a shape-shifting light! ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Chapter 62: General Class Dragon Knight Chapter 62: General Class Dragon Knight Amphere Harrison Dragonoid Evolution. Such thing has never been discovered before. This, in my own very eyes, is the first and only proof that the said phenomenon is not impossible. Just like my Eye of Deus, this Airi¡¯s current dragon form is full of mysteries. Her steel armor all over her body are now painted mostly of glossy crimson red, which makes her look more technological than her steampunk Futuretech Dragon form. The new eight-meter-tall cybernetic dragon has photon circuits all over her body. There is these two shield-like saucers on her back that released blue photonic energy that looked like glowing blue wings! Then at the elbow of her wing, two glasslike pincers materialized with neon light effects. I-Is this really Airi? Her Chimeratech Dragon form is freaking awesome! ¡°Y-You¡¯re so cool!¡± I shouted. This is the most intense non-sexual-orgasm in my life! ¡°I¡¯m flattered, Amphy! But now is not the right time! Let¡¯s do this, totally!¡± She talked via telepathy. I answered with a nod, and my crimson dragon dashed with the help of the quad-boosters on her back. The enemy dragon didn¡¯t hesitate either. Using its golden wings, it hastened forward in a phalanx-style assault; shield first, and sword ready. But we didn¡¯t come unprepared for that! Two jet-wings was deployed on Airi¡¯s arms which contains more boosters, which made our speed at fourfold! They were caught by our speedy surprise! Airi¡¯s left pincer crunched the enemy Gladiator Dragon¡¯s golden shield, and the right pincer locked down the gigantic sword! We both know that Gladiator Dragon is unable to fire any projectile on his mouth like any other dragon can. I have studied my enemy¡¯s past fights, and I already formulated this strategy from the start. The only troublesome factor is his trump card and his mysterious Dracaryx. Four gigantic dynamos took off somewhere from the Chimeratech Dragon¡¯s back. These dynamos are like four-times bigger than mine, and enhanced too! It fired lasers to the enemy Gladiator Dragon! Thick smoke went off. It would be troublesome if Mark attacks me by surprise, so my dragon dashed backward away from that dusty area. All dynamos targeted Mark, by the way. Depleting that shield plate is our priority, not hurting his dragon. But when the smoke faded, we got a different result. The golden wings have been completely tattered, for the dragon defended her knight by sacrificing her wings. She can¡¯t fly anymore, but that¡¯s better than having his knight¡¯s shield plate depleted. Because of this, Mark¡¯s green eyes made an angered look at me. ¡°I¡¯ll use everything in my arsenal to defeat you immediately, Amphere!¡± He shouted as he jumped forward and made a superhero landing, smashing the ground. Then he held his halberd tight and stabbed the ground. There is a silent yet visible shockwave in the impact that pulsated throughout the arena. He whispered ¡°Negate!¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. My Chimeratech Dragon¡¯s body was covered by light! In an instant, she was reverted back to her humanoid form, which resulted in me falling to the ground! But Airi deployed her plasma wings to catch me midair, and prepared me a proper landing just to prevent any fall damage. Well, it¡¯s better than having a deduction on my shield plate. This is the magic I¡¯m more feared of. The Vesryn Pulse Canceler, a bloodline thaumaturgy of the Octavius family. With just a tap of his halberd on the ground, he can cancel any other Vesryn Pulse in the area. This battle is almost one sided, but who knows? Airi once took down a dragon in her human form before. With her enhanced abilities, I know she can match the gigantic gladiator lizard in front of us. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take the Gladiator Dragon. Totally!¡± She said with a smile then rocketed forward to confront the gigantic beast. With the agility of Tinkerbelle, she annoyed the dragon by a hit-and-fly tactic. There was a warcry in front of me. It was Mark, charging again! I know I don¡¯t have any chance to fight him in sword play, so I deployed four mechanical arms once more and smashed all over the way! But because Sir Octavius is nimble, I never landed a clear hit. He swung his halberd sideways and upwards, amputating my two metallic arms. His combo didn¡¯t stop there, as he prepared for a thrust targeting my stomach! In the nick of time, six curved plates emerged that looked like a ribcage was projected, which protected me from any harm. Mark was surprised when he witnessed his attack blocked, and he noticed my imminent counter attack! He bolted backwards just before my other gigantic arm had a chance to smash him into doomsville. Mark was hardly catching his breath. Those graciously agile halberd spins should¡¯ve exhausted him. On the other hand, I was drenched with sweat. Deus Ex Machina strains my body muscles and blurs my vision whenever activated. But I can¡¯t keep this for too long. It would mess up my sense of balance, which will render me unable to walk. Mark¡¯s shield is at 54%, while mine is 32%. My strongest spell could leave him hopeless, so I decided to do it right here, and right now! ¡°Let¡¯s finish this!¡± I shouted. Then I clasped my hands. The head of Deus ex Machina emerged. Its two arms gripped its hands in the same manner as I do. Three meters above the skull of the giant skeleton, a gravitational force field emerged. It was so strong that scraps of metal from Deus Ex Machina was absorbed, until nothing was left. As a result, a gigantic planet-like ball was floating above me. It had a diameter of eleven meters, which makes it my trump card! ¡°Asgard Down!¡± I raised my hand and controlled the specific place where it will crash! An echoing whirling sound was made as the gigantic ball of metallic trash fall down to the gladiator knight. But he seems rather calm, as if he¡¯s not planning to evade my attack at all. To my surprise, he has another trick in his sleeve! ¡°DRACARYX! Activate Spartacus Field!¡± The Gladiator Dragon threw her golden shield up in the sky which released a blue sky beam. Then twelve lights fell down to the edges of the arena, as the shield vanished. The twelve lights magically became statues of Spartans that looked towards the center. Suddenly, my falling planet dissolved into thin air. ¡°This is the Spartacus Field.¡± Mark said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re in my Dracaryx¡¯s area of effect, you won¡¯t be able to use any special ability you have. Not even your dynamos or Deus Ex Machina¡­The only thing that would work in this field is a Dracaryx of the same caliber. But as far as I know, you still haven¡¯t unlocked your Dracaryx yet.¡± Abigail the Gladiator Dragon reverted back to her humanoid form. But it didn¡¯t last that long. Mark touched his chest again, and shouted. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± And there she goes again! An eight-meter-tall warrior lizard. This is clearly cheating. Mark Anthony Octavius is truly a General Class Dragon Knight. Maybe even more powerful than Estoff or Kyle. As the dragon roared, a held a strong grip of my sword and faced my inevitable doom. Chapter 63: Yggdrasil Fall Chapter 63: Yggdrasil Fall Amphere Harrison Airi¡¯s powerful Chimeratech Dragon form is certainly useless if I can¡¯t activate my Vesryn Pulse. Because of the Spartacus Field; the twelve statues around the place renders all my technological magic useless. The only one left I can rely on is my own strength¡­And Airi. Airi landed beside me in a determined manner. I see. Partial dragon form can¡¯t be dispelled by the Spartacus Field. Airi can still use her new photonic wing and mechanical tail, but she can¡¯t morph or transform any of her body parts into some weapons. Our only way of scrapping our enemy¡¯s Shield Plate is by our sword. ¡°We totally have another trump card.¡± She walked in front of me and put her hands on my cheeks. I was about to react but then she immediately removed the cover of my right eye! I made a painful cry and about to protest again, but then I realized that I can clearly see with my right eye. I thought I was supposed to be blind in that part for the rest of my life! I was about to celebrate, but then Airi clasped her hands and then gave me a soft push on my heart. For a weird reason, I felt I was absorbing the energy of the wind and the dusty land like I am some sort of sponge. ¡°H.G. taught me how to activate your Eye of Deus. You can now test it out, totally!¡± Suddenly, a gigantic sword slash came from above! Yeah, I know that we¡¯ve been taking our time, but the enemy saw the perfect opportunity to attack! But thanks to my Eye of Deus, I had the power to carry Airi and jump away from the blade smash. The Gladiator Dragon did it again, releasing blinding thrusts, side hacks, and gashes which destroyed the flat landscape of the arena. I managed to evade it all, but it¡¯s getting bad. I was indirectly hit by the dragon¡¯s tail when she had the chance, which made my shield plate down to 11%. I dashed away to gain distance. If this goes on, we will lose this fight. I have to think of a new strategy! Think, Amphere. Think! Airi, who was resting in my arms made a compassionate gaze at me. I muttered ¡°What?¡± and then she shook her head. Suddenly, she grabbed my cheeks and made a kiss on my forehead! ¡°W-W-W-What the heck! It¡¯s not the t-t-t-time for this!¡± I had my face red as strawberries. My voice is even stuttering. I can¡¯t help but to feel loved even though we¡¯re in an important battle right now. ¡°That will do, totally!¡± She cheerfully got out of my grasps and deployed her wings. She flew upwards, gaining a ten meter altitude. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s really planning, until she told me this words. ¡°You should remember now your favorite fairy tale!¡± Suddenly, there was a flashback on my head. Back when I was four, I enjoyed reading mythology books that my father gave to me. There were the times where I share those books with Airi, and we will reenact everything in the book by playing with sticks and stones. I always admired the All-Father Odin, because well, he has the authority of the gods. Airi, on the other hand, idolizes Odin¡¯s Valkyries. I was brought back to the real world as I heard Airi¡¯s chant. ¡°Through Ragnarok, only one Deus shall remain sitting in the Throne of the EndSupport the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The souls of the wicked unleashed, weapons of civilizations collapse, Breathen thou magic thy strength of radiance and darkness, Mystic force that eternally sings the song of fire and ice, Heavens shatter as the kings fall to their ultimate demise, As the World Tree collapses!¡± There was a jumpstart in my thought circuit and my mouth, my lungs, and my tongue speak the words of the ultimate spell! ¡°DRACARYX! Activate Yggdrasil Fall!¡± I clasped my hands while the floating Airi spread hers. Nine black balls appeared surrounding Airi. As she opened her eyes, the black balls immediately transformed into world-like replica of the nine worlds of Yggdrasil. Planets of fire, ice, nature, steel, wasteland, darkness, technology, magic, and earth¡­ Each world has a size of ten meters in diameter, and has a mass of about a ton each! The worlds rotated on Airi which makes her look more like a human planetarium. Mark Anthony Octavius was certainly stunned. He let his guard down and let Airi¡¯s chant finish because he thought that it will be automatically negated by his Spartacus Field. He didn¡¯t know that it was a chant for Dracaryx! I can¡¯t blame him, because I thought I would never be able to use my Dracaryx too! Airi spread her arms forward, pointing at the enemy dragon and knight. With her command, the nine planets surged in a flash! The gravitational pull of the ground made it easier to crash the planets at the designated location. In response, the Gladiator Dragon used its shield to block the incoming gigantic projectiles. One by one, the planets exploded upon contact! The fire world Muspelheim landed first, making flames spread throughout the arena. Then the next is the ice planet Niflheim, which froze everything upon explosion! Then the other planets like Helheim and Midgard proceeded to make an overwhelming destruction! The last planet; Asgard, which is the cybernetic world fell last, making a burst of dazzling light similar to a small supernova! The twelve statues of the Spartacus Field collapsed due to this overwhelming power, making it safe to say that I can use technological spells once again. In fact, my Yggdrasil Fall made so much damage that the whole dusty arena concaved, and left the earth in black color. The planetary collisions made a deafening shockwave that made the audience¡¯s items flew. Some of the cheerleaders had their skirt uplifted. Some guys had their popcorns fly to the heavens. All of them covered their heads as they shielded themselves the intense gust of wind my spell had created! Airi lost all her strength and fell down, but I gently caught her. She then smiled at me. ¡°S-So this is the power of our Dracaryx, Amphy¡­ It¡¯s totally devastating¡­¡± She¡¯s totally right. My shield plate got affected by the shockwaves of the explosion, making it left at 3%. And it makes it a lot harder because I witness something in front of me. The fight is not yet finished. In the rubbles were Abigail in her humanoid form and her knight Mark. His shield plate is at 5% They still look formidable even though they got directly hit by our Dracaryx. Or are they? ¡°I am impressed, Amphere.¡± Mark held a forced bitter smile. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who has pushed me to reveal my bloodline magic.¡± He revealed his glowing dagger from his coat, which was engraved with runes. ¡°Octavius family are experts of anti-mage assassinations. No wizards can ever kill us, because we have the ability to absorb magical powers and store it to this rune dagger. I managed to absorb the only planet that directly hit us. But unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to absorb the other planets because of your overwhelming power. Honestly, that¡¯s the only spell I can¡¯t contain.¡± I gritted my teeth and turned to Airi. She smiled obliviously and talked weakly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Amphy¡­ This is my limit. I can¡¯t even lift a finger now. They¡­They¡¯re all right. The first times are always painful¡­Totally¡­¡± Then she chuckled with a blush. The way she delivers it gives it a lewder double meaning. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why I¡¯m dubbed as a General level Dragon Knight.¡± Mark continued as he held his chest. Abigail¡¯s body was covered in light and she transformed back again to a gigantic Gladiator Dragon! ¡°It¡¯s because I can use Vesryn Pulse whenever I wanted.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who has a hidden trick on your sleeve.¡± I smiled like a dog, trying to give him a threat. But he should know that I wasn¡¯t bluffing. I made a matching gaze at the eight-meter warrior dragon. There is an electrifying current in my veins as I examined the dragon¡¯s eyes. Strength from nowhere entered my body, and I felt that there is some way that my mana is flowing through Airi while I carry her on my arms. The enemy dragon, my dragonoid, and my heart share the same heartbeat resonance. I smashed my fist to my heart and glared with blazing willpower! ¡°Overloading Vesryn Pulse!¡± Chapter 64: Promise to the Princess Chapter 64: Promise to the Princess Cleru Neos There she is. Princess Serenity Elkyria was sitting uncomfortably on her golden seat at the top of the colloseum. She had her eyes amazed and worried at the same time at the grand fight she has been witnessing. Amphere Harrison versus Mark Anthony Ocatvius. Some of my fellow dragon knights said that only one of them will be the Princess¡¯s Knight. They honestly forgot that there¡¯s still a battle after this, and that¡¯s my fight. The arena is getting messy, but the audiences are rather thrilled to see this good fight. All of them stood in awe as the hero Amphere Harrison revealed his last card at play. ¡°Overloading Vesryn Pulse!¡± the lawyer-knight shouted. Upon proclaiming, his scary red eyes glowed with a fierce glare fixated at the gladiator knight! Suddenly, light particles started dancing around the Gladiator Dragon¡¯s body, as well as Amphere¡¯s cute dragonoid. Their bodies were converted into gold as they surged up on the skies and fused together, forming one, Ultimate Dragon. I have seen Amphere¡¯s Ultima Dragon in the past elimination round, but this time, it¡¯s different. Only two dragons were only fused, so it only has two heads. That knight¡­ Amphere Harrison is surely a terrifying enemy. He got his enemy dragon turn to his side! The twin headed white dragon roared with a deafening blast as it landed in the center of the arena! ¡°Y-You cheater¡­¡± Mark gave an awkward laugh, and then dropped his halberd. He then raised his hands and turned to the emcee of the tournament. ¡°I concede. I can¡¯t have my dragonoid Abigail fighting against me. Amphere wins this fight.¡± The emcee blinked three times until he finally grasped Mark¡¯s words. ¡°The winner is Amphere Harrison, the hero of Twilight City!¡± The crowd went wild, especially Amphere¡¯s fangirls. The disgusting dukes and the duchesses who are in favor of Amphere cheered up with their glasses of wine. In the arena, Amphere slowly went to him and then shook his hand in a very sportsmanlike manner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I cheated.¡± Amphere said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I have a big reason to win this fight. I could¡¯ve lost if I didn¡¯t do it. I already threw everything at you, but you¡¯re really a formidable gladiator.¡± ¡°I also did my best to defeat you, but it wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Mark laughed once again. ¡°It was a good fight. You deserve this win more than me. Anyway, your weird eyes are really scary.¡± Amphere blinked, and then his eyes are back to normal. The twin headed dragon glowed, reverted, and separated into two dragonoids of their respective knights. And then the two opponents made a friendly exit through the backstage. Now it¡¯s my turn. ¡°The next battle would be the student council president Reina Fleuret and the people¡¯s choice Cleru Neos!¡± The emcee proclaimed. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best, Cleru!¡± Jasmine said as she pumped both her fists. Jasmine Fontaine is my trustworthy dragonoid. She has this short black hair which makes her cute and famous to many of the guys in the campus. She¡¯s always wearing a shrine maiden¡¯s outfit, simply because she was, in fact, a priestess in the Cathedral Exa. She may look na?ve, but she contains unbelievable magical power.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I marched through the arena at the same time President Reina Fleuret made an entrance. The crowd kept yelling ¡°Destroy him, Prez!¡± or something like ¡°Beat that plebeian¡¯s ass!¡± and also ¡°You¡¯re dressed like a hobo, Cleru!. That last one hurts me the most. Sure, I¡¯m a plebeian with a farmer¡¯s blood, but it has nothing to do with my own fashion. I¡¯m wearing the burnt scarf my mother gave me before she died, and I wear a black worn out trench coat that my father used to wear back in the province. I unsheathed my rusty scimitar, and the president revealed her short sword. Both of us prepared a balanced stance as we face-off with each other. But three seconds before the buzzer beeps, I had my chance to look at the princess. Seris is surely worried. She has those trembling hands on her chest. Seeing this, I mumbled to myself. ¡°I will be your knight, I promise.¡± ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± Emcee shouted and the buzzer screamed. The first move was Reina! She rushed forward in a fencing stance and made a flashing series of hacks. I was so unlucky that some of it escaped from my block and got my arms hit. It wouldn¡¯t wound me, but my shield plate already dropped at 63%! If I don¡¯t do something, I¡¯ll lose immediately! I have to escape! I jumped and somersaulted backwards to avoid Reina¡¯s fast blows. But Reina has opened a new opportunity! ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± She shouted, and his teenage dragonoid transformed into a white snakelike Portal Dragon! At first, Reina just stood on the Portal Dragon¡¯s head, but then she swiped her fingers to open a breach in the dimension! As soon as the president jump into the portal, a disk of light appeared half a meter behind me! Reina launched from that portal and gave me a direct thrust to my spine! My shield plate went down at 11% real fast because of the dangerous hit! Reina was about to launch another hack at me, but then Jasmine casted a barrier to deflect all the president¡¯s hacks. Realizing her attacks was useless; she jumped back to the portal and then magically returned on top of her dragon¡¯s head. I used this opportunity to grab my chest and cast my Vesryn Pulse! Jasmine¡¯s dragon form is a truly magnificent beauty. Her wings and her whole body are colored red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, violet, and blue alternately. Her colors perfectly shines with the sunlight, as her seven-meter-tall basilisk body gave everyone radiance. She is the mystic Rainbow Dragon. My rusty scimitar was finally engulfed with colorful glowing aura that contains all the magical elements of this world. This is one of Ranbow Dragon¡¯s perks; to have an absolute control on all elemental magic. Fire, earth, water, wind, nature, poison, thunder and sound¡­ These are the enhancements my sword can make! Seeing these, Reina Fleuret didn¡¯t spend much time. She¡¯s ready to use her trump card! ¡°DRACARYX! Activate Hyperspace Fury!¡± Several portals opened up in the sky and blocked the sun¡¯s rays. Suddenly, light beams surged from the portal and bursts towards us! Everything happened so fast that I can¡¯t barely get a grasp of the situation! Is this my end!? Is this really it? I came all my way here, made an indestructible pact with the woman I loved, and get defeated easily in this fight? Will I swallow¡­my promises¡­to Seris!? But suddenly¡­I heard a painful shout. It is from afar; the stage where the eleven generals sit together with the princess¡­ ¡°¡­Don¡¯t lose, Cleru!¡± It was definitely Serenity¡¯s voice! A deafening explosion once again covered the arena. I had my head, shoulders, stomach, legs, and feet covered with blood. Several scrapes and bruises are randomly placed all over my body. I do feel excruciating pain all over my body, but I have to endure it. For the sake of my promise to the princess. As the smoke went out, Reina Fleuret¡¯s gaze at me became dreaded. She was awestruck at my current situation. I have the ability to absorb all the incoming magical spells¡¯ damage without hurting my shield plate. It is my bloodline magic Martyrdom of the Plebeian which was taught by my father. That is why I was able to sacrifice my own health for the sake of my shield plate. I used my scimitar to help me stand up. Blood dripped from random parts of my body, but I can still fight. I still have 1% left on my shield plate. That¡¯s good enough. I¡¯m not going to lose here. ¡°Haaaaaah!¡± I made a loud war cry as I charged recklessly to the enemy. Chapter 65: Rainbow Road Chapter 65: Rainbow Road Cleru Neos My Rainbow Dragon flapped her wings, which made the smoke from the explosion soar away. Because of my bloodline magic Martyrdom of the Plebeian, I absorbed all the damage she¡¯s supposed to take from the enemy Dracaryx. Jasmine spoke softly through my head. ¡°C-Cleru¡­ You don¡¯t have to be so heroic. I can take the attack.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let any person dear to me take more injuries than me!¡± I protested. I slowly got up while holding my right arm, which is tremendously bleeding. Not just my arm¡­ I think my stomach has a wide open wound too. I can also feel the hot red liquid on my forehead, leaving a trail as it goes to my cheeks. Everyone in the arena looked at me with pity. But I don¡¯t need their mercy. I needed to win. For her sake. Suddenly, a portal opened on my face, and a person came out. It was my beautiful and brainy blonde enemy Reina Fleuret. She pointed her short sword to my nose, and tried to bargain. ¡°Stop sacrificing your life for some useless whim. Surrender already.¡± I took this opportunity to launch a surprise attack! My rainbow scimitar slashed through her waist, but she immediately countered with a kick to my face! In the nick of time, I used Martyrdom again to absorb the incoming damage to my body. I only have 1% shield plate left, so I have to endure all the pain I have. I rolled to the ground. I wanted to get up fast, but my legs and arms are no longer listening to me! I have endured all the pain for the last few seconds, but now, this is too much! Every muscle aches in my body. I¡¯m dizzy because of blood loss. And some tendons in my fingers have been completely severed. There¡¯s no way I can even touch my sword now. Suddenly, a lovely yet worried voice screamed. ¡°C-C-CLERUUUUUUU!!!¡± A surge of adrenaline entered all over my system. Seris¡¯s words¡­are truly magical. Whenever I hear her shout my name, my body would refuse to give up and look for more pain! I used all my remaining physical, mental, and magical force to stand up. I spitted out blood to clear my mouth and then glared at the enemy! ¡°This is not a useless whim!¡± I screamed. ¡°It was never a heist! I will become the Princess¡¯s Guard even if it cost my life!¡± I grabbed my chest and shouted with all my remaining energy and might! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Rainbow Road!¡± Suddenly, Jasmine revealed the full extent of her rainbow wings which shined upon reflecting sunlight. A planck instant later, an invisible forcefield in a shape of a bubble covered me and my Rainbow Dragon! Rocks all over the place levitated, and there are electric sparks that whirled outside the force field. Then, a deafening blast came out from the roygbiv feathers in different colors! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet lasers went directly to my enemy knight!Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Because Reina¡¯s dragonoid Richard already used all his power on the last Dracaryx, he was not able to deploy a portal in time. All the blasters struck Reina, which immediately put her shield plate to 0%. But surprisingly, she stood bravely after taking all the hit. She didn¡¯t suffer from any actual damage, but her valiance made her cool over the crowd. The buzzer went on and the emcee proclaimed. ¡°The winner is the Plebeian Knight, Cleru Neos!¡± A lot of people shouted, but in a negative manner. At least to me. They booed me. They accused me of being a cheater. They threw tomatoes, fries, beer cans, rocks and even a bald cat at me. I just triggered their anger, and there¡¯s nothing that will stop their rage at me. I know that everyone wanted the student council president to win this fight, but I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t let that happen. Jasmine, in her humanoid form, approached to my side. She was deeply worried, and her eyes are already giving of tears. She was just about to sermon me again but then I smiled with my bloody teeth and gave thumbs up. And then I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was already in a white room. A hospital room. My body was covered with all the bandages in this place. I turned to the window in my left, which made me conclude that it was already nighttime. Beside me, is my dragonoid Jasmine. She¡¯s holding my right hand as she snores out loud. I guess she got tired of waiting me to wake up. I patted her smooth black hair as if she was my dog. The door opened, and a figure of a hooded person immediately went in and closed the door. Judging from her body shape and seeable part of her lower face, she¡¯s a she. I was certain of who she was when she uncovered her veil and revealed her face to me. Long glowing golden hair and green sparkling eyes. Her childish face yet matured figure make her an absolute beauty. She is the woman I pledged myself with an impossible promise when we were a kid. She is Princess Serenity Elkyria herself. She sighed heavily and then looked at me with a smile. That smile only lasted for two seconds, because it transformed to an angry frown. Her eyebrows curled as if she¡¯s going to spank me with slippers just like my mom used to do. ¡°Cleru! You used Martyrdom again! I told you to stop using it!¡± She held her hips. ¡°You escaped again.¡± I replied back with a smile. ¡°Your private body guards will be damned because of you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them!¡± Seris¡¯s face transformed to an arrogant smile. ¡°You¡¯re the only guard that I wanted to be with! You promised me!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± I replied coldly. But then she changed to a mad expression and pinched my cheek! What a moody person! ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t sacrifice your wellbeing for that!¡± She said. Then she made a worried tone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get hurt so bad just to win this tournament.¡± ¡°I have to.¡± I turned serious. ¡°We promised to each other that you will be my princess, and I¡¯ll be your knight. I¡¯ll do everything just to stay by your side. No one shall stand in my way. I¡¯m already in the final part of the tournament. Only one more battle to go.¡± ¡°Amphere Harrison.¡± The princess muttered. ¡°I thought Mark Anthony Octavius poses the biggest threat, but I was wrong.¡± I said. ¡°That knight has a lot of hidden abilities. He can control dragonoids with his eyes, and his dragonoid herself evolved to a more powerful one. What¡¯s more is that they even discovered a ridiculously powerful Dracaryx that led to the General-level dragon knight to his defeat.¡± ¡°I already requested Sir Harrison to lose the tournament.¡± The princess bowed. ¡°But he didn¡¯t reply.¡± I took the trembling soft white hands of the princess and kissed it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll win the tournament. For sure.¡± Chapter 66: Regular Tuesday Chapter 66: Regular Tuesday Cleru Neos Two hours after our class has dismissed, I''m now here in my dormitory room. I sulked on my bed and kissed my pillow. It¡¯s Tuesday, five more days to go until the finals of the Dragon Knights Tournament. Five more days. I haven¡¯t figured out any tactic that would work against my next enemy, who is supposed to be a hero or something. That Amphere Harrison always has a trick on his sleeve. The reason that he eliminated the biggest obstacle (Mark Anthony Octavius) means that he¡¯s more than a General-level Dragon Knight. All the people in the academy, the archdukes and dukes, governors and Pentagram Knights are also in that man¡¯s favor. And for me? Exact opposite. Everyone hates a plebeian standing in front of a prestigious royal tournament like this. The only support I get is from the princess herself. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Princess Seris lend out her hand to me. As I said, it is Tuesday in the afternoon. Seris must¡¯ve sneaked out again with her white hooded disguise, ditching her temporary royal bodyguards in suits. At this rate, her father; the Emperor would be furious at her when we get home. ¡°Where?¡± I turned to her with apathy. ¡°To the Food Street, of course!¡± She had this evil smile on her face. ¡°I told you I¡¯ll treat you for dinner, right?¡± Food Street is a street which is well, filled with street food stalls. Seris seriously loves street foods. The Food Street is for the celebration for the coming awarding ceremony of the next Princess¡¯s Guard which happens after the final battle. It will be a celebration for both of us, if ever I win in the next fight. But the more I think of it, the more I see that it¡¯s hopeless. Sigh. ¡°You have forsaken your bodyguards again just to treat me dinner?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a regular Tuesday for us! C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go already!¡± Then the princess grabbed me out of my bed. Seris is surely a brute royalty. Five minutes¡¯ walk from the dormitory, and we¡¯re already here in the Food Street. Because it¡¯s a school day, there aren¡¯t much people here. I don¡¯t have to worry much for the princess since she¡¯s wearing a shady white cloak, making it hard to distinguish her from the rest of the townspeople. She would often remove her hood to take a look at the surroundings and appreciate their beauty. There are banderitas on the skies. A few seconds walk from here, and we¡¯ll reach the Central Square. Unlike the other parts of the Food Street, the banderitas are replaced by magically floating umbrellas that is supposed to protect the people on sunlight in a hot afternoon. On the far north, is the floating continent Guardian¡¯s Haven. It looks like a floating eagle from here. On the far east side, is the Alterra¡¯s Castle where Seris resides. Seris focused on the stalls which she drools over. She bought four fish taiyakis, two strawberry crepes, a bucket of roasted crickets that taste like black chocolate, and unborn chicken offspring trapped in an egg which is called ¡°balut¡±. I do question the princess¡¯s tastes in food, but I¡¯m not complaining about the snacks she bought. It was a good choice, actually. They all taste great (except the cricket one.) You would never see any noble eat one of those.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. We sat on a nearby bench when the night became dark and the streetlamps finally gets on. ¡°Twhe fwood wup in the castwle is rweally messed up. They don¡¯t knwow how to cwook good fwood.¡± She talked while chewing the taiyaki on her mouth. She really looks nothing like a princess whenever we have a secret date like this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± I made an innocent smile at her. ¡°Next week, you wouldn¡¯t have to sneak out of your room again. We would do this together every day when I become ordained as your knight.¡± ¡°I would not be so sure.¡± That voice¡­was neither the princess nor mine¡¯s. It was from the old man in front of us, wearing a fedora and a gray suit. He has this white beard and green eyes, and from the looks of it, he¡¯s certainly a duke. I have seen him somewhere before. ¡°D-Duke Dragunov!¡± I stood up on alert. ¡°I¡¯m no longer a duke.¡± Dragunov laughed. ¡°I¡¯m now the Freedom Commander Dragunov of the Neo Arcadia.¡± Behind Yuri Dragunov is a man with long blonde hair paired with a fair skin. He¡¯s wearing a blue tattered knight¡¯s uniform like those Pentagram Knights. There is a huge hole on this man¡¯s chest. His lifeless eyes stared at the princess¡¯s soul that made her slightly tremble. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ it is a resurrected knight again? I pushed the princess gently on my back and withdrew my scimitar. My sword glowed with rainbow light, ready for battle! I couldn¡¯t believe what he just brought here! ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you stop playing with corpses?¡± I smug at the so called Freedom Commander. ¡°First was Alder¡¯s. Now you¡¯re using Estoff Wraith¡¯s corpse as a puppet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here for you. I am here to negotiate with the princess.¡± Dragunov said. ¡°W-What do you want!?¡± There is a hint of aggressiveness on the princess¡¯s voice, but her hands are trembling with horror as she held her chest. ¡°There are two things, actually.¡± Dragunov waved his v-signed hand in front of our faces. ¡°One is that you shall never support nor vote for the Corasell¡¯s Dragonoid Rights Bill. And the second one¡­is to make Amphere Harrison your Royal Knight.¡± ¡°B-But I can¡¯t do that!¡± Seris wanted to protest more but I took the words out of her mouth. ¡°I will become the Princess¡¯s Knight. Not even you, nor that Amphere Harrison can stop me!¡± I shouted with all my heart. Dragunov laughed once again, shaking his head. ¡°You haven¡¯t finished me yet. You have to do that in exchange of both of your lives and future.¡± Suddenly, there was a sharp dive from above! I pushed the princess out of the impact point, and blocked the sharp object by my blade in order to shield myself! There was a small shockwave when the ¡®thing¡¯ made a full clash with my scimitar. That thing is the corpse of the Black Phantom; Alder Windstrafe. He used his rapier to make a meteor-fall attack that is supposed to hurt the princess, but not on my watch! Estoff Wraith¡¯s corpse started dashing and made an uppercut smash with his broadsword, leaving my white uniform torn out. I managed to make a back step to slightly evade the zombie¡¯s attack! I would like to dash and hack against these two, but a scream echoed throughout the area. ¡°Cleru!¡± It was the princess¡¯s voice! When I turned around, a silver haired woman dragonoid was already pointing a sharp ice shard to the princess¡¯s neck! I gripped my scimitar tight and raised my other hand to cast a spell but then the silver woman commanded. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± How cowardly! They kept me occupied to hostage the princess! I unhesitatingly dropped my sword and raised my hands. I can¡¯t afford my childhood friend hurt. ¡°Cleru Neos.¡± Dragunov spoke once again. ¡°I treated you as a son, just like how I cared for Alder and Zac. I know you¡¯re the rebellious type of kid, but if it concerns the princess¡¯s safety, you would do anything I ordered¡­right?¡± Grrr¡­ I just wanted to punch this old man¡¯s jaws off! Whatever this guy is planning¡­Is completely no good! ¡°So promise me.¡± He pushed his face towards mine. ¡°Lose the tournament. Let Amphere Harrison win.¡± ¡°I¡­I will¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°Just let Seris go.¡± ¡°Good~¡± Dragunov smiled as he pulled away and patted my head like a kid. They did what they promised to do. The silver dragonoid withdrew her ice dagger, and had the Black Phantom corpse activate the Vesryn Pulse. The silver woman became an Ice Dragon, and it became their ride out of the place. I clenched my hand out of anger as I watch them fly in the dark skies. Chapter 67: Most Powerful Dragonoid Chapter 67: Most Powerful Dragonoid Airelina Frembell Of course, I care for the wellbeing of my dragon knight. Everything he wants shall be given according to the best of my power. I shall see to it that my Amphy will live happy with me. As for this moment, he wanted some answers, so I accompanied him to the holy Cathedral Exa and asked H.G. once again. We want a lot of answers about his unique power Eye of Deus, but H.G.¡¯s answer is as vague as ever. ¡°Boy is certainly an idiot. I have told the boy over and over again, but the boy has yet to understand. The Eye of Deus is the power of the Old Deus who mastered ancient witchcrafts and sealing spells. It is the root of the Vesryn Pulse itself. With that power, the boy can perfectly manipulate the hearts of the dragons without applying for a contract, nor citing the verses of the Vesryn Pulse.¡± Amphy scratched his head and made a na?ve smile. ¡°S-So basically, I cannot just fuse dragons, but use Vesryn Pulse on other dragonoids too?¡± ¡°Yes, though you can only use it once every seven days.¡± H.G. made a slight smile to us. ¡°It¡¯s a perfect timing for the boy to come here. I have someone to introduce.¡± The gigantic wooden door opened, and a beautiful maiden appeared. She was wearing a priestess¡¯s outfit which fits her innocent matured looks. This woman is certainly a dragonoid, from the looks of her crimson eyes. But there is this glowing golden gem on her forehead which has micro runes engraved on it. What¡¯s more troubling with this girl is her big boobs! I¡¯m completely defeated in terms of bust size! I can even see Amphy had his eyes fixated! He¡¯s even blushing! Why have you forsaken me! ¡°This is Exceria, the most powerful dragonoid in existence.¡± H.G. said with a cheeky attitude. ¡°N-Nice to meet you¡­Sir Amphere Harrison¡­¡± the beautiful lady politely bowed. Being flustered, Amphy repeated the gesture. Then they both shook hands. I glared at Amphy, then to the lady, and to Amphy back again, and then to the lady. I can¡¯t help but to feel uneasy with this woman! She¡¯s already got my husband¡¯s heart at ¡®Nice to meet you!¡¯!!! I¡¯m so jealous! Totally! ¡°No one has ever succeeded in making a Vesryn Pulse contract with her. All dragon knights also have a compatibility rate of 0% with her. Let¡¯s see if the boy has the power to show her glorious dragon form.¡± H.G. continued. This time, I completely snapped. ¡°What! This boobs lady will perform Vesryn Pulse with my Amphy! No way! Totally!¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the best.¡± Amphy calmly said. ¡°I need to strengthen my Eye of Deus to win the tournament, Airi.¡± I shut up my mouth. I bowed and sulked in the corner of the room. I feel that Amphy just wanted to try some other things without me, his adorable dragonoid. Maybe Amphy doesn¡¯t want me to be his dragon anymore¡­ I was engulfed with my melancholic thought until Amphy approached me and patted my head like a dog. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Airi. You¡¯re still my dragonoid.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Of course, the love of my life¡¯s words did affect me and my mood! Totally! I returned back to normal, and gave him the cutest smile I¡¯ve ever done and replied. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped then. Well, as you¡¯re your understanding girlfriend, I shall let it slide. Just this time. Totally!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my girlfriend.¡± Amphy made his smile a little more sarcastic. We had a heartbeat monitor device scan Amphy and Exceria¡¯s heartbeats. From the looks of it, H.G. was certainly telling the truth. Zero percent compatibility. Not even the slightest strand of the graph showed similarities. Amphy¡¯s heartbeats are just normal, but Exceria¡¯s¡­ Her heart is so slow beating, and there¡¯s a little force either. I have never seen anything like it, totally. ¡°Maybe the boy should resort to ¡®that¡¯¡±. H.G. wiped her silver hair and sighed. The three of us didn¡¯t have a clue and gave her an ignorant face, silently asking her to explain what she means by ¡®that¡¯. Seeing this, H.G. sighed again and continued. ¡°¡¯That¡¯ means the boy should increase the power of his bond to Exceria. Meaning, the boy should have a date with her.¡± ¡°T-The what now?¡± Amphy exclaimed. Exceria had her face flustered. And me¡­ I think my heart just stopped. ¡°In order to perform a Vesryn Pulse, the dragon and the knight must share a precious moment together.¡± I wanted to protest, but the two agreed about it since THERE¡¯S NOTHING TO LOSE! Well, I¡¯m an sympathetic wife for Amphy, so I should let it slide¡­just for this day. One wrong move and I¡¯ll gladly slit that woman¡¯s throat! Totally! The next day, I helped Amphy dressed up like an American businessman. I even used some make-up on him to become so presentable. I made him a lot more handsome than any man on this planet. Although this is not my date, I wanted Amphy to be happy for this one. Though it hurts my heart a bit. They met in the central square which is full of floating umbrellas in red and white colors. There in the central fountain lies the sexiest woman alive. Exceria is wearing a pink blouse, which reveals her body. A priestess shouldn¡¯t wear something like that, totally! ¡°Y-You look gorgeous.¡± Amphy muttered. ¡°T-Thanks¡­You¡¯re so handsome, too.¡± Exceria said with a blush on her face. Blood went up to Amphy¡¯s cheeks as he soon sees Exceria¡¯s facial expression. These two¡­ I wanted to kick them both, totally! I¡¯m jealous. And hurt. And intrigued. And enraged. And hearbroken. Totally¡­I felt that I would be a nuisance if I stayed with them so I went away and watched them from the distance. Just this time, endure it Airi. I said to myself. I tried to convince myself more but as time go on; my feelings became a lot stronger. The feeling of anger and possessiveness. First, they went to the Food Street and ordered some corn dogs, crispy chicken skin, shawarma and ice cream. They had some entertainer clown took a picture of them in the central fountain. There was a time where some of the vanilla ice cream made Exceria¡¯s dress stained (on the chest part) and Amphy wiped those for her using a handkerchief! There is a carnival just near the Food Street, so it didn¡¯t hurt to visit it for them. I don¡¯t know what happened next because I halted observing them. The more I watch, the more I¡¯m hurt! Totally! When the sun finally went down, I rendezvous with the sweety lovey dovey couple with a smile¡­Of course it¡¯s fake. I¡¯ll rant about those later. ¡°So what happened to your date?¡± I asked. ¡°I-It¡¯s great!¡± Exceria answered in a jolly voice. D-D-Darn her! I was clenching my fist as she tells me the story of their day together. ¡°I was terrified in that haunted house that I accidentally hugged Amphere over ten times! And then Amphere helped me ride the carousel because I can¡¯t lift my body because of my chest! And then we talked about our hobbies when we rode and take our sweet time in the ferris wheel!¡± T-T-This gal! I¡¯m just resisting the urge to punch her, until her tongue slipped out something. ¡°Aaaah.¡± Exceria gave off a satisfied moan. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried those rides for a while now. The last time I went to a carnival is about five hundred years ago, before the First Dragonoid War. Vesryn kept me inside the cathedral ever since.¡± I can overlook ¡®five hundred years ago¡¯ as a figure of speech. But mentioning the First Dragonoid War, which is about four centuries ago, and Vesryn; who is treated as the goddess of Alterra, makes me shiver in terror. Chapter 68: Sugarcoated Chapter 68: Sugarcoated Amphere Harrison ¡°I-I was just joking!¡± Exceria immediately added. ¡°T-There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll be that old! Ahahahaha.¡± Exceria stick out her tongue and knocked her forehead as if she¡¯s just a clutz. Airi and I made an eye contact as if we have the same idea in our minds. Exceria got her tongue slipped. Considering that H.G. is a thousand year old granny who can advertise cosmetics, it is possible for Exceria to have the same age. She¡¯s dubbed as the strongest dragonoid after all. After the date, we went back to the academy to check our compatibility rate once again. The results are so astonishing that almost make me wonder my existence. From zero to ninety-four percent compatibility rate! I tried synchronizing my heartbeats to the beautiful woman. I touched my chest, and she touched hers. Surprisingly, both of our chest glowed with blue light. So the date really worked! ¡°I-It¡¯s getting dark already¡­¡± Airi groaned as she stared angrily at Exceria. ¡°You need to go home now. Also, don¡¯t expect another date from my Amphy! TOTALLY!!!¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Exceria backed down, being scared by the scarlet woman. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you.¡± I said. Upon looking at me, Exceria blushed. ¡°NO! TOTALLY!!!¡± Airi got some smoke out from her brain! ¡°Any more time spend together will result you two to raise compatibility rates! I just let it slide for now just because it¡¯s 94%. A raise of one percent will mean that this woman has feelings for you! That is why I prohibit you two from meeting each other without my permission! Totally!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s totally unnecessary.¡± I tried to calm Airi down. ¡°We don¡¯t have that kind of relationship, right?¡± I turned to Exceria, which she immediately agreed with a nod. Airi puffed her cheeks and turned her look away from me as she cross her arms. ¡°Anyway, just use Vesryn Pulse on me so that I can fly Exceria back to the cathedral.¡± I did what she asked me to do. Exceria sat on Airi¡¯s Chimeratech Dragon form¡¯s head comfortably as they took flight. Since Airi is the fastest flyer in the Dragon Knight¡¯s Academy, It wouldn¡¯t take that long for her to escort Exceria. It would take thirty minutes tops, back and forth. I went back to my dormitory room and stared at the compatibility rate results. I forgot to test out the Vesryn Pulse on Exceria. I even forgot to ask what type of dragon she is. I¡¯m sure she will be beautiful and cool in that form, maybe even cooler than Airi. What a waste of opportunity. Suddenly, there was three knocks on my door. I was about to open it but then the wooden door blasted off! The culprit? It¡¯s Rudolf. No, he¡¯s not in the wheelchair anymore. He¡¯s now standing thanks to the mechanical legs. His right arm is now cybernetically enhanced, so he must¡¯ve lost control of it and savaged on my door instead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯m still trying to learn how to knock.¡± Rudolf scratched his head while giving an oblivious smile.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Pay for that door later.¡± I said coldly. I was about to ask his purpose here but he was with two odd people. One is a red-haired man wearing a white Dragon Knight Academy Uniform. No matter how I look at him, he¡¯s still an arrogant plebeian. He¡¯s my next and final opponent in the finals. Cleru Neos. The other person has a golden blonde hair on a pretty face. She¡¯s wearing a golden tiara that affirms her majesty. It was the Princess Serenity Elkyria herself. ¡°Sir Amphere Harrison¡­¡± the princess tightened her gaze at me. ¡°I need a word with you.¡± I let Cleru and the Princess inside my room while Rudolf the honorable Pentagram Knight, stood beside the door on guard duty. I was about to prepare them some tea but the Princess insisted. ¡°We won¡¯t take long.¡± She said. There was an awkward three second silence from the three of us until we get started. The princess opened her mouth. ¡°I know that I¡¯m repetitive. But I will say it again. Please lose the tournament.¡± I switched my look at Cleru, who is lowering his gaze as he clenches his fist. I¡¯m no psychic, but I sense some intimacy between these two. There are a lot of gossips about the Princess favoring this plebeian to be her personal Royal Knight. Also, everytime Cleru gets hurt; the Princess would stand in awe and scream his name. And then Cleru gets up, and wins the fight. Like those clich¨¦s on movies. The two certainly have a backstory that got them so close to each other. ¡°I have seen a glimpse of everything.¡± I said. Then I genuflected. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take your command, my princess. But I do require one condition.¡± There was a slight smile on the Princess¡¯s face. ¡°What condition would that be?¡± ¡°I need the Dragonoid Rights Bill to be passed.¡± I went straightforward. ¡°Take it, or leave it.¡± ¡°B-But that-!!!¡± Cleru intervened on our discussion, but he was immediately cut by the princess. ¡°Fine.¡± The Princess made a bright smile that revealed the full extent of her beauty. ¡°B-But Seris-!!!¡± Cleru protested, but the princess cut him again. ¡°This is the only way, Cleru. We¡¯ll deal with the other threats later.¡± Cleru slowly stood up and walked until he¡¯s a meter in front of me. He glared at me with a blazing fiery eyes and released these words from his mouth. ¡°I completely don¡¯t trust you, ¡®Hero of Twilight City¡¯. I¡¯ve heard rumors that you betrayed your mentor Estoff Wraith, and killed him in your own hands. You killed someone dear to you just for the sake of glory and fake honor. You have a blood of a traitor. I¡¯m pretty sure that you just joined the Dragon Knights Tournament to bring brilliance to your own name. You¡¯re just a normal noble, with a mentality of a noble. You really think that we¡¯ll fall for your trap? The Dragonoid Rights Bill is just an excuse for you to let my guard down. You¡¯ll betray the princess, and fight for real in our battle. I¡¯m just gonna let you know that I will destroy your hideous ways to simulated uprightness.¡± You don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve been through, street boy! I wanted to say that, at least. But I¡¯ll let him talk his heart for now. Even though Cleru grabbed my collar and he bumped foreheads with me. Man, he stinks! This idiot is clearly picking a brawl with me. The princess shouted Cleru¡¯s name, trying to extinguish the tension between us. But there¡¯s nothing she could do. Cletru here is being so hotheaded and hardheaded that his ears are completely disabled. ¡°I will defeat you, Amphere Harrison.¡± He said, as he pushed me back and let me go. ¡°Let¡¯s go, your highness.¡± The princess bowed, apologizing for what that idiot have done to me and then left my quarters. Rudolf purposely left behind the door. He was checking some wires in his robot arms as he tried to tease me. ¡°Looks like the negotiation failed, Sugarcoated Hero.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk as if you didn¡¯t sell out your own general.¡± I sighed. Rudolf gave an obnoxious laugh and made another cheeky reply. ¡°What will be your next move now, traitor?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something those two won¡¯t tell me. That is why I¡¯m going to be the Princess¡¯s Knight, and have that arrogant peasant beg on his knees for me to resign my position.¡± Chapter 69: The Finals Chapter 69: The Finals Cleru Neos Let¡¯s skip our ¡°extravagant¡± entrance in this grand finale of the tournament. There¡¯s nothing extraordinary. Well maybe except the loud trumpets, fireworks, and some violin performance before the game. Amphere¡¯s fangirls are still annoying as ever, while I was being called as a garbage hobo again. This day isn¡¯t so different from the other seventh day where we fight until our enemy¡¯s shield plate gets depleted. The emcee is still trying hard to state all our descriptions, so I took my time to gaze upon the higher stage; the place where the eleven general sits, and also, the princess. Seris has this nervous but composed gaze on me, but she¡¯s giving a frown. Maybe she¡¯s still unsure about our own plan at all. Dragunov wants me to win the tournament, and never help the passing of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. Whatever that crazy old man is thinking, is no good. He even threatened to kill me and the princess. But I cannot have another dragon knight to take Seris¡¯ hand. I can¡¯t let Amphere win. That is why I filled my resolve to defeat this cunt in this very fight. I know Dragunov much, that he only wanted a war to happen. He wanted Amphere to be a Royal Knight to give him spotlight to the ignorant dragonoids. There are rumors that Amphere promised to support the Dragonoid Rights Bill. But without Seris¡¯ support to the bill, all the dragonoids will lose their hope and trust to him. The hatred of all dragonoids will be focused on that fake hero. It won¡¯t be hard for Dragunov to control them and make them lose hope on humanity, igniting another dragonoid war. And that will make money for him once again. Seris and I had a plan for this, but we don¡¯t know if it will work. I¡¯ll be the Princess¡¯ knight, and we will never support the bill. I couldn¡¯t care less if there¡¯s a war. If one condition will succeed, Dragunov might spare us. Having the Dragonoid Rights Bill go to the trash bin is enough to make the Fourth Dragonoid War. Seris¡¯ safety comes in my top priority. ¡°Let the final battle begin!¡± The emcee shouted. I almost forgot that I was attending the most crucial day of my life! ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Me and my enemy shouted at the same time. Jasmine and Airelina transformed into a Rainbow Dragon and Chimeratech Dragon, respectively, and the both gave off a ferocious roar that made the earth tremble. This is the finals. We don¡¯t have time to stay relaxed and play with our swords. We¡¯ll start with our dragons clashing and unleash a Dracaryx once they¡¯re wide open! I know Amphere Harrison is thinking the same way too! The crimson Chimeratech Dragon rocketed forward and tried to crush us with its photon pincers, but my Rainbow Dragon evaded it in the nick of time to fly upward. In return, Jasmine, my dragon, fired eight elemental balls from her wings at once. The enemy dragon, with its superior speed boosted to evade fire, ice, water, earth, and electric balls. The remaining projectiles was destroyed by the lasers of Amphere¡¯s dynamos. Then the Chimeratech jetted upwards, breaking the sound barrier! They are planning a head-on collision! We¡¯re not backing down! Jasmine dived and their lizard heads collided with a huge shockwave, giving both dragons pain they immediately regretted. I jumped out of my dragon¡¯s head and prepared a heavy slash to my enemy with my rainbow scimitar, but Amphere blocked it with his glowing glass sword. I managed to make him a step backward. I was about to make a kick but then he revealed his second photon saber which he slashed through me! I barely evaded it, but the tip of his blade hurt my shield. It scraped ten percent of mine.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. I jumped back to my Rainbow Dragon¡¯s head and tried to talk to her. ¡°How¡¯re you?¡± I muttered. It¡¯s no good, Cleru. We forgot that Chimeratech Dragon¡¯s head is made of pure steel. I¡¯ll pass out once we do that again. Jasmine said telepathically. Suddenly, there were three photon balls that chased us in midair! My dragon flew and evaded two of it by tilting sidewards. The last photon ball was about to hit her, but I was there to intercept the photon ball with my sword, tearing it in half. We can¡¯t win this fight if it keeps going on like this. Amphere already got me on the edge of the cliff. His Chimeratech Dragon packs a lot of firepower and armaments that we barely avoided. Aside from that, Airelina is the fastest dragonoid around. We have to think of a powerful attack if we wanted to get the upperhand! I know! I have to use all the power I got! ¡°Get ready!¡± I said to Jasmine as she balanced herself in the stratosphere. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Rainbow Road!¡± The Rainbow Dragon revealed the full extent of her gorgeously colorful wings just how a peacock reveals its assets. As the sun reflects its rays, roygivib colored lasers blasted out with a lightspeed, destroying my opponent in his wake. There is no way for the fastest dragonoid alive to evade that flash-like beam. But before the colorful laser hit them, the Chimeratech Dragon pulled out her knight and covered him with her metal plated body. The crimson dragon even projected a spherical gamma-ray force field to block my Dracaryx, but all of us know that it will only lessen the effect of my attack just a little bit. If she¡¯s unlucky, she will die protecting his master in this very tournament. There was a loud explosion and black smoke in the point of impact. As we wait for the result, Jasmine, in her humanoid form with wings, helps me land safely on the sandy arena. After mustering all her strength left to put me gently back to the ground, she fell on her knees. She¡¯s suffering from the after effect of her Dracaryx after all. There was a loud clank as a gigantic spherical metal crashes on the ground. It came from the point of the Rainbow Road¡¯s impact. The metallic ball collapsed, which revealed two people who are supposed to be finished with my most powerful attack. It was the unscathed Amphere, and his wounded dragonoid Airelina in human form. There is some blood on Airelina¡¯s forehead that drips to the dusty floor, but she¡¯s still giving this dedicated smile. ¡°C-Can you still fight?¡± Amphere asked his dragonoid. But the scarlet-haired maiden energetically replied with a fistpump. ¡°You sacrificed three of your Deus Ex Machina Arms to block the residue beams, so all I got here is a scratch on my forehead. I can still kick some ass, totally!¡± Amphere made a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re fine. Thank you for shielding me again, by the way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wife¡¯s job to protect his husband after all. Totally!¡± Airelina made a blush. Seriously, this conversation of theirs makes me forget myself that we were still in the middle of the fight! But suddenly, Airelina fixated a glance at me with a determined gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s show him the power of our love, Amphy!¡± Amphere nodded hurriedly as he held his chest. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Yggdrasil Fall!¡± The enemy dragonoid revealed her robotic wings and tail as she gained altitude. She had her words on her mouth. Since the enemy Dracaryx is so powerful, it needed a chant or words of activation. If I can stop her from finishing the chant, then they can¡¯t cast it! I¡¯m all on my own now. Jasmine already lost consciousness because of casting Rainbow Road. But it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t win this. I have 80% shield plate remaining, and Amphere has 57%. Stopping the Yggdrasil Fall would mean that I can finally defeat him! I jumped forward, aiming my rainbow scimitar to the scarlet-haired dragonoid. But then I got smashed by a gigantic mechanical arm, which made me roll three times on the floor! When I realized it, I saw my enemy knight being covered in a messed up half body of a robot titan. Deus Ex Machina. Because of my Dracaryx earlier, the Deus Ex Machina only has one arm left. ¡°I won¡¯t let you touch Airi!¡± Amphere shouted. Chapter 70: Elform Chapter 70: Elform Amphere Harrison ¡°Through Ragnarok, only one Deus shall remain sitting in the Throne of the End¡± Clash and clank. Rainbow scimitar and photon saber collided endlessly in this passionate swordfight. Two knights with different ideals fight as if there is no tomorrow. One of them is a chivalrous plebeian who started from square one, yet he proved himself more than worthy to become a dragon knight. And the other one, who is me, is a fake hero who cooked himself a scene and killed a friend just to obtain glory. ¡°The souls of the wicked unleashed, weapons of civilizations collapse,¡± After Cleru¡¯s latest hack and thrust, I lost grip on my left sword, so it went flying and tumbling until it pierced the ground. Seeing this opportunity, the plebeian dragon knight made a mighty shout and prepared a hook slash. In the nick of time, I materialized Deus Ex Machina¡¯s remaining arm once again, to block his sword. Several chunks of metal sprayed. ¡°Breathen thou magic thy strength of radiance and darkness,¡± Cleru¡¯s attack never stopped there. He pointed his left hand to me and shouted ¡°Fusion Flare!¡± A whirling white-and-red fireball surged to my direction, but I had the Deus Ex Machina ribs to protect me from harm. Cleru continued ¡°Fusion Bolt!¡± This time, white-and yellow thunder ball heaved to me. I used the mechanical arm to gallop and evade the attack. ¡°Mystic force that eternally sings the song of fire and ice,¡± For a plebeian knight, Cleru is extremely powerful! Being able to fuse elements and unleash a projectile based attack is really an outstanding feat! He even unleashed Fusion Freeze which is an ice ball and Fusion Quake which is an earth ball. I had a hard time evading his attacks because everytime it misses, it explodes; chipping away the power of my shield plate. ¡°Heavens shatter as the kings fall to their ultimate demise,¡± At this rate, he¡¯ll defeat me before Airi stops chanting! I have to distract him somehow. I¡¯ll just do my last resort! As I dashed several meters backward, I clapped my hands and shouted ¡°Asgard Down!¡± Deus Ex Machina¡¯s metallic body started flying upward and molded a deformed planet (since Deus Ex Machina is severely damaged) and then dropped to the enemy! But Cleru didn¡¯t hesitate to come forward. He raised his hand and pointed to the junk planet as he casted another spell! ¡°Magma Frost!¡± Three balls which is fire, earth and ice emerged and twirled as it collided with my rotten planet Asgard. There was an explosion, and that particular attack completely annihilated my last line of attack. ¡°As the World Tree collapses!¡± Airi shouted to me once again. ¡°Do it, Amphy! Totally!¡± ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Yggdrasil Fall!¡± Nine planets which represent the worlds of Norse Mythology materialized around the flying scarlet dragonoid. It circled slowly on Airi, and then as she raised her hand, all the nine planets chased the opponent plebeian knight! The area of effect of each and every planet is so huge that there is no way he could evade that!This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Deafening noise. Disruptive shockwaves. Zero visibility smoke. The explosion covers 95% of the arena, which means my shield plate went down too. Now it¡¯s just 12%. This is why I¡¯m scared of releasing our Dracaryx in an actual battle. It would kill everyone in the battlefield, including us. Airi fell down from the skies but I caught her on time. She was already unconscious and sleeping with a smile on her face. I patted her silky red hair and praised her. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± It was really pain in the butt for the smoke to clear. It took about a minute, and then it revealed an unconscious body of Cleru Neos who is bathing with his own blood. There is still 1% left on his shield plate. Did he use Martyrdom of the Plebeian again? This guy is seriously suicidal. Cleru is unconscious. That is why the only thing to do is to make a soft kick in order to make his shield plate depleted. I slowly walked, having each and every step I make echo around the arena. Everyone was silent. Even my fans club. From the viewpoint of everyone, I am a villain who is enjoying his walk and about to make a killing blow to the enemy. Among the audiences, the Princess is the one who is really scared. She cried with all heart and soul, with tearful eyes. ¡°Cleru! Stand up! REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE TO ME!!!!¡± I was a meter away and preparing for my goal kick but then there was a thunder that struck my enemy¡¯s body! Flames emerged, whirled and danced around him as this zombie-looking peasant regained his strength and slowly stand up with his bloody limbs. This guy just escaped death, but he still has power to fight! No, I¡¯m mistaken. He¡¯s more powerful than before. I can sense his aura giving off intense fear to everyone in the surroundings. His appearance changed. There is this moonstone orb on his forehead, the same thing as Exceria¡¯s. Cleru¡¯s ears became elongated like those people who live in Alfheim. And his eyes are pure white, as if there are no pupils in there. His magical prowess gives off this elemental surge all over his body. What the heck is this unfair power adjustment!? ¡°I¡­will¡­win¡­this¡­fight¡­¡± Cleru said slowly. ¡°I¡­will¡­defeat¡­you¡­Amphere Harrison!¡± Suddenly, he disappeared from my sight! I looked behind, left, and right, but he¡¯s not there. I only sensed him when he casted another speed-cast spell! ¡°Fusion Burst!¡± A white diamond-shaped flame with lightning stroked rocketed to me. My synapses are so slow that I have written out evasion as an option. I just blocked it with my remaining photon saber, but then the projectile exploded! Because of this, my photon sword melted in my hands and my shield plate dropped to 5%. Damn! ¡°Fusion Burst! Fusion Burst! Fusion Burst!¡± Cleru repeatedly fired at me like a machine gun. This time, I was completely running like hell and managed to evade the projectiles and explosions. It was the fifteenth Fusion Burst when I rolled to the ground like an action star and finally reached my other photon saber that I dropped earlier. A photon saber won¡¯t do. Dynamos or Deus Ex Machina would help me in this situation, but I have already used them. I can¡¯t use my Vesryn Pulse nor Overload Pulse since both dragonoids are down. All I have left is the reflexes of Eye of Deus! ¡°The boy wants to use his eyes again.¡± H.G.¡¯s voice echoed in my head. ¡°The Eye of Deus has the same power as that of Elform; the power that boy Cleru Neos uses.¡± H.G. sure knows a lot, but that¡¯s just a trivial matter! My mind is focused on defeating this overpowered enemy in front of me! I prepared a thrusting knight stance and let all my photon energy flow on my sword. The Elf-like enemy made a centered sword stance in return, and all elements whirled on his sword. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this!¡± I shouted with all my might. ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill my promise!¡± Cleru answered with a determined loud voice. I bolted forward with the speed of light. Photon particles surrounded me which became my speed force and shielded me like a cocoon. On the other hand, Cleru is covered with rainbow elements as he rocketed towards my direction! Our swords clashed for the very last time. And this ended the tournament. Chapter 71: Princess Knight Captured! Chapter 71: Princess Knight Captured! Amphere Harrison ¡°I¡­lost¡­¡± Cleru whispered. There was blood on the floor that keeps staining the brown sand. After three droplets from his forehead, he fell down lifelessly. But he¡¯s still breathing, so he¡¯s still alive. I checked my body for injuries and concluded that I was still unharmed. I was the last man standing in this very arena. ¡°Idiot.¡± I laughed slowly. ¡°You won.¡± That¡¯s right. I was the one left standing, but Cleru still has 1% left on his shield plate. I guess the Martyrdom of the Plebeian made his body absorb my last fatal attack. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t overdo it, because I almost killed this peasant. I checked the plate on my chest, which indicates a number in red font. 0%. ¡°The winner is Cleru Neos!¡± The emcee proclaimed out loud. The crowd went nuts. The princess held her chest and uttered a soft cry; tears of joy. My fans club cried with tears of ultimate sadness. All my friends in the academy; Rudolf, Kyrie, Richard, Reina, and others made a smile that says ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± But there is once certain person who is not okay with the result. Duchess Corasell frowned and let a drop of her tear out of her eyes as she exited the coliseum. I carried the now-awake Airi to my arms. She made a genuine smile at me as her soft hand touches my chin. ¡°We¡¯ll find another way. Everything will be okay, totally!¡± In response, I stroke her head like a puppy. And then prepared myself to exit the arena when suddenly¡­ There was a loud explosion! As I turned around, one-eighth of the coliseum has turned into ashes! I gazed upon the skies, and witnessed a true terror. Ten¡­no, twenty airships with the sigil of the Neo Arcadia hovered smoothly above the arena! Those airships are completely armed with cannons and other artilleries that is used to make that suspenseful entrance! The crowd went into a state of panic. Every duke and duchesses; every civilians ran for their lives that it caused a stampede. The eleven generals circled themselves to protect the princess. They guided her and got out of the scene. Several dragon knights activated their Vesryn Pulse and they flew with their dragons to combat with those war airships. Neo Arcadia might be on the offensive, but they lack firepower to wreak havoc or kidnap the princess. Dragon knights completely got the upper hand in this situation. Not until the Black Phantom made its appearance. It was Alder¡¯s corpse again, I suppose. He was riding Emy his Ice Dragon. He dived from the stratosphere, zigzagging, completely ignoring and evading all those dragons who tried to attack him. Before we know it, he already landed on the center of the arena and grabbed the unconscious Cleru Neos to his shoulders. I was about to act but Airi is on my arms. Also, obviously, I¡¯m beat. I can¡¯t use dynamos or Deus. I can¡¯t even carry a sword in this position. My muscles hurt. Rudolf and Reina acted on my behalf as they jumped down and prepared their sword to slash the zombie phantom but then the corpse raised the violet heart thing he¡¯s been holding and shouted.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Time Freeze!¡± And in an instant, the Black Phantom, the Ice Dragon, and the new Royal Knight were no longer there. They totally vanished! That zombie should¡¯ve stopped time to have the chance to escape. The airships are noticeably retreating, so that only concludes one thing: They are not here to declare a war nor assault the princess. They are here to kidnap Cleru! ¡°Darn it!¡± Rudolf grunted. How does it feel to be trolled by the man you killed, huh? General Holster and his ninja wife went to our position and explained the condition. ¡°Aside from the explosion earlier, this situation is under control. The airships are retreating. Looks like they ¡®blew¡¯ it! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°But they got Cleru Neos.¡± Reina calmly said, ignoring the general¡¯s explosive joke. ¡°We can¡¯t have them take the new Royal Guard, whatever their reason is.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± It was the princess¡¯s voice, who is currently panting. I guess she ran all the way here and escaped from her body guards. But it doesn¡¯t matter, a general and a pentagram knight is here so she¡¯s completely safe. The princess walked slowly to me and genuflected as if I was treated as a king or something. She¡¯s embarrassing me in front of my friends and colleagues! ¡°Sir Amphere Harrison¡­ I¡¯m asking you to bring back Cleru¡­ I¡¯m not asking as a princess¡­but as his childhood friend. I shall do what you wish if you fulfill my only request.¡± ¡°I would gladly take up on that request, milady.¡± I answered. ¡°But as you can see, I lack the power to fight them at this condition. Airi lacks the strength right now, so we can¡¯t chase them with my dragon.¡± ¡°Leave it to us!¡± Richard said. ¡°I know someone who can help you fight!¡± I don¡¯t know, but I feel that Richard is trying to act cool in front of the princess. He swiped his finger on the thin air with stylishly fabulous manner. Reina just made a facepalm as she watched her lover overexerts himself to look chivalrous. A portal emerged, and a figure of a beautiful shrine maiden emerged. Her blonde hair danced throughout the air as she made an entrance in this space and time. The glowing orb on her forehead gives of radiance to the one who witnessed her arrival. It was the most powerful dragonoid, Exceria. ¡°I¡¯ll help too, Amphere~¡± Exceria smiled with a blush. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call my husband in his first name! Totally!¡± The incapacitated Airi yelled. I thought strength finally left her when we used Dracaryx. I was totally wrong. I stared at Airi, trying to telepathically tell her what I wanted to do. But since she¡¯s in human form, telepathy wouldn¡¯t just work. But when Airi met eyes with me, the message in my brain has been completely relayed. She crossed her arms and looked away. ¡°Fine, you can use Vesryn Pulse with Exceria. I¡¯m an understanding wife after all.¡± When I replied a silent smile to her, she finally looked at my face. ¡°Geez¡­totally¡­¡± I slowly landed Airi, who is able to stand up, apparently. Jasmine the Rainbow Dragonoid is able to walk to our place too. It seems that they are both slowly regaining their energy. ¡°I-I¡¯ll help too. Cleru is my knight. I-It¡¯s my duty to keep him safe.¡± Accidentally, Jasmine fixed a stare on the other beautiful shrine maiden. ¡°E-E-Exceria? W-What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping to save your knight, apparently¡­¡± Exceria gently scratched her cheek. ¡°Leave your dragon knight to us, Jasmine. Just stay back and rest.¡± They seem to know each other. They wear the very same shrine priestess dress after all. Maybe they came from Cathedral Exa. Maybe Jasmine knows about H.G. too. And maybe she knows something about the Eye of Deus. But I¡¯ll save that for later. We still have a peasant to rescue. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Rudolf asked everyone. General Holster, Rudolf, Reina, and me. Iris, Kyrie, Richard and Exceria (Substitute dragon for Airi) The whole Chevalier Unit; whose job is to track down Arcadia is finally here. Four elite knights shall take down those warships and redeem the new Princess Guard. The four knights held their chest with their right hand and shouted altogether. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Chapter 72: The Four Dragonmen of Apocalypse Chapter 72: The Four Dragonmen of Apocalypse Amphere Harrison White adamantine armor plates with angelic glass-like wings. A giant moonstone orb was glimmering on her chest. There are some glowing gold linings all over her body that resembles Aztec Nazca lines. Unlike all dragons, this one has blue eyes which has a cross-like sigil on the center of its pupil. Aside from that, the body behind the white armor is a muscular yet slim build. If someone is looking at this dragon from below, they would mistake her as mecha angel from those cool kid¡¯s cartoons. This is the dragon form of Exceria. The Pulsar Dragon; the most powerful dragon as dubbed by the Holy Guardian of the Cathedral Exa. I honestly can¡¯t decide which dragon form is more badass; Airi¡¯s Chimeratech Dragon or Exceria¡¯s Pulsar Dragon. Airi¡¯s previous Futuretech Dragon form looks like a rusty tin can compared to Exceria¡¯s. This is also my first time seeing General Byron Holster¡¯s dragon. Iris Holster¡¯s dragon form is a pinkish bubblegum with some slime in it. No, seriously, this seven-meter dragon looks like it has been molded from a children¡¯s play-dough. It can easily shape itself whatever it wanted, that is why it already took the shape of a fighter jet with dragon head on the front. This is the General-class Gum Dragon. We¡¯ve been flying for ten minutes at maximum speed, and at last, we finally got sight of the airships. As for the moment, there are only four dragons and dragon knights who are in charge of chasing the escapees. We already called for backup but that will be expected for about thirty minutes. The empire knights and generals are more focused on defense, to make sure that the attack earlier is not a diversion. We gained altitude to take a peek of the airships from above. There are several Arcadian dragonoids, pointing their rifles towards us. And then there was a familiar face that only I know that existed. ¡°I¡¯m glad that the whole Chevalier Unit is present.¡± The man clapped his hands. ¡°Now you shall be the first to witness my power.¡± It is a black-haired man with an eye I¡¯ve never seen before. It¡¯s like an onion with several layers. Black, white, red, orange, green, and gold on the center. But that innocent looking face. I can¡¯t be mistaken. It¡¯s Nox, one of Dragunov¡¯s henchmen. He¡¯s also the previous knight of Duchess Corasell. This is the first time I heard him talk so I¡¯m quite surprised. Nox clasped his hands. Four gigantic portals, much like Richards, opened. Unlike Richard¡¯s portals, these portals are pure black; as if they were holes in this very dimension itself. There was a loud whirling sound until dragon heads and claws started to pour out from those void holes. One dragon per dark portals. Each one of them is different. One of them is a white dragon filled with disgusting skin cancer, instead of scales. It¡¯s arms are like braided worms, and it doesn¡¯t even have claws. There are hundreds of flies circling around it, and I can even smell it from here. So gross. This seven-meter dragon is a flying dumpster. This is the Infection Dragon.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The red dragon is somewhat the same as Mark Anthony Octavius¡¯s Gladiator dragon. Humanoid muscular body with medieval armors all over. This dragon is wielding two curved swords. On his back, just between his gigantic crimson wings are piles of swords. This is the Conquest Dragon. The black dragon is something what we call malnourished. It has a humanoid body and dark skin, no scales or fancy armor. I can even see its ribs puffing out of its coat. It¡¯s like a furless kitten, yet more disgusting and terrifying. This is the Famine Dragon. The pale dragon is the most peculiar one. This is the first time I have ever seen a flying lizard on a dark cloak, wielding a long razor scythe. This dragon wears a ram¡¯s skull as a helmet. That is why there is a gigantic twirling horn on his head. This is the Death Dragon. Each dragon has a fully-armored silver knight riding on his head. They don¡¯t wield any weapons, but they are holding something familiar and similar; a black beating heart. I¡¯m quite familiar with these enemies we¡¯re facing. According to the history, there were four dragon knights and dragonoids who helped Vesryn erect the Dragon Knights Academy. Each with different colors; the same as these flying lizards in front of us. Nox must¡¯ve been the source of all these impure resurrection. The corpse Black Phantom, the horde of zombies in Twilight City, and now these legendary dragon knights¡­ These are all his magic. He might¡¯ve been using the power of a terrifyingly strong dragonoid as of this time. We have to take that dragonoid down as soon as possible! ¡°What¡¯s our next move?¡± I took the initiative to ask them. Reina held her chin and proposed a plan. ¡°We¡¯ll be wasting much time if we¡¯re going to fight all four of these. We need to divide the team into two. One will be infiltrating the ships and search for Cleru, and two will be the one who will combat the four dragonmen and the Arcadian soldiers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± General Holster nodded. ¡°Amphere is obviously the strongest one here so he will be battling the legendary dragons. Reina should be the one infiltrating because she can jump ship to ship by using portals. The only two left are us-¡° ¡°Requesting permission to team up with Amphere, sir.¡± Rudolf said. ¡°I wanted to test my mech arm to those Arcadian bastards.¡± ¡°Granted.¡± General Holster answered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be searching the ships with Reina. Good luck!¡± The Portal Dragon Richard opened up its jaws, and a portal emerged midair. General Holster and Reina cancelled their Vesryn Pulse and then launched themselves to the glowing ball of light, teleporting themselves to somewhere within those twenty airships. Cannons of the airships started firing, so Chaos Dragon and Pulsar Dragon wiggled and zigzagged to evade those projectiles. ¡°Can you handle the four dragon knights?¡± Rudolf shouted. It¡¯s kinda hard to hear if there¡¯s a lot of explosion near you. ¡°Exceria and I will finish them off! Go get your arm tested for a dry run!¡± Rudolf just agreed with a smile and then he commanded his Chaos Dragon to dive to a ship. I have a feeling that he will be overdoing it. Rudolf¡¯s insatiable hunger for fights is limitless after all. But he¡¯s still the same as me. I am facing four dragon knights and four dragons who are supposed to be a saint or something. Normally, I would flee in fear even if Airi¡¯s here. But this is different. I¡¯m currently riding the most powerful dragon of all time. An immortal Cathedral priestess who witnessed Vesryn herself. ¡°Mister Amphere.¡± Exceria grabbed my attention by using telepathy. ¡°Let¡¯s try our Dracaryx. I think our power can annihilate them all at once immediately.¡± It¡¯s a laughing matter that I can already use Dracaryx with a dragonoid whom I just met a week ago. Almost impossible. But Exceria is already an impossibility! I completely trust her words, with all my heart and soul. I held my chest, activated my Eye of Deus and shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Chapter 73: Requiem Aeternam Chapter 73: Requiem Aeternam Rudolf Azregon Fistpump, cock, punch, and burst. These are the fundamental steps in making an absolutely powerful punch with a mechanical arm. Everytime I repeat these steps, I send three to five Arcadian to destination crap. They fly as if they were hit by a shotgun burst. The impact is so concentrated that my punch alone can wreck this airship deck. ¡°Chaos Claws.¡± I murmured. My left hand became engulfed with black flame, which shaped itself into a gigantic talon. Since I cannot use Chaos Claws on my metallic arm, I switched my sword to it. There were loud war cries as they witnessed my power. These red-eyed terrorist know nothing but bravery. They didn¡¯t care if they are battling a Pentagram Knight. It would be easy for me to completely annihilate them, but I have to stick on my objective. I have to minimize my kill counts as possible. They are not our real enemies. That man is our enemy. That rainbow-eyed man is on the other airship. Amphere said that Nox is the name of that dragon knight. He got a lot of eerie and terrible magic techniques. I punched and scratched my way through the horde of Arcadians. They fired their assault rifles at me, but I used my Chaos Claws to shield me from those bullets. The bullets immediately dissolved upon contact, and then I proceeded my way to knock down the gunners using my robot arm. I know Amphere¡¯s quite jealous about my new perk! I looked in the skies, and saw the white Pulsar Dragon being covered with golden light. Amphere raised his photon saber as a navy blue light beam from the heavens came. And then he shouted with all his might! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Requiem Aeternam!¡± The blue beam that has been absorbed by the photon sword became thicker, as it changed its color to gold. A deafening sound and a destructive shockwave shook the stratosphere, making the wind go unstable. The airship went sideways and some became topsy-turvy as they barely endured the invisible hurricane created. When the light beam faded out, the photon sword already has an infinite amount of energy stored in it. It is now glowing bright like the sun. Amphere positioned the sword sideways and prepared a chant. ¡°When the sky above was not named, And the earth beneath did not bear life, The Old Deus emerges from light, and proves his might! Requiem Aeternam, Dona Eis Domine, Et Lux Perpetua Luceat Ei!!!¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The four legendary dragons jetted forward and prepared their attacks as Amphere continues to chant! Famine Dragon unleashed dark chaos balls that exploded upon contact with the Pulsar Dragon. Death Dragon swung its scythe, and razor waves of wind was launched. Conquest Dragon threw the swords on its back continuously, and the Infection Dragon unleashed a long wave of green gas from its mouth. But it did not affect the Pulsar Dragon and her knight. It certainly looks like they are invulnerable as long as they are both coated with golden light! ¡°Requiescat in Pace!!!¡± Amphere, with his full force, swung his sword to the right. A rip in reality began. A gigantic golden oval sun was created, and everything became white. The next thing I know is¡­there are no more legendary dragon knights and their zombie dragons. It seems that they just vanished. No traces. No explosions, no flying blood or limbs, no deafening noise. It was the most silent Dracaryx I have ever seen. The rainbow-eyed Nox was awestruck as he witnessed his zombie puppets vanish. He had his jaws hanging for three whole seconds. Then he muttered something like: ¡°I finally saw you, Dragonoid Saint.¡± Pulsar Dragon immediately reverted back to her beautiful humanoid form and lost consciousness. Amphere caught her with his arms, but there was a problem. He¡¯s freefalling, and obviously he can¡¯t fly! ¡°Catch them!¡± I shouted at my Chaos Dragon to fetch them in midair. When my love finally caught those awesome two, she delivered it to the airship where I¡¯m standing. ¡°Take care of Exceria, Kyrie.¡± Amphere said. Then he left his substitute dragonoid to my dragon¡¯s head and jumped to my position. ¡°What the heck was that?¡± I asked. ¡°Are those zombie dragon knights done for good?¡± ¡°They¡¯re completely erased from this universe.¡± Amphere made a bland smile. ¡°It¡¯s quite terrifying, but it¡¯s true. I just followed Exceria¡¯s orders to carry out and unleash our Dracaryx. I didn¡¯t know that her Dracaryx; Requiem Aternam can immediately send all the targets and their souls to the heavenly realm.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve at least fought the four legendary dragon knights longer. They barely used any of their power, and here you are, immediately finishing them off. I really wanted to see if they have Dracaryxes or not.¡± I pouted with a hint of disappointment. ¡°I really want to, but they are formidable enemies. They are legends, and a knight like me wouldn¡¯t last long against those four even if I¡¯m controlling the most powerful dragon in existence. I¡¯m just a wimpy knight who can use Vesryn Pulse on any dragonoid, that¡¯s all.¡± Then Amphere held out a big sad sigh. ¡°Yeah, I really wanted to see their Dracaryx too.¡± Amphere is really good in using his dragonoids¡¯ powers, and that¡¯s the truth. If there¡¯s something, I¡¯m quite jealous of his Eye of Deus ability! My robot arm is nothing compared to his weird eye! ¡°Amphere Harrison.¡± It was the voice of the rainbow-eyed man, Nox. He jumped out from his own airship to this very airship just to have a closer view at my best friend. His eyes¡­It¡¯s hypnotizing because of the colors. ¡°You finally learned how to use the Eye of Deus, and you even bring the Ancient Priestess with you. I¡¯m completely impressed.¡± Nox made a laugh and clapped so slowly. ¡°Did Vesryn teach you how to use your powers?¡± Amphere whispered to me. ¡°This guy seems to know a lot. He even somewhat spilled the bean for me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s beat the truth out of him, shall we?¡± I made a mischievous grin as I cracked my metallic fist. ¡°Heh. This is our first teamwork in a real battlefield, right?¡± Amphere said as he readied his single-handed sword stance. His crimson eyes glowed as the sun reflected its rays. I was seriously pumped up, so I coated my whole left arm with Chaos Aura. I also had my wide sword on my metallic arm, ready to make a dashing thrust towards the enemy. Nox silently observed the two best friends. Realizing the situation, he drew a thick buster sword from his back. It seems that he¡¯s not willing to neither reveal nor use his dragonoid in fighting the both of us. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I shouted at Amphere as the two of us bolted forward to clash with a lone enemy. Chapter 74: Light and Dark Flame Arts Chapter 74: Light and Dark Flame Arts Rudolf Azregon Hack, slash, and sidestep thrust. I and my best friend¡¯s movements are perfectly in sync as we storm our common enemy with our swords. The rainbow-eyed terrorist just continued to be on the defensive side, just using his buster sword as shield against our blinding swordplay. When we realized that we¡¯re not inflicting enough damage, I made a dash backward and pointed my mechanical arm at the enemy. My palm revealed a cannon-like barrel and launched mana beams to the enemy, which was immediately blocked again by that damn giant sword. Amphere did the same, and whispered ¡°Highteneded Clearance.¡± Instead of dynamos, four golden swords of light started hovering from his back. The four sword dynamos now unleashed twenty-centimeter lasers that made a clean shot to the enemy¡¯s left chest, right arm, and right leg! These projectiles burned a tiny portion of Nox¡¯s leather armor. The enemy is now stunned thanks to Amphere. Now it¡¯s my time to move! I readied my left arm and focused all my dark aura to it; making a gigantic arm of blazing darkness! Amphere didn¡¯t stand around, instead, he imitated me. He materialized one Deus Ex Machina arm which was covered with golden flames. We didn¡¯t have time to be surprised with his new power. He¡¯s temporarily using Exceria¡¯s potential magic after all. The light and dark arms we projected made a disruptive punch to the enemy¡¯s body! There is a weak shockwave that made this particular airship platform shake for a couple of seconds. Meanwhile, Nox went flying, penetrating each and every wall his body went into, like a bullet. The multiple impacts made the rainbow-eyed enemy several fractures. Some of his joints twisted, and his chest looks like it has been burnt up to the third degree. ¡°That was awesome!¡± I cried in excitement. ¡°Yeah!¡± Amphere cheered up. After then he made a melancholic sigh. ¡°Well, we overdid it. We killed him. I wanted to ask him something.¡± Then there was a chill down on our spines. ¡°What would you want to know, Amphere Harrison?¡± There were cold silent steps from the holes that Nox¡¯s body made. It was Nox himself, completely alive. Even he has broken five ribs, has a burnt hole on his chest, and his ligaments torn, he was still able to stand up. No, he is completely fine! His wounds started to heal by itself. His foot, which was already twisted, rotated back to its original place. The burnt marks started fading away. Don¡¯t tell me this guy has a massive regeneration prowess!? Opening portals, creating zombies, speedy healing factor. Just how many abilities does he have? ¡°Stand back.¡± I advised my friend. ¡°I¡¯ll use Voice of the Emperor!¡± ¡°It won¡¯t have any effect on me.¡± Nox laughed hysterically. He walked slowly and never minded to pick his sword, which was right in front of him. Instead, he continued to approach us. ¡°Playtime¡¯s over. I have seen your potentials. Now I¡¯m just here to give you a hint about Dragunov¡¯s real objective.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°The heck are you talking about?¡± I yelled. ¡°Isn¡¯t this about money? Dragunov trades blood for cash, it¡¯s obvious!¡± Nox clicked his tongue repeatedly and waved his index finger unto our face. ¡°Wrong. I¡¯ll just give you a riddle for you to understand what the dragonoid wars are for.¡± ¡°We¡¯re listening.¡± Amphere calmly replied. ¡°When the number of a million demons has been fulfilled, the blood of the poor souls will be sacrificed to remove the wicked back to the mortal world. And hell shall fall from the heavens.¡± There was a long silence. Almost a minute. Amphere and I were awestruck by this terribly-created riddle. We can¡¯t decipher any meaning to it, because it¡¯s too damn full of symbolisms! ¡°Amphere, Rudolf.¡± It was General Holster speaking through our earpiece. ¡°We have successfully recovered Cleru Neos safe and sound, but the zombie Black Phantom and his dragonoid got away. They vanished like a real phantom, get it? Anyway, Richard will be opening a portal in a second. Stay frosty, guys. Don¡¯t let those zombie and terrorist give you a cold feet!. Hahahaha! Over!¡± ¡°Looks like the party¡¯s over.¡± Nox said with a grim smile. ¡°Well, I shall let you go for this once.¡± Then Nox started marching away from us. We could attack him from behind, but there are too many things this guy knows. We won¡¯t be able to capture him also, because it will be very hard to incapacitate a man who can regenerate and summon a horde of zombies, knights and dragons. Doing so would mean digging our own graves. Our only objective here is to rescue Cleru Neos. That¡¯s all. ¡°Tell me¡­¡± I posed a question to our calm opponent. ¡°Why kidnap Cleru Neos?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. We already got what we needed from his bloodline magic.¡± Nox stopped talking and then pointed a dimensional rift behind us. When a portal opened, all of us Chevalier Unit members immediately went out of the scene. Problems keep stacking up. What the hell does that ¡°riddle¡± mean? What did they do to Cleru Neos? Five hours later after that bloody fight, we found ourselves in the hospital, as the doctors and nurses treated our wounds. Thanks to the shield plates we¡¯re wearing, no one suffered from a tremendous energy. We just suffered from scratches and mild bruises. After being treated, Duchess Corasell, Amphere, Airi, Kyrie and I decided to go to Cleru Neos¡¯ room. Even if Cleru is so salty on Amphere, he still decided to visit him. Amphere has a forgiving golden heart after all. Me? I don¡¯t have any grudge on Cleru. As a Chevalier Unit member, I have the duty to check on the hostage¡¯s situation after the taking. When we open the door, we witnessed a romantic sight. Cleru was still asleep, stuck on a dextrose and has his heart monitored. Sitting beside him is Princess Serenity Elkyria, who is currently holding his precious guard¡¯s hand. The princess is certainly crying, worried of what would¡¯ve happened to her childhood friend. ¡°Every time you fight, it always ends like this.¡± The Princess was crying to her unconscious knight. ¡°But at last, you¡¯ll never suffer from deadly wounds again. Because¡­we¡¯re now together¡­ Forever.¡± It took a while until the Princess was all out of tears. When her drama is finally finished, he turned to us and bowed once again. ¡°Thank you, Sir Amphere Harrison and Sir Rudolf Azregon for saving Cleru. I have the greatest gratitude for all of you. I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± Then the princess turned to Amphere. ¡°Especially you, Sir Harrison. Thank you for holding your side of the bargain.¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Amphere embarrassingly scratched his head. Surely he didn¡¯t just give way to Cleru. He fought with all his might. Cleru¡¯s Martyrdom of the Plebeian is the thing to be noted actually. That ability is a cheat in the tournament. ¡°With this, I shall grant your wish.¡± The princess genuflected politely and gracefully. ¡°I shall have the Dragonoid Rights Bill passed.¡± Everybody¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Duchess Corasell started crying, and then she immediately grabbed Amphere¡¯s arms and squeezed it tight. It was her gesture of utter happiness. ¡°My parent¡¯s wishes will be finally fulfilled!¡± Duchess Corasell had her eyes watery. ¡°Amphere! Estoff did not die in vain! It¡¯s all thanks to you! You¡¯re the real hero!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah!¡± Amphere gave out the most handsome and brightest smile he can project. ¡°This is the fruits that we have been working on!¡± Everybody cheered up and celebrated. Cleru¡¯s room has been filled with noise barrages. This is the ultimate victory we all have been yearning for! . . . Or so we thought. Chapter 75: Hot Spring of Love Chapter 75: Hot Spring of Love Marieflorine Corasell Passing the Dragonoid Rights Bill is no easy task. Winning the Dragon Knights Tournament is just a small step. But Sir Amphere Harrison avoided that and made a big leap. He successfully gained the Princess¡¯s favor and almost all of the duke¡¯s support after he became dubbed as the Hero of Twilight City. His fake honor serves him a lot too well. Because of his goodwill, I decided to include his name to the bill I¡¯m passing. Having a lawyer-knight as a co-author of the said bill is the real plan of the deceased Sir Estoff Wraith. Maybe that¡¯s the first reason why Estoff convinced Amphere to be the part of his resistance. Too bad he cannot see his plans go into fruition. There are a lot of processes in order for the dragonoid¡¯s freedom to become a law. First, it must be approved by the congress. As I said, because of my co-author¡¯s fame to the dukes and duchesses, combined with his knowledge in the empire¡¯s law, the bill got the majority of the vote. He got himself stressed out. There are two more steps to be done as far as I¡¯m concerned. The bill must be approved by the senate. That would take about two months, and the hearing is way bloodier now that the Neo Arcadia is active. Then the last step would be the approval of a Royal Family member. The Princess¡¯s signature is already enough. The only obstacle in our way is Dragunov and the Neo Arcadia. The riddle gives us headache since we know nothing about the crazy duke¡¯s plan. It¡¯s been a month since we got that lead, but we never encountered Nox or Dragunov again. Moreover, their objective about kidnapping Cleru Neos is a mystery for us. We¡¯re still on square one. Since most of the problems have been solved, the Chevalier Unit group and some of their closest friends decided to go on an outing. That includes Cleru Neos and his dragonoid Jasmine, Princess Serenity Elkyria, Exceria, and even Gaz (Whose whereabouts are unknown since Estoff¡¯s death because he didn¡¯t have much screen time. But I assure everyone that he¡¯s not in contact with anyone in the Neo Arcadia). We chose the hot springs of the Lavaminge City, which is placed on the foot of a volcano. That is the most relaxing place on the whole empire. This vacation should lift off some negative vibes from us. That is why right now, all of us girls are stark naked in this hot waters. Good thing they don¡¯t offer mixed baths here. ¡°Aaaaah.¡± Airelina made an ecstatic moan as she dipped her body on the hot green water. ¡°This place is so comforting! Totally!¡± Suddenly, Iris; General Holster¡¯s wife paddled so fast that she already reached Airelina from behind! She was caught off-guard, so the ninja-like woman immediately grabbed Airelina¡¯s now-improved breast! Airelina uttered a pleasured yet adorable cry!Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Ohohoho! I have never seen it this big before~¡± Iris made a mischievous smirk. ¡°I¡¯m quite intrigued why Amphere hasn¡¯t answered to your confession yet.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s-!¡± Airelina tried to scream for help to get away from this pervert but she shrieked! ¡°H-Help! Totally!¡± ¡°S-So you love Amphere after all¡­¡± I muttered. Then I look at my undeveloped bosoms and made a disappointed sigh. But suddenly, Iris went to my back at a lightspeed and then grabbed my¡­ ¡°Eeeek!¡± I shouted. ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, darling. Your boobs will grow soon as you reach your teenage years~¡± Iris said. ¡°Airelina really loves Amphere, huh¡­¡± The well-endowed Exceria was staring on the silent waters with a deep thought. In a flash, the ninja pervert caught both of her large chests and squeezed it! Exceria didn¡¯t have any choice but to complain in a stuttering manner! ¡°S-S-S- Stop it!¡± Kyrie, Reina, Jasmine and the princess are silently watching us in an embarrassed expression on their faces. They also checked their boobs, and guarded it by crossing their arms. Iris looked for another target but gave up upon seeing those breasts completely blocked. Iris finally settled down and sulked in the corner, fully disappointed that she cannot grope some more breasts. There was a strong silence that was emitted for a couple of minutes. But then, Kyrie broke the silence. She made a bright smile and revealed a diamond ring on her finger. Everyone got their jaws hanging upon seeing that luxurious ring! ¡°Y-YOU¡¯RE ENGAGED!!!¡± The whole crowd of girls erupted. ¡°Um¡­I would like to invite you all to my wedding two weeks from now.¡± Kyrie¡¯s cheeks flustered. ¡°You girls helped strengthen the bond of love between me and Rudolf after all.¡± ¡°Woooow!¡± Jasmine exclaimed in excitement. ¡°Too bad I won¡¯t get married like you. I¡¯m a Cathedral Priestess after all.¡± Then she sulked in the darkest corner. ¡°That ring is so beautiful!¡± Princess Elkyria gorgeously clapped her hands. ¡°I¡¯m planning to give something like that to Cleru. I will not expect that guy to buy a ring for me, because he¡¯s so poor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just like Richard¡¯s Mother¡¯s ring.¡± Reina said. Exceria, Airelina, and I was fazed away by the magnificent ring on Kyrie¡¯s hand. I¡¯m almost sure that I was always fantasizing that my brave knight and shining armor would come and propose to me one day. The only guys I had in mind is Estoff and¡­Amphere. I¡¯m certain now that I have a liking on Amphere. I love him, maybe more than I love Estoff. Amphere might be a bland boring aristocratic guy but he has the willpower and bravery to get things done. He has a pure heart but he always hides it to others. But of course, the age differences would always matter. If Amphere will choose, it will be between Airelina or Exceria. Suddenly, Airelina got up from the green water, and made her resolve crystal clear. ¡°I have decided! I will not wait until marriage just to see Amphy¡¯s naked body! I will go there myself and peek! Totally!¡± There¡¯s a lot of flaw in Airelina¡¯s logic! Why is she thinking about peeking the other men¡¯s baths? Does it have something to do with Kyrie being married? W-What-!!! ¡°I¡¯ll join you!¡± Jasmine raised her hand up. ¡°This might be my first and last chance to see a man¡¯s manhood!¡± The way Jasmine thinks is really unpriestly. And also, isn¡¯t the boys are supposed to think of perverted actions, and not the other way around!? ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Jasmine!¡± Airelina made a war cry. ¡°Hooah!¡± ¡°Totally!¡± They both said as they rushed out of the water. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re up to some trouble. I saw Reina who is poking something in mid-air. It was a mini-portal. Reina made a grim face towards us. I have never seen her angry like this before. ¡°That Richard¡­¡± Reina is squeezing her hand so tight in anger. ¡°He¡¯s using a portal to peek at us.¡± ¡°EEEEEEEEH!?¡± Chapter 76: Love without Progress Chapter 76: Love without Progress Amphere Harrison ¡°D-Damn!¡± Richard inhaled instantly. ¡°Reina saw my portal!¡± It¡¯s what the girls think. In this men¡¯s bath, which is about fifty meters away from the women¡¯s bath, majority of the boys here voted that they wanted Richard to open a portal just to peek at the girls. Those who are in favor are General Holster, Rudolf, Richard, Gaz, Cleru and me. Pretty much all of us wanted to peek. We all have our perverted objectives. Rudolf¡¯s single life is now terminal, so he wanted to enjoy it as possible. Gaz wanted to see Airi¡¯s new matured breast¡­err body. Cleru wanted to see the princess¡¯s. General Holster wanted to check on everyone, except his wife¡­ And me, maybe¡­ I¡¯ll go for Exceria or Airi¡­ ¡°Shit!¡± General Holster exclaimed as soon as a warp in the dimensions opened just beside him, and revealed his wife Iris. Iris is now emitting a strange deathray aura around her. ¡°You have a hard time controlling that second head of yours, darling. Maybe it¡¯s time to cut it off~¡± Iris¡¯s words and tone are charming but her sarcastic benevolent smile says otherwise. Before the General makes a useless joke, his wife delivered him to hell¡¯s damnation. All the other girls entered our hot spring via Reina¡¯s portals. They all had a towel to cover their private parts, which makes this setting go to waste! ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re doing this to me, Cleru!¡± The princess is hiding her expression by bowing, but I can see her clenching her fist with anger. Before Cleru was able to open his mouth and make an alibi, the princess dashed forward and punched him to the face! ¡°Princess Punch!¡± Meanwhile there is an intense silence between Richard and Reina. Richard is sweating so much, not because of the hot waters, but because of the boiling water on someone¡¯s head. Suddenly, Reina opened a portal and drew her short sword from hammerspace. Then the rest is history. Meanwhile, Kyrie is out here searching for Rudolf. Rudolf hid underwater, never to be seen for the rest of the day. He can¡¯t risk his wedding on this case. It¡¯s a much grave matter than any of us. Don¡¯t worry, his mechanical arm can morph into a gas mask so he won¡¯t die. ¡°You¡¯re a disgrace to your race!¡± Duchess Corasell sermon at Gaz. ¡°I thought ex-Arcadians like you have honor! And here you are, a peeping tom!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any particular interest in you.¡± Gaz turned away. ¡°All I want is big sister Airi¡¯s boobs. And you? You don¡¯t have one. You¡¯re flat.¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± Duchess Corasell had some steam coming out from her ears, and her face red. Never mind these children. I¡¯m now here to face my own trouble. But¡­Airi is missing. ¡°You could¡¯ve just asked me instead¡± Exceria held her chest with a blush. ¡°You¡¯re a special person to me, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Amphere is so lucky¡­¡± The guys in distress muttered. And then the girls continued to punish them. Suddenly, there was an outburst from above. I pretty much know the voice, maybe more than anyone else. ¡°AMPHY!!!¡± Airi¡­ She¡¯s using her Chimeratech wings to hover from above, and she¡¯s with Jasmine! That darn shrine priestess had her cheeks crimson and her mouth watery. Judging from their altitude and Airi¡¯s attitude, they¡¯re both here not to catch the peeping toms. They are the peeping toms their selves!The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Catch me! Totally!¡± Airi dematerialized her metallic wings and proceeded to dive forward, breaking the sound barrier! There was no way I could catch her. The place is so messed and chaotic that the water splashes are obscuring my vision. And I was always caught off guard whenever this happens to me! Everything happened so fast! The last thing I know is that I got my face dipped on the ¡®thing¡¯ between her legs. It was so soft, and the aroma is unbelievably soothing. I got my hands accidentally grab two soft objects. Airi made the most orgasmic moan I have ever heard in my life. I lost my balance and got ourselves submerged in the hot green waters. I was suffocated so easily. Then I blacked out. Darn this fanservice. When I woke up, I was already in the inn of the hot springs. Judging from the bright white bulb stuck on this wooden ceiling, it was already nighttime. I held my head as I removed the white sheets and get up. I¡¯m seriously beaten up. It gave me more headache than those hearing in the congress. There was a bed beside me, and a beautiful scarlet-haired dragonoid was there sitting delectably. She was wearing a white kimono that gives off some of her skin. Once again, I noticed the cute butterfly-like ribbon on her hair. She¡¯s been wearing that thing all the time, but this is one of those times I fully appreciate its cuteness. And her crimson eyes are the most beautiful thing in this world. ¡°So you¡¯re awake now.¡± There was a mild irritation behind Airi¡¯s sarcastic voice. ¡°I heard from the others that all you guys tried to peek on the other girls.¡± ¡°Hey, you tried to peek on us also.¡± I scratched my head with apathy. ¡°We¡¯re just on the same boat.¡± ¡°Ho ho ho.¡± Airi¡¯s sarcasm intensifies. She even had her eyebrows curled due to anger. ¡°Were you trying to peek at Exceria¡¯s big breast?¡± ¡°N-No!¡± I immediately denied. You know that if Airi dropped ¡®Totally¡¯ in her sentences, shit¡¯s about to get real. ¡°Well, Exceria¡¯s willing to give her love to you. She quite likes you a lot. I¡¯m sure that you feel the same way for her too. You even unlocked her Dracaryx on the first week¡± ¡°O-Of course not!¡± I cried. ¡°We¡¯re just bound because of the Eye of Deus, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°What about Duchess Carousel?¡± It seems like Airi was angrier than usual. ¡°She¡¯s been clinging to you since you get that Black Phantom costume. And now that you¡¯re co-authors of the bill, no one¡¯s gonna stop you from marrying her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a child! I would like to have an age bracket, at least! And for Pete¡¯s sake, it¡¯s Corasell, not Carousel.¡± ¡°How about the princess?¡± Airi crossed her arms. ¡°I heard that you made a deal with each other.¡± ¡°Cleru and Princess Elkyria are in love with each other, so I don¡¯t want to poke at that!¡± I cried again. ¡°I don¡¯t have a liking to the princess the very least. I just wanted her to approve the bill, that¡¯s all!¡± Airi is still curling her eyebrows, like a jealous wife seeking for attention. ¡°What about your fans club? There are a lot of girls chasing you nowadays.¡± ¡°Why are you throwing random girls at me!?¡± I exclaimed. I completely regretted it because it made Airi finally snap. ¡°Because I love you!¡± She pushed her face forward. ¡°I have confessed my feelings for you a long time ago, and you¡¯re still here unable to give me an answer. Not even a simple yes or no! All I¡¯ve been doing¡­ I have been devoting all my life for you! I¡¯m always having this endless pursuit of love without progress! And now I¡­¡± ¡°I love you too, Airi.¡± Words came out of my mouth. ¡°E-Eh?¡± Airi¡¯s whole face blushed. Her terrifying aura completely faded. There was a long silence. I have been preparing for my confession for the last months, and ¡®Eh?¡¯ is all I can get? ¡°W-Will you r-repeat that again¡­totally?¡± I can repeat those sentences a hundred times if she wanted. ¡°You¡¯re the only girl for me, Airi. You¡¯ve been here on my side from the very beginning. Through hardships and celebrations. You have never left me. You always saved me. That is why I love you, with all my heart and soul.¡± ¡°I-I love you too, Amphy! Totally!¡± She made the brightest reddest happy face in the whole existence of the universe. Our face slowly closed together and we had our very first kiss. Her lips are so delicate and tender that makes me want to crave more. But then Airi totally destroyed the moment when she revealed a recorder that is hidden on her breast. She played the very same words I just released from my mouth. ¡°You¡¯re the only girl for me, Airi. You¡¯ve been here on my side from the very beginning. Through hardships and celebrations. You have never left me. You always saved me. That is why I love you, with all my heart and soul.¡± Airi gave a mischievous grin. ¡°I¡¯ll have this as a proof upon winning the love war against Exceria and Duchess Carousel, totally!¡± I feel that I¡¯m the one being blue balled right now. Chapter 77: Kill Them All Chapter 77: Kill Them All Brow Gattling The Humvee driver is keeping us wait. It¡¯s been thirty minutes since we went out of the underground camp in Bronzel City, and we haven¡¯t even arrived to our destination. It¡¯s because the driver is evading the Empire guards and posts. There¡¯s a lot of them lately, simply because there will be a festival going on as soon as the clock ticks at twelve midnight. This is the Dragonoid Festival. This city is one of those ¡®friendlies¡¯ to us dragonoids. Back when Estoff erected Arcadia, we used to have a lot of connections here. The population of Bronzel City is 95% dragonoids after all. Now that that fake hero Amphere Harrison has passed the bill in the congress, the city itself made a fiesta. They don¡¯t know anything. Amphere Harrison killed Commander Estoff Wraith. I can never forgive him for doing such thing. That traitor¡­.completely brainwashing Airelina and Richard. He has the bill as a camouflage. What¡¯s his real intention is¡­I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s no way that ¡®hero¡¯ would fight for our freedom. That is why we Arcadians chose to trust ex-Duke Yuri Dragunov. He has been funding us and giving us guns for years. There¡¯s no more qualifying leader like him. His plans and action are superb, and his mind is far more superior to any human I¡¯ve ever seen. This is the plan for this night. We will disguise as a normal guard and infiltrate the center of the city. This is the Neo-Arcadia¡¯s top secret mission, and no one else except we three and the driver knows what we¡¯re about to do. ¡°Remember. Kill them all.¡± Dragunov patted my shoulder. Then he wore the helmet of an imperial guard to hide his identity to the public. As soon as he left the Humvee, Nox and I followed with our perfect disguises. The three of us are surrounded by ocean of dragonoid people. There are some human guards who are keeping eye on the festival. The three of us pulled our heavy machine guns from our backs, and slowly pointed the muzzle to the human guards. All I did was a deep sigh, and then¡­ ¡°Weapons free!¡± Dragunov shouted Endless barrages of bullet shells clashed with the floor. We completely sprayed our ammo towards the human guards, which resulted to their instant death. As soon as I confirmed them dead, I stopped pressing the trigger. But I noticed that Dragunov and Nox are still scattering the bullets. Not to humans, but to civilian dragonoids! Screams of the helpless became the noise of this very festival. I tapped Dragunov¡¯s shoulder and asked him to stop. ¡°We should continue, my friend.¡± Dragunov answered. ¡°A revolution can¡¯t be strengthened without blood sacrifice. Just like how Estoff Wraith¡¯s plan about the Crimson Dragonfly Incident. After we have spewed sufficient blood on this very city, we will pin the blame on the Empire. And this will make dragonoids join our cause, and the Neo-Arcadians to be more angered. I completely trust you, Brow. That is why you¡¯re the only dragonoid we brought here.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It was clearly wrong in anyone¡¯s perspective. Massacring so much people sharing the same eyes as me is always morally unacceptable. This bloodfest¡­ It¡¯s hurting my heart and soul. But then I remembered that Airelina Frembell did it already. If Estoff was here, I¡¯m quite sure he would do the same. ¡°What¡¯s the use of a freedom bill if there¡¯s a war going on!?¡± Nox shouted out loud because no one will be able to hear him in normal voice because of the infinite gunshot noises. I have no other choice. I¡¯m already here. I closed my eyes as I pull the trigger once more on my own people. For the sake of Neo-Arcadian¡¯s ideals. Dragonoids must know how to use their anger as their weapon against the human race! Forty, fifty, sixty. There¡¯s already about a hundred people who are already lying on the floor. I saw a woman crawling towards me, and she grabbed my shoe. This woman had her one eye plucked off by one of our bullet. The other remaining eye is crimson red. A dragonoid. ¡°Please¡­Help me¡­¡± The woman said as blood continues to fall out of her mouth. Dragunov saw the woman and immediately put a bullet on her head. He¡¯s so merciless. At this moment, I have a second thought about following Dragunov from the very beginning. Something wasn¡¯t right. He enjoys this. He enjoys killing people; humans and dragonoids alike. Nox is never different. He has this malicious smile as he destroys every moving creature on his path. Suddenly, I sensed a flying lizard from above. It was covered with rusted metal armor and electronic live wires. It¡¯s stomach reveals some of its gears, and its horns are giving off train smoke. This is like a steampunkiest seven-meter lizard that I have ever seen. This is the Scrap Dragon. Above his head is a fully armored knight. ¡°Dragon Knight!¡± I shouted to alert my comrades. ¡°Heh, leave it to me!¡± Nox replied. He swiped his finger on the thin air, and a dimensional disruption of darkness appeared. A magma claw went out from the dark portal, and slowly pulled itself to this very dimension. It was a dragon. A Magma Dragon. To be more accurate, I have seen this form before. It was Estoff¡¯s former dragonoid, Gilliard. Nox threw his machine gun away and unsheathed his buster sword from the back. Then he hopped to the resurrected Magma Dragon¡¯s head and flew off to clash with the enemy dragon and knight. ¡°Keep firing.¡± Dragunov ordered me. As soon as I got my eyes back on the ground, the police force are already here. There¡¯s nothing fancy about the Empire¡¯s police force. They are just ordinary humans (and sometimes, dragonoids) who are wearing their traditional blue uniform, which are equipped with handguns. They tried to storm us, but we are far more superior. They do not have any say to our machine guns. And since this is a surprise assault, no one of these puny humans ever got prepared for combat. The Scrap Dragon was immediately defeated and was smashed to the enemy police forces. We combined it with endless barrages of gunshots and the zombie Magma Dragon¡¯s burning rock projectiles. Everything is so easy if we¡¯re trying to murder everyone. When our machine guns are completely out of ammo, Dragunov muttered. ¡°This should be enough.¡± The Humvee (our getaway vehicle) drifted forward and opened its doors to us. It¡¯s time to return back home, in the Neo-Arcadian camp. Suddenly, Nox talked with a smug. ¡°We¡¯re missing something. Why wouldn¡¯t we give some message to the Chevalier Unit? Especially Amphere Harrison and Airelina Frembell.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Dragunov made a big sigh. And then he drew a pistol from his jacket and fired a bullet directly to my forehead. ¡°This will do.¡± I fell down on the floor, unable to think of anything. All I can feel is the endless pain I¡¯m suffering in my brain. But I can still hear Dragunov¡¯s rough voice. ¡°When the world discovers that Amphere¡¯s friend is the one who made this mess, all the dragonoids will cry for war.¡± [Brow Gattling ¨C K.I.A] Chapter 78: The Most Awaited Battle Chapter 78: The Most Awaited Battle Rudolf Azregon Everyone must be wondering why is that we all have a free time doing this. Dragunov has been massacring people and putting the blame on the Alterran Empire, making all dragonoid cities rally in anger. Wars and flames spread across third-rate cities, and everything are ever worse in the slums. Several dragonoid rights groups are now rallying in the capital, and others preferred creating a militia for justice of the five thousand dragonoids who has been murdered in the festival a few weeks ago. And here we are with my best friend Amphere, doing the most intense swordfight we¡¯ve ever conducted. We are implementing the same rules as the Dragon Knights Tournament. Our bodies, even our dragons have shield plates equipped. This is the only time we can battle each other with full force since I haven¡¯t got the opportunity to fight him. That is why we¡¯re mimicking the arena rules. This is the most awaited battle that was delayed in happening. And now, it¡¯s here! On this very arena where no one is an audience! As of now, we¡¯re not authorized to act about the impending rebellion of the dragonoid race. We have to follow the Empire¡¯s orders after all. We¡¯re just waiting for General Holster¡¯s orders. Amphere¡¯s sasuke hair danced with the wind as he made a back step from our sword clash. We¡¯re not even warmed up yet, so I think I have the upper hand in this battle. I cocked my mechanical arm and projected my Chaos Claws on my other. In response, Amphere activated his Maximum Clearance and revealed his Deus Ex Machina with four arms, each wielding a photon sword. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough time for some dragon fights!¡± I shouted at him. ¡°I¡¯ll use everything I got! DRACARYX!!! Activate Swords of Eternal Light!¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same way too!¡± Amphere held a grin. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Yggdrasil Fall!¡± Now I know why Airelina has been flying on top of the battlefield, not interrupting our fight or anything. She¡¯s been chanting her Dracaryx for the whole time! Nine planets emerged and fell like barrages of jumbo meteor showers to our direction. In the other hand, my wife, Kyrie flew and pointed her hand outward. She had the gigantic swords of light to thrust upwards and destroy all those planets! Swords surged forward, destroying the core. The planets exploded upon impact, and the large debris was obliterated by my other swords of eternal light. But it was never enough. I manage to destroy the seven planets, but I¡¯m we¡¯re all out of swords to block the remaining Midgard and Helheim. There was a sudden outburst as if this was the apocalypse itself. We were flooded by mix of flames, oceans, and chunky mud. I completely blacked out until the whole arena was cleared magically. I don¡¯t know what happened. All I saw after that burst is that Kyrie and I are both lying on the floor unhurt, but our shield plates at zero. Not just us. Even Amphere and Airelina had theirs depleted. What¡¯s more is that all of us looked like scientist who was a victim of a failed nuke experiment. We¡¯re in a complete mess. ¡°Well that¡¯s useless.¡± Amphere sighed, and then he turned to Airi. ¡°Our Dracaryx is really useful on taking everyone down, including us.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°You can¡¯t blame me, totally!¡± Airi complained, and then she held her reddish cheeks. ¡°You should praise me more because our love made our Dracaryx a lot more powerful. Now our Yggdrasil Fall can one-hit-K.O. everyone in the battlefield¡­.Including us¡­totally!¡± Amphere lend his hand to help me stand up. And then he made a forced smile. ¡°I would like another run but I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t use Vesryn Pulse anymore. Unlike you, I¡¯m just powerful if I can borrow Airi¡¯s technological magic. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose if we¡¯ll just resort in a sword fight.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll do it again tomorrow if you like.¡± I shook his hand. Kyrie and Airelina did the same to each other with a friendly smile. ¡°That was magnanimous!¡± General Holster, who is watching all the time, made fast clap. He¡¯s with his (secretly perverted) wife Iris, who had her eyes filled with amazement. Then General Holster made a useless joke once again. ¡°I never thought that your fight was Ragnarok-shly apocalyptic! Just like Yggdrasil Fall! That was a truly dazzling fight, just like your Sword of Eternal Light! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Um. Okay.¡± I murmurred. Then all of us were silent. The sandy arena swooshed as the wind goes by as if this is the Wild West. Iris is giving a sarcastic smile silently saying that ¡®Please kill my husband, please¡¯. ¡°Well¡­¡± General Holster broke the silence, still having that genuine smile. ¡°I have received orders from the royal family. Princess Serenity Elkyria herself commanded me to reform a task force in capturing Dragunov. Obviously, I will still make use of all the Chevalier Unit members, with some more members. I would like that other shrine maiden should come with us. Her ability is a force to be reckoned with.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Exceria, well¡­¡± Amphere scratched his cheek. ¡°I still have to consult the Cathedral Exa first.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure Exceria will come, totally!¡± Airelina cheered them up. ¡°Well that¡¯s great. Once your recruitment succeed, I shall rename Leviticus¡¯s Chevalier Unit to Task Force Libera.¡± ¡°Libera?¡± Kyrie asked as she tilted her head cutely. ¡°Yes, Task Force Libera. As in freedom. We¡¯re all fighting for everyone¡¯s freedom after all. Hahaha!¡± I¡¯d say General Holster really supports the Dragonoid Rights Bill. It involves Iris, who is his dragonoid after all. If the bill becomes the law, there will be no boundaries for Iris, Richard, Airelina and Kyrie. I also want to see Kyrie live in that world where there¡¯s no fatal troubles and discrimination. We all yearn for peace. We can¡¯t use Vesryn Pulse, so we looked for Richard all over the place to have some portal opened for us. We don¡¯t want to use public transportation because it¡¯s a hassle, and you have to pay for it. At least for Richard, it¡¯s completely free. I¡¯m still worrying about budget as of this time, because of the expenses of our wedding that happened a few days ago. Also, I had Amphere as the best man and Reina as the maiden of honor in that wedding. Everything went well because I was never caught peeping back in the hot springs. Heh. Good bye single life. We arrived the underground Cathedral Exa without trouble. There, a silver woman was sitting gorgeously on top of the waters of the spring. She¡¯s having this smile that she knows why Amphere was here for. ¡°Good afternoon, H.G.¡± Amphere said with a smile. ¡°I would want to ask permission if I could borrow Exceria for our next operations for these coming weeks.¡± ¡°That offer should be decided by Exceria alone.¡± H.G. replied. ¡°It is her choice if she wants to face her destiny or not.¡± ¡°I will!¡± From behind, is a beautiful woman with a blue moonstone orb on her forehead. She was Exceria, the most powerful dragonoid. I am the witness of her might, and I say that being the most powerful is not an overstatement. ¡°Ho?¡± H.G. slightly closed her scary red eyes with black sclera. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding underground for a millennia, and now you have filled your resolve to face and fight Him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Exceria nodded. Her crimson eyes are now filled with determination. ¡°I¡¯m tired of running and hiding. Too much bloodshed has been happened because of my cowardice. But now that I can unleash my true form and Dracaryx, I have gained enough courage! All these wars should end if I can stop Him!¡± I don¡¯t know who ¡®Him¡¯ is. Amphere and Airelina appear to have no clue too. ¡°The girl should do what her heart tells her to do.¡± H.G. replied with a smile full of joy. ¡°Now, go forth and fulfill your destiny, Cathedral Exa Saint!¡± Exceria genuflected and bowed gracefully. ¡°Thank you, Lord Vesryn.¡± All our jaws hanged in this very revelation. Vesryn, the Saint, and the Eye of Deus Vesryn, the Saint, and the Eye of Deus An Extended Lore Vesryn Long ago, mighty creatures ruled the land of Alterra. The dragons drove all other creatures away, forcing them to live underground where at least they will be safe. Then a gift from the heavens came, and a wizard with godlike capabilities; Vesryn, came into the human empire and helped them to reclaim their rightful lands in the surface. Vesryn¡¯s magical abilities created the Vesryn Pulse, which has the ability to control the dragon¡¯s power using human¡¯s heartbeat and willpower. The legends have told it over and over again, but there is one truth that no one has ever known. Vesryn. Me. I am a dragon myself. Actually, I was the first ever dragonoid that existed. Same as the humans, the dragons have an empire. Unlike the humans believe, we are not-every time dragons at the millennium ages. We are able to switch from two forms; Semi Dragon and Dragon Forms. Semi-Dragons are partially humans which has their specific wings and tail. We hid these weaknesses to humans because if the humans knew our weaker form, they could stand a chance and find a way to annihilate us. We dragons are originally biologically immortal, and can only be killed by battle. Even if dragons can be killed, they can be easily resurrected by the help of the dragon wizards in the ancient ages. I was one of the Resurrection Priestesses of the dragons which resides in the Cathedral Exa. That explains why I can resurrect dragonoids as for the present day. Unlike what humans believe, we dragons are not what they think they are. Dragons only scare humans in their dragon form to push them back living in the underground for a grave reason. We are scared of a certain ritual that can be activated once the people had the surface. We call it the Necross Ascension. Necross Ascension, according to the primal legends, is the end of the planet of Alterra. It consists of two planets colliding once ¡°The number of a million demons has stolen the souls of the human in the surface¡±. Necross Ascension is the literal collision and merge of the Underworld and the Living World, which means that ¡°Hell shall fall from the Heavens.¡± The conditions and required soul count are still ambiguous but all we know is that the ritual has a prescribed duration of a decade. Once the time has passed, the counter for the human souls will reset. And the Necross Ascension shall be restarted from zero. To stop this, we dragons forbid any human to jump into the surface. But the Human Empire is stubborn. They waged wars over and over, just to lose again and again. The foolish race never knew what they¡¯re dealing with. There was a time when a kid travelled in the surface and got lost. He wandered through days and nights, until he finally found me, a dragon in a Semi-Dragon form. At first, I wanted to kill the boy but I realized that the boy has never done anything wrong. I took care of the boy until he became a man. His name is Deo, and he was the man I¡¯m in love with. He is mine, and I am his. He has this long black hair, brown eyes, and adorable face that strongly resembles the boy Amphere Harrison. I suffered a lot from hiding him away from my kin. A Priestess can never fall in love. And a dragon cannot love a human. That is the intelligent-made laws that I violated. I only believe in my heart.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The dragons discovered my secret, and ordered me to kill the man that I love. But I never wanted to do that. We tried to escape from the dragons and aimed to run and run, away from any trouble. But before we had that, we got cornered. This is the first time in history that a human and dragon¡¯s heart resonated, creating a wonderful magic called Dracaryx. Because of the power of the ultimate magic, we managed to escape from our captors. The resonating hearts of ours also made me discover my third form; the humanoid form. Aside from that, Deo now has the authority to control, seal and unseal my powers, giving me the ability to blend to humans and dragons. This is the first Vesryn Pulse in history. We resided in the human empire in peace. It was tough adapting at first, but we manage to get through. We had a simple life for almost ten years, until an anomaly happened. I saw the sign that the absolute despair has arrived. I had a dream about a dragon with gigantic ten horns wearing a golden crown that has the number of the devil. He was holding the planet Alterra on his left, and the Underworld on his right. His glare at the humans, and dragons made them cower and bow in fear. And then I saw an image of the eye of god. Crimson dragon eyes on a black sclera. It was on a silhouette that I know. It was the silhouette of Deo, yet his voice differs. He said to me: ¡°Thou shall follow thy prophecy, for it will save every living creature in existence. The dragon saint shall make an acquaintance with the Eye of Deus, for the unholy ritual Necross Ascension to be forever forgotten.¡± I have read the Primal Legends of the history of dragons. We only have one saint; Exceria. She is considered to be the most powerful dragonoid during the primal era, about a billion years ago. Deo and I searched for all the stone tablets to find her memento, in order to revive her and summon her in the living realm. A moonstone was the only relic needed, and Exceria¡¯s resurrection was made a success. She was one na?ve woman for a saint, and considers me as her mother since I¡¯m the one who gave her second life. The only riddle to be solved is how will I arrange a meeting of her with the Eye of Deus? Since the mysterious almighty man looked like Deo, I thought that everything was finished. But it seems that Deo was not the right person. I have never fulfilled the prophecy, until now. Meanwhile, the Empire of Humans waged another war against the dragons to claim the surface land. Deo volunteered to become a soldier in order to get more information about the prophecy on my dreams. Unfortunately, he never came back home. Instead, he was slaughtered by my kin; my dragon blood. Because of it, I had my hatred to the entire dragon race. I used all my knowledge and power to learn the necessary spells to seal the dragon¡¯s powers. I had my magician name well known to the humans and continuously ranked in order to gain the Human Emperor¡¯s favor to wage the final war against the dragons. The night before the final war, the apparition with red eyes talked to me and made a bargain. ¡°You wish for vengeance. You wish for power. I can grant both. I will grant you the power to seal all dragons to their weakling human form. I shall give you the authority to activate the Universal Pulse. But thou shall surrender me your power. You will become a human being, flesh, and dragon, by blood. You can no longer return to your dragon form, yet you shall become immortal to witness the suffering of eternity. Such measures are necessary for you to help the Saint and the Eye of Deus to fulfill their destiny.¡± ¡°I accept.¡± I said to the apparition. And that is where I was gifted a portion of the power; the power of the Eye of Deus. I borrowed the Eye of Deus do what the legends says. I sealed the dragons to a mortal human body, and they are now called dragonoids. They lost their freedom and rights, and they became enslaved by the humans. After a few years, I pitied the dragonoids. Guilt has struck my heart. I found a way for the humans and dragonoids to cohabitate, so I taught the ancient knights how to perform the resonance of the hearts that is named after me; the Vesryn Pulse. About five hundred years later, Exceria had the prophecy; a nightmare that keeps haunting her every night for hundreds of years. She said that the evil one; Necross, will be coming himself to kill her and get her moonstone for the ritual to complete. Due to our fear with that evil being, we decided to live underground in the Cathedral Exa; never to be seen again by anyone. Not until the Amphere Harrison has come. Chapter 79: Sabotage Chapter 79: Sabotage Cleru Neos Unlike any other airship, the Princess¡¯s Ark continues to be silent as it hovers through the stratosphere. It makes the soundless night to stay quiet. The wing-shaped sail on both sides of the ship continues to flap as it slowly tries to reach our destination; the Royal Palace. The two moons of this planet give light to everything in these starless dark skies. The sight of it makes me agree that it was truly vexing. I would enjoy this if Duchess Corasell would stop giggling on the phone. ¡°You know Amphere? The bill has finally been approved in the senate! Tomorrow morning will be the Royal Assent; the signing of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. All our hard works and sacrifices will be gaining fruits! Dragonoids will be completely free, and war will never break out!¡± I couldn¡¯t hear Amphere¡¯s voice on the other side. Not that Amphere¡¯s answer matters to me at all. But for some reason, I feel good that dragonoids like Jasmine will attain her freedom. Since she¡¯s my most precious best friend who never left by my side, I will be happy for her. ¡°The moon is completely bright, right?¡± It was Seris, who decided to do the same thing. Stargaze and absorb some fresh air. But since the stars are hidden, the beauty of the moon was completely emphasized. Beside the princess, is Jasmine. They seem to be getting along. I¡¯m a Princess¡¯s Knight now, so I¡¯m in charge of protecting the princess. We will be always together, and forever, just how we dreamt when we were a kid. My feelings for her didn¡¯t change at all. I love her. Now that I¡¯m a legit noble who has the highest rank among the dragon knights, no one shall ever stop me from getting this feeling out of my heart. No one will object. No one will be able to separate us again. I looked at Jasmine, and she nodded as she left the scene with a smile, silently saying ¡°Good luck!¡±. She knew my feelings for the princess, and she very much supports it. It was all thanks to her that I reached my ultimate goal. And the only thing left is my confession. ¡°Seris!¡± I had my cheeks blushed as I stood up straight like a new cadet. The princess was astounded because of my sudden shout. But she didn¡¯t have any clue what I¡¯m about to say. ¡°I-¡° Suddenly, the airship shook awful. There was a loud explosion from the captain¡¯s deck, and the engine room has been busted! Thick smoke and crimson flames started growing out everywhere, burning the canvas which made the airship fly in a terrible manner. There were shouts everywhere coming from below. Gunshot barrages and screams. Maybe the guards of the ship are currently battling someone! This ship is sabotaged! ¡°For Arcadia!¡± A man entered the platform and shouted. He raised his rusty sword and prepared to charge at me, but ordinary dragonoids have no match for me! I made a straight jab to the assailant¡¯s face, which made him stunned, and then I used my foot to sweep his balance away. And that finished the job. It didn¡¯t stop there. Three, four, five. Ten Arcadians appeared and readied their swords to slaughter me. With this, I unsheathed my scimitar and kept the princess on my back. The terrorists made a war cry and then surged forward, trying their best to kill me.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. There¡¯s no problem with me in taking down some goons. I was worried that Duchess Corasell will be taken hostage, but that little girl is stronger than she looks. She have these drones in the shape of golden fans hovering all over her, just like Amphere¡¯s Dynamos. The blades of the fans which can slash in the speed of sound took care of the useless jabronis. More and more Arcadian terrorist continue to appear in the deck. It seems that they really well planned to hijack the princess¡¯s airship. Now there are roughly fifty of them here in the surface. But the battle has been interrupted once the right part of the airship blew. The gigantic flames made the smoke visible in this cold dark night. The airship lost its balance and started to lose altitude. The terrorists who are unlucky got their own body flying as they lose their stand in the ship! The princess lost her grip, which made her fall, but I immediately got her hand! ¡°Never let go!¡± I shouted. ¡°Eva!¡± The duchess held her chest. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡±. There is this sparkling butterfly around her that immediately transformed into a magical girl! And then the magical girl¡¯s body became covered with golden light, and slowly shaped herself into a blue Fairy Dragon! The duchess jumped to her Fairy Dragon which made her back to safety. That was a really great idea, so I did the same thing. I used Vesryn Pulse and had Jasmine transform to Rainbow Dragon. I carried the princess as I jump and ricochet all over the flying and falling debris until I reached Jasmine¡¯s dragon head. From above, we watched the burning airship fall and crash to a mountain. There was a loud explosion. I feel bad for not saving anyone other than the princess, but her safety comes first. We also can¡¯t afford to check for survivors, because they may be well traitors and support Dragunov¡¯s ideals. The crew is certainly responsible for sabotaging the princess¡¯s transport. We had our dragons hover all over the place to find a village, or city, just anywhere away from the airship. Instead, we got ourselves hidden in the forest. According to the map, the next city; Goldcliffe City is fifty kilometers away from here. Goldcliffe City is known to be the nest of Arcadia, so we can¡¯t risk going to that place. As the girls had theirselves rest on this eerie forest, I tried my best to get a reception. ¡°This is Cleru Neos of the Princess¡¯s Guard.¡± I talked to the radio. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending you our coordinates. We need a backup transportation convoy for the princess. I need at least four dragon knights and about ten empire soldiers. Over.¡± ¡°Copy that Princess¡¯s Guard. We will be sending you the convoy. E.T.A. twenty minutes.¡± That¡¯s reassuring. Now we all have to do is hide until the empire¡¯s transport arrives. I went back to the girls who are having a hard time coping up with the sudden change of events. But Duchess Corasell seems a little calm than I expected. ¡°Are those Arcadians trying to kidnap you again?¡± Duchess Corasell asked, as she crossed her arms. ¡°No.¡± I bowed down. ¡°Nox already got what he wanted from me back then.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Duchess Corasell¡¯s eyebrows curled. She¡¯s full of suspicion to me. ¡°The moonstone on my forehead.¡± ¡°The one when you activate your Elform, right?¡± the young duchess now have a harsh voice. ¡°What would he do with that moonstone? And why did the Arcadians attack again, if they already got that moonstone out from you?¡± She¡¯s asking too many questions, and I absolutely can¡¯t answer them all. I can¡¯t have anyone know the full extent of my identity. I just walked out away from the curious girl to evade the questions. But I know I can¡¯t avoid suspicions from her. She¡¯s smart after all. Thankfully, the convoy has arrived faster than expected. It consists of five helicopters, with four fully-armored dragon knights who are riding fully armor-plated dragons that I can¡¯t determine what type of dragons they are. The captain of the squad talked to me. ¡°We had some Portal Dragon to speed up the travel time, Sir.¡± ¡°Thank god they¡¯re fast!¡± the Princess clapped her hands. ¡°We¡¯re safe now. Right, Cleru?¡± The princess gave of the brightest smile I have ever seen. I¡¯m so glad that her fears have gone away. ¡°Right.¡± I answered. ¡°You¡¯ll always be safe here beside me.¡± As I opened the chopper¡¯s door, a chill went down to my spine. There was an old man, with white spiky hair and white beard. He¡¯s wearing an American suite so well, that it really suits his genuine grin. This man¡­. ¡°Dragunov!¡± Then there was a hard substance smacked on the back of my head. Everything blacked out. Chapter 80: Task Force Libera Chapter 80: Task Force Libera Marieflorine Corasell Everything happened so fast. As soon as the chopper door opened, the soldiers started attacking Cleru. They managed to make him lose consciousness because of the blunt trauma to the head. Due to my reflexes and adrenaline, I immediately activated Eva to transform into a Fairy Dragon once again. We¡¯re seriously outnumbered, so we didn¡¯t have time to rescue Cleru and the Princess, who was immediately grabbed by Dragunov¡¯s henchman Nox. I did afford to save one person, though. I grabbed Jasmine who is hesitant to flee the scene, but I convinced her anyway when we finally managed to escape unharmed. Using my Fairy Dragon¡¯s Night Cloak magic, we were never tracked down. We continued to fly until we reached Goldcliffe City and waited for the night for General Holster¡¯s knights to fetch us. Now I know the feeling of powerlessness. I always nag about Sir Amphere about him being weak, but here I am, not really able to do anything. I¡¯m really just a child after all. I¡¯m just here in General Holster¡¯s camp near the city, where he¡¯s going to gather all his troops and his special team, the Chevalier Unit. When Amphere and Airi arrived, they immediately checked my condition. They¡¯re sure worried about me, even though I fled away leaving the princess to harm. And without the princess, the Dragonoid Rights Bill that my parents worked hard for will never become a law. ¡°Everything will be okay, totally!¡± Airelina tried to raise my ego. ¡°I and my love will get Cleru and the princess back, totally!¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Amphere scratched his head. ¡°Cleru is completely unharmed. They found him in the Goldrudge Forest, unconscious. It looks like Dragunov has no interest in him anymore. I even saw him this morning, rushing away from the doors of the Royal Palace.¡± That Cleru Neos¡­ Something is off with him. It may be true that Dragunov has no longer use for him, but he still hides a lot of secrets from everyone. It seems that he¡¯s close with that wretched terrorist commander at some point, since he¡¯s somewhat able to know Dragunov¡¯s justifications and reasons for his plan and actions. ¡°Amphere.¡± General Holster entered the room. ¡°The knights and the Princess¡¯s Knight is here. We¡¯re going to do a briefing in ten minutes.¡± Amphere and Airelina nodded in sync, and then they stood up to leave the room. But before they were able to, I pinched Amphere¡¯s white uniform from the back and I muttered some words weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll come too.¡± The two didn¡¯t protest, and instead, welcomed me with a smile. All four of us, including Eva went to the wide conference hall of this camp. It was nothing like the royal hall. This is just a ridiculously oversized classroom. It doesn¡¯t have any differences with the Dragon Knight Academy¡¯s facilities. There were a lot of knights and dragonoids sitting peacefully. I can remember those faces; mostly they were the knights defeated by Amphere, Rudolf and Reina back in the tournament.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°First of all¡­¡± General Holster grabbed everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I would like-¡° ¡°Cut to the chase, General. We don¡¯t want to hear your corny jokes.¡± Dennis protested. He was the dragon knight with the Black Feather Dragon that Amphere defeated in the quarterfinals. ¡°O-Okay.¡± General Holster cleared his throat. ¡°The leader for this mission is the Princess¡¯s Knight himself, Cleru Neos.¡± Then the general give way for the so-much-secretive royal guard to take the stage. ¡°Oh, the new Princess¡¯s Knight. What a useless plebeian hobo. He had the princess kidnapped in his first three months on his job. I¡¯d rather take orders from the general. You had one job, ROYAL KNIGHT!¡± Adrian objected. He was the Chain Dragon Knight that Reina Fleuret defeated at some point in the tournament. Cleru Neos ignored all the insults he took from those dragon knights and instead, he continued to explain and humbly apologize with a bow. ¡°I deeply ask for forgiveness for the empire and knights. I am the truly the one to blame for the princess¡¯s kidnapping. I can¡¯t say sorry enough. But I am also here to realize and undo my mistake. I will be in charge of the task force to rescue the princess and obliterate Arcadia once and for all. The Emperor has authorized me a blank check and endless troop request form to make sure that we can recover the princess.¡± ¡°Such a big word for a dirty knight like you.¡± Sherman said. He was the pretty boy who got his ass kicked by Rudolf back in the first round of the tournament. His partner is the White Rose Dragon. ¡°You guys¡­¡± Rudolf didn¡¯t shout, but his tone is enough to respect him. ¡°We will be following the highest knight of the empire. We don¡¯t have the right to object because I¡¯m sure Cleru is having a hard time on his own.¡± Then he turned to Cleru. ¡°Right?¡± Cleru just slightly nodded. Then he proceeded to explain the plan for the dragon knights to comprehend. The empire soldiers managed to capture some Arcadian terrorist back in the airship crash site. They managed to interrogate and extract information from them about the safe houses and the secret bases that Dragunov always uses. They are now preparing their weapons to worsen the war. However, that¡¯s all information we got. We still don¡¯t have a clue about Dragunov¡¯s real objective (besides money) and Nox¡¯s riddle. It seems that they have kept their real intentions for themselves. ¡°It seems like we¡¯re going to raid all the safe houses and bases all at once. We don¡¯t have time to check them one at a time for the reason that Dragunov will be alerted.¡± Reina Fleuret suggested. ¡°We¡¯ll be in six separate places in just one day. Is it impossible?¡± General Holster asked. ¡°Not for the Task Force Libera.¡± Reina smiled with her dragonoid Richard. The meeting went on for a couple of hours. There were so much unimportant military details that I couldn¡¯t comprehend so I decided to have some fresh air outside the building for a while. I had a five minute walk around the building when somebody opened the door and got out. It was Sir Amphere. I thought that he¡¯s also here for a fresh air but not. He slowly walked forward to me. ¡°Duchess.¡± Amphere, with his red cheeks, is now quite nervous. ¡°I need your help about something.¡± Amphere looked from left, right, up, behind and far forward. Then he reached for his pocket a black cute box. He slowly opened it and revealed the most beautiful crimson diamond ring I have ever seen in my life. ¡°T-That¡¯s beautiful!¡± I exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Are Airi and you¡­engaged?¡± ¡°N-Not yet.¡± Amphere scratched his head yet again. ¡°I¡¯m planning to propose to her once everything is over. Once the bill has been passed, the princess has been rescued, and the war ends, I¡¯ll give this to her. Anyway, you¡¯re the one closest to her that I can talk to. I need you to help me about some of her¡­stuff.¡± ¡°Just make me your maid of honor in the wedding, and I¡¯ll give you all the help you need!¡± I said cheerfully. Upon hearing this, Amphere made that usual bland face again. ¡°I think you¡¯re more suited for the role of a flower girl.¡± I¡¯m too old for that! Chapter 81: Return of the Crimson Dragonfly Chapter 81: Return of the Crimson Dragonfly Amphere Harrison Raiding six sites for one team at the very same time is a little too much. We have divided our forces into six teams. The first team, which was led by Cleru and Rudolf, are in charge of scouting the abandoned town a few hundred meters near Twilight City. The second team was led by General Holster are the ones who will be raiding an underground basement. Third, fourth, and fifth team which was led by Sherman, Dennis and Adrian, respectively is in charge of checking the slums that were near to some major cities. And for the sixth¡¯ squad, Reina Fleuret and me. We didn¡¯t have many troops on us because the site that has been assigned to us¡­ Is the gargantuan crater of Vanilla City, which is apparently, my girlfriend¡¯s fault. ¡°Sure brings back memories. Totally.¡± I held a sarcastic smug as Airi and I look for clues in the rubbish metal planks in this very rubbish abandoned city. This is the place where Airi became a Monolith Dragon and wreaked havoc, killing a thousand people and annihilating a city in just a matter of minutes. The Crimson Dragonfly Incident, which was the issue that almost ruined my relationship with Airi. ¡°I-It doesn¡¯t matter now, r-right? Y-You still love me, t-totally¡­right?¡± Airi had her face slightly worried and her eyes teary. ¡°Of course!¡± I made a generic smile at her. ¡°We already talked about this long ago.¡± ¡°It sure brings back memories.¡± Reina said as she gazes upon the hill where her mansion was supposed to be standing years ago. Right now, there are just endless titanic brown bricks on that mansion. There are still walls in it but it won¡¯t hold out for a couple of years. ¡°Reina¡­¡± Richard muttered. I know he¡¯s still worried about Reina¡¯s grudge against Airi. ¡°It¡¯s like what Amphere said.¡± Reina closed her eyes and made a genuine smile. ¡°We already talked about this. There¡¯s no use about getting revenge to someone who really didn¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing at that time.¡± Airi approached Reina and bowed politely. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful that you have forgiven my sins, Reina. You¡¯re the kindest woman I¡¯ve ever met. Totally!¡± So far, so good. We haven¡¯t seen anyone besides us. It¡¯s too quiet that we¡¯re doubting if this is a trap or not. We decided to activate Vesryn Pulse and had our flying dragons survey the whole ex-city, and we did it separately so that the entire job would become a lot easier. For the past thirty minutes, all I¡¯ve been seeing from above are abandoned buildings, creepy untouched houses, and giant piles of junk. No irregularities at all. This place is dead. But then Reina called us through our communicators. ¡°We have spotted a young dragonoid maiden from below. We¡¯ll be landing to check her. I advise rendezvousing to our location, over.¡± Hearing that, I commanded my Chimeratech Dragon to activate her photon boosters from her back and jet to that specific location as stated by our trackers. We arrived at an old warehouse in a matter of seconds. There¡¯s no sign of Reina or Richard from above, so we decided to land and search them on foot.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. When we opened the door, there was a certain sight that made Airi froze. Her mouth seemed to become dry, and her pupils shrank as if she saw a ghost. What¡¯s happening to her? Reina and Richard are here, talking to a dragonoid woman with black hair. She was wearing a long dress, kinda like what you always see to each and every married woman. She seems to be at the age of twenty-eight after all. When Reina noticed us, she said this. ¡°This woman says that she¡¯s a friend of yours, Airelina.¡± Airelina failed to respond. I can feel her heart beating like a boom box, as if she was scared. She wanted to run, but her body fails to recognize this command. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Airi.¡± The woman said. ¡°It¡¯s me, Noira.¡± ¡°W-Why are you still alive¡­?¡± Airi finally talked. Hey, isn¡¯t that phrase rude to say to a friend who hasn¡¯t seen you for long? ¡°There¡¯s some good guys who rescued me when you left me after you wreaked this city, Airi.¡± The lady named Noira said. ¡°We both destroyed this city!¡± Airi¡¯s shout echoed throughout the spacious rusty warehouse. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare pass the blame on me!¡± ¡°Oh, I really forgot.¡± Noira said with a sarcastic laugh. ¡°Best friends share the same sins, right? THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME LIKE A USED RAG!?¡± ¡°W-We can¡¯t afford to.¡± Airi¡¯s voice became something in the borderline of crying. ¡°Estoff and I¡­We only have time to save ourselves.¡± ¡°YOU SELFISH BITCH!!!¡± Noira shouted. There is an intense aura emitting from her, but Richard, Reina, and I stayed away from this war of the words. Airi closed her eyes and successfully suppressed her tears. As he opened her eyes again, it was filled with crimson red determination glare to her old best friend. ¡°Yes I am. I know that you hate me because I sacrificed both you and Zac. And I¡¯m really sorry about that. Go ahead and hurt me. I won¡¯t resist. The Crimson Dragonfly incident is my fault after all.¡± ¡°Are you really that sorry, Airi? Like, totally?¡± It was the voice of a young adult man. There was an echoing footstep behind us. As we turned around, a brown haired man with harajuku anime hairdo was there, wearing a tattered American suit. He was about in the same age as Airi. What makes me wonder is that why do they use Airi¡¯s nickname so casually as if they¡¯re really close to her? ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Airi¡¯s spine has been chilled once again. ¡°H-How are you two alive?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Noira say it earlier?¡± the man chuckled. ¡°Dragunov saved us. He¡¯s my foster father after all. All the execution trash that you witnessed are just an act. Dragunov had connections to free Noira from prison. And he also forced some innocent human to be beheaded in my place. All we needed are some makeup and wolla! A purely staged execution.¡± ¡°W-Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re still alive, ZAC!!!?¡± Airi shouted once again. ¡°I-I thought y-you¡­¡± ¡°I never loved you, Airi.¡± This man, who seems to be Zac Schneider, bowed down. ¡°I just wanted to see if I can control you and channel your anger so that you can massacre a lot of people in my stead.¡± ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Airi started to utter a cry. I felt the urge to intercept this tension and catch all the bullets to myself. ¡°Airi never loved you too.¡± I said with confidence. ¡°All she¡¯s been waiting is me the whole time.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Zac had his chin upwards. This man is grinding my gears. ¡°Let¡¯s see who she will follow.¡± It¡¯s obvious! Airi loves me, and she hates Dragunov! She won¡¯t change sides! I know her heart! But my speculation was wrong. Zac held his chest which glowed with blue light. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± Suddenly, Airi¡¯s body glowed with golden light. Her body shaped itself into an eight-meter Futuretech Dragon. It was her previous form, but how¡­? ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Zac made an evil laugh. ¡°I still know your heart, Airi. You didn¡¯t rescind our contract after all. You thought you didn¡¯t need to because all you thought is that I am dead the whole time. Well, you¡¯re wrong!¡± The Futuretech Dragon Airi roared in protest, but since Zac was the one who activated the Vesryn Pulse, Airi cannot hurt her former master. She will be brainwashed as long as she¡¯s on her dragon form, and do everything that bastard want. It is a freaking unfair rule of the Vesryn Pulse. ¡°Zac, I¡¯m ready!¡± Noira shouted as she jumped to Airi¡¯s head. ¡°Good.¡± Zac laughed obnoxiously. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Crimson Dragonfly!¡± Chapter 82: My Last Hope Chapter 82: My Last Hope Amphere Harrison This is not happening. In front of me, is a gigantic seventy-meter tall platinum Futuretech Dragon, the only difference is that it has red photon dragonfly wings on its back. Its posture is more of a humanoid than dragon¡¯s, and it¡¯s eyes are completely tinted red. There was a gigantic electric fan on its back that absorbs light particles from nature. This is the legendary Monolith Dragon. There is no way I can fight this. Airi is completely being controlled by her past lover Zac Schneider, who turns out to be the greatest bad guy of all. He successfully merged two dragonoids into one horrific creature in existence. ¡°Amphere.¡± Rudolf is talking through my earpiece communicator. ¡°We got a positive ID on Dragunov and the Princess. We need additional backup from you guys.¡± I completely ignored Rudolf¡¯s statement. I have to focus on getting rid of that Zac guy, who was grinning excitedly at me. I clenched my fist in wrath and despair. I wanted to kill that guy for using my Airi! The Monolith Dragon charged a particle ball from its mouth, and then fired into my direction. The diameter of the beam was so wide that it can annihilate ten blocks in a second. The particle beam was so powerful that it converts every building it touches into unseen bits that mixes through the air. I was dead. But the Portal Dragon managed to create a warp gate which immediately transported us into midair, twenty five meters above the Crimson Dragonfly. I was so occupied with my anger and sorrow that I didn¡¯t notice that Reina already used Vesryn Pulse on Richard. Now I found myself sitting on the white dragon¡¯s nape. ¡°Get yourself together!¡± Reina scolded me. ¡°I¡¯ll be opening a portal to summon Exceria.¡± As Reina exerts effort to her fingers, trying hard to open a dimensional gate, I touched my chest and mumbled ¡°Cancelling Vesryn Pulse.¡± It was no good. I was not the one who¡¯s using Airi¡¯s Vesryn Pulse with after all. It was that Zac demon. I know a way! If I¡¯ll use my Eye of Deus to control other¡¯s Vesryn Pulse, I¡¯ll be sure to have Airi back! ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Exceria, who just teleported here, held my right eye with her soft warm hand. ¡°We should save your powers to control Vesryn Pulse for our main enemy. You can only overload Vesryn Pulse once a week after all.¡± ¡°B-But Airi is¡­¡± I was so shaking that I never managed to complete my sentence. ¡°We¡¯ll find a way to save your love, Amphere. For now, let¡¯s activate our own Vesryn Pulse!¡± She maybe has some point, but I¡¯m not sure if I can still endure this feeling. I can¡¯t bear watching my own girlfriend being used by her ex! I¡¯ll overload Vesryn Pulse if we don¡¯t get any solution in five minutes! I had Exceria transform into a white Pulsar Dragon. Because of the light, the gigantic robot dragon noticed us and prepared another beam to exterminate us. Exceria¡¯s dragon form revealed its moonstone on its chest and gathered light energy, the same way how the Monolith Dragon is using its mouth to channel photon beams. Pulsar Dragon unleashed a beam of light that made the Monolith Dragon¡¯s mouth explode for a brief period! That might hurt for Airi, but I know her! She will last long enough for me to save her! Just endure that pain a little bit more!This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. But the Monolith Dragon was not hurt at all. The gigantic gun hiding at the deepest edge of its mouth was not damaged. Zac laughed like a madman as he celebrated witnessing our attack go to waste. Damn that guy! I¡¯ll punch him and slice his scrotum once I get close to him! There was another immense photon beam that was discharged from the Monolith Dragon! This time, target was Reina and Richard. Richard dodged the beams by flying at super speeds and teleporting using his warp holes. The giant photon beam left a long zigzagging crater, as if the Crimson Dragonfly is sketching something while changing the landscape. As if this Twilight City is not devastated enough. ¡°I know someone who can help us!¡± Reina shouted. ¡°A Vesryn Pulse canceler!¡± That thought made some light bulb in my head. That was right. Zac¡¯s Dracaryx and Vesryn Pulse will be completely negated, if the General Class-Dragon Knight is here! Mark Anthony Octavius and his Gladiator Dragon are the one¡¯s who¡¯s needed! ¡°Amphere! Keep them occupied while I open a portal!¡± Reina said as she maneuvered her Portal Dragon away from the battlefield. I nodded with enthusiasm. Now I can feel that we¡¯re in a brink of victory! I¡¯ll just grab the Crimson Dragonfly¡¯s attention until our guy is here. I had Exceria jet forward, revolving around the giant¡¯s body like a persistent mosquito as it continuously fire photon beams in the hopes of annihilating us. The Monolith Dragon uses its claws trying to swat us, but due to its heaviness and size, its reaction time is so slow. I think I can do the other plan. ¡°Drop me to the head, where that demon guy is.¡± I whispered to Exceria. If I¡¯m able to rip that guy¡¯s heart, Airi will be freed. With the speed of sound, Exceria rose up and then released me to the spacious flat head of the giant dragon. It looks like a smooth platform of some sort, so my landing was favorable. I rolled three times and then withdrew my two photon swords, and then bolted forward to destroy the enemy! ¡°What the-!!!¡± Zac, who was astounded, took a step back. When I was about to smash my first sword, he raised his hand, and a photonic force field appeared, repelling my attack. I slashed with my other, and then hacked again, but the shield is unbreakable! This guy is using Airi¡¯s powers! I can¡¯t take him down like this, so I retreated back and jumped to Exeria¡¯s head once again and flew away. I have to activate my dynamos or Deus Ex Machina to break his shield and then launch a close ranged attack! But when I was about to activate my clearance systems, our backup has arrived. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!¡± A loud voice echoed throughout the stratosphere. ¡°I¡¯m now here for your aid!¡± It was not a man¡¯s voice. Of course it¡¯s not Mark Anthony Octavius. It was a twelve-year-old girl that makes me annoyed every now and then. ¡°D-D-Duchess Corasell?¡± I muttered. The duchess is proudly having her arms crossed as she was standing on top of the head of a blue Fairy Dragon that I suspect was Eva. Seriously, what do these kids can do in this situation? Cry out loud and whine? ¡°I see that I¡¯m your last hope now, Sir Amphere.¡± The duchess covered her mouth with her golden fan as she laughed aristocratically. ¡°It¡¯s really a shame that you can¡¯t control your dragonoid. You don¡¯t have a right to proclaim yourself as a knight!¡± Because of her blabbing, I got irritated so easily. I think I¡¯m going to suffer from high blood pressure. This is a serious situation, and here she is, mocking at me!? ¡°Stop yanking. Are you really sure you can bring Airi back?¡± ¡°Watch and learn, big boy.¡± The duchess laughed once again. Darn this little girl! The Fairy Dragon clapped its hands as Duchess Corasell gracefully circled her fan around herself in a form of a dance. And then she immediately closed those fans, leaving an echo throughout the atmosphere. ¡°Negate!¡± She shouted. One, two¡­three second has passed, but there¡¯s nothing. The Monolith Dragon made a deafening roar again, charging a photon beam to annihilate us for the last time. But before the attack was released, the Monolith Dragon¡¯s back blew out. There were thick smoke, and then a flash of light came. Even from afar, I could see two star-like lights falling from where the Crimson Dragonfly is supposed to be. Looks like the giant dragon vanished like a bubble. Duchess Corasell is certainly ¡°Amphere!¡± Reina shouted, as she opened a portal right in my face. ¡°Right!¡± I jumped to the portal and I find myself free falling on midair. I saw the unconscious Airi in front of me, and I tried to reach her hand. After three tries, I finally got her soft hand and then grabbed her to my grasps. Because of the comforting sensation, Airi opened her eyes and uttered a weak yet bright smile. ¡°Y-You saved me again, Amphy. Like¡­totally¡­ You always do¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡± I embraced her as tight as I can. I never knew that I was crying until droplets came out crawling to my cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet!¡± A loud masculine shout can be heard. As I look upward, I saw the demon, Zac Schneider, holding a black heart. Chapter 83: Price of Vengeance Chapter 83: Price of Vengeance Richard Astherson Little did Amphere know that the little duchess is so gifted that she can imitate a bloodline magic. It was all a mystery on how she can do that, but Eva has told us this very secret since she¡¯s with the duchess all the time. That is why she¡¯s a valuable asset to our team. I had a portal for Duchess Corasell and her Fairy Dragon to escape the scene. We can¡¯t afford an underage girl to take part in this bloody battle. As soon as Amphere reached Airelina, Reina, who was riding on top of my dragon head, created a gigantic portal. Exceria the Pulsar Dragon boosted forward and entered it, only to be transported a few meters below the couple. The Pulsar Dragon immediately caught them and went back to the portal, which she was immediately teleported right beside us. I glanced to Amphere, who was holding the scarlet dragonoid on his arms. Airelina was very pale and weak, and she can¡¯t even open her eyes. She must be tired for using that Dracaryx for too long. Seeing this, Amphere clenched his hand, and murmured. ¡°That Zac¡­He¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Back where the humongous smoke is, there is a bright red flash of light. After a few seconds, a titanic shadow appeared from the gray smoke. The shadow of the demon. It has twin red eyes that shine like those beasts who were lurking in the shadows. It slowly revealed its whole body. This dragon form¡­ Is that the one Kyle Leviticus transformed into, after he swallowed a black heart? Their appearances are the same- black as ever. It has a ram-like horn that was looped two times in its head. The Light Bringer Dragon has made its appearance once again. Just what are those black hearts? They are always held by those zombies! They can be used as a nuclear explosive! And they can also be used to transform a human into a demonic dragon! Amphere gave out the most terrifying stare I¡¯ve ever seen, and he isn¡¯t even activated Eye of Deus yet. His brown eyes are filled with anger and hunger for blood. He immediately shouted with all his might. ¡°Expanded Clearance! Deus Ex Dragonica!¡± Suddenly, metal plates emerged, shaped, and elongated from his back. He summoned Deus Ex Machina, but some parts are a lot different. Instead of a humanoid skull, it resembles the upper part of a dragon¡¯s head. The arms are more like armor with claws. It has only two arms, but the original two other arms were converted into shield-shaped wings. The dragon version of Deus Ex Machina attached itself to the Pulsar Dragon in a cybernetic yet disorienting manner. The white dragon is now covered with adamantine armor which has chimera-technology capabilities. The additional shield-shaped wings released glass-like photon feathers, and then there is a loud shockwave that bursts from that very dragon. ¡°Amphere will deal with that demonic entity.¡± Reina said. ¡°And we¡¯ll have to fight that one.¡± Reina was pointing two hundred meters north of us. There is a forty-meter tall dragon that looks like a tan home lizard, but standing in two feet. There¡¯s nothing notable with this dragon except that it really looks like a naked human from afar. But without a doubt, I know this dragon. It is the Titanus Dragon, known for the largest specie of dragon in existence. Only the Monolith Dragon beats it in terms of size. That must be the dragonoid lady, Noira. Because of the Duchess¡¯s ability to cancel their Dracaryx and Vesryn Pulse, Airelina and Noira got separated. Maybe what we¡¯re seeing right now is a magical anomaly since that girl is still on her dragon form, even though he doesn¡¯t have a knight who is maintaining a Vesryn Pulse.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Seeing it, I sensed from my heart that Reina is trying hard not to burst out of anger. That particular dragonoid¡­Is one of the culprits for her mother¡¯s murder after all. This will be her revenge, and I¡¯ll completely help her do it. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this in an instant.¡± I telepathically communicated to Reina. Reina slowly nodded. With this signal, I immediately opened a giant portal for us to teleport near the Titanus Dragon. When we transported ourselves in our effective range, Reina held her heart and shouted. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Hyperspace Fury!¡± Hundreds and thousands of portals opened up the sky, and it completely surrounded every inch of the Titanus Dragon¡¯s body. Then eternal beams of light came surging, making a huge series of deafening explosions that could met eardrums. Even Noira¡¯s screams was never audible due to this detonations. Before I was able to revert back to my humanoid form, Reina opened up a portal to teleport us safely into a five-story building that appears to be intact. When we gaze at the place where the gigantic dragon should be, we were filled with relief. When the smoke was cleared, the Titanus Dragon disappeared, without a trace. Meanwhile, the Cyber Pulsar Dragon and the Light Bringer Dragon are having an intense dogfight in the air. They look like stars colliding, spiraling and firing projectiles at each other. I had it all difficult because my visions are starting to blur. I can¡¯t even stand on my own, and Reina is just carrying my shoulder. There was a time where the two clashing dragons went two hundred meters away from our building. Through our communicators, I heard Amphere¡¯s angry words. ¡°I will not let you use Airi ever again! DRACARYX!!! Activate Requiem Aeternam!!!¡± Rudolf told me the story of the most powerful Dracaryx: Requiem Aeternam and its execution. But I¡¯d say that this Requiem Aeternam is different from what Rudolf witnessed. The armored Pulsar Dragon raised its arms and a gigantic golden sword materialized. It made a light ray that absorbed light particles from the sun, and before the Light Bringer Dragon was about to react, the sword immediately slashed the demon¡¯s body in clean half. Then there is a crack in reality, in both space and time. A bright sun-like dimensional hole opened and created a flashbang light. There was neither deafening sound nor explosions. As soon as the light went out, the Diablo Zac Schneider ceased to exist. When Exceria passed out and reverted back to human form, Amphere immediately caught her with his other shoulder. He activated his dynamos as a raft and tried his best to balance his body, with two dragonoids sleeping on his shoulders. When he reached the rooftop where Reina and I were taking a break, he gently put down the two girls on the floor. Then Amphere held his two eyes. He screamed as if he was in an excruciating pain. The concerned Reina immediately went to his side. ¡°You okay? What happened!?¡± Amphere slowly had his palms revealed, and there were blood. ¡°This is the feedback of using my Expanded Clearance.¡± ¡°Too bad for you.¡± It was a voice from behind me, having a grim smile. It was a woman with red eyes and tattered clothes. Her right arm seems to be abnormally large in size. I never thought that Noira was still alive, after all the light rays she took! With her menacing bloodshot eyes, she revealed from her other arm a black heart! ¡°WE¡¯LL ALL GO BOOM HERE IN THIS VERY CITY! HAHAHA!!!¡± Airelina, Exeria and I are completely immobilized because we just used all our Dracaryx. Amphere has his eyes bleeding. The only one who is able to move is Reina! She immediately unsheated her short sword and stabbed the crazy dragonoid¡¯s heart. Blood spurted out from Noira¡¯s mouth, yet she still continues to smile. Reina swiped her fingers from behind Noira, and a portal opened. Reina was about to push the suicide bomber to the portal, but then she realized that the abnormally gigantic arm got her whole body. The grip was unbelievably tight,but Reina remained calm after all. She looked at me with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Richard. I love you. But I should pay the price of my own vengeance.¡± ¡°R-Reina!¡± I shouted. W-What the hell is she thinking!? She pushed herself forward. Using her weight, she succeeded in having Noira and herself enter the portal. I was about to crawl my way to the gateway, but it was immediately closed and disappeared. Then, about ten kilometers away from the ruined city- the mountains, there was a mushroom cloud explosion that disrupted the natural gusts of wind. No. This can¡¯t be. ¡°REINAAAAAAAA!!!¡± Chapter 84: Dying Love Chapter 84: Dying Love Rudolf Azregon Three hours. I¡¯ve been waiting for some signs in three hours. According to the intel we received, the Yellow Cross Hotel; about one thousand and fifty three kilometers away from us, is one of Dragunov¡¯s safe houses. It certainly is one of the places we¡¯ve been looking for. The princess might have been kept hidden in this place. My team consisted of Cleru Neos and his dragonoid Jasmine, me and my wife Kyrie, and also we added one additional member; Gaz. Gaz is an ex-Arcadia, but still have good terms between his fellow dragonoid fanatics, which means that he can slip in and out of the Arcadian camp. He will be our eyes inside, while me and Kyrie wait and watch with our sniper rifle and binoculars. I was a very good sniper in the academy, and teachers praised me for this talent. But the last time I held a rifle, I almost had my best friend killed. That is why I¡¯m quite hesitant right now. Cleru and Jasmine will be preparing their raid from above. It might be unseeable from the naked eye, but there is a Rainbow Dragon flying about a kilometer above from the hotel. The Rainbow Dragon can control the reflections and colors upon being exposed to sunlight, so they are most likely invisible right now. ¡°PK to Gaz. What¡¯s your status?¡± I whispered to our radio, but there is no answer. I repeated the very same sentence for about five times, and there¡¯s no answer. That¡¯s weird. Gaz has an earpiece attached on him. ¡°Maybe he forgot to turn it on.¡± Kyrie said with a smile. She turned her binoculars to the right and then continued to speak. ¡°There are Humvees on the right. I think I have spotted Dragunov.¡± I redirected my rifle to where Kyrie was looking and there I saw him. Dragunov, with his snow white hair and beard. He was with the rainbow-eyed freak named Nox. They carefully got out of the Humvee and then for some reason, a chill went down on my spine. Is it me, or Nox is looking at our exact location? I doubted if he has the power of super vision (Since he almost have magical powers on anything) but I think I was wrong. He turned his head away normally. It took a minute before Dragunov and his lackeys enter the fifth floor of the hotel. Some of the windows have curtains, which are really obscuring my sight. Good thing is that Dragunov went to the balcony. He appears to have a phone on his hand, talking to someone. But then¡­ ¡°I know you¡¯re listening through this channel, Cleru. You didn¡¯t hold your part of the bargain, that is why I kidnapped the princess. Necross doesn¡¯t want anything from her, but she can be used to bring war and achieve the death counts needed for the ritual. And now you¡¯re here, ruining all our plans. You also brought your friends from the empire just to rescue your childhood friend.¡± It was Dragunov¡¯s voice that was coming from our communicators! Did he hack our radio? I was able to verify that it¡¯s not when the curtains have opened. One window from the left gave me a vision of Princess Elkyria, who was completely tied in a metallic wheelchair. She even got her mouth shut by a duct tape, and there are a lot of C4 bombs attached all over her body! On the left window, is Gaz completely tied in the very same manner with the princess. There are also bombs attached to him, and there¡¯s Nox who is currently sticking a thousand-degree hot crimson spoon on the poor dragonoid¡¯s right eye! I know that kid¡¯s screaming in pain.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°We¡¯ve been compromised! Get loud!¡± Cleru commanded. I had my sniper rifle fire my first shot on Nox¡¯s right arm which was currently tormenting the poor kid. His arm was torn and went flying as the rainbow-eyed freak fell down in pain. I tried aiming down Dragunov, but he already knew where the shot came from because of the projectile, so he quickly hid in the walls were I can¡¯t completely see him. Because of this, I focused on firing minor targets such as Arcadians who are randomly shooting anywhere from their machine guns. And then there was an air dive from the Rainbow Dragon. It destroyed the right part of the building which made debris such as cement, wood and steel bars fly everywhere. Then everything went so messy in that place. ¡°It¡¯s action time, Kyrie!¡± I excitedly got up and removed dusts on my armor. And then I held my chest and shouted. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The old building¡¯s walls started to explode as soon as my Chaos Dragon¡¯s size became so bulked. I know my dragon became fatter, but a husband has no way to say that to his wife. She¡¯ll kill me if I ever uttered some words like dieting and exercise. We skyrocketed forward with a sound-breaking speed. We have to provide backup for Cleru and rescue the princess and Gaz as soon as possible. But I realized that it won¡¯t be easy when I sensed that we¡¯ve been followed. The whole time. The Black Phantom and his Ice Dragon has made its appearance once again. The Ice Dragon had her jaws charging up a gigantic ice ball the whole time, and it was released before my synapses entered my mouth to shout! There was a loud burst of white smoke, and next time I know it, Kyrie¡¯s left wing has been frostbitten! She lost her balance in the air and we crashed in a highway full of cars and busy people. Her damaged wing shattered like glass and my love uttered a loud cry! ¡°Damn you!¡± I shouted. I don¡¯t have to hesitate at this point. I coated my flesh-arm with chaos energy, and cocked my mechanical arm, ready for battle. I gathered my strength towards my lungs as I inhaled deeply to activate the Voice of the Emperor, but then¡­ ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Time Freeze!¡± The zombie Black Phantom shouted. The next time I know, is that I¡¯m already lying on the ground with my shield plate at zero percent. There is this ice dagger stuck in my heart, and I can feel that blood has been running to my cheeks, which really came from my mouth. I get it. That ninja ice lady and that zombie froze time again, in order to stab me wide open. I can no longer feel my heart beating, but I still have some consciousness on the surroundings. My vision is blurry, but I can still see that my wife; Kyrie is standing in front of me, trying her best to protect me from other¡¯s harm. She¡¯s currently facing the zombie Black Phantom. The Black Phantom bolted forward, releasing countless streaks with his golden rapier. Kyrie is not that mobile, so she took those piercings with bravery. She was now bathed with her own blood. She dashed backwards and created dark-hole looking balls which she threw to the enemy, but the zombie effortlessly evaded it by tumbling backwards. Losing all her strength, I saw my love fell down just beside me. Gathering all energy left, she used it to crawl to me. But the Black Phantom was just behind her, slowly walking and readying his golden rapier to finish off the business. ¡°R-Rudolf¡­Honey¡­¡± She weakly said. I know that I¡¯m already dead, but that doesn¡¯t mean that he can murder my wife in front of me! A miracle came. Everything became so slow. My mechanical fingers jerked, even though my whole body ceases to function. I struggled to control my hand to get the dagger on my heart. And with my willpower, I slowly draw the dagger, millimeter by millimeter. I tried to ignore the hellish pain I¡¯m going through. I may be dying, but no one can hurt Kyrie! Not even if my heart stops beating! As soon as I got the dagger out, I quickly aimed to the Black Phantom, who is marching towards his own doom! I threw it out to his left hand, which was holding the black heart. When the black heart has been pierced, the corpse of the Black Phantom stood stiff. And then his flesh corroded, converting his body into dust which was immediately blown by the wind. [Rudolf Azregon ¨C K.I.A.] Chapter 85: The One to Blame Chapter 85: The One to Blame Cleru Neos As soon as I gave the signal to my comrades, I commanded my Rainbow Dragon to make a thousand-meter dive from the skies. Combining our weight, speed, and the force of gravity, we managed to get past the speed of sound, which made a huge blast as soon as we crashed on the hotel. Jasmine has her claws covered with rainbow elements, which is why we didn¡¯t suffer any damages. The left wing of the hotel has been burst open. There were about fifteen Arcadian soldiers who immediately acted when they saw me and my Rainbow Dragon. They aimed with their rifles but then they got their brains explode one by one, thanks to our sniper, Rudolf Azregon. I immediately rushed forward to the lower floors where the princess and that kid dragonoid are. I have to rescue both of them! I slide on the staircase, slashing and thrusting the terrorists who blocks my way with my rainbow scimitar. When I finally reached the floor where the hostages are, I saw Nox holding his decapitated arm and watching it as it grows back again. It was so gross! ¡°You traitor.¡± Nox muttered. Then he drew his buster sword from his back and prepared to chop the princess¡¯s head off! My reflexes made my body move on adrenaline and point my hand towards the rainbow-eyed freak! ¡°Fusion Flare!¡± A white fireball bursts to his right arm which made his buster sword flying out of the windows. And then I surged forward with a fast slash, tearing his right shoulder all down to his left waist! He fell lifelessly to the ground with shock on his face. I immediately removed the explosives and threw it out of the windows. Then I removed the princess from being bound from her chair. Next is to free the now one-eyed Gaz. Poor kid. He didn¡¯t have to suffer like this in his young age. Suddenly, there appeared three Arcadians wielding a sword that raided us! ¡°I got this!¡± Princess Seris said as she took a step forward. ¡°Princess Punch!¡± Her arm was coated with golden flames. Seris made an uppercut straight to one of the terrorist which immediately broke his jaw. His body went flying that it crashed with the two other red-eyed terrorists! T-That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s the Princess Punch that was taught to the royal family women. It can seriously put a shield plate to zero percent in one hit! A truly devastating magical attack! But it can only be used once per day, so it¡¯s quite a luxury. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I immediately attached shield plates to Gaz and Seris. As soon as Jasmine¡¯s dragon form peeked at the windows, I carried both of the hostages to jump to my Rainbow Dragon¡¯s back. Then the Rainbow Dragon jetted forward in maximum speed. Our main objective is to rescue the princess right now. Taking down Dragunov is not my job. I¡¯ll leave those to the Chevalier Unit. Even if I have a personal grudge on my stepfather, I still won¡¯t involve myself in this war they have created. All I care about is the princess¡¯s wellbeing. When we were on the way out, I remembered that Rudolf Azregon must¡¯ve been backing me up but he didn¡¯t follow my lead. My doubt has been extinguished as I saw thick smoke in one part of the city. I had a small detour to check on the area and then we saw him. The princess shrieked as she witnessed this horror. Gaz gritted his teeth. Rudolf and his dragonoid are completely lifeless on the ground. And then I saw the silver-haired ice lady who¡¯s slowly walking close to Rudolf¡¯s body, while holding an icicle dagger on both hands. She had her red eyes popped with so many veins that we can mistake him for a crazy woman.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Jasmine, go!¡± I commanded my Rainbow Dragon. Jasmine reduced her altitude while maintaining her speed. On the way, I heard Emy shout in front of the unconscious Rudolf. ¡°YOU KILLED MY ALDER TWICE!!! UNFORGIVABLE!!! THIS IS WHY I WILL KILL BOTH YOU AND YOUR DRAGON-!!!¡± Jasmine didn¡¯t let Emy finish her monologue. My Rainbow Dragon immediately caught the ice lady with her jaws and crunched. And then Jasmine spitted out the corpse of the dismembered and dislocated Emy. We didn¡¯t have time to think. We acted fast! I carried the bleeding Rudolf and had Seris and Gaz carry his unconscious wife Kyrie. And then we flew off. Rudolf had his heart punctured, and he¡¯s losing blood! They both needed medication! My Rainbow Dragon launched upwards again, but then there was this gigantic magma ball that almost hit us. When I turned around, I saw a flying Magma Dragon, and Nox on its head! ¡°You think you can get away?¡± Nox shouted. And then he opened a huge portal which became the entrance of the zombie Estoff Wratih and the Seraphim Dragon corpse! That Nox¡­ How the hell is he still alive? Just do me a favor and stay dead, damn it! Three, four, five magma balls has been launched, but my Rainbow Dragon evaded all of them. Then there is this sixth ball of fiery rock. I used my Fusion Bolt spell which electrocuted the burning rock which resulted to its explosion. It was followed by another magma boulder, and another, and another. I used all my projectile spells to intercept those attacks just not to have them scratch my comrades. I would¡¯ve used my Dracaryx, but that will leave one dragon left. We won¡¯t have a ride out of here if I activated Rainbow Road. I have no option but to endure their attacks and escape from this shitty situation! Suddenly, Estoff Wraith¡¯s corpse started gathering light energy from his hand. The corpse then shouted ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Crusader Arrow!¡± And then an energy bow materialized from his hand. A giant beam of light was projected and shaped itself into an arrow which was aimed towards us. This is it! The end of the line for me! I won¡¯t have anything to counter it! If only I still have my Elform¡­ ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Splatoon Burst!¡± There were a wave of gigantic pinkish slimy things that rained towards the Magma Dragon and Seraphim Dragon and their riders. When one big chunk of bubblegum-like object splattered to the zombie Estoff Wraith, he lost his balance and had his powerful arrow attack fire upwards. The Crusader Arrow bursts on the skies like fireworks and then a cross-shaped explosion made a deafening roar. The two dragons which was got hit and now covered by gigantic bubblegum was left out due to their inability to fly. Nox was even covered with that pink slime so he was not able to shout as they fell down on the busy streets. In front of us, is an airship exclusive for the Task Force. It is the S.S. Liberty, which General Holster was standing stiff, holding his unconscious dragonoid wife Iris. That Dracaryx¡­It must be his doing! As soon as we landed the airship, me, the princess, and the ex-dragonoid kid immediately carried Kyrie and Rudolf to the medical ward. On the way, the depressed Amphere, his dragonoid, the young duchess and Richard had their eyes widened as they saw their comrade fully bathed in blood. They followed us all the way to the operation room. Amphere was so worried that he helped the doctors cover Rudolf¡¯s wound. He pressed so hard so that his best friend would never lose some more blood, but it is too late. Rudolf already lost too much blood. Moreover, his heart was completely holed up. There is no way to save him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ve lost him.¡± The doctor said. Then the medic team proceeded to check for Kyrie¡¯s vitals. Unlike her husband, Kyrie appears to have suffered no fatal wounds. Seris and the other girls went out of the room with their tears running on their faces. The ones who stayed are me, Richard and Amphere. Amphere put his face on his dead best friend¡¯s chest, not believing that he¡¯s already dead. Richard began mumbling like a traumatized man. ¡°F-First is Reina. Then Rudolf. What the fuck just happened?¡± Reina Fleuret!? What the heck happened to her? Is she¡­dead? ¡°FUUUUUCK!!!¡± Amphere slammed the wall which immediately cracked. He then uttered a loud cry. ¡°A-Amphere¡­¡± It was Kyrie, who just got herself awake at this very moment. She was still being diagnosed by the doctors and nurses, but she continued to speak. ¡°T-There¡¯s something you h-have to know¡­ C-Cleru¡­Knows¡­Dragunov and Necross.¡± Then Kyrie fainted as tears ran down from her eyes. Suddenly, Amphere summoned a Deus Ex Machina arm and punched me straight to the stomach, which made the wall behind me crack open! And then I got pinned down by the other arms that I can no longer move! I can feel the pain of my body because of the sudden attack, but it is true. I am the one to blame in those deaths. ¡°You better start storytelling, motherfucker!¡± Amphere¡¯s bloodshot eyes glowed with intent to kill. Dragunov and the Three Musketeers Dragunov and the Three Musketeers Cleru Neos It¡¯s like what everybody says. I¡¯m a peasant. My father, mother, grandfather and grandmother, even my uncles and aunts are all poor. Our family tree is filled with farmers in an all-human farmer village named Serene Village. Most humans are living with middle-class wealth, but our family can¡¯t even buy a dragonoid helper. Our destiny is to born poor and die poor, but everything changed when the Second Dragonoid War broke out. In just a blink of an eye, flames broke out and annihilated the whole village. There were only thirteen survivors from all over thousands of men and women who originally lived here. And I was one of them. I was four or five at that time, I can¡¯t quite remember. All I remembered is that I was stuck in debris, unable to neither move nor breathe. But then the debris was lifted from my body, and I saw the face of my life saver. It was Yuri Dragunov. He was crying at that very moment, and when he saw me, he hugged me tight as if he was relieved that he saved his own son. He took care of me like his own child. As the war goes on, we wandered aimlessly through abandoned radioactive cities, searching for survivors. We continued to dig in the rubbles of aftermaths and then we successfully recovered another kid. It was Zac Schneider. Soon, we saved a child who was stranded in an underground tunnel. Because of a specific explosion, all train passengers died except for two people. The human kid was Alder Windstrafe, and the dragonoid girl was Emy. We wandered city to city, desert to warzones, boundary to the edges of the earth, with only one thing in mind; to survive and save someone in need. Our objectives are a lot far different in the present day, which made me wonder why did everything turned out like this? Dragunov told me his story once. During the First Dragonoid War fifty years ago, he lost his parents. He never told me much about his childhood, but the second tragedy of his life is what that broke him. He has a loving wife and two kids, one boy and one girl. He was a scientist working for the Human Alterran Empire and he is in charge of making a new bomb to annihilate the dragonoids who are preparing for coup d¡¯¨¦tat before the war raged. But then the Dragonoid Liberation Front discovered this intel and kept his whole family a hostage. They forced him to make a bomb to obliterate the humans. Without any option, he followed everyone who was threatening his family¡¯s life. The Human Military Marine Corps discovered Dragunov¡¯s location and prepared their rescue operation but everything went wrong. Dragunov¡¯s wife became a hostage and then killed by a dragonoid. The dragonoid army retaliated and held their ground to keep Dragunov away from the empire¡¯s reach because he is a valuable asset at that war. Being overwhelmed, the human army used Dragunov¡¯s bomb to the dragonoids, killing them all. Including Dragunov¡¯s children. Because Dragunov was being kept in a reinforced capsule, he was the only one that lived after that blast. The world considered him dead until his debut as a duke during the Third Dragonoid War.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Dragunov didn¡¯t want to see anyone dying because of the bomb he has made, so he held the effort to rescue everyone in the war zone and help everyone in need. He was a good man, until we met Him. We discovered a ruined cathedral on the southern edge of the empire, which was covered by thick snow. Unlike any other churches, this one has a lot of demonic symbolisms like illuminati signs, the mark of the beast, and horned statues such as rams, dragons, and even knights. At the deepest end of the cathedral was a door that has rainbow eyes in it. When Dragunov opened the door, we discovered that there is a man bathing lifelessly in a literal fountain of blood. Noticing our presence, he woke up and welcomed us to his home. ¡°My name is Necross. I am glad that you have awakened me from my eternal slumber. Because you revived me from Requiem Aeternam, I shall grant your wish.¡± ¡°I would like my family back. And also, I wanted war to cease from this world.¡± Dragunov said. ¡°I see that you have the greatest intention of all the man in the world. But unfortunately, with my current powers, I can¡¯t grant your wish as of the moment. I have another set of conditions in order for me to achieve the power needed to grant your wish.¡± ¡°What would you need, I shall give it to you.¡± The bloody man named Necross laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple ritual named Necross Ascension. I just need 666 million, 666 thousand, 666 murder deaths all over the world. It doesn¡¯t matter how or who does it, as long as I can gather those number of souls via murder, I shall have my eternal powers back. Then, your wish shall be done.¡± It was a good deal for Dragunov¡¯s perspective, maybe because he¡¯s gone crazy because of the events he went through. Six hundred million lives in exchange for the billions of people who will live peacefully in the future. Moreover, Dragunov will get his family back. It will be a happily ever after. Our lives have changed after that encounter. Because of Necross¡¯s magical contributions, Dragunov became wealthy. He supported Zac¡¯s armory business, which he immediately became a young duke. Dragunov also supported Alder¡¯s and my dream to become a honorary soldier. I was seven back then when I was taught by private sword lessons, and it happens to be I¡¯m the classmate of the princess Serenity Elkyria. Our sword instructor is the same, so he decided to mix me up with a royal maiden. That is why we grew up playing together until we reached teenage years where the Third Dragonoid War broke out. During the Third Dragonoid War, everything was an opportunity. Zac¡¯s arms dealer business went sky high, Alder¡¯s contributions to the empire as a soldier refined his skills, and Dragunov had a lot of body count to add to his end of the contract with that demonic entity. That also gave me the spotlight when a lot of dragonoids tried to assassinate the princess, and I was there to rescue her numerous times. When I got wounded, she treated me. Our affection towards each other became so powerful that I aimed for a higher goal; to become a dragon knight. I have seen the horrors of death for hundreds of instances. Even innocent people like the princess are the target for those killings. That¡¯s when I realized that everything Dragunov has been doing is completely wrong. This was the time where I went full rebel from my step father Dragunov. I cut all my connections with him and entered the Dragon Knights Academy without any support. I was just lucky to have Jasmine to stay by my side for free. And for my expenses during the school years; the princess secretly covered it all. I never asked any for it, but Dragunov is always acting like a father to me. He did some unforgivable things for me to be happy, but that weren¡¯t necessary. One of those blasphemous example is the assassination of the previous dragon knight that has the title of the Princess¡¯s Guard. He paid the assailants for me to have a chance to replace the Royal Knight. And that was the start of the Dragon Knights Tournament. Dragunov¡¯s priorities became messed up as time goes on. He became trigger happy and sadist. He lurks in the shadows, controlling everything and anyone like a puppet. Even me, Zac, and Alder. But little did he know that he was also manipulated. By Necross. Chapter 86: Heart Resonance Chapter 86: Heart Resonance Amphere Harrison I¡¯m tempting myself not to finish this traitorous little turd. I had this photon saber ready to slit Cleru¡¯s throat. He¡¯s seriously incapacitated to move because I have pinned him down with my robotic arms. There¡¯s nothing he can do right now. Not even anyone here in this room would want to save him in this situation. General Holster, Richard, Dennis, Sherman and Adrian are just watching for my next move. ¡°Who is Necross?¡± I asked the insolent Princess¡¯s Knight. ¡°Necross¡­He often changes his form. But you can identify him as the man with rainbow eyes. He¡¯s Nox.¡± Suddenly, the door opened. The Princess, Airi, Jasmine and the other ladies became the witness of this interrogation. Jasmine rushed to stop me but then the princess held her hand and shook her head, silently saying that she should just wait for the next thing that happens. ¡°What did Necross needed from you?¡± ¡°My blood. I have the Saint¡¯s Essence on my blood.¡± Cleru mumbled. ¡°I injected a little portion of Priestess Exceria onto Cleru to boost his healing factor.¡± Jasmine intervened. ¡°Since he¡¯s using his Martyrdom of the Peasant ability to win tournaments, I couldn¡¯t help but to do it. It also gave him the power to activate Elform and summon a portion of Priestess Exceria¡¯s powers. And it was H.G.¡¯s orders.¡± I withdrew my sword and dematerialized my Deus Ex Machina arms. I stood up, but continued to glare at this piece of shit peasant-knight. Jasmine and the princess made a relaxing sigh, thanking the heavens that there¡¯s no additional blood in this room. Cleru slowly stood on his own. ¡°I won¡¯t blame you for Rudolf and Reina¡¯s deaths. I¡¯ll let your guilt run on your conscience. I won¡¯t expect you to cooperate with the Task Force, since you hid so much vital information in the first place.¡± Then I turned away, and left the room. Airi followed me. She had a glance on my teary-yet-dry eyes, and then bowed silently. Since we¡¯re sharing the same heartbeat, I know she could feel my sorrow. We went back to the Guardian¡¯s Haven and stayed there for almost three days. We had Rudolf and Reina¡¯s funeral for those days as rain pours down non-stop. For those days, I never cried, because I¡¯m already out of tears. My team advised me to take a day off to recover from my loss, even just a little. The other guys in the team were in charge of researching the Demonic Cathedral as Cleru mentioned. Even Exceria is with them. That is why I and Airi are here, left out, like a sitting duck, taking a vacation with anxiety on our minds. Because of this depression, we can¡¯t help but to investigate ourselves. The first step we took is the Cathedral Exa. We went to the underground to ask all the questions left in this riddle to Vesryn¡­Err H.G. But when we arrived at the underground fountain, something was odd.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. She¡¯s where she usually is, sitting and floating in the clean waters of the spring. Vesryn¡¯s left eye no longer contains the Eye of Deus or its essence. It¡¯s now on white sclera. And there are cracks all over her face and body, as if she was made as a living ceramic. ¡°The boy has come to the Cathedral for the last time. But I shall never give you any answers, for the revelations have been exposed. But I will lend you all the strength for the final battle.¡± Vesryn said as if she wasn¡¯t aware that she has some strange skin condition. ¡°What¡¯s happening to your body!?¡± Airi asked in awe. ¡°This?¡± Vesryn looked at her arms with a smile on her face. ¡°My immortality has expired. The Eye of Deus is finally removing me from this world, for I have fulfilled my purpose.¡± Purpose? Was that the story she told us? About a mysterious shadow that gave her godlike powers and asked her to fulfill the prophecy? ¡°At last, my death is at hand. I shall join my love on the other side.¡± Vesryn continued. ¡°But first, I shall give the girl the true power of her form. The Chimeratech Dragon.¡± Vesryn lent out her two hands, requesting my girlfriend to take those. Airi slowly walked forward and did what she was asked to do. As soon as their hands touched, their heart glowed with golden essence. Balls of light started popping out of nowhere as it danced in the underground wind. Vesryn¡¯s body was eaten by the golden light as time goes on. ¡°T-This power¡­It¡¯s so immense and warm¡­.totally¡­¡± Airi muttered. Her scarlet hair stood up and slowly, an ancient rune which has the sign of V emerged on her forehead, which was glowing in neon blue. Airi also had her sclera transform into black ones- The essence of the Eye of Deus. Little by little, Vesryn¡¯s body converted into tiny golden dusts that mixed in the wind. And her existence ceased. But even she¡¯s no longer present, her voice echoes throughout this very cathedral. ¡°With this, you shall be able to fulfill your duty to protect your knight, your love. You shall be able to use and feel the power of other¡¯s hearts, may it be your friend or enemies. And that, Airelina Frembell, is the Heart of the Savior.¡± Airi turned at me with tears on her eyes, but with the liveliest smile on her face. I know we just witnessed another death, but I know that death is not always a bad ending. Vesryn has suffered almost an eternity suffering for her sins and helping destiny to forge, waiting for my arrival. And I think it is now really the time for her to rest in peace. ¡°Let¡¯s go home now, Amphy.¡± We went back to an inn near the Dragon Knights Academy, where we live. Same as the other days after my friends¡¯ deaths, I stayed awake and can¡¯t sleep. I always end up staring at the ceiling for eight hours and then have eyebags for the next day. The day off is not even helping me like it should be. But this night is different. Airi jumped to my bed and then landed on top. Normally I would yell at her and karate chops her forehead but I¡¯m in no mood for that anymore. ¡°Totally can¡¯t sleep?¡± She asked. I can¡¯t read her facial expression because it¡¯s already pitch-black. ¡°Yeah.¡± I covered my eyes with my left arm. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Rudolf and Reina is¡­¡± ¡°You still have me, Amphy.¡± Airi touched my cheeks with her soft hands. She pushed her face forward and then her lips collided with mine. And then she continued. ¡°I can feel that you¡¯re scared, but nothing will ever happen to you. I won¡¯t let anything happen to others either! I¡¯m here. I will always protect you. Totally!¡± Our heartbeats became so fast, and my hypothalamus gave me a sudden joy. I grabbed her shoulders, and quickly changed position as soon as possible. Now that she¡¯s below, I kissed her forehead and her lips once again. ¡°Airi¡­I love you¡­¡± ¡°I love you too Amphy¡­ Totally¡­So please stop being so down anymore.¡± I was no longer on my logical thinking self. I was already caressing Airi¡¯s bosoms, and then continued to undress her. And then I hugged her warm body tightly. I can sense her every heavy breath on my face. I can see her sparkling red eyes that are truly fascinating. I can feel her tender lips that tells me that she want some more. I can feel her warm sweat running on her fair white skin, her soft hands groping my abs. We spent the night with love, which made all the worries and sadness in my heart all gone. Chapter 87: A War to End Chapter 87: A War to End Amphere Harrison My day offs are over, and now I¡¯ve been summoned by General Holster back to the S.S. Liberty. When Airi and I entered the deck, the crew members and my other fellow dragon knights gave off a simple smile, giving a sign that everything is okay. ¡°Welcome back to the ship, hero.¡± General Holster and Iris approached me. ¡°How¡¯s your vacation?¡± ¡°Well, we totally had a lot of sex this days-mph!!!¡± I immediately blocked Airi¡¯s big mouth and made an embarrassed expression to those who have heard it. All of them, especially Iris, had this suspicious yet maleficent grin at us. I have to change the topic as much as possible! ¡°H-How are your researches going, Sir? I heard that you have located the Demonic Cathedral.¡± I hurriedly stated. ¡°It¡¯s what Cleru had told us before. It was on the southern part of the planet, the only land that has never been occupied by any nation. It¡¯s just fifty kilometers outside the empire¡¯s border, and you¡¯ll never believe this.¡± He showed me a GPS and map outlay on his hologram tablet. Both show nothing that identifies the cathedral. It¡¯s as if the Demonic Cathedral doesn¡¯t exist. And then he showed another map sketch of some person that contradicts the satellite images. This time, it has the certain location of the place. ¡°Our satellites can¡¯t track the cathedral, but we had some dragon knights scout the area. They discovered something that does not exist in some way, but exist in the naked eye. It¡¯s so mindblowing. The Demonic Cathedral is always there, but it can¡¯t be proven by any evidences other than the eyewitnesses.¡± The general showed me another sketch that looks like a gigantic black church. Behind it is an eerie red moon that looks like it¡¯s in the verge of colliding with the planet. The place is covered with leafless dead trees and snow. That¡¯s the only thing I can tell because the drawing was made with crayons, as if they asked a freaking kindergarten to map out the place. ¡°By the way, meet the new guys.¡± General Holster smiled as he presented two people in front of me. ¡°Since we lost a dragon knight that is almost on par with the generals, I handpicked Mark Anthony Octavius to aid our team. He should also be able to help us a lot using his skills as a General-class Dragon Knight.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you again, Amphere.¡± Mark lent out his hand which I immediately shook. I¡¯m happy that he¡¯s on our team now. General Holster continued. ¡°We also lost a Pentagram Knight so I had a request to the princess to draft another one. He is Remuel Astolfo known as the Mighty Mouse.¡± The guy named Remuel is noticeably small, maybe he¡¯s about 5¡¯0 or something. He looks like an elementary student but his manly beard tells it otherwise. He¡¯s a real live hobbit. When our eyes made contact, it sparkled and immediately shook my hand.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Sir Amphere Harrison! I¡¯m a fan of you!¡± Remuel exclaimed. Suddenly, a cute midget dragonoid rushed and grabbed my other arm, and shook it the same way as the other little guy. ¡°This is Diana, my Gadget Dragon.¡± Remuel explained. Having a higher-ranked Pentagram Knight looking at me as his idol is kind of embarrassing. What¡¯s more is that my ¡®hero¡¯ status was achieved by preparing a stage and literally killing my terrorist mentor. I should be happy, but now guilt is killing me. And then randomly, I remembered my best friend who was just buried two days ago, which made me more depressed. Everyone became silent as another person entered the scene. Everyone bowed in the presence of her royal majesty, Princess Serenity Elkyria. She¡¯s with Duchess Corasell and that jerk Cleru Neos. Jasmine is also there behind her knight, trying to hide her face to everyone, or maybe me. She sure is traumatized when I attacked Cleru about five days ago. ¡°Amphere.¡± Suddenly, Cleru approached me. I¡¯m preparing my fist to punch his jaw once he tries to make revenge, but it didn¡¯t happen. Instead, he bowed apologetically. I¡¯ve never seen this arrogant peasant bow to anyone before. ¡°I apologize for not being able to tell you the truth. I know my words are shallow, that is why I shall lend my aid to you and the Task Force Libera. I would like to compensate for my sins, and help you stop my stepfather¡¯s plans once and for all.¡± Everyone looked at me, waiting for my next move. I was so mortified that I asked him to stand up straight. And then I made a quick reply. ¡°As my mentor once said, a dragon knight should not blame anyone, even himself. We do not ask. We act. We move forward and get things done. That is why I¡¯m more than glad that you will be helping us in this upcoming war.¡± ¡°I also came here as the personal bearer of good news.¡± The Princess cut out conversation out. ¡°This war ends tomorrow. The signing of the Dragonoid Rights Bill will be tomorrow morning, to be broadcasted in the whole world.¡± That move is currently the best solution to all problems. A simple signing would never end the rage of dragonoids towards humans, and abuse of humans to the dragonoids. To have it in full effect, it must be on each and everyone¡¯s television, radio and the social media. But there remains one problem. ¡°Dragunov. If he continues to throw some mess on us, the war will go on. That is why we have to stop him. Totally!¡± The way that Airi said it made it a lot less serious. ¡°The only lead we got is that Demonic Cathedral.¡± General Holster said. ¡°And that is why we¡¯ll bust on that cathedral doors, and whoop his ass in that cathedral floors.¡± I really think General Holster should stop making jokes and start being a rapper instead. ¡°Amphere¡­¡± Kyrie tapped my shoulder. When I turned around, I saw her carrying a life-sized briefcase. I slowly opened it and my godly eyes were filled with ultimate amazement. English words are insufficient to describe the feelings I got. Inside a briefcase are two broadswords which were coated in orange glass. It has a sharp side which can contain photonic beams, and the other edge is covered with steel plates, maybe used for blunt attacks. The twin photonic broadswords sparkles the same as my eyes. I got myself drooling in this very weapon. ¡°Rudolf bought these photon swords in attempt to imitate your dual wielding skills, but it just wasn¡¯t his style. It was only taken off this briefcase once, so I think you¡¯ll have a very good use with these. I know¡­Rudolf also knows that these swords will look great on your hands.¡± I slowly grabbed the swords, and then tried a slash on the wind. The sword left a crimson streak trail. I tried another hack, thrust, spinning gash and X-slash. The lights it leaves on the air makes it seriously dope as fuck. All the people who watched me had their eyes filled with admiration! These photon broadswords are so cool! When I sheathed it on my back, everyone clapped their hands. Seriously, this fake hero is embarrassed to show off. To wave off this atmosphere, I pumped my arm, clenched my fist and hyped everyone. ¡°Let¡¯s do this! We still have a war to end!¡± Chapter 88: Interlude to the Final War Chapter 88: Interlude to the Final War Amphere Harrison The dark skies mad the atmosphere more eerie and creepier than usual. The southern winds are made out of cold snowy breeze which adds the chill on my spine. I¡¯m seriously shivering. Maybe I should return back to the deck after a couple of minutes. S.S. Liberty is all the ship we can have to enter the said demonic land in order to become stealthy. But we¡¯re not completely short of firepower. We have fifteen dragon knights, including one general, one pentagram knight, one pseudo-general, and one (fake) hero. Aside from our regular crew members and our powerful dragonoids, Richard and Kyrie decided to go with us. They said that they will be of use even though they don¡¯t have a knight. Richard still has portals, albeit weaker. And Kyrie can somehow fight using her weakened Chaos Claws. Also we have Exceria, who is continuously praying right now in the chapel, singing the Song of the Saint to protect us from harm. I don¡¯t know what that song can do, so we¡¯ll see in the upcoming fight. Since I can¡¯t use Vesryn Pulse on her for this week, that¡¯s the least she can do. Suddenly, the landscape started to differ. There were no more snow on the ground, and the trees appeared to be withered. Some other trees are being burnt eternally by fire, and these trees have glowing symbols carved in it. It looks like three sixes formed in circles, kinda like those magatama beads. As we venture deeper in this dead forest, the red moon appears to be bigger. ¡°Look at the bloodshot moon. Isn¡¯t it bigger than usual? I have never seen any phenomena like it.¡± One of the knights said. But then Sherman countered the statement. ¡°That¡¯s not the moon. The moons are over there.¡± He pointed out to the far west where the two little planets of Alterra were. They appear so small compared to the one we have in front. ¡°Necross Ascension.¡± Cleru muttered. ¡°That¡¯s the Underworld, as Necross said. Since war has been going on in different parts of the world, the murder death counts are continuously raising, which makes the Underworld closer to this planet. We don¡¯t have a way to monitor all the death counts starting from the last decade or what year did Dragunov started counting. That is why we should prevent any casualty to any sides as possible.¡± S.S. Liberty is armed by special cannon shells that give off tranquilizer gas once it explodes. Our machine guns are also equipped with sleeper bullets that should pacify normal goons like Arcadians. Our objective here is to capture Nox and Dragunov if possible. But I doubt we can apprehend Nox at all since he¡¯s the big bad guy. That guy is seriously the ambassador of the Underworld, Necross. We had the Pentagram Knight Remuel to lead the airship since his Gadget Dragon has a heartbeat sensor. By the way, Gadget Dragons are just four meters in height, and they completely look like baby versions of Futuretech Dragons. They are mostly white, but this Gadget Dragon has its thin metal plates in gray. Instead of wings, they use boosters to fly. ¡°Guys.¡± Remuel talked via communicator. ¡°I detect multiple hearbeats coming from twelve o¡¯clock. Probably Arcadians.¡± ¡°Get back up here so that we can use our camouflage.¡± General Holster commanded.Stolen story; please report. When the Gadget Dragon and its knight entered back to the ship, Cleru immediately stabbed the floor with his rainbow scimitar. I have heard that one of Rainbow Dragon¡¯s ability is to control light refraction, which can affect the visibility of an object. Nothing happens from the inside, but I¡¯m sure, the airship is adapting the outside colors like a chameleon right now. ¡°Airi, begin hacking their security systems.¡± I commanded my dragonoid. ¡°And also, compute the number of hostiles in the vicinity.¡± ¡°Totally!¡± Airi said cheerfully. Her scarlet hair started rising upwards, and the V symbol on her forehead made its appearance once again. She activated the Eye of Deus (Or borrowed, since I¡¯m the original source of that power) and then closed her eyes. ¡°Security system has been totally breached without problems. Estimated hostiles are about 31,253 dragonoids.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so gifted when it comes to this!¡± Mark Anthony praised us. ¡°How did you do it?¡± I don¡¯t want to answer. We¡¯re pretty much veteran on these kind of things because we used to sabotage facilities, power plants, and science labs when we were terrorists. The Empire¡¯s security systems can be broken by Airi with no sweat, so breaking a terrorist¡¯s technologies are not even considered a warm-up to us. We proceeded to hover undetected. We can see from above those dragonoid terrorist who are completely alert. It seems that they are ready for battle anytime and anywhere. It seems logical that there¡¯s a lot of Arcadians here because we just busted all their safe houses and secret bases. The Demonic Cathedral should be their last haven as for the moment. Or maybe they¡¯re waiting for us. Dragunov is always one mile ahead of us after all. Remuel, with his Gadget Dragonoid came to the deck and stared me and Airi with amazement. ¡°Chimeratech Dragons are sure the peak of the robotic dragon category! What else can you do?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Airi rubbed her cheeks. ¡°I can totally go deeper than the Marianas web and even give you unlimited Bitcoins, I can totally access the Empire¡¯s quantum computers and browse the top secret archives, and control genetic programming even for bionic compounds such as cyborgs. That is why I¡¯m the master of security penetrations! Totally! But my knight is the god of other kind of penetration-Uwah!¡± I immediately karate chopped her head before she could reveal our most confidential part of our life. This idiot is too much blabby. I¡¯m curious about her talking about the deepest part of the web though. Suddenly, the airship shook as if it bumped a giant iceberg. But this isn¡¯t titanic, and there are no floating icebergs around¡­We have been stopped by an unseeable force! It¡¯s too bad that we can already see the gigantic cathedral in the horizon. The Demonic Cathedral is about eighty-meters tall, and five hundred meters wide, which makes us really doubt how the heck does satellite can¡¯t capture some of this place¡¯s images or even found in a GPS. The cathedral is surrounded by seven-meter demon dragon statues that look like Light Bringer Dragons that appears whenever a man eats those disgusting black hearts. There¡¯s no longer snow on the ground where the cathedral is. Instead, it seems to be floating steadily in a river of blood. ¡°There seems to be some kind of barrier blocking our way.¡± General Holster grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll have to break through and penetrate it, right Amphere?¡± For Pete¡¯s sake, stop riding Airi¡¯s green jokes. Before any of us activated our Vesryn Pulses, we had our airship fire smoke grenades that contain sleeping gas. The terrorist goons completely lost their consciousness before they even hit the ground. Their automatic defenses have been completely turned off by Airi, so we encountered little or no resistance. ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± All of us knights shouted as soon as we went up the surface. The fifteen dragon knights soared on the skies, readying their long range attack! Photon balls, gigantic swords, earth projectiles, lightning surges, gigantic slob of bubblegum, rainbow-colored fireballs and others made their way, shattering the force field like glass. But before the airship could enter inside, several dark portals emerged. There¡¯s about a hundred of them. Each of them revealed rotten dragons of various types and knights who all looks like a zombie, holding a black beating heart! And the final war will now start! Chapter 89: Love between Living and the Dead Chapter 89: Love between Living and the Dead Amphere Harrison I haven¡¯t seen Nox, or Necross in any part of this place. I swear that if I see him, I¡¯ll stab him a hundred times in the face! This blasphemy, which is just in front of me, is an honor-less crap he fabricated! He¡¯s using dead knights to fight for his own selfish cause. Including Estoff¡¯s¡­And Rudolf. It seems like Nox¡¯s magical abilities doesn¡¯t follow any rules. I¡¯m pretty sure my best friend got a very good burial, but here he is, holding his broadsword on his back. Unlike the other dragon knights, he was riding a dragon that he does not have a contract with; he¡¯s riding on the zombie Magma Dragon Gilliard. Moreover, he managed to summon a lot of corpses this time! The final war has been started. Explosions everywhere, swords clanging, endless swishes of projectiles flying all over the atmosphere; this is a true battlefield. The only sound I consider to be audible as of this moment is Airi¡¯s telepathic flirty sentences. In times like this, everyone goes frenzy and smash what they are able to hit, block what they are able to endure, and evade what they can out speed. This is why our formation is scattered as much as possible, to avoid friendly fires. The only ones who stick on the ship firing projectiles from afar are General Holster and his Gum Dragon. Both sides have their disadvantages; we live humans and dragons are fully equipped with shield plates, and the undead team can only die if you managed to hit the black heart they¡¯re holding dear. I proved it when Airi¡¯s wings glowed neon blue and went super light speed, slashing everyone who blocks her path! The zombie dragons who are supposed to die due to burnt internal organs never did, and their knights are even moving even if we already cut their lower half! Luckily, we managed to take down three dragon knights by hitting their black hearts with Airi¡¯s photon wings. When their knights evaporated, their dragons followed, even if they were not even hit by our attack. Seeing this, the other knights followed my example and only targeted the black hearts they¡¯re holding. Our ratio is one-is-to-ten, which gives the undead army a certain upper hand. I only managed to take down three, and these seven dragons are giving me a lot of trouble already. Because of their crazy long range attacks such as fireballs, coconut shells, and giant marbles, I commanded Airi to focus on evading. But then my Chimeratech Dragon deployed gatling laser guns from her wings, and endlessly fired at the thin air. Those laser projectiles are apparently homing, and it made a lot of hits to the two Marble Dragon and Fairy Dragon that has been pestering us! ¡°Attention all dragon knights!¡± It was the captain of our airship speaking! ¡°The ship has been breached. We need backup from at least one dragon knight!¡± I checked General Holster, and he was really preoccupied by the zombie knights and dragons in front of him! Since I¡¯m the nearest dragon knight as of the moment, I commanded Airi to boost as fast as she can away from our enemies, and towards our ship! If our airship has been taken down, we will have a hard time winning this war!Stolen story; please report. I succeeded in shaking off our chasers and entered the emergency door under our flying ship. There, I reverted Airi back to her humanoid form and we rushed towards the affected area. The penetrated area was the crew¡¯s cabin, and there, I saw about three to five soldiers lying on the ground, completely lifeless. There were no blood, but there are claw marks and even gigantic stab holes on their body, as if the attack they took melted thousands of their cells. And then we heard a loud scream. ¡°STOP THIS AT ONCE!¡± Airi and I rushed to the source of the voice but when we reached it, we were completely stupefied. In front of us, is a man who has his left arm coated with dark flame aura and his right is mechanical. He was slowly stepping forward to the woman in front of him, who is blocking his way towards killing those scared guards behind the woman. It was Rudolf¡¯s corpse. And that woman, who was protecting the helpless humans behind her, was Kyrie. It was a reunion of couples; husband and wife, which destroyed the boundary of the living and the dead. ¡°Rudolf, listen to me!¡± Kyrie cried. ¡°I know you¡¯re still there!¡± His husband¡¯s corpse readied his Chaos Claws to dissect his own wife! In the nick of time, I went forward with a blinding speed, and blocked the black flame claws with my photon broadsword! ¡°Kyrie!¡± Airi bolted forward and went to her friend¡¯s side. ¡°That¡¯s not Rudolf anymore! That¡¯s just a corpse of your deceased loved one who was being used as a puppet! Totally!¡± ¡°N-No!¡± Kyrie shook her head, making her tears sprinkle all over the place. ¡°I can still hear him! We¡¯re still connected!¡± Suddenly, Rudolf¡¯s corpse opened it¡¯s mouth, and revealed his black heart which was held by the metallic arm! ¡°Activating Vesryn Pul-!!!¡± With my incredible reflex and using a little power of my Eye of Deus, I materialized a Deus Ex Machina arm which punched my dead best friend straight to his face just before he could control Kyrie and have a Chaos Dragon wreaking havoc inside. The zombie flew a few meters away from the ground, but he gained his balance and landed on his feet! ¡°Amphy!¡± Airi shouted from my behind. ¡°I have a totally stupid idea! Use your Eye of Deus and stare at him intently!¡± I never had the chance to process the last words of his last sentence, so I didn¡¯t manage to question her for that. I really trust Airi that in desperate times, I always follow her orders since she has a lot more combat experience than me. But now she¡¯s saying a stupid idea, and I did it anyway. There was a burst of red light covering my best friend¡¯s corpse as soon as I activated the Eye of Deus. I turned away and looked at Airi, who was holding Kyrie¡¯s chest. Airi had her V-symbol glowing crimson red! Is this one of her new power that Vesryn gave her? ¡°Geez, totally! Stay looking at Rudolf, you idiot!¡± I did what my commander said once again. This time, Rudolf¡¯s black heart, started to be engulfed in some cement-like substance, as if it was converting itself into a mini sculpture. Then, the outer layer cracked and bursts like a broken egg, and revealed a pinkish crimson beating heart! Just what the heck is going on!? ¡°Push his heart back to his chest!¡± Airi commanded once again. I rushed forward and redirected his mechanical arm which was holding the beating heart back to his chest. As I installed it successfully, there was a blinding light, and I felt that my body flew away and rolled over the floor. And then when I opened my eyes, Rudolf ceases to become an undead. Rudolf looked at his left and right arm, and then looked at me, Airi, and finally his wife, Kyrie. ¡°Kyrie¡­¡± Rudolf had his voice shaking. Chapter 90: Three Idiots Chapter 90: Three Idiots Amphere Harrison Seeing her loved one come back to life, Kyrie rushed forward and hugged her ex-deceased husband. Rudolf spun his tearful wife four times before falling to the ground like those romantic clich¨¦s of reunion between two lovers. I was so happy and astounded at the same time. How did my eye and Airi made some epic miracle!? ¡°H-How did you do that?¡± I turned to Airi, who was now helping me to stand up. ¡°Vesryn gave me all her powers and knowledge. I now know how to summon a soul of the dead by tracing the power of the Vesryn Pulse to the spirit world. The difference is that Vesryn can only do it with dragonoid souls. I tried mimicking her ways and I totally succeeded.¡± Then Airi made a painful sigh. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to revive a human, but with your Eye of Deus, I was able to break the natural laws of reality. The universe will soon recognize this anomaly, so Rudolf will be erased after about six hours.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± Kyrie went to our side and then hugged Airi. ¡°I was so glad that you bought time for my love. I can¡¯t thank you enough, Airelina.¡± Suddenly, Rudolf genuflected in front of my girlfriend and said these words. ¡°My greatest gratitude belongs to you, Airelina.¡± ¡°That¡¯s totally nothing!¡± Airi scratched her head due to fake embarrassment. Then this reminiscing moment of reunion was interrupted when the airship shook. Then the red alarm goes in and made a disgusting buzzing sound over and over again that grinded our eardrums. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break this to you, but we still have a war to fight.¡± I said. And then I gave him one of the photon broadswords that were his in the first place. ¡°Glad to have you back. This time, don¡¯t get yourself killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already a zombie, y¡¯know.¡± Rudolf revealed his heart which was repulsively beating. He looks like a patient who got dissected in an operation and the doctors forgot to have his chest skin stitched back. Gross. Totally! Suddenly, a zombie went into the scene silently, but we are alerted enough to notice him. It was Gilliard¡¯s corpse. I looked at Airi, silently asking if she can do anything about that but she shook her head. I guess we¡¯ll have to have Gilliard¡¯s corpse to be rest in peace once again. So Rudolf and I bolted forward, slashing the zombie¡¯s body with our photon broadswords, which carved a burning X mark on the dead dragonoid. Then, Rudolf grabbed the black heart with his Chaos Claws and crushed it with his own hand. Gilliard¡¯s zombie then dissolved into thin air. After killing my former comrades (which I¡¯m certainly good at), we jumped out of the airship while holding each other¡¯s hands, and we all shouted in unison! ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The golden armored Chaos Dragon and the crimson plated Chimeratech Dragon roared as they jetted forward the skies. The dark heavens have been lit up due to countless projectiles flying all the way. The ¡°alive¡± dragon knights are now getting the upper hand! I guess controlling too many undead dragons and knights are too much for our dark necromancer. ¡°Guys¡­¡± Richard talked to our earpiece. ¡°I know it sounds absurd, but have you seen Reina?¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯m searching for a while from the start. I had this conclusion that if Nox was able to revive Rudolf, he could have revived Reina too to fight against us. Now that Airi can temporarily revive corpses, finding her zombie should be one of our priorities. But no. ¡°Reina¡¯s not here.¡± I said to Richard.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I see then.¡± Richard¡¯s tone is considerably sad, but he tried hard to brush away the topic. ¡°Anyway, I have located Nox. He was located on the entrance of the Demonic Cathedral. He was about three kilometers from here, but I think I can open up a portal for you to teleport there!¡± I was about to answer him to do it, but then, there was an explosion from behind us! It was the airship, now covered with thick smoke! Slowly, the airship is losing its altitude, but the attack ceased to stop! There was this golden streak that has been striking the thrusters of the airship! Rudolf and our dragons drifted in the air as we go back to the source of the attack. I was never shocked when I saw his face again. It was the man whom I adored due to his chivalry and braveness. Estoff Wratih. He was on top of his dead lover, Elumina, on her Seraph Dragon form. But this Seraph Dragon is alternately black white due to the decaying scales and limbs, which make it look less angelic. ¡°I think I can work this one out, totally!¡± Airi said to me telepathically. ¡°This one requires more work since we needed to use an alive beating heart of a dragonoid.¡± I was about to do what was planned inside of my head, but several zombie dragon knights swarmed around us! Just what the heck are that other dragon knights doing!? I was then guilty of blaming them when I saw that each and every one of my allies are so busy fighting their own horde of zombie dragons and soldiers. I guess everything doesn¡¯t come easy. ¡°Leave this to me!¡± Rudolf shouted. ¡°Go!¡± As I rushed away from the scene, the undead dragons started to chase us! But Rudolf got his thing ready. He inhaled so deep and then released with a devastating shout! A strong shockwave emerged and an invisible shockwave pushed through the horde like a deflating balloon. Everyone who got in the area of effect of the sonic wave got their selves paralyzed. Dragons started crashing on the snowy forests. It was the power of the royal blood after all. The Voice of the Emperor. With Airi¡¯s incredible speed, we caught up with the Seraph Dragon. We got them in surprise that Airi¡¯s photon pincers locked the Seraph¡¯s wings. Estoff zombie came in rushing to me and made a heavy slash and thrust but I managed to dodge it by docking and stepping backwards. I then activated two Deus Ex Machina arms to aid me push this persistent zombie away by making a gigantic hook and jab. Estoff blocked the mechanical jab with his buster sword, but that force made him flying in the midair, away from his dragon. I grabbed this opportunity as I jumped forward. I morphed one of my gigantic mechanical arm to a defibrillator which charged a hundred thousand volts and slammed it on the Seraph Dragon¡¯s chest. Since the zombie dragon has been pinned down by Airi, I had a ninety-nine percent accuracy, and I succeeded in delivering a painful electric surge! For a short moment, Elumina¡¯s heart started to beat once again! Airi¡¯s dragon forehead glowed, and a gigantic V sign appeared once again. Slowly, wounds of the Seraph Dragon began healing, but not all of her body parts. But it managed to bring back the passionate red eyes of the kind hearted Elumina! ¡°Estoff!¡± I shouted as I witness my dead mentor freefalling! I had my other Deus Ex Machina arm to extend and catch Estoff¡¯s corpse, and had my Eye of Deus glare at his very eyes. His body now glowed in red light, and the black heart once again converted into a stone, cracked, and became a genuine heart. As soon as I managed to reinstall that heart to my mentor, his emerald eyes twinkled as life has once again entered his body! ¡°Amphere you wanker¡­¡± That was his first words to me. But his pale undead face managed to make a smile. ¡°I will now be opening a portal!¡± Richard said via our coms. Then a gigantic portal, about ten meters in length, opened. Estoff and I went through it flawlessly, and my Chimeratech Dragon and Estoff¡¯s Seraph Dragon followed. The next thing we know is that we¡¯re already in the very entrance of the gigantic diabolic cathedral. It¡¯s still the same from afar, only that the demon dragon statues from near looks more sinister than before. Another portal opened and Rudolf and his Chaos Dragon made their appearance. ¡°Richard said that you will need some help once again.¡± Rudolf said. ¡°This world seems to be more hellish than the one I left!¡± Estoff laughed. ¡°You guys should be thankful of me. I brought you back to life, even for a brief period.¡± I made a smile. We three knights fixed our gaze to the one on top of the stairs before the gigantic doors of the cathedral. There, a man with messy black hair and rainbow-colored eyes fought us with the very same stare. He was standing in a glowing red demonic circle, which was maybe used to channel his energy and control all those corpses. It was Nox. It looks like we three just interrupted his ¡°prayers¡±, so he unsheathed his broadsword on his back. ¡°So you three idiots will fight me in my domain.¡± Nox had his menacing laugh. ¡°Fine! Come with all you got!¡± Chapter 91: Declaration of the End Chapter 91: Declaration of the End Yuri Dragunov I¡¯ve been watching the whole time. Here, in this dark cold night, in front of the red planet that is about to fall into this world. Sitting on top of this very cathedral as I witness another war in my own very eyes, I¡¯ve been washing my face and my hands with a river of blood. I¡¯ve seen the beginning of the first, second, third, and this fourth dragonoid war, and I shall see the end of the last bloodbath. After this¡­after the Necross Ascension, there shall be no war. Everything and everyone will be at peace. The clashes of this winter skies never failed to impress me with it¡¯s beauty. Everyone calls the battles of the sky as pain and agony, but for me, it is all just a dot in the painting I¡¯ve been working out. A painting of blood, to be precise. I have been watching the whole world with the hologram screen in front of me. In this live newsfeed, is the news all around not just the empire, but the whole world. The dragonoids are furious about the massacre I did, for the empire¡¯s name¡¯s expense. They are rallying in the streets, burning human villages, and fighting the empire¡¯s guards with force. The Fourth Dragonoid War is at it¡¯s peak. But there is one anomaly that disrupts our ultimate plan. Hundreds of meters below me is the man who is standing between me and Alterra¡¯s true destiny; Amphere Harrison, together with the Crimson Dragonfly Airelina Frembell. I never foresaw that they are able to make Nox¡¯s zombies fight against us, but it shouldn¡¯t matter. 387 kill counts more and the Underworld shall fall into this wicked place. Nox readied his sword. Doing this, the demonic circle stopped glowing. It will be a big deal for us since he won¡¯t be able to supply mana to those undead he summoned. But he should be wary of the Dragonoid Saint more. I can¡¯t see that priestess, but I¡¯m sure Amphere will be using his trump card as soon as we let down our guard. The battle has now been started! Estoff Wraith made his first move by whooshing forward, and delivered a heavy side hack! Nox stepped back, but it wasn¡¯t enough to evade it. Instead, Nox used his buster sword to block it! Then Rudolf Azregon¡¯s turn, he made an uppercut scratch attack with his Chaos Claws to Nox¡¯s arm, which was immediately dissolved! The buster sword spun on the air three times, before it got tucked to the ground. These zombies are as troublesome as when they are alive! The two zombie knights who turned against us jumped away to give way to Amphere¡¯s charged attack! It was his gigantic skeleton robot, channeling photon particles in its mouth and gave off a deafening blast! The blue blaster destroyed everything on its wake, also dissolving Nox¡¯s skin and all the way to his muscular system! Only his head remained intact, but his body¡­looks like a burnt turkey.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. But Nox is still alive. He is the greatest necromancer that is immortal after all. He got up like that attack means nothing to him and continued to give a malicious smile. ¡°I should¡¯ve known that I won¡¯t stand a chance against the three of you. That is why I will fight you seriously!¡± Nox revealed his hand which was completely covered with burnt mess. It began to regenerate the veins and blood started flowing from everywhere on his body. Then, with his newly regenerated arm, he picked up his sword and coated it with his own flesh. Now, his buster sword is crimson blood with some random eyes tucked on it. There was some telepathic message that entered the three enemy knight¡¯s minds from their dragons who were just watching the fight the whole time. So the knights dispersed away as Nox made a heavy slash, breaking atoms in the thin air as it made a micro nuclear explosion! There were smoke everywhere, but when my vision clears, Nox is already covered with armor nothing like no other. It was made with flesh, beating skinned muscles and every movement he makes gives off blood sprinkles. The only part of his body that is not covered with the disgusting meat armor is his head. Now Nox¡¯s eyes are bloodshot red, the same as dragonoid¡¯s, but with more visible dark veins. He now looks more like a real dark lord but according to him, he is just a messenger from the underworld. A messiah from hell, Necross. But I do believe that demons like him will hold his part of the bargain. He will make my wish come true. Those 666,666,666 murder deaths will mean nothing to me, so long as I could meet my wife and children. And peace to this useless world. The three knights are not injured. Amphere has his shield plate all the way, but now it¡¯s on fifty percent. The two zombie knights certainly took a lot of damage like those bruises and ruptures, but the fact that they are already zombies makes it easier for them to absorb the pain, if they are still feeling it at all. ¡°Oh, you can still withstand that?¡± Nox arrogantly asked. My attention was diverted when there was a newsflash on my screen. A live coverage from the journalists from all over the world. The camera had it focused on the golden sword with wings below the crown; the symbol of the Princess Serenity Elkyria. It must¡¯ve been taken on the royal palace. But at this hour? It¡¯s exactly twelve midnight. It is a critical message to everyone, for sure. It might be a state of calamity address, or¡­something else. The princess took her presence to the stage with the Corasell brat and the traitorous Arcadian kid. All the media personnel held their silence as the princess loudly spoke. ¡°My fellow citizens of Alterra. Tonight, we are experiencing a huge crisis regarding our races. Dragonoid protests everywhere, and the war still wages on some places. That is why, I am here, in front of you, not as a princess, but an instrument of peace. I am here to make the empire the place for peace and equality, to us, to our friends, to our families and to our children. Tonight, blood shall be removed from each other¡¯s hands, humans and dragonoids alike. Hear me, citizens of Alterra! This pointless war shall end at this very moment! I shall grant everyone freedom, for the greater good of everyone! I hereby declare the Dragonoid Rights Law, to be effective, to this very second!¡± I can hear the dragonoids all over the world screaming for joy as they watch the garbage piece of paper being signed by that damned princess. My whole body shook as I stepped backwards. Then I made a continuous laugh that echoed through the dark skies. Idiots. The Dragonoid Rights Law matters nothing to me at this point. The Murder Death Count is already at 666,666,665. Chapter 92: Necross Dragon Chapter 92: Necross Dragon Amphere Harrison Nox¡¯s power is so overwhelming. He managed to make that nuclear shockwave just by hitting thin air! If we even get caught with that radioactive gust, i¡¯m dead. He is the messenger from the Underworld after all. Though I think Rudolf and Estoff would¡¯ve been fine getting hit by those radiations. They¡¯re zombies. ¡°We won¡¯t win if we fight him ourselves!¡± Then Rudolf shouted which echoed endlessly. ¡°Kyrie!¡± The golden Chaos Dragon then surged from above and coated its claws with dark flames, and made a relentless scratch attack to the underworld knight! Nox manages to evade the first two attacks, but then got hit by the third, fourth, fifth burning slashes! ¡°DRACARYX!!!¡± Estoff shouted! ¡°Activate Crusader Arrow!¡± At this point, the dead terrorist leader is charging a white energy arrow on his white blazing astral bow. He fired three shots which penetrated through Nox¡¯s disgusting flesh armor, and then exploded! The explosion took it shape into a golden cross! As the explosion faded, Nox¡¯s armor has been torn to chunks. Only his upper right shoulder remained covered. But the attack never ends there! Rudolf channeled his energy and raised his hands above! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Sword of Eternal Light!¡± Hundreds of glowing golden swords rained down from the dark skies and lightning-fast struck to the underworld messiah! It impaled through his arms, shoulders, neck, legs, feet, and heart. And then the final sword went straight to Nox¡¯s brain that rendered him unable to move. But he¡¯s still alive! This man is an immortal motherfucker! But at least he will not be able to move a finger. Swords of Eternal Light¡¯s primary purpose is to impale and not for destruction. Still, the dark messenger is still conscious. He have this malicious smile to the three of us who were approaching. His blood red eyes glared towards me. I don¡¯t know why he is still staring at me like that, I barely did anything in this fight! ¡°I never thought you guys can really maximize the power of Dracaryx. You¡¯re all using love as a booster to your magical prowess. But my victory is already struck in the stone.¡± We three looked from above and saw that the horrific red planet finally revealed its ring like those of Saturn¡¯s. The snow all over the place melted, and some chunks of earth have been pulled away. Thus became the floating islands. Moreover, the temperature started to increase as the underworld closes to the planet inch by inch. Don¡¯t tell me that the death counts have reached it¡¯s mark! ¡°Necross!¡± It was Dragunov, who took his time all the way down to the entrance. Even while panting as he recovers his strength, his voice was still crystal clear and loud. ¡°The ritual will be finished! Just one more murder death!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Oh really?¡± Nox laughed. Suddenly, his body became ashes in a split second. The next time we know it is that the dark messiah was already on the evil duke¡¯s side. He¡¯s still able to cast a spell even though he was sealed by a Dracaryx! All efforts wasted! Oh wait, Rudolf and Estoff did all the work. ¡°I want Amphere Harrison to be the last kill.¡± Nox suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± ¡°Sure can do, Lord Necross.¡± Dragunov bowed with his hand on his chest. Suddenly, both their chests glowed with an eerie peculiar dark light! ¡°Activating Vesryn Pulse!¡± The Underworld, which now takes one-fourth of the skies made a crimson beam of light directed to the two psychopaths. It was so blinding that we all have to cover our eyes! When the lights, faded, an unholy terror surrounded our veins. Shaking toes and chill on our spine, this creature in front of me is the very peak of the messiah¡¯s power. A hundred meters tall, with its dark diamond scales protecting all its body. The forbidden number; the mark of the beast are engraved on its forehead, red eyes, and chest. The dark underworld dragon has the sharpest claws and brawniest body of all the dragons that was ever recorded. It has twelve dark feathery wings, and its tail has the same size of three railway trains. It has ten devil horns which has shaped itself to a crown. This entity has the right to name itself as the Necross Dragon. Aside from its characteristics, it is wielding the very same flesh-sword that he used to wield, only that this version of sword is bigger. Probably about eighty meters in length! ¡°YOU SHALL NOW PERISH FROM THIS WORLD!!!¡± Necross delivered through telepathy, which made my head hurt! When I looked up in the skies, the fleshy broadsword is now rushing towards our position! I quickly rode to my Chimeratech Dragon, and my allies did the same thing with their respective dragons, and we tried to fly away but it¡¯s no good! The falling broadsword has enough weird air pressure to get sucked to the point of impact! The force is too strong for us to take off! Just when we¡¯re all hopeless comes another surprise. A gigantic portal opened from the skies and an airship appeared and bumped the chest of the gigantic super demon, resulting the front hull to be completely crushed! I-Is that S.S. Liberty!? Because of the impact, the gigantic demon falls down to the very demonic cathedral. Debris flew all over the place and smokes everywhere. Airi covered me to protect from random flying earth projectiles so I never saw anything after that. All I know is that the Necross Dragon has fallen down. As soon as the loud noises subsided, I canceled Vesryn Pulse so that Airi can return back to her humanoid form since¡¯ we¡¯ve been useless for minutes. But Rudolf and Estoff did the same too. I guess Kyrie and Elumina are already tired of this battle. ¡°Task Force Libera has arrived!¡± General Holster proclaimed loudly. He landed in front of us with the whole squad gathered. Richard, Cleru, Jasmine, Iris, and the other dragon knights in complete attendance. It seems that there were no casualties on our side! That¡¯s very favorable! But how in hell are we supposed to defeat an immortal gigantic demonic dragon that is as worst as Satan? Sealing won¡¯t work. Strong attacks won¡¯t even kill him. ¡°I have a plan, totally!¡± Airi said in a jolly manner. ¡°Why won¡¯t you use Requiem Aeternam!?¡± That was a good idea, but there is a flaw on her logic. Because of this, I made a weak karate chop on my girlfriend¡¯s head, which she followed with a cute groan. ¡°You idiot. I can¡¯t use it right now because of the cooldown of seven days. This is just the sixth day since I used it to your ex.¡± I noticed Exceria who was behind me the whole time. She was bowing to the ground as if she¡¯s blaming herself that we can¡¯t even use Vesryn Pulse or our Dracaryx. ¡°You¡¯re the idiot, totally!¡± Airi poked my right cheek. ¡°Vesryn gave me all her powers, remember?¡± Chapter 93: Rise of the Savior Chapter 93: Rise of the Savior Amphere Harrison I don¡¯t know what Airi is talking about, but she has proven enough to be trustworthy. Her idiotic suggestions have bear fruit in this fight, that I¡¯m already 100% sure to follow her jokes. If she asked me to eat my own poop to get a power-up to defeat that gargantuan demon, I would do it. ¡°I now have the power to imitate any Dracaryx that has been seen by the Eye of Deus, totally! And it has no drawback! No cancellation of Vesryn Pulse nor halting of the heart. The only weakness of this ability is I can only use one-fourth of the Dracaryx¡¯s power.¡± ¡°How did you know it?¡± I asked. ¡°Vesryn was able to implant some ¡®intelligent conscience¡¯ to my mind that made it possible for me to talk to her. And guess what? Vesryn told me that she was also a Chimeratech Dragon! There are only two Chimeratech Dragon in the whole history of the universe, totally!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t need those trivial matters.¡± I scratched my head. And then I composed myself and held my chest. My Eye of Deus glowed as I feel the fire on my heart! ¡°Let¡¯s try it out!¡± If I have to defeat something that big and overpowered, I should use the same thing. I¡¯ll start off as big and powerful! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Crimson Dragonfly!¡± Airi¡¯s V-mark glowed with bright light once again, and then four flame like wings, in the shape of a dragonfly¡¯s emerged. Exceria¡¯s body glowed with golden light, and she got wrapped by the flame wings on Airi¡¯s back. Then the two merged and a blinding light once again flashed right through my eyes. This dragon is not daunting like the Monolith Dragon. But nothing is as awesome as this thing! This twenty-meter dragon is completely cybernetic enhanced with adamantine white armor. The chest part has a gigantic moonstone orb which was protected by crimson vest. It has maintained the Chimeratech Dragon¡¯s crimson wings and Pulsar Dragon¡¯s long white tail. This dragon stands like a humanoid, and what makes it cooler is that it has golden steel gauntlets on its arms! And on one hand, it was wielding a glowing golden sword with ancient engravings on it. I¡¯ll take the liberty to call this the Savior Dragon! Unlike any other dragons, I was comfortably sitting in this throne on this awesome dragon¡¯s head. I was protected by a reinforced bubble-like glass that will look like a moonstone on the Savior Dragon¡¯s forehead. I feel like I¡¯m piloting a mecha now. The Necross Dragon recovered from being knocked off and readied its sword to swat us. Compared to this gigantic demon, we look like a two-year-old child picking up a fight to an adult. But there is a big difference. We have superior mobility that made us effortlessly evade the heavy buster sword of the dragon from the underworld! The attack made a moderate earthquake and earth flew all over the place. To prevent getting hit, we flew out of the impact zone. I gazed from below, worried that someone got hit by the humongous sword. But then I realized that they safely got out of the ground with their dragons. I was surprised when the airship also managed to fly away even if they took an excessive amount of damage due to bumping it to the giant demon earlier. The airship now looks like a hammered tin can.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Be wary!¡± General Holster shouted. ¡°The enemy only needs one murder death to activate the ritual! Whatever you do, don¡¯t die!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± All of us knights shouted as we scattered all over the place to surround the demonic dragon. ¡°Amphy, I forgot to tell you¡­ Requiem Aeternam will have no effect on that demon unless we managed to lower his strength to one-fourth! So feel free to use any other Dracaryxes before using our final move!¡± Airi advised through telepathy. I know that already since all Dracaryxes we imitate will be a lot weaker. I glared my eyes to the demon itself and shouted. ¡°Dracaryx!!! Activate Abyssal Hole!¡± The Savior Dragon charged a dark hole-like thing on his unoccupied hand, and threw it to the Necross Dragon¡¯s chest! We jetted backwards and watched the demon getting sucked by the weak dark hole we created. But that¡¯s not all! ¡°Dracaryx!!! Activate Iron Maiden Imprisonment!¡± Several chains wrapped upon the giant demon¡¯s feet! It might not be enough to prevent him from attacking, but he will not be able to make a step with this! ¡°Everyone, attack all at once!¡± My fellow dragon knights prepared to attack in a synchronized manner. Rainbow colored fireballs, gigantic chunks of bubblegum, void energy balls, golden light arrows, thousand black feathers, electric shock currents and others made a deafening explosion! There was a thick smoke everywhere, but then a gigantic slash came! Everyone managed to evade the attack, but the flesh broadsword was wide and powerful enough to make a strong hurricane blast that made all of us fly away! Thanks to the durable armor of my Savior Dragon, we hit the ground with little or no damage at all. But we left a gigantic crater that will be a future lake as soon as the rain drops. I gazed upon my comrades who were severely wounded because of the impact. Most of them had their dragons reverted back to their human form due to insufficient remaining strength. Only General Holster and Cleru Neos was left able to fight. Most dragonoids and knights have lost their consciousness. Rudolf and Estoff are still able, but I didn¡¯t include them. They¡¯re zombies after all. I was worried about the death count, but after Airi/Exceria showed me the heartbeat sensors interface on a hologram, I was able to make a deep sigh. No one has died. Yet. That¡¯s just a shockwave. If we get hit directly, I¡¯m sure it will certainly deliver us to that red planet over there. I checked on the Necross Dragon, which had its body completely healed. I don¡¯t know how can we weaken this kind of thing. It keeps regenerating. ¡°Dracaryx!¡± I shouted once again. ¡°Activate Hyperspace Fury!¡± Unlike Reina, I was only able to create ten portals that rained giant golden lasers to the enemy. I managed to graze the Necross Dragon¡¯s nape of the neck area as well as its shoulders and arms, but not near enough to make a significant damage. He heals faster than we can ever damage him. ¡°Don¡¯t give up!¡± Estoff shouted as he reaches his heart once again. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Crusader Arrow!¡± Estoff. Isn¡¯t he hurting Elumina? She may be a zombie right now, but¡­ ¡°Continue attacking him!¡± Rudolf followed. ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Swords of Eternal Light!¡± That Rudolf! He has used Dracaryx two times in a row! Unlike Elumina, Kyrie is still alive and can feel pain! But she has this kind glare at me that silently says ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ While having this smile. Are they really giving it all they got, even if it cost them pain? ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Splatoon Burst!¡± to my surprise, General Holster shouted. But then it was followed by another shout! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Rainbow Road!¡± Cleru roared. ¡°Amphere, this is your chance!¡± Suddenly, all the other dragon knights followed up! ¡°DRACARYX!!!¡± As the arrows, swords, bubblegums, and rainbow blaster, and all other magical spells that can be thrown to the enemy twirled together, I followed up with the power of my own! ¡°DRACARYX!!! Activate Yggdrasil Fall!!!¡± Chapter 94: Necross Ascension Chapter 94: Necross Ascension Amphere Harrison All the Dracaryx attacks fused together and formed an astral head of a blue dragon that roared and breached towards the gigantic Necross Dragon, making it dissolve to particles! Then there comes an explosion and a dazzling flash of light! That is the loudest explosion I¡¯ve ever heard. It deeply resembles those of the atomic bomb that can break wind barriers and make a sonic boom. Considering that this certain place is a warzone, explosions like that is rarely known to the mankind. Our last resort of assault surely made a direct hit to the gigantic demon. Because of releasing Dracaryx, all dragons on our side relapsed back to their humanoid form. Except the Savior Dragon, which currently I¡¯m riding on. I don¡¯t know the rules of the Crimson Dragonfly dragon about using another Dracaryx. I guess I¡¯m seriously overpowered right now. The superior attacks unleashed towards the gigantic Necross Dragon were no joke. The combination of our heart¡¯s resonance made the demon god¡¯s body melted like Styrofoam on a bonfire. Only the lower body remained intact, and the upper body was converted into bones and burnt meat! His spines, which are outright visible right now, was colored darkish red because of the blood that splattered everywhere! The skull is partly visible, and a gigantic black beating object- his heart, was now exposed! ¡°Now!¡± Estoff shouted. I will do it even if you didn¡¯t tell me! The Savior Dragon opened up its wings and photon boosters was revealed, which ignited a bluish light! In a flash, we have closen the distance, enough for my dragon¡¯s sword range! ¡°Dracaryx!!! Activate Requiem Aeternam!!!¡± Savior Dragon raised the ancient golden sword, and the runes engraved on it glowed with red neon light. Then the sword became engulfed in a perfect white flame as we slashed through its gigantic black heart! There was a bright silent light that bleached the skies that would mistakenly mistake as dawn! After a few moments, the lights faded, and not a single remnant of the Necross Dragon can be seen. Only Yuri Dragunov, who was standing on top of the demonic cathedral and watch the fight was the only enemy left. But Dragunov didn¡¯t look astounded. He looks much unimpressed. ¡°Fool! You wasted your strength to fight a piece of Necross! He is immortal! Because¡­¡± Suddenly, a red lightning came from above. It has the Underworld planet as its source, and hit the top of the cathedral, a few meters behind the lunatic duke! There revealed Nox/Necross, with his new perfect body, without any scratches of bruises. He made this grim smile at me once again. We¡¯ve been fighting a pointless war, then! That demon is a regenerating immortal but even if I had landed an insta-kill, he will be renewing his body in no time! There¡¯s no way to defeat this guy!You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Dragunov.¡± Necross grabbed the crazy duke¡¯s attention. When Dragunov looked behind him, he was immediately stabbed to the heart by the giant broadsword! His upper body was crushed by his ally! The wound was so big that Dragunov¡¯s left shoulder and arm fell off! ¡°I¡¯m sick tired of waiting for the last kill count.¡± Necross laughed once again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll hold my end of the bargain. You will be able to meet your parents, wife, and kids after a few minutes. In the Underworld.¡± Dragunov tried to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, blood sprayed all over the place. Necross withdrew his sword and let his old man kiss the ground, lifeless. And then Necross, with his eyes now completely black, glared at me. He used his broadsword to stab himself straight to his chest, and a dark aura emerged to cover his whole body! ¡°LET¡¯S END THIS HERE AND NOW, EYE OF DEUS!!! ACTIVATING NECROSS PULSE!!! NECROSS ASCENSION!¡± There was a loud double boom that was heard all over the world. Then a three-second silence. And then there it is again. The loud noise, in a form of an echoing heartbeat came from the skies. The Underworld. Every time the planet beats like a heart, the rings of the red planet create a colorful shockwave like those of the aurora borealis. Then the Underworld slowly darkened as if it was being corrupted and converted into a much sinister object as it continues to beat louder and faster. Don¡¯t tell me he¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± Necross said as if he heard my mind. ¡°The Underworld is the heart of hell itself. It is the true form of all entity¡¯s wickedness and sins. It is the evil given form. The Underworld is the collective unconscious of the dead souls who have ever wandered through the lands of this planet.¡± Necross¡¯s body slowly faded as it converts its own body into ashes which flew and absorbed by the falling planet. The gravitational pull of the Underworld is so intense that I can feel the gigantic Savior Dragon being pulled with it! NOW, ALL CREATURES SHALL MEET THEIR END IN THE HANDS OF THE UNDERWORLD!!! It was a telepathic message from that planet, and it hurts my head! All of us felt this burning sensation on our heads. The Savior Dragon was severely affected that it made a deafening roar! After a few moments, the Crimson Dragonfly has been cancelled which degenerated Airi and Exceria back to their human form. Slowly, the planet shaped itself into a much more colossal version of the Necross Dragon! It¡¯s size is planetary, so to speak! It was not clear enough because of the dark skies, but the shadow of the dragon is enough to prove its godly power! Though it has a distance of about a thousand kilometers away from us, I feel that we are severely underpowered. That planetary dragon can ruin the planet itself in just one stroke of a hand. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t sign to fight a galactic supervillain! I just wanted a peaceful world where dragonoids can have all the freedom they want! Do I really have to defeat that unholy god? How the heck am I gonna do that? As if it was already enough, the screams of the million dead reverbs throughout the thin atmosphere. Numerous dark dots started appearing from the skies, and it seems like the planetary dragon was the source of it. It is soon that I discovered that those dots¡­are infinite number of zombies diving from the ionosphere. THE ARMY OF UNDEAD DRAGON KNIGHTS THAT SHALL SLAUGHTER THE LIVING HAS COME!!! As I went to regroup with my comrades, I recognized all their grim expression. Some of them gulped, some are sweating like rain, and some had their eyes dazed. But all of us have this chill on our spine and cold on our legs. This is the true power of Necross Ascension. And it is now too late for all of us. ¡°Are those stars¡­our enemies?¡± Cleru muttered. Those are not stars. Undead creatures, which are now glimmering with random lights only says one thing; they have activated their Vesryn Pulse. It¡¯s not just a horde. It¡¯s not just an empire. We will be fighting against dragon knights who has ever lived and died. Chapter 95: Hearts of the Million Dragons Chapter 95: Hearts of the Million Dragons Amphere Harrison ¡°We¡¯re outgunned and outnumbered. Necross is certainly on another league than us¡­ We don¡¯t stand a chance¡­¡± General Holster dropped his twin pistols and knelt to the ground. ¡°He¡¯s way too overpowered.¡± Rudolf muttered as he prevents his own jaws from shaking. I closed my eyes, and i opened it once a turned my gaze towards my allies. All their eyes says that everything is now hopeless. We have used our Dracaryxes, and only a few can activate Vesryn Pulse at this point. I¡¯m not even sure if I can even materialize Airi¡¯s dragon form. Speaking of Airi, I checked on her, expecting to say some stupid plan that would work anyway. But alas, she seems baffled and troubled. It really looks like she ran out of tricks on her sleeve. I can sense her speeding heart due to nervousness. Is there really no way to defeat this guy? A sudden thought came to my mind that strike me like lightning. ¡°Hey, why are you laughing?¡± Estoff looked at me with a question mark on his face. Oh, I didn¡¯t recognize that I¡¯m already laughing like that deceased lunatic general Kyle Leviticus. All of them turned their attention to me with a puzzled glare. Now they think of me as a weirdo. ¡°Now that I think of it¡­¡± I said with a smile right in front of them. ¡°The only way to defeat an overpowered entity is to overpower him.¡± ¡°None of your words makes any sense, totally¡­¡± Airi, now embarrassed of his boyfriend, scratched her head. I looked once more at the skies and the thousand star-like figures appeared to be brighter and bigger; signaling that they have entered the planet¡¯s atmosphere. I reckon that even if all the armies of the planet, all the dragonoids and humans combined, cannot defeat millions of knights of the past. But only I have that power. ¡°I¡¯m begging you all dragon knights to lend me your dragonoid¡¯s strength.¡± I bowed in front of my comrades. ¡°We sure do, even if you didn¡¯t have to ask for permission.¡± Mark Anthony Octavius answered. ¡°But we¡¯re all intrigued on your plan that was stuck on your head. What is it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± I widened up my smirk and glared at them with determination. Then I turned away and looked back at the falling stars that are ready to assault us with all their might! I reached my chest, and gazed at them with the crimson Eye of Deus! ¡°OVERLOADING VESRYN PULSE!!!¡± The million glowing zombie dragons made a line to connect each and every one of them, making a complex 3-dimensional constellation that lightened up the skies. The area of effect is humongous that it covers all things in the stratosphere! Deep in my heart, I can feel an immense¡­no, an overloading power that keeps growing infinitely! This is the power of a million synchronized hearts! This is the full extent of the Vesryn Pulse! Airi, who was coincidentally on the center of my allies, had her heart glowing and white line surged and connected her to my dragonoid allies. Her V-sign on her forehead then made a light ray that linked to the humongous constellation in the skies.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. This part of the world was eaten by a blinding light once again, and when I know it, I was already on top of a continental-sized dragon that is floating in the outer space. I can see the round planet of Alterra from here, as if I¡¯m an astronaut that is riding an awesome lizard-shaped space-station! The sun that is about to peek on our area is making this scenery an absolute fantastic! This dragon, which is the product of million resonating dragonoid hearts, is a godly existence. It has a dark astral body that contains hundreds or thousands of glowing spots, giving him the appearance of a starry night sky. Although this dragon has the basic form which has two wings, two arms, two legs, and a long tail, its body is purely made out of energy. This dragon contains the resonating hearts for over thousands of years! This is the Galaxy Dragon! In front of us is a much larger Underworld Dragon that ascended from million souls who have been murdered. The difference in size is colossal, but it won¡¯t matter now! I have turned Necross¡¯s invincible army to my side, and I have the infinite power of the Vesryn Pulse! Dragunov said that Necross¡¯s human body was just a piece of him, and Necross himself is the Underworld. That means, if I¡¯m able to destroy that dragon¡¯s head, Necross will cease to exist! ¡°Now is the time for your planet to be destroyed!¡± THIS IS THE END OF TIME, EYE OF DEUS!!! The Underworld itself said. DRACARYX!!! ACTIVATE ALMIGHTY HELLSCREAM!!! The planetary Underworld Dragon opened its mouth, and a sea of flames originating from hell itself flowed though empty space towards our direction. It was so large and powerful that it can certainly drill the Alterra Planet like cheese. I don¡¯t have the option to evade because the world is just behind me. I have to face this directly! I held my chest and shouted once again! ¡°DRACARYX!!! ACTIVATE DEUS ASCENSION!!!¡± The Galaxy Dragon was coated in a white-fire-like aura, much same as Rudolf¡¯s Chaos Claws, but more transparent. This aura granted us the power to surpass the speed of light as we boosted forward to intercept the raging beam of inferno! It was as if all time and space has ceased to work, and everything, to my consciousness, seems to be unmoving. The Galaxy Dragon surged and entered towards the heart of the hell beam, which scattered the blaster all over the empty space. The temperature here is infinite, that means it would vaporize anything it touches, but the powerful aura of the Deus Ascension served as a cocoon to keep me safe from any harm. As we venture deeper, I noticed that several stars on the Galaxy Dragon fell of and crashed like a meteorite back to the planet. Those stars are dragonoids which I borrowed their power with! Is the power of a million-dragon Dracaryx is not enough to take down Necross at all? The beam started vaporizing the outer part of the Galaxy Dragon and more and more of the dragons fall down. It¡¯s shaving our power little by little! ¡°Amphere!¡± Richard talked through telepathy. ¡°I think this is the parting way for the Galaxy Dragon! If we stay here inside the hell beam any longer, all of us will die! You have to disable the Overloaded Vesryn Pulse!¡± Richard is a hundred percent correct. I held my chest, and whispered ¡°Cancelling Vesryn Pulse!¡± In an instant, thousands of glowing dragonoids dispersed away from the beam. Then all the dragonoids fell down back to the planet. We don¡¯t have a concern over most of the dragonoids since they are already dead in the first place. But Richard, through his best efforts, created a portal to warp away those living dragonoids like Kyrie, Jasmine and the others. I¡¯m sure Richard transported them to a safe place back in the planet. All that was left with me is Airi in her humanoid form, and Exceria, in her Pulsar Dragon form! ¡°Expanded Clearance! Deus Ex Dragonica!¡± I shouted. Then Exceria became coated with steel armor to protect him from heat at least. As we dig deeper into the beam, the temperature seems to be more stable and cooler, but still hot enough to toast a dragon! In no time, Pulsar Dragon¡¯s cybernetic armor melted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that this is the farthest as I can go, Amphere, Airelina. Strength is leaving me.¡± Exceria apologized. Suddenly, Exceria¡¯s huge hands caught us both and threw it as powerful as she can, towards the raging planet. ¡°Finish the prophecy, Amphere and Airelina!¡± ¡°Totally!¡± Airi shouted. Suddenly, without any activation of the Vesryn Pulse, Airi morphed herself to become a Chimeratech Dragon! ¡°Look, Amphy!¡± She relayed through my head. ¡°I can see him. I can see Necross on the forehead of the Underworld!¡± Airi maneuvered herself to drill deeper to the source of the beam, which was slowly fading away. It was as Airi said. Necross¡¯s half body was on top of the forehead of the hell dragon. Now I¡¯m certain that it is his real definite body! Chapter 96: World鈥檚 End Chapter 96: World¡¯s End Amphere Harrison Thanks to the Galaxy Dragon form, not even a single speck of the Almighty Hellscream never touched the Alterra Planet¡¯s atmosphere. Exceria¡¯s Pulsar Dragon also helped us travel a great distance in order to get closer to the Underworld. And now, we¡¯re alone in this stream of hell. There¡¯s only Airi and me. The hell blaster started to melt my Chimeratech Dragon¡¯s adamantine plating, but Airi is not even close to give up! Even her cybernetic chips starts to spark, she continues to push forward! And she even activated a forcefield to prevent me from vaporizing! Airi¡­She always put my safety first¡­ ¡°It¡¯s because I love you, Amphy! Totally!¡± Hearing that made me worried about her wellbeing. We¡¯re now closer to the head of the Underworld Dragon. Five, four, three. Only one kilometer left, and I can reach that body of the dark messiah! Once I kill that body, it¡¯s all over! Suddenly, there was a loud clank behind. When I turned around, I was severely shocked as I witness Airi¡¯s wings become liquid mercury in no time! If she continue this, she¡¯ll die! ¡°Airi, I¡¯ll take this from now on!¡± I immediately jumped out and rocketed forward with the help of my dynamos! Once Airi witnessed this, she reverted back to her humanoid form and curved to evade being melted by the hellscream. I heard her shout from afar. ¡°GO, AMPHY!!!¡± I activated Deus Ex Machina to protect me from the fire surge, but it suddenly melted. The metallic skull became soft as water in no time! Next is I used my dynamo to form a barrier to prevent me from getting hit directly by the immense heat, but then all my dynamos vaporized! With my reflex, I drew my photon broadsword and slashed the beam into two as I carve a path to my destination! Unfortunately, the photon broadsword has melted. But I managed to close in the distance! Five meters! From thousands of kilometers in the Galaxy Dragon, to tens of kilometers with Pulsar Dragon, a kilometer with Chimeratech Dragon, hundreds of meters using all of my ability until I managed to make a direct contact! I immediately unsheated the blue photon sword on my back and made a clean slash from Necross¡¯s forehead down to his navel! ¡°NOOOOOOOOO!!!¡± Necross screamed as his human body turn into complete ashes that mixed to the atmosphere of this barren field. The Underworld Dragon then pulsed for one last time and then landscaped and reverted itself back to its red planet form. I looked at the skies and saw Airi falling from the skies. Because of the contradicting gravities of the two planet, she fell in a slow-mo manner which I immediately caught. When she¡¯s finally on my arms, we smiled at each other as we celebrated. ¡°We did it!¡± Suddenly, the Vesryn mark on her forehead glowed, and the next thing we know is we¡¯re in white nothingness. White, pure white. There was an unknown light source in this place. An image of a young silver-haired woman appeared in front of me. I know from the start who this woman is. Vesryn. Vesryn, on her younger self. She was wearing a traditional kimono, and she has those dragonoid red eyes, not the Eye of Deus. Thoughts have been injected on my head, and my mouth started to speak without knowing it.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I shall now give you the Eye of Deus. Thou shall follow thy prophecy, for it will save every living creature in existence. The dragon saint shall make an acquaintance with the Eye of Deus, for the unholy ritual Necross Ascension to be forever forgotten.¡± That¡¯s right. The apparition, whom Vesryn thought was Deo, was actually me. I am now conversing with Vesryn¡¯s past self, to continue the loop of time, to defeat the absolute evil, and to mark the destiny. I am the original owner of the Eye of Deus, and I am here, to lend her power. I shall now pass the eyes to the ancient. In an instant, we went back to the real dimension. But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re still up here in the Underworld. I gaze upon the skies and saw the green planet, now getting bigger and closer. I have defeated Necross already! Why the hell is the Underworld still colliding with our planet!? ¡°Necross Ascension has been perfected, so the planetary collision will be inevitable at this rate.¡± Airi said. ¡°But we still have a way to prevent the two planets from colliding. Totally¡­¡± That was the saddest phrase and ¡®totally¡¯ I have ever heard. I stared at her in a serious manner and then she continued to talk. ¡°I can use all the magic left on me, from the Galaxy Dragon. I have made my calculations, and using all our strength, we can destroy this planet. But¡­¡± ¡°We will die.¡± I finished. That should be obvious. Right now, we have no way to get back to the planet. Airi no longer have wings, and I can no longer use my clearance abilities since I just used all of them. We¡¯re completely out of option. Destroying this world will mean destroying ourselves. But we die either way, even if we didn¡¯t use our remaining strength to destroy the Underworld. We will be crushed when the planets crashed to one another. I forced my brain to be optimist and gather all the happy thoughts in me. I scratched my head with a smile to my love. ¡°Well, Necross and Dragunov are both gone. The Dragonoid Rights Law is finally in effect. Wars between dragonoids and humans will start to cease. We did a pretty good job in our life, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Totally!¡± Airi cheered up. ¡°I also wanted to try a lover¡¯s suicide. This will be a perfect time for us!¡± Suddenly, Airi grabbed my face and kissed me with her affectionate lips. I hugged her tight, with all the force I had. While doing all this, I grabbed my chest which glowed faintly. We paused a moment, and then I whispered. ¡°Dracaryx. Activate Yggdrasil Fall.¡± Suddenly, nine actual planets materialized that surrounded the Underworld. Nine planets, all of which the same size of the underworld, collided. There was a magnitude hundred as the ground intensely shook. The planets burned and converted into a trillion dusts that fall to the planet of Alterra as micro meteorites. The impact was so immense and powerful that it converted all the ten planets into nothingness. And the world of the wicked is finally gone. I opened my eyes, and Airi was there smiling. We¡¯re back in this white nothingness again. But I am certainly sure that this is the other side. The afterlife. Airi¡¯s adorable face was right in front of me. I examined and memorized every detail of her face. Her blushing cheeks made her cuteness overloaded. Her smile was the brightest, even compared to the stars. Her silky red hair danced as she took a step forward, towards me, and looked at me with an affectionate gaze with her ruby eyes that is more precious than all the treasures of the universe. She raised her soft white hands and presented me the most precious thing to her. It was the handkerchief, which I gave when we were a kid. It was her hair ornament for years, and it contains all the precious memories we had together. ¡°Take it.¡± Airi said with the most striking smile I¡¯ve ever seen in my lifetime. Without any second thought, I got my hands on the handkerchief. But then she talked again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amphy. Totally. I¡¯m sorry that I lied once again. I can¡¯t have you die with me.¡± I suddenly felt a hard disk-like object on the handkerchief, and when I unfolded it¡­It has a fully-charged shield plate. ¡°I told you before, right?¡± Airi is now smiling with tears. ¡°I will protect you with all my heart and soul. I will sacrifice everything, even my life and dreams just to make you safe and happy. Totally!¡± ¡°N-No!¡± I screamed. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do this alone! I will¡­¡± Tears ran through my cheeks. My throat was dry, but I forced myself to speak! ¡°I won¡¯t be happy without you, Airi! So please¡­¡± Airi did a kind smile, giving me the hint that nothing will ever change her mind. ¡°I love you, Amphere Harrison. Totally!¡± Those were her last words. She immediately pushed me away with all her might from the collapsing underworld, and I just fucking watched my love being caught in the wide explosion, unable to do anything. I wanted to grab her hand and hold her, but the shockwave of the blast pushed me further away from the woman I love the most. ¡°AIRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!¡± Chapter 97: Honor of a Dragon Knight Chapter 97: Honor of a Dragon Knight Amphere Harrison I just closed my eyelids, trying to prevent tears from coming out of my eyes. I ignored the intensive temperature as the friction of the wind gives sufficient heat that could give my skin a first degree burn. I¡¯m completely tolerant to the outside now. All I cared is the love of my life. And now that she¡¯s gone¡­Now that she sacrificed herself again to keep me safe for the last time¡­I don¡¯t know what happens next. Fuck the Necross Ascension or the Dragonoid Rights Law. I would trade all of my achievements just to see her again for just a split second. For some reason, I crashed back on the planet with no broken bones or whatsoever. That shield plate Airi gave me must¡¯ve been heavily reinforced to withstand the air friction and the crash. I found myself on the center of a crater, lying on my back. Even though I¡¯m completely fine, I stayed there, not moving a finger. The sun peeked on the horizon, signaling the dawn of the new day. I can¡¯t even see the colossal demonic cathedral, or what¡¯s left of it. But I¡¯m pretty sure that this place is near the southern Arcadian camp, which we breached through last night. I closed my eyes and tried to reimagine Airi¡¯s face once again. Her voice echoed through my head, visions and flashbacks of her intercepted my mind. And then I looked at my clenching fist, which contained the handkerchief that she used every single day to impress and appear cute to me. I missed her sentences, even though she always hangs the unnecessary word ¡°totally¡± to each and every one of it. I will never find it annoying anymore¡­just let me hear your voice again. ¡°Are you totally okay?¡± I slowly opened my eyes. The image was blurred but slowly, I got the whole image. It was a childlike face of a girl. She was adorable as Airi¡­But she is not Airi. It was Duchess Corasell, who immediately rushed to my side and got my arm. ¡°W-Where is Airelina?¡± the Duchess asked. Hearing her name again makes me want to cry like a newborn baby. I tried my best not to scream, but my eyes gushed more tears than before. I covered my face with my arm, but it¡¯s not enough to make the duchess unaffected. She cried silently too, and dropped her forehead to my chest. We had this little moment to mourn for Airi. I don¡¯t know how much time has passed. When I¡¯m all out of tears, the duchess convinced me to get up. I did took her hand to help me stand again, but honestly, I¡¯m about to throw up. I don¡¯t understand my body either. I can barely utter any word with my mouth. My eyes are a lot blurry whenever I moved. I can no longer smell or feel. And my shoulders are so heavy. ¡°I saw you crashing into this place after fighting against the planetary demonic dragon earlier.¡± Duchess Corasell said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I came in late.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡± I replied sadly. ¡°It¡¯s no one¡¯s.¡± When we finally climbed up the crater, I saw Estoff, Elumina, and Rudolf lying on a withered tree, each of them. Estoff and Elumina are holding hands, while Rudolf is being hugged by Kyrie. The three zombies are fully awake, but they appear to be see-through. There are light particles surrounding them that tell one thing; their time in this world is up. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry... I don¡¯t have enough tears to mourn for you three again¡­¡± I said and projected a fake smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to appear happy in front of us.¡± Elumina weakly said. ¡°We returned to the world of the living just to help you prevent Necross Ascension. That is our only purpose.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I finally understand what you felt that day, Estoff.¡± I bowed while clenching my hand. ¡°I¡­I honestly wanted to kill myself, just to meet her again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Rudolf intercepted. ¡°The reason why Airi sacrificed herself is for you to keep on living, and to have a good and peaceful life! She wouldn¡¯t want you to see suffering like this! If you kill yourself, that means Airi¡¯s sacrifice was useless.¡± ¡°She saved you, and don¡¯t you dare wasting your life for foolish matters.¡± Estoff said. ¡°Live your life to the fullest, Hero of Alterra.¡± Suddenly, their bodies glowed with golden light. They slowly dissolved into golden dust particles that mixed with the gust of wind. There, Kyrie was left by her husband for the second time, but she¡¯s having this genuine smile. She slowly approached me and said. ¡°We will keep on living. That¡¯s our duty as the one who were left behind.¡± Kyrie immediately lost the strength on her legs and fell to me. She completely lost her consciousness. I finally discovered that she has this eyebags and white face, signaling that she is very pale and weak. I can sense faint mana on her body. Was this the side effect of overloading the Vesryn Pulse!? There was a firefly that came out from the duchess¡¯s pocket, and it enlarged itself into a humanoid fairy-cosplaying child. It was Eva. She tried to explain the situation to me. ¡°All the dragonoids in the Task Force suffered the same thing. It seems that they had their strength fully drained. We shall now go back to the S.S. Libera to treat your wounds.¡± Just before the duchess was able to touch her chest to activate Vesryn Pulse, there was a single loud echoing gunshot. When we looked around, we finally realized that we are totally surrounded. Surrounded¡­by thousands of Arcadians. They all have their rifles pointed at us. Most of them withdrew their swords from their sheath, ready to charge at us. ¡°I thought the war was already over.¡± I muttered. ¡°Our war ends with you.¡± One of the Arcadians said. ¡°You are the most filthy traitorous snake that should¡¯ve never existed in the first place!¡± The other Arcadian followed. ¡°You killed Estoff Wraith! You ordered Brow Gattling to massacre dragonoids! You murdered Duke Yuri Dragunov! And finally¡­You used Airelina Frembell, your dragonoid, as your pawn and a convenient sacrifice! The Underworld will not even open its gates for you because of the filthy things you have done!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± Duchess Corasell shouted with a hint of tears. ¡°Amphere is a good person! He¡­He will never do any of those!¡± It¡¯s no use. The Arcadians won¡¯t believe her. Dragunov has successfully poisoned their minds. Because all you need to make someone hated is a river of lies and an ocean of blood. People just hear what they wanted to hear; believe what they wanted to believe. As long as rage and hatred reside on their hearts, they would readily blame anyone just to satisfy their sense of justice. ¡°They just want me, Marie.¡± I whispered to the duchess. ¡°Even with Eva¡¯s help, you¡¯ll just end up being killed.¡± ¡°B-But-¡° I reached my pocket and revealed a small hexagonal box and gently put it in her hands. Puzzled, the duchess posed another question. ¡°I-Is this the ring that was supposed to be given to Airelina?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded with a smile. ¡°I want you to keep it, for Airi and my sake.¡± ¡°J-Just¡­¡± Marieflorine Corasell suddenly had her cheeks wet with her own tears. ¡°W-What are you planning to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stall them. Meet with General Holster and Cleru and escape this place. The Arcadians only wanted me.¡± ¡°I-I won¡¯t-¡° ¡°GO!!!¡± I shouted. Duchess Corasell closed her eyes on shock, and after that, she continued to gaze on my eyes. ¡°Keep hold of that ring. I promise you. I¡¯ll come back to fetch that.¡± ¡°Just promise me one thing¡­¡± the duchess¡¯s voice is now shaky than ever, as if she was just enduring not to cry our loud. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll come back alive.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± I patted her head. As soon as I removed my hand on her, she slowly stepped back, and activated Vesryn Pulse on Eva. She rode on her Fairy Dragon which was holding the unconscious Kyrie and gained altitude as she dashed away until not even the dragon¡¯s silhouette cannot be seen. As I thought, Arcadian¡¯s won¡¯t even point their guns on her. They let her escape. She is their symbol of freedom, and she has done nothing wrong to the dragonoids and the Arcadia. All they want is my head in the first place. All their attention went to me, and they readied their selves to fight their final battle. I can feel their rage behind those crimson eyes of theirs. Being slightly intimidated, I drew my remaining blue photon sword on my back and kissed the flat blade. I closed my eyes and embraced the peacefulness of the wind. This might be my real final battle. No Vesryn Pulse, no Eye of Deus, no clearance systems, no magical powers¡­No Airelina Frembell. I¡¯m just a normal human; a knight with a dishonored name and legacy. I¡¯m no hero to the crimson eyes of the dragonoids that I fought for. I¡¯m completely alone, facing thousands of enemies. ¡°Airi¡­please let me feel your heart one last time. Please protect me once more. Protect my honor¡­As a Dragon Knight!¡± As soon as I opened my eyes, I readied my sword as I charged against the enemies. Chapter 98: Final Pulse Chapter 98: Final Pulse Amphere Harrison ¡°Hraaaaah!¡± I screamed. The first casualty of this battle is a rifleman who failed to pull the trigger and got his head smacked by the flat part of the edge of my photon blade. The other four Arcadians reacted by charging to me with their swords, which I completely parried. I made a step back, but their attack doesn¡¯t end there! They fired multiple bullets from every direction! I ran around to dodge the projectiles. Those bullets that can¡¯t be evaded was parried by my sword, one by one. The Arcadian riflemen stopped firing when they realized that they are just wasting bullets. But they are not wasting bullets. I got hit in the right biceps, left hand, my left femur, right foot, right shoulder, and graze on my neck. About twelve bullets in total hit me, but none of them hit my vital organs. ¡°VIVA ARCADIA!!!¡± Five swordsmen made their way to me and gave a slash, hack, and thrust! I managed to evade by sidestepping, parrying, and blocking their attacks, but then another wave of Arcadian melee fighters attacked me. I got caught by three blades on my back, which unfortunately, failed to reach my spine. Suddenly, I felt a sharp object slash through my left kidney. Because of the attack, I rolled on the dust and had my mouth spurt with blood. I was not able to realize the pain of losing an organ because I was focused on the outer threats as their attacks never ends! There are about six dragonoids that jumped and ready to pin my body with the ground with their swords! I used my feet to spin, relocating my limbs and body parts to evade those sword stabs barely from these terrorists. With the help of my adrenaline, I punched, kicked, and smashed them out to destination fucked. All the swordsmen who previously attacked me are now down. I was hardly catching my breath as I stood up, but then I find myself open, directly catching all the machine gun bullets with my body. It was worth about two hundred bullets¡­those are the attacks I took in just a matter of ten seconds of being subject to open fire. But unlike my any other past fights, I was unable to feel pain. I can no longer feel my limbs, but I can still move them. ¡°Die!¡± It was a shout from my back. Suddenly, a sword¡¯s edge emerged out of my chest. That backstab hit the right spot; my heart. Suddenly, all other dragonoids charged and focused on thrusting my torso. About ten swords literally broke my heart, and blood has been splattered everywhere; to the ground, to my feet, to the Arcadians¡¯ face, and to their leather uniform. And then they withdrew all their swords out of me at the same time in a synchronized manner. So this is my end. There, I felt that all my strength is leaving me. I fell unto my knees. My eyes felt heavy as I closed it. And find myself in a completely white place. [Amphere Harrison ¨C K.I.A.] ¡°I told you to stay alive, totally¡­¡± It was the voice I¡¯ve been longing to hear! When I opened my eyes, I saw the woman I love. Airi. Her adorable face, scarlet silky hair, and passionate ruby eyes are her definitive cues! Before I was able to open my mouth to speak, she shushed me. And then she held her chest as she smiled beautifully.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Activating Final Pulse.¡± [Report Cancelled] I then realized that I was standing on my feet once again, holding this photon sword. I checked on my body and found out that I no longer have a functioning heart, but still, I can feel the warmth of it. Is this¡­Airi¡¯s gift? I looked at the faces of the dragonoids around me, who appears to be bewildered and shocked. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± One of them muttered. ¡°His heart has been shredded to pieces, how come is he still alive and standing?¡± ¡°Are you all just gonna stand there all day, or are we gonna fight?¡± I shouted arrogantly while blood spurt out of my nose and mouth every time I change a syllable. I can feel the stinging pain of the blood in my eyes, but I¡¯m sure¡­I still have the power of the Eye of Deus left inside of me! Even if I can¡¯t use it the same as before, It¡¯s enough to take most of them! I held my chest and shouted. ¡°Overloading Vesryn Pulse!¡± Instead of having multiple-headed giant dragons, I was only able to control their heartbeat rate. I stopped most of their hearts for a brief period of time, resulting into their fatigue. I overdid it, so some got their hearts completely stop. But there were still few survivors who chose to continue this fight! Swords have clashed, rifles have fired, and blood was spilled. Even if I was directly caught by the enemies¡¯ attacks, I no longer feel pain. My bones are harder than steel that I even used my arms to shield myself from their blades. My internal organs became more tattered as bullets pass through my body. So this is how a zombie feels like. As minutes goes by, more and more dragonoids were put down. Some of them lost their will to fight and cowardly flee the area. But there are still Arcadians who are willing to fight with their beliefs and their lives. I dashed forward, completely ignoring the projectiles that hit me, and continued to smash them with my sword, kicked them in the face, and punch them on the throat. I would like to minimize the casualty if possible, but I know that I have already killed hundreds, if not thousands of them. Airi¡­I do have a reason for taking them up. I want them to focus all their hatred unto me, and not on the Alterran Empire. I did not come this far to have the imminent peace be ruined by Dragunov¡¯s after-war-plans. I want them to put all their anger to me, to channel them. I will be the greatest villain for all the dragonoids. And once I¡¯m gone, I shall take all the sins, the burdens, the abhorrence to my grave. I finally find myself standing in a mountain of corpses. Finally, the chaotic noises have stopped. My vision started to get blurred, and I feel that my legs¡­no, my whole body is losing strength. I looked at the broken photon sword which reflected my body face. ¡°So this is how it ends¡­¡± I made a single laugh. ¡°Everything went well according to my plan.¡± I found myself falling to the ground, unable to move anything. Neither my fingers nor my eyeballs. My eyes were redirected to the peaceful clouds of the clear blue skies. There was a gigantic floating piece of metal that darkened the skies, and I can hear the hurling sound of an engine. It must be the S.S. Liberty. ¡°Amphere!¡± A face of a twelve-year-old dragonoid went to my side and held my right hand. It was the kid Gazelle, who had this tears running through his cheeks. ¡°Hang in there! We¡¯ll carry you to the airship.¡± ¡°¡­Heh...Too late.¡± Miraculously, I was able to move my lips and utter a reply. ¡°No, Amphere! Stay with us! You don¡¯t have to suffer the same fate with big sister Airelina!¡± Sadly, I know this is my time Gaz. I wanted to tell him, but the synapses never went pass through my mouth. Gaz continued to scream, shout, and cry, but I already failed to hear any of them. Everything was silent, at least to my perspective. I used all my remaining strength to move my left hand and touched Gaz¡¯s blind eye. I smiled. After two seconds, my hand ceased to function. And just like that, he was able to see with both eyes again. Involuntarily, my lips moved. My lungs ejected the clotting blood out via cough, and then I was able to say my final words. ¡°¡­I¡­have¡­finally¡­created¡­a world¡­of¡­freedom¡­¡± I closed my eyes. And the next time I open it, Gaz was no longer there on my side. Instead, a woman with beautiful star-like eyes welcomed me. Her blushing cheeks made a genuine smile. And her scarlet long hairs have this butterfly-like bow, which must¡¯ve been the most important handkerchief in my life. I instinctively raised my hand. ¡°Airi¡­ please let me fly with you once again.¡± ¡°Totally!¡± Airi laughed. As her warm hands held mine¡¯s, she pulled me up to the skies. She opened her white angel wings, and we proceeded to go to the paradise where absolute freedom and unending happiness resides. [Amphere Harrison ¨C K.I.A.] Epilogue Epilogue Marieflorine Corasell Countless lives have been sacrificed. Wars have fought; betrayals have backstabbed, all just to fight for what we call freedom. We all fight for what we believe for, and the willpower of mankind and dragonoids has created this world a mess. But everything changed after your death. There is a stone in the Royal Palace where the names of heroic Dragon Knights are inscribed. And now that the Dragonoid Rights Law has been on effect, their dragonoids will be honored in their deeds. Truth has been revealed for the people, and now the real heroes have the honor they deserved. But not yours. Your plan was a success. The hatred of all dragonoid-kind has been transferred all to your name. They blamed you for the war Dragunov have caused. Your death pulled all those sins to your grave, and now, peace is definitely on hand. All racial conflicts have now been resolved in the table, and not through bloodshed. Terrorism slowly lost their cause and charisma, and Arcadia fades in the dust as years go on. It¡¯s funny to think that all it takes to change history is the will of a single man. You never fought for honor or for power. None of those matter for you. You fought for love, freedom and peace. That is not a Dragon Knight¡¯s duty at all. That is a duty of a real legendary hero. Even if everyone thinks that you are the evil, we, the knowers of truth, shall continue the fruits of your sacrifices. Seven years have finally passed, and there were little to no conflict between humans and dragonoids. Everyone is enjoying the freedom and peace they deserved. The Empire of Alterra has been standing strong in the peak of its power, with the complete cooperation and coordination of the two different races.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. General Byron Holster has been promoted to the highest military commander rank, a five-star general. He and Iris now have a big family with seven kids. They resided on the royal palace, to be honored in their lifetime by protecting the Empire through his command Cleru Neos and Princess Serenity Elkyria are now newlyweds, and the princess gave birth to a cute little princess named Rose. All of these happened before the Emperor died because of sickness. And now, the Empire of Alterra has been ruled by Empress Serenity the Magnanimous, who was loved by everyone. Exceria and Jasmine went back to the Cathedral Exa to preserve what Vesryn have protected for thousands of years. The Cathedral reclaimed followers as their teachings and kindness went scattered throughout the world. Richard Astherson is now having a journey to seek for ¡®something or someone¡¯. We never heard anything from him ever since. Kyrie Azregon was already pregnant back in the last dragonoid war. Rudolf left her with a brave boy named Edgar, who is now six. He has the dream of becoming a dragon knight like how his father was. They now lived in a manor in the Goldcliffe City, which is now filled with happiness and prosperity. Your names are definitely not on the heroes list for the eyes of the dragonoids, but I have good news for you and Airelina. The Cathedral Exa recognizes you two as legends. You have been officially wed, and we built a monument of the two greatest lovers who fought for all dragonoids¡¯ freedom. It consists of a steel version of you, genuflecting, proposing to winged Airelina with the very same diamond ring you lend to me. It may not be the future that you wanted for both of you, but at least your husband and wife now. Totally! Finally, Eva and I entered the Dragon Knights Academy to follow your trails. Gaz also entered with the hope of becoming a great hero that you were. It¡¯s quite embarrassing to say it, but you are the man I idolize the most, Amphere. You have destroyed the chaotic world and left us this peaceful one, and it is up to us to preserve and protect it with all our heart and soul. And that, is the true meaning of the Vesryn Pulse. Chapter 99: ??? Chapter 99: ??? Richard Astherson Few months after Necross Ascension¡­ I¡¯m finally here. Five kilometers from the ruined Vanilla City, there is a forest that consists of colossal trees that protects the exotic flora and fauna in the area. The whistling of the birds and gentle breeze of the wind that makes the leaves on the trees dance made an absolute serenity on my feeling. In front of me, is a long forgotten ruined cathedral, much same as the Guardian¡¯s Haven¡¯s abandoned church. There are a lot of vines climbing on its brick walls, but the entire structure seems to be holding on. I think it will still last for a thousand years more. This cathedral is invisible to any maps or satellites. As ¡®someone¡¯ told me, this particular place will only reveal itself once you¡¯re a meter away from it. And now that I¡¯m finally here, I can¡¯t help but to wonder how in the heavens did this place act the same as the demonic cathedral? I reached the gigantic wooden door and excerted a lot of force to push and open it. The creaking sound of it shatters the peacefulness of this building. And there, I opened my eyes in shock. She was really here. ¡°Reina¡­¡± My mouth muttered. She didn¡¯t die. I knew it. That explains why I still have enough power to create large and numerous portals without exhausting myself. Two months ago, after the death of Amphere and Airelina, a portal opened. I heard Reina¡¯s voice. She said that I must meet her, in this specific time and place. And now I¡¯m here, still not prepared, still not believing that my love is totally, completely well.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The blonde beauty was comfortably sitting on a golden throne at the center of the hall of this cathedral. She was drinking an expensive wine on a crystal glass. I can tell from her emerald eyes that she was extremely happy that we¡¯re reunited, but there¡¯s something¡­more sinister. ¡°How did you-¡° I was cut by my gorgeous knight. ¡°I was able to open a portal before the body of that Titan dragonoid exploded. Her grip on me became loose, so I was able to escape. That is why you buried the wrong person. Who knows? Maybe you buried an unlucky woman who happens to be a bystander at the wrong place and time.¡± She then sighed. ¡°When I fled, I was randomly transported to this place.¡± I looked around and noticed that this is not your ordinary ruined cathedral. There are a lot of human-sized dragon statues with the horn of a ram. I can certainly say that this is like a miniature version of the demonic cathedral. Reina continued. ¡°Sad from the fact that I¡¯m still alive, none of the happenings surprises me. It is all part of the plan. For the coming years, new players shall step in. But power shall rest on our hands. People think that there is an absolute peace. But you bring down one enemy, and someone worse will rise unto power and replace him. The more things change, the more they stay the same. That is the truth of this world. Amphere died for freedom of the dragonoids, and that alone. To honor his deeds, I shall see to it that the fruit of his sacrifices are to be preserved. But about preserving this world¡­It¡¯s different. For days I have searched the true meaning of Necross Ascension. The Underworld can be created once again. Necross Ascension has failed due to the governance of Dragunov. But I¡¯m different. I have the brain and the brawn to execute the plan. I have the bloodline magic, the power of the Vesryn Pulse, and my most precious dragonoid. I shall bring the Underworld down to this messed-up planet once again. Will you join me, my dear Richard?¡± She leant out her hand at me. . . . . . . . ¡°I will.¡± I opened up my right palm, revealing the Mark of Vesryn, and took her hand. [Vesryn Pulse ¨C End]