Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Why did a dragon appear in the capital? Leasis bit her lips and looked around. Even a small movement of the powerful muscular tail was making the buildings collapse like dominoes.

No matter how much she thought about it, she could not understand the situation. The dragons were living in a cave or near a river in the Dragon Mountains. They could not appear in the capital. Besides, the red dragon was supposed to be extinct.

She could not contain her anxiety and raised her head. Some imperial wizards were using magic near the dragon, in emergency. Magic black chains blocked the dragon’s huge mouth, so neither fire nor gas could pass through it.

[Damn it, humans! Get away from me!)

The roar of anger made blood flow from Leasis’ ears like water. She stopped walking and grabbed her chest with both hands.

“Gasp…”

Her heart hurt as if it had been cut with a knife, and it was hard to breathe. I can’t give up here. Leasis clenched her fists and ran to the center of the capital.

Most of the buildings in the center of the capital had collapsed when she arrived, and injured people were scattered around. Leasis’ face turned white.

“Grien-nim and the people of the capital… No. We need to stop that dragon first!’

As she looked up, she could see the imperial wizards and the red dragon still fighting in the sky. The wizards only succeeded in wrapping the dragon’s mouth with a magic chain, but they were being beaten helplessly.

Boom!

A wizard fell to the floor. As blood spread on the floor, mixing with the rainwater, Leasis rushed to use healing magic.

Those who recognized Leasis’ ability began to gather around her. They shouted for help, bringing the wounded.

She could not ignore their tears and begging. She used healing magic with all her might. However, the number of injured people was only increasing.

A building collapsed due to the unstoppable and merciless wings of the dragon. Leasis stopped the healing magic when the priests came around her. It was time to calm down that dragon

At that time, a flashing white glow made her raise her head. She could see Max breathing hard on top of the half-collapsed building. He was wearing the same cape as the 1st Division of Imperial Knight.

Max-nim also came to support! Relieved, Leasis tried to go to him straight away. If the two worked together, they would be able to calm down the dragon.

Leasis moved in a hurry. As soon as she found a way to follow him up to the roof, something flashed once more.

Max leaped into the sky and swung his sword shining in blue and white. But the attack was easily blocked by the dragon’s claws. The claws harder than any magic stone blocked his attack and tore his stomach.

The moment she saw Max falling, Leasis felt like time had slowed down.

Drop, drop. Blood droplets fell around Leasis’ eyes, looking blankly.

“…Max-nim?”

Max’s body, which had lost strength, slowly clung to the ground. She opened her mouth as she stopped breathing. Her mind was so hazy that she did not know if this situation was a dream or reality.

A lukewarm liquid kept flowing around her eyes. When she came to her senses, she saw people running away and Max, covered in blood, who had collapsed on the ground,

Leasis’ shoulders were hit by the continuous crowd. Staggering, she approached Max as if she had been possessed by a ghost.

When she knelt on the ground, the fear of the day Neren took his last breath rose. Like Neren, Max had his eyes closed, and his mouth was full of blood.

Leasis touched his neck with a trembling hand. She felt a weak but clear heartbeat.

She bit her lips to the point of bleeding and began to use healing magic. The vivid glow was absorbed by Max’s body.

“Ugh…”

His body flinched as he slowly regain conscientiousness. As she poured out her power, Leasis was covered in cold sweat.

Was it because of her desperate desire? Max was able to open his heavy eyelids.

“Max-nim!”

“Miss Leasis…”

The faint sound of his trembling breath scared her. Leasis shouted like she had a seizure.

“Don’t talk! Now absorb the healing magic…”

At that time, Max took Leasis’ hand with all his might. Surprised, she looked down at him. Unlike his weak breath, his eyes were clear.

Max’s brown eyes moved from side to side. They were in the middle of hell, with people running away screaming, buildings collapsing, and dust everywhere.

Max breathed in. In the capital without Hizen, the only one to trust was… Leasis.

“Do you remember…”

“Max-nim, please don’t talk!”

“Our Miss Leasis… is stubborn… can also catch… a dragon…”

Leasis, who was combining Max’s words, opened her eyes wide. He spoke with all his might.

“I… we… believe in you…”

[To be honest, I don’t know the reason either. I don’t know why he’s doing that.)

[ls my method wrong?]

When Leasis fiddled with her coffee cup, Max smiled bitterly.

[Haha. The person who manages to break the stubbornness of the Commander-nim could probably easily catch a dragon.]

[I’m sorry.]

[You don’t have to be sorry. Well, actually, I want to cheer for Miss Leasis.]

Back then, Max had looked at her with warm eyes. Just like now.

“Come on… go…”

“I’m fine, so… go! You’re the only one… who can stop this!”

Max vomited blood and cried desperately. She lifted herself up holding back her tears. Because she was a knight who had to protect everyone.

The beautiful capital street was like hell, and in the middle of it, Leasis looked down at the wooden sword in her left hand with dark red eyes.

The Utranian wooden sword had a vivid white glow. Leasis stared at the sky holding her sword. To be exact, she stared at the dragon.

His golden eyes with long and vertical pupils were stained with madness, and his huge body was bumping into the buildings as if he could not control it properly.

The sight made Leasis recall a fierce dog that used to hover around the mansion of the Duke of Armada in the past. The beast bit the hands of the maids who were trying to feed it and barked violently every night.

Some people, including the butler, tried to tame it, but it was impossible. However, Leasis had managed to make it obey her. The solution was to use a leash.

She had to get closer to the dragon first. She looked around and tried to take a leap.

Then, someone wrapped his arm around Leasis’ shoulders. A clear smell of blood brushed the tip of her nose.

“Long time no see.”

Her red eyes trembled. A husky voice, a little thicker than the one in her memory, rang her ears. Unlike before, he was a tall man, and not a boy.

“Blix-nim…”

Taking off the hood of his cape of the 1st Division of Imperial Knights, he raised one corner of his mouth.

“Hellhard.”

Oops. Blix said, brushing her cheek with his long fingers stained with blood.

“No. Should I call you Leasis now?”

Why did he suddenly become a young man? Could this be his brother, not Blix?

Surprised Leasis looked at the young man, but it was definitely Blix. A dangerous atmosphere, a cruel smile.

‘I don’t have time for this.’

Leasis ran, leaving the happy Blix behind. Then he followed along using his long legs.

“You’re going to catch him, aren’t you?”

Blix smiled at Leasis, who did not even answer. Sounds like fun. He had thought it was annoying and bothersome, but his heart was pounding to be with her without her cape.

He spoke in an excited voice, like a child.

“Let me join you.”

Leasis did not bother to answer. She stopped running and found the largest tree in the center of the capital. It was tall and thick enough to reach the sky

The two climbed the tree. As soon as he settled on the highest branch, Blix smiled.

He said, pulling out a sword with an unusual pattern,

“A crazy dog needs a club.”

The sword in Blix’s hand also soared with a white light. A talented person who could use an intangible sword. Leasis stared at him with alert eyes.

The gaze hurt Blix and he looked sad. It was not pleasant to have Leasis see him as a monster, even if no one else knew.

Blix thought he would not let that dragon go if he interfered with the reunion he had dreamed of.,

Then, Leasis slapped her cheeks with both hands. She asked Blix who was looking at her with surprised eyes.

“Blix-nim, you know who that dragon is, right?”

“Ah… well. Right.”

“Please let me know.”

“Then what are you going to do for me?”

In response to the playful question, Leasis pointed her wooden sword at him. She did not have time to keep up with the jokes anymore.

Oops. Blix bit his tongue out of regret and gave the answer that Leasis wanted. Because being hated by her was something he could not even imagine.

“Iddahak. He is the most vicious and powerful dragon.”

“Iddahak…”

With a small murmur, Leasis looked up at Iddahak. The black chain was half untied, and he was swallowing the roof of a large building without chewing.

An anecdote about a dragon she had read in a book came to her mind. Dragons, called the enemies of God, had a strong power to destroy everything, and only those chosen by God could control them.

Despair made her feel like she was falling below the ground.

[I… we… believe in you…]

Recalling Max’s words, Leasis stared at the dragon with her fists clenched. She had no intention of giving up in any situation. Because there were people believing in her.

“Blix-nim, please help me.”

“Sure.”

At the pleasant answer, Leasis stood at the end of the narrow tree branch. Then she looked at him and said,

“Please throw me away.”

“What?”

If it was Blix, it was possible. He would be able to use enough strength to send her flying to the dragon.

But Blix opened his mouth in embarrassment,

“If I kick you, you’ll die.”

“Come on.”

“I don’t want to kill you…”

“I won’t die.”

In the midst of the complicated situation, a promise made with Hizen came to her mind. Leasis said, stressing every word.

“I still have a promise I haven’t kept. I won’t die, so please help me.”

What should I do? Blix was troubled as he looked alternately at Leasis and the red dragon. Still, the girl’s words felt magical, so it was trustworthy.

Well, let’s just believe it. Blix smiled as he finished preparing for the kick.

“It will hurt to death. Hold it in on your own.”

Leasis nodded nervously. But then, she felt more pain than expected in her waist.

As soon as she floated into the air, she heard a broken bone. Leasis bit her lips to the point of bleeding to catch her distant mind,

Beyond her blurred vision, she managed to see a chain half tied to the dragon’s mouth. Her red hair fluttered in the air like a flag.

When she reached out her hands and grabbed the chain, her whole body trembled with pain that seemed to be killing her. Hanging from the chain, she wrapped her waist with one hand and casted the spell. Healing magic heated up her waist.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed up on the huge chain. The rain-soaked chain was slippery, so it was hard to move,

She almost slipped several times and gave strength to her whole body.

“Please…’

At that moment, the pendant around her neck shone with a blue glow. It was only a faint light that she did not notice.

Leasis clenched her teeth. Once again, she hung to the black chain with everything she had and used a rebound to reach the dragon’s back.

Her hands seemed to burn when she grabbed the horns on his huge back. Her lips trembled as she settled on a surface less slippery than the chain.

Then, the dragon’s mournful cry spread in her head.

[I want to go back… Why did you wake me up?… You said it was over… My freedom… You said you’d give it to me…)

His pain was shared to her and it hurt as if tearing her heart apart. Unexpected hot tears flowed on her cheeks, and her eyes were blurred.

The dragon, Iddahak, cried out someone’s name.

[Berman… Berman!]