#147

Lasano’s eyes widened at her unexpected action. Though it was perhaps a natural course of events, he hadn’t expected Iris to try and kill Kiyen immediately. Perhaps she had wanted to look away. Not wanting to face the consequences of her actions.

For the first time in his life, Lasano felt the emotions of a perpetrator, not a judge. The thought that he was doing something no different from those he despised crossed his mind.

The guilt he had suppressed, not knowing what it was, spurred him on. Despite having betrayed them, he called out Kiyen’s name in surprise.

“Lord Kiyen, you must—!”

But it was too late. Before Kiyen, the Dragon, could react, the sword shot upwards towards him, tracing an astonishingly straight line. Whether it was the sword’s own ability, the sword, which felt weightless when held, now whistled with a fierce sound—

It reached Kiyen.

Kiyen’s eyes turned red with rage, as if he had heard Lasano’s voice. His pupils elongated menacingly, as if he had fully understood what was happening to him. Lasano, speechless and staring blankly, watched the scene unfold slowly before his eyes.

A fierce wind whipped around. Solid objects collided with a ‘CRASH!’ and Kiyen was slammed into the ceiling of the great hall. A rumbling vibration echoed.

“Kyaaak!”

Kihelene, who had briefly lost consciousness while summoning Kiyen, screamed. Though she didn’t fully grasp the unfolding situation, she seemed to understand the sight before her. It was a sight she would never have seen, having grown up in a greenhouse.

White dust enveloped Kiyen, who had been slammed into the ceiling. Iris, her strength seemingly depleted, let her arm drop after throwing the sword, but her gaze remained fixed there. No one moved.

Thump, clatter…

The sound of fragments falling one by one broke the silence. A fragment of the great hall fell to the floor with a ‘clang,’ shattering into pieces. A moment later, Kiyen fell onto it.

Thud!

A heavy sound reached his ears. Lasano flinched. Through the hazy dust, he saw wings, bent as if broken.

Iris took a deep breath. With burning eyes, she stared at the spot where Kiyen had fallen and began to walk.

“What did you just do…!”

Just then, Kihelene cried out. She pushed herself up, as if to rush towards Iris. Yurisis finally held her back.

“Helen, you cannot go.”

When Yurisis’s hand touched her, she looked flustered. Anger, betrayal, yet an affection she could not possibly abandon, all showed on her face.

“But the Guardian Dragon…!”

“There is nothing you can do. Royalty without Dragons are nothing. If you go, you will die.”

Yurisis’s words echoed softly. Lasano was surprised by the cruel statement from someone of his gentle disposition. Kihelene looked at him with trembling, hurt eyes.

Iris ignored all the conversation behind her. The Iris he knew would have surely intervened regarding her earlier actions or Yurisis’s, but now, only Kiyen before her seemed to exist. She stopped where the dust had finally settled.

Kiyen lay motionless, covered by his wings. She slowly bent at the waist and examined him.

“How dreadful.”

She spoke softly.

“It is astonishing that such a dreadful creature exists. Its wings, its power, its cruel nature—all of it is dreadful and repulsive. I curse the goddess who created such a thing, once again, here and now.”

At the mention of his cruel nature, Lasano clenched and unclenched his fists. He lowered his lips, finding it hard to maintain a smile. He too had thought so. Before he knew Cullen and Kiyen, he believed all royalty and Dragons were dreadful beings.

But both were foolishly soft-hearted towards life. Lasano’s mind drifted to Cullen, who had stepped forward to save those unrelated to him. And Kiyen, who had let children linger around him without intervening.

Is this… the right situation?

Doubt spread through Lasano’s mind. His faith, which had been wavering for some time, began to churn violently before the sight of the seemingly dead Kiyen.

“Your corpse will be torn to shreds and displayed in the Imperial Palace. To keep you from being lonely, I will kill the remaining royalty and hang them beside you.”

Iris’s words, filled with resentment, echoed cruelly. Her anger felt palpable. At the mention of killing royalty, Yurisis was seen gripping his sword tightly.

It was then.

“I don’t know what you expected…”

Kiyen, spreading his wings, lifted his head. He glared at Iris with piercing eyes.

“You seem to be mistaken.”

The sword was not piercing Kiyen. Instead, it lay on the floor, as if bounced off Kiyen. There was no blood flowing from it. Only the remnants of shattered debris. Iris’s eyes widened, and she stepped back. She immediately swung her hand.

“How…!”

Scarlet, blade-like projectiles shot from Iris’s hand all at once. Kiyen, rising to his feet, batted them away with his wings. Now exerting his power, he didn’t stop there, his eyes turning golden as he conjured a violent wind. Iris stumbled, barely regaining her balance.

“Are you the one who made me this way?”

Kiyen, flying back into the air, spoke softly. His deep, resonant voice clearly indicated he was alive, causing Iris to scream.

“Aaaargh!”

A shriek filled with venom spread, and she unleashed her power, launching an attack at Kiyen. A red sphere, seemingly condensed from energy, shot rapidly, but Kiyen easily deflected it. Then, he counterattacked fiercely. The wind, like a colossal blade, surged towards Iris.

“Why, why, why…!”

Iris screamed, seemingly unable to comprehend. Yet, she blocked his wind directed at her with a translucent red shield and shouted at Yurisis. Her face was instantly weary from fending off Kiyen’s continuous attacks.

“Yurisis, stop him!”

Yurisis pursed his lips. Then, he looked at Lasano. In that moment, his voice echoed in Lasano’s mind. Yurisis had made a request in the past.

“If Mother tries to kill Helen too, then you protect her. Take her and run.”

Instinctively, Lasano knew this was that moment. The instant he nodded, Yurisis pulled Kihelene towards him. Lasano ran towards him without delay. But Iris was faster.

“Yurisis!”

She looked back at Yurisis, who gave no reply. Seeing Lasano running towards Kihelene, her eyes burned crimson. She blocked Kiyen’s attack with her shield and spoke in a voice filled with rage and shock.

“You’re forcing me to use this method…”

Simultaneously, a pattern that colored half of Iris’s body began to spread like blood. The pattern seeped into the other, intact half of her body. Yurisis, who had been standing normally, suddenly turned pale.

“Mother, stop…”

Yurisis shook his head, but it was no use. Iris’s remaining green eyes also turned red, and she raised her other hand. Then, she made a motion as if bringing something to her neck. A strange thing happened. Yurisis mimicked her actions exactly.

His hand, which had been holding a sword to threaten Kihelene, slowly rose, aiming at Yurisis himself. Kihelene, who was in a state of confusion, grew even paler than her already ashen complexion.

“Stop the Dragon, Larkan.”

The words Iris uttered came out through Yurisis as well. Lasano had never seen anything like it. He knew Kia and others were under some kind of Golden Seal, but he had never imagined this kind of…

“Silfi!”

She ran, calling out Silfir’s name. Despite betraying him before her eyes, Kihelene could not let go of the one she loved. In her shock, she tried to snatch the sword from Yurisis, but he remained unmoved. Iris briefly glanced at Lasano, who had stopped abruptly.

“If you do something futile, I will kill your beloved cousin. Larkan, you too. If you do not command immediately…”

Iris’s body trembled violently. White light began to gather in Kiyen’s hand. Iris, observing this, gritted her teeth and moved her hand. With a flick, as if drawing a line across her neck, a bright red line appeared on Yurisis’s neck.

“N-no!”

“Hurry!”

The sharp blade began to dig into his neck. Kihelene’s face contorted as if she were going mad, and she shut her eyes tightly, shouting.

“Do not attack them! This is an important command, one that concerns my life!”

As expected of royalty, her command was excellent. Unlike Cullen, who had followed orders for the first time in the cave of Exion Territory, at Kiyen’s behest. Kiyen’s attack, which had been aimed at Iris with melting intensity, stopped simultaneously. Kiyen’s eyes flashed white, then returned to blue.

Panting heavily, Iris steadied herself. She glared at everyone, including Lasano, then gestured towards Yurisis. He then walked towards Iris like a puppet. As he approached, he stood beside her like a knight protecting her.

“Why, why won’t it work!”

With Yurisis beside her, Iris screamed. Just then, Kiyen, who had been forced to descend, landed. He glared at the humans surrounding him with eyes full of rage. As if they were all the same.

Iris alternated her gaze between the sword on the floor and Kiyen, then screamed again.

“Why won’t you die!”

The situation, far from her planned course, echoed through the hall with a resounding wail. Iris, veins bulging in her neck, thrashed and then picked up the sword.

Kiyen’s wings twitched and then settled. He glared at Iris and asked,

“Why do you want to kill me?”

To Kiyen, who was genuinely bewildered and enraged, Iris turned her head sharply. She dropped the expression of a madwoman and burst into laughter.

“Are you asking that? Have you forgotten what you did? You turned my villagers, who begged for their lives, and the people of Rieri, into ashes!”

Iris met the gazes of Yurisis and Lasano as well.

“I cannot believe you would betray me, who gave you life. I cannot believe it. Especially, Yurisis. My son.”

Iris’s eyes blazed. She heaved her chest and, brushing her hair back, sheathed her sword.

“My research was insufficient. Brother was mistaken. There must be a way. There is a way…”

She began to mutter to herself.

“Since I cannot kill the Dragon immediately, then I must use this situation. Yes, that would be good. Don’t worry, Rieri. I will leave none of those who betrayed you alive. I killed Exion and Lenon too. Yes…”

She’s gone mad. She was mad, but Iris Jenix had truly lost it. Continuing her muttering, she suddenly lifted her head. Then, she stared at Kihelene, who looked dazed.

“You.”

She pulled Yurisis towards her and said to Kihelene. Kihelene’s reddened eyes glared at Iris.

“There is something else you must do. You had better listen to me. Otherwise, I will kill the son you love.”

The words “I will kill the son I gave birth to” came out without hesitation.

“What do you want?”

Kihelene asked, her eyes beginning to fill with venom, her white fists clenched tightly. Iris examined her, then burst into laughter.

“Yes, that’s it. Those eyes. A person in love is braver than anyone. Let’s see…”

Iris glanced at Kiyen. An idea struck her, and she tilted her head.

“This would be good. My dear, wouldn’t it? People also need to know what we have gone through. The goddess will come to her senses too.”

She clapped her hands. Iris, smiling innocently like a child, her eyes now completely red, said to Kihelene.

“Order your Guardian Dragon to set this entire land ablaze.”