#143

A change slowly began to occur from Lasano, who had finished speaking. His hair, which had been a soft glow like the goddess’s moonlight, began to turn black from the crown of his head. Cullen, unable to move rashly because Lasano was still aiming at Ulli, opened his eyes wide.

“I remember a memory I had with Kiyen-nim once.”

Lasano smiled quietly, as if aware of his own transformation. As if he had waited a long time for this day.

“I often spoke of the brand that is placed upon a High Priest who abandons the goddess.”

His long silver hair turned black in the blink of an eye, becoming a pitch-black obsidian. His red eyes shone with an unsettling intensity.

“Traitors gain the same color as Akesis in his lifetime. Perhaps if I had been born looking like this, my head would have been cut off long ago. It would have been better that way.”

Lasano’s red eyes were also swallowed by the darkness, and Cullen could no longer see him. The fire flickering in his hand extinguished.

Abandoning the goddess… meant losing the healing power and strength she had given him. If he followed now, subduing Lasano would not be difficult at all. Pushing aside his complex thoughts, Cullen hurried towards him as soon as the light disappeared. He intended to.

THUMP!

A thick ice sword was embedded in front of Cullen as he tried to run towards Lasano. Stepping back, he turned and saw Kia reaching out towards him. He had thought Kia was too focused on Kiyen to notice him, but that wasn’t the case.

“Do not forgive me. I hope we never meet again.”

Lasano’s voice echoed and disappeared beyond the ice sword that blocked his path. The darkness, leaving nothing behind, filled his vision emptily. He hadn’t expected to lose his artifact like this.

Pushing away the despair that threatened to engulf him, Cullen composed himself.

It’s okay. If Lasano is just escaping alone, he can subdue Kia and find him quickly. It’s not difficult to track someone untrained in the vicinity. He can get the sword back, so for now, he had to do what needed to be done here.

Given the situation, Cullen checked on Ulli and Arne first. He rushed over and felt for their pulses. They were faintly beating, as if asleep or unconscious.

After confirming they were alive, he decided to move the group to a safe place. The chamber walls had collapsed from the recent attack, so to be safe, he pulled them both and placed them as far as possible between the ice pillars and the wall.

Just then, a “KWAANG!” sound was heard, and someone was slammed near Cullen. He quickly dodged and observed the opponent. He had unconsciously thought it was Kia as he identified the target. Expecting black hair, he turned his head, but what he saw was long, blond hair.

“Kiyen-nim!”

Unbelievably, it was Kiyen who had fallen to the ground. Examining his disheveled robe and hair, Cullen rushed to him. There was no blood, but he looked unlike anything he had seen before.

“Are you alright?”

He had never imagined Kiyen would be pushed back, so the shock was immense. Moreover, hadn’t he said Kia was a Young Dragon? No, he wasn’t even a Dragon. The goddess had denied it, and he had witnessed it. His hand trembled slightly without his realizing it.

“I’m fine.”

Kiyen quickly composed himself with a serious expression. Cullen stood in front of him protectively, drawing his own sword. The hand that had held the stolen artifact felt empty. He clenched and unclenched his fist, then looked up at Kia in the sky. Kia’s expression was also a mess.

“Stop it now, Kiyen-nim. I don’t like fighting…”

He had stopped attacking and was just watching the two of them. His role was to protect Lasano, and now that he was gone, he showed a momentary lapse.

“Kiyen-nim, now is the time.”

While Cullen didn’t wish for Kia’s death, he had to subdue him enough to prevent him from pursuing Lasano.

“No.”

However, Kiyen refused.

“If I attack properly, you won’t be able to withstand it.”

At those words, he realized. Kiyen had been pushed back because he had only blocked Kia.

Cullen’s lips moved. He almost spoke his thoughts aloud. If Kiyen believed Kia was a Dragon, he would have no hesitation in attacking, because Dragons are immortal. But the fact that he was hesitating now meant something in Cullen’s words had struck him.

If he could somehow persuade Kiyen like this, he might be able to harm Kia… but that would torment Kiyen, so Cullen held back and proposed another method.

“Then keep defending. Defend and accompany me to chase Lasano. He took the sword.”

At those words, Kiyen looked at Cullen. Kiyen had the most precarious expression he had ever seen. Chaos flickered golden.

“…The sword was taken?”

He stood up and swept his hair back. His sharp eyes scanned the direction Lasano had disappeared.

“Yes, Kiyen-nim. The artifact must not fall into Zarkas’s hands. According to their logic, regardless of the trigger, it will eventually create unnecessary casualties. Their goal is revenge, after all. It’s different from acting to change the world.”

Kiyen remained silent. In the meantime, Kia spoke to Cullen as well.

“Cullen-nim, please stay here safely. I will come to pick up Kiyen-nim and Cullen-nim later. So please don’t chase us anymore… just wait a little. Then a world where Dragons can live will come.”

Kia was sincere. He was worried about the two of them and believed in the righteousness of his actions. Cullen also couldn’t judge them simply. He had seen and experienced too much. He himself resented the goddess, so the audacious conclusion to kill the gods was not incomprehensible.

But what meaning does change achieved by killing innocent lives ultimately hold?

Cullen hoped his thoughts would reach Kiyen. Kiyen, if nothing else, would understand him on this point. Valuing life was one of the traits of the Kiyen he loved.

“…Yes. That would be better.”

Kiyen said so, then gestured towards where Arne and Ulli were.

“I will send them up. Protect me briefly while I cast.”

“Yes.”

Kiyen extended his hand. Kia, who had been watching the two, reacted by flapping his wings, but looked puzzled when no Magic was immediately cast upon him.

“Kiyen-nim?”

Before Kia’s words finished, golden light emanated from Kiyen’s hand. His hair fluttered upwards in a wind that blew from the floor.

In the past, he had moved through space, but everyone had held hands then. Moreover, given that he asked for protection… it might be a Magic that put a strain on him.

“What are you doing?”

Kia, who had been puzzled, soon felt the surging flow of power and his eyes widened. A hint of bewilderment flashed across his face. Thinking he had to stop it somehow, Kia’s hand turned white. Cullen shielded Kiyen and shouted at Kia.

“If you attack now, Kiyen-nim might get hurt.”

“But…”

Kia looked confused, overwhelmed by a situation that went against his judgment.

“Kiyen-nim doesn’t get hurt.”

But a conclusion was soon reached. Kia muttered to himself, then intensified the light.

“Kiyen-nim is…!”

Cullen’s words were drowned out by the stream of light that surged from the floor. The spreading beams of light pierced empty holes in the space that had emerged. Soon, a white circle was drawn on the floor where the two stood.

Cullen did not dodge. Kiyen had told him to protect him. Besides… there was nowhere to run.

The entire floor was filled with a white circle. The same was true for where Arne and Ulli were. Cullen could easily predict what would happen next. The chamber might collapse. They might all die here.

“Stop it now, Kiyen-nim.”

As soon as Kia finished speaking, golden light emanated from Kiyen’s hand as well. The two Magics were cast simultaneously. White light passed through Cullen and Kiyen’s bodies in a cylinder, while Arne and Ulli were enveloped in golden light.

“……!”

Cullen squeezed his eyes shut and shielded Kiyen with his body. He did so knowing there was no other way. The light, which would not be strange if it blinded him, extinguished all darkness, and a powerful shockwave struck the stone walls one after another with a woong, woong. He felt as if his body would crumble to dust. As if he would be incinerated.

Just then, Kiyen moved. He lifted Cullen, who was blocking him, from the floor, and spread his wings. His hidden wings enveloped Cullen. White feathers scattered, and Cullen rolled with Kiyen.

After rolling for a long time, they were thrown to where Arne and Ulli were. A dull ache spread through his body, as if bruised all over. Shaking his dazed head, Cullen opened his eyes. His eyes met Kiyen’s, who was enveloping him. He was pinning him down, blocking the Magic with his body.

His golden hair tickled his cheek. Following that, something hot dripped onto the bridge of his nose. It was blood. But it wasn’t his blood. It was flowing from above.

“Kiyen-nim, blood…!”

Blood was leaking from Kiyen’s mouth. He looked pained.

“I’m fine.”

He said quietly. His lips, which always had a pink hue, were stained red with blood. Kiyen frowned, his brow furrowed, and said again.

“I’ll recover soon.”

However, he felt no relief. Only anxiety grew. Cullen, straining his eyes to their limit, held Kiyen’s cheek with trembling hands.

His breathing grew ragged. This was an unimaginable sight. This, this… is not right. He had never imagined Kiyen would be this badly hurt. Within him, Kiyen was stronger than anyone, a being not connected to physical wounds.

The blood flowing from his mouth indicated internal damage. A person with internal injuries dies. Kiyen, though not human, but still, perhaps, perhaps… he might die.

A terror unlike anything he had felt when facing his own death washed over him. Anxiety made his heart pound as if it would burst. Cullen whispered.

“This won’t do. Kia believes Kiyen-nim won’t get hurt, so he’ll keep attacking. We can’t escape like this, and something terrible might happen to Kiyen-nim…!”

“I said the wound will heal soon. I can endure this. Get up and…”

Kiyen’s words were drowned out again by the attack that poured towards them. KWAAAHANG! A mass of light engulfed Kiyen. He coughed, covering Cullen. More blood flowed out, a bright red.

“You must attack Kia.”

Cullen said through gritted teeth. Kiyen blinked his long eyelashes and gazed at him. His eyes were full of sorrow.

“If you believe Kia is a Dragon, there is no reason not to attack. He is like Kiyen-nim, a Dragon, so he will recover even if fatally wounded. Just subdue him, just subdue him.”

Cullen said so, even though he believed Kia was not a Dragon. To persuade Kiyen, he could say anything. Cullen finally understood the feelings of those who lie. He felt like he was going mad with desperation.

“Kiyen-nim, didn’t you say Kia is a Dragon?”

KWAAANG!

Again, again, the attacks poured down. Kiyen’s eyes contorted in pain. His complexion turned pale. He couldn’t endure it any longer. Cullen shouted.

“Kiyen, attack!”

It wasn’t an order.

It wasn’t meant to be an order. It was just a plea. Because Kiyen, not me, was getting hurt. I just shouted to stop it.

But…….

Kiyen’s soul, or perhaps the Dragon Speech that bound him, seemed to have taken it as an order.

As soon as Cullen finished speaking, Kiyen’s eyes snapped open wide. His golden pupils narrowed into slits, and then he pushed himself up. His white wings unfurled completely as Kiyen twisted his body.

Just then, Kia was in the process of casting his fourth attack. The continuous casting of magic seemed to have taken a toll on his body, as his complexion was noticeably paler than usual.

Towards such Kia, Kiyen extended his hand.

A white, long hand reached out. Starlight-like gold filled it. Soon, Kia’s ice began to melt. The surging heat could be felt filling the surroundings. The lava-like gold swelled to a terrifying size. The giant golden sphere grew, cradling red dots within.

And then—.

“Kiyen…!”

Shielding Kia’s terrified face, it surged towards him.

The giant golden mass engulfed Kia. All sound vanished. Cullen watched the scene blankly, enduring the melting heat. Even someone like me, who knew nothing about magic, could tell.

Kia…….

“Kia!”

He wouldn’t survive.

As soon as the magic left Kiyen’s hand, perhaps the power of Dragon Speech released, Kiyen called his name hoarsely. The gold, after swallowing Kia, rapidly descended to the ground. A destructive sound, like stones colliding, echoed with a ‘CRASH!’. Kiyen instantly rushed towards it.

Soon, Kia’s form slowly became visible. His white scaled wings were scorched black and broken. His face, exposed upwards, was buried in the ground, and around him…….

Blood began to flow.

“Kia, it’s okay. It’s okay…!”

A wail, akin to the voice of parents who had lost a child, spread out. Kiyen rushed forward and clutched Kia, who was covered in blood. Cullen couldn’t move. It was because of the smell of scorched flesh, the nauseating smell of blood, and the crimson pool of blood flowing to his feet.

“Ah… Ahh!”

As Cullen stared blankly at the blood that reached his feet, Kiyen’s wail filled the darkness where the light was beginning to fade.

Horribly.