672. [STAGE 40] Darkness The snow-
covered Crossroads were confused.
The sky was still dark, the damage from the last breath hit still remained, and the eastern field was burning.
In this chaotic atmosphere, under the leadership of the people of the Aryan kingdom, not a few people left the city and fled to the north.
“…”
The military camp of the Principality of Bringer.
Dusk Bringer was surrounded by priests and receiving healing magic as he watched the city in such a state of confusion.
The priests clung to the back of the shirtless Dragon Blood Duke and applied their divine power while sweating profusely. But the injury did not heal easily.
The high-ranking priest, said to have been brought directly from the emperor, wiped the sweat from his brow.
“You have a serious back injury.”
“…”
Dusk Bringer’s back condition was devastating.
Like a volcano boiling lava, the red wounds spurted out heat beneath the charred skin.
The eldest son of the Night Bringer – was hit directly by Ipian’s breath. It was a miracle that it ended with such an injury.
Also, Dusk Bringer’s mental strength to be able to move even with these injuries was nothing short of a miracle.
And this kind of miracle couldn’t stop the Night Bringer.
“It’s an injury that can’t be easily healed, but since you even fought with the black dragon… the wound got wider and the black dragon’s morale penetrated through the wound.”
“Just say the conclusion, Priest. so? How is it?”
“…”
“If I do my best, as your emperor wishes… will I be able to get the Black Dragon’s next breath?”
“…I’ll be honest, Archduke.”
The priest tried to explain in detail that he was worshiping a goddess, not an emperor, but then stopped and gave a concise diagnosis.
“If you go to the battlefield again, you will lose your life.”
“…”
“With your current state, you will be swept away together rather than blocking the breath.”
“Right.”
Dusk Bringer, who answered succinctly as well, got up from his seat and put on his shirt and buttoned it up.
“Thank you for treating me. Let’s go.”
“Duke…”
“Tell Traha that I will find a way to stop the Black Dragon.”
The priest didn’t want to say anything more, but just shut up, said hello, and led the other priests out of the tent.
“…”
After putting a thick shawl over the shoulder of the shirt.
Enduring the burning pain on his back, Dusk Bringer left his tent.
The military camp of the Principality of Bringer was moving busily.
The Army of the Principality moved the enemy directly under the monster front, so they were not mobilized for this punitive force and avoided annihilation, but they were in the same position as a lamp in front of the wind in front of the approaching black dragon anyway.
Dusk Bringer stepped into the tent next to him while watching his soldiers being mobilized to restore the city and scattering busily.
The tent was a place used by dragon knights. After walking through the entrance, Dusk Bringer looked around.
“Andymion.”
“dismissal…!”
The old knight, who was lying in bed with a pale complexion, jumped up in surprise at his master’s call.
Subsequently, the other dragon knights hurriedly knelt down in front of the dragon lady and bowed their heads. All were injured with bandages wrapped around their bodies.
Dusk Bringer also recited the names of the rest of the dragon knights in turn.
“Berlin. Poetry. Z.”
“Did you call, sir!”
After examining the faces of the knights who served him all his life and followed him faithfully.
Dusk Bringer closed his eyes.
“…sorry.”
It was a sudden apology, but the four dragon knights immediately recognized the master’s will.
“Finally, this time has come.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, sir.”
The eldest and leader of the dragon knights, Endymion, the old knight, smiled brightly in front of him.
“It is the strength and life given by His Excellency. Reap what you wish.”
“…”
“Just to win.”
Endymion pressed his forehead to the floor. His gorgeous gray hair was disheveled on the floor.
“I hope you accomplish the great work you wished for.”
“…I will.”
Dusk Bringer slowly stretched out his hand.
“So… let’s get some rest.”
Each of the four dragon knights raised their hands in front of their chests and pulled out the red magic passage from their chests.
That magic passage was connected to Dusk Bringer.
Eventually, through the magic passage, the red jewel-like magic source escaped from the bodies of the dragon knights and was recovered by Dusk Bringer.
It was dragon blood bestowed on them by Dusk Bringer.
The source of the power that allowed them to become dragon knights, giving them lifespans several times that of normal humans, and enabling them to display superpowers. The very dragon blood they returned without hesitation.
Tears flowed uncontrollably from Dusk Bringer’s large amber eyes as he returned the dragon’s blood.
Saaaa…
The retrieval process is over.
As the life force provided by dragon blood disappeared, Sieun and Jet, who had the appearance of young people, changed to middle-aged, and Berlin, who had the appearance of middle-aged, to old age.
And Endymion, who had the appearance of an old man by nature… knelt down and bowed his head toward his master and died.
Dusk Bringer knelt down in front of the old knight, wiped his tear-stained face with the back of his hand, and hugged the old knight’s cold shoulders.
“I will never forget your loyalty.”
Except for the dead Endymion, the other three knights bowed their heads in unison and whispered.
“I wish you infinite prosperity on your future path.”
After hugging and stroking the heads of those knights once.
Dusk Bringer, who staggered and stood up, left the tent and left the Principality of Bringer military camp.
His eyes were still filled with sadness, but there was no hesitation in his steps.
“Not yet… not yet enough.”
Even though the dragon blood recovered from his dear subordinates had significantly restored his output…
he knew that this was far from enough to fight the Black Dragon. Dusk Bringer gritted his teeth and glared forward.
There is no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation anyway.
If that’s the case, you have no choice but to mix up the evildoers.
“…time to get it back.”
She stumbled into the city of Crossroads.
“A curse that was put on a long time ago…”
***
During the first breath of the Night Bringer, the inn ‘Etty’s Honey’ was swept away by the range of the breath and collapsed.
The inn residents who lost their lodgings moved to the barracks together.
The Glory Knights and Wizard Junior, who were in the temple when the inn collapsed, had to move their lodgings as well.
“…”
Junior’s room.
Junior, who collapsed with a flushed face, exhaled exasperatedly and suffered.
And Hecate was sitting next to Junior’s bed and changing the wet towel on her head.
In the last battle, it wasn’t enough just to fire magic until the mana ran out, so he used the equipment [Past Future] to use the future mana.
After the battle, he fell into a state of extreme magical power depletion and suffered like this.
Hecate was in a position where she had to take a break anyway, and because she had a relationship with the same inn, she was entrusted with nursing Junior.
“…”
Through Junior’s sweaty, disheveled hair, a burn was visible on the left side of his face.
Hecate, who was looking down at the statue, murmured softly.
“…I didn’t plan to lodge in the room in front of you for this.”
How did this happen… Hecate put her chin on her chin and let out a sigh.
It was then. There was a knock on the door, and the voices of other Glory Knights were heard.
“Sir Hecate has a guest.”
“Who are you?”
“He is the Grand Duke of Dusk Bringer.”
As soon as Hecate stood up in surprise, the door swung open and Dusk Bringer stepped inside with firm steps.
The rest of the Glory Knights were surprised by the sudden visit of the Grand Duke and rushed after him.
Dusk Bringer smiled bitterly after looking around at the collapsed Junior and tired-looking knights.
“Everyone has a lot of trouble.”
“grandee. What happened…”
Hekate asked cautiously, although he guessed inwardly. Dusk Bringer nodded.
“Cut it down and bring it to the point. Did you think about the proposal that Gwain gave you then?”
“…yes.”
It was suggested by Dusk Bringer, who came to Hecate before the battle with Ipian.
The end planned for the Glory Knights – the ending of being buried alive or beheaded as a monster. Wouldn’t you like to walk the third path instead of this?
The third way is-
“So, have you made up your mind? It is a way to return your ‘curse’ to the widow and live as an ordinary human from now on.”
This was it.
Instead of bringing back the curse placed on the Glory Knights by Dusk Bringer, the magician of the curse… The Glory Knights will no longer be able to live as permanent knights.
Dusk Bringer thought it was a very reasonable proposal. However, Hecate said,
“…I can’t do that either.”
refused.
Dusk Bringer’s eyes narrowed. Hecate raised a hand in front of her chest and said.
“The Glory Knights are an order of knights created to protect the emperor… and now they are a knight order to protect His Highness, Prince Ash.”
“Isn’t Ash missing?”
“That is why we cannot lay down our swords here. We couldn’t protect His Highness, so we should at least take revenge.”
Hecate let out a firm resolve, and the rest of the Glory Knights nodded in agreement.
“If you thrust your sword at the black dragon and die on the spot, the curse runs rampant and you become an evil spirit… that wouldn’t be bad either.”
“…”
“If we become undead monsters, wouldn’t it be of some help in defeating that black dragon?”
Hecate smiled softly at Dusk Bringer.
“Even if you die, holding your sword and dying is a fitting end for knights like us. So grand duke. I appreciate the offer to let us live as humans… but I will decline.”
“…”
“I would rather fight and die holding the sword than survive by running away. This is what we mean.”
“…no.”
Dusk Bringer shook his head slightly and opened his amber eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here to hear a refusal.”
“yes? What-”
“Don’t take it back.”
next moment.
Tuhak-!
Suddenly, an enormous amount of magic power poured out around Dusk Bringer.
Hecate and the Knights of the Glory Knights tried to respond urgently, but in the first place, they did not expect that Dusk Bringer would suddenly appear as an exercise – and
the power of Dusk Bringer, who had collected all the dragon blood he had distributed to his dragon knights, was much stronger than expected.
puck! Fuck! Kwajik-!
The bedroom was shattered by the raging magic power, and the furniture fell to the floor.
“uh? uh huh what what?!”
Junior collapsed in pain, but he had no choice but to wake up from such intense magical movements.
When the embarrassed Junior stammered up and opened his swollen eyes and looked around
…
All of the Glory Knights were gripped by the tangible magic that radiated from Dusk Bringer’s body.
Among them, Hecate was held up by the neck directly in Dusk Bringer’s hand and was held up high into the air.
Completely subdued, Hecate struggled with her limbs in resistance.
“The Grand Duke…! don’t do this We are on the same side…!”
“….”
“We are the knights you created. It means we were created to fight until the death as you created them…! At least together until the end-”
“No.”
Dusk Bringer coldly shook his head.
“Your fight ends here.”
thud-!
Right after that, the materialized magic of Dusk Bringer, who captured the Glory Knights, emitted a dazzling red light.
The bodies of the 5 Glory Knights were twisted in pain. The knights let out terrifying screams as if their souls were being torn apart, but Dusk Bringer remained calm.
“Don’t take it back.”
At the same time as the red magic power is pulled out from the chests of the five knights-
“The ‘curse’ I have inherited from you.”
The bandages covered in ancient letters that were wrapped around the bodies of the five knights were released.
The bandage that came loose filling the air densely burrowed like a snake under Dusk Bringer’s clothes and wrapped itself around her body.
The bandages covered Dusk Bringer’s entire body, from the tips of his tiny fingers to his injured back.
Chow!
At the same time as the bandages were completely integrated into Dusk Bringer’s body, the red magic power extracted from the bodies of the five knights was also absorbed into Dusk Bringer’s chest.
“No…”
Hecate muttered in vain,
“…Whoa.”
Dusk Bringer let out a long sigh.
“If it’s necessary to protect the world…”
The Dragon Lady laughed, lowering her amber eyes mixed with red, taking on a curse she had made herself long ago.
“I will fall into hell.”
