Chapter 80

Almost everyone gazed up in awe and fear as the translucent dragon materialized. "A... a dragon," Xain uttered breathlessly, captivated by the ethereal creature. The dragon's form, crafted from azure flames, illuminated the entire town center, its radiant presence dwarfed by the colossal shadow tree but still evoking a profound sense of grandeur. Among the spectators, Ercale remained unfazed. *It's just an apparition, after all. Then again, none of them seem to know that,* he contemplated, dropping his lightning shield.

Meanwhile, Amara pondered the source of power for Victoria's staff. *Is that what Pinky was using to fuel her staff?* She knew wizards utilized some form of power to energize their magical implements, but the magnitude of the dragon's appearance surpassed her expectations. The dragon's intense gaze fixated on Eirisse, underscoring the dramatic turn of events in the unfolding battle.

Eirisse bared her fangs in defiance, staring up at the dragon while still ensnared by Kaden's unrelenting gravity magic. "Is that supposed to scare me?" she sneered, her confidence unshaken. Victoria fired back, "Whether you're scared or not won't change the fact that you're going to die."

The dragon, towering above, extended its right foreclaw, conjuring a blue fireball in its scaled palm, matching its immense size—reaching at least eight stories high. As Mana Exhaustion began to encroach on Kaden, the dragon released the colossal blue fireball, descending upon Eirisse. Helpless and paralyzed, she gazed upward, coming to terms with the slim odds of survival.

Redirecting her attention, she made eye contact with her little brother. With a subtle movement of her lips, she mouthed three words. Lennix's eyes widened as the gargantuan fireball struck, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion.

The explosion's violent shockwave cascaded through the area, leaving everyone reeling and destroying all the buildings in the surrounding area. Those shielded by the shadow tree—Xain, Zee, Larkin, Clarissa, Mari, and Karin—sensed the colossal structure shuddering in response to the tremendous force. Larkin, struggling to regain his balance, couldn't help but exclaim, "This is beyond absurd!"

Swift and decisive, the black knight morphed his shadow greatsword into a tower shield, seeking refuge behind its formidable cover. Despite his well-armored stance, the relentless shockwave still thrust him backward, his armored boots scraping against the unforgiving cobbled road. Amid the tumult, he couldn't shake the thought: *Such power!*

Anticipating the aftermath, Amara preemptively teleported to safety before the shockwave could reach her, avoiding its direct impact. Yet, even in her newfound distance, she couldn't entirely escape the lingering tremors that vibrated through the air. In the midst of her escape, she mused, *At least Pinky won't pose a threat anymore.*

Ercale, disdainfully unimpressed, stood unaffected by the shockwave. As the force rippled around him, he scoffed, "How weak, absolutely nothing compared to a real dragon."

Kaden shielded himself with a skillful combination of ice and gravity magic, creating an icy barrier reinforced by gravitational forces to withstand the shockwave. Even as his body quivered from the strain of Mana Exhaustion, he couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of our mayor!" His gaze turned appreciatively toward Victoria, standing unfazed near the explosion, sheltered by the protective embrace of the translucent dragon.

"We win," Victoria declared with unwavering confidence as the flames, explosion, and shockwave gradually ebbed away. A sudden quietness enveloped the scene as the dragon gracefully dissipated, its radiant blue flames fading like a spirit finding solace in departure. As the lingering smoke dispersed, the eerie silence unveiled Eirisse's form—a charred and smoldering specter. Her skin reduced to fragments, exposing nearly all her bones, eye sockets vacant as her eyeballs had melted away. The grotesque sight stood as a testament to the formidable power that had just been unleashed upon her.

"Is...is she... dead?" Zee stammered, her uncertainty evident, while Ercale shot her an annoyed look. "Don't trigger that damn flag now, woman!" he retorted, leaving Zee puzzled and Xain with a partial understanding of Ercale's cryptic remark. Lennix, on the other hand, stared at his sister's smoldering corpse, grappling with a cascade of conflicting emotions. What he had wanted was now a reality, yet the aftermath left him with an indescribable emptiness.

Abruptly, the eerie symphony of bone cracking reverberated, seizing everyone's attention. All eyes fixated on Eirisse's seemingly lifeless corpse as it staggered slowly toward the colossal tree, where Lennix stood. The surreal spectacle even rattled Ercale. However, Eirisse's grotesque journey proved short-lived; after a few faltering steps toward her brother, she crumpled to the ground.

Approaching her, the black knight reverted his shadow tower shield back into a greatsword. As the weapon ascended for the final strike, he confronted Eirisse with palpable disdain. In a tone heavy with contempt, he demanded, "Any last words, monster?"

"I... do," Eirisse's voice emerged scratchy and fractured, her vocal cords bearing the brunt of the burns. "Then speak them," the black knight demanded, his tone unyielding. Eirisse, in her weakened state, began to articulate her final words. "Your... a... monster... hunter, right?" she queried, prompting the black knight's confirmation.

"Yes, why does that matter to you?" he inquired, curious about the sudden shift in her focus. Eirisse pressed on, "Leave... my... little... brother... alone... he... never... killed... anyone... only... I... did... he's... innocent... of... any... murders." The black knight regarded her with a mix of skepticism and surprise. "You actually care about him?" he questioned, his astonishment evident. "What... kind... of... elder... sibling... doesn't?" Eirisse retorted, the truth of her words striking a chord with Lennix, despite the recent searing pain she had inflicted upon him.

"I... have... a... request... monster... hunter," Eirisse spoke, her voice strained and weak. The black knight, despite the gravity of the situation, sighed with a slightly softened tone. "What is it?" he inquired, genuinely curious. "Protect... my... little... brother," Eirisse implored. The black knight, puzzled by her plea, sought clarification, asking, "What do you mean?" 

*Maybe she means from the town folk?* The black knight thought as he waited for her explanation. Eirisse elucidated, "My... master... Orien...Fox... will... come... after... him... for... my... failure... so... please... protect... him." Understanding the urgency and weight of her request, the black knight solemnly nodded. "I will, I swear a knight's oath," he vowed. Eirisse managed a grateful smile, despite her charred and burned face. "Thank... you... that's... all," she expressed.

However, before delivering the final blow, the black knight posed one last question, seeking some glimpse of remorse. "Do you feel any remorse for what you did?" he asked. Eirisse, with a slow shake of her head, uttered a simple, "No." Accepting her response, the black knight let out another sigh before bringing the sword down, severing her head from her shoulders and finally putting an end to the nightmare of Moonveil/Triton.