Chapter 46: Something That Can Never Be Inherited (12)

The blue dragon exuded a freezing chill, making the surroundings feel as though flesh itself would freeze.

Frost spread across the ground, and every breath released white mist into the air.

The dragon remained motionless, aware of the warrior’s skills through prior encounters.

It simply observed, cautious and silent.

Moreover, the flames of sanctity had severed Fran’s connection to demonic energy, causing backlash within Fran’s body.

If the dragon wouldn’t move, then the first step would come from this side.

The warrior flung off a tattered cloak and charged toward Fran.

How much had Fran’s body recovered while Laura and Sera were being moved to safety?

Perhaps not only Fran’s wounds but even Fran’s abilities had been restored during that brief time.

Still, the warrior didn’t hesitate to swing a sword—for Sera and the warrior’s comrades.

Would this method work?

With strength in a grip, the warrior’s sword cut downward in a wide arc, slicing through the air with a resonant whoosh.

Fran swiftly dodged, catching a breath while avoiding the blow.

The warrior had expected the attack to fail.

The flames of sanctity had left the warrior’s body battered and bruised.

What mattered was a clue—something to confirm an assumption.

True to prediction, Fran refrained from using dark magic.

Fran avoided the attack not by blocking but by evading with sheer agility.

Even after that, there was no counterattack through dark magic.

This confirmed it: Fran could not currently wield demonic energy.

“You…!”

Why couldn’t Fran use demonic energy?

The answer lay in the lingering effects of the sanctified flames that Sera had unleashed.

As long as those effects remained, sacred water was a valuable weapon.

Fortunately, the warrior had secured some while moving Sera.

“Looks like the elders weren’t wrong. Firepower reigns supreme.”

The embers of the sanctified flames still burned within Fran’s body, consuming demonic energy.

The only option was to keep pouring fuel onto the fire.

Perhaps due to the chaotic circumstances, Natalia felt deeply uneasy watching the distant battle unfold.

Although Laura’s strategy had freed the warrior and Sera from the spatial prison, the situation was rapidly shifting, and Natalia couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t for the better.

Natalia’s hands were already soaked with sweat.

Under the cold wind of the open sky after escaping the prison, Natalia countered Cain’s attacks with well-trained reflexes, grabbing Cain’s body with one hand and throwing Cain aside.

But Cain’s body bore no wounds, as though nothing had happened.

Natalia had fought countless foes before, but this was the first time encountering something like this.

Cain didn’t simply feel sturdy; Cain’s presence seemed to embody the collective resentment of countless souls, crying out for existence.

Despite having delivered effective strikes, Natalia found it difficult to believe victory was possible.

“What’s wrong? The fight isn’t over yet.”

With a cracking sound, Cain realigned dislocated joints and gripped a sword.

As a dragonkin, Cain’s race naturally possessed magical abilities.

The blade left trails of black flames wherever it passed.

Cain’s sword aimed straight for Natalia’s neck.

Natalia quickly adjusted a stance, angling a blade to block the attack.

With a subtle twist of the wrist, Natalia countered, targeting Cain’s neck.

Natalia felt the sensation of piercing flesh and even saw blood spray like a fountain.

But when refocusing, Cain’s body was unscathed, as if none of it had happened.

This infinite loop had been repeating from the beginning.

Even if the warrior and the saint returned, this cycle wouldn’t break.

Well, the warrior seemed to be struggling.

“Ha! Is that so?”

The clash between the warrior and Fran continued.

Unlike the warrior, whose magical energy was confined to the Mesmerizing Eye, Fran had restructured an entire mana network for dark magic.

This made Fran far more susceptible to the sanctified flames, putting the warrior at an advantage.

Yet Cain, who swung a sword without concern for a master’s predicament, showed no hesitation in attacks.

“Are you really turning your attention away during combat?”

“Gah…”

As Natalia briefly glanced toward the warrior’s direction, Cain cast a few dark spells and swung a sword sideways, slashing Natalia’s waist.

Black spheres surrounded Natalia, cutting off any retreat.

A magic swordsman who excelled in both magic and swordsmanship typically struggled to balance the two, making most avoid the path altogether.

But Cain was no ordinary warrior.

“As a knight, you must realize you can’t cut through magic with a sword.”

“… So it’s dark magic, after all.”

In terms of pure skill, Natalia, blessed by the divine, had the upper hand.

Her relentless strikes proved that much.

But the opponent wasn’t merely a swordsman; dark magic fueled the attacks.

No matter how much she stabbed or slashed, Cain’s body simply reverted to its original state.

“I hold no grudge against you. I just don’t want to see more of my comrades die in vain.”

Cain had lost comrades in the war against the Demon King and in countless dungeon battles.

Yet, without divine intervention or a way to lift the dragon’s curse, what meaning did those deaths hold?

“To those who risked their lives, there’s no such thing as a meaningless death.”

“No, their deaths were in vain.”

Losing comrades was always sorrowful.

No amount of preparation could make it easier.

Tears would always fall.

Still, the living must continue forward, mourning but never halting.

Yet Cain dismissed sacrifices as meaningless.

Suppressing rising disgust, Natalia steadied a stance.

Her injuries weren’t severe.

Moving too much would worsen the condition, but stopping wasn’t an option.

She focused breathing, calming the mind.

Around Cain, numerous traces of demonic energy were visible.

Could that dark magic be what made Cain’s body immortal?

“This body, offered to dark magic and the form of a dragon, has already forsaken life. Did you truly think a human blade could cut through me?”

“Ugh…”

“I’ve grown tired of this game.”

Deeming the knight incapable of cutting through magic or dark magic, Cain began to transform.

If Fran was the blue dragon that created deadly frost, Cain was the black dragon who wielded the power of the dead.

Cain’s body, crafted from dark magic, pulsed with energy while concentrating power.

“Do you really believe there’s meaning in the death of your comrades? Listen to their voices of resentment!”

A cacophony of thoughts flooded Natalia’s mind, bitter voices of departed comrades ringing in ears.

Though knowing it wasn’t real, the sensation felt like being trapped in an inescapable swamp.

This was the power of a dragon—a race hailed as the gods’ greatest masterpiece.

Confronted with overwhelming strength, Natalia had little choice but to face it head-on.