The terms "Three Demon Kings" and "Four Calamities" were coined by the Alain Kingdom.
Fundamentally, they were separate monsters, rarely cooperating.
In other words, they might fight each other or even try to kill each other.
‘Or did they encounter the Three Demon Kings?’
This was also just a hypothesis and not very likely.
Regina the Immortal King avoided fights, and Mu Pendals the Ocean King was too busy repairing his ship to be distracted.
Keramion the Abyssal King was the most dangerous, but he had already perished, making it impossible for him to encounter the Four Calamities.
‘It seems it could only be the Slime Dragon.’
The Slime Dragon Monzlure was more aggressive compared to the other Four Calamities.
Thus, it often clashed with the forces of the Abyssal King and had arguments with the Bone Dragon.
If it were the Slime Dragon, it would be quite capable of fighting the Chimera Dragon.
‘I could be wrong, though...’
There might be another reason the Chimera Dragon didn’t appear.
Perhaps it fought another monster, not the Slime Dragon.
‘I’ve never been entirely wrong. I always predict possible deviations.’
While his predictions sometimes missed, he always managed to control the situation.
He could respond quickly, and sometimes even received help.
Though he had to risk his life when the Abyssal King grew extremely powerful, he ultimately overcame death and reached higher levels.
‘…It must be the Slime Dragon. Otherwise, it would have to be the Demon God or a revived dragon.’
The involvement of the Demon God or dragons was a worst-case scenario.
The Demon God operated independently from the Three Demon Kings and utilized artificial Magic Swords.
Dragons, being almost as powerful as the Demon God, could also have been revived in some form.
‘The Four Calamities are remnants of dragons. They might try to return to their original forms.’
Among the Four Calamities, some might strive to become complete dragons again.
This could be an instinct, a desire, or a denial of a grim reality.
Perhaps by absorbing the other Calamities, they could regain their power.
‘Although the Shadow Dragon is dead... not all of them are. They might merge to become stronger.’
Incomplete resurrection.
It was a predicted outcome, and it could happen at any time.
All that mattered was whether they were in the process of resurrection or had already finished.
If it was the former, they could be stopped or delayed, but if it was the latter, they would face an even stronger enemy.
‘Since the Chimera Dragon was defeated, those monsters must be dying too.’
There were many chimeras, but none reached Vodeon Castle.
They were so weak that they fell apart on the way and died rolling on the ground.
‘So, only the Bone Dragon is left.’
The Bone Dragon provided a bit of reassurance.
It was the strongest among the Four Calamities and was quick to understand and respond to situations.
By now, it would know that the Chimera Dragon was eaten by the Slime Dragon and would be preparing to respond in some way.
‘It must be urgent.’
It seemed they changed their plans after the Shadow Dragon perished.
If they hesitated, the remaining monsters would be exterminated.
‘The Demon God won’t stay idle either.’
The Demon God would be in a hurry.
He failed to seal the Magic Swords and lost the Abyssal King and the undead knights.
He might try to ambush the remaining Three Demon Kings to regain power.
‘We should eliminate the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities now…’
Eliminating them beforehand would make it easier to deal with the Demon God and dragons.
However, the outside of the castle was filled with monsters and an environment inhospitable to humans.
Their locations were unknown, and any battle would risk the lives of himself and his allies.
Fighting outside the castle would put them at a disadvantage.
‘Can the soldiers handle this?’
Zion looked around, feeling a sense of futility.
Aside from the soldiers, no one was participating in the fight.
There was no reason for others to get involved, and even using magic was pointless.
More than half of the chimeras fell before reaching the castle, and the rest collapsed after a single arrow hit.
‘Being defensive has become a disadvantage.’
He predicted the resurrection of the Demon God and dragons but could do nothing.
Even if he knew their locations, he couldn’t reach them, and just defending against the attacks of the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities was overwhelming.
Moreover, with the remaining Four Calamities growing stronger, the defenders would face more burden.
‘Hoping the enemy attacks first… is too passive.’
“Zion, do you think the Four Calamities will come?”
“…Probably not.”
“That’s not good news.”
“You can tell?”
“I can see it on your face.”
Hanette looked at Zion and slowly turned her head.
Her purple eyes were somber, and her mouth was slightly twisted.
She must have been a bit shocked by the unexpected situation.
“Is it that obvious?”
“It’s not obvious. I can tell because it’s you.”
“You know everything about me?”
“If I knew everything, there wouldn’t be any problems.”
Hanette gazed at the chimeras with cold eyes.
If she had seen this scene before meeting Zion, she would have turned away quickly and tried to erase the memory.
But now, she felt nothing and only wondered if she should burn it all down.
“I don’t know what’s wrong, but can’t we consider this a good thing for now? No one’s hurt.”
“…True.”
“You and I are uninjured. Our comrades are safe. Why not think about the next issue when it comes?”
Zion smiled in the silence.
Hanette’s words were utterly correct, and he had been overreacting.
If they didn’t survive today, there would be no tomorrow.
That’s why they should look back and do their best to live for today.
“You’re right. We should think about the next issue later.”
“Even if something bad happens, we can’t change the past.”
“So, we just need to accept it?”
“We need to overcome it. Leaving it alone won’t change anything.”
“…Then what should I do now?”
“Don’t miss this moment with me. I won’t miss you either.”
Zion felt a small stir from those words and turned his head.
Her orange hair flowed delicately along her face.
Her golden eyes remained still, capturing his reflection.
“Why? Did I say something wrong?”
“Oh… no, it wasn’t wrong…”
Zion felt his mouth go dry, unable to find the words.
He should respond, but nothing came to mind.
The small stir didn’t fade; instead, it seemed to touch his heart.
“I tried to express ‘living for today’ in my way. Did it sound strange?”
“It wasn’t strange. It was… I can’t find the words. Romantic? Poetic? Something like that.”
“I don’t know. It’s just plain words, right?”
“…Is it?”
Zion pondered Hanette’s words.
For some reason, they resonated deeply within him.
Perhaps it felt novel because no one had ever said such words to him before.
‘Am I happy? Why…’
Vodeon Castle, Sylase Knights' barracks.
As the chimeras were annihilated, the evening sun was setting.
But they couldn't let their guard down as another invasion could happen at any time.
Moreover, the Chimera Dragon could appear, so the troops gathered at Vodeon Castle couldn't be sent back.
In the end, they decided to monitor the situation for a few more days and then discuss whether to retreat.
‘This is not something to be happy about.’
Enrite stepped out of the barracks and looked around.
Even though night had fallen, countless soldiers were bustling about.
They were fully prepared to respond immediately to the Chimera Dragon.
‘We haven't won. The Chimera Dragon has an issue.’
Enrite instinctively sensed that something abnormal had occurred.
If Zion's prediction had been wrong, not even the chimeras would have appeared.
But the chimeras were easily slaughtered, and the Chimera Dragon, their source, was nowhere to be found.
‘Is it as Zion Laird said? Are the dragons trying to resurrect?’
Even Enrite couldn't deny that opinion.
The Slime Dragon had devoured the Chimera Dragon, weakening the chimeras it created.
The Chimera Dragon was probably dead, but the Slime Dragon had grown stronger.
Ultimately, it might even consume the Bone Dragon and become a complete dragon.
‘It won't be perfect, though...’
The Four Calamities were remnants of dragons and needed to merge fully to achieve complete resurrection.
However, the Shadow Dragon Glossran had already perished, making that impossible.
‘With the Demon God involved, things could get worse.’
Destroying the Resting Magic Sword La Bler had confirmed the existence of the Demon God.
The Demon God would approach the Three Demon Kings to regain his power.
The resurrection of both the Demon God and dragons would mean the world was nearing destruction.
‘Knowing this, yet being unable to act...’
“What’s the point of worrying? Isn’t it better to clear your mind?”
Lesia followed Enrite, maintaining a calm demeanor.
Enrite shot a sharp glance while keeping silent.
“Glaring at me won’t change anything.”
“Didn’t I tell you to think before you speak?”
“I did think before I spoke.”
“You really need to learn to hold your tongue.”
“Even if you cut out my tongue, I still need to say this. What can you do right now?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“I mean, what can you do to stop worrying?”
Enrite understood the question’s meaning but found it worthless.
Even if he couldn't solve it now, he couldn't stand by idly.
Once the continent was destroyed, he wouldn't even be able to worry about it.
“That’s why I’m worrying. I can’t get it out of my head.”
“If you trust those two, you shouldn’t need to worry.”
“…Are you talking about Zion Laird and Hanette Adelaira?”
“You know their potential, right?”
“Knowing it doesn’t change anything.”
Enrite couldn't ignore Lesia.
It was as if Lesia knew something he didn't.
Could it be that Lesia had noticed something about Zion's darkness and Hanette's Magic Sword?
“Look at the night sky. Who could contain that?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Fire burns everything but also creates and destroys according to its nature.”
“…Are you talking about Exceed Rain and Brecht?”
“Exactly. Don’t you think those two could destroy the Demon God and dragons?”