Zion and Enrite sensed the danger and quickly left their positions.
Considering the time the message arrived and the approaching Shadow Dragon, they needed to act fast.
“Sister, where are you? Sister!”
“…Huh? Why are you calling me?”
Hanette, who was in the tent, turned around late.
Zion waved his hand urgently at Hanette, shouting loudly.
“Sister, come quickly!”
“Why… what’s going on?”
“Hurry up and come!”
“……?”
Hanette looked puzzled but ran towards Zion.
Zion summoned Exceed Rain, spreading a dark aura around him.
The black aura enveloped his body, forming into armor.
“Why all of a sudden…?”
“Sister, listen carefully. The Shadow Dragon is coming here.”
“You mean one of the Four Calamities?”
“It’s coming now, so we need to prepare. Stay close to me.”
Zion grabbed Hanette’s hand and moved towards the Sylase Knight Order.
Hanette was startled but quickly composed herself and matched Zion’s pace.
“Why is one of the Four Calamities coming here?”
“I got a message from the Silver Phantom. The Shadow Dragon is approaching.”
“…It’s coming for us?”
“It’ll be here soon. If things get dangerous, run to Cardinal Serenine.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll stay as close to you as possible. Even if I leave, don’t follow. Just use your magic from a distance. That’s all I need you to do.”
Zion replied firmly, gripping his sword tightly.
With the Light Magic Sword, they couldn’t lose to the Shadow Dragon.
If things followed the original storyline, the protagonist and Enrite alone could drive the Shadow Dragon away.
With both himself and Hanette present, their chances of victory were even higher.
‘Can we end this here?’
The Shadow Dragon, once driven off, would hide in the Shadow Realm.
After being repelled by the protagonist and Enrite, it would abandon its greed for Magic Swords but wouldn’t give up the Wind Magic Sword until the very end.
What if they could destroy the Shadow Dragon now and retrieve the Wind Magic Sword?
‘It’s better than nothing.’
In the original story, the Wind and Earth Magic Swords never bonded with their masters.
Since the Shadow Dragon and the Abyss King held these swords, no one could touch them.
If they could retrieve these Magic Swords from the monsters, perhaps they could eventually find someone worthy.
‘Or maybe it’s better to leave them be.’
Even if someone was worthy, their character and intentions couldn’t be guaranteed.
Especially since the Wind and Earth Magic Swords had never been wielded by their rightful owners, their future was uncertain.
Even if they obtained the Magic Swords, it might only increase their enemies.
‘It would be good to kill the Shadow Dragon now, but…’
Zion felt the ground sink beneath his feet and instinctively released his magic.
Despite holding Hanette’s hand, his sharp senses searched for the unfamiliar presence.
However, nothing was felt, and their bodies were sinking deeper.
“Zion! This…”
“Stay calm. You won’t get hurt. Just hold my hand tightly.”
Around them, a black pool had formed.
It was a shadow spell used by the Shadow Dragon, a portal to the Shadow Realm.
Although he knew the shadow spell had high mobility and restraint, he didn’t expect to be caught without sensing it.
‘Once you’re caught, you can’t escape.’
Zion channeled his magic into Exceed Rain, striking the black pool.
The sinking slowed momentarily but quickly resumed.
Hanette tried to break the black pool with flames, but it had no effect.
“I’ll save you…”
“Don’t come! You’ll get dragged in too!”
Zion shouted, stopping the knights from approaching.
Across from them, Seran and Enrite were also being drawn into the black pool.
The Shadow Dragon aimed to send Magic Sword users to the Shadow Realm.
‘Even for the Shadow Dragon, this is risky.’
Zion, Hanette, and Seran could resist to some extent, but shadow magic was almost ineffective against Enrite.
Despite this, the Shadow Dragon was spending a lot of magic and taking a risk to drag Enrite along.
‘Magic absorption works, but the spell isn’t breaking.’
Although he had hardly used any magic, making absorption inefficient, spells should break when magic is absorbed.
Perhaps shadow magic was uniquely structured compared to other spells.
‘This might actually be good. Without onlookers, the White Apostle can join the fight.’
Zion pulled Hanette into a tight embrace.
Hanette was initially startled but quickly understood and hugged Zion back.
The two were swallowed by the black pool, disappearing entirely.
‘We might be able to kill the Shadow Dragon.’
Karonvellaz Continent, Shadow Realm.
As soon as Shadow Dragon Groshiran arrived, it used shadow magic.
Shadow magic lacked power but had quick activation and strong restraint.
Moreover, the portal to the Shadow Realm was inescapable once caught, making it impossible to counter.
Groshiran felt strong resistance, expending a lot of magic.
There was one human who didn’t match well with shadow magic.
This one was the trickiest among the four but would be powerless in the Shadow Realm.
A vague kinship seeped into his body.
This one harbored darkness, but its nature was slightly different.
It was clear that they each had a different attribute Magic Sword.
They were resisting a bit, but as long as he didn’t let go, they couldn’t escape.
Groshiran spread his wings, feeling euphoric.
The Magic Swords they held would soon belong to him.
He already had five, and he could slowly collect the rest.
Humans were weak individually but formidable together.
Even the three great demon lords and the four calamities hesitated to fight humans directly.
Some humans possessed overwhelming power, making them dangerous.
Groshiran reveled in the presence of the four Magic Swords, his eyes gleaming.
The four humans had arrived in the Shadow Realm and quickly sensed his presence.
Groshiran offered mercy for the first and last time.
He could win by fighting them but at the cost of time and effort.
He didn’t need to kill them if he could just take the Magic Swords.
If they cooperated, he might return them to their world.
“…If you don’t want to die, leave. If you choose to meet your end here, I will oblige.”
Zion unleashed his magic, standing at the forefront.
Enrite remained calm, but Hanette and Seran were still disoriented.
Moreover, facing one of the Four Calamities, the Shadow Dragon, instilled a sharp sense of danger.
Groshiran roared, shaking the Shadow Realm.
The dark objects trembled and distorted slightly.
But Zion stood firm, his violet eyes glowing.
“You made a big mistake. From the moment you dragged us here, you lost.”
“Why do you think I wouldn’t know? This world is made of shadows. We may seem to have entered this world, but it’s actually our shadows merging.”
Groshiran was startled, widening his eyes.
No one but him could wield shadow magic.
But how did this human know about shadow magic?
“Shadows exist only where there is light. There are no shadows at night. So you attacked during the day to drag us into this world.”
“You also know you’re at a disadvantage. You used a lot of magic to drag us here. Can you still fight us?”
Zion knew everything about the three great demon lords and the four calamities.
In the original story, the protagonist always faced them, or their backgrounds were described.
If this information was wrong, it would be meaningless, but aside from Hanette’s part, most of it matched.
Groshiran unleashed his magic, spreading it everywhere.
The ground shook, and black waves rushed towards the four.
Zion quickly retreated, moving closer to Enrite.
“Can you block it?”
“…It’s not difficult.”
Enrite calmly released golden magic.
The golden aura slowly spread, enveloping the three.
The light gathered, gradually turning everything the same color.
Groshiran watched as the four were engulfed by the black waves, confident of victory.
He couldn’t kill them immediately, but he could take his time.
As he eroded their existence and eliminated their shadows, only the Magic Swords would remain.
The black waves seemed to calm, then trembled and started to rise.
Golden light seeped out from within.
The golden light dispelled the black waves, erasing them completely.
Groshiran was shocked, his face stiffening.
None of them had succumbed to the shadow magic.
Moreover, the golden light continued to extend, reaching towards him.
‘…Full armament.’
Enrite transformed her body, slowly disappearing.
In her place, a sword bathed in golden light remained.
A blade with a pure white edge, a hilt shining with golden light, and an aura both holy and noble.
Hanette and Seran were startled, but Zion watched calmly.
As Enrite’s body transformed into El Tesoykve, white fragments began to gather.
The white pieces swiftly formed a shape, reaching for El Tesoykve’s hilt.
Soon, a pure white armor was complete, gripping El Tesoykve’s hilt.
“A Magic Sword is not something you can wield. I will take it back.”