Pillars of Ita

At that very moment, Fang Zheng moved.

He raised his head, his gaze passing through his goggles and through the rain curtain to the deep, dark shadow in mid-air—Lifgard was opening its massive maw, revealing snow-white fangs, a golden star seemingly contained in its throat, the surrounding air was rapidly heating up, and fire elements were gathering beneath its wings.

"Protect!" Leonard shouted. The armor of the ancient knights gleamed, forming golden shields. Nearby free knights, including Loren, moved closer to them.

With a flap of its wings, Lifegard unleashed a torrent of golden light that cascaded down like a waterfall, showering the ground with stars and causing it to erupt as if struck by countless cannonballs. Bright flames rose from the earth.

The flames spread from front to back, covering several streets in the city. The knights of the Flame Tower were right in the middle of it, and the shields they supported were flashing at a high frequency.

Fang Zheng raised his right hand amidst the raindrops and swept it from right to left, as if an invisible hand had stopped Livegard's offensive and wiped the golden rain from the night sky.

Lifgard was taken aback as it watched the rain of fire disappear right before its eyes, and countless pure white lights, like a swarm of fireflies, flew out of the void—converging into a long, silvery-white construct arm.

Its arm was covered in streamlined armor, and the crystal at the junction of the forearm and elbow shimmered with azure light. It seemed to be passing through a transparent vortex, grabbing at Livegard from another world.

"Pure white..."

Livegard's face showed utter horror. It swallowed the golden flame in its throat, swallowed the half-sentence back into its belly, and immediately flapped its wings, turning around and flying to a higher place.

But a streak of flame was even faster. A dragon soul in almost pure energy form rose straight up from the plaza, like a shooting star in the lonely night, crossing half the sky and blocking Livegard's path.

Livegard recognized the person in front of him almost instantly, “Nicholson Bolas…”

Before it finished speaking, pure white light gathered in front of it, and a knight-type construct fully armored appeared out of thin air, its silver-white armor emitting a soft glow in the night sky.

Its armor was inlaid with azure crystals, and in its other hand it held a pure white spear that resembled a sword. The image of this black king was reflected in its glassy eyes.

The knight reached out and grabbed it, the movement seemingly abruptly traversing space and freezing time. Before Lifgard could react, he seized the dark dragon king's tail and swung it downwards like a flail.

Like a sharp arrow slicing through the air, the Dark Dragon King crashed to the ground with such force that the entire city center shook.

Then a building collapsed, and smoke and dust rose into the rain. Livegard was smashed to pieces and was almost stunned.

The knights of the Flame of the Pivot were also stunned. They looked at the white knight passing through the air as if he were a god. Many of them recognized that it was a dragon knight construct.

But when they looked behind them, it seemed they could still see Fang Zheng on the high platform in that direction. How could the craftsman command the dragon knight so easily? Had the magic technology of three hundred years later reached such a level?
Among the crowd, only Leonard's expression changed; he looked at the white knight in mid-air with almost trembling hands.

As he became the inheritor of the Holy Sword, the secrets he had acquired flooded back into his mind: "...The secrets guarded by the Temple of Myro come from the bottom of the seal of the Pillars of Stars."

“It’s not just that the Dragon Queen Margaret Tarasia is sealed there; rather, the reason we sealed her there is because of what lies beneath.”

"The secret of creation is hidden there."

That is precisely what makes this sea of ​​clouds so special in Aetaria.

Legend has it that after the Saint Ita tore the world apart, the two kings representing light and darkness fought each other for the fate of this world.

One brings dawn, the other brings dusk. The one who brings dusk is the dragon that blots out the sky, for the king of darkness once wielded the holy sword and slew the dragon called Ragnark.

That holy sword is the source of all dragon-slaying swords.

The king who brought the dawn was a pure white saint, the one who wrote the epic of creation of Aetaria, and the master of the Sky Spear 'Sz'kraalith' (the Azure Sky).

He was also the one who painted the first touch of color for this world above the sea of ​​clouds.

The White Knight stole the Azure Radiance for Etalia.

That is the source of all calamities, but also the reason why this world is what it is.

The Pillars of Stars are the final resting place of the White Knight, and the Temple of Myro is the guardian of the Saint's will. That is the story of the 'First Generation,' the source of the long-standing pantheon of the gods of Aetaria.

"This is impossible!"

Like an uncontrollable rage erupting from the depths of the earth, with a thunderous roar, Livegard soared into the sky, countless rubble falling upon it.

If a dragon's face also had such a human-like expression, then one could see the uncontrollable rage on the face of this Dark Lord, almost distorted.

“…I’ve seen this old machine before…”

"This is nothing but a clumsy imitation created by mortals to mimic His will. I fought against it a thousand years ago. How could it possess such power..."

"But your power is no longer what it once was, evil dragon."

Fang Zheng looked at the shadow cast in mid-air and spoke to it from afar.

"Stop toying with me!" Livegard was furious. Its power had weakened due to the seal, but it was still far beyond what a mere mortal could compare to. The insignificant young man in front of him was not even strong enough to unleash one or two tenths of the White Knight's power.

It opened its mouth, and golden flames gathered between its sharp teeth. It knew the origin of the white knight, who was the progenitor of all dragon knights among mortals. It planned to test what strange things the other party had to offer.

But Fang Zheng shook his head—stubborn to the end.

He reached out, and the white knight in mid-air vanished abruptly, only to reappear behind Livegard in the next instant, knocking the dark monarch down with a single punch.

With a deafening roar, Lifegard crashed to the ground like a kite with a broken string, shaking the central square of the city and raising a cloud of dust once again.

Now, not only the Dark Dragon King himself was dumbfounded, but even the knights in the square were stunned. What was going on? Was this the legendary Dark King? Or was their holy son from three hundred years in the future so powerful?
The situation developed in a way that exceeded everyone's expectations. They had originally thought it would be a fierce battle, but instead, they watched as the legendary dragon was tossed around like a sandbag.

Among the crowd, only Loren, who knew everything, remained relatively calm, but he also looked in the direction where Nalifgard had fallen with an indescribable gaze.

He gripped the hilt of the sword in his hand.

That person had told him that although Livegard seemed to be fighting back helplessly, it couldn't be killed or even defeated by conventional methods.

They only have one and only chance.

A dragon's roar came from underground, shaking the entire ground. Livegard was finally enraged, and it seemed to have vaguely figured out what had happened.

"This magic circle...?"

It once again flapped its wings and took flight from the rubble, but this time it was not the white knight controlled by Fang Zheng that greeted it, but a golden light descending from the rain.

Nini's long, golden hair flew in the rain, her body almost turning into a streak of light. She seemed to have recovered half of her prime, but her girlish form made her appear even more immature than the previous generation of Dragon Witch.

But Nicholas was still Nicholas, his golden rings burning intensely as he looked down at the Dark Lord—his father's enemy—with icy eyes.

She spread her wings in mid-air, raised her claws, and stabbed at Livegard's back. "Nicholson Bolas, you dare to take advantage of me?!" Livegard shrieked. It couldn't understand the White Knight's strange attack, but why would it be afraid of a mere ordinary dark dragon?

Even if the opponent is a fully formed dragon soul—

It turned around in mid-air, easily dodging Nini's claw, and was about to twist its body to retaliate, so that this arrogant dragon soul would taste the price of underestimating it, but it did not see another, even larger shadow flying out from Nini's body.

The shadow flew to its other side with a speed almost on par with Lifgard's, then swung its tail, sweeping it heavily across the dark dragon king's waist.

Livegard screamed in mid-air, nearly falling for the third time, but managed to steady himself by flapping his wings, and at the same time recognized the unfilial daughter:
"Margaret!"

It finally realized that it had been tricked, that the whole thing was a conspiracy, and that only one person in the world truly knew all its plans—its daughter.

After its fall, it became the rebellious daughter of all the dragons.

After the dragon, Margaret Tarasinya.

Rather, it was thanks to the other party that it fell into this trap. The other party betrayed its whereabouts to mortals, giving the Numelin elves an opportunity to take advantage.

Fortunately, it also left a backup plan, sealing the woman beneath the Pillars of Stars. Later, it personally investigated the matter through Maryland's hand—but how did she end up in this place?

Knowing the two inside and out, it was not worried about Torragtus's ridiculous plan, nor was it afraid of Selgios's three hundred years of persistence. Even the vulture hiding in the shadows—the wanderer Alte—was nothing special.

But the moment Livegard saw his daughter appear, he felt a chill for the first time. She had escaped before him, which went against his original calculations.

"you……"

"My name is Alessa."

Alessa coldly interrupted him, her tone far colder than Livegard's, carrying a resolute air.

It was as if she had come to this moment, to this place, just to witness the other person's desolate and tragic state.

Alessa opened her mouth and bit down on her father's neck. She had completely transformed into a dragon—but not her original body, but the body of a nearly decaying construct. And the reason she was in this form was thanks to her father.
The two dragons intertwined in mid-air, but Livegard was clearly too busy to deal with the sudden intruder—the white knight reappeared beside the two dragons and the soul, and then struck Livegard in the back.

The Dark Dragon King was no longer as arrogant as before. It had just broken free from its seal and its power was far from its peak. Although Alessa was not using its own body, it would be difficult to deal with this rebellious woman alone—after all, she had the same bloodline as it.

Moreover, there was the soul of another dark dragon nearby, as well as a white knight of unknown origin, who made it even more wary.

It groggily got up from the ground, glanced in Fang Zheng's direction, and finally understood where the white knight's power came from—it was that magic circle.

No—to be precise, it's the power of the entire fortress.

It finally understood the cause and effect of everything.

The moment the orbiter returned.

This city has also welcomed back its core.

"When...?" The dark dragon king looked at the young man far away with disbelief and asked this question.

It seemed to be a thought that struck Fang Zheng in the form of a message, or perhaps an inspiration that made him raise his head to face the King of Darkness from afar.

When did he reach an agreement with Selgios—the great explorer and son of the Gulf?

The entire plan was clearly under its surveillance, thanks to Torragtus's manipulation of the other party and that foolish fellow's headlong rush into the trap.

And then there are the mortals of the Flamebringer's Court from two eras, kept in the dark, all manipulated and toyed with by it, even the fool lurking in the shadows—

Livegard looked up at the direction of the mountain peak. Everything was nothing to worry about, except for the appearance of his daughter. What exactly was the problem?
When is it
The great explorer, the son of the bay, lies buried in a pool of blood, while the exquisite star track, its blood-stained bronze rails, continues to tremble as always.

It returned to the city three times and was taken away from it three times. Its three owners all agreed to transfer ownership to the young man in front of them.

But how is this possible?

But that can only be the only answer.

Fang Zheng glanced at the aging dragon king briefly. In truth, everything was predetermined when he was talking with the explorer from the bay.

When Elisa and Catherine each stepped into that vortex of time and space.

Everything was already destined.

Because they are the same kind of people.

Fang Zheng opened his mouth but did not answer, as if the image had already risen in his mind—in that cave, Sel Gios was silently watching him, as if sizing up his character.

He hadn't yet figured out the mystery, and he just nodded hesitantly, "I think I can give it a try."

Because nothing is settled yet.

He remembered that the great explorer simply nodded slightly.

He didn't need to answer, because the moment he took control of the magic circle in this square, the plan was already on track, and his action was the answer.

"But what if we're wrong?"

Fang Zheng shook his head; he chose to believe.

The entire city—the whole of Vol-Salastiel—lived and thrived beneath his feet, the power of the floating fortress flowing into the white knight through the magic circle that had been transformed into a field of creation.

The activated magic circle became the key to open the gate.

History seemed to return to the beginning a thousand years later, during that great war, when Livegard watched the Elves of Numerin suppress him with such power, forcing him into that seal.

But this time, it still has a chance.

Although its power has not yet fully recovered, the magic circle itself is incomplete and has been transformed into another form. After losing the power of the seal itself, it still has room to escape from this place.

It used its thoughts to disrupt Fang Zheng's thinking, and in that blank moment, it seized the fleeting opportunity and suddenly a huge magic circle appeared beneath its feet.

Yes, because of the Dragon God's curse, the Dark Dragon lost its ability to cast spells, but it still possesses the blessing from the Verdant Forest. A thousand years ago, the Numelin elves did not give it this opportunity, but they never expected it would come in handy at this moment.

Its figure quickly faded and transformed into a black streak of light. Before Alessa, Nini, and even Fang Zheng could react, the streak of light had already passed through them and shot off towards the outside of the magic circle.

As long as—as long as they reach outside the range of the magic circle and escape the suppression of the fortress's own power, it will be impossible for his rebellious daughter to defeat it on her own.

Although it couldn't open the fortress's tortoise shell, it could at least hide and recover its strength. Once it recovered to its peak, these people would be no threat.

In the blink of an eye, the black streak of light crashed into an invisible wall, shattering it into pieces. Livegard let out a deafening scream and once again materialized from mid-air, plummeting to the ground.

At that moment, another figure appeared in mid-air. It was none other than Bishop Belial, who had been removed from the timeline by Livegard from the beginning.

The fiery-haired woman coldly gazed at the Dark Dragon King below and said, "When time begins to flow again, and the past and present merge into one moment—have you forgotten that I am waiting ahead, Livegard?"

This fragment of history is gradually fading away, and the woman's figure is becoming increasingly translucent. But she holds a sword in one hand and finally understands the ins and outs of this past.

"Stay in this history with me, you evil dragon."

“How utterly ridiculous!” Livegard roared, spreading its wings once more, preparing for a desperate last stand, and it was at that moment that a heart-wrenching pain shot through its chest.

This mighty Dark Dragon King almost collapsed to the ground, and at that very moment, he felt that one of his past selves had vanished.

In theory, it can immediately extract its counterpart from other timelines to make up for the loss. As long as it is not killed simultaneously in every timeline, it is immortal and invincible.

But at this moment it was extremely weak. The death from another timeline directly drained its power of existence in this timeline, causing it to immediately lose the courage to resist.

It knew which timeline was wrong—that damn idiot in Maryland!
But Lifgard could no longer curse, because a second wave of excruciating pain immediately followed, and yet another being vanished—it had clearly promised that mortal pirate all the power in the mortal world.

It clearly hid that timeline very carefully, so how did they get there?
But it is no longer able to think.

Because the pure white knight had descended from the sky, carrying the power of the entire fortress, slamming it heavily to the ground, and placing a foot on its neck—

"No," Livegard finally felt the fear of death, its eyes wide as it watched the tall lion-man stride toward them, sword in hand.

It recognized the familiar Holy Guard of Miro, and the sword in their hand filled it with even greater fear—that ominous blade stained with the blood of its people.

The Dragon-Slaying Sword, for vanquishing enemies.

But what truly made this Dark Dragon King tremble was the boy following behind the giant cat-man; he belonged neither to this era nor to the era that followed.

But after drinking the dragon's blood, he became part of the creation array, which sealed him within these three periods of history, granting him near-immortality.

But at the same time, it also gave mortals the opportunity to truly and completely kill it for the first time.

It could have waited much longer, waited for its bloodline to flow across the mortal land, waited for the power within that blood to awaken once more, waited for it to have endless time.

But all of that is no longer possible.

He saw Loren nod, take the sword from the lion-man, and then come to its side, raising the blade high—just as it had a thousand years ago.

The mortal hero who raised the sword of Moa.

“No,” Livegard finally remembered something, “you can’t kill me!”

The sound stopped abruptly.

The enormous dragon head separated from the body, and a fountain of blood gushed out, pouring onto the boy's head, body, and within his body, where a golden heart was formed.

The mad blood merged with the heartbeat, but those were its last few beats, for the timeline had finally come to an end at this moment.

The boy's figure was becoming transparent; he would become the first person in the world to truly end the curse of dragon blood, but he could hardly feel much joy in his heart.

Loren turned around and looked in that direction at Fang Zheng, who was also looking at him.

Then he smiled slightly and nodded.

...(End of chapter)