If Ian usually seemed difficult to understand, then now, he was the complete opposite.
His purpose was crystal clear.
What he wanted to do was also obvious.
And that was—
To protect the Mélusine behind him.
"This guy..."
Mélusine wanted to get up and say something, but she simply couldn't.
On the other side, after Ian appeared in his true form, Tiamat's resentment no longer spewed flames as before.
Instead, a sense of urgency that Mélusine had never expected appeared.
"It's you!"
"My son, Ian, you!"
"It's you!"
"Come, let's go back to the Sea of Life!"
"Mom already knows what you're lacking. This time, I can definitely give it to you!"
With these words, Tiamat's resentment actually began to run towards where Ian was.
But its body was simply too massive, so much so that every step brought with it an earth-shaking sensation.
Mélusine even suspected that cracks might appear in the ground and swallow her whole.
However—
Rumble.
A fireball shot out from Ian's mouth, landing squarely in front of Tiamat's resentment.
The burning ground, like a silent warning, separated the two giant dragons.
Mélusine was stunned.
Because this was tantamount to a declaration of war.
It was telling her, "Do not come closer."
"Ian, what is the meaning of this?!"
"Why are you doing this to Mom?!"
Tiamat's resentment let out a sound like a wail.
The sharp pitch seemed as if it could tear the very sky apart.
"ROAR—"
Ian's draconic claw pointed at her.
And then, another earth-shattering tremor.
"You're saying you don't want to come back with Mom right now?"
Tiamat's resentment roared.
"What kind of joke is this!"
"The Sea of Life is your forever home!"
"You have to go back there! And stay with Mom forever!"
"Forever!"
Although it was not a physical body, just an existence of resentment, the magical energy Tiamat was emitting at this moment was enough to shake anyone to their core.
Mélusine could even feel the land beneath her feet being corroded by the magical energy at a visible rate.
"Don't be so disobedient!"
Tiamat's resentment turned red.
The temperature of the air rose, and even the wind that blew began to feel scorching hot.
"Mom... is going to get angry!"
With that, Tiamat's resentment charged forward.
"Back to the Sea of Life!"
"That is our home!"
But the next moment, her eyes widened.
Because she found she couldn't move him.
"..."
If Mélusine had only a vague concept of Ian's strength before, then now, she truly understood what a monster was.
He could actually contend with the dragon that had almost instantly defeated her.
"Ian, what do you mean!"
"Do you want Mom to get physical?!"
"If that's the case—"
"Then Mom... won't be so polite."
This is bad.
Having experienced her power firsthand, Mélusine knew just how terrifying Tiamat was.
Before, she was just obsessed with "finding her son," but now, it was a matter of her "son being disobedient."
"Mom is getting angry!"
Tiamat let out a furious roar towards the sky.
But something unexpected happened at this moment.
After that roar, Tiamat's figure began to slowly fade.
This seemed to be something that even she herself had not anticipated.
"Ian, my son, what did you do?!"
"Don't think you can leave me this way!"
"I will come back for you!"
WHOOSH—
WHOOSH—
The remaining black dragon flapped its wings, stirring up a gale.
Tiamat's resentment... had just vanished like that.
Along with it, the dense aura of magical energy also thinned.
It was as if... this resentment had "expired" due to Ian's appearance, which was why it disappeared?
Mélusine looked at the long spear beneath her, which had been thoroughly protected.
She had a bad feeling.
This thing... might not be anything good.
But before Mélusine could think too much, she felt herself leave the ground once more.
Of course, this wasn't because she was flying.
It was—
Ian had picked her up with his mouth.
This familiar scene warmed Mélusine's heart.
She realized this dragon wanted to carry the injured her back to Camelot.
That way, she could get treatment.
Honestly.
He's so considerate, yet he has no idea how to express it.
This time, I really have to praise him properly... right?
Carrying the long spear retrieved at Artoria's request, and her own shattered Arondight, Mélusine found herself getting farther and farther from the ground.
"Hey!"
"Are you planning to carry me back like this?!"
"Hey!"
"At least let me sit on your back! I can't fly right now, if I fall from here, will you be responsible?!"
"You idiot, are you even listening to me?"
Mélusine's scolding was completely useless.
Ian did as he pleased.
"You...!
"Sooner or later, I'm going to wring your head off!"
Mélusine's voice echoed in the starry night as the great dragon flew with her towards the distant Camelot.
At the same moment.
Or rather—
The same event.
In the Sea of Life, where time and space do not exist, Tiamat, who had been bathing for a long time, suddenly snapped her eyes open.
"Ian!"
She shouted.
But the only response was the echo that existed in this absolutely still space.
"He doesn't want to come back to the Sea of Life?"
"Impossible!"
"This is his home!"
Tiamat scooped up the waters of the Sea of Life and scattered them into the air.
"The Sea of Life... belongs completely to him."
"How could he not want to come home?"
"Mom will give him anything!"
"That's right!"
Tiamat's eyes flashed with the memory of the little fairy who dared to strike at her.
"It was her, wasn't it?"
"She's the one who taught Ian to be bad, isn't she?"
"Of course!"
"That place called Britain, there isn't a single good woman!"
"Look what they've turned my son into!"
"A Britain like this won't do..."
Tiamat's hands were trembling.
"Although the place Ian loves most is surely the Sea of Life."
"That other place must also be made suitable for him."
Gurgle gurgle—
The Sea of Life began to churn.
It was a sight as if it were boiling.
In a certain canyon in Britain, on a plane of existence completely separate from the Sea of Life.
Looking at the Tree of Emptiness that was climbing up from the abyss—which for some reason had grown far faster than he expected recently and had already formed its main body—a hint of joy appeared in Vortigern's eyes.
"Go and summon the Saxons who lie in wait."
"Our story... is about to begin."