The black dragon beat its wings, and the wind stirred the leaves around them, making them sway and fall. Its golden, vertical pupils seemed to emit a cold light, one capable of making people yearn to submit to it.
"He's coming," Arthur said in a serious tone as he felt the oppressive force approaching from behind.
"It's fine, don't worry. I'll definitely get us out of here!" Nessa said as she hugged Arthur, stomped hard against the ground, and leaped high into the air like a cannonball, plunging toward the depths of the forest.
Despite saying that, Nessa herself was not certain she could escape. Her greatest regret at that moment was having brought Arthur into that forest. She had checked the Black Dragon's injuries before, and it should not have recovered so quickly—yet it had appeared again in less than half a day.
No matter what happens, she has to get Arthur out of here.
Nessa made her decision, her purple hair fluttering in the wind as she moved swiftly through the forest.
Even so, the black dragon continued to pursue them closely, its massive body devastating and destroying countless trees. The fact that it could still keep up despite so much resistance showed just how ferocious the dragon was.
What should I do…? Arthur thought as he watched the dragon draw closer and closer.
At that moment, he suddenly noticed a crow perched atop a large tree. The crow stared at him with crimson eyes.
That shouldn't be the case. When the black dragon descended, most of the forest's insects and animals had fled, yet this crow showed no intention of escaping… Surely, this was no ordinary crow, was it?
Arthur pondered for a few seconds.
If his guess was correct, then that crow must be Morgan, now disguised as one, watching the spectacle from atop a tree.
Roar!
Another roar came from behind, followed by a fierce gust of wind. The black dragon was clearly enraged. It beat its wings and took to the air, searching for a suitable position to deliver a fatal strike.
Arthur's pupils contracted slightly as his premonition activated: in four seconds, they would be torn apart by the dragon.
"Nessa, jump back—now!" Arthur shouted.
Nessa hesitated for an instant—unfortunately, such hesitation was fatal in battle. The black dragon's gigantic wings sliced through the forest trees as it opened its enormous maw to devour them both.
Arthur clenched his teeth. With no time to think, he leaped from Nessa's arms and shoved her away.
Nessa's pupils shrank slightly, and her regret at bringing Arthur into the forest deepened. Had she known this would happen, she never should have taken him along to steal the dragon's essential blood. That was the very essence of the black dragon, and it would have been strange if the dragon did not fight to the death to reclaim it.
Nessa reached out as if to grab Arthur, but it was already too late. All she could do was watch helplessly as the increasingly enraged black dragon opened its mouth to bite him.
To her surprise, Arthur pulled the spear from his back and prepared to pierce the dragon's mouth.
But then, suddenly, they heard the cawing of crows ringing in their ears. Countless crows appeared before the black dragon, densely packed together. Arthur vanished from sight amid the swarm.
Nessa rubbed her eyes, and upon confirming that Arthur had truly disappeared, she was stunned.
What just happened?
"Nessa, let's get out of here—quickly!"
Nessa flinched slightly when someone lightly tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw Arthur.
Though she desperately wanted to ask Arthur what had happened, she knew that the most important thing at that moment was to leave. She nodded and led Arthur toward the forest's exit. As they left, she could not help but glance back at the black dragon, which was being restrained by a flock of crows. Her eyes grew even more confused.
Only after leaving the forest did Nessa finally breathe a sigh of relief. She turned to Arthur and said, "Was that the work of the Goddess of Death? Why would she help us?"
After calming down, she guessed who must have helped them.
"Who knows…" Arthur replied, a faint sense of guilt in his voice.
Normally, Nessa would have noticed that Arthur's reaction was a little strange, but having just been chased by the Black Dragon, she had no time to think too deeply. Holding Arthur's hand, she said, "Forget it. Let's escape to the Land of Shadows now. We'll be safe there."
As they ran toward the Land of Shadows, Arthur thought to himself, Morgan should be fine, right?
He couldn't help but glance back toward the forest entrance, only to find Morgan standing there. Her hair waved in the wind beneath her crown, and her long dress fluttered. She was looking at him as well, her lips slightly parted, as if she were saying something.
Arthur understood what she meant as he read her lips: Until tomorrow.
It was clear that she sensed Arthur's concern for her, and now she was telling him not to worry so much.
He smiled at her and nodded.
He stopped thinking about it and followed Nessa into the Land of Shadows.
Arthur had risked his life to save Nessa because he was certain Morgan was there. Her presence had been partly to watch the spectacle, but also likely to ensure his safety… Still, the thoughts of that goddess were difficult to fathom, and Arthur had merely made a dangerous gamble with his life.
Even if it hadn't been her, he would rather have died than let anything happen to Nessa.
In the end, he won the bet.
Morgan gazed toward the horizon, watching Arthur depart, before silently transforming into a crow and flying away from the forest.
After finally escaping the irritating crows, the black dragon saw that Arthur and Nessa had already fled far away. The dragon roared furiously, spread its massive wings, and flew after them—but it was too late. All it could do was watch as Arthur and Nessa escaped into the Realm of Shadows.
The black dragon hovered over the Land of Shadows, yet it did not dare take even a single step further. Its golden eyes swept over the skull above the castle, its pupils filled with deep fear.
Among those skulls was the skull of a serpent—a ferocious creature no less powerful than a dragon—now hanging atop the castle, placed there either as part of some strange ritual or merely as a trophy.
Not only that, but the skulls hanging above the seven castles were each once terrifying creatures that ruled this region. Yet they had faced the Queen of the Land of Shadows and were cut down with ease.
Few dared provoke her.
Even so, leaving in such a manner filled the black dragon with extreme reluctance. It circled and roared in the sky above the Land of Shadows, causing the inhabitants to panic and look up anxiously at the dragon flying overhead.
At that moment, a woman with purple hair, dressed in a purple bodysuit, ascended to the top of the castle and coldly stared at the black dragon in the air.
The winds from the dragon's wingbeats lashed against Scáthach's long purple hair, yet she remained unmoving, her crimson eyes burning with intense heat.
Just as the dragon was about to roar again, its golden vertical pupils suddenly contracted as it felt the astonishing pressure emanating from the seemingly tiny woman before it.
The black dragon quickly retreated, staring at Scáthach with apprehension. After a moment of contemplation, it saw Scáthach slowly draw her spear and make a throwing gesture. The dragon immediately beat its wings and flew away.
Scáthach simply watched the black dragon depart without pursuing it and put away her spear.
"Coward."
---xXx---
"That scared me to death. That was way too close," Arthur finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the black dragon fly away from the Land of Shadows.
"It's fine. I told you I'd protect you," Nessa said with a smile. "Besides, we got our reward."
"You're right." Arthur pulled the vial from his pocket, which contained dragon blood essence.
"Good. Let's go back to the room and put the dragon blood essence into that magic cauldron," Nessa said.
Arthur nodded, and just as he turned around, he felt a familiar presence. He looked up and, unconsciously, addressed the woman before him.
"Master…"
Nessa's shoulders trembled slightly. She slowly turned her head to look at Scáthach, whose face was pale, and weakly greeted her, "Hi, Mom."
"You two—come to the main hall now."
Scáthach's voice was cold and harsh. After speaking, she turned around and vanished from their sight.
Arthur and Nessa exchanged glances. Without a doubt, Scáthach was truly angry this time.
(End of the chapter)