CHAPTER 64: THE STRONGEST DRAGONSLAYER

It only made sense for this armored man in dragon scales to be Holdrake. This man was the one who pushed dragonslaying magic into humanity’s hands and crafted various armors and weapons for dragonslayers, turning them into heroes.

Moreover, Ewelina had told Jett before about this man’s terrifying stare. Looking into this man’s eyes, which were golden on the black eyeballs, everything Ewelina said about Holdrake matched them.

His being so taciturn also checks.

A few said that Holdrake was like a wild beast himself, not saying a word but communicating through gestures and simple actions. Jett wondered if that was because of this man’s dragonslaying magic. Perhaps, it could be his flaw that Jett would be able to exploit soon.

Not saying a word, Holdrake raised his battle ax and entered a battle stance. His armored, draconic wings unfurled as though alive, jolting him into Jett. The Warden, however, wrapped emerald lightning around himself—Zelen—and avoided the first deadly arc. But because Holdrake’s battle ax was double edged, he easily turned the blade back at Jett, threatening to split him apart. Controlling his balance, he seemingly swung his battle ax like a madman but every arc was calculated and precise. Jett kept increasing the output of his Zelen to raise his speed and safely avoid the attacks.

I expanded my mana pool and spent tons of mana back at the Dragon Catacombs. I’m more familiar with mana and my skills. I can elevate Zelen even more! Without Cerven!

Emerald sparks popped in Jett’s bloodstream and mana veins as he followed his desire to increase his speed. To defeat Holdrake, he needed to awaken his potential even more. His whole body electrified with emerald arcs, with snakes of emerald lightning coiling in Jett’s eyes. It was then that he felt like the world slowed down for him. Holdrake’s well‑crafted attacks were much more visible to him, and he could see their trajectory and intent behind them. Within that murderous spree, Jett saw an opening. Now, he needed to weave his Cerven with Zelen and release a deadly thrust that would mark the beginning of his counter‑attack!

I have too much burden on myself right now! This man’s speed is no joke! He’s... the strongest dragonslayer after all!

Putting in Cerven into already amplified Zelen was too much for current Jett to handle. What he needed to do was to change colors. It sounded simpler, but reality was far from that. Yet, as Jett willed for that to happen, he felt emerald arcs making themselves visible to him across his right arm. It was as though his powers answered to him and allowed him to sense even the tiniest of their forms flowing within his bloodstream and mana veins.

Suddenly, Zelen coating Jett’s right arm turned into Cerven, while the rest of his body still leveraged the Zelen’s effects, including his eyes. In a slowed‑down world, Jett’s crimson lightning roared as though multiplied. He stepped forward in a flash and thrust his right hand like a spear, tearing through Holdrake’s attack pattern and his pauldron, impaling his fingers halfway into the man’s flesh. The man’s scaled armor shattered and billowed up to his confused, incredulous eyes; then he registered the pain and growled.

Meanwhile, Jett pushed himself even further.

[You have used The Ruler’s Will.]

"SPEAK TO ME, HOLDRAKE!" he screamed, commanding the strongest dragonslayer.

In less than a second, Holdrake’s jaw parted wide, and he screamed back at the Warden, his voice a mix of male and female tones.

"DON’T INTERFERE WITH ME, WARDEN!"

Memories of the past flooded Jett through his right hand still lodged deep in Holdrake’s flesh. Suddenly, a story no better than twilight flooded his mind.

...

In a different continent, where humans lived along with beast kin and insect kin, a talented human blacksmith from a prominent city decided to embark alone on a dangerous adventure. His goal was to mine rare ores from a mountain no living being had ever returned from. The mystery shrouding this small but seemingly deadly mountain didn’t discourage him. Instead, he felt compelled to go there to elevate his skills further. Slipping through various dangers and monsters, the blacksmith miraculously entered the heart of the mountain, where a wounded, golden dragon slumbered.

He instantly understood why no one had ever returned. He didn’t want to wake the dragon or let her know of his presence, but he tripped over a rock and alerted her. Once their eyes locked, however, the human blacksmith found her reptile gaze charming and yearning for attention. He bit the bullet and risked everything to become closer to her.

That risk rewarded him with the love of his life. The love that gave birth to the impossible: a child between a human and a dragon. Despite creating various weapons and armors from his beloved’s scales (she needed to shed her scales to heal her wounds, gifting them to her beloved afterward), the miracle of their union mattered most to him.

Yet her family didn’t share the sentiment. Upon finding her, her dragon clan killed the blacksmith and their newborn child. In sorrow, she took her own life. Her soul left her corpse. It was then that she noticed her beloved still clinging to life. His eyes, from which life kept escaping, lingered on the corpse of their child. All she wanted was to embrace them both. Then came another miracle—or perhaps a cruel twist of fate.

The soul of the dragon and her beloved mingled together and entered the corpse of their child, thus giving birth to Holdrake.

...

Holy fucking shit.

Jett thought upon witnessing the story of Holdrake’s life. In fact, the real Holdrake couldn’t even live for an hour, so it could be said that Holdrake was merely a peculiar fusion of a female dragon and a male human. Their union, resentment, and regret birthed dragonslayer magic and weapons.

How am I even supposed to tell him this magic can be used for good? It’s fucking impossible. This man... these two people... went through so much pain that they will stop at nothing until they succeed!

The question was, what was their goal?

Jett wanted to ask, but he was repelled by Holdrake’s peculiar mana. The man then released a wave of power, coating himself in madness and resolve. His battle ax expanded like the wings of a dragon, and he disappeared, his speed once again higher than Jett’s.

His mother... I mean, she... was a light dragon. Of course his speed will push my limits!

Once again drowning in emerald lightning, Jett’s world slowed. Yet in that realm Holdrake was still faster. He appeared in front of Jett and swung his ax from overhead in a wide arc. Luckily, Jett managed to step aside, avoiding a fatal blow to his skull. Instead, he took the brunt of Holdrake’s strike from shoulder to stomach, his white suit popping open and his flesh splitting into a wide laceration from which blood poured. Even some of his bones were visible.

"What’s your objective, Holdrake?!" Jett screamed. It’s not a bargain. I must reach this man’s heart and draw a satisfactory conclusion.

Holdrake didn’t answer. Not only had Jett failed to protect himself, but he had also suffered severe damage. The Ruler’s Will alone couldn’t apply here with Jett’s feelings. Worse, Holdrake truly wanted everyone here dead. He continued his assault.

Jett quickly coated himself in Iebo—the sapphire lightning. When Holdrake’s slash came, Jett raised his forearm and blocked. Despite the defensive aura, his suit and skin still tore, but Iebo absorbed much of the damage. Then Jett counterattacked with an Iebo‑Cerven combination. Red‑blue sparks erupted from Holdrake’s weapon, yet it didn’t suffer so much as a dent. While it seemed Jett lacked any way to wound this man further, the Dragon Mountain’s spire shook.

[You have used The World Heart’s Heartbeat.]

Cracks spidered across the mountain’s surface, and everyone standing lost their balance—except Jett. He lunged, Cerven materializing in his right hand, then drove it straight into Holdrake, who couldn’t defend himself. The Crimson Lightning slipped through the wound Jett had inflicted earlier, digging deeper than his fingers could.

"WHAT’S YOUR OBJECTIVE, HOLDRAKE?!" Jett roared.

As Holdrake’s entire being shuddered and his eyes widened, he realized the Warden’s will was irresistible. If this man commanded him to spill his secrets, he had no choice.

Holdrake’s lips parted against his will... and he spilled his plan...

"I want dragons and humans mutually reliant, our miracle made the norm, and Light Dragons erased. All of this shall be realized through the Dragon Guardian Palace. Step aside and grant me passage, Warden. This concerns you not. The world’s balance will remain intact, and dragons and humans will cooperate even more closely to preserve themselves within the equilibrium and ensure their races endure everlasting amidst all future storms or conflict, thriving together as two halves of one glorious and unbreakable destiny."

Crazy motherfucker!

...

Thanks for reading! Did someone expect Holdrake to be like that?