Chapter 259: Zero (1)

The sudden appearance of the dragon froze Louis and the Twins in their tracks.

Why a dragon?

Was there even one of those things lurking around here?

An Unidentified Dragon had materialized.

But what truly disturbed them was its oppressive aura: a sinister energy radiating from its blood-red eyes, pulsing in ominous waves.

Silhouetted against the Crimson Sunset, hovering in mid-air, the sight alone was enough to instill primal fear in anyone who laid eyes on it.

“W-what is that thing?!”

“It’s a monster!”

“T-that… could it be a dragon?”

“O God…”

Those who happened to be outside their homes at that moment stared in stunned disbelief at the appearance of a dragon—a creature they had only encountered in legends and ancient tales.

Such a reaction was only possible for ordinary people who knew nothing of the supernatural.

Any mystic or warrior who had reached a certain level of mastery wouldn’t have been merely surprised by the sight of a Black Dragon; they would have been paralyzed by terror.

The Flame Siblings were no exception.

“That’s… a dragon?”

“Unbelievable…”

The dragon hovered hundreds of meters above them, yet its overwhelming presence and aura sent rivulets of icy sweat streaming down their backs.

It was a warning from their honed instincts and their very bodies:

You stand no chance!

Flee this place now!

If you resist, you’ll die a dog’s death!

Their bodies froze, unable to move, their gazes locked on the dragon.

While the Flame Siblings stood frozen in shock, Aaron was equally stunned.

“That lunatic was telling the truth… A dragon… it really appeared.”

Elvis’s parting words had come true. Just as he had predicted, a dragon had materialized.

In that moment, Aaron realized something.

Wait… if a dragon has appeared, does that mean…?

Elvis hadn’t merely prophesied the dragon’s arrival. He had explicitly warned:

“Flee this village—no, this entire region—immediately! Only death awaits those who remain where the Mad Dragon Genelocer dwells…”

If that dragon truly was the one Elvis had spoken of…

“Ah, no!”

Aaron’s face paled. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “E-everyone, run!”

No sooner had his desperate cry faded than a dark energy began to gather around the dragon, as if to confirm Elvis’s warning. The atmosphere instantly turned ominous.

Rumble!

As the dark energy swirled around the Black Dragon, the surrounding air began to tremble violently, churning like a dark storm cloud blanketing the sky.

Louis and the Twins stared in horror.

“Holy shit!”

“Th-that!”

How could they not recognize it? The dragon’s ultimate attack, fueled by pure attribute power—the telltale sign before a Breath was unleashed.

“That crazy bastard! Is he trying to unleash his breath here?!” Khan shouted in alarm, but Louis’s mind was already racing.

Damn it!

Until the Black Dragon appeared, Louis had held onto a sliver of doubt. But now it was undeniable: the dragon’s malice and murderous intent were directed squarely at him.

That bastard… he came here specifically to kill me!

And that breath attack was undoubtedly meant to finish him off. Evading it himself wouldn’t be impossible if he tried. The real problem was…

The village will be annihilated.

The breath would obliterate the entire village, leaving no trace of its inhabitants behind.

Could I evacuate the entire village using space movement?

Moving an entire region through space movement wasn’t entirely impossible. But even for Louis, it would require considerable time and effort.

At this very moment, when a torrent of dragon’s breath could rain down on him at any second, Louis couldn’t afford to leisurely pursue his task.

What should I do…?

In that fleeting moment, countless conflicts and dilemmas raced through Louis’s mind.

Should he escape with just himself and his acquaintances, leaving the villagers behind?

What would become of them?

Did their survival even concern him?

If he abandoned them to die, what would Lia, Aaron, Kendrick, and Tania think of him?

And if the village were destroyed by the dragon’s breath…

How is this situation any different from the original story?

The instant that thought struck him, Louis’s heart stirred.

I have to stop it.

His heart commanded him: protect the village from the dragon’s attack.

Perhaps it was the deep-seated instinct that had driven him to struggle for survival within the flow of the original story.

Thanks to this, Louis was able to resolve his dilemma.

“Ariana, I’ll be right back. Stay home and be good.”

“Brother?”

“Fin, I’m entrusting Ariana to you.”

”…Louis?”

With those words, Louis placed Fin in Ariana’s arms.

Then…

Whoosh!

The two of them vanished.

Having secured the safety of his sister, who was his top priority, Louis quietly stepped forward.

A pure white light began to ripple around his body.

Thud.

One step.

Thud.

Another step.

By the time Louis had taken exactly three steps, his entire body was completely submerged in the blinding white light, rendering him invisible.

And then…

Tsu tsu tsu-.

The light enveloping Louis exploded outward like a supernova, surging skyward.

“Ah…”

The crowd gasped in awe as they watched the pillar of light pierce the heavens. Amidst the oppressive dark aura dominating the sky, the luminous column resembled a ray of sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

But what followed left everyone even more astonished.

Tsu tsu tsu-

The pure white light of the pillar began to coalesce, forming a distinct shape:

A pair of massive wings.

A long, graceful neck and a massive torso.

And a thick, powerful tail.

Louis had vanished, and emerging from the pillar of light was a pristine white dragon.

”…?!”

“W-what’s happening?!”

Those who had known Louis for a long time were utterly astonished to see the white dragon hovering in the sky.

A pillar of light had erupted from the spot where Louis had been standing, and from within it emerged a pristine white dragon.

What could this mean?

Our teacher… a dragon?!

But their shock was short-lived.

Rumble!

The energy swirling around the Black Dragon in the sky began to converge in front of its mouth. The air around its maw churned violently, creating a deafening roar.

About three seconds later…

All sound in the world vanished.

Boom!

The Black Dragon unleashed its legendary Breath in a straight line—a recreation of the mythical force said to destroy everything in its path.

The villagers who witnessed this could find no joy. The black beam of light was hurtling straight toward their village.

We’re going to die!

We’re all going to die!

The moment the Black Dragon unleashed its Breath, even in that fleeting instant, everyone facing it felt the cold grip of death.

As time seemed to slow, Louis’s gaze grew grave.

The only thing that can stop a Breath is another Breath.

A pure manifestation of mana and attribute power, the Breath disregarded the laws of nature, wreaking havoc with reckless abandon. Against its might, neither Demonic Scriptures nor Sacred Scriptures held any sway.

To halt a Breath that defied time, space, and even gravity itself, one needed to have reached at least Zero’s Domain or possess a Breath of comparable potency.

To achieve this, Louis urgently activated his Dragon Heart.

Swoosh!

Louis unleashed his innate First Breath, imbued with his natural attributes.

As the First Breath surged forth, atmospheric mana converged around it.

Rumble!

The principle behind a dragon’s Breath was simple: the attribute-imbued First Breath drew in atmospheric mana and condensed it.

The color of the Breath was thus determined by the dragon’s innate attribute.

This was why Genelocer’s Breath was pitch-black.

And Louis, born with the Four Attributes, possessed a Breath of unparalleled, perfect white.

Whoosh!

The First Breath Louis exhaled condensed the atmosphere before erupting skyward with its accumulated power.

Boom!

With an indescribable roar, Louis’s Breath shot forth in a straight line.

The black and white Breaths collided at a single point in mid-air.

Then—

Krakakakakakakak!

A tempest of pure mana erupted from the impact.

“Uwaaaah!”

“Grab hold!”

“I’m being blown away!”

The collision shattered the atmosphere, tearing roofs from nearby buildings and scattering people like leaves in a storm.

Yet even amidst this devastation, the black and white Breaths continued their fierce struggle, a battle between the power to destroy and the will to protect.

Though Louis’s Breath had been unleashed slightly later than the Black Dragon’s, it appeared to be holding its own.

At least, that’s how it seemed at first glance.

But Louis knew the truth.

I’m losing ground!

Compared to the Black Dragon, his preparation time had been shorter, and his inherent power was weaker. Every factor was against him.

As if to prove the point, Louis’s Breath began to slowly recede.

This bastard… he’s strong!

When Louis first discovered his Breath, he realized it was far more potent than other dragons’. This was likely due to his innate affinity for the Four Attributes.

Yet even so, his Breath was being pushed back. If this continued, not only the village but he himself would be in grave danger.

I need to find a way…

Just as Louis was desperately searching for a solution,

Whoosh!

Two streaks of silver light flashed past him on either side, slamming directly into the black Breath.

Rumble!

Once again, a tempestuous wind swept through the area.

Louis’s face lit up.

The Twins!

He had been so deeply focused on the Black Dragon that he had momentarily forgotten about them.

Louis realized he wasn’t alone; two more dragons were present.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-

The Twins, now fully manifested, unleashed their combined Breath to aid Louis in countering the Black Dragon’s dark Breath.

The combined might of three dragons’ Breath finally began to push back the Black Dragon’s assault.

We’ve got it!

But at that very moment…

Tsu tsu tsu.-

The space where the four Breaths converged began to ripple violently.

Louis’s face twisted as he observed this phenomenon.

Damn it!

Though the colliding Breaths had neutralized each other, the sheer force of four Breaths colliding had created an incredibly dense concentration of mana at the point of impact.

This mana density far exceeded the surrounding area.

If this relentless pressure continued…

It’ll explode!

A high-density mana explosion, born from the combined power of four dragons’ Breath.

The blast radius would undoubtedly be immense.

The mana explosion Louis had anticipated occurred even faster than he’d expected.

Zzzzzzz.

The air trembled slightly.

Kwaaaaaang!

A colossal burst of light engulfed the surroundings.

A little over a minute after the world had been swallowed by light…

“Huh?”

The villagers slowly opened their eyes, which they had tightly shut against the blinding light.

“A-are we alive?”

They were astonished to find themselves still alive, having all assumed certain death in the wake of the cataclysmic explosion.

But their relief was short-lived.

“Gasp?!”

“O-oh my god!”

The survivors turned to survey their surroundings and gasped in horror.

The village itself was untouched.

Yet everything beyond its borders had vanished completely.

The carefully cultivated farmland.

The wooden palisade erected around the village to keep out monsters and beasts.

Even the vast forest.

Everything within a one-kilometer radius had been erased, leaving only the village standing alone like an island in the void.

The villagers realized their survival was no accident. Some being had protected them from the explosion, and they didn’t need to think deeply to know who it was.

The pure white dragon who had blocked the black breath aimed at their village. He must have shielded them once again.

As the villagers suspected, it was Louis who had saved their village from the cataclysmic blast.

That was a close call.

If he had noticed the signs of the impending explosion even a moment later, or if his barrier had been delayed by just one second, the entire village would have been obliterated.

Slightly relieved, Louis glared at the Black Dragon.

That bastard…!

The explosion had cut off his Breath, leaving it momentarily stalled.

Having narrowly averted disaster, Louis’s anger surged.

That bastard! He’s not only exposed my carefully concealed identity, but he’s also putting me through hell!

If I let this slide, I’ll be tossing and turning with resentment all night.

Gritting his teeth, Louis began to flap his wings.

Whoosh— Whoosh—

With a couple of powerful strokes, Louis’s body shot skyward. The Twins followed close behind.

The moment they confronted the Black Dragon, a chilling whisper echoed in Louis’s ears:

Louis’s face hardened like stone as the Black Dragon’s muttering reached his ears.