Confrontation at the Lookout Post
“Judgment of light upon this vile and blasphemous existence!”
「Kuaaaak……!!!!」
—Kugugugugung……!!!
Pouring every ounce of her power into the light of dawn, Sofia watched as the monster collapsed with a tortured scream. 「Kigigigigik──!」 Its shriek scraped against the nerves like nails on iron, the sound alone enough to fray anyone’s sanity.
Monsters. They were the very embodiment of corruption, grotesque hybrids born from Detronos’s will and the souls of the dead. Abominations that should never have existed in this world—creatures that defied the natural order. They had the audacity to mimic the form of dragons, neither truly alive nor dead. Mercy was unthinkable. They had to be erased here and now, completely and without a trace.
“Even its screams are repulsive. By the grace of the Primordial Dragons, I shall grant you a peaceful passing.”
The Primordial Dragons themselves showed no mercy to such filth. Complete annihilation was the greatest blessing one could offer them.
「Krrrrrr──!!!」
The monster, wreathed in black demonic energy, thrashed beneath her feet. Its crimson eyes glared up at her, brimming with killing intent. Yet Sofia found the display almost laughable. How dare it? Truly befitting of a mindless, savage beast—refusing to repent even as it hurled murderous glares, relying on the power of the Demon Dragon.
“Hmph. Pathetic.”
Unfortunately for it, she was a member of the Dawn Clan, devoted to the Primordial Dragons. No matter how formidable the monster might be to others, it stood no chance against her. A mere shadow could never swallow the light.
—Kwadedeuk…!
「Kigigigigik…?!」
As Sofia pressed her massive draconic body down and infused her gaze with the power of dawn, the monster’s voice began to falter. Its earlier ferocity had vanished, its once-terrifying howl now reduced to a pitiful whine. Of course it would—
—Pasasasas…!
The demonic energy cloaking its body began to dissipate the moment the light of dawn touched it. Darkness retreated before the radiance, for light and shadow could never coexist.
“Truly hideous…”
With the black miasma stripped away, the monster’s rotting, decaying flesh was revealed beneath. A grotesque sight no different from a corpse. This was the true form of a monster—hence the title of “impure existence.”
—Sssssssst…!
Its corrupted flesh crumbled into dust under the purifying light, scattering like ash on the wind. Starting from its torso, the monster slowly vanished, undergoing a forced salvation through the light of dawn. It no longer resisted. What had charged forward so arrogantly moments ago now lay writhing like a worm, disintegrating in midair.
“Waaah…! Senior Sofia’s power! It’s amazing, desu-yong-!”
“Right? She usually doesn’t get involved directly… but today she seems especially fired up because of that white mutt.”
As Sofia finished purifying half the monster, the juniors watching from afar gazed at her with admiration. Raylin was right. How dare this creature threaten her man? Only eternal death could atone for such a sin.
—Shuuuuk…!
She drew upon even more power, accelerating the monster’s annihilation. Its head was all that remained now; the body had already evaporated without a trace. Soon, even this grotesque visage would disappear. Then, at last, she could see Breeder again.
“Aah! Look over there, eyap…! The blizzard suddenly stopped, desu-yong-!”
“Howawa-? You’re right?!”
Just as she was pouring everything into the purification, the juniors’ voices rang out again—this time with welcome news.
“Oh my? The barrier really is lifting…?”
As Raylin and Derke said, the snowstorm that had surrounded the lookout post had completely vanished.
—Hwiioooo……
Perhaps because the raging tempest had finally stilled, the summit of Valkyrie Nest—once defined by its extreme conditions—felt eerily quiet. Like the eye of a storm. Though the sky had grown dark, the absence of the blizzard alone brought a sense of peace.
Oh no, I need to wrap this up quickly! My goal was always Breeder… I have no time to waste on monsters like this—
It was then, as she turned toward the lookout post with Breeder’s face in mind, that—
“Haaah……?!”
Sofia couldn’t help but cry out in shock. Through the window of the lookout post, a pair of black eyes was staring straight at her—wide with unmistakable surprise. He must have been startled by her true form. After all, it was far removed from the image of a beautiful woman; instead, it was that of a massive, sleek reptilian dragon.
“Let’s hurry and go see Oppa, eyap-!”
“Derke? Where are you going alone? We have to wait for Senior…!”
The juniors had also sensed Breeder’s presence and were already dashing toward the lookout post. Raylin led the charge, having completely forgotten about waiting for Sofia. Their minds were filled with nothing but Breeder.
Though they were juniors she usually treated like younger siblings, the boundaries of their relationship felt strangely blurred in moments like this. Everyone seemed to lose all sense of restraint around Breeder. Of course, she was no exception.
‘This won’t do! I need to polymorph back right away…! What if he’s disappointed by how different my true form is? I always wanted to show him only my most beautiful, elegant side…!’
Just as she stood frozen under Breeder’s gaze—
—Kungkungkung!
“White mutt?! Open the door! Are you okay……?!”
“Breeder Oppa! Derke is here, eyap-!”
Raylin and Derke pounded on the door. Raylin, who had promised to wait, was now at the forefront. Sofia might as well not have existed. Their entire focus was on Breeder. They might have been close juniors, but right now, the senior-junior hierarchy seemed meaningless. The lines were blurred. Everyone acted as though nothing else mattered when Breeder was involved. She felt the same way, of course.
‘I can’t let this happen! I need to polymorph again right now…!’
The lookout post after the fierce blizzard had subsided. A full moon shone serenely through the window. Inside, numerous figures could be seen.
…….
A heavy silence filled the interior—far quieter than the now-calm world outside.
“…It’s true that I went on patrol at Sonya’s request, but there was no coercion or pressure involved. I volunteered. I’m sorry for worrying everyone.”
A low voice broke the tense silence. It was none other than Breeder’s.
“So that’s what happened. Then why did you disappear without saying a word to us?”
“T-That is……”
“What exactly are we to you? Will you answer me properly, Breeder?”
Sofia questioned him, her halo scattering light as her cold tone gripped his heart. Connected through the Dragon Heart, Breeder understood her feelings better than anyone.
‘It feels like my chest is being torn apart……?’
Anger, jealousy, betrayal—and beneath it all, a faint longing. A torrent of complex emotions flooded into him all at once. Through the Dragon Heart, Breeder was experiencing Sofia’s emotions indirectly.
—Kungkang! Kungkang! Kungkang!
The chaotic feelings pounded against his heart. His instincts screamed that if he didn’t offer a proper explanation soon, things would turn dangerous.
“I-I never neglected any of you…! If I explain from the beginning……”
Breeder hurriedly began recounting the events, his words stumbling under the weight of guilt from merely meeting Sofia’s eyes.
—Badumbadum…!
In the suffocating atmosphere, Sonya and Eros trembled with anxiety. They had never imagined Breeder was someone so deeply cherished by his seniors. The two huddled in the corner, trying to calm their shaking bodies.
“…As you saw earlier, I ended up here after encountering a monster along the way. I’m truly sorry I couldn’t inform you in advance.”
Breeder finished his explanation and bowed his head deeply, his expression filled with remorse. He had recounted everything that happened—but not everything. ‘No matter what, I can’t mention what happened with Sonya and Eros……’ Though guilt urged him to confess everything, his survival instinct overrode it. Revealing what had occurred inside the post would surely cost him his limbs.
“Haa… At least you know you did wrong. That aside……”
Evidently dissatisfied with his explanation, Sofia trailed off and shot him a sidelong glance. Her gaze shifted to the two second-years. A sharp glint flashed in her golden eyes.
“…So you’re saying nothing happened with those girls?”
Sofia pierced them with a dragon’s gaze brimming with possessiveness. Derke and Raylin, standing beside her, wore the exact same expression.
—Kuluk……!
Breeder struggled to even breathe under the tripled pressure. He couldn’t answer immediately.
“Breeder, why aren’t you answering?”
“White mutt? I’m glad your body’s fine, but……”
“You’d better answer properly, eyap-!”
The three hatchlings each added a remark, stepping closer to Breeder one by one. All three wore expressions of clear distrust.
“Gulp─!”
Only a dry swallow escaped him amid the heavy atmosphere. One wrong word, and it would be the end. The monster’s defeat hadn’t resolved everything.
‘I’m glad to be alive thanks to this…… but somehow, this feels even scarier than facing the monster.’