Chapter 19
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Black Fang
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19.
It was absolutely not a normal sight.
Eirana grimaced and pointed her sword at the sword spirit.
"Annoying."
-......?
"You've lived comfortably for over 400 years, and your mind's completely rotted away. Annoying, infuriating, makes me want to curse. Damn it!"
Spitting out words that made no sense, Eirana staggered forward.
Unlike before, there was no menace in her movements.
Judging it that way, the sword spirit approached to slash at her.
The moment it reached her side and swung its sword— the sword spirit pulled back.
A flash of steel sliced through the spot where the sword spirit had stood.
Eirana's swordplay hadn't changed much from earlier.
It wasn't any faster, nor sharper.
It was the same swordplay the sword spirit had blocked without issue.
Yet the sword spirit retreated because the blade had plunged in from an unexpected angle.
As if it knew exactly how the sword spirit would move.
-......!
The sword spirit stared at Eirana in silence.
The atmosphere was the complete opposite of moments ago.
It felt too strange to dismiss as mere coincidence.
It was like a switch had flipped.
"What a pathetic sight!"
Eirana ground her teeth, grumbling under her breath.
Her eyes were still glazed over.
But somehow, danger emanated from her.
'What the hell is this.'
The sword spirit voiced its doubt inwardly.
The young dragon before it was the same as before.
But the atmosphere had changed.
And it was overwhelmed by that atmosphere.
Why?
As the sword spirit pondered, Eirana staggered toward it.
With each step, her staggering grew steadier until she kicked off the ground and charged like a sprinting beast.
Chaeng!
Once more, the sword rang out loudly.
Gripping her sword with both hands, Eirana growled.
With that last attack, Eirana had changed.
Comparing her past life as Ha Yu-hyun to now, the current Eirana was naturally stronger overall.
But purely in terms of swordsmanship, the current Eirana was weaker than her past self.
That was because she'd spent nearly 500 years in peace.
In truth, her battle instincts had dulled, and that blunted edge proved fatal to her sword's sharpness.
The honed senses born from long years of combat created an undeniable difference in moments of crisis.
And her mindset had changed too.
In her past life, she'd fought to survive. Now, she didn't.
She truly lacked any sense of crisis in battle.
"You're completely unhinged!"
She wasn't venting at anyone else.
She was angry at herself.
Unlike her past life, she was pathetic for fearing the pain.
The sword spirit silently watched Eirana charge at it, grinding her teeth.
Definitely threatening, but lacking in power.
The sword spirit flicked away her blade and simply thrust into Eirana's abdomen.
Puuk!
Blood sprayed once more.
"Kuhk!"
Eirana let out a groan. But this time, she didn't flinch.
Instead, her eyes flashed fiercely as she drove her sword into the sword spirit's neck.
Puuk!
In that instant, black energy burst outward in all directions.
The sword spirit's eyes widened in shock.
Eirana shoved it over, mounted it, raised her sword with both hands, and plunged it into the spirit's chest.
Kwajik!
The blade pierced through the sword spirit's body and stabbed into the ground.
Even as it watched Eirana bury the sword up to the hilt, the sword spirit pressed harder into her gut with the hand that had stabbed her.
But Eirana, biting down hard, poured her defiance into both hands.
Finally, to shake her off, the sword spirit grabbed her throat with its free hand.
But that hand turned to black mist and scattered into the air.
The sword spirit furrowed its brow slightly and tried to fling her off with the hand gripping its sword.
But its right hand, still clutching the sword, also dissolved into mist.
Eirana silently watched this, then rose and yanked the sword from her own abdomen, tossing it to the ground.
Blood gushed out as she pulled it free.
She collapsed, coughing up sprays of blood violently.
Meanwhile, the sword spirit's body fully transformed into black mist and was sucked into the black sword.
Confirming this, Eirana flopped flat onto the ground.
"Kkuluk! Heok. Heok."
Panting roughly as she stared at the sky, her mind grew hazy.
Then Silver Fang approached silently, blocking her view.
"What?"
- You're reckless, Master.
At those words, Eirana swatted Silver Fang's face away with her hand.
Silver Fang blinked as it hit the dirt, then got up and supported Eirana.
"Damn... it hurts..."
- Of course it does. Still, impressive. I thought there was no hope.
Silver Fang exclaimed in admiration, grasping the unmoving black sword.
Suddenly, the black sword spat black demonic energy at Silver Fang as if annoyed at being held.
Flung back, Silver Fang grimaced and retaliated by burying the black sword in dirt.
Eirana watched pitifully, sighed, and looked up at the sky.
The bleeding had barely stopped by now.
Though polymorphed into human form, a dragon's regenerative power didn't vanish.
But the pain lingered.
With her true body damaged, it wouldn't fade easily.
In fact, her healing magic wasn't taking hold properly despite constant use.
Eirana let out another deep sigh.
Honestly, she was shocked right now.
'So it works when I do it right.'
She'd forgotten.
How to fight properly.
As she wryly smiled at the thought, Eirana placed a hand on her abdomen.
Just before the sword spirit's blade hit, she'd felt excruciating pain there.
She'd occasionally felt abdominal pain before, but nothing like this intensity.
'Related to my past life's memories?'
As she pondered, Silver Fang approached, done bickering with the black sword.
- Master, you don't look okay. What now?
"Let's head back to my lair first."
- Lair?
"My home."
As Eirana tried to rise, Silver Fang helped support her.
- What about that?
Silver Fang asked curiously, and Eirana frowned.
"Can I take it?"
- Of course. You won, didn't you? Should be fine to hold.
Eirana nodded at Silver Fang's words and carefully gripped the sword.
The blade, defiant moments ago, now meekly stayed in her hand.
Feeling a sense of wonder, Eirana staggered and dropped to one knee.
She was in no state to move properly.
Silver Fang silently watched her, then shifted into a massive tiger form and let Eirana climb onto its back.
- Where's your home, Master?
Eirana pointed weakly at a spot in the distance.
She was too drained to even speak.
Silver Fang leaped immediately toward the direction, and soon Eirana arrived at her lair.
Her recovery still incomplete, she tumbled off Silver Fang's back.
As Eirana staggered quickly to a spot for rest—
"Eirana, Mommy's here!"
Erannis arrived right on time.
She appeared before Eirana with a bright smile, then froze solid.
Facing a situation she absolutely didn't want to, Eirana felt unease.
Eirana was a hatchling.
From a dragon's perspective, a child who must never do dangerous things—a protected young one.
And here she was, drenched in blood.
Even if she hadn't left her territory, this was no ordinary matter.
Erannis, smile frozen on her face, bowed her head deeply.
'Dangerous.'
Eirana muttered, cold sweat trickling down.
And her fears became reality.
"Which bastard did this?! Who dared make my daughter like thiiiiiiiis!"
Erannis roared in fury.
The massive wave of mana that erupted made the physically weakened Eirana pass out instantly—it was inevitable.
When Eirana came to, Erannis's monstrous rage awaited her.
Facing her mother's fury for the first time, Eirana couldn't even muster a proper excuse.
She'd brought danger on herself. Unable to vent at the inanimate sword, she'd taken all the damage.
After her wounds were treated and ten days of relentless scolding from the sincerely enraged Erannis, Eirana was finally released.
And she headed straight to the dwarf village.
By the time Eirana arrived, the human merchants had long since departed.
"Lady Eirana, you've come?"
Dris spotted her entering the village and greeted her.
Having devoted 20 years to sword-making, he was finally free and enjoying some rest.
"How did it go with the sword?"
"Haven't contracted yet, but I won for now."
"Impressive at such a young age."
Dris's genuine admiration.
A perfectly normal dwarf—except when materials were involved, turning him into a fool.
Tsking at the thought, Eirana spoke.
"I need a scabbard."
"Yes, I'll make one of orihalcon to match!"
A fitting scabbard was essential.
"Does that mean waiting decades again?"
"One year suffices."
Still a long time.
"A human was looking for you, Lady Eirana. Any trouble?"
"Nothing much."
Eirana shook her head, recalling the young merchant leader.
Building ties with humans like this? She wanted no part.
Parting from Dris with those thoughts, Eirana headed to a secluded spot.
She drew the black sword and said,
"Come out."
With those words, the sword spirit appeared.
Eirana asked the spirit staring at her with its usual expressionless face,
"The test?"
- Passed.
If it hadn't passed after all that, Eirana would've been furious.
Honestly, she couldn't guarantee victory in a rematch.
- I have a question.
"What?"
- Your aura changed mid-fight. Why?
"......"
Silent at the sword spirit's question, Eirana shrugged.
"Just fought with the intent to die. Naturally, the aura shifts."
- You grow stronger facing death?
"Who knows? Probably varies by individual."
Eirana, in her past life, had fought life-or-death battles dozens of times.
Even died once more.
Not pleasant memories, but they'd taught her how to move when facing death.
Few in her situation could do the same.
-......
"I'm just unusual."
The sword spirit nodded at her words.
Its face still showed lingering doubt, but it seemed to accept it couldn't understand.
- Then let's contract.
The spirit underwent the same process as Silver Fang, binding itself to Eirana.
The difference: Silver Fang's seal was on her left hand, this one on her right.
- Now, name me.
"Got one ready."
Arms crossed, Eirana smirked as if she'd been waiting.
"Black Fang."
Meaning black molar.
The sword spirit—Black Fang—pondered briefly, then nodded in approval.
With the naming, the contract was complete.
Eirana stretched lightly and murmured skyward,
"Soon to be a full dragon, huh."
Her days as a hatchling were truly numbered.