Inside the sanctuary, there was dead silence. The atmosphere was heavy to the extreme.
Muen fought back tears, burying her small face in her sister's embrace, clutching the corner of her clothes tightly.
Noah's hands were trembling. This apocalyptic scene before her was far more than a child like her could bear.
Yet she persisted in holding her little sister, comforting her.
Milan and the other maids looked at the battered and ravaged Anna, at the invincible Crimsonflame Dragon King, and all fell silent.
It seemed... there was no point in struggling anymore.
Rossweisse opened her eyes through the pain. She could feel a powerful aura on the battlefield.
An aura that belonged only to a Dragon King.
She knew Constantine had arrived.
The draconic hero who had expanded the territories for the dragon race thousands of years ago; his strength was outstanding even among all the Dragon Kings.
"Your Majesty..."
Milan lowered her head, not daring to look at Rossweisse. "I'm sorry, but we have likely... already lost. No one can kill a Dragon King of Constantine's level. No one..."
No one present refuted her words, because it was a tacitly accepted fact. Milan had merely dared to say it out loud.
"Kill... a Dragon King..."
Rossweisse murmured these four words. She clenched the bedsheets beneath her, enduring the sharp pain from her abdomen. "Killing a Dragon King... isn't that what a certain someone is best at..."
"What did you say, Your Majesty?" The doctor beside her didn't hear clearly.
Rossweisse closed her eyes, a weary yet relieved smile appearing on her pale face.
At this point, there was no other way.
She softly called out the man's name.
"Leon..."
He walked to Rossweisse's bedside at her call, his expression still serious as he looked at her.
"I have no other choice... Leon. I have no other choice..." She looked at her former arch-nemesis, her silver eyes filled with helplessness.
Leon said nothing, but Rossweisse could see his answer in his eyes.
She closed her eyes, and a line of hot tears slid from the corners, wetting the pillow. "You know where I put your things. The key is in the second drawer."
Leon nodded, opened the drawer, and took out a key.
Then, he walked past the crowd to Noah and Muen and knelt down.
He first squeezed Muen's cold little hand, then looked at Noah.
Father and daughter looked at each other, as if there were a thousand words they wanted to say.
But in the end, Leon simply said, "Protect your sister and your mother. You can do it."
"Daddy... y-you'll come back, right?" Noah asked, trembling.
"Yes, I'll be back. Didn't we promise to go to the beach together?"
He patted Noah's head, said no more, stood up, and walked towards the door.
"Leon!... Leon..." Rossweisse's weak voice called out.
Leon stopped at the doorway, half-turning his head back to respond in a deep voice, "I know. Leave it to me."
With that said, he spoke no more. Leon opened the door and rushed out of the sanctuary.
He went to Rossweisse's hidden warehouse, used the key to open the door, descended the steps, and strode towards the very back.
There, he found a wooden chest. Opening it, he saw a set of black armor lying inside.
As if reuniting with an old friend, Leon reached out, his fingertips gently stroking the chest plate of the Black Gold War Chariot.
"Old friend, let's go crazy one more time."