I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 249

However, seeing that it didn’t break meant that quite a lot of effort had been put into securing it.

“There’s no helping it.”

Even if the dragon gets a little scorched, releasing it is the priority. It was similar to how the Southern Emperor had chained my wrist, and this time I was able to control my power much more skillfully.

I slid my sword between the chains and used it as a medium to channel my magic, creating an arrangement opposite to the structure of the magic that was covering the chains.

Break, break!

Clang!

By the time sweat beaded on my forehead, I had successfully severed the abnormally long white chains.

Fearing that the dragon might regain its senses, I struck its head again. Good, its eyes are closing, it seems to have fainted.

After succeeding once, the second time was easier.

Thanks to Ber holding it down, I mounted the weakened green dragon. Though it thrashed to escape his grip, I finally managed to steer the sword toward the chains between the dragon’s scales.

The Southern Emperor seemed oblivious to what was happening, too focused on his fight with Tess.

“You…”

This part, where the dragon’s protruding snout was bound, was vulnerable. If I got too close to the mouth, I might get burned by the dragon’s breath or torn apart by its sharp teeth.

“This one’s always been a pain.”

I slid my sword into the chain again, channeling magic into it. I was more exhausted this time, but I completed the task safely.

The white chains, broken into even smaller pieces than before, scattered into the air, like snowflakes decorating the emerald dragon.

I had to deal with the troublesome dragon, so I knocked it unconscious as well.

Despite feeling weak from the dragon’s dull eyes, I steeled myself. I kicked the dragon off and leaped into the air.

I lifted my right leg and kicked the dragon’s open jaw with my heel.

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

The dragon opened its eyes wide and made strange sounds. It seemed the dragon hadn’t fainted but had regained its senses instead.

Did I get too caught up in my personal feelings?

“Ber! It’s done!”

I shouted over to Ber, and he flapped his wings widely. With just one flap, it felt like he was going to take off, so I grabbed the dragon’s ear to steady myself.

Gracefully soaring through the air, Ber grabbed both dragons by their napes.

“Follow me!”

I quickly leapt to the ground, and Tess and the Southern Emperor followed suit. The battlefield quickly emptied, and the Southern Emperor’s face twisted as he was cornered.

“How dare you—cough!”

He suddenly coughed up blood, and Tess twisted his lips into a smirk.

“You’ve sacrificed yourself. Even your own life.”

“I have to kill you.”

The blonde man wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

“Devil contractor, I must kill you!”

Does he really need to kill Tess?

The Southern Emperor’s refusal to back down made my mood darken.

“Once you start rampaging, there’s no hope left. Do you know that? Or perhaps, the treacherous devil hid it well.”

What?

“Your rampage has already surpassed all limits, devil contractor. All that’s left for you is to keep rampaging, killing everyone around you.”

The opponent is the Southern Emperor. He could be lying.

I tightened my grip on my sword and braced my legs to spring into action.

“It’s the truth, Euel. Do you think I want to do this, putting my own life on the line?”

“So what?”

My tone was flat, making doubt grew in his blue eyes.

“If Tess loses control, I’ll stop him.”

I knew my magic skills weren’t yet at Tess’s level. I lacked the knowledge, too.

But I wouldn’t give up. I couldn’t just give up on Tess because I couldn’t do something yet.

I used a lot of magic in one go, draining a bit of my energy, but I was still capable of facing the Southern Emperor.

The Southern Emperor, dressed in white, had to withstand both Tess, in his black uniform, and my attacks alone. Tess and I had trained together for a long time, so we worked well in tandem.

When Tess drew the Emperor’s attention, I attacked from behind. When I struck at the legs, he would target the upper body, driving the Emperor into a corner.

The black-and-white combination disturbed the dry earth.

Thwack.

I struck.

I felt the sensation of my sword cutting through flesh and bone.

“Haha.”

But the Southern Emperor was laughing. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it.

“Haha, hahaha!”

“What…!”

“You can’t kill me with such an ordinary sword, Euel.”

The Southern Emperor shook his head dramatically, as if performing for an audience.

“At least, unless you cut off my head and burn it, killing me is impossible.”

There wouldn’t be a second chance.

He will be extremely cautious from now on.

The Emperor smiled slyly and changed the direction of his sword and thrust it behind him, towards me. I quickly retreated, and blood erupted from his body.

The Southern Emperor didn’t even use healing magic, as though this amount of blood loss didn’t matter to him. The sight of the blood flowing was enough to make me frown.

Didn’t he feel it?

“This applies to that ugly thing as well.”

I glanced at Tess, but his expression remained unchanged.

“Then why did you start this war? Wasn’t it to kill the devil contractor?”

“If I kill everyone in the Northern Empire, except for that bastard, I win.”

The Southern Emperor’s goal was clear. He intended to destroy this entire country.

“Once the devil contractor has no humans left to kill, the devil will die too.”

“But there are still people in the Southern Empire.”

I knew it was a childish provocation, but I couldn’t help but say it.

“I guess you didn’t consider what would happen if the devil contractor, who was no longer bound by the title of Emperor, goes completely mad, did you?”