Through the gloomy corridors of the castle, I ran, steadily ascending to the higher floors.

“That makes four barriers now…”

I muttered to myself, glancing at the shattered black glass fragments at my feet.

Currently, I was on the fourth floor of the castle. According to Levia, the throne room should be on this level. Compared to the beginning, we had made significant progress. In other words, since the first barrier, there hadn’t been any notable traps or enemy attacks.

Each time I ascended a floor, I was momentarily stalled by a barrier that obstructed perception. But by the fourth time, I had gotten used to it. The moment I stepped onto a new floor, I would sense the distortion, methodically destroy the core of the barrier, and proceed forward. The barrier that had been distorting this fourth floor had just now been destroyed, meaning all that was left was to head straight to our goal.

“Let’s move on.”

As the perception-obstructing barrier dissipated, the scenery around me unnaturally shifted, and I regrouped with Freesia and the others who had been waiting. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to push forward without delay—

“Are you okay, Clay?”

Freesia suddenly grabbed the hem of my cloak, stopping me in my tracks. Pulled by her grip, I turned to face her, only to see that she and the others wore uneasy expressions.

“What’s wrong? I’m totally fine…”

The biggest obstacle—the barrier—had just been dealt with. If something else had occurred in the brief moment before I regrouped with them, I needed to be prepared. But judging by their reactions, that didn’t seem to be the case.

—What’s really going on?

As I struggled to understand the situation, Freesia tightened her grip on my cloak and hesitantly spoke.

“You’re… sweating a lot, and your breathing seems strained…”

“…Huh?”

Her words made me reflexively wipe my body. Sure enough, just one swipe of my hand came away drenched in an abnormal amount of sweat.

“…Seriously?”

I had thought I was managing to hide it well, keeping everything in check. But it seemed my body was far closer to its limit than I had realized.

Just moments ago—no, to be precise, ever since I drank Chronos’s blood—I had been tormented by an unbearable thirst and burning sensation. As time passed, and the foreign blood fused more with my body, the craving only intensified. The bloodlust I had suppressed for so long had reawakened the moment I consumed that blood.

Now that I was aware of it, I could no longer control it as I had before. It demanded to be satisfied, like a child unable to resist its urges. I had thought I was keeping up a façade, but in reality, I had already reached my limit.

“Let’s take a short break, okay, Clay?”

“Yes, that would be for the best.”

“Clay…”

They spoke in voices filled with concern. Their anxious, pleading suggestion, however, made me shake my head.

“…Haa… Haa…”

I took one deep breath. Then another. Forcing myself to suppress the raging bloodlust that threatened to consume me. Somehow, I managed to keep it at bay.

I’m fine. I can still go on. I have to keep going.

Now isn’t the time to worry about myself. This level of struggle won’t cause me to succumb to darkness—I won’t allow it. I refuse to let myself be swallowed up by this madness.

“Thank you, all of you… But I’m fine. Let’s keep moving.”

I felt guilty for disregarding their concerns, but stopping here wasn’t an option. The throne room was close. Even without a precise map of the castle, I could feel the presence of my enemy.

“…If it gets too bad, promise me you’ll say something?”

“Yeah.”

“…You swear it?”

“…I swear.”

Freesia stared into my eyes, as if extracting a final promise. Her deep blue gaze, filled with unease, left me no choice but to nod.

With that, we resumed our march.

With the barrier gone, our path to the throne room—where the Shadow Dragon likely waited—was now a straight shot. However, the route itself was still complex and winding; a single wrong turn could prevent us from reaching our destination.

“—Take the right path at this fork.”

Despite this, Levia’s guidance remained as precise as ever. The density of magic brushing against my skin was increasing, and the shadows that ruled the castle were growing darker.

The corridors remained empty and devoid of anything noteworthy. No enemies, no traps aside from the barriers. Not having to waste unnecessary energy was a relief, but at the same time, it felt ominous. It was as if we were being lured forward. The barriers on each floor felt less like true obstacles and more like a game of wits—a dragon’s arrogance, indifferent to whether or not we arrived in peak condition.

—Damn bastard is mocking us…

I couldn’t help but feel irritated. Perhaps that dragon’s strategy was to provoke us, but regardless, keeping my emotions in check was proving difficult.

Still, thanks to Levia’s steady guidance, we finally arrived at the grand hall just before the throne room.

Stepping cautiously into the chamber, the dim lighting slowly brightened upon our arrival. Bathed in a deep blue glow, the figure of a single knight was revealed.

“……”

The knight was clad in black-grey armor. Though he noticed our presence, he remained utterly still, staring at us with an unwavering gaze, as if he were an unshakable mountain.

The aura and presence he exuded were leagues beyond the female knight we had fought in the garden or Tylus Arnell, whom we had defeated in the labyrinth. Behind him lay the massive doors leading to the throne room—he was its final guardian.

Proving my assumption correct, the knight finally spoke.

“If you wish to proceed, you must defeat me—Wolf Graves, the First Sword of the Five Heavenly Swords.”

His voice was low and hoarse, like a deep rumble of thunder.

“!!”

His overwhelming presence made all of us instinctively tense up.

Even with three of us against him, the pressure was immense. Judging from his strength, he was undoubtedly more powerful than Tylus Arnell.

“Come at me with everything you have. Otherwise, you will accomplish nothing and die meaninglessly.”

His raspy voice carried a weight that sent a shiver down my spine. Just as he was about to kick off the ground, scythe in hand—

“Go, Guardian of Blood. Our master summons you.”

—The knight abruptly lowered his weapon and relaxed his stance, addressing me in an indifferent tone.

“…Huh? What are you—”

“Only you are permitted to enter the throne room. The others will stay here with me.”

He spoke with thinly veiled annoyance, all traces of battle-readiness gone.

I hesitated, unsure whether to trust his words, but Freesia, sword in hand, turned to me.

“I don’t think it’s a trap. He really intends to let you through.”

“…But…”

“Don’t worry about us, Clay. I’d rather go with you, but against this knight, that’s just not possible.”

She looked at me with eyes filled with determination, faith, and just a hint of worry. A quick glance at Weiss and Levia confirmed that they, too, had made their decision.

—Damn that bastard dragon…

Time was running out. If I wanted to end this war, I had no choice but to move forward alone.

“…Don’t die.”

“You too, Clay. Defeat the Shadow Dragon—and come back alive.”

Exchanging those final words, I sprinted toward the throne room.

"..."

I easily passed by the old knight, and the huge, majestic doors leading to the throne room slid open of their own accord, as if inviting me in.

As I left, I gave Freesia, Levia, and finally the hero a confirming glance before leaving the hall.