The girl was trapped in a terribly dark void, where no light could reach. It was a sturdy cage woven from the dense shadows and magic of a transcendent being that looked down upon the world—shadow dragon. The girl—the "Blood" Princess—Alice Bradley, was suddenly and irrationally imprisoned in such a cage, existing within it.

“……”

It was cold. She was completely alone. No matter where she went, there was only solitude. The darkness, which erased any distinction of direction, was nothing but terrifying for such a young girl.

—But that was nothing new.

However, such reasoning did not apply to her. Rather, it was a sensation she had become painfully familiar with over the past few years.

At this point, no amount of darkness could torment her. Her heart would not waver in the slightest; she could maintain her composure. What shook her, what stirred her heart, was the voice of her brother, echoing from somewhere.

“—Alice!!”

“Out of my way, you damn lizard! I’m taking Alice back!”

“For something like this! Did you really start a war just for something like this!?
Cursing Alice and Grandpa, bringing misfortune to so many people—was it really worth it!?”

“The Crimson Flash of Dragon’s Demise, Bradley!!”

'—GURUAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!'

A voice calling her name. A voice filled with determination to rescue her. A voice filled with righteous fury at the sheer absurdity of it all. A voice pushing beyond its limits, pouring all of its strength into the battle—until, at last, he succumbed to madness, lost his sense of self, was swallowed by , and transformed into a dragon.

Even though she couldn’t see it, Alice heard it all within her prison of shadows. And at the same time, countless emotions surged within her.

The helplessness of being unable to do anything, of being nothing more than someone to be rescued. The disgrace of not even being able to witness her brother risking his life for her. And above all, the guilt of having turned her beloved brother into the very thing he hated most—a dragon.

Her hollow, lightless eyes overflowed with tears.

—I’m sorry, I’m sorry... I’m so sorry.

No matter how much she repented, her words would never reach the one who needed to hear them most.

Then, suddenly, the moment arrived.

“I finally found you, Alice!!”

“—Sister!?”

From the day she was trapped, those beautiful, ruby-like eyes had never reflected light, color, or objects. But now, she could feel the warmth of the sun, and she could see it clearly.

The voice that reached her ears next belonged to someone she could never forget—Freesia Greyfrost. And with that, she was freed from the prison of shadows that had held her captive until the very end.

That could only mean one thing.

The accursed shadow dragon that had sought her power, that had started the Dragon Slayer War and dragged an entire nation into its madness, had been slain.

The misfortune that had befallen her, the curse, had all been lifted.

“I can... see!?”

Having been in complete darkness for so long, it took her a moment to register the change. But her vision had fully recovered. She could feel the warmth of magic coursing through her body, activating her blood.

“Are you hurt!?”

“Eh, ah... no, I’m fine—”

A face she didn’t recognize suddenly appeared before her. But the voice—one she had heard so many times before—made it clear who it was. It took her a few seconds to process that the person before her was indeed Freesia.

Seeing Alice’s reaction, Freesia and the others realized that her eyesight had been restored.

“The shadow dragon’s curse... it’s been lifted, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, I can see perfectly, almost too clearly. Sister, you’ve grown even more beautiful over these years, haven’t you?”

“Thank you—but I’m sorry. This isn’t the time to celebrate. We need to reunite with Clay and the others and return to the kingdom as soon as possible.”

“—You’re right.”

There was no time for joy. Understanding Freesia’s words, Alice quickly stood up on her own two feet.

“Can you run?”

“Yes. For some reason, I feel more power welling up inside me than ever before...!!”

Perhaps it was the effect of regaining her magic. The control and perception of magical energy she had honed over the years filled the gaps left by her lost time. That was why she hadn’t lost consciousness upon suddenly regaining her sight, why she could remain fully aware.

Confirming that Alice was truly fine, Freesia and the others immediately began moving. Their destination—where her brother and the Hero awaited.

The Dragon Slayer War would soon come to an end now that she was freed from the shadow dragon’s curse. But that did not mean everything was over.

—Please, please be safe...!!

Alice understood her brother’s situation after slaying the shadow dragon.

To put it bluntly, it was dire. The fact that no sounds of battle remained suggested that the Hero had somehow managed to stop him after he lost his sanity. But the cost of that was undoubtedly immense. There was no way to hold back against someone in a berserk state.

“No...”

Alice understood this all too well, and that was why—even when she saw the scene before her—she forced herself to remain calm.

Shortly after they began moving, they arrived at the battlefield where Claym and Weiss had fought.

What lay before them was the sight of Claym Bradley, half his body covered in dragon scales, lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

Holding him with a grief-stricken expression was the Hero.

For a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl, her reaction was far too composed. It was so eerily detached from the sight before her that it almost seemed unnatural.

But in truth, it was only a façade. Deep inside, she was overwhelmed by guilt, anxiety, and the urge to break down in tears.

—Do you really have time for that, Alice Bradley!?

But Alice—the small, young girl—swallowed those feelings and focused solely on the situation before her.

She had no time to grieve, no time to wail, no time to repent. If she had the time to do any of those things, she should instead use it to save her dear brother—

The irreplaceable hero who had saved her from endless darkness.

And now, she had the power to do so.

“Please don’t worry. I will save my brother, no matter what.”

“Alice…?”

Freesia and the others, lamenting the despairing situation of Claym Bradley, looked on in confusion as a girl suddenly approached his motionless body.

At a glance, the figure lying there had breath so faint it was barely perceptible. The wounds carved into his body were far too deep, seemingly beyond repair. His fate was sealed—death was the only outcome left. His battered form, exhausted from relentless battles, drained of massive amounts of blood, had succumbed to an unrestrained vampiric impulse in the pursuit of slaying a dragon. In the end, even the dragon’s blood had been etched into his very being. There was no conceivable way to save him. Anyone would reach the same conclusion.

Yet, the byproduct of the dragon’s blessing carved into her body—no, the overwhelming "wisdom" surpassing the capacity of ordinary beings—presented her with a different answer.

—If I use the power of the blood given to me, I can save my brother…!

And so, Alice fully understood how to wield her power.

Dragon’s Blessing

It was, without a doubt, a "blessing" bestowed by a transcendent being that looked down upon the world. At the same time, it was also a "curse." Those granted this blessing-curse would gain inscribed magic within their very bodies and, in exchange for losing "something precious," acquire the truth of the world—the entirety of the knowledge that dragons had imparted to existence.

For example, it could be the essence of magic. Or the origins of dragons as creations. Perhaps even the method to reverse time. The existence of those living their second life. The knowledge of species that had been eradicated in ancient times. Or the power of one known as the "Princess of Blood."

From the moment the blessing-curse was bestowed, the recipient would be granted the same knowledge as a dragon.

“To think you went this far… for me…”

Cradling her brother’s fragile, nearly broken body, Alice took a sharp crimson dragon scale that had fallen nearby and slashed her wrist. Droplets of fresh blood dripped from her slender, pale arm and seeped into the gaping wounds of the dragon-infused man below. A phenomenon unfolded before their very eyes.

“Wha—!?”

The moment Claym Bradley’s wounds came into contact with her blood, they began to close in an instant. Simultaneously, the dragon scales that had covered half of his body started peeling away.

It was as though the dragon’s blood, which had once dominated his body and corroded his humanity, was losing its effect—being suppressed by her blood. In truth, this phenomenon was none other than the ability coursing through Alice’s veins—the power of the "Princess of Blood."

“For my brother’s sake, I will offer every drop of my blood to you—”

The "Princess of Blood" was a being with a unique lineage, appearing in only one among the vampire race—the Bradley bloodline. This extraordinary blood harbored a special power.

It was the power of "healing" and "harmony." When sprinkled upon a wounded body or one afflicted by illness, it would completely cure them. Moreover, it could pacify the turmoil and madness of vampires consumed by their own bloodlust. Alice had only just learned of this ability through the "wisdom" bestowed upon her, yet she instinctively understood how to wield it.

In mere moments, the wounds on Claym Bradley’s body were healed by Alice’s blood. His fading breath gradually steadied.

“Guh… khah—”

“Clay!”

“Brother!”

Even so, his body, steeped in dragon’s blood, had been severely weakened. That power still remained within him. Though his life was no longer in immediate danger, he would not awaken just yet.

At the very least, his life was saved. Now, all that remained was to return to the kingdom.

“We need to leave the imperial capital at once,”

Chronos was the one to propose this. Weiss quickly reacted, stepping forward and quietly lifting the now-stable Claym in his arms. Following his lead, Freesia, Alice, and the others stood up and prepared to move.

“They’re here! The lackeys of the kingdom are right here!”

“Surround them! Do not let the enemies of the Empire escape!”

“Offer their corpses to the Shadow Dragon, Scarshade!”

Suddenly, imperial soldiers, who had been out of sight until now, blocked Alice and the others’ path.

“Damn it—there are still this many left!?”

Their master, the Shadow Dragon, was already dead. The soldiers who had been guarding the area had seemingly either perished or fled in the wake of the battle’s aftermath. However, these were warriors who had sworn unwavering loyalty to their dragon lord. Waiting for their chance, they now took up arms to avenge their fallen master.

Their numbers were close to a hundred. Under normal circumstances, they would pose no threat. However, Weiss and the others had exhausted their strength in battle. Alice, too, had spent most of her blood in healing Claym. They lacked the power to defeat all their foes.

“After everything… we were saved, only to end up like this…!!”

The blessing-curse had finally been lifted. The cursed Shadow Dragon had been defeated. And yet, in the final moment, they were left powerless to resist.

“Advance!!”

“““UOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!”””

With a battle cry, the imperial soldiers charged like a dark tsunami, weapons raised. The distance between them was minimal. In mere seconds, Alice and the others would be crushed by sheer numbers.

“—!!”

Despair loomed. Instinctively, Alice and the others braced themselves, as if to endure the inevitable pain—or perhaps to shield the hero who had fought for them. They squeezed their eyes shut.

The next moment, the storm of violence was about to descend—

—But it never came.

Instead, a loud, boisterous laughter shattered the silence.

“WahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!”

“What the—!?”

“Gah!!”

“Nngh—!?”

Suddenly, a whirlwind of sword strikes tore through the air. The sharp clash of steel rang out, accompanied by the anguished screams of imperial soldiers being sent flying.

As Alice and the others slowly opened their eyes, they saw a single knight standing before them, his stance unwavering, as if to shield them.

“The star of the show has arrived! I’ve come to save you, Clay!”

The intruder was none other than the Crimson Knight—Feid Granger himself.