Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

At the border of human and dragon territories, deep in the forest, a young girl was running for her life, glancing back every so often.
Her face was filled with fear as if someone were hot on her heels. Though there was no one behind her, she couldn’t afford to stop for even a second.
Not only was she trying to escape from her pursuers, but she also had to lead them far enough away to keep her father from being discovered.

However, long-distance sprints weren’t a strength of hers, and before long, the three figures behind her picked up her trail.
Above, the rustling leaves sounded like an invisible cage tightening around her, inch by inch.
Suddenly, a man’s voice echoed through the shadows of the forest.

“Stop running, Rebecca. Just surrender and come back to the empire with us.”
Rebecca reacted instantly, raising her pistol and firing three shots in the direction of the voice.
The gunfire startled birds out of the trees, but it didn’t hit her pursuers.

She knew her weapon was essentially useless against these three.
Still, she kept running, even if she had no idea where she was heading. As long as she could stall for time, maybe her father would have a chance.
Fueled by that belief, she pressed on, sprinting deeper into the woods, despite her exhaustion.

High above, the three pursuers watched her retreating figure. To them, her small frame looked like nothing more than a mouse desperately clinging to life.
“She must know where Leon and Tiger are meeting, along with information on this ‘Lionsheart Society.’ Lord Scott wants her alive. Remember that,” said the leader of the trio, Kini.
“Yes, Captain.”

After a pause, Kini noticed he hadn’t received a third response and looked up.
“Kimei, did you hear the order?”
A man named Kimei stood on a branch across from him. He glanced down at his empty right arm and muttered, “Captain, can’t I at least take an arm off her for payback before we bring her in?”

“The one who cut your arm off was Tiger, not the gunner. If you want revenge, focus on the right target,” Kini replied with a cold snort. “Fine, as long as she’s alive and breathing, do as you please.”
Kimei’s face split into a grin. “Thanks, Captain. I won’t hold back then!”
With that, the trio vanished, resuming their chase through the forest.
Rebecca pressed onward, but finally ducked into a thicket, her small stature giving her the perfect cover.

Whoever said being short didn’t have its advantages?
This rare chance to catch her breath was something she couldn’t waste.
Leaning against the bushes, she closed her eyes, her legs trembling from the exertion, barely able to hold her pistol.

She checked her magazine.
“Only four bullets left…”
A feeling of hopelessness washed over her. 

Gunners like her relied on firearms, and if it came down to close combat, she wouldn’t stand a chance against the Blade Trio.
Each of those three could take down a Dragon King — just like Leon in his prime.
Her father had fought with everything he had to sever one of their arms, buying them precious time to flee.

But it was only a brief reprieve, as the trio had soon picked up their trail.
Now her only hope was that Leon could reach them in time and get her father to safety.
As for herself…

Rebecca leaned her head back against the bush, her twin ponytails had loosened, letting her green hair fall around her shoulders, lending her a forlorn beauty.
“If only I can get this evidence to Leon… he’ll finally have a shot at taking down that dog of an emperor.”
From the moment she chose to stand by Leon, she knew she’d end up in a situation like this.

In a way, her life had been fulfilled — uncovering the empire’s schemes bit by bit, forming the Lionsheart Society, even becoming friends with Rosvisser.
If she had any regrets, it was never meeting Leon’s three adorable daughters.
And… not being able to see the day when Leon’s name was cleared and the empire toppled.

“Well, at least… I can die with no regrets.”
She steeled herself, forcing her exhausted body to stand.
Above her, the sound of rustling leaves returned.

In the next second, three figures appeared, surrounding her in a triangle.
“We finally caught up to you, little girl,” said Kini, stepping out from the shadows with a smug smile.
Rebecca raised her pistol, aiming straight at Kini’s forehead, and fired without hesitation.

Bang! — 
But Kini emerged unscathed.
A white barrier of magic energy hung in front of him, blocking the bullet.

“As the empire’s former top gunner, you should know that if your bullets aren’t enchanted, they can’t penetrate a magic shield.”
Kini chuckled, continuing, “Or are you too exhausted to enchant them anymore?”
Rebecca’s only answer was another two bullets.

But as Kini said, unenchanted bullets couldn’t get through.
“Imperial standard pistol, magazine capacity of thirteen rounds. Since we started fighting a few hours ago, you’ve already fired twelve.”
He looked at her smugly. “That leaves you with one bullet, right?”

“Captain, stop wasting time with her. Let me chop off this brat’s arm before we question her about Tiger,” said the one-armed Kimei, visibly eager.
“Patience, Kimei. Don’t you like seeing the despair on your prey’s face?” Kini said, folding his arms, stepping closer. “I rather enjoy that fierce yet hopeless look in her eyes.”
The Blade Trio, renowned for slaying Dragon Kings, could easily handle one gunner.

But they relished the thrill of tormenting their prey.
Watching their victims beg for mercy had always given them unmatched satisfaction.
After all, they’d emerged from thousands, survived hellish training, and risked death to fuse with Primordial Magic, all for moments like this.

Kini would savor this hunt thoroughly.
“Little girl, if you tell us where Tiger is now, maybe I’ll put in a good word for you with Lord Scott. He might let you live.”
Rebecca’s tense face relaxed as she scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain.

“You’re dying to know where my dad is, aren’t you? Well, too bad. I’ll never tell you, you damn pervert.”
Kini’s expression turned cold. “Stubborn to the end, I see.”
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze turning icy.

“Rebecca Clement, former gunner of the Empire’s First Dragon-Slaying Unit. You are wanted for high treason, charged with multiple assassinations and spreading false propaganda. If you resist, we are authorized to use force.”
Rebecca’s brow lowered, her green eyes flashing with defiance. She spat back, “Go. To. Hell.”
“So it’s violence, then? Fine. Kimei, you can begin.”

“Been waiting for this, Captain!” Kimei’s remaining hand began gathering Primordial Magic.
Rebecca knew that if such magic struck her, she’d be instantly incapacitated.
At that point, these monsters could extract whatever information they wanted about Leon and her father from her mind.

She wasn’t about to let that happen.
“You twisted freaks — Leon won’t spare any of you.”
“Leon Cosmod? Oh, don’t worry. After we’re done with you, he’ll be joining you soon,” Kini smirked. “But only after we’ve wrung every bit of intel from you.”

“You’ll get nothing from me!” she shouted, raising her pistol once more.
The trio assumed she was aiming at them, quickly erecting their shields.
But to their surprise, Rebecca turned the gun toward her own temple!

“You’re right — I have one bullet left. It won’t go through your shields, but it’ll sure as hell go through my own head.”
She was always like this: stubborn and wild. If she was going to die, she’d do it her way.
Realizing her intent, Kini panicked and shouted, “Stop her! If she dies, we’ll lose all trace of Tiger!”

The trio lunged toward her.
But no matter how fast they were, they couldn’t beat her finger on the trigger at point-blank range.
Her finger tightened, and she closed her eyes. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she murmured, “Goodbye, Leon.”

Just as she pulled the trigger, time seemed to freeze.
Rebecca heard the crisp sound of the pistol’s mechanisms clicking, the bullet loaded and firing with a dark flash, speeding toward her head.
“Damn it!!” Kini cursed as he dove to intercept, rage burning in his voice.

There was no way anyone could move fast enough to intercept a bullet at this range. It was impossible.
But just then, a streak of blue lightning sliced through the air, faster than the eye could follow.
The blue bolt stirred up a cloud of dust, forcing the trio to retreat a few steps.

When the dust cleared, Kini looked toward Rebecca’s direction.
The black pistol lay on the ground, and the bullet that should’ve ended her life was lodged in a tree trunk to her right.
On the ground, a man crouched, shielding Rebecca beneath him.

Blue arcs of electricity crackled over his body. Rising slowly, he looked down at her, his gaze relieved to find her alive.
Rebecca’s eyes fluttered open, disbelieving the sight in front of her. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged him tightly, like a child clinging to her protector.
Leon gently patted her head.

“It’s alright now, Rebecca.”
From a distance, the Blade Trio stood in shock.
So this was Leon Cosmod…

His speed… had exceeded a bullet?!
“This… this can’t be…” Kini’s voice was laced with disbelief as he stared at Leon, trying to process what had just happened. Even with all the enhancements from Primordial Magic, the trio couldn’t come close to what Leon had just done.
Leon glanced back at Rebecca, still holding onto him, her small form trembling slightly as she fought to steady herself after her close call.

“Want to ride a dragon, Rebecca?” Leon asked softly.
“Huh… what do you mean?” she replied, blinking up at him in confusion.
“Hold tight,” Leon said, lifting her up before she had a chance to react.

“W-wait! Ahhh!” she yelped as he tossed her into the air.
In that instant, a flash of silver shot through the sky, catching her mid-fall. As she opened her eyes, Rebecca found herself lying on the broad, sturdy back of a dragon.
“Ros… Rosvisser!?”

“Hold on tight,” Rosvisser said calmly, glancing back at her. “We’ll wait for Leon at a safer place.”
Rebecca nodded quickly, gripping tightly onto the dragon’s scales as Rosvisser took off, wings flapping powerfully as they soared away from the forest.
Back in the clearing, Leon now stood alone, facing the Blade Trio, with no apparent intention of engaging them directly.

He and Rosvisser had been on their way to a mountain cave when they’d heard the commotion and arrived just in time to save Rebecca from the trio’s pursuit. It was obvious now that Tiger’s location had been compromised.
Rather than getting entangled in a drawn-out battle, Leon decided it would be best to regroup at a safer location. He cast a brief, calculating glance over the three men, his gaze settling on the one-armed Kimei.
Using Kimei’s position as his exit path seemed like the best option.

Having quickly formed his escape plan, Leon activated the power of *Nine Hells Gates*, summoning the lightning force of *Thousand Birds* into his hands as he charged straight toward Kimei.
“Kimei, watch out! He’s unbelievably fast!” Kini shouted, his voice panicked.
But before Kini could finish his warning, Leon was already upon Kimei.

Kimei barely had time to process what was happening. He braced himself, readying a Primordial Magic strike to counter Leon’s charge.
But Leon didn’t meet him head-on. Instead, he expertly dodged Kimei’s guard, slipping past his defenses on the vulnerable right side, where he was missing his arm.
By the time Kimei turned to launch a second attack, Leon was already gone.

In the blink of an eye, he had vanished into the depths of the forest, leaving the Blade Trio alone in stunned silence.
A cold shiver crept up Kini’s spine as he stared into the dark, empty forest. Finally, he spoke in a low voice, “Let’s fall back.”
…

Having shaken off the Blade Trio, Leon quickly reunited with Rosvisser and Rebecca, who were waiting for him near the mountains. Together, they made their way to a secluded cave hidden behind a waterfall.
“Rebecca, did they track you and your father down?” Leon asked once they’d landed.
Rebecca nodded solemnly. “From what they said, it sounds like they figured out our movements during Elandi’s rule. After Konstantin’s attack, Elandi was removed, and Scott took his place. He wasted no time hunting us down.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Tiger now? Is he safe?”
At this, Rebecca’s expression dimmed, her shoulders slumping.
“Father… he’s badly injured. I hid him in the cave, hoping to lead the Blade Trio away long enough for you to get here.”

Leon placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Rebecca.”
Hearing about Tiger’s injuries, Rosvisser immediately quickened her pace, propelling them toward the mountain cave.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the waterfall concealing the entrance to the cave.

“Father! Father, Captain Leon is here,” Rebecca called out, dashing inside.
Leon and Rosvisser followed closely behind.
“Cough… cough…”

A raspy cough echoed from the shadows, filling Leon with dread. He quickened his steps, only to freeze when he finally saw the scene in front of him.
Tiger lay on a makeshift bed of dried grass, blood seeping through his shirt from a deep wound on his chest, staining the grass beneath him red.
“Master! What… what happened?” Leon rushed to Tiger’s side, inspecting his injuries.

“During the escape, he went all out to sever Kimei’s arm, buying us precious time to flee,” Rebecca explained in a somber tone. “I used healing magic to stabilize him, but it won’t last long… At best, we have six hours. Captain, with wounds this severe…”
Leon had seen enough friends fall to know what she was implying. The magic would only hold off the inevitable for a few hours, nothing more.
Clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles cracked, Leon’s chest surged with helpless fury.

Tiger had raised him, trained him to become the empire’s strongest dragon slayer. If not for Tiger, Leon wouldn’t be who he was today.
Even after Leon was framed and disgraced by the empire, Tiger had risked everything to clear his name.
Tiger had done far more than any father figure could, yet this was the fate he faced…

“Kid… hey, kid…” Tiger’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“Master! I’m here,” Leon replied, leaning closer.
“Sea… Sea…”

As he spoke, Tiger’s vision grew hazy, each word a struggle.
“Sea what, Master? I’m listening.”
“Sea… Dragon Clan…”

Leon’s eyes widened, his heart pounding as realization struck him.
“Take me… to the Sea Dragon Clan, kid… take me there…”