Chương 59: Dragon Heart Scale

Ch 59 - Dragon Heart Scale As the last trace of the demon disappeared, Shizunagi sank to the ground. Kagetsu's corpse, riddled with countless shards of ice, fell limply across him, and the dragon cradled his sister's lifeless form. Yamanoi and Reid landed moments later, hurrying toward the exhausted dragon.

"Lord Shizunagi!" Yamanoi shouted.

"So... it is finally over," Shizunagi murmured, raising a trembling claw to brush Kagetsu's snout.

"Forgive me... for I came too late, dear sister." The space around them suddenly began to tremble. Cracks spread across the sky as though the entire world were a shattered mirror, each fracture widening until pieces of the heavens started breaking away. Shizunagi let out a weary sigh.

"It is time for us to depart, Norishige." Yamanoi lowered himself into a deep bow.

"Wherever Your Lordship treads, I shall follow. Until the very end."

"... You have served me faithfully. Even after all these long years." Shizunagi turned his attention to Reid.

"And to you, Demon Hunter... you have my gratitude. As promised, I shall entrust you with my Dragon Heart Scale." The dragon drove a claw into his own chest, forcing it through the wounds left by the demon until it disappeared deep inside him. When he withdrew it, a single blue scale rested between his claws, its brilliant surface stained with blood. With a gentle flick of his claw, Shizunagi sent the Dragon Heart Scale gliding into Reid's waiting hand.

The scale felt warm to the touch, and Reid could sense the dragon's essence lingering within it.

"You bear questions," Shizunagi said.

"While this realm still endures... I shall answer what I am able."

"You are the master of this space... and of the Rift itself, aren't you?" Reid asked.

"It's rare for an A-rank Rift to remain this docile. It even allowed us to harvest its resources freely. That had to be your doing."

"It was so..." Shizunagi replied.

"I desired not to bring calamity upon innocent souls. Thus I commanded all who remained within this realm to offer no harm to those who entered."

"Then why are you here?" Reid asked.

"How did that demon end up here as well? We've long theorized that Rifts are fragments of other worlds that somehow found their way into ours, but we've never understood why."

"You are not mistaken..." Shizunagi said, his voice trailing off as his gaze drifted toward the empty air, as though an unseen presence stood before him.

"As for why we became what you call Rifts... that is a truth I am forbidden to reveal." Reid frowned. Was it the System? It was the only existence he knew that possessed authority over both the Tower and the Rifts. If anything could silence even a dragon, it would be that. The world lurched again as the cracks spreading across the sky widened at an alarming pace. The ground split apart beneath them, and entire mountains crumbled into the growing abyss.

Not far from Reid, a portal materialized amidst the destruction, its swirling surface beckoning him toward the exit. A moment later, Hyo-ri landed nearby with the unconscious Awakeners and Lael levitating beside her, all held aloft by her telekinesis.

"We need to leave, now!" she shouted.

"You cleared the Quest, didn't you?"

"You go ahead," Reid replied, keeping his eyes on Shizunagi.

"There are still things I need to discuss with him."

"Are you insane?" Hyo-ri snapped, gesturing at the collapsing world around them.

"This place is literally falling apart! If you're even a second too late, you'll die!"

"I'll be fine. Go." Hyo-ri pressed her lips into a thin line. After a brief hesitation, she turned and stepped through the portal with the unconscious Awakeners in tow.

"You would do well to heed your companion," Yamanoi said.

"There is little more that we are permitted to speak of."

"Indeed..." Shizunagi said softly.

"We are but lingering shades, our time having long since passed." As he spoke, the dragon began flaking away piece by piece, its form slowly unraveling just like the crumbling world around them.

"You really can't tell me the truth?" Reid pressed.

"About the System... or why the Rifts exist?"

"The truth, you ask?" Shizunagi asked with a weary smile.

"Not every truth is a blessing, Demon Hunter. As for your world... cherish it. It is far more fortunate than ours ever was."

"Fortunate?" The question went unanswered. Before another word could leave his lips, Shizunagi's body dissolved into tiny specks of light. Yamanoi was slowly becoming transparent as well. With a faint smile, he lowered himself into a deep, respectful bow.

"You have my deepest gratitude for aiding Lord Shizunagi and granting his final wish," Yamanoi said, bowing one last time.

"May fate show you greater mercy than it ever showed us... and I beseech you, tread carefully should you ever cross paths with the Demon Kings." With those words, Yamanoi vanished into nothingness. The crumbling realm warped and buckled, leaving Reid with no choice but to step through the exit portal before it was too late.

"Your brother got trapped in an Irregular Dungeon!" Carmen shouted, jabbing a finger at her phone, where a news station was livestreaming coverage of the incident.

"So?" Evan replied between bites of his lunch. The three of them were sitting on a bench outside, enjoying the cool breeze during their lunch break. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"What do you mean, so?!" Carmen exclaimed.

"Aren't you worried? Your brother could be dying right now!" Evan had to stop himself from snorting. Reid? In danger? Maybe if a Demon King happened to be wandering around, but Evan seriously doubted anything on that level was lurking within the Rift. Besides, this was Reid they were talking about. The Legendary Demon Hunter could probably stroll through an Irregular Dungeon, even a Double Dungeon, without breaking a sweat. If Evan were the one trapped in there, he'd absolutely be panicking. For good reason, too.

He'd probably be deader than dead and praying to every god he knew for Reid to come rescue him. Reid, on the other hand, was likely taking a leisurely walk, admiring the scenery, smelling flowers, and casually tearing monsters apart along the way. Yeah. Evan wasn't worried in the slightest. Seeing his carefree expression, Carmen grabbed her hair in frustration.

"You heartless bastard."

"Yeah, well, this heartless bastard thinks you should stop pulling your hair like that before you go bald." Carmen whipped her head toward Hiroto.

"Are you hearing this guy right now?" Hiroto finished chewing, swallowed his food, then shrugged.

"I think Reid can handle himself just fine." Evan nodded in satisfaction. See? Hiroto understood. Carmen tugged even harder on her hair, her face twisting as though she were only seconds away from punching both of them.

"Anyway," Evan said, changing the subject, "how's the thing I asked you to look into?" Like a switch had been flipped, Carmen's frustration vanished, replaced by a smug grin.

"You should be bowing in gratitude. Do you have any idea how much work it took to dig all of this up?"

"Didn't you just hire private investigators to do it for you?"

"Excuse you!" Carmen shot back.

"That still took effort... and money! Are you planning to pay me back?"

"Excuse you. I'm handing you top-tier content for your NovaTube channel. You should be paying me." He leaned in.

"Better yet... how about deleting those photos?" Carmen's grin widened.

"Not a chance. They're mine forever. Who knows? I might need them someday." Evan wondered whether strangling the Ruiz family's daughter would be worth it. He'd likely end up in prison, but Reid would almost certainly break him out... On second thought, they'd probably spend the rest of their lives on the run, constantly hiding from the authorities. Ugh. Not worth it. And so they finished lunch, still bickering with one another.

After school ended that day, Evan checked the news on his phone, only to find that the situation was still developing. According to the latest reports, every Awakener trapped inside the Irregular Rift had made it out alive, though RCB officers and paramedics had immediately taken them away for questioning and medical examinations. Several photos showed Reid emerging from the Rift as composed as ever, without so much as a scratch on him.

By contrast, three Awakeners were being carried away on stretchers, while the only one still standing, a female Awakener, looked utterly exhausted. Evan was dying to know what had happened inside, but he doubted the news would have any concrete details anytime soon. Instead of wasting time refreshing articles, he put away his phone, finished his homework, and called it a night. The following day, Reid didn't return to the academy until evening.

Evan, Hiroto, and Carmen waited near the academy helipad as the transport aircraft descended. Reid stepped out, appearing completely unharmed and as calm as always. His face brightened the moment he spotted them.

"Did you guys wait long?"

"Not really." Evan scanned him from head to toe.

"So, how was the Irregular Rift? Have fun? Beat anything up?"

"I'm afraid I didn't do much beating," Reid replied with a smile.

"If you want the full story, let's talk somewhere else." Although the helipad wasn't particularly crowded, more than a few curious glances were already drifting their way. News of Reid surviving the Irregular Rift had spread throughout the academy, and lingering there any longer would only invite attention. The four of them made their way to Hiroto's room. Once everyone had settled in, Reid began recounting his experience inside the dungeon.

He told them about encountering an Umibozu they had believed to be the final boss, only to be dragged into another space after defeating it. From there, he spoke of meeting a dragon and a priest before receiving a Quest to help slay another dragon that had been driven mad. By the time he finished, Evan wasn't sure whether he felt more impressed or jealous. When he'd been trapped inside an Irregular Rift, he'd been relentlessly bullied by pixies and nearly died more times than he cared to remember.

Reid, meanwhile, had received an epic quest involving dragons. Once again, Evan felt the world had it out for him. Life wasn't fair, especially for someone cursed like him.

"So?" Carmen leaned forward, practically bouncing with excitement.

"What reward did you get for completing the Quest? A new ability? Some legendary armor?"

"I received this." Reid reached into his pocket and pulled out a scale roughly the size of an adult's palm. Its lustrous blue surface reflected the light in subtly changing shades, as though it held a living sky within. A collective gasp escaped the three teenagers.

"It's a Dragon Heart Scale," Reid explained.

"A Dragon Heart Scale?!" Carmen's eyes widened.

"That's insane! Are you planning to sell it or something?" Reid shook his head.

"No. I have something else in mind."

"What?" Hiroto asked. Reid only smiled.

"That's a secret." Evan tilted his head.... It couldn't possibly be for the gift Reid had been planning to give him, could it? That thing had to be worth an absolute fortune. Selling it at auction would bring in a ridiculous sum. But it was Reid's reward, and Evan wasn't going to tell his brother what to do with it. Hiroto and Carmen bombarded Reid with question after question while Evan listened from the side.

Their conversation stretched on for more than an hour before they called it a day and returned to their respective rooms. Evan followed Reid back to his dorm. After closing the door behind him, he leaned against it and asked, "So... is that really everything that went on in the Double Dungeon?" Reid set his bag down on the floor before turning to face him.

"That's what I told the RCB officers, and it's what the media will probably hear," he said.

"The full truth is... I encountered a demon."

"Really?" A real demon? Not one of those pesky demonic arts practitioners, but an actual demon? Reid nodded.

"It was already greatly weakened and on the verge of death, but it had possessed the body of a dragon. Lord Shizunagi asked for my help because I was a Demon Hunter. In truth, though, I didn't contribute much to the battle itself. Most of the burden fell on Lord Shizunagi. My role was to break the ritual circle and retrieve the Dragon Pearl."

"Why didn't you tell the government about the demon's existence? Didn't you want them to know?"

"Not yet... I'm afraid it might do more harm than good right now. Moreover, I suspect they may not be as unaware of demons as we think." Evan understood what his brother was implying. With someone like Ryusei among the government's higher ranks, it made Evan wonder exactly what those people were hiding.

"So that's it? There's nothing else you want to tell me?" Reid held his gaze for a moment before smiling.

"That's everything. It was a little dangerous, but the demon is gone now, so you don't have to worry about it ever returning to Earth." Evan looked into his brother's eyes and knew there were things he was still keeping to himself. In the end, though, he only nodded.

"Okay... that's good to hear."