After jumping out of the newly made exit, I gained some altitude and shifted into my dragon form. I didn’t need to land in between shifting since I didn’t have Liz with me, and I needed to use my dragon form to get there faster.

The adventurers spotted the army north of Kleadan yesterday. Hopefully their advance is slow. Let me make it in time.

By exerting myself as much as possible, I could see Kleadan in the distance after roughly forty-five minutes. I used [Farsight] to get a closer look and saw no fire or smoke, but several bodies were scattered on the ground.

Oh no.

Arriving at the village, I shifted back and landed. [Biomagic Radar] didn’t show a single lifeform in the entire village. As I rushed toward Klaus’ and Maria’s house, I saw several villagers cut down, along with a few soldiers wearing Kaydossan colors. The houses looked ransacked.

No, no, no. Why did the Kaydossans massacre the villagers? Did they kill anyone that tried to run? They use slaves, so maybe Liz’s family was captured? If they are alive, I can still save them.

I burst through the door of their home and was met with a gruesome sight. Klaus and Maria’s motionless bodies were on the floor. With a racing heart, I hurried to the room in the back, only to find Colette on the floor, her chest pierced by a blade. Anguish surged through me, igniting a fierce rage that coursed through my veins. 

Why?! What would those bastards possibly gain from murdering innocent villagers?! I’ll kill them! I’ll fucking kill them all. You stepped on the dragon’s tail. Face the consequences!

Arcs of lightning began crackling around my body. Feeling that the intense power surge was about to cancel my [Shift], I rushed out of the house before being forced back into my dragon form.

I ascended several hundred meters straight up in the air and looked around, spotting a massive camp of tents, big enough to be a small town. They were flying banners with the Kaydossan colors. My vision slightly blurred as I flew toward them at full speed. My [Biomagic Radar] gave over twenty thousand responses, and I couldn’t even detect the end of the camp. They even had people riding gryphons. Before I even realised it, my vision had turned red.

Fuck, I can feel it. The [Red Haze]. It’s better in dragon form, but it still feels like my body will explode. Calm down. I can handle it. I’m still in control. I’m still in control. I’m still in control. I will massacre them. They will all fucking die here! No! Calm down! If I lose control, Baruda will be caught up in the carnage. What will you do if you obliterate everything? This isn’t me. Keep it together.

When I arrived above the edge of the camp, I saw the panic that ensued on the ground. I wanted them to see their inevitable doom. I wanted them to feel despair. I wanted them to know that nothing could save them from my wrath.

The sky darkened as lightning started thundering down all over the camp. Any gryphon rider that tried to take to the skies was immediately struck by lightning and disintegrated into ash.

I descended closer to the ground and was met with a barrage of spells and arrows from any soldier who managed to avoid being paralyzed by fear. A pointless effort as they just bounced off my scales. I flew around the edges of the camp, scouring the ground with my lightning breath. Thousands perished from the direct impact, and the following arcs of lightning struck out to anyone lucky enough to avoid the initial blast. Lightning kept striking down, disintegrating the panicked soldiers who were running for their lives.

I will not let a single one escape. I can still control it. I just need to hold back. If I don’t use any more force than this, I will only destroy the camp area. Don’t lose it. I’m stronger now. Keep it together.

I kept circling the camp to prevent any chance of escape, reducing the soldiers to smoldering ash. In a matter of minutes, the entire camp had been erased, and all lifeforms detected on my [Biomagic Radar] had been snuffed out. I couldn’t detect a single human left alive of the roughly thirty-thousand-strong army. My vision gradually returned from the murderous rampage, and the power emanating from my body dissipated.

It seems to be over. I managed to contain it… this time. I wonder if they had any scouts who weren’t in the camp? I can’t hunt all of them down… Is this enough? Let them report to their country that their army had disappeared.

I erased my presence and shifted back to human form when an intense pain rippled through my head.

Ugh, my head hurts so bad. Is this a side effect of [Red Haze]? The last time, I attributed it to promotion sickness, but I guess there is a price to pay. I should go back to Kleadan. I can’t leave Liz’s family like that.

I made my way back to Kleadan village to bury Liz’s family. While carrying them to the graveyard one by one, I was struck with guilt.

Why didn’t I go look for the missing adventurers yesterday when Chloe asked me? I might have been able to save them. How will I be able to face Liz? This is all my fault.

After burying Liz’s family, I headed back to Baruda. I felt like passing out from the unfamiliar pain I felt and couldn’t manage to fly at full speed.

When I arrived in Baruda, I dropped down right in front of the inn and walked in through the open door with my presence erased. I just wanted to go to my room. I walked up the stairs and undid my spell as I opened the door, seeing Liz on the bed reading a book.

“Welcome back, where di- What happened to you?!” She yelled as she jumped off the bed.

“... what do you mean?” I asked anxiously.

“You are bleeding out of your eyes!” She yelled, jumping off the bed and rushing over to me.

“I, hmm, I’m fine… Probably just a side effect. I just really need some rest.”

Liz took out a small cloth and started wiping off the dried blood from my cheeks.

“Can you tell me what happened?” She asked in a concerned voice.

What should I do? I have to tell her, but my head is killing me. ‘Your family is dead, but I need to sleep’ isn’t exactly what someone wants to hear. No, I have to do it…

I took Liz’s hand, walked to the bed, and sat down. After sitting in silence for a moment, I reluctantly started talking. “[Red Haze] activated…”

“What? How? Are you okay?” She asked with wide eyes.

“My head is killing me, but I’m fine,” I said and held her hands. “An army of roughly thirty thousand soldiers crossed the border from Kaydossa…”

“What?!” She blurted out.

“They crossed over to the northeast… close to Kleadan village,” I said, avoiding eye contact by looking down at my feet.

Liz squeezed my hand but didn’t manage to ask the question which was undoubtedly on her mind. I turned to look at her and saw the tears in her eyes. It looked like she wanted to ask, but she just stared at me in silence.

I took a deep breath, tears welling up, and just shook my head. “I’m sorry,” Was all I could say as I hugged her.

I’m sorry? Is that the best I could come up with? But what else could I say?

Liz hugged me tightly, and I felt her tears on my shoulders. Unsure what to do, I sat in complete silence, embracing her. No matter how much pain rippled through my head, I wouldn’t let go until she did.

After a few minutes, Liz’s tears dried out, and she pulled out of my embrace. “What… What about the Kaydossan army?”

I turned and stared at the wall before answering. “I killed them all… Everyone in the camp, possibly even innocent captives or slaves. The [Red Haze] didn’t run out until every single lifeform was erased from existence.”

“I… see,” she replied, staring into the wall with a blank stare. “Are you okay?”

“I think so. I’m just not used to pain,” I answered. “I’m more concerned about you.”

“I… I don’t know. Maybe it hasn’t hit me yet.”

I squeezed her hand. “I’m here if you need me. I will always be here.”

Liz didn’t reply and instead put her head on my shoulder. A sudden sharp pain rippled through my head, strong enough to make me wince in pain.

Liz noticed the spasm and put her hand on my cheek, turning my head toward her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“It’s just a side effect from [Red Haze]. It will be better with some rest.”

I never realised the side effects of [Red Haze] would be this severe. Why didn’t my mother tell me anything?

“Are you sure?” Liz asked in a concerned voice, clearly holding back her tears.

I hate this. I should be there for Liz, but she is more worried about me. In some ways, she is stronger than me.

Before I could answer, a ripple of pain that felt like my head would crack open erupted, causing me to slump forward and fall onto the floor.

“Luna!” Liz yelled, leaning down to help me.

As my vision faded, I caught a last glimpse of Liz's panicked expression before I lost consciousness.

Obsoleteness

This was a rough chapter, both to write and read. If anyone feel blindsided, I apologise.