The dragon was gliding through the sky.Each beat of its wings crushed the air, pressing an overwhelming force down on them.
Swen's voice trembled:"It's a Yang creature…They are wise… they don't attack without reason. Stay calm."
Koharu instinctively took a step closer to Shinju.Her eyes never left the dragon.
"Swen… this pressure… it's too strong… my legs are shaking…"
Before she could finish—
The sky roared again.
The dragon spread its wings wide.Its chest expanded.
A brief pause.
Then it breathed fire.
The flames went straight for Shinju.
"Shinju!" Koharu's voice tore through the air.
Shinju raised his hand on instinct.A Yin barrier formed instantly.
But…
It didn't hold.
The dragon's flames shattered the barrier.
The explosion echoed through the valley.
Shinju's body was thrown back, crashing into rocks.The stones cracked, dust rising into the air.
Koharu rushed forward, but Swen grabbed her arm.
"Stop! If you get close, you'll both burn!"
Koharu struggled to break free."Let go of me!"
As the dust slowly settled—
A cough came from within it.
Shinju.
Blood dripped from his lips.Even so… he stood up.
Swen frowned.
"We don't stand a chance against a Yang creature…Why is it attacking us…?"
Koharu didn't hear her.
She was only looking at Shinju.
At that moment—
The dragon's shadow fell over him.
When Shinju looked up, the dragon was already there.
Only a few steps between them.
Koharu's heart tightened.
"Too close…"
The dragon narrowed its eyes.
It stared at him for a long moment.
As if it couldn't believe what it was seeing.
Swen stepped forward.
"Great being… please show mercy.If we have disturbed you, we apologize…"
The dragon slightly tilted its head.
But ignored Swen.
Its gaze returned to Shinju.
Then it spoke:
"I was right…"
Its eyes locked onto Shinju's.
"That foul vibration in your aura…it's the same as that curse."
Koharu's fingers trembled.
"A curse…?"
Swen's expression tightened.
"She must be talking about Yin energy…"
The dragon took another step forward.The ground sank slightly.
This time its voice was harsher:
"A dragon…"
A short pause.
"…how can one fall into such corruption?"
The words lingered in the air.
Shinju's brows slightly furrowed.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
His eyes scanned the dragon—
its scales, its gaze, its breath…
This being… was completely different.
A thought passed through his mind:
What does it think I am?
He clenched his teeth.
But when he spoke, it wasn't anger—
it was restrained tension:
"Do you even realize what you're saying…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"I'm… not what you think I am."
The dragon's eyes flared.
"Don't lie! I can smell a strong dragon aura from you!"
Its voice thundered.
Then it roared.
Without hesitation, it struck with its claw.
Shinju raised his barrier on instinct—
But the moment the blow landed, it shattered.
Shinju was thrown again.Dragged across the ground, leaving a deep trail behind.
Koharu's chest tightened.
"Shinju!"
The dragon roared in fury:
"You are a disgrace to our kind!A dragon who surrenders to darkness… is no dragon!"
Energy began gathering in its mouth.Light condensed.
A sphere of fire formed.
Swen's expression hardened.
"This is bad—!"
The sphere shot forward.
Straight at Shinju.
Shinju pushed himself up onto his knees.His breathing was uneven.
Still… he raised his hand.
A Yin barrier formed again—barely.
The fireball struck.
Explosion.
The valley lit up like daylight for a moment.
Koharu covered her mouth.
But this time… it wasn't just fear—
something inside her was breaking.
"Shinju…"
She couldn't even get the words out.
The smoke slowly cleared.
Shinju was still standing.
The wound on his chest… was healing.
The dragon's eyes narrowed.
"You're regenerating…"
It paused.
"…so you've even gained immortality."
Its gaze sharpened.
"I wonder how deep you've fallen."
Shinju lifted his head.
His breathing was heavy.
But this time, he didn't step back.
"You don't understand me…"
His voice was low but firm.
"I didn't choose this power."
He took a step forward.
"But I control it."
The dragon roared.
"Everyone who thinks they control darkness…ends up belonging to it!"
It attacked again.
Its claw came down.
Shinju raised a barrier—
it shattered.
Its tail struck.
Shinju slammed into the ground.
Before he could recover, another hit landed.
This time, he had no strength left to defend.
He only clenched his teeth.
The ground split apart.
Swen shouted:
"This won't work—!"
But her words were cut off.
The dragon lunged forward.
Its jaws opened—
And it caught Shinju.
Its teeth closed.
Shinju's body lifted off the ground.
Koharu's eyes widened.
She ran toward the dragon.
"Let him go!"
She raised her hands.
Light gathered instantly.
But—
Her hands were shaking.
The spell was unstable.
The dragon's gaze shifted to her for a moment.
Just a moment.
And that moment emptied her completely.
Her power collapsed.
The light faded.
Swen clenched her teeth.
"Koharu! Focus—!"
But it was too late.
The dragon lifted Shinju even higher.
Shinju's breath was fading.
But…
his eyes were still open.
And this time…
there was no panic.
Slowly, he raised his hand.
"That's enough… you're too stubborn."
The darkness in his right eye took shape…
condensing into a thin, sharp line.
Shinju clenched his teeth.
And directly into the dragon's mouth—
he shaped Yin into a bladeand drove it into its palate.
"Open your damn mouth."
The dragon's eyes snapped wide open.
A wave of pain echoed.
Its jaw loosened.
Shinju broke free.
He fell—
but this time, he landed on his knees.
He lifted his head.
His breathing was still uneven.
But his gaze had changed.
The dragon didn't retreat.
On the contrary…
it kept advancing.
Koharu cried out:
"We have to do something… Swen!"
Swen's eyes were locked on the dragon.
She clenched her teeth.
Calculating something in her mind.
"A Yang creature…" she murmured.
Her voice was different now.
Heavier.
"Pure Yang beings… don't die easily."
Koharu turned to her.
"What are you saying?! Shinju is going to die!"
Swen closed her eyes.
A brief silence.
Then she spoke slowly:
"The only way to kill a Yang creature…"
She paused.
As if she didn't want to say it.
"…is poison."
Koharu froze.
"Poison…?"
Swen tilted her head slightly.
"You can't destroy Yang directly.But if you disrupt its balance… it consumes itself."
Her gaze returned to the dragon.
Her voice lowered.
"But…"
A brief pause.
"The death of a Yang creature… is not a good thing."
Koharu's expression tightened.
"Is this really the time to talk about that?!"
Swen gritted her teeth.
"They are the balance of this world."
Her eyes shifted to Shinju.
The dragon was getting closer.
"…but we don't have another choice."
She moved instantly.
Reached into her bag.
Pulled out the snake's venom sac.
"Koharu!"
Her voice turned sharp.
"I'm making a poison bomb.When it detonates, put up a barrier—or we both die!"
Koharu hesitated.
"What about Shinju?!"
Swen paused for a brief moment.
Her eyes lingered on Shinju.
Then she spoke firmly:
"Did you forget? He's immortal."
She took a short breath.
"But this… is the only thing that can end this."
She squeezed the venom sac.
The dark liquid flowed into a vial.
She mixed it with black powder.
The vial reacted instantly.
A greenish vapor began swirling inside.
Meanwhile, the dragon kept advancing.
Step by step.
Toward Shinju.
Swen pulled her arm back.
Her eyes locked on the target.
"Koharu… now!"
She threw the vial.
Koharu reacted instantly.
She raised her hands—
white light burst around them,
forming a semi-transparent barrier.
The vial exploded right in front of the dragon.
Green poison mist spread instantly.
The dragon couldn't escape.
It inhaled it directly.
For a moment…
nothing happened.
Then—
its body tensed.
Muscles locked.
Its eyes widened.
The dragon roared.
This time, it wasn't anger—
it was a loss of control.
It staggered back.
Its wings flapped unevenly.
It opened its mouth—
trying to form flames.
But…
nothing came out.
It tried again.
Still nothing.
Swen's eyes lit up.
"It worked…!"
But her words cut off.
Shinju was affected too.
His face tightened.
His breath faltered for a moment.
A pressure built in his chest—
But…
he didn't step back.
He lifted his head.
Looked at the dragon.
In that state.
That massive being writhing in pain.
And something changed.
Suddenly, he moved.
Koharu's eyes widened.
"Shinju—!"
Too late.
Shinju stepped in front of the dragon.
He spread his arms.
Yin energy surged instantly.
Like a dense, dark current.
The energy spread in waves.
Colliding with the poison mist.
For a brief moment—
the two opposing forces clashed…
Then—
they dispersed.
The mist shattered.
The air cleared.
Silence.
The dragon staggered.
But now…
it could breathe.
Swen froze.
"What are you doing?!"
Koharu's barrier trembled.
Her gaze locked onto Shinju.
Shinju slowly turned.
There was pain on his face.
But no hesitation in his eyes.
"It's innocent."
He took a short breath.
"It thinks we're the enemy."
His eyes shifted to the dragon.
"There's not even a trace of Void energy in it."
His voice lowered.
"In all these years…I've never seen something survive in this world…"
He paused.
"…without being touched by the Void."