Chapter 8: The Dawn of a Legend

Ren walked one step behind Ada.

A massive sword was strapped to his back, a shield as heavy as it was useless hung at his side, and a backpack that looked like it had been packed by an overprotective mother clung awkwardly to his shoulders.

The two of them passed through the doors of the Adventurers’ Guild—and the jeers started immediately.

“Check it out! The paladin picked up a farmboy for a squire!” one of the regulars scoffed, followed by snorts of laughter and the clinking of mugs.

Neither Ada nor Ren reacted.

She stopped in front of the mission board, eyes cold and calculating. She was searching for something. And she found it.

“Adaaa-chiiiii~!”

A shrill, all-too-familiar voice launched itself from the back of the guild hall.
Ada turned with graceful precision and dodged the incoming figure without even looking.

Atilius Reindhart, the guildmaster, slammed face-first into the stone wall, sticking to it like a clumsy bug.

Ren forced a smile. Just part of the usual theater.

Ada reached for the mission poster with a firm hand:

Fire Dragon – SSS-Class. Confirmed threat in the Argent Mountains.
Reward: 10,000 gold coins, Adamantite SSS rank, and an honorary noble title.

She didn’t say a word.
She turned on her heel and walked out of the guild.
Ren followed, silent and composed. Like a loyal, obedient squire.

They walked for hours until they reached the closest path leading to the dragon’s cave.

“…Ugh, I’m exhausted. Couldn’t we have just used one of your portals?” Ada sighed, rolling her shoulders.

“We could’ve. But I needed people to see us leave on foot. And I had to make sure we weren’t being followed.”

“Mm… Makes sense,” she nodded. “You’re always one step ahead.”

“I don’t like leaving things to chance,” Ren replied calmly. “And I picked today for another reason—Yura Aseina’s out of town.”

“Hah. Knowing her, she’d definitely want front-row seats to this fight.”

“That girl, huh…? What’s your relationship with her, anyway?”

Ren paused, thoughtful.

“…Well, that’s a secret,” he said with a wink. “I’ll tell you after the mission.”

“Hmph. Fine…”

Was that… jealousy? he wondered, smiling to himself.

They kept walking.
And then—they saw it.

The dragon.

A towering, crimson beast.
Its breath scorched the air itself.
Its eyes blazed like living coals.
Each flap of its wings made the very rock beneath them tremble.

“…Damn. I didn’t think it’d be this huge.”

“Never seen an SSS-class dragon before, Ren?”

“Just wyverns. But this? This is ten times worse.”

“So… should we turn back?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can beat it.”

“Yeah, your vote of confidence is really inspiring…”

Ren slipped on his mask. His body changed. His aura grew heavy.

“Put on your veil. I’m going to share my power with you—but you’ll only have five minutes.”

“After that… our link breaks.”

“Five minutes?!”

“I can’t get involved. If I do, I blow my cover as a low-rank.”

“So the whole experience… is mine?”

His voice grew rougher as the Phantom transformation began to fade. The freezing aura around him evaporated like mist.

Ada slipped on her mask. And Prima stepped into the light.

“This power… it’s even more incredible than I imagined,” she whispered, feeling the surge of energy coursing through her.

She gripped her sword.

Dark Legion hummed the moment her fingers touched the hilt.

“Dragon Slayer.”

The blade pulsed with a deep crimson glow. That energy rushed through Prima like sacred fire—enhancing her speed, endurance, and raw strength.

The red dragon roared—not in fury, but in something far more primal.
Fear.

With every step the paladin took toward it, the colossal beast backed away.
This monster—who had devoured entire armies—was hesitating.
Its instincts screamed at it to flee.
But there was no escape.

“…An incredible survival instinct,” Phantom murmured from the shadows.

The dragon hurled fireballs, one after another.

Prima didn’t flinch.

She deflected them with a simple flick of her wrist—like swatting away autumn leaves in the wind.

With a single leap, she spun her sword midair.
And tore off one of its arms.
The beast howled in agony.

If it had made its nest on an open mountain, it might’ve escaped by flying.

But it had chosen a cave.
It had dug its own grave.

“So this is what it feels like… to be a hero,” Prima whispered.

“Prima,” Phantom called out. “You’re not here to prove anything. You’ve got two minutes left. Finish it.”

“…Right. Sorry, sensei.”

She grabbed the sword with both hands and pulled it behind her. Taking a stance made for executing the sun itself.

“Rising Sun… Final Slash!”

Her blade shone like the morning star.

And as she swung it forward, a golden arc of light burst from the tip.
A scythe of pure radiance.

It sliced through air. Through flame. Through flesh. Through the mountain itself.

The dragon was cleaved in two.

The entire cavern quaked.

A rift opened in the ceiling.
A perfect, jagged line that let the sky pour through.

And at that exact momento. The sunlight broke in.

The mountain trembled.

Nearby, deep in the woods, a party of adventurers on a routine mission watched in disbelief.

When the dust finally settled… they saw her.

A blonde woman in paladin armor, floating midair with her sword raised high.

“…Wasn’t that the Crimson Dragon’s cave…?”

“I heard a team of ten adventurers—ranks A and S—tried to take it down last week. Barely made it out alive.”

“Who is she?”

“No idea. But if she could kill that thing… she’s gotta be a living legend.”

Back inside the cave, Ada descended with quiet grace.

Her armor still radiated heat.
Her sword still shimmered faintly.

Ren, now fully back in his Phantom form, stepped toward her and gave a small nod of approval.

“Good work, Ada.”

“With that little show,” she replied, “we made sure someone saw you without the mask.”

“Your legend has officially begun.”

He turned toward the dragon’s corpse and began collecting the loot with practiced precision.

—A set of lightweight draconic armor.
—A sword forged from enchanted scales.
—A handful of gold coins...

But most importantly.

A darkness orb of energy.

The dragon’s core.

Undeniable proof of their feat.

“With this,” Ren said, holding up the orb with a calm smile, “we can claim the reward… without raising suspicion.”

Ada stared at the dragon’s split corpse, still in disbelief.

“…Never in my life did I think I’d be capable of something like this.”

Ren approached, casually stashing the loot into his backpack.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. This is nothing compared to what’s coming.”

He stopped in front of her.

“But from today on… your story as a Hero begins.”

Ada nodded, firm, resolute.

And together, they began their descent.

Back to the guild.
Back to recognition.
Back to the beginning of a legend.