Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 149: Reunion at Swordpoint

Chapter 149: Reunion at Swordpoint

A violent gust of wind swept across the city.

Gaia and the young boy instinctively raised their arms, shielding their faces as the force threatened to throw them back.

Dust and loose leaves spiraled upward, windows rattled, and the trees bent under the sudden pressure.

Then... nothing.

Stillness, a deep silence, and a suffocating pause.

Both Gaia and the boy turned slowly, their eyes wide.

It’s here.

They thought it simultaneously.

Across the city, Airi skidded to a stop, eyes narrowing.

Astros did the same just behind her. They looked at one another, then toward a new direction. Something had breached the city perimeter.

"It’s in the city," Astros said.

Airi grit her teeth.

"For fucking sake..."

They both sprinted again.

Soon they arrived at a wide boulevard where panic had begun to spread. Civilians clustered near a shop, murmuring anxiously.

A lone city guard stood at the entrance, arms outstretched, yelling at someone standing in front of the shop.

"Don’t move! You’re cornered! If you try anything, you’re down!"

Airi and Astros were the first to step forward, breaking through the small crowd that had gathered.

After them, Gaia and the boy followed swiftly.

All four of them froze at the sight.

There, standing in the middle of the street, was a lone figure. Back turned, posture relaxed, yet the source of this disturbing pressure.

Airi frowned, her instincts on high alert.

"...Is that... a demon?"

The figure didn’t move.

Then, more footsteps echoed through the tension. Aurus, Sylphera, and Crest arrived at the scene.

Crest looked around, confused.

"What’s going on here—?"

His voice trailed off as his gaze locked onto the figure.

His breath caught. His voice trembled. Among everyone here, he alone could easily identify her.

"S...Sienna?"

The figure lifted her chin slightly at the sound of the name.

Then, slowly, she turned.

The draconic features were there, scales, faint horns, golden slitted pupils. Yet despite it all, there was familiarity in her smile.

She grinned, sharp teeth glinting.

"Now that’s the face I wanted to see."

With playful confidence, she tilted her head, eyes closing with a wide, beaming smile. She raised her hand and offered a casual salute.

Some guards nearby instinctively reached for their weapons, she looked like a definition of a demon.

But others paused, this face, this smile. These were things unmistakable.

Crest murmured again in disbelief.

"Sienna..."

He took an uncertain step forward, hand half-raised toward her.

Airi’s frown deepened.

"Is that... really the same girl...?"

Then, from the side, Aurus stepped forward. His eyes locked on hers. His expression unreadable.

Aurus walked slowly to the front of the group, his eyes locked on the girl with dragon-like features. His voice was calm, but serious.

"You’re called Sienna?... if that’s really who you were. But who are you now? Why are you here? And what happened to your team?"

Novaria, or perhaps Sienna, smiled gently. She didn’t answer right away.

She tilted her head slightly and said.

"This might be a problem."

Aurus’s eyes darkened. Her vague answer clearly bothered him.

"That was a foolish question," he said quietly.

Suddenly, a heavy pressure filled the air. It was slow at first, but it quickly became strong and hard to breathe under.

Everyone felt it.

Crest stumbled a little, then took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Sir Aurus, stop! Please!"

He rushed in front of Novaria, standing between her and Aurus.

"Don’t do this!" he said loudly. "She’s my friend! I don’t know what changed, but I know she’s still her! Please, don’t hurt her!"

People around them whispered and stared. Some were confused, others afraid. A few guards looked ready to act.

Airi’s eyes widened at Crest’s outburst. She glanced at him sharply, surprised by his emotion.

Crest’s voice broke as he kept pleading.

"Please, sir... Everyone... Just give her a chance... She’s my last friend here..."

Aurus looked calmly at Crest.

"Young man. There’s no point in hoping anymore. Look at her. She’s already a demon."

Crest shook his head hard.

"No! Please... Sienna, say something! Tell them you’re still you! That this is just some kind of power, not... not that!"

Novaria scratched her cheek, her smile calm, almost amused.

Silence followed.

Then she spoke quietly.

"Isn’t that the same thing?"

Crest’s chest tightened. He looked at her, eyes full of disbelief. But her expression didn’t change.

She smiled, not with warmth, but with something distant. She wasn’t reaching back.

The crowd around them gasped. Some stepped back. Whispers turned into panic. A few guards raised their weapons.

Now it was sure.

Airi stared at Crest, her eyes narrowing. Her hands gripped her weapon tighter.

Astros stayed still.

Aurus spoke again, his voice lower now.

"Maybe this is this Elysia’s doing. A cruel way to break you. But either way... your friend is gone."

He stepped forward.

"And the only way to stop this curse... is to end her life."

Crest collapsed to his knees, his voice cracking.

"Please, don’t... She’s the last one I have. Elysia’s gone. Dusteria’s dying. Don’t take her too. Please... I can’t take it anymore..."

Aurus stopped. He looked at Crest with something heavy in his eyes. But his voice stayed steady.

"This is what makes demonization so cruel. It doesn’t just change the body. It takes the people we love and twists them into strangers. Their smile is still there, but it doesn’t reach us. Their voice sounds the same, but it speaks nothing we remember."

He looked at Novaria.

"The worst thing a demon can do... is wear the face of someone you once loved."

He exhaled, then said quietly.

"And sometimes... the only way to honor the person they were, is to stop what they’ve become."

Aurus’s pressure rose again. The air grew heavier, more suffocating. Crest’s body shook as tears fell freely down his face.

Aurus took another step toward Novaria.

"I can see it clearly. She’s weaker than any of the demons that attacked the city. It won’t take much to kill her."

Novaria met his eyes calmly, almost teasing.

He raised his hand slowly, forming the shape of a sword with his fingers. The tension became unbearable.

Crest screamed.

"No! Please!" and rushed forward—

"Stop it. Now."

Sylphera’s voice rang out, calm and cold. Her hand gently gripped Aurus’s raised arm.

Everyone froze. No one had seen her move.

Aurus turned to her, his eyes narrowing.

"Sylphera, stand aside."

Sylphera shook her head slightly.

"You’re being reckless. You might kill her, yes, but do you know what happens if you try?"

Aurus frowned.

"She’s not a threat. I could end this monster in one blow."

Sylphera turned her head toward Sienna.

"Then what about the bigger monster inside the building."

Aurus flinched.

His gaze shifted slowly toward the structure behind Novaria. It had looked quiet. Normal. But suddenly...

"... What?"

Suddenly, he could feel something.

A strange pressure crept across his skin.

Novaria’s face lit up. She stepped aside casually. "Ah. There he is."

Aurus stayed frozen. He could feel it now. Not only the thing, but something bigger spreading.

A new pressure.

The pressure swept through the street, washing over everyone like a slow wave.

The Sacred with the wand gasped, and froze. Gaia clenched her jaw, eyes wide.

Then another, and another, one by one, the Sacred warriors were immobilized.

Novaria smiled gently.

"Apologies for the silence. My lord wanted to be presentable, so he made a stop here. But now... he’s ready."