GOT King of Dragon

With the abilities of **[Blood and Fire Shared Origins]** and **[True Dragon's Blood]**, he was unafraid of the searing heat caused by the burning oil. 

Instead, the flames effectively forced the shadows to retreat. 

Shadows, after all, are merely shadows. When confronted with fire, they twist and dissipate, incapable of harming Rhaegar in the slightest. 

**"Screeech…"** 

In the blink of an eye, the Glutton sensed its rider's unease. Looking back, it spotted a headless shadow climbing onto its body, causing it to erupt in a furious roar. 

It flung the half-dragon shadow, already nearly incinerated, aside and opened its dragon-like maw, spewing a massive blast of dragon flames. 

With a powerful beat of its wings, the Glutton surged forward, flying straight through the green flames. 

Faced with the dragon fire, Rhaegar quickly removed the crimson lacquered mask, covering his face with one hand and ducking down. 

The dragon fire swept past, igniting his clothes and scorching his skin. 

In the dazzling green blaze, all shadows were utterly annihilated. 

Breaking free from the reach of the dragon fire, Rhaegar immediately got up, scanning his surroundings cautiously. 

Once he confirmed the headless shadow had disappeared, he sighed with slight regret. 

From his bracelet, he retrieved a loose set of clothes and quickly put them on. 

**"Screeech…"** 

The Glutton let out another sound, reminding him to steady himself as it dove downward. 

The remnants of the half-dragon shadow scattered to the ground. 

Meanwhile, distorted creatures and shadowy figures continued to assault the living—this battle was far from over. 

Rhaegar once again donned the crimson lacquered mask and fell deep into thought. 

**"The mask is a token. But what does it mean to return it?"** 

His mind drifted back to the headless shadow. 

Unlike the other shadowy creatures, this one had a clear sense of purpose, almost as if it possessed intelligence. 

Last time, it had attacked him, piercing the Glutton's tail. 

This time, it had crafted a half-dragon from shadows, attempting to assassinate him amidst the chaos. 

Rhaegar had every reason to suspect that the headless shadow was, in fact, the true shadow of the Shadowbinder. 

**"A shadow without a head… a mask…"** 

As his thoughts churned, inspiration struck. 

**"Glutton! Take me to those prisoners!"** 

Rhaegar shouted the command, speculating on a way to break the curse. 

With the half-dragon shadow torn to pieces, the Glutton Rhaegarined its composure and soared obediently through the air. 

It sprayed dragon fire at the shadowy figures on the ground while heading toward the center of the clearing where the prisoners were held. 

---

On the other side of the clearing… 

The headless shadow reappeared, standing atop a distorted creature. 

It directed the abomination to pursue the fleeing savages, harvesting their lives to replenish its lost shadows. 

**Swoosh!** 

A flaming arrow shot through the headless shadow's chest. 

It touched the hole in its chest, then turned toward the direction from which the arrow had come. 

There, a brown-haired girl with curls was pulling back her bow, readying a second shot. 

The headless shadow's body writhed for a moment before it transformed into a mass of shadows, merging with the distorted creature beneath it, and advanced toward her. 

**"Run! The dragon is coming!"** 

Blue Sapphire, unsure of her target, hesitated, only to be shoved aside by a burly savage as he forced his way into the crowd. 

The green dragon fire followed closely behind, engulfing the distorted creature. 

As the final fragment of the shadow creature, the abomination crackled as it burned, losing all resistance. 

The great battle was drawing to a close. 

The army of savages, alongside soldiers from the Brunn and Kleiber families, worked together to repel the shadowy waves. Their burning, oil-coated weapons proved highly effective, significantly reducing casualties. 

Seeing familiar faces, Rhaegar landed the Glutton and shouted to Sapphire, **"Did you see the Shadowbinder's head?"** 

He had found the corpses of the prisoners. 

But the Shadowbinder's head was nowhere to be seen. 

He could only ask around. 

Sapphire struggled to move through the dense crowd and couldn't hear him clearly. 

Instead, another voice answered. 

**"I have it! I have the head!"** 

Rhaegar turned to see a disheveled Babart running frantically, clutching the head with a face full of despair. 

Behind him, his two guards were nowhere to be seen. 

The tall and obese Sam wielded a longsword, cutting down shadowy figures as he pushed closer to the dragon. 

Seeing the object in Babart's hands, Rhaegar's eyes lit up. He hurriedly shouted, **"Smash it! Destroy the head!"** 

**"Yes, Your Highness!"** 

Babart, thinking he had misheard, hesitated for a moment. But the head in his hands squirmed violently, and he had long wanted to throw it away. 

Upon hearing Rhaegar's order, he immediately hurled the head into a nearby bonfire. 

**Sizzle…** 

As soon as the head touched the flames, it emitted black smoke. Its sealed mouth attempted to scream but could not make a sound. 

In no time, its flesh was burned away, and under the trampling of the crowd, it was reduced to bone fragments. 

**Buzz—** 

The scene fell silent. 

Everyone froze in place as if petrified, allowing the living to slash at them. They turned into shadows and retreated back into the ground. 

Near the bone fragments, a headless figure emerged. 

In Rhaegar's sight, its empty neck wriggled for a moment before slowly growing a head. 

The face was identical to the one that belonged to the Shadowbinder's head. 

But that face bore no emotion—utterly numb. 

Its mouth opened as if it wanted to say something, but how could a shadow speak? 

The change happened quickly. The headless figure seemed accustomed to having its head restored, and the shadows in the area began to move again. 

Even the shadows on the ground started surging, ready to reappear. 

"Azure! Shoot it!" 

Just as everyone thought the battle was about to resume, Rhaegar's command rang out. 

*Whoosh!* 

An arrow shot forth, its tip carrying a red lacquer mask, flying straight at the Shadowbinder's shadow. 

*Thunk!* 

The arrow struck the Shadowbinder's forehead, and the red lacquer mask covered its shadowy face. 

In an instant. 

The red lacquer mask seemed to erupt with endless suction, consuming the shadow behind it entirely. 

As the Shadowbinder's shadow vanished, the figures on the clearing dissolved as well, turning into wisps of black smoke that dispersed with the wind. 

Even the severed limbs and remains of the monstrous creatures and shadow half-dragons could not remain. They twitched briefly before crumbling like desiccated husks, disintegrating into dust. 

In the blink of an eye, the enemies were gone, leaving everyone present in shock. 

Still immersed in the chaos of battle, someone muttered, "Did we succeed?" 

Watching the shadowy monsters disappear completely, Rhaegar's eyes remained vigilant, scanning for any remaining threats. 

"Grrrr…" 

The Gluttonous One let out a low growl, lazily shifting its feet and stretching its wings with a flap. 

Its actions conveyed to its rider that the danger was over. 

The barbarian army and soldiers, still holding their weapons in battle stances, turned their gazes toward the young prince on the dragon's back. 

They were unsure if the curse had truly been lifted. 

But as long as the dragon and the prince remained, they still had the courage to fight. 

Understanding the Gluttonous One's intentions, Rhaegar felt a lingering sense of disbelief. 

"I didn't expect the shadow monsters to be so easy to deal with!" 

He muttered to himself, feeling the burning gazes from all around him and realizing it was time to take action. 

After a brief moment of thought, he stood upright on the dragon's back, raised one arm high, and looked down at the expectant faces of those who remained. 

They were a mix of crude barbarians, armored soldiers, and nobles like Sam and Barbat. 

"Grrrr…" 

The Gluttonous One shifted its body, raising its spine high, lifting Rhaegar's figure even higher. 

Standing atop the scorched battlefield, bathed in moonlight, Rhaegar took a deep breath and spoke with a voice full of resolve: 

"Everyone! Your efforts have paid off. Now, I declare—" 

"Under the dragon's flame, the curse is no more!" 

The young voice echoed across the empty battlefield. Though slightly hoarse, it fell upon the ears of the survivors like a divine proclamation. 

"Yes! We won!" 

"Damn that curse! You couldn't kill me, but I killed you!" 

"Long live the dragon! Long live the prince!" 

The joy of victory washed over every survivor as they erupted into cheers and shouts, waving their weapons to release their pent-up tension. 

Rhaegar scanned the crowd, an inexplicable surge of emotion welling up within him, and a smile spread across his face. 

Without relying on his family, he had defeated the terrible curse with just himself and his dragon. 

This was his adventure. 

The first adventure that belonged solely to him and the Gluttonous One. 

"My friend, we're amazing!" 

Looking at the mountain-like Gluttonous One, Rhaegar gave the highest praise. 

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(End of chapter)