Ilisef watched as the man responsible for taking care of her worshippers entered her territory, her cave. She despised this person who had ruined everything she built and killed her followers, yet still lived. She spread her massive wings out as intimidation.

She was annoyed. Her plague aura wasn’t even phasing this man as he stepped forward. Most would have already succumbed and died. To top it all off, he only resisted it with a single mana barrier.

“So you are the one who has taken care of my worshippers!?” Her voice boomed out and echoed along the cave walls. The pressure from her voice didn’t do much to shake the man wearing a cloth mask. Most people would be forced to kneel from my voice alone. “Insolent!”

“My my, is that any way to speak to your elders?”

The man’s words only increased the fury raging in Ilisef’s heart. “Elders!? ELDERS!? Do you have any idea who I am!? I am one of the five great elder dragons. You stand before Ilisef! You stand before the Queen of the Plague! No mere mortal has ever deigned to…” She paused, hearing a low whistling sound from the man’s sword.

“Sorry, I would love to listen to your speech but am also a bit angry. This endeavor has kept me from meeting my granddaughter, so forgive me for my impatience. I will keep this as brief as possible. You will surrender and come with me.”

Ilisef felt like her head was going to explode. Never had someone made such a mockery of her. I can’t bear this one second longer.

Without hesitation, Ilisef released a massive black flame from her maw, the Flames of the Plague. Anyone who had ever been touched by them would succumb to a gruesome death, kneeling before her as a corpse. As the fire washed over his entire body, she relaxed her wings. “No one makes a fool of me!”

She expected a wrinkled body as the flames dissipated, but the man was standing there just as before. Worse was that in front of him was just a normal mana barrier. What sort of trickery is this? He should be dead if not writhing on the ground. “What sort of spell did you use!? How do you still stand there!?”

“Oh, this? This is a mana barrier.”

Impossible! To Ilisef, it seemed that there was some other trick involved and that the man was simply lying. He is hiding something.

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“I can see you don’t believe me, but why don’t you look closer?”

Ilisef did as instructed, activating her mana sight, but she could barely comprehend what she saw.

Thousands of thin mana barriers were laid on top of each other. Ilisif observed as her plague aura ate through the outer layers, only for them to instantly repair themselves. No! No! This isn’t possible! There is only one being capable of this.

“Do you see now?”

I know who this is.

The man before her was End, one of the world’s oldest vampires, surviving even the ancient wars. He was ancient, but he was a madman. This bastard would give Ineer a run for his hoard in insanity.

Most people wouldn’t dare to push a mana barrier this far unless they were crazy. Specialization was often considered the way to make yourself the strongest, but if one focused too hard on one thing, they limited themselves. That is true for most people, but this man is not ordinary.

“Like I said, the best option would be to surrender. I don’t really feel like repeating myself too much. I hope you can understand.” Even if this man was End, there was no way Ilisef’s pride would allow her to surrender just like that. “I understand it well, the dragon’s pride.” The way he acted annoyed her even more.

What does he even know about me!?

She started to channel another breath when she felt something heavy press against her. The breath caught in her throat while the weight of the entire world crushed her.

Under this heavy pressure from End’s body, she finally felt something she hadn’t in years. It was a fear so primal in nature. It was a fear felt by all living creatures.

It was the natural fear of death. End’s sword whistled louder, and the air around it became warped. For the second time in her life since her mother, Ilisef felt unbelievably small. It was like she was a grain of sand before the entire world.

She shrunk back under the pressure, canceling her breath. Ilisef formed the most vital barrier she could and closed her eyes. I don’t want to die! Please! Please!

She waited for her death to come, breathing heavily. She waited and waited, until the pressure subsided.

When she finally opened her eyes, the pressure was gone, but the man was still unmoving.

“Do you get it now?” End asked.

Ilisef transformed into her human form. She felt a wetness sliding down her cheeks, starting from her eyes. I can’t believe it. Because of this person. I… I, Ilisef of the Plague, am actually crying.

She meekly nodded her head. “I…I…I..”

“Yes?”

Speaking to him had become difficult. Ilisef was still not over the premonition of death. It was like she was a child again. “I surrender.” She finally said as she presented her arms to him.

“Good; in the future, I would advise you to listen to the wisdom of your elders.” He said, clamping a bracelet down on her wrist. “This is an inhibiting bracelet. You won’t be able to use any of your plague magic while it is on,” End paused, considering something briefly. “Many will not agree with my judgment here. There are plenty who would want you dead, but I think there is a much better punishment for the likes of you. There will be much to learn.”

She simply nodded. To Ilisef, this was better than ever having to feel what she had been made to feel mere moments ago.