Westminster Bank

But this was to be expected. Previously, their robberies had mainly targeted those who were alone. Now, everyone had formed one large group, supporting each other. You could say their unity was their strength.

’Damn, why does it sound like Isabella and I are being painted as the final bosses?’

But giving the money back was out of the question.

Baron surveyed his surroundings, subconsciously starting to formulate his next move.

......

Hearing the crowd’s denunciation of Master Jack, Roy frowned. While he couldn’t stand the man, he had quite a soft spot for Isabella.

Just as he was wondering whether he should stick up for Isabella to curry some favor, he suddenly heard a loud BANG.

The ground cracked as Isabella vaulted into the air with her longspear. She landed beside Baron in front of the Dragon Gate and, right in front of everyone, slammed the stone gate shut.

Isabella shot a sideways glance at Jose, then turned to face the Dragon Guides outside the Dragon Gate, who were still trying to figure out what was happening. "As you wished," she said coolly. "The Dragon Gate is now closed. Who wants to come up and open it?"

Her gaze landed on the Bronze Dragon Guide who had been instigating the crowd. "You were the loudest. You go first."

.........

Ten minutes later.

As two Silver Dragon Guides were sent flying by the Barrier, the previous uproar from the crowd died down, replaced only by waves of increasingly ragged breaths.

The entire area fell silent.

Everyone was stunned, their faces aghast, jaws hanging open wide enough to fit a duck’s egg.

"Impossible..." All the Dragon Guides began to repeat that one word.

"This is..."

Jose Tune stared at the motionless Dragon Gate and the nearly hysterical Dragon Guides. Their Adam’s apples bobbed, but the words were caught in their throats. They couldn’t say a thing.

Freya’s Bronze Dragon Guide stepped forward again. "This doesn’t prove anything! The gate was already open before you closed it. Of course we can’t open it now!"

Hearing this, some of the Dragon Guides who had been on the verge of an existential crisis over their failure lifted their heads once more.

’That’s right! The gate was originally open, and he just shut it. Logically, the fact that we can’t open it isn’t our fault—it’s because he closed a gate that was already open!’

And so the Dragon Guides once again began to denounce Isabella... or rather, Master Jack, who stood beside her. This time, even the two Silver Dragon Guides joined the fray.

Isabella looked to Baron. Baron sneered and kicked the Dragon Gate wide open.

Silence. It was impossible to count how many times the crowd had been struck silent by now.

A THUD followed as the Bronze Dragon Guide dropped to his knees. "I was blind to your greatness! No wonder your mask is different from those other two... A Golden Dragon Guide! You’re a Golden Dragon Guide!"

The mention of a Golden Dragon Guide sent a chill down the spines of the other Dragon Guides. Jose Tune’s expressions turned sour, as if they were constipated. The two Silver Dragon Guides could only parrot, "Impossible!"

"The Poison Dragon Aura didn’t appear... The Poison Dragon Aura didn’t appear!"

’Poison Dragon Aura? Is that the momentary illusion you get when opening the gate?’

Baron didn’t dwell on it. He couldn’t care less about being a Gold-this or an "Illusion"-that. Sticking to the plan he’d made with Isabella, he announced:

"The toll is one Dragon Scale from a Sixth Generation Species or higher per person. For Dragon Guides, it’s five hundred British Pounds!"

"This is robbery!" someone still foolhardy enough to object shouted.

Before Baron could respond, Isabella donned her Silver Mask and flung her Red Spear. It landed right in front of the Trial Taker, plunging into the earth until only a portion of the shaft remained visible.

In the next instant, Isabella appeared atop the Red Spear. Balancing on the shaft, she looked down at the Trial Taker, who was stunned silent—whether by her beauty, her presence, or both.

"This *is* a robbery," she stated coolly. "If you don’t like it, fight me."