(Fiona's POV)
"Yuuta!"
The na escaped before I could think, too loud for the stillness I felt beyond the doorway.
Sara had sent here. She hadn't explained everything, but I could see the worry in her eyes. The city was in chaos—demon contractors slaughtered, blood in the streets. Sara's suspicion had been obvious. She thought Erza might be involved.
But the mont the door to the bedroom creaked open, I knew she was wrong.
Horribly wrong.
The air inside was heavy. Not just dark, but thick—like sothing alive had rooted itself in the walls and ceiling, swallowing every bit of light. I could see my own breath despite the morning warmth outside.
Silence filled the room. Not the peaceful quiet of sleep, but the kind that presses against your skull, muffling every sound until you feel like you're underwater.
I stepped forward on instinct.
Imdiately, my aura sense stirred.
It wasn't a calm presence that t .
It was a storm.
A deep, violet haze clung to the room like a living thing—curling, slithering, pulsing as though it could hear my heartbeat. It moved without moving, and with every breath I took, I could feel it brushing against my skin.
And then… I saw her.
Erza sat at the far end of the bed, her back against the wall. Yuuta rested in her arms, head tucked against her shoulder, his breathing soft and even. Elena was curled in her lap, tiny fingers clenched gently into her mother's clothes.
They looked untouched. Safe.
But Erza…
Erza didn't just hold them—she anchored them to herself, her arms wound so tightly it was as if she feared they would be torn away the mont she loosened her grip. Her stillness wasn't calm. It was the stillness of a predator—one that had already chosen its kill.
I hesitated, my throat dry.
This wasn't the Erza I knew. Not the aloof, sharp-eyed warrior who always seed untouchable. This was different.
This was a mother who had tasted fear.
And fear had turned to sothing far, far more dangerous.
I forced a whisper. "…Erza?"
Her head lifted.
And my breath caught in my chest.
Her pupils were gone.
What stared back at was pure violet—glowing, unnatural, almost painful to look at. This wasn't a trick of the light. It was real.
And in that mont, the bedroom was gone.
I wasn't standing in a house anymore. I was standing in her grief, her rage, her unyielding will to protect what she held in her arms.
The weight of her gaze pinned where I stood. My knees weakened, my heart hamred against my ribs. Every instinct scread at to move, but my body didn't dare.
One step closer to Yuuta, and I knew—without question—she would end .
I tried to speak again. Nothing ca. My throat locked. The air felt too thick to breathe.
Then—
A hand closed around my wrist. Firm. Steady.
Grandpa.
Without a single word, he pulled back. My steps were clumsy, my eyes still locked on Erza until the doorway broke the connection.
The mont we left the room, the crushing pressure vanished. My knees gave way, and I fell to the floor, gasping for breath, my whole body trembling.
"…Thank you," I managed to whisper.
Grandpa didn't answer. His gaze stayed fixed on the closed door, his expression unreadable—but the lines around his eyes spoke of sothing heavy.
Finally, he said, voice low:
" She's emiting Killing aura now."
His eyes narrowed.
"That's the aura of soone who's already lost everything once… and will burn the world to make sure it doesn't happen again, Your lucky Human."
"Killing aura… why?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it, my voice barely more than a whisper. My pulse was still erratic from what I'd felt in that room, the echo of her presence lingering in my chest like a bruise.
I turned to Grandpa, searching his face. "Why is Erza in… defensive mode? That wasn't rage for the sake of killing." My throat tightened at the mory of her arms around them, unyielding. "That was… a mother, wasn't it?"
Grandpa didn't answer right away. He just studied , his eyes thoughtful, the wrinkles around them deepening as though he was deciding how much I needed to know. Then, finally, he gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"It's a well-known fact," I went on, trying to make sense of it out loud, "that when a beast's family is threatened, even the gentlest creature can turn violent. Like a mother cat curling over her kittens, ready to claw anything that gets too close. And now… I just saw Erza like that."
The image wouldn't leave —the way her body shielded Yuuta and Elena, the way her aura hissed at my presence without a word spoken.
Sothing had happened. Sothing serious enough to strip her of her usual composure and leave only that raw, protective instinct.
"Grandpa," I pressed, my voice lower now, "tell … what happened?"
He exhaled slowly, as though even breathing was weighed down by the thoughts in his mind. "I don't know the full details," he admitted at last. "All I know is that Erza brought Yuuta back in a… broken condition. He was bleeding heavily when they arrived."
My head snapped toward him. "Bleeding?"
"Yes," Grandpa said evenly, though his eyes were somber. "But he's safe now. Because of her. She didn't leave his side for a mont." He paused, his gaze drifting toward the closed bedroom door. "Since then… she's entered what we call dragon grief."
The term was unfamiliar, alien on my tongue. "Dragon grief?"
He turned his gaze back to , his voice low. "It's difficult to explain to humans. Think of it like this—when a human loves soone so deeply that losing them shatters them completely, the grief consus everything. But for dragons…" He trailed off for a mont, eyes narrowing slightly. "For dragons, it's far more dangerous. In that state, they will do anything to protect the one they love. Anything."
A chill ran through , even though the morning light still stread through the window.
I swallowed, the taste in my mouth turning tallic. "I… see."
The air in the room seed to shrink, as if the walls were quietly leaning in to listen. My chest felt tight, my thoughts restless. I needed to get to Chief Sara—she had to know the truth, that Erza wasn't the one behind the massacres.
And yet… one question refused to leave alone.
I turned to Grandpa, my voice quieter now, careful. "Grandpa… just hypothetically… what if sothing actually happened to Yuuta?"
The change in him was imdiate. The gentleness in his posture disappeared, replaced by sothing cold and dangerous. His gaze sharpened, the kind of look that made you instinctively want to step back.
"If a dragon's spouse dies in front of them," he said, each word deliberate, "they either destroy the enemy who caused it…" He paused, his voice lowering into sothing almost primal. "…or—if they believe it was their own failure—they end themselves so that they can be free from their grief."
I stared at him, trying to process the weight of what he'd just said. "End themselves.? That's—" I let out a nervous laugh, thin and brittle. "—that's ridiculous."
But the laugh died as quickly as it began. He didn't so much as twitch in response.
"That's what dragons loves are, human girl," he said, his tone like iron. "That's what they're born to be."
A shiver ran down my spine.
Then.
Slient, I was lost in my own thoughts, that when It's hit.
"Wait a second…" I narrowed my eyes at Grandpa, my voice dropping into a low, accusing tone. "If you knew she was in a dragon grief state… why didn't you stop from walking in there?"
Grandpa shifted his weight, rubbing the back of his neck like a child trying to hide a stolen sweet. "Well… I just wanted to see if she was still in grief or not."
I blinked at him. "You—" My voice cracked in disbelief. "You nearly got killed, you old man!"
He waved a hand in the air, as if brushing away a stray leaf. "Relax, human. She wouldn't kill you. Not yet. She won't leave Yuuta's side right now, so technically… you were safe."
Technically.
Right. And lava was technically just spicy water.
I bit down on the urge to strangle him and instead forced my thoughts back to what mattered. "Fine… forget that. How do we treat his wound?"
"Wound?" Grandpa's brows rose as though I'd just told him the sky was green.
"Yes, wound!" I snapped. "You said he was bleeding heavily. If we don't treat him—"
Grandpa's lips curved into a knowing little smile, the kind that said I know sothing you don't. "We dragons," he began slowly, "have a certain… ability to heal ourselves."
I crossed my arms. "And that would be?"
"Our saliva," he said, the words carrying the weight of so ancient truth. "It has divine healing properties."
"Ohhh, that explains—" I froze mid-thought. My brain caught up with my mouth. "…Wait. Yuuta's human Right.?"
Grandpa coughed, his gaze conveniently wandering to a corner of the room. "Well… yes."
I stared at him. "…Then you're telling —"
"Yes," he cut in quickly, like ripping a bandage off before I could finish. "She has to kiss him. Deeply. Until every wound is healed."
I almost choked. "You an like… a French deep kiss.? Like lips to lips, tongue to tongue.!"
His face actually flushed. "I don't know what French type is, but… yes. It's a deep kiss."
I threw my hands up. "She's totally milking this 'I'm a dragon' excuse! I will not allow this."
Grandpa simply humd, walking toward the bedroom door with an infuriating calm. He pushed it open with deliberate slowness. "Well… if you think it's inappropriate, you can stop her yourself."
I leaned forward to peek past him—
—and my blood ran cold.
Erza's head turned toward us, her lips still dangerously close to Yuuta's. Her Volient eyes locked onto mine, and in that mont, the air turned heavy—dense with a killing aura so sharp it felt like cold steel brushing against my neck.
Every survival instinct I had roared to life.
"…On second thought," I said, stepping back without sha, "Yuuta's recovery is the top priority here."
I let out a nervous laugh, because right now… interfering with Erza was out of the question. She was already at humanity-level threat. ssing with her now would be the sa as placing all of humanity in the palm of her hand—and then daring her to crush it.
Damn it…
I bit back the words, forcing the heat in my chest to settle.
This was an unfair advantage if I'd ever seen one—Erza wrapped around Yuuta like a fortress, healing him in ways only a dragon could. But fine, Yuuta.
Whoever did this to you… I'll make them pay. Not just once. A hundredfold.
Grandpa's deep voice cut into my thoughts like a bell ringing in a quiet room.
"Human child," he said, his tone carrying more weight than usual, "I want to ask you sothing."
I straightened instinctively. "Yes, Grandpa?"
He studied for a long mont, as if weighing my very soul.
"Do you know anything about the recent… massive killings?" His words were slow, deliberate. "Is this the work of your organization?"
The question hit harder than I expected. "No," I said firmly, shaking my head. "Truth is, we don't know either. Our chief sent here because…" I hesitated, then continued, "she suspected it might be Erza who went on a rampage."
Grandpa's brows furrowed, shadows gathering in his expression. "So… soone else is fighting on Yuuta's behalf," he murmured, "hunting demon contractors… causing all this destruction?"
The possibility slamd into like a cold wave. "Wait—Yuuta got hurt because of… a demon contractor?"
"Yes." His voice was steady, but the gravity in it pulled at . "I learned that while searching Faluni's mories."
I clenched my fists so tight my nails bit into my palms. "I see… That explains a lot." My breath ca out in a sharp exhale, but my mind was already running ahead, fitting the pieces together in a way I didn't like.
Still, there was no ti to dwell. "But for now," I said, forcing my tone to steady, "we have bigger problems to deal with."
I bowed quickly, the urgency in my movents impossible to hide. "I have to go, Grandpa. If anything happens here, tell us imdiately."
Without waiting for his reply, I turned and strode out, my boots striking the floor harder than I intended.
Because right now… the city was chaos itself it's not like City facing any destruction,but if Civilians know about Demon existence. then it will be diffcuilt to hide. We have to hide alot's of things,
The prestigious academy incident . Demon contractors were being hunted down. Civilians had seen Erza flying over the city. And the rumors… they were spreading faster than wildfire.
We had a crisis on our hands, and I couldn't waste another second here. I needed to report everything to the chief—before the situation spiraled completely out of control.
Because soone else was moving in the shadows. Soone dangerous. Soone who wasn't done yet.
If we didn't put a stop to this now, our secret would be out in no ti—throwing civilians straight into Chaos mode.
____
(Allen's POV)
The estate lood before like a monunt to human vanity—polished stone walls, silver-gilded gates, and enough guards to make a small army jealous. They were all dead now, their bodies scattered across the courtyard like discarded chess pieces.
Only one man remained.
He stood on the balcony, draped in silk that caught the sunlight, smiling down at with a politeness so thin it might snap with a breath.
"How may I help you?" he asked, voice smooth, almost bored.
I chuckled, taking a leisurely step forward. "I'm here to et soone."
The smile didn't change, but his eyes did—they hardened, sharpening like glass under pressure. "If you wanted a eting, you could have booked an appointnt. Instead… you slaughtered all of my n without rcy. How devilish of you."
I grinned wider, tasting the edge in his words. "My master told to kill anyone who owed a favor. So I had to. You understand, don't you… Rio?"
His na landed between us like a thrown dagger.
His gaze narrowed. "Oh, so you know . Allen… or should I say, King of Pride, Allen Manstar."
The sound of that title pulled a laugh from deep in my chest. "Subarashi… subarashi. So you really were hiding here after all."
"Hiding doesn't make guilty," Rio replied, his tone calm, but his posture was tight as a coiled spring. "We were both forced into hiding because of human greed. You know that as well as I do."
I inclined my head slightly. "Certainly. We were enemies of the empires once… but we're not enemies now, are we?"
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "You could say that—though you did kill my n."
I stepped closer, letting the distance between us shrink until the air felt heavier. "Do you want to be free?"
His eyes flickered—not with fear, but with interest. "Is that your excuse for murdering my subordinates?"
I leaned in just enough for my voice to drop. "I've found an eternal master. One who carries the blessing of Silent Death."
That made him pause. His brows drew up in surprise. "Silent Death? Are you sure you're not lying?"
"Of course not. The proof is right in front of you. I've seen it with my own eyes—and I can guarantee it's real."
He studied for a long, quiet mont, the world between us narrowing to the sound of our breaths. "…So what do you want to do?"
"It's simple," I said. "Kill your contractor. In fifty years, I'll free you from your contract."
He burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the estate's stone walls. "Do you realize what you're asking? You want to return to the shackles of the demon gate… and wait for you?"
"Yes."
His laughter faded into sothing darker, more amused. "I've never seen you fight for a human master before… that ans you're planning to make him great, aren't you?"
"You could say that."
"Then…" His grin widened into sothing feral. "Let's et again as free demons. I trust you."
Before I could reply, his body shimred and blurred—then the man known as Rio was gone. In his place stood a lifeless human, neck twisted at an unnatural angle, the echo of the kill hanging in the air like a whisper.
I glanced at the corpse, then at the sky above, its pale blue stretching endlessly.
"I'll save everyone from the hands of Geta," I murmured.
Turning on my heel, I let the wind carry my next words away. "Now… I have to move to the USA."
To be continue....
Note:
By the way, in case you're wondering why Elena was asleep—don't worry. She's perfectly fine. She just feels most comfortable when Erza and Papa are nearby, so she dozed off peacefully.
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