I stood in line, absently staring at the nu above the counter.
My mind was already on the burger I was about to eat. Maybe I'd get an extra for Elena she loved anything with cheese and Erza, well... she never admitted to liking junk food, but I'd caught her finishing half of mine before.
But then—
A shift in the air.
Whispers. Murmurs. Nervous eyes flicking toward the front of the restaurant.
I looked up.
Three n stood near one of the corner tables thick-necked, broad-shouldered, the kind of guys who looked like they lifted weights for fun and broke bones for sport.
And right between them...
Erza.
She wasn't looking at them. Her eyes were fixed off to the side, unfocused, and she was holding her own arm tightly—like she was fighting sothing inside herself.
Her jaw was locked. Her breathing, controlled. Every muscle in her body was coiled like a spring barely held in place.
And suddenly I knew.
She was doing it for .
Because I told her earlier—"Don't cause trouble. Let's keep things low today."
Don't cause trouble, echo through my mind.
She listened.
"Oh shit—no, no, no
This was my fault!"
"God. God damn it!" I staggered back, hands trembling.
"No... no, no, no... I didn't an—"
My chest tightened. Breathing hurt.
"What have I done?"
My hands went numb as I realized what I'd done. I let this happen. I told a dragon to keep her wings folded, and now she was cornered by jackals.
I dropped my tray. It clattered to the floor, the burger tumbling and rolling away, forgotten.
And I ran.
I didn't have a plan. I just knew I had to get between them and her. I slid between the thugs like I was trying to break up a bar fight-not like I was about to throw myself into a war.
"S-Sorry, sirs!" I said quickly, holding my hands up. "If my wife said or did sothing to upset you, I sincerely apologize__"
The leader, a guy with a buzz cut and a red tattoo curling up his neck, stared at like I was an ant interrupting a lion's al.
He barked a laugh. The other two joined in.
"Did you hear him?" the leader said, jabbing a thumb at . "Her husband Called sir. The little mutt's polite."
I forced a smile, trying not to let my knees shake. These guys looked like they could snap in half.
Then--
"Papa..."
Elena's voice.
I turned.
She stood a few steps behind us, clutching her little panda backpack. Her eyes were wide and glossy, like she was trying not to cry.
"They said bad things about Mama," she whispered. "they said Mama is..is. Bb-Bitch?"
What?
Wait what they just said ?
That was it.
Sothing inside cracked. Broke wide open.
The fear drained from my chest like water pouring from a shattered vase.
And in its place—rage.
It didn't matter how strong they looked. It didn't matter if I couldn't win. My rage was on top.
They disrespected my wife.
They made my daughter cry.
No. This wasn't a fight anymore.
It was All out War.
I turned without a word and lunged forward, grabbing the leader by the hair.
Before he could react, I slamd his head into the pillar near Erza's table. The crack echoed across the restaurant, silencing every voice in the room.
The man dropped. Out cold. Blood trickled down his forehead.
Everyone froze.
The second thug, taller than the rest with arms like logs, blinked in disbelief. "You little shit! You hit our boss?!"
He ca at .
Fast. Clumsy.
I stepped aside, grabbed a chair by the backrest, and drove it into his spine.
He dropped to his knees with a guttural grunt. I raised the chair again and brought it down across his head.
The wood splintered.
He slumped to the floor, groaning, barely conscious.
The third one hesitated, just for a second, but that was enough. I turned, stepped forward, and punched him square in the jaw. I felt the crack in my knuckles as he spun and hit the floor.
My chest was heaving.
But I wasn't done.
I turned back to the leader, he was twitching now, half-conscious, moaning.
I grabbed his head.
Slamd it into the floor once hard enough. Again, slam.
Again_slam.
Again
Slam.
Slam.
Blood.
Blood pooled out around him.
"How dare you talk about my wife like that?" I growled through clenched teeth. "How dare you?!"
"How the hell can you say that?!" I roared, my voice shaking with fury.
"She's my wife! Mine! And I'm still alive, damn it! You think you can say that while I breathe?!"
How?
My rage was out of control
My hands were slick with blood. I looked up—and every person in the restaurant was staring.
So horrified.
So awed.
Then—
A hand on my shoulder.
Warm. Firm.
"Yuuta," Erza said quietly.
I turned. Her eyes were steady. Calm. There was a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips.
"You did great," she whispered.
And just like that, the storm inside stilled.
From the side, Elena clapped her hands. "Told you my papa's strong!"
People started cheering.
"Hell yeah!"
"Teach those bastards a lesson!"
"Sobody get that guy a dal!"
But then I saw movent.
The fourth thug who was hiding all the tiem—short, scar across one eye, trembling with fury—was pulling sothing from his jacket.
A blade.
My blood went cold.
"You bastard!" he scread, raising the knife. "DIE!"
Too fast.
I couldn't move in ti...
But she could.
CRACK.
Erza moved like lightning. A roundhouse kick caught the thug in the ribs and launched him off the ground. He slamd into the counter, smashing trays and sending cups flying.
The blade clattered harmlessly to the floor.
The leader moaned again, groggy, coming to.
He looked at —blood on my hands, eyes burning. Then at Erza, standing tall beside , her presence overwhelming.
"You... you have no idea who you just ssed with," he hissed. "You're dead. Both of you. You're f—"
Erza stepped forward.
Each footfall hit like thunder.
Her gaze was ice.
Erza stepped forward.
Not quickly. Not with rage.
But with the slow, deliberate grace of sothing ancient and untouchable.
Each footfall landed softly on the tile, yet to the n watching, it felt like the earth itself shifted beneath her. Like gravity changed for her alone.
She said nothing at first.
Just walked calm and composed, until she stood directly over the red-scarfed thug, now sprawled on the floor, groaning, blood seeping from the wound on his forehead.
He tried to look away.
But he couldn't.
Her presence held him there like an invisible hand on his throat.
Erza stepped forward.
Her presence grew heavier with every step, like gravity itself obeyed her mood.
Her gaze was frozen steel. Cold. Unforgiving.
She crouched beside the red-scarfed leader, who was barely conscious, groaning through cracked lips and the blood pooling beneath his head. Her shadow fell over him like a shroud.
Then she leaned in.
Her voice was silk stretched over a blade.
"You're lucky," she whispered, close enough that only he could hear. "The only reason your skull isn't decorating the floor is because he asked not to cause trouble today."
She dragged a single fingernail up beneath his chin, tilting his head back with painful slowness. The man whimpered, stiff with fear.
"My husband's the only reason I haven't torn your spine out."
But,
"I'll leave you with a gift," she said, her breath brushing his ear. "A curse."
His eyes widened. Whatever bravado remained in him dissolved like ash in a storm.
"If you ever," she said, each word slow and deliberate, "touch a woman without her consent..."
She snapped her fingers.
A spark of violet light danced in the air and vanished—but only he saw it.
To the crowd, it was nothing but a dramatic gesture.
"...your manhood will freeze, crack, and shatter like brittle glass. The wound will stay open forever. You'll bleed, scream, and die. Alone. Forgotten. Unmourned."
The man began trembling. Not just from pain—but from sothing worse: realization.
Erza leaned closer, almost lovingly. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I won't kill you. Not today. That would be rciful."
She paused, her lips just inches from his bloodied ear.
"No, I want you to live live long enough to fear every woman you et. Every brush of a hand, every glance, every flutter of interest... will be a noose tightening around your sanity."
Her eyes glowed faintly now, twin coals of violet fla, yet to the onlookers, her expression remained calm, her tone just chilling enough to pass as a very, very serious threat.
"You won't die right away," she whispered. "But every ti you even think about getting excited... your body will rember . And it will scream."
She stood slowly, rising like a queen from a battlefield. Her voice beca sharp, ringing through the hushed restaurant.
"And if any of you ever lay a finger on a child again...any child."
Her eyes swept over the remaining thugs, still groaning on the floor, half-awake and too scared to move.
"I swear on my pride, your hearts and your manhood will shatter in perfect sync. While you watch."
Then... she let go.
The air around her pulsed.
A hush fell, like the world had inhaled and was too afraid to exhale.
Her form shimred. Light bent. Heat rippled.
But to the crowd?
Nothing.
To them, she stood there unchanged, still and solemn, like a woman barely restraining vengeance.
But the thugs saw the truth.
Her wings erupted.
Dark violet wings unfurled behind her in a flare of otherworldly light, barely translucent yet impossibly vast. Not a full transformation—just a glimpse. Just enough.
Flas licked the ground near her feet, not burning the tiles, but branding the mont into mory.
Two enormous, slitted dragon eyes glowed behind her like stars gone mad.
They blinked at no one.
They promised death.
And then—
A sound. Not from her mouth.
A roar.
From the air itself. From the deepest corners of the thugs' minds.
The sound of their souls screaming.
One by one, the thugs passed out where they lay. Their faces twisted in terror, bodies twitching as fear overca them. One even began weeping before his eyes rolled back into his skull.
The crowd? They saw nothing but n collapsing under her fierce words. A powerful woman delivering justice, her presence intense—but still human.
To them, it was dramatic. Impressive.
But not supernatural.
And just like that, it was over.
Erza exhaled softly, folding her wings until they vanished into smoke the others never saw.
She walked back to the table with eerie calm, pulled out the chair she'd been sitting in earlier, and sat down—legs crossed, expression completely serene.
Like nothing had happened.
I stood there frozen for a beat, my heart still racing. Then I noticed the entire restaurant was silent. Everyone had backed far away. Phones were out, but no one dared speak.
Elena—who was clapping in pure delight.
"Wow, Mama! Papa! That was so cool!"
The food court was dead silent for a mont... and then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
It started slow. Then built.
People applauded like they'd just watched the final act of an action movie. So cheered. Others were just... stunned.
Then—
"Hey," a deep voice said behind .
I turned to see a burly security guard approaching, wide-eyed but professional.
"Sir..." He glanced at the wreckage. "I don't know what just happened here, but you saved lives today. Thank you."
He radioed sothing in. A mont later, two other guards ca rushing in with stretchers. They started picking up the unconscious thugs, still limp with fear, and hauling them out one by one.
"No charges will be pressed," the first guard said with a tight smile. "In fact, if you ever want a job in private security, I'll get you an application."
I nodded, still catching my breath.
Behind , Erza took a casual bite of the burger I'd dropped earlier. I blinked.
"You're eating that?" I asked, incredulous.
She didn't look up.
"...It's fine."
ERZA'S POV
Inner thought
What's wrong with him...?
Earlier—he was trembling. Avoiding conflict. Backing away like a frightened little rabbit.
Pathetic. Weak. Mortal.
I'd almost stepped in... almost dismissed him entirely.
But the mont, he find out, they insulted ...
He changed.
And sothing inside him broke.
No... ignited.
He didn't hesitate. He didn't flinch.
He charged.
He moved like a storm unleashed.
Relentless. Furious. Brutal.
A chair shattered. Blood spilled.
He was unrecognizable.
Not the timid husband.
Not the gentle father.
But sothing else.
A monster.
Wild. Unthinking. Dangerous.
He nearly killed them.
Foolish.
Reckless.
Utterly irrational.
...And yet.
Why is my heart pounding?
Why can't I stop watching him?
Why does his voice still echo in my chest?
Why is my face... hot?
No.
No, no, no.
That's ridiculous.
Absolutely not.
Tch. Idiot.
I must be tired.
That's all it is.
...Right?
To be continued.....
[End of Chapter]
Yuuta:
Hey guys, thank you so much! We finally hit 300 collections!
Whew, that's amazing—really appreciate all of you!
Haha, I feel like doing a little happy dance!
Erza:
Tch.
That's nice...
More importantly, did you check the fandom rankings?
I'm ranked #2 now.
Yuuta:
Wait, wait, hold up! I was #2 yesterday!
How did you jump ahead of ?!
This is sabotage.
Elena:
Papa~ Papa~!
Look, look! Elena got 63,000 popularity points!
Hehe~ I win, right? Do I get cake now?
(Yuuta and Erza slowly turn pale. A gloomy aura forms as they crouch in the corner, defeated.)
Yuuta:
Even my own daughter...?
Erza:
Ridiculous... She's just a toddler.
Elena:
Huh? What happened?
Why are you sitting like sad potatoes?
Did soone take your snacks?
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