(Yuuta's POV)

"What the hell is this…" I whispered, my voice barely leaving my throat.

It wasn't my memory—of that I was sure. And yet, somehow, I was standing in a place that felt both distant and painfully familiar.

The air shimmered faintly as I took a step forward. A grand hall stretched out before me, vast and silent, its floor made of flawless white marble that gleamed like moonlight. Gold and Voliet veins ran through the walls, tracing patterns that almost seemed to move, and every corner was adorned with ornaments that whispered of age—ancient, divine, untouchable.

I turned slowly, my gaze sweeping across the towering pillars etched with dragon crests. Every detail radiated power and reverence. This was no human place. It was sacred—too perfect, too still.

Then it struck me.

This was that hall.

The one from my dreams.

The place where I'd once met the black-haired boy.

But this time… it wasn't hazy.

It wasn't a dream.

It felt real.

Footsteps echoed faintly through the hall. Armored soldiers passed me—each clad in dark obsidian armor that shimmered like glass under sunlight. I recognized the metal instantly. Obsidianite. A material that only appeared in ancient legends. Yet here, it was forged into armor like it was nothing.

Even the nobles standing nearby wore robes woven with mana-thread silk. I could feel it—the faint pulse of dragon blood running through their veins.

Half-dragons. Every single one of them.

My eyes lifted toward the far end of the hall—where a massive throne stood beneath the light of a suspended crystal. Forged from golden bronze, engraved with moving dragon sigils, it pulsed gently… like a living heart.

My breath hitched.

Without realizing it, my body moved forward. One step. Then another. The closer I got, the louder the hum became, vibrating deep in my chest like it was calling me—like the throne itself recognized me.

I reached out. My fingers brushed the armrest—cold and warm at once.

The throne pulsed.

A wave of light rippled across the hall.

And then—

"Greetings, O Nameless One. Long have I awaited thee… the Child without a name."

The voice was neither male nor female. It echoed through the space like the sound of eternity itself—ancient, calm, and unbearably heavy.

My eyes were remained closed but I was out of dream.

I gasped, clutching my chest as air rushed back into my lungs. The vision shattered like glass, fragments of gold fading into darkness. My heart pounded violently, the echo of that voice still reverberating in my skull.

My eyes snapped open. I jolted awake—only to slam my forehead against something solid.

"Ouch…" I groaned, clutching my temple. "What the hell was that?"

For a moment, everything was blurry. A soft, blue light pulsed around me, gentle but bright enough to sting my eyes. When my vision cleared, I realized I wasn't lying on a Erza arm. I was inside something.

Something transparent… crystalline.

Ice?

No—when I pressed my palm against it, it didn't burn with cold. It was warm. Like lying inside a cocoon made of light and silk, the surface breathing faint streams of air that brushed softly against my skin and it's pleasant aroma is similar to Erza .

I blinked. The ache on my temple had already faded. I ran a hand over it—smooth. Not even a bruise.

"…What's going on?" I murmured, staring at the glowing walls around me.

Warm ice that heals wounds and keeps me alive? Yeah, definitely not normal.

Then again, normal stopped existing the day I married a dragon queen.

A quiet relifed escaped me. "It must be Erza," I muttered. "She probably did this… to protect me again."

I guess… Erza went overboard again. Hopefully, she didn't kill Elga this time. She always does that—goes too far whenever it's about me. Still, I'm glad she wasn't in that state of grief again. If she had been… things would've turned fatal for everyone around her.

Erza would never take a life unless her heart was breaking—that much I know. She promised me once that she'd never let her rage decide for her. And right now, the proof of that promise was right before my eyes—the ice cocoon shielding me.

That was just like her. Cold. Terrifying. And somehow… the softest person alive.

"Erza!" I called out, tapping the crystal wall.

No answer.

"Erzaaa!" I tried again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

I sighed and leaned my head back hoping it's must be her Game because the room itself was dark. "Alright then, plan B."

I cleared my throat dramatically.

"Oh, my beautiful, terrifying wife! Your husband humbly requests assistance!"

Silence.

My smirk faded.

Something was wrong. The air beyond the cocoon felt too still—no warmth, no trace of her mana. Just a hollow quiet that made my skin crawl.

Then I saw it.

The ground outside the cocoon… shattered.

Entire slabs of marble were broken apart like glass, fragments glinting faintly in the dim light.

Agents were scattered everywhere—lying motionless across the floor.

Fiona…Rika... Elga… Jenny… Loid… Erika…

All of them. People I knew. People who had fought against me. Now lying still.

Defenseless.

Are they… dead?..What happened here?

My chest tightened as I stepped forward. The silence felt wrong—too heavy, too absolute Did Erza kill all of them.... I painced Instanly thinking worse possibility.

Then I saw it.

The walls—cracked open, massive holes torn through the stone as if something had punched straight through them.

Faint sparks still flickered in the air, casting trembling shadows across the ruins. The entire place smelled of smoke and ash… and something else—something alive.

My chest tightened.

"Erza…" I said louder than this time. "Where are you?..Erzaaa.."

Silence answered.

I pressed my palm harder against the ice, voice trembling despite myself.

"Anyone…? LET ME OUT...?."

Silence....

Then I heard footsteps of someone.

Faint at first—like echoes from a distant hallway. Slow, steady, and eerily calm. Each one grew louder, heavier, until I could feel them reverberate through the air itself.

"Is anyone there?" I shouted, pressing my palm against the icy wall. "Hey! I'm in here—get me out!"

For a while, there was only silence. Then, through that stillness, a voice slipped in—low, cold, and far too familiar.

"My master…"

I froze.

The faint glow from the chamber flickered, casting uneven shadows along the broken walls. From the far end of the corridor, a figure stepped into the light.

My breath caught.

"...Allen?"

How is he alive?

Didn't the agency already trap him using the holy chains?

My eyes darted around scattered floor searching for proof and I saw the chair.. the very chair he was trap using many spells now it's broken... the chain, who supposed to hold this monster were shattered like glass. And worst part Low level agents Bodies were scattered across the ground—motionless. Blood stained everywhere telling me different story... a story of bloody Battle. Walls, stones… even the air felt heavy with it.

It looked like a battle had taken place here.

A brutal one.

At first, I thought it was Erza. That she had done all this.

But she wasn't here.

And Allen—

Allen was standing there, alive and well.

That's when a cold thought crept into my mind.

What if… he was the one who did this?...No.no.no it's not possible.

Allen walked slowly, each step leaving a faint imprint on the dust-covered floor. His once-sleek coat hung in tatters, stained with blood so dark it looked almost black. Even his hair—normally an elegant shade of black—had taken on a strange hue, shifting like living smoke between purple and midnight.

But what stopped my heart wasn't his wounds.

It was his eyes.

One golden pupil glowed faintly, sharp as a blade. The other was dark—empty, as if something had hollowed him out from the inside.

My throat tightened.

There was too much dust in his clothes.

Too much silence.

"Erza…" I whispered. "Where is she?"

No answer.

He just kept walking—slow, unhurried, like he had all the time in the world. The air itself grew heavy, pressing down on me with each step he took.

But something about his presence felt… off.

Weaker.

I could feel it—the energy around him wasn't the same as before.

Either he'd truly grown weaker… or he was deceiving me.

Then realization struck like lightning.

Or maybe

He'd fought someone.

Someone powerful like Erza....!!.

He tried to walk, but his steps weren't steady. Each movement looked strained, like someone who had just survived a battle far beyond their limits and if he was still standing—

If Erza wasn't here—

"No…" I shook my head, backing away. "No, that's impossible. She's the strongest being. She can't lose. Not to you... it's must be lie.."

But then ...

I remembered…

Erza once told me she couldn't use her full strength in this world because of the mana here—it's thin, almost empty and corrupted.

She must've known it.

She must've known she'd be fighting at a disadvantage.

Maybe that's why… she isn't here now.

Because she was defeated by that demon.

And me—

frozen in this ice—this is her work. Maybe she realized she couldn't save me… not here, not like this.

So instead—she sealed me.

My Erza…she must've known she couldn't win. So she used what little power she had left—

to protect me.

Not to trap me…but to keep me safe.

The edges of my vision blurred. The ice around me pulsed faintly, reacting to my heartbeat.

"How!?" I shouted, slamming my fists against the cocoon. The sound echoed through the hollow chamber, raw and desperate. "Tell me where she is... What did do to her.!"

Allen didn't flinch. He didn't move. He only smiled—a small, broken smile that sent a chill crawling up my spine.

Something inside me cracked.

Memories flooded in all at once—Erza's scolding voice when I overslept, her awkward attempts at smiling, her rare laugh that made the whole world feel lighter.

The thought of never seeing that again made my chest burn.

"My Erza…" My voice trembled, barely above a whisper. Then it twisted into something else—rage, grief, disbelief all tangled together.

"I'LL KILL YOU BASTARD…"

The ice shuddered beneath my fists.

Cracks ran across its surface, glowing faintly with blue light.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BLOODY DEMON.!"

With one final roar, the cocoon shattered—

a storm of icy fragments bursting outward like crystal rain.

I crashed onto the cold floor, my lungs seizing as the air stabbed through me. It felt heavier, harsher—nothing like the warmth inside that cocoon. My body trembled, still weak from whatever that thing had done to me.

On all fours, I gasped for breath, sweat and frost clinging to my skin.

Slowly, I looked up.

Allen was standing a few feet away, half his face shadowed by the dim, flickering light.

He didn't move.

He didn't speak.

He only watched me—with eyes that no longer felt human.

I forced myself up. My legs trembled so hard it felt like they might give out at any moment. The air burned in my lungs, heavy with dust and smoke. For a second, I thought I'd fall again — but I didn't. Somehow, I kept moving.

Allen stood ahead of me, framed by ruin and flickering sparks, his figure unsteady in the dim light. I didn't think. My body moved before my mind could catch up. I ran straight at him.

My fist connected with his cheek — the sound was sharp, violent, echoing through the silence like a gunshot.

Something inside me stirred — something that wasn't human. It crawled up my spine, burning, wild, and alive. Heat rushed through my veins, and for the first time, I felt power — raw and animal — thrumming beneath my skin.

Allen stumbled back, crashing to the floor. I'd expected him to fight back, to strike, to snarl. But he didn't. He just looked… smaller than I remembered. Fragile. Almost human.

I grabbed him by the collar and slammed my fists into him again and again. Each hit landed harder than the last, fueled by something darker than anger — desperation. The words tore out of my throat, ragged and hoarse.

"Where is my wife!?"

Allen's head snapped back. He tried to speak through the blood pooling in his mouth. "My—master… mistress is—" The rest of the words died there, barely a whisper, like a prayer slipping away.

That sound — that hesitation — made something in me snap.

Rage swallowed everything. Thought. Breath. Fear. All gone. Every punch after that was a scream. Every strike was the weight of every unanswered question — why Erza wasn't here, why the world felt so empty, why my daughter nearly died.

The ground shook beneath us. Cracks spidered through the marble floor. Dust rose around us in thick, choking clouds. The taste of iron filled my mouth — blood, sweat, fury — all of it the same.

And then… through the chaos…

A voice cut through the haze. Deep. Commanding.

"Yuuta."

The name rolled through the silence, colder than any blade.

I looked toward the doorway — and there she was.

A figure standing their holding something in both hand.

She stood there, framed by the fading light, her violet eyes wide and trembling with emotion. Erza.....Her usual regal calm was gone, replaced by something raw and human — worry. In her hands, she clutched a small carry bag filled with burgers, like she'd just come back from a store.

My chest tightened. "Erza…" I whispered.

Allen slipped from my grip, hitting the floor with a dull thud, but I barely noticed. My body moved on its own, slow, unsteady. Every step toward her made my throat ache. She was alive. She was here.

The bag slipped from her hands, scattering across the floor, forgotten. Her eyes shimmered with tears — and then she ran.

She crashed into me, arms wrapping around my neck so tightly it almost hurt. Her warmth hit me like sunlight after a long winter.

"I'm glad… you're okay," she breathed against my shoulder, her voice breaking between sobs. "I'm so glad…"

I felt her hand tremble as it rubbed my back, as if reassuring herself that I was real. My eyes burned, and before I knew it, tears slipped down my own face.

"I thought I lost you…"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. My voice broke as I clung to her, burying my face against her shoulder. Her scent, her warmth—it was all real. After everything, she was real.

"My wife…" I whispered, my breath shaking.

Erza didn't speak at first. She just wrapped her arms around me, one hand sliding up to the back of my head as she stroked my hair. Her touch was gentle—steady, like a mother calming a frightened child.

"Idiot mortal," she murmured, her voice low and soft against my ear. "Did you forget who I am? I'm the strongest one here."

A shaky laugh escaped me, half from relief, half from disbelief. "I—I was alone in ice, Erza. I searched everywhere for you… you were gone. I couldn't find you anywhere."

She sighed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "And yet, here I am, aren't I?"

Her hand lingered against my cheek, wiping away the tears I hadn't realized were falling. "Honestly," she said with that familiar mix of affection and annoyance, "you make me worry more than I ever make you."

I looked at her, really looked—at the small cracks in her face, the faint tremble in her voice she tried to hide.

"The moment I was gone," she whispered, pressing her forehead against mine, "you went and got yourself hurt again."

Her eyes softened, the corners glistening with emotion she'd never admit aloud.

"But… I'm glad you're okay," she said quietly. "That's all that matters to me."

I held her close — tighter than I ever had before — and whispered into her hair, "I'm glad you're okay too, Erza."

For a moment, the world outside that embrace didn't exist. No ruin. No blood. No fear. Just her heartbeat against mine.

Allen stirred. His body twitched, then he slowly pushed himself up, blood still dripping from his lip. When his gaze lifted toward us, it wasn't defiance I saw—it was reverence.

He lowered himself onto one knee, placing a hand over his chest in that same ancient, knight-like posture I'd seen once in my dreams.

"I am… glad," he said quietly, his voice trembling but sincere. "My master and mistress are safe. This servant finds himself… grateful."

The words made my stomach twist.

I pulled away from Erza, rage snapping through my chest like a whip. My hands clenched so hard my knuckles cracked.

"Don't you dare call me that again," I growled, stepping toward him. "You bloody demon."

"You demon," I spat, voice hoarse. Rage flared so bright it felt like it would burn through my skin. "How dare you still pretend I'm your master game...after everything you've done? After the chaos… the people you hurt—Aarons, Zoo, the cave—torture—" The memories snapped at me one after another, each name a fresh cut. "You still try to make me part of your game!"

I moved like a man possessed, intent on ending him. It was the first time I'd wanted someone dead with such certainty. Every blow I'd imagined landed in my head, each one fueled by the ghosts of what he'd done.

Before my fist could land, a hand caught mine mid-air.

Cold. Firm. Unyielding.

Erza's hand.

Her grip tightened around my wrist, stopping me as if time itself had frozen. For a moment, all I could see were her eyes — deep violet, filled not with rage, but something heavier. Something I didn't understand.

"No," she said quietly.

That single word cut through my anger like a blade.

I stared at her, confused and breathless. "What are you doing, Erza?" My voice came out hoarse, trembling between fury and disbelief. "He's weak now — we can end this! We can stop him for good!"

"You can't kill him." Her tone was calm, almost too calm, but beneath it, there was something unshakable. "He's under my protection."

For a second, I thought I misheard her. My mind went blank, then the words hit — sharp, wrong, impossible.

"Protection?" I repeated. "You're protecting him? He's a demon, Erza! Are you out of your mind?"

She didn't move. Didn't look away. But her jaw tensed, the slightest flicker of hesitation flashing across her face.

"I'm not protecting him," she said finally, her voice low, quiet… but trembling at the edges. "I'm protecting you."

Her words stopped everything inside me.

"What?" I whispered.

She sighed softly, her hand still gripping my wrist as if afraid I'd try again. "You really don't get it, do you?."

The way she said it—half tender, half broken—made my anger falter.

"Get it?" I asked, barely able to form the word. "What are you talking about?"

Erza looked away for a moment, her eyes dimming, her usual strength melting into something almost fragile. The silence between us stretched until it felt unbearable.

Finally, she met my eyes again and spoke, each word falling slow and heavy.

"You can't kill him, Yuuta."

She paused.

"Because Allen's current master… is you."

The air left my lungs.

For a second, I thought I hadn't heard her right. My mind refused to make sense of it.

I stumbled back a step. "No… no, what are you talking about..!?..This is not funny Erza.?"

The room seemed to shrink around me. I could still hear Allen breathing faintly behind us, could still taste the dust in the air. But none of it felt real anymore.

The same demon that had torn through my life — who nearly destroyed everything I loved — was now bound to me?

I felt the weight of it sink into my chest like stone. My fists loosened. My voice broke.

"What the hell… does that even mean... I am his Master..?"

To be continue..

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