(Yuuta POV)

We stood outside the Lebuis Agency's hidden base as the sun bled across the horizon, painting the sky in strokes of orange and violet. The city behind us buzzed faintly — neon signs flickering to life, engines humming in the distance — yet all I could focus on was Erza.

She was pacing restlessly, biting her nail, her expression tight with worry. I didn't know what that demon had whispered to her, but the way her brows furrowed made my stomach twist. She looked more troubled than the time I was half-dead.

"Listen," she said abruptly, cutting through the silence. "We don't have time to walk or drive. We need to move fast. Grab my waist."

"…Sorry, what?" I blinked, unsure if I'd heard correctly.

Her violet eyes narrowed dangerously. "I said grab my waist. I'm going to fly us home."

I just stared at her. "You mean fly as in… you have wings? Like, actual, feathery, dragon-type wings?"

She crossed her arms. "Of course. I'm a dragon, you idiot. What kind of dragon have you ever seen without wings?"

I scratched my cheek. "Uh… the Chinese ones?"

For a moment, she just… stared. Then she exhaled, long and deep, like a mother trying not to strangle her child.

"Normally," she muttered, "I'd kill you for that level of stupidity. But today… you've already tested my limits. So just—shut up."

"Message received," I said quickly, raising both hands in surrender.

Erza closed her eyes and took a deep, steady breath.

For a second, I thought she was meditating — trying to calm her nerves or center herself like she always did before something reckless. But then… something started to change.

The air around her shimmered, like heat rising off the desert sand. A faint glow crawled along her back, spreading under her skin as if something ancient was waking up inside her.

Then it happened — a blinding flash of light burst behind her, and two enormous dragon wings unfurled.

They were breathtaking.

Dragon like wings as white as freshly fallen snow, glowing faintly under the evening light. Each movement sent a soft rush of air past me, carrying a hint of warmth — like standing too close to a living Snow.

I couldn't move. I couldn't even blink.

Her wings stretched wide, catching the fading sunlight and scattering it in a dance of silver dust that sparkled in the air. It was the kind of sight that made time stop — powerful, graceful, unreal.

For a moment, I completely forgot how to breathe.

This was Erza — the same woman who scolded me for every stupid comment, who hit me on the head when I said something dumb — now standing there like a goddess who had just stepped out of the heavens.

And all I could think was… how can someone look this dangerous and this beautiful at the same time?

"Stop glaring at me like I'm some weird monster," Erza said, flicking her hair back with that familiar annoyance in her voice.

"No, you're not a weird monster," I said quickly, then looked away, scratching my cheek. "It's just… you look so beautiful that I forgot how to breathe for a second."

Her eyes widened, her face turning a shade of pink I'd never seen on her before. "W–what are you saying in the middle of an emergency?" she stammered, trying to sound angry but failing miserably. "You're impossible! Just shut up and grab my waist already!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. You don't have to scream at me like that," I said, holding up my hands in surrender.

She puffed her cheeks and turned her head away. "Hmph."

With a sigh, I reached forward and wrapped my arms around her waist. Her body was warm — unnervingly warm — like standing too close to a fire on a winter night. "Like this?" I asked.

"Yes. Now hold tight," she said curtly. "And whatever you do, don't stick your tongue out. I'm not responsible if it gets cut off."

"Wait—hold on. Is that even safe for me?" I asked, suddenly nervous.

Erza didn't even blink. "Let's just say… fifty-fifty."

"Fifty-fifty?! That's not comforting!" I started, but before I could finish, her wings flared.

A powerful gust tore through the air as she beat them once — twice — gathering momentum. On the third flap, the ground fell away beneath my feet. My stomach dropped. The city shrank in seconds.

We were flying.

The wind roared past my ears, so fast it stung my eyes. Buildings blurred into streaks of silver and gold beneath us as we soared above Luna City. Neon lights flashed like rivers of stars flowing between the streets.

"Erza—slow down!" I tried to yell, but my voice vanished into the storm.

She glanced back, her Sliver white hair whipping in the wind, her voice calm but sharp. "Idiot! Don't speak while we're in the sky! You'll bite your tongue off!"

I shut my mouth instantly, gripping her tighter. My heart was hammering, my mind racing — somewhere between awe and sheer terror.

And then__

We finally made it home.

Erza landed on the balcony with perfect balance, her wings folding behind her like ribbons of red silk. The same balcony where Grandpa always stood every evening, staring at the sky as if it whispered secrets only he could hear.

Meanwhile, I collapsed the second my feet touched solid ground. My legs gave up, my head spun, and my stomach was having a full-blown rebellion.

"Ugh… motion sickness," I groaned, clutching my stomach. "I think I left my soul somewhere above the clouds."

Erza didn't even glance at me. She simply opened the window and stepped inside, calm and elegant—as if flying halfway across the city with a screaming human attached to her wasn't worth mentioning.

The house was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that made you feel something was off.

I followed her inside, still dizzy, still trying to remember which way gravity worked. But being home again—after everything that happened, after Sister Mary, after all that chaos in agency—brought a strange sense of comfort.

"Grandpa?" Erza called, her voice echoing through the silent house. "Where are you?"

No answer.

Her brows twitched. "Old fossil, don't make me repeat myself. Where the hell are you?"

A tired yawn drifted in from the hallway. Then, out came Grandpa—scratching his messy head and wearing pajamas that looked like survivors of a food war. The enormous pizza stain on his shirt completed the picture.

"Ah, you're back," he said, as casually as someone commenting on the weather.

"Grandpa… did you have pizza for dinner?" I asked, already fearing the answer.

He nodded proudly. "Well, you two were late, and I don't really know how to cook. So, I asked our neighbor to help me order sixty-eight pizzas."

"Sixty-eight?!" I nearly shouted. "For what, a small army?!"

He shrugged, completely unbothered. "It was a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Or maybe buy-two-get-two… I lost count. Anyway, there's plenty left if you want some."

Before I could reply, the air suddenly grew heavy. Erza's aura flared—cold, sharp, and dangerous. Even the light seemed to dim around her.

"Tell me, old fossil," she said, her tone like the calm before a thunderstorm. "How exactly did you pay for all that pizza?"

Grandpa froze, the color draining from his face. "Ah, well, I… happened to find some money lying around the house."

"Where," she asked, stepping closer with a smile that was anything but gentle, "exactly did you find it?"

He swallowed hard. "…Under your pillow."

The room went dead silent.

Erza cracked her knuckles, a dark shadow sliding over her face. "Looks like someone's going to die today."

Grandpa threw his hands up in panic. "I'm sorry, my queen!....please have mercy on me."

I couldn't help it—I laughed. A nervous, helpless kind of laugh. Because really, only in this house could things go from peaceful silence… to pizza chaos… to an execution scene in less than a minute.

After being brutally dragon-fisted by my lovely wife, Erza, Grandpa sat on the couch with an ice pack pressed to his head, groaning like he'd just come back from war.

Erza stood before him like a general scolding her soldier — hands on her hips, eyes glowing brighter than wildfire. She was furious. Apparently, the money Grandpa had "borrowed" wasn't just some spare change lying around. It was the money she'd been saving for something important.

And now… it was gone. All sixty-eight pizzas of it.

Grandpa had already apologized at least a hundred times, but it didn't help. Watching a Dragon Queen lecture an old man about household finances was both terrifying and hilarious. Honestly, if someone walked in right now, they'd never believe this was the same woman who once made kingdoms kneel in fear.

I muttered under my breath, "Hard to believe she's the same dragon who freezed half a continent once…"

Her head snapped toward me. "What are you mumbling over there, Yuuta?"

"Nothing!" I said quickly, hands raised in surrender. "Just… appreciating the family drama."

Her brow twitched. "Oh? So you do find this funny?"

"Wait—no, no! That's not what I meant!" I waved my hands so fast I probably looked like a drowning bird. "Actually, I was just thinking—uh, don't forget why we're here."

I forced a nervous laugh. "Remember the contract? The eternal bond? And Allen?"

Erza took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before turning back toward Grandpa. The fiery aura around her dimmed, though the air was still sharp with tension.

"Right," she said evenly. "You. Old fossil. We need your help to confirm something."

Grandpa blinked. "What is it this time?"

"Yuuta," Erza said, glancing at me with a frown that made my stomach tighten, "somehow ended up in a demonic contract."

Grandpa looked unimpressed. "Then just kill the demon and heal him before the backlash hits. Problem solved."

Erza sighed and pressed her fingers against her forehead, her patience visibly running thin. "It's not that simple," she said quietly. "This isn't a regular contract… it's an eternal bond."

The room went silent.

I didn't understand why, but the moment she said those words, the air grew heavier — colder — like even the wind outside had stopped to listen.

Grandpa's easygoing smile disappeared. His posture straightened, and the warmth in his eyes faded, replaced by something older… sharper. For once, he looked nothing like the goofy man who spent his days watching TV and ordering ridiculous amounts of pizza.

"Erza," he said slowly, his voice carrying a weight I'd never heard before, "are you absolutely sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Erza said.

Her voice was cold — firm enough to silence the entire room.

Grandpa's usual lazy grin faded instantly. His eyes sharpened, and the air around him seemed to grow heavy. "You mean the bond? The ancient demon pact?" His voice carried that deep, weary tone I'd only heard when he spoke about things older than time itself. "Which demon is it, Erza? Merum… or Nefarions?"

Erza didn't even blink. "Nefarions," she said. "The Eternal Devourer."

Grandpa froze. For a moment, I thought he'd misheard her. Then his eyes widened in disbelief. "Nefarions?! That can't be right. That monster hasn't made a pact in thousands of years! His kind are forbidden from linking with humans."

"I know," Erza said quietly, her gaze steady. "But he claimed someone forced him into it. He said it wasn't his will."

Grandpa leaned back, rubbing his forehead like the words themselves gave him a headache. "Forced him…?" he repeated, voice growing softer. "Then that means…" He stopped himself, the lines on his face deepening. "You think the gods are involved?"

"I'm not sure," Erza replied. "But that's exactly why I came back. You're the only one who truly understands ancient pacts, Grandpa."

He stared at her for a long moment — like he was trying to read every hidden meaning behind her words. Then, finally, he let out a slow breath and nodded. "Alright. I'll help."

Then his gaze shifted to me. His eyes, which were calm seconds ago, turned sharp and serious. "You there, boy. Come here and sit down on the floor."

"Eh? Me?" I blinked, pointing at myself.

"Yes, you!" he barked. "Now!"

"O-Okay, okay!" I said quickly, standing up from the balcony. My legs still felt a bit shaky from the earlier flight, but I made my way over and sat cross-legged in front of him.

The room went quiet again — the kind of silence that made even breathing sound loud. The air felt heavy, as if the house itself was waiting for what Grandpa would do next.

(Grandpa's POV)

Yuuta sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed just as I told him. His breathing was uneven at first, shallow and unsure, but after a few moments, it began to find a rhythm.

"Good," I said quietly, placing both hands on his back. "Now don't resist. Just breathe. Let me see what's hiding inside you."

He nodded slightly. "I'm relaxed, Grandpa."

I smiled faintly. "We'll see about that."

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Almost instantly, the air began to shift. The stillness in the room broke with a low hum—soft at first, then deeper, vibrating through my fingertips. The air grew heavy, charged with mana so thick I could almost taste it.

A faint light appeared before us, swirling like mist in moonlight. Threads of blue began to form, gentle at first, then slowly brightening to silver. They wrapped around us, twisting through the air in slow circles, as if curious.

The warmth in my palms deepened, sinking into my bones. The room itself began to fade, its edges melting into shadow.

And then—everything vanished.

I opened my eyes and found myself standing in an endless void. No floor, no ceiling—just darkness stretching forever in every direction. The air here was alive, pulsing faintly, as if the whole place was breathing.

Then I saw it.

A single glowing thread floated before me.

It was thin as a strand of hair, but it shimmered like a star. One side glowed pure white, soft and calm; the other burned with black fire that never went out. The two colors twisted together endlessly—never merging, never pulling apart.

I took a slow step forward. The closer I got, the heavier the air became, pressing against my chest. My instincts screamed to stop, but my curiosity was stronger.

"This is it…" I whispered. "The bond of eternity."

I reached out carefully, my fingers trembling.

The instant I touched the thread, a shockwave burst from it. I was thrown backward, sliding across the unseen ground. The force rattled my bones, stealing the breath from my lungs.

The bond was alive.

The thread pulsed once—then began to move on its own.

It twisted and shimmered, reshaping itself until it no longer looked like a thread at all. Light gathered, forming a shape—first an outline, then a body. Slowly, a woman emerged from the glow.

She stood silently, her long white hair floating like mist, her eyes deep and sad. Her presence wasn't terrifying… it was peaceful, but heavy—like standing before a memory that could break your heart.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know if I could speak.

Before I could open my mouth, she raised a finger to her lips.

"Shhhh…"

Her voice was soft—almost like a lullaby—but it carried power. The void itself obeyed her command. The hum stopped. Even my heartbeat quieted.

I froze. It wasn't a threat. It wasn't a warning.

It was… a plea.

A plea to stay silent. To not look deeper.

And somehow, without words, I understood—she was guarding something. Something hidden deep inside Yuuta. Something that even Erza and I weren't meant to find.

The void began to ripple. Her image flickered, fading like a candle in the wind.

"Wait—" I tried to call out, but my voice disappeared in the darkness.

And then everything went black.

To be continued...

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.