The Grand Fall

Sho gasped for breath, trying to steady himself. He muttered under his breath,

"What just happened? I ran like a madman... Fear almost drove me insane. But at least, for now, I survived that monster. I need to find Armin and Louis."

Carefully, he crept closer, hiding behind a building as he peeked out cautiously to see what had transpired.

There, standing before the enraged dragon, was a mysterious figure.

A woman... dressed in a flowing white robe, its silky fabric adorned with intricate golden embroidery. Her long black hair danced with the wind, and in her hand, she held a strange, long sword, etched with crimson engravings. Her beauty was breathtaking, but what truly unsettled Sho was her sheer presence.

"How is she standing so calmly before a legendary beast? Is she not afraid?"

Then, her voice rang out—soft yet unwavering.

"How dare you disturb me like this? Isn't your existence merely for display?"

The dragon scowled but did not retaliate. It remained still—tense, as if uncertain.

Sho watched in disbelief. "Is she seriously talking to the dragon like that? This is insane! But... why isn't it attacking? Why does it seem... hesitant?"

The woman continued in the same composed tone,

"This time, I only grazed your scales... I wonder what will happen next time. Now, return to your place."

Then, she turned slightly—her gaze locking directly onto Sho's hiding spot.

His body went stiff. "She didn't see me… right?"

He tried to shrink further into his hiding place, but questions swirled in his mind. "What did she mean by 'merely for display'? No… this isn't the time for that! I need to get Armin and Louis and escape!"

But just as he turned to go back to his friends—

She was there.

Standing right in front of him, staring at him with an expressionless face.

At that moment, Sho understood why the dragon had not moved.

Her eyes… were a void. Deep, endless darkness. Yet, within that abyss, Sho could see something—blood. Stained, clotted blood floating within the depths.

Sho had never learned combat or harnessed energy, but his instincts screamed at him. Do not move. Do not make a sound.

Then, in a calm, almost indifferent voice, she spoke:

"If you had moved or spoken, you would have lost your head. But you were wise despite your age. A person must know when to act... and when to remain still."

Sho swallowed hard as she continued,

"Did you come for the festival?"

In a barely audible whisper, without daring to meet her gaze, he replied,

"Y-yes..."

A faint smirk played on her lips.

"On behalf of the Great Kings' Kingdom, I apologize. Such an incident will not happen again. But tell me, did you do something to provoke that dragon?"

Sho quickly shook his head.

"No… we did nothing."

Silence stretched between them before she finally spoke again.

"Look into my eyes."

Sho couldn't.

"Why? Are they frightening?"

With hesitation, he whispered,

"They are... dark... filled with blood."

He immediately regretted his words. His mouth had moved before his mind could stop it.

She smiled—but it was not a reassuring one.

"Of course, they are. Do you know how many souls I have taken? I have lost count… and I do not care."

Sho felt a chill crawl down his spine.

She sighed, her voice carrying a hint of sorrow yet remaining cold.

"The world is cruel… If you do not eat first, you will be eaten. That is my advice to you, since you were honest."

Then, without another word, she turned away.

"Go to the city's special guard office. Rest there with those two lying on the ground. I will inform them of what happened… as compensation. And it would be best if we never meet again."

In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Sho stood frozen. He had no idea how she vanished so quickly, but he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"I barely survived… No time to think about anything else. I should take her advice and find the guard office… but where is it?"

Meanwhile, inside an ornate carriage pulled by majestic black horses, the woman sat silently, her cursed sword resting beside her.

"Let's continue our journey… But first, I will stop by the city's guard office."

"As you command!" The royal guards surrounding the carriage shouted in unison as they immediately moved forward.

At the city gates, the stationed guards stood frozen, fear evident in their eyes. The presence within the carriage was terrifying—power that rivaled, or perhaps even surpassed, that of a legendary beast.

As they rode through the city streets, one of the royal knights dared to speak,

"My lady, why did Drafftil attack those children?"

She smirked, amusement flickering in her dark eyes.

"One of them… is Noah."

Gasps filled the carriage. The knights stared at her in shock.

She continued, her voice laced with twisted delight,

"How entertaining! I never thought I'd cross paths with those worthless vermin again."

One knight hesitated before asking cautiously,

"Then… why did you not kill them?"

For the first time, she paused, her expression unreadable. Then, she whispered,

"I liked that boy's courage… even though he is nothing more than trash. So, I gave him a chance to live."

A slow, eerie smile spread across her lips.

"But who knows? Will he survive until nightfall? That… would be interesting."