Yuuta and Erza entered the zoo.
With Elena, of course.
As if anyone could forget about the little tornado of chaos currently bouncing between their legs, poking at everything that moved, and generally causing the kind of adorable mayhem that made strangers smile and parents wince. Her rabbit costume flopped with every jump, ears bouncing, tail wiggling, a tiny pink nose painted on her face completing the look.
"Papa! Papa! Look!"
Elena froze mid-bounce, one tiny claw shooting out like she'd spotted a legendary creature.
Yuuta followed her gaze.
A massive mascot stood near the entrance—some poor university student sweating inside a panda costume, waving at passing children with the mechanical enthusiasm of someone being paid minimum wage. Black and white fur. Big glassy eyes. A permanent smile sewn into the fabric.
Elena's jaw dropped.
"This beast is TALKING!" She grabbed Yuuta's sleeve, yanking him forward. "Which clan is it from?! Are they Madravans Tribes from Nova?! It looks so fluffy but also WEIRD!"
Yuuta blinked.
Madravans Tribes? Nova?
The words meant nothing to him. Absolute gibberish. But the way Elena said them—with such casual certainty—told him they were real somewhere. In her world. In her reality.
He knelt beside her, bringing himself to her level.
"That's not a beast, Elena." He kept his voice calm, gentle. "It's a human inside a costume. They wear animal outfits to welcome visitors. Just like your bunny outfit."
Elena's eyes somehow grew even wider.
"A HUMAN IN A BEAST SUIT?!"
"Basically, yes."
"I WANT TO TOUCH IT!"
Before Yuuta could respond—before he could even take a breath—Elena had already launched herself toward the unsuspecting panda like a tiny silver-haired missile.
The panda, to its credit, handled the situation with grace.
It waved.
Elena screamed with joy.
Yuuta smiled.
Then—
"What in the seven hells is wrong with your species?"
Erza's voice cut through like a blade forged in winter.
Yuuta turned.
She was staring at the mascot with an expression of pure, undiluted disgust. Her nose wrinkled slightly. Her eyes had narrowed to slits. She looked like someone who had just watched a nobleman roll in mud for coins.
"Humans," she said slowly, each word dripping with contempt, "dress up as beasts? Voluntarily? For entertainment? "
Yuuta opened his mouth. Closed it. Tried again.
"It's... it's a family-friendly thing."
"It's weird and disgusting."
"It's fun for kids."
"It's degrading. "
"It's—" Yuuta stopped himself. Took a breath. Let it out slowly.
Pick your battles, he reminded himself. Pick your battles, swallow your pride, and remember she can freeze your spine.
"You know what, Your Highness?" He forced a smile. "You're right. Whatever you say is wisdom beyond realms."
Erza blinked.
Clearly, she hadn't expected agreement.
"Finally," she said slowly, suspicion creeping into her voice, "you learn."
Yuuta puffed his cheeks out but said nothing.
Nothing at all.
They walked deeper into the zoo.
The path curved past a sprawling aviary, where colorful birds flitted between artificial trees. A group of children pressed against the mesh, pointing and shouting silently thanks to Erza's magic. Elena had stopped to watch them, mesmerized by a particularly dramatic peacock showing off its feathers.
Yuuta smiled at her.
Then he noticed Erza had stopped walking.
She stood several feet behind him, frozen in place. Her silver hair caught the afternoon light, but her face was turned away—staring at something beyond him. Not an animal enclosure. Not a food stand. Not a map or a sign or any of the normal zoo attractions.
People.
A couple, specifically.
Young. Newly married, probably. They walked hand in hand down the path, completely absorbed in each other. The woman laughed at something the man whispered. The man squeezed her fingers gently, his thumb tracing circles on her skin. They looked at each other like the rest of the world didn't exist.
Like they were the only two people in existence.
"Mortal."
Yuuta tensed automatically. That tone never preceded anything good.
"Yes, my queen?"
She pointed.
Not at the couple's faces. Not at their clothes or their behavior.
At their hands.
"Why," Erza said slowly, her brow furrowing with genuine confusion, "are those humans holding hands like that? Like they'll disappear if they let go?"
Yuuta followed her gaze.
The couple had stopped near a bench. The woman adjusted the man's collar, her fingers lingering on his chest. He caught her hand, brought it to his lips, kissed her knuckles. She blushed. He grinned.
They looked... happy.
Complete.
Whole in a way that had nothing to do with the zoo or the animals or anything else around them.
Yuuta's chest tightened slightly.
"That," he said softly, surprised by the gentleness in his own voice, "is a sign of love, my queen."
Erza's brow furrowed deeper.
"Love sign?"
"Holding hands." Yuuta nodded toward the couple. "It's a way of showing affection. Trust. That you don't want to lose the person beside you."
He paused, watching the woman lean into the man's shoulder.
The words came easier than he expected—like they'd been waiting somewhere inside him, gathering dust, finally finding someone to say them to.
"It's more than just touching," he continued. "It's... connection. When you hold someone's hand, you're telling them: I'm here. I'm with you. Whatever comes next, we face it together."
The couple laughed again. The woman rose on her toes and kissed the man's cheek—a quick, casual gesture that somehow held more intimacy than anything grand.
"It makes ordinary moments beautiful," Yuuta said. "Walking. Talking. Just... existing. With that one person, everything feels more meaningful. More real."
He glanced at Erza.
Her face was unreadable—frozen in that mask of royal indifference she wore like armor. But her eyes... her eyes were fixed on the couple with an intensity that bordered on hunger.
"It's a unique experience," he finished quietly. "To have someone whose hand you want to hold."
Silence.
The couple moved on, disappearing around a corner, still wrapped in their private world.
Erza stared after them.
Then—
"Pathetic."
Yuuta blinked. "What?"
"Pathetic theory." She crossed her arms, her voice sharp with dismissal. "Who would hold hands and trap themselves like that? It's like slavery. Total slavery."
Yuuta stared at her.
The words should have stung. Should have felt like another wall slamming down between them. But instead—
Instead, he laughed.
Not a mocking laugh. Not a cruel one. Something warmer. Something almost... fond.
"You know what?" He grinned at her shocked expression. "You're right. Love is a type of slavery."
Erza's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you mocking me?"
"No, no—listen." He gestured at the empty corner where the couple had disappeared. "It is slavery. But it's the only slavery people choose. The only chains they actually want to wear."
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Because when you love someone—really love them—being bound to them doesn't feel like a cage. It feels like... home."
The word hung between them.
Home.
Erza said nothing.
But her eyes—
Her eyes stayed on him.
Longer than necessary. Longer than comfortable. Longer than any cold queen should look at a "disgusting mortal" who'd accidentally fathered her child.
Something flickered in those violet depths. Something confused. Something curious.
Something almost... soft.
Then—
"...Tch."
She looked away sharply.
"Ridiculous."
But her voice was quieter.
Less certain.
And as she walked past him, heading toward where Elena was still mesmerized by the peacock—
Yuuta could have sworn—
Was her face slightly pink?
Nah.
He shook his head.
Probably the sun.
They walked through the zoo side by side, though "side by side" was generous. Elena bounced ahead like a tiny rabbit-shaped spring, her hand clutched firmly in Yuuta's, the floppy ears of her costume swinging with every step as her eyes darted everywhere—the trees, the signs, the distant roar of something large and feline echoing through the afternoon air.
"Papa! Papa! What's that sound?!"
Yuuta smiled down at her. "Probably a tiger, sweetheart."
"THE ONE-HEADED KITTY!"
"That's the one."
"WILL IT BE SAD ABOUT HAVING ONLY ONE HEAD?!"
"I don't think tigers think about that, Elena."
"BUT WHAT IF IT DOES?!"
"Then we'll give it extra pets."
Elena nodded solemnly, satisfied with this solution, and continued her bouncing exploration of everything within sight.
Behind them, Erza walked alone.
Her strides were measured, regal, perfectly composed—the very image of a queen deigning to grace a mortal zoo with her presence. But her eyes were not composed. They kept drifting forward, to Yuuta's back, to the hand holding Elena's, to the easy way he laughed at her questions, to the endless patience in his voice when she asked the same thing for the fifth time.
Why does he treat her so differently?
The thought arrived unbidden, unwelcome, impossible to stop.
Why does he smile at her like that? Why does he hold her hand so naturally? Why does he—
She caught herself.
Stop it. He's an idiot mortal. He's nothing. He's—
But the thought wouldn't stop.
She looked down at her own hand. Empty. Useless. Just hanging there.
Is hand holding really that different? she wondered. Does it actually feel like something?
She glanced at the countless couples walking past. Hands intertwined. Fingers laced together. They walked closer than necessary, leaned into each other, smiled at nothing.
What do they feel?
Dragons were cursed with curiosity—it was their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. Once something caught their attention, they couldn't let it go. They would spend years, decades, centuries studying, analyzing, understanding until every mystery was solved.
And now Erza, the Dragon Queen, had found a new mystery.
Hand holding.
She wanted to know. Needed to know.
What does it feel like?
Ahead of them, Yuuta shivered suddenly as an ice-cold chill ran down his spine. Not literal ice—though with Erza, you never knew. Just instinct, the primal warning system that told you when someone was staring, when danger lurked, when a predator watched from the shadows with hungry eyes.
He glanced back.
Erza walked alone with her expressionless face, perfect posture, eyes that could freeze oceans. But something in that expressionless face screamed danger.
She's angry, Yuuta realized. Really angry. But why?
He looked at Elena. Looked at their joined hands. Looked at Erza walking alone behind them.
Oh. Oh no.
"Hey, Elena," he said quietly, keeping his voice calm. "Let's slow down a little, okay? Your mom seems... uh... upset."
Elena glanced back at Erza with the innocent concern only a child could muster. "Okay, Papa!"
Without hesitation, she slowed her bouncing pace.
Yuuta matched her.
Within moments, Erza drew alongside them. Her face was still expressionless, still cold, still absolutely unreadable. But Yuuta had spent enough time around her now to recognize the signs—the slight tension in her jaw, the way her eyes avoided his, the almost imperceptible tightness in her shoulders.
Definitely angry. Definitely at me. Definitely don't know why.
They walked in silence as Yuuta's mind raced.
Should I say something? No, that's dangerous. Should I ignore it? Also dangerous. Should I—
He glanced at her.
She wasn't looking at him. She was looking ahead at the couples, the families, the people walking hand in hand, laughing together, connected in ways she couldn't understand. Her eyes lingered on their hands.
Why do they hold hands? her expression seemed to ask. Is it really a new experience?
She glanced down at her own hand.
If I held Elena's hand, would I feel it? No. I've held her hand many times. It's different.
Then why—
"Erza."
Yuuta's voice cut through her thoughts like a blade through fog.
She turned with cold eyes and a guarded face. "What do you need, mortal?"
Yuuta coughed lightly, nervously. "If you don't mind..."
He trailed off.
This is a terrible idea. She's going to kill me. But she's clearly upset about something, and if I don't do something, she might freeze the entire zoo.
He took a breath, summoned every ounce of courage he possessed, and spoke.
"Will you hold my hand?"
Erza stopped walking completely, absolutely, fully stopped. Her eyes went wide for just a fraction of a second—a crack in the ice—before narrowing to dangerous slits.
Yuuta felt his soul attempt to evacuate his body through his feet.
Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. Did I just ask the Dragon Queen to hold my hand like some middle schooler at a dance?! Is this how I die?!
Sweat poured down his face. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped animal. His brain screamed RUN but his legs refused to cooperate.
"I—I mean—if you want, Your Highness—we don't have to—it was just—you were looking at the couples and I thought maybe—"
He was babbling and he knew it, but he couldn't stop.
"—and walking together is nice, right? Like, it's a thing people do, and Elena's already holding my other hand, so it's not weird, it's just—I mean unless you think it's weird, then it's definitely weird and I take it back, I didn't say anything, please don't kill me—"
Erza stared for one long, agonizing, eternity-length second.
Then: "Well."
Her voice was cold, controlled, royal. "If you insist. If you're begging. I suppose I can accept your pathetic request."
She reached out. Her fingers brushed his.
And then she took his hand.
Both of them turned crimson instantly, completely, like someone had flipped a switch and set their faces on fire.
Erza's cheeks burned. Her hand felt like it was on fire—not literally, but something was happening. Something she couldn't control. Something that made her want to snatch her hand back and hold on tighter at the same impossible time.
Her ancient, frozen, dragon heart was racing.
What is this? What is this feeling? Why can't I let go?
She looked away anywhere but at him—at the flamingos in their pond, at the children running past, at the sky, the ground, anything.
"If you crush my hand," she managed, trying to inject ice into her voice, "or try anything funny, I swear I will crush your hand with my power."
The words came out strangely breathless. Not cold at all.
Yuuta looked in the opposite direction, also red-faced, also breathless, also completely unable to process what was happening.
"Yes, my queen."
They walked. Hand in hand. Neither looking at the other. Neither letting go.
---
In the distance, Elena bounced ahead.
"PAPA! MAMA! COME FAST!" She pointed at something massive and striped. "THERE'S THE BEAST SLEEPING!"
Neither of them heard her.
They were too busy not looking at each other.
Too busy feeling the warmth of palms pressed together.
Too busy wondering—
What IS this?
Meanwhile, on the same side of the zoo...
The luxury van sat parked near the VIP entrance, black and gleaming like a polished tombstone. Tinted windows hid everything inside from prying eyes.
Not that anyone would want to see.
Aaron Muru lounged across the back seat like a king on his throne.
Around him—pressed against him, draped over him, desperate for his attention—were women. Five of them. Beautiful. Expensive. And every single one wore an engagement ring on her finger.
Married women.
Women who had vowed themselves to other men.
Women who had thrown those vows away for a chance to touch the face that launched a thousand magazines.
Aaron didn't care about their vows.
He didn't care about their husbands.
He didn't care about them.
They were tools. Vessels. Empty shells waiting to be filled with his presence.
And when he was done—
They would be empty in other ways too.
The van rocked gently.
No one outside noticed.
No one outside could notice.
The windows were tinted. The van was secluded. And Aaron's assistant—Allen—stood guard outside, golden pupils watching the crowd with casual disinterest.
Inside, Aaron finished.
The women slumped against the seats, unconscious. Their faces peaceful. Their bodies drained.
Aaron stretched.
"Done."
The door opened.
Allen slid inside, closing it quickly behind him. His golden pupils gleamed in the dim light.
"Excellent work, my master."
He reached out.
Placed his hand on the nearest woman's forehead.
And pulled.
From her body—from all their bodies—a dark mist rose. Black. Thick. Wrong. It coiled around Allen's fingers like living smoke, then vanished into his palm.
"Ahhh..." He closed his eyes, smiling. "Sin. Beautiful, delicious sin."
Aaron watched without interest.
"Is that enough?"
"Almost." Allen licked his lips. "A few more. A few more sins, and I will evolve into something... magnificent. "
He looked at his hands.
At the darkness still fading into his skin.
"Nefarious," he whispered. "I will become Nefarious."
Aaron yawned.
"Just don't take too long. I have a magazine shoot in an hour."
"Of course, my master. Of course."
---
Outside the van, the zoo continued its normal operations.
Families walked past. Children laughed. Couples held hands.
Including one particular family.
Silver hair. Rabbit costume. Black hair. Crimson eyes.
The Konuari family walked side by side—literally side by side now, hands still clasped together, faces still red, neither speaking but neither letting go.
They passed the luxury van without glancing at it.
Why would they?
It was just a van.
---
Inside the van—
Allen's head snapped up.
His golden pupils dilated.
His body went rigid.
"What..."
A wave of something washed over him.
Something ancient. Something terrifying. Something that made every sin he'd ever absorbed feel like a drop of water in an endless ocean.
"That aura..."
He scrambled to the window.
Peered through the tinted glass.
And saw them.
A woman in white. Silver hair. Violet eyes. Walking with the bearing of royalty.
A child in a rabbit costume. Tiny wings. Tail. The same silver hair.
And—
"No."
A man.
Black hair.
Crimson eyes.
Eyes that glowed faintly even in daylight.
Eyes that Allen had only seen in ancient texts. In forbidden scrolls. In the nightmares of demons who had survived the last great war.
"Children of Chaos."
The words escaped him like a prayer.
Like a curse.
Like worship.
"The Children of Chaos.. on this planet..."
His hands trembled.
His smile returned—wider now. Sharper. Hungrier.
"My true awakening..." He laughed softly. "It's here. It's finally here."
Behind him, Aaron stirred.
"Allen." His voice was annoyed. "Can you shut up? Some of us are trying to rest."
Allen's expression smoothed instantly.
He turned.
Bowed.
"I apologize, my master. I should have noticed you were sleeping."
His voice was respectful. Subservient.
But his eyes—
His eyes burned with something else.
He turned back to the window.
The family had disappeared into the crowd.
But Allen knew.
He knew.
"Just a little more time," he whispered to himself. "A little more sin. A little more power. When I awaken as a true monster..."
His smile widened.
"I will never bow to a human again."
He looked toward the sky.
Toward something only he could see.
"Hell is on my side today. To spot a Son of Disaster here, on this miserable little planet..."
He laughed.
Softly.
Darkly.
"I am truly blessed."
The van fell silent.
Outside, the zoo continued its happy, ignorant existence.
Families laughed.
Children played.
And somewhere in the crowd, a man with crimson eyes held hands with a dragon queen, completely unaware that something ancient and evil had just marked him.
---
"I will remove your Crystal from your heart , Children of Chaos."
Allen's whisper faded into darkness.
"Stone by stone."
---
To be continued...