Melusine stood frozen, anger and anxiety mixing on her face. Her teeth clenched as her tail twitched with frustration. Those damn fairies—always buzzing around Aslan the moment she left his side! If she weren't a dragon, she probably wouldn't have been able to scare them off with her presence alone.
But this—this was worse.
She'd only gone back to her room for a moment to finish packing, and somehow, not only had the fairies come sniffing around again, but now—
A succubus?!
Wait a minute... wasn't that succubus male?
Then she remembered. A succubus doesn't care about gender. They only cared about the soul that attracted them.
Got it!
"Bastard! Go to hell! Stay away from my Aslan!!"
Before Aslan could even react, Melusine had already drawn her sword and launched forward with terrifying speed. The playful smile fell from Merlin's face as his staff whipped into position across his chest, his other hand ready at the hilt.
A flash of cold light, a clash of metal, and sparks burst before Aslan's eyes.
Melusine now stood between him and Merlin, clad in radiant blue armor. Aslan had forged that armor himself—its form inspired by his memories of her, and its materials made from Melusine's own scales and dragon teeth.
Melusine narrowed her eyes. The succubus had actually blocked her strike. She took great pride in her speed. For him to react in time...
Not bad. This one might be the strongest opponent I've ever faced.
But that changed nothing. She wasn't about to hand Aslan over—not to a fairy, not to a witch, and certainly not to another man!
"The battle has begun," she said coldly, not taking her eyes off Merlin. "Aslan, stand back. Don't get blown away. I'll finish this quickly."
Merlin raised an eyebrow, his smile tilting into a devilish curve. Anyone who knew him would recognize that look—the one he wore right before stirring chaos.
"Well, that's confident of you. Hmm… a dragon? I suppose that explains the pride. Still, I'm not so easy to deal with, little sister. After all, I'm the Dreamy Flower Magus. And when it comes to knowing Aslan—"
He grinned, placing a hand over his chest.
"I knew him long before you did."
Melusine's voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Oh? So you're that kind of nightmare."
Merlin chuckled. "Well~ that's what I like to think, a big brother."
A sudden spike in Melusine's magic sent the wind shrieking through the trees. Branches snapped, leaves scattered like confetti, and even the earth beneath them trembled. The knight's sword in her hand began to glow, blue light rippling across its blade like aurora over a midnight sea. Her armor shimmered, resonating with her power.
The blade—Aurora's Dragon—was a masterpiece. In terms of strength and mystery, it rivaled the legendary Unbreakable Lake Light.
She pointed it at Merlin.
"I'll tear you apart. Every drop of your blood, every piece of your flesh—I'll claim it all. You're mine to destroy, and I'll drag you down to the deepest abyss where you belong!"
Merlin didn't flinch. His staff gleamed, light dancing along its runes. He tightened his grip on his sword, prepared to respond in kind.
If no one stopped them now, the clash would certainly level the clearing.
"Stop! Melusine, Merlin—both of you, just stop! Why are you like this?! Nothing even happened!" Aslan shouted, exasperated. "If you really want to fight for fun, don't do it in front of me!"
Melusine froze mid-swing. Even restrained, the wind pressure from her earlier outburst had carved a deep scar into the ground and sheared off a few trees.
Merlin let out a slow breath. A few of his bangs floated to the ground—sliced clean off by the wind. He hadn't intended to actually fight a dragon. If Melusine had pressed forward, he'd have instantly cast an escape spell.
He might be a magus of dreams, but he was no fool.
Honestly, the magic he was best at chanting was: "Teleport~"
Melusine lowered her blade and dismissed her armor. She turned to Aslan, eyes wide with emotion—and unmistakable betrayal. Her voice trembled.
"Aslan... don't tell me... you really have feelings for this creature?! I'm your possession... your contractor... your lover! What could he possibly have that I don't?!"
As the tension eased, Merlin returned to his usual smirk. "Come now, that's a little harsh. If Aslan wanted, I could easily change my appearance~"
Without hesitation, Aslan stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His hand snapped forward and grabbed Merlin by the collar. Before the magus could protest, a loud clang rang out—metal meeting skull.
The forging hammer landed with a satisfying thud.
Merlin flew several feet and landed in a dazed heap, a fresh bump blooming on his forehead.
Aslan exhaled and turned to Melusine, pulling her into a firm embrace.
"How could I fall for that nightmare? Melusine, you have to believe me. You're the only one I can't give up. As for that troublemaker—he only showed up because he overheard we were moving. That's it."
He stroked her hair gently.
"If you see him again, you can give him a friendly face-breaking punch. It might just shake the nonsense out of his brain. And if you still hate him after that, just ignore him."
Melusine blinked, stunned by his sudden closeness. But then she smiled—broad and brilliant.
She melted into his warmth, her heart fluttering as she nodded against his chest. Dragons cared deeply about physical warmth, and Aslan's embrace was all she needed to know.