"You were supposed to die here."
"Huh?"
"There they are! Fire!"
Another wave of demons prepared their attacks, mana gathering in their hands.
But the Valkyrie moved first.
She rushed toward me.
Her wings spread wide—
and in a single motion, she grabbed me and shot into the air.
"Hey—why me?! What about the others?!"
"Explanations later," she said shortly. "Focus on getting out."
But—
in the distance…
someone was watching.
No one noticed his presence.
A sniper.
Calm.
Cold.
He raised his weapon.
Taking the perfect angle.
"A Valkyrie… huh."
A faint smirk formed on his lips.
"Jackpot."
BANG!
The bullet moved faster than sound.
A slash—
Her wing was hit.
We lost balance.
"Oi! Valkyrie—what are you doing?!"
Her body stiffened.
Her breathing grew heavy.
Blood began to drip from her wing.
Damn… that attack was worse than it looked.
"Hang on!"
I held her tightly.
The wind slammed against my face.
The ground drew closer.
And I knew—
we were going to crash.
Hard.
Flashback – Hilda's Past
"Listen, Hilda… one day, there will be a dragon who frees everyone from the chains of despair. This legend has been passed down in our family… though it may be too early for you to hear it."
The old woman coughed softly on her bed.
Little Hilda, with innocent eyes full of curiosity, stared at her.
"Does someone like that really exist, Grandma?"
Her grandmother paused.
"Hmm…" She smiled warmly and nodded.
"Then… how do I find them?"
Hilda's small voice sounded serious beyond her age.
"I don't want to see people fighting each other just for their own selfishness."
Her tiny hands hit the bed softly.
"There is no certain way," her grandmother replied gently."You will know… when you see them. And when that moment comes—never doubt it."
She pinched Hilda's nose affectionately.
"Kaghh—!"
Hilda woke up with a sharp breath, as if she had just been pulled back from death.
"That dream again…"
But this time, that wasn't what mattered.
In front of her, a man in knight's armor sat on a wooden log. The campfire's light danced across his armor, casting shifting shadows on his face.
The night air was cold, but the tension between them was far sharper.
"So…"the man spoke, his eyes sharp with caution.
"Shall we continue our conversation?"