From the environment of death, a beautiful flower emerged.
Its presence was otherworldly. With a beautiful silver hue, it brightened the darkness of the cell it had sprouted in. Such a thing was surely a miracle to give peace to the dying.
But there would be no salvation to be granted today.
By its power, it had sprouted for one purpose only: To find a host.
Its outward beauty covered the evil which laid within. A construct of black magic- nay, a step above such heresy, was its true identity. It was a mere drop of ego which had broken off from the main body. Nevertheless, it was something far beyond the understanding of any human being. Nothing it did would grant any good for anyone.
But humans who understood nothing were so easy to manipulate. Dangle something shiny in front of them and they will grasp it without hesitation, their vices overriding any sense of danger or doubt.
She was no different. Despite her usual demeanor, being so close to death had made her lower her guard. She knew for a fact that there was nothing beautiful in this world. Realty was a cruel mistress more ugly than any monster told of in myth.
Yet despite that fact, she desperately wanted to believe that line of thinking of wrong. If even once, on the verge of passing on, something beautiful was to appear before her, perhaps she could die in peace. She yearned for that deep within her heart.
But once again, she was proven wrong.
She felt it touch her when her vision faded. Something was crawling over her skin. It was warm but so damn unsettling, almost alien-like. She wanted to shake it off her, but how could she? She was dead.
She was dead.
She WAS dead.
ShE MUst Be dEAd.
...
Right?
But again, life's cruel grip wouldn't let her go. Something invisible pulled at her very core. It had been a gentle tug, but it soon turned into a violent yank the more she resisted. She just wanted to sleep. Before she knew it, a bright light had overwhelmed her and she found herself back in the coldness of the prison cell.
She had wanted to cry at that point, but no sound would make its way out of her throat. Instead, all she could hear was a soft whisper as an alien voice invaded her ears, dripping with mirth yet devoid of warmth.
"I hAVe NeEd YOu."
"Gah!"
Zero awoke with a jolt, sitting up abruptly. As soon as she did so, she gripped her head as she grew dizzy and bit down on her lip to muffle a curse.
"Damn it all," Again. That damn nightmare again. How long has it been since she started dreaming about that day? It had only been a couple weeks, but it felt like an eternity for her—a hellish eternity.
A couple of slow seconds passed as she got her breathing under control. Soon, the bout of vertigo vanished as well, and she slowly took her hands off her face.
Her form shivered slightly as a cold breeze passed over her, and it brought her back to her present condition. Right, she had been sleeping outside. The moon was still hanging above her head so it looks like she only got three hours of sleep.
The army patrols had been unusually more prevalent, so they had slowed her down by quite a bit. It had been annoying since she had hoped to reach the next town and steal a bed, but she made do with what she had.
Still, she wanted some peace. A good bed always prevented the nightmares from assaulting her, not like the stupid ground and a rock for a pillow. Was it really too much to ask for something that wouldn't cause her back to ache in the morning?
She forced herself up to her feet and made sure her sword was strapped to her waist. At this point, it'd be a waste to go back to sleep. She didn't feel tired, so she might as well make some leeway under the cover of darkness. It'd certainly make it easier for her to avoid those dumbass soldiers and patrols. While there wasn't anything wrong with some bloodshed, she didn't particularly feel in the mood after having that dream.
Besides, she had to accomplish her goal first, before that cursed flower took her over. She didn't know how much time she had, but it was limited. That much she knew for sure.
She could feel the plant inside her right eye squirm as if reacting to her thoughts to kill it. Still, it couldn't do anything about it. She was its host and letting her die would be the same as committing suicide.
Slipping on a simple cloak, she began walking in the direction of a town she had pinpointed on her map. First, she'd have to re-stock on supplies. Then she could continue her search for her next target... one that she would need in order to accomplish her goal.
The help of a dragon... that kind of power would be needed to end her life for good.
It didn't take long for her to reach the town. After traversing for a mere hour or so, she had already arrived at her destination. The place wasn't particularly large, but it was a key meeting point for merchants to trade goods with each other before heading their separate ways. As such, it was quite crowded despite its size.
She tucked her hood down over her hair and made sure that it was enough to cover her eyes. With her features, it'd be easy for anybody to figure out who she was. After all, there weren't many humans with pink eyes and snow-white hair running around stabbing people with a sword. You'd have to have been living under a rock to not know who she was.
Ever since the flower brought her back to life she wasted no time in breaking out of prison. The lord of the kingdom had been quite displeased with the news and had put quite a large bounty on her head. It would only grow larger over the years, and she heard that even a simple report of her sighting would be worth as much as a regular bounty.
On the one hand, it was flattering. On the other, it was a royal pain in the ass. Her sword would get dull if it continued to bathe in the blood of all those fools who attempted to claim her head.
Luckily, it appeared she didn't have to worry about such things. The marketplace was a mess of hustling and bustling. Nobody would think twice about her attire because they'd all be focused on what was being sold. The men would be interested in the assortment of fancy swords while the women would be gushing about the beautiful dresses.
Disgusting, really.
What was the point of such things? Perhaps it was her shitty upbringing, but she never saw any need in such extravagant things. All she needed were the essentials. So long as it could fill her stomach, kill her foes, or provide her protection against the weather, she could care less how cheap the item was.
Besides, everything in this world was equally ugly. Being shiny doesn't change a thing.
She discreetly swiped an apple from a stand and bit into it without paying, the owner having been too busy talking with another customer to notice. She then reached out and took a loaf of bread for later, stashing it within her cloak.
Taking a seat at the edge of a fountain in the town square, she tried to enjoy her snack in peace. As she did so, she discreetly cast her senses across the area.
"Look at this new dress I bought! It's just beautiful, isn't it?"
"This meat pie is the best! Really, every coin was worth it!"
"There's a lot more soldiers these days, huh? Probably on the lookout for that witch."
Zero sighed at that last one.
Her enhanced senses didn't seem to be picking up on anything interesting. It was a habit of hers. Every time she stopped at a new town, she tried to listen in on the gossip. Word traveled fast, especially in trading cities like this. If there was a chance that there was a sighting of a dragon, this place would be the most likely spot to learn about it.
Dragons were solitary creatures. Ancient and powerful, they often secluded themselves from humans. Once in a while though, it wasn't rare for someone to spot one flying high in the sky. Tracking them back to their lair, however, would be the real challenge.
How long should she remain? It would just be a waste of time if she continued to sit here and didn't gather any useful tips. She didn't have much of it, after all.
She decided to stay for only an hour or so. That was plenty of time to rest, and if she didn't get any information on dragon sightings she'll just stick to her original plan and travel to the Land of Mountains.
"Hey, did you hear about that guy? Y'know, the one who's supposedly going around destroying all those monsters?"
"Yeah, yeah! I hear he's quite the monster-slayer! I was only able to get my produce here because he cleared the roads for us. Thank the gods for him. I've been having trouble trying to find any safe routes nowadays and the damn lords aren't doing anything about it."
Her eyebrow rose at that. So there's a wannabe hero going around slaying monsters, eh? That's rare.
"I know, right? Well, apparently he's been sighted just recently to the north of here. Rumor has it that he's going to slay a dragon which has made its nest in the forests. Its been coming out at night and devouring the cattle and livestock. Apparently, it has even devoured some humans."
"A dragon?! That's crazy! I mean, trolls are one thing and all, but a dragon?! Those creatures are wayyyyy too strong!"
Zero's eyes widened and her shoulders stiffened. A dragon? Here? To the north?
She stood up, her fists clenched. If what they were saying was true she had no time to waste. This was her chance. If she could find the dragon, she could perhaps gain the power needed to carry out her plan.
The only problem was this supposed monster-slayer. If he managed to find and slay the dragon before she could speak with it...
She shook her head. No. That wasn't a possibility. No human in recorded history has ever managed to slay one of those overgrown lizards. Maybe their lesser cousins the Wyverns, but not a full-on dragon.
Finishing her apple, she quickly turned and strolled towards the northern gate. Now that she had her target, she could feel her blood boiling with excitement.
If all went well... she would be one step closer to completing her goal.
Turns out the forest was a mere twenty-five minute walk along the way.
Passing conversations between soldiers and the townsfolk revealed that this supposed monster-slayer has been quite active in this region. Nobody seemed to know his name, however, for he vanished without speaking to any of the people he saved.
Cloaked in red and wielding a bow, the people spoke of him in a near mythical light. Some whispered he could shoot down a falling star, others said he could shoot the eyes out of an ogre while looking away. It was as if he was some mythical hero who was above humanity.
She scoffed at that. What a joke. The man was probably just a good killing machine just like her. People shouldn't go around glorifying something like that just because he's not doing that to them.
The forest had been on the outskirts of town and was along the outer border of the Land of Forests itself.
Her brows knit together as she entered its confines. She didn't have any particularly good memories about the place. The Land of Forests was a place that was easy to get lost in, especially if you didn't know your way around.
Then there's the fact that a large group of different inhuman species lived here. From trolls to wolves, humans were far down the food chain within this domain. That's why it was often recommended to people to travel by airship rather than on foot.
She brushed a vine out of her face and then cursed as a stray branch swung out and nearly poked her eye out.
"Damn forest," Eyes narrowed in annoyance, she pushed on. "I would have preferred being in that damn desert than here."
"!"
She suddenly halted in her tracks and quickly placed a hand on her sword. Ahead of her, the sounds of numerous feet hitting the ground filled the air. They weren't human, though. They were far too light and-
"AROOO!"
Several wolves burst through the trees and ran towards her. She quickly made to draw her sword, but the action proved to be unnecessary as the pack charged right past her, completely ignoring her presence.
"The hell was all that for?" She questioned as she glanced back at the retreating pack. It was obvious they were fleeing something. Waves of terror practically rolled off them as they ran past.
Which could only mean...
A genuine smile wormed its way onto her face. So rare of an occurrence that it nearly hurt.
"I'm close."
She eagerly pressed on. Brushing past all different kinds of flora and avoiding even more creatures who were obviously running away in a hurry, she made haste towards her goal.
Soon, she came upon a small clearing filled with numerous purple flowers. In the center of the clearing was a large tower. It was ancient in design and looked to be on its last legs. Parts of it had crumbled into nothingness and rubble littered the area. It wouldn't be functional for any military division, that's for sure.
She placed her hand on her sword and drew it. If her instincts and intuition were anything to go by, it had to be the dragon's lair. It had to be. It definitely did look like a place a dragon would make its home in.
No sooner than she thought that, the entire structure imploded in on itself. The stone crumbled and sent dust flying everywhere in a massive cloud.
The earth rumbled and she nearly tripped. As she righted herself, a shape suddenly flew out of the dust cloud and landed just a few feet away from her. Upon closer inspection, the object was definitely human.
It was a man of fair height dressed in what appeared to be black armor and pants. A red cloak covered his shoulders and arms and also reached down to his legs. His hands were calloused and rough, revealing that he must be a soldier or someone used to wielding weapons.
His skin was fairly tan and he had white hair. It wasn't silky and smooth like her own, but it was messy and rough. It definitely gave him a more rugged look.
She stared at him in surprise. Despite being flung so far, he didn't look to be injured as much as he should be. In fact, she half expected him to have exploded all over the clearing with how hard he had been thrown.
Was he even a normal human?
The man groaned as he slowly got to his feet. He rubbed his shoulders and winced, feeling it pop.
"Damn, I was careless," His eyes trailed over to her and they widened when he noticed her presence. "What are you doing here?"
She stared at him for a moment before crossing her arms.
"None of your damn business," Her tone was harsh as her guard raised reflexively.
The man stared at her with a strange look. He didn't seem to be offended, but there was something strange in his eyes. Eventually, he nodded and turned back towards what remained of the tower.
"Then I suggest you leave. It's too dangerous for you here. A dangerous beast is going out of control."
She uncrossed her arms and scoffed. "A dragon, yeah? I heard about it. I also heard that you were the idiot who went to try and slay the damn thing."
"Idiot?" The man muttered, seemingly amused by her word choice for a moment. "I see. So you're interested in the dragon."
"Yeah, duh," Zero followed his gaze. "I need one of those creatures, and I've been searching long and hard for one."
The man chuckled and she gave him a look.
"What?"
"And you call me an idiot. Only fools would go searching for dragons."
Her temper flared. "Look dumbass, aren't you being a bit hypocritical right now? I don't need you to be telling me that."
"That I am. I am a hypocrite at heart."
His response really pissed her off. She didn't really know why. Perhaps it was because of how easily he dismissed her words? Ugh, interacting with others was just too damn troublesome. It'd be better if she didn't have to do so at all.
Unbeknownst to her, the man seemed to pick up on her mood but didn't say anything.
"Look, I can tell you're a fighter. That sword isn't just for show if your hands are telling me anything," He ignored her look. "But this dragon isn't something you should mess with. It's degraded down to its primal urges and is nothing more than a husk that devours anything on instinct. In short-"
The man was cut off as the ground suddenly erupted and a black monstrosity emerged. Clawing its way out of the newly formed hole, the dragon snarled as it stomped around and swung its tail, trampling all the flora in a wide arc around itself.
It was huge, black monstrosity. With wings as large as a sail and snapping teeth that could easily devour any beast, she could see why nearly all species on earth held fear for these creatures. They were the apex predators in this world, and even her unyielding will faltered a bit once she got a good look at it.
Holes filled its wings and its scales seemed to be rotting away. It reminded her more of a decomposing body rather than a mighty creature of legend, but she had no doubt that it could easily rip her in two if it tried.
The dragon snarled and sniffed the air before tensing. It then turned towards the pair and roared, spitting saliva everywhere and causing the ground to boil upon contact.
"Well, it's too late to run anymore," The man muttered with a resigned sigh before he held his hand out. A bow then manifested in his hand with a flash of light, causing Zero's eyes to widen in surprise. "If you do not wish to die, prepare your sword."
"I know that," She scoffed, unclipping her sword and holding it ready. "You're a practitioner of magic?"
"Magecraft," The man replied. "Not magic."
Magecraft? The hell?
"We can speak about it later. It's coming."
Soon as he said that, the dragon charged. The earth trembled with its approach and Zero was nearly taken aback by its speed. How the hell could something so large move so fast?!
She jumped to the left, the man jumped to the right. The dragon charged into the nearby trees and sent them crashing to the ground. With a snarl, it quickly turned its eyes on her and charged once again.
"Really?!"
Her sword gleamed dangerously as she swung it up to meet the dragon's snapping maw. The metal blade slammed into the side of its head, sending it reeling to the side. The sword failed to draw blood, however, as the dragon's scales acted as an impenetrable shield.
She cursed and jumped backward as the dragon swung its tail around. The rotting appendage tore up the earth around her, sending dirt and other foliage flying everywhere. Quickly running forward, she slid under its belly and swung upwards. She could feel her blade bite into its soft tissue and the monster let out a wail of pain.
As she righted herself, she glanced down at her blade and scowled at the sight. There was only a thin sliver of blood, barely enough to have come from a significant wound.
"You've got to be shitting me," She muttered as she watched the dragon turn back towards her, rage intensified.
So her sword was as good as useless. So good to know. Now she didn't have any means of killing the damn thing.
Well, she did, but it wasn't a method she particularly liked to do.
Her hand rubbed her throat and she closed her eyes. She wasn't much of a singer, but her song was dangerous for any who was caught in its effects.
"Alright, you scaly bastard. Let's see if you can handle-"
She was cut off as several streaks of red light flew past her and impaled themselves into the dragon's skin. Small streams of blood filtered out from its wounds and the dragon let out a roar of pain. It teetered on its legs and shielded its face with its wings, now more ruined than ever.
"Don't stand still!"
Turning around, she saw the man with his bow drawn and a grim look on his face. He gestured towards the dragon.
"Go for the chin!"
The dragon unfurled its wings and spat a ball of fire at the man. He dodged and drew his bow to let loose several more shots. The dragon defended itself once again by blocking its face with its wings, knocking the projectiles aside.
"Looks like you're good for something!"
She dashed forward and prepared her sword. The dragon was still covering its face with its wings so it didn't notice her approach. Maneuvering herself under its wings, she leaped up and thrust her sword straight under its chin.
This time, the blade did pierce the dragon's flesh. It gave a howl and its beady eyes turned down at her, seemingly shocked that a puny human had managed to wound it so.
She smirked. "You feel that huh? You damn, overgrown lizard!"
Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say because anger soon came back into its eyes. It violently shook its head side to side, removing her feet off the ground as she held on for dear life.
"Son of a- hey!"
She gripped the handle of her sword for dear life as the dragon continued to swing around in pain. Her enhanced muscles strained just to keep her grip from slipping. Any more violence and they may very well tear.
Well, it wasn't as if that was a problem had it been any other foe, but she began to realize that she may be in a very terrible situation.
The flower in her eye seemed to sense it too. It was going haywire, almost as if it were panicking. How could it not? The enemy before them was a dragon, its natural predator. Regeneration and resurrection would not work if she were to be done in by this thing.
"Gah!"
Her grip released from the sword and she was sent sprawling to the ground. Before she could get back up, the dragon lifted its foot and stomped down hard on her arm.
She screamed as pain invaded her brain. By the gods, her arm-
Son of a bitch, how could she be so damn careless?! How stupid could she be?!
No choice... No choice! She had to release the flower's power!
She opened her mouth to sing her poisoned song, but she realized something as the dragon bore down at her.
There wasn't enough time.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Her mouth was only halfway open, and the dragon's maw was descending upon her. It was going to rip her head clean off, separate neck from shoulders.
In any other circumstances, she would have welcomed death... but not now, damn it! She still had something left to do!
To fix her mistakes...
To destroy the remnants of this damn flower...
She couldn't die here!
But no amount of complaining would matter. She knew that better than anyone. Hoping and wishing doesn't bring results. Ever since her childhood, that lesson had been ingrained into her very being.
How unfair... Even this world would reject her attempt at saving it.
As the dragon's mouth came down upon her she closed her eyes, strength leaving as she resigned herself to her fate.
But-
"Trace on."
"Trace on."
Archer threw himself forward and discarded his bow. He had planned on sniping the dragon from a distance, but that reckless girl had changed his plans. He couldn't afford to hang back if he wanted to make sure that she escaped with her life.
He held out his hand as he began imagining the optimal weapon for this situation. He needed a dragon-slaying sword, one that would easily be able to make quick work of his enemy.
A large greatsword appeared within his outstretched hand. The sword was decorated with golden accents and had a blue jewel placed within its pommel. Large and grand, it gave the impression of having been crafted by inhuman hands.
It was Balmung, the legendary sword of Siegfried the dragon slayer. Bathed in the blood of a dragon which embodied greed, it gained properties as an anti-dragon weapon.
"O sword, let thee be filled."
The jewel in its pommel flared to life and mana began to pour into the sword. As it did so, it was cycled and transformed into an even purer form known as ether, the great energy from the Age of the Gods.
Balmung pulsed as sky blue light jutted out of its blade. The air crackled and hummed with power, all concentrated within the weapon in his hands. It was a power great enough to destroy an army...
...To destroy the sky demon.
He appeared in a flash between the girl and the dragon's maw and swung his sword. All that power burst forth as a torrent of overwhelming strength meant to annihilate everything in its path.
The dragon didn't even feel a thing or could comprehend its death. In that instant, the dragon's entire top half had been annihilated by the beam. Reduced to nothing more than charred meat and bone, the monster's corpse toppled over and crashed to the ground with a thud.
"Guh."
Archer gritted his teeth and dropped to one knee as a wave of exhaustion swept over him. Balmung fell out of his hands and broke into particles of magical energy before vanishing into the air.
"Used too much energy... What would Rin say?"
The image of a red devil incessantly berating him popped up in his mind and he bit back a chuckle. Why did he bother asking himself such a question when he already knew the answer?
Well, it's perhaps just the nostalgia kicking in. Even on another job, he would never let go of his past life.
Taking a steady breath, he forced himself back to his feet and turned towards the more pressing matter at hand. Namely, the mysterious white-haired girl with the foul mouth who had passed out a foot behind him.
He knelt down next to her and winced as he took stock of her injury. Her left arm had been completely crushed and was hanging on only by a handful of torn tendons and ligaments. Other than that, however, she had no other injuries.
A good sign. As grievous as the state of her arm was, her life wasn't in immediate danger. All he had to do was administer proper aid and she would survive.
Reaching out with his arm, he made to touch her but suddenly pulled back as a strange feeling washed over him.
"What?" He muttered as he gazed down at the girl with surprise. "What are you- no... I see."
Taking off his shroud, he quickly used it as a tourniquet and gently wrapped the girl's arm. After making sure it was properly secured, he scooped her up and began carrying her.
He needed to get her somewhere safe. Not only because she was someone who needed his help...
...But because she was the reason why he had been summoned to this world.
