A/N: Here's the first Extra Chapter to fill some stuff in while I work on the main story! These are likely always going to be shorter than a normal chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy them either way!

(Also I noticed I mixed up Hetaro and TP in the last chapter– Fixed that, whoooops!)

As always, make sure to drop reviews to let me know what you think thus far! Thanks for all the support!~

EX 1 (Extra Chapter 1)

Golden Lion and Scarlet Pride

Two weeks had passed since the battle at Old Man Rom's warehouse. Since then, life had seemed even more difficult for Felt, who often found the watchful eyes of the Royal Guard everywhere she went.

"Gah— It's not fair!" The girl punched the nearby wall, watching her most recent mark start to leave her sight, after a pair of knights had suddenly shown up in the street. "What the heck do those guys have against me anyways..?"

Felt slumped against the wall and gazed up at the clear skies above, taking in the breeze that rolled over her.

Two weeks ago, they'd faced death at the hands of Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter. It was a battle that was only survived thanks to an intervening half-elf, and the Spirit Knight named Julius. Supposedly, that strange boy, Natsuki Subaru, had also assisted in some way, but Felt had never quite believed that.

Unfortunately, that same half-elf had ruined everything by being frozen. What had even caused it? She recalled how the girl had suffered a fatal injury, then Julius had called out a name several times. What was it again?.. Puck?

After that, an intense blizzard had erupted from her. The Spirit Knight had protected Felt and still managed to drive Elsa back, but Rom had nearly perished from his wounds and the intense cold…

Felt couldn't shake the feeling of powerlessness to do anything. She had no right to judge someone like Subaru for being useless, did she?

I'll just have to get even better, even faster! She thought. Especially if the Knights of Lugunica were going to be more wary now, that only made her stubborn pride rise to the surface more.

After all, what truly good thief would give up when the odds stacked more and more against them?

Making up her mind, Felt quickly got up and jumped up onto some window sills that lined the building, expertly making her way up to the shingled rooftop. Once there, she perched and scouted the area for anyone who looked particularly vulnerable.

"Felt… I know how you feel, because I feel the same. But this is a life changin' offer…"

The voice of Rom echoed in her mind. After the events of the battle, they had been offered assistance due to the warehouse being mostly destroyed. Felt had denied this, not wanting the patronage of the country's authority that she hated so much.

We'll be fine, Grandpa Rom. She leaned forward, having spotted someone peculiar a few streets away. Something about them seemed to jump out at her, like they were calling towards her mind. She grinned. Just you wait… I'll get us a real score…!

In an instant, Felt bridged the gap to her target, wind kicking up around her as she utilized her Divine Protection's power to reach the rooftop above them.

The person was tall, and wore a familiar white garb, but with a hood over their head concealing their identity. For some reason, Felt had a sense of danger in the back of her mind. Something screamed at her to turn away, yet at the same time, she was drawn to them.

Felt wasn't into worrying about complicated things— It wasn't really her style. At this point, any win would make her feel like she'd finally returned to her old self.

The Golden Lion's pride was truly starving.

Removing her dagger and wielding it in right hand, Felt watched as the person abruptly stopped in mid-stride, only to suddenly and briskly walk into a nearby side street.

Wondering if she had been discovered, the girl leaped forward, easily clearing the street and descending down into where her target had vanished. As she neared the ground, she spun around, her Divine Protection sending gales around her in her wake, allowing her to land almost gracefully.

Unfortunately, she'd landed right in front of the hooded person. Cursing her rust, the girl shot forward, not letting them think.

Felt slashed towards their pockets with her dagger, but could see them reacting— So she quickly flipped her blade to her other hand, expertly dancing past them and managing to slash across their cloak on the opposite side.

Nothing. She grit her teeth and ran in again. This time, the person turned, drawing a simple short sword, holding it towards her. As she got close, the girl went in low, kicking up a current of wind that sent a small cloud of dust upwards, blinding her opponent for a moment.

This is it, I can taste it! The girl smiled as she slashed open the persons other pocket, watching as coins scattered to the floor, along with a small metal object…

A Dragon Insignia.

Felt's eyes widened, and she quickly went to snatch it up. The person grabbed her wrist to stop her, so she spun and attempted to kick their head, only for their other hand to come up and stop her.

However, with their hands now tied, Felt hurled her dagger at them, forcing them to pull away to avoid its trajectory. As they released her, she rolled along the ground, snagging the Insignia and getting up to her feet.

This… Is it really..?

The girl knew she should run, but her hand was shaking as she opened it to gaze down at the insignia. On it was the mark of the Great Dragon, as well as a red jewel at its center..

And before Felt's eyes, it suddenly began to glow, reflecting along her crimson eyes.

While she was mesmerized by the sight, Felt didn't see the person approach til they had already grasped her wrist. She tried to pull away, but their grip was tight, and as she looked up, the person was pulling their hood away.

"I have found you, at last," they said with a smile.

They were a man who couldn't have been older than twenty, but there were signs of fatigue along their face that one might see from someone twice their age. Their bright red hair was parted at the center by an uneven stripe of white, and their sky-blue eyes were locked on the glowing insignia in Felt's hand, as if dazzled by the gentle scarlet glow it emanated.

What happened next was completely unexpected. The man suddenly got down on one knee, cupping her hand in theirs, bowing their head.

"I, the Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea," they stated, before looking up at the stunned girl. "Swear my undying loyalty to you, and shall assist you in becoming the next Monarch."

For a moment, Felt could only look down at the knight, completely dumbfounded. Not only was he a member of the Royal Guard, but he was the Sword Saint? That was… That was…

…The absolute last person she wanted to see.

"Get… away from me!" The girl let out a yell as she suddenly planted her boot hard into Reinhard's face, kicking him back and turning to flee.

What the hell was he talking about?! The next Monarch? Felt ran as hard as she ever had, knowing she'd made a huge mistake in attacking and stealing from such a person. Stupid Knights… Always getting in the way..!

The entire time back to the Poor District, Felt wondered how long it would take for Reinhard to chase her down and smite her… But little did she know, the Sword Saint merely laid there for a few minutes, laughing joyously.

"I've really done it.. Grandmother…"

The laughing stopped as he grit his teeth, the sky above becoming blurrier as his eyes began to well up with tears.

"I can do it... I can become worthy.. of being the Sword Saint."

He put his gloved hand over his face, feeling as vulnerable as he ever had in his life, glad that the girl had ran before she could see him at his lowest. Reinhard was truly a fraction of his former self, and now that his most important assignment had been accomplished, it was all worth it. Everything.

After all, he had given up everything to find the final candidate for the Royal Selection—

But because of this fact, the world would never truly be the same.

End

A/N: What the hell happened to Reinhard? What did he give up to make this happen? Well, that's for you guys to speculate! I think it's possible to piece it all together if you've read through Arc 5 of canon, but eventually it'll be revealed, whether in another EX or the main story!

Anyways, let me know what you think thus far!~