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Chapter 64: Fate’s Final Shot — Rise of the King’s Silver-Armed Sniper
しおりを挟む
The Grootslang LUNGED fiercely, its massive forehead barreling straight toward Ryo. A sharp gasp escaped him—he was just about to dodge when the beast was already upon him.
But before it could strike, Fairy Greatmother moved in a flash, stepping in front of him and summoning a shield of golden light. The barrier flared instantly, taking the full force of the Grootslang’s headbutt. The beast snarled, relentless, hammering against the shimmering wall, its eyes blazing with fury.
“MR. DETECTIVE! RUN!” Fairy Greatmother’s voice rang out urgent and commanding.
Ryo knew he couldn’t take on the monster—he was only a normal human, after all. With a bitter sigh, he slid his gun and Arabian dagger back into his coat, accepting the harsh truth: trying to shoot or slice a Vrakul Grootslang was pointless.
Beside him, Dr. Snouts 5000 gestured urgently, nodding toward his broad back. “BRO, GET ON NOW!”
Without hesitation, Ryo leapt up, gripping the massive Cu Sith’s fur as the beast began to circle the Grootslang.
“WE NEED TO GET THOSE SISTERS OUT OF HERE!” Ryo shouted over the chaos.
“But how? They’re trapped!” Dr. Snouts 5000 growled.
The Grootslang’s serpent tail writhed menacingly, curling around the unconscious sisters as they lay on the ground, leaving them trapped with no way to escape or reach them.
Suddenly, the air erupted with the furious flapping of wings. The Fairy Warriors took flight, circling the beast. Wands sparked with crackling blue lightning, fire bombs erupted in bursts of flame, and razor-sharp wind blades sliced through the air. Spears and scythes gleamed as they danced through the fray, striking at the monster’s shimmering black scales.
The Grootslang bled a dark, oily black. Its blood hissed against the wooden floor, steam rising where it spilled.
With a roar of pain, the beast rammed the golden barrier, and Fairy Greatmother gasped as cracks spiderwebbed across it. Then, in a burst of golden light, the shield fractured and vanished.
The monster reared back and swung its trunk like a massive hammer. Fairy Greatmother was struck, hurtled through the air, and sent tumbling outside the Elderglade Spire.
Nuada’s eyes blazed with fury. Clenching his teeth, he roared. “HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY WIFE!”
His runeblade shimmered into existence in his hands, glowing with silver light as he took flight, dashing toward the Grootslang. With fierce strikes, he slashed across the beast’s back.
Titania’s voice rang out in fury, and glowing moonlit vines erupted from the ground, coiling tightly around the Grootslang’s writhing form, binding it.
Vesmyra summoned a swarm of shimmering water blades, sending them flying in a deadly volley.
But before Fairy Greatmother could hit the ground, a golden light enveloped her. She skidded through the air, regained control, and blazed back inside the Elderglade Spire, unharmed.
Ryo’s mind raced. From the ancient tales he’d read, Grootslangs were vulnerable to light and fire. He called out to Fairy Greatmother and the fire-wielding fairy warrior, quickly instructing them to blind the beast with light magic and scorch it with overwhelming flames.
Fairy Greatmother lifted her wand, its tip flaring brilliantly. The Grootslang shrieked in pain, shielding its eyes from the blinding golden light as it struggled fiercely against the binding vines.
Nearby, the fire-wielding fairy focused, shaping a blazing orb in his palm before hurling it at the monster’s back. The Grootslang thrashed violently, its tail coiling and twisting, creating a momentary opening around the sisters lying trapped within its writhing body.
This was Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000’s chance.
Dashing through the chaos, the Cu Sith swiftly dodged whipping tail strikes. Ryo grabbed the sisters by their dresses, one in each hand, and quickly lifted them onto Dr. Snouts 5000’s broad back.
The Cu Sith sprinted toward the building’s exit, leaping from one floating leaf platform to another until they landed on solid ground.
Once there, Ryo gazed upward and saw the servants and the two fairy warriors waiting on a hill of glowing grass. He then told the Cu Sith to head toward them. Upon reaching the hill, he gently laid the sisters down and instructed Sophie and Elise to watch over Clarisse and Seraphine.
The two fairy warriors insisted they needed to return to the battle, but Ryo shook his head firmly, warning them of the dangers if the servants and sisters were left unprotected.
Arguments flared between Ryo and the warriors, their heated voices echoing across the glowing hill. The warriors cared little for the sisters or the servants, focused solely on protecting their rulers and their own people.
“We have to return to battle!” one fairy warrior shouted. “Our rulers need us!”
“And leave the servants and sisters here?!” Ryo snapped. “Do you really think the Grootslang will wait? Your allies are keeping that monster busy right now!”
“WE CAN’T ABANDON OUR OWN PEOPLE FOR HUMANS WE BARELY KNOW!” the other warrior retorted.
“THESE HUMANS ARE HELPLESS!” Ryo shot back. “I’VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WEAK ARE LEFT ALONE. YOU RISK EVERYONE IF YOU LEAVE THEM!!!”
Dr. Snouts 5000 raised a calming paw. “Don’t worry, bro. That monster’s focused on you alone. We just need to keep it away from these girls.”
Ryo rubbed his temples, exhaling in resignation. “Alright… let’s go.”
The Fairy Warriors took off again with frustrated huffs. Ryo climbed onto Dr. Snouts 5000’s back once more.
Turning to the servants, he said with steady assurance. “Stay put, high up here. No matter what, okay?”
Elise and Sophie nodded, their eyes wide—worried, but determined.
Then, together, Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 began making their way down the hill.
But then—
A loud, piercing shriek ripped through the air. It was unlike anything Ryo had ever heard, high-pitched and inhuman, cutting straight into the bones.
Ryo’s head snapped up. “THE HELL IS THAT CREEPY SOUND?!”
Dr. Snouts 5000 stopped in his tracks at the base of the hill, ears twitching. He shook his head slowly.
“I am uncertain, but I have a feeling that doesn’t sound like a go—”
Before he could finish—
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
The scream was everywhere, echoing through the kingdom of Lunaveth. Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 glanced around in shock.
Fairies clutched their heads, covering their ears, their faces twisted in agony. And it wasn’t just a handful—it was ALL of them. The small child-like fairies. The human-sized fairy citizens. Every single one was screaming in pain.
Every single one, except for Ryo, the Cu Sith, and the human servants.
Even the two Fairy Warriors who had stormed off earlier were affected. Mid-flight over the Elderglade Spire, their wands and weapons slipped from their hands as they screamed in agony, clutching their ears.
Dr. Snouts 5000’s eyes went wide in dawning horror. He whispered, almost afraid to confirm it.
“That shrieking sound… could it be… only affecting fairies?”
Ryo looked toward the Elderglade Spire. “And that creepy sound came from inside there… is everyone safe? Could it be that Grootslang is making this sound?”
The thought sent a cold shiver down their spines. Their allies were still inside, locked in battle with the beast. They had to get back and help them.
But before they could move—
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
The Elderglade Spire exploded.
Flames and debris exploded outward—planks of wood, tangled vines, and shards of plants raining in every direction. Smoke roared into the sky, churning and twisting as it swallowed the night above.
Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 froze, gasping as they stared at the destruction.
And then, through the choking haze—
A massive head broke free, followed by the serpentine length of a colossal body. The Grootslang emerged, its scales glistening black, its eyes gleaming with hunger.
It twisted its enormous body into a coil, then SHOT toward the two hovering warriors above the ruined spire. With horrifying speed, its trunk lashed out, grabbing them mid-flight and twisting them with bone-crushing force.
The warriors screamed—just before the monster’s mouth opened wide.
The Grootslang drew them in.
It bit down.
CRUNCH!
Blood sprayed into the air as the Grootslang chewed, swallowing its prey with a sickening satisfaction. Then it threw its head back and let out a triumphant roar.
Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 could only stare upward, faces darkened by horror.
Ryo’s hands trembled. His jaw tightened. He clenched his fists and swung one through the air, voice raw with frustration.
“DAMN IT!” he shouted, helpless that he couldn’t prevent another death.
And then—they saw them.
Figures plummeting from above, bloodied and battered.
Fairy Greatmother. Nuada. Titania. Vesmyra. And the Fairy Warriors who had fought alongside them—all of them crashing down from the Elderglade Spire.
Dr. Snouts 5000 galloped forward and skidded to a stop beside them. Ryo leapt off his back, rushing to check on each one in turn.
They were alive—grunting and weakened, but with no deep wounds. Even so, Ryo’s chest tightened.
Fairy Greatmother had once told him that fairies had strong, resilient bodies. Yet here they were—bleeding, scraped, and bruised.
He realized it then.
That shriek—it didn’t just hurt them. It weakened them.
Titania stirred first, pushing herself up on shaky arms.
Ryo stepped toward her quickly. “Titania, stay down. We’ll lure that monster away.”
She coughed, a trail of blood spilling from her lips, and fell to her knees.
Dr. Snouts 5000 trotted up beside her, voice gentle yet firm. “Please, my lady. You need to res—”
But her voice cut over his in a sudden, fierce shout. “NEVER! I’LL NEVER LET THAT MONSTER LAY ITS FANG ON THE LAND I ONCE RULED!”
“She once ruled this kingdom?” Ryo thought. “So it wasn’t just King Nuada… Titania too? Just like the original story?”
The Grootslang swung its massive head toward Ryo and let out a roar that shook the very air.
Ryo’s eyes widened in panic. “SH*T!”
If the beast charged now, it wouldn’t just hit him—it would crush the wounded scattered nearby.
The Grootslang lunged forward.
But Titania would not stand by and watch her family and allies fall.
Light glowing from her palms, she summoned a massive orb of pure white brilliance. With a sharp, forceful motion, she hurled it toward the monster.
BOOM!
The light exploded across the Grootslang’s face. Black scales cracked, and black, sizzling blood streaked down its head. The beast recoiled, then roared at her with even greater fury.
Titania’s wings beat the air, and she soared high, turning toward the luminous forest in the far distance—far from the fairy city, its citizens, and the heart of the kingdom. She would draw the danger away.
Enraged, the Grootslang forgot Ryo entirely. It coiled its body, leapt down from the Elderglade Spire’s shattered platform, and slammed into the ground. The earth shook as it began to slither across the kingdom, chasing her.
Ryo dragged a hand down his face, helplessness weighing on him. He wanted to help—desperately—because he knew what the monster’s shriek could do. If it unleashed that sound again, Titania could weaken… and then be devoured.
Beside him, Fairy Greatmother stirred. Her voice was faint, but filled with aching concern.
“Tita… ni… a… my sweet… child…”
Ryo knelt before her. “Ma’am, are you alright?”
Fairy Greatmother placed a hand on his shoulder. Her voice trembled with urgency.
“Mr. Detective… I’m sorry… I must go to her… now.”
He gripped her shoulder in return. “But you’re not in any condition to fight.”
She didn’t answer. Instead, her body flared with golden light as she shot into the sky—flying hard toward Titania’s direction, driven by a mother’s resolve.
Next to him, Vesmyra pushed herself unsteadily to her feet. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Sister… Titania…”
Pale blue light shimmered over her form as her wings unfurled. Without hesitation, she launched into the air, following her mother and sister into danger.
Ryo was left standing with Dr. Snouts 5000, alongside the Fairy King Nuada and the fallen warriors, all motionless from the battle.
Shame burned in his chest. He had been here before—watching others risk themselves while he stood powerless. As a former cop, he had always wanted to be part of the fight. His sense of justice ran deeper than most of his colleagues, but in the field, brute strength had never been his gift. Too often, he had been the one beaten down while others finished the job.
Yes—those missions had succeeded because of his deductions, his instincts. But still…
He wanted strength.
The kind of strength that could strike down this Vrakul Grootslang.
This shame he feels now is the same as in Al-Munira, when he could only watch the Arabian Royal Family fight Malakar in the Grand Palace while he hid, powerless against an immortal sorcerer.
And then, the memory surfaced…
The ancient power of the Crimson Gunslinger—a temporary gift from the crimson-cloaked Grim Reaper, Mr. Grim. With that power, he had saved an entire Arabian kingdom from the ancient criminal Malakar.
His fists trembled, nails digging into his palms, thought. “If… if only I had that power again…”
Nuada stirred, his battered form shifting on the stone floor. With a pained crawl, the Fairy King reached for Ryo—his left silver hand clamping weakly around the detective’s ankle.
“My family… stands no chance against that… monster,” he rasped.
Ryo twisted around, eyes wide. “Oi, King—you alright?!”
Dr. Snouts 5000 padded closer, placing a paw gently against the king’s back. “Your Majesty! Please, stay down—you are far too injured.”
But Nuada’s gaze was fixed on Ryo, his voice heavy with memory.
"That beast… it’s overwhelming. It reminds me of the war, fifteen years ago. Back then, the dark beings came as ghostly, demonic shapes. But this… this form is far more terrible."
“You can call those monsters the Vrakuls, Your Majesty,” Ryo said, forcing a calm, wry smile despite the dread gnawing at him. “And that elephant-type one is called a Grootslang. Just to keep things easier.”
Nuada chuckled faintly. “…Vrakul it is, then… huh, young man.”
Ryo knew Nuada’s family stood no chance against the Grootslang, but still… he asked.
“But… why exactly is your family no match for it?”
Nuada’s voice turned grim. “The shriek. You heard it. That sound tears into our very magic—it crippled my warriors, my wife, my daughters. Against that… no fairy can stand.”
The thought hit Ryo hard.
No fairy—no matter how powerful—can withstand it. His gaze drifted to Dr. Snouts 5000, an idea flickering. Maybe… the Cu Sith’s howl?
Nuada noticed immediately. “I know what you’re thinking, young man… but the Sith’s howl cannot kill the Grootslang.”
Ryo spun toward the king, eyes wide with shock. “HUH?! He can’t?!”
The king’s voice dropped lower. “Fifteen years ago, when the Vrakuls invaded, Sith fought beside us. He howled with all his might… and not one Vrakul fell. Instead, the sound killed our own warriors who heard it.”
Dr. Snouts’ expression darkened, and he shifted his gaze to the ground, the memory still haunting him.
“From that day onward… I swore never to howl again. My howl is cursed.”
Ryo rubbed his temples. “Sh*t! Then what can we do?!”
“There is one way,” Nuada said at last, his tone carrying the weight of a vow.
Both Ryo and Dr. Snouts straightened.
“How?! Please tell me!” Ryo urged.
Nuada shifted his gaze downward. “Fifteen years ago, I alone forced the Vrakul army back into their dark void. But… my step-granddaughter Thalirea was taken before I could save her. The Vrakuls dragged her into their realm. I failed her. Vesmyra—her stepmother—bore that wound for years.”
His eyes sharpened, casting aside grief. “But this is not the time for regret. This is the time to protect Lunaveth’s future.”
He locked eyes with Ryo. “And only you, Mr. Detective, can defeat that Grootslang.”
Ryo pointed at himself. “EH?! ME?!”
“That’s right,” Nuada said, his voice fierce despite his wounds. “Because you are human. The Grootslang’s cursed shriek only harms Fairies. It cannot touch you.”
Ryo exhaled, shaking his head. “How the hell am I supposed to do that? I’m just a normal human—no magic, no—”
“I will lend you mine,” Nuada cut in, the weight of a king’s oath behind the words.
Ryo froze. For a heartbeat, he remembered the Crimson Gunslinger power Mr. Grim had granted him. And now… Nuada was about to grant him something similar—his own powers.
If they didn’t stop the Grootslang, it would tear Lunaveth apart. Two warriors had already died tonight. There could be more—too many more—if that monster wasn’t stopped.
Ryo’s jaw set. “Alright, Your Majesty. How do I get your powers?”
Nuada struggled upright, wincing. With deliberate care, he stripped off his silver gauntlet and pressed it into Ryo’s hands.
“Put this on. Then chant the oath: ‘O silver arm, forged in the oath of kings, blessed by moon and bound by fate, through crown and realm I bear thy will — may all who defy the king’s law be struck by the weapon that shapes destiny, and let the crown’s judgment fall.’”
Ryo chuckled at the length of it. “Okay… memorized… I guess?”
He pulled out his notebook from his coat pocket and told the Fairy King to repeat the chant. As Nuada recited it again, Ryo quickly jotted it down, making sure he had it all memorized before slipping the notebook back into his pocket.
Sliding the gauntlet over his left hand, he flexed his fingers, feeling the faint hum of the king’s power.
Nuada asked. “Do you have a weapon—or anything—that can bear my power?”
Then Ryo remembered the time he had transformed his gun into an overpowered weapon as the Crimson Gunslinger. Smirking with a sharp gaze, he said. “Yeah, I do…”
But this time… Ryo wouldn’t be relying solely on his gun. He had another detective tool, different from his firearm, capable of channeling the Fairy King’s power.
“You will have five minutes,” Nuada said. “When they are gone, so are my powers.”
“Five minutes?” Ryo’s smirk sharpened. “That’s all I need.”
Nuada rested a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Then claim victory, young man.”
Ryo nodded, then turned to Dr. Snouts 5000. “So, bro… ready to see me smash that Grootslang in the face?”
The Cu Sith chuckled, eyes glinting. “You’ve got light back in your eyes. Go on—smash it. Don’t show mercy. Beat that monster the way you beat me before.”
Ryo raised his silver-clad hand in a thumbs-up. “You got it.”
He climbed onto the Cu Sith’s back and glanced at Nuada with a cheeky grin.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty—I’ll pound that Vrakul Grootslang to the face until it apologizes for existing.”
Nuada lifted his fist high, his voice echoing across the land. “FOR LUNAVETH!”
Ryo matched the cry, his own fist in the air.
Then, with a pounding gallop, he and Dr. Snouts 5000 raced across the land, charging toward the luminous forest—desperate to reach the fight before Titania and the others could fall.
In the Luminous Forest…
Titania’s wings cut through the glowing air, weaving between colossal mushroom stalks and radiant trees, the Grootslang thundering after her. Each of its crushing strides splintered trunks and sent glowing spores bursting into the night.
With a hiss like grinding stone, the Grootslang swung its massive trunk. Titania dodged sharply—its trunk missed her by inches but obliterated the tree behind her, the explosion of wood echoing through the forest.
She spun midair, thrust out her palm, and unleashed a volley of thorn-shards, each glowing emerald in the moonlight. They struck home, biting into the Grootslang’s hide. It roared, the sound shaking the ground, and then—
—SHRIEEEEEEK!
The accursed cry tore through the air. Titania clamped her hands over her ears, pain flooding her head. She dropped, crashing into the luminous grass below.
Before she could recover, the Grootslang’s tail lashed out—WHAM!—slamming into her gut. The force launched her into a jagged cliffside, rock exploding outward in a crater around her.
Dazed, pinned in the crater’s jagged embrace, she watched in horror as the Grootslang slithered forward in a slow, predatory curve. Its trunk snaked out, coiling around her torso, crushing the air from her lungs as it drew her toward its mouth.
And then—
From far across the forest, a golden shimmer flared. A massive, glowing tree tore free from its roots, soared through the air, and slammed into the Grootslang’s head. The beast staggered, dropping Titania to the grass.
Perched high on a branch, wand outstretched, stood Fairy Greatmother. Her voice, low and venomous, cut through the night.
"Don’t you dare harm my child."
Light beams erupted from her wand, hammering the monster’s face, forcing it to turn toward her.
From above, Vesmyra descended like a comet.
"SISTER TITANIA!" She landed, pulling Titania into a sitting position. "Are you alright? We need to get you healed!"
Titania’s breath came ragged. "Ugh… sister… I am well… I can handle… that monster."
"YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALONE!! AND YOU DEFINITELY ARE NOT WELL!" Vesmyra’s voice cracked with concern.
But Titania knew the truth—none of them could withstand the Grootslang’s shrieking for long. If she didn’t stand, no one would.
The Grootslang shrieked again. Pain flared in her skull. Vesmyra screamed and collapsed, unconscious, beside her. High above, Fairy Greatmother also cried out—her body went limp, and she tumbled from her branch, crashing onto the glowing grass.
Titania’s vision blurred, but she forced herself upright. The Grootslang loomed over her mother’s fallen form, mouth yawning open, teeth glistening.
Titania’s eyes widened in horror.
“MOTHER!” she shouted. Her instincts screamed at her—she had to save her mother before the monstrous Grootslang could devour her.
Her wings beat furiously—she shot into the air, soaring a hundred meters above the glowing trees. Arms outstretched, she chanted.
"Ray of judgment, carve the path of light — burn through shadow, pierce through stone, and let none escape the crown’s gaze!"
A sphere of blinding white light formed between her palms—then erupted. A searing beam shot from her hands, striking toward the Grootslang.
However, the monster quickly noticed the laser beam’s light and whipped its head toward the attack, then it slithered away to dodge it.
And Titania’s heart stopped.
Everything felt like slow motion.
Her beam—Titania’s attack—had become a misfire. No, it had never been a misfire in the first place. When Titania launched it, she was desperate to save her mother, and that desperation made her lose focus. She didn’t realize she was about to hit her mother instead, now that the Grootslang had dodged the attack it was originally meant for.
Titania’s eyes widened in horror. She was about to accidentally kill her mother. The laser beam was already halfway there—too late to divert her attack. All she could do now was scream—and if that beam hit her mother, she would be mentally broken like before…
…Like all those years ago.
"MOTHER NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
And in that frozen heartbeat, as the beam bore down, Titania’s mind dragged her back—back to the very first day she met Roselia…
Before Roselia became the Fairy Greatmother…
When Titania still reigned over Lunaveth, she was a lifeless ruler. Never the type to meet her people’s eyes with warmth, never one to speak to her retainers with kindness. She kept herself distant, her presence cold, her reign unfeeling. For 800 years she sat upon the throne, yet never once did she taste the feeling of a home.
Titania had no family—not even parents. At least, that was what she believed. Whispers in Lunaveth told a different story: that her parents had once been rulers themselves, but had only cared for her as an infant. By the time she turned one, they had vanished—abandoning both her and the kingdom.
At that age, she was too young to remember their faces, their voices, their touch.
A temporary ruler had stepped in to fill the void—Oberon, who guided Lunaveth for twenty years before passing the crown to Titania. At twenty-one, she became Queen. But the title brought no joy, no sense of fulfillment—only the heavy weight of duty. She commanded her warriors, her court, her people, as one maintains a machine: ensuring stability, but never warmth.
60 years ago, on a day when the dullness of her rule felt unbearable, Titania chose to wander beyond her kingdom. She took to the skies, her wings cutting through the wind, until she reached a distant human village known as Goldenhush—a place cradled in rolling farmlands, its fields glowing gold beneath the sun.
She landed on top of a grassy, brown hill. From there, she looked down upon the cozy settlement. There, a girl of about 10 years in age knelt in the fields, plucking carrots, wheat, and other crops with quiet diligence.
A woman’s voice carried over the breeze. “Roselia.”
The girl looked up, smiling at the figure who approached—her mother. The woman called for her to bring in the harvest so they could prepare a food stall for that night’s annual festival. Roselia nodded and hurried to finish, gathering the crops into her arms before disappearing into their cottage.
From her perch above, Titania watched in silence.
A mother… a family…
The sight pierced her in a way she couldn’t explain. She had seen countless fairy children with their mothers back in Lunaveth, yet this was different. To see a human child’s bond with her mother—it stirred something sharper, almost envious.
She remained on the hill until nightfall, curious to witness the festival. When it began, the village was filled with dazzling lights and lively sounds. Stalls brimmed with food and drink. Fiddles, flutes, and drums carried music through the air.
Villagers danced in lines and circles, laughter ringing out. Storytellers told legends by the firelight, and costumed parades filled the streets with color. Children raced, men wrestled, and archers took aim for small prizes. It was a celebration of life, of bonds, of joy.
Titania’s lips curled into a small pout. Such vibrance did not exist in her own kingdom. In that moment, she resolved to create a festival in Lunaveth—one that might rival this joy.
Then, she spotted Roselia again, tending a small food stall by herself while her family attended to other festival matters. The table overflowed with roasted meats, cheeses, eggs, honeyed sweets, milk, and cider. Titania’s stomach growled—she had not eaten since noon.
With a flicker of magic, she concealed her fairy wings and ears, taking on the guise of a human woman. She descended the hill and entered the village, weaving through the crowd until she reached Roselia’s stall.
Titania smiled and asked for roasted chicken. Roselia nodded, but then, seeing the stranger’s unfamiliar face, she assumed Titania was a visitor. Deciding to add a special touch, she topped the dish with melted cheese and eggs, offering it with a cheerful grin. Titania drooled at the sight. Roselia chuckled at her expression before handing her the plate.
The first bite was bliss. Titania chewed slowly, savoring the warmth and richness as though the meal itself had been touched by magic.
For a fleeting, absurd moment, she thought. “This girl… this child… she’s like a mother to me.”
Hours passed. The festival was still alive with dancing, music, and laughter. Titania sat at a nearby table, quietly enjoying the change of atmosphere from Lunaveth’s dull throne.
But then… a shadow entered the village.
The figure was a woman—or something close to one. Her face was split between beauty and decay.
One side smooth and pale, the other withered and skeletal.
An icy blue eye flecked with black gleaming from the ruined half.
Silvery-white hair, threaded with ribbons, trailed over a translucent cloak.
Bone-shaped rings adorned her long, pale fingers, nails painted a deep crimson.
In her grip, a twisted staff crowned with a cracked mask and tattered banners swayed like an omen.
Titania’s instincts screamed. This was no mere human.
An old man turned, scowling. “Perchta… you again?”
The woman’s gaze slid to him, silent and cold.
A young woman stepped forward. “Madam Perchta, you need to leave. You frighten people—even the children. You don’t belong here.”
More voices rose, demanding she leave.
“Get out of here, hag!"
"Go crawl back to your cave!"
"You’re ruining our festival!"
"Take that ugly mask and go!"
"No one wants you here!"
"You’re nothing but bad luck!"
"Scarecrow-looking witch!"
"Disappear before we drag you out!"
Perchta’s lips curled into a snarl. Her staff slammed against the ground. “SIIIIIILEEEEENCE!!!”
The crowd froze.
She pointed at them, her voice dripping venom.
“You fools… you dare to waste your lives on such pitiful displays? Festivals are for the lazy, the idle, the rotting scum of this world. While you dance and feast, your bodies soften, your spirits decay. You should be laboring—striving—improving! Not drowning in this cesspool of laughter and drink. And for your shameless idleness… you deserve nothing but death!”
A moment of silence.
Then, a wave of laughter burst from the festival crowd, echoing through the lantern-lit streets.
Everyone at the festival laughed at Perchta, thinking she was so foolish. After all, every villager had worked hard to earn their festivity reward.
And here, in the midst of their joy, stood a gruesome-looking woman — one who dared call them foolish and lazy simply for rewarding themselves with a happy festival after days of labor. To them, it was as if this woman believed taking a break after hard work was a crime.
The taunting began to grow. Faces twisted with mockery, voices rose, and the insults flew:
“Go back to your swamp, hag!”
“Maybe she’s just jealous she’s never been invited to a festival!”
“Hey, someone get her a mirror so she can scare herself away!”
“Looks like someone’s allergic to fun!”
“Careful, she’ll turn you to stone if you keep looking!”
“Maybe she dances as bad as she dresses!”
“Don’t trip over your own stick, granny!”
The laughter rolled on, but not from everyone.
Titania did not join them. She sat still, her smile absent, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Something about this woman — this Perchta — was wrong. Beneath the mocking and the music, Titania could feel it. A dark, creeping magic was seeping from her like a chill mist.
Perchta smirked sinisterly, her lips curling as she whispered.
“is that so...? laugh and mock me however you want…. But see to it that your punishment for your laziness will mean eternal suffering.”
Her staff rose, the air growing heavy and cold. Then, she spoke the spell, each word dripping with malice.
“By bells of doom and shadowed thread”
“By bone and blood, the living and dead”
“I bind your soul, your mind, your heart”
“To whirl forever in the danse macabre’s dark”
“No mercy, no rest, no end in sight”
“Torn and twisted in eternal night”
And suddenly, the festival square erupted in movement. Every villager’s body began to dance. Not of their own will. Not with joy. Their eyes widened in horror as their limbs jerked and spun, unable to stop.
Perchta threw her head back, laughing maniacally.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA! NOW WILL YOU FOREVER DANCE UNTIL YOU MEET DEATH ITSELF!!!”
Every soul moved to the cursed spell… except Titania. The magic slid off her like water against stone. She remained still, shielded by her own power — she was no mere villager, but a powerful fairy in human guise.
Perchta’s gaze found her — unbound, panicked, and unmoving. Her bitter face twisted with a click of her tongue. Without another word, she turned, slipping into the shadows beyond the village, leaving behind the writhing, dancing crowd.
Titania’s eyes darted to the food stall. Roselia was there, but not as Titania had last seen her. She danced uncontrollably, her face etched with panic, tears streaking her cheeks.
Her feet moved tirelessly, yet the dance did not falter. The cursed magic would not release her. Titania tried — once, twice, again — to dispel the danse macabre. It was useless. This was no simple enchantment. It was a curse designed to hold its victims until they collapsed… and died.
6 HOURS PASSED…
Some villagers had collapsed to the ground — unconscious — yet their legs still moved grotesquely in the dance. Others gasped for air, desperate for water. A few had already fallen silent forever.
Titania sat at a wooden table, her hands clenched, her face heavy with hopelessness. She was powerful, but not enough to break this curse. Her gaze kept returning to Roselia, still dancing, her feet bleeding, still crying, mourning even as she moved — mourning the sight of her own parents who had died from the endless dance.
Titania could not bear it. Not for Roselia. For the rest of the village, perhaps she could endure the sight — but not for her. Her care for the child burned beyond reason.
She rose, her movements slow, deliberate, and stepped toward Roselia. Her voice was distant, drained, as if all warmth had been stripped from her.
“Roselia… my name is Titania.”
“Now… choose, child. Continue to bleed your feet... or be reborn as the Great Fairy… and my mother.”
Roselia blinked through her tears, confused.
What did she mean?
To be reborn as the Great Fairy?
To become her mother?
She didn’t know.
She didn’t care.
All she knew was the unbearable pain in her legs, the desperate need to stop.
Her voice cracked, frantic with exhaustion.
“PLEASE!! I SHALL DO ANYTHING… ANYTHING! AS LONG AS I CAN STOP DANCING AND REST!!! BE IT WHETHER IT’S TO BECOME THIS ‘GREAT FAIRY’ OR YOUR MOTHER!”
Titania, her eyes empty, gave the smallest nod. “Very well, child.”
A circle of blue light flared beneath Roselia’s feet. Magic swirled around her, wrapping her in a soft, radiant glow. The dance stopped. Her body stilled. When the light faded, she had changed — now clad in a deep, regal blue gown, her form transformed into that of a half-fairy. She had no wings or pointed ears, yet still retained a human appearance.
Roselia stumbled to her stall, seizing a cup of water with trembling hands. She drank deeply, panting, her chest heaving. She thought she had narrowly escaped death. Titania told her she would adopt her before she could truly become her mother. Roselia only nodded. Together, they left the village.
But at the entrance, Titania froze. Behind her, the villagers still danced. She looked back. The sight was unbearable. Her jaw tightened.
She turned, lifting her palm toward the village.
Roselia tilted her head. “Ms. Titania, what are you about to do?”
A white glow began to gather in Titania’s hand. Her whisper was almost soft.
“End the eternal suffering of your people, Roselia…”
Roselia’s eyes widened, whispered. “No… it can’t be.”
She understood instantly. This was no rescue. This was a mercy killing. Titania meant to end the villagers’ lives. Roselia lunged for her arm, screaming.
“WAIT! PLEASE TITANIA, YOU CANNOT JUST KILL PEOPLE LIKE THAT, LET US FIND ANOTHER WAY TO STOP THEIR ETERNAL DANCE!”
But Titania’s arm didn’t move. Her strength was too great. Her will, unshakable. She wasn’t listening.
From the shadows beyond the village, Perchta watched, grinning. She flicked her staff. The dark magic lifted. The dance stopped. The survivors collapsed, gasping in relief.
But Titania did not see. Her arm was still extended. The glow in her palm only brightened.
Roselia turned back to the village, eyes widening in relief. “Look, Ms. Titania! Everyone stopped dancing!”
But Titania heard nothing. She felt nothing. The magic in her hand grew toward its peak.
Roselia gasped, grabbing her arm again. “TITANIA! STOP! PUT YOUR ARM DOWN NOW!”
Titania did not move. Did not feel her.
Roselia’s hand flew. The slap cracked against Titania’s cheek. The fairy queen’s breath hitched — awareness returning — but the magic was already unstable.
And then — the beam fired.
KRAKOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A blast of white light ripped through the village. Houses split apart as the shockwave thundered outward, the air bursting with fire, splinters, and dust. When the roar at last subsided, only flames and ruin remained.
Roselia fell to her knees, sobbing, her voice breaking under the weight of loss.
Titania stared at the destruction, then sank beside her, trembling. Her hands rose to her face. The scream tore from her throat, raw and unending.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
She had done it. She had destroyed Roselia’s village. Her people.
From the distance, Perchta’s laughter rang like a victory bell as she walked away — satisfied, knowing all blame would fall on Titania.
Days have passed since then…
Titania began to slowly walk back towards the kingdom of Lunaveth, her eyes widened in pain, mouth slightly open. Her arms hung limp at her sides, her head bowed. Titania was broken inside.
Since Roselia had nowhere else to go, she decided to follow Titania — but with caution.
Titania had just destroyed her home, her village, by accident. So Roselia feared that Titania would go out of control again. She kept her distance, letting Titania lead the way, her every step heavy with silent grief.
Titania was too broken to journey back to Lunaveth using her wings while carrying Roselia. So they walked. They crossed Enchanted Woods, hills, mountain fields, dirt roads, and other kingdoms.
For two months they wandered, sleeping in caves or under trees. Eventually, they stopped in the secluded mountain kingdom of ‘Aplynstalk,’ staying at an inn for a few nights.
One night, even in the inn’s bed, Titania still looked broken. She whispered to herself in regret, mocking herself, wishing she had not destroyed Roselia’s home.
Roselia, sleeping in the next bed, stirred and noticed the silent, trembling fairy queen.
Sure, Roselia feared Titania for destroying her home. Yet, the longer Titania remained in that broken state, the more pity stirred within her. She wanted to reach out, to console her… but she hesitated, still holding onto the deep pain that lingered inside.
Then Titania muttered fatal words in a whisper. “I want to die…”
Roselia gasped. She could no longer hold back. In an instant she moved to Titania’s bed and pulled the fairy’s head into her chest, cradling her like a child.
With tears spilling down her cheeks, Roselia whispered, her voice trembling yet fierce.
“Titania, my dear… please… don’t kill yourself.”
“Do you really have any right to kill yourself right now?”
“Of course, you have done something as cruel as destroying my village by accident… but… but… killing yourself after telling me you wanted me to become your mother?
“I WON’T LET YOU DIE ON ME AFTER YOU JUST MADE THAT STATEMENT!”
“I… I… I shall become your mother… so please… teach me. Become my mentor. Let me stay by your side so I can become a strong half-fairy who can take care of you and the kingdom of Lunaveth!”
“So before I properly become your mother… teach me magic, so I become stronger — strong enough to become the Great Fairy!”
Titania’s teary eyes widened. She slowly wrapped her arms around Roselia, clinging to her. From that day, everything changed. Titania did not see Roselia as a mother… not yet. But Roselia’s determination to grow stronger moved her. Titania began to see — and treat — Roselia as her student.
The next day, Titania had recovered enough to take flight, though the trauma still lingered. She carried Roselia in her arms, wings beating through the clouds. The journey back to Lunaveth took two hours.
Upon arrival, Roselia felt completely out of place — every citizen was fully fairy, while she was only half. But that did not shake her determination.
Titania taught her spells — combat, defense, and more. Years passed. Roselia grew into her power, rising as the Great Fairy. Eventually, she met Nuada Airgetlám. They fell in love, marrying when Roselia was 25. During the wedding, Titania watched with quiet pride as her student became a powerful, graceful woman.
Yet, deep inside, Titania still yearned for Roselia to become her mother. At twenty-five, Roselia’s appearance was nearly the same age as Titania’s, and the queen felt conflicted — she no longer saw a 10-year-old girl.
More years passed. At 30, Roselia bore a daughter, Vesmyra. By 50, Roselia had become wiser, more motherly. One day, Titania looked at her — and saw not a student, not a friend, but the mother she had always longed for. Overcome, she allowed herself to be held in Roselia’s embrace.
Finally… Titania had a mother.
At that same time, Nuada and Roselia took the throne as king and queen of Lunaveth. Titania retired after ruling for over eight centuries.
One day, Roselia told her family she wished to become a teacher in the human kingdom of Evendelle, while keeping watch over the magic of the realm. She had always taught standard education rather than magic, and now wished to continue her work among humans.
The family approved. Roselia moved to Evendelle and taught there for 20 years, all the while still staying in Lunaveth through the cottage in the swamp—a magical doorway linking the two places—until she turned 70.
One night — the night of the Royal Ball in Evendelle — Titania, flying over the kingdom, saw Roselia at the riverbank. She watched as Roselia introduced herself to Cinderella as the Fairy Greatmother, not the Great Fairy, before gifting her the magical gown and sending her to the ball in the apple-shaped carriage.
Titania smiled, pride swelling in her chest. Her mother — the Fairy Greatmother — was giving hope to those in need.
That is the story of Titania and Roselia’s loving family bond…
The loving memory faded…
And now, back in the Luminous Forest…
Titania was about to commit another accident — just as she had 60 years ago when she destroyed Roselia’s village…
With tears streaming down her face, her voice broke into a scream that shook the trees.
“MOOOOOOTHEEEER!!!!!!”
Then—
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
From the distance, cutting past the shimmering leaves of the bioluminescent forest, something tore through the air—fast, deadly. A dagger. No… it was thrown.
{ The Khanjar of the Forgotten Oasis }
It spun in a perfect arc, glinting in the luminous forest light, headed straight toward Titania’s searing beam.
And then—
ZYOUM!
The dagger struck the beam mid-flight, shattering the magic in a violent ripple. The radiant beam of light disintegrated into thousands of glowing motes, vanishing inches before it could scorch the unconscious Fairy Greatmother.
The dagger clattered to the glowing grass, its blade still humming with residual magic.
Titania froze—gasping. Someone… someone had just dispelled her attack. A beam so powerful, one that could have killed her mother in a heartbeat, undone in the blink of an eye.
Her heart pounded. Her breath quickened. Her eyes darted across the battlefield, scanning the darkness for the one who had thrown it.
And then… she saw him.
At the very top of the cliff she had smashed into earlier…
A silhouette stood.
The wind caught his trench coat, making it billow behind him like the cape of a lone hero.
He was riding a massive, hulking beast—its green fur glimmering faintly under the moonlight. The Cu Sith stood like a war steed out of legend.
The moonlight shifted.
Shadows peeled back.
His face came into view.
Titania’s breath hitched. Her eyes widened, shimmering with emotion. Her lips trembled.
It was him.
The one she had fallen for.
Both her trembling hands rose to cover her mouth as she whispered, voice quaking.
“Strange… foreign man…”
“YO, Titania—glad I made it just in time for the boss battle party,” Ryo called down casually, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Below him, Dr. Snouts 5000 chuckled deeply. “Is this one of those movie moments you told me about earlier, bro?”
Ryo crossed his arms with pride, his grin widening.
“YOU’RE SO DAMN RIGHT! It’s one of those climax moments where the cool heroic protagonist shows up at the last second, steals the spotlight from all the side characters, and does the epic last-minute save.”
Relief broke across Titania’s face, a smile cutting through the tension.
“STRANGE FOREIGN MAN! YOU CAME FOR US!”
The Grootslang turned, then—its eyes locking on Ryo, the one it had truly been hunting all along.
Its roar split the night, shaking the very leaves of the glowing forest.
But then Titania’s breath caught—
A horrible realization crashed into her mind.
The strange foreign man… was just a normal human.
He was no match for the Grootslang.
She opened her mouth, ready to shout for him to run, to get away—
—when her eyes caught a glint of silver on his left hand.
Her heart skipped.
He was wearing her father’s Silver Gauntlet.
“Why… is he wearing father’s gauntlet?” she whispered under her breath.
Ryo slid down from Dr. Snouts 5000’s back. The beast’s eyes turned toward him, its deep voice carrying a note of concern.
“Are you sure you can handle that monster on your own, bro?”
Ryo’s gaze sharpened, his smirk curling into something dangerous. Eyes locked on the Grootslang, he spoke with calm fire.
“Yeah. Like I said before, I’m gonna pound that dumba** monster until it apologizes for existing.”
That look—his sheer resolve carved into every line of his face—struck Titania like a Cupid’s arrow to the chest.
Her cheeks flushed, her heart pounded.
It was like watching a hero step out of the stories she’d cherished… only this time, he was real.
And that look told her one thing—
The strange foreign man… knew exactly what he was doing.
Ryo’s voice rang out across the luminous forest.
“Titania! You and Dr. Snouts 5000 secure your mom and your sister. I’ll handle that a**hole monster myself. And make sure to get as far away from here as possible so that monster’s shriek doesn’t affect you!”
Titania hesitated, torn to the core—she wanted to fight beside him.
But she knew… the Grootslang’s shriek crippled fairies… just as it had taken down her sister and her mother.
Without a word, she descended, scooping her mother into her arms. Dr. Snouts 5000 leapt from the cliff to the glowing grass below. Titania lifted Vesmyra and placed her atop the great Cu Sith’s back. Together, they began retreating from the battlefield.
Now it was just Ryo… and the oncoming Grootslang.
The monster threw back its massive head and shrieked—a bone-rattling sound that made Titania stumble mid-flight, almost dropping her mother. She slowed her fall to cushion the landing, but her heart pounded—knowing the Grootslang would never let nearby prey escape.
Dr. Snouts 5000 urged Titania toward a nearby cave, to hide and recover. She obeyed at once, and together they slipped into its dark shelter.
Ryo shook his head, clearly disappointed. “You sure need to start focusing on your main opponent here, Anaconda-wannabe…”
The Grootslang lunged skyward, arching through the air in a killing dive—its jaws yawning wide enough to swallow a wagon.
Ryo’s right hand dipped into his pocket.
Out came a Magnifying Glass.
His left—the silver gauntlet—rose to his face. The metal began to hum… then glow… then blaze.
Then he chanted, his voice dropping to a low, steady oath.
“O silver arm, forged in the oath of kings, blessed by moon and bound by fate… through crown and realm I bear thy will—may all who defy the king’s law be struck by the weapon that shapes destiny… and let the crown’s judgment fall.”
The gauntlet erupted in a detonation of light—blinding, silver-white, and pure. Magic flared around him, transforming his very form. His messy black hair flowed into molten silver, and his trench coat shimmered into glittering argent.
The magnifying glass elongated in a shimmer of sorcery, its frame stretching into a long, elegant rifle barrel. With his gauntleted left hand, Ryo drew his gun and fused it with the magnifying glass. The two detective tools merged, reshaping into a single weapon…
[ > A Silver Sniper Rifle < ]
The lens detached, floating upward, locking perfectly over his right eye like a sniper’s scope.
Power coursed through him—muscles tightened, breath deepened, the king’s strength surging in his veins…
…and the countdown had already begun.
5 MINUTES!
The Grootslang was almost on him.
Ryo didn’t fire. Not yet.
He stepped to the side—slow, precise—letting the Grootslang’s gaping jaws sail past. His left hand shot up, seizing its massive trunk with a grip that was almost godlike.
Ryo’s smirk widened. “Wanna know how flying feels like, Anaconda-wannabe?”
His body twisted—once, twice—and then BLURRED into a cyclone of motion. Winds howled outward, whipping the air into a deafening WHOOOOOOOOSH!
With supernatural force, he spun the Grootslang through the air like a massive, screaming helicopter blade.
From the cave, Titania and Dr. Snouts 5000 stared—utter disbelief painted across their faces.
And then—
With a roar, Ryo THREW the Grootslang high into the night sky.
He leveled his rifle, silver light dancing across the barrel.
“Now… let’s see what this power of the King’s Silver-Armed Sniper can really do.”
The floating scope above his eye adjusted, zooming in tight on the tumbling monster.
4 MINUTES!
His voice dropped into pure, razor-edged gamer mode.
“Target zeroed in. That bootleg anaconda’s about to regret every life choice it ever made—before I ship it express to uninstall town.”
BANG!
One pull of the trigger—five silver bullets spiraled around each other in perfect formation, cutting through the air like meteors.
They slammed into the Grootslang’s gut—
BOOOOM!
An eruption of silver dust tore across the sky.
The monster howled, its body thrashing, before crashing past the glowing trees and into the grass below—impacting hard enough to carve a crater into the earth.
Dr. Snouts 5000 gawked. “W-w-woah… he really did go full superhero movie mode like he talked about earlier…”
As for Titania?
She was breathing heavily…
Not from exhaustion, but from something far more dangerous… a wild lust that burned like madness inside her. Her pupils swelled into pounding hearts, glowing with feverish need, while drool slipped from her parted lips.
Her chest rose and fell in ragged, uneven gasps, every breath trembling with restraint. Both hands pressed tightly between her trembling thighs, which rubbed together in desperate friction as if to cage the fire threatening to spill over.
Her whole body quivered as her gaze devoured him—silver and radiant beneath the moonlight, a vision so intoxicating it threatened to tear away the last threads of her control.
“Ohhh… my… will strange foreign man… be just as rough with me in bed… like that… during our evening sessions… ahh… I… I can’t… I’m trembling… my body… my hands… it’s the first time I’ve felt this way in over 800 years… I… I need him… I… I can’t… hold… back… Ahhh~” she whispered, almost losing herself.
Dr. Snouts 5000 slowly turned to her, disbelief and confusion written all over his face, like he was thinking, ‘What the hell did I just hear?’
“…Huh? My lady?”
The Grootslang forced its massive body upright, roaring louder than before, a thunderous, angry quake that shook the glowing grass beneath.
Titania froze, panic flashing across her face, and clamped her hands over her ears just as the beast prepared to shriek.
The shriek ripped through the forest, a terrifying wall of sound that should have crushed fairies like her… yet Ryo remained utterly unaffected.
After ten agonizing seconds, the deafening wail finally ceased. The Grootslang’s eyes glimmered with fury as it slithered forward again, a living storm of muscle and scale.
Ryo landed gracefully on the grass below, sliding his Arabian dagger back into his coat. His eyes never left the approaching monster.
3 MINUTES!
Suddenly, the Grootslang unleashed a gush of venom from its trunk. Ryo leapt high, somersaulting toward a nearby tree trunk, narrowly avoiding the searing poison.
The beast lashed again and again, spitting venom like geysers, but Ryo flowed with deadly precision—leaping from branch to branch, springing off a giant bouncy mushroom, backflipping from strike to strike. Each dodge was poetry in motion.
After every maneuver, his silver rifle fired in perfect rhythm, each shot punctuated with his trademark cocky flair.
“OH Look at you! Surviving that last BIG shot. Cute. Real cute. I almost admire your stubbornness… almost. But don’t get comfortable — sit back, relax if you must, and take a front-row seat to the cinematic IMAX sequel of your life, a production I like to call ‘Absolute Obliteration: Extended Director’s Cut,’ where every twitch, every pathetic elephant hiss, and every desperate gasp of yours will be immortalized in gloriously slow-motion failure, starring you, the overgrown noodle of regret, performing in a one-creature disaster extravaganza, and directed entirely by yours truly… alongside my suspiciously cheerful rat co-director with the overgrown ear, who insists on giving commentary and occasional Broadway musical numbers for dramatic effect.”
The Grootslang, battered, bruised, bloodied and enraged, swung its trunk wildly, venom dripping and fury mounting with every taunt.
2 MINUTES!
Unwilling to endure a drawn-out, painfully long shounen battle like in the animes of his childhood, Ryo made his move—every second of the Fairy King’s power counted.
He leaped from tree trunk to tree trunk with leopard-like agility, then launched himself high into the air—landing squarely atop the Grootslang’s head.
Raising his silver rifle, he brought it to aim at the weak spot just below the Grootslang’s skull. His voice dropped, dark and confident, a smirk curling at the edges.
“Target locked. Game over—existence about to be terminated. Cinematic extravaganza complete… and the theater’s still empty, unfortunately for a smoky, limpy noodle like you. But hey, my rat co-director gets to give the solo standing ovation from the back seat. Consider yourself lucky.”
Then, the trigger was pulled. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Sixteen shots, silver light streaking like meteor showers, piercing the Grootslang’s skull.
The creature roared once—louder, pained, final. Smoke rose from its body as its scales melted away into thin, swirling wisps. Slowly, the Grootslang vanished—obliterated, erased, leaving only the faintest trace of dark mist.
Ryo exhaled, resting the rifle on his shoulder, a satisfied, cocky grin spreading across his face.
“Anaconda-wannabe terminated. Box office: zero. Regret: maximum. My rat co-director didn’t applaud—left the cinema before the climax.”
Then… “DAAAAAAAAARLIIIIING!”
Ryo blinked, dumbfounded. “Huh? Who the hell is calling me ‘darling’?”
He then turned around and saw Titania running toward him, arms wide, her face glowing with a bold, mischievous grin. She leaped, wrapping herself around his neck.
1 MINUTE REMAINING!
Titania, voice burning with urgent longing and desperate need.
“Ahh~ my hero… I knew it! You had to show off, didn’t you?! Prove just how monstrously strong, how terrifyingly unstoppable you are… leaving me completely awestruck, melting, shivering, writhing with need! My body’s on fire, every nerve screaming for you… my heart pounding so violently I think it might tear through my chest… I can’t stop thinking about you… all of me, every inch… screaming, aching, desperate… I… I can’t… I can’t hold back… I need you… I want you… I’m utterly lost… consumed… overwhelmed… by you!!!!”
Ryo panicked, flustered. “Hey! Wait! I don’t need another delusional one like the protagonist’s stepsisters!”
[Author’s note: Except… she’s not being delusional. Her obsession is 100% real, Mr. Harem Anime Protagonist… accept your fate, oh Chosen One! There’s no escaping her now!]
Dr. Snouts 5000 chuckled as he strolled closer. “Hehehe… Roselia wasn’t wrong. You really do have a talent for attracting women without even trying. And impressively… you even got her daughter wrapped around your finger, bro.”
Ryo rubbed his temple. “Seriously… never was my intention to do that…”
2 SECONDS!
Suddenly, Ryo glowed, and Titania flinched, releasing him in surprise. As the glow faded, his hair shifted back to black, his trench coat returned to gray, and the rifle separated into the magnifying glass and small gun— even the lenses that had been hovering over his eyes snapped back into the rims of the magnifying glass.
Fortunately, the Silver-Armed Sniper’s powers didn’t leave him as drained as the Crimson Gunslinger had before, so Ryo didn’t collapse from exhaustion. He slid his tools back into his coat pockets and exhaled deeply, finally feeling the tension lift.
Ryo glanced at Titania and asked softly. “How are your mother and Vesmyra?”
Titania smiled and pointed toward the cave. “Look over there.”
Inside, Fairy Greatmother and Vesmyra were sitting up, weak but alive. They waved, their relief obvious.
As for Vesmyra, a quiet surge of jealousy crept over her as she watched her sister Titania obsess over Ryo. She wasn’t fully into him yet, but seeing Titania all over him didn’t sit well—especially knowing that she, a beautiful young-looking woman still single in her forties, was being outshined by her daring, 800-plus-year-old younger sister.
Her eyes twitched, longing to rush forward and hug Ryo herself, having peeked at the battle while pretending to be unconscious, still buzzing from witnessing his impressive display—taking down the Vrakul Grootslang with ease.
Ryo’s chest tightened with gratitude—seeing them safe made all the chaos worth it. He, Titania, and Dr. Snouts 5000 approached, thoroughly checking on them. Fairy Greatmother and Vesmyra thanked him, their voices trembling but filled with relief.
Fairy Greatmother, urgency in her tone. “Mr. Detective, we need to return to Evendelle immediately! It’s already 4 PM there, and the Royal Ball preparations must start without delay!”
Ryo nodded without hesitation, though he couldn’t help but notice their fatigue and fresh wounds, evidence of the intense battle they had just endured.
Titania gently placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuring. “Don’t worry. We’ll return to the city first. A quick healing and rejuvenation in my family’s Healing Sanctuary will set us right.”
Vesmyra, still weak but determined, stood and reminded. “And don’t forget about ‘THAT,’ alright, sister?”
Titania tilted her head, confused. “THAT?”
Vesmyra sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “The evidence, my silly older-younger sister! You’ll have to explain it to this strange foreign man.”
Titania paused, then clapped her hands in realization. “Ah! That’s right—the evidence!”
They made their way back to the city, still bearing the scars of the Grootslang’s rampage. Below the hill, near the wrecked Elderglade Spire, Sophie, Elise, the other Fairy Warriors, and Nuada waited anxiously. Relief washed over their faces at the sight of Ryo’s group returning, worn from battle but still standing.
Nuada’s eyes softened, a mix of relief and gratitude washing over him as he hugged his wife and daughters tightly. Earlier, worry had gnawed at him, but seeing his family safe now—that was all that mattered.
Ryo returned Nuada’s silver gauntlet with a respectful nod.
“Thanks for lending me your power… for that temporary overpowered protagonist moment,” he said casually.
Nuada blinked at the words, unfamiliar with the phrase, but shrugged it off. What mattered most was that his kingdom had been saved—thanks to Ryo wielding the power he had so generously lent.
Ryo then noticed two girls, now fully awake but bandaged, sitting with their backs turned. He approached carefully, crouching down behind them.
“Seraphine… Clarisse… are you both alright now?” he asked gently, his voice carrying concern.
The sisters slowly turned their heads, tears welling up.
Seraphine whispered, voice trembling. “Sherlock?”
Clarisse’s eyes narrowed, tears slipping down her cheeks as she covered her mouth. “Is that… really you… Sherlock?”
Ryo’s heart clenched. He placed a comforting hand on each of their shoulders, voice gentle but firm.
“Yeah… it’s me. Detective Sherlock Holmes.”
In unison, the sisters leapt forward, hugging him tightly and sobbing.
“SHERLOOOCK! WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”
Ryo held them close, feeling the warmth and relief in their embrace. Every tear they shed reflected the recent struggle under the curse that had possessed them, now finally lifted. For a former police officer, this moment—seeing those he protected safe, alive, and whole—was the truest reward.
He looked at their faces, so relieved and alive, and felt a swell of gratitude and tenderness. In that instant, he knew without a doubt: they could finally return home to their mother, Madam Rosalind—safe, whole, and free from the curse that had once possessed them.
Ryo’s voice barely more than a breath, trembling with emotion.
“You’re safe now… both of you. Finally… truly safe. Let’s… let’s get you both home… to Evendelle… back to your mother… where you belong.”
And in that moment, the battlefield, the monster, the chaos—all of it faded, leaving only the warmth of reunion, the healing of hearts, and the calm that follows a storm.
But before it could strike, Fairy Greatmother moved in a flash, stepping in front of him and summoning a shield of golden light. The barrier flared instantly, taking the full force of the Grootslang’s headbutt. The beast snarled, relentless, hammering against the shimmering wall, its eyes blazing with fury.
“MR. DETECTIVE! RUN!” Fairy Greatmother’s voice rang out urgent and commanding.
Ryo knew he couldn’t take on the monster—he was only a normal human, after all. With a bitter sigh, he slid his gun and Arabian dagger back into his coat, accepting the harsh truth: trying to shoot or slice a Vrakul Grootslang was pointless.
Beside him, Dr. Snouts 5000 gestured urgently, nodding toward his broad back. “BRO, GET ON NOW!”
Without hesitation, Ryo leapt up, gripping the massive Cu Sith’s fur as the beast began to circle the Grootslang.
“WE NEED TO GET THOSE SISTERS OUT OF HERE!” Ryo shouted over the chaos.
“But how? They’re trapped!” Dr. Snouts 5000 growled.
The Grootslang’s serpent tail writhed menacingly, curling around the unconscious sisters as they lay on the ground, leaving them trapped with no way to escape or reach them.
Suddenly, the air erupted with the furious flapping of wings. The Fairy Warriors took flight, circling the beast. Wands sparked with crackling blue lightning, fire bombs erupted in bursts of flame, and razor-sharp wind blades sliced through the air. Spears and scythes gleamed as they danced through the fray, striking at the monster’s shimmering black scales.
The Grootslang bled a dark, oily black. Its blood hissed against the wooden floor, steam rising where it spilled.
With a roar of pain, the beast rammed the golden barrier, and Fairy Greatmother gasped as cracks spiderwebbed across it. Then, in a burst of golden light, the shield fractured and vanished.
The monster reared back and swung its trunk like a massive hammer. Fairy Greatmother was struck, hurtled through the air, and sent tumbling outside the Elderglade Spire.
Nuada’s eyes blazed with fury. Clenching his teeth, he roared. “HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY WIFE!”
His runeblade shimmered into existence in his hands, glowing with silver light as he took flight, dashing toward the Grootslang. With fierce strikes, he slashed across the beast’s back.
Titania’s voice rang out in fury, and glowing moonlit vines erupted from the ground, coiling tightly around the Grootslang’s writhing form, binding it.
Vesmyra summoned a swarm of shimmering water blades, sending them flying in a deadly volley.
But before Fairy Greatmother could hit the ground, a golden light enveloped her. She skidded through the air, regained control, and blazed back inside the Elderglade Spire, unharmed.
Ryo’s mind raced. From the ancient tales he’d read, Grootslangs were vulnerable to light and fire. He called out to Fairy Greatmother and the fire-wielding fairy warrior, quickly instructing them to blind the beast with light magic and scorch it with overwhelming flames.
Fairy Greatmother lifted her wand, its tip flaring brilliantly. The Grootslang shrieked in pain, shielding its eyes from the blinding golden light as it struggled fiercely against the binding vines.
Nearby, the fire-wielding fairy focused, shaping a blazing orb in his palm before hurling it at the monster’s back. The Grootslang thrashed violently, its tail coiling and twisting, creating a momentary opening around the sisters lying trapped within its writhing body.
This was Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000’s chance.
Dashing through the chaos, the Cu Sith swiftly dodged whipping tail strikes. Ryo grabbed the sisters by their dresses, one in each hand, and quickly lifted them onto Dr. Snouts 5000’s broad back.
The Cu Sith sprinted toward the building’s exit, leaping from one floating leaf platform to another until they landed on solid ground.
Once there, Ryo gazed upward and saw the servants and the two fairy warriors waiting on a hill of glowing grass. He then told the Cu Sith to head toward them. Upon reaching the hill, he gently laid the sisters down and instructed Sophie and Elise to watch over Clarisse and Seraphine.
The two fairy warriors insisted they needed to return to the battle, but Ryo shook his head firmly, warning them of the dangers if the servants and sisters were left unprotected.
Arguments flared between Ryo and the warriors, their heated voices echoing across the glowing hill. The warriors cared little for the sisters or the servants, focused solely on protecting their rulers and their own people.
“We have to return to battle!” one fairy warrior shouted. “Our rulers need us!”
“And leave the servants and sisters here?!” Ryo snapped. “Do you really think the Grootslang will wait? Your allies are keeping that monster busy right now!”
“WE CAN’T ABANDON OUR OWN PEOPLE FOR HUMANS WE BARELY KNOW!” the other warrior retorted.
“THESE HUMANS ARE HELPLESS!” Ryo shot back. “I’VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WEAK ARE LEFT ALONE. YOU RISK EVERYONE IF YOU LEAVE THEM!!!”
Dr. Snouts 5000 raised a calming paw. “Don’t worry, bro. That monster’s focused on you alone. We just need to keep it away from these girls.”
Ryo rubbed his temples, exhaling in resignation. “Alright… let’s go.”
The Fairy Warriors took off again with frustrated huffs. Ryo climbed onto Dr. Snouts 5000’s back once more.
Turning to the servants, he said with steady assurance. “Stay put, high up here. No matter what, okay?”
Elise and Sophie nodded, their eyes wide—worried, but determined.
Then, together, Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 began making their way down the hill.
But then—
A loud, piercing shriek ripped through the air. It was unlike anything Ryo had ever heard, high-pitched and inhuman, cutting straight into the bones.
Ryo’s head snapped up. “THE HELL IS THAT CREEPY SOUND?!”
Dr. Snouts 5000 stopped in his tracks at the base of the hill, ears twitching. He shook his head slowly.
“I am uncertain, but I have a feeling that doesn’t sound like a go—”
Before he could finish—
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
The scream was everywhere, echoing through the kingdom of Lunaveth. Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 glanced around in shock.
Fairies clutched their heads, covering their ears, their faces twisted in agony. And it wasn’t just a handful—it was ALL of them. The small child-like fairies. The human-sized fairy citizens. Every single one was screaming in pain.
Every single one, except for Ryo, the Cu Sith, and the human servants.
Even the two Fairy Warriors who had stormed off earlier were affected. Mid-flight over the Elderglade Spire, their wands and weapons slipped from their hands as they screamed in agony, clutching their ears.
Dr. Snouts 5000’s eyes went wide in dawning horror. He whispered, almost afraid to confirm it.
“That shrieking sound… could it be… only affecting fairies?”
Ryo looked toward the Elderglade Spire. “And that creepy sound came from inside there… is everyone safe? Could it be that Grootslang is making this sound?”
The thought sent a cold shiver down their spines. Their allies were still inside, locked in battle with the beast. They had to get back and help them.
But before they could move—
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
The Elderglade Spire exploded.
Flames and debris exploded outward—planks of wood, tangled vines, and shards of plants raining in every direction. Smoke roared into the sky, churning and twisting as it swallowed the night above.
Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 froze, gasping as they stared at the destruction.
And then, through the choking haze—
A massive head broke free, followed by the serpentine length of a colossal body. The Grootslang emerged, its scales glistening black, its eyes gleaming with hunger.
It twisted its enormous body into a coil, then SHOT toward the two hovering warriors above the ruined spire. With horrifying speed, its trunk lashed out, grabbing them mid-flight and twisting them with bone-crushing force.
The warriors screamed—just before the monster’s mouth opened wide.
The Grootslang drew them in.
It bit down.
CRUNCH!
Blood sprayed into the air as the Grootslang chewed, swallowing its prey with a sickening satisfaction. Then it threw its head back and let out a triumphant roar.
Ryo and Dr. Snouts 5000 could only stare upward, faces darkened by horror.
Ryo’s hands trembled. His jaw tightened. He clenched his fists and swung one through the air, voice raw with frustration.
“DAMN IT!” he shouted, helpless that he couldn’t prevent another death.
And then—they saw them.
Figures plummeting from above, bloodied and battered.
Fairy Greatmother. Nuada. Titania. Vesmyra. And the Fairy Warriors who had fought alongside them—all of them crashing down from the Elderglade Spire.
Dr. Snouts 5000 galloped forward and skidded to a stop beside them. Ryo leapt off his back, rushing to check on each one in turn.
They were alive—grunting and weakened, but with no deep wounds. Even so, Ryo’s chest tightened.
Fairy Greatmother had once told him that fairies had strong, resilient bodies. Yet here they were—bleeding, scraped, and bruised.
He realized it then.
That shriek—it didn’t just hurt them. It weakened them.
Titania stirred first, pushing herself up on shaky arms.
Ryo stepped toward her quickly. “Titania, stay down. We’ll lure that monster away.”
She coughed, a trail of blood spilling from her lips, and fell to her knees.
Dr. Snouts 5000 trotted up beside her, voice gentle yet firm. “Please, my lady. You need to res—”
But her voice cut over his in a sudden, fierce shout. “NEVER! I’LL NEVER LET THAT MONSTER LAY ITS FANG ON THE LAND I ONCE RULED!”
“She once ruled this kingdom?” Ryo thought. “So it wasn’t just King Nuada… Titania too? Just like the original story?”
The Grootslang swung its massive head toward Ryo and let out a roar that shook the very air.
Ryo’s eyes widened in panic. “SH*T!”
If the beast charged now, it wouldn’t just hit him—it would crush the wounded scattered nearby.
The Grootslang lunged forward.
But Titania would not stand by and watch her family and allies fall.
Light glowing from her palms, she summoned a massive orb of pure white brilliance. With a sharp, forceful motion, she hurled it toward the monster.
BOOM!
The light exploded across the Grootslang’s face. Black scales cracked, and black, sizzling blood streaked down its head. The beast recoiled, then roared at her with even greater fury.
Titania’s wings beat the air, and she soared high, turning toward the luminous forest in the far distance—far from the fairy city, its citizens, and the heart of the kingdom. She would draw the danger away.
Enraged, the Grootslang forgot Ryo entirely. It coiled its body, leapt down from the Elderglade Spire’s shattered platform, and slammed into the ground. The earth shook as it began to slither across the kingdom, chasing her.
Ryo dragged a hand down his face, helplessness weighing on him. He wanted to help—desperately—because he knew what the monster’s shriek could do. If it unleashed that sound again, Titania could weaken… and then be devoured.
Beside him, Fairy Greatmother stirred. Her voice was faint, but filled with aching concern.
“Tita… ni… a… my sweet… child…”
Ryo knelt before her. “Ma’am, are you alright?”
Fairy Greatmother placed a hand on his shoulder. Her voice trembled with urgency.
“Mr. Detective… I’m sorry… I must go to her… now.”
He gripped her shoulder in return. “But you’re not in any condition to fight.”
She didn’t answer. Instead, her body flared with golden light as she shot into the sky—flying hard toward Titania’s direction, driven by a mother’s resolve.
Next to him, Vesmyra pushed herself unsteadily to her feet. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Sister… Titania…”
Pale blue light shimmered over her form as her wings unfurled. Without hesitation, she launched into the air, following her mother and sister into danger.
Ryo was left standing with Dr. Snouts 5000, alongside the Fairy King Nuada and the fallen warriors, all motionless from the battle.
Shame burned in his chest. He had been here before—watching others risk themselves while he stood powerless. As a former cop, he had always wanted to be part of the fight. His sense of justice ran deeper than most of his colleagues, but in the field, brute strength had never been his gift. Too often, he had been the one beaten down while others finished the job.
Yes—those missions had succeeded because of his deductions, his instincts. But still…
He wanted strength.
The kind of strength that could strike down this Vrakul Grootslang.
This shame he feels now is the same as in Al-Munira, when he could only watch the Arabian Royal Family fight Malakar in the Grand Palace while he hid, powerless against an immortal sorcerer.
And then, the memory surfaced…
The ancient power of the Crimson Gunslinger—a temporary gift from the crimson-cloaked Grim Reaper, Mr. Grim. With that power, he had saved an entire Arabian kingdom from the ancient criminal Malakar.
His fists trembled, nails digging into his palms, thought. “If… if only I had that power again…”
Nuada stirred, his battered form shifting on the stone floor. With a pained crawl, the Fairy King reached for Ryo—his left silver hand clamping weakly around the detective’s ankle.
“My family… stands no chance against that… monster,” he rasped.
Ryo twisted around, eyes wide. “Oi, King—you alright?!”
Dr. Snouts 5000 padded closer, placing a paw gently against the king’s back. “Your Majesty! Please, stay down—you are far too injured.”
But Nuada’s gaze was fixed on Ryo, his voice heavy with memory.
"That beast… it’s overwhelming. It reminds me of the war, fifteen years ago. Back then, the dark beings came as ghostly, demonic shapes. But this… this form is far more terrible."
“You can call those monsters the Vrakuls, Your Majesty,” Ryo said, forcing a calm, wry smile despite the dread gnawing at him. “And that elephant-type one is called a Grootslang. Just to keep things easier.”
Nuada chuckled faintly. “…Vrakul it is, then… huh, young man.”
Ryo knew Nuada’s family stood no chance against the Grootslang, but still… he asked.
“But… why exactly is your family no match for it?”
Nuada’s voice turned grim. “The shriek. You heard it. That sound tears into our very magic—it crippled my warriors, my wife, my daughters. Against that… no fairy can stand.”
The thought hit Ryo hard.
No fairy—no matter how powerful—can withstand it. His gaze drifted to Dr. Snouts 5000, an idea flickering. Maybe… the Cu Sith’s howl?
Nuada noticed immediately. “I know what you’re thinking, young man… but the Sith’s howl cannot kill the Grootslang.”
Ryo spun toward the king, eyes wide with shock. “HUH?! He can’t?!”
The king’s voice dropped lower. “Fifteen years ago, when the Vrakuls invaded, Sith fought beside us. He howled with all his might… and not one Vrakul fell. Instead, the sound killed our own warriors who heard it.”
Dr. Snouts’ expression darkened, and he shifted his gaze to the ground, the memory still haunting him.
“From that day onward… I swore never to howl again. My howl is cursed.”
Ryo rubbed his temples. “Sh*t! Then what can we do?!”
“There is one way,” Nuada said at last, his tone carrying the weight of a vow.
Both Ryo and Dr. Snouts straightened.
“How?! Please tell me!” Ryo urged.
Nuada shifted his gaze downward. “Fifteen years ago, I alone forced the Vrakul army back into their dark void. But… my step-granddaughter Thalirea was taken before I could save her. The Vrakuls dragged her into their realm. I failed her. Vesmyra—her stepmother—bore that wound for years.”
His eyes sharpened, casting aside grief. “But this is not the time for regret. This is the time to protect Lunaveth’s future.”
He locked eyes with Ryo. “And only you, Mr. Detective, can defeat that Grootslang.”
Ryo pointed at himself. “EH?! ME?!”
“That’s right,” Nuada said, his voice fierce despite his wounds. “Because you are human. The Grootslang’s cursed shriek only harms Fairies. It cannot touch you.”
Ryo exhaled, shaking his head. “How the hell am I supposed to do that? I’m just a normal human—no magic, no—”
“I will lend you mine,” Nuada cut in, the weight of a king’s oath behind the words.
Ryo froze. For a heartbeat, he remembered the Crimson Gunslinger power Mr. Grim had granted him. And now… Nuada was about to grant him something similar—his own powers.
If they didn’t stop the Grootslang, it would tear Lunaveth apart. Two warriors had already died tonight. There could be more—too many more—if that monster wasn’t stopped.
Ryo’s jaw set. “Alright, Your Majesty. How do I get your powers?”
Nuada struggled upright, wincing. With deliberate care, he stripped off his silver gauntlet and pressed it into Ryo’s hands.
“Put this on. Then chant the oath: ‘O silver arm, forged in the oath of kings, blessed by moon and bound by fate, through crown and realm I bear thy will — may all who defy the king’s law be struck by the weapon that shapes destiny, and let the crown’s judgment fall.’”
Ryo chuckled at the length of it. “Okay… memorized… I guess?”
He pulled out his notebook from his coat pocket and told the Fairy King to repeat the chant. As Nuada recited it again, Ryo quickly jotted it down, making sure he had it all memorized before slipping the notebook back into his pocket.
Sliding the gauntlet over his left hand, he flexed his fingers, feeling the faint hum of the king’s power.
Nuada asked. “Do you have a weapon—or anything—that can bear my power?”
Then Ryo remembered the time he had transformed his gun into an overpowered weapon as the Crimson Gunslinger. Smirking with a sharp gaze, he said. “Yeah, I do…”
But this time… Ryo wouldn’t be relying solely on his gun. He had another detective tool, different from his firearm, capable of channeling the Fairy King’s power.
“You will have five minutes,” Nuada said. “When they are gone, so are my powers.”
“Five minutes?” Ryo’s smirk sharpened. “That’s all I need.”
Nuada rested a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Then claim victory, young man.”
Ryo nodded, then turned to Dr. Snouts 5000. “So, bro… ready to see me smash that Grootslang in the face?”
The Cu Sith chuckled, eyes glinting. “You’ve got light back in your eyes. Go on—smash it. Don’t show mercy. Beat that monster the way you beat me before.”
Ryo raised his silver-clad hand in a thumbs-up. “You got it.”
He climbed onto the Cu Sith’s back and glanced at Nuada with a cheeky grin.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty—I’ll pound that Vrakul Grootslang to the face until it apologizes for existing.”
Nuada lifted his fist high, his voice echoing across the land. “FOR LUNAVETH!”
Ryo matched the cry, his own fist in the air.
Then, with a pounding gallop, he and Dr. Snouts 5000 raced across the land, charging toward the luminous forest—desperate to reach the fight before Titania and the others could fall.
In the Luminous Forest…
Titania’s wings cut through the glowing air, weaving between colossal mushroom stalks and radiant trees, the Grootslang thundering after her. Each of its crushing strides splintered trunks and sent glowing spores bursting into the night.
With a hiss like grinding stone, the Grootslang swung its massive trunk. Titania dodged sharply—its trunk missed her by inches but obliterated the tree behind her, the explosion of wood echoing through the forest.
She spun midair, thrust out her palm, and unleashed a volley of thorn-shards, each glowing emerald in the moonlight. They struck home, biting into the Grootslang’s hide. It roared, the sound shaking the ground, and then—
—SHRIEEEEEEK!
The accursed cry tore through the air. Titania clamped her hands over her ears, pain flooding her head. She dropped, crashing into the luminous grass below.
Before she could recover, the Grootslang’s tail lashed out—WHAM!—slamming into her gut. The force launched her into a jagged cliffside, rock exploding outward in a crater around her.
Dazed, pinned in the crater’s jagged embrace, she watched in horror as the Grootslang slithered forward in a slow, predatory curve. Its trunk snaked out, coiling around her torso, crushing the air from her lungs as it drew her toward its mouth.
And then—
From far across the forest, a golden shimmer flared. A massive, glowing tree tore free from its roots, soared through the air, and slammed into the Grootslang’s head. The beast staggered, dropping Titania to the grass.
Perched high on a branch, wand outstretched, stood Fairy Greatmother. Her voice, low and venomous, cut through the night.
"Don’t you dare harm my child."
Light beams erupted from her wand, hammering the monster’s face, forcing it to turn toward her.
From above, Vesmyra descended like a comet.
"SISTER TITANIA!" She landed, pulling Titania into a sitting position. "Are you alright? We need to get you healed!"
Titania’s breath came ragged. "Ugh… sister… I am well… I can handle… that monster."
"YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALONE!! AND YOU DEFINITELY ARE NOT WELL!" Vesmyra’s voice cracked with concern.
But Titania knew the truth—none of them could withstand the Grootslang’s shrieking for long. If she didn’t stand, no one would.
The Grootslang shrieked again. Pain flared in her skull. Vesmyra screamed and collapsed, unconscious, beside her. High above, Fairy Greatmother also cried out—her body went limp, and she tumbled from her branch, crashing onto the glowing grass.
Titania’s vision blurred, but she forced herself upright. The Grootslang loomed over her mother’s fallen form, mouth yawning open, teeth glistening.
Titania’s eyes widened in horror.
“MOTHER!” she shouted. Her instincts screamed at her—she had to save her mother before the monstrous Grootslang could devour her.
Her wings beat furiously—she shot into the air, soaring a hundred meters above the glowing trees. Arms outstretched, she chanted.
"Ray of judgment, carve the path of light — burn through shadow, pierce through stone, and let none escape the crown’s gaze!"
A sphere of blinding white light formed between her palms—then erupted. A searing beam shot from her hands, striking toward the Grootslang.
However, the monster quickly noticed the laser beam’s light and whipped its head toward the attack, then it slithered away to dodge it.
And Titania’s heart stopped.
Everything felt like slow motion.
Her beam—Titania’s attack—had become a misfire. No, it had never been a misfire in the first place. When Titania launched it, she was desperate to save her mother, and that desperation made her lose focus. She didn’t realize she was about to hit her mother instead, now that the Grootslang had dodged the attack it was originally meant for.
Titania’s eyes widened in horror. She was about to accidentally kill her mother. The laser beam was already halfway there—too late to divert her attack. All she could do now was scream—and if that beam hit her mother, she would be mentally broken like before…
…Like all those years ago.
"MOTHER NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
And in that frozen heartbeat, as the beam bore down, Titania’s mind dragged her back—back to the very first day she met Roselia…
Before Roselia became the Fairy Greatmother…
When Titania still reigned over Lunaveth, she was a lifeless ruler. Never the type to meet her people’s eyes with warmth, never one to speak to her retainers with kindness. She kept herself distant, her presence cold, her reign unfeeling. For 800 years she sat upon the throne, yet never once did she taste the feeling of a home.
Titania had no family—not even parents. At least, that was what she believed. Whispers in Lunaveth told a different story: that her parents had once been rulers themselves, but had only cared for her as an infant. By the time she turned one, they had vanished—abandoning both her and the kingdom.
At that age, she was too young to remember their faces, their voices, their touch.
A temporary ruler had stepped in to fill the void—Oberon, who guided Lunaveth for twenty years before passing the crown to Titania. At twenty-one, she became Queen. But the title brought no joy, no sense of fulfillment—only the heavy weight of duty. She commanded her warriors, her court, her people, as one maintains a machine: ensuring stability, but never warmth.
60 years ago, on a day when the dullness of her rule felt unbearable, Titania chose to wander beyond her kingdom. She took to the skies, her wings cutting through the wind, until she reached a distant human village known as Goldenhush—a place cradled in rolling farmlands, its fields glowing gold beneath the sun.
She landed on top of a grassy, brown hill. From there, she looked down upon the cozy settlement. There, a girl of about 10 years in age knelt in the fields, plucking carrots, wheat, and other crops with quiet diligence.
A woman’s voice carried over the breeze. “Roselia.”
The girl looked up, smiling at the figure who approached—her mother. The woman called for her to bring in the harvest so they could prepare a food stall for that night’s annual festival. Roselia nodded and hurried to finish, gathering the crops into her arms before disappearing into their cottage.
From her perch above, Titania watched in silence.
A mother… a family…
The sight pierced her in a way she couldn’t explain. She had seen countless fairy children with their mothers back in Lunaveth, yet this was different. To see a human child’s bond with her mother—it stirred something sharper, almost envious.
She remained on the hill until nightfall, curious to witness the festival. When it began, the village was filled with dazzling lights and lively sounds. Stalls brimmed with food and drink. Fiddles, flutes, and drums carried music through the air.
Villagers danced in lines and circles, laughter ringing out. Storytellers told legends by the firelight, and costumed parades filled the streets with color. Children raced, men wrestled, and archers took aim for small prizes. It was a celebration of life, of bonds, of joy.
Titania’s lips curled into a small pout. Such vibrance did not exist in her own kingdom. In that moment, she resolved to create a festival in Lunaveth—one that might rival this joy.
Then, she spotted Roselia again, tending a small food stall by herself while her family attended to other festival matters. The table overflowed with roasted meats, cheeses, eggs, honeyed sweets, milk, and cider. Titania’s stomach growled—she had not eaten since noon.
With a flicker of magic, she concealed her fairy wings and ears, taking on the guise of a human woman. She descended the hill and entered the village, weaving through the crowd until she reached Roselia’s stall.
Titania smiled and asked for roasted chicken. Roselia nodded, but then, seeing the stranger’s unfamiliar face, she assumed Titania was a visitor. Deciding to add a special touch, she topped the dish with melted cheese and eggs, offering it with a cheerful grin. Titania drooled at the sight. Roselia chuckled at her expression before handing her the plate.
The first bite was bliss. Titania chewed slowly, savoring the warmth and richness as though the meal itself had been touched by magic.
For a fleeting, absurd moment, she thought. “This girl… this child… she’s like a mother to me.”
Hours passed. The festival was still alive with dancing, music, and laughter. Titania sat at a nearby table, quietly enjoying the change of atmosphere from Lunaveth’s dull throne.
But then… a shadow entered the village.
The figure was a woman—or something close to one. Her face was split between beauty and decay.
One side smooth and pale, the other withered and skeletal.
An icy blue eye flecked with black gleaming from the ruined half.
Silvery-white hair, threaded with ribbons, trailed over a translucent cloak.
Bone-shaped rings adorned her long, pale fingers, nails painted a deep crimson.
In her grip, a twisted staff crowned with a cracked mask and tattered banners swayed like an omen.
Titania’s instincts screamed. This was no mere human.
An old man turned, scowling. “Perchta… you again?”
The woman’s gaze slid to him, silent and cold.
A young woman stepped forward. “Madam Perchta, you need to leave. You frighten people—even the children. You don’t belong here.”
More voices rose, demanding she leave.
“Get out of here, hag!"
"Go crawl back to your cave!"
"You’re ruining our festival!"
"Take that ugly mask and go!"
"No one wants you here!"
"You’re nothing but bad luck!"
"Scarecrow-looking witch!"
"Disappear before we drag you out!"
Perchta’s lips curled into a snarl. Her staff slammed against the ground. “SIIIIIILEEEEENCE!!!”
The crowd froze.
She pointed at them, her voice dripping venom.
“You fools… you dare to waste your lives on such pitiful displays? Festivals are for the lazy, the idle, the rotting scum of this world. While you dance and feast, your bodies soften, your spirits decay. You should be laboring—striving—improving! Not drowning in this cesspool of laughter and drink. And for your shameless idleness… you deserve nothing but death!”
A moment of silence.
Then, a wave of laughter burst from the festival crowd, echoing through the lantern-lit streets.
Everyone at the festival laughed at Perchta, thinking she was so foolish. After all, every villager had worked hard to earn their festivity reward.
And here, in the midst of their joy, stood a gruesome-looking woman — one who dared call them foolish and lazy simply for rewarding themselves with a happy festival after days of labor. To them, it was as if this woman believed taking a break after hard work was a crime.
The taunting began to grow. Faces twisted with mockery, voices rose, and the insults flew:
“Go back to your swamp, hag!”
“Maybe she’s just jealous she’s never been invited to a festival!”
“Hey, someone get her a mirror so she can scare herself away!”
“Looks like someone’s allergic to fun!”
“Careful, she’ll turn you to stone if you keep looking!”
“Maybe she dances as bad as she dresses!”
“Don’t trip over your own stick, granny!”
The laughter rolled on, but not from everyone.
Titania did not join them. She sat still, her smile absent, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Something about this woman — this Perchta — was wrong. Beneath the mocking and the music, Titania could feel it. A dark, creeping magic was seeping from her like a chill mist.
Perchta smirked sinisterly, her lips curling as she whispered.
“is that so...? laugh and mock me however you want…. But see to it that your punishment for your laziness will mean eternal suffering.”
Her staff rose, the air growing heavy and cold. Then, she spoke the spell, each word dripping with malice.
“By bells of doom and shadowed thread”
“By bone and blood, the living and dead”
“I bind your soul, your mind, your heart”
“To whirl forever in the danse macabre’s dark”
“No mercy, no rest, no end in sight”
“Torn and twisted in eternal night”
And suddenly, the festival square erupted in movement. Every villager’s body began to dance. Not of their own will. Not with joy. Their eyes widened in horror as their limbs jerked and spun, unable to stop.
Perchta threw her head back, laughing maniacally.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA! NOW WILL YOU FOREVER DANCE UNTIL YOU MEET DEATH ITSELF!!!”
Every soul moved to the cursed spell… except Titania. The magic slid off her like water against stone. She remained still, shielded by her own power — she was no mere villager, but a powerful fairy in human guise.
Perchta’s gaze found her — unbound, panicked, and unmoving. Her bitter face twisted with a click of her tongue. Without another word, she turned, slipping into the shadows beyond the village, leaving behind the writhing, dancing crowd.
Titania’s eyes darted to the food stall. Roselia was there, but not as Titania had last seen her. She danced uncontrollably, her face etched with panic, tears streaking her cheeks.
Her feet moved tirelessly, yet the dance did not falter. The cursed magic would not release her. Titania tried — once, twice, again — to dispel the danse macabre. It was useless. This was no simple enchantment. It was a curse designed to hold its victims until they collapsed… and died.
6 HOURS PASSED…
Some villagers had collapsed to the ground — unconscious — yet their legs still moved grotesquely in the dance. Others gasped for air, desperate for water. A few had already fallen silent forever.
Titania sat at a wooden table, her hands clenched, her face heavy with hopelessness. She was powerful, but not enough to break this curse. Her gaze kept returning to Roselia, still dancing, her feet bleeding, still crying, mourning even as she moved — mourning the sight of her own parents who had died from the endless dance.
Titania could not bear it. Not for Roselia. For the rest of the village, perhaps she could endure the sight — but not for her. Her care for the child burned beyond reason.
She rose, her movements slow, deliberate, and stepped toward Roselia. Her voice was distant, drained, as if all warmth had been stripped from her.
“Roselia… my name is Titania.”
“Now… choose, child. Continue to bleed your feet... or be reborn as the Great Fairy… and my mother.”
Roselia blinked through her tears, confused.
What did she mean?
To be reborn as the Great Fairy?
To become her mother?
She didn’t know.
She didn’t care.
All she knew was the unbearable pain in her legs, the desperate need to stop.
Her voice cracked, frantic with exhaustion.
“PLEASE!! I SHALL DO ANYTHING… ANYTHING! AS LONG AS I CAN STOP DANCING AND REST!!! BE IT WHETHER IT’S TO BECOME THIS ‘GREAT FAIRY’ OR YOUR MOTHER!”
Titania, her eyes empty, gave the smallest nod. “Very well, child.”
A circle of blue light flared beneath Roselia’s feet. Magic swirled around her, wrapping her in a soft, radiant glow. The dance stopped. Her body stilled. When the light faded, she had changed — now clad in a deep, regal blue gown, her form transformed into that of a half-fairy. She had no wings or pointed ears, yet still retained a human appearance.
Roselia stumbled to her stall, seizing a cup of water with trembling hands. She drank deeply, panting, her chest heaving. She thought she had narrowly escaped death. Titania told her she would adopt her before she could truly become her mother. Roselia only nodded. Together, they left the village.
But at the entrance, Titania froze. Behind her, the villagers still danced. She looked back. The sight was unbearable. Her jaw tightened.
She turned, lifting her palm toward the village.
Roselia tilted her head. “Ms. Titania, what are you about to do?”
A white glow began to gather in Titania’s hand. Her whisper was almost soft.
“End the eternal suffering of your people, Roselia…”
Roselia’s eyes widened, whispered. “No… it can’t be.”
She understood instantly. This was no rescue. This was a mercy killing. Titania meant to end the villagers’ lives. Roselia lunged for her arm, screaming.
“WAIT! PLEASE TITANIA, YOU CANNOT JUST KILL PEOPLE LIKE THAT, LET US FIND ANOTHER WAY TO STOP THEIR ETERNAL DANCE!”
But Titania’s arm didn’t move. Her strength was too great. Her will, unshakable. She wasn’t listening.
From the shadows beyond the village, Perchta watched, grinning. She flicked her staff. The dark magic lifted. The dance stopped. The survivors collapsed, gasping in relief.
But Titania did not see. Her arm was still extended. The glow in her palm only brightened.
Roselia turned back to the village, eyes widening in relief. “Look, Ms. Titania! Everyone stopped dancing!”
But Titania heard nothing. She felt nothing. The magic in her hand grew toward its peak.
Roselia gasped, grabbing her arm again. “TITANIA! STOP! PUT YOUR ARM DOWN NOW!”
Titania did not move. Did not feel her.
Roselia’s hand flew. The slap cracked against Titania’s cheek. The fairy queen’s breath hitched — awareness returning — but the magic was already unstable.
And then — the beam fired.
KRAKOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A blast of white light ripped through the village. Houses split apart as the shockwave thundered outward, the air bursting with fire, splinters, and dust. When the roar at last subsided, only flames and ruin remained.
Roselia fell to her knees, sobbing, her voice breaking under the weight of loss.
Titania stared at the destruction, then sank beside her, trembling. Her hands rose to her face. The scream tore from her throat, raw and unending.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
She had done it. She had destroyed Roselia’s village. Her people.
From the distance, Perchta’s laughter rang like a victory bell as she walked away — satisfied, knowing all blame would fall on Titania.
Days have passed since then…
Titania began to slowly walk back towards the kingdom of Lunaveth, her eyes widened in pain, mouth slightly open. Her arms hung limp at her sides, her head bowed. Titania was broken inside.
Since Roselia had nowhere else to go, she decided to follow Titania — but with caution.
Titania had just destroyed her home, her village, by accident. So Roselia feared that Titania would go out of control again. She kept her distance, letting Titania lead the way, her every step heavy with silent grief.
Titania was too broken to journey back to Lunaveth using her wings while carrying Roselia. So they walked. They crossed Enchanted Woods, hills, mountain fields, dirt roads, and other kingdoms.
For two months they wandered, sleeping in caves or under trees. Eventually, they stopped in the secluded mountain kingdom of ‘Aplynstalk,’ staying at an inn for a few nights.
One night, even in the inn’s bed, Titania still looked broken. She whispered to herself in regret, mocking herself, wishing she had not destroyed Roselia’s home.
Roselia, sleeping in the next bed, stirred and noticed the silent, trembling fairy queen.
Sure, Roselia feared Titania for destroying her home. Yet, the longer Titania remained in that broken state, the more pity stirred within her. She wanted to reach out, to console her… but she hesitated, still holding onto the deep pain that lingered inside.
Then Titania muttered fatal words in a whisper. “I want to die…”
Roselia gasped. She could no longer hold back. In an instant she moved to Titania’s bed and pulled the fairy’s head into her chest, cradling her like a child.
With tears spilling down her cheeks, Roselia whispered, her voice trembling yet fierce.
“Titania, my dear… please… don’t kill yourself.”
“Do you really have any right to kill yourself right now?”
“Of course, you have done something as cruel as destroying my village by accident… but… but… killing yourself after telling me you wanted me to become your mother?
“I WON’T LET YOU DIE ON ME AFTER YOU JUST MADE THAT STATEMENT!”
“I… I… I shall become your mother… so please… teach me. Become my mentor. Let me stay by your side so I can become a strong half-fairy who can take care of you and the kingdom of Lunaveth!”
“So before I properly become your mother… teach me magic, so I become stronger — strong enough to become the Great Fairy!”
Titania’s teary eyes widened. She slowly wrapped her arms around Roselia, clinging to her. From that day, everything changed. Titania did not see Roselia as a mother… not yet. But Roselia’s determination to grow stronger moved her. Titania began to see — and treat — Roselia as her student.
The next day, Titania had recovered enough to take flight, though the trauma still lingered. She carried Roselia in her arms, wings beating through the clouds. The journey back to Lunaveth took two hours.
Upon arrival, Roselia felt completely out of place — every citizen was fully fairy, while she was only half. But that did not shake her determination.
Titania taught her spells — combat, defense, and more. Years passed. Roselia grew into her power, rising as the Great Fairy. Eventually, she met Nuada Airgetlám. They fell in love, marrying when Roselia was 25. During the wedding, Titania watched with quiet pride as her student became a powerful, graceful woman.
Yet, deep inside, Titania still yearned for Roselia to become her mother. At twenty-five, Roselia’s appearance was nearly the same age as Titania’s, and the queen felt conflicted — she no longer saw a 10-year-old girl.
More years passed. At 30, Roselia bore a daughter, Vesmyra. By 50, Roselia had become wiser, more motherly. One day, Titania looked at her — and saw not a student, not a friend, but the mother she had always longed for. Overcome, she allowed herself to be held in Roselia’s embrace.
Finally… Titania had a mother.
At that same time, Nuada and Roselia took the throne as king and queen of Lunaveth. Titania retired after ruling for over eight centuries.
One day, Roselia told her family she wished to become a teacher in the human kingdom of Evendelle, while keeping watch over the magic of the realm. She had always taught standard education rather than magic, and now wished to continue her work among humans.
The family approved. Roselia moved to Evendelle and taught there for 20 years, all the while still staying in Lunaveth through the cottage in the swamp—a magical doorway linking the two places—until she turned 70.
One night — the night of the Royal Ball in Evendelle — Titania, flying over the kingdom, saw Roselia at the riverbank. She watched as Roselia introduced herself to Cinderella as the Fairy Greatmother, not the Great Fairy, before gifting her the magical gown and sending her to the ball in the apple-shaped carriage.
Titania smiled, pride swelling in her chest. Her mother — the Fairy Greatmother — was giving hope to those in need.
That is the story of Titania and Roselia’s loving family bond…
The loving memory faded…
And now, back in the Luminous Forest…
Titania was about to commit another accident — just as she had 60 years ago when she destroyed Roselia’s village…
With tears streaming down her face, her voice broke into a scream that shook the trees.
“MOOOOOOTHEEEER!!!!!!”
Then—
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
From the distance, cutting past the shimmering leaves of the bioluminescent forest, something tore through the air—fast, deadly. A dagger. No… it was thrown.
{ The Khanjar of the Forgotten Oasis }
It spun in a perfect arc, glinting in the luminous forest light, headed straight toward Titania’s searing beam.
And then—
ZYOUM!
The dagger struck the beam mid-flight, shattering the magic in a violent ripple. The radiant beam of light disintegrated into thousands of glowing motes, vanishing inches before it could scorch the unconscious Fairy Greatmother.
The dagger clattered to the glowing grass, its blade still humming with residual magic.
Titania froze—gasping. Someone… someone had just dispelled her attack. A beam so powerful, one that could have killed her mother in a heartbeat, undone in the blink of an eye.
Her heart pounded. Her breath quickened. Her eyes darted across the battlefield, scanning the darkness for the one who had thrown it.
And then… she saw him.
At the very top of the cliff she had smashed into earlier…
A silhouette stood.
The wind caught his trench coat, making it billow behind him like the cape of a lone hero.
He was riding a massive, hulking beast—its green fur glimmering faintly under the moonlight. The Cu Sith stood like a war steed out of legend.
The moonlight shifted.
Shadows peeled back.
His face came into view.
Titania’s breath hitched. Her eyes widened, shimmering with emotion. Her lips trembled.
It was him.
The one she had fallen for.
Both her trembling hands rose to cover her mouth as she whispered, voice quaking.
“Strange… foreign man…”
“YO, Titania—glad I made it just in time for the boss battle party,” Ryo called down casually, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Below him, Dr. Snouts 5000 chuckled deeply. “Is this one of those movie moments you told me about earlier, bro?”
Ryo crossed his arms with pride, his grin widening.
“YOU’RE SO DAMN RIGHT! It’s one of those climax moments where the cool heroic protagonist shows up at the last second, steals the spotlight from all the side characters, and does the epic last-minute save.”
Relief broke across Titania’s face, a smile cutting through the tension.
“STRANGE FOREIGN MAN! YOU CAME FOR US!”
The Grootslang turned, then—its eyes locking on Ryo, the one it had truly been hunting all along.
Its roar split the night, shaking the very leaves of the glowing forest.
But then Titania’s breath caught—
A horrible realization crashed into her mind.
The strange foreign man… was just a normal human.
He was no match for the Grootslang.
She opened her mouth, ready to shout for him to run, to get away—
—when her eyes caught a glint of silver on his left hand.
Her heart skipped.
He was wearing her father’s Silver Gauntlet.
“Why… is he wearing father’s gauntlet?” she whispered under her breath.
Ryo slid down from Dr. Snouts 5000’s back. The beast’s eyes turned toward him, its deep voice carrying a note of concern.
“Are you sure you can handle that monster on your own, bro?”
Ryo’s gaze sharpened, his smirk curling into something dangerous. Eyes locked on the Grootslang, he spoke with calm fire.
“Yeah. Like I said before, I’m gonna pound that dumba** monster until it apologizes for existing.”
That look—his sheer resolve carved into every line of his face—struck Titania like a Cupid’s arrow to the chest.
Her cheeks flushed, her heart pounded.
It was like watching a hero step out of the stories she’d cherished… only this time, he was real.
And that look told her one thing—
The strange foreign man… knew exactly what he was doing.
Ryo’s voice rang out across the luminous forest.
“Titania! You and Dr. Snouts 5000 secure your mom and your sister. I’ll handle that a**hole monster myself. And make sure to get as far away from here as possible so that monster’s shriek doesn’t affect you!”
Titania hesitated, torn to the core—she wanted to fight beside him.
But she knew… the Grootslang’s shriek crippled fairies… just as it had taken down her sister and her mother.
Without a word, she descended, scooping her mother into her arms. Dr. Snouts 5000 leapt from the cliff to the glowing grass below. Titania lifted Vesmyra and placed her atop the great Cu Sith’s back. Together, they began retreating from the battlefield.
Now it was just Ryo… and the oncoming Grootslang.
The monster threw back its massive head and shrieked—a bone-rattling sound that made Titania stumble mid-flight, almost dropping her mother. She slowed her fall to cushion the landing, but her heart pounded—knowing the Grootslang would never let nearby prey escape.
Dr. Snouts 5000 urged Titania toward a nearby cave, to hide and recover. She obeyed at once, and together they slipped into its dark shelter.
Ryo shook his head, clearly disappointed. “You sure need to start focusing on your main opponent here, Anaconda-wannabe…”
The Grootslang lunged skyward, arching through the air in a killing dive—its jaws yawning wide enough to swallow a wagon.
Ryo’s right hand dipped into his pocket.
Out came a Magnifying Glass.
His left—the silver gauntlet—rose to his face. The metal began to hum… then glow… then blaze.
Then he chanted, his voice dropping to a low, steady oath.
“O silver arm, forged in the oath of kings, blessed by moon and bound by fate… through crown and realm I bear thy will—may all who defy the king’s law be struck by the weapon that shapes destiny… and let the crown’s judgment fall.”
The gauntlet erupted in a detonation of light—blinding, silver-white, and pure. Magic flared around him, transforming his very form. His messy black hair flowed into molten silver, and his trench coat shimmered into glittering argent.
The magnifying glass elongated in a shimmer of sorcery, its frame stretching into a long, elegant rifle barrel. With his gauntleted left hand, Ryo drew his gun and fused it with the magnifying glass. The two detective tools merged, reshaping into a single weapon…
[ > A Silver Sniper Rifle < ]
The lens detached, floating upward, locking perfectly over his right eye like a sniper’s scope.
Power coursed through him—muscles tightened, breath deepened, the king’s strength surging in his veins…
…and the countdown had already begun.
5 MINUTES!
The Grootslang was almost on him.
Ryo didn’t fire. Not yet.
He stepped to the side—slow, precise—letting the Grootslang’s gaping jaws sail past. His left hand shot up, seizing its massive trunk with a grip that was almost godlike.
Ryo’s smirk widened. “Wanna know how flying feels like, Anaconda-wannabe?”
His body twisted—once, twice—and then BLURRED into a cyclone of motion. Winds howled outward, whipping the air into a deafening WHOOOOOOOOSH!
With supernatural force, he spun the Grootslang through the air like a massive, screaming helicopter blade.
From the cave, Titania and Dr. Snouts 5000 stared—utter disbelief painted across their faces.
And then—
With a roar, Ryo THREW the Grootslang high into the night sky.
He leveled his rifle, silver light dancing across the barrel.
“Now… let’s see what this power of the King’s Silver-Armed Sniper can really do.”
The floating scope above his eye adjusted, zooming in tight on the tumbling monster.
4 MINUTES!
His voice dropped into pure, razor-edged gamer mode.
“Target zeroed in. That bootleg anaconda’s about to regret every life choice it ever made—before I ship it express to uninstall town.”
BANG!
One pull of the trigger—five silver bullets spiraled around each other in perfect formation, cutting through the air like meteors.
They slammed into the Grootslang’s gut—
BOOOOM!
An eruption of silver dust tore across the sky.
The monster howled, its body thrashing, before crashing past the glowing trees and into the grass below—impacting hard enough to carve a crater into the earth.
Dr. Snouts 5000 gawked. “W-w-woah… he really did go full superhero movie mode like he talked about earlier…”
As for Titania?
She was breathing heavily…
Not from exhaustion, but from something far more dangerous… a wild lust that burned like madness inside her. Her pupils swelled into pounding hearts, glowing with feverish need, while drool slipped from her parted lips.
Her chest rose and fell in ragged, uneven gasps, every breath trembling with restraint. Both hands pressed tightly between her trembling thighs, which rubbed together in desperate friction as if to cage the fire threatening to spill over.
Her whole body quivered as her gaze devoured him—silver and radiant beneath the moonlight, a vision so intoxicating it threatened to tear away the last threads of her control.
“Ohhh… my… will strange foreign man… be just as rough with me in bed… like that… during our evening sessions… ahh… I… I can’t… I’m trembling… my body… my hands… it’s the first time I’ve felt this way in over 800 years… I… I need him… I… I can’t… hold… back… Ahhh~” she whispered, almost losing herself.
Dr. Snouts 5000 slowly turned to her, disbelief and confusion written all over his face, like he was thinking, ‘What the hell did I just hear?’
“…Huh? My lady?”
The Grootslang forced its massive body upright, roaring louder than before, a thunderous, angry quake that shook the glowing grass beneath.
Titania froze, panic flashing across her face, and clamped her hands over her ears just as the beast prepared to shriek.
The shriek ripped through the forest, a terrifying wall of sound that should have crushed fairies like her… yet Ryo remained utterly unaffected.
After ten agonizing seconds, the deafening wail finally ceased. The Grootslang’s eyes glimmered with fury as it slithered forward again, a living storm of muscle and scale.
Ryo landed gracefully on the grass below, sliding his Arabian dagger back into his coat. His eyes never left the approaching monster.
3 MINUTES!
Suddenly, the Grootslang unleashed a gush of venom from its trunk. Ryo leapt high, somersaulting toward a nearby tree trunk, narrowly avoiding the searing poison.
The beast lashed again and again, spitting venom like geysers, but Ryo flowed with deadly precision—leaping from branch to branch, springing off a giant bouncy mushroom, backflipping from strike to strike. Each dodge was poetry in motion.
After every maneuver, his silver rifle fired in perfect rhythm, each shot punctuated with his trademark cocky flair.
“OH Look at you! Surviving that last BIG shot. Cute. Real cute. I almost admire your stubbornness… almost. But don’t get comfortable — sit back, relax if you must, and take a front-row seat to the cinematic IMAX sequel of your life, a production I like to call ‘Absolute Obliteration: Extended Director’s Cut,’ where every twitch, every pathetic elephant hiss, and every desperate gasp of yours will be immortalized in gloriously slow-motion failure, starring you, the overgrown noodle of regret, performing in a one-creature disaster extravaganza, and directed entirely by yours truly… alongside my suspiciously cheerful rat co-director with the overgrown ear, who insists on giving commentary and occasional Broadway musical numbers for dramatic effect.”
The Grootslang, battered, bruised, bloodied and enraged, swung its trunk wildly, venom dripping and fury mounting with every taunt.
2 MINUTES!
Unwilling to endure a drawn-out, painfully long shounen battle like in the animes of his childhood, Ryo made his move—every second of the Fairy King’s power counted.
He leaped from tree trunk to tree trunk with leopard-like agility, then launched himself high into the air—landing squarely atop the Grootslang’s head.
Raising his silver rifle, he brought it to aim at the weak spot just below the Grootslang’s skull. His voice dropped, dark and confident, a smirk curling at the edges.
“Target locked. Game over—existence about to be terminated. Cinematic extravaganza complete… and the theater’s still empty, unfortunately for a smoky, limpy noodle like you. But hey, my rat co-director gets to give the solo standing ovation from the back seat. Consider yourself lucky.”
Then, the trigger was pulled. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Sixteen shots, silver light streaking like meteor showers, piercing the Grootslang’s skull.
The creature roared once—louder, pained, final. Smoke rose from its body as its scales melted away into thin, swirling wisps. Slowly, the Grootslang vanished—obliterated, erased, leaving only the faintest trace of dark mist.
Ryo exhaled, resting the rifle on his shoulder, a satisfied, cocky grin spreading across his face.
“Anaconda-wannabe terminated. Box office: zero. Regret: maximum. My rat co-director didn’t applaud—left the cinema before the climax.”
Then… “DAAAAAAAAARLIIIIING!”
Ryo blinked, dumbfounded. “Huh? Who the hell is calling me ‘darling’?”
He then turned around and saw Titania running toward him, arms wide, her face glowing with a bold, mischievous grin. She leaped, wrapping herself around his neck.
1 MINUTE REMAINING!
Titania, voice burning with urgent longing and desperate need.
“Ahh~ my hero… I knew it! You had to show off, didn’t you?! Prove just how monstrously strong, how terrifyingly unstoppable you are… leaving me completely awestruck, melting, shivering, writhing with need! My body’s on fire, every nerve screaming for you… my heart pounding so violently I think it might tear through my chest… I can’t stop thinking about you… all of me, every inch… screaming, aching, desperate… I… I can’t… I can’t hold back… I need you… I want you… I’m utterly lost… consumed… overwhelmed… by you!!!!”
Ryo panicked, flustered. “Hey! Wait! I don’t need another delusional one like the protagonist’s stepsisters!”
[Author’s note: Except… she’s not being delusional. Her obsession is 100% real, Mr. Harem Anime Protagonist… accept your fate, oh Chosen One! There’s no escaping her now!]
Dr. Snouts 5000 chuckled as he strolled closer. “Hehehe… Roselia wasn’t wrong. You really do have a talent for attracting women without even trying. And impressively… you even got her daughter wrapped around your finger, bro.”
Ryo rubbed his temple. “Seriously… never was my intention to do that…”
2 SECONDS!
Suddenly, Ryo glowed, and Titania flinched, releasing him in surprise. As the glow faded, his hair shifted back to black, his trench coat returned to gray, and the rifle separated into the magnifying glass and small gun— even the lenses that had been hovering over his eyes snapped back into the rims of the magnifying glass.
Fortunately, the Silver-Armed Sniper’s powers didn’t leave him as drained as the Crimson Gunslinger had before, so Ryo didn’t collapse from exhaustion. He slid his tools back into his coat pockets and exhaled deeply, finally feeling the tension lift.
Ryo glanced at Titania and asked softly. “How are your mother and Vesmyra?”
Titania smiled and pointed toward the cave. “Look over there.”
Inside, Fairy Greatmother and Vesmyra were sitting up, weak but alive. They waved, their relief obvious.
As for Vesmyra, a quiet surge of jealousy crept over her as she watched her sister Titania obsess over Ryo. She wasn’t fully into him yet, but seeing Titania all over him didn’t sit well—especially knowing that she, a beautiful young-looking woman still single in her forties, was being outshined by her daring, 800-plus-year-old younger sister.
Her eyes twitched, longing to rush forward and hug Ryo herself, having peeked at the battle while pretending to be unconscious, still buzzing from witnessing his impressive display—taking down the Vrakul Grootslang with ease.
Ryo’s chest tightened with gratitude—seeing them safe made all the chaos worth it. He, Titania, and Dr. Snouts 5000 approached, thoroughly checking on them. Fairy Greatmother and Vesmyra thanked him, their voices trembling but filled with relief.
Fairy Greatmother, urgency in her tone. “Mr. Detective, we need to return to Evendelle immediately! It’s already 4 PM there, and the Royal Ball preparations must start without delay!”
Ryo nodded without hesitation, though he couldn’t help but notice their fatigue and fresh wounds, evidence of the intense battle they had just endured.
Titania gently placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuring. “Don’t worry. We’ll return to the city first. A quick healing and rejuvenation in my family’s Healing Sanctuary will set us right.”
Vesmyra, still weak but determined, stood and reminded. “And don’t forget about ‘THAT,’ alright, sister?”
Titania tilted her head, confused. “THAT?”
Vesmyra sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “The evidence, my silly older-younger sister! You’ll have to explain it to this strange foreign man.”
Titania paused, then clapped her hands in realization. “Ah! That’s right—the evidence!”
They made their way back to the city, still bearing the scars of the Grootslang’s rampage. Below the hill, near the wrecked Elderglade Spire, Sophie, Elise, the other Fairy Warriors, and Nuada waited anxiously. Relief washed over their faces at the sight of Ryo’s group returning, worn from battle but still standing.
Nuada’s eyes softened, a mix of relief and gratitude washing over him as he hugged his wife and daughters tightly. Earlier, worry had gnawed at him, but seeing his family safe now—that was all that mattered.
Ryo returned Nuada’s silver gauntlet with a respectful nod.
“Thanks for lending me your power… for that temporary overpowered protagonist moment,” he said casually.
Nuada blinked at the words, unfamiliar with the phrase, but shrugged it off. What mattered most was that his kingdom had been saved—thanks to Ryo wielding the power he had so generously lent.
Ryo then noticed two girls, now fully awake but bandaged, sitting with their backs turned. He approached carefully, crouching down behind them.
“Seraphine… Clarisse… are you both alright now?” he asked gently, his voice carrying concern.
The sisters slowly turned their heads, tears welling up.
Seraphine whispered, voice trembling. “Sherlock?”
Clarisse’s eyes narrowed, tears slipping down her cheeks as she covered her mouth. “Is that… really you… Sherlock?”
Ryo’s heart clenched. He placed a comforting hand on each of their shoulders, voice gentle but firm.
“Yeah… it’s me. Detective Sherlock Holmes.”
In unison, the sisters leapt forward, hugging him tightly and sobbing.
“SHERLOOOCK! WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”
Ryo held them close, feeling the warmth and relief in their embrace. Every tear they shed reflected the recent struggle under the curse that had possessed them, now finally lifted. For a former police officer, this moment—seeing those he protected safe, alive, and whole—was the truest reward.
He looked at their faces, so relieved and alive, and felt a swell of gratitude and tenderness. In that instant, he knew without a doubt: they could finally return home to their mother, Madam Rosalind—safe, whole, and free from the curse that had once possessed them.
Ryo’s voice barely more than a breath, trembling with emotion.
“You’re safe now… both of you. Finally… truly safe. Let’s… let’s get you both home… to Evendelle… back to your mother… where you belong.”
And in that moment, the battlefield, the monster, the chaos—all of it faded, leaving only the warmth of reunion, the healing of hearts, and the calm that follows a storm.
0
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わたしの下着 母の私をＢＢＡ～と呼ぶことのある息子がまさか．．．
MisakiNonagase
青春
39才の母・真知子は息子が私の下着を持ち出していることに気づいた。
ネットで同様の事象がないか調べると、案外多いようだ。
さて、真知子は息子を問い詰める？ それとも気づかないふりを続けてあげるか？
そのほかに外伝も綴りました。
どうしよう私、弟にお腹を大きくさせられちゃった！～弟大好きお姉ちゃんの秘密の悩み～
さいとう みさき
恋愛
「ま、まさか!?」
あたし三鷹優美（みたかゆうみ）高校一年生。
弟の晴仁（はると）が大好きな普通のお姉ちゃん。
弟とは凄く仲が良いの！
それはそれはものすごく‥‥‥
「あん、晴仁いきなりそんなのお口に入らないよぉ～♡」
そんな関係のあたしたち。
でもある日トイレであたしはアレが来そうなのになかなか来ないのも気にもせずスカートのファスナーを上げると‥‥‥
「うそっ！ お腹が出て来てる!?」
お姉ちゃんの秘密の悩みです。
ママと中学生の僕
キムラエス
大衆娯楽
「ママと僕」は、中学生編、高校生編、大学生編の3部作で、本編は中学生編になります。ママは子供の時に両親を事故で亡くしており、結婚後に夫を病気で失い、身内として残された僕に精神的に依存をするようになる。幼少期の「僕」はそのママの依存が嬉しく、素敵なママに甘える閉鎖的な生活を当たり前のことと考える。成長し、性に目覚め始めた中学生の「僕」は自分の性もママとの日常の中で処理すべきものと疑わず、ママも戸惑いながらもママに甘える「僕」に満足する。ママも僕もそうした行為が少なからず社会規範に反していることは理解しているが、ママとの甘美な繋がりは解消できずに戸惑いながらも続く「ママと中学生の僕」の営みを描いてみました。
愛しているなら拘束してほしい
守 秀斗
恋愛
会社員の美夜本理奈子（２４才）。ある日、仕事が終わって会社の玄関まで行くと大雨が降っている。びしょ濡れになるのが嫌なので、地下の狭い通路を使って、隣の駅ビルまで行くことにした。すると、途中の部屋でいかがわしい行為をしている二人の男女を見てしまうのだが……。
17歳男子高生と32歳主婦の境界線
MisakiNonagase
恋愛
32歳の主婦・加恋。冷え切った家庭で孤独に苛まれる彼女を救い出したのは、ネットの向こう側にいた二十歳（はたち）と偽っていた17歳の少年・晴人だった。
「未成年との不倫」という、社会から断罪されるべき背徳。それでも二人は、震える手で未来への約束を交わす。少年が大学生になり、社会人となり、守られる存在から「守る男」へと成長していく中で、加恋は自らの手で「妻」という仮面を脱ぎ捨てていく…
還暦の性 若い彼との恋愛模様
MisakiNonagase
恋愛
還暦を迎えた和子。保持する資格の更新講習で二十代後半の青年、健太に出会った。何気なくてLINE交換してメッセージをやりとりするうちに、胸が高鳴りはじめ、長年忘れていた恋心に花が咲く。
そんな還暦女性と二十代の青年の恋模様。
その後、結婚、そして永遠の別れまでを描いたストーリーです。
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