"Dragons?" The silver-haired girl paused, then gave her a look reserved for the mentally challenged. "Even three-year-olds in Avaria know dragons have been extinct for years. Not a single trace remains."

"Oh? Then I must be the last one."

A little girl emerged from the direction the mercenaries had come. She looked no older than eight or nine, with pink cropped hair and an ordinary mint-green dress. Her pale feet were tucked into simple sandals—and most notably, safety shorts peeked beneath her hem.

Despite her innocent appearance, her eerie amber slit-pupiled eyes radiated a subtle, chilling menace.

"That’s impossible! Imperial records state dragons vanished completely!" The silver-haired girl flinched but suppressed her panic. Her hand shot out, drawing her Knightly Sword. She angled its tip toward the ground, settling into a defensive stance.

"Even if you are a dragon, I, Rosalynd, won’t let you near Her Highness the Princess Royal. Stop right there."

Confidence glowed on the young knight’s face—no trace of fear before the legendary beast.

The ragged mercenaries in mismatched gear dropped their weapons without hesitation. Not one dared meet the girl’s amber gaze. They scattered like frightened birds.

"Sword and Axe Mercenary Corps," Rosalynd frowned, her blade twitching. She prepared to unleash her earlier technique again, to drive off these intruders.

But the little girl gave her no chance. Her tiny form blurred—then reappeared midair before Rosalynd. A delicate fist swung forward, seemingly without any real threat.

It was the starkest contrast I’d ever witnessed. The silver-haired knight blocked the feather-light punch with her blade. A deafening *boom* erupted between them. Behind Rosalynd, the forest floor and trees were blasted into a cratered wasteland, as if ravaged by a hurricane.

The sheer destructive power was terrifying.

Watching from hiding, I swallowed my urge to stay. Heart pounding with tension and excitement, I crept backward through the trees, muffling my footsteps.

*Let them fight. None of my concern. Finding Eunice matters most.*

*Survival matters more. Is this place safe? Not at all.* I stayed clear-headed, unmoved by their power or spectacle. My only thought: escape.

Rosalynd and the little girl became streaks of light, darting through the woods. Their collisions sent shockwaves rippling through the air, followed by the thunder of impacts.

*Annoying.* Mostly fear, though. I could only be grateful Eunice hadn’t worn high heels—letting me flee in peace.

I tiptoed over gravel and soil, dodging their flashing forms. *Escaping really is a skill.*

*If I ever get the chance, a "crash course in escape tactics" might be wildly popular here.*

Amused by my own thoughts, I nearly tripped over a corpse. A male mercenary lay sprawled before me, left arm missing, his body twisted unnaturally against the cold earth.

*Dead?* I stumbled backward, cursing silently, and veered off in another direction.

The little girl’s voice cut through the air above: "No one escapes. Black-skirted sister—I see you."

I lurched sideways mid-stride. *What joke is this? Their fight has nothing to do with me!*

Rosalynd’s fury erupted: "Monster! How dare you kill so casually!"

The girl blinked. "Why shouldn’t I kill?"

"Because it’s *wrong*! No excuses!"

"Then is it *right* for humans to hunt monsters in these forests?"

Rosalynd faltered. Her sword slowed for a split second—and the girl’s fist slammed her into the ground. Dust and debris exploded upward.

"Let me give you the right answer, Knight Sister." The girl grabbed Rosalynd’s collar, hurling her skyward. Then she kicked off the earth like a cannonball, rocketing after her.

"The truth is simple: strength justifies everything." Pink hair whipped wildly around her face. Her amber slit pupils turned icy as she tilted her head up. "The weak exist to be hunted by the strong. That is the unchanging law of this world."

"No," Rosalynd’s voice rang from above. Her Knightly Sword blazed with light. Silver arcs crackled around her body, intensifying until she was sheathed in white lightning. Against the blue sky, she became a brilliant streak of radiance—like a falling star plunging earthward.

The dazzling, terrifying strike froze me mid-flight. I stared, waiting for the outcome.

*If Rosalynd wins, I might not need to run. Her words mark her as lawful. She won’t harm me.*

But instead of victory, a piercing dragon’s roar split the air.

The little girl vanished. In her place bloomed a colossal pillar of pink flame. Within its heart, a shadowy silhouette spread vast wings—a dragon.

Flame collided violently with lightning. The silver arcs buckled, shattered. Rosalynd was sent hurtling toward me like a broken doll.

As the flames dissipated, the girl hovered in the sky—facing me directly. Her slit-pupiled eyes locked onto mine.

It was unmistakable. Rosalynd’s trajectory drew a straight line to my position. *She’s targeting me next?!*

I felt the malice radiating from her—but couldn’t move. Rosalynd flew too fast. Before I could even flinch, she was upon me.

*Are you kidding? A dragon just marked me as prey—and its weapon is Rosalynd?!*