—Run!–
—Flee!–
—A beast!–
—Where are the Guards?!–
—A Wesion is coming this way!–
In a small, usually peaceful village, the elder villagers would spend their days resting and chatting quietly, while children ran and played joyfully with one another or the nearby adults. It was a serene scene that, out of nowhere, was violently interrupted by the sound of the earth trembling and trees being torn asunder.
—Your Highness Serafina!–
—Please, get away from there!–
—Damn it, we won't make it in time!–
—Why aren't the Prince and the others here?!–
—They're with that other woman, Saint Karina!–
—Isn't the Crown Prince supposed to be the Grand Duke's daughter's fiancé?! What is he doing with another woman instead of his own?!–
Suddenly, a powerful roar shatters the relative peace. A roar belonging to a beast of massive proportions. Five meters tall, two meters wide, and seven meters long, it possessed the appearance of a giant reptile—a "Draken," as known by Adventurers, a cross between a reptile and a dragon. As if driven by madness, it charged with long, heavy strides toward the small village of a hundred inhabitants, miles away from its original home.
—It's the Boss of the Dungeon near the village!–
—By the Creator Goddess Noelle! How is this possible?! Nothing is supposed to be able to leave a Dungeon!–
—Be careful! The Boss of the False Dragon's Dungeon has escaped!–
The cries of the villagers soon flooded the settlement located near the Empire's border. Fortunately, most had spotted it; given its massive size, it was hard to miss. Everyone within its line of sight managed to escape the beast, which seemed unstoppable, charging aimlessly and unchecked. Everyone, except for one person.
She was a young woman of twenty, with wavy red hair reaching down her back, purple irises, a slender hourglass figure, fair skin, and standing at a height of one meter sixty. She was breathtakingly beautiful, dressed in the typical attire of a high-society lady.
This was Serafina Noire Delacroix, daughter of the famous Grand Duke and Duchess who had passed away five years prior, when she was fifteen, while saving the Arabella Empire. Their sacrifice had granted her the favor of being betrothed to the country's Crown Prince. However, now this powerful woman—the current ruler of the Grand Duchy of Noire—stood directly in the beast's path.
—GROAAHHRR!–
The beast, now only a few meters away, roared with predatory satisfaction at finally finding its prey. In its path, it had found no one close by, and its sheer bulk had prevented it from noticing others. But now, with a human in its sights, it was finally going to unleash its newly acquired strength upon the outside world.
—...!–
Meanwhile, instead of stepping aside, attempting to run, or even crying out, Serafina remained paralyzed. Years ago, at the age of fifteen, she had watched as demons, aided by fierce beasts known as Wesion, murdered her parents right before her eyes. Since then, she had developed a deep-seated trauma; any beast—be it a neutral Wesen, a gentle Wesnaf, or an irrational Wesion—triggered a complete state of paralysis. Her intelligence, insight, and rationality vanished entirely in such situations.
Caught in the grip of her trauma, the only thing she could do was cross her arms and close her eyes, praying that her death would not be too painful.
—Not on my watch, you son of a bitch! No one touches my favorite Villainess!–
However, just when Serafina believes she will die, slaughtered by the Draken that now stands before her—having already raised its claw to strike—she suddenly feels firm arms seize her legs and back. She is lifted and moved from one spot to another at incredible speed.
—Eh?–
Opening her eyes, she finds herself in the arms of a young man, about twenty-five years old, with rebellious black hair and dark blue eyes. He is fair-skinned, standing at one meter ninety, and dressed in typical commoner's clothes—a long-sleeved white shirt and brown trousers—that accentuate his lean, toned physique. His face, without a doubt, is handsome enough for a stage star.
Curiously, the young man looks at her not only with relief but also with respect—an almost religious reverence, as if he were witnessing a Goddess treading upon humble earth. Even his grip is as gentle as possible, preventing her from feeling any more uncomfortable than she likely already is being carried like a princess.
And Serafina, seeing his expression, cannot stop her cheeks from flushing crimson. It isn't just because she is in the arms of an attractive stranger, but because of a look in his eyes she has never seen in anyone else before.
—Your Highness –The man then sets her down carefully, ensuring she finds her footing and stands perfectly steady– Are you alright?–
Serafina shifts her gaze slightly to avoid the young man's attractive face and that look of his, which stirs strange sensations within her. She nods shyly.
—Thank you very much… –Fortunately for her, her "Grand Duchess Mode" kicks back in, pushing away her previous thoughts– I am fine. Do not worry. I am deeply grateful for your help.–
—It is nothing, Your Highness –The young man shakes his head and smiles.–
Then, to Serafina's surprise, he bows before her, dropping one knee to the ground and placing his right hand over his heart. His gaze, his shining eyes, look at her with even more reverence than before—like a knight gazing upon the only lady he has chosen to serve forever.
—Wha—what are you doing?! –Serafina startles instantly, unable to stop her cheeks from blushing again. As a Grand Duchess, she has received this kind of reverence before, but until now, none had affected her in the least. To her, it was just protocol– Stand up, quickly! –She exclaims nervously.–
—If you will allow me, this humble servant will serve you all his life with complete devotion –His voice becomes soft yet firm, while a joyful and hopeful smile forms on his face– My only wish in this life is to change your fate as the Final Boss, so that you may be yourself and find happiness.–
—Eh?–
GRAAWWWR. The beast's furious roar echoes once more, making the earth tremble with its force. The creature, previously content to have found potential prey, has now turned livid after losing it. It stops its advance completely, searching for both its prey and the one who dared to snatch it away.
—Tch –The young man, annoyed at being interrupted in his moment, clicks his tongue in frustration. His brow furrows and his gaze darkens– Damned piece of filth, ruining my moment with Milady.–
Angered, the young man rises from his kneeling position and glares at the Draken. His expression shows no trace of fear or concern—only sheer annoyance, as if he were looking at a bothersome child who had intruded upon an important moment for adults.
—If I remember correctly, I have a decent weapon around here that I collected from a side quest –The young man extends his hand forward, as if reaching for something in front of him– I only tested it once, and according to the description, it's supposed to be effective against Dungeon Bosses.–
In an instant, particles of navy-blue light gather around the young man's hand. The light takes on an elongated, cross-like shape, with the upper portion longer than usual.
Finally, the particles reveal a sword approximately one hundred centimeters long and five centimeters wide. Bright runes are etched into the blade, and its edge gleams sharply under the sunlight.
—Your Highness, I'll be back in a flash, alright? –The man looks at Serafina with a smile, an expression completely different from the one he had directed at the beast– I'm going to go take care of this piece of filth.–
Before Serafina could respond, with a fwish, the man vanished in the blink of an eye. When she looked ahead, she noticed him standing right in front of the creature. Everything had happened in a mere heartbeat—a speed that surprised even her, as not even the finest Imperial Guards would be capable of such a feat.
—Do you know what I'm craving? –The young man asks the Draken while pointing his sword at it– Fake dragon meat. A stew made from your flesh will surely provide some good buffs. If Milady tries it, it'll definitely boost her current poor stats, so she can smack everyone down on her own without waiting for someone else to save her.–
With a slight movement, the young man swings his weapon from left to right. In a second, a horizontal wave of blue light—visible even against the bright sun—streaks through the air. Moments later, a loud BAM is heard, a sound like something heavy crashing into the ground. A cloud of dust billows upward.
To the astonishment of everyone present, the beast's right arm and leg fall heavily to the earth. A single swing had torn part of its body asunder.
—You know, you were one of the main culprits behind my Sera falling into darkness and becoming just another piece of the script –The man says as he readies his weapon once more. His tone is now ice-cold, murderous– You should have thought twice before taking that deal with the Demon who pulled you out of that place. You should have stayed inside, like a good boy, doing your job as a Boss. But since you didn't, since you were greedy—don't blame me for being cruel to you. –As he speaks, he takes a step toward the now-horrified creature– I won't allow anyone in this world to hurt my Sera again. Not you, and not even the Creator Goddess of this world.–
Fwish. A new attack, a fresh halo of light—vertical this time—completely finishes off the creature. The attack wasn't aimed at the side, but straight down the center. Everyone there watched as the powerful creature was sliced in half by a vertical crest of light, tearing apart like a sheet of paper with incredible ease. All of this, done by a commoner who, aside from his good looks, appeared perfectly ordinary.
Then, after another BAM, the creature fell to both sides. One half to the left, the other to the right.
—So then…–
Once again, the young man approaches the young Noble—the current Heir and Grand Duchess of the Noire Grand Duchy (representing her late parents)—who stands with her eyes wide in disbelief at having seen an A-Rank beast cut down like butter.
And just like before, the man kneels before her with the same gesture and the same look of devotion.
—So then, Your Highness, will you accept me?–