The blinding white swallowed everything.
For one impossible heartbeat, there was only silence.
Then the light began to recede, not all at once, but in slow, molten ribbons of silver and gold that drifted through the chamber. The colossal summoning circle dimmed layer by layer; ancient runes dissolved into glittering motes. The crushing pressure that had blanketed the entire estate slowly lifted.
Residual power still hummed in the air.
Tiny sparks danced across the marble floor before vanishing.
And through it all lingered a faint scent:
Steel.
Smoke.
And something older
Like rain falling upon ancient dragon scales.
At the very center of the fading circle...
Someone stood.
Tall.
Motionless.
As though she had been carved from living scarlet steel.
Long crimson hair spilled down her back in waves, shifting gently despite the still air. Every strand caught the lingering golden light, glowing like molten ruby.
Her armor was unlike anything forged within the Underworld.
Polished silver plate embraced her shoulders and chest, etched with intricate patterns resembling intertwining dragon scales rather than ordinary steel. A dark crimson cloak flowed behind her, its edges embroidered with faded golden thread that hinted at countless forgotten battlefields.
Yet the armor did not hide what she truly was.
Crimson scales traced elegant paths along one side of her body, beginning at her shoulder before flowing down her arm like natural armor crafted by the world itself. More scales covered her right hip and thigh, blending seamlessly into powerful draconic legs ending in obsidian talons capable of tearing through stone.
Behind her...
A long dragon's tail rested upon the marble floor.
The thick crimson scales shimmered softly beneath the fading runes as the tip moved almost imperceptibly, betraying the life within the otherwise statuesque warrior.
Two swept-back crimson horns emerged from her scarlet hair.
Elegant.
Regal.
Not decorations.
Not armor.
A birthright.
Dragonborn.
Power rolled from her in quiet waves.
Not the explosive violence of a young dragon eager to prove its strength.
Not the crushing arrogance of ancient devils.
Instead...
It possessed the unwavering stability of a veteran knight who had survived countless wars without ever forgetting why she first picked up her sword.
Lucien found himself staring.
Not because of her beauty.
Though she was undeniably striking.
It was the presence she carried.
Every instinct he possessed screamed the same quiet, absolute truth:
If this woman drew her blade, someone would die.
The System chimed softly.
Unlike before, its familiar mechanical voice carried an almost ceremonial cadence, each note resonating through the chamber like the tolling of an ancient cathedral bell.
Golden light gathered before Lucien.
It did not form the simple translucent windows he had grown accustomed to.
Instead...
An enormous panel slowly unfolded across his vision, bordered by intertwining crimson dragon script and elegant silver runes that shimmered with impossible age.
Yet before a single word appeared...
The dragonborn knight moved.
One measured step.
Then another.
Each footfall echoed across the chamber with calm, unwavering purpose.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Every movement carried the quiet confidence of someone who had crossed battlefields countless times and survived them all.
She stopped before Lucien.
For the briefest instant...
Their eyes met.
Her crimson gaze held no fear.
No suspicion.
Only recognition.
As though she had finally reached the destination she had spent her entire life searching for.
Then...
She lowered herself onto one knee.
Her armored fist settled over her heart.
Steel rang softly against steel.
An ancient salute.
One older than kingdoms.
One offered only to a sovereign worthy of receiving it.
"I am Erza Scarlet."
Her voice was calm.
Steady.
Each word carried the unwavering conviction of a knight whose resolve had already been tested by countless wars.
"From this day forward..."
"My sword shall become my King's sword."
"My shield shall become my King's shield."
"I shall cut down every enemy that stands before him."
"I shall never abandon my comrades."
"I shall never retreat while my King still stands."
She raised her head.
Crimson eyes met silver.
"So long as breath remains within me..."
"...I shall protect you with my life."
Silence settled over the chamber.
Even Grayfia found herself studying the kneeling dragonborn with quiet, sharp attention.
In all her centuries of service, she had never witnessed a summoning that carried this kind of presence or certainty.
There was no uncertainty within Erza.
No reluctance.
No confusion.
Only unwavering conviction.
Lucien stood frozen.
He had expected a summon.
He had expected another companion.
He had never expected someone to pledge her life to him from the very moment they met.
Only then...
Did the first words finally appear across the System's golden panel.
[Rare Summoning Successful.]
[Identity Verified.]
[Accessing Akashic Records...]
Golden letters shimmered across the ancient interface.
Erza Scarlet
Lucien's heartbeat quickened for reasons he couldn't fully explain.
More lines slowly materialized.
True Name: Titania, the Scarlet Dragon Knight
Mother: Irene Belserion, one of the oldest Scarlet Dragons, Mistress of Dragon Enchantment, the one history would one day call the Queen of Dragons.
Father: Sir Gareth Pendragon
A legendary human knight.
One of the greatest descendants of King Arthur Pendragon.
Grandmaster of the Scarlet Order and protector of the Belserion Kingdom.
A knight whose swordsmanship was said to rival even dragons.
Race: Dragonborn
Peerage: Knight
Rank: High-Class Devil
Level: 34
Experience: 0 / 18,000
Loyalty: MAX
Shop: Locked
Party Chat: Unlocked
Skill Evolution: Locked
Lucien stared.
His thoughts came to a complete stop.
"Irene..."
"Belserion..."
"Dragon Enchantment..."
His eyes slowly drifted back toward the scarlet-haired knight kneeling before him.
Then another line appeared.
Relation: Younger niece of Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor.
Lucien blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"...Excuse me?"
Kuroka tilted her head.
"Nya?"
Lucien rubbed his eyes before looking back at the panel.
The words stubbornly refused to change.
His mind immediately began connecting impossible pieces.
One of the oldest dragons...
A descendant of King Arthur...
The niece of the Heavenly Dragon who embodied the Red Dragon Emperor...
"...Did..."
"...Did the System just summon Ddraig's niece?"
The System remained, as always, completely silent.
Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose.
"...I'm beginning to think your definition of 'Rare' belongs in a horror story."
Kuroka looked between Lucien and Erza.
"...Master?"
Lucien let out a slow breath.
"I'll explain later."
"If I can figure out how to explain it."
His gaze returned to the dragonborn knight.
She still hadn't moved.
She remained kneeling.
Calm.
Patient.
Waiting.
As though there were nowhere else in existence she wished to be.
Another notification quietly shimmered into existence.
[Backstory Imprinted.]
[Historical Integration Complete.]
Lucien frowned.
"...Backstory?"
The moment he read the notification...
Memories surfaced.
A younger Erza.
A small, frightened, still more dragon than girl.
A chance encounter beneath crimson skies.
A hand extended toward her without hesitation.
A promise spoken with quiet certainty.
And the vow she had carried ever since, held close and driven deep, that she would grow strong enough to never again stand powerless before the one who had once saved her.
None of it had ever happened in this world.
Yet every memory felt as real as his own childhood.
Across from him...
Recognition flickered within Erza's crimson eyes.
Not because she had been summoned.
Because, to her...
She had finally found the boy she had spent years searching for.
Lucien slowly exhaled.
Then he smiled.
"...So that's what you meant."
His eyes drifted toward the final System notification.
[You are finding one another.]
For the first time...
He finally understood.
The System wasn't simply summoning allies.
It was weaving destinies together.