Arthur's P.O.V

As I stayed with Sylvia I began practicing some sword moves with a stick as she say and watch me. 'Sylvia and I spent hours talking about all sorts of things when she was preparing the portal. Those hours bled into days, and those days into weeks while we spent every moment in each other's company. And while Sylvia never spoke about her own life, I slowly began to understand what sort of "person" this mysterious being was.' I thought as I talked to Sylvia while also getting better after the fall.

As I was concentrating on my manager, I opened my eyes as I watched Sylvia walk past with tmsome berries in her hand. 'Sylvia was the embodiment of the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover". Contrary to her trauma-inducing appearance, she was kind, gentle, patient, and warm.' I thought as she stopped and looked at me. "Have you had the chance to dine yet, Art? These fruits are particular savory and rarely grow elsewhere." She told me as she handed me a branch of the fruit.

'She reminded me of my mother in that she was kind and gentle... But firmly scolded me when I was wrong. I just remembered something unpleasant. There was a time where I had expressed my animosity towards the bandit.' I thought as an image of the leader of the bandits appeared in my head. 'They deserved worse deaths. If any of them made it out alive... I'm going to hunt them down.' I thought as I grited my teeth as I had an angry expression on my face.

Suddenly Sylvia flicked my forehead probably seeing my expression. The force from it cause me to fly back a bit as I hit the ground with a loud thud. "What was that for?!" I asked her I held my forehead in pain sitting up to look at her. "Art, perhaps you are not wrong in that those bandits deserve death. I chose not to save the mage you fell with for the same reason." she told me as she sat on her knees in front of me.

"Then why did you-" I asked her before she cut me off. She asked me after as she leaned closer rubbing my forehead.

'Being lectured on morals and life by a figure that appeared to be the epitome of evil had oddly stricken me deeply.' I thought lost in thought until I hear Sylvia calling me. "Art? Art! Why don't you eat the fruit? Is something wrong?" Sylvia asked me. Her voice filled with concern towards me. "Eh! Ah! No! I-I'm fine!" I told her scratching the back of my head nervously before I started to eat the fruit in my hand. I looked at Sylvia noticing her wound started to bleed. "Sylvia! Your wound... It looks like it's getting worst!" I said as I looked at her concerned about her wound.

"Do not worry, little one. This wound festers from time to time." she stated as she looked down at me with her hand over the wound. 'Is that really the case?!' I thought as I took a bite from the fruit. "Also, I've been meaning to ask..." she said to me while I was eating the fruit. "Hmm?" I hummedd while I made sure I was finished chewing the piece in my mouth. she asked me as she titled her head to the side showing curiosity.

"My parents said I'm a genius!" I boasted with a proud look on my face. Sylvia said as she got up and walked away from me creating distance between us. "Learn what?" I asked her confused because why she walked away. "To mediate and absorb mana while moving, and perhaps while fighting if you're good enough." she said as dark purple mana begins to surround her body. "H-How are you doing that?" I asked her in amazement at the sight before me.

"Humans have a very linear mindset in regards to mana. Just start with small, mindless movement and work your way up from there." she instructed as I looked at my hands. I concentrated on absorbing mana, my hand started to absorb it but it disappeared. "Easier said than done." I told her as I looked at her in sadness. "Mana beasts learn to do this naturally but since humans awaken much later, their bodies aren't able to do this sort of multitasking. Considering the latter fact doesn't apply to you, if you practice hard enough, you should be able to succeed." she explained to me before I gave her a look of determination.

"I'll do my best!" I told her as a smile appeared on my face. "As you should..." she replied before laughing at my enthusiasm. As Sylvia went back to making the portal, I started practicing the move she showed me earlier. I absorb the mana standing still before I slipped and fell. 'Practicing this skillto it's fullest potential meant being able to fight proficiently while still maintaining a steady inward flow of mana.' I thought as I absorbed mana before I began moving forward using the move I thought the members is Twin Horns.

'I-It can't be...' I thought as I stared at the flow of mana surrounding me in awe. "Sylvia! I did it!" I shouted to her when I turned to look back at her. Only to see her fall to the ground in front of the portal. "S-Sylvia! Sylvia! S-Sylvia what happen-" I shouted as I ran towards her before I could touch her I felt liquid underneath my feet. I looked down and to my horror I saw blood... Sylvia's blood. "Sylvia, hold on!" I told her as I tried to turn her over, I couldn't do it normally so I began to absorb mana while I pulled turning her on her back.

"Your wound! Why is it getting worse so quickly?" I asked her as I looked at the wound that seeped out more blood before I looked at the portal on my right. "It can't be... That's why..." I said as the memories I spent with Sylvia appeared in my mind before I fell to my knees. "It... It's getting worse...because she created the portal... Her wound is getting worse... She did it all because of...because..." I said as tears fell out of my eyes at the realization that I was the reason Sylvia was like this.

"It's okay, little one." she said to me as she rest her hands behind me. "How... How can it be fine? When... When you're dying for me..." I said as I looked at Sylvia as more tears fell out of my eyes.'I cried. I cried for longer than I care to admit... And I cried for the first time like the child I was on the outside.' I thought as I sat in front of her unable to stop crying. Sylvia asked me as she looked down at me, leaning against the wall. "No-" I said as I leaned my head on her the tears still flowing out. she said.

"How can I not blame myself?! You're basically sacrificing yourself so that I can meet my family..." I told her in sorrow. she said as I looked up at her. "Sylvia..." I said as I felt like I was about to release more tears. she told me as she lifter her right hand as the stone on her body began to disappear. As it cracked a golden light shown until all of the stone covering her disappeared.

The golden light disappeared little by little as two wings appeared on Sylvia's back. She took on a completely different form before she looked down at me. She asked me as I stared at her form in joy and amazement. "S-Sylvia? You're...a d-dragon?" I asked her unsure if I was correct. Sylvia said as she turned towards the portal.

She opened her mouth as the same rainbow color of the portal came out completing it. "she told me as she looked back at me before the same rainbow colour from before appeared in front of me. 'It wasn't heavy, yet I felt like I could barely hold on it...' I thought as the egg floated in front of me. Sylvia but onto her wing before tearing off a feather. "Wrap it in this to conceal it's aura." she told me handing me the feather. "Sylvia, what is-" I began to say while I stared at the feather in confusion but she cut me off.

"And please bare with me for one more thing..." she said before she bumped me with her mouth. Suddenly I felt pain on my hands as my shirt sleeve tear and my hand turned red as weird symbols appeared on my hand before it disappeared. "With this, everything will reveal itself when the time comes." she said as I saw her tremble slightly. "Sylvia, your eyes... Are you okay?" I asked her as I noticed her eyes weren't purple anymore but a dull green.

"I'll open the portal now. I didn't have the time to make it go directly to your home, but you should arrive somewhere near humans. Hurry!" Sylvia informed but I didn't budge as I looked at her. "Just like that? I'm leaving you?" I asked her as I looked at her with sorrow. Suddenly the roof above us began to shake before the rock started to collapse as they were nearing me, Sylvia blocked my body with her wing protecting me from the rubble. "Lady Sylvia, I advise you stop your stubbornness and hand it over. Submit now... And perhaps he may even heal your wound." a mysterious man who had the same form as Sylvia from before she changed.

'He...looks similar to Sylvia's previous form.' I thought peaking from behind her feathers. "You've already caused us quite the trouble after hid-" he said before he was cut off by time stopping around them. she told me after setting the spell. "Sylvia..." I said sadly at what she said. Sylvia asked as she would bleed even more as she stood.

I looked at her before I grabbed her feathers trembling at the thought of leaving her behind. "No no no. Just come with me... I-I don't know what you did but everything is...frozen right now. We can leave here together." I told her as I tried to reason with her. But she wouldn't budge. she replied as a lone tear fell from her eyes before she pulled her wing away from me. "Syl-" I began to say when I felt her pull away.

Sylvia said before she slammed her paw on the ground causing me to jump in the air as I got closer to the portal. "No! Sylvia!" I shouted at her as I was being sucked into the portal with my hand outstretched towards her. "Grandma!" I called again as I saw her look up as another tear fell down her face. Sylvia said as she turned away from me as the the spell that way place vanished and the rocks that were falling before, fell again. The last thing I was before I disappeared through the portal.