I'm Not Your Husband, You Evil Dragon!-Chapter 52: “Love Beyond Fear”

(Yuuta's POV)

The air around me whispered in silence.

Not the kind that soothes—but the kind that presses against your chest like a warning. The sky bled amber and violet, shadows stretching across the snow-covered earth.

Evening had settled in, still and suffocating. And with the fading sun came a choice I never thought I'd have to make.

Save Erza... or stand against her.

She stood just beside me—close enough to touch, yet suddenly feeling galaxies away. I didn't dare look at her directly. My hands were shaking. My breath caught somewhere between inhale and sob.

I was cold, yes—but it wasn't the wind.

The cold clung to me from inside, wrapped in the trauma of what I'd just seen. It sat heavy on my skin, like frostbite that wouldn't thaw. Like guilt that wouldn't leave.

I never truly questioned what Erza was. Not really. I mean, I knew. Somewhere deep down, I always knew she wasn't human. She was a dragon. But she never made me feel that way.

She teased me when I was being stupid. She sulked when I beat her at board games. She laughed with her whole chest—like the world couldn't touch her.

She felt real. She felt human.

And now... all of that felt like a dream slipping through my fingers.

Blood stained the snow like ink on paper. Bodies sprawled in impossible angles. Torn clothes. Silence so loud it echoed in my skull.

And in the center of it all—stood Erza.

Not the girl who used to steal my ramen. Not the girl who mock-punched me for teasing her about her tail. Not the one who got jealous when I talked to Fiona. No.

What stood there wasn't someone I recognized. It was something ancient. Immense. Untouchable. A force.

Something... merciless.

A monster.

I froze.

Every instinct screamed for me to move, to run. But I couldn't. My mind was a whirlwind. My heart was hammering so hard it hurt.

She hadn't hesitated. Hadn't even blinked. She ended them all. Every single one. Without warning. Without remorse.

How do you come back from that?

How could someone like her even understand what it meant to spare a life?

I turned to her. Slowly. My legs like stone. My breath shallow. And for the first time—really, truly—I saw her for what she was.

And I was afraid.

Not the kind of fear you feel in a horror movie or a dark alley. No. This was deeper. Colder. The kind of fear you feel when you realize the thing you trusted the most... could end you in an instant.

And yet...despite all that?!.

My heart still loved her.

Even with the blood. Even with the terror. Even with the monster in front of me—I couldn't erase the love.

And that... hurt.

My brain couldn't take it. It felt like it was splitting apart. Screaming at me. Erza. Fiona. The bodies. The guilt. What am I supposed to do?

"Give me a break already," I breathed out, barely louder than a whisper. My knees hit the ice. I didn't fight it.

I closed my eyes. Everything inside me was breaking.

And then...

her voice came to me.

Soft. From a distant memory. Fragile, but clear.

"I've changed.

Changed..? For What?? I said in confusion then I remember its hit me, Memory of her she said this one night.

" I used to end anyone who stood in my way. But being with you... I understand now how one life can affect multiple hearts."Thank you... for teaching me."

"A tear... slowly slid down my cheek. How... how could I even think of standing against her?"

How can I think about her like she is Monster.

I gritted my teeth.

She's been here for months. Three long months. And not once—not once—did she kill. Not even when she was angry. Not even when she could have.

She had multiple choice to Kill humans, Zoo incident, Interview, Shopping mall and all but she choose to spare each and everyone.

And she didn't.

Because she was trying to change.

Because... she loved me.

How could I forget that?

Even now, in this nightmare, I could see it—her effort. Her struggle. The tension in her shoulders whenever she had to hold back. The quiet guilt in her eyes when she thought her instincts had gotten too close.

She didn't have to change. No one demanded that of her.

But she chose to.

A dragon—born for Blood and war—chose to love instead. And now, that choice had been taken from her. Not because she wanted this... but because something pushed her too far.

My knees gave out again, weaker this time. I could barely keep my head up.

And she was there.

She caught me. Her hands blood-warmed, trembling slightly held me steady. She said nothing. Not a single word. She just looked at me.

Her eyes weren't empty.

They were terrified.

Not of what she'd done.

But of me. Of what I might see now when I looked at her. Of whether I'd still love her, knowing the truth. The full truth.

I looked again.

At the bodies.

At the blood.

At her.

Then finally at Fiona.

She was standing back, silent. Her eyes unreadable. But I knew she held the decision now. She could condemn Erza. Turn her into the monster the world believed her to be. Or... she could let her go.

I stepped forward, my breath visible in the frigid air. My voice was shaky, but my heart burned with something stronger—defiance.

"Fiona..." I asked, locking eyes with her. "Do you really think she's a monster?"

She didn't flinch. Her expression was cold, carved from stone.

"Yes," she said flatly. "She is a monster."

I felt something inside me twist. But I didn't back down.

"Then explain this to me," I said, voice rising. "What about those who are dead? The ones Erza killed —Black Viper. Rape. Human trafficking. Murder. You know what they've done."

She frowned, but I didn't let her speak.

"You call them human, but they're monsters in everything but name. So why is Erza worse than them? Because she has tail and wings? Because she's stronger?"

Fiona's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"

I stepped closer, my voice steady now. "They preyed on the weak. Hurt children. Destroyed lives. You know this. You've seen it. And Erza ended them. Clean. No innocents harmed. No civilians. Just monsters dying by another monster's hands."

She shook her head sharply. "That's not justice, Yuuta. That's revenge. And revenge doesn't make you righteous. It makes you dangerous."

"They're assassins, Fiona," I snapped. "Every single one of them would've killed me without blinking. But she didn't let them."

"You think that makes her hero?" she said, voice sharp. "She still killed. She still acted outside the law. You want to justify her? Fine. But don't pretend she's a hero."

"She holds back!" I said louder, gesturing toward Erza, who stood in silence behind me, blood still on her hands. "Every time—she had chances to kill innocents. At the zoo. In the shopping mall. During the ambush. She didn't. She could've wiped everyone out—but she chose not to."

Fiona scoffed. "That's your excuse. Killing is killing. You can't polish a sword and pretend it's a shield. There's no such thing as a good monster."

"No," I said, stepping in close, my voice low but burning. "You just don't want to see her."

She crossed her arms. "I see her clearly. You're the one blinded—by guilt, or love, or loyalty. Whatever it is, it's clouding your judgment."

I stared at her, chest heaving.

"You call her a monster because she killed a room full of monsters... but you turn a blind eye to those same people when they kill for fun."

Fiona's face froze.

"They had power, money, influence. And they used it to destroy lives. And we let them hide behind rules. Behind systems that never did anything until it was too late."

She didn't respond.

"Erza didn't kill for pleasure. She didn't kill to rule. She killed to protect. And not once—not even once—did she hurt an innocent life. Can you say the same for the men she put in the ground?"

Fiona said Codly "Does this matter to us? We're assigned to kill the monster, not uphold the justice system. It doesn't matter to me—we're still going to eliminate her."

I looked at her, I knew—deep down—there was nothing I could say that would change Fiona's mind.

My knees hit the frozen ground. Everything inside me felt shattered.

"Please, Fiona..." My voice cracked, heavy with guilt. "Don't hurt her. Don't kill her for this. She did it... for me. All of it. I'm the reason. I pushed her into this. Please..."

Tears stung the corners of my eyes. My hands trembled. I didn't care how pathetic I looked.

Fiona's jaw tightened. Her arms were crossed, her eyes—usually sharp and composed—stormed with conflict.

"You're defending a monster, Yuuta," she said, voice colder than the wind. "Why are you so ready to throw everything away for her?"

"Because I love her," I whispered, barely breathing. "She's the only family I have left."

Beside me, Erza stood like a statue carved from grief. Her golden eyes shimmered with regret. She didn't speak. She just watched me—trembling, lost, ready to surrender.

Then, she stepped forward. Her voice was steady, but every word cracked around the edges.

"Enough, Yuuta," she said quietly. "There's nothing we can do. This is my fault. I chose to fight. I lost control. I'll take full responsibility."

Fiona's eyes narrowed, calculating. "If you surrender now, we can at least guarantee your safety. Trial. Detainment. A chance to speak for yourself. If the military gets to you first, they'll shoot on sight."

"No!" I lunged toward Erza, grabbing her shoulders. "You don't have to do this. There has to be another way—we can find it. You and me. Together."

She knelt down and pressed her forehead gently against mine. Her hands cradled my face like I was something fragile—something precious.

"Take care of Elena," she whispered. "Tell her... Mama will be back soon."

Then, softer still:

"I love you, Yuuta. I always have. From the first moment I dreamed of you... to now. I'm glad I met you. Glad I fell in love with you."

She pulled me into a trembling embrace.

"I love you," she whispered again. "But you have to let me go. Please... wait for me."

Fiona watched us. And something changed in her eyes.

She was no longer just the captain. She was a student again—standing beneath a broken shrine, remembering the words of her master:

"Monsters aren't good or evil by nature. You just haven't met a good one yet. But if you ever do, promise me you'll spare them. Promise me, Fiona."

Back then, she'd nodded, confused by the request. She never expected to keep that promise.

Until now.

Her lips parted.

"...This time, I'll let it go."

I blinked. "What...?"

"This is insane," loid snapped. "Captain, you saw what she did! She leveled half the port. She tore through several men like paper. You're not actually thinking about letting her go, are you?"

Jenny joined him, quieter but no less shaken. "She's a dragon. There's going to be an inquiry. If Command finds out we had her cornered and didn't take her in..."

"I said stand down, Lieutenant!" Fiona's voice cracked across the wreckage like thunder.

Loid flinched. Jenny went still, glancing between us.

Fiona didn't look at them.

Her gaze stayed locked on Erza—and on me, still kneeling in the ice like a broken prayer.

"She killed Black Viper," Fiona said quietly.

Loid blinked. "What?"

"She killed Black Viper," she repeated, louder. "That group murdered dozens. Trafficked women. Tortured children. The justice system protected them with bribes and red tape. We couldn't touch them—not legally. But now they're gone."

She looked over her shoulder at the burning wreckage. Twisted bodies. A collapsed portal.

"And none of our people died. Not one civilian was harmed."

"Captain..." Jenny hesitated. "We can't just ignore this—"

"I'm not saying this because I like it," Fiona snapped. "I don't. But we don't have time to debate morals. The higher-ups are minutes away. If they see Erza alive and standing in the middle of this chaos, she's finished."

Loid clenched his fists. "So you are saying we are going to lie? We cover it up?"

"its not lie," Fiona replied coldly. "We say a monster escaped through the sea . No survivors. No one to interrogate. Just ashes and ghosts."

She turned back to me. Her voice was sharp, final.

"She earned this moment—barely. But next time she slips, Yuuta... I won't be here to stop it. You understand?"

I nodded slowly, still broken. "I understand."

Erza finally stepped forward, voice soft with remorse. "It won't happen again. I lost control... but I won't make that mistake twice."

Fiona looked at her, expression unreadable. "You owe me."

Erza nodded once. "I know."

Without a word, she knelt and gently lifted me into her arms. The warmth of her body was a sharp contrast to the ice in my chest. Everything about her felt like goodbye.

"Let's go," she whispered. "Now."

Just as the first helicopter roared overhead, slicing the sky with its spotlight, Erza disappeared into the shadows, moving faster than the wind.

Behind us, Fiona stood in the snow, arms crossed, flanked by Loid and Jenny. They weren't chasing us. They were staying behind—ready to face the higher officials on our behalf.

She'd made her choice.

The wind howled between us, carrying silence heavier than words. I looked back one last time.

Our eyes met.

But we disappeared as sun settle down.

(Allen's POV)

From the shadows high above, my black wings spread wide, cutting through the cold night air like whispers of fate. Below, the chaos unfolded, but all my focus was on one man—Yuuta.

I never expected him to sway the cold-hearted monster slayer Phoenix, to make her hesitate, to make her step back.

Subarashi... truly remarkable.

Now, everything falls into place. I finally see who you really are.

The path ahead is clear—I must move on to the next phase of my plan.

But first, my Master must know of this mission's failure.

No matter. Next time, Yuuta Kounari... next time, you won't escape my trap.

With a flicker of shadow, I vanished—leaving only the echo of my words lingering in the cold night.

To be continued..