Above the clouds, on an island that floated peacefully in the sky, stood a colossal being within a castle. Her three dazzling wings on her back were as striking as ever. Her crimson scales covered every inch of her body, radiating majesty. She was a creature more exalted than even the greatest of dragons.
Inside the nearly empty room, she was seated, watching something intently. In front of her was a cloud of mist, within which three-dimensional images formed like a hologram, moving as though in a video, with audible sounds accompanying them. These holographic scenes showed two women crossing swords, surrounded by a crowd. It was evident that one of them had issued a duel challenge, and the other had accepted.
"At last, at last! How long has it been since I've seen a duel?!"
The three-winged dragon gave in to her excitement.
"Sis—Oh, um. Emu, prepare my attire. I will descend to the surface again."
"As you wish, my lady," replied the woman dressed in a maid's uniform, her golden hair almost touching the floor and her blue eyes sparkling.
"The elf attire you wore last time is still intact. Shall I fetch it for you?"
"No. This time, I will descend to a human realm. Prepare an outfit suited to human culture."
"As you wish."
The maid bowed gracefully before heading toward the door. As she approached the enormous golden door—clearly designed for the dragon's size, towering over 100 meters tall—she opened it effortlessly and exited the room.
"Ah... This truly tires me. Why does she have to be this way..?"
The red-scaled, three-winged dragon began to transform. Her body reshaped and reduced to human proportions. Now standing at 175 cm tall, with long gray hair cascading down, she was more stunning and magnificent than even the most conceited goddess of beauty.
Moments later, the same maid returned to the room, this time accompanied by another servant. The second maid had short, jet-black hair and eyes as dark as a burnt-out star, surveying the room with a calm intensity. She dragged a full-length mirror behind her, placing it in the center of the room. The golden-haired maid held her lady's garments.
The gray-haired woman gazed into the mirror, carefully examining herself and her form.
"As perfect as always."
She said this with no expression on her face, entirely out of self-awareness. There was no arrogance in her words. She truly believed she was perfect and held this belief deeply. To her, this was not a matter of debate. It was simply a universally accepted truth.
"Yes, you are," said the blonde maid, busy helping her put on her new attire, her cheeks lightly flushed.
Once the gray-haired woman was fully dressed, the other maid left the room, taking the mirror she had brought with her. The blonde maid returned to her position in the corner of the room, clasping her hands together and waiting quietly.
Just before the gray-haired woman left the room, the blonde maid spoke up. Her expression was very serious. Despite being a maid, it was clear she did not see herself as inferior to her mistress. Eimme was fully aware of this.
"Don't take too long, Eimme. The last time you descended to the surface, it took 12 years for you to return. The maids here miss you."
The woman sighed.
"Alright, alright. I don't plan to stay long this time. I'll return within a week. But while I'm on the surface, I want to enjoy it a little."
"..."
Eimme left the room and, shortly after, arrived at the wide, open space where the teleportation circle was located. This area, situated just behind the castle, was illuminated by simple torches. The blue-eyed maid followed her, bowing respectfully, and then activated the magic circle. In an instant, Eimme disappeared.
***A sword duel! I haven't seen a sword duel in such a long time. Magic is incredibly useful and powerful. It's why so many people live their lives intertwined with it and prefer it in battlefields. I, too, rely on magic in many aspects of my daily life. However, when it comes to combat, I do not choose magic. Magic lacks the elegance of the sword.
"How dirty and disorganized everything is. I can't understand how humans manage to live their entire lives in a place like this."
Never mind all that now; I should head to the place where the duel will take place. It's been a long time since I last walked in human form, and I'm a bit unsteady.
Oh! These must be the duelists! They've already prepared their swords and taken their stances.
The man holding a longsword made a swift move toward his opponent. He quickly raised the sword behind him and brought it down even faster. In response, his opponent used the edge of his battle axe to directly block the attack. With a quick motion, he raised the axe upward, forcing the longsword-wielding man back. Although he himself was shaken and took a brief moment to recover, he immediately swung his axe at his opponent.
The longsword-wielding man easily dodged the attack and, with a swift movement, drove his sword into his opponent's shoulder.
"Ahk!"
Ignoring the cries of pain from his opponent, the longsword-wielding man pulled the blade out without hesitation and struck his opponent's face with his elbow. The spectators continued watching the scene with excitement and horror. Many had placed bets. Some were overjoyed, while others were furious and hurled curses into the air.