"It's time..."
*Poof
Emerging from the Pleasure District, Yuki's body was shrouded in a cloud of smoke, canceling his transformation. It had been a long night, and the darkness was far from over.
Not to mention, he had encountered someone intriguing, and if all went well, Yuki would take that woman with him.
"Elohim."
*Tick, tock.
Wrapped in darkness accompanied by the sound of a clock, his attire changed, along with his aura, stepping into his astral attire.
"So comfortable~..."
Closing his eyes in pleasure, Yuki had no doubt that his astral outfit was the best – and how could it not be, considering it was at its maximum power state.
"All right... Let's do it, hehehe."
Smirking wickedly, Yuki was swallowed into the darkness, leaving only his voice echoing in the night's darkness.
-----------
*Clink
In a room of the Loki Family, the sound of armor rustling echoed.
With the moon high, illuminating the room, beautiful golden hair shimmered.
Standing by the room's window, a woman gazed at the lit city, awaiting dawn.
This woman was Ais.
"Soon... Very soon."
Muttering to herself, she was eager to see the first rays of sunlight; after all, her destiny was about to change.
And Ais knew this; that's why she hadn't been able to sleep at all. Since entering her room, her mind was filled with confusing thoughts that kept her awake.
Yesterday, she had experienced an adventure beyond her common sense. A boy had broken his limits and soared into the sky like a proud phoenix.
And Ais desired that power. She, too, wanted to break her limits. However, her enthusiasm turned into fear as time passed.
The fear of discovering that she had no potential.
The fear of failure...
The fear of losing hope...
Her teacher was a child, but at his young age, he was stronger than anyone. Only he knew how much effort and talent it took to reach that level.
That's why Ais was nervous, her body trembling against her armor, creating sharp sounds that resonated throughout her room.
"The time has come..."
"?!?!"
But as she gripped her sword, a deep voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and at the same time, several white hands emerged from her shadow, swallowing her in darkness.
--------------
Orario Labyrinth City, Dungeon, 18th Floor
It was a peaceful morning, where several adventurers still rested in the comfort of their tents. After all, it was early, and many were not accustomed to waking up so soon.
Leaving this floor silent and calm, with only the sound of the wind blowing.
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
*Splash
But that tranquility was shattered by a woman's scream, falling from a great height and plunging into the lake.
*Splash.. splash
"Ha... Ha... Ha... Ha"
Breathing desperately, the woman exerted great effort, moving her hands and feet, trying not to sink. However, her frantic movements only caused her body to sink faster.
"Help!"
Seeing that her efforts were in vain and her feet didn't touch the ground, she didn't hesitate to scream. After all, she couldn't swim.
And with the water's height being dangerous on her body, her eyes began to turn red.
*Splashhhhh
But as she was deep in despair, something else fell at great speed, causing the calm waters to produce a huge wave due to the impact.
"Kyaaaaa?!"
Of course, this caused the woman to be caught in the impact, and her body was swallowed by the incoming wave.
*Gruuuu
With several bubbles escaping her mouth, the woman struggled even harder. However, the water's current swallowed her faster, rendering her body unable to compete with the water's force.
"How weak..."
But as she drowned, a deep voice resonated in her desperation, and at the same time, a hand grabbed her by the nape, pulling her out of the water forcefully.
"Haaa. Ha... Haaa."
This woman was a swordsman, breathing heavily while her face was filled with fear and terror.
The feeling of drowning left a deep mark on her, and just looking at the blue waters made her lips tremble.
However, none of that mattered to his savior. Without any delicacy, he took leverage on his arm holding her, throwing her with force.
"Guh!"
Feeling her lungs deprived of oxygen due to the impact, the woman writhed in agony.
"Weak..."
Turning her head toward the voice's source, the woman's eyes widened in shock.
After all, emerging from the lake's mist was a man, dressed in black with strange red patterns, walking on the water.
This alone sent the woman's thoughts into complete chaos.
"Weak physique, weak resistance, weak power..."
Raising three fingers, the man stared intently at the agonized woman. However, his gaze was full of contempt, as if he were looking at a worm.
The woman, on the other hand, trembled at every word. The man's monochromatic eyes instilled deep fear in her – those scarlet red eyes seemed to see directly into her soul, and those golden eyes made her feel like a hungry beast was staring at her, baring its fangs, ready to devour her.
*Shua...
Moving his hand quickly, a sword was thrown, embedding itself in front of the woman. She was surprised – after all, that was her sword.
'Desperate.'
The sword, presumed to be unbreakable, meant nothing to the man. He grabbed it as if it were an ordinary branch.
"End of analysis... You're weak."
Hearing those words, the woman couldn't help but grit her teeth. She knew she was weak, lacking in power. But for this person to rub salt in her wound didn't sit well with her. Unfortunately, she couldn't say anything; after all, it was this man who told her.
"Ais Wallenstein..."
Lowering his body, kneeling in front of her, the man smirked mockingly. At the same time, he reached out, taking her chin, causing both pairs of eyes to meet. The man continued speaking as slowly as possible.
"Welcome to hell..."
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TN: I would like to join ais in hell for some noble purposes.