"Huh… huh…"
On a long, spiraling staircase, a young girl with long black hair ran desperately up the steps.
"Huff…"
Her body was severely injured, her clothes soaked with blood, and her dress was tattered. Her arms were covered in purple bruises. A normal person her age wouldn't even be able to move in such a condition, yet she continued to ascend the staircase.
The girl was Mizuki.
"Faster! Faster! I have to tell someone, quickly!"
Mizuki ran as if her life depended on it, her breaths ragged. Blood dripped from her hands as her wounds reopened, but she pushed forward relentlessly.
After minutes of climbing, she reached a door. Mizuki kicked it open and leaped outside.
"This forest…"
All she could see was an endless expanse of trees. The dark night sky was faintly illuminated by the pale light of the moon. Turning her head, she noticed a small wooden cabin nearby.
The cabin had served as a front for the warlock's lair, which was hidden several meters underground.
Near the door was a rocking chair, occupied by an old man.
"Excuse me…"
Mizuki opened her mouth to speak but froze. Something felt off about the old man.
Stepping closer, she quickly realized what was wrong.
The man's skin was dark and pallid, almost blackened. Flies buzzed around him, and a nauseating stench of rot filled the air.
"He's dead…"
Mizuki didn't panic or scream, she didn't have time for such, although she did feel a twinge of disgust.
Biting her lip, she closed her eyes.
Her mind raced.
'This place… I don't recognize it…'
'Arai said Father, Truth Court, and Master Haist were searching nearby, but that was assuming we were still in the city…What should I do?!'
Mizuki couldn't afford to waste even a second—Arai's life was on the line.
Taking a deep breath, she ignored her injuries and leaped into the forest.
"Whoosh!"
She bounded between the branches, suppressing her pain and exhaustion. Despite her battered body, she didn't utter a single complaint. Eventually, she arrived at a clearing in the forest.
"This looks like a good spot. I hope this works."
Grinding her teeth, Mizuki pressed on her bracelet, which instantly transformed into a sword. Standing in the middle of the clearing, she raised the blade high.
Her plan was simple: create as much destruction and noise as possible to draw someone's attention. She didn't care who—she just needed someone to come.
"Zzzz…"
A faint ethereal blue glow began to envelop the edge of the sword, slowly spreading across its entire length, giving it a sharp, shimmering hue.
'No! This isn't enough!'
Closing her eyes, Mizuki focused harder. Veins bulged on her forehead from the strain, and the effort drained her further, but she didn't stop.
Under the moonlight, in a silent, empty clearing, a small girl and her glowing sword stood poised.
A cold wind brushed against her face, sending shivers down her spine. The moonlight bathed her figure, and gradually, its glow seemed to intensify around her.
"Zzzz…"
The blue aura of the sword vanished, replaced by a dark, twisted energy that began to seep from Mizuki's body. The black aura coiled around her and the blade, almost as if it were alive.
Her usual gray eyes turned into a luminous silver-blue, gleaming like the moon in the night sky.
Just as Mizuki prepared to swing her sword, she heard a voice.
Startled, Mizuki searched for the source of the voice, only to realize it wasn't coming from the forest. The sound resonated directly within her mind, calm and genderless, ancient and distant.
"Who are you?" Mizuki asked, her panic replaced by hope. "Can you save Arai? Please…!"
"What do I need to do?" Mizuki asked without hesitation.
"Crack!"
A faint sound of bones shifting came from Mizuki's arm. She winced but quickly noticed something strange—there was no pain.
"I didn't ask for any proofs!" Mizuki interrupted, her voice tinged with impatience. "What are your terms? Forget my arms—just tell me what you need to save my brother!"
The voice fell silent for a moment.
It seemed...speechless.
The voice calmly explained the conditions, wasting no time.
Mizuki thought for a brief moment, then nodded. "That's it? Fine."
Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of energy flooded Mizuki's body, filling her with a sensation unlike anything she'd ever felt before.
Her glowing eyes blazed brighter, her jet-black hair seemed darker and more lustrous, and her sword ignited with a ghostly flame.
The ground beneath her feet cracked as she sank slightly into the earth.
"This amount of Qi is modest, but it should suffice, I guess?"
Clutching the sword with both hands, Mizuki drew it back, her right foot planted forward while the other remained behind. She laughed softly, "Like this, isn't it?"
"SWOOSH!"
The swing carved a massive scar into the forest.
Half the forest was obliterated, leaving a small valley in its wake. Trees splintered and fell in every direction, and the cries of startled animals echoed through the air.
Crows scattered, cawing into the night.
"Tsk, this girl's body is still too young, and this level of power has already pushed it to its limit," Mizuki muttered, blood trickling from the corners of her mouth. Her expression was one of frustration. "Such a waste… her mother's condition and this poor environment… No, I must return to my land! But I can't now… Damn that boy, ruining things on a whim."
"Crack! Crack!"
The sound of bones breaking echoed from her body, and thick blood oozed from her pores, staining her pale skin a dark shade.
Mizuki gazed at the moon, her luminous blue eyes reflecting its radiant glow in the dark night.
"BAM!"
She collapsed to the ground, her shattered legs unable to support her.
Both arms were broken, her legs shattered, and her ribs were on the verge of collapse.
"But tsk, these injuries are impossible to heal here…This girl may die soon."
"No matter. Although the boy hasn't awakened my blood yet, he is still of my lineage. The opportunity to transfer to his body remains… But first, I must rid him of that tainted blood."
Mizuki's voice was cold, devoid of childishness or femininity. Despite the blood pouring from her lips and the ruin of her body, her icy expression betrayed no pain.
Moments later, a shadowy figure appeared, materializing like smoke.
It was a man cloaked in black and white robes, wearing a mask that concealed half his face.
"You…" The masked man stared at Mizuki in shock.
Initially, he thought a powerful expert had been training here.
He never imagined the cause of such devastation would be a mere child.
Before he could speak further, Mizuki weakly said:
"Save my little brother… please…"
The words left her lips just before her eyes closed, and she fell unconscious.
"Your little brother? I don't have a mana scanner, and there's not enough information yet…" the masked man muttered, frowning beneath his mask.
"It's enough."
Turning his head, the man saw another figure.
"Commander Clayton!" he exclaimed respectfully.
Before him stood a man in black and white robes, having a golden mask covering his face. This man was - Clayton, clad in the official robes of the Truth Court, exuding a palpable crimson aura.
"But Commander, she only said to save her little brother…Could she be escaping from the warlock Yute?"
Clayton didn't reply. Instead, he raised a finger and pointed.
"That's a stupid thing to ask. This girl is injured. Look at her legs and arms—the wounds are open, leaving a trail of blood behind."
"I saw her three years ago; she is the daughter of Duke Verdi."
Clayton snapped his fingers, and two figures materialized behind him like phantoms, clad in identical robes.
Clayton examined Mizuki's condition, frowning. "Kart, take the girl to the Tower immediately. You're authorized to use a teleportation scroll."
"Her condition cannot withstand any delays; she may die at any moment. Also, report to Duke Verdi immediately."
"Trud and Kaiser, follow me."
Without another word, Clayton vanished along with the two shadows.
"Wow...What a monster." Kart shrugged and surveyed the destruction Mizuki had caused. The scene resembled the aftermath of a giant sword cleaving through the forest.
"To cause this level of devastation at her age? Monster…"
Muttering under his breath, Kart carefully picked up Mizuki and slung her over his shoulder. He retrieved a blue scroll from his robes and tore it without hesitation.
"BOOM!"
A spatial explosion erupted from the scroll, swallowing both Kart and Mizuki without a trace.
...
>Lair of Yut warlock, Underground.
"Buzz!"
As the Crimson Bloodhound's claw was about to strike Arai's unconscious body, a golden gate appeared before him, colliding with the claw and producing a sharp buzzing sound!
The gate was massive, adorned with numerous ancient engravings, and appeared to be crafted from a fantastical, otherworldly golden metal.
At the top of the gate was a statue of a lion's head radiating pride and arrogance.
"Scretch!"
The gate creaked open, and from within emerged a beast. Its fur shimmered like the light of dawn, and a crown sat atop its head. Its body radiated a golden aura.
"ROAAAR!!"
The lion roared fiercely and lunged at the blood-red beast!
"ROAAAR!"
The golden lion struck the Crimson Bloudhound with its claw, sending it flying upward until it smashed into the ceiling.
"Woosh!"
Enraged, the Crimson Bloudhound pinned its ears back as it sensed its surroundings before leaping toward the golden lion.
The golden lion opened its mouth, light beginning to gather within, producing a buzzing sound.
Sensing danger, the Crimson Bloudhound swiftly bit down on the lion's jaw.
"BOOM!"
The orb of light exploded, causing the golden lion's jaw to begin disintegrating. The lion roared in pain.
It raised its claws and grabbed the dog in a tight embrace. Its jaw, made of light, started reforming. In an instant, another orb of light began forming.
The Crimson Bloudhound struggled violently, but the lion's claws were deeply embedded in it, preventing its escape.
"Clang! Clang!"
The two beasts rolled across the ground, shaking the room and filling it with the sound of shattering rocks.
"Whoosh!"
A beam of light shot from the lion's mouth, piercing through the crimson beast and creating a massive hole in its body.
The golden lion loosened its grip, sensing the Crimson Bloudhound's life fading.
The yellow beam extended further, slicing through the Crimson Bloudhound's neck and continuing until it broke through the ceiling.
"Swish!"
Taking advantage of the brief moment of relaxation, the Crimson Bloudhound leaped backward. It raised its head high and let out a sharp howl.
"Sha..."
Its left arm fell to the ground.
The golden lion strode forward, its eyes gleaming with fury. It leaped toward the crimson beast.
Suddenly, the severed arm transformed into a smaller blood creature and tore through the lion's neck as it leapt over it.
The golden lion let out a pained cry as a massive gate appeared above its head, and it leapt through it.
The golden lion's spirit returned tothe Spirits realm.