The air between them grew heavy.
Not just with tension, but with something deeper—something ancient.
Lady Cadrill, the enigmatic ruler of Eldarath's underground coliseum, rarely found herself truly surprised. She had seen it all—gladiators, mercenaries, desperate men clawing for a chance at greatness, and those who had already claimed it.
Yet, for the first time in a long time, she felt something new.
Something... wrong.
It was Malik.
From the moment she laid eyes on him, something in her nature stirred. Not in defiance. Not in fear.
But in reverence that had nothing to do with the regal beauty his face seemed to be carved from.
She did not show it, of course. A woman like her, a creature like her, had perfected the art of control. But beneath her calculated smirk, her mind was already racing through possibilities.
The dim light of the chamber flickered across Malik's face, casting shifting shadows over his sharp features. Black-white hair framed his strong jawline, his ever-shifting eyes glowed with unreadable intent—colors twisting, refusing to settle.
No human had eyes like that.
Cadrill gripped the armrest of her throne, her clawed fingers pressing lightly into the polished wood.
A predator in human skin.
Malik met her gaze, calm and unreadable. Then, after a long pause, he tilted his head ever so slightly.
"Done staring?"
Cadrill smirked, her crimson eyes gleaming. "Not quite."
She leaned forward, resting her chin upon the back of her hand, watching him like a puzzle she had yet to solve. "Tell me, Devourer… how does a man like you end up in my coliseum, cutting down my fighters like a wolf among sheep?"
Malik exhaled, his smirk lingering. "A distraction."
Cadrill arched a brow. "From what?"
His gaze was cold. "From boredom."
A beat of silence.
Then—Cadrill laughed.
Not the soft, teasing giggle she often used to toy with men. No, this was rich, full-bodied amusement. Genuine pleasure.
"My, my…" she murmured, setting down her goblet. "I do believe I've never met a man like you." Her voice dripped with delight, as if his very existence entertained her.
Malik remained unmoved.
He had seen this kind of woman before—dangerous, powerful, and always in control. But she was intrigued by him, and that made her unpredictable.
"So, what now?" he asked, his voice calm.
Cadrill crossed one long leg over the other, the silk of her dress shifting just enough to reveal smooth, porcelain skin. The movement was calculated, a test of his will.
Malik didn't react.
Her smirk deepened. "You're different from the rest."
She gestured toward the lavish chamber around them. "I rule this underground empire. Every fighter that enters my coliseum bows to me, whether they realize it or not. But you?" She tilted her head. "You don't belong here, do you?"
Malik shrugged. "Does it matter?"
"It does," she purred. "Because I don't like unknowns in my domain."
A veiled threat.
She lifted a goblet of dark red wine to her lips, taking a slow sip. "Tell me, Devourer—are you looking for something?"
Malik considered the question carefully.
Then, finally, he gave her a sliver of truth. "Power."
Cadrill's smile widened. "Ah… and what kind of power do you seek?"
"The kind that ensures no one can stand above me."
Her eyes gleamed with something akin to admiration.
"Ambitious," she murmured. "I like that."
She set her goblet down, tapping a single clawed finger against the rim. "Very well. Since you amuse me, I have an offer."
Malik said nothing, waiting.
Cadrill's lips curled. "I have a… problem that requires a certain kind of talent to fix. And you, my dear Devourer, might be just the solution I need."
Malik's gaze sharpened.
"I assume you've heard of the Black Sun Syndicate?" she asked.
He had, briefly.
A criminal organization that thrived in darkness—assassins, smugglers, slavers. A network of power stretching far beyond Eldarath.
Cadrill sighed, swirling her wine. "They've been stepping on my toes lately, believing my arena should fall under their control." She leaned forward slightly. "I don't like being told what to do, Malik."
His true name on her lips was deliberate. A test of control.
Malik didn't react, he expected someone well connected such as Cadrill would be able to dig up a simple thing like his name.
Cadrill smirked. "You're already killing for sport in my coliseum. How about I pay you to do it with purpose?"
She gestured lazily toward the city beyond. "Wipe out a particular group of them for me, and I'll give you whatever you desire. Gold, resources, information… perhaps even a position of power in my underground empire."
Malik considered her words.
His recent fights had been unsatisfying. His opponents too weak, his rank too low to draw real challenges. But hunting and eliminating an entire syndicate?
That was far more interesting.
"So... you want them dead," he said finally.
Cadrill's red lips curved. "Every last one."
Malik exhaled. "Fine. But I'll do it my way."
She chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way."
Then, she paused, tapping her finger against the table. "But before we seal this deal… I have a personal question."
Malik folded his arms. "I don't give information for nothing."
Cadrill's lips parted slightly, and something dangerous flickered in her gaze. Then, she laughed. "Good. Then let's make a proper contract."
She raised her hand, violet energy swirling around her palm. "A mana contract. We both ask a question, and we must answer truthfully. If either of us lies or refuses…" She smirked. "The backlash could be fatal."
Malik studied the sigil, then placed his own hand against it.
The contract flared, binding them.
Cadrill exhaled in satisfaction. "You may go first."
Malik didn't hesitate. "What are you?"
A knowing glint flickered in her eyes. He had sensed it.
She leaned back, exhaling. "I am a demon from the abyssal lands. A succubus, to be more accurate."
Malik's fingers twitched.
A demon.
He had heard of them in his previous world—creatures of legend, whispered nightmares in the dark. But he had never seen one. Never stood before one.
Now he had.
"That explains the charm magic she exudes, probably why she's such a stunner too…" Kairo noted, his tone understanding.
Cadrill watched his reaction carefully. He wasn't afraid. If anything, he looked… intrigued.
He tried to ask another question, but she clicked her tongue. "Ah-ah, my turn now."
She leaned forward, her red eyes gleaming. "Now... What are you?"
Malik grinned, his lips parting just enough to reveal the subtle shift of his teeth—human incisors elongating, sharpening into something more draconic. His pupils narrowed into slits, the shadows around him thickening.
"You wouldn't know. The best explanation I can give is that I am something without form or name," he said, voice smooth yet eerie.
"An unknown. An alien."
The air grew dense.
Cadrill inhaled sharply.
Cadrill's crimson eyes flickered as she absorbed Malik's words, her amusement deepening into something else. Something darker.
She had met countless powerful beings—warlords, mercenaries, even other demons. But none had ever felt like this.
"An unknown? An alien?"
Her lips curled, her mind racing with possibilities.
When suddenly—
Malik released his aura.
It was subtle. A whisper of power. A sliver of his true presence.
But it was enough.
The air shifted, thickening with something unseen, something wrong. Not in the way of a dark mage or a high-ranking warrior, not even in the way of an abyssal demon.
This was different, laced with the killing intent only achievable through mass slaughter.
Cadrill's breath caught, her fingers tightening slightly against the throne's armrest. Instincts older than her own understanding screamed in recognition.
She did not show it. Did not flinch. Did not let her expression betray her thoughts.
But inwardly—
"No. This isn't right. This isn't just strength."
Her demonic nature, something ancient and woven into her very being, had stirred before, reacting to Malik with a sense of reverence she had ignored. But now?
Now it was begging to submit.
Not in the way a soldier bowed to a king.
No.
It was deeper than that. Older.
The way lesser demons kneeled before abyssal monarchs.
The way prey recognized the presence of a natural predator.
But that was impossible.
"There is nothing above us."
Cadrill was not human. She was not mortal. As a succubus of the abyssal lands, she had been born into power, into the dark currents that governed the unseen forces of the world.
And yet—
What is he?
Malik tilted his head, watching her carefully, as if waiting.
He had felt it.
He had noticed the moment her body reacted before her mind had the chance to deny it.
Cadrill inhaled slowly, controlling herself, hiding her surprise beneath a veil of amusement.
Her smirk returned, slow and deliberate. "Oh, Devourer…"
She let her voice drip into something smooth, something teasing, but beneath it, she watched. Studied.
"You're going to be fun."
Malik's smile didn't fade.
But his eyes—his ever-shifting, unnatural eyes—gleamed with something that made even her feel like she was being hunted.
Cadrill exhaled, letting her amusement settle over her like armor, masking the lingering instinctual terror clawing at the edges of her thoughts.
She did not bow.
But something in her recognized that, in another world, in another time, in a different order of existence—
She would have.
During her thoughts, the tension in the air lingered, thick and tangible.
Cadrill's crimson eyes remained locked on Malik, her expression unreadable, though inwardly, she still reeled from the unexplainable recognition her demonic instincts had given him. She had met apex predators before—warlords, abyssal lords, Grandmaster-ranked legends—but none of them had ever stirred something this deep in her blood.
And yet, here he stood, perfectly composed, as if nothing had happened.
Malik, for his part, let the silence stretch, letting her reaction settle before he finally spoke. "Tell me more about this problem you need me to fix."
Cadrill's smirk returned, masking the last remnants of her momentary lapse. She tilted her head slightly, resting her chin on the back of her knuckles. "Curious, are we?"
"I don't take jobs blindly," Malik replied. "Tell me who I'll be dealing with."
Cadrill chuckled, swirling the wine in her goblet before setting it down. "Fair enough."
She leaned forward, her fingers idly tapping the table. "The Black Sun Syndicate operates in the shadows, but their influence is deeper than most realize. They specialize in assassinations, smuggling, and information brokering, as you may know. Many of the noble families in Eldarath rely on them for discreet services. Others fear them enough to stay out of their way."
Malik remained silent, listening.
Cadrill's voice dropped slightly, turning silkier. "One of their enforcers, a man named Saren, has been operating within my territory without permission. A telekinetic killer. He's efficient, precise, and lacks the manners to know when he's overstepped."
A telekinetic assassin.
Malik's fingers twitched slightly, though his expression remained neutral. That was an ability he had yet to encounter directly.
"Is he Master-ranked?" Malik asked.
Cadrill's smirk widened, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Sharp. He's not quite a fully-fledged Master, but he's close. Master-, if we're being precise."
Doable.
Malik had fought a Master- rank before, but that didn't mean it would be easy. An ability like telekenisis was something he had yet to encounter.
"And after Saren?" Malik pressed. "What's the real goal? A single death won't cripple Black Sun."
Cadrill exhaled slowly, studying him. "No, it won't. But this isn't about crippling them."
She leaned back, drumming her fingers on the armrest of her throne. "Black Sun thinks they can own every corner of Eldarath's underground. This is a message—one they'll understand."
She smiled, but there was nothing soft about it. "Fear."
Malik absorbed her words. He had expected something like this. It wasn't just about one enforcer. This was a power move.
And he was being used as the executioner.
"That's fitting for you." Kairo chimed.
Malik ignored him, crossing his arms. "And the rewards?"
Cadrill's expression brightened slightly, as if pleased that he knew how to play the game. "Aside from the obvious?" She gestured toward the opulence surrounding them. "Gold, resources, favors. I have connections, Malik. The kind that could elevate you in ways you haven't even considered."
A pause. Then—
Her crimson eyes gleamed. "Or perhaps something more personal."
Malik didn't react.
Cadrill let the words hang in the air, watching for a shift in his demeanor. A flicker of interest.
There was none.
Instead, his voice remained calm, measured. "Gold and information will suffice."
A laugh, soft and genuine. "Oh, I do like you."
She exhaled, tapping a single finger against the armrest. "Very well. Kill Saren, and I'll reward you accordingly. And if you perform well…" Her smirk returned, slow and deliberate. "I may have more work for you."
Malik inclined his head slightly but didn't respond.
Inside his mind, Kairo's voice stirred.
"This is a good opportunity, but be careful. The underground world is dangerous, and you are still growing. A Master or Master+ could kill you, let alone a Grandmaster."
Malik remained outwardly composed.
"I know," he responded internally.
"Cadrill is watching you carefully. She doesn't fully understand what you are yet, but she will. If you get too tangled in her web, it might be harder to walk away later."
"I won't let that happen," Malik replied. "This isn't about alliances. It's about power. Black Sun will be another stepping stone."
"Just don't forget that stepping stones can be unstable."
Malik exhaled subtly through his nose. Kairo had a point.
Still—this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
A telekinetic opponent. A syndicate with deep ties to Eldarath's nobility. Information he could use to further his own growth.
Malik had no intention of staying in Eldarath's underground forever. This was a temporary battlefield. One that he intended to outgrow.
Slowly, he turned his gaze back to Cadrill.
"Consider it done."
Cadrill's smirk widened. "Then we have an agreement."
She lifted her goblet, her voice turning silkier. "I look forward to seeing how you hunt, Malik."
Malik didn't respond. He simply turned, stepping toward the chamber's exit.
Just before he reached the threshold, Cadrill's voice called out once more.
"One more thing, Devourer."
He paused but didn't turn.
"If you ever find yourself… bored," her voice was almost playful, "do come find me again."
A beat of silence.
Then—
Malik grinned. "Careful, Lady Cadrill."
His ever-shifting eyes gleamed faintly as he stepped through the doorway.
"You might not like what you find."