-The cave was dim, illuminated only by the flickering glow of torches mounted along the jagged walls. The air was thick with dust, carrying the scent of aged wood and damp stone. Scattered across the uneven ground were crates, some sealed tight, others cracked open to reveal glistening treasures, aged scrolls, and forgotten artifacts.-
-Dazai sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he leaned against a worn wooden crate. His gaze shifted toward Deadmourne, who—despite her imposing nature—was currently pouting like a child denied a treat-
-Still In her human form, she was an elegant yet fearsome sight. Long obsidian-black hair cascaded down her back, eyes sharp with a predatory glint, though they now carried an unmistakable sulk. Her arms were folded tightly, her expression a mix of annoyance and disappointment-
-Dazai exhaled, his voice tinged with mild amusement-
Dazai: "Alright, alright. I get it. You're mad about the tooth."
-Deadmourne narrowed her eyes, her lips forming a slight pout-
Deadmourne: "You ripped out one of my teeth, Dazai. I thought we had a bond built on mutual respect."
-Dazai ran a hand through his hair, chuckling-
Dazai: "I needed proof of slaying a dragon. It's not like I could just walk into town and say, 'Hey, trust me, I totally fought one.' Besides, it'll grow back. Dragon regeneration, remember?"
-She huffed, turning her head dramatically-
Deadmourne: "That's not the point."
-Dazai sighed-
Dazai: "Fine. How about this? You can pick anything you want from my next haul. Just stop making that cutey face. It's weird coming from you."
-For a moment, she stayed silent, then–grudgingly—uncrossed her arms-
-Satisfied, Dazai turned toward a stone altar positioned deeper inside the cave. A worn stone bowl sat atop it, ancient carvings lining its edges. From within his coat, he pulled out a crimson dagger—its surface gleaming under the dim light. With a quiet hum, he placed it carefully into the bowl-
-Then, he reached into his pocket, retrieving a small glass vial filled with glowing white liquid. The light within it pulsed faintly, as though alive-
-He raised the vial to eye level, watching it swirl before glancing at Deadmourne-
Dazai: "I need fire."
-She rolled her eyes but complied. With a flick of her wrist, she exhaled a controlled stream of blue fire. The flames engulfed the dagger, their heat intense enough to warp the very air around them. Slowly, the blade lost its form, melting into a crimson pool at the bottom of the bowl-
-Once satisfied, Dazai uncorked the vial and poured its contents in.The reaction was instant-
-Blue flames erupted from the bowl—not burning, but cold. The temperature of the cave dropped, frost creeping along the stone floor. A mesmerizing, almost intoxicating fragrance filled the air, reminiscent of winter nights and forgotten dreams-
-Dazai smirked, watching the transformation unfold-
Dazai: "Time truly is a beautiful thing… Those old texts spoke of dragon tears being lethal to the human body, but they never mentioned what would happen if an item absorbed them."
-His voice carried the quiet thrill of discovery, his eyes gleaming with fascination-
-Channeling his mana into the mixture, the molten metal began to shift. Its liquid form hardened, stretching, reshaping itself into something far beyond a dagger or a claw.
Slowly, a sleek weapon took form.
A pistol-
-Black veins of intricate patterns traced along its surface, crimson light pulsing beneath them like a heartbeat. The weapon exuded a presence—a fusion of science and magic, deadly yet elegant-
-Dazai lifted it, testing its weight.Satisfied, he turned toward the nearest cave wall, leveling the pistol with ease-
-Then, he pulled the trigger.
For a brief moment, there was absolute silence.
Then-
-A deafening crack split the air as the bullet tore through the cave's stone wall. A second later, the distant rumble of destruction followed. Through the newly-made hole, a distant mountain could be seen—its peak now obliterated in a cloud of dust and debris-
-Dazai let out an impressed chuckle, spinning the pistol in his hand before cocking it back into place-
Dazai: "Hah. So I was right."
-His smirk deepened as he admired his creation-
Dazai: "Good to know my theories are still as sharp as ever."
-Deadmourne, who had been watching the spectacle, blinked-
Deadmourne: "…You just made that, and it can already destroy a mountain?"
Dazai: "Not bad, right?"
She sighed, shaking her head.
Deadmourne: "You're dangerous."
Dazai laughed.
Dazai: "Now that is the first honest compliment you've given me."
-Sliding the pistol into his coat, he turned back toward the scattered crates. His mind had already shifted gears, moving toward the next phase of his plan-
Dazai: "Alright, there should be a crystal ball somewhere in these crates. Find me one."
-Deadmourne, still muttering about reckless humans, rummaged through the supplies. Moments later, she returned with several crystal orbs-
-Dazai took them and, without hesitation, crushed them all in his palm. Shards of glowing glass rained into the stone bowl, now cooled from its previous use-
-Next, he pulled out a small leather pouch, emptying its contents—a collection of twenty-four slime cores, pulsing faintly with stored mana-
-He worked quickly, melting the crystal shards into thin layers while simultaneously liquefying the slime cores. The fusion of these elements formed something entirely new—a translucent, silk-like material stretched into the shape of a thin, circular disc-
-Deadmourne observed, tilting her head-
Deadmourne: "What is that?"
-Dazai smirked, spinning the object between his fingers-
Dazai: "A phone."
-She blinked-
Deadmourne: "A what?"
Dazai: "A communication device. Not quite like the ones from my world, but close enough."
-She frowned-
Deadmourne: "So… it lets you talk to others from a distance?"
-Dazai nodded-
Dazai: "And more. This device will track mana signatures. Anyone with mana can be detected within a given range."
-Deadmourne's eyes widened slightly-
Deadmourne: "You mean… it can track living beings?"
Dazai: "That's right. For weaker users, the range caps at around thirty kilometers. But with enough mana? It can stretch for miles."
-Deadmourne's expression darkened-
Deadmourne: "Wouldn't that make you trackable as well?"
-Dazai chuckled-
Dazai: "I made sure of one thing—it won't track dragons, rare beasts… or me."
-He let the phone rest in his palm, watching its mana-infused core glow softly-
Dazai: "I've aimed my eyes forward. One hand holds a bullet of fate. The other, a map of my enemies."
-A slow grin spread across his face-
Dazai: "And I always get what I desire"