I already knew, even before setting foot on that trail, that this wouldn't be an ordinary mission. The flame inside me wasn't agitated like in battle, nor silent like on peaceful days. It was alert. Attentive. As if something were watching from very far away.
We left Vailor early. The sky was clear, but the wind was far too cold for that season. Vespera had been complaining since we passed through the gates—about the cold, the weight of her quiver, the fact that we had accepted yet another poorly paid mission. Elara walked in silence, conserving mana as always. Liriel floated lightly a few centimeters above the ground, far too focused for someone who always claimed to be a useless goddess.
"So, just to confirm," Vespera said, breaking the silence. "This is that 'simple' mission where we just check a suspicious entrance and come back alive, right?"
"Simple," I replied. "Never safe."
She made a face. "Great. I love it when you say that."
The trail led us far from the trade routes. Older trees, thick trunks, exposed roots as if the ground had been forced to give way. The air grew heavier as we advanced. It wasn't obvious magic. It was organization. Paths too clean. Tracks carefully erased.
Elara was the first to notice. "This isn't territory of common monsters. Someone keeps this area clean."
"Or something," I murmured.
When we finally saw the entrance, no one needed to say anything. The cave didn't look like a natural dungeon. The walls were too angular. There were marks on the ground, regular grooves, as if troops marched there frequently.
Liriel landed and touched the stone. "It isn't ancient. It was excavated and reinforced recently."
"Demons?" Vespera asked.
"Not yet," I replied. "But something is preparing the ground."
We entered only far enough to confirm. None of us had any intention of going deeper. Even so, the silence inside was oppressive. There was no dripping water, no insects, no common smell of dampness. Only cold.
That was when we heard footsteps.
Not rushed. Not disordered. Synchronized footsteps.
"Fall back," I said quietly.
Too late.
They emerged from the shadows as if they had been there the whole time. Humanoid creatures, bluish skin, empty eyes, simple but uniform armor. They didn't advance immediately. They just stood there, watching.
Vespera raised her bow, but hesitated. "They're… waiting?"
"Yes," I replied. "And that's worse."
One of them took a step forward. It didn't speak. It merely raised its hand. The air froze around us. Not an elaborate spell, but a command. As if the cold itself obeyed.
Elara tried to conjure a small flame. The magic failed before it could even form. She clenched her teeth. "Suppression field."
Liriel tried light. A faint glow appeared… and went out. She sighed. "S Class or not, this is all I can manage here."
I stepped forward. The flame responded. It didn't explode. It didn't roar. It simply warmed the air around me enough to let me breathe normally.
The creatures reacted immediately.
They advanced together.
Vespera fired. She missed the first shot. The second passed far too close to my shoulder. The third hit one of the creatures in the chest. It fell, but didn't scream. Nor did it bleed.
Elara used the bare minimum of mana, creating a force that slammed two of them against the wall. Liriel cast direct light into another's eyes, blinding it for a few seconds.
I attacked.
The blade cut through ice and flesh at the same time. The creature shattered like frozen porcelain. But I felt no victory. Only confirmation.
"They're disposable," I murmured. "Soldiers."
More emerged from the depths of the corridor.
"Takumi," Vespera said, breathless. "This is getting bad."
"I know."
That was when I felt it.
Not a nearby presence. Something distant. Very distant. But attentive.
The flame trembled.
And a voice—not loud, not echoing, but far too clear to be ignored—crossed my mind.
"So it's you."
My body froze for an instant. Not from fear. From recognition.
The creatures stopped attacking.
They retreated slowly, opening a path back into the darkness.
No pursuit. No attempt to stop us from leaving.
It was a warning.
"Retreat," I said. "Now."
We ran. No one questioned it. Only when we were far from the entrance did we stop, gasping, covered in cold sweat.
Vespera rested her hands on her knees. "That… was that an invitation or a threat?"
"Both," I replied.
Elara looked at me seriously. "You heard something, didn't you?"
I nodded.
Liriel closed her eyes for a moment. "So it's true. He's there."
"Who?" Vespera asked.
I looked toward the forest, in the direction of the dungeon.
"The Sixth General of the Demons," I answered. "And he knows that I exist."
The flame inside me didn't calm down after that.
It knew this was only the beginning.