In the shadow of the Northern Mountains, along the eastern border with the Sarekov Kingdom, the land was not the frozen wasteland of the true far north. Here, the peaks were gentler, worn by time and wind. The sharp ridges softened into rolling foothills where patches of evergreen forest clung stubbornly to the slopes. Dark pines and hardy firs stood in dense clusters, their needles a deep, almost black green against the pale gray stone.
Between the tree lines, open meadows and grassy plateaus stretched — young, fertile land not yet fully claimed by winter. Small rivers and streams cut through the valleys, their waters clear and cold, feeding scattered wildflowers and patches of moss. In places, the ground turned drier — rocky clearings and sun-baked slopes where the soil cracked and grass gave way to sparse, hardy shrubs.
The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine resin and distant snow, but it lacked the bone-deep freeze of the deeper mountains. It felt alive — young, transitional, a place caught between the wild forests and the harsh peaks beyond.
A sudden roar shattered the quiet.
A colossal centipede — at least 40 meters long — thrashed across a rocky clearing. Its segmented body, armored in black and crimson chitin, moved with terrifying speed, dozens of legs churning the earth. Its mandibles snapped like steel traps.
And it was fighting.
Against a single figure.
She was a girl — young, perhaps 17 or 18, with long, flowing silver hair that whipped in the wind. Two curved horns, each at least a handspan long, grew from her forehead like a demon's crown. Her armor was reddish-purple, glowing faintly with inner fire, and her hands were covered in special gauntlets that crackled with heat. In her grip was a unique sword — wide at the base, narrowing sharply, then flaring again at the tip like a flame frozen in steel.
She fought with desperate fury.
Her sword blazed with fire — she swung, slashed, thrust. Flames erupted on impact, but the centipede's armor absorbed them. The beast barely slowed.
She leaped back, breathing hard.
The centipede lunged.
Its massive body slammed into her, knocking her off balance. She stumbled, fell to one knee.
The monster reared, mandibles wide, ready to crush her.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Is this… how I die?" she whispered. "Father… Mother… forgive me…"
She closed her eyes.
"Please… someone… save me…"
A sound — rapid footsteps.
Vshshshs!
A blur shot past her.
Tsiiing!
A single, clean slash.
The centipede froze.
Then its body split perfectly in two.
Black ichor sprayed. The creature collapsed in sections, twitching once before going still.
The girl opened her eyes.
In front of her stood a young man — tall, a little over average height, with slightly messy, jet-black hair dusted with dirt. He wore a black cloak over dark armor, and in his right hand was a sword that glowed with faint blue light, black energy curling from the blade like smoke.
His left eye was covered by a special patch.
His right eye glowed a deep, unsettling red.
He looked around 20, handsome in a sharp, dangerous way.
The girl stared, tears still streaming.
She reached out a trembling hand.
"Thank you…"
But the young man raised his sword — pointing it directly at her.
"Who are you?" he asked, voice cold and wary. "Monster? Demon? And where the hell am I?"
The girl suddenly flinched in fear.
"Hey, what are you doing?" she cried out.
The young man didn't answer.
"Hey… it would be better if you lowered your weapon," she said, voice trembling.
"I decide what to do," he replied coldly. "Answer my question. Are you a monster?"
"Monster?" she echoed, a mix of anger and disbelief in her tone. "Do all humans think the same? You all call us monsters, even though we're just ordinary demons. Yes, to you we are monsters, but to us… it's different."
"I don't care about that," he said sharply. "Where am I right now?"
"Have you lost your way?" she asked, curiosity creeping into her voice despite the fear.
He pressed the sword closer to her throat.
"Only answer what I ask. If you say one more unnecessary word, you die," he said, his voice deadly serious and threatening.
The girl trembled, her voice shaking.
"Y-You're in the Serekov Kingdom… in the Azuriya region."
"Serekov Kingdom?" he repeated, frowning. "There's no such place on the Continent."
"I'm not lying," she insisted. "You're in the Azuriya region of the Serekov Kingdom."
"Azuriya? What kind of region is that?" he demanded.
The girl looked at his confused expression and asked carefully:
"Are you… from the Continent?"
"Continent?" he repeated. "What do you mean by that?"
"Continent people," she explained. "Humans who came to our region through blue portals from another world twenty years ago. They spoke the same language as you. They called their world the Continent. I think… you must be one of them."
"Twenty years ago? Blue portals?" he muttered to himself, voice low. "This matches exactly what that girl said before…"
He stared at her for a long moment, then slowly raised his sword again, ready to kill.
The girl panicked, raising her hands.
"Wait! Wait! I answered all your questions!" she cried.
"You're a demon," he said flatly. "I don't know if you'll attack me or not. It's better to end you now."
"Stop! I won't attack you! We demons signed a peace treaty with humans seventeen years ago! You have to honor it too!" she pleaded.
He paused.
"What treaty?"
"Seventeen years ago, after the Great War, demons and humans signed a treaty. Neither side would attack or kill the other races," she explained quickly.
He lowered his sword slightly.
"And what happens if I don't honor it?" he asked.
"If you kill me, the nearby villages will find out. They'll declare a hunt against you," she said.
He sheathed his sword with a sigh.
"Damn it… this is a massive headache," he muttered. "Fine. I believe you… for now. But if you make one wrong move, I'll kill you on the spot."
She nodded quickly.
"If you want, I can take you to one of the portals that leads back to the Continent."
He looked at her suspiciously.
"What's your goal? Are you trying to kill me?"
She stood up slowly.
"Maybe you'll think of something other than killing. I just want to help you. After all, you saved my life. At least let me show you the way."
She extended her hand.
"Shall we go?"
He glanced around, then sighed in resignation.
"Fine. But one wrong move and you're dead."
She smiled nervously.
"Don't worry, I won't. My name is Ezra."
She offered her hand.
The young man stared at it.
"I don't shake hands with a demon," he said flatly.
She lowered her hand.
"Then… can I at least know your name?"
"Sato," he answered.