With Cloyde dealt with and the scroll secured, Kazike and I sat a moment in the quiet of the cavern, letting our breathing settle.
He studied me with something between admiration and unease. "How do you keep doing that — teleporting over and over with no chant at all? I've never seen an Assassin move like that."
"I don't fully know myself," I admitted, staring at my own hands. "Half the time I'm as surprised as you are."
"Whatever it is, you need to understand it properly, and soon." He got to his feet, brushing off dust. "For now — let's get back to the surface and report in."
"Can you help me figure it out? I don't even know where to start."
He laughed, a little rueful. "I'm not sure I've got much left to teach you at this point, honestly. But I'll try."
He patted his pockets and went still. "Ah — right. My Depth Teleportation Stone's already used up. We'll need to hunt down another drop before we can head back."
"I'll follow your lead."
"Your power's terrifying, by the way," he added, more seriously now. "You dismantled an S-rank Assassin without breaking stride. I'm not saying that's a bad thing — but you'll want to learn to keep a lid on that aura before it draws attention you don't want."
The words had barely left his mouth when the air went heavy and cold around us, pressing down like something enormous had just noticed we existed.
"Kazike," I whispered, every nerve in my body screaming at once. "What is this?"
He saw my face and went pale himself. "Kazu — talk to me."
"Something's coming. Something huge."
His expression cracked into pure panic. "Give me your mana — now!"
I didn't hesitate, pouring everything I could spare into him. He slammed both hands to the floor, an emergency circle blooming to life beneath us just as a figure stepped from the dark ahead — tall, terrible, radiating a wrongness I felt in my teeth.
"Mizawa," Kazike breathed, eyes wide with a fear I hadn't seen on him before. "The Demon Lord's own right hand. Why would she be down here—"
The light took us before he could finish the thought.
When my vision cleared, we were standing in daylight outside the dungeon entrance, the sun almost painfully bright after so long underground. "Kazike — why'd we leave so suddenly? Who was that?"
He forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes, sweat still standing on his brow. "Nothing you need to worry about. It's better we left when we did — that one's bad news, trust me."
"But the teleportation stone—"
"We'll buy a couple at the market," he said quickly, hand still trembling slightly as he clapped my shoulder. "Come on. Guild first — let's find out where this scroll actually goes."
I pushed through the Guild's heavy doors, spirits already lifting at the familiar noise. "Missy!"
"Kazu!" Her ears twitched at the sight of us. "How'd it go?"
Kazike leaned in before I could answer. "We got it, but a lot happened down there—"
"I was asking Kazu," Missy said flatly, not sparing him a glance.
I stepped in before it could turn into a real argument. "We got the scroll, but a man named Cloyde ambushed us on Floor 34."
Her brow shot up. "Cloyde? He disappeared years ago. Why would he surface now?"
"He wanted to take everything we had. I had to fight him off."
Kazike nodded along, muttering under his breath something about Missy's mood that I chose not to acknowledge.
Missy rubbed her temples. "I'll flag it for the Guild Master. Do you have the scroll on you?"
I pulled the parchment free and handed it over. She inspected the seal with a practiced eye. "This is it. The client's asked that whoever completed the quest deliver it personally." A faint eye-roll toward Kazike. "Though they'll likely assume he did the heavy lifting, given your age."
"We'll head there now," I said.
"Take care, Kazu. The Sorinade estate's in the central district of Druzka."
Kazike offered a lazy wave. "See you, old elf."
Missy didn't so much as glance at him, her smile staying fixed entirely on me.
"You two seem close," I noted as we walked, watching the exchange replay in my head.
"It's nothing serious," Kazike said, a shade too quickly, checking directions scrawled on the back of his hand. "Sorinade estate should be just up this hill."
At the mansion gates, a heavily armored guard stopped us cold. "State your business. And what's this child doing here?"
Kazike straightened with obvious pride. "I'm Kazike, A-rank. This is Kazu — he's the one who completed Lord Sorinade's S-rank quest."
The guard's eyebrows climbed. "This child? Very well. Follow me."
We were led through a courtyard that put every building I'd ever seen to shame and into a hall where a tall man in fine silks waited to greet us.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Lord Raku said. "What news from the Guild?"
Kazike bowed. "We've recovered the item, my Lord."
"The scroll?" Raku's eyes lit at once.
Kazike passed it over. "Kazu's the one who actually completed the quest. I only came along for support."
I bowed as well. "He was a great help, though!"
Raku studied me a long moment. "This boy? The rumors are true, then — the youngest S-rank in the country's history?"
"That's right," Kazike said, unable to hide his pride entirely.
Raku smiled, turning the scroll over in his hands with obvious relief. "To show my gratitude properly, you may each choose from three rewards." He gestured toward an adjoining doorway. "My eldest daughter wishes to meet the adventurer who braved this task, with marriage in mind, should you be so inclined. Or —" he indicated a heavy chest — "five thousand gold. Or —" his hand moved to a dagger resting on a velvet pillow — "this. An ancient blade called the Wrath of God. Doubles the wielder's speed, and can carry runes."
Kazike's eyes had already glazed with calculation. "A wealthy bride, hm… My Lord, does Kazu get to choose separately?"
"Since you both took part, yes — one each."
I didn't need to think about it. "The dagger. I don't have a proper weapon yet." And I'm curious whether my Rune Stone would even work on it.
Raku lifted it carefully, uncertainty flickering across his face. "You may have it, though I should warn you — no one in my family can hold it for more than a few seconds. It drains the mana straight out of—"
I took it from him. It settled into my grip like it had always belonged there, humming faintly.
Raku stared. "He's holding it without any trouble at all. How?"
I turned the blade admiringly. "It's mine, then? Thank you!"
Kazike, meanwhile, had puffed himself up considerably. "In that case — I gladly accept your daughter's hand." Under his breath, to me: "Jackpot, Kazu. Rich and beautiful." Louder, to Raku: "What's her name?"
A young woman in an elegant dress stepped through the far doorway and bowed gracefully. "An honor to meet you. I'm Bitshu."
Kazike's grin froze solid on his face.
"Is something wrong with my name?" Bitshu asked, tilting her head.
"N-No — nothing at all," Kazike stammered, color draining from his face. Under his breath, barely audible: "…of all the names in this world…"
I clapped him on the back, missing the joke entirely. "This is wonderful, Kazike — you've got a girlfriend now!"
"…Yeah," he said, staring at some middle distance with a hollow little smile. "I guess I do."
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Fine. Just — surprised by my own luck."
"You should talk to her, get to know her a bit."
What followed was an extremely stilted conversation between the two of them, after which we finally took our leave, quest closed, scroll delivered.
A string of notifications lit up as we walked.
[Assassin skill reached Level 91] [Exploration reached Level 88] [New Active Skill: Blood Steal — drains half an enemy's mana on contact; converts to HP regeneration if your mana is already full]
[STATUS] Level: 79
Active Skills: Blink, Explosive Blink, Bloodlust (evolved: RAGE, locked), Blood Steal
I turned the new dagger over in my thoughts as much as in my hands. "What's Smithing actually good for? If I have it, could I fit the Rune Stone myself, instead of asking someone else?"
Kazike shook his head at me, half-amused, muttering something about how strange I was under his breath. I just grinned back, already thinking three steps ahead of whatever he'd say next.