The cold was unforgiving.
Snow lashed at their cloaks as Kaien and Yuki trekked through the Frostspire Pass—a treacherous, rarely used path leading to the Ruins of Kōryū, the newly announced site for the Grand Martial Trials.
The air shimmered with arcane pressure, remnants of the war fought a century ago. Magic here didn't flow. It pulsed—like a slumbering beast that might awaken at any moment.
Kaien walked beside Yuki in silence, every footstep crunching on the frost-laden ground. The thin scarf around his neck barely kept out the chill, and his dragon blood flared uneasily under his skin.
He clenched his fists. Control it, he reminded himself. Don't lose it again.
"You're overheating," Yuki said without looking at him.
Kaien glanced at his hands. Wisps of steam curled from his palms.
"Your fire is reacting to the cursed energy in this place," she explained. "Don't fight it. Guide it."
"Easier said than done," Kaien muttered, but tried to focus his breath, recalling the way she'd taught him to anchor his aura through controlled rhythm.
"Use the Breath of the Inner Flame. Calm. Inhale—one, two, three. Exhale—one, two…"
Kaien obeyed. His temperature stabilized slowly, the heat shrinking back beneath his skin.
Then the snow shifted.
Both of them stopped.
From beneath the ice, a low growl emerged—a sound that vibrated through their boots and up their spines.
Yuki unsheathed her frostblade.
Kaien readied his stance.
The ice cracked—and burst open as a creature erupted forth: a twisted, six-legged wolf-like beast, its hide black as soot and its eyes glowing molten red. Runes burned along its ribs—evidence of demonic corruption.
"A Wyrmfanged Hollowhound," Yuki hissed. "One of the Cult's bred war-beasts."
Already? Kaien cursed in his head. "Guess they didn't wait for the trial."
The beast lunged.
Kaien dodged instinctively, the creature's claws ripping into a tree behind him, splintering it with unnatural force.
Yuki moved like a gust—silent and elegant. Her frostblade danced, leaving trails of freezing mist as she slashed at the Hollowhound's flank. Ice bloomed on its fur—but melted instantly.
Kaien leapt forward with a roar, channeling his still-unrefined dragon aura into his blade. The metal glowed orange. Steam hissed around him.
Just like she taught you—guide it. Don't let it guide you.
He swung—and connected.
The Hollowhound howled in pain as his fiery slash seared across its shoulder. It staggered.
"You need to hit its core," Yuki said. "Under the chest—see the exposed rune?"
Kaien nodded. "Cover me."
"Three seconds."
He dashed right. Yuki spun left. Her blade clashed with the beast's fangs, locking it in place.
One… two…
Kaien narrowed his gaze, slamming his foot into the snow and launching upward, twisting mid-air. His sword blazed with dragonfire.
Three.
He struck downward.
"Dragon Fang Strike—First Form!"
His blade pierced the rune.
With a deafening screech, the Hollowhound exploded in a blast of dark smoke and flickering red sparks.
Kaien landed hard, panting. His blade sizzled with leftover heat, the snow around him melted into a steaming circle.
Yuki knelt beside the scorched remains. "This wasn't random."
She pulled a small charm from the ashes—a black coin etched with the same flaming eye symbol from the scroll.
"They were sent to kill you before the trial even began."
Kaien stood silently. Then he said, "Then they're afraid."
Yuki looked up. "Or worse. They know what you are."
He met her eyes.
"My power… is still asleep. Even I don't know what I really am yet."
She nodded, slowly. "Then we need to find out before they do."