Dawn had barely broken when Vlad, Sera, and Thomas left Tepis behind. The pickup truck rumbled down the empty road, wind mana stone humming steadily.
Sera sat in the center of the back seat, arms crossed. "Why am I the one seating back here?"
I would also like to know the answer to that question. The silhouette expressed dryly, pressed against the window beside her.
Of course, none of the other passengers heard it complain.
"I called shotgun." Thomas said from the front passenger seat, tapping the navigation screen.
That doesn't explain why she's in my seat though. the male silhouette pouted, as if anyone could actually hear it.
Vlad glanced in the rearview mirror. "Sorry, Sera. You can ride up front next time."
She huffed, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Alright then, it's fine with me."
"By the way," Thomas said, turning toward Vlad. "how long can your barrier hold out for?"
The worry in his voice was unmistakable.
"At the bare minimum, I'd say a full year." Vlad replied, his gaze flicking briefly to the rearview mirror.
Thomas blinked, caught off guard. "A year?!"
"Yep. I poured a ridiculous amount of mana into it. We have no idea how long this mission will take, so I figured it was better to be safe. If it starts running low, I can always come back and refresh it."
Thomas placed a hand on Vlad's shoulder for a moment before letting go. "Thank you. That means a lot to me, more than you could possibly know. Also, I'm sorry for the inconvenience of having to come all the way back here just to recast it…"
Vlad shook his head, his attention still mostly on the road, though his voice softened. "It's no trouble at all. I can just simply teleport there. It's a spell that allows me to teleport anywhere inside any one of my barriers—if they are active."
Thomas let out a short, awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Of course you can. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Hero himself."
"Still, it does take a toll on my mana, which is why I only use it for important situations like this one." he voiced.
"Still, just being able to do it at all is impressive in and of itself." Thomas added.
"What can I say..." Sera leaned forward slightly from the back middle seat, her voice warm and carrying a note of quiet pride. She caught Vlad's reflection in the mirror and smiled at him. "Vlad's just an amazing person."
Vlad's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror again. The corner of his mouth curved upward in a small, private response meant only for her. For a moment, the tension in his shoulders eased.
"Anyway," he continued, his tone turning more serious as he adjusted his grip on the wheel, "things should be stable on Tepis for a while. As long as nothing out of the ordinary shows up."
"Out of the ordinary?" Thomas echoed, then his face darkened as understanding hit. "You mean something like a demon?"
"Exactly. Normal monsters can't even touch the barrier without destroying themselves, let alone break through it. But if a demon on the level of that chimera appeared…"
"Then it's an entirely different story." Thomas finished, his voice grave.
Vlad gave a solemn nod.
Sera quickly jumped in, trying to lighten the mood, though her tone held a gentle protectiveness. She rested her hand lightly on the back of Vlad's seat, her fingers just inches from his shoulder.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. We just have to stop the Demon King before anything like that can happen." Her voice softened as she looked at his reflection. "Besides, what are the chances that a demon that powerful would show up in the same place twi—"
"Stop!" Thomas interrupted sharply, twisting in his seat to shoot her a cautionary look. There was no anger in it, only wary and concern. "Are you trying to jinx us?"
Sera winced and sat back. "Sorry, my bad."
"You alright?" Vlad asked Thomas quietly, but his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror first, checking on Sera with subtle concern.
Thomas exhaled, looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah… I just... have a thing with jinxes. Sorry for overreacting like that." he apologized to her.
Vlad simply nodded and let the subject drop.
The car fell into a long, heavy silence. Eventually, Thomas broke it.
Thomas leaned forward, studying the map on a monitor at the dashboard. "So… where exactly are we going?"
Vlad kept his eyes on the road. "I only knew about you from rumors and stories I heard whilst traveling. It's not like I have a long list of candidates to pick from."
Thomas nodded slowly. "Right. I got it. "
He had never left Tepis except when hunting monsters. And even then, it was mostly just on the outskirts, never too far.
The wider world was as foreign to him as he was to it. The only information he knew was the kind he gathered from reading books in between breaks, and talks he had heard from the townspeople.
Sera tilted her head. "Don't you know anyone useful?" she directed the question at Thomas.
Thomas rubbed his jaw, thinking. "We've got offense covered—with the terrifying, Headmaster, I'm a good tactician, and Vlad handles everything by himself..."
"You can just use my name." Sera stated.
"Does that mean I can call you Sera as well?" he teased.
Vlad twitched at the suggestion, failing to control his feelings.
Noticing his reaction, Sera promptly dismissed the idea. "No! Seraphina is fine."
"Relax. I was just joking." he said apologetically.
"Well, it wasn't funny." she pouted, slightly embarrassed.
Hearing that Thomas was only joking, Vlad let out a sigh of relief—finally able to breathe again.
At least try not to make it obvious, you two. Thomas thought, lightly shaking his head. Or be upfront about your feelings. Then again, I'm not one to talk—being as inexperienced as I am.
Sera was a nickname Vlad used to address Seraphina. He used it whenever they had casual conversations together during their time in the Divinia Magic Academy.
That being the case, he—and he alone, was permitted to use said nickname when addressing her. Everyone else used her full name, regardless of their relationship with her.
But that's mostly because she doesn't have anyone who's as close with her as Vlad is. Not in the truest sense at least.
"As I was saying," Thomas started. "what we need now is something different to add to the team."
"Different? In what way?" Vlad asked.
"When we face the Demon King, we'll need intel. Someone who can slip in and out of places unseen, gather information, or already have information that we may need. Maybe even someone who can strike from the shadows and support us without ever being seen. In short, we need someone to act as support when fighting against the Demon King. At least, one that can use magic."
"Like someone who's good at stealth spells." Sera said.
"Exactly." Thomas grinned. "An assassin would be perfect for the job. They are dependable as an ally in a fight, but a nightmare to deal with as an enemy."
Sera frowned. "Where do you even find one?"
"There's only one place in the entire country where true assassins gather." Thomas started, working the navigation.
"Grimveil." Vlad breathed.
The city was a legend, a hidden crucible where the finest killers honed their craft through constant, merciless bloodshed.
Citizens would hunt each other day and night, not out of hatred, but survival. The strongest endured, and only they were permitted to live in such a place. It was a rite of passage, one etched in blood.
A powerful illusion cloaked the entire city.
Travelers could walk straight through the streets and never notice that the city even existed, no matter how sharp their senses or how strong their magic.
That illusion wasn't merely just an illusion, but a spell that distorted reality itself. Indeed, in order for one to be a true assassin worthy of being in Grimveil, one needed to have the capability of seeing the distortions in space itself.
Such was the intention of the first Assassin Head, the one who created the illusion in the first place.
That illusion was the first test to judge those who deserved entry, and those who do not. As a result of this, most outsiders dismissed Grimveil as myth—having never seen or been in it, only hearing stories about it.
Vlad slowed as a low ridge came into view. Beyond it lay… nothing unusual. Just rolling hills and scrub.
"Is this it?" he asked.
Thomas nodded. "It's supposed to be. At least, that's what the maps say, and I definitely plugged in the corresponding coordinates on the GPS."
"That was... easy." Sera muttered, unease present in her tone.
"Way too easy of you ask me." Thomas agreed. "There should be an illusion hiding the whole place. That's one of the reasons people think it's a myth."
Vlad closed his eyes briefly, reaching out with his senses. "There's no barrier, or any mana signatures indicating anything like that nearby." That said... there does seem to be something far ahead.
Thomas's expression darkened. "Then that must mean that something's wrong."
"Agreed. Keep your guard up." Vlad said quietly.
"Got it." the two answered in unison.
They crested the ridge, and were greeted by a surprising sight.
Grimveil lay in ruins.
The pickup truck rolled past collapsed stone buildings, cratered streets, as well as sprawled corpses—some still clutching weapons, others cut down mid-stride. Blood painted the cobblestones in dark, drying streaks. The air smelled of iron and smoke.
"What happened here?" Thomas asked, his voice low.
Vlad's grip tightened on the wheel. "It's dark mana. Not only that, but it's thick and recent."
Sera's eyes narrowed. "A demon did this?"
"It has to be." Vlad said. "But wiping out an entire city of assassins? People trained in close combat, as well as be invisible?"
Thomas scanned the wreckage. "Looks like a full scale battle broke out, and they never saw it coming."
Vlad slowed near the central plaza. "I feel a presence ahead." And an even stronger one as well...
They parked and stepped out.
Vlad raised his voice, calm but carrying. "I am Vlad, the Hero, and these are my allies."
"We come in peace." Sera lifted both hands in a mock surrender. "See? Peaceful."
Thomas chuckled. "You gonna ask them to take us to their leader next?" he teased.
Sera pointed a finger at him—ice crystals already forming at the tip like a loaded pistol. "Keep talking, Barbarian."
"What? You sound like you just stepped out of a first-contact novel." he shrugged with a small teasing smile.
"What's with you and referencing novels?" she asked with a brow raised.
"Focus, you two. Now's not the time." Vlad said, his tone flat.
"Sorry." they muttered together.
A thin trail of purple smoke coalesced a few paces away from them.
A young woman emerged.
She had raven-black short hair, and bright purple eyes dull with pain. Her all black ninja-style outfit hung in tatters, exposing bloodied skin and suggestive rips. A torn cloak barely preserved modesty, and fresh cuts laced her arms and legs.
Was she...? Sera regarded her face, and saw something.
The girl's eyes were swollen—pink around the edges, as if she were crying just moments before.
The girl slowly approached them, her body limping. "Are you… really the Hero?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Yes." Vlad stepped forward slowly, hands open. "Let me help you."
She flinched back, a kunai flashing into her grip.
The weapon was made out of obsidian steel, violet sheen under the weak light, silk-wrapped handle, rune-etched ring at the pommel pulsing faintly.
Thomas's eyes widened. It can't be...
"I promise," Vlad said gently, "I only want to help."
The girl hesitated at first, however, his warm smile seemed to reach her. Slowly, she lowered the weapon.
"High Heal." Vlad spoke softly.
Soft golden light enveloped her and she was resored to full health—cuts sealed, bruises faded, and her exhaustion eased. She exhaled shakily and sheathed the kunai.
"Thank you." she said sincerely.
"Don't mention it." Vlad responded.
"My name is Noctura."
Vlad nodded. "My name is Vlad. This is Seraphina and Thomas." he gestured to them respectively. "Can you tell us what happened here?"
"Alright, but not here." She glanced toward the shattered rooftops. "The scouts will return soon. Follow me. And hide that vehicle."
She moved—silent, but no longer limping. The group followed behind her, allowing her to guide them through the ruins.
So, this is what the aftermath of the conflict between humans and demons looks like? If all places were like this, wouldn't things be more entertaining that way?
The male silhouette drifted shoulder-to-shoulder with Noctura, unseen, and unnoticed, studying her with quiet curiosity as they slipped into the ruins.
I should make a world that's always like this, an apocalyptic one. I think I'll call it Apocalips, or something like that. That way, I see just how much entertaining it would be.
With a mere thought from the male silhouette, in a distant random galaxy, a new planet popped into existence, carrying with it the billions of lives that would never know the concept of peace.