.I handed the Obsidian List to the Minister. His hands were steady, but the weight of the coming bloodbath reflected in his hollow eyes. No words passed. I didn't linger for formalities. I needed air. Perspective. The kind only found atop a spire, where kingdoms look like toy cities, and people scuttle like ants unaware of the storm coming for them.
I raised my voice mentally, calling Night. "Take me up there. I need to think."
A dark, playful growl rolled inside my skull. "Fine. But brace yourself, brat. Strain is all yours."
Before I could blink, the world blurred. Night surged through my veins like liquid lightning. One second I was on the cobblestones, the next—a streak of blue-white energy tearing vertically. First spire… second spire… by the third, we reached the apex.
"Dammit! A little warning next time?" I wheezed, gripping the cold stone. "You enjoy giving me whiplash, don't you?"
Night chuckled, dark and guttural. "You asked for height, brat. Speed is my nature. Don't blame the wind for blowing."
"Whatever. Just shut up and let me think," I muttered, gaze sweeping the kingdom below—a tapestry of flickering lanterns, ancient stone… beautiful, yes, but a corpse draped in silk.
"The Minister… he's the only one with the stomach for this kingdom's surgery," I said softly. "The Princess? Living in a fairy tale, blind to daggers hidden behind smiles. I need facts, not illusions."
Cold wind stung my throat as I exhaled. "The people here… they find joy in sorrow. Pain runs through every foundation. And now… I have to meet the one who sent the invitation."
Night stiffened. "Invite? What are you talking about?"
"Rank 4, Night. She didn't just send monsters. This desert… it isn't a place. It's a summoning. And I intend to uncover every secret you've been hoarding—even the ones you don't know yourself."
A rare unease crept into his voice. "This is madness. Rank 4 is a void you cannot fill."
"Maybe. But I've got bigger problems. If I don't die in the desert, Yumi and Hina will throttle me first. Then there's the Valkyrie squad…"
I ran through their profiles mentally:
Lyra (Leader): Blade-wielding nightmare. One wrong move = death.
Maria: Healer, barrier specialist. Squad survives because of her.
Jara: Magical cheat code. Doubles objects, doubles power. Don't blink.
Sariya: Archer. Silent. Lethal. Ghostlike.
"They're perfect machines, Night. And the carriage ride? Hell. Hina and Yumi clinging like glue, four Valkyries staring me down? I've survived Demon Generals, but this… this is psychological warfare."
The Shadow of the Demon Lord
My mind drifted to the thing everyone called the Demon Lord. "Night… tell me the truth. That thing—it didn't just resist magic. It didn't acknowledge its existence. Reality bent around it. Your sword barely scratched it."
Night's silence stretched like a blade across my thoughts. Finally, he muttered, "There are things in this world that do not belong to the laws of Mana, brat. That creature… it was a violation. To defeat it, you must become something else entirely. That is why we go to the sands."
I clenched my fists. "Fine. I'm done being the punching bag. Next time, I swing first."
The Departure
Hours later, the Minister arrived with my gear. Not just armor—it came embedded with crude tracking tech.
"Look at this, Night. Tracker recognizes my Mana. If danger is near, it turns black. If human… or odd, the color shifts. Low-budget GPS, functional enough."
"You and your strange words," Night huffed. "I understand none of your GPS or scripts, but I understand weapons. I will be your blade, brat."
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't get us killed."
Princess Sarafina stood by the carriage, eyes sharp, a mix of hope and sorrow. I offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Lady Knight. You are the shield of this kingdom. Keep it safe until I return."
She nodded, resolve hardening. "May the Goddess watch over you. I will hold the line."
Inside the carriage, tension was thick. Hina and Yumi practically fused to my arms. Their eyes darted toward the Valkyrie squad—silent, cold, predator-like.
I'm surrounded by women who either want to protect me, kill for me, or study me like lab rats, I thought, sweat breaking across my neck. This is a terrible joke.
The wheels turned. Hooves clopped on cobblestones. We weren't heading to a desert. We were heading toward the unraveling of a world.
Mastermind Mode Activated
I leaned back, letting my mind calculate, predict, anticipate. Night murmured darkly, amused. "You really enjoy making lists, brat."
"Not lists. Strategy. If I survive this, it'll be because I anticipated everything," I replied, tracing Valkyrie movements, attack patterns, escape routes, contingencies, even psychological warfare.
Every second mattered. One misstep, and the combined might of Rank 4 and the Valkyrie squad would shred me. Yet, despite the tension, a small smile crept onto my face. I'm not powerless. Not yet.
Above the desert horizon, the wind carried whispers of long-buried secrets. Every gust seemed to beckon me, daring me to uncover truths no living soul should touch.
I exhaled, letting the cold night wash over me. "Night… let's see whose story this truly is."