The very next day, Team Sana took on their first official contract: clearing out a monster nest in an abandoned underground railway beneath Sasoi.
The job started out almost too easy. They navigated the rusted tracks and collapsed tunnels until they reached the main chamber. Within minutes, the trio defeated the nest's boss, leaving the creature lifeless on the stone floor.
"That was simple," Tohi said, lowering his guard as they turned toward the exit.
But the shadows in the tunnel began to twist. The air suddenly grew heavy, freezing the breath in their lungs. From the darkness stepped a second, massive demon boss, its eyes burning with a cruel, ancient intelligence. It looked down at the dead monster.
"You guys... killed my sister," it growled.
Tohi's blood ran cold. It spoke.
Ruka reacted instantly. "Everyone, get out!" she yelled, pushing Tohi back. "A demon that can speak is a high-ranking lord! Run!"
"No way I'm leaving you!" Shizuka shouted. She clapped her hands together, a brilliant golden light erupting from her palms. "Magic: God Glow!" >
The warm light bathed Tohi and Ruka, surging extra magical energy into their muscles.
Ruka didn't hesitate. She stepped forward, her eyes glowing with raw half-demon fire.
"Domain Expansion: Dark of Moon."
The rusted railway vanished. In its place, a pitch-black void consumed the area, lit only by ten eerie, silver moons hanging in an endless sky. It was a technique only a half-demon could use—a pocket dimension ruled entirely by the user. Under the ten moons, Ruka's speed and strength were multiplied by ten, while the enemy's power was crushed to a fraction of its normal state.
Moving ten times faster than the eye could see, Ruka vanished into a blur, striking the demon boss with unbelievable, world-shattering force.
But the demon just stood there. It caught her glowing blade with one bare hand.
"You are not powerful enough," the demon sneered.
With a single flick of its wrist, the demon shattered the Domain. The ten moons cracked like glass, and the dark world broke apart, throwing them violently back into the rusted railway.
Shizuka was sent flying into the tunnel wall. Ruka collapsed to the ground, her body battered and covered in blood. The demon boss stepped over her, raising its massive claw to sever her head.
"NO!" Tohi screamed. He launched himself at the monster, swinging his blade with everything he had left.
The demon easily deflected the strike, swatting Tohi aside. It slowly walked over to where Tohi had fallen. "You look interesting," it laughed darkly. "Let's play with you."
The demon descended on him, pummeling Tohi brutally against the stone floor. As Tohi lay there, coughing up blood and watching Ruka bleeding out in the dirt, a deep, dark anger boiled in his chest.
This isn't the end, he thought, his vision going completely black. This is just the start of my revenge...
He closed his eyes, waiting for death.
But the final blow never came.
Silence.
When Tohi slowly opened his eyes again, he was blinking against the harsh, bright sunlight. He wasn't in the dark, suffocating railway anymore. He was outside, lying on the warm dirt near the tunnel's entrance.
He sat up, his head spinning. Was it all a bad dream? >
Then he looked to his side. Ruka and Shizuka were lying unconscious on the ground, their clothes torn and bodies still covered in the terrible injuries from the fight.
It was real. They were outside, but they were battered and broken.
Tohi stared at his own trembling hands, his heart racing wildly in his chest.