Branches whipped past in a blur of green and shadow, the world reduced to motion and breath and urgency.
Zariel vaulted from tree to tree like a phantom, Reika held tightly under one arm, his free hand clutching the hilt of his silver-forged blade. Every leap carried them deeper into the forest's heart, away from Kaien's fading silhouette—and the storm behind them.
"You feel that heat building up in your chest?" Zariel asked, not glancing down.
Reika nodded, breathing hard. His hands had been tingling for minutes now—like a spark just waiting for dry wood. "Yeah... what is it?"
"Tetsuga Palms," Zariel said, voice low. "A demon's rite of passage. Most awaken it around a certain age—those of fire, water, air, or stone. Yours? Fire. And it's coming fast."
Reika blinked, his gaze falling to his palms—there it was, faint streaks of blue light trailing across his skin like cracks in porcelain. Warm. Alive. Breathing.
"What's... happening to me?"
Zariel didn't answer immediately.
Because he wasn't sure Reika wanted the truth.
But the air split behind them with a thunderclap. A sudden, brutal pressure crushed the atmosphere like a vice.
Something was coming.
Something fast.
And not Kaien.
Zariel's eyes snapped upward—too late.
A shape streaked from the sky like a javelin made of shadow.
Boom.
Zariel was ripped from his trajectory mid-leap, slammed downward in a spray of shattered bark and torn roots. He twisted his body midair, shielding Reika from the worst of the impact.
They hit the ground hard—rolling through dirt and moss.
When the dust settled, Reika groaned, pulling himself to his knees. Trees around them had splintered outward like someone dropped a bomb in the middle of the woods.
And at the center of that storm stood a man. Or what looked like one.
Pale skin. Black robes that shimmered like oil under moonlight. His eyes were bottomless voids, but his mouth curled into a very human smirk.
"You've run far enough."
Zariel stood, sword drawn, breathing hard. "Azoth."
The demon bowed mockingly. "Ah. So you have heard of me."
Reika watched, heart hammering. The air bent around this thing. Like the world itself knew something was wrong.
Azoth's presence hummed with layered power. Cold. Ancient. Intelligent.
Zariel lowered his stance. "Level Eight... this is above my pay grade."
Azoth sighed, brushing imaginary dust off his robe. "I came for the boy, but if you insist on playing the hero…"
He blurred forward.
Zariel met him mid-flash.
Steel clashed with steel—but not his own. Azoth wielded a copy of Zariel's sword.
Reika blinked.
"He mirrored it—what the hell?!"
Zariel's jaw clenched. "Mirror Walk."
Azoth's next strike came low, but Zariel flipped back just in time. A near miss—one touch would mean death. Azoth didn't even need to stab you. Just a graze. One brush of his skin.
Death Touch.
"You're quick," Azoth said, toying. "Most of your kind die screaming."
Zariel didn't answer. He ducked, spun, countered—a whirl of silver, his blade flashing like lightning.
He kept his distance. He had to. Only the sword could strike Azoth. Nothing else.
From the sidelines, Reika watched in frozen awe. Every slash from Zariel looked impossibly fast. Every dodge was inches from the grave.
But it wasn't enough.
Azoth was playing with him.
Reika trembled. His heart pounded like war drums. He looked down at his hands—shaking, glowing faintly blue.
Zariel's voice echoed in his head—
"Focus."
He fell to his knees, exhaling slow.
The world around him dulled.
The fight faded.
There was only breath.
And heat.
And fire.
He focused.
Spark.
A flicker ignited in his palm. Then another.
His eyes widened.
No... no, no, it's too much—
The fire surged, roaring up his arms like a tidal wave of molten light.
"ZARIEL!" he screamed.
Zariel looked back—and his eyes widened.
"Shit!"
He leapt straight upward—into the trees.
And the world exploded.
A tower of blue fire erupted from Reika's body, engulfing the clearing in divine inferno. The flames spiraled upward, ripping the sky open, vaporizing trees, melting earth. The fire wasn't just hot—it was alive.
It hunted.
Azoth turned his head, just in time to be consumed.
He stood in the heart of it, arms wide, a bemused grin on his melting face.
"Now this... is interesting."
His skin cracked.
His robes dissolved.
But the smile stayed.
"You're fun, kid," Azoth croaked as his body disintegrated. "Let's do this again..."
Then he vanished.
The flames died down moments later, smoldering leaves drifting like ash-snow.
Zariel dropped from the trees, landing hard, smoke rising from his cloak.
And in the center of the scorched earth, Reika knelt, eyes wide, breathing ragged. Blue fire still flickered around his arms.
"I... I couldn't stop it," he whispered.
Zariel stepped forward and knelt. "You don't need to stop it. You just need to learn to aim it."
Another rustle from the trees.
Kaien limped out, sword dragging, clothes torn, blood smeared across his jaw.
"Damn," he muttered, surveying the charred land. "I leave you two for five minutes…"
"We were hit by Azoth," Zariel said grimly.
Kaien froze.
Even Reika noticed the fear in his eyes.
"Azoth?" Kaien repeated. "That bastard's still alive?"
"Not for long," Zariel muttered, eyeing Reika.
The boy still stared at his hands—haunted, unsure, powerful.
Kaien stepped forward and grinned, despite the weight in the air.
"Well, kid… I don't know what the hell that was—but I liked it."
____
They stood before the wall.
Towering iron stretched toward the skies, a dark sheen rippling along its surface like it was alive, humming with ancient power. Reika could feel it in his bones—like something inside him didn't want to get any closer.
"Godforged metal," Kaien said, adjusting the straps on his cloak. "Forged in the blood of dead gods. It burns any demon that touches it. They can't get through... not unless they wear a human like a mask."
Reika's brows furrowed. "You mean they possess people?"
"Only level one demons can. Low-level parasites. They slip into the cracks, sneak through the wall. The metal senses demon essence—but not when it's buried inside a body."
Zariel was ahead, keeping watch. Kaien nodded for them to move, but Reika kept asking, curious—entranced.
"What about higher-level demons?"
Kaien smirked. "You really wanna know?"
"Lay it on me."
Kaien chuckled. "Alright then. Levels two to five? Just stronger brutes—nothing too smart, just harder to kill. Six and seven... their eyes give 'em away. Dead-blue stares. Jagged teeth, claws like daggers."
Reika swallowed. "And after that?"
Kaien's tone shifted. "Level eight through fourteen? They're the real monsters. Personalities. Powers. They think, plan... manipulate. Azoth was one of them."
Reika went quiet. He remembered that smirking face, the cruel humor, the power.
"And level fifteen?" Reika asked.
Zariel turned. "You don't want to meet one."
"They're legends," Kaien said, voice low. "Demons that once fought gods. If they ever rise again, even this wall won't save us."
Reika exhaled. The world was so much bigger—so much more terrifying than he'd ever known. And yet… it felt right. Like something was clicking into place.
"But..." he asked, "why now? Why are they only coming after me now? I lived seventeen years without a single demon even looking my way."
Zariel slowed. "Because the seal... was still holding."
Kaien finished the sentence. "And the fire that touched you broke it. Woke you up."
Reika's palms tingled.
His fire had been the key. And now, the hunt had begun.
___
The road leading to the wall was quiet now—eerily quiet.
Reika's eyes were still locked on the towering monolith ahead. The godforged metal shimmered in the dying light, black and silver streaks glowing faintly as if pulsing with the remnants of godblood itself.
Kaien broke the silence.
"As the seal broke... your emotions will start to manifest."
Reika turned to him, caught off guard. "My emotions?"
Kaien nodded, walking a little slower now. "That seal didn't just suppress your power. It buried you. The real you. All those years, people probably called you cold, didn't they?"
Reika's gaze dropped.
He remembered the whispers in the orphanage. The mocking smirks. The wary glances.
"That kid's got no soul."
"He doesn't cry, doesn't laugh—he's just... empty."
"They said I was heartless," Reika said quietly. "Said I didn't feel anything."
He looked at his hands again. They didn't tremble—but he felt something now. Deep in his chest. Heat. Rage. Sorrow.
"So the seal is unleashing my emotions too?"
Kaien gave a slow, serious nod. "Exactly."
The godforged gates creaked open before them as the guards inspected the area. One waved Zariel through with a nod of respect—clearly, they knew who he was.
As the trio stepped into the walled sanctuary of the inner country, the tension in the air seemed to shift. The scent of ash and blood faded, replaced by stone paths, torchlit walls, and scattered civilians unaware of what waited beyond the border.
They were safe. For now.
Zariel stretched his back and looked at Reika. "Your training starts tomorrow."
Reika blinked. "Training?"
"You've got power. Raw, wild, and reckless. If you don't learn control… next time, you'll burn more than demons."
Reika opened his mouth, but Kaien cut in, yawning loudly and tossing his arms behind his head.
"And your school life starts tomorrow too."
Zariel raised an eyebrow. "You're enrolling him?"
"Hell yeah," Kaien said, grinning. "He'll need to blend in. Keep him close to the other kids. Lay low. Get used to a normal rhythm."
"That's a risk," Zariel muttered. "What if someone finds out what he is?"
Kaien shrugged. "Won't happen. I promise."
Zariel narrowed his eyes, but Kaien just kept walking, hands behind his head like he hadn't a care in the world.
"You and your reckless plans," Zariel muttered.
"Says the guy who trained me by throwing me off a cliff."
"You landed, didn't you?"
"Yeah, on my face!"
The two bickered like tired brothers as they strolled through the cobbled streets. Lanterns flickered above them. Somewhere in the distance, laughter drifted from a tavern. It felt… peaceful.
But peace is always temporary.
Far above, atop the sloped roof of an abandoned watchtower, a figure watched them move below.
The wind tugged at her coat as she raised her hand, fingers weaving through the air like strings. A shimmering rune blinked into life—glowing faintly red.
"They just arrived," she whispered into the magic call. "May I proceed?"
A cold voice answered. Calm. Commanding. "Yes. Let him awaken."
She smirked.
And from the shadow, she stepped into the moonlight.
Vivian.