High mountains blanketed in snow stretched in every direction, and a chilling wind swept through the desolate landscape. In the distance, nothing was visible except for a small, snow-covered cave. Though it appeared modest from the outside, the cave was surprisingly vast within. Its entrance was shut tight, but inside, bonfires flickered across the walls, casting dancing shadows. The glow reflected off countless shimmering stones embedded in the cave. Upon those stones stood five men, each cloaked entirely in black. The only visible part of their bodies was the crystals embedded in their foreheads, each one glowing with a distinct color—green, blue, black, orange, and purple. They stood silently for a moment before beginning to speak among themselves.
The one with the orange crystal asked, "Where is Grey? He's always late—calls us and then shows up after everyone else."
Black added, "And he never tells us where he goes or what he's doing."
Just then, the heavy cave door creaked open, and a rush of icy wind swept inside, extinguishing a few bonfires. A man entered, his voice sharp as a blade. "I'm here."
Purple sighed. "I figured. Now close the door."
The door shut with a low rumble, and Grey stepped forward to join the others.
Purple narrowed his eyes. "Whose body are you using this time?"
Grey replied coolly, "I don't know. I found this one on the way and slipped inside."
Black snapped, "Forget that—go to the point, Grey. Tell us why you called us all here."
Grey's tone turned serious. "It's been over 1,200 years. We've crushed countless clans, fought two great human-demon wars… yet we've still found no way to release Lord Tirth from the sealed realm."
Purple scoffed, "You summoned us for that?"
Grey shook his head. "No. I've called you because the gate to the cave where Lord Tirth was sealed—it's about to open again. This time, we might find a clue on how to break the seal."
Purple folded his arms. "That gate opens every hundred years, but demons can't enter it. So what's the point?"
Grey smirked. "That's true. But a hybrid—someone born as both human and demon—can enter it."
The others went silent.
Grey continued, "Ten years ago, I possessed a pregnant woman. I killed her, but even in death, she gave birth to a child. I was going to kill him too, but you all summoned me. That child survived. He carries the power of both demons and humans. His name is Tenjaki, and he's still living in the Land of Wisdom."
Green raised an eyebrow. "So, technically... you're his father?"
Grey shrugged. "That's irrelevant."
Orange asked, "What do you want us to do?"
Grey replied, "I want three of you to go to the Land of Wisdom and bring Tenjaki here—but remember, he must not be killed."
He then turned to the others. "The remaining two—your task is to find Haruki and Yuki. They must be eliminated."
Purple raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly are you going?"
Grey smirked faintly. "I have another task… something far more important than this."
In the land of wisdom
Every path was lined with tall trees. Sunlight filtered gently through the leaves, casting scattered rays onto the soft earth below. Birds chirped quietly from the branches above. Haruki and Eran stood silently at the southern border when Yakushi approached them.
"I've come to know that thirteen children have gone missing so far," Yakushi said gravely. "And the parents of two of them have also died. But the real story begins when a boy named Tenjaki arrived in our village a few months ago. At first, everything was normal… but soon, people began calling him a demon. They beat him and eventually forced him out of the village. After that, no one ever saw him again. He was the first child to go missing."
Haruki said, "Do you know why everyone called that boy a demon?"
Yakushi replied, "I don't. The villagers heard it from certain people… but those very people were the ones who died last night."
Meanwhile, Eran was lost in thought. Haruki doesn't want me to grow stronger than him. That's why he keeps dragging me into these pointless investigations. Should I just leave them and run away?
"Don't even think about it," Haruki said suddenly.
Eran jolted. "Huh? Wh-what happened?"
Haruki stepped back, his eyes fixed on a tree nearby. "That you'd escape from me," he added, but his focus wasn't on Eran anymore.
Eran turned, confused. Was he really reading my mind? But then he realized Haruki wasn't talking to him at all.
Haruki had spotted someone—someone eavesdropping from behind the trees and now trying to flee.
Yakushi squinted. "Who was that? I didn't see anyone."
Haruki replied, "We'll only find out once we catch them."
Haruki unsheathed his sword in a flash and dashed toward the tree. But just then, a chilling voice echoed through the air—
"Obsidian Rise."
Without warning, black pillars erupted from the ground, forming a wall between Haruki and the tree. The pillars didn't stop there—more shot up like spears, sharp and deadly, lunging toward Haruki, Yakushi, and Eran.
"Jump!" Haruki shouted.
The three leapt onto the nearby trees, but the obsidian pillars tore through the earth and stabbed upward, ripping apart branches and trunks. One of the pillars grazed Yakushi's leg.
"Agh—!" he cried out as his leg instantly went numb.
"Yakushi!" Eran called out, eyes wide.
Another pillar burst from the ground, heading straight for Yakushi—he couldn't move. His body was paralyzed, stuck on the branch.