I had been minding my own business that afternoon, flipping through an aged volume on spiritual spells. Even after mastering over fifty incantations, I knew there was still a mountain of knowledge left before I could even think about touching the Secret Arts. I'd promised myself to use every scrap of free time to sharpen my abilities—especially spells that enhanced the body. Freed had made it clear that if I wanted to overcome my physical frailty, these spells were essential. Alongside the theory, I'd started joining Roger and Shizu for morning exercises before school, hoping to build some real-world strength.
Lost in thought, I was jolted back to reality by Shizu's sudden appearance. She leaned in close, her golden hair with purple streaks falling into my line of sight.
"Hey, Deluke," she said with that teasing grin of hers.
I sighed, already bracing myself. "What now?"
She scuffed her shoe along the floor, her usual cocky energy tempered by an odd shyness. "I was just thinking… since it's only the two of us here, maybe you'd like to go on a quick mission with me?"
I shook my head immediately. "You know Freed's stance on that. Besides, you don't even have a mission lined up. Diana's right—you should behave for once."
Shizu's eyes sparkled with mischief as she brandished her phone. "Actually, I do have one. I saved the mission details I showed Freed before he left. See?"
My eyes narrowed. "Wait… you what?"
She folded her arms, smirking triumphantly. "Did you really think I'd let Freed have the final say? No way. I'm handling this myself, and you, dear teammate, are coming with me."
I scoffed, waving her off. "Good for you. Safe travels."
Her playful tone sharpened. "What do you mean, safe travels? Didn't you hear me? We're doing this."
"Yeah, I heard you. And I'm telling you—it's none of my business. Good luck with whatever trouble you're planning to get into." I turned back to my book, but my patience was already thinning. Ever since my accident, I'd considered myself a quiet type, but Shizu had a way of dragging me out of my shell—and not always in a good way. I muttered under my breath, "Even May wasn't this much of a headache."
Shizu wasn't done. "You can't just back out! We're teammates. We need to grow together."
I glanced at her over my shoulder. "Funny, I seem to remember you didn't even want me in this company in the first place."
She huffed, undeterred. "Well, I've acknowledged you now. So, let's go!" She clapped her hands, striking a dramatic pose.
"Yeah, no," I replied flatly, turning my full attention back to my reading.
She started walking toward the door, then paused dramatically. "Wow. I didn't know you were such a coward, Deluke."
That stung. My gaze snapped to hers, eyes narrowing. "Coward? Really? What's with this childish nonsense?"
She folded her arms, her smirk widening. "Say, whatever you want. But you're running away from an easy mission because you're scared. All that cold, mysterious attitude of yours is just a cover. Deep down, you're just a little scaredy-cat. Maybe I should start calling you Little Deluke."
"Easy?" I repeated, gritting my teeth. "Freed told us not to underestimate any mission. Even the Union Link constantly warns about that."
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "All I see is a coward," she sang, drawing out the word. "And honestly, if it were that dangerous, do you think Freed would've left the mission file so easy to find?"
I groaned, shutting my book with a snap. "Fine. Let's go."
Shizu's eyes lit up with victory. "Now we're talking. Let's grab what we need."
We headed to the storage room and grabbed the only spiritual weapons available—two swords infused with protective charms. Securing the café behind us, we darted across rooftops like silent shadows, heading toward the mission site.
It took us an hour and a half to arrive. Shizu checked her phone, opening the mission screenshot. "We're here."
I scanned the scene below. The place was cordoned off with police tape, investigators milling around. "Not exactly far," I muttered, eyeing the commotion. It was routine: whenever a supernatural event bled into the physical world, the police showed up first. But this was spiritual business.
Shizu crossed her arms, frowning down at the chaos. "I've always wondered how the Order works with the police."
"It's the Black Men," I reminded her. "They're government-backed, remember?"
She swatted at me, annoyed. "I know that, idiot. We wait until nightfall to start investigating."
"Yes, ma'am," I teased, grinning as she shot me a glare.
Evening fell quickly, and we slipped into the sealed area undetected. Shizu paced, her senses alert. "I don't feel anything unusual," she said, approaching the spot where the victim's body had been found.
The crime scene was wedged between two towering buildings, forming a narrow, shadowy alley. "Places like this are magnets for crime," I muttered, eyes scanning every corner.
"The body's been removed, so how are we supposed to trace the culprit?" I asked, glancing at Shizu as she tapped away on her phone.
She didn't look up. "The victim's photo is here."
I stepped closer. "So, what are we dealing with?"
"Victim's a young woman," Shizu reported, grim. "Looks like she was… raped. Limbs torn off. Part of her body eaten."
I swallowed hard. "So, we're hunting a Hell-Born?"
"Exactly. Now, use your brain—what kind of Hell-Born targets women like this?" She held out her phone, the victim's image stark on the screen.
I considered. "Not all Hell-Borns are active at night. But this one seems to have a pattern." I pulled up the mission details. "Loves young women. That narrows it down to a Koenbo or a Kappa—but a Kappa sticks to water."
"Right, so we're probably dealing with a Koenbo." Shizu's fingers flew across her phone as she looked up its traits. "Told you this would be easy."
"But Shizu," I began cautiously, scanning the dim alley once more, my instincts prickling with unease, "for a known Hell-Born, shouldn't there be some trace of Hell-gas around here?"
The words had barely left my mouth when the air itself seemed to snap. A deep, unnatural shudder rippled through the space around us—subtle at first, like a breath being drawn in, then crushingly violent. The buildings on either side of us blurred and twisted, their solid forms bending as though caught in some nightmarish whirlpool. The asphalt beneath our feet cracked and splintered, the sharp smell of burning ozone filling the air.
A low, guttural groan echoed all around—a sound not of this world, rising from some unseen chasm. Darkness thickened like tar, swallowing the weak evening light until everything was drenched in an oppressive blackness. It wasn't just nightfall—it was as if the very essence of the place had been hollowed out, replaced with something malevolent and suffocating.
My breath hitched as we were yanked—no, dragged—through space itself. It felt like falling sideways and backward all at once, weightless yet crushed under an invisible force. My stomach lurched, my vision tearing apart in streaks of unnatural color before slamming into pitch-black nothingness.
And then we landed.
The alley was gone. We now stood in a warped, desolate landscape that defied logic. The ground beneath us was slick and pulsating, as though it were alive, a grotesque parody of flesh stretched tight over bone. Distant, disjointed whispers curled through the darkness, brushing against my ears like icy fingers. High above, where a sky should have been, hung a swirling void, smeared with veins of crimson and sickly green, pulsing like a monstrous heart.
I fought to steady my breathing, but the air was thick, each inhale tasting like decay and ash. My hand instinctively gripped the hilt of my sword, knuckles white.
Beside me, Shizu's eyes were wide, her usual bravado completely stripped away. She took a shaky step closer, her voice no more than a hoarse whisper as she stared at the distorted horizon.
"Space... isolation," she muttered, her tone tinged with raw fear.