Draven returned his focus to the blood spheres.
His mana spread through them.
The spheres began moving.
They stretched.
Compressed.
Then—
They transformed into different shapes.
Blades.
Spears.
Needles.
Chains.
Each construct moved exactly as Draven willed it to.
He shifted his fingers slightly.
The blood followed.
He raised his hand.
The constructs rose.
He lowered it.
They descended.
Draven's eyes remained fixed on them.
His control over the blood was becoming more precise with every movement.
Then—
The blood constructs suddenly lost their shapes.
**SPLASH.**
They turned back into liquid.
The crimson blood flowed together.
Gathering.
Condensing.
Until—
It formed a single sphere above Draven's raised arm.
Draven stared at it.
The sphere floated silently in front of him.
His mind returned to Aldric's explanation.
*A blood tool.*
*A weapon created to suit its master.*
He remembered the first time he had created one.
The feeling of holding it.
The strange familiarity.
The way it had felt almost natural in his hands.
He hadn't understood it at the time.
He had simply assumed it was because he was using a weapon he had somehow become accustomed to.
But now—
He understood.
*So...*
*A weapon created to suit me.*
Draven's eyes narrowed.
*What would it be?*
The blood sphere began to move.
It slowly stretched outward.
Then it lengthened.
The liquid twisted around itself, forming the outline of something large.
Draven watched closely.
Then—
**WHOOSH!**
A massive weapon suddenly took shape.
Draven's eyes widened slightly.
A long crimson scythe formed in his hand.
The blade curved sharply at the end.
Its crimson surface gleamed beneath the light.
The weapon was enormous.
Its shaft extended far above Draven's head.
For a moment, Draven simply stared at it.
Then—
He slowly looked up.
"...A weapon suited for me?"
He tilted his head.
"Isn't this a little too big?"
Aldric stared at the scythe.
His eyes moved from the massive blade—
To Draven.
Then back to the blade.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then—
He burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
"Too big?"
He pointed toward the weapon.
"That thing is taller than you!"
Aldric rubbed his chin as though seriously considering the matter.
"Maybe your blood tool should've been something more suited to your size."
He grinned.
"Like a dagger."
He paused.
"Or..."
He looked at Draven.
"A butter knife."
Draven's eyes twitched.
"Dumbass."
Aldric laughed harder.
But Draven's attention had already returned to the scythe.
He tightened his grip.
The crimson weapon responded immediately.
There was a strange sensation running through his hand.
The weapon felt strange.
And yet—
Not unfamiliar.
There was something about it.
The weight.
The balance.
The way it responded to his movements.
Even though it was enormous, it didn't feel difficult to hold.
It didn't feel awkward.
It didn't feel like he was forcing himself to use it.
Instead—
It felt almost natural.
*This feeling...*
Draven's fingers tightened around the shaft.
*It's the same as before.*
He remembered the first time he had held the weapon.
The strange familiarity.
The feeling that the weapon already belonged in his hands.
*Comfortable.*
Draven looked at the scythe.
"So this really is suited for me."
Aldric shrugged.
"Apparently."
Draven glanced at him.
Then—
He looked down from the vehicle.
The distance between him and the ground wasn't particularly high.
Without saying anything—
He leapt.
**THUD!**
His feet landed on the ground.
Dust shifted beneath him.
The scythe remained firmly in his hand.
Draven stared at it for a moment.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Let's see how suited this really is for me."
He shifted his grip.
Then swung.
**WHOOSH!**
The massive blade cut through the air.
Draven immediately followed with another movement.
He twisted the shaft.
Rotated it around his wrist.
Then—
He released it.
The scythe spun through the air.
Draven watched its movement for only a fraction of a second.
Then—
His hand moved.
He caught the shaft effortlessly.
**SWISH!**
The weapon continued moving.
Draven rotated it around his fingers.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
His movements became faster.
The scythe flowed around his body as though it had always belonged in his hands.
He shifted his stance.
The blade swept past his side.
He swung it behind him.
Twisted his wrist.
Caught the shaft.
Then spun it around his arm before bringing it back into a ready position.
The movement was smooth.
There was almost no hesitation.
Draven stared at the scythe.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
*Yeah.*
*This definitely feels comfortable.*
He shifted his grip again.
The weapon immediately responded.
Draven could feel exactly where the blade was without even looking at it.
He could sense its weight.
Its balance.
Its momentum.
It was almost as if his body already understood how to use it.
Aldric watched silently.
His eyes followed every movement.
For once—
He didn't make a joke.
He simply stood there and watched.
---
### One Week Earlier
In the kingdom of Nordhavn—
Word had begun to spread.
A strange rumor had reached the kingdom from the southern kingdoms.
The son of the Demon King had crossed from Kharvos into Eirundor.
At first, it was nothing more than a rumor.
Something a traveler had heard.
Something a merchant had mentioned.
Something that might have been true—
Or might have been nothing more than a story.
Then another traveler spoke of it.
Then another merchant.
Then someone claimed they had heard the information from an official source.
Soon, the news spread through broadcasts.
With that—
The story spread even further.
"The Demon King's son crossed the border?"
"Apparently."
"From Kharvos?"
"Yeah. He was seen entering the kingdom of Eirundor."
"The Demon King's son?"
"That's what they're saying."
"Why would the Demon King's son go that far doesn't he know he's being hunted or he just doesn't give a damn?"
No one seemed to have an answer.
But that didn't stop people from talking.
Some simply wanted to know where the son of the Demon King was and nothing more.
The rumor continued spreading from person to person.
By the end of the day, the news had already reached several parts of Nordhavn.
And—
In one of those places...
---
### Craghold Town
In Craghold, inside a guide building, people went about their business as usual.
The building remained busy despite the late hour.
Adventurers came and went.
Some collected their payments.
Others accepted new assignments.
At the counter, a cloaked figure stood before the receptionist.
The receptionist looked down at the completed request.
After checking it one final time, he slid a plate across the counter.
On it were several gold and silver coins.
"Here's your payment."
The cloaked figure looked down at the coins.
Picked them up and slipped them into the cloak.
"Thank you."
Turning around.
Then—
Walked out of the building.
The moment she stepped outside, the atmosphere changed.
Night had already fallen over Craghold.
The streets were darker now.
Lanterns illuminated sections of the road, while the spaces between them remained covered in shadows.
The cloaked figure walked through the streets without slowing down.
Passing several people along the way.
But wasn't alone.
A few people were following.
They kept their distance, careful not to get too close.
One of them narrowed his eyes.
"He's going that way."
The others nodded.
They continued following.
Their footsteps remained quiet as they moved through the streets.
Then—
The cloaked figure suddenly disappeared.
"Huh?"
The men stopped.
One of them looked around.
"Where did he—?"
"Where did he suddenly disappear to?"
"I was watching the whole time."
"He couldn't have just vanished."
They quickly searched the surrounding area.
They looked down the street.
Then behind them.
Then toward the nearby buildings.
Nothing.
There was no sign of her.
One of the men frowned.
"Did we lose him?"
Another shook his head.
"Impossible."
"I was watching him the entire time."
They looked around the street again.
But there was no sign of the cloaked figure.
Meanwhile—
On the roof of a nearby building, the cloaked figure stood silently.
And had been there the entire time.
The wind blew across the rooftop, causing her cloak to flutter behind her.
For several seconds, remained completely still.
Then—
The hood slowly lifted.
Revealing ebony skin.
Black hair.
Silver eyes.
And pointed ears.
It was Alex.
She looked toward the distant horizon.
Her expression was calm.
But there was a hint of urgency in her eyes.
"So... he's in Eirundor now, huh?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
The news had finally reached her.
And if the rumors were true—
She couldn't afford to waste time.
"Can't waste any time."
The wind blew past her again.
Her cloak fluttered violently behind her.
Alex turned toward the horizon.
Then—
Her body disappeared from the rooftop.
There was no sound.
No warning.
One moment she was standing there.
The next—
She was gone.