The Sun sets as night came to an end. Lionel Mordred stood outside Urue Everhour apartment in the lodge, knocking firmly on the door.
"It's already 8:30 a.m. Wake up, kiddo."
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Urue Everhour answered from inside.
Urue groaned as he rolled out of bed. …This sucks, i want to go back to sleep.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he took a bath wore a blue sweater and he hurried out.
Urue Everhour made his way to the Raiders Guild.
The rest of Dragon's Breath were already gathered in front of the guild board, where daily missions and dungeon requests were posted.
Several A-rank dungeons were listed.
After scanning the board, the group selected an A- rank dungeon.
Reinhard Mordred turned toward Urue Everhour.
"You don't have to worry. The surveillance team has already observed the monsters listed on the board. This A-rank dungeon contains wyverns."
"Wyverns?" Urue Everhour hesitated.
"They are creatures shape like a dragon but slim and can't breath fire, they can fly and spray acid," Reinhard continued calmly. "They're fast, but with agility like yours, you'll be fine."
Urue Everhour nodded. "Okay. Captain… I don't have any proper gear yet. Shouldn't we buy some while we're still in town? I still have nine hundred silver pieces from the last raid.
That should be enough to buy armor, right?"
Lionel waved his hand dismissively.
"Leywin, you don't have to worry about armor or weapons."
Lionel placed the teleportation scroll on the ground and turned to Cedric.
"Activate it."
Cedric stepped forward, clenching his fist as if preparing to strike.
Then he raised two fingers.
"Activate."
A burst of purple light erupted from the scroll, forming a massive circular portal wide enough for ten people to enter at the same time.
All members of Dragon's Breath entered the circular portal.
In the next moment they were no longer in Central Britannia, they were in a cave.
...
The air turned cold, the smell of blood and acid filled the air.
Wyvern corpses littered the dungeon floor.
Torn wings, Crushed skulls and Shattered scales.
What greeted them was far more terrifying than the wyverns they had expected.
Wyvern corpses littered the dungeon floor.
Torn wings. Crushed skulls. Shattered scales.
Cedric's expression darkened.
"What's your call, Captain?"
Cedric asked. "Should we leave and report this to the guild?"
Lionel's gaze swept over the carnage.
"No. We keep advancing."
Cedric clenched his fist. "Captain, please reconsider.
"Whatever killed these wyverns must be far stronger than what we imagine...how come there is only wyverns corpse in here...only a rank 4 Feral Soul Master could wipe out this many wyverns without suffering a single casualty."
Lionel shook his head. "They weren't killed by a monster."
The group froze.
"A raiders group reached this dungeon before us." Lionel continued."And they killed our prey. I think they want to sweep this dungeon and get all the spoils before us...if we move deeper, I believe we'll find the culprits."
Lionel raised his right hand, steel began forming out of thin air, armor materialized around each Dragon Breath member's body, perfectly fitted and reinforced.
Urue Everhour stared in awe.
Lionel turned to look at the group.
"Do you know why this squad is called Dragon's Breath?"
No one answered.
Urue Everhour swallowed.
"…I'd like to know. Please tell me."
Lionel turned to Reinhard.
"Show them."
Reinhard closed his eyes as he focused on his Spirit core which was filled with blue flames.
Spirit Core Friendly Combination Move.
Dragons Breath.
A steel sword covered in blue flames formed from thin air inside Lionel hand.
The group stood frozen.
Elaine eyes widened.
"We didn't know captain could create metal…"
She swallowed hard. "He even has a combination move with Reinhard…"
Margaret smiled faintly. "The captain really is something else."
Elaine exhaled slowly. "He's a living legend."
Urue Everhour smiled feeling safe.
The pressure from the mysterious person who killed the wyverns have lessened.
Lionel Mordred raised his hand.
"Cedric," he ordered, voice sharp and commanding.
"Seal the wall, I don't want a single one of them to get away... after we deal with them no one will dare to trouble our party anymore...Cedric i am entrusting this task to you."
Cedric nodded instantly and moved to obey.
...
Deep within the dungeon, something far more dangerous than wyverns awaited them.
From the shattered edge of the cave, a shadow stepped forward, walking calmly toward the light. The raiders tensed, weapons raised.
What emerged was not a monster or Feral Soul masters. It was a boy none other than Senryanku.
A demon with the appearance of a youth, he wore white clothes, his dark hair reaching his waist, calm eyes, and a smile far too gentle for some who just clear an entire dougen.
"It's nice to meet you," the demon said softly. "I'm Senryanku."
Cedric's breath caught.
"Be careful!" he shouted. "He's not human he's a demon!"
An overwhelming pressure crashed down on Cedric, his instincts screamed danger.
Senryanku sprinted and punched Cedric in the neck
Suddenly, memories surged through Cedric's mind.
...
Three years ago…
Cedric has not joined the Dragon's breath yet.
He was twelve years back then, starving in the cold alone.
A teenage boy with light yellowed hair, fair skin and pale blue eyes was passing by saw him and halt his movement, he stood before him his gaze fixed on Cedric.
"Hey, bastard," Lionel Mordred said in a displeased tone.
"You planning to starve to death? He tossed an apple to Cedric's hands.
"I'm recruiting orphans and homeless kids.
If you want to survive in this harsh world come with me."
That moment Cedric felt like the doors of heaven had opened.
A year later…
They met Elaine, it was love at first sight.
She wanted to join them, but the Lionel Modred refused.
Cedric had pleaded on her behalf, begged countless times unti Lionel couldn't help but give in.
From that day on, Cedric watched her back during every raid, saved her more times than he could count. Her words and her smiles set his heart racing.
Especially that one mission.
Elaine had collapsed. Cedric carried her from the battlefield that was filled with monsters.
When she woke, she smiled weakly and said,
"What would I do without you?" Those words stole his heart completely.
In the final second of Cedric life.
I love you, Elaine, Cedric thought. I always have.
But it looks like… I'm going to die without ever telling you.
In that instant
Senryaku have already beheaded Cedrick with his fist in a flash.
As soon Cedric head flew out from his body was the moment he started reliving the most important memories of his life.
The world froze.
Time seemed to have stopped.
Urue Everhour watched as Cedric relived his most cherished memories in the span of a heartbeat.
Only seven seconds had passed since Senryaku's daggers struck.
Urue Everhour stood like a spectator trapped inside a dream after seeing Senryanku most precious memories.
To everyone seven seconds has passed since Cedric died, but to Urue Everhour those seven seconds, it felt like months.
Elaine arrived too late.
"Cedric…?"
Her voice trembled as she ran to Cedric.
Cedric body lay motionless, eyes half-open.
"No… no, no this isn't funny," Elaine whispered, dropping to her knees beside him. "You have always protect me, things shouldn't end this way. You're supposed to scold me for rushing in… not be the first to die"
She shook him gently." Cedric please come back. Captain do something bring Cedric back to me."
Her hands began to tremble.
"Cedric," she said again, louder this time. "You promised you'd always watch my back."
Memories flooded her mind his quiet presence during raids, the way he always positioned himself between her and danger, the warmth of his smile when she praised him.
Her breath hitched.
She pressed her forehead to his chest.
The battlefield felt unbearably cold.
Behind her, Lionel Mordred clenched his fists so tightly that metal groaned around them.
Margaret and Malcolm lay not far away both struck down before they could react.
Senryanku flew to the place he killed Cedric.
Elaine felt it the wind.
She looked up.
The demon stood there calmly, fire covered his fist.
"I believe that in order for us to truly understand one another, we must first form a bond. We should begin by introducing ourselves. If we cannot even hold a conversation, how can we ever dream of coexisting with one another?"
"I am Senryanku," he said gently. "And you are…."
Elaine rose unsteadily, tears streaking her face.
"You killed them," she said, voice shaking but clear. "You killed Cedric."
"Yes."
You have slain my kind as well. Both sides have paid a heavy price. Let us consider this a stalemate."
Something inside Elaine snapped. Her spirit core opened but she never got the chance to use it.
Senryanku pounced Elaine forehead.
Lionel screamed her name. But it was already too late she was dead. Her body collapsed to the ground."
Lionel roared as metal erupted from the ground, forming blades in an instant. Lionel charged head-on.
Senryanku met him bare-handed and pounced his chest.
Lionel amor shattered and was sent flying.
Urue Everhour inject activated the rank 2 Feral Soul Almost There.
Urue speed increases as he sprint towards Senryanku. He struck at Senryanku but missed.
Urue Everhour retreated twelve steps backward in an instant, his feet barely touching the ground.
Sharp wind blew..
In the blink of an eye, Senryanku closed the distance.
Lionel charged like a berserker. Metal formed around his body, armor, and spikes manifesting with every step. Urue Everhour joined him, the two engaging Senryanku in close combat from opposite sides.
Senryanku caught Lionel's blade with his bare fist.
The impact sent shockwaves through the ground.
"Dragon's Breath!" Lionel roared.
In response, his metal sword ignited reinforced with Reinhard's internal flames.
Dragon's Breath was a linked combination technique. It allowed it's users to temporarily share and amplify each other essence sea and abilities.
Eternal flames slowly eating away at Senryanku's hand and causing damage. Seeing his body is not regenerating, Senryanku let go of Lionel blade.
Urue Everhour used that opportunity to stab Senryanku heart.
I won't let their deaths be meaningless i will avenge my teammate here and now. Urue Everhour thought.
Senryaku wanted to kill Leywin that insant but he felt Urue Everhour aura leaked out.
"…You are fascinating," Senryanku smiled.
Hellfire erupted in Senryanku body and he flew towards Lionel..
Lionel was sent flying and he was barely conscious.
Reinhard's internal flames gathered in his palms. But before he could release it, Senryanku teleport close to Reinhard and struck him sharply at the side of the neck. Reinhard's eyes widened for a brief moment before his body went limp, collapsing to the ground.
In the next second, Senryanku vanished and reappeared directly in front of Urue Everhour.
Urue Everhour froze. Fear gripped his heart, his breath turning shallow as his hands began to shake, trembling uncontrollably.
Urue Everhour strucked. His fist was caught. Senryanku grab him and press neck against a wall in the cave.
The battlefield fell silent.
Senryanku leaned close to Leywin's ear.
"We will meet again, Urue Everhour." Senryanku said calmly.
Then he vanished.
Urue Everhour slid to the ground. He was still lying on the ground when he saw two wyverns fleeing the dungeon.
I can't let them escape, he thought. If they get out, countless lives will be lost. I'm still a raider…
His breathing grew rapid and uneven, each breath heavier than the last. Darkness crept into his vision, why is eveywhere geting dark all of a sudden am i going to die and before he could move he lost consciousness, collapsing from sheer exhaustion.
...
In the ruined cave, Urue Everhour lay unconscious, every fiber of his body drenched in exhaustion. A faint, dark green light began to shimmer from within him, flickering like a dying ember. Slowly, almost of its own volition, the light drifted outward, reaching toward the corpses of the Dragons Breath members scattered across the floor.
The light touched each body, and in that instant, the Feral Souls inside thier spirit sea stirred. They were ten in total, restless yet obedient. One by one, they flowed into the slender stream of green radiance, moving like shadowed spirits carried by a river of light. They swept through the cave, merging into the luminous thread, and finally entered Urue Everhour's body, vanishing into him as if drawn by some irresistible force.
The cave fell silent, the faint dark green light slowly fading into nothingness.