The streets of the city of Lavender were quiet at this time of day. The sun began to set, casting long shadows that gently draped over the narrow alleys. A light evening breeze carried with it the scent of fresh bread from a nearby shop and the fragrance of flowers growing on the sides of the roads. Hikari and Mirai walked side by side toward the guild, their steps light, their gazes fixed ahead, not exchanging much conversation. The atmosphere was calm, but something heavy in the air weighed on Mirai's thoughts.

  As they entered the guild, the atmosphere shifted from quiet to a familiar bustle; the noise of adventurers' laughter, the clatter of wooden mugs on tables, and their chatter about previous quests. The mood was a sharp contrast to the peaceful streets. Hikari cast a fleeting glance at the crowd, then gently pulled Mirai towards the reception desk. The receptionist looked up as they approached, her expression a mix of surprise and interest.

  Hikari smiled and said to her, "We completed the quest."

  The receptionist's eyes widened as she looked at Hikari and Mirai. "You came back so quickly for such a difficult quest... I didn't expect you to finish it this fast." She noticed how Mirai's expression seemed unfocused, as if she were in another world, while Hikari maintained his smile.

  The receptionist said, "Could you present the sealed document from Mr. Gerald?"

  Hikari was confused and said, "What document? Where do we get it?"

  The receptionist looked at them with a long, more serious gaze. "The quest required cooperation with Mr. Gerald, who is supposed to issue the final certification that the Wyverns have been eliminated. Without the document, we cannot grant you the reward."

  Hikari said, "Wait a minute... are you saying we weren't supposed to complete this quest on our own?"

  The receptionist furrowed her brow and nodded. "Exactly. This wasn't just a normal quest. There was a prior arrangement for Gerald to lead a military squad to protect his area while you dealt with the threat. He was supposed to coordinate with the adventurers... But, if you're saying you completed the quest alone..." She paused, then looked at them more intently, as if doubting the truth of their claim. "I'm sorry, but that's unbelievable. The number of Wyverns was far more than anyone could handle."

  Hikari said, "Well, you can verify that we eliminated the Wyverns."

  The receptionist nodded, saying, "I'll send someone to Commander Gerald to confirm this. I hope you'll wait until then."

  Hikari nodded. "That's fine. We'll wait." He then turned to Mirai with a positive attitude, saying with a smile, "It's time for some rest."

  Mirai nodded without a word, as if something was weighing on her deeply. Her eyes looked as if she were following something invisible.

  When they left the guild and headed back to the inn, darkness had begun to cover the sky, and the smells of dinner spread from the small restaurants along the street.

  That night, Mirai sat on her bed in the room they had rented. She closed her eyes for a moment, but Aurelia's words echoed in her mind like a painful, unceasing sound.

  "In every path you've continued together... it ends with you, Mirai... killing Hikari."

  She opened her eyes, breathing slowly. She knew Aurelia wasn't joking, but could she prevent this fate?

  **

  The sun began to rise, and the air was slightly cool. Hikari and Mirai left the inn, heading to the guild as usual after a quiet night. Their steps were slow, wrapped in the cold morning breeze. Silence fell between them. Mirai was thinking, and Hikari didn't want to disturb her.

  Mirai responded with a simple smile, a mix of being lost in thought and anxiety. She knew she needed to be present, but she felt that every step brought her closer to a destiny she couldn't escape.

  The two arrived at the guild. They stood in front of the quest board, carefully examining the various offers. The chatter and noise of the place harmonized with the heavy footsteps of adventurers coming and going. But Mirai felt a different, uncomfortable sensation growing inside her. She turned slightly and looked out of the corner of her eye towards a corner, where two men and a young man sat, talking in low voices.

  Mirai looked back at the board, pretending she hadn't noticed anything, but her chest tightened slightly. Something was unnatural.

  "What do you think of this quest?" Hikari asked, pointing to a new one. "There's a monster that attacked a nearby village."

  Mirai nodded slowly. "Okay."

  Hikari felt a slight hesitation in her voice, but he decided not to pressure her.

  A little later, they had finished their preparations and left the guild. With every step that took them away from the city, Mirai tried to stay alert. Her feeling that they were being watched grew, as if invisible eyes were following them from afar.

  **One day earlier**

  In a spacious, dimly lit underground room, a man was swinging his sword, and another man was cleaning a tool in his hands. In this moment of silence, suddenly, a young man appeared before them out of nowhere.

  "I found something amazing!"

  The two men turned to the young man who had entered, and he asked excitedly, "Yuta, Itsuki, where's Boss Shin?"

  Yuta replied, "He left a while ago."

  Itsuki asked him, "What's wrong, Takumi?"

  Takumi replied with great enthusiasm, "You won't believe what I saw! I went to Gerald's area. I heard there was an army of Wyverns, and I went there to tame them all. But they were eliminated by a single girl in a matter of minutes."

  The expressions on Itsuki and Yuta's faces changed. Yuta asked him, "Okay? We've seen many powerful people already. Did she use a specific powerful spell?"

  Takumi replied, "No, the girl didn't use a spell."

  Then he paused for a moment and took a breath before continuing: "The girl used the Sword of the Weapon Master."

  Yuta and Itsuki were shocked by this. Itsuki said, "Wait, wait, the Sword of the Weapon Master is owned by the swordsman Seijiro. And no one knows where he lives, anyway. Are you sure about what you saw?"

  "Yes. But there's something else..." Takumi continued. "The girl wasn't human. She was a demon. She grew wings and flew to eliminate all the Wyverns easily. The moment the girl eliminated the Wyverns, I came here."

  The shock was clear on Yuta and Itsuki's faces. Itsuki turned to Yuta and said, "Should we wait for the Boss?"

  Yuta sighed and took a moment to think before replying, "Shin won't be back soon; it will take days. We can handle this ourselves. Let's go to her location now."

  The three stood side by side, and Takumi used a small tool in his hands to transport them to Gerald's area. The smell of blood filled the place, and mutilated monsters littered the ground.

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  "Unbelievable... a demon was able to use the Sword of the Weapon Master," Itsuki said in astonishment, trying to comprehend the scene before him.

  Yuta looked at Takumi and said, "Where is the girl now?"

  Takumi replied, looking around, "She must still be around. She was here just a moment ago."

  Itsuki said, "Let's split up and search for her."

  But after an extensive search, they found nothing. Yuta said, "It seems she returned to the city."

  Takumi shook his head, wondering, "How did she disappear so fast? I came to you as soon as she finished off the Wyverns."

  Itsuki said, "Don't worry. If she's an adventurer, she must have returned to the guild. We'll watch there."

  The three stood side by side and teleported using their special tool.

  **Present time, inside the forest**

  The ground was soaked with the blood of the monster that had just been eliminated by Mirai. She transformed her sword into a dagger with a fluid motion, then said to Hikari, "The quest was easier than expected."

  Hikari said with a slight smile, "It's not like you were fighting a super monster. Your combat level is terrifying."

  He added jokingly, "Maybe you would enjoy it if you entered a war between kingdoms."

  Mirai began to think seriously and said, "If I did that, I would face thousands of enemies at once. Maybe I would find a strong opponent."

  Hikari laughed softly, saying, "Hey, please don't take my words seriously."

  Mirai looked at him and said with a slight smile, "I was just joking. Come on, let's go back now."

  Before they could move, footsteps were heard coming from between the trees. Hikari and Mirai turned quickly to find three people standing before them - Yuta, Itsuki, and Takumi.

  Mirai and Hikari stood facing the three strangers who had emerged from the trees. The air was thick with tension, but Mirai's expression remained cold and calm as she held her sword steadily. Yuta was the first to speak, in a calm tone that carried a clear threat:

  "I want the sword in your hand, girl."

  Mirai's expression didn't change; her gaze remained fixed without blinking. A brief silence fell before Itsuki stepped forward slightly and asked in a curious and suspicious tone, "Where did you get this sword? Even though you're a demon, you were able to use it."

  Mirai gave a cold smile, almost a silent sneer, then said in a calm tone that showed her indifference, "I don't know what you're talking about, me being a demon."

  Yuta smiled as he took a step forward and said, "No need to hide it. Our friend here, Takumi, saw you fighting the Wyverns yourself. It's obvious."

  Mirai stared at Yuta steadily, without showing any sign of concern or confusion, and replied in a dry tone, "So, that's all you have?"

  Yuta smiled with clear defiance and said sharply, "You have two choices now. Either you give us the sword, or you and your friend die here."

  Mirai sighed theatrically and said in a cold voice brimming with boredom, "Oh my, why do fools always chase me? First my spiritual sword, and now my new one."

  Then she advanced towards them slowly, her eyes fixed and full of confidence, and added, "Okay, I'll cut your suffering short... I'll end this here."

  She turned slightly to Hikari and said, "Be careful."

  Hikari smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't be a hindrance again. And I'll support you to distract them."

  Before the fight could begin, Itsuki suddenly moved and took out a small to medium-sized drum from his bag. Mirai's expression remained unchanged, while she noticed Hikari's surprised and astonished gaze. Itsuki hit the drum hard.

  For a moment, Mirai stopped moving and looked at the drum with curiosity. Hikari shouted a warning, "Be careful! That tool he's using is a relic called the Summoning Drum. It can summon dozens of dangerous monsters here!"

  Mirai raised her eyebrow slightly, then smiled with clear excitement and said, "Well, it seems things are going to get more fun than I expected."

  At that moment, Yuta began to move, pulling out his strange-looking sword with colors; a red part that glowed like flame, and a blue part that was cold as ice, as if it held conflicting powers. He advanced towards Mirai with steady steps, his eyes full of determination. And Takumi, who had taken out an oversized golden bow with strange symbols on it.

  Hikari was stunned by this and said to himself, "The Burning-Ice Blade and the Wind Bow. If they want the sword, could it be that they..."

  At this moment, Mirai looked at Yuta with a look not without challenge, her expression cold, but her eyes gleaming with the clear excitement of battle.

  Yuta began his attack, his multi-colored sword launching quickly, carrying the energy of fire and ice at the same time, while Mirai parried with skill and calmness. She dealt with every strike with stability and coolness, as if this fight were just a normal training session for her.

  At that moment, a large group of monsters arrived and rushed towards Mirai. Yuta moved back to give the monsters a chance to attack, but Mirai transformed her sword into a greatsword and put a large amount of spiritual energy into her attack. With a single swing, she eliminated many of them. In a swift moment, Takumi shot an arrow towards Mirai. The arrow's speed was incredibly phenomenal, and Mirai barely managed to dodge the attack, as the arrow flew and destroyed all the trees in its path without stopping. Mirai was surprised by the speed and power of the arrow, and Takumi was also shocked that Mirai was able to avoid the attack.

  Mirai charged at Takumi to attack him, and before her attack could reach him, Yuta used his sword to create an ice wall to protect Takumi. Mirai was able to destroy the wall, but Takumi managed to get away.

  The three stood side by side. Takumi said, "Okay, even though we only fought for a very short time, it's clear that she is far superior to us."

  Yuta said, "Her physical abilities as a demon made her superior to us, as her spiritual powers are weaker than mine."

  Itsuki said, "If only Shin were here..."

  Yuta said to Itsuki, "Use the drum and summon as many as you can. We won't be able to defeat her like this."

  Itsuki said, "But I may not be able to control them all."

  Yuta said, "It's fine, we can escape at any moment. I have a plan to deal with her." He then turned to Takumi, saying, "Prepare the teleportation tool; we'll teleport at any moment."

  Takumi said, "I can support you with the bow."

  Yuta disagreed, saying, "The danger of the monsters is greater. We must be ready to leave as quickly as possible."

  Takumi nodded and began to prepare, and Yuta began to walk towards Mirai.

  Itsuki began to beat the drum loudly and repeatedly, and soon the area was filled with huge and terrifying monsters. Some carried sharp weapons, and others relied on their immense physical strength. Their roars filled the forest, and the air seethed with a hostile energy that threatened anyone in their way.

  Yuta stood at a suitable distance, and it was clear that he was using the monsters to exhaust Mirai, while he prepared to launch his own attacks. He raised his multi-colored sword and released a huge wave of fire towards Mirai. At the same time, he struck the ground with the blade, creating high ice barriers that surrounded Mirai from three sides, leaving the monsters to attack from the open side.

  Despite this, Mirai continued to hold her ground, striking every monster that approached her and using her immense speed to move between them and deliver fatal blows. However, she noticed that the number of monsters was increasing exponentially, to the point that some of them began to attack Yuta himself.

  Itsuki shouted while trying to control the monsters, "Yuta! I can't control them all!"

  Yuta replied angrily, "Just keep summoning them!"

  And he shouted to Takumi, "Be ready!"

  The situation was getting more complicated. Yuta began to eliminate the monsters that were attacking him, but he had to take a step back, which gave Mirai more room to move. In the midst of the chaos, Mirai noticed a group of monsters heading towards Hikari, who was standing on the other side, trying to avoid a direct fight.

  Mirai's expression changed immediately, and she transformed the sword into a long spear, moving at lightning speed towards Hikari. She eliminated the monsters that were approaching him and caught her breath with difficulty before saying in a firm voice, "Stay behind me!"

  Hikari looked at her and said, "We have to get away, Mirai. The situation is getting worse."

  Mirai replied, "Their numbers are too large, and I've exhausted a lot of my spiritual powers. I won't be able to last much longer, and even escaping will be difficult."

  Then she looked up, muttering to herself, "The winged monsters fill the sky. If I were to fly with Hikari, He will get hurt even if his barrier protects me."

  Hikari thought quickly, then said, "I have a plan!"

  At that moment, the number of monsters doubled significantly. Yuta stepped back and stood beside his companions, saying, "Quickly, get us out of here. They won't be able to escape now. We'll come back later to see their bodies."

  Takumi used the tool, and the three of them were teleported to their hideout.

  At that moment, the army of monsters gathered around Hikari and Mirai.

  Hikari said to Mirai, "I'll prepare. Get rid of the monsters in the back so we can get away. I'll distract the rest."

  Mirai nodded, and she transformed the spear into two short swords. She ran towards the monsters and eliminated all of those in front of her, which opened a small path.

  Hikari began to chant a spell, then a glowing golden aura appeared around him. In a moment, dozens of golden butterflies flew out and began to circle him. These butterflies lit up the surrounding darkness and spread a healing energy everywhere. Hikari directed the butterflies towards the monsters, which created a state of chaos.

  The monsters became busy trying to attack the butterflies, which gave Hikari and Mirai a chance to escape. Hikari enhanced his powers and increased the number of butterflies until they were able to get completely away from the monsters.

  "Well, we've gotten far enough away," Mirai said.

  Hikari said seriously, "I didn't expect to meet them."

  Mirai asked him, "Do you know anything about them?"

  Hikari replied, "I've heard before about a group that steals unique artifacts. And the ones who attacked us used four rare artifacts."

  Mirai said with a tone of admiration, "Those artifacts were indeed unique."

  Hikari said, "The situation will be bad if we are ambushed by them."

  Mirai felt a thrill inside her and said with a smile, "It's fine. I was starting to get bored. It will be exciting to fight them. And we'll also benefit from them. If we defeat them, we'll get unique artifacts."

  Hikari sighed and smiled slightly, saying, "I expected you would be excited."

  Mirai began to walk again, saying, "Come on, let's go back to the city." Hikari started walking beside her, and they headed towards the city.

  As the path bent toward Lavender, a cold trace of drumbeat still lingered between the trees