Aboard the Velrathis Leviacron, Tuf stood at the helm as the vessel glided smoothly through the sky, its massive frame cutting through the lingering remnants of the Blinding Mist like a blade.
With him were his most trusted people, Hydra Martials, and various demi-human races who had chosen to reveal themselves once more to the human world. Their journey Beyond the Mist had finally begun.
The Velrathis Leviacron was no ordinary vessel. It was a living fortress, an unparalleled feat of magitechnology crafted at Tuf's request by Peanut. Designed to carry more than ten thousand demi-humans, it wasn't just a ship, it was a mobile kingdom, and at will, it could transform into a scaled version of the Dark Tower itself.
When Tuf first laid eyes on it, he had smirked, satisfied.
"Not a single Evadne gold wasted," he had murmured.
After all, he'd spent millions.
"Master."
The voice of Comet broke through his thoughts.
They stood together at the observation deck as the Leviacron emerged completely from the Mist, the winds humming quietly around them.
"I can feel eyes watching us," Comet said, gaze fixed ahead though his senses were honed elsewhere.
"Those are Narfs," Tuf replied without hesitation. "One of them is the Prince."
"I see," Comet nodded. "So they've been unfrozen."
"Have you ever seen a Narf before, Comet?" Tuf asked, a lazy curiosity in his tone.
"No, Master."
Tuf smiled faintly.
"Understandable. When you and Cosmo were born, they were already sealed in stasis, frozen because of Seiryu's slumber."
He folded his arms.
"Be cautious when you do meet one."
"Are they dangerous?" Comet asked, his voice steady, though there was a flicker of curiosity beneath his composed exterior.
"Not in the way you're thinking," Tuf said. "They command water, but to demons like you, they're a unique kind of dangerous."
He turned to Comet, his smile deepening with mischief.
"Your kind has an unfortunate tendency to fall for beauty… and Narfs are painfully beautiful. More divine than Elves. More entrancing than Faes. If they weren't so infuriatingly proud, they would've made excellent playthings."
His eyes gleamed with something darker.
"They could've been my favorite lovers, if only they had knelt before Father."
"Shall we reprimand them for watching us?" Comet asked coolly. Though he couldn't see them beneath the waves, he could sense their elemental signature, the surging rhythm of underwater energy brushing against his own.
"No need," Tuf answered. "They're not why we're here."
Comet gave a small nod.
As the Leviacron continued its smooth, silent hover above the ocean's surface, Tuf took in the sights of the human world, and was deeply unimpressed.
"A thousand years," he muttered. "And still, the humans evolve like slugs."
Steel and stone cities sprawled beneath them, crude and small compared to the magitechnological wonders of Velrathis. Even the capital of Aquilonis seemed frozen in time, unchanged, unimproved, unworthy.
Soon, the Leviacron halted at the border of Aquilonis, just shy of entering direct visual range of the capital. A low hum vibrated through the air as it stabilized in a stationary hover.
The Hydra Martials gathered silently around him in a protective circle. One of the demon pilots activated the upper deck and unveiled Tuf's personal transport, a sleek, black Evadne Nyx convertible, its dark obsidian surface glimmering with starlight runes.
"Focus on the Hydra's objective," Tuf said to the martials. Then he turned to Comet.
"Send your reports to Luna only once a month. Don't give her any reason to worry. And if she asks about me, tell her I'm doing fine in Aquilonis."
"Yes, Master."
Tuf climbed into the driver's seat of the Nyx, his expression unreadable.
"If trouble arises, reach me through Deepcall or find me here, but only if absolutely necessary," he added before activating the enchantments.
The Evadne Nyx pulsed with violet mana and glided smoothly across the surface of the Leviacron. Like a silent phantom streaking toward destiny, it carved through the sky at high speed, racing the approaching dawn.
Only when it vanished into the horizon did the Leviacron shift direction, turning gracefully away from Aquilonis.
Its new destination: Pyrrathis.
As Tuf passed through the outskirts of Aquilonis territory, the silence struck him first.
Too silent.
The villages he passed were eerily still, lifeless, like ghost towns emptied of breath. Not a soul stood by the windows, not even a child's cry in the wind.
Tuf's lips curled in amusement.
"It seems you're preparing quite seriously for my arrival, New Master of Seiryu," he said softly, amused at the staged abandon.
"I suppose the Narfs already delivered the news."
His voice dropped, more intimate now, a hint of bite laced in every word.
"I hope you're worth the effort. Because if you've made my Luna worry for someone mediocre, I will be very… very disappointed."
With that, he pressed a hand against the Nyx's enchanted wheel, accelerating the vehicle. The magic thrummed beneath his fingertips, responding to his will.
The Nyx moved faster than the eye could follow, a dark blur racing through the wind.
And then, just as the first streaks of morning kissed the horizon, he arrived.
The Capital of Aquilonis loomed before him.
Waiting.
Lined along its towering gates were thousands, mages, knights, commanders, nobles. A wall of strength clad in sleek, body-fitting battle gear of white and blue, crisscrossed with glowing mana lines.
Tuf slowed the Nyx, studying them with interest.
Their suits looked light, too light for human armor, but the surge of mana emanating from each one told him otherwise.
"Interesting," he murmured.
"Stronger than steel. A good trick, New Master…"
He stepped out of the Nyx with deliberate calm, closing the driver's door behind him with a soft click.
Then, in flawless English, he greeted the crowd with bright charm:
"Good morning!"
His smile was brilliant. Disarming. Dangerous.
Confused glances rippled through the army.
Brows furrowed. Soldiers exchanged uncertain murmurs.
They didn't understand a word.
Which confirmed one thing for Tuf:
None of these people were the new Master of Seiryu.
Seiryu wasn't here either.
His gaze swept over them, disappointed.
At the rear of the crowd, the skeptical nobles began whispering louder. They had expected a battalion, a monstrous force of demi-humans with tails, claws, and fangs. A terrifying beast-man surrounded by savages.
Instead, what arrived was just one man.
A man who looked far too human.
Far too beautiful.
And that unsettled them more.
Whispers rose among the female ranks, mages, knights, even priestesses, cheeks flushed, unable to tear their eyes away from the striking figure before them. His aura was powerful, yet refined. His beauty, ethereal. Even his vehicle was unlike anything they had ever seen.
Tuf walked forward confidently, owning every step.
Then, in fluent Solmaran, he addressed them once more, his voice velvet-smooth, laced with charm.
"I am Tuf," he said, bowing slightly with a polite, knowing smile.
"The third son of the Demon Lord Caelum. And I have an appointment to meet the Master of Seiryu."
His words sliced through the silence.
Then from the front lines, a figure stepped forward, tall, regal, violet-eyed.
"I am Duke Aurelian Aquilon," the man declared, his voice firm.
"Seiryu's Master."
Tuf stopped mid-step.
The smile on his lips vanished.
Gone was the easy charm.
In its place, something darker surfaced. A flicker of disdain. A shift in the air so sharp it made the wind still.
His obsidian eyes narrowed, and for a single heartbeat, the sky itself felt heavier.
"You know," Tuf began in a low, serious tone, "I came here to say a friendly 'hi' to the new Master and to welcome back my old friend, Seiryu…"
His voice, once playful, now carried the weight of steel.
"But if you're going to lie to me, human…"
"Then I'll assume you people aren't interested in friendship."
His gaze swept over Aurelian, sharp as a blade. But something about the Duke made him pause.
There was a scent.
Subtle. Intrusive. Unmistakable.
It caught Tuf off guard, a soft fragrance lingering faintly in the air around Aurelian, weaving through his senses. He couldn't quite place why it bothered him. Or worse, enticed him. Not in the way of lust or craving, but in the way something familiar brushes against instinct..
He stepped closer.
Just a little.
Aurelian didn't move, even as Tuf invaded the space between them, even as the air crackled with hostility and unspoken curiosity. The Duke held his ground.
Tuf leaned in, eyes narrowing further, nose subtly flaring.
Aurelian raised an eyebrow.
"Is… that scent coming from you?" Tuf asked, unable to mask the edge of annoyance and curiosity in his voice.
Aurelian frowned.
"I have no idea what scent you're talking about."
"Almond. Vanilla. And lily."
Tuf's voice dropped.
"It's faint but… annoyingly persistent."
Without hesitation, Tuf leaned forward, too close, inhaling against Aurelian's neck like a predator confirming his suspicion.
The surge of mana around the knights behind them trembled. But none dared move.
"Are you insane?" Aurelian stepped back instantly, eyes narrowed with disbelief.
He didn't judge preferences, but he was certainly not expecting this.
Tuf smirked, unbothered.
"Relax. You're not my type," he said dryly.
"But that scent… is it yours? Or your woman's?"
Aurelian's jaw clenched.
"None of your business," he replied sharply.
But he already knew what Tuf had sensed, the Empress.
Ceres's soft natural fragrance. Almond, vanilla, and lily… a scent that had clung to him since they woke together in the early hours of the morning.
Damn demi-human senses. Too sharp for their own good.
Tuf stepped back slightly, the smirk returning, now mocking.
"A Duke who doesn't know how to welcome a guest properly, and a liar, no less," he scoffed.
"No wonder this kingdom never advanced."
His eyes lifted to the army spread behind Aurelian, lined up like statues in their enchanted suits.
Then he raised his voice, casting it across the capital gates.
"Seiryu!"
He called out with a strange blend of fondness and reprimand.
"My old friend, where are you? Will you really make me stand out here like a fool? I came all the way from Velrathis just to say hello."
He smiled again, pained and theatrical.
"I even brought good manners this time. All I want is to say hi to you and your Master."
"I am his Master," Aurelian said again, this time firmer.
But this time, Tuf didn't smirk.
His gaze sharpened to a razor's edge.
"One more lie," he said, low and dangerous, the amusement gone completely.
"And I swear, I'll rip out your heart and feed it to you."
His voice carried across the field with chilling clarity.
"Why would you lie to me, human?"
His tone was almost wounded now, but beneath it pulsed violence.
"You, of all people. A man with True Hearing… and yet, here you are, trying to fool me."
Aurelian's eyes widened.
Tuf had just revealed knowledge he shouldn't have.
The Duke quickly masked his surprise, but Tuf had already seen it.
"I made an appointment," Tuf said, suddenly switching tones, like a merchant offended in a boardroom.
"With the real Master. What you're doing now is unprofessional."
"What do you want, demi-human prince?" Aurelian asked, finally regaining his voice.
Tuf let out a low, dark laugh.
"Prince?" he echoed, the word dripping from his lips like poison.
"Do I look like a prince to you?"
He stepped forward again, grin sharp as a dagger.
"What I want is simple. For the new Master to honor his word. He said he'd wait for me. And now…"
He tilted his head slightly, black hair catching the breeze.
"Now he hides."
His voice dropped into something even colder.
"And depending on how I feel when I see him, depending on what I see in his eyes, I may or may not kill him."
He smiled slowly.
"Because he made my Luna worry over his existence."
Tuf smiled again.
But it wasn't charming.
It was the smile of a man who had already seen the battlefield painted in blood, and missed the color.