The morning light broke through the smoky sky, hazy gold streaks falling over what remained of the abandoned town. Ash blanketed the earth like snow—charred beams, blackened stone, and twisted remnants of once-standing homes lay scattered across the ruin. Among the devastation, two figures lay motionless.
Kaen and Ryoma.
Their bodies were covered in bruises, burns, and dried blood. The ground around them was cracked and scorched… but in odd patches, the destruction was frozen—jagged formations of ice glimmering faintly in the early light. Smoke coiled upward, thin and ghostlike.
Shion darted through the rubble, eyes scanning frantically until they locked onto the two unmoving forms. His breath caught.
"Ryoma!" he gasped, sprinting forward.
He dropped to his knees beside him, shaking him gently but urgently. Ryoma's brow was furrowed, his lips bloodied, his breathing shallow but there.
Shion looked up, spotting Kaen sprawled farther away, his clothes torn and singed. "Seirou! Seiya! I found them—they're here!" he shouted, voice cracking in relief.
Moments later, two sets of footsteps thundered in from behind, Seirou and Seiya rushing over the broken ground with Xue close behind, eyes wide.
Seirou immediately slid to Ryoma's side, pressing two fingers to his pulse, then gently turning his head to check the injuries. Seiya went to Kaen, shaking him lightly. "Come on, open your eyes, don't you dare look that peaceful."
Xue crouched beside them silently, hugging his knees, eyes flicking between the two as if trying to understand if they were breathing.
Seirou and Shion kept trying—calling their names, shaking their shoulders, checking pulses—but the two remained unresponsive.
Then—
Shion's ears twitched.
He froze. Slowly, his hand moved toward the sword lying beside Ryoma. Fingers curled around the hilt as he stood, eyes narrowing, scanning the area. Footsteps. Soft but steady, crunching over scorched earth.
Shion's ears twitched.
Their robes were uniform and half-masks over the upper half of their faces. Shion's grip loosened. He lowered the sword just slightly as the group came into full view. He recognized the garb.
Cultivators.
The newly arrived group halted as their eyes swept over the ruined ground then landed on Kaen and Ryoma's battered bodies.
They immediately stepped forward, purposeful and calm.
Xue, seeing them approach, jolted upright. His small frame darted behind Shion, clutching the back of his robes like a frightened child. Shion glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "Shh… it's alright," he murmured, gently patting Xue's head.
One of the masked men stepped forward, eyes sharp behind the mask. "What happened here? It looks like a fire—"
"Demon attack," Seirou said flatly, stepping up beside Shion.
The group of slayers stiffened, hands instinctively drifting to the weapons at their waists as their eyes swept with urgency.
"All this… because of that?" the lead slayer muttered, signaling to one of his companions. The other man gave a silent nod, pulled a paper talisman from his robes, and quickly inscribed several characters. He pointed it to the sky.
With a flash, the talisman shot upward—bursting wide into a glowing signal. A resonant pulse echoed through the sky in all directions.
The lead slayer then stepped forward, peering down at Ryoma and Kaen. "Are they dead?"
Shion's eyes flashed, his glare sharp. But before he could speak, Seirou moved ahead of him and answered calmly, "No… but they're not far from it. We barely made it out. They're severely injured."
The man observed their expressions, then turned to the one beside him and whispered something. The other slayer paused, considering, before replying, "Then immediate treatment is required. The emergency signal has been sent. Reinforcements will arrive shortly."
The lead slayer stepped forward, eyes sharp beneath the half-mask. Before speaking, he raised a hand—swift and silent.
At his signal, the slayers behind him dispersed, slipping into the smoke-veiled ruins with practiced ease. They fanned out in all directions, eyes scanning, senses sharp, weapons ready.
Only then did he turn back to face them.
"So what exactly happened here?" he asked, voice steady. "And how did you all end up in this place? You don't look like you belong here."
Seirou replied calmly, "We're a group of travelers. The main roads were blocked, so we took shelter here… but it was worse than expected. A demon attacked us—burned everything down. The two you see were injured in the fight while the rest of us tried to escape. And… we lost someone in the chaos. We need to find—"
"Astra?"
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Several more figures approached from the haze, their footsteps light but purposeful. Shion's eyes narrowed, focus locking on one of the new arrivals. After a beat, recognition flashed across his face.
Daita stopped in front of them, scanning the group. "You mean Astra's missing? Because I don't see her here."
Seiya frowned, pointing at him. "Wait… I've seen you before, haven't I?"
Commander Zhou, standing to the side, glanced at Daita. "Seventh Prince—are you familiar with them?"
Daita scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish laugh. "Yeah… turns out I am."
Zhou sighed, muttering under his breath, then looked at the slayers beside him. "The emergency signal—it came from here, didn't it?"
One of the slayers nodded. "Yes, Commander. Confirmed."
Zhou's expression hardened, his gaze sweeping over the smoldering ruins behind them.
"Then we may have a bigger problem than expected."
Without another word, he signaled with two fingers. Two of the masked slayers stepped forward, kneeling beside Kaen and Ryoma. They extended their hands just above the unconscious bodies—palms glowing with a soft, steady light as the healing began.
Time passed slowly. The faint hum of spiritual energy blended with the crackling of dying flames and drifting smoke. Commander Zhou's brow furrowed, glancing toward the horizon.
"…Why hasn't the Crown Prince arrived yet?" he muttered under his breath. "The signal went out—he should be here by now."
Daita, who had been quietly scanning the distance, finally spoke up. "Yeah, I was thinking the same. He should've reached here already. Wait…" His eyes narrowed. "What if something happened to him?"
He moved instinctively, but Zhou stepped in front of him, holding him back with a firm hand.
"Maybe he was just too far when the signal was sent," Zhou said calmly. "Let's not jump to conclusions, Seventh Prince. For now, please remain here. We need to stabilize the situation—and now, we have survivors who can speak."
Daita hesitated, then gave a small nod. He turned back to the group, hands slipping into his sleeves.
"Well," he said lightly, flashing an easy grin, "lucky you guys made it. First off, congrats on surviving a demon that loves setting everything on fire and ripping people to shreds. Seriously, I'm kind of impressed. Honestly, on my way here, I figured I'd be walking into a pile of charcoal and thought everyone alive will be roasted by now. but here you guys are, still on your feet."
Commander Zhou pinched the bridge of his nose with a quiet sigh.
Shion let out a sharp scoff, clearly unimpressed. Seiya leaned toward Seirou, whispering under his breath, "He talks like he's disappointed we didn't die."
Seirou exhaled quietly, his gaze still fixed on the scorched ground. "We're lucky to be alive… but unlucky to lose a family member while escaping. We need to find her—fast."
At that, Daita's expression shifted. His grin faded. He lowered his gaze for a moment, then turned to Commander Zhou.
"Send half the team to search for her."
Zhou blinked, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his tone. But one glance at Daita's face was enough. He gave a sharp nod, then turned to the lead slayer. "Prepare a search team. We're looking for one more survivor."
The masked slayer stepped forward, eyes scanning the group. "Describe her. What does she look like?"
Seirou opened his mouth, thinking—but Daita cut in, waving a hand as he paced."She's tall. Taller than most men," Daita began casually, pacing a step. "Long hair like, really long. It sort of flows when she walks."
He gestured vaguely in the air. "Pale skin. Looks all fragile and calm at first glance…" He paused, then smirked. "Talks non-stop. Reckless. And a bit… unstable. Her mood shifts every other minute."
The group stared.
Daita scratched the back of his neck, thinking for a second longer. "Oh—and yeah, beautiful face. like the kind that belongs in paintings. But the behaviour? Not so elegant. So if you see someone shouting at shadows or arguing with some stranger, that's probably her."
Silence.
Several people blinked. Commander Zhou looked visibly speechless.
Daita glanced around at their expressions, let out an awkward laugh, and shrugged. "I—I just happen to have a sharp memory, that's all."
Zhou sighed and gestured to the slayer team. "You heard him. Fan out and begin the search."
The slayers moved quickly, vanishing into distance.