Yui paced inside the castle library, the air thick with dust and forgotten magic. Tomes bound in demonhide lined the walls—grimoires no human should touch.
> [Quest Active: The Lost Throne]
Objective: Find records of the First Demon King
Risk Level: High – Forbidden Knowledge Detected
"Let's see what the past is hiding…"
She opened an old volume titled The Thirteen Thrones of the Abyss. Her fingers tingled—like something inside the book recognized her.
The pages whispered as they turned.
> The First Flame was not born. It was forged.
A human girl was the vessel. A king fell in love. A world burned in their wake.
Only one survived… but not unchanged.
Yui froze.
A human girl?
The next page had been violently torn out.
And at the bottom of the page, scrawled in demon script:
> "The flame sleeps in blood."
Suddenly, the torches flickered.
A voice behind her muttered, "Didn't take you long to start digging where you shouldn't."
Yui turned—Vera stood in the doorway, arms crossed.
---
Part II: A Mission Together
Azazel had summoned both of them earlier that morning.
> "A rogue summoner is attempting to open a gate beneath the eastern cliffs. If they succeed, a rift will tear open—one that neither of you can stop alone."
Now here they were. Together. Vera in white and silver, Yui in black and crimson.
And zero trust between them.
"I don't like this," Vera said as they reached the shattered ritual site—pentagrams burning faintly in the stones.
"You don't have to like it," Yui snapped. "Just don't get stabbed again."
Suddenly, a monstrous shriek ripped through the air.
The summoner stood at the center of the broken altar—possessed by a wraith, his body warping.
> [Boss Identified: Hollow Reclaimer – Level 50]
Status: Rift Stabilizing – 83%
Time Left: 5 Minutes
Yui and Vera barely had time to react.
The monster charged.
Yui raised her hand—"Pact Flame!"
The fire struck the beast, but it barely staggered.
Vera threw a holy blade, piercing its shoulder.
"Still breathing?" she growled.
"Barely!" Yui shouted. "We need to combine—now!"
The system blinked:
> [Temporary Bond Activated: Dual Soul Sync]
Skill Unlocked: Flame Lance – Purified
Cast Time: 3 seconds
Damage: 300 base
Side Effect: Requires trust link (10%)
"Do it," Yui said. "Trust me, just for this."
Vera narrowed her eyes—then nodded.
The two girls stood back to back, energy spiraling between them—red flame and white light merging into a blinding spear.
"Now!"
They hurled it—
The beast shrieked as it was impaled. The summoning circle shattered. The rift cracked—and sealed.
Silence.
> [Victory: Hollow Reclaimer Defeated]
XP +200
Bond with Vera: 14% (Tension + Respect)
Skill Permanently Unlocked: Flame Lance – Hybrid Variant
---
Aftermath
Breathing hard, Vera leaned against a pillar. "Don't get used to me saving your life."
"I wasn't planning on it," Yui said with a tired smile.
> System Notification:
Azazel Affection +4 (Amused by your survival)
Hidden Lineage: Reacting to bonded magic… syncing deeper…
Far away, beneath the castle… the chained figure in her dreams stirred.
And smiled.