Zephyr led the group outside to a clear patch of land, far from the guild hall and any other buildings. Elias walked alongside them, his hands in his pockets, his gaze distant as if already anticipating the flow of battle. The others took a moment to form a small crowd around them.
Silas and Elias got into position to spar, facing across from each other. The air was charged with a quiet tension.
"If you can land one hit on me," Elias said, his voice surprisingly soft and calm, "I'll count it as your win."
Silas just nodded his head in agreement, a confident smirk on his face.
Rin, holding her hands up, called out, "Ready!"
Kuren leaned over to Shizuma. "I got my money on Silas," he whispered.
Shizuma rolled his eyes. "I mean, obviously he's gonna win."
"GO!" Rin yelled, and the match began.
Silas, without hesitation, leaped toward Elias to attack. He swung his sword down in a powerful arc, but the moment the blade came down, Elias disappeared. Silas's weapon sliced through nothing but air.
A voice came from behind him. "You gotta be quicker than that."
Silas, frustrated but determined, spun around. He leaped at Elias again, throwing a barrage of slashes at him. But Elias effortlessly dodged every single one, his movements a blur of speed and precision.
"Silas is getting his butt handed to him," Kuren mumbled, his eyes wide.
Silas stopped the barrage, his breath heavy, and did a final, powerful slash down the middle. Elias sidestepped the attack and lightly tapped Silas's chest with the palm of his hand. The touch sent Silas flying backward, skidding to a stop a few feet away.
Elias stood there, completely unfazed. "Is that really the best you can do?" he asked, his tone still calm. "This is laughable."
Silas stood up, his gaze intense, not showing any reaction to the taunt. But the mark on his hand began to glow with a dark, sinister light, and his eyes glazed over as he lost control.
Zephyr, watching from the sidelines, saw the mark ignite. He took a sharp breath, thinking to himself, "I knew it."
Silas, now moving with significantly more power and speed than before, attempted a barrage of attacks again, but this time his movements were wild and unrefined.
"Enough," Zephyr commanded. He teleported between Silas and Elias, dodging a wild slash from Silas. Zephyr then grabbed Silas's wrist, the glowing mark pulsating violently. With a single, expertly aimed chop to the back of his neck, Zephyr knocked Silas unconscious.
"Silas!" Kuren cried out. The group rushed over to his side.
Zephyr knelt beside the unconscious Silas, his expression serious. "Your friend has the seal of the Demon God," he said, his voice grave.
"What's that?" Shizuma asked, his voice filled with concern.
"It's a mark that all the descendants of the Demon God possess," Zephyr explained. "It gives them immense power, but at the cost of their free will." He looked up at the group. "Is your friend a kin of the Demon God?"
"We don't know," Shizuma replied, looking at his unconscious friend. "He's just Silas."
Zephyr just shook his head. "Maybe there is more to him than any of you guys know."
The group and Zephyr were now seated at a large, round table in the main lobby of the guild. The air was no longer filled with the quiet tension of a recent battle, but with a more curious, almost jovial atmosphere. Zephyr, leaning back in his chair with a cup of coffee, looked at the four adventurers with an amused expression. "Wow, you guys are really an interesting group!" he said, a genuine smile on his face.
Silas nodded, his eyes still on the now-empty sparring area outside. "Yea, we actually were planning on letting our main focus be ranking up."
"Good. That's a noble goal, but a tough one." Zephyr took a long sip of his coffee. "I've heard about your abilities, but there are still some things I need to verify."
Zephyr's piercing gaze fell upon Shizuma. "Why can't I sense any life from you?" he asked, his tone unexpectedly serious.
Shizuma's eyes darted to Silas, wondering if he should reveal the truth. He had always kept his undead nature a secret, a source of personal shame and fear of being outcast. Silas looked at Shizuma and, without a moment's hesitation, nodded in agreement. Shizuma took a deep breath. "The truth is," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "I'm actually an undead."
A shocked silence fell over the group. Rin's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?!?" she gasped. Before anyone could react, she leaned forward. "Lend me your arm, Shizuma."
He hesitated for a moment but complied. Rin gently laid a hand on his arm, and a faint, golden light of holy magic flickered over his skin. Shizuma jolted his arm back, hissing. "Ow!"
Rin, seeing his pained reaction, broke out into a fit of laughter. She hadn't known, and the reveal of this secret was genuinely surprising and amusing to her.
Kuren, sensing the mood had shifted, felt it was only right to tell them what his race was. "If you think that's cool," he said, puffing out his chest with a mischievous grin, "Look at this!"
Kuren's arm began to shimmer and warp, his skin turning into a viscous, formless substance before solidifying into a sleek, red-tinged blade.
Zephyr's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Woah! What are you, kid?"
"I'm actually a slime!" Kuren proclaimed proudly. He then transformed his entire body into that of a small, glistening red slime on the tabletop.
"Wow!!" Rin exclaimed, her laughter now replaced with awe. She carefully picked up Kuren to inspect him, her fingers gently prodding his gelatinous form.
"Hey! Put me down!" Kuren protested, his tiny voice muffled. He jumped out of Rin's hands, his form reforming into his human shape in mid-air before he landed back on his feet.
"Anyways," Silas said, steering the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Could you tell me more about the Demon God's Seal?"
Zephyr's expression grew serious again. "The Demon God's Seal is a marking on all of his descendants. It gives a huge boost to all of your stats, but comes with a heavy price." Zephyr looked directly at Silas, a knowing look in his eyes. "Some seals even manifest as armor for the user. But I've only come across one person with that kind of seal."
"Who was it?" Silas asked, his voice low with a mix of curiosity and dread.
"The Demon King, Veldoras."
The group was shocked. Shizuma's mouth hung slightly agape. "There's actually a Demon King?"
Kuren, with his usual audacity, piped up, "How strong is he compared to you?"
Zephyr chuckled. "Yes, there is. The Demon King Veldoras is by far the most powerful being that resides in the demon realm. He's not to be reckoned with under any circumstances." He paused, his expression growing thoughtful. "The only match for the Demon King would be the World's strongest hunter, Alaric Veyrn."
"Alaric must be REALLY strong then!" Kuren exclaimed.
"Yea," Zephyr agreed. "Alaric is in his own league when it comes to power. He surpassed all the Transcendent at the age of 17! A kid, just like you guys."
"He did it around the same age as us!?!" Silas said, the information sinking in.
"Yes. But that was two years ago. He must be even stronger now." Zephyr shook his head as if in disbelief.
"So how many Transcendent are there?" Kuren asked, his curiosity insatiable.
"There are nine Transcendent in total," Zephyr explained. "We are ranked from one to nine depending on power."
"Woah! What number are you?" Kuren asked excitedly.
"I'm ranked number 3."
Kuren and Rin stared at him in awe. "Save your praises for later!" Zephyr said, seeing the look on their faces. "Anyways, a tournament to decide the ranks for the Transcendent is coming up."
"Woah, a tournament! Where's it held?!?"
"The tournament is held in the kingdom of Ironhold, of course."
"Guys, we have to go!" Kuren said, his eyes shining with excitement.
Silas nodded in agreement. "Yea, it would be cool to see Transcendent fight each other."
Kain chimed in, "I agree. It would be a great learning experience."
"Well," Zephyr said with a grin, "since I'm taking you all under my wing, you guys can come with me and Elias."
Silas looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I don't remember agreeing to that?"
"I can help all of you guys control your abilities better," Zephyr replied, his tone serious now. "As it stands, you're all too weak to even handle your powers properly. But with training from me, you guys will be unstoppable!"
Silas looked at his friends, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Alright, what do you guys think? I'm down with the idea of him training us."
"Anything to become stronger!" Kuren declared.
"I don't see why not," Shizuma said with a shrug.
"I agree," Kain finished, a hint of a smile on his face.
"Alright, it's settled then!" Zephyr said, slamming his hand on the table. "The tournament starts in five days, so I will be training you guys as much as I can before then!"
"Before we get started though, let's eat something," Zephyr said, rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving."
After a little wait, the waiter came out with a spread of food and drinks for everyone. Everyone was enjoying themselves, the mood light and carefree.
Elias, who had been quiet the whole time, turned to Kain. "Could I have a word with you in private?"
"Sure," Kain said, intrigued.
Kain and Elias stepped outside the guild. "What's up?" Kain asked.
"Hold on, give me a second," Elias said. He seemed to be inspecting the area around them, his eyes darting from the ground to the sky, a faint shimmer of energy appearing around his eyes. Kain had no idea what he was doing.
"Is everything alright?" Kain asked, starting to feel a sense of unease.
Elias's eyes finally settled on Kain, and his voice, which had been calm and measured all this time, was now filled with a deep sense of suspicion. "You... What are you?"