A ray of light filtered through the window and struck Mizuki directly in the face.
He frowned in annoyance and rolled over in bed, trying to escape the glare that was drilling into his eyes.
His head felt heavy, and the faint ringing in his ears immediately reminded him of the previous night: laughter, cheap alcohol, and a party that had gone on far too long.
With a tired sigh, he sat up slowly.
"Great…" he muttered, running a hand over his face. "My head is going to explode."
He looked around. The apartment was exactly as he had left it: clothes strewn across the floor, an empty bottle rolling near the wall, and his backpack leaning against the door.
He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and turned on the screen.
Ten o'clock in the morning, his eyes snapped open.
"Ten…?"
He jumped up, ignoring the dizziness that almost made him lose his balance. With clumsy fingers, he quickly typed into the university group chat.
"Are you coming? I'm ready."
He sent the message, hurriedly changed his clothes, and grabbed his jacket before leaving the apartment.
He had barely taken a few steps down the hallway when a commotion caught his attention.
From the next apartment, he could hear shouts, banging, and the sound of something crashing against the wall.
Mizuki paused for a second.
"Again…?"
His neighbor was always getting into trouble, so he decided to ignore it. He didn't want to interfere in other people's business, much less be late.
He left the building and headed toward the bus station.
That's when he noticed something strange: the streets were empty.
No cars, no pedestrians, none of the usual city noise. Only the sound of his own footsteps breaking the awkward silence.
He felt a chill run down his spine.
"This is weird…" He quickened his pace, trying to convince himself it wasn't anything serious.
Maybe it was too early… or maybe something had happened without him knowing.
When he reached the station, he leaned against one of the posts and waited.
Several minutes passed, nothing. The bus didn't arrive.
Then, his phone vibrated, an incoming call.
"Hello?"
"Bro, why haven't you arrived at the station?"
The voice on the other end of the line froze him, an unpleasant chill ran through his body.
"W-what do you mean I'm not at the station?" he replied, looking around. "Of course I am."
Without thinking, he picked up his phone and took a picture to send as proof.
Just as he was about to send it, the signal cut out, the screen filled with static.
A sharp beep broke the silence, forcing him to pull the phone away from his ear.
"What the hell…?"
The call cut off completely.
With a tight chest and a mind full of questions, he decided to return to his apartment.
The walk back felt endless. Upon entering, he noticed something even more unsettling.
There wasn't a sound, not from the street, not from the building, not from the neighboring apartments.
Nothing. He swallowed hard.
He slumped onto the bed and turned on the television, trying to distract himself.
The screen showed only static. He changed the channel.
Nothing. They were all the same.
"This isn't funny anymore..."
He turned off the television and lay back, staring at the ceiling.
"I'm going to sleep... this is probably all some kind of weird joke."
He closed his eyes.
He didn't know how much time had passed when a loud crash jolted him awake.
A loud noise was coming from outside the apartment. He sat up with a start and looked out the window.
It was nighttime.
"What...?"
He couldn't remember falling asleep for so long. His phone vibrated.
Upon unlocking it, something impossible appeared before him: a floating screen, similar to that of a video game.
"Pending notification."
His heart began to pound.
"This… can't be real."
With a trembling hand, he tapped the notification. The screen changed, displaying a mission.
A timer immediately appeared: one hour and thirty minutes.
"Mission…?"
Before he could react, a knock echoed behind the door.
Another, and another. Desperate knocks, as if someone were calling for help.
"Hello?"
There was no response. Suddenly, a claw ripped through the door, splintering the wood.
Mizuki instinctively backed away, feeling fear grip his body.
The creature pushed harder, further damaging the door.
The sound was terrifying. Without thinking, he ran to the window, one story above.
"Shit…" He jumped.
He fell hard, a sharp pain shot through his legs, he had no time to react.
The creature jumped after him, the screen reappearing before his eyes.
[Mission: Reach the goal / Gate]
[Time remaining: 01:27:43]
His legs moved on their own, he started running.
The road was completely empty, night had fallen unnaturally.
The streetlights came on one after another, illuminating the path as something pursued him from the darkness.
Fear drove him forward, another window appeared beside him.
[Mission: Reach the goal / Gate]
[Progress: 80%]
[Distance covered: 8 km / 10 km]
"Eight kilometers…"
He hated to believe it, gritted his teeth, and ran with all his might.
In the distance, a large, illuminated gate stood at the end of the road.
"Almost there..."
From atop a house, a man in a suit watched the scene.
His red eyes gleamed with boredom.
"How boring this is..."
He stood up slowly.
"I guess I'll have to add a little fun."
He raised his arm and pointed at Mizuki; the timer suddenly decreased.
"What...?"
Sweat trickled down his face; the creature was getting closer.
"No... no..."
Tears welled up uncontrollably; he didn't want to die.
The screen alerted him.
[Time remaining: 00:00:10]
The beast emerged from the darkness, horns, a humanoid body, and a twisted smile.
Mizuki screamed and gave one last burst of strength, reaching the gate.
He touched it. Something grabbed his feet. "No!"
He clung to the handle as the creature tried to drag him in. With a final burst of strength, he opened the door and fell inside.
The room was dark. A red throne stood out at the far end, and a man sat there, illuminated by a single lamp.
"I see you passed the test," he said calmly. "Congratulations."
Mizuki felt a chill.
"Where… am I?"
The man stood up, each footstep echoing in the room.
"I think it's time to stop playing games."
He smiled.
His fangs were bared. Before he could react, a katana sliced through the air.
The vampire's head hit the floor, and a masked man appeared from the shadows.
A neon blue symbol glowed on his arm.
"Who dares interrupt my meal?" the head roared.
"I came to end this hell," the masked man whispered.
"You, go," he ordered. "And don't tell anyone about this."
A portal opened, and Mizuki was pushed inside by the masked figure.
Darkness enveloped him.
"You…! Damned Ryo! What do you think you're doing in my territory?"
The vampire's voice echoed with fury within the shattered room.
His head lay on the floor, severed from his body, but his eyes still glowed with pure hatred.
Blood spread like a dark pool beneath him, still warm.
Ryo slowly advanced toward where the head lay, his gaze unwavering.
With each step, a viscous mass began to take shape in his right hand, gradually solidifying into a translucent, razor-sharp slime sword.
"I came to end all this hell you've created," Ryo whispered, leaning close enough to speak directly into his ear.
The vampire let out a low, contemptuous laugh.
Ryo wasted no more time. He barely turned and raised his free hand, creating a portal behind him.
Space twisted and opened like a wound in the air.
"You, whatever your name is, go through that door and don't tell anyone about this."
Without giving him a chance to reply, he pushed Mizuki toward the portal.
The boy disappeared instantly, and the portal closed behind him with a dry, final sound.
Ryo refocused his attention on the vampire.
"I'd better say goodbye before things get worse."
The head lying on the floor began to roll slowly until it reached its body.
With an unnatural movement, it reattached to the neck as if it had never been separated.
Before Ryo could react, the vampire released a thick cloud of red smoke that filled the room, using it as a distraction to escape.
But he didn't get far; a clean cut sliced through his body from side to side. "You think I'll let you go that easily?"
Two eyes flashed in the red mist: one intense blue, the other neon silver. Ryo's figure emerged from the smoke, his sword still dripping.
A wall of blood rose up before him, forcing him to carefully back away.
From the ground, spears made of the same liquid erupted violently, aimed directly at his feet.
Ryo reacted in time, leaping back as the floor violently pierced through the air.
The silence of the room was shattered when their fists collided with brutal force.
The impact was so intense that the air froze, and an unnatural snow began to fall inside the room.
A deep chill swept through the place. The walls began to crack little by little, unable to withstand the pressure of that confrontation.
Darkness engulfed everything; only the swift glint of the two combatants' eyes was distinguishable in the gloom.
Ryo managed to land two precise blows: one to the abdomen and another straight to the head, forcing the vampire to take several steps back.
"Ryo… I think those five thousand years in hell did you some good, didn't they?" the vampire said with a crooked smile.
"Tell me… what did the Dragon Queen tell you to make you come and kill me?"
Ryo paused for a moment; that second was enough.
The vampire took advantage of the opening and threw a direct punch that slammed Ryo against the wall.
The impact echoed throughout the room.
"Edwin… how do you know that information?"
Ryo coughed, leaning with difficulty as he watched the vampire slowly approach.
"Hahaha… who knows… maybe
"So everyone already knows," Edwin replied. "Or do you think we wouldn't notice?"
"Or do you think we wouldn't?" Ready to retreat, Edwin looked at Ryo one last time, his eyes flashing a deep ruby red.
But he didn't move.
A spear pierced his heart from side to side, freezing him instantly.
Ice began to envelop his body, advancing relentlessly.
"He gave me information I already knew," Ryo murmured. "And even… I didn't have to use my dagger."
Ryo rose from the ground. His wounds vanished as if they had never existed.
…
"My queen, Edwin was unable to complete the mission to eliminate Ryo."
The armored man knelt before the throne, his head bowed as he reported the situation.
His voice trembled slightly, aware of where he was and to whom he spoke.
The hall was vast and silent, with columns that faded into the shadows.
The queen's presence filled the room with a suffocating pressure, as if the air itself refused to move.
There was no immediate response; in the blink of an eye, the tail The queen moved violently.
The man's body was instantly decapitated, his head rolling on the floor, blood splattering the nearby walls.
The silence that followed was even heavier, broken only by the queen's measured breathing.
The room, resembling that of an ancient palace, concealed a hooded figure leaning against the wall in the shadows.
Seeing the scene, he left his hiding place and calmly advanced until he stood before the throne.
"Loky, what are you doing here?" the queen said coldly. "Well, that doesn't matter... since I have a mission for you."
The queen leaned slightly toward him and whispered the objective in his ear.
"Understood, Your Majesty," Loky replied with a faint smile. "I'll go immediately." "I'll bring you that bastard's head." Without another word, Loki left the room. The enormous doors closed behind him at the queen's command, restoring silence to the place.
…Ryo walked toward one of the walls and, without hesitation, threw a punch. The impact was brutal. The wall shattered into pieces, leaving a gap through which Ryo emerged without looking back. When he did, he realized he was no longer in the same place. He was in a snowy forest. Gigantic trees towered around him, covered by a thick layer of snow. The air was cold and sharp, and it soon took its toll on his body. However, Ryo showed no discomfort. With a simple gesture, he created a hood that covered his head before venturing into the forest. He walked for a long time. The silence of the place was only broken by the crunch of snow under his feet. Almost at the edge of the forest, He spotted a house in a complete state of disrepair.
The wood was rotten, the walls leaning, and it seemed as if a mere breath would bring it down.
Ryo entered without difficulty.
In the center of the room stood a wooden chair, upon which rested an old, worn pillow.
"I think I'll sit and rest for a while."
A sigh, followed by sitting down, was all it took for weariness to try and take hold of him.
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the silence envelop him.
But it didn't last long; a small noise broke the calm.
Ryo opened his eyes immediately.
"Get out." "I know you're here, Noah," he said calmly. "Give me the report." From one of the shadows in the room, a woman with blue hair and diamond-colored eyes advanced until she stood before him. Her presence was elegant and commanding. "Yes," he replied. "We deployed everyone throughout the kingdom of Origon, which is near the mountains." Several hooded figures approached Noah and whispered something in his ear. "Furthermore, we are already forming an alliance with the dwarves of the underground kingdom," he continued. "That will be the entire report." Noah stood up and walked over to where Ryo was sitting. He sat on his lap, staring intently at him as he took his tie and slowly loosened it. Then he stood up, removed his shoes, and placed them beside the chair. "You shouldn't be in a place like this, knowing the kind of person you are." A flirtatious smile appeared on her face, making Ryo slightly nervous. Noah raised her She reached out and removed Ryo's mask, revealing his heterochromatic eyes: one diamond blue and the other silver.
"It's been over a thousand years since I've been able to see your beautiful face," she said softly. "Besides... you're blushing."
She slowly leaned in and kissed him passionately.
"I remember the first time we met as if it were yesterday."
... Back then, war between the human and elven kingdoms erupted after the death of King Arthur II of the capital city of Origon.
The city descended into utter chaos after the elven attack.
"The elves are attacking the royal capital!"
"Someone help us, please!"
The cries of the citizens echoed throughout the capital.
Knights emerged from the castle to help those trapped under the rubble of destroyed houses while the fire and fear spread uncontrollably.