The air on the seventh floor hung heavy with the scent of damp stone and faint mana residue. Elis sat cross-legged on the cold floor, her back against a jagged wall etched with ancient runes. Her eyes were closed, her artificial breathing slow and deliberate, as she was drawing mana from the dungeon itself.
The silence was absolute, until it wasn’t.
*Click-Click-Click.*
The sound sliced through the stillness like a blade, sharp and unmistakable. The dungeon’s main gates were opening. Elis’s lips curved into a soft, knowing smile.
"Master..." she whispered, her voice barely a breath. In an instant, her blue form dissolved into shadow.
....
First floor...
Leon stepped through the gates, snowflakes clinging to his dark cloak like frost on midnight steel. The chill of the outside world still clung to him, but the dungeon’s warmth began to lt it away.
*Swish.*
A ripple in the air, and Elis materialized before him. She dropped into a deep, graceful bow, her blue hair spilling over her shoulders like liquid moonlight.
"I greet my master," she said, voice smooth and reverent.
"Where are Fruela and Dusk?" Leon asked, his tone clipped, eyes already scanning the room.
"They are sparring on the fifth floor, Master," Elis replied, her expression unreadable. "To decide who is better suited to accompany you."
"What?" Leon’s brow furrowed. Then, without another word, he vanished.
*Swish.*
....
Fifth floor.
*Tang-Tang-Tang-Tang-Tang.*
The clash of steel on claw echoed through the chamber like a storm of sparks. Two figures blurred across the stone floor—appearing, vanishing, reappearing—leaving trails of light and shadow in their wake.
*Swish.*
Leon appeared just outside the doorway, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold.
*Tang-Tang-Tang-Tang-Tang.*
Dusk’s claws flashed like streaks of blue lightning, unpredictable and wild. The furnace in his chest glowed a fierce sapphire, pulsing with magic that fueled his impossible speed.
Fruela moved like water around stone—calm, precise, lethal. Her twin blades danced in her grip, eyes locked on Dusk’s every twitch, every feint.
"I am the only one suited to protect Master, cat," Fruela said, her voice as steady as her stance.
"Well, you aren’t proving it right now," Dusk shot back, grinning through the blur. "I haven’t seen a protector who speaks more than she fights."
"I will cut off your claws right now," Fruela replied as her form vanished.
Dusk blurred into blue streak of light.
They charged at each other with full power.
Just as their weapons crossed the midpoint, two pitch-black blades tore through the air from the left—silent, deadly, inevitable.
*Clang-Clang.*
Both combatants twisted mid-motion, deflecting the blades with perfect synchronicity. Without hesitation, they dropped to their knees, heads bowed low, weapons lowered imdiately.
"Master, we greet you," they said in perfect unison.
Nyxter’s blades arced through the air and slid back into the sheaths at Leon’s hips with a soft
*shink*.
"When I leave you in the dungeon to protect it..." Leon stepped into the room, boots echoing against stone, "...you aren’t supposed to fight each other and get yourself exhausted."
"I—I apologize, Master," Fruela said, voice steady but laced with sha. "I was rely testing my strength against the cat."
"If you want to test your strength next ti," Leon said, eyes narrowing, "do it when I am in the dungeon. You understand?"
"Yes, Master," they answered together, voices firm.
"Good." Leon spoke, his cloak flaring slightly. "Now—the Royal Party that was supposed to happen tomorrow is actually tonight. We leave in ten minutes."
Suddenly, Leon felt a prickle at the back of his neck. Instinct scread at him to dodge.
Leon shifted right—just as a pale hand sliced through the air where his throat had been.
He turned.
Enid stood there, frozen, eyes wide with shock and confusion.
"Hello, Enid," Leon said, voice calm as death.
"H-How did—!? I was using a very special stealth skill to hide my presence—how did you knew I was coming?" Her voice cracked with disbelief.
"Never ever try that again, darling," Leon said, his gaze cold and unblinking.
"Okay..." Enid stepped closer, her shock lting into a sultry smile. "But I want to have sex. And you reek of so many other girls. Why don’t you fuck my pussy, Master? I’ll get rid of their sll for you."
"I don’t have ti for you now, Enid," Leon said. "I have to go to a fucking party."
"Take with you," she pleaded, grabbing his hands. "Please, please, please..."
"Give one reason I should take you with ," Leon said, unmoved.
Enid’s eyes glead. "I am a demon. I can make myself look more human than that elf maid. I have a perfect figure. But most importantly—I’ve been to countless royal parties in the demon kingdom. If you go without a female companion, you’ll look odd. Now please... take . I beg you."
Leon regarded her for a long mont.
"Well," he said finally, "I was planning to take that white elf maid. But you’ve given enough reasons. If you misbehave there—"
"I promise," Enid cut in, smiling sweetly. "You can slit my throat if I do."
Leon opened his inventory. A red gown materialized in his hand—deep crimson silk with subtle golden borders. It wasn’t flashy, but it carried the weight of royalty.
"Here. Wear this. Get ready. We leave in five minutes."
"Hmm... it’ll be hard to move in this," Enid began. "What if I have to kill soone and—"
Leon’s gaze sharpened like a blade.
Her lips sealed instantly.
"I-I’ll get ready imdiately, Master," she said. Without hesitation, she stripped naked and slipped into the gown, the fabric hugging her curves easily.
Leon changed as well—black shirt, black vest, long black coat with golden buttons glinting like stars in a void. He donned a pure white mask: two narrow rectangles for eyes, one small slot near the mouth—just enough to sip wine.
"Master," Dusk said, tilting his head. "Wouldn’t you need a grand carriage for this Royal Party?"
"No," Leon said, a faint smile curling beneath the mask. "I’ll be riding you. I want to see how the king reacts to my ride. Fruela will run behind us. We will enter the castle together."
Enid spun once. The gown flared open like a blooming rose.
"How do I look?" she asked, voice soft and teasing.
"A very deadly flower, darling," Leon said, his smile sharp.
"Oh my, what a gentlen you are sir." Enid murmured, bowing low with impossible grace. In a shimr of dark magic, her demonic features lted away—replaced by the face of a breathtakingly beautiful human noblewoman.
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