Deep underground beneath the City of Castle Gorge, a woman—a demon—held a boy captive.
Her claws rested behind the boy's neck as two men confronted her.
"Take one more step, and I'll crush his neck," Darys warned.
"Hasn't there been enough bloodshed? Just let me go, and I'll leave without harming these kids again. Deal?" she said, scanning both men.
"You can't escape from here anyway," Icarus replied firmly.
"Are you sure about that?" Darys asked confidently, shifting her staff slightly.
"Mmm... mmm..." The boy tried to speak but couldn't, his neck turning pale under her grip.
Darys knew she had no advantage. Her mana was depleted, and her summons were gone. She realized they wouldn't let her escape at any cost—especially since the man before her was rumored to have an intense hatred for demons.
"Catch this!" Darys cried, tossing the boy sideways toward the wall. Gripping her staff with both hands, she slammed it onto the ground.
BAAMMM!
A massive explosion erupted where she struck. A wave of purple fire surged from the impact, rushing toward the two men. Icarus was knocked off his feet. Seizing her chance, Darys darted toward the exit leading to the ancient city and ran.
Icarus landed nimbly and prepared to pursue her. But then he noticed the fire coalescing into a humanoid figure, gliding toward the four huddled children. He clenched his hand, then opened it forward.
CLANK! CLANK!
Two daggers, glowing with an icy bluish energy, materialized in his grip and flew straight toward the flaming figure.
PSHHH...
The daggers pierced through its back, leaving a gaping hole in its chest. Yet, the creature continued advancing toward the children, unfazed.
"Tch."
Sensing the danger, Icarus channeled all his mana into the daggers. They shone like miniature suns, illuminating the entire underground city before striking the figure again—this time piercing both its chest and head. The fiery being disintegrated into thin air, leaving nothing behind.
CLANG. CLANG.
The two daggers clattered to the ground, warped from the overwhelming mana.
THUD.
Icarus fell to his knees, exhausted but relieved that the children were safe. He turned toward where his friend had landed.
Dracula, sensing the demon's intent, had reacted swiftly—catching the boy before he hit the wall. He set the child down with the others, who, though breathing calmly, soon burst into tears as they looked at their saviors.
"...."
Dracula glanced at Icarus, silently urging him to comfort the children.
Wink.
Icarus winked at him before lying on his back, resting.
Dracula tried to speak, but comforting others wasn't his strength. He was straightforward, not talkative.
"Kids, it's safe now... so stop crying," he said, awkwardly patting a girl's head.
"I want my mommy!" the girl wailed even louder.
"Hehehe." Icarus chuckled as he pushed himself up and approached.
"It's okay now. I'm from the Knights. You're all going home. No need to cry—you'll stain your faces with snot and dirt if you keep going," he said gently.
The children looked at him, and one of the boys recognized his face and hair.
"It's the Lord's son! Now we're safe!" the boy cried out.
"What a brave and smart kid you are. Now, let's get you all out of here," Icarus said, lifting three smaller children into his arms while Dracula picked up another. The eldest boy insisted he could walk, but when Dracula offered him a piggyback ride, he quickly gave in.
They made their way toward the sewer exit.
---
Darys burst into the sewer, caring little for what was happening behind her. She ran frantically through the tunnels, which grew wider the further she went.
After an hour, she was out of breath. Her body screamed in protest, but she knew that stopping meant death. Her mana reserves were empty, and she had spent the last of her dark energy on that final summon. If a guard or a monster found her in this state, she was done for.
But luck was on her side. In the distance, she spotted a faint light and heard voices.
Tsk.
Clicking her tongue, she cautiously approached the sound—then sighed in relief. They weren't guards but sewer workers.
Quickly pulling up the hood of her cloak, she conjured a small purple flame in her hand and stepped toward them.
"H-Hello... can you guys help me?" Darys asked, feigning innocence.
---
"Send some soldiers down the sewer and retrieve those corpses!" a knight ordered as four squads gathered near the entrance.
After reaching the surface, Icarus commanded soldiers to recover the bodies and briefed them on what had happened. He also ordered some to fetch a healer for the children.
A group of knights soon arrived from the barracks, alerted by reports of the demon's deeds.
"Can you still track her?" Dracula asked.
"Yeah. But I can't accompany you anymore. My father will be furious about this incident. As the heir, I need to maintain my reputation for my siblings and the people," Icarus replied, exhausted. His gaze drifted north, toward the mansion.
"Then give me a way to track her," Dracula demanded seriously.
Icarus sighed. "Here. Don't lose it, or I'll spread a rumor that you ran away from a ghost." He handed over a small metal shard embedded with three white gemstones.
Dracula took it and turned away.
"I suppose this is it for now. Don't forget to send word," Icarus called after him.
Dracula vanished around a street corner, his broadsword strapped to his waist.
'He's a strange guy,' Icarus thought to himself, exhaling as he contemplated how to explain all this to his father—Desmon Paisley, the head of House Paisley.