---
At the Northern Training Camp
Kaito's breath fogged in the air, his fingers numb even inside his gloves.
The wind howled through the pines like a living thing, carrying with it the scent of frost and something darker—something that made the hairs on Kaito's neck stand on end.
The training camp was a brutal sprawl of wooden barracks and watchtowers, wedged between the jagged teeth of the Drakthar Mountains and the endless expanse of the northern tundra. A hundred young warriors, mages, and prodigies of the Eastern Empire and more stood shivering in formation, their breaths fogging in the predawn chill.
Ryn is here as well it seems. a lot of strong and young people from not just the Eastern empire where gathered, but kids from all over the continent gathered for the training.
At the front of the assembly, a man in scaled armor waited, his arms crossed, his gaze sharp enough to flay skin. General Ryunosuke of the blade temple unit, one of the three master-rank supervisors overseeing this hunt.
"Listen well," he barked, his voice cutting through the murmurs. "You are here because the Empire has deemed you 'promising'. But promise means nothing if you die to a pack of overgrown rats."
A ripple of unease passed through the crowd.
Ryunosuke unsheathed his sword—a single-edged blade that seemed to drink in the light. With a casual flick, he sent a crescent of mana slicing through the air, carving a deep furrow into the frozen earth ten paces away.
"That was 'one percent' of my strength. Remember that when you face what lurks in these woods."
Aiko rolled her eyes, twirling her spear. "Dramatic old man," she muttered. Then, louder, to Ryn. "Bet I could've dodged that slash. Wanna test it?"
Ryn, ever the pragmatist, didn't flinch—but his knuckles whitened around his swords. "Aiko. Shut up. That 'dramatic old man' could bisect you mid-step." His voice was low, tense. "And we're hunting things that survive out here. Think."
"Ryn is right." Ren said calmly. Aiko clicked her tongue unsatisfied.
"One percent, huh?" Kaito mused, rubbing his numb fingers together. His lazy gaze flicked to the gouge in the earth. "Pretty strong i guess." He stifled a yawn, but his eyes lingered on the mountains.
---
One of the other master-rank supervisors—Lady Hana of the Mist Clan—stepped forward, her voice calm but carrying.
"Monsters are not mindless beasts. They learn. They adapt, and become stronger. And so we ranked them based on their strength." She gestured to a series of wooden markers, each carved with a different symbol.
- Normal-rank is on par with F-E rank Adventurers or Beginner level.
- Weak. Slow. Barely a threat to trained fighters.
- "A child with a sword could kill one. But even a child dies if overwhelmed."
- Elite-rank is on par with D-C rank Adventurers or Intermediate level.
- Faster. Tougher. Some can use rudimentary magic.
- "These are the ones that slaughter villages when left unchecked."
- Commander/Leader-rank is on par with B rank Adventurers or Expert level.
- Intelligent. Capable of leading lesser monsters.
- "If you see one, you call for backup. No exceptions."
- Lord and King-rank are on par with A rank Adventurers or Master level.
- Rare. Disastrous.
- "Pray you never meet one."
- Emperor rank is on par with S rank Adventurers or grandmaster level. "If you ever meet one. Just give up."
Lady Hana's gaze swept over them. "You will be hunting 'normal' and 'elite' ranks only. Anything higher, you flee. Understood?"
A chorus of shaky affirmations followed.
The third master, General Tetsu of the Iron Body unit, grunted. "Now. Groups."
---
One by one, names were called.
Aiko was placed with Ryn and four others—a mix of spear users and archers. She shot Kaito a smug look. "Try not to die without me."
Ren was grouped with two other intermediates—a fire mage from the Sunspark Clan and an assassin-type fighter from a mid ranking clan—along with three beginners. His expression never changed, but Kaito caught the slight tightening of his jaw.
Then came Kaito's turn.
"Kaito Kurogane," General Tetsu read off the scroll. "With Yuriko Yukibana, Dain of the Angelblood, Kael of the Demonfang, Mira the Elementalist, and Jiro the Brute."
Murmurs erupted.
"Kael and Dain in the same group? That's asking for bloodshed."
"The famous Yukibana's clan greatest genius? The Frozen Snow Flower?"
"That group is lucky to have her."
Yuriko Yukibana—the only expert-level trainee—was a girl with hair like fresh snow and eyes like glacial ice. She didn't look at Kaito. Didn't look at anyone. She just stood there, the air around her subtly 'colder'.
Dain and Kael, the Angelblood and Demonfang heirs, immediately locked onto each other like rival wolves.
Mira, the elementalist, clutched a carved wooden totem to her chest, her fingers trembling. unnoticed Mira whispers to her totem. occasionally the totem glows.
Jiro—a hulking boy with a greatsword strapped to his back—just grinned. "We're gonna 'wreck' some monsters."
Kaito sighed. "Of course I get stuck with the two walking rivalries and an ice queen."
This was going to be 'exhausting'.
---
Back in their assigned barracks, the six of them sat in awkward silence.
Yuriko spoke first. Her voice was soft, but it carried the weight of winter.
"Yukibana Clan. Ice affinity. Expert-rank."
Dain—golden-haired, with eyes like polished sapphires—inclined his head. "Angelblood Clan. I use Holy energy, and I am Intermediate level."
Kael—pale as moonlight, with crimson streaks in his dark hair—bared his teeth in something that wasn't a smile. "Demonfang Clan. I use Demonic energy, and also an Intermediate level."
Mira flinched when all eyes turned to her. "I-I'm Mira. I talk to elementals. Beginner."
Jiro thumped his chest. "Jiro! I hit things 'really hard'!"
All eyes shifted to Kaito.
He yawned, but his eyes flicked to the mountains—already calculating. "I'm Kaito. I nap."
Yuriko's frosty gaze finally landed on him. "You're Kurogane's third son, right?"
"Yeah."
"The lazy one?"
"Yeah."
Silence.
Then Kael snorted. "Try not to slow us down, Kurogane."
---
Beyond the barracks, the Drakthar Mountains loomed, their peaks lost in roiling storm clouds. Somewhere in those frozen wastes, monsters stirred.
And Kaito's group—stuck with an ice queen, two walking grudges, a brute without a brain, and a girl who talks to sticks—was expected to hunt them at dawn.
---
End Chapter 9.