Azire and Suna met Uno at the entrance of the village, where they were greeted by the town's chief.
"Welcome," the chief said, his voice steady and authoritative. "Uno, are these the two you told me about?"
"Yes," Uno replied, a hint of pride in his tone. "This knucklehead is Azire, and right here is my daughter, Suna."
"Ah, it's nice to meet you both," the chief continued. "I am the chief of this town. You may call me Chief Arkan. As Uno has probably informed you, there's a camp of beast men settled in the mountains to the north. They've been quite a hassle for us, and we believe they are bandits, even scaring off some of our fishermen. Your mission is to go up there, find out what they want, and if things get physical, I expect you to handle it. Once you've completed the task, report back to me to receive your rewards."
Azire and Suna exchanged cheeky grins, excitement bubbling between them.
The three set off towards the mountains, soon arriving at a clearing of trees just before the entrance of a dark, ominous cave. Doubt crept into their minds—perhaps this mission wouldn't be as straightforward as they had hoped.
"Okay, you two, ready?" Uno asked, glancing back at them. They both nodded. "I'll wait at the entrance to make sure none of those pesky beasts escape, and two, as backup if things inside get too dicey."
After grabbing a few conveniently placed torches, Azire ignited them with his flame magic, and they stepped into the cave. As they ventured deeper, Azire activated his Demonic Eye, scanning for signs of life but coming up empty.
"Anything yet, Azire?" Suna inquired, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Not even close," he replied.
"Ahhhhh, this is such a pain! When are we going to get some action?" she complained, punching the air as if mimicking a fierce right hook.
"We'll get to them soon enough. Just stay alert. We don't know how many there are or how they'll fight," Azire warned, keeping his focus sharp.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just wish they would hurry up—alre-DEEEEEEE!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath them gave way, and they fell through a trapdoor, landing in a heap on top of one another.
"Ow," they muttered, dusting themselves off as they stood to survey the horror before them: bodies—dead bodies—piled high. Clothes were ripped, teeth missing, hair pulled out, shoes torn. Jewels and gems littered the floor, forming a grotesque treasury graveyard.
Suna screamed, and their surroundings were filled with the echoing howls of creatures lurking in the shadows. The sound disoriented them, and they frantically scanned the area, anticipating an attack.
Then, out of the darkness, a wolfman charged toward Suna, cocking back a punch. The brute force sent her crashing into a stone wall with a resounding thud. A grunt escaped her lips, though most of the impact was absorbed by a magically conjured water shield she managed to summon at the last moment. However, she was far from unscathed.
Azire rushed in, dodging a powerful slam from the wolfman that shattered the ground beneath them, rocks and dust flying into the air. Using the chaos as a distraction, Azire sneaked behind the wolfman, launching himself off the ground and delivering a fierce kick to its neck, sending it flying into a wall. He quickly turned to check on Suna.
"I am Kurami, the owner of this cave. Who are you to disrupt my peace?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.
Suna straightened, determination shining in her eyes. "We're not here to disrupt anything. We just want to understand why you've been causing trouble for the village!"
Kurami's lip curled in a snarl. "No matter. Keep your secrets. I'm sure your corpses will be all too eager to speak," he sneered, summoning two beastly henchmen from the shadows.
"Jackal and Hollie, get off your lazy asses and help me deal with these two!" Kurami commanded.
Azire felt a surge of adrenaline. "Suna, you handle her. I'll take care of these two," he declared, his voice steady.
"Don't hurt yourself, Azire," Suna teased, a playful glint in her eye.
"Oh, don't worry. I have the almighty angel on my side. If I lose, she'll—"
Before he could finish, Jackal threw a skull between them, the sound shattering their light banter into a tense silence. With a shared nod, they prepared for battle.
Azire's crimson aura ignited, warping the air around him as he activated his Demonic Eye. A calm focus enveloped him as he prepared to unleash his power.
"Let's go!" he shouted, charging forward, his footfalls echoing in the cave. He swiftly went to Jackal, dodging his vicious claw strike. Kurami attempted to swipe at Azire, but he leaped over it effortlessly. With a wicked grin, Azire landed behind Jackal, his hands wreathed in dark fire. Without hesitation, he drove a flaming fist straight through Jackal's chest, incinerating him from the inside out. Jackal let out a choked gasp before collapsing into a smoldering heap.
Azire let out a manic laugh, exhilaration rushing through him. Kurami's eyes widened in rage, his muscles tensing as his fury erupted.
Suna, glowing with a faint white light, activated her abilities as well. A half-broken halo appeared above her, illuminating the space around her and filling her with an electric energy.
As Azire closed the distance, Kurami lunged, a powerful punch aimed directly at him. Azire ducked, rolling under the attack, and sprang up behind the wolfman. He launched a swift kick to Kurami's side, but the beast twisted, absorbing the blow and retaliating with a vicious elbow strike.
The impact sent Azire stumbling back, but he quickly regained his footing. "Not bad!" he exclaimed, eyes glinting with excitement. He knew he had to stay agile.
Meanwhile, Suna faced off against Hollie, who charged at her with a snarl. "You're going to regret messing with us!" Hollie shouted, her claws glinting in the dim light.
Suna swiftly conjured a water shield just in time to absorb a powerful swipe, the force of it pushing her back. "I won't let you get away with this!" she declared, grit and determination fueling her words.
Azire, witnessing Suna's struggle, felt a surge of protective instinct. He turned back to Kurami, who was readying another punch. This time, Azire anticipated the attack. As Kurami swung, Azire ducked and pivoted, using the wolfman's momentum against him. He grabbed Kurami's arm and flipped him, slamming him into the ground.
"Now's my chance!" Azire thought, drawing upon his dark fire. He summoned a swirling mass of flame in his hand, launching it at Kurami. The fire streaked through the air, a brilliant flash of crimson, but Kurami managed to conjure an earth wall just in time, blocking the attack.
"Is that all you've got?" Kurami taunted, his voice low and dripping with disdain.
Suna, refusing to be outdone, gathered her energy and unleashed her LIGHT DANCE ability. A storm of 120 radiant light orbs materialized behind her, each one glowing with pure energy. "Take this!" she shouted, sending the orbs flying toward Hollie.
Hollie's eyes widened as she scrambled to dodge the barrage, slashing at the orbs with her claws. "You think that will stop me?" she snarled, but even as she fought, several orbs found their mark, piercing through her defenses.
Suna felt a rush of exhilaration as she saw Hollie stagger back, but the beast woman's fury only grew. "You'll pay for that!" she roared, closing the distance in an instant, using her speed to catch Suna off guard.
With a brutal slash, Hollie's claws raked across Suna's side, drawing blood. Suna gasped in shock, feeling the sting of the wound.
Everything freezes and she stares at the cut shes staggered "Did you just cut me?" Suna's voice rang with defiance, her eyes glowing with a fierce light.
The air around her shifted, and her halo brightened as she channeled her energy. The pain ignited something deep within her, and she called upon her power, transforming her all-white robe into an ethereal garment adorned with golden runes.
"LIGHT DANCE!" she exclaimed, a chorus of light orbs swirling around her in response to her command. Each orb glowed with renewed intensity, charging toward Hollie like a swarm of celestial bees.
Hollie, caught off guard, tried to evade, but the orbs were relentless. One by one, they struck her, forcing her to retreat to a corner of the cave, panting and disoriented.
In the midst of the chaos, Azire and Kurami clashed, their fists colliding with a thunderous impact. Azire's Demonic Eye flickered, allowing him to see through Kurami's movements. With a swift jab, Azire caught Kurami off guard, delivering a series of rapid punches that sent the wolfman reeling.
"Where are the rest of the bandits?" Azire demanded, breathless but unyielding.
Kurami grunted, barely recovering. "What the hell do you mean, bandits? We're just beast people trying to live our lives for god sake!"
A sudden headache struck Azire, a searing pain at the mention of "God." Azire thinks to himself god must not like me anymore since im a demon he says with a little despair in his voice considering hes a christian.
"We have reports of bandits here!" Azire insisted, clenching his jaw.
He turned to Suna. "Create a light prison! We need to contain them until we figure this out."
"Got it!" Suna replied, her eyes focused.
With a flourish, Suna conjured a brilliant cage of light that enveloped Kurami, trapping him within its radiant beams. "Stay in this prison until we get to the bottom of this," she commanded.
Kurami snarled from inside the glowing prison, frustration etched across his features. "You need me or Hollie to access the doors," he spat.
Azire nodded, recognizing the necessity. "Hollie, you're coming with us. Kurami, you stay put."
Hollie stepped forward, her demeanor shifting from aggressive to cooperative. She approached a wall in the cave, placing her palm against it. A massive magic symbol appeared, glowing blue—the same color as her hair.
With a flash, the wall crumbled away, revealing a hidden city beyond.
Suna and Azire stood in stunned silence, eyes wide with wonder. "This is our city," Hollie explained. "Most of us can't use magic; we're fighters. We have no bandits here, so feel free to look around."
As they stepped into the cave city, a figure lurked in the shadows, a smirk creeping across his face. "This is all part of my plan," he murmured, summoning a small bat. "Go follow them," he instructed, sending the creature off to track Azire and Suna.