A Nartheis with the appearance of a crow but with a humanoid body stood guard before a colossal door, maintaining a cold and impassive expression. He wore black clothing and in his left hand held a black spear with a red blade. The item behind the door he guarded was important, according to what his master had said, so he would not let anyone pass unless he was dead.
Name: Pegra, Nartheis rank Ranvil level two
Magic: black feathers
Unique ability: guardian of the dark: while guarding something important, all of his abilities increase by thirty percent.
"While I was away, did something happen, Pegra?"
On the right, a slender-bodied Nartheis approached. Her skin was grayish, her eyes dull red, and from her back sprouted broken, crystallized wings. Like Pegra, she had a humanoid body, but her appearance was closer to another race. That race was something special in this world called the Imprisoned, and her appearance was feminine, with flowers surrounding her hair. She wore a dark gray mantle.
Name: Karyu, Nartheis rank Ranvil level two
Magic: Kotei Yami
Unique ability: Profane Vigil Bond: when the user fights alongside someone who is protecting something or someone, she can anchor the ally's existence to her own, preventing the effects of certain magics and dividing the damage between the two.
"No, Karyu. Could you stop leaving the place we're supposed to guard?"
"Don't start with that now, Pegra. You're the ones forcing me to fight alongside you."
"I don't understand this dissatisfaction of yours with us. Fighting alongside the master is the best thing that could have happened in your miserable life—"
"Karyu? Are you a Nartheis from the center of Tsuyokuni?"
The two who were arguing with venomous looks turned toward the voice and raised their guard. Karyu was confused by the words, unsure what that human who had just arrived meant by that.
"Who are you?"
"From your confusion, it's very likely you don't even know where Tsuyokuni is."
The person standing before them was Rina. Her expression was curious as she looked at Karyu, but it turned cold as she drew her katana from its sheath. At her waist were two swords, and she pulled out the one on the right.
"I'm curious about your name, but I'm even more curious about what's behind that door."
"Do not take another step, human."
"And if I don't want to?"
Pegra stepped forward, pointing his spear toward Rina. His face remained cold, but a slight irritation could be seen at the audacity of the person before him. Karyu behind him seemed amused that the girl had managed to irritate Pegra.
"If you don't want to, then your sentence is death—"
"But the one who will die is you."
To both of their surprise, Rina appeared behind Pegra and in front of Karyu. With a spin, she created a whirlwind of slashes that struck both of them, sending them crashing into the wall. Without wasting time, she infused mana into her leg and lunged forward, her leg striking the colossal door and managing to open it, accompanied by a small expression of pain.
"Hey, that door was hard to open."
Pegra spread his wings to move faster, managing to reach her in time to strike his spear into her back. Spinning, he cut her in two, but to his surprise, what he had struck was only a residual image left by Rina. The real one was already inside, looking at a golden square five meters wide.
"This looks like some kind of vault. Tell me how it opens? I think my Ketsumei will like this."
"As if I would tell a human."
Pegra's spear flew toward her side, thrown by its owner, and with dark red energy it exploded right next to Rina's foot. Karyu created several shadows around the red explosion and clenched her hands, engulfing it within a dark sphere.
"I managed to capture her."
"I can't believe this girl came here thinking she could defeat both of us."
"Actually, I don't think it was exactly her who chose."
With doubt, he looked at Karyu, who had begun to sweat. Seeing her hands tremble, he watched as the black sphere slowly began to crack.
"You're losing?"
"Yes, but I can see that my magic has an advantage over hers. It's just a little difficult because she seems to have more mana than me."
"If that's the case, then I guess I'll have to lend you some."
Pegra's face showed disdain at having to do that, while Karyu grew irritated. How dare he make that face at her? They were both the same level.
"If you're going to do it, do it quickly—"
"Mana decomposition."
The dark sphere of mana burst open with a boom.
The dark sphere of mana burst open with a dry crash, like glass being crushed from the inside. Fragments of shadow fell apart in the air, dissolving into black particles that evaporated before even touching the ground.
"But what is this?"
The impact of the release pushed Pegra and Karyu back several steps, forcing them to spread their wings to maintain balance.
At the center of the space previously occupied by Karyu's magic, Rina remained standing. Her posture was far too relaxed for someone who had just emerged from magical confinement. The katana in her right hand vibrated slightly, emitting a sharp and almost imperceptible sound. A thin blue-white aura enveloped the blade's edge, contrasting with the more unstable and violent energy flowing from the second sword still sheathed at her waist.
Rina let out a short sigh, cracking her neck.
"…so that was it? Your magic has a certain advantage over mine."
Karyu's eyes widened, completely losing her composure. This was a magic so powerful that it could make several Nartheis of the same level as her beg to be released.
"T-That's impossible… my Kotei Yami anchors the target's existence… you shouldn't be able to dissolve it."
"Dissolve it, no. I just… denied it by adding a new ability."
Rina interrupted her, slightly raising the katana with a neutral expression. Pegra frowned. The black feathers around his body bristled, reacting instinctively to the danger. He had faced arrogant humans before, mages who thought themselves special, and all of them had died the same way to the combination of the two of them.
"Your human arrogance is—"
"Pegra, I don't think this is just arrogance."
Looking back at Karyu, Pegra observed her thinking deeply, sweat dripping from her forehead.
"What do you mean by that?"
"…It's quite possible that the Dark Castle sent her here because she's at the same level as the two of us at the same time."