Two days passed in uneasy quiet.
No masked figures. No ambushes. Only the sound of the wagon's wheels rolling over dirt and stone.
Kairo sat at the front of the wagon, watching the plains stretch endlessly ahead.
But peace didn't reach him.
Eric shifted in his seat, "So, Kairo… where did you come from?"
Kairo's voice came out flat, distant. "Greystone Village."
Eric's brow furrowed, "Greystone?"
"I heard rumors… Monsters appearing outside the dungeon there."
Kairo's jaw tightened. His fingers curled into fists on his lap.
Images flashed in his head. Mira's eyes, wide with terror.
His breath hitched.
"Do you know anything about that?" Eric asked carefully.
Kairo didn't answer. He stared at the ground, his throat tight, unable to force the words out.
"Kairo?" Eric pressed, softer this time.
Finally, Kairo's voice emerged, barely a whisper, trembling at the edges. "I know."
Eric's eyes widened, "Then it's true."
Kaya leaned forward. Her voice was gentle, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"If something happened," Eric said quietly, "you can tell us."
Kairo shook his head once, "It's nothing."
The words cut the conversation dead.
The rest of the day passed in silence.
...
That night, they set camp beside the road. The forest loomed close on one side, dark and tangled, whilst the plains stretched open on the other.
Fenric and Kaya worked together to prepare dinner.
Eric and Kairo stood watch, one at the front of the camp, one at the back.
Kairo's eyes swept the treeline, searching shadows between the trunks.
Then he saw it.
A faint ripple in the darkness. Movement where there should be none.
His hand shot to his sword hilt, drawing the blade, "Show yourself."
The shadows shifted.
From the darkness, a figure stepped forward. The same red-robed man appeared, his demon mask caught the firelight.
Kairo's grip tightened on his sword. "Stop right there."
The man didn't. He walked toward Kairo, unhurried, silent.
As he neared, pressure slammed into Kairo. The air grew dense, crushing, forcing the breath from his lungs.
The masked man walked past him without a glance, as if Kairo wasn't even worth acknowledging.
Eric caught sight of him instantly.
His sword rang as he unsheathed it, stepping forward with his shield raised. "Who are you? Take off the mask!"
Behind him, Fenric scrambled into the wagon, disappearing beneath the canvas cover.
Kaya ran to Eric's side, her hands trembling but her stance defiant.
The masked man stopped. His head tilted slightly, and when he spoke, his voice was deep, calm, terrifyingly composed. "I didn't come to fight. I don't want violence. I only need the summoning scroll inside that wagon. Once I have it, I'll leave."
Kairo was behind the masked man, This is the chance.
Kairo activated [Sonic].
The world blurred. His body moved faster than thought, disappearing in a flash of motion. He aimed his blade straight for the man's back, intending to drive it through his spine.
He never connected.
The masked man vanished.
Kairo's sword sliced through empty air.
Then, a presence materialized behind him, which felt like death itself for Kairo.
A cold whisper brushed his ear, so close he could feel the breath. "Boom."
Kairo flinched violently, stumbling forward, his heart hammering in his chest.
Even Eric hadn't seen the movement. His eyes darted between Kairo and the masked man, now standing several paces away.
The masked man sighed, almost disappointed. "I said I don't want violence. I only need the scroll."
Eric's voice rose, "What scroll? Why do you need it?"
The man chuckled, "You're escorting it without even knowing what it is?"
He stepped closer, "Tell me, have you heard of the recent dungeon outbreaks? Monsters appearing outside? How do you think that happens?"
Kairo froze. His sword trembled in his grip. Monsters… outside the dungeon?
Eric frowned, his shield still raised. "They must've escaped somehow."
"Escaped?" The masked man laughed softly, shaking his head. "No. Impossible. Dungeons don't release what they hold. The system doesn't allow it. Unless…"
His tone sharpened, "…unless someone uses a summoning scroll to bring them out."
Kairo's breath caught. His vision blurred at the edges.
"These scrolls," the man continued, pacing slowly, "are the newest treasure in the black market. Capture a monster inside a dungeon, bind it to the scroll, sell it for gold outside. Simple business. Bloody business."
Understanding crashed over Kairo.
His voice broke, raw and desperate. "Greystone Village… that was you?"
The man shook his head. "No. I don't bother with small villages."
He walked past them, unbothered, and ripped open the wagon's canvas cover. Inside, Fenric trembled, pressed against the far wall.
The masked man pulled a small iron box from a chest, lifting it into the firelight.
"Lucky day," he said, opening it. Inside, scrolls glowed faintly. "More than twenty."
Kairo's vision blurred red. Rage. Grief. The faces of his friends, their screams, their blood.
He screamed and charged, sword raised.
"I told you I don't want violence," the masked man said, almost wearily.
Kairo ignored him and swung with everything he had.
The man sidestepped effortlessly, and his boot came up in a sharp kick.
The impact shattered Kairo's right arm. Bone cracked audibly.
Kairo crashed into the ground with a cry.
"Kairo!" Eric shouted.
Eric rushed forward.
Eric swung his sword again and again, but the masked man slipped between them effortlessly, movements smooth as water.
A single kick sent Eric flying.
The masked man sighed, brushing dust from his robe. "I tried to stay clean today, but you're persistent."
He set the box down carefully and took a step toward Kaya, who stood frozen.
"Kaya!" Eric coughed blood, barely lifting his head.
She stumbled back, hands glowing faintly. "[Cure Wounds]!" she whispered, healing him in panic.
Eric gritted his teeth, raising his shield despite the pain. "Stay behind me!"
He rushed forward, activating [Shield Bash], the skill propelling him with explosive force.
But before impact, the masked man disappeared again.
When Eric turned, the man was behind Kaya.
"Ah," the masked man said softly, "the weak one."
He raised his hand to strike.
Kairo appeared from the right, kicking him across the mask with his full weight. The impact cracked the mask, sending the man stumbling several steps back.
The masked man tilted his head, examining the crack. "Didn't you already die?"
He chuckled darkly. "This time, I'll make sure."
Kairo stood in front of Kaya, bloodied, clutching his broken arm, eyes burning with defiance. "Not again. I won't let it happen again!"
Eric charged from behind, sword raised high, roaring.
The masked man turned with impossible speed.
His fist slammed into Eric's shield. The steel shattered like glass, shards scattering across the ground.
Eric coughed blood as the next punch drove into his stomach, lifting him off his feet. He crashed backward, collapsing near Kairo.
He gasped, blood pooling at his lips. "R…u…n…"
Kairo's eyes trembled. His breath came in ragged gasps.
Run? Again?
He remembered Mira. Ronin. Draven. The troll. The screams. Running whilst they died.
"Not again!" he roared, his voice breaking. "I will not run again!"
He grabbed his sword with his left hand and charged, ignoring the agony in his arm.
The masked man caught the blade mid-swing, twisting Kairo's wrist until bone ground against bone.
Then came the blows.
One. Two. Three.
Each punch shattered bone. His jaw. His skull. His ribs. Pain exploded through his body.
Finally, the masked man threw him aside like garbage.
Kairo's body crumpled, broken, bleeding.
"I will kill you painlessly," the man said softly to Kaya, stepping toward her.
She backed away, tears streaming down her face, hands raised uselessly.
Then—
The masked man stopped.
Behind him, a faint pulse echoed through the forest, rhythmic, like a heartbeat.
He turned slowly.
Kairo's broken body was glowing, light bleeding from his veins.
"What…" the masked man whispered. "What is this?"
[Refuse To Die] Activated…