"It seems our guests this time aren't simple. I wonder who's stronger—the ones climbing the mountain, or your subordinate?"
Inside the mountain shrine, a girl with tea-colored hair and two small horns protruding from her forehead held a steaming cup. She wore traditional miko robes and looked across the table at a woman with sun-kissed, wheat-colored skin.
"There is no need for concern, Lady Kaede. Bagg is a Dream Demon capable of weaving illusion into reality. Even if she cannot overpower them, escaping is child's play for her. If the intruders were truly dangerous, she would have retreated by now. Since she hasn't, the opponents must be mediocre."
The tanned woman's lips curled into a confident smirk.
"But are you truly unwilling to help me? If you restore my full power so I can capture Tamagane, I'll give you her entire collection of artifacts," the woman added, brushing a lock of white hair from her brow.
"I am a Kuryuin," Kaede said flatly, blowing on her tea. "What could I possibly lack? Your drama is interesting, but helping you is a hassle. So... I refuse."
As a genius of the Kuryuin clan, Kaede had the backing of a magical empire. She didn't fear retribution, and she certainly didn't care for the woman's petty squabbles.
"What if I told you that among Tamagane's treasures, there is a Dragon Scale?"
The woman leaned forward, her arms crossing under her chest to emphasize her cleavage. She wore very little, her outfit designed to flaunt her curves. Had Kaede been interested in women, she might have used her body as collateral—after all, to a lesbian like her, a beauty like Kaede was top-tier "grinding" material. But Kaede remained unmoved by the skin show.
"A Dragon Scale?" Kaede's heavy eyelids lifted slightly.
"Yes. I've seen it. Genuine. That absolute magic-nullification property... only a Dragon possesses that."
The woman slammed her hands on the table, leaning in close.
"Don't spill my tea," Kaede warned, using a sliver of mana to steady the pot.
"Of course." The woman sat back quickly. She wasn't a noble; she was a solitary "Hell-Hound" (Inugami) who couldn't afford to offend a Great Clan.
"For a Dragon Scale, I can provide you with tools and artifacts, but I will not personally intervene. Can you accept that, Lady Inugami?"
"That is enough. I trust Kuryuin craftsmanship," the Inugami smiled.
"Also, you'll be responsible for the damages caused by the fight below. Fix the landscape yourself," Kaede added.
"Bagg will handle it. Her illusions can restore the scenery in an instant."
"I suggest you go check on her, though," Kaede said, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. "These guests are... unconventional."
Unconventional? Inugami felt a sudden prickle of unease. She stood up and walked to the veranda.
"What... what is that?" Inugami gasped. Below them, the mountain was draped in a sea of azure flames. She could smell the scent of primordial danger rising from the blue fire.
"My tracking spells can't pierce it," Kaede said, stepping out behind her. "The fire consumes mana as fuel. Even active spells are incinerated. It's a complete counter to supernatural beings."
"Can you stop it?" Inugami asked, her voice tight.
"If I could do that, I wouldn't need a Dragon Scale. That flame is lethal, Inugami. If it touches you, it will burn your mana dry and then turn your body to ash."
The two women watched in silence as the blue tide eventually began to recede.
"It's stopping," Kaede noted. "It seems it only burns mana. The trees and grass are untouched."
"Pure mana-combustion... whoever is down there is a monster," Inugami muttered. She activated several enhancement spells, her body glowing with a golden aura. "I'm going down. Bagg hasn't returned; I hope she's still alive."
Kaede sipped her tea, watching the Inugami sprint down the stairs. "A Dragon's flame... I wonder what the 'guest' wants from me."