'Why are you here?'...

The ruined mansion groaned with every gust of wind, its structure barely holding together.

The cold seeped through the broken walls, sending shivers down the spines of those huddled inside.

Everyone sat on the dusty floor, their faces pale and blank as they tried to process the horrifying events of the day.

A deep silence hung over the room, broken only by the occasional crack of wood or the distant howl of the wind.

Seichii sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, his teeth clenched as he stared at the ground.

His breathing was uneven, his frustration bubbling just beneath the surface until it erupted.

"Now what, huh? The demons who destroyed the town downhill are roaming outside, saying they don't want to hurt us!

And here we are, stuck like rats in this broken mansion, unable to even run for our lives!"

His voice cracked, filled with a mix of anger and despair.

He stood abruptly, pacing back and forth, his boots scraping against the dusty floor.

His movements were jerky, almost desperate.

"Can this day get any worse?"

he muttered, running his hands through his disheveled hair.

His voice rose again, unable to keep the anguish inside.

"First those demons in the forest, then the entire town wiped out, and now this so-called S-rank demon!

We can't even look at him without feeling like our souls are being pulled apart! JUST END IT ALREADY!"

He gripped his head with both hands, shaking as he let out a guttural scream.

The others watched him, their expressions filled with pity and exhaustion, but no one spoke a word of comfort.

A small, trembling voice finally broke the silence.

"P-papa's angry…"

Zanu's lower lip quivered as tears welled up in her wide eyes.

"Papa, don't be angry...hic...it makes Zanu sad."

Seichii froze, his hands still gripping his head.

His rage subsided slightly as he turned to see his little daughter sobbing quietly.

His heart ached at the sight. He slowly walked over to her, crouching down to her level.

"I'm sorry, Zanu,"

he whispered, pulling her into a gentle hug.

Her tiny body shook in his arms as he patted her head, his voice soft and calm now.

"Papa isn't angry. I'm just...a little frustrated."

Zanu sniffled, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"But what is Papa fruztated about? Tell Zanu! Zanu will make it go away for Papa!"

Her innocent determination brought a faint smile to Seichii's face.

The tension in the room eased as everyone else turned their attention to the little girl, some managing weak smiles at her bravery.

Rika, however, couldn't hold back her tears.

"But what is happening?" she sobbed, her voice trembling.

"We were just supposed to rescue the people in town...and now this? Why is this happening to us?"

Meiko moved closer, wrapping an arm around Rika's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"We'll figure it out, Rika,"

She said softly, though the doubt in her voice was evident.

Shigeru, sitting against a wall, rubbed his temples as he tried to gather his thoughts.

His usual calm demeanor was cracked, his face slick with sweat.

"First, we need to figure out how to get out of here and warn Headquarters,"

He said, his voice steady but strained.

"That demon said we don't have much time. If Mont Blanc shatters, the entire Alps could collapse. France, Italy…everything in its path will be destroyed."

The weight of his words hung in the air.

Akiko, sensing his distress, moved behind him and gently rested her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a comforting embrace.

She whispered softly in his ear,

"Don't stress yourself too much, Shigeru.

We've faced countless challenges together. We'll overcome this one too."

Shigeru closed his eyes for a moment, letting her warmth calm his racing thoughts.

"With you beside me, I'm not even afraid of death itself, let alone these lowly demons."

Shigeru said as he held her hand tightly.

However, the other's faces were bright red. Seichii covered Zanu's eyes.

"Hey, you two! There are children here! Save the romance for later!"

Ryuu sighed, rubbing his temples as he added,

"Yeah, seriously. What are you, high schoolers?"

He looked at the group with a faint grin.

"Also, don't forget, we're all here too. We're in this together, so don't count us out!"

Everyone other stood beside Ryuu, brimming with confidence.

Shigeru chuckled softly, rising to his feet. He approached Ryuu, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning—

Smack!

Shigeru's fist connected with Ryuu's face. The sound echoed in the room as Ryuu stumbled back, holding his cheek.

"Aramiya-kun…"

Shigeru said with a disturbingly cheerful smile.

"Who taught you to talk to your master like that?"

Ryuu's face drained of color as he dropped to his knees, bowing deeply.

"I'M SORRY, MASTER! I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

The others burst into laughter, the tension in the room breaking for the first time.

Shigeru sighed, shaking his head as he turned back to the group.

"Let's get some rest,"

he said, his voice more composed now.

"We'll need our strength for tomorrow. The demon said he'd release us in the morning, but we can't trust him. I'll think of a plan."

He leaned back against the wall, his gaze distant as he contemplated their next move.

Akiko went and sat beside her leaning on his shoulder.

Carol stepped forward hesitantly, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I need to tell you all something,"

She said, her voice unsteady but determined.

Shigeru straightened, meeting her gaze.

"What is it, your highness?"

Carol hesitated, before speaking.

"When that demon mentioned Mont Blanc shattering, something strange happened.

My heart began to beat rapidly, like never before..."

She said as she touched her heart, suddenly a golden colour light came from her as the Triana came out of the body.

The group stared at her in confusion, as she continued,

"As you know, I'm the chosen wielder of Triana, one of the five mythical swords.

When the spirit chose me, it merged with my heart. So, when my heart thumped rapidly....It wasn't actually my heart but the Spirit of the Triana."

Her voice wavered as she looked down at the sword. "This has never happened before and I think that demon was telling the truth."

Shigeru's expression darkened as he absorbed her words.

"If the spirit of a mythical weapon reacted…then something truly catastrophic is coming," he said grimly.

As the others whispered among themselves, Carol added,

"Please keep this secret. If this information falls into the wrong hands…"

"We'll protect you and your secret, your highness,"

Shigeru said, bowing slightly. "But we need to prepare for the worst."

As the group settled in for the night, unease lingered in the air.

.

.

.

The silver moon hung high in the sky, its cold light illuminating the silhouette of a man sitting on a throne at the mountain's peak.

He grinned, his eyes glinting with anticipation as he slowly opened his mouth.

"Come out. I already know you're there," he said, resting his head lazily on his hand.

Gsh!!!

The bushes rustled, parting as a diligent, graceful figure stepped into view. Her hair shimmered like crystal, gleaming with an ethereal whiteness as she emerged from the shadows of the forest. It was none other than Ryoko.

Her icy gaze locked onto Keron, her expression unreadable yet laced with quiet authority. She didn't waste any time.

"You already know what I'm going to ask you," she said, her voice colder than the winter wind. "Why are you here, Keron?"

Keron's smirk deepened as he met her gaze, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"I've already told you all my purpose for coming here,"

He said, the mocking tone still in his voice. "I came to warn you. Didn't I?"

Ryoko's crimson eyes glinted dangerously as she raised her hand, her icy aura rippling around her.

In the next instant, an ice sword materialized in her grasp, its blade gleaming coldly under the moonlight.

"Answer me properly, or I'll snap your neck right off your body,"

Ryoko said, her voice icy, each word heavy with lethal intent.

Keron, unfazed, simply leaned back in his throne.

"Oh? You're going to cut my neck, huh? With that kind of power? Go ahead, try it,"

He taunted, a sly grin spreading across his face.

Ryoko's eyes narrowed, her grip on the sword tightening, causing the air around her to grow even colder.

Frost began creeping across the ground as she stepped closer, her expression hardening.

"You know, even this much of my power is more than enough to reduce you to pieces. Are you really that eager for death?"

She said, her tone cold as steel.

Keron let out a mocking laugh, standing from his throne. He raised both hands, feigning surrender

"Ah, you're angry now? I was just kidding! No need to jump to conclusions, he-he-he!"

Ryoko didn't flinch, her expression as frozen as the sword in her hand.

"That depends on whether you'll answer me truthfully. What are you doing here? And what did you mean about the mountain shattering?"

Keron's grin shifted slightly as he moved closer to her, still maintaining a playful air.

"Like I've said, I came to warn you about what's to come. As for why? Even I don't know the full details."

Ryoko's eyes flickered with growing frustration.

"Then who sent you?" she demanded, her voice like a blade itself.

Keron tilted his head, his grin returning, though there was something more calculating behind it.

"That... I can't tell you. It's too early for you to know."

Ryoko's patience was thinning. Her sword crackled with cold energy.

"But...Was it you who sent those demons after us in the forest?"

Keron's grin never faltered, but his eyes sparkled with mischief.

"And what if I said yes? What are you going to do about it-?"

Before he could finish, Ryoko snapped.

With a flick of her wrist, her ice sword flared to life, and in an instant, one of his hands was on the ground, frozen solid, the cold creeping up his arm.

"Ahhh! What was that for? Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to regenerate my hand?!"

Keron shouted, his voice laced with both annoyance and pain as he held the frozen stump of his hand.

Ryoko turned her around as she began to leave, her tone calm and cold.

"That was for sending those demons after us and trying to harm others.

And....Don't play with me, Keron. I know you can regenerate that hand in seconds."

Keron scowled, but as if to prove her right, his hand began to regenerate at an astonishing rate.

Within moments, the frozen stump was whole again, and he flexed his fingers with a grimace.

"You know....You've become softer than before?"

He said, a hint of seriousness slipping into his tone.

Ryoko froze in her tracks, his words hitting harder than she expected.

Her mind raced as an image of Ryuu surfaced—his face, his words, the way he had changed her.

(You've gotten kinder, more open to us. You smile more, express yourself more... And I guess it makes me happy to see you smile like this, Ryoko-san)

Her cheeks flushed, and her heart beat faster, but she quickly pushed the thoughts aside, focusing instead on the present.

"You mistake kindness for weakness, Keron,"

She said firmly, her gaze hard as she turned back toward him.

Keron's smile widened.

"If it were the old you, you wouldn't have stopped at just freezing my hand. You would've torn me apart piece by piece."

Ryoko's expression softened slightly, but she didn't lower her guard.

She could feel the change within her, the impact of her past actions, her bonds, and perhaps... something more.

Keron's voice turned colder.

"But...Don't forget, there isn't much time left, and you know about that. If something happened to them, You both have to face the consequences..."

Ryoko glared at him, her eyes flashing with silent fury. "The same goes for you, Keron."

She turned away, her footsteps echoing in the silence of the night. As she walked toward the mansion, she could feel Keron's eyes on her.

Keron grinned to himself, watching her retreat into the shadows.

"We'll see about that..." he muttered under his breath, vanishing into the air with a final mischievous laugh...