The magistrates dungeon.

The group ended up in the magistrates dungeon.

Kaito's friends feel horrible, they were of no use to him at all! Frustration is etched deep in Kaito's face, he hasn't lost like this since he's left for his adventure. "They have Nyla." He whispers as he grits his teeth feeling like he failed her. 

His friends all see him standing clenching his fist rage evident in his stance.

Nanami holds her swollen eye. "Perhaps we should find a way out." Nanami suggest. 

Kaito doesn't answer at first, still in his thoughts. "I could've beat them, if only I could use my magic, but I had to watch out for my friends." Kaito says regretting the outcome. 

With a deep and frustrated sigh. "Yeah, let's go." Kaito says and he helps them up.

"Of course this guy had a fall in dungeon." Rika says. 

They proceed through the magistrates dungeon, the wet damp walls feeling awfully eerie underneath Kaito's annoyance.

Dante following behind had conjured some ice, to rest on Nanami's eye. "I don't mean to be a bother, but could any of you explain to me who Nyla is?" Nanami asks.

"She's this super important noble lady, and from what i've got from icy, she was with Kaito at the beginning of his adventure." Rika explains. 

Dante still a bit ashamed, silently nods. "Yeah, also her family is in charge of, high grade military goods, so she's important to the empire." 

Nanami nods taking this in, "and the great bridge collapse they were speaking of?" She asks. 

Rika smiles. "We had to blow it up, I guess that really riled the empire up."

"But who would've guessed they were trying to start up a war." Dante says. 

Through their entire conversation Kaito had not said a single word. He just walked in front of them, pressing on, footsteps echoing with heavy thuds. 

Nanami sighs. "I apologize we couldn't help during the battle." 

Rika scoffs. "Speak for yourself, I would've washed that guy." Rika proudly declares. 

Before they can continue the conversation Rika had stepped in human remains. "OH MY GOD!" Rika shouted. 

Quick hushed whispers, sound from the shadows. Kaito instantly gets on guard ready to combat their opponent. 

From the shadows steps a man, "The magistrate has a beast that, uses acid on it's victims, please do not draw it to us." The man explains. 

Nanami raises a brow. "Do you know if they're any other people down here?" She asks. 

The man shakes his head. "As far as i'm aware i'm the only one who survived." 

"Do you have a son?" Kaito asks, breaking his silence.

The mans eyes light up. "You've seen my boy!?" 

Kaito nods. "Come with us, we're gonna get you out of here." 

As the group moved deeper into the magistrate's dungeon, the air turned thick, a rot that clung to their lungs, sticky and suffocating. The dim torchlight barely reached the curved walls ahead.

Then...

Scrrrrrrk.

Claws scraped stone.

"Something's here," Kaito muttered, stepping forward and drawing his dagger

A monstrous shape emerged from the shadows, a creature with glistening, translucent skin and a mouth lined with hundreds of needle-like teeth. Its body steamed, dripping acid that burned through stone with every sluggish, sloshing step.

"The Acid Maw," the rescued father breathed. "Run, if you want to live!"

"No," Kaito said, stepping forward. "Stay back. I'll handle this."

His friends moved behind him as the creature shrieked, charging.

Kaito raised his left hand, a solid crimson barrier. snapping into place. The monster's acid slammed against it, spitting and sizzling, but the shield held firm.

Kaito didn't flinch. "That's one."

Then he pushed off the ground and dashed around the barrier, dagger flashing in hand. He leapt, slashed, carving into the beast's flank.

But instead of blood, acid sprayed, catching his sleeve. He rolled out of the way, gritting his teeth as fabric dissolved and skin sizzled beneath.

"Kaito!" Nanami shouted.

He ignored the pain, spinning his dagger in hand.

He raised his hand again, called on his magic. Attempting to summon ice magic.

Fire erupted, blasting forward, 

Too wild.

It missed the mark, blowing a hole in the wall behind the creature.

"Tch."

The beast retaliated, spitting a long stream of acid.

SHHHWMM,  Another barrier snapped into place, just in time. The acid splashed and hissed uselessly against it.

Kaito growled. "I can't keep relying on defense. I need offense. Come on… come on…"

He called on his magic again, calling back the fire this time, ice burst from his palm, slamming into the creature's legs. The beast shrieked, slowed, parts of it freezing over and cracking.

Kaito sprinted in again, low and fast, sliding under a swing of its tail. With precise, practiced motion, he jabbed his dagger into a joint behind the forelimb.

BOOM, a wind surge exploded from the impact, launching the beast backward into a wall.

The beast roared, trying to stand, but its frozen leg snapped, it collapsed, heaving in pain, hissing louder now.

Kaito backed off, chest heaving, sweat and blood dripping from his temple.

His magic churned wildly, another cast, earth erupted this time, spikes jutting from the ground, piercing into the monster's back. It writhed, vomiting acid in all directions.

"Barrier!" he shouted.

A dome flashed over his friends, just in time as acid rained down.

Inside the storm, Kaito stood alone.

He charged in for the final blow, dagger ready. The beast opened its mouth, one last acidic screech.

Too slow.

Kaito leapt, planting the dagger deep into the roof of its mouth, and then cast ice, instead of fire again, freezing it from the inside out.

CRACK—SSSSSSHHH.

The Acid Maw collapsed, motionless.

Silence.

Kaito stood, chest rising and falling, one arm hanging limp from acid burns.

Then he turned. "Everyone okay?"

The barrier fell.

Rika peeked out. "You're insane, you know that?"

Dante was wide-eyed. "That… that was incredible."

Nanami rushed over, grabbing his wrist gently. "You're hurt."

"I'll live," Kaito muttered. He glanced down at his dagger, then toward the beast's body. "That thing… was just a guard dog. There's worse waiting for us. And they still have Nyla."

He wiped blood and acid from his blade, gaze sharp.

"Let's move."

The corridors blurred into a winding spiral of damp stone, iron gates, and mold-covered steps. The deeper they went, the more the air thinned, until finally, a rusted ladder appeared.

Light trickled down from the top.

"Looks like daylight," Dante whispered, voice almost reverent.

Kaito turned to the father. "You first."

The man hesitated, eyes wide with disbelief. "You… you actually got us through that…"

"We're not out yet. Go."

The father climbed. The metal groaned, but held.

One by one, the others followed.

When Kaito reached the top, he pushed open a rusted hatch, and fresh air hit him like a wave. The sky was gray, the world still damp from last night's rain, but it was open. Free.

They'd emerged into a small graveyard behind the magistrate's estate, long abandoned. Ivy choked broken tombstones. A fence had been torn down, clearly the son's entry point.

"Kaito," Nanami said, pointing.

At the far end of the field, the boy peeked from behind a crumbling monument. Dirt-streaked face. Wide eyes.

"Dad!?"

The man froze.

"Finn!?"

The boy sprinted, arms wide, and the man dropped to his knees, scooping him into a crushing embrace. The boy sobbed into his father's chest, shaking.

"I thought you were dead!"

"I thought the same of myself…" His voice cracked, hands trembling in the boy's hair. "They said no one survived… but you waited…"

"I, I kept coming back every day. Just in case."

Kaito looked away, jaw tight, his expression unreadable.

Nanami touched his shoulder. "You saved a family today."

He didn't answer at first. Then. "It's not enough. Not until Nyla's safe."

Dante, standing nearby, nodded. "We'll get her. We've come this far."

Rika gave Kaito a lopsided grin. "If you can beat an acid dragon, we can break her out of whatever hellhole they've stuffed her into."

The father stood, still holding his son. "Where will you go now?"

Nanami stepped forward her hand still over the eye. "To the inn for now, we've got to figure out our next move."