As he left the Labyrinth, Takeshi's sword began to glow with an intense, blinding light. Shielding his eyes, he braced himself—but when the light finally faded, a small figure stood before him.
A young girl, no older than seven or nine, wearing a simple white nightgown. She looked around with a dazed innocence, as if waking from a dream she didn't understand. Her mismatched eyes—one bright blue, the other a warm yellow—gazed up at Takeshi. Light peach-colored hair framed her delicate face. She tilted her head curiously before her expression lit up with recognition.
"Papa?" she said softly, running to him and hugging his leg.
Takeshi froze. The word echoed in his mind. Papa? What just happened? Was this some side effect of the ritual? Had they failed to summon the Demon King and instead... brought forth a child?
Realizing he needed answers, he gently picked up the girl and headed back to the surface. His pace quickened as he returned to the V-Building, where Nyx waited.
Nyx's eyes widened as she saw Takeshi approach with the girl in his arms. "Who is this adorable little girl? Don't tell me you've had a secret family this whole time."
"What? No!" Takeshi sputtered. "She appeared after my sword lit up. I think it's connected to the cult's spell failing. I swear I don't know her." He quickly explained everything that had happened.
The girl looked at Nyx, then beamed. "Mama!" she chirped, reaching out.
Nyx blinked, stunned, then melted instantly. She picked up the girl without hesitation, cradling her. "She's too cute. Takeshi, we can't just call her 'girl' forever. Let's name her."
Takeshi frowned. "Name her? She's not ours."
"Still, she needs something to go by. It's not like we're leaving her behind."
He sighed. "Fine. Whatever you think works."
Nyx smiled. "Let's call her Akari. It means 'light.' Fitting, right?"
Takeshi rolled his eyes but didn't argue. As Nyx handed him a card, he glanced at it.
[Name: Hiroshi, Takeshi]
[Species: Human]
[Occupation: Adventurer]
[Rank: C]
[Role: Fighter/Marksman]
"You filled it out for me? Thanks. What about yours?"
Nyx handed him her own ID.
[Name: Xardgoat, Nyxia]
[Species: Human]
[Occupation: Adventurer]
[Rank: B]
[Role: Mage]
Takeshi's eyes narrowed slightly. Human? He thought. Liar. But I get it—if people knew she was a vampire, it'd cause chaos.
He handed the card back. "Thanks."
"No problem. Oh, by the way—I got us a room upstairs. But, um… I only had enough for one."
Takeshi blinked. "Seriously? You could've told me. I have money too."
Together, they made their way to the room. Just as they entered, a loud growl echoed.
"Hungry, Akari?" Nyx asked.
"Yes!" the girl said, rubbing her stomach.
Nyx laughed and handed her some bread from her bag. Akari accepted it eagerly, munching happily.
"So," Nyx said, turning to Takeshi, "what's our next move? You've been dodging the question long enough. What are we actually doing out here?"
Takeshi leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "It's my parents. Ten years ago, they joined an expedition to the ruins near the border between Azura and Azrakal. Something went wrong. Everyone disappeared. Even the king's search party vanished. I left Azura City to find out what happened… and to bring them back if they're still alive."
Nyx's expression softened. "I see… That makes sense now."
Takeshi lowered his gaze, the weight of his mission hanging heavy in the air.
But Nyx, never one to stay in gloom for long, grinned. "Well, now that that's out of the way—how about food? There's a restaurant downstairs with dishes that looked amazing."
"More food! More food!" Akari cheered, bouncing.
Takeshi chuckled and led them to the elevator. Whatever came next, at least for now, they had each other.