A dull ache pulsed behind my eyes. Blurry shapes swam into focus, resolving into hulking, horned figures that loomed over me. A wave of stale, sulfuric air hit my nostrils.
"Riku, stand up! They're coming!" Suzie's voice, strained and urgent, cut through the haze. Her fingers clamped around my arm, surprisingly strong, pulling me to my feet. My eyes, still clearing, landed on her face. Her familiar blonde hair was now a shock of stark white, and her once sky-blue eyes shimmered with an unsettling violet hue. A tremor went through me.
A shadow fell over us. "Your name." The voice rumbled, deep and gravelly, like stones grinding together. It emanated from a demon whose shoulders seemed to block out the meager light.
"Riku Snowfield," I answered, my voice rough. "And this is my sister, Suzie Snowfield."
"Place your hand on the orbs. We need to know your new elements and grade." He gestured with a clawed hand towards two obsidian spheres resting on a chipped stone pedestal. They pulsed with a faint, internal light.
I nudged Suzie forward with my elbow. She hesitated for a moment, then approached the nearest orb. As her palm settled onto its smooth surface, the orb flared with a burst of orange and brown light. The demon examining it straightened, his voice booming, "Elements: Lava and Gravity. Grade: A+!" The words echoed through the cavernous space.
A strange, almost giddy energy buzzed in my chest. My own palm felt slick as I placed it on the second orb. It flared instantly, not with light, but with an intense, suffocating darkness, shot through with angry crimson veins.
"Element: Dark and Blood. Grade: S+!" The demon's voice was sharp, a note of surprise in it this time.
Without another word, he moved on to the next group. A different demon, silent and imposing, motioned us away from the main cluster. We were directed towards a hulking, unadorned carriage waiting in the dim distance. Its dark wood seemed to absorb the light. We climbed inside, finding a few other figures already slumped against the benches, their faces drawn and wary. We squeezed into a corner, my shoulder brushing Suzie's. A few more nervous-looking individuals shuffled in after us, finding what little space remained.
Minutes later, heavy footsteps approached the carriage. The door creaked open, revealing a new demon, his face a mask of contempt. The carriage lurched, wheels groaning against the ground, and we were suddenly in motion.
"All you mongrels are strong enough to join the demonic army," he snarled, his voice thick with disdain.
"What do you mean?" a young man's voice, high-pitched with panic, cut through the tense silence. "I'm getting out of here!" He scrambled towards the door, fingers fumbling with the latch.
The supervising demon was a blur. His hand shot out, seizing the newbie by the neck. A sickening *crack* like a brittle branch snapping echoed in the confined space. The young man's body went slack, collapsing with a soft thud.
"All of you are disposable," the demon growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You better be on your best behavior. I'm the 3rd General, Kyuro, and the head of the demon army." The air in the carriage grew impossibly heavy, a silence so profound I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. Kyuro's eyes, like chips of black ice, swept over each of our faces, lingering, searching for any flicker of defiance. "If you were told that you are B+ grade, please come to meet me."
A peculiar word, "please," I thought, considering the sound of the snap still ringing in my ears. Yet, a collective shift happened. Most of the occupants, their shoulders hunched, began to shuffle forward, eyes fixed on the floor. Kyuro spoke to them for a few moments, his words too low to catch, then waved a hand, dismissing them. They spilled out of the carriage.
"All A+ and S+, please come forward."
I let the others go first, watching the small group of eight form a line. Suzie and I joined the end. Kyuro seemed to be grouping us into fours. By the time we reached the front, two other figures stood beside Kyuro, their expressions unreadable.
"Your element, grade, and name?" Kyuro's gaze sharpened on Suzie.
"My name is Suzie Snowfield. I'm A+ grade, and my elements are lava and gravity."
His eyes shifted to me. "And you?"
"Riku Snowfield. S+ grade, and the elements are dark and blood."
He gave a curt nod. "Go down. You will meet your team captain waiting for you."
We descended a short ramp, stepping out onto a wide, dusty expanse. Barracks-like buildings, uniform in their drab, stony construction, stretched into the distance. In front of us stood a familiar figure, his face registering a flicker of recognition. It was the demon from my training grounds.
"Oh, it's you," the demon said, a slight, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "The interesting human. I'm guessing you didn't take my warning."
Suzie's eyes darted between us, wide with curiosity. "You guys know each other?"
"He disturbed me during my training once," I stated, my voice flat.
The demon's smirk vanished, replaced by a more formal, almost rigid posture. "We will get on with introductions once we get to our barracks."
We followed him, my head swiveling to take in the bustling camp. The clang of metal on stone, the shouts of effort, and the guttural roars of sparring demons filled the air. Figures lifted immense, jagged boulders, scaled sheer rock faces, or wrestled in dirt pits. In the distance, raucous laughter spilled from what looked like a rough-hewn tavern.
"We are here," He announced, stopping before a squat, L-shaped building, its stone the same dusty brown as all the others. We stepped inside, the air cooler and stiller, and were led into a large, sparsely furnished common room.
"Let's start with the introductions. My name is Henri Kigatsu. I'm S+ grade, and my elements are fire, dark, and lightning." His voice was calm, almost measured.
A girl with long, tangled purple hair, striking pink eyes, and skin as pale as fresh snow, shifted nervously before speaking. "My name is Kira. I'm A+ grade, and my elements are water and blood magic."
"I'm Elizabeth," a girl with long, brownish-gold hair, warm brown eyes, and a pleasant, fair complexion offered smoothly. "I'm A+, and my element is water."
"My name is Suzie Snowfield. I am also A+ grade. My elements are lava and gravity."
Henri's eyes, sharp and assessing, settled on me. A faint smile touched his lips, born of shared history. "Are you going to tell me your name?"
I met his gaze, my jaw tight, my lips a flat line.
"This is my second time asking for your name," he pressed, his voice losing some of its easy familiarity. "Aren't you going to tell me?"
"I will not tell you." My voice was a low growl. "You can call me Zero."
"Zero? That's interesting." His smile faltered. "But others should know your real name, right?"
"They already know my name, but for now, they will call me Zero."
He let out a slow breath, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "Fine. Get some rest. We will start tomorrow."
Our feet scuffed on the stone floor as we wandered the corridors, my eyes scanning the cryptic labels etched above doorways. We found a section marked with a stylized 'Team 3'. I paused at the room directly across from a heavy door labeled "Training Ward." This one would do.
My room was stark. A king-sized bed dominated the center, its covers a rough, dark material. A simple cupboard stood against one wall, and a door next to it clearly led to a small washroom.
A fleeting thought of decorating the bare walls crossed my mind, but it vanished as quickly as it came. The hum in my chest had faded to a dull throb, replaced by a leaden weight in my limbs. Every muscle ached with the lingering echoes of combat and the sheer exhaustion of the past hours. The cool sheet brushed my skin as I collapsed onto the bed. The world dissolved into instant black