Lionel Mordred stood outside Leywin Loid's apartment in the lodge, knocking firmly on the door.
"It's already 8:30 a.m. Wake up, kiddo."
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" i answered from inside.
Leywin groaned as he rolled out of bed. …This sucks, i want to go back to sleep.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he took a bath wore a blue sweater and he hurried out.
Leywin made his way to the Raiders Guild.
The rest of Dragon's Breath were already gathered in front of the guild board, where daily missions and dungeon requests were posted.
Several A-rank dungeons were listed.
After scanning the board, the group selected an A- rank dungeon.
Reinhard turned toward Leywin.
"You don't have to worry. The surveillance team has already observed the monsters listed on the board. This A-rank dungeon contains wyverns."
"Wyverns?" Leywin repeated.
"They are creatures shape like a dragon but slim and can't breath fire, they can fly and spray acid," Reinhard continued calmly. "They're fast, but with agility like yours, you'll be fine."
Leywin nodded. "Okay. Captain… I don't have any proper gear yet. Shouldn't we buy some while we're still in town? I still have nine hundred silver pieces from the last raid.
That should be enough to buy armor, right?"
Lionel waved his hand dismissively.
"Leywin, you don't have to worry about armor or weapons."
The group moved toward a ship docked near the Raiders Guild of Britain.
Lionel then purchased a teleportation scroll along with preserved food supplies and storage ring for each of them.
The shop owner calculated the cost. "That will be twenty gold pieces."
Lionel paid without hesitation.
"I'll deduct it from the payment after we clear the dungeon."
Outside, Lionel placed the teleportation scroll on the ground and turned to Cedric.
"Activate it."
Cedric stepped forward, clenching his fist as if preparing to strike.
Then he raised two fingers.
"Activate."
A burst of purple light erupted from the scroll, forming a massive circular portal—wide enough for ten people to enter at the same time.
Without hesitation, all members of Dragon's Breath stepped through.
The moment they entered the dungeon, the air turned cold.
The smell reached them first.
Blood, Acid and Death.
What greeted them was far more terrifying than the wyverns they had expected.
Wyvern corpses littered the dungeon floor.
Torn wings, Crushed skulls and Shattered scales.
What greeted them was far more terrifying than the wyverns they had expected.
Wyvern corpses littered the dungeon floor.
Torn wings. Crushed skulls. Shattered scales.
Cedric's expression darkened.
"What's your call, Captain?"
he asked. "Should we leave and report this to the guild?"
Lionel's gaze swept over the carnage.
"No. We keep advancing."
Cedric clenched his staff. "Captain, please reconsider.
Whatever killed these wyverns must be far stronger than them.
Only an S-rank dungeon beast could wipe out this many wyverns without suffering a single casualty."
Lionel shook his head. "They weren't killed by a monster."
The group froze.
"Someone reached this dungeon before us,"
Lionel continued.
"And they killed our prey.
If we move deeper, I believe we'll find the culprit."
Lionel raised his hand.
Iron began forming out of thin air.
Armor materialized around each member's body, perfectly fitted and reinforced.
Everyone weapons reshaped themselves, becoming sharper, heavier, deadlier.
Leywin stared in awe.
Lionel looked at the group.
"Do you know why this squad is called Dragon's Breath?"
No one answered.
Leywin swallowed. "…I'd like to know. Please tell me."
Lionel turned to Reinhard.
"Show them."
Reinhard stepped forward.
Iron formed again—but this time it was engulfed in Eternal Flames. The metal did not melt. Instead, it fused with the blue flames, radiating overwhelming heat and destruction.
The group stood frozen.
Elaine eyes widened.
"We didn't know he could create metal…"
She swallowed hard. "He even has a combination attack with Reinhard…"
Margaret smiled faintly. "The captain really is something else."
Elaine exhaled slowly. "He's a living legend."
Leywin clenched his fist.
Now i understood Dragon's Breath wasn't just a name.
It was a warning.
And deep within the dungeon, something far more dangerous than wyverns awaited them
Lionel Mordred raised his hand.
"Cedric," he ordered, voice sharp and commanding.
"Seal the wall.
Don't let a single enemy escape."
Cedric nodded instantly and moved to obey.
But then—
Something felt wrong.
From the shattered edge of the battlefield, a shadow stepped forward, walking calmly toward the light. The soldiers tensed, weapons raised.
What emerged was not a towering monster.
It was a boy.
A demon with the appearance of a teenager—dark hair, calm eyes, and a smile far too gentle for the battlefield.
"It's nice to meet you," the demon said softly. "I'm Senryanku."
Cedric's breath caught.
"Be careful!" he shouted. "He's not human—he's a demon!"
An overwhelming pressure crashed down on him. His instincts screamed danger. This aura… it was suffocating.
So strong… and yet—
Cedric realized it in horror.
He's suppressing it. If he hadn't… the rest of the team would have figured he isn't human. Before Cedric could say another world Senryanku sprinted and struck Cedric in the neck
Suddenly, memories surged through Cedric's mind.
Three years ago…
Cedric has not joined the Dragon's breath yet.
He was twelve years back then.
Starving, Cold and Alone.
A boy stood before him then—older, stronger, with sharp eyes and a crooked grin.
"Hey, bastard," Lionel Mordred said.
"You planning to starve to death?
An apple was tossed into Cedric's hands.
"I'm recruiting orphans and homeless kids your age.
If you want to survive in this harsh world—come with me."
That moment felt like the doors of heaven had opened.
That was where his life truly began.
A year later…
They met Elaine.
It was love at first sight.
She wanted to join them, but the captain refused.
Cedric had pleaded on her behalf. Begged.
And in the end, Lionel allowed her in.
From that day on, Cedric watched her back during every raid.
Saved her more times than he could count.
Her words—her smiles—set his heart racing.
Especially that one mission.
Elaine had collapsed. Cedric carried her through enemy fire.
When she woke, she smiled weakly and said,
"What would I do without you?"
Those simple words stole his heart completely.
I love you, Elaine, Cedric thought. I always have.
But it looks like… I'm going to die without ever telling you.
In that instant
Senryaku have already beheaded Cedrick in a flash.
A whisper of steel.
As soon as Cedric died it was the moment he started reliving the most important memories of his life.
The world froze.
Time seemed to stop.
Leywin Liod stood there, unable to move—like a spectator trapped inside a dream. He watched as Cedric relived his most cherished memories in the span of a heartbeat.
Only seven seconds had passed since Senryaku's daggers struck.
But to Lancelot those seven seconds it felt like months.
Elaine arrived too late.
Smoke still drifted across the battlefield. The earth was scorched green in places, where flames that should not exist had burned without light or sound.
"Cedric…?"
Her voice trembled as she stepped forward.
There he was.
His body lay motionless, eyes half-open, staring at a sky he would never see again.
"No… no, no—this isn't funny," Elaine whispered, dropping to her knees beside him. "You're always the one who stands up first… You're supposed to scold me for rushing in…"
She shook him gently.
Nothing.
Her hands began to tremble.
"Cedric," she said again, louder this time. "You promised you'd always watch my back."
Memories flooded her mind—his quiet presence during raids, the way he always positioned himself between her and danger, the warmth of his smile when she praised him.
Her breath hitched.
She pressed her forehead to his chest.
The battlefield felt unbearably cold.
Behind her, Lionel Mordred clenched his fists so tightly that metal groaned around them.
Margaret and Malcolm lay not far away—both struck down before they could react.
No last words.
No final stand.
Just silence.
Then—
A presence.
Elaine felt it before she saw it.
She looked up.
The demon stood there calmly, green flames flickering faintly around his form. He looked young—far too young.
"I believe that in order for us to truly understand one another, we must first form a bond. We should begin by introducing ourselves. If we cannot even hold a conversation, how can we ever dream of coexisting with one another?"
"I am Senryanku," he said gently. "And you are… emotional."
Elaine rose unsteadily, tears streaking her face.
"You killed them," she said, voice shaking but clear. "You killed Cedric."
"Yes."
You have slain my kind as well. Both sides have paid a heavy price. Let us consider this a stalemate."
The word was soft. Casual.
Something inside Elaine snapped.
Her spirit core flared—
But she never got the chance.
Senryanku moved and strike Elaine.
Lionel screamed her name. But it was already too late—she was dead. Her body collapsed to the ground."
Lionel roared as metal erupted from the ground, forming blades in an instant. Wind magic reinforced his movements as he charged head-on.
Senryanku met him bare-handed.
Metal shattered.
Lionel was sent flying—but Reinhard was already there.
Silent flames ignited.
A blade of Eternal Fire carved through the air.
Senryanku twisted, hellfire blades clashing against eternal flame.
For the first time—
He frowned.
"So this is unextinguishable fire," Senryanku murmured. "Interesting.
Leywin Loid released his magic essence, letting it flow through every vein in his body. With each passing second, his speed and strength continued to rise.
His movement shattered its limits, pushing toward something undefined—something beyond measurement. Ice formed in his hand, compressed and sharpened by roaring wind.
He struck at Senryanku—but missed.
Leywin retreated twelve steps backward in an instant, his feet barely touching the ground. Without hesitation, he activated a long-range offensive spell.
Wind roared.
Leywin shaped ice within the gale and fired both simultaneously, the frozen blades riding the airflow straight toward Senryanku.
The demon moved.
Left.
Right.
Up.
Right again.
Left.
Sprint—sprint.
In the blink of an eye, Senryanku closed the distance.
The battlefield erupted into chaos, turning into a raging storm.
Lionel charged like a berserker. Metal formed and reformed around his body—blades, armor, and spikes manifesting with every step. Leywin joined him, the two engaging Senryanku in close combat from opposite sides.
Steel clashed against hellfire.
Senryanku caught Lionel's blade with his bare fist.
The impact sent shockwaves through the ground.
"Dragon's Breath!" Lionel roared.
In response, his metal sword ignited—reinforced with Reinhard's internal flames.
Dragon's Breath was a linked combination technique. It allowed it's users to temporarily share and amplify each other's core abilities. However, it could only be activated once a user released their own core power and spoke the activation phrase aloud.
A forbidden synchronization.
A gamble fueled by trust.
And against Senryanku—
It was their only chance.
Eternal flames slowly eating away at Senryanku's body—damage that could not be healed.
Senryanku's movements began to slow. Seizing the opening, Leywin closed in and engaged him in a fistfight. With every passing second, Leywin's fists grew faster—every strike sharper, more precise. Blow after blow landed, the pressure mounting until Leywin began to overpower Senryanku.
I won't let their deaths be meaningless i will avenge my teammate here and now. Leywin thought.
Senryanku bled for the first time.
"…You are fascinating," Senryanku said.
Hellfire erupted.
Lionel was sent flying he barely conscious.
Reinhard's internal flames gathered in his palms. But before he could release it, Senryanku teleport close to Reinhard and struck him sharply at the side of the neck. Reinhard's eyes widened for a brief moment before his body went limp, collapsing to the ground.
In the next second, Senryanku vanished—and reappeared directly in front of Leywin.
Leywin froze. Fear gripped his heart, his breath turning shallow as his hands began to shake, trembling uncontrollably.
Leywin struck.
And was caught.
Senryanku grab my neck against the wall.
The battlefield fell silent.
Dragon's Breath was defeated.
Senryanku leaned close to Leywin's ear.
"We will meet again once i recoved there's not much i can say now" he said calmly.
Then he vanished.
Leywin slid to the ground.
Leywin was still lying on the ground when he saw two wyverns fleeing the dungeon.
I can't let them escape, he thought. If they get out, countless lives will be lost. I'm still a raider…
His breathing grew rapid and uneven, each breath heavier than the last. Darkness crept into his vision, why is eveywhere geting dark all of a sudden am i going to die and before he could move.
Leywin lost consciousness, collapsing from sheer exhaustion.