## 1. The Hideout in the Rain
The alliance sealed with a handshake between Hiroshi and Yuzuki was cold and pragmatic, like the incessant rain falling on Morro Agudo. Yuzuki led them to an improvised hideout: an old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the industrial district, near the rivers that cut through the city. The place was damp and foul-smelling, but it offered a strategic view of the bridges and the wealthy neighborhoods.
"General Varkos is the first," Yuzuki declared, unrolling a scribbled map. "He is responsible for the slave logistics to the Quaza Mines. Killing him paralyzes the system and sends a clear message."
Hiroshi nodded, his mind already processing the information. Kerchack, the Dragon, hissed in his mind, a hoarse, satisfied voice: "**Finally, a plan with purpose. Morality is dead weight, boy. Embrace efficiency.**"
With the help of **Beaky**, who returned with detailed information about Varkos's routine and the guards' disposition, the infiltration plan began to take shape. Yuzuki, with his internal knowledge of the elite, and Hiroshi, with his sharp intelligence and the hawk's aerial map, formed a surprisingly effective planning duo.
## 2. The Dark Training
The training began immediately. Yuzuki was not a gentle teacher. He was a master of blades, an assassin who saw fighting as a brutal and efficient dance.
"You are a machine of brute force, Hiroshi," Yuzuki mocked, dodging a draconic punch that would have pulverized a wall. "But you are slow. Your strength is a hammer, but you need a scalpel."
Hiroshi's training focused on refining his technique, using the draconic force to increase speed and precision, rather than just destructive power. He learned to channel the power to harden his skin in specific spots, momentarily turning it into armor.
Meanwhile, Luna watched. Yuzuki, with a look of disinterest, ignored her. But Hiroshi insisted.
"She comes with us," Hiroshi said, firmly. "She is agile and has more to lose than both of us. She needs to defend herself."
Yuzuki scoffed, but conceded. He taught Luna basic evasion movements and how to use her small dagger to hit vital points. Luna, despite her shyness, absorbed the lessons with silent determination. She was fast, almost a shadow, and Yuzuki noticed the ferocity in her eyes when she thought of the chained slaves.
## 3. The Red Demon's Envy
The tension between Yuzuki and Hiroshi came not only from the difference in methods but from Luna.
During the rare moments of rest, Hiroshi cared for Luna with a tenderness that Yuzuki could not comprehend. He combed her hair, shared his food, and comforted her from nightmares. Luna, in turn, was always close to Hiroshi; her reserved smile and hugs were a constant reminder of the humanity Hiroshi struggled to maintain.
Yuzuki watched the scene with a mixture of contempt and a deeper pang of something else.
"You are pathetic, Hiroshi," Yuzuki spat, smoking a cigarette. "This girl is dead weight. She reminds you of what you are trying to be, a hero. Heroes die, or worse, become what I am."
"She reminds me of what I can't lose," Hiroshi replied, without taking his eyes off Luna. "You don't understand what it's like to have someone to fight for, Yuzuki."
The Red Demon clenched his fist around his sword. He felt Hiroshi's bloodlust, the raw and savage power the Dragon gave him, but he also saw the kindness. It was a contradiction that deeply irritated him. Yuzuki, the former hero who lost everything, envied Hiroshi's ability to maintain affection in such a cruel world. The relationship between Hiroshi and Luna was a mirror reflecting Yuzuki's loneliness and loss.
## 4. The Point of No Return
The plan was ready. General Varkos would be vulnerable in his mansion that night.
Hiroshi looked at the LitRPG interface in his mind:
> **QUEST UPDATED: HIGH-VALUE ASSASSINATION**
>
> **TARGET:** General Varkos (Slave Logistics)
>
> **LOCATION:** Varkos Mansion, Rich District
>
> **OBJECTIVE:** Silent Elimination.
>
> **REWARD:** Increase in **DRACONIC SYMBIOSIS**, **XP**, and **Information** about the capital.
The rain continued to fall, washing the streets of Morro Agudo. Hiroshi put on the dark clothes Yuzuki gave him. He touched the black scale on his forearm, feeling the power and the danger.
"Ready, archaeologist?" Yuzuki asked, his black sword already in hand.
"Ready, Red Demon," Hiroshi replied, his voice firm.
He knelt and hugged Luna. "Stay here. If I don't return by dawn, go south. Don't trust anyone."
Luna just hugged him tighter, a silent nod.
Hiroshi and Yuzuki disappeared into the darkness and the rain, ready to cross the point of no return.
***
**END OF CHAPTER 11**