After leaving the guild, my party and I headed back to the hotel. Two of our members had stayed behind, just getting ready to eat lunch. As we entered the lounge, I slid a sheet of paper onto the table in front of them.
Their eyes widened like plates.
"This is most definitely a trap," I said with a light smirk curling across my face.
"Wait, how do you know that?" Kara asked, blinking in confusion. She was still new to the party—fresh, curious, and bewildered more often than not.
"When it comes to strategy and intelligence," Frana said, eyes sparkling like stars, "I've yet to meet anyone who can match him in this world."
I let out a short laugh and gave her a playful pat on the head. "In this world," I said, confidently, "only one person could ever challenge me. If it's not him, then they're no match."
The four girls' jaws dropped.
I gave them a look like it was the most obvious thing in the world, then turned my gaze to Lilith and Frana—my original two.
"You both should know. He was with me when we first met," I added, tilting my head slightly to the right. A gesture subtle, but effective—one that sent metaphorical arrows of affection straight through their hearts.
The love they all had for me surged—silent but unmistakable.
"Oh! You mean Shiro," Lilith said, clapping her hands together. Her ears twitched, and her voice held a melodic excitement. "You talk about him all the time."
"Ah, right... The light purple-haired guy," Frana said, her voice trailing into a whisper, eyes cast down as if recalling a shadow. "He seems... kind of dark."
"Oh, was that the guy who was with my sister's group?" Kara asked, tilting her head, finger to chin.
Lani looked away, puffing out her cheeks.
Everyone else had leveled past her at this point.
"Right. He might seem clumsy and kind of mean," I said, nodding slowly, "but he's got a good heart. He cares deeply, even if he doesn't show it the way others do."
In truth, Shiro is an incredible fighter. When we fight all out, we always end up exhausted—and that's saying something.
But now wasn't the time to reminisce. We had a mission, and I needed to explain the plan.
Since we accepted the request, we had a full week to prepare. Nine days. I actually liked how time worked here—days and weeks being longer gave me more room to breathe, more time to act.
While we dug into lunch, I began to lay out the strategy.
"After we took the job, I did some digging. A few other high-ranked parties have vanished without a trace. Honestly... I suspect a demon's behind this—and it's on the verge of evolution."
I glanced around to gauge their reactions. Everyone was quiet.
"In this world, demons that lie dormant are usually at least 'demon lord' class. That's A+ specs or higher. But when they evolve... they become archdemons, and eventually demon gods."
I paused, letting that sink in.
"If it's targeting humans, it needs blood... and if it needs blood, it needs bait. So it's luring in mid and low-ranked adventurers—offering quests that sound good but lead them straight to the slaughter."
"This is just an assumption," I continued, "but it's based on intel I've pulled from... sources."
I smirked slightly at that last word. My sources? Mostly from the underground guild—what I'd call this world's version of the dark web. Except it's ten times more dangerous, and twenty times more extravagant.
My first visit? Ended in a fight. Kind of my fault—I asked too many questions. Good thing I used illusion magic to conceal my identity. I do that every time. No one ever sees me the same way twice.
The underground deals in banned knowledge and illicit magical items. Things that would fry a normal man's mind. Some are soul-stealers—artifacts that don't kill you, but plunge you into a nightmare world of the wielder's choosing.
Victims don't die. They enter a dream world of endless suffering.
Only a transfer of equal or greater magical power can pull them out.
That's why so many mid- and low-class mages die from it. They're not valued enough to be saved. Especially those with only one or two elemental affinities—they're written off.
"People would probably call me a monster," I said calmly, "because of what I can do. My scythe takes souls directly, and my eyes can manipulate a person's internal energy."
Illusions. Control. Soul manipulation. All things I specialize in.
But that alone won't make me a god.
Still, starting with a strong base like mine gives me an edge in battles most wouldn't survive. This mission? It'll push me further. Stronger enemies. Stronger souls.
And demons... they love souls.
If this one's powerful enough, maybe—just maybe—I can steal that power for myself