Deep within the white forest, two figures leaped from branch to branch, moving swiftly through the trees.
"Hey! Slow down! Why are you moving so fast?" one of them complained, struggling to keep up with the person ahead.
"Why are you moving so slowly? Don’t you understand how important this mission is? And yet, you—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know! But—"
Before he could finish, the two finally arrived in front of a massive cave hidden among the trees.
"Haaah! Finally, we’re here."
"Don’t let your guard down."
"I know, I know. What, you don’t trust me?"
"That’s not what I—"
"Anyway, this is the entrance to the prison, right?"
"Yeah. This is exactly what was mentioned in our mission briefing."
The second figure’s expression turned serious as he stared into the dark cave.
"But still, what the hell happened here? They even issued an imperial order to kill everyone inside the prison."
"I don’t know. But we’re about to find out."
He stepped toward the cave entrance.
"Come on. Let’s go."
The two figures entered the cave, walking deeper into its dark passage.
"Hey, Gomut Zera, could you light this place up a little?" the man behind him asked.
"Haaah... I honestly don’t understand why they sent you along with me. Didn’t I tell them that I—"
Before he could finish complaining, he raised one finger.
A tiny ball of red fire ignited above its tip, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
The little flame floated forward, then drifted behind them, providing just enough light to reveal the cave’s narrow passage.
"Hmm. So, how many strong opponents do you think we’ll find here?" he asked, glancing at Gomut Zera.
"None."
"None?"
"That’s right. From what I can tell, you could wipe them all out with a single slash of your katana."
"That weak?" The swordsman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And here I thought an emergency mission would be something exciting. But this is..."
The two continued deeper into the cave until they finally reached the end of the passage.
Standing before them was a massive iron gate, its surface covered in strange symbols. Two heavily armed guards stood on either side of the entrance, keeping watch.
The swordsman stopped and glanced at them.
"Oh? Looks like we have some company after all."
Gomut Zera adjusted his glasses and examined the two guards.
"Those should be the prison guards. What do you want to do?"
The swordsman grinned.
"What do you mean? We knock, of course."
Before Gomut Zera could respond, the swordsman stepped forward.
CLANG!
He struck the iron gate with the back of his katana.
"HEY! ANYONE HOME?"
Both guards immediately turned toward them, their hands reaching for their weapons.
"Who the hell are you?! This is a restricted area!"
The swordsman tilted his head.
"Who am I? Hmm... Good question."
He turned toward Gomut Zera.
"Hey, what was our mission again?"
Gomut Zera closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.
"...We’re here to investigate the prison and eliminate everyone inside if necessary."
"Oh, right! That!"
The swordsman’s grin widened as he faced the guards again.
"So, how about you two open the gate for us?"
The guards exchanged a glance before drawing their weapons.
"Intruders! Sound the alarm!"
The swordsman’s smile vanished for a brief moment.
"Ah, what a pain."
He rested his hand on his katana’s hilt.
"I was hoping you’d make this easier for me."
The two guards charged forward, their weapons raised.
" DIE, INTRUDERS!"
The swordsman sighed.
"Honestly, why does nobody ever listen?"
SHING!
A flash of silver cut through the darkness.
The two guards froze.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then their weapons fell from their hands, clattering against the stone floor.
CLANG! CLANG!
Thin red lines appeared across their armor.
Before either guard could utter another word, they collapsed to the ground.
The swordsman hadn’t even taken a second step.
Behind him, Gomut Zera adjusted his glasses.
"You’re getting slower."
"Huh?"
"That took you almost two seconds. I expected you to finish them in one."
The swordsman’s eyebrow twitched.
"Do you want me to cut you instead?"
"No, thank you. I’m quite fond of my head."
"Tch. Then shut up."
The swordsman approached the iron gate and examined its enormous lock.
"Now, how do we open this thing?"
Gomut Zera walked past him.
"Move aside."
He raised his hand, and the small ball of red fire floated toward the lock.
Click.
A moment later, a faint magical glow spread across the metal.
KRRRRRRRRK!
The enormous gate slowly began to open.
A foul smell immediately escaped from the darkness beyond.
The swordsman’s playful expression faded.
"...What the hell is that smell?"
Gomut Zera didn’t answer.
His eyes were fixed on the passage beyond the gate.
Something was wrong.
The cave had been silent during their journey, but from the moment the gate opened, he could hear something coming from deep within the prison.
Clang.
A metallic sound.
Clang.
Then another.
It sounded like chains dragging across a stone floor.
Gomut Zera’s expression grew serious.
"Hey. Put away your jokes for a moment."
The swordsman glanced at him.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"There’s something strange about this place."
The swordsman rested his hand on his katana.
"Strange how?"
Gomut Zera stared into the darkness.
"I can’t sense anyone beyond this gate."
"Didn’t you just say nobody here was strong enough to be a threat?"
"That’s not what I mean."
He paused.
"I can’t sense anyone at all. Not even a single living presence."
For the first time since entering the cave, the swordsman stopped smiling.
"...Interesting."
He stepped through the gate.
"Well, we came all this way. It would be rude to leave without saying hello."
Gomut Zera sighed and followed him.
"Sometimes, I wonder if you have any survival instincts."
"Of course I do!"
The swordsman grinned over his shoulder.
"That’s why I brought you along."
"WHAT?!"
Their voices echoed through the empty passage.
Neither of them noticed the faint red light flickering behind the iron gate.
Nor did they hear the soft, distant sound that followed them from the depths of the prison.
A child’s laughter.
The two continued through the dark passage, following the faint light of the floating fireball.
The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Soon, they reached a narrow staircase leading downward.
The swordsman stopped and peered into the darkness below.
"Hey, Gomut Zera."
"What?"
"Why does this prison look more like a tomb than an actual prison?"
Gomut Zera adjusted his glasses.
"Perhaps because the people inside are already dead."
"...Huh?"
"Just a guess."
"YOU CAN’T JUST SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO CASUALLY!"
Gomut Zera ignored his complaints and continued down the stairs.
"Tch. What an unpleasant fellow."
The swordsman followed him.
After descending several dozen steps, they finally reached the bottom.
And there, before their eyes, lay an enormous underground chamber.
Rows of iron-barred cells stretched into the distance. Rust covered the walls, and strange chains hung from the ceiling. The floor was stained with something dark that neither man cared to identify.
Yet what caught their attention wasn’t the terrible condition of the prison.
It was the complete absence of people.
Every cell stood empty.
The swordsman scratched his cheek.
"Well, this is disappointing."
Gomut Zera walked toward the nearest cell and examined the iron bars.
"Look at this."
"Hmm?"
He pointed toward the floor.
Deep scratches covered the stone beneath the cell door. They were too numerous to count, and some were so deep that they had cut through the stone itself.
The swordsman’s expression changed slightly.
"Someone tried to escape?"
"Perhaps."
Gomut Zera crouched and touched one of the scratches.
His eyes narrowed.
"No. These marks were made from the inside."
The swordsman looked at the cell again.
"Then someone was trying to get out."
"That’s the obvious conclusion."
"Then why are you looking so serious?"
Gomut Zera slowly stood.
"Because these scratches..."
He paused.
"...were made by fingernails."
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then the swordsman let out a low whistle.
"Whoever was imprisoned here must have been pretty desperate."
"That’s one possibility."
Gomut Zera turned toward the opposite side of the chamber.
"But I have another question."
"What now?"
"If this prison was emptied, where did everyone go?"
The swordsman shrugged.
"Maybe they went on vacation."
"Do you ever take anything seriously?"
"Of course!"
He placed a hand over his chest.
"My sword is very serious about cutting people."
Gomut Zera closed his eyes.
Why me?
Suddenly—
CLANG!
A loud metallic sound echoed through the chamber.
Both men turned toward the far end of the prison.
A heavy iron door stood there, partially hidden in the darkness.
And someone had just knocked on the other side.
CLANG! CLANG!
The swordsman’s grin returned.
"Oh?"
He slowly drew his katana from its sheath.
"Looks like someone is still home after all."
Gomut Zera’s expression turned grim.
"Wait."
"Hmm?"
"Don’t open that door."
The swordsman glanced at him in surprise.
"Why not?"
Gomut Zera stared at the door, his fingers tightening slightly.
For the first time since they had entered the cave, the small ball of red fire began to flicker violently.
"...Because whatever is behind that door..."
He swallowed.
"...just noticed us."