The Road to the Castle
Ruko stood at the edge of the tree top, the wind brushing past him as the lights of Arcanletia flickered on the outer walls.
For a brief moment, everything felt… quiet. Too quiet. He exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting toward the horizon. "Guess this is where it starts," he muttered. Behind him, footsteps echoed softly. Serena. She stopped a short distance away, her expression uneasy. "You're really going?" she asked. Ruko didn't turn around. "I told you already. I'm moving forward." "Forward… to the Demon King's castle?" Her voice tightened slightly. Silence answered her. That was enough. Serena clenched her fists. "You're strong, Ruko—but that place isn't like Axel. It's not like the armies you fought. You can't just rush in and expect—" "I'm not expecting anything of anything," he cut in calmly. Now he turned. His eyes were steady. Focused. "I'll deal with what's there when I get there." Serena opened her mouth to argue again… but stopped. There was no hesitation in him. No doubt. Trying to change his mind now would be like trying to stop a storm. "…You really are a blockhead," she muttered, looking away.
Ruko smirked faintly. "Not the first time I've heard that." The tension broke slightly. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Ruko stepped closer and placed a hand on her chest. "You'll be fine here," he said. "Once you're fully under the Axis Church, your old power's gone. No one will chase you anymore." Serena looked up at him. "…You're worried about me that much?" "Don't read too much into it." She gave a small laugh. "Too late." Ruko shook his head, let go, then stepped back. "Just don't do anything stupid." She crossed her arms. "You're the last person who should be saying that." He chuckled—and for a split second, the tension between them felt almost normal. Almost. Later — The Alley Meeting. Kazuma stared at the letter in his hand, frowning. "I don't remember getting this…" Still, curiosity got the better of him. He followed the instructions and slipped into a narrow alley. A figure stood there, leaning casually against the wall. Ruko. Kazuma's eyes widened. "You—?! What are you doing here?!"
Ruko raised a hand lazily. "Relax. I'm not here to cause problems." "Yeah right," Kazuma shot back. "You showing up is the problem." Footsteps followed behind him. Megumin, Darkness, and Yunyun. Ruko sighed. "…I said in the letter you come alone." Kazuma shrugged. "Didn't trust you a bit brother." "That hurts," Ruko said flatly. Darkness stepped forward. "You shouldn't even be in Alcanretia. The Axis Cult would execute you if they recognized you." "I know," Ruko replied. "That's why I'm not being seen." Megumin crossed her arms. "Then why risk it?" Ruko looked at them all. "To check something." Kazuma narrowed his eyes. "…Serena?" Ruko didn't answer directly. Kazuma smirked. "Yeah, that's definitely it." Ruko rolled his eyes. "Focus." He straightened slightly. "I already dealt with the attack on Axel. Every demon that showed up is slaughtered." That made all of them pause. "…All of them?" Yunyun asked quietly. "All of them," Ruko repeated. Kazuma scratched his head. "Of course you did."
Mitsurugi suddenly stepped forward from behind them. "And how do we know you're not lying?" Ruko didn't even look at him. He just moved. A quick smack to the head. "Stay quiet while I'm speaking." Mitsurugi froze, stunned. Kazuma snorted. "…Okay, that part checks out." Plans Moving Forward. Ruko folded his arms. "So. What's your move?" Kazuma's expression shifted slightly. "We're heading toward the Devil King Castle—but not yet. I need to get stronger first." Ruko raised an eyebrow. "Stronger how?" Kazuma hesitated, then sighed. "…I dropped to Level 1 again." Ruko blinked, scratched his head. "…Of course you did." "But," Kazuma continued, raising a finger, "my skill points are still there. So I'm going to build something broken." Now Ruko smirked. "Now that sounds like you." "We're heading to a dungeon," Megumin added. "A deep one." Ruko nodded slowly. "Good. Then I'll go ahead." Kazuma grabbed his shoulder. "Don't rush it." Ruko looked at him. Kazuma's tone was more serious now. "We'll meet at the castle. Together." A pause. Then Ruko nodded. "…Fine." They dap lightly. "Don't you dare die," Kazuma said. "You first," Ruko replied.
Three Days Later — Departure. The morning sun rose over Arcanletia. Ruko stood near the outskirts of the city. Serena faced him, her expression unreadable. "So this is it," she said quietly. "Yeah." "…You're really not staying." "You already knew that." She looked down for a moment. "…It's quiet here. Too quiet." Ruko didn't respond immediately. Then he stepped forward and placed a hand on her head briefly. "You'll get used to it." She grabbed his sleeve. "…Or maybe I don't want to." That made him pause. For a second, something shifted in his expression. But only for a second. "I don't belong here," he said. Her grip loosened. "…I know." Silence stretched between them. Then she forced a small smile. "Just don't take too long." Ruko smirked slightly. "No promises." He turned and began walking away. "…Idiot," she muttered under her breath. But she didn't call him back. Days passed. Ten. Then fourteen.nRuko traveled alone.nSometimes walking. Sometimes using his abilities in short bursts. Careful not to burn through everything too fast. By the time he reached the hill—He stopped. The Demon King's castle stood in the distance. Massive. Dark. Wrapped in a barrier that distorted the air around it. Ruko stared at it in silence. Then slowly… A grin spread across his face. "Well well well all the pussies are here…" He rolled his shoulders, pushing his hair back. "…this should be interesting of a slaughtered." The wind picked up. And with it—The beginning of something far bigger.