From my perch atop the rocky outcropping, I had a clear view of the terrain stretching out in all directions. The sand dunes shimmered silver under the moonlight, beautiful and deadly.
The signature of the spiders we'd encountered earlier had vanished completely. Those shadow-based creatures seemed inactive as well, their distinctive energy signatures absent from the night landscape.
Something massive moved in the distance, about a mile away. A golem-like entity, easily fifteen feet tall, lumbered slowly across the sand. Its mana signature pulsed with earthen energy, dense and powerful. The creature moved with purpose, following what appeared to be a patrol route.
'Arcan, any information on that thing?'
『Insufficient data for positive identification.』
I focused, trying to discern what it might be protecting, but at this distance, even my enhanced vision couldn't penetrate the darkness beyond the creature.
"Impressive view, isn't it, Xavier-kun?"
I didn't turn. I'd sensed her approach thirty seconds ago. "You'd have better luck sneaking up on a normal person, Yuzuriha."
She slid into place beside me, her purple hair glowing almost ethereal under the moonlight. "Who says I was trying to sneak? Maybe I just walk quietly."
"And maybe I'm just a porter." I glanced at her, noting the amused quirk of her lips. "Your shift isn't for hours."
"I couldn't sleep." She pulled her knees up to her chest, looking out over the landscape. "Too many thoughts. Besides, I wanted to keep our savior company."
"Savior? That's a stretch."
"Is it?" Yuzuriha turned to face me fully. "Those tents didn't materialize from thin air. Well, technically they did, but you know what I mean."
I snorted. "I'm no one's savior. Just practical."
"Practical enough to charge twenty-five percent." There was no accusation in her tone, just observation mixed with something like respect.
"We all have our price."
"And what's yours, Xavier-kun?" She leaned closer. "Beyond the obvious percentage."
I kept my eyes on the distant golem. "That would fall under the 'don't ask about me' clause."
"So strict." She pouted playfully. "Fine, I'll respect your mysterious aura. For now."
We sat in surprisingly comfortable silence for several minutes. Despite her flirtatious manner, Yuzuriha had a calm center to her—something I recognized from my own carefully constructed personas. She was playing a role, just as I was.
"That creature," she pointed toward the golem, "what do you think it's doing?"
"Not sure. Looks to be guarding something. It's been walking that same path this whole time."
Her expression shifted, surprise flickering across her features before settling into a smile. "My, my, those eyes of yours see quite a lot, don't they?"
"More than most."
Yuzuriha's smile faltered slightly. "About that percentage..."
"Not negotiable." My voice cooled several degrees.
"But surely there's some flexibility—"
"Are we being deadass right now?" I turned to face her fully, letting my irritation show. "You agreed to the terms less than six hours ago."
She blinked at my shift in tone, then had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "It was worth a try."
"Was it?"
"Perhaps not." She sighed, leaning back on her hands. "You can't blame a girl for trying to improve her situation."
"I can when she goes back on her word."
Yuzuriha studied me, her purple eyes reflecting the moonlight. "You take agreements very seriously."
"In this world, your word is sometimes the only currency that matters." I relaxed my posture slightly. "Break it, and you're worthless."
She nodded slowly. "Fair enough. Twenty-five percent stands. For now."
The conversation drifted to the strange environment of the Red Gate—the floating islands, the dual suns, the peculiar creatures we'd encountered. Yuzuriha proved to be observant and intelligent beneath her flirtatious exterior, noting details about the terrain that even I had missed.
Time passed quickly in her company. I realized Kaisen should have relieved me twenty minutes ago.
"Your shift ended?" Yuzuriha asked, noticing my frown.
"Kaisen was supposed to take over."
She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't hold my breath. I saw him practically hyperventilating after Alexander assigned the watch rotations."
I grimaced. Something about Kaisen set my teeth on edge. His nervousness seemed excessive even for the situation, and the way he looked at the female members of our group made my skin crawl.
"I'll take another shift," I decided. "Better than risking everyone's safety."
"Then I'll keep you company." Yuzuriha stretchedm. "Unless you find me distracting?"
"I've managed to focus through worse."
We fell into a comfortable routine of scanning the horizon, occasionally pointing out unusual formations or movements. Yuzuriha told me about her life in Japan before coming to America—carefully edited stories that revealed little of substance while sounding intimate. I shared equally meaningless anecdotes from my construction job, maintaining the facade of normalcy.
It was a dance of half-truths and deliberate omissions that we both recognized and respected.
Around two hours later, footsteps approached from behind. Alexander's measured tread was distinctive—steady, purposeful, military precision in every step.
"Valentine," he greeted. "Your shift ended hours ago."
"Kaisen never showed."
Alexander's expression darkened. "I'll deal with him. You should get some rest."
I glanced out at the desert, the path the golem had taken earlier. The creature had disappeared from sight long ago, but its destination still intrigued me. "Actually, I thought I'd do some reconnaissance while everyone's settling in."
"Alone?" Alexander frowned. "Protocol suggests—"
"I move faster alone. Just a quick scout of the immediate area. I want to get a better sense of what we're dealing with."
He studied me for a long moment, clearly weighing the risks against the benefits of additional intelligence. "Two-hour maximum. Any sign of trouble, you return immediately."
"Copy that."
"I'll come with you," Yuzuriha announced.
I hesitated. Having company wasn't part of my plan. I needed freedom to use my abilities without scrutiny, to hunt if the opportunity presented itself.
"I don't need a babysitter," I said.
"Good thing I'm not offering to babysit." She smiled sweetly. "I'm offering another pair of eyes and combat support. Unless you don't think I'm capable?"
"It's not about capability."
"Then what's the problem?" She cocked her head. "Afraid I'll discover your deep, dark secrets?"
Alexander cleared his throat. "Actually, having a partner is standard procedure. I was going to insist on it."
Trapped. I sighed. "Fine. But we move at my pace, and you follow my lead."
Yuzuriha nodded, her expression shifting to something more serious. "I can handle myself, Xavier-kun."
"Be back in two hours," Alexander reminded us.
We descended the rocky outcropping, moving silently across the sand. Once we were beyond earshot of the camp, Yuzuriha spoke.
"You didn't really want me along, did you?"
"Not particularly."
"Yet here I am." She smiled. "Consider it punishment for not trying to renegotiate our deal."
I snorted. "If that's the worst punishment you can think of, you're not very creative."
"Oh, I can be quite creative when properly motivated." She winked. "But for now, I'll settle for satisfying my curiosity about our mysterious benefactor."
We followed the approximate path the golem had taken, moving cautiously across the open terrain.
"Your eyes," Yuzuriha said suddenly. "They glow in the dark."
I froze. "What?"
"When you think no one's watching. They glow. It's quite beautiful."
"Trick of the moonlight," I said dismissively.
"If you say so." She didn't sound convinced. "Must be useful, whatever it is. You spotted those traps no one else could see."
"Just experienced with some luck."
"Luck?" She laughed softly. "I may act silly, Xavier-kun, but I'm not stupid."
"Never said you were."
"Then don't insult my intelligence by pretending you're just a D-Rank hunter with lucky guesses."
I stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "What do you want, Yuzuriha?"
"Right now? To survive this gate." She met my gaze without flinching. "Long-term? To understand why a man with your abilities is hiding his strength."
"We all have our reasons."
"Yes," she agreed, something vulnerable flashing across her features before disappearing behind her usual mask. "We certainly do."
Movement flickered in my peripheral vision—a shadow where there shouldn't be one. I raised my hand, signaling for silence. Yuzuriha tensed, immediately alert.
"What is it?" she whispered.
I pointed, directing her attention to a dune about fifty meters ahead. "Something's watching us."
She squinted. "I don't see anything."
"Trust me, it's there." I drew one blade silently. "Stay behind me."
"I told you, I can handle myself." Her hands moved to her own weapons—twin kunai that appeared from hidden sheaths.
The shadow shifted again, more deliberately this time. Not a spider—the movement was wrong. This creature moved with intelligence, assessing us as much as we were assessing it.
The creature emerged fully from the shadow of the dune, its form flickering between solid and transparent. Humanoid but distinctly alien, it studied us with glowing eyes that shifted between gold and purple. It made no move to attack, merely observing.
"It's not aggressive," I noted, keeping my blade ready nonetheless.
"Yet," Yuzuriha added. "What's it doing?"
The Mirage suddenly turned, glancing over its shoulder as if hearing a call we couldn't detect. When it looked back at us, its form had changed, taking on a more defined shape—almost human but not quite.
It raised a hand, pointing toward something in the east.
"I think it's warning us," Yuzuriha whispered.
"Or trying to lure us into a trap."
The creature shook its head, the gesture unnervingly human. It pointed again, more urgently this time.
"Something's coming," I realized.
I turned, scanning the darkness with my Six Eyes. There—a massive mana signature approaching rapidly. Not the golem from earlier, something different. Something worse.
"We need to move," I said, grabbing Yuzuriha's arm. "Now."
The Mirage flickered once more, then vanished into the darkness. Whatever was coming, even the native predators didn't want to face it.
"Back to camp?" Yuzuriha asked, already moving.
"No time. It's between us and the others." I pointed to a cluster of rocks about a hundred meters to our right. "There. We need cover."
We sprinted across the sand, the heavy presence growing closer with each second. My mind raced through options—fight, hide, or try to circle around to warn the others. Without knowing what we faced, fighting was too risky. Hiding seemed our best bet until we could assess the threat.
As we reached the rocks, I pulled Yuzuriha into a narrow crevice, our bodies pressed close in the confined space. She didn't comment on the proximity, her attention focused on the danger approaching.
"What is it?" she breathed, barely audible.
"I don't know," I admitted. "But whatever sent that golem running doesn't want company."