Azire made his way to a small village, feeling the weight of the world on his young shoulders. Life had been hard for him, and he wandered into a tavern, seeking warmth and solace. Inside, a girl and a man caught his eye. The girl looked a bit older, her white hair cascading around her shoulders and framing her delicate face. Her striking blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, and a small, broken halo hovered above her head. Beside her stood a man, a full adult who, despite his skinny frame, radiated strength. He wore a long black robe and a straw hat adorned with a golden square symbol.
Their eyes met, and the girl dashed over to him. "Hey there! You look new. My name's Suna. What about you?" she said, her voice bright and welcoming.
"Azire," he replied, a little taken aback by her enthusiasm. Suna beamed and took his hand, leading him over to the man.
"This is Uno. He's my master," she introduced proudly.
Uno regarded Azire with a steady gaze. "Hello, Azire. I'm Uno," he said, his voice calm and authoritative. The trio exchanged pleasantries, but Azire held back, refraining from sharing his past. Whenever the conversation shifted to his history, he deftly changed the subject.
Uno saw potential in Azire and offered him a chance to join their organization, which helped children grow and prosper. In return, when needed, the organization could call upon the children to fight. Azire hesitated but eventually agreed. However, Uno had a test for him first.
"Follow me," Uno instructed, leading Azire and Suna into the dense, shadowed Azireds. The rustling leaves whispered secrets in the wind, and as they ventured deeper, the air hummed with an unseen force. Uno stepped forward, his hands moving with practiced precision as he began an incantation. The ground beneath them glowed with intricate patterns, pulsating with energy.
"Start the test," Uno announced, his voice steady yet commanding.
A shimmering field of magic engulfed the area. Azire felt an overwhelming surge course through his body, like a dormant power suddenly awakened. His veins tingled, his senses sharpened, and for the first time in his life, he felt truly alive.
Uno channeled his magic, causing the ground to tremble and split open, forming a tunnel that plunged deep into the earth. Nearby, a patch of soil shifted to sand, and with a flick of his hand, fire ignited over it, crackling hungrily.
"Suna, fill the hole with water," he instructed. She nodded, extending her hand as water flowed effortlessly into the crevice, swirling with a quiet, deadly grace.
Uno turned to Azire. "Let's start the tests. To be accepted into the program, you have to pass at least one test. If you pass all, you'll skyrocket to the top of the ranks and be put on the watchlist by the council of the organization."
Azire swallowed hard as he stepped to the edge of the tunnel, gazing into the abyss below. He took a deep breath and jumped.
At first, he fell in silence, his heart pounding, wind whipping past his face. He told himself to stay calm—after all, he was the Demon King; his magic should save him. But as the seconds stretched and the darkness below remained endless, doubt crept in. Panic flared, and his breath quickened.
Then, he screamed.
The sheer terror of free-falling gripped him, but just as fear took hold, something shifted. The air around him caught his body, wrapping around him like an unseen embrace. He was no longer falling—he was floating.
Slowly, he rose, ascending with newfound control. His heartbeat steadied. By the time he reached the top, everything around him froze.
Uno, watching from the side, narrowed his eyes, his mind already strategizing. So, he may be useful after all.
Suna's voice shattered the silence. "Whoa, you're so cool, Azire!"
Azire let out a breath and chuckled, but the weight of what just happened lingered. There was no time to process it further—because the next test awaited: fire.
Azire stepped toward the flames Uno had created, extending his hand. The fire flickered before eagerly wrapping around his palm, the heat embracing him rather than burning.
The tests continued one by one as Azire mastered each element, leaving Suna and Uno stunned. Uno watched him with an unreadable expression, contemplating the possibilities. Maybe this is what will make me the best of my generation, he mused, barely suppressing a smirk. A god or a demon king… in my hands.
Suna, however, was less reserved. She rushed up to Azire, circling him with wide eyes. "How did we just stumble across someone like you?" she wondered aloud.
Instead of answering, Uno raised a hand and shifted the earth once more, creating an arena. He reinforced the terrain, crafting stone formations and a water-filled pit for Suna, as that was the magic she used most. Then, he turned to them.
"Fight."
Azire tensed. He had power but no experience—no training. Suna, however, possessed both. He would have to rely on something else to win: his mind.
As Uno signaled the start, Azire wasted no time, kicking loose rocks toward Suna. She dodged with ease, weaving through them before charging at him. Azire braced himself. This was it. No more comfort. No more safety. No more being coddled or belittled.
This was his chance to prove himself.
They collided, exchanging swift punches and dodging blows, their movements fueled by instinct and desperation. But Suna wasn't a close-range fighter—she was a mage. And she was about to remind him why that mattered.
She jumped back, summoning a spear of water.
Azire scoffed. What's a water spear supposed to do? It's just water—
The spear launched. He barely ducked in time. It didn't just hit the ground—it exploded, sending a high-pressure burst in all directions. Even from a distance, the force was enough to slice through skin.
Azire barely had time to recover before she conjured eight more spears.
One by one, she hurled them, predicting his every move. He jumped, dodged, rolled—until—
Everything stopped.
Azire found himself in a void, face-to-face with Martha once more.
"This," she said, "is the Demon Eye. An inheritance passed from demon king to demon king. You will gain more abilities as you grow because the eye evolves with you, enhancing the aspects you value in battle."
Azire's breath caught as he stared at the ethereal eye that manifested before him, its symbol glowing ominously. He reached out, and the moment his fingers made contact—
His vision faded.
When he regained consciousness, he lay on the ground. Uno had stepped in. "That's enough," he declared, his gaze flickering toward Azire. "I see some interesting potential in him. Don't you think, Suna?"
Suna, still catching her breath, grinned. "Yeah… but he's not ready for missions yet. He needs real combat training first."
Uno nodded in agreement, scooping Azire up and carrying him back to the village.
Azire awoke to the aroma of food wafting through the air. His body ached, but the warmth of the meal waiting for him was oddly comforting. Across from him, Suna and Uno were eating, conversing casually.
As he sat up, Suna looked over with a bright smile. "Hey, sleepyhead. Feeling alive?"
Azire nodded, glancing between them. "How'd you two even meet?"
Uno leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Her parents were judges in the Angel Realm. They condemned a group of fallen angels. Those same angels snuck into their home and murdered them in cold blood."
Suna's expression softened, but she nodded. "I was sent to an orphanage after that. Uno found me there. Turns out, I had the most capabilities out of anyone, so I was chosen."
She shrugged but smiled. "I'm grateful, though. Even if Uno just uses me to make himself look better, he's given me a life way better than the orphanage."
Uno said nothing, merely watching Azire carefully. Then he asked, "What about you?"
Azire hesitated. With a perfectly neutral face, he lied. "I ran away from home. My parents used to abuse me. I couldn't take it anymore."
Silence followed.
Uno's gaze lingered, unreadable. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry to hear that."
Suna, however, wasted no time. She lunged across the table, pulling Azire into a tight hug. "You're safe now," she said softly.
Azire forced himself to shed a tear.
Deep down—this was all just part of the act.