Kazui and Kenta took a brief moment to relax after their battle, catching their breath as Saya stood guard behind them, her watchful eyes scanning their surroundings. Just then, a lone crow came fluttering toward them—an ordinary-looking bird at first glance.
Saya noticed it first. In one fluid motion, her twin katanas slid from their sheaths, the blades glinting coldly in the dim light.
Kazui and Kenta tensed, immediately shifting back into battle stances.
Just as Saya was about to strike, the crow suddenly screeched:
"STOP!!!!!"
Its voice was raspy, distinctly crow-like, yet intelligible.
Kazui held up a hand. "Wait, Saya. Hold on."
The crow flapped its wings frantically. "I'm on your side! I want to help you!"
Kenta narrowed his eyes, suspicion written all over his face. The crow descended slightly, and Saya tightened her grip on her katanas, ready to cut it down the moment it made a wrong move.
It landed on a broken chunk of debris from the ruined church in front of them, tilting its head. "I know what you're looking for—Raven."
Kazui frowned. "Raven?"
The crow bobbed its head. "Maybe you don't know the name, but I know you're hunting their leader. I can guide you there."
Kenta crossed his arms. "And why should we trust you?"
"I have no powers," the crow said simply. "You can kill me anytime if you think I'm lying. I have no proof, but if you believe I'm an enemy, strike me down now."
Kenta still looked unconvinced, but Kazui exhaled. "Kenta… I think we should give it a shot, just this once."
Kenta met his gaze, then finally smirked. "Fine."
With that, the crow took off again, fluttering toward the ruined church. Kenta followed first, Saya close behind.
Just then, Kazui gave Saya a playful spank as she passed. She glanced back, and he flashed her a smirk. "Can't wait to finish this quest and spend some quality time with you."
Saya smiled, though her tone remained dutiful. "Then we'd better defeat the boss quickly."
Kenta turned, scowling. "Dude, what are you doing? Hurry up."
Kazui chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, coming."
The three of them stepped into the broken church—and inside, the ruin was even more unsettling.
The Ruined Church: A Hollow Sanctuary
The air inside was thick with dust and the scent of old decay. What remained of the church's once-grand nave was now a skeletal husk—collapsed pews reduced to splinters, shattered stained glass scattered like colored teeth across the stone floor. The high ceiling had partially caved in, allowing shafts of pale light to cut through the gloom, illuminating floating motes of debris.
The walls, once adorned with frescoes of saints, were now blackened by time and neglect, the peeling paint revealing patches of mold and rot. A broken chandelier hung crookedly from a single chain, its crystals dulled by grime. The altar at the far end had been split down the middle, as if struck by some tremendous force, and the remnants of a large cross lay toppled beside it, its wood charred at the edges.
Debris littered the ground—crumbled stone, twisted metal, and the occasional skeletal remains of those who hadn't escaped whatever catastrophe had befallen this place. The crow hopped over the wreckage, leading them deeper into the ruin, where the shadows grew longer and the silence heavier.
Somewhere in the dark, something clicked—the sound of talons on stone.
The trio stood inside the hollowed remains of the church as the crow fluttered to perch atop another pile of debris. Behind the rubble, partially obscured by dust and time, hung a portrait—a nun's face, strikingly beautiful, her features frozen in serene devotion within the cracked frame.
"One of you needs to move this picture," the crow instructed, its beady eyes glinting.
Kazui stepped forward without hesitation. Saya moved with him, her presence a silent shield at his back. As he lifted the portrait away from the wall, they discovered a rusted lever hidden beneath.
"Push it down," the crow urged.
Kenta's hand shot out. "Wait, Kazui. This reeks of a trap."
The crow hopped onto Kazui's shoulder, its claws lightly gripping the fabric of his shirt. Saya's katana flashed, the edge resting against the bird's throat in warning.
"Kazui," the crow rasped, unfazed. "Pull it. If it's a trap, I'll be right there with you."
Kenta opened his mouth to protest again, but Kazui shook his head. "It's fine. Saya's got me covered."
With a decisive motion, he shoved the lever down.
A deep clunk echoed through the church—then, with a groan of ancient mechanisms, the ground beneath Kazui's feet shuddered. A section of the floor slid away, revealing a steep staircase descending into pitch-black depths.
"This," the crow announced, "leads to Raven's palace. The Underground Palace."
The abyss below was absolute, swallowing even the faintest traces of light. Venturing down without illumination would be suicide.
Kenta exhaled sharply and activated his relic. "Open Shop." A holographic marketplace materialized, displaying rows of weapons, tools, and oddities.
"Search Item: Light Sun," he commanded.
The relic flickered, highlighting a small, glowing orb—no larger than a fist—priced at 100 Clouds.
"Purchase Light Sun, times one."
[Transaction complete.]
[Item stored in inventory.]
Kenta wasted no time. "Use Light Sun."
A miniature sun burst into existence before him, its brilliance flooding the staircase with radiant light. Where there had been only void, every step, every groove in the stone walls, now stood starkly visible.
The descent into Raven's domain had begun.
The three descended the crumbling staircase, the crow still perched on Kazui's shoulder while Saya kept a watchful eye on it. As they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a vast underground lobby—eerily silent except for the distant, rhythmic whoosh of flapping wings growing louder by the second.
Then, 150 meters away, shadows erupted from the darkness—a swarm of crows, hurtling toward them at 72 mph, twice the speed of their surface-world counterparts. The others barely registered the blur before—
Saya moved.
In a flash of silver, she lunged forward, her twin katanas arcing through the air with lethal grace. Her newly mastered technique—Moon Strike—unfolded like a dance: serene, precise, devastating. The next instant, four crows disintegrated mid-flight, their bodies splitting into a hundred ragged pieces before hitting the ground.
Kenta, Kazui, and the crow gaped.
Kazui's relic buzzed:
[4 Dark Crows slain.]
[+4 Souls acquired.]
Saya sheathed her blades without a word, and the group pressed onward. Kazui laced his fingers with hers as they walked—part reassurance, part unconscious pull.
After 170 meters, the path forked. Left or right? No signs, no clues. The crow hopped onto Kenta's shoulder, ignoring his grumbled "Get off."
"Can't," the crow rasped. "Curse rules. I can only perch on shoulders or stationary objects till Raven's dead. Abandoned my family because of it."
A beat of silence. Then—
"We'll take right," Kazui decided, buying another Light Sun from his relic. Its glow flared, illuminating the right tunnel's jagged walls.
Kenta nodded. "Left it is."
And with that, the group split—Kazui and Saya stepping into the golden-lit unknown, Kenta and the crow vanishing into the shadows beyond.
Kenta walked down the left tunnel, the glow of his Light Sun casting long shadows on the damp walls. The crow—still perched on his shoulder, its weight oddly comforting in the oppressive silence.
"So," Kenta said, breaking the quiet, "what's your name?"
The crow tilted its head. "Amis."
Kenta snorted. "Amis? Kinda weird for a crow."
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Amis pecked his skull three times in rapid succession.
"OW! The hell, man!?" Kenta yelped, rubbing his head.
"That was your punishment," Amis croaked. "My mother gave me that name. Mock it again, and I'll peck out your eyes."
Kenta grimaced. "Alright, alright, sorry."
They walked a few more steps before Kenta spoke again. "So… just Raven's left, huh?"
Amis went quiet for a long moment. Then, softly: "Unfortunately, no. Raven has two commanders. Both wear pink suits and hats. Both have supernatural abilities. And both… have their own soldiers."
Kenta frowned. "You know their powers?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Another pause. The air grew heavier. Then—
"Because Raven is my father."
Kenta froze mid-step. His eyes widened. Slowly, he turned his head to stare at the crow, disbelief and dread twisting his features.
And then—
CRASH!
The right wall exploded inward, rubble spraying as a towering figure emerged—a humanoid crow in a pristine pink suit, his hat tipped low over glowing pink eyes. A dozen armed soldiers flanked him, their weapons drawn.
His voice, when he spoke, was deep, resonant, and dripping with venom.
"Amis…" he rumbled. "You truly betrayed your own blood."
Kenta narrowed his eyes, sensing a presence that made the air around him thicken with tension. He glanced at Amis and asked, "Who is that?"
Amis's face turned grim as he locked eyes with the figure approaching from the shadows. "One of the two commanders of Raven... and the one who cursed me. His name is Rile. His power is—"
But before Amis could finish, his body suddenly stiffened. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Kenta's eyes widened as he caught his friend's limp body.
Standing before him now was a tall, imposing humanoid crow dressed in pink—Rile. Behind him stood a dozen humanoid soldiers, crow-like in appearance, each radiating a deadly aura.
Rile didn't spare Kenta a second glance. Instead, he turned to his soldiers and commanded coldly, "Go. Kill that guy."
Kenta stood alone in the dimly lit underground lobby, his breath steady, knives gleaming in his hands. The air was thick with tension as the twelve humanoid crow soldiers encircled him, their black feathers rustling with anticipation.
Without warning, the first soldier lunged. Kenta sidestepped, his movements a blur, and slashed his knife across the creature's throat. Blood sprayed, and the soldier collapsed. The others hesitated for a split second, then attacked in unison.
Kenta moved like a shadow, weaving through the onslaught. He ducked under a claw swipe, drove his blade into a soldier's gut, and twisted. Another came from behind; he spun, slicing its wing, then delivered a fatal stab to its chest.
The lobby echoed with the sounds of battle—metal clashing, feathers fluttering, and the grunts of combat. Kenta's knives danced, each strike precise. He leaped onto a soldier's back, slit its throat, and used the body to shield himself from another's attack.
Despite his prowess, the numbers began to wear him down. A claw grazed his arm, drawing blood. He winced but didn't falter. With a roar, he charged, dispatching two more soldiers with swift, brutal efficiency.
Now, only three remained. Kenta's chest heaved, sweat mixing with blood on his skin. The soldiers circled, wary. One lunged; Kenta met it head-on, their bodies colliding. He plunged his knife into its heart.
The remaining two attacked simultaneously. Kenta blocked one, but the other slashed his side. Pain flared, but he retaliated, slashing one soldier's throat. The last one hesitated, then turned to flee. Kenta threw his knife, the blade embedding itself in the creature's back.
Silence fell. Kenta stood amidst the carnage, bloodied and exhausted. He had won, but at a cost. His wounds throbbed, and darkness edged his vision. Yet, he remained standing, victorious.
Here something else was happening with Kazui and Saya. Kazui was feeling an unnatural heat inside him. It was like his body only wanted Saya.
His cock was already hard—was trying to come out of his pants. Saya already noticed that and she wanted to help him but Kazui was maintaining a distance because he knew if he didn't stop Saya, he is gonna become an animal and might give some kind of trauma to Saya.
But despite all that, the heat inside his body kept increasing and his cock got more harder and then, Saya grabbed his cock and the heat took control of Kazui.