Interlude II: The Assassin and the Demon
After eight months of meticulous preparation for his invasion of the mortal realm, the Demon Lord Rostiel decided it was time to dispatch his right hand to handle any potential threats. Summoning her to his darkened chamber, Rostiel's voice was laced with cold, absolute authority.
"Mizawa, your mission is to travel to the realm of humans and demi-humans. Your task is to seek out and eliminate anyone who might possess the power to obstruct our invasion," Rostiel commanded, his tone brooking no argument.
Mizawa knelt before the throne. Her heart weighed heavy with memories of her old life, specifically of her closest friend, Kazike. He was an exceptional assassin, her former comrade in their earlier adventuring days, and Mizawa desperately longed to save him from Rostiel's impending slaughter.
"Lord Rostiel," Mizawa began, her voice tinged with carefully concealed nervousness, "I know of an assassin in the mortal realm who could be a highly valuable asset to our cause."
Rostiel's glowing eyes narrowed in curiosity. "You wish to recruit a mortal for our vanguard?"
"Yes, Lord Rostiel, if that is acceptable to you," Mizawa replied, her tone steady despite the violent turmoil within her chest.
Rostiel considered her request, his monstrous expression unreadable in the shadows. "And do you truly believe he will agree to join us?"
"He might," Mizawa assured him, bowing her head lower. "He is one of the finest assassins I know."
"Very well," Rostiel decided, waving a clawed hand dismissively. "Find him and bring him to me. However, be warned, Mizawa—should you betray me, you and he will both face an agonizing end."
"As you command, Lord Rostiel," Mizawa responded, her resolve hardening. With a final, apprehensive glance at her terrifying master, she teleported away.
Watching the dark magic swallow her form, Rostiel's lips curled into a sinister, knowing smile. "Perhaps Mizawa has her own hidden agenda. If she dares to betray me, I will ensure she and everyone she has ever cared about is entirely eradicated. Hahaha! Worthless creatures."
Mizawa's Search
I need to find Kazike… Mizawa thought as she materialized in an alleyway in the bustling city of Druzka. I want to save him… I have to save him. He is my friend.
Her heart raced as she stepped out of the shadows, pulling her dark cloak tightly over her demonic features. She surveyed the blend of humans and demi-humans that filled the marketplace square, feeling a sharp pang of nostalgia for the life she had lost.
According to my intelligence network, he is still working as an adventurer here, Mizawa noted.
Her search quickly led her to the local Adventurer's Guild. Keeping her head down, Mizawa approached the front desk. "Good afternoon," she said softly to the elven receptionist. "I'm looking for Kazike."
Missy looked the stranger up and down, noting the unusual, high-quality attire and the deep hood that obscured her face. "Kazike? He's out on a quest with Kazu right now, deep within the Grand Dungeon. If you need to see him urgently, you'll have to go there."
"Thank you," Mizawa replied quietly. Her heart sank at the thought of navigating the treacherous depths, but she vanished in a swirl of shadows before the elf could ask any questions.
Missy blinked, staring at the empty space where the cloaked woman had just been. A frown of concern crossed her face. "A shadow-step spell? Who was that...?"
The Dungeon Encounter
Mizawa emerged on the 25th floor of the dungeon, her demonic senses instantly heightened. She detected an unfamiliar, terrifyingly potent aura echoing through the caverns. Anxiety surged through her as she followed the magical pressure, eventually finding Kazike in a dire state. He was slumped against a wall in a massive pool of his own blood, his right arm and left leg brutally severed.
Nearby, a young human boy was locked in a fierce battle with a High Ogre. Mizawa watched in absolute shock as the child fought with relentless, monstrous fury, moving faster than the eye could track before crushing the Ogre's heart in his bare hand.
Is that the 'Kazu' the receptionist mentioned? Mizawa thought, shivering as the boy's suffocating aura washed over her. His power is astounding... he feels like a monster.
She remained perfectly still in the shadows, holding her breath as Kazu hurried to Kazike's side. She watched the boy invoke a divine spell, miraculously healing Kazike's grievous wounds and restoring his missing limbs.
Realizing the terrifying depth of Kazu's power and Kazike's unwavering trust in the boy, Mizawa followed them silently as they descended to the 34th floor. Just as she was finally preparing to step out of the shadows to reveal herself to Kazike, another assassin—Cloyde—ambushed them.
Mizawa watched Kazu completely subdue the rogue S-Rank assassin without breaking a sweat.
The boy is too powerful... I need to be incredibly cautious around him, Mizawa thought, her mind racing as she weighed her next move. Seizing a brief opening while Kazu was distracted, she purposefully let a fraction of her killing intent leak out, stepping into the edge of the cavern's light to approach Kazike.
However, the moment Kazike locked eyes with her demonic form, sheer panic overtook him. Before she could utter a single word, Kazike grabbed the boy and initiated an emergency teleportation circle, vanishing back to the surface and leaving Mizawa alone in the dark.
The Reunion
After completing the quest with Kazu and spending the afternoon at the smithing shop, Kazike couldn't shake the heavy dread in his chest. He had told Kazu he needed to leave to prepare for his date with Bitshu, but it was only a half-truth. He needed to be alone.
As he wandered the twilight streets, unsettling questions plagued his mind. Why was Mizawa in the dungeon? She's a demon general now... what does this mean? I need to find her and understand her true intentions.
The following morning, Kazike set out to search the city limits. It didn't take long. They crossed paths in the bustling marketplace and immediately agreed to discuss matters privately in a rented back room at the Guild.
Once the door was locked, the heavy silence stretched between them.
"Kazike... is it truly you?" Mizawa asked, pulling back her hood. Her voice trembled with centuries of repressed emotion.
"Yes, it's me, Mizawa..." Kazike replied softly. He stepped forward, pulling her into a tight, desperate embrace. For a moment, they weren't enemies on opposite sides of a cosmic war; they were just two lost adventurers who had finally found each other again.
He pulled back, his voice thick with sorrow. "How have you been?"
Mizawa's glowing eyes welled with tears. "Lord Rostiel has made me his right hand. But Kazike, before I go any further, you need to know that I am only here to save you. Come with me to the Demon Lord's domain. You'll be safe there."
Kazike stepped back, his confusion deepening into horror. "Safe? Safe from what, exactly?"
"From Lord Rostiel's great purge," Mizawa explained, her voice frantic. "He is preparing to eradicate all powerful beings in this world. The invasion is imminent. I don't want you to be harmed!"
"But Mizawa—"
"Please!" she begged, grabbing his hands. "I can protect you!"
Kazike gently pulled his hands out of her grasp. His expression hardened into a mix of grief and bitter resolve. "Mizawa... even if I weren't getting married to Bitshu, I would never serve that Demon Lord. He is the reason we were separated for so long. He destroyed our home."
Tears spilled over Mizawa's cheeks.
"Do you remember when he burned our town to the ground?" Kazike pressed, his voice breaking. "Your family searched the ashes for you for months until they lost all hope and took their own lives. He did that to you, Mizawa. Please, break his control. Come back to us."
Mizawa squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head violently. "I'm sorry, Kazike. Lord Rostiel controls me now. If that is your decision... then I must carry out his orders. I have no choice. I must complete his mission."
"What mission?" Kazike asked, his chest tightening.
"To eliminate all those who might stand in his way," Mizawa said, wiping her face and donning her hood once more. "Goodbye, Kazike."
"Can't you come back to us?!" Kazike pleaded, desperation evident in his eyes as he reached for her.
Mizawa leaned in, kissing Kazike gently on the cheek. "That's impossible. Goodbye, my love," she whispered.
Before he could grab her arm, she teleported away, leaving nothing but the faint scent of ozone in the small room.
Kazike stood completely alone, the crushing weight of her final words sinking in. "Mizawa... you loved me?" Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to make sense of the heart-wrenching truth.
Mizawa's Farewell
Mizawa materialized atop the highest mountain peak overlooking Druzka, the sky a brilliant, clear expanse above her.
"I love you, Kazike... but this is where we part. You're getting married, and I truly hope you find happiness with your decision," Mizawa whispered to the wind, hot tears streaming down her face.
Gazing at the beautiful horizon of the mortal realm, Mizawa felt the crushing weight of her choices. "If only things were different... If only I had the strength to defy Rostiel," she murmured.
The memories of their time together flooded her mind—laughing in the Guild, sharing meals by the campfire, fighting back-to-back in the dungeons. Each memory was a agonizing reminder of what she had lost, and what she could now never have.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, Mizawa's heart physically ached with regret. "But I am bound by his dark power... and you, Kazike, you are free to live your life." She turned her back on the city. "Find happiness."
Kazike's Decision
Back at the guild, Kazike sank into a wooden chair, completely overwhelmed. Mizawa's confession and the harsh, brutal reality of her situation weighed heavily on his shoulders.
"Mizawa... why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you let Rostiel control you?" he whispered to the empty room, his voice filled with profound anguish.
In the days that followed, Kazike was consumed by a restless uncertainty. His daily duties as an adventurer felt entirely hollow as his mind remained fixated on Mizawa. The thought of his oldest friend, the woman he now realized he loved, acting as a trapped pawn in Rostiel's dark scheme haunted him relentlessly.
Kazike slammed his fist against the table, a new, fiery determination igniting in his chest. He could not let her remain under Rostiel's control.
He resolved to find a way to break the Demon Lord's hold over her—even if it meant risking his own life, and even if it meant he had to march straight into the Underworld to do it.