The wind cut sharp across the rooftops of Tokyo as Minwoo stood on the ledge of an abandoned high-rise, cloak billowing behind him. Kinro hovered nearby, wings glowing faintly in the moonlight. Below, the city sprawled out in a patchwork of light and shadow—beautiful, alive, and utterly indifferent to the struggles of people like him.
He narrowed his eyes at the distant warehouse outlined in the fog. That was their destination.
Their first B-rank mission as an official guild.
"Lira, status?" Minwoo asked quietly into the enchanted communicator crystal clipped to his collar.
From her position across the street in a rented observation tower, Lira's voice came back crisp. "Guards at the perimeter—three. Magical wards on the doors, moderate-level. Nothing beyond my dispel. I count at least two mages and four fighters inside. And… something else. Deeper underground. Big mana signature."
Jin's voice cut in from the shadows near the back entrance. "Took down one scout. Quietly. No alarm yet."
"Good. Move on my mark," Minwoo said.
He clenched his fist, feeling the faint thrum of the Bakura Dagger pulsing at his hip. It was more than just a weapon now—it responded to his will like an extension of his body. But it came with a cost. Every time he drew on its full power, something inside him frayed a little more. The dagger fed on his mana—and maybe, just maybe, on something deeper.
"You sure about this, boss?" Lira asked after a moment's pause. "We could have waited for reinforcements."
"We need this," Minwoo said firmly. "The guild's reputation rides on tonight. If we pull this off, we're no longer just a rumor—we're a force."
Kinro chirped from above and banked left, disappearing into the clouds. A signal.
Minwoo raised his hand. "Move."
Jin struck first, silent and deadly. The front gate guards collapsed in moments, his blade finding gaps in their armor like he'd done it a hundred times before. Minwoo dropped from the rooftop, landing in a crouch with barely a sound. He sprinted toward the side entrance as Lira's dispel shattered the warding rune with a flick of her fingers.
They were in.
The warehouse's interior was dim and cluttered—crates, scrolls, arcane instruments scattered across the floor. The stench of blood and something fouler clung to the air. At the center of the room, a circle etched in glowing red runes pulsed ominously.
"Necromancy," Lira whispered, eyes narrowing.
A figure stepped out of the shadows—tall, draped in robes of deep maroon. His eyes glowed green, and skeletal hands twitched at his sides. "Adventurers," he said in a rasping voice. "You're early."
Minwoo stepped forward. "You're harboring cursed relics. This place is off-limits. Surrender, or we'll take you down."
The necromancer laughed. "You think your little guild can challenge me?"
His hands rose, and the floor trembled. From the runic circle, undead horrors erupted—twisted, armored things that had once been adventurers. Now, their glowing eyes and broken bodies served a darker purpose.
"Formation!" Minwoo barked.
Jin surged forward, blade flashing. Lira whispered a chant, a radiant shield blooming around them. Kinro crashed through a skylight above, unleashing a torrent of black fire that engulfed the first wave of undead.
The battle was chaos. Blades rang out. Spells collided mid-air. Minwoo moved like a shadow, vanishing and reappearing behind enemies, striking fast and vanishing again. The Shadow Domain crackled at the edge of his control, tempting him to unleash it fully—but he held back. Not yet. He needed to pace himself.
The necromancer sneered. "You hold back. Weakness."
"No," Minwoo replied coldly. "Strategy."
He closed his eyes. A moment of stillness.
Then—
The shadows exploded outward.
The Shadow Domain enveloped the battlefield, cloaking the world in grayscale. Time slowed. Within the Domain, Minwoo became something more—untouchable, deadly. He dashed forward, blade carving through undead like paper. The necromancer's smug expression twisted into fear as Minwoo appeared before him in an instant, dagger aimed straight for his heart.
The strike connected.
But the body crumbled to ash.
A decoy.
From behind, the true necromancer rose from a coffin, sigils glowing on his arms. "Fools! You've only quickened your doom!"
The runic circle surged with power—and from it, something massive began to rise.
A fusion of bones, metal, and corrupted mana. A golem stitched together from the remains of fallen adventurers. Its roar shook the building.
Jin cursed under his breath. "We've got a problem."
"Lira!" Minwoo shouted.
"I see it. Buying us twenty seconds!" She began a rapid incantation, her magic flaring bright gold.
Minwoo glanced at Kinro. "You ready?"
The dragon chirped once and took to the air, his size expanding as shadows coiled around his frame.
Together, they charged.
The golem was fast—far too fast for its size—but Minwoo had fought dragons. He ducked beneath its swings, slashing glowing tendons and gouging out core plates. Kinro slammed into it from above, pinning one massive arm.
Then Lira's spell hit.
A burst of holy light detonated against the golem's chest, staggering it backward. Its chest cavity cracked open, revealing a pulsating core.
Now.
Minwoo leapt.
Shadow gathered around his blade. With a cry, he plunged the Bakura Dagger into the core.
For a second, nothing.
Then everything exploded.
Light. Shadow. Silence.
When Minwoo came to, the warehouse was in ruins, moonlight pouring through the shattered ceiling. Smoke curled in the air. The necromancer's corpse lay crumpled beside the broken ritual circle. The golem was gone, reduced to charred fragments.
Jin sat nearby, holding a gash in his arm, grinning despite the pain. "That was insane."
Lira helped Minwoo sit up, her hands glowing faintly as she began healing him. "We got it. Mission complete."
Kinro landed beside them, smaller now, nuzzling Minwoo's cheek.
They had done it. Against all odds.
Minwoo looked around at his team—bruised, bloodied, but standing. Together.
The warehouse echoed with silence now, broken only by the soft crackle of dying fire.
He exhaled slowly. "Shadow Fang's first victory."
Lira nodded. "And not the last."
As they limped out into the cool night air, the stars above seemed brighter somehow. The city didn't stop for anyone, but tonight, somewhere in its endless sprawl, something new had been born.
A guild of the underestimated. Of those who had been overlooked.
Shadow Fang had made its mark.
And this was only the beginning