The air hung heavy with a piercing chill, ungodly cold as the frigid winds swept over the mountain peaks, where a congregation of earthen titans stood sentinel in the stark realm of Iceberg. Along the horizon, the sun dipped low, casting blades of orange and yellow upon the snowy blanket draping each peak—its warmth insufficient to melt the frost, merely caressing the stony faces with a tender glow. Such bone-chilling cold seemed born of Iceberg alone, existing nowhere else.

He was eager to share this spectacle with Lumikki.

Feathered drapes danced in the wind, bearing a figure shrouded in sallow grey, slicing through the frozen skies. A beam of light—or rather, a streak of fire—flared across the landscape, soaring high. From below, the flickering embers appeared minuscule, yet they radiated a heat that the distant sun could never match. Wrapped in a cocoon of clothing and a feathered cape, Tōga traversed the sky. Adorned in attire fit to defy the eternal winter, he flew, flames erupting from his boots, adding flair and speed to his lengthy voyage.

Whispers of dark ruptures in time and space reverberated across Earthland, captivating mages, scholars, knights, and villains who roamed the globe in search of these mysterious portals. Unfazed by the nightmares guarding them, they sought the secrets these gateways concealed. Tōga, the joyan mage, was no exception. Driven by curiosity, he ventured into uncharted territories, drawn by tales of a friend born in this frigid expanse. This connection, this faint bond with Lumikki, was his passport to explore the enigmatic land with nothing but his wide, expectant eyes to guide him into the future.

“Ooooi,” he called out, his broad, toothy smile catching the waning light as he expertly navigated the mountain passes, his trail marked by streaks of flame. He halted abruptly, the fiery magic fading as he descended meteor-like, landing with a thunderous crash near a cavern—a landing so forceful it could have triggered an avalanche.

“Ahhhhggh,” steam rose as his warm body hit the snow, the surrounding frost evaporating with his loud coughs. “It’s soo cold here!” he exclaimed, a sneeze coloring his nose red. Despite his powers as a fire dragon slayer, even he was vulnerable to the whims of Mother Nature. Draping his birdman’s cape over his grey cloak, Tōga glanced at the cave entrance, curiosity sparking anew. With a whimsical step, he disappeared into the dark, his pink hair vanishing into the void.

The cavern's biting cold and enveloping darkness would deter any prudent soul, but Tōga was not one to shy away hastily. Unfazed, he delved deeper into the shadowy depths, summoning a small flicker of flame from his palm to serve as a makeshift torch. It wasn't long before his keen sense of smell detected a familiar scent, and the gradual emergence of another light source confirmed his suspicions as his eyes settled on a familiar face, sparking recognition and curiosity.

“Oooooi! Alisa-chan!” hand waving rapidly in the air, the dragon slayer looks on with brown eyes as his toothy smile remains.

---

wc: 511

Even in the uncharted terrains of a foreign land—territories where Tōga’s eyes had never wandered nor his feet trodden—he marveled at how fate had a peculiar knack for reuniting friends. Separated by miles and months since their initial meeting during the vibrant festivities of Dia de Los Muertos, they found each other once again. That memorable night by the river, where the veil between the living and the dead seemed thinnest, Tōga first laid eyes on Alisa. A guild master and a striking wife, she possessed an unfathomable power, one that could single-handedly devastate nations. Even now, as a seasoned Rune Knight with newfound strengths of his own, her capabilities remained beyond his grasp.

Today, their paths aligned as allies as they ventured into the cavern in search of the mysteries harbored by the Void Fracture. "Hahahaha, I didn't know any other way to get up here," Tōga chuckled, his toothy grin casting light on the cavern walls, outshining the flame flickering in his hand. Standing next to Alisa, the pink hues of his hair glimmered in the ambient light. "Bet you had no trouble getting up here!" he exclaimed, his cheerfulness palpable.

Though unfamiliar with the specifics of her magic, the aura emanating from Alisa was unmistakably potent, her presence alone enough to daunt the faint-hearted. Her power, like velvet lace adorned with raindrops, radiated strength and awe.

"Knights are well, just been so busy lately," Tōga shared, his expression shifting to reflect the fatigue of a tireless worker. "Quest this, check that—go here, do that!" His hands animatedly moved left and right, painting a vivid tableau of his recent exploits and professional endeavors. "But I can't complain! Keeps me busy, and ooh! I made it to the rank of Colonel—neat huh?" His pride was palpable as he disclosed his recent promotion, a significant milestone placing him just below the esteemed General Kon in the hierarchy of the Rune Knights—a rank achieved seemingly as much by diligence as by destiny.

"Huh?" While Tōga and Alisa could easily lose days reminiscing, the cavern began to buzz with the arrival of new figures. Tōga turned as he caught a mix of scents—one unfamiliar and another distinctly known. "Oooh! Knuckles-san!" he exclaimed, waving dramatically upon recognizing another ally, a daemon he had battled alongside against the goddess of war not so long ago. The sight of the familiar face brought a cascade of red locks tumbling from the mage’s head, unveiling more of the adventure that awaited.

Brown eyes flicked to the side, catching sight of the other newcomer. His hair was a deep raven black, and his aura carried a somewhat menacing air. "Oooh! Nice to meet you, too! I'm Tōga!" he exclaimed, extending a formal introduction to the third party, previously unknown to him. As the scene unfolded, it was apparent that the four assembled adventurers were ready to embark on their journey into the void dungeon. This group would be the pioneers to delve into the untamed depths of the cavern. Today was going to be beyond exciting!

---

wc: 515 [1026]

"Busy is an understatement!" Toga exclaimed with exaggerated flair. "First, there's all this paperwork!" His hands shot to the side, fingers pointing toward an imaginary mountain of forms and documents. "Then there are all these different kinds of reports you have to finish." He mimicked the gesture on the other side, even more dramatically, a bead of sweat forming on his brow as he imagined the burdensome work. Despite being on an official assignment with the guild master, Toga seemed preoccupied with imaginary tasks. Clearly, his rank reflected his strength and determination, but politics and formalities weren't his strong suit.

"But I shouldn't be complaining! You obviously have more work, leading an entire guild. Hahaha." Humility came naturally to Toga, and he understood it was childish to grumble about a pond of responsibilities in the presence of someone managing an ocean of obligations. Alisa remained poised and never sought the room's center, but she effortlessly commanded attention. "We'll have to spar after this! I've always wanted to test my abilities against you, Alisa-sama!" He noted the shift in tone from casual to respectful. Toga acknowledged his stature compared to hers and recognized Alisa deserved nothing less than the utmost respect befitting the White Empress.

Knuckles and their unnamed ally appeared, the atmosphere suddenly growing serious. Toga listened as each shared their insights and strategies. Though not one for rigid plans, Toga merely smiled when asked to contribute. "I'm a fire dragon slayer—or, um, an Inferno dragon slayer? See, something happened with a god in Stallas, and my fire magic was supercharged! So, boom! I can make fires, but stronger? Oh, and I eat flames too!" He zipped through his words, animated as if rediscovering his abilities for the first time.

"Hey, cursed flames guy! Do your fires work like regular flames? If so, we could use them to charge me up!" Toga grinned, trying to lighten the mood while pointing out a potential synergy between their magics. Their dark-haired demon ally wanted to strategize, and this was the perfect opportunity to see how they could collaborate.

Alisa revealed her dominion over crystals as a demon slayer, prompting Toga to light up in excitement. He had finally confirmed the foundation of her might. While he only knew some dragon slayer lore, Toga understood that their affinity wasn't just with their element but also gave them a natural advantage against creatures aligned with their magic. His power could allegedly slay dragons. Did Alisa naturally counter demons? How would that affect their demonic allies?

They'd have to figure it out soon, as their attention turned to the remaining coordinator in the cavern. Toga's affinity as a Hunter made him unfazed by the darkness, his vision adjusting quickly to the absence of light. He could see clearly, like high noon on a sunny day, and the ice-formed giant ahead stood out against the shadows.

Alisa wasted no time, swiftly trapping the ice titan in a crystalline explosion. After the crystalline explosion that ensnared the massive ice titan, Toga inhaled deeply, summoning the fire from the depths of his core. With a roar, he unleashed a massive stream of intense flames, their dark hue outlined by a dangerously silver glow¹. The swirling torrent of fire blazed forth, twisting like a living entity as it barreled toward its target. The cavern walls cracked and blistered under the searing heat, their stone surfaces bubbling and glowing in the fire's path. A wall of blackened flame surged forward, swallowing the ice titan whole in an unrelenting storm of heat and fury.

The intense contrast between fire and ice clashed dramatically, the roar of flames drowning out all other sounds as steam hissed and swirled through the cavern. The ice titan strained against the onslaught, its frozen form cracking and melting, the force of Toga's elemental fury scalding its icy defenses with blistering precision. The heat lingered, seeping into the cavern like a suffocating shroud, amplifying the elemental devastation. Each lick of flame left molten trails and smoldering embers in its wake, ensuring that the titan's wounds would fester and burn long after the initial strike. The flames continued to whirl and coil around the ice-bound creature, a relentless reminder of the fire mage's unwavering power.

The stage was set, and Alisa and Toga had played their opening hand. How would Knuckles and the mysterious demon complement them?

---

wc: 730 [1756]

Combat Log:

Toga couldn't bask in the success of his own fiery attack for long, as within seconds, two more assaults were unleashed. He smiled brightly from his northern vantage as he glimpsed the mysterious flame user and Knuckles advancing on the ice golem, delivering their powerful blows without hesitation. Although Toga was on an urgent mission requiring the full focus of a Colonel, his rank, he remained a kid at heart, especially when witnessing the magic of others. For a fleeting moment, he marveled at the spectacle like a child in a candy store.

“Oooooi! Great work, Knuckles!” Toga shouted, watching as the demon's renowned hammer smashed into the golem, releasing a concussive blast and spiraling lightning that crackled through the cage, engulfing the menacing creature like a spider's web wrapping its prey. Toga had seen this attack before, during their battle alongside Knuckles against the war goddess. But the devastating impact from a single strike never ceased to captivate him.

Meanwhile, the dark-haired demon darted through the cavern, slipping through openings between attacks to unleash his own spell on the golem. “Ooooh, his flames are black like mine!” Toga exclaimed, thinking aloud as he watched the intense heat and force sweep over the creature. “Looks yummy…” The dragon slayer sniffed the air, pondering whether he could devour this magic despite its unusual texture and nature. As the Inferno dragon slayer capable of wielding black flames, could he also consume them? He didn't know for sure, but he was eager to try.

After their coordinated chaos, Toga gazed at the remnants of their opponent, the charred, broken skeleton of the lifeless golem. “I wonder wh— Ahhh, Alisa-chan!” he yelped, jumping back as he watched the guild master grip the golem by its leg before shattering it entirely with a single blow. “Oooooooi, you’re terrifying, hahaha,” he laughed, nervously scratching the back of his neck as his fingers ran through his pink hair. Having challenged Alisa to a spar after their dungeon work, Toga began to question whether he'd made the right choice.

Yet he pushed those thoughts aside with a smile. He knew she would reveal more of her abilities down the line, so why not face her on the battlefield and find out firsthand?

“So, what’s your name, fire guy?” Toga asked, his attention shifting to the dark-haired demon as the dust settled around their first conquest. While awaiting a response, Toga’s nose twitched as he detected unfamiliar scents. “Uhmm, guys,” he called out, pointing down the long, wide corridor where several new golems, each as massive and resilient as the first, began to materialize. If the group hoped to advance further, they would need to confront these relentless guardians, the dungeon seemingly intent on exacting its revenge.

A broad smile spread across Toga’s face as flames ignited around his hands, his grin brimming with toothy charisma. The fire dragon slayer launched himself into action, one hand morphing into a cocoon of tightly packed black fire as his energies swirled, coiling in preparation for impact against one of the newly formed ice constructs¹. The void dungeon posed a formidable challenge, but Toga felt the thrill of battle surging through him. He was ready to unleash his fiery fury upon this fresh wave of adversaries.

---

3 new golems appear! in a triangular formation! Stats identical to the first.

---

wc: 544 [2300]

Combat Log:

In the depths of the void, a realm fraught with peril, uncertainty, and the ever-present specter of death lurking around every corner, the weak were mere playthings, crushed beneath the oppressive darkness and suffocating sense of despair that cascaded upon them like a relentless downpour, saturating the unworthy and feeble-minded in a deluge of utter hopelessness. Such was the nature of the void, its power to reduce the weak to depths even lower than their already pitiful existence.

Yet, the adversaries who ventured into this treacherous cavern were far from weak in mind, spirit, or body.

The squadron surged through the newly encountered golems with the ferocity of a supernova. The seeds of their triumph had already been sown and cultivated, and while the explosion could be witnessed from light-years away, it unfolded in the mere blink of an eye.

Knuckles, propelled by lightning and sheer force, raced through the corridor, his hammers crashing down upon one of the golems with devastating precision. Lightning and thunder intertwined in a passionate dance as the magical hammers cleaved the creature in two, extinguishing any semblance of life it might have possessed. The sheer power behind the attack would have shaken the cave's walls, threatening to bring the structure crashing down upon the mortals within, had it not been expertly focused. In a fleeting moment, the light faded from the golem's eyes, its lifeless corpse crumbling into a heap of icy crystals, a testament to the daemon's unwavering strength and resolve.

Alisa, even more formidable than the red-haired daemon, unleashed her crystalline chains, forging an unbreakable link between herself and the furthermost golem. In an instant, the space between them vanished, and with another deft flick of her wrist, her blade arced through the air, severing the golem's upper half from its lower body with surgical precision. The clean fissure bore witness to the guild-master's unrivaled dominance and served as irrefutable proof of her status as the mightiest among them.

The first golem met its demise at the hands of the flames, as Toga and Bird—the peculiar name bestowed upon the dark-haired daemon—unleashed a torrent of fiery magic that consumed the creature in an inferno of hellfire. The cavern transformed into a blazing oven, the intense heat enveloping the beast until it evaporated into nothingness, powerless against their combined might.

As the dust settled and the temperatures returned to normal, the four companions stood in the corridor, surveying the devastation they had wrought upon the void dungeon.

“Thanks, Bird-san(?),” TToga exclaimed, a subtle smile playing upon his lips, the uncertainty of the daemon's true name lingering in his mind. Nevertheless, it was the only appellation he had to work with, and it would be a disservice to address the mage as anything else, even if an air of mystery seemed to be his preferred shroud at this juncture.

"Alisa-chan, look! More stuff in their corposes,” the dragon slayer exclaimed, his gaze drawn to the aftermath of their swift and decisive battle. Amidst the remnants of their vanquished foes, their lifeless forms now mere echoes of their former selves, lay a treasure trove of weapons and artifacts, akin to the bounty they had claimed from the first golem mere moments ago. Toga, his brow furrowed in contemplation, ran his fingers through his vibrant pink locks, a gesture that betrayed his perplexity at the implications of their discovery.

“guess we go deeper. Knuckles-san, lead the way!” he chuckled.

---

wc: 575 [2875]

all 3 golems were defeated! Search further to unlock the mysteries (back to you, Alisa )

As Alisa meticulously examined the corpses, isolating the various items and treasures trapped within their icy bodily chambers, Tōga  scratched his head, his curious hues following her every move. The dragon slayer dropped to his knees, evaluating the scene before him and counting the fallen bodies scattered throughout the cavern. Six or seven of these void creatures had been slain with relative ease, their motionless forms evidence to the power that had been unleashed upon them.

The interior of the glacial cavern still bore the marks of their battle, with the licks of fire cackling in the corners, tinged with the remnants of Knuckle's lightning, while the shimmering glow of Alisa's crystal magic danced across the walls. It was an amalgamation of sundry magics and spells, blending together to create an abstract offense that had rendered the golems nothing more than inanimate objects, akin to the items they held within.

In truth, these ice golems likely had no names or personalities to distinguish one from another, and their existence may have posed a significant threat had they escaped and not been destroyed. Yet, they had lived, and that alone was enough for Tōga  to justify his next actions.

"You all fought well... Rest easy," the dragon slayer muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he lowered his head and closed his eyes. He followed his words with a gentle prayer for the fallen creatures, acknowledging their existence despite their nature. Though not a particularly religious person, Tōga  believed that anything that lived deserved recognition, especially those who had engaged in combat.

In his mind, combat forged a unique and inexplicable connection between individuals, transcending the need for words. The simple clashing of spells or weapons could reveal the depths of a person's ambitions, purpose, life experience, and the prospects of their future—all of it could be translated through the language of battle. This was what Tōga  recognized, the way in which he came to know his opponents. Through their brief encounter, he had gained an understanding of the golems, a correlation that he chose to honor in his own way, even as their lifeless forms lay scattered before him.

As Tōga  rose to his full height, he surveyed the scene before him, watching as his companions engaged in lively conversation. Knuckles and Alisa were deep in discussion about the intricacies of her magic, while she made sure to praise the weapon that the red-headed Daemon wielded. The raven-haired beauty's acknowledgment of the lightning hammer that sizzled in Knuckle's hand brought a smile to Tōga 's face, as he warmly remembered the way it had split the skies and rained down lightning upon their foe during their battle a month ago. Those shattering blows had been replicated within the cavern, a testament to the weapon's power.

Off to the side, Bird seemed to isolate himself, much as he had done throughout the battle. However, Tōga  could only smile and look upon him with patient eyes and a wide grin. Despite their brief encounter, the Rune Knight felt a connection with Bird, a potential for a great friendship, and perhaps even the possibility of a future rivalry, akin to what he envisioned with Knuckles. Of course, Bird would need to grow in strength, learn a bit of control, and smile more before that point, but Tōga  saw the promise within him.

Before the quartet could rest further, the darker end of the tunnel they occupied seemed to stir with agitation at their presence. From the opposite direction, five new golems emerged, each as powerful and enduring as the ones they had defeated before. As Tōga  brushed himself off, his mana screaming from his form, Alisa took the initiative, striking first. With all her might, she unleashed a crystalline assault, filling the interior of the cavern before them with a sparkling array of inevitable entrapment.

Quick to follow, Tōga 's energy seeped from his being like water as fire erupted from his skin, shifting and pouring down his figure before vanishing in a thin layer of smoke. In the wake of the fiery demonstration, those around Tōga  noticed the extraordinary changes in his features. His once lightly tanned skin had reddened, with layers of onyx scales painting his countenance and frame. His eyes had narrowed, the irises tightening to take on a more draconic appearance¹. Dragon Force roared to life as the pink-haired mage clasped his hands together, his mana exploding once more, ready to face the new threat that stood before them.

"Knuckles-san! Bird! Stand back and try to attack the one that got away," Tōga commanded, his voice resonating with authority as a smoldering cirque of mana formed between his palms, heating the environment with its extreme energy. As he lifted his hands, the gaseous sphere expanded, growing until it resembled a lesser sun, casting a brilliant glow throughout the cavern. With a mighty roar, Tōga  launched² the attack towards the ensnared golems, his eyes locked on his target.

The impact was nothing short of cataclysmic, a grand explosion of solar proportions erupting as spherical hell found its mark. The detonation was so powerful that it threatened to reduce everything within its radius to ash, the flames hungrily consuming all that stood in their path. The fires erupted outward from the center, rapidly swallowing the golems in a vortex of red and black, as the cavern's interior shook violently from the magmatic fury unleashed upon it.

Fortunately, the mages stood just outside the range of the brilliant display, their eyes wide with awe as they witnessed the sheer destructive power of Tōga 's attack. The heat was palpable, the air shimmering with the intensity of the flames, and the ground trembled beneath their feet. It was a tribute to the dragon slayer's vigor, a raw display of the power that coursed through his veins, amplified by the scales that adorned his skin.

---

wc: 983 [3,858]

Combat Log: