In the empty training yard behind the Dalma mansion, Fray stood calmly at one end, his expression steady. On the other side, Casper wore a wide, excited grin. The air was tense, heavy with the promise of battle.
"The dark Iffrit of Hallucination, Axelius—wake up!" Casper yelled, his voice loud and wild.
Suddenly, the air grew cold. Casper's shadow began to move, writhing unnaturally on the ground. Two long, thin arms with sharp claws stretched out from it and dug into the dirt. Then, slowly, something terrifying began to rise.
A tall, dark creature took shape behind Casper. Its long arms dragged across the ground, and it stood nearly twice Casper's height. Its face looked like a human's—if a human had its eyes and mouth sewn shut. Its skin was rough and twisted, like dried, cracked leather.
'Just as I thought… this spirit must be at the seventh rank. Besiy Elisa's and Rafael's spirits, this might be the strongest spirit in the family.' Fray studied the creature closely, his gaze sharp.
Without hesitation, Casper pointed at Fray, giving a silent command. The creature leapt forward, still connected to its shadow. It moved with frightening speed, claws raised to strike.
Swish!
The creature swung its claws at Fray. Casper's smile grew wider, certain of victory.
But then—his face changed. Fray had caught the creature's claws with ease. In the blink of an eye, Fray's body shifted—he grew taller, stronger, more intimidating.
"Hahaha! So, you really are strong!" Casper said, laughing madly.
With one hand still gripping the creature, Fray lifted his other fist, ready to strike. But then Casper whispered something just loud enough for Fray to hear:
"Axelius, open your left eye."
Before Fray could react, the creature's stitched eye ripped open, revealing three glowing purple pupils. Each one reflected Fray's face like a mirror.
In an instant, the world around Fray changed. Casper and the creature vanished. The training yard melted away, and Fray found himself standing in the middle of a nightmare.
Flames shot up around him. Rivers of lava flowed across the cracked ground. The sky glowed red, and the heat was unbearable. Fire swirled like living snakes, roaring and spitting sparks into the air.
(This heat… I can actually feel it. I didn't expect a hallucination to be this real,) Fray thought as he stood surrounded by fire. (Most people wouldn't be able to escape this. But… I have a golden soul.)
Fray raised his hand and, with a simple flick of his finger, the air cracked like breaking glass.
The illusion shattered.
The burning world crumbled around him—the lava, the fire, the endless heat—vanishing into smoke and shadows. In its place, the real world returned.
Fray came back to reality—just in time. Casper's fist was only inches from his face, flying toward him with incredible speed.
But Fray was faster.
With flawless timing, he caught Casper's punch mid-air, stopping it cold.
"!!?" Casper's eyes widened in shock.
Then—BAM!
Fray's punch struck Casper's stomach like a hammer. Casper coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing into the ground with a thud.
He lay there, gasping, while his spirit, Axelius, stood silently nearby, unaffected.
Fray walked toward him, calm as ever. "Are you ready to surrender?" he asked.
"Hahaha!"
To Fray's surprise, even after taking a devastating hit, Casper burst out laughing like a madman. His voice echoed through the yard, loud and unhinged.
HA-HA-HA-HA!
Grimacing in pain, Casper clutched his stomach and slowly pushed himself up onto one knee. His laughter echoed across the empty yard, mixing with the tension in the air in a way that made the moment even more unsettling.
Fray narrowed his eyes, carefully watching. Something about this man wasn't quite right—and he knew better than to lower his guard.
"This is fun!" Casper shouted suddenly. "I haven't had this much fun in years!" He covered his face with one hand, his eyes wide and twitching with wild energy.
Then, out of nowhere, he screamed:
"Axelius—open your mouth!"
A sharp chill swept through the yard.
Fray's instincts screamed at him. He quickly shifted into a defensive stance, ready for whatever was coming.
Across from him, the monstrous spirit Axelius reached up with its long arms and began to pull at its mouth. The stitches strained. The skin stretched. And then—something dark and terrible began to slip out from inside.
Suddenly from the depths of shadow, an eerie glow lit up. A ghostly arrow formed in the air—silent, bright, and full of power. It shot forward like lightning.
Whoosh!
The arrow tore through the smoky figure of Axelius. The spirit's body flickered, then started to fade, slowly dissolving into mist and vanishing like smoke in the wind.
Silence fell.
Both Fray and Casper turned toward the direction the arrow had come from.
A middle-aged man stepped into view. He had steel-gray hair and sharp features, and he carried a bow slung casually over his shoulder. His eyes were calm but intense.
"What in the abyss are you doing, Casper?" the man yelled. His voice was stern, filled with both anger and concern.
Then, turning to Fray, he gave a small nod and said, "I apologize for his behavior, Young master."
(That's him… the leader of the Elite Servants—Norman.) Fray recognized him immediately. He turned to meet Norman's gaze and replied in a composed voice, "No need to apologize. It was just a duel."
Fray then briefly explained the terms of their fight.
(I knew letting those two meet was a bad idea…) Norman thought, his jaw tight. He hadn't been around when Casper went to find Fray, but the moment he heard, he'd rushed over. In his eyes, these two were the most dangerous people in the entire Dalma family.
"I'm sorry again for interrupting," Norman said after a pause. "But Casper still doesn't have full control over his spirit. I was hoping you'd reconsider the duel."
"No, Captain," Casper said firmly, looking up. "I've lost. I accept the outcome. I'll become the young master's servant."
Norman's expression changed. The seriousness in the air grew heavier.
"Casper, do you understand what you're agreeing to?"
"I do," Casper answered without hesitation.
Fray stepped forward. His voice was steady, calm but strong.
"I don't want you to follow me just because you lost. I'll send you the details of a meeting where I'll explain my goals. If you believe in what I'm building, then I'll accept you into my guild."
For a moment, Casper looked surprised. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face.
"Alright, young master."
"And… keep what happened today between us," Fray added, meeting Casper's eyes.
(So… he doesn't want Norman to know he's aware of the Elite Servants.) Casper understood right away and nodded.
"Understood. I won't tell anyone."
Norman watched them both in silence. There was something about Fray—something dangerous, but impressive.
'This kid… if he really gets Casper to follow him, he'll become a serious threat to the other children.'