Part one hundred eighty six — The Girl Who Summoned a Primordial Demon

　Fenrir's expression went white the instant she saw it.

　"No."

　The summoning circle expanded.

　Blue-white light erupted across the ground, forcing Fenrir to release Mirella's throat and stagger backward. The symbols surrounding Mirella began rotating faster, ancient letters appearing and disappearing before either of them could read them.

　Mirella collapsed onto her hands and knees, coughing violently as she desperately dragged air back into her lungs.

　"What... is this...?"

　She didn't know.

　She had never studied summoning magic. She had never even seen a magic circle like this before.

　Yet somehow, her body recognized it.

　Something was calling to her.

　Or perhaps—

　Something was answering her.

　Fenrir stared at the circle in disbelief.

　"This is impossible..."

　For the first time since arriving, genuine fear entered her voice.

　Mirella looked up at her.

　"You know what this is?"

　Fenrir didn't answer.

　The circle suddenly flashed.

　A massive surge of magical energy exploded outward, tearing through the surrounding flames and forcing Fenrir to shield her face.

　"What are you summoning?" Fenrir demanded.

　"I don't know!"

　Mirella's voice cracked.

　The symbols changed.

　The magic became darker.

　Not evil.

　Just ancient.

　Something far older than the village, older than the beastkin clans, older than Fenrir herself.

　A voice reached Mirella from somewhere beyond the light.

Do you wish to live?

　Mirella froze.

　Her eyes widened.

　She didn't know where the voice had come from.

　She didn't care.

　She thought of her grandmother.

　Her mother.

　Her father.

　The home she had lost.

　The only family she had ever known.

　Tears filled her eyes.

　"Yes."

　The circle shook.

　Fenrir's face changed.

　"No! Stop this!"

　She lunged forward.

　But the instant she crossed the edge of the magic circle, an invisible force blasted her backward.

　Fenrir crashed through the remains of a nearby house.

　Mirella stared at the destruction around her.

　"I don't want to die."

　The voice answered.

Then survive.

　The magic circle disappeared.

　For one brief moment, everything became silent.

　Then Mirella's eyes opened.

　Their color had changed.

　Something ancient had awakened inside her.

　Fenrir slowly pushed herself out of the rubble.

　She looked at Mirella.

　And for the first time in her long life, Fenrir understood that the child she had spent years trying to erase was no longer merely the daughter of an elf and a beastkin.

　Something else had answered her call.

　Something that even Fenrir could not understand.

　Mirella stood.

　Her body was still covered in wounds.

　She was still crying.

　But she was alive.

　And somewhere beyond the boundaries of the world she knew, the path that would eventually lead her to becoming Nero, the Abyssal Demon Emperor, had finally begun.

　The circle opened, and something ancient stepped through.

　A being with no name.

　Only a number.

No.8.

　He looked at Mirella, then smiled.

　"So. You summoned me."

　He glanced at Fenrir.

　"To show my gratitude, I'll grant you one request."

　Mirella didn't hesitate.

　"I want her, and her entire clan, gone."

　"Granted."

　His answer was simple.

　Fenrir attacked immediately.

　Desperation replaced everything else in her expression as she lunged forward, but No.8 simply vanished.

　He reappeared behind her.

　The resulting impact sent Fenrir crashing into the earth.

　She rose.

　Attacked again.

　And again.

　No.8 handled every strike with the mild, distracted patience of someone barely paying attention. He avoided her claws, redirected her blows, and stepped around her attacks as though she were little more than an inconvenience.

　"This vessel is rather interesting," he said, flexing his fingers.

　The body he inhabited had once belonged to a corpse, yet it remained entirely unbothered by the strain of containing even a fraction of his actual strength.

　"Perhaps I should stop testing it."

　He snapped his fingers.

　Fenrir died instantly.

　Mirella could only stare.

　What she had just witnessed hadn't even been close to his true power.

　Perhaps a tenth of a percent.

　If that.

　By sunrise, the beastkin clan no longer existed.

　When No.8 returned, Mirella stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking.

　"Teach me."

　"Teach you what?"

　"How to become stronger."

　He laughed.

　"As strong as me? Impossible. You haven't even seen my true power."

　"Then teach me to stand beside you instead."

　That made him pause.

　He considered her words for a moment before nodding.

　"That, I can understand."

　He looked down at her.

　"A demon at my level doesn't serve those beneath him. And I don't form contracts with beings far below it."

　"Then I'll become stronger," Mirella said.

　"If you want that contract," he replied, "you'll need to earn it properly."

　He smiled faintly.

　"And you'll need to give me a name."

　Mirella blinked.

　"But only once you're stronger than me."

　"I'll do it."

　She clenched her fists.

　"Someday."

　Six years followed.

　Six years of brutal, unrelenting training.

　No.8 pushed Mirella beyond every limit she thought she possessed. Every time she fell, he gave her the same command.

Get up.

　"I can't..."

Then remain weak.

　And every time, she got back up.

　Somewhere along those years, gratitude quietly became devotion.

　And devotion became something considerably deeper.

　Something she never told him.

　She trained toward one goal above all others.

　To become strong enough to give him a name.

　To stand beside him properly.

　Never once did she suspect that he had noticed any of it.

　Then, one day, he simply vanished.

　No farewell.

　No explanation.

　Nothing.

　Mirella searched.

　She found nothing.

　Eventually, she stood alone in the place where they'd trained together for years.

　"Why...?"

　Her voice trembled.

　"Did I still not become strong enough?"

　She wiped away her tears.

　"No."

　She looked toward the empty horizon.

　"I'll find you."

　Her fists tightened.

　"And when I do, I'll be strong enough to give you a name."

　She had no idea what the future held.

　She had no idea that a boy named Kai would eventually give No.8 the name Nero long before she ever got the chance.

　Nor did she know that years later, she would finally stand before him again.

　The dimension was silent.

　Mirella stared at the man standing before her.

　He was no longer the No.8 she had spent years searching for.

　"You..."

　Her hands trembled.

　"Mirella," Nero said.

　Her expression sharpened instantly.

　"Don't."

　She stepped toward him.

　"Don't say my name like nothing happened."

　Her voice cracked.

　"You left me. You disappeared without a word."

　She clenched her fists.

　"Why?"

　"I had things I needed to do," he said.

　Her aura erupted.

　Mirella attacked.

　Relentless.

　Flame.

　Lightning.

　Spatial blades.

　Physical force.

　Every angle.

　Every technique she had developed over six years was unleashed without restraint.

　Nero simply avoided everything.

　Unhurried.

　Never once countering.

She's gotten considerably stronger.

　He watched her movements carefully.

Still just slightly below me, though.

If I fight her seriously, I might kill her.

　Mirella unleashed everything at once.

　Thousands of explosions swallowed the dimension.

　Fire consumed everything for several long seconds.

　Then the flames cleared.

　Nero stood completely unharmed.

　"You've become strong."

　He disappeared.

　Mirella's eyes widened.

　He appeared behind her.

　"But you're still weak."

　She spun around.

　Nothing.

　Her fists clenched.

　"You're still treating me like a child."

　Her voice broke.

　"After all these years, you have no idea how I felt."

　She lowered her head.

　"I thought maybe I wasn't good enough."

　"I left to seek out powerful opponents," Nero said honestly.

　Mirella's expression fell.

　"So I'm not one."

　"Yes."

　Her aura exploded.

　Rage finally reached its limit.

　She lunged, her fist already swinging.

　Nero simply walked past her.

　The attack missed completely.

　"You want to know what true power feels like?"

　He stopped.

　"I'll show you."

　A fraction of his aura surfaced.

　Mirella froze.

　Every instinct screamed at her to run.

　Her body refused to obey.

　This wasn't mere killing intent.

　It was the sheer presence of something completely beyond her current level.

　Nero raised a hand.

　"This dimension is yours, isn't it?"

　Mirella could barely breathe.

　"Then watch."

　He dropped his hand.

　The entire dimension split cleanly in two.

　Then it shattered.

　Stars.

　Space.

　Mountains.

　The entire world Mirella herself had created broke apart like glass around them.

　And then—

　They reappeared in the original battlefield.

　Vados glanced over.

　"Took you long enough."

　Nyxara noticed Mirella's tears immediately.

　"...Why is she crying?"

　"I hate you," Mirella said, wiping her face angrily.

　She glared at Nero.

　"I hate you, No.8."

　"It's Nero," he said.

　"I hate you, Nero!"

　Himari turned toward him warily.

　"What did you do?"

　"Nothing," Nero said.

　"Are we supposed to believe that?" Enzo asked flatly.

　"He doesn't know how to make a first impression," Ivy added.

　Nero ignored all of them.

　He walked toward Mirella.

　She immediately tried to turn away.

　He stopped in front of her anyway.

　Then he rested a hand on her head.

　"You've become strong."

　His voice softened.

　"I'm proud of you."

　A pause.

　"You still need a lot more improvement, though."

　Mirella's lips trembled.

　Then she hugged him without warning, burying her face against his chest.

　"What do I need to do?"

　Her voice was muffled.

　"To become strong enough to stand by your side?"

　"Serve under Lord Kai."

　Nero looked down at her.

　"He'll grant your wish."

　"That's all?"

　"That's all."

　Nyxara stepped in.

　"One problem."

　Mirella looked toward her.

　"You currently have a contract with Kazuhiko. You'll need to cancel it and inform Divo."

　Nyxara paused.

　"Once you contract with Kai, you're no longer a Demon Lord."

　Mirella didn't hesitate.

　"I'll do it."

　Ivy blinked.

　"That was quick."

　"I've already waited long enough," Mirella said.

　"Then it's settled," Nero said. "We wait for Lord Kai to finish what he's doing."

　He looked around.

　"Speaking of... where is he?"

　"Fighting Vorath and Skorne," Himari answered. "In another dimension."

　"And your mother?"

　"Watching."

　Himari turned toward the western battlefield.

　"I think we should go help the Alliance."

　"I'm coming," Ivy said.

　The two vanished together.

　Vados and Nyxara remained.

　Nero glanced toward Mirella, who still stood close beside him.

　Nearby, Nao's unconscious body remained motionless.

　For now, they waited.

　But somewhere far beyond their own battlefield, an army nobody had accounted for was already moving quietly against Ashford, Tearmoon, and Myrath.

　The true weight of the invasion was only beginning to emerge.

　And its strongest players remained occupied elsewhere entirely.