THE SHADOWS OF AETHEL

 "So this is it..." Takemitchi planted his hands on his hips, forcing bravado into his voice to mask his uncertainty. "The Cave of Beginnings. We'll clear this in minutes and climb the ranks in no time!"

 Ayame rolled her eyes, her blue hair catching the light as she moved. "Right, Takemitchi," she drawled, experience from countless training sessions lending weight to her words. 

 "Just remember—this isn't the training yard anymore. Real combat has a way of teaching its own lessons and we aren't allowed to use magic during this quest."

 ' it's not like I'll need it, I'm strong all on my own, ' Takemitchi gloated.

 "Whatever. Let's just get moving," Shizuri cut in, her dagger catching the light as she gestured toward the entrance. The blade's gleam seemed to underscore the finality of their decision.

 As they ventured inside, darkness swallowed them whole. Within steps, the entrance light faded to a distant memory, leaving them blind in the oppressive blackness. 

 The only sound was the haunting drip of water from unseen stalactites, each drop echoing through the silence like a tiny death knell.

 "H-hey, Ayame," Takemitchi's voice wavered, his earlier confidence cracking like thin ice. "How about some light? I knew it'd be dark, but this is ridiculous."

 "Oh? What happened to all that big talk?" Shizuri teased, though her own voice carried a slight tremor that betrayed her unease. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now."

 "Shut up!" Takemitchi snapped, his wounded pride making his voice sharp. "The monsters here are nothing for level one adventurers like us. We've trained for this!"

 "If training was all it took to make a dog fly, we'd have flying night guards by now," Ayame quipped, but raised her hand nonetheless, accepting the unspoken plea for light.

Closing her eyes in concentration, she began her self-made incantation, her voice carrying through the darkness:

 "I am the truth, the one and only believer of light. What I seek is brightness—let there be light!" Her palm began to glow, the light coalescing into a perfect white orb that pushed back the shadows like a miniature sun.

 "Since when do low-level spells need incantations?" Takemitchi asked, momentarily distracted from his fear by genuine curiosity.

 "They don't," Ayame admitted, a slight flush coloring her cheeks in the magical light. "I made it up to help me focus. Only high-level magic requires actual incantations—basic spells just need names."

 "Those words though," Shizuri smirked, finding comfort in the familiar rhythm of teasing. "Are you secretly some kind of edge lord?"

 "N-no, of course not!" Ayame forced a smile, quickly deflecting attention elsewhere. "Look at Ein—he hasn't said a word since we left the guild. Maybe we should follow his example and focus."

 "Ha!" Takemitchi's laugh bounced unnaturally off the cave walls, the echo making him flinch. "He's probably just scared stiff!"

 His thoughts, however, carried a darker tone. 'Look at him,' Takemitchi seethed internally, glaring at Ein. 'No rank, appears out of nowhere, and somehow Brass lets him join us. He's going to ruin my time with the girls.'

 His bitter internal monologue left him distracted a potentially fatal mistake in a dungeon. A wolf materialized from the shadows like a nightmare given form, its yellow eyes gleaming with predatory intelligence in Ayame's magical light. 

 Before anyone could react, it launched itself at Takemitchi's exposed face, jaws wide and slavering.

 In that frozen moment, Ein moved. The quiet boy who hadn't spoken a word suddenly burst into action, inserting himself between Takemitchi and certain death with fluid grace that seemed almost inhuman.

 As the wolf lunged for Takemitchi's throat, Ein moved with terrifying speed. Without hesitation, he thrust both hands into the beast's gaping maw—not in fear or desperation, but with the calculated precision of a seasoned killer.

 His movements were eerily calm, as if he'd performed this exact action countless times before.

 In one fluid motion, Ein's hands shot outward, ripping through flesh and bone like paper. The wolf's body tore apart with a sickening crack that echoed through the cave, its form splitting in a violent spray of crimson.

 Blood arced through the air, splattering across Ein's face and black clothing. He stood motionless as warm droplets traced paths down his cheeks, his expression unchanged—almost bored.

 "Huh, it's dead," Ein said in a tone that suggested mild disappointment. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."

 The wolf's remains crashed to the cave floor in two separate pieces, dark blood pooling on the stone beneath them.

 The metallic scent of fresh blood filled the air, mixing with the cave's damp atmosphere to create a nauseating cocktail.

 Takemitchi remained frozen on the ground, his sword forgotten beside him. His mouth hung open in silent horror, eyes wide and unblinking as he stared at his savior or perhaps at the monster who had taken his place. 

 The brutal efficiency of Ein's actions had shattered any illusions about their quiet companion.

 In the orb's pale light, Ein's blood-streaked face turned toward the rest of the pack, his blue hair now flecked with red. His purple eyes held something dangerous a cold, calculating hunger that made even the wolves hesitate.

 "What... what was that," Takemitchi managed in a trembling voice that barely rose above a whisper.

 Ayame's eyes glowed with fascination while Shizuri regarded Ein with a serious gaze, seemingly unfazed by the display of savage strength.

 "Wow!" Ayame exclaimed, excitement overriding her fear. "He's strong, and he didn't even use any magic!"

 Ein slowly turned his blood-stained face toward the few remaining wolves. His eyes seemed to glow in Ayame's magical light, carrying an intensity that made the beasts whimper and back away.

 Whatever these creatures sensed in him terrified them more than any human spell or blade.

 "How... how can you just—" Takemitchi's voice cracked as he scrambled backward, his hands slipping in the blood-slicked stone. "That's not normal! No one just tears apart—"

 "Shut it." Ein's voice was soft but carried enough weight to silence Takemitchi instantly. He flexed his crimson-coated fingers, drops of blood falling from his hands with quiet patters. "More are coming."

 As if summoned by his words, howls echoed through the cave. The remaining wolves had called for reinforcements, their cries bouncing off the stone walls in a haunting chorus that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

 "Shouldn't we run?" Shizuri suggested, her usual confidence giving way to a hint of uncertainty. "Whatever rank this dungeon is supposed to be, this isn't—"

 "No," Ein interrupted, taking a step forward. A small, unsettling smile crept across his blood-spattered face. "Let them come."

 Ein prepared to face the wave of wolves materializing before them, while his companions found themselves divided between watching his imminent battle and defending against the two wolves that had appeared behind them.

 As Takemitchi sat on the cold stone floor, his thoughts spiraled into self-doubt. 'I can't believe it... how can someone be that strong? I've trained for this almost my entire life, but in that moment, I almost died. What am I even doing here? I'm the one who's supposed to protect the girls...'

 Slowly, he reached for his fallen sword, fingers wrapping around the familiar hilt as he pushed himself to his feet.

 'I should be able to handle this much at least. My magic isn't very strong—that's why I focused on honing my skill with the sword. Enemies like this... I'm sure I can handle them.' 

 Ein sheathed his sword, then assumed his stance. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths to focus his mind and calm his racing heart.

 'I feel much better now,' he thought. 'I was only frightened because this is my first time seeing a monster up close. But if I use my sword technique, Kankaku, I can fight without relying on sight.'

 The technique Ein had learned was an advanced swordsmanship skill that enhanced his ability to sense his surroundings without visual input, making combat more instinctive and fluid.

 One wolf lunged at Ayame while the other darted toward Ein's legs. Just as the beast was about to clamp its jaws around his calf, Ein executed a precise spin to evade the attack.

Using the momentum, he followed through with a powerful swing aimed at the wolf's neck.

 Meanwhile, Ayame twirled her dagger and drove it deep into her attacker's eye. The wolf recoiled in pain but remained intensely focused on its prey, snarling with renewed aggression.

 At the last moment before Ein's strike could connect, his target leaped backward with surprising agility. The wolf growled menacingly, its orange eyes glowing in the dim light.

 "Good thing you got your nerve back," Ayame remarked with a slight smirk, "though your aim could use some work."

 'You didn't need to point that out,' Ein thought irritably. 'But she's right—I'm feeling the rhythm of combat again. What was I so afraid of? Even if that guy is stronger than me, these wolves certainly aren't.'