Plan and mission

In the training hall of the Devil Clan, all members of the Black Storm were practicing their moves and techniques under the guidance of the leader of the Crimson Order. They all attacked him, but he was faster and stronger than them, evading all their moves.

Alexander stepped away from the fight because the Devil Boy spoke to him telepathically.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm training. What's the matter, and why are you running?"

"I'm heading to my room to open the book and try to find out anything about the Devil Girl. Meet me after training so we can start our plan now!"

"Alright... Alright, I understand."

The Devil Boy entered his room and took out the Book of the Seven Kings, but he was surprised to see the title had changed to "The Wager of the Bloody Millennium."

He said, "When did the book's title change? No matter, let's open it."

He opened the book and found written in blood: "The mission starts now. Search."

"You will be on the right path once you cross the Dead Sea. After that, you will find the way. Search... search now; there is no time."

The words seemed to know what he wanted. The Devil Boy thought, "The Dead Sea? Wait, the world's corpse—he said he traveled the world. Maybe I'll find something in his pit. I hope so."

He rushed to the pit using the Quick Step technique until he reached it and entered. He started searching every corner of the pit, hoping to find something. Indeed, he found many papers, some filled with talismans or information about the world, or diaries, until he found several papers titled "The Lineage of the Devil Clan."

He began reading them, which stated:

"The Devil Clan has existed since ancient times. Over many years, the lineage branched into several tribes, such as the Devil Tribe, the Origami Tribe, and the Immortal Beast Tribe. The lineage expanded with the branching tribes and their abilities. However, terror spread when King Mammon began killing anyone bearing the names Devil Boy and Devil Girl. For years, no one heard of those names until a girl bearing that name appeared. She possessed all the abilities of the tribes, and no one knows her whereabouts. She has been seen in many places, the first being the Black Sea, where the king of all marine devils resides. Later, she was seen in one of the kingdoms of the Muslim Elves and is rumored to lead a band of mercenaries. Many rumors surround her, but her location remains unknown."

The Devil Boy said, "So, she's that powerful, possessing all abilities? The first place she was seen was the Dead Sea. That's my next destination. Time to search."

In the training hall, a message arrived for the leader: "Gather all the Black Storm for a mission to protect one of the kingdom's major merchants and escort him to Nazak Kingdom. After that, you can return."

The leader said, "Everyone, stand up. You will go on a mission to protect one of our kingdom's merchants and escort him to Nazak Kingdom, which is next to the Dead Sea. Escort him and return. Your mission starts in two hours."

Alexander relayed the leader's words telepathically. The Devil Boy responded, "Good, very good. Tell Hiroshi to meet me at the market quickly."

After the leader left, Alexander went to Hiroshi and said, "The Devil Boy is waiting for you at the kingdom's market, at the place where we used to celebrate. Go meet him quickly; I'll explain the situation to the rest."

Indeed, Hiroshi left everyone and ran as fast as he could to meet the Devil Boy. After a few minutes, they met, and Hiroshi asked, "What's the matter?"

"Listen carefully. I will start executing the plan as I said, but first, let's go to the rare goods merchant. We might find some information."

On their way to the merchant, Hiroshi asked, "What's new?"

The Devil Boy replied, "I found information about the Devil Girl. The information says she leads a band of mercenaries and was last seen near the Dead Sea."

Hiroshi, somewhat astonished, replied, "So, we will start searching, but do we need a ship? You, Alexander, and I can fly, but the rest cannot."

The Devil Boy confidently replied, "Don't worry, I have a plan. We will gather information from the merchant, find a ship, and after completing the mission, we will not return to the kingdom but escape on that ship."

"But won't the others notice our disappearance?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yes, they will, but only after we have crossed the Dead Sea. On the way, I will send a message saying I took you and went to the human world, but we will stay here."

Hiroshi said, "Did you really think this through? Alright, I'm impressed, but if we die, I'll kill you."

They stood in front of the merchant's shop, and the Devil Boy removed his shirt and told Hiroshi, "Grab any metal, carve it, and make it look like a dragon tattoo."

Hiroshi, puzzled, asked, "Alright, but why?"

"Because that merchant only cares about rare items. I think the Devil Boy is rare, isn't he?"

They entered the merchant's shop, which was narrow, filled with weapons, books, talismans, and chains. From a room at the end of the hallway, the merchant said, "We're closed. Get out of here."

Hiroshi loudly replied, "We have a rare item. Do you want it?"

The merchant, upon hearing the word "rare," quickly came out and stood opposite them, saying, "Where is it? Give it to me."

The man was around 40 years old and quite heavy.

The Devil Boy looked at Hiroshi, winked, and handed the engraved metal to the merchant. Upon seeing the dragon symbol, the merchant threw it back at them and screamed, "Get out of here!"

The Devil Boy asked, "Why? What do you know about this symbol?"

The merchant replied, "It's best to get rid of this mark. It's a source of bad luck, associated with the Devil Boy and Devil Girl. Anyone bearing this mark brings death to their location. I saw it once during a trip to sell my goods. A girl, around 17 years old, bought daggers and knives for her band of mercenaries, bearing this mark. What followed was a battle with devils that caused the loss of my goods. Anyone with this mark attracts devils wherever they go."

Hiroshi asked, "Where was your trip?"

The merchant replied, "Near a kingdom of the Muslim Elves, past the Dead Sea."

The Devil Boy said, "Thank you. This is useful information. Yes, I am the Devil Boy."

They left the merchant and headed towards the harbor to find a ship to take them from the kingdom. After an hour of searching and facing rejection, they finally reached a ship and boarded to speak with the captain. They didn't find him, but a man appeared from the top of the ship and came down to meet them, saying, "I am the merchant Eugene. How can I help you? I have many kinds of fresh fish. Do you want some?"

The Devil Boy replied, "We want something else. Do you sail on the Dead Sea?"

Eugene sarcastically said, "No one sails there because of the creatures controlling the sea."

Hiroshi replied, "What's your price? I see you love adventure, and your ship is built very sturdy. It seems you're struggling due to selling fish and not showcasing your goods in the market. So, how about you take us to the Dead Sea for a high fee?"

Eugene replied, "I agree. You have a keen eye. What's the price?"

Hiroshi was unsure how to respond, but the Devil Boy said, "50,000 gold coins. Do you agree?"

Eugene, pleased with the price, said, "I agree. When's the payment, and when do I take you?"

The Devil Boy smiled and said, "Meet us at the pier opposite Nazak Kingdom. You'll take us from there, and after the trip, I'll pay you. Here, take 10,000 coins now, and the rest after the journey. We'll meet there in three hours."

After that, the Devil Boy and Hiroshi left Eugene and went to the team, moving with the cart carrying the merchant. The Devil Boy thought to himself as he walked near the cart, "My plans will succeed. No need to worry. I hope the journey is smooth."