I am roused from my slumber by a resounding knock echoing through the door of my chamber.

"Miss, all participants are expected to gather in the courtyard within two hours. Make sure you use this time to prepare for the second round of the contest," a guard calls from the other side of the door.

Right.

For a brief moment, I had forgotten that my very life hung in the balance. The plush mattress beneath me offered a comfort far surpassing the hard wooden floors of my previous safehouse, granting me a reprieve from my troubles. As I stretch my arms and tail to shake off the lingering embrace of sleep, I'm reminded of the dire circumstances awaiting me. My cloak and bag of equipment rest atop a nearby desk, waiting to be donned for the impending trial. With a determined resolve, I slip out of bed, steeling myself for the daunting challenge that lies ahead.

The courtyard exudes a sense of grandeur and spaciousness, with only ten participants occupying its expanse. As I stroll forward, Terran strides confidently beside me, his muscular arms casually tucked behind his head, drawing the admiring gazes of several female participants.

You and the Duke should compete to see who garners the most attention, honestly.

"Did you have a nice catnap?" Terran asks.

"Cat nap?" I ask.

"Yeah, because you look like a cat with those little nubs of yours."

I forgot he saw my horns.

I retrieve the dagger from my pocket and press it threateningly against his neck. "Listen, do not breathe a word to anyone about what you've witnessed. I may not know precisely who I am, but all I desire is to live. I didn't choose to be hunted or to be born this way. Every action I take is for my survival, so I strongly advise you to keep silent."

Sadness and pity flash in Terran's amethyst eyes before they are once again veiled by humour.

"Relax; if I were going to say something, I would have by now. I made a promise of truce, and I intend to keep it."

I release my hand, which had been holding the dagger against his neck, and securely tuck it back into my pocket. Avoiding further conversation with Terran, I avert my gaze and remain silent. Fortunately, he refrains from pressing the matter further and simply smiles as we wait for everyone in the courtyard to assemble.

The Duke Prince makes his grand appearance and assumes the same position as the previous day when we handed over our tags.

"You must protect your sphere after the grace period of five hours has ended. You can hide it in the forest, but each sphere has a summoning enchantment to ensure no trading or false claims. I will be hunting down five spheres, and whoever is assigned to them will be disqualified. The remaining five will move on to the third round," he concludes his speech. He proceeds to move to a spot that is shadowed and secluded.

I gazed at the Duke for a moment. He seems to blend seamlessly with the shadows, his obsidian hair and dark armour rendering his silhouette nearly indistinguishable in the dim light. This round is shaping up to be exceedingly challenging.

As if attuned to my scrutiny, the Duke locks eyes with me. Once again, I find myself ensnared in his fiery yet icy gaze. A shiver of fear, akin to the touch of death itself, snakes its way up my spine. Hastily, I avert my gaze from the Duke, endeavouring to steady my racing heart.

Terran's voice snaps me back to reality. "So here's my plan," he begins. "I suggest you and I stick together this round. There's no way we'll manage to hide from the Duke indefinitely. We need to create a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?" I ask.

"Look what I have!" Terran exclaims, showcasing a purple piece of paper adorned with enchantments. This is no ordinary incantation; rather, it is a rare one.

"Mimic incantation?" I ask.

"Yes, it is made from an extremely rare Mimicking Gecko's core. If we place it on an object, it can mimic the appearance of another object," Terran says proudly.

"Aren't Mimic Geckos extremely dangerous and large? They're more like flightless wyverns. They're also extremely sneaky because they can transform into different animals around them. How did you manage to snag its core to make this?" I inquired, curiosity piqued.

"I have my ways," Terran says sheepishly.

As Terran and I strategize our distraction plan, the two hours swiftly slip away, and the Duke resumes his position in the centre of the courtyard. Once again, a pillar of flame erupts from his hand, marking the beginning of the round. Without delay, Terran and I make our way directly to the forest, where the contest area awaits us once more.

Our strategy is to position ourselves in the farthest reaches of the forest, away from the kingdom. This will compel the Duke to traverse the entire expanse of the forest before reaching us. Our objective is to prolong his search by ensuring he encounters as many participants as possible before locating us. It's not a question of if he finds us, but rather a matter of when.

We will also keep the spheres on our person. It's too risky to just hide them in a spot and expect the Duke not to find them. Additionally, we have the mimic incantation as a backup plan if things get serious.

The final option is to sabotage another participant. Since the spheres are assigned to each individual, even if we were to obtain their sphere, they would be the ones disqualified, not us. This round entails protecting not only our sphere from the Duke but also safeguarding it against potential sabotage from others.

The Duke Prince has also informed us that each time he finds a sphere, he will shoot a flame pillar into the sky. Once he has fired five pillars, all participants are expected to return to the castle.

To not cause too much damage to the forest, the Duke was asked to limit his fire ability when hunting the participants' spheres. So at least I won't die today.

It takes Terran and me about an hour to reach the other side of the forest. We decided to fortify our position by using various trap-incantations I obtained from the participants yesterday. This will provide us with more time if we need to escape.

I position myself atop the tree branches, overlooking the forest floor. This vantage point offers the perfect position for potential ambushes.

Terran is tasked with scouting the area around us. If he detects the Duke or any potential danger, he will report back to me, and then we will proceed with the plan.

Placing my trust in Terran entails risk, of course, but I prefer that gamble than to confront the Duke Prince alone. Moreover, I have an ace up my sleeve if the worst scenario unfolds.

I gently touch the purple amethyst core of my necklace. I haven't disclosed the secret of the teleportation necklace to Terran, and I intend to keep it that way, just in case he chooses to betray me.

Terran makes his way up the trees, taking a position right next to me.

"We've got about 10 minutes left before the Duke commences his little hunting session," he muses.

I stay silent, not finding the energy to entertain his little conversations.

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, but... you are a demon, correct?" he asks tentatively.

My head jerks towards him in shock. I attempt to scrutinise his face for any sign of fear or disgust, but to my astonishment, none is evident. With a defeated sigh, I resign myself to the inevitable. If anyone were to uncover my secret, it would be him. He had shadowed my every move throughout this contest, so, surprisingly, it took him this long to discern my demonic appearance.

"As I said before, I don't know... I'm not sure what I am, but I am not human, nor do I believe I am a demon. I'm unable to control mana, and I've never awakened, as far as I understand." I admit the whole truth to him.

"What about your past? Do you have any memories of your parents or anything like that?" he asks.

"No, I have no such memories. Not even a single hint will help me figure out what's going on with me or who I am," I say sadly.

"Then how-"

"Listen, I prefer to focus on what lies ahead for now. I'd rather explore my past another time when my life isn't on the line," I coldly tell Terran.

He nods in agreement, his eyes flashing with pity once again.

A few more moments pass, and suddenly, a flash of crimson flame illuminates the sky.

It has started.

Once the fire pillar reaches its apex, the Duke begins a deliberate stride towards the kingdom's exit. Each step oozes with the confidence of a seasoned hunter. He has pursued demons for as long as memory serves. They are far more cunning and stealthy than any group of amateur warriors. Yet, this task is one he undertakes by the decree of his king.

With an air of patience, he traverses the polished marble expanse of the kingdom's main road. He senses the weighty gaze of the kingdom upon him, coupled with the clandestine murmurs of its inhabitants. Amidst the grandeur of the architecture, his people of Arcana lurk in the crevices and shadows of the structures, diligently scouring for the elusive demon that has purportedly haunted the kingdom for a decade.

Arcana's jurisdiction lies solely beyond the kingdom's borders, tasked with the hunt and extermination of demons. They bear no responsibility for safeguarding the kingdom's interior. In the event of a full-scale demon confrontation within the kingdom's confines, Arcana cannot guarantee the safety of all civilians.

Therefore, Arcana had deployed its assassins beyond the kingdom's boundaries, anticipating the demon's eventual departure in pursuit of alternate prey. Yet, the elusive entity had never revealed itself.

The King made the unprecedented decision to offer Arcana triple their standard fee to hunt down and expel the demon within the kingdom's borders. The populace had been up the king's ass about it.

He is surprised by the incompetence of King Aelius' guards. With a king who has lived for 5000 years, one would expect him to have addressed this nuisance already. However, it seems it may not hold the same importance for him as his people believe.

The Duke's sweeping, dark cape trails gracefully behind him with every purposeful stride. He moves past each entrance of the kingdom, his presence commanding attention, until he reaches the final gate. With a single, fluid motion, he releases the golden clip fastening his cape at his neck. As the cape begins its descent towards the ground, the Duke vanishes into thin air, leaving nothing but an echo of his enigmatic presence.

Swiftly and silently, like the shadows themselves, he runs through the forest, searching for the participants and their spheres. What many people do not know is that individuals leave invisible tracks behind, which can be called mana tracks, from the use of magic. Only those skilled enough to control their mana flow can minimise their presence. It is impossible to completely erase your mana track.

That is what he thought. There was one participant who might be tricky to find. He was unable to sense any mana coming from them as if they had none, to begin with. Their existence seemed non-existent. He had even tried touching her to sense the mana flow within her, but there was nothing. He believed that the participant was called Alison. The other participant, Terran, had taken a great liking to her.

He stumbles upon a small burrow spacious enough to accommodate an entire person.

He scrutinizes the earth surrounding it, noting that it appears freshly disturbed. The atmosphere seems saturated with lingering traces of mana, indicating that this burrow must have been crafted by a participant's magic.

The duke firmly places one hand against the side of the burrow, igniting an incantation paper with a flicker of flame.

Simple traps like these are disgraceful.

He steps into the burrow and discovers a compact underground chamber.

"What? How did the trap not stop you?" the woman asks, her tone filled with shock.

Not in the mood for chatter, he scans the small burrow until his eyes suddenly land on a familiar spherical object nestled in a notch on the side of the burrow.

The woman attempts to summon a mass of earth to launch towards the Duke, but he melts it in an instant with a single hand. Shoving the woman aside, he strides towards the sphere, seizing it, and swiftly exits before she can attempt to stop him.

The duke shoots a pillar of fire into the air, signalling that one sphere has been taken.

Four more to go.