Preparations for the journey were brief, for with a seal resting at 99.9%, every passing second was like playing with fire.
Akira stood in the outer courtyard of the mansion, wearing his new attire specially prepared by Shuna for this voyage. It wasn't a heavy armor that would hinder his swift movements, but a long black cloak with a deep crimson lining, crafted from "Hell Spider" silk and stitched with threads infused with fire magic.
"This is the 'Dusk Cloak'," Shuna said, adjusting the collar around his neck. "It will maintain your body temperature even in absolute frost and conceal the fluctuations of your spiritual energy as much as possible. Please, Akira-sama... come back safely."
Akira nodded in gratitude. He wanted to pat her head to reassure her, but he hesitated. Just an hour ago, when he tried to pick up a wooden cup to drink water, a tiny flicker of Void energy leaked from his hand, erasing the cup from existence in total silence. He knew he had become a ticking time bomb and did not want to risk harming anyone in Tempest.
"We will accompany you to the edge of the continent," Benimaru said, standing beside Diablo. "But once you cross the ice barrier, you and Diablo will be on your own. Guy Crimson does not tolerate armies or large groups entering his domain."
"That's more than enough," Akira replied, tucking his black dagger into his belt. He then turned to Diablo. "Are you sure this 'Guy' will agree to help me? I'm just a human carrying a catastrophe inside."
Diablo's demonic smile widened, his eyes narrowing into mischievous crescents. "Kufufufu... Guy Crimson is the original 'Overseer' of this world. He hates angels, and he hates boring rules. In other words, he adores 'chaos' as long as it's entertaining. And you, Akira-dono, embody the chaos that might break his boredom. But beware... his first test is often lethal."
Akira didn't comment. His hollow heart beat slowly, and the shattered blue system in his mind displayed the warning line without pause:
**[Spiritual Collapse Risk: Extremely High. An awakening catalyst must be found.]**
"Let us depart then," Diablo said, raising his right hand. His fingers traced a complex magic circle in the air, overflowing with black and red mana. "Maximum Grade Spatial Transfer Gate."
A magical black hole swallowed them both in the blink of an eye. When Akira opened his eyes again... he wasn't in a forest or a rocky valley. He was in a white hell.
The moment he stepped out of the magical gate, a blizzard struck him with the force of a concrete wall. The wind didn't just howl; it screamed like tortured souls. The temperature wasn't just cold; it was "painful"—a chill that pierced muscles and froze blood in the veins instantly.
If not for the "Dusk Cloak" Shuna had gifted him, he would have turned into an ice statue in the very first second. Even so, his body began to tremble violently, and his eyes could barely see amidst the blinding white storm.
**[Warning: Massive environmental damage. Temperature: Approaching Absolute Zero.]**
**[Passive Activation: Memory of Pain. Consuming damage to raise resistance...]**
**[Ice Resistance +5... +10...]**
"This isn't just a harsh environment..." Akira shouted, trying to overcome the roar of the wind, his breath escaping his mouth like thick white clouds. "This snow... it's made of pure mana!"
Diablo, who walked beside him without flinching, his elegant clothes unaffected by the storm, nodded calmly. "A keen observation, Akira-dono. This blizzard is not a natural phenomenon. It is the 'residue' of the True Dragon's breath—Velzard, the White Ice Dragon. She is Guy Crimson's partner, and her magical barrier surrounds the entire continent."
Akira stopped suddenly, placing his hand over his left eye. The "Void Perception Eye" began to pulse with an intermittent blue light. Despite the blinding storm, Akira saw "something" approaching. It wasn't a giant monster, nor was it a lethal aura like the angels. It was a calm, cold, and highly organized path of energy amidst the chaos.
"We have a visitor," Akira said coldly, instinctively drawing his dagger.
The blizzard receded slightly before them, as if the snow itself were stepping back out of respect for the approaching entity. From the midst of the white mist, a girl appeared.
She wore a black and white maid outfit that seemed entirely out of place in this deadly environment. Her hair was blue, the color of deep ice, and her eyes were half-closed, carrying an expression of utter boredom and indifference. In her hand, she held an elegant black umbrella, as if she were on an evening stroll in Paris rather than the coldest point in the world.
It was **Rain**, one of Guy Crimson's demonic maids and a Primordial Demon in her own right.
"What a nuisance..." Rain sighed in a very faint voice, yet it reached Akira's ears clearly despite the storm. "I was just about to finish my oil painting, but Lord Guy asked me to come out and receive the 'trash' that dared to cross the barrier."
Rain raised her lazy eyes toward Diablo. "Ah, it's you, Noir. It's been a while, but you're still as annoying as ever." She then shifted her gaze to Akira. For the first time, her eyes widened slightly, and her umbrella stopped spinning.
She stared at the human youth standing before her. She saw the crimson cloak, the black dagger, and the blue left eye. But what made her freeze wasn't his appearance; it was the "Void" boiling behind his soul, screaming with a terrifying silence.
"A human..." Rain muttered, the boredom completely vanishing from her voice, replaced by intense caution. "...No. You are not human. What is this black hole you carry in your chest?"
Akira offered a tired, lopsided smile. "If you take me to your master Guy Crimson, maybe I'll explain. My body is freezing here, and I'm not in the mood for a fight."
Rain tilted her head slightly and raised her free hand. In the blink of an eye, dozens of terrifying ice spears appeared above her head, aimed directly at Akira's heart.
"Lord Guy does not receive the weak. If you want to enter the White Palace..." Rain said in a lethal tone. "...you must first prove you're worthy of cleaning his boots."
Akira tightened his grip on his dagger, and the system flashed in his mind:
**[Warning: Engagement with a Primordial Demon. Activating Void Raiment...]**
It seemed the palace gates wouldn't be opened with kind words!