Garion led the group forward at a steady pace, his hands behind his back like he was taking a walk rather than invading a demon world.

Ahead of them, the demon city loomed in the distance, its dark towers cutting into the red sky.

On the way there, demons kept appearing.

Small ones. Thin ones. Some rushed out screaming. Some tried to ambush from behind rocks.

None of them lasted long.

Dahlia moved at the front, her expression bright and relaxed.

Her hands shifted into sharp dragon claws as she swung them down again and again.

"Too slow," she said cheerfully, slashing through another demon.

A burst of sky-colored energy followed her movements, tearing the demon apart before it could even scream.

Behind her, Eliza stepped forward quietly.

One demon managed to slip past Dahlia, its claws reaching out wildly.

Eliza's body blurred.

The demon froze.

A moment later, its head dropped to the ground without a sound.

Eliza stood there calmly, already looking away as if nothing had happened.

Arden watched all of this with a helpless smile.

"…I really am just baggage right now," he muttered.

Dion walked beside him, holding a small bottle and swirling it gently.

"Well, baggage that can talk," Dion replied lazily.

He uncorked the bottle and passed it forward.

"Drink. You burned a lot of energy just now."

Dahlia caught it mid-air and took a big gulp.

Her eyes widened. "Whoa. This is good."

She rolled her shoulders, cracks sounding softly. "My stamina's back already."

Dion grinned. "Told you. Wine isn't just for drinking."

Arden looked at the bottle, curious. "I still can't believe a [Unique Physique] like this exists."

Dion shrugged. "Me neither. Guess the world has a sense of humor."

Arden rubbed his chin, thinking. "So maybe it's not just bloodlines or talent."

He glanced at Dion. "Hobbies. Obsessions. The things people dedicate their lives to."

Dion laughed. "You're saying my body turned into wine because I loved it too much?"

Arden smiled. "It makes sense."

Garion, who had been silent until now, spoke calmly without turning around.

"Everything shapes the body. Training, habits, desires."

He looked back briefly. "That's why [Unique Physique] is never random."

Arden's eyes lit up.

"…This keeps getting more interesting."

Ahead of them, the demon city gates finally came into view.

Demons moved in and out of the gate without much order, some arguing, some dragging things that looked suspiciously like bones.

Dahlia slowed her steps and glanced at Garion. "Master… are we really going in like this?"

She looked down at herself, then at the others.

"I mean, yeah, we're strong. We could probably crush our way inside," she continued.

"But honestly… that sounds like a pain."

Arden nodded quickly. "It would draw too much attention. And we don't even know how big this city is."

Garion frowned slightly, rubbing his chin. "So you want something quieter."

Dahlia nodded. "Much quieter."

For a moment, Garion stayed silent.

Then his eyes lit up.

"Oh."

He reached into his storage space and pulled out several masks.

They were… ugly.

The masks were rough and uneven, shaped like twisted demon faces.

The horns were crooked, the mouths stretched unnaturally wide, and the eye holes were dark and narrow.

Dahlia leaned back instinctively. "…Master. What is that?"

Garion smirked. "A simple solution."

He tossed one mask to Dahlia.

"These are disguises. I made them earlier while experimenting."

Dahlia caught it and stared. "You just casually made demon masks?"

Garion shrugged. "I had spare materials."

Dion picked one up and tilted it left and right. "Wow. This is disturbing. I love it."

Garion continued calmly. "There are plenty of humanoid demons here. If we wear these, we blend in."

Arden frowned slightly. "But wouldn't they sense we're human?"

Garion shook his head. "That's the thing. We cultivate the body, not mana."

He tapped his chest. "There's barely any mana leaking from us. To demons, we don't feel human. We just look human."

Dion nodded slowly. "So unless they see our faces clearly, they won't question it."

Arden's eyes brightened. "I see."

Dahlia sighed and held the mask up to her face.

"…Still, this would be easier if Clara were here."

She glanced around. "Her illusion body could hide us completely. No masks needed."

Garion nodded once. "True. But we work with what we have."

He put his own mask on, the grotesque face hiding his calm expression.

"Once inside, don't act heroic," Garion said evenly. "Walk like you belong. Speak less. Observe more."

Dahlia slipped her mask on and stretched her shoulders. "…Fine. Let's sneak into hell."

Arden took a deep breath, adjusted his own mask, and nodded. "No running. No staring. Just walk."

They moved forward together, blending into the flow of demons heading toward the city gate.

The gates were massive, carved from dark stone streaked with red lines that pulsed faintly.

Two demon soldiers stood at the entrance, holding long spears with jagged blades.

Their eyes scanned everyone who passed.

One of the guards lifted a clawed hand.

"ID."

The word was sharp and bored.

Dahlia froze for half a second.

Arden's shoulders stiffened.

Dion swallowed and glanced sideways. "Uh…"

Before anyone else could react, Garion stepped forward casually.

He waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. One second."

The demon guard frowned. "Hurry up."

Garion walked off to the side like someone who had done this a hundred times before.

He leaned closer to the guards and lowered his voice.

"Listen," Garion said calmly. "We just arrived from the outer zone. No one told us where to get the passes."

The second guard snorted. "Then go back and..."

Garion slipped a heavy pouch into the first guard's hand.

It jingled.

The guard paused.

Garion smiled beneath the mask. "Just asking for directions. No trouble."

The demon glanced into the pouch. His eyes widened slightly.

"…Huh."

He quickly closed his hand around it and coughed. "Well. Regulations change all the time."

The second guard leaned in. "How much have you got?"

Garion produced another pouch and dropped it into his palm.

The guard grinned. "See? Polite demons still exist."

Dahlia stared from afar, stunned. "He's bribing them."

Dion whispered, "I forgot Master is terrifying in a completely different way."

The first guard gestured behind him. "ID office is useless today. Just take these."

He pulled out several red stones from a box beside the gate and tossed them over.

Garion caught them easily.

"These aren't IDs," Arden muttered.

The guard waved him off. "Pass stones. Same thing. As long as it's red, no one cares."

Garion handed one stone to each of them. "Keep it visible. Don't lose it."

Dahlia turned the stone over in her hand. "That's it? No name? No record?"

The guard laughed. "This is the demon city. If you pay, you exist."

Garion nodded in approval. "Efficient."

The guards stepped aside.

"Move along," one of them said. "And don't start fights near the gate."

Garion gave a short nod and walked forward.

The others quickly followed, their tension easing only after they passed through the gates.

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