The moment Martin and Rias returned to the Forest Hidden Monster Hunter Academy, déjà vu hit him like a bolt from the heavens.
The academy grounds still looked as he remembered them. Towering trees enclosed the clearing, their dense crowns blocking most of the sunlight, while wooden platforms and rope bridges stretched between the enormous trunks. Players wandered through the area in small groups, carrying repaired equipment, comparing loot, or arguing over where to go next.
Martin barely noticed any of them because a gorgeous woman had already spotted him from across the clearing.
Her features brightened the moment their eyes met. She raised one hand high above her head and waved before hurrying toward him, drawing a few curious glances from players. Her midnight-violet hair flowed over her shoulders.
Martin could only stare.
She was so damn beautiful that he felt he could spend months looking at her without getting bored.
Her nickname floated above her head.
