Next morning...
Shoichi's eyes opened to sunlight streaming through the window. For a split second, he expected to see his cramped Tokyo apartment, bare walls, cheap furniture, the distant hum of traffic.
Instead, wooden beams. Hand-stitched curtains. The smell of fresh bread drifting up from downstairs.
Right. This was his life now.
He sat up, rubbing his face. His body felt... fine. Better than fine, actually. Yesterday's sparring should have left him sore, but there was only a faint ache in his shoulders. This world's bodies are built different, he thought.
He went through his morning routine. washbasin, cold water, the usual. Got dressed in his white hoodie, red tee, white sweatpants. Looked at himself in the scratched metal mirror.
Same face. Different world.
Shoichi headed downstairs, still half-asleep, and froze at the bottom step.
Kayuro was sprawled on the couch, one arm dangling off the side, completely relaxed like he owned the place.
Shoichi blinked. Wait. There's a couch there?
He distinctly remembered walking through this room yesterday. How had he not noticed a whole couch?
What the fuck is going on with my brain?
"Morning," Kayuro said without opening his eyes.
"...Morning," Shoichi replied slowly. "When did you get here?"
"Like twenty minutes ago. You know I always come here." Kayuro cracked one eye open, grinning. "She made extra breakfast. You're lucky to have her, man."
I do....? Yeah... Sure...
Shoichi glanced toward the kitchen. Sure enough, his mom was setting plates on the table, steaming eggs, sliced meat, bread, some kind of fruit compote.
"Shoichi! Kayuro! Come eat before it gets cold!"
They sat down, and Shoichi dug in. The food was good, really good. Warm, flavorful, filling. He tried not to think about how much he missed convenience store onigiri and vending machine coffee.
Halfway through the meal, Kayuro pulled a folded letter from his pocket and slid it across the table.
"Your ranking came in."
Shoichi's hand froze mid-bite. "Already?"
"They're fast when they want to be." Kayuro leaned back, chewing. "Open it."
Shoichi set down his fork and unfolded the letter carefully.
HIGH SCHOOL OF LASLAND - OFFICIAL RANKING ASSESSMENT
Student: Shoichi Inaya
Classification: Warrior's Magic
Assigned Rank: Novice III
**Performance Summary:**
Defeated Gray Sinison (Silver I) in combat trial. Displayed high destructive output, effective elemental control (Fire/Ice fusion), and above-average reaction speed. Lacks formal technique and combat experience. Potential for rapid advancement noted.
Mission Requirement:
Complete 50 missions at Novice III to qualify for Silver I promotion.
RANK REFERENCE GUIDE:
Novice I - Entry level. Basic magical/physical aptitude. Missions: Gathering, escort, minor threats.
Novice II - Improved control. Missions: Monster extermination , patrol, reconnaissance.
**Novice III** - Competent combatant. Missions: Monster extermination, bandit suppression, rescue operations.
Silver I - Skilled fighter. Missions: Ogre/Savage hunting, demon encounters (low-tier), dungeon exploration.
**Silver II - Missions: Coordinated raids, high-risk escort, territorial defense.
Silver III - Graduation-level strength. Missions: Solo demon hunting, dungeon clearing, emergenies.
Gold I-IV - Professional combatant. Few students reach this level before graduation.
Platinum I-V
Diamond I-VI
Paragon I-III
Special - Rank independent. Awarded for unwavering loyalty to Rashkoshi.
Calamity - Fewer than 50 known worldwide.
Shoichi stared at the paper.
Novice III.
"Great!" Kayuro said, grinning. He pulled out his own letter. "I'm Novice II. But hey, you beat a Silver rank on your first day, so Novice III makes sense."
He looked at Shoichi's rank again, grin widening. "But honestly, I expected them to bump you to Silver I. That fight was insane."
Shoichi forced a casual tone. "So... what do I have to do to get to Silver I?"
"Ooh, I like the drive!" Kayuro clapped him on the shoulder. "You need to complete fifty missions at Novice III. Then you qualify for the promotion trial. After that, it's a hundred missions for Silver II." He shrugged. "That's all I know. Haven't gotten there myself yet."
Fiftymissions, Shoichi's mind raced. That's... a lot. And what comes after Silver? How long does it take to climb ranks? How does any of this work?
He needed information. Real information. Not just about ranks and missions, but about everything. How this world functioned. Where the exits were, if there even were any.
If he was stuck here forever, he needed to understand it.
And if I'm not stuck here forever... I need to figure out how the hell I got here in the first place.
"You good?" Kayuro asked, tilting his head.
"Yeah," Shoichi said quickly. "Just thinking."
"Well, stop thinking and start moving. We've got missions."
First Mission: Monster Extermination
Target: Pack of Feral Hounds
Reward: 50 silver coins
The forest was the same one from yesterday. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the ground in shifting patterns.
Kayuro moved ahead, scanning the area. "Feral Hounds are fast but predictable. Stay sharp."
A growl echoed through the trees.
Six of them emerged from the underbrush, wolf-sized creatures with matted black fur, red eyes, and jagged teeth. Saliva dripped from their jaws as they circled.
"Left side's yours," Kayuro said calmly.
Shoichi's hands ignited, orange flames wrapping around his fists. The hounds lunged.
He moved, faster than he meant to, and his fist connected with the first hound's skull. The impact cracked, and the creature crumpled instantly.
The second hound tried to bite his leg. Shoichi kicked it mid-lunge, sending it flying into a tree with a sickening thud.
The third—
Kayuro's fire blast engulfed it before it could close the distance.
Thirty seconds later, all six hounds lay dead.
"Too easy," Kayuro muttered, nudging one with his boot. "Let's move."
Second Mission: Bandit Suppression (Trade Route)
Target: Bandit group
Reward: 75 silver coins
The bandits were camped near the main trade route, weapons crude but functional. They saw Kayuro and Shoichi approaching and grinned like they'd just found easy prey.
"Academy brats," one sneered, hefting a rusted axe. "This'll be quick."
It was.
Shoichi didn't even need magic. One bandit swung at his, slow, clumsy. Shoichi sidestepped and drove his fist into the man's ribs. Bones cracked. The bandit collapsed, wheezing.
Another tried to flank him. Shoichi spinned, caught the man's wrist, twisted, and threw him into his companion.
Kayuro handled the rest with casual efficiency, flames, punches, a well-placed kick.
The bandits fled.
"Not even worth the reward," Kayuro said, shaking his head.
Third Mission: Rescue Operation (Collapsed Mine)
Target: Rescue trapped miners (3 count)
Reward: 100 silver coins
The mine was dark, unstable, and cramped. Wooden beams creaked ominously as they descended. The air smelled of damp stone and old sweat.
They found the miners twenty meters down, trapped behind a rockfall. Kayuro used telekinesis to shift smaller stones while Shoichi punched through the larger ones, literally. His fire-coated fists shattered rock with each hit.
One miner, a middle-aged man with a bleeding head wound, grabbed Shoichi's arm. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Shoichi nodded, throat tight. These are real people. With families. Lives.
They guided the miners out, careful to avoid triggering another collapse.
Outside, the miners' families swarmed them, crying, thanking them, pressing food and coins into their hands.
Kayuro accepted it with a grin. Shoichi just nodded, feeling strangely hollow.
By the time they reached the academy cafeteria for lunch, Shoichi's legs were killing him.
He collapsed into a chair, sighing. His left calf had a nasty cut from a bandit's knife that had gotten too close. His right shin was bruised from a falling rock in the mine.
Magic is cool, he thought bitterly, but fighting isn't as cool as it looks in anime.
No epic soundtrack. No dramatic slow-motion. Just pain, sweat, dirt, and blood.
He grabbed a menu from the table more out of habit than hunger, and started reading.
ACADEMY CAFETERIA MENU:
- Roasted Fowl with Herb Glaze
- Grilled Fish with Lemon Sauce
- Stewed Beef and Vegetables
- Rice with Spiced Butter
- Bread (White, Wheat, Rye)
- Fruit Compote
- Vegetable Soup
- Cheese Platter
- Honey Cakes
- Chilled Juice (Apple, Berry, Citrus)
Shoichi read it once. Twice. Three times.
He memorized every item, every description, every price.
If I'm stuck here, I need to know everything. Food, locations, people, rules—
"Dude," Kayuro said, staring at him. "Why are you so focused on the menu? You've been staring at it for like five minutes."
Shoichi blinked, realizing how weird he must look. "Just... making sure I know what's good."
Kayuro snorted. "Everything's good. That's the point."
Shoichi set the menu down, and reality hit him like a truck.
I don't have my phone. I don't have the internet. I can't watch videos or read manga or listen to music or do literally anything I used to do.
Sure, magic was cool. Fighting was... fine, he guessed. But it wasn't fun. It hurt. He had cuts on his legs. His shoulders ached. His hands were blistered.
And without his phone, without anything familiar, the downtime was just... boring.
He stared at the table, feeling a dull weight settle in his chest.
*Is this really my life now?*
"You okay?" Kayuro asked, concern creeping into his voice.
Shoichi forced a smile. "Yeah. Just tired."
Kayuro studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Fair. Three missions in one morning is rough. Let's eat, then we'll hit the medic for that leg."
Shoichi nodded, picking at his food.
Fifty missions to Silver, he thought. And then what? A hundred more? And then what?
He didn't know.
And that terrified him more than any demon ever could.