A year and a half passed in the space between worlds.
A year and a half of Muray breaking our bodies down and rebuilding them stronger.
A year and a half of Kokono teaching us magic, language, history, and the ugly truth that power without control was just another form of suicide.
A year and a half of competing with Hiroy until rivalry became instinct.
And now?
Now we were finally being sent into the world we were summoned to save.
Kokono stood before us in the dojo garden one last time, her white-and-gold hair swaying softly in the breeze. For once, even Muray stood silently behind her, arms crossed without a single insult prepared.
That alone was terrifying.
"Shiro," Kokono said gently, her golden eyes locking onto mine, "I urge you to control your emotions. You are far stronger than you realize."
Something about the way she said it made my chest tighten.
Not pride.
Worry.
Then her gaze shifted toward Hiroy.
"Hiroy, you will become a protector. But do not let evil seep into your heart simply because you believe your intentions are righteous."
Hiroy nodded seriously.
"I understand."
I glanced sideways at him.
Teacher's favorite.
Kokono smiled faintly, though sadness lingered beneath it.
"Good. Then it is time."
She snapped her fingers.
The world disappeared.
---
Cold grass brushed against my face.
The first thing I heard was water.
A river.
The second thing I noticed was weight.
Not physical weight. Presence.
I opened my eyes slowly, sunlight filtering through swaying trees overhead. The air smelled fresh, untouched, alive in a way the training realm never had.
For a moment, I just breathed.
Then something warm snored against my shoulder.
I blinked.
Kyoko was curled beside me in a tiny chibi form no larger than a cat, her obsidian scales still shimmering faintly purple under the sunlight. One wing twitched in her sleep.
Beside her, Sangui's three miniature heads were stacked on top of one another like a pile of grumpy puppies.
I stared.
"…There's no way."
Kyoko opened one eye lazily.
"Do not speak of this."
I immediately started laughing.
Sangui's left head growled.
The middle head sighed.
The right head looked offended on their behalf.
Across from me, Hiroy groaned awake beside Syrah and Shura, who had also shrunk dramatically. Syrah now resembled a fluffy white tiger cub, while Shura pawed at Hiroy's hair with tiny wings fluttering behind her.
Hiroy blinked twice.
"…We are never telling Muray about this."
"Agreed."
Behind us stretched a massive town surrounded by stone walls, colorful rooftops packed tightly together beneath the shadow of a towering castle that overlooked everything like a silent king.
Smoke curled from chimneys.
People moved through distant roads.
Life.
Real life.
Not training.
Not survival exercises.
A world.
Hiroy stood first, stretching his arms.
"Well," he said, looking toward the city, "I guess that's our first destination."
I nodded, adjusting Edith and Zenith at my waist.
The weapons pulsed softly the moment my fingers brushed them.
Comforting.
Familiar.
Alive.
Before either of us could move, a sudden pulse slammed into my instincts.
Bloodlust.
My body reacted before my brain did.
"MOVE!"
A fireball tore through the space where we had been standing.
The explosion blasted dirt and steam into the air.
Hiroy landed beside me instantly, scythe already in hand as it shifted into a crescent-bladed spear.
Trees cracked nearby.
Something massive moved through the shadows.
Then it emerged.
The creature looked wrong.
A tiger's head twisted onto a minotaur's oversized body, its muscles swollen unnaturally beneath scarred flesh. Its legs were too small for its size, yet somehow coiled with terrifying speed. Black saliva dripped from jagged teeth as glowing red eyes locked onto us.
Lower-class monster.
At least, that's what Kokono's books would've called it.
Didn't feel very lower-class from where I was standing.
The monster lunged.
I reacted instantly.
"Edith. Zenith."
The twin daggers unfolded in my hands, reshaping in flashes of purple light. One became a compact black bow while the other transformed into three blazing arrows already burning between my fingers.
I fired.
The arrows screamed through the air, coated in compressed fire magic.
The monster vanished.
Fast.
Way too fast.
My instincts screamed again.
I twisted sideways just as the creature appeared behind me, a massive sword crashing downward.
The blade scraped sparks across Edith's transformed bow as I barely redirected the impact.
The force still launched me backward.
Hiroy appeared immediately beside the monster.
His weapon shifted mid-motion again, spear becoming a hooked scythe designed perfectly to catch large targets. Light and lightning surged together as he slashed downward.
Metal clashed.
The monster blocked.
Hiroy leaped back instantly.
"Fast adaptation," he warned.
"No kidding."
I planted one foot into the ground and thrust my hand forward.
Three fireballs spiraled outward.
The creature dodged the first.
The second exploded against its shoulder.
The third hit directly.
For half a second, it staggered.
That was all Hiroy needed.
Lightning erupted beneath his feet as he launched forward. His scythe transformed one final time into a piercing lance of radiant water and light.
He drove it through the creature's chest.
The monster froze.
Then dissolved into black dust.
Only a puddle of thick, foul-smelling sludge remained.
Silence settled over the riverside.
Hiroy exhaled slowly.
"That was a lower-class monster."
I stared at the sludge.
Then smiled.
"A lower-class monster took both of us working together."
Excitement crawled up my spine.
Finally.
Something real.
Something dangerous.
"This world's going to be fun."
Hiroy laughed quietly.
"Only you would say that after nearly getting split in half."
I shrugged.
"I didn't get split in half."
"Yet."
We continued toward the city.
The closer we got, the more alive everything became.
Merchants shouted through crowded streets beyond the walls. Bright cloth banners swayed overhead. The smell of roasted meat and fresh bread drifted through the air hard enough to make my stomach growl.
For a brief moment, it almost felt peaceful.
Then the guards ruined it.
"Halt!"
A line of armored knights blocked the gate.
The lead guard stepped forward, hand resting on his sword.
"Entrance fee and registration."
Hiroy offered a polite smile.
"Sorry, we just arrived. We don't exactly have currency yet."
The guard's eyes narrowed.
"Outsiders?"
Another knight spat near our feet.
"Probably drifters."
I felt my eye twitch slightly.
Hiroy noticed immediately.
"Shiro."
"I'm calm."
"You are literally radiating purple smoke."
I looked down.
"…Fair point."
The lead guard drew his sword anyway.
"You're not entering without payment."
Ten more knights followed suit.
Steel hissed from scabbards.
Around us, civilians backed away nervously.
I sighed.
"They drew weapons first," I muttered.
Hiroy pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Please don't overdo it."
"No promises."
The head knight lunged.
I moved first.
Not with magic.
With instinct.
Muray's training flowed through my body automatically.
I slipped inside the knight's stance, hooked my leg behind his, and slammed the hilt of Edith directly into his chest.
The impact folded him instantly.
Two more guards rushed me.
Zenith shifted into a short baton-like blade while Edith became a curved dagger. I spun between them, striking pressure points Muray had forced me to memorize until my arms stopped functioning.
One collapsed screaming.
The other lost consciousness before hitting the ground.
Three guards attacked together.
I dropped low, sliding beneath their swords before planting one hand into the dirt. Using the momentum, I spun upward into a capoeira kick that hit all three across the jaw in rapid succession.
The remaining knights hesitated.
Bad decision.
I blurred forward.
Roundhouse.
Elbow.
Sweep.
Three more bodies hit the dirt.
The last guard swung wildly.
I caught his wrist.
For just a second, darkness flickered across my arm instinctively, strengthening my grip.
Not enough to hurt him badly.
Just enough to stop him cold.
My eyes glowed faint purple.
"Next time," I said quietly, "don't pull steel unless you're prepared to use it."
I knocked him unconscious with a clean strike.
Silence.
Hiroy stared at the pile of groaning guards.
"…You absolutely overdid it."
"They're alive."
"That is somehow not reassuring."
Before we could continue, two figures emerged from the gate.
The first wore silver-and-gold armor polished so perfectly it reflected sunlight like a mirror. Long silver hair flowed behind him, and his blue eyes held the calm authority of someone used to command.
The second carried a wooden staff crowned with a glowing orange gem. His fiery red hair matched the intensity in his gaze, though his expression seemed more curious than hostile.
The silver-haired knight surveyed the unconscious guards.
Then us.
"…I see our men have caused trouble."
"They drew swords first," I replied immediately.
The red-haired mage blinked once.
"You defeated eleven trained guards without killing anyone."
I shrugged.
"Muray would've called that sloppy."
Hiroy snorted.
The silver-haired knight looked between us carefully.
Interesting.
Not fear.
Assessment.
"We mean no hostility," he said calmly. "You appear unfamiliar with local customs."
"Because we are," Hiroy answered diplomatically. "We lost our supplies traveling here."
That part wasn't technically a lie.
The mage nodded slowly.
"Then allow us to guide you through proper registration."
I studied them carefully.
No bloodlust.
No killing intent.
No hidden hostility.
Kyoko's tiny form yawned on my shoulder.
Sangui's middle head gave a tiny approving nod.
Good enough.
"Fine," I said.
The silver-haired knight turned.
"Follow us."
As we walked through the city gates, I took in everything at once.
Food stalls lined the streets.
Children chased one another through crowded alleys.
Bright ribbons hung from rooftops.
Magic lanterns floated overhead despite daylight.
And everywhere I looked, people carried weapons.
Swords.
Spears.
Magic catalysts.
This world breathed conflict naturally.
Which meant one thing.
I smiled faintly as Edith and Zenith pulsed at my side.
We were finally where we belonged.