As Kerina got closer, she could hear Hayato's calm, analytical voice cutting through the quiet yard.
"You rely too much on the sword," he was saying to Elina. "In a real fight, your only goal is to end it. When your opponent attacks, you can deflect their blade, but that's just to create an opening. The second you see their face is open on the left or the right, you use a hook. Knock them out. The fight is over."
Elina stopped her practice swings, looking at him with a shocked expression. "A hook? Like a common street brawler? But that's dishonorable!"
Hayato's expression didn't change. "Dishonorable or not… A win is a win. The one left standing is the one who was right."
Kerina finally came to a stop, standing beside Hayato and looking from him to her sister.
"Sister!" Elina said, her face lighting up with a happy smile as she noticed her. "Welcome back!"
Kerina gave Elina a quick nod before turning her sharp, analytical gaze back to Hayato. "What was that advice? Telling a magic school student to get into a fistfight? That's a weird strategy."
Of course it's weird to her, Hayato thought. My only real knowledge of hand-to-hand combat comes from action movies I watched back in home.
"It's just something I've observed," he said out loud, giving a casual shrug. "I've seen some mercenaries from distant lands fight. They don't rely on pure swordplay. They use their hands, their feet—whatever it takes to win. It seemed efficient."
Kerina listened to his explanation and let out a short, genuine laugh.
"It's good advice, for a certain kind of fight," she conceded, her tone shifting to that of a mentor. "But Elina is a ranged fighter for a reason. She uses her sword as a catalyst, but she avoids close-quarters combat."
She looked from Hayato to her sister, who was listening intently. "She has to protect her body. Our family's power, the elemental art in our blood, is a form of body enhancement. A serious physical injury can weaken our connection to our magic."
Hayato nodded, processing Kerina's explanation. He understood the logic, but his strategic mind immediately saw the flaw.
"I understand the risk," he said, turning his analytical gaze to Elina. "But avoiding close combat entirely is a critical vulnerability. It makes you predictable." He posed a simple, direct question. "What is your plan if an enemy gets past your magic? What happens if your sword is gone?"
Elina's confident expression faltered. He's right, she thought, a cold knot of fear in her stomach. In all her academy training, no one had ever pushed her to answer that question. If she was disarmed... she had no plan.
Instead of fear, however, a new, bright resolve lit up her face. The problem wasn't a weakness; it was a new skill to learn. She threw both of her fists up in the air in a gesture of happy triumph.
"You're right!" she exclaimed, her voice full of sudden, cheerful energy. "I need a backup plan! Teach me! I want to learn how to box!"
Kerina watched her sister's sudden outburst of enthusiasm and let out a long, tired sigh. She looked at Elina, her expression one of fond exasperation.
"If you're really serious about learning hand-to-hand combat, then I'll be the one to teach you. Not him."
Elina's face lit up, and she jumped up and down on the spot. "Yayyy!" she cheered, her excitement boundless. "Really? You'll teach me, sis? That's even better!"
Seeing her sister's pure, unrestrained energy, Kerina just sighed again, a look of profound resignation on her face.
With her sister's training now her responsibility, Kerina turned her attention back to Hayato, her expression shifting back to business.
"One more thing. Lenna wants to talk to you tomorrow morning."
Hayato tilted his head, his brow furrowing slightly. "Lenna?"
"Yes, Lenna," Kerina said with a hint of impatience, clearly misreading his confusion. "The elf from the festival last night—"
"I know who Lenna is," Hayato interrupted, his tone flat. He met Kerina's gaze. "My question is, why does she want to talk to me?"
Kerina sighed, clearly not entirely sure of the Arch-Sage's full intentions herself. "First, she said to bring a high-quality item—a ring, a necklace, something like that—for the enchantment."
She then looked at him, her expression a mix of warning and bewilderment. "As for why she wants you there... who knows how Lenna's mind works. She has some theory about your... condition. Maybe she wants to see if she can make you have mana, or something."
Kerina shook her head. "I don't know. She's just weird, always wanting to test everything. So be careful. That's all I can say."
Diagnostics. Testing. A specimen. The words echoed in Hayato's mind. He had gone from being a corporate drone to a strategic asset, and now, apparently, he was a research project.
I'm going to be Lenna's lab rat.
***
The next day, in the late noon sun, Hayato arrived at the large, secluded training yard outside the city walls as instructed. He saw them waiting for him in the center of the field: Lenna, Kerina, Riko, and a fourth woman he didn't recognize.
As he walked across the grass, their heads turned in unison. Even without making a sound, his presence was immediately sensed by the high-ranking adventurers.
"You're here," Kerina said, her voice a simple statement of fact.
Hayato's steps slowed to a halt as his eyes met those of the stranger. Her face, her features... they were unmistakably Japanese. Just like his own. He looked at the girl—Akamine Ayaka—and then at his own hands, a profound realization dawning on him.
Sothere are others of Japanese descent in this world, or maybe they just alternative universe where there's a similar people of japanese.
From Ayaka's perspective, the shock was even greater. She saw the man named Hayato Mikami, and her breath caught.
His face... he's Japanese,Could he be? From the other world? Another Summoned?
Neither of them said a word, a silent, heavy question hanging in the air between them.
It was Lenna who broke the spell. "Hayato," she said, her voice calm and academic, gesturing to an empty patch of grass in the middle of their circle. "Please, sit on the ground."
Hayato sat down cross-legged on the grass, looking up at the four powerful women surrounding him. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, waving a hand dismissively.
With him in place, Lenna addressed the others, her voice taking on a formal, academic tone. "The vessels you brought. Please, hand them to me."
Kerina, Riko, and Ayaka each produced a simple, high-quality item—a plain steel ring, a silver chain necklace, and a smooth, dark stone amulet. They gave them to Lenna.
"What are those for?" Hayato asked, looking at the collection of jewelry in Lenna's hands.
"This is for the 'Mantle of Concord'," Lenna explained, looking down at him. "The enchantment that will prevent any form of auditory brainwashing or mind control."
Hayato's calm expression didn't change, but his mind instantly seized on the implication. A defense against mind control, he thought, a sudden, cold alarm bell ringing in his head. Her description... 'purifies hostile intent from words'. My illusions are pure intent projected into reality.
He watched as Lenna prepared to begin the ritual. Does this mean that anyone wearing one of those will be immune to my power?
Hayato watched as Lenna collected the items. He had anticipated this. The day before, after his investment, he had taken a simple, unadorned silver chain necklace from the store's inventory.
He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. "I brought this. Will it suffice?"
It's a calculated risk, he thought as she took the necklace from him. If this 'Mantle of Concord' truly makes them immune to my power, it's a significant disadvantage. But refusing to participate would be far more suspicious. For now, maintaining their trust is the higher priority. I need to be seen as part of the team.
Lenna added his necklace to the small pile in her hand and gave him a nod of approval. "It will. Now, the ritual requires absolute concentration. No one is to speak or move until I am finished."
With everyone in position, Lenna began the ritual.
She placed the four items—Kerina's ring, Riko's necklace, Ayaka's amulet, and Hayato's own simple chain—on the grass in a careful pattern around him.
Her tome materialized in the air above them, flipping open to the page on the 'Mantle of Concord'.
Lenna closed her eyes and began to chant, her voice a low, melodic hum that seemed to make the air vibrate.
The four vessels began to glow brightly, intricate golden runes appearing on their surfaces for a moment before sinking into the material and vanishing. After a final, resonant word from Lenna, the light faded and her book disappeared. The ritual was complete.
She looked tired but satisfied. She picked up the items and handed them to their owners. Finally, she walked over to Hayato and gave him his necklace.
"It is done," she said, her voice a little strained from the effort. "Wear this. As long as you do, the Mantle of Concord will be active. The Jester's voice will not be able to control you."
To Be Continued.