"The F-Rank's presence disappeared from the cave, my master!" A sentinel worker stood in front of a desk. He handed the search papers to the master.
"Hm.." The Astralis leader proceeded to review the paper, reading its contents. He leaned back in the chair. "So, no traces of a dragon." His eyes narrowed at the worker, glaring green.
"No, sir!" The sentinel worker trembled, standing formally. "Although there was a cause for the cave's closure."
"I see.." He stared at the paper again. They tried to crush him..? He thought as he sighed.
"Request a meeting with the leader, and spread the information about his death." The leader stood up and stepped toward the exit of the room.
-
"Man, we have been walking for centuries.." Yoshiru yawned while the group walked in their path. "Yoshiru, stop bragging..this is making me sick." Kuro turned to Yoshiru and gave him a stare.
"Gosh, why are you so aggressive.." Yoshiru nodded while walking. Kuro looked at the girl who walked in front, leading the group. Enemy..or a friend.. Kuro kept observing her movement, Her movement..she can't be only a -Magic user- He thought while checking her steps.
In a sudden, he lowered his gaze, observing his katanas. Man..do they really have a soul? Kuro took thought about what the silver flower stated in their fight.
"Wait.." She stood still for a second. "Something is wrong?" Yoshiru moved forward. She took a map out, "Aren't we going east? We should be at a town now.." Normi was confused.
Kuro moved forward, "..." He kept gazing at her. This girl... Yoshiru and Normi stared at Kuro.
"Are you really a wanderer..?" His words shook her. Did he expose me... She thought.
"We have been going north this whole time.." Kuro pointed forward, "You don't know where north is from east??" He changed his point of direction to his right.
"This is east!"
"Well..i'm pretty sure we've been walking east.." While she said this, they had already gone into the forest, "Follow us, i will be taking the map from now on."
The time passed as they walked through the forest, and Kuro kept looking at the map.
"There is no way we keep walking in an endless loop or something..?" Normi caught up to him, and she stared at the map once again. "Kuro, just where did you get this map from?"
He stopped suddenly, then he turned to the confused Yoshiru. "Wait..Yoshiru did we even purchase a map?" Yoshiru thought for a second, "Real.." He went silent for a second, then proceeded, "I don't even remember what we had for dinner last night."
"Are you stupid...Nevermind this guy is just slow." Kuro went back to walking, "Stupid..?" Yoshiru's gaze was fixed on the sky as Kuro advanced. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME STUPID?" He caught up to Kuro, bragging about why he never should say that again. Normi smiled, looking at them. Are you taking a liking to them..? A voice in her head screamed.
Her gaze changed to the ground as soon as she heard this voice. Both Kuro and Yoshiru stood and turned to her, "..?" She raised her head. "Huh..?" They got confused for a second, "Nevermind." She caught up to them.
"What is that?" They stumbled across a pathway in the midst of the forest. "A pathway?" Yoshiru spoke as he stared at the pathway. First the weird map, second the suddenpathway.
Normi thought, This is definitely a sign for something. Do they even notice it?
"Let's continue, it doesn't even matter at this point." Kuro advanced in the pathway curiously, "True." Yoshiru and Normi followed.
As they were walking, a dojo-themed building appeared in sight. "Dojo?" Normi observed the building as she tried to relate this scene to something she knew. "I'm more curious about this.." Kuro stepped forward, "I feel you." Yoshiru followed in curiosity.
The wind was tense in the area, and leaves were falling off the trees. Cold breezes, as the sun was setting. A feeling of an existing of a being struck the party, though no entity was shown.
They climbed the staircase to the dojo's entrance. "This place is so quiet, isn't it?" Kuro felt this silence and chills. Yoshiru observed the staircase as they climbed, "There has to be someone inside, get ready for anything."
Upon entering the dojo, a silent struck them. Nothing but a light in the middle and darkness in the corners of the dojo. Dust, wooden floors, training dummies, and old banners, no one was there. "..." Normi stood silent for a second, and both Yoshiru and Kuro were investigating the dojo.
"Wait.." She stared for a second, trying to realize, "!!" They stood looking at Normi.
"Long time since someone dared enter here" In a sudden, a figure appeared between Yoshiru and Kuro.
"!" They both lunged in different directions, Shit..i felt no presence of an existing creaturehere.. "Who are you...? I didn't even feel you." Kuro questioned the man in confusion.
Normi stepped up forward, "That's Kaien Ranzaki…the man who turned the demon world upside down in the last war…before vanishing." The air grew heavier on them, loud breezes all around. "T-TURNED THE DEMON WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!?" Yoshiru and Kuro shook in fear.
Kaien smirked, the dojo doors slammed shut. The lanterns in the corners of the dojo shone, lighting up the room. "I know this feeling.." Kuro muttered, "We're not leaving here unless we defeat this man.." Yoshiru muttered as well.
"No one leaves this place unless a deal is struck." Kaien spoke coldly.
Kuro : "Ridiculous! Who are you to-" Kaien interupts, calmly but firm "The deal is simple. Defeat me and leave freely…or be defeated and train under me."
Yoshiru spoke, "Why train us at all?"
Kaien Ranzaki responded to their concerns, "No one else ever gets this deal. But you two...your reikonryoku stirs. Raw, untamed, but alive. Potential worth shaping." He observed the flow of reikonryoku, growing reckless, their aura had many flaws, rushing out of their body like a beast.
"What..?" Kuro and Yoshiru were even confused at the man's determination to train them.
"However.." He glared at the girl, seeing nothing but a shadow of a devil. She is a weapon..for someone.. Then Kaien pointed at the girl, "Don't interfere in close combat, keep your attack distance wide."
"There is no point to fear him; let's get to work, Yoshiru." Kuro unsheathed his regular katana, actually..i never saw Yoshiru fight; he doesn't even use a katana. "Right..!" Yoshiru stepped forward as well, raising both of his fists and clenching them.
He sees potential in them..my master wasn't wrong.. Normi thought, staring at them.
"Hey, you" He glared at Kuro, "I would love it if you used your other katana instead." Kaien fixed his gaze on Kuro's cursed katana. "Huh..?" Kuro lowered his gaze to his cursed katana. What..does this guy know about it? He gripped the handle of his cursed katana, "As you wish..i will use both!"
Kuro proceeded to unsheathe his cursed katana as the aura flew into it, changing the atmosphere of the dojo. This..what? Normi stared at his katana. How i didn't notice this..
The dojo heated as the katana glew silver, being unsheathed, heavy in Kuro's hand.
"Kuro, you never told me you hid such a treasure..We shall start anyway!" Yoshiru stated as his fists glowed red.
Kaien smirked, knowing they're starting. "Here we come!" Both Yoshiru and Kuro rushed toward him as Kaien's yellow aura burst out of his body. Rushing through the dojo's ceiling.
They both caught up to him. Yoshiru sent a strike with his right fist as Kuro used his cursed katana with a swing at the man. Kaien slowly raised both of his arms, with a care of reikonryoku. "Many flaws.." He raised two fingers, one finger caught the steel of Kuro's katana, the other stopped Yoshiru's strike.
"..?" They were shocked as reikonryoku shot out of his body, sending them both back.
"Ready..by fractured light, protect them both, cover them with care..Virelia!" Green particles roamed around their bodies as they crashed into the dojo's wall. Till when she tends to cover her identity.. Kaien stared her down, sending pressure that struck her. The green particles formed a bubble around them.
They both fell on the dojo's floor, "Yoshiru!" Kuro stood up, "On it!" They dashed back again toward him. This time, Yoshiru charged his fist backward to perform his strongest strike. while Kuro's cursed katana glew silver, Warning : Reikonryoku consumption. Nivor screamed in Kuro's head. "Shut up!" He then raised both of his katanas upward, crossing them.
"HYAAAAA!" They both screamed, combining all of their strengths at the man, striking with full power. "Foolish...with this speed" He stepped with one leg backward, ducking his head down. Yoshiru's strike flew passing his head from above, reaching for Kuro's katanas.
"OOP-!" Yoshiru struck Kuro in the stomach as red lightning collapsed around them. Kuro spat out, "MY FAULT!!!" Yoshiru spoke as Kuro fell to his knee. Didn't expect his strength to be like this.. He held his stomach.
"In a real battle, ignoring your actual opponent is an issue." Kaien snapped his finger as both of them were struck by pressure. "!" Yoshiru fell to his knee as well, "This pressure.." They couldn't even raise their heads. No way..i heard he is strong..but not that strong! Normi observed the scene.
Kaien stepped forward as the pressure became more tense. "At this rate, you will kill them!" Normi raised her tone, What is this..my body is falling apart.. Yoshiru and Kuro's heads were lowered to the ground.
"Here is your first lesson: break free from this." Kaien said while sitting down in front of them.
How..tho.. Kuro tried to raise his head, though no use. "I..can't.." Yoshiru muttered, barely able to talk.
"See? That's why i offered to train both of you." He raised the pressure even more, "GH.."
"Alright, this means i won." He continued, "You'll train under me for a certain amount of time before leaving this dojo." He specified even more, "I was lying when i said this is your first lesson, this is actually your last lesson."
Last..? Normi.
"If you control your reikonryoku, you'll break free from this pressure." He went silent for a second, "However, reikonryoku without enough strength is basically an ant wielding a giant sword...So" He snapped his finger again as the pressure disappeared.
They both fell backward on their heads, unable to move due to exhaustion. "I will be your master for a certain amount of time."
Chapter End.