The plane dipped through the clouds, revealing a patchwork of gray roofs, neat streets, and rivers that glinted like glass. Osaka looked smaller than Ivan had imagined — quieter, too. Manila's chaos had followed him his whole life: honking jeepneys, chatter, and rain. Here, even the wind seemed polite.
"Seatbelts, please," the attendant said in soft, accented English.
Ivan pressed his forehead to the window. For the first time in years, the city below wasn't just a distant location tag in Elder Tale's Yamato server. It was real. Tangible.
Japan.
His mother nudged him. "Excited?"
He smiled faintly. "A little."
Mostly, he was nervous. His Japanese comprehension was good — all those years of guild chatter and watching untranslated streams had paid off — but speaking it? That was another story. He could understand full sentences but froze the moment someone spoke to him directly.
Arrival – Kansai Airport
The terminal buzzed with quiet efficiency. Announcements echoed in both Japanese and English, and Ivan followed his mother through the crowd. Signs, orderly lines, vending machines — everything worked. Too well, almost.
Manila felt like noise and motion; Osaka was silence and precision.
He caught sight of his reflection in the glass — same tired eyes, same plain hoodie. Just another foreign student trying to blend in.
Outside, the air was crisp and cool. The taxi ride to their new apartment passed in silence, the city lights sliding across the window like slow waves.
When they arrived, his mother exhaled. "Smaller than Manila," she said, setting down her luggage.
"Cleaner, though," Ivan replied. Remembering that accustomed smell of the streets in Manila.
He opened the balcony window. The view wasn't much — just a narrow street lined with bikes and small convenience stores — but the faint smell of ramen from a shop below made it feel... welcoming.
Maybe new beginnings didn't need to be grand.
First Week – Osaka Municipal Middle School
School in Japan felt like a parallel world. Polite greetings, indoor slippers, lunch routines. Everyone moved with a rhythm that Ivan didn't quite know yet.
His Japanese was decent enough to follow instructions, but conversations were a different story.
"Ah, Ivan-kun, right?" his homeroom teacher asked kindly. "From... Firipin?"
He nodded. "Hai. Firipin desu."
A few classmates whispered. One boy smiled and raised a hand. "You play games?"
Ivan blinked, then grinned. "Uh... yes. Elder Tale."
The boy's eyes widened. "Elder Tale?! Yamato server?"
He laughed softly. "Yeah. Same server."
That broke the ice. Soon, he found himself surrounded by curious faces, trading half-English, half-Japanese phrases about raid bosses and builds. For the first time since moving, the world didn't feel so foreign.
Evening – Apartment
After dinner, Ivan sat at his desk, headset in place. The faint hum of the Osaka night filtered through the window — trains in the distance, vending machines humming softly.
He logged in.
[Connecting… Elder Tale Online – Yamato Server]
Akiba glowed just as he remembered. Familiar names blinked across his friend list.
"Haru-no-Tsubasa: SEA-san! Okaeri!"
"KazeBlade: Heard you moved IRL?"
"Seryuuji: Yeah. Osaka."
Replies flooded in:
"Eh?! You're in Japan now?"
"Real-life Akiba next?"
"Welcome home!"
He smiled, heart tightening a little.
"Thanks," he typed. "Feels… different."
In that quiet apartment above a narrow Osaka street, the line between worlds blurred again — not from magic or glitches, but from belonging.
Here, both Ivan and Seryuuji were slowly becoming part of something new.
Late Night – Balcony
He stepped outside, phone in hand, the glow of Akiba's digital skyline still faint behind his eyelids. The air was cool, the moonlight soft.
He opened the Harana group chat — Kenji, Mae, the others.
Messages scrolled up, half in Taglish, half in nostalgia.
Kenji: "So how's Japan, bro?"
Mae: "Send pics! Did you meet your JP teammates IRL yet?"
Ivan: "Not yet. Maybe someday."
He paused before adding:
"It's quiet here. But… I think I needed that."
He pocketed his phone and looked out at the city.
Below him, Japan stretched out in quiet order.
Above him, somewhere beyond the clouds, Yamato waited — still alive, still calling.
And for the first time since the Fairy Ring event, Ivan didn't feel lost between two worlds.
He was just… moving forward.
_________________________
The first month passed in a blur of train rides, bentō lunches, and polite smiles. Osaka's mornings always began the same way — the low hum of cicadas, the smell of convenience-store coffee, and the chatter of students moving in quiet lines toward school.
Ivan followed along, shoes squeaking softly against the polished hallway floors. His Japanese had improved — enough to answer questions and follow lessons — but the rhythm of speech still felt like a puzzle missing a few pieces.
"Salvadorru-kun," his English teacher said one morning, "how are you adjusting?"He hesitated. "Doing okay, sensei. Still… getting used to things."
The teacher nodded. "Take your time. You're doing well."
He smiled politely, but his mind was elsewhere — somewhere between Akiba's cobblestone streets and Osaka's concrete ones.
Evenings Alone
The apartment was quiet at night. His mother worked long hours at the local school, and Ivan often cooked instant curry or reheated leftovers before retreating to his desk.
The glow of his monitor filled the dim room, the same familiar login screen waiting for him.
[Connecting… Elder Tale Online – Yamato Server]
Akiba's skyline unfolded like a familiar memory.
Seryuuji's name flickered to life above the archer's form — standing near the southern plaza, cloak fluttering in the soft wind. Players nearby recognized him. A few waved. Others whispered.
[PartyFinder]: "Enchanter Seryuuji now available for contracts."
[Player 1]: "That SEA guy again? I heard he soloed the Ruin Chimera run last week."
[Player 2]: "Yeah, they say he fights like a full raid team in one body."
He didn't respond to the whispers anymore. He just adjusted his quiver, checked his buffs, and accepted another contract request.
In the Real World
At school, things were quieter. Ivan's classmates were kind but distant, a polite circle that didn't know how to include him beyond greetings.
"Salvador-kun, you're always writing something," Takumi said one lunch break, glancing at Ivan's notebook.
"Just notes," Ivan replied. "For a project."
He didn't mention that those notes were raid strategies — refinements to boss patterns, efficiency charts for buff rotations, and party positioning sketches.Old habits never really left.
In Akiba, Seryuuji was a name that floated between guild lines. He didn't belong to any one faction — instead, he was the reliable archer summoned when things got complicated.
[Contract: "Escort mission – Level 90 Dungeon, partial clear."]
[Accepted.]
The dungeon's gates opened with a cold wind. He drew his bow.
Flame met steel — the Blazing Tides form humming with restrained fury. Every shot found its mark, weaving in perfect rhythm with the team's attacks.
"SEA-san, reposition left!" someone shouted.Already there.The next volley ignited midair, raining down in a controlled inferno.
[System]: Critical Chain – Harmony Bonus x1.3
When the boss fell, the team broke into cheers.But Seryuuji only gave a nod, collected his share, and left before screenshots could be taken.
He preferred it that way — clean, detached, professional.
Back in the small apartment, Ivan logged off and stretched. The hum of the city bled through the window — cars, voices, the distant train.
He checked the time: nearly midnight. Homework done, raids complete, another day over.
His mother's door was closed; she'd fallen asleep hours ago.
He turned to his side monitor, pulling up a notepad file titled MercenaryLog_Yamato.txt.Each entry was clean and dated — notes on clients, guilds, boss behavior, and balance issues.
It wasn't fame he sought — it was structure. Routine. Control in a world that once ripped him out of everything familiar.
Osaka – Late Autumn
School ended early one afternoon. The wind carried a chill as Ivan walked past the riverbank. He watched a group of students laughing as they skipped stones across the water.
For a moment, he wondered if he'd ever find that kind of ease again.
When he got home, there was an email from a guild in Elder Tale — The Silver Atelier. They'd heard of him from a recent raid and wanted to hire him full-time as a strategist and field commander.
It wasn't the first offer. But this one felt… different.
He hovered over the reply box. His reflection in the monitor looked tired but calm.
He didn't type an answer right away.
Instead, he minimized the window and stared out at the fading sky over Osaka.
The world outside was quiet. The world inside was waiting.
And Ivan — Seryuuji — stood between them, trying to figure out which one he truly belonged to.
___________________________
The email from The Silver Atelier sat unread for almost a full day.
When Ivan finally opened it, the message was as formal as it was flattering — a detailed proposal offering him a strategist's position, steady pay in in-game currency, and priority access to future raids.
He read it twice, then leaned back in his chair.It wasn't a bad offer. In fact, it was one many players would have killed for.
But after everything that happened — after being torn from one server, one world, one life — Ivan had grown cautious of attachment.
So when he finally replied, his words were simple and sincere:
"Thank you for the offer. I'm honored, but I work better alone.Please consider me for future collaborations if needed.— Seryuuji"
He hit Send, exhaled, and shut his monitor.
Days in Osaka
Autumn deepened. The air grew sharper, filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and rain-damp streets.Ivan's Japanese improved slowly — not fluent yet, but enough to get by.
"Salvador-kun, you understand the reading?" his literature teacher asked one morning.
He paused, searching for words. "A little… difficult, but interesting," he said, smiling sheepishly.
A few classmates chuckled. They weren't laughing at him anymore — more like with him.It was progress.
He started eating lunch with a small group — Takumi, Reina, and Haruto. They talked about games, manga, and school festivals. Sometimes he even joined them after class at the arcade near the station.
Yet every night, the world of Elder Tale still called.
Online – Akiba, Yamato Server
Seryuuji sat perched atop one of the city's rune-lit towers, bow resting across his lap.The skyline was peaceful, but the chat channels buzzed.
Rumors spread of a group that had begun reappearing in old zones — reforming raids thought impossible since the Catastrophe.
[Public Chat – Akiba Rumors]:"I heard they cleared the entire Serpent's Spine without deaths.""Debauchery Tea Party's back. Or at least some of them.""They're recruiting freelancers. High-level, low-drama types."
Seryuuji scrolled silently, eyes narrowing.
He'd heard the name before — whispered like legend. The Tea Party wasn't a guild, not exactly. It was a coalition of elites — problem solvers, pioneers.
The kind of group that didn't follow rules but created new ones.
______________________________
The days began to fall into rhythm.
Morning trains. School. Convenience store lunches. Evenings with the warm flicker of monitor light.
Ivan had started to feel… settled. Not fully at home, but not lost either.The language came easier now — enough for casual jokes, quick banter, even the occasional teasing from his classmates.
"Salvador-kun, your accent's improving!" Reina said one afternoon as they walked from cram school."Really?" he asked. "Guess I'm leveling up."Takumi laughed. "You sound like one of those NPCs who finally learned common speech."
He laughed too — a quiet, genuine sound.
That night, the laughter still lingered as he logged into Elder Tale.
In-Game – Akiba District
Akiba glowed beneath its familiar twilight, air thick with chatter, runes, and the faint hum of teleport gates.Seryuuji materialized at the plaza's edge — bow at his back, cloak drawn low, just another mercenary in the city that never slept.
A message pinged.
[Kanami]:"You're Seryuuji, right? The SEA marksman?"
He blinked. The name was familiar — Kanami the Unfettered, the reckless leader of the Debauchery Tea Party, a legend in Yamato's community forums.
[Seryuuji]:"Yeah. You need something?"[Kanami]:"Heard you don't like guilds. Good thing we're not one. We're explorers."
He stared at the message for a moment, lips twitching.
[Seryuuji]:"Explorers, huh? Sounds like trouble."[Kanami]:"Always. Meet me at the west gate in ten. Bring arrows."
He didn't plan on saying yes. But he found himself moving anyway.
Susanoo's Shrine – A Week Later
Lightning clawed at the sky as the Tea Party advanced through the flooded courtyard, the sound of steel and chanting echoing between crumbling walls.
"Left flank! Naotsugu, don't let it reform!" Kanami shouted, darting through the storm like it couldn't touch her.
Seryuuji's arrows cut through the chaos — each one deliberate, each one perfectly timed.
He'd never fought alongside people like this. No arguing about loot, no empty posturing — just movement, flow, instinct.
"Nice shot!" Kanami called as one of his arrows pierced the boss's eye. "You've got rhythm!"
"Years of practice," he replied, nocking another arrow.
The final phase hit like a typhoon. Shiroe coordinated buffs, Kanami charged ahead without hesitation, and Seryuuji — silent as ever — kept her path clear.
When the shrine's guardian finally fell, light burst across the storm-drenched altar.
[System Message: Raid Cleared – Susanoo's Shrine]
The group erupted in cheers. Kanami spun around, soaked and laughing. "You're good, Seryuuji! Why play alone when you can fight like this?"
He hesitated, lowering his bow. "…Because I'm used to it."
Kanami just smiled. "Then get unused to it."
Days Later – Osaka
Outside the game, life went on. School. Rain. Study groups.
But something had changed. Ivan caught himself smiling more, talking more.His classmates noticed too — the quiet boy who now laughed when teased, who joined them for ramen after school instead of rushing home.
"Salvador, you're turning local," Takumi joked."Guess Japan's rubbing off on me."
Yet every night, he logged in again — drawn back to Akiba, to that ragtag band led by a woman who treated danger like a dance.
He wasn't part of them officially, but Kanami never cared about titles.She'd message him before every expedition:
[Kanami]:"You free tonight? There's a mountain that needs climbing."
And without fail, he'd reply:
[Seryuuji]: "Send the map."
Late Night – Apartment Balcony
Rain whispered against the balcony rail. Ivan leaned forward, phone in hand, reading the latest group chat messages.Kanami's enthusiasm even bled into text — full of exclamation marks, half-planned expeditions, and random ideas about the next raid.
[Kanami]: "Next time, we try something insane. You in?"[Seryuuji]: "Always."
He smiled to himself. For the first time since the Fairy Ring incident, the distance between worlds didn't feel so wide.
In both Akiba and Osaka, he was finding his place — slowly, steadily.Not as the stranded SEA player or the foreign student.
Just as Ivan Salvador.Seryuuji.
A boy who had learned to move forward, arrow by arrow, day by day.
______________________________
Months passed like the turning of pages — raid after raid, boss after boss, each one a new line in Yamato's unwritten history.
The Debauchery Tea Party had no guild tags, no formal structure. Just a group of adventurers who believed the world's limits existed only to be crossed.And somewhere along the way, Seryuuji became one of them.
In-Game – Tower of Eclipsing Light
"Mana flux rising — Kanami, move!" Shiroe's voice snapped through party chat.
The boss roared, crystalline wings splitting open as beams of light scythed across the platform. Kanami dove forward, Naotsugu raised his shield, and Seryuuji's arrow sang through the chaos — shattering a floating sigil before it could explode.
[Critical Strike – Pattern Disruption Successful]
"Nice save, SEA!" Kanami shouted. "You've got the timing of a samurai drummer!"
He grinned faintly. "Archer, actually."
"Close enough!"
The team pushed through the final phase, a storm of light and magic. When the tower's guardian fell, the whole structure trembled — ancient runes flickering alive as if they were watching.
Among the loot drops, one icon pulsed differently:
[Fragment of the Tempest String – Quest Item]
Seryuuji stared at it. The name matched an old, half-forgotten item he'd seen on SEA forums — a component from a discontinued quest chain.
Kanami leaned over his shoulder. "That yours?"
"Seems like it," he said. "Didn't think this line still existed."
Shiroe adjusted his glasses. "Most relic-class weapon chains were region-locked. The fact it dropped for you… might mean your data's still flagged as SEA."
Kanami smirked. "So the system still thinks you're foreign, huh? Guess you've got a destiny, SEA-san."
Quest Journal – "Whispers of the Tempest"
'The wind remembers those who came from afar. Seek the forges where storms sleep.'
The words burned faintly in Seryuuji's quest log, as though written in static.
It became his quiet obsession — an anchor between both worlds.
Whenever the Tea Party cleared a new dungeon, he'd scan every chest, every drop, for clues. Kanami teased him endlessly for it.
"You're turning into a treasure hunter.""Just following the trail," he'd reply.
But deep down, he wasn't chasing loot.He was searching for purpose — for something only he could complete.
Yamato – The Sky Ruins of Tenranzan
The wind howled through broken pillars as the Tea Party scaled the floating ruins. Lightning curled between shattered stone bridges, painting the world in silver light.
"Formation B!" Kanami shouted. "Ryuu, suppress the adds!"
He moved without hesitation — three arrows, three kills. The rhythm was second nature now, his movements blending seamlessly with Kanami's wild charge.
Each encounter they faced together refined his skill — not just as an archer, but as part of something bigger.
When they reached the summit, an ancient altar stood waiting. Runes etched into its surface glowed faintly as he approached.
[System Prompt: "Wind-forged string detected. Resonance 43%. Continue quest?"]
Seryuuji accepted. The altar released a pulse of wind that scattered the party's cloaks like banners.
Kanami whistled. "That's new.""Part of your bow line?" Shiroe asked."Yeah," Seryuuji murmured. "Feels like it's waking up."
A faint icon appeared in his log: [The Storm Ash Longbow – Evolution 2/5]
Kanami grinned. "Guess we've got ourselves a side quest."
Weeks Later – The Frostveil Depths
From icy caverns to sunken cathedrals, the Tea Party carved their legend through Yamato.Seryuuji was always there — calm, precise, the eye of every storm.
Between raids, Kanami would drag him into silly side adventures: helping low-level players, racing through low-tier dungeons, or exploring forgotten ruins.
"You work too hard," she'd say."You fight too fast," he'd counter.They both laughed.
Yet behind that laughter was something unspoken — the understanding that every victory was fleeting.
The Tea Party wasn't a guild; it was a moment in time. A spark destined to burn bright, then fade.
But before that end, Seryuuji wanted to finish what he'd started.
Questline Progress – "Whispers of the Tempest"
Stage 3: The Storm remembers your name. Seek the voice at the edge of the world.
The clue pointed to the Cradle of Winds, a floating dungeon no one had cleared before.
"Looks like a deathtrap," Naotsugu said.Kanami's grin was all teeth. "So, when do we start?"
Shiroe sighed. "We're doing this, aren't we?""Obviously," Kanami said. "It's SEA-san's story!"
And so, for the first time, the Debauchery Tea Party rallied not for fame, but for one of their own.
They fought through gales that could erase visibility, monsters born of storms, and puzzles that responded only to Seryuuji's bow.Every strike tuned the weapon further — wind gathering in its limbs, string singing in harmony with his heartbeat.
When they reached the final chamber, an ancient sentinel awaited — a colossal falcon spirit bound by chains of lightning.
"Your wind has no home," it thundered. "Why do you seek one?"
Seryuuji nocked his arrow, eyes steady. "Because I'm still learning where I belong."
The spirit shrieked, unleashing the storm. The Tea Party answered with everything they had — Kanami's twin strikes, Shiroe's perfect coordination, Seryuuji's relentless volleys cutting through the storm's heart.
When the guardian fell, silence followed.
[Quest Complete – "Whispers of the Tempest"][Reward: Storm Ash Longbow – Relic Form Awakened]
The bow shimmered, its limbs carved with flowing patterns of wind and sea — a perfect fusion of Yamato's spirit and his SEA roots.
Kanami rested her spear against her shoulder, grinning. "So, foreign archer… what now?"
As she uttered the last of her sentence, the sky over Tenranzan burned in streaks of dusk, the air heavy with ozone after another victorious raid.
The Debauchery Tea Party gathered at the edge of the cliffs, the battlefield below still crackling with leftover elemental energy.
Seryuuji—Ivan—stood apart from the others, bow in hand.
The familiar curve of his Bow of Dawn Tides gleamed faintly, sea-colored light tracing its surface as if alive.
For months, it had been his companion across Yamato — a relic of another world, a memory from his time in the SEA server.
But lately… something about it felt different.The air around him shimmered faintly whenever he strung an arrow, as if Yamato itself was beginning to recognize the foreign weapon.
[System Log: Artifact Response Detected][Linked Relic Identified: "Storm Ash Longbow" / "Flameborne Core – Fragmented Data"][Initiating Tri-Synergy Compatibility Check...]
Ivan blinked. "...Three?"
He hadn't heard that tone from the system since before the transfer.
From his inventory, the old Storm Ash Longbow materialized in a burst of static, its limbs glowing with faint green current.
At the same time, embers drifted from his quiver — the remains of an experimental raid artifact he'd once carried in a DTP expedition, a Flameborne Core, thought inert.
Kanami turned sharply. "Seryuuji, what's happening?"
"...Not sure. But it feels like they're calling each other."
The three energies spiraled together — flame, water, and wind — forming a triskelion of color and sound.
The ground trembled as the bow in his hand dissolved into light, reshaping itself midair.
[Tri-Element Resonance Confirmed.][Artifact Evolution Complete.][New Designation: Galecrest Tempest – The Tri-Sea Vow]
The glow subsided, revealing the new weapon — sleek, radiant, alive.Its limbs shimmered like tempered glass, veins of fire pulsing beneath flowing waves and etched stormlines.
When he held it, the bow hummed — three heartbeats in one.
______________________________
[Galecrest Tempest – The Tri-Sea Vow]
Classification: Phantasmal-Relic (Merged Origin: SEA / Yamato / Unclassified Core)
Rarity: Relic+ (Tri-Elemental)
Affinity: Wind / Water / Fire
Form Cycles:Aether Resonance Shift – The bow can alternate between three active forms based on elemental focus and emotional intent.
Growth Type:Evolving Relic – Emotional Synchronization & Battle Experience
_______________________________
Kanami, watching the bow's glow fade, grinned."It's not just your weapon that's growing stronger, Ryuu. Maybe it's listening to you."
He smiled faintly, thumb brushing the bowstring. "Maybe. Or maybe we're both still trying to find our balance."
Osaka – Morning
Ivan closed his laptop, sunlight filtering through the curtains.For once, he didn't feel like he was logging out of that world — just taking a breath between battles.
Outside, the cicadas were loud.He grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and stepped out into the day.
Kanami's words still echoed in his mind: Get unused to being alone.
Maybe, he thought, he finally had.
_______________________________
Yamato – The Great Ruins of Izumo
The ruins rumbled with the clash of steel and the howl of magic. Pillars cracked, spirits wailed, and the sky above shimmered in fractured light. The Debauchery Tea Party moved like a storm—chaotic yet perfectly synchronized.
"Souji, right flank!" Kanami shouted as she vaulted off a crumbling wall.
Soujiro Seta grinned mid-swing, his katana tracing arcs of light. "Already ahead of you, Kanami!" he said, voice bright with youthful energy as he cut through a cluster of spectral knights.
KR, his staff raised high, conjured a wide-zone barrier that caught the enemy's returning wave. "Watch your positioning," he barked, his tone sharp but efficient. "Ryuu, that's your cue!"
"On it," came Ryuu's calm reply.
He drew the Galecrest Tempest – The Tri-Sea Vow, its limbs glowing faintly with shifting hues of blue, green, and red. As he nocked the arrow, the weapon hummed—a resonance that mirrored the rhythm of the battle.
"Form: Tidal."
The shot released with a hiss of pressurized water, exploding into a burst that drowned the front ranks of enemies. A follow-up arrow shifted into a gust of slicing wind, carrying away what remained.
"Flawless," murmured Shiroe, observing from the rear. "He's adapting faster than projected."
Nyanta chuckled, his blade gleaming as he sliced through a ghostly knight's chest. "My, my, such splendid teamwork, nya. Our mercenary friend's claws are sharp indeed."
"Don't call me that," Ryuu replied dryly, though there was a small smile in his tone.
Kanami laughed as she vaulted off Kazuhiko's summoned construct, spinning in midair. "Come on, Ryuu! You're part of the gang now!"
Nazuna, standing beside Indicus, grinned as her spear pulsed with radiant energy. "You sure know how to pick your recruits, Kanami. I'm almost jealous."
Indicus gave a lazy smirk. "Almost?"
"Fine," Nazuna said, twirling her weapon, "definitely jealous."
Ryuu loosed another shot, shifting the bow's element to flame. "Phoenix Trigger!" he called.
The explosion painted the battlefield crimson, lighting up the collapsing ruins as enemies turned to dust. Kanami landed amidst the burning mist, laughing triumphantly. "That's another clear!"
After the Raid – Camp Outside Izumo
The group had set up camp in the shadow of the ruins, laughter and the scent of grilled fish drifting through the night air. Nyanta handled cooking with his usual flourish, humming cheerfully while seasoning.
Soujiro, sitting cross-legged nearby, wiped down his blades. "That was amazing! You've got to teach me that wind shot someday, Ryuu!"
Ryuu shrugged lightly. "You'd just end up turning it into a sword technique somehow."
Soujiro grinned. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Kanami leaned back on her hands, smiling up at the night sky. "You fit right in, you know. Didn't think you'd stick with us for more than a few raids."
"Neither did I," Ryuu admitted.
Nazuna flicked her tail. "Maybe you just needed the right kind of chaos."
Shiroe, seated a little apart, adjusted his glasses. "Or the right kind of team. You adapt well under unpredictable conditions—your synergy with KR and Nyanta during the final phase was textbook."
KR smirked, adjusting his staff. "He's good. Unpredictable, but reliable. Kind of like Kanami when she's actually following a plan."
"Hey!" Kanami protested, laughing. "That's rare enough to be special!"
Even Indicus cracked a small grin. "You're all ridiculous."
Ryuu's gaze drifted to the Galecrest Tempest resting beside him. The bow pulsed faintly, three colors glowing in rhythm. It almost felt alive—each element resonating with his emotions, his focus, his resolve.
Kanami followed his glance. "Still evolving?"
He nodded. "It's… growing with me. The more we fight, the more it changes. It's not just reacting—it's learning."
Shiroe's pen paused over his parchment. "That's not part of any known system behavior."
Ryuu gave a quiet laugh. "Guess that makes it special."
Kanami smirked. "So's the one using it."
Later – Inside the "Sanctum of the Drowned Sky"
The Tea Party moved deeper into the storm citadel, their coordination flawless. Nyanta darted through enemies with feline grace, Soujiro's swords flashing like lightning, KR and Nazuna maintaining barriers while Indicus unleashed devastating spell bursts.
Ryuu hung back, drawing the Galecrest Tempest."Form Shift: Wind to Flame."
The bow ignited as he pulled the string taut, the air rippling from the heat. The sound of the arrow's release split the roaring storm.
The boss—a colossal leviathan of current and crystal—let out a deafening roar as fire met water, the explosion blinding. Ryuu didn't stop—he transitioned immediately.
"Form: Tidal Tempest."
Wind fused with water, flame burned beneath it, and the strike shattered through the boss's defense. Kanami and Soujiro seized the opening, executing synchronized finishers that brought the creature crashing down.
"Clear!" KR announced, his voice echoing through the drenched chamber.
Kanami whooped and high-fived Nyanta. "Another win for the Tea Party!"
Nazuna grinned. "And our silent bowman strikes again. Sometimes I forget you're an enchanter like Shiro"
Soujiro laughed. "Hey, don't steal my lines!"
Ryuu stood at the center of the collapsing chamber, the Galecrest Tempest glowing with renewed energy. A faint, melodic tone hummed from it—three notes, resonating together.
Kanami stepped up beside him. "You really should stop calling yourself a mercenary, Ryuu."
He gave a faint smile. "Old habits die hard."
"Then we'll just make new ones," she said, patting his shoulder. "You're one of us now."
Post-Raid Reflections
That night, as the group rested in Akiba, Ryuu lingered on a balcony overlooking the neon-lit streets. Shiroe joined him quietly, notebook in hand.
"You know," Shiroe said, "I think Kanami's right. You've become a cornerstone of this team."
Ryuu's eyes drifted to his bow. "It's strange. I spent so long just moving from group to group, never staying long enough to matter."
"And yet here you are," Shiroe replied softly, "making history."
Below them, the city of Akiba shimmered, full of laughter and life.For the first time, Ryuu felt something different—a quiet, grounding warmth that reminded him what it meant to belong.
The Galecrest Tempest pulsed softly in his hand, three colors weaving in harmony.Perhaps it wasn't just a weapon anymore.Perhaps it was a reflection of the people who fought beside him.