The scent of wildflowers and baked bread hung in the air as the sun painted Eldoria's sky in strokes of orange and gold.
Omina knelt in the tall grass just beyond the city's main gate, her blue-and-silver armor catching the light as she plucked a handful of purple blooms. "Yoshiya, look—these are just like the ones we found near Orleaf!"
He laughed, closing the distance between them with long strides. His boar-fur cloak swished against the ground, and the woven basket at his hip rattled with herbs he'd gathered earlier. "I told you to save some room for supplies, not fill our pockets with flowers again!"
She turned back with a mischievous grin, holding the blooms out like a prize. "Can't help it—they remind me of when we first got here. When all we had to worry about was not getting gored by boars."
A lifetime ago, it seemed.
Back then, they'd been nothing more than a newlywed couple torn from their wedding day and dropped into a world at war. Summoned as "heroes," they'd set out to save mankind—only to discover their true strengths lay far from the roles they'd first chosen. Omina, once meant to be a healer, had found her calling as a blade; Yoshiya, who dreamed of being a knight, had become the shield that kept others standing with his magic.
Together, they'd defended the small village of Orleaf from goblins and chaos. They'd learned to read the land, speak its tongue, and forge bonds with people who'd become family. But when war finally consumed the kingdom of Ostoria, they'd been forced to flee—leading a tide of refugees toward the only safe haven left: Eldoria, the city of pillars.
Now, as Omina tucked the flowers into the buckle of her sword belt, Yoshiya's gaze drifted to the gate behind them. Six massive pillars framed the archway, each glowing with a faint blue light and carved with a symbol that defined the city's rulers:
- A coin, for Zentake—the foul-mouthed treasurer who counted every copper and mana drop.
- A skull, for Gaikotsu—the slow-moving guardian whose skeleton labor kept the city fed and safe.
- A sword, for Masaboru—the strongest fighter in Eldoria, who'd been known to abandon meetings mid-sentence to answer nature's call.
- A scroll, for Shinjitsu—who spoke only in parables, his wisdom hidden beneath words that never seemed to fit the moment.
- A handshake, for Nogare—the quiet diplomat who built Eldoria's foundations with secrets as much as stone.
- And an empty circle, waiting for the sixth pillar to be chosen.
"Did you hear?" A voice called out from the gate. Lia, the blue-mage who'd become their bridge to the refugees, waved as she approached. "The tournament registration is open. Thousands have signed up already—even Kaisei and Seiko are joining."
Yoshiya nodded, his playful smile softening into something more serious. "Nogare says the winner gets the sixth seat. That they need to know who's strong enough to help rebuild what we lost."
Omina's hand moved to the hilt of her sword—now a single, refined blade she'd mastered over months of training. "Orleaf is still out there. Ostoria is still ours to take back."
Lia gestured toward the city, where skeletons carried crates of grain through the streets and families gathered around glowing mana wards. "But first, we have to make sure this place can stand on its own. The mana tax, the ranks, the pillars—everything here is built on strength and community. Not everyone will make the cut."
As the sun began to set, the blue dome of Eldoria's protective magic flared brighter overhead. The pillars hummed with power, and in the distance, the great glowing tree at the city's heart cast its light across rooftops and fields alike.
The journey moves beyond survival. Old roles will be tested, new leaders will rise, and a tournament will decide who has what it takes to shape the future. Bonds will be forged in competition, secrets will come to light, and the path back to Ostoria will finally begin to take shape.
For Yoshiya and Omina, the flowers they pick today are more than just mementos—they're a promise: no matter how grand their purpose becomes, they'll never forget the simple truth that brought them this far.
Together, they are Blade and Shield. Together, they will build a home.
To Publish. . .
April 2026