Returning to Exium should have felt comforting.
Instead—
our house felt tiny.
Between Yura, Shina, Hera, Kyoko, Sangui, piles of books, monster materials, magical artifacts, and whatever chaos Híroÿ's group constantly brought with them, the place had transformed into a crowded disaster zone.
At some point during the night, I stepped on one of Yura's staffs and nearly died.
"This place is becoming a dungeon itself," I muttered while stepping over stacked books near the staircase.
"That's your fault," Shina replied immediately.
I looked toward the mountain of magical tomes piled beside the couch.
"…Fair."
Over the last few weeks, I'd developed an unhealthy habit.
Every time we earned money—
I bought books.
Magic theory.
Ancient combat texts.
Summoning studies.
Enchantments.
Space manipulation.
Dragon folklore.
Half the city's bookstores probably recognized me by now.
Honestly?
Knowledge felt addictive in this world.
Every answer only revealed bigger questions.
And the more I learned—
the stranger my own abilities became.
Which was concerning.
Very concerning.
"We need somewhere bigger," Yura sighed while trying to organize supplies around Kyoko, who had claimed an entire corner of the living room as her personal nest.
"And preferably somewhere with fewer explosions," Hera added.
"That happened ONE time."
"The kitchen wall still has claw marks."
"That could've been anyone."
Everyone stared at me.
Traitors.
Shina unrolled a large map across the table afterward.
"If we're relocating anyway," she said thoughtfully, "we should move somewhere with more opportunities."
"Like?"
"The Larkingdon Kingdom."
Hera raised an eyebrow.
"Lakeway?"
Shina nodded.
"It's the capital city. Largest trade center in the southern region. Adventurers, scholars, ruins, magic academies…"
"…Food?" I asked immediately.
"…Yes."
"I'm sold."
Yura laughed softly.
"You really only think with your stomach."
"That's not true."
"Books too."
"…Okay maybe slightly true."
After another hour of discussion, the decision was unanimous.
We were leaving Exium.
---
Before departing though—
I needed to see Híroÿ.
The two of us met just outside the city walls near the old training field we'd occasionally used whenever we wanted to spar without destroying property.
He was already waiting there when I arrived.
Black hair.
Mismatched eyes.
Scythe resting casually across his shoulders.
Behind him stood his group.
Lilith.
Frana.
Lani.
Yāsûrah.
Syrah and Shura nearby.
A larger party than before.
Stronger too.
Meanwhile behind me—
Yura, Shina, Hera, Kyoko, and Sangui waited quietly beneath the trees.
Híroÿ smirked the moment he saw me.
"So it's true. You're leaving Exium."
"Looks that way."
"Same here actually."
I blinked.
"You're leaving too?"
He nodded.
"Lilith's group is too small to travel safely alone anymore. And there've been increased Devourer sightings near the western territories."
Interesting.
For the first time since arriving in this world—
our paths were splitting naturally.
Not through conflict.
Not through tragedy.
Just…
life.
"That feels weird," I admitted quietly.
"Yeah."
Silence settled between us briefly.
Then Híroÿ spun his scythe once.
"One match before we go?"
I grinned instantly.
"Thought you'd never ask."
---
The girls wisely backed away.
Very far away.
Honestly smart.
Híroÿ stepped forward first, golden mana gathering around his body softly.
Meanwhile dark violet energy flickered faintly around mine.
Neither of us drew weapons immediately.
No magic.
No summons.
Just movement.
The instant he vanished forward—
I moved too.
CRACK.
Our fists collided hard enough to split the earth beneath us.
Wind exploded outward violently.
Hera's eyes widened immediately.
"He fights like that without magic?!"
Yura folded her arms proudly.
"Watch closely."
Híroÿ swept low instantly.
I jumped over it before twisting midair into a spinning kick.
He blocked.
Barely.
The impact launched him backward several feet before he planted his scythe into the ground to stabilize himself.
Then he smiled.
That same smile from Earth.
From school tournaments.
From rooftop spars.
From childhood.
"Still too slow," he teased.
"Oh shut up."
We exploded toward each other again.
This time faster.
Fists.
Elbows.
Kicks.
Counters.
Every movement flowed naturally.
Refined.
Familiar.
Like two people who had spent their entire lives learning each other's habits.
Because we had.
Híroÿ suddenly grabbed my arm and attempted throwing me over his shoulder.
I twisted around the motion instead, locking my legs around his neck before flipping him into the ground hard enough to crater it.
He immediately retaliated by blasting light magic upward.
I crossed my arms defensively as the explosion forced distance between us again.
The girls watched silently now.
Even our companions had gone quiet.
Because this wasn't just a spar anymore.
It was instinct.
Rivalry.
Brotherhood.
Two people constantly trying to surpass each other without ever truly wanting the other to lose.
Híroÿ launched forward again, scythe finally appearing in his hands.
I summoned Edith and Zenith immediately.
Steel clashed violently.
Golden light collided against dark violet sparks as our weapons met repeatedly faster and faster.
One strike.
Ten.
Twenty.
Neither gaining ground.
Then—
I saw it.
For the briefest second.
A golden shimmer moved around Híroÿ strangely.
Almost like invisible threads.
Watching.
Guiding.
My Dragon Eyes activated instinctively.
The world sharpened.
And for a single moment—
something behind Híroÿ smiled.
I froze.
Híroÿ's fist slammed into my face instantly.
I skidded backward across the field.
"…Shiro?"
The vision disappeared immediately.
What the hell was that?
"Oi," Híroÿ called cautiously. "You good?"
"…Yeah."
I lowered my blades slowly.
Probably exhaustion.
Or overusing my eyes again.
Still…
something felt wrong.
But before I could think deeper about it—
Lilith stepped forward.
"That's enough," she said firmly. "You'll destroy the entire field at this rate."
Híroÿ sighed dramatically.
"She's probably right."
"You saying I was winning?"
"Not even remotely."
"Coward answer."
He laughed.
And just like that—
the tension vanished again.
---
The goodbye afterward felt strangely quiet.
No dramatic speeches.
No promises about destiny.
Just people preparing to walk different roads.
"We'll probably run into each other again soon anyway," Híroÿ said while resting his scythe over his shoulder.
"Unfortunately."
"Oh? You tired of losing already?"
"You literally got kicked through a mountain last month."
"AND survived."
"Barely."
The girls behind us laughed softly while Kyoko and Syrah glared at each other competitively nearby.
Some things never changed.
Eventually though—
the moment came.
Híroÿ extended his hand first.
I stared at it briefly before gripping it firmly.
Neither of us spoke for a few seconds.
Then—
"Don't die," he muttered quietly.
I smirked faintly.
"You first."
And with that—
we turned away from each other.
For the first time since arriving in this world—
our paths truly split.
---
The journey south took most of the day.
Kyoko soared through open skies while the landscape changed beneath us gradually from rolling plains into richer forests and massive rivers.
And eventually—
Lakeway appeared.
The city wrapped around an enormous crystal-blue lake like a crescent moon carved into the earth.
Massive towers stretched toward the clouds while bridges crossed shimmering canals flowing throughout the city.
Even from the sky—
it looked alive.
Bigger than Exium.
Brighter too.
We landed outside the city walls shortly afterward, only to find enormous crowds gathered around a luxurious black-and-gold carriage.
"What's going on?" I asked a nearby bearded man.
"You're new here?" he laughed. "That's the Suigin."
He quickly explained.
Forty years ago, Lakeway had nearly fallen to a dark magician commanding demonic forces powerful enough to erase the kingdom entirely.
At the final hour—
a lone warrior appeared.
Suigin.
He fought the magician personally before sealing him within a void beyond space and time.
A living legend.
Interesting.
Then—
the carriage doors opened.
Three figures emerged.
A tall man with black-and-white hair tied loosely behind him.
A graceful woman with long blue hair and calm, dangerous eyes.
And finally—
a girl.
Young.
No older than sixteen.
Long pink hair flowed behind her while a mask covered the lower half of her face.
But her eyes—
pale silver.
Almost glowing.
They met mine instantly across the crowded square.
And stayed there.
Something about her stare felt…
wrong.
Not hostile.
Not fearful.
Intentional.
Watching.
Like she recognized something.
I frowned slightly before turning away.
"Come on," I muttered toward the girls.
Still—
I could feel her gaze lingering even after we disappeared into the city.
---
Lakeway itself was absurdly beautiful.
Magical signs floated above stores.
Street performers manipulated elemental magic casually.
The scent of fresh food nearly killed me emotionally within five minutes.
"Shiro," Hera sighed tiredly, "you cannot stop at every food stall."
"Watch me."
"You already bought three things."
"And I regret nothing."
Shina laughed quietly while Yura dragged me away from another stand selling magical pastries shaped like dragons.
Cruel world.
Eventually we arrived at a real estate office named Larkingdon Estates.
A sharply dressed man with a perfectly waxed mustache greeted us instantly.
"Adventurers?" he asked knowingly.
"How could you tell?"
"The dragon."
"…Fair."
"We need space," I explained. "Privacy too."
"And preferably fewer assassination attempts," Hera added.
The agent nodded sympathetically.
"I have exactly the place."
And somehow—
he really did.
The manor rested near the outskirts of Lakeway surrounded by tall trees and rolling hills overlooking part of the lake.
Quiet.
Large.
Beautiful.
The cobblestone pathway curved toward massive wooden doors while enchanted lanterns lined the property elegantly.
The backyard alone was larger than our old house.
Kyoko immediately claimed part of it as territory.
"This is it," I said quietly.
The girls agreed instantly.
By nightfall—
it was ours.
Furniture arrived through magical courier services while everyone rushed around decorating rooms excitedly.
Meanwhile—
I sat alone on the balcony later that night with three newly purchased magic books stacked beside me and enough food to feed an army.
The stars above Lakeway looked different somehow.
Farther away.
Yet brighter.
I rested one hand against Edith and Zenith quietly.
A new kingdom.
A new city.
New dangers.
New mysteries.
And somewhere deep inside—
I could feel it.
Something waiting.
Watching.
Moving pieces I still didn't understand.
From inside the manor, laughter echoed softly through the halls.
Warm.
Alive.
Home.
I smiled faintly despite myself.
"We've come a long way," I whispered quietly toward the night sky.
Then I stood and headed back inside—
toward whatever came next.