Beginning of a Journey

In the midst of a time-frozen scene, an unsettling stillness blankets everything. Yet, within Kensuke, a disconcerting anomaly unfolds. Even in this temporal freeze, a sharp pain jolts through his chest, a strange ache that defies the suspended moment. The silence amplifies the discomfort, each heartbeat a resounding echo against the frozen time.

From within Kensuke's heart, a sinister black goo emerges, its inky tendrils bursting out, coursing through his veins and coating his skin. Like a dark river, it flows upward, reaching his neck.

"Begin." The voice said.

The word echoed relentlessly within the confines of Kensuke's head, resonating with a haunting persistence. A spectral presence looms behind him, the air pulsating with an ominous energy as an unknown hand's presence was felt behind him, ready to grip him from the shadows. A dense weight settles upon his body. He begins to question if he is truly himself anymore.

Time unfroze just after the voice spoke.

As the sickle descends, there seems to be no escape for Kensuke. The demon's sharp blade is ready to strike, locking in what appears to be Kensuke's inevitable fat. The girl, helpless, can only watch as Kensuke faces the blow that threatens to end his life.

In the heartbeat just before the sickle's tip could pierce Kensuke's neck, he suddenly vanishes, leaving behind a ghostly whisper of cool air.

'What the hell? Where'd he go?' The demon's confusion mirrors the elf's bewilderment at Kensuke's sudden disappearance, a simple yet perplexing twist in the unfolding confrontation.

"Here." Kensuke utters, instantly reappearing behind the demon. The air shivers of his teleportation, and a faint, cool breeze rustles through the surroundings as he materializes, catching the demon off guard.

He touches the demon's nape, and a sudden explosion bursts forth at his contact. The resulting blast sends shockwaves through the air. Kensuke makes an unexpected countermove.

Boom!!!

A resounding Boom!!! sound echoes through the air, the shockwave of the explosion vibrating through the surroundings, leaving an echo that resonates with the intensity of the fiery impact.

The demon is sent flying, crashing into a tree with a deafening impact. The forest is engulfed in a symphony of a very loud crash.

The elf is left astonished, rendered speechless as Kensuke effortlessly turns the tables. Her curiosity is piqued not by his newfound strength but by the mysterious magic he wields—leaving her intrigued and eager for answers.

"OH, I SEE! IT'S ON! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The demon, genuinely surprised by Kensuke's retaliation, fumes with anger at the damage inflicted upon him. His maniacal laughter echoes through the air, an unsettling surge of rage and amusement. In a frenzied state, he lunges right at Kensuke, the air crackling with tension as the confrontation escalates to a new level of intensity.

"DIE!!!"

Kensuke wears a serious expression as the black liquid on his neck creates a tattoo-like design, adding an ominous touch to his appearance.

Kensuke not moving—ignites anxiety in the elf as the demon relentlessly charges him, ready to strike once more. Tension thickens the air, as the stillness contrasts with the demon's relentless dash. The woods seem to hold its breath, waiting for the imminent strike.

"What are you doing?! You'll die at that rate!" The elf shouts at him, concern evident in her voice as she witnesses Kensuke's risky stance.

The demon closes in, swift as a shadow, and delivers a vertical strike with the sickle, a menacing arc reminiscent of wielding a sword against his helpless opponent. The air resonates with the slicing motion, and the sickle's glint adds a cruel gleam to the ruthless attack.

"Got ya!" The demon thinking he can finally kill him.

Kensuke blocks the strike with his arm. Surprisingly, the sickle snaps with a resounding crack, the metallic echo reverberating through the air. The scent of burnt metal hangs as the clash unfolds in a surprising turn of events.

'What!?' The demon's eyes widen in disbelief as his weapon shatters upon striking Kensuke's arm. A stunned pause follows, with the unexpected turn leaving the demon visibly vulnerable. The air echoes with the remnants of the broken weapon, and a tense silence hangs in the aftermath of this surprising twist.

The demon's smile disappears, and he quickly steps back, looking cautious. The sudden shift in his expression creates an atmosphere of uncertainty as he reevaluates the situation.

"Who are you!" The demon shouted.

Kensuke kept silent.

The demon, without his sickle, looks unsure about what to do next.

"Tch. I'll be back! Don't ever forget this you bastard!" With a sharp snap of his fingers, the sound echoes through the area, creating a sudden tension. Abruptly, he vanishes, leaving behind only the lingering echo of the snap.

"Are you okay? You!" The elf hurries to Kensuke, her worry clear in her voice. She checks on him, a mix of concern and relief on her face after the encounter.

Kensuke stands completely still, eyes wide open, not a single breath escaping him.

Kensuke is immobilized by pain in his upper body and exhaustion, a direct result of the black ink coursing through his body. The toll from this mysterious substance is evident. This is why he did not move an inch when the demon struck him—he's fatigued.

The black liquid surrounding his upper body disintegrates from his skin. Kensuke collapses onto the ground, unconscious, mirroring the way he fell the previous night.

The elf was left troubled and healed him again.

After a few minutes of casting healing magic to his body—he was still not waking up, even though his body was fully healed. Her healing magic was not enough to wake him up. She lifts Kensuke with magic and tries to bring him to the nearest town and look for help.

After a short walk that felt forever—they arrived to the nearest town.

Zir Town - 9 : 48 AM

'I have to get him woken up... He's been unconscious for hours now.' She was getting worried—she does owes him a favor for driving the demon off.

"Excuse me. Mister, do you know people who treats injuries?" She asks a man she came across upon entering the town.

"There are some folks over d'guild house that heals people... I bet they can help yer there missy." The peculiar man replied. His words struggle to pierce through his thick beard, and his towering presence overshadows the elf's figure.

She walks over to the guild house while Kensuke still lays afloat in the air—dragging him in the air, wherever she walks, he follows.

She arrived at the adventurer's guild house and opens the door.

Strange gazes fixated on her as unfamiliar faces observed her presence. They cast doubtful looks, giving her the stink eye, their expressions a mix of suspicion and uncertainty.

"Welcome to the guild house! What can I do for you, young elf?" The lady over the counter greets her.

"This gu-- My friend here is unconscious. Do you know any people who can wake him up? I can't seem to wake him up." 'I better not treat him as a stranger—it would be weird if they think I want to help a complete stranger.'

"Unfortunately, Miss, the priests and healers in our guild has all embarked on que--" Right when the guild registrar was about to say they have no healers—someone interrupted.

Table slams

"I can help!" A girl from the table sitting alone anonymously.

"But in one condition..."

Deep within Kensuke's consciousness, he remains aware internally, though his external senses are numbed. It feels as if he's engulfed in a void again, standing within a dark room devoid of light.

"I will always be here, you know?" A voice reverberates throughout the empty expanse, echoing in the vastness of the void that surrounds Kensuke.

"What are you? I keep hearing you." Kensuke asks again, seeking an explanation for the mysterious presence that echoes in the emptiness around him.

"Show yourself!" He shouts.

Something materializes in front of him, but at a distance. Through the void, he vaguely sees her. She is flying with wings—four of them, alternating in colors of black and white. The two lower wings provide coverage for her body, while the other two are employed for flight.

She appears to be in a long white robe, its end gracefully reaching the floor of the void. The robe emanates a bright glow, mirroring the radiant brightness of her face.

Kensuke could not see her face, since her face was very bright and was far away.

"I'm the one who resurrected you in this world... You have a purpose... I chose you... You chose me." She introduced.

"I don't even know who you are!" Kensuke expresses frustration, annoyed by the lack of clarity in her words.

"I am... It's not time for you to know, you have a purpose in this world—only you can accomplish."

"Now... Wake up. We're out of time." She says.

Kensuke levitates upwards while the room was glowing. It seems like he is waking up.

As he ascends, the unknown lady utters words that send chills down Kensuke's spine.

"Please come. Please save me." She implores, her words carrying a gentle yet sorrowful tone.

Kensuke opens his eyes.

Kensuke wakes up in a room—laying on a bed it appears to be, he sees an unfamiliar face in the room. A little girl sitting in the corner of the room staring at him while holding a book in her hands.

"What happened?" He asks. He doesn't have any memory of what happened at the forest where he and the elf encountered the demon.

"You blacked out, it seems." She remarks, her attention diverted to the book in her hands as she addresses Kensuke's state.

"I don't remember anything... Wait! Is the elf lady alright?!" He becomes deeply concerned about her. After all, who wouldn't worry for a beautiful young lady?

"She is fine—more importantly, where are you from? Your attire doesn't seem to match any clothes around this country." She closes the book and glares at him.

"I came from... I came from very far away—outside this continent." 'I better change my clothes soon.' He's trying to ease the tension. He smiles with a fake smile.

"Really? Can I ask what is your name?" She appears to be interested.

"You can call me Kensuke. It is nice to meet you! How about you?" It would be fair if she share her name after he shared his, but she rudely refused.

"I ain't telling you my name! What are you, a pervert?" She has a disgusted look on her face.

Kensuke, still confused, decides to ask again, thinking that perhaps she didn't understand him the first time.

"I mean it's fair I told min---"

Door slams open

"Eek!!" The girl shook, she shouted.

The door slams open. The sound of oak crashing sent the two startled. The one who enters was none other the elf herself.

"Are you feeling okay mister?" The elf asks. She was worried he may not wake up.

"Yeah I'm good. I'm kensuke by the way." He finally introduce himself with a smile.

"K--Kensuke-san... Good name. I'm Zarya, nice to meet you." The elf finally introduced her name to him. She introduced her self with a straight face. She haven't smiled since he met Kensuke. It felt like she's emotionless—Kensuke quickly noticed this and thought.

'She haven't shown any positive emotions up till now. Now's not the time to ask why she's that way maybe another time.'

"I--I'm Luna! Luna Mier! You can call me Mier! Nice to meet you!" The little girl abruptly introduces herself to Kensuke as the elf enters, her words carrying a mix of assertiveness and friendliness, a change in demeanor noticeable with the elf's presence.

"Nice to meet you two. And I thought you don't wanna share your name to me, Mier-san?" Kensuke is confused about why Mier chose to share her name with him now, especially considering she was unwilling to do so earlier.

"Since you asked nicely earlier—I will gladly introduce myself! Hmm Hmm!" Mier wears a superior expression on her face, her ego filling the room, with Kensuke being the only one who seems to notice the subtle arrogance emanating from her.

'She really is a kid' He thought.

"Oh, Mier-san was the one who woke you up." Zarya informs.

Kensuke felt relieved.

"Hey Mier. Come here I have something to tell urgent fast!" Kensuke appears to have something to say to Mier, perhaps to express his gratitude or convey a message of thanks.

"What?" Mier asks and comes to Kensuke.

Kensuke pulls Mier to him.

"Thank you for not letting me die—I guess. chuckes" Kensuke expresses his gratitude, patting Mier's head with a hint of humor in his tone.

"HEY! Stop that!" Mier blushes and retaliates by delivering a powerful punch to Kensuke's face, her reaction laced with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

"Do you wanna die now!?" Mier yells at him.

"Mier-san—calm down, he just woke up, don't make him sleep again." Zarya has that worried face again.

Hours passed and they were ready to depart.

"I guess it's time to go on our separate ways." Kensuke says, prepared to bid farewell to his newfound companions, or what could be loosely termed as friends.

"About that..." Zarya has something to say to him it appears.

"Mier said—in order to heal you, she wants to join our party—we don't even have a party. I can't deny the offer, since you look very dead earlier." Zarya whispers the situation to him.

Kensuke is surprised but relieved, not wanting to be separated from the newfound bond. Zarya remains indifferent. Mier was happy—she was finally about to be a true adventurer.

"Alright everyone! Let's go!" Mier excitingly shouts.

They set off and begin their journey.

"Where are we going?" Kensuke asks Zarya, his curiosity piqued as he remains uncertain about their destination.

"Gather magic materials for my use." Zarya instructs.

"You are very focused on gathering these magic thingies... Can I ask what are they for—if you gathered them?" Kensuke inquires, seeking to understand the purpose behind Zarya's intense focus on collecting magical materials.

"I just need them." Zarya states with a cold expression as ever, her voice turning somewhat rigid.

"Something just happened long ago."

"I'd gladly listen!" Kensuke assures, expressing his willingness to understand and support Zarya's goals.

"You're stubborn aren't you, old man?" Mier butts in.

"Wh-- Oi! I'm not old. You're just too young. Don't butt in to conversations if the old ones are talking then, kid." Kensuke smugs.

"Hey! I'm gonna be an adult next year!" Mier has a very irritated face and voice.

"I bet you're like 13 years old." Kensuke trying to annoy little Mier-chan more.

"I'm just short! That's all!" Mier looks like she's going to make a fist and throw it to his face.

Kensuke just goes in with it and acknowledge Mier, especially considering Zarya's growing annoyance with both of them.

Zarya explains her past—she has no choice. They will be sticking with her for a while.

"About four thousand years ago..."

'Wait she's that old? She still looks young.' Kensuke thought.

"...We were attacked by the demons. It looked like they were searching for someone. They kill anyone—if it's not who they were looking for. They were looking for me it looks like. My mother took me away, while my father was left to defend. Unfortunately, the demons caught up to my mother and they killed her. I managed to flee from the chaos. I started to do magic so I can be strong and go to Aurelia and get a leaf from the Tree of Time. The leaf contains the magic to reverse the effects of my--- Ahem... That's quite enough." Zarya seems unwilling to share more of her secrets, and Kensuke respects her boundaries, recognizing that she might be going through a lot.

"That is very sad sniff" Kensuke tearing up.

someone crying

"crying Why did they do that!" Mier cries out, her loud sobs echoing throughout the surroundings as they continue their journey to the next destination.

"You really lived all those years?" Kensuke still surprised that she is very old. 'She still looks beautifully young.' He thought.

"We elves live our lives over 20 to 30 thousand years. We age differently from humans." Zarya replies to his question. Despite being very old, she still retains the appearance of a maiden.

Kensuke's jaw drops. He wasn't expecting they really live that long.

Mier isn't surprised; she already knows that an elf's lifespan is vastly different from that of humans like her and Kensuke.

"Even though you're thoudands of years old—you still look beautiful, as if you've never been in those thousands of years." Kensuke comments while he gaze at the sky contemplating how old she really was.

Mier has that disgusted face again. She was creeped out by his comment.

"Anyway, you really look young, Zarya-nee!" Mier's eyes stars up.

Zarya was left speechless and felt all those words, especially Kensuke's.

"Thank you all." She smiles a little bit.

"YOU SMILED!" Kensuke yells.