Part 3
The sound of rustling leaves and the crunch of their own footsteps was the only thing accompanying the group as they followed the dirt path leading away from Astralis.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Seri asked for the third time in under twenty minutes.
Kaito nodded without stopping.
"Yeah. At least that's what the map says," he replied, opening a glowing panel in front of him. "We just have to keep heading east until we cross the Irial Bridge, then go through the Mareen Forest."
"Is it safe to cross a forest?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well… in Mythara there are monsters like goblins, wolves, lizards, and other annoying things. Luckily, the wind elves usually exterminate them when they get too dangerous..."
"Now I see."
"On my way to Astralis, I ran into a few enemies. So it's very likely something's going to attack us again..."
"Yeah, but don't worry," said Kaito. "If anything shows up, Eve will handle it."
"Affirmative. I will serve as a shield, a weapon, or, if necessary, bait. Would you like me to prepare a trap, Master?"
"It was a joke..." Kaito sighed, placing a hand on his forehead.
Seri giggled softly.
"You're so mean, Kaito. But you're right. The city wasn't safe anymore. At least out here, we know where the danger's coming from."
On either side of the path, the trees began to close in, signaling the forest's approach. The sun was still high, but the shadows cast by the branches made the trail feel tighter, denser.
That's when Eve came to a sudden stop.
"Hostile presence detected at thirty-two meters. Five entities. Preliminary scan: wild beasts, low level."
Kaito raised his head just as the bushes started to rustle. A growl tore through the air.
"Time to test our synchronization," said Kaito, materializing the Lunaris Edge. The sword shimmered into existence with a soft gleam in his fingers.
"Let's go, Master~!" Seri chimed, twirling her staff with dramatic flair.
Eve was already in position, eyes glowing, stance firm, perfectly poised for action.
Ahead of them, glowing eyes emerged from the underbrush. Forest shadow-wolves—small, fast, and dangerous in packs.
"Five against three... seems like a fair fight, right?" Kaito murmured, feeling the weight of the sword align with his arm.
"You and your stupid sense of justice..." Seri muttered, already casting her first spell.
"Seri… they're just five. No massive spells."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it!"
In a flash, Eve charged in.
"Protecting the Master!"
"Eve, wait! There's too many—!" Kaito shouted, chasing after her without thinking.
The automaton fought three wolves at once, barehanded, fists striking with mechanical precision.
"She's strong..." Kaito whispered, struggling against a wolf that barely budged under his swings.
He turned his head just in time to see one of the wolves leap at Seri.
"Fire Ball!"
A flaming orb burst from the elf's staff, striking the wolf and instantly reducing it to ash.
"Why...?" Kaito muttered, gritting his teeth. "I'm supposed to be a Hero, yet a single wolf is holding me back like this..."
More wolves emerged from the forest, focusing their attention on Seri, who continued to fire off her spells to keep them at bay.
"Master, if we continue like this, Seri will deplete her mana supply," Eve reported in her usual mechanically calm tone. "Do I have permission to increase lethal force?"
"What kind of question is that?! Yes, Eve, stop holding back with just your fists!"
"Understood."
With a graceful twist, she drew two hidden daggers from her sleeves. As they cut through the air, electric sparks crackled along their blades.
A second wolf lunged at her flank, biting her shoulder. Eve responded by stabbing one of her daggers into its neck. A surge of electricity coursed through the creature's body, reducing it to a cloud of dust.
"Damn… If this keeps up, I'm ending it right now."
Kaito gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.
"Lunaris Edge… if you've got some hidden power, now would be a great time to show it."
But the sword remained the same—dull, unresponsive, devoid of light.
The wolf in front of him lunged with renewed aggression. Kaito held his ground as best he could, but the difference in strength was clear.
"I wish I had one of those ridiculous anime-style power-ups… but…"
His gaze sharpened.
"Screw the 'power of friendship'! If you won't help me, rusty old sword… I'll do it my way!"
The wolf pounced again, fangs glinting under the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy.
Kaito didn't think. He just moved.
He stepped sideways, tripped slightly on a root, but managed to keep his balance. He raised his sword the best he could and swung it in what looked more like a desperate flail than an actual combat technique.
"Haah!"
The blade of Lunaris Edge barely grazed the wolf, but it was enough to make the beast recoil with a snarl.
"It worked!" he gasped, still breathless. "Let's go!"
His next strike was even more awkward. He jumped back, raised the sword over his head—like he'd seen in some anime—and brought it down hard.
The impact wasn't clean. In fact, he almost lost his balance.
But the wolf took the hit. It stumbled backward, yelping in pain.
"Kaito, your left!" Seri shouted.
Instinctively, he turned and ducked. A second wolf leapt over him.
Kaito gritted his teeth.
"I'm not just gonna sit back while you two do all the fighting!"
With a surge of adrenaline, he drove the sword into the side of the nearest wolf with both hands. He felt the impact vibrate all the way up his arms.
The beast collapsed.
For a second, everything stopped. Kaito was panting, legs trembling, sweat dripping down his face. But he'd done it. One enemy down.
Eve scanned him calmly.
"Heart rate elevated. Pulse irregular. But... good execution for someone with no training."
Seri beamed.
"That was amazing, Kaito!"
He lowered his sword, still as dull and rusted as ever... but now it felt a little lighter. Not physically—inside.
"I'm still no swordsman," he said with a crooked smile. "But at least... I'm no longer just a spectator."
Meticulously, Eve began collecting the loot from the wolves.
"Ten bronze coins, twenty claws, ten fangs, and one wolf pelt. Not bad," she reported flatly.
Kaito dropped onto a fallen log, trying to catch his breath. But for some reason, he felt... different. Lighter. Stronger.
"That's weird… my arms feel a bit stronger."
"Probably a Hero trait kicking in," Seri said thoughtfully.
"Master, you should check your status panel," Eve suggested, turning toward him. "If you were truly summoned as a Hero, your growth rate must be far above that of the average inhabitant of this world."
Kaito nodded and opened his panel. To his surprise, he had reached level 5. His stats had improved slightly… though he still didn't have any active skills.
"It's true. My stats changed a bit."
"Makes sense," Seri said, thoughtful. "Heroes aren't from this world. If you trained like we do, it would take you years to reach that level of strength."
"The leader of my tribe, Ignaria Flames, is a level 120 elf warrior… or SSS rank, if I'm not mistaken. And it took her decades to get there."
"Is she a relative of yours?"
"No," Seri replied with a shake of her head. "Flames is a pretty common surname in my tribe."
"I see... then—" A sudden warmth on his shoulder interrupted him.
"Ow—ow ow ow?!"
Eve was pouring steaming tea onto his wound.
"Eve?"
"Apologies, master. I am applying restorative tea," she replied without losing composure.
"Restorative… tea? Who even came up with that?!"
Eve averted her gaze, as if she didn't understand the question.
"Zarakov Protocol. All surface wounds must be treated with herbal restorative infusion. High effectiveness, calming aroma."
"Yeah, but it's hot!"
"Healing must sting a little, or it doesn't feel real," she added in a completely serious tone.
Seri burst out laughing while Kaito clutched his shoulder with a scowl.
"Well… it does smell nice," Kaito muttered, resigned.
"Are you two mocking me?" he asked, expressionless.
"Apologies, master. One more step is required," Eve added suddenly.
Without warning, she clasped her hands in front of her lips.
"Chu!" she exclaimed, blowing a kiss into the air.
A strange pink heart floated from her lips, drifting slowly toward Kaito's wound.
When the heart touched him, a shiver ran down his spine. A soft tingling sensation spread through his skin… and, surprisingly, the pain began to fade. The wound slowly closed, until it was completely healed.
"What was that?" Seri asked, wide-eyed.
"I don't know… but it was deeply unsettling," Kaito replied, still tense.
Eve tilted her head to the side, as if she didn't understand the problem.
"Zarakov Protocol: 'The healing kiss finalizes the treatment.' Was it not pleasant?"
Seri let out a choked laugh while Kaito covered his face with his hand.
"No… it wasn't."
Kaito finally stood, rotating his arm where the bite had been. There was no pain. Only the memory… and a faint jasmine scent, courtesy of Eve's tea treatment.
"Alright, I think we can keep going. The Irial Bridge shouldn't be much farther."
"And neither is the Mareen Forest," Seri added. "We should try to make camp before sunset."
Eve nodded silently, already a step ahead, scanning the terrain like a vigilant shadow.
The group resumed their journey.
And then, as the sound of footsteps once again filled the path, something was left behind.
There, on the same log where Kaito had been sitting, rested an object forgotten by accident: Lunaris Edge.
For a few seconds… it remained still.
Until the wind blew stronger, rustling the leaves around it.
And then, unseen by anyone, a faint glow crossed the rusted surface of the broken blade. Like a whisper of moonlight—weak, but alive.
A brief blue flicker, barely perceptible.
And just before it faded, a tiny crack on the blade sealed itself shut.
The sword wasn't asleep.
It was... waiting.
With one final pulse of light, it vanished—returning silently to Kaito's inventory.