After a long journey, Yuki, Aira, and Seira finally arrived at the inn. They disembarked from the freight cart with tired but relieved faces.
"Um, Aira. Are we staying here?" Yuki asked hesitantly.
"Of course, Yuki. It's already dark, and it's too dangerous to continue traveling now," Aira replied, puzzled by Yuki's question.
"But, Aira... it's like this..." Yuki looked unsure. He scratched the back of his head and seemed nervous.
"What? Speak clearly."
"Well, it's like this. Sorry, just a moment." Yuki leaned closer to Aira's ear, his tall frame bending down to match Aira's shorter height.
Yuki whispered, and Aira burst out laughing.
"Hahaha. It's fine. I'll cover it this time. Don't worry. Hahaha." Aira laughed, patting Yuki's arm.
It turned out Yuki had confessed he had no money. He told Aira his money pouch had fallen somewhere. Of course, he couldn't mention that the death god who threw him into this magical world hadn't given him any money to survive.
Yuki felt embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do. However, he silently vowed to earn money and repay everything he borrowed from Aira.
Aira then went to the reception to book rooms. Yuki and Seira quietly followed her.
The inn also functioned as a restaurant. The first floor was a restaurant, and the second floor housed several rooms for lodging.
"All done. Here's your key, Yuki. Seira will stay with me since Seira's a girl." Aira handed the room key to Yuki.
"Seira is a sword, so she'll be in my room in her sword form. That way, you won't be disturbed, Aira." Yuki patted Seira's head, who had been quietly composed all this time.
"Oh, alright then. I'll head to my room first." Aira, looking exhausted, waved her hand and walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor.
Meanwhile, Yuki still stood on the ground floor near the reception, watching the upper floor until Aira was out of sight.
"Excuse me, sir. Is there anything we can help you with?" asked the receptionist, a middle-aged woman in her fifties.
"Um, well, Ma'am, can I ask you something?"
***
Aira, having entered her room, immediately took off her backpack and placed it on the small bed, which was just enough for one person. Then, she walked to the window and opened it to let in some cool night air.
As she opened the window, Aira was startled to see Yuki walking while holding a sword in his right hand. Aira's brow furrowed.
"Where's that fool going at this hour?" Aira wondered.
"Ah, forget it. He'll come back eventually." Aira told herself not to care, but she continued to sit by the window, watching the street where she had seen Yuki leave without saying a word.
"What have I done?" Aira murmured to herself, enjoying the occasional breeze blowing through her hair.
Aira kept recalling everything that had happened that day with Yuki. Truthfully, Aira didn't know why she was doing things she usually wouldn't do.
After her village was destroyed by a group of irresponsible people who burned down her home and kidnapped the villagers, Aira always felt anxious and alert. The ruthless group wore armor, hiding their identities. They not only destroyed but also kidnapped the villagers to be sold and used for their amusement.
Aira held the locket necklace she had hidden inside her clothes. With trembling hands and full of emotion, she slowly opened the locket. Inside was a small photo of a young girl with long white hair, pointed ears, and a beautiful face, holding a bouquet of wildflowers and smiling brightly.
"Laura. I will find you, my sister," Aira whispered, tears beginning to flow unconsciously.
Losing her sister, Laura, was the deepest wound Aira felt. Since that fateful night, Aira had vowed to herself to find Laura and bring the culprits to justice.
Suddenly, Aira grinned, as if she had found the path to the revenge she had longed for.
"Yuki, you will be my stepping stone," Aira murmured, then laughed softly before kissing the locket with Laura's photo still open.
Meanwhile, outside the inn, Yuki walked alone along the deserted village street, holding Seira in her original sword form.
Yuki walked a considerable distance from the inn.
"This should be the place. Get ready, Seira."
With both hands, Yuki gripped Seira, now in sword form, preparing for an attack. The blue gem at the sword's hilt glowed, indicating Seira was also ready to follow her master's command.
It didn't take long before he heard something approaching from the bushes. The creature immediately leaped toward Yuki.
"A r-rabbit?" Yuki was surprised because the creature approaching him was a small, cute white-furred rabbit.
Yuki lowered his guard because he was weak to cute things. However, Yuki made the wrong decision.
Soon after Yuki lowered his sword, the cute rabbit before him let out a high-pitched scream, creating a strong gust of wind. Yuki had to brace himself with all his strength to avoid being blown back by the fierce wind generated by the adorable monster.
"What the heck is this?" Yuki was shocked, unable to believe the cute rabbit he had just praised could do such a thing.
Yuki had come to the forest's edge to hunt this monster rabbit for a reason. It was because of a suggestion from the innkeeper.
The innkeeper, an elderly woman, mentioned a small monster near the forest edge that often troubled villagers gathering firewood and medicinal herbs. She said the monster had been a nuisance for a long time. The village head had asked for help from the adventurer's guild, but because the guild was in the capital, it took a while for help to arrive in their remote area.
The old woman also said the village head would reward anyone who hunted the monster, but no villagers were willing because most were just farmers and herbalists.
Thanks to the old innkeeper's encouragement, Yuki boldly ventured into the forest, thinking he could easily deal with the small monster.
Yuki thought it would be easy to defeat a small monster since he had faced stronger creatures like the bull monster.
However, Yuki gulped as the cute creature before he suddenly grew rapidly.
The cute rabbit was now one and a half meters tall, with sharp fangs and horns. Its claws, now made of metal, and its eyes glowing red revealed its true form.
Yuki swallowed hard, panicking.
"Damn it! I'm doomed!"
"Grow!"The once cute and small rabbit had transformed into a giant, fearsome monster, letting out a roar that echoed through the entire forest. The wind generated by its roar was much stronger than when it was still the size of a normal rabbit."Ukh!" Yuki drove his sword into the ground, using it as an anchor to prevent himself from being blown away. His ears ached from the deafening roar of the monstrous rabbit."Damn it!" Yuki cursed, regretting underestimating the monster he was hunting.The giant rabbit had white fur that now looked dull and ragged. Its body, which was once small and adorable, had grown into a terrifying figure. Standing at a height of one and a half meters, its sharp fangs protruded from its mouth. The claws on its feet were now made of gleaming metal under the moonlight. The eyes, once innocent and gentle, had turned into glowing red orbs filled with hatred and the intent to kill.Yuki took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he had to focus and thi
"Argh!" Yuki groaned, feeling every part of his body aching. His head throbbed, and it was the first time he had experienced such intense pain all over. He tried to remember what had happened before everything went dark."You're awake?" Aira's voice sounded, making Yuki turn his head to the side. Aira was sitting on a chair right next to his bed, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and anger."Where am I?" Yuki asked weakly, trying to endure the pain without complaining too much."At an inn," Aira replied curtly. "I didn't know you were that reckless. You should know that a body not accustomed to using magic or forcing itself to use magic it can't handle will suffer severe consequences. The power generated is immense, but so are the effects. It can even lead to death with a shattered body." Aira started lecturing him the moment Yuki opened his eyes.Yuki, weak and in pain, couldn't escape Aira's scolding. In this situation, Yuki thought Aira was very similar to Hana when she was
“What do you mean by dangerous, Aira?” Yuki stopped eating and looked at Aira, who was staring out the window with a cold expression.“This village is dangerous,” Aira replied with the same cold expression.“Please explain more, Aira. I just woke up from being unconscious,” Yuki protested. He was not ready to leave immediately after just waking up from a two-day unconscious state.“You know, Yuki. You’re an illegal monster hunter,” Aira stared sharply at Yuki.“Illegal? What do you mean by that?” Yuki asked, confused.“It’s because you haven’t officially joined the adventurer’s guild, yet you’re taking on monster-slaying missions. That’s considered illegal. Accepting a mission to kill a monster without being officially registered with the adventurer’s guild is a crime. Not only that, but you also don’t even know what magic you possess,” Aira, who had been looking out the window, now turned to face Yuki, who was taken aback."I was just helping the villagers because they said they wer
That night, according to their plan, Yuki and Aira slipped out of the inn. They packed their belongings in silence, careful not to make any noise that might draw attention. As the night grew darker, they stepped out of their room, taking care not to alert the innkeeper or anyone else.As they stepped outside, Yuki felt the cold night air brush against his skin. Aira signaled for him to stay quiet and follow her lead. They navigated through dark alleys, staying within the shadows."Why do we have to sneak out like this? Wouldn't it be better to leave during the day?" Yuki whispered."Trust me, it's safer this way. During the day, everyone can see us. Now, at night, we have the advantage of darkness," Aira replied in a low voice.Before completely leaving the inn, Yuki glanced back at the place they had rented. He couldn't believe they weren't allowed to rest longer, especially since his body still ached from their last battle.They continued walking in silence until they heard suspicio
“You?!” The village elder and innkeeper were shocked when Yuki and Aira burst into her hideout. “How did you get here?” she asked again, her voice filled with disbelief.No wonder the old woman was surprised by their presence. She had expected Aira and Yuki to be unconscious from the drugged tea they were given.“Let them go!” Yuki demanded, trying to remain respectful despite facing someone older. However, his polite demeanor only seemed to enrage him further.“Pah! A mere child dares to command me?! You should have stayed quietly in your room, waiting for your turn to be sold. Your lives hold no value other than as commodities for the slave market.” The innkeeper spat on the floor, glaring at Yuki with contempt.“Why you…!” Yuki's expression twisted with anger. His grip tightened on the Seiryū no Inazuma in his hand.Aira, standing beside Yuki, was taken aback. She had never seen him so furious before.“Yuki….” Aira called out softly, sensing the intense emotion radiating from her p
"Seiryū no Inazuma... release!" Cornered, Yuki shouted with the last of his voice, channeling all his remaining energy into his sword. The blade glowed brilliantly before unleashing a massive wave of blue lightning.The innkeeper screamed as the lightning struck him, his grip on Yuki loosening. The magical force sent him flying into a distant wall."Bastard!" the innkeeper cursed, coughing up blood. Yuki's attack had undoubtedly shattered some of his bones.The innkeeper looked around as if searching for something.Meanwhile, Yuki collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. His breath came in ragged bursts, his throat throbbing from the innkeeper's brutal chokehold.He glanced towards Aira, who had managed to free the prisoners.After noticing Yuki's gaze, Aira rushed to his side, her hands glowing with healing magic. "Hang on, Yuki. I've got you."Despite his severe injuries, the innkeeper wasn't done. He rose from the debris, his eyes blazing with crazed fury. "You... will... pay!" he
“You lowly human. You will become my feast, and your soul will be offered to him, the ruler of the underworld. Ha-ha-ha.” The terrifying monster laughed in satisfaction. Its mouth, shaped like a goat's snout, revealed its sharp teeth. Blackish-green saliva dripped, emitting a suffocating stench.Anyone who saw this creature would feel a palpable horror. It was a true embodiment of what could only be described as a demon.The horrifying being, born from the greed of the innkeeper’s grandmother, now targeted Yuki as its next meal.Yuki, his eyes filled with rage, glared at the repulsive creature before him. His eyes glowed blue, with flashes of light surrounding his body. Yuki's right hand gripped the sword given to him by the god of death.The wounds covering Yuki's body had vanished without a trace. Just moments ago, he was on the brink of death, drained of energy and blood, with several broken ribs. But now, Yuki was brimming with energy that suddenly filled his body. His immense fur
“Wow, wow, wow. Why are you already here?”“Death God? Why are you flying like that?”Yuki found himself lying in a dark place, with light only illuminating the area around him and the Death God, Shinigami, who now hovered directly above him, staring down at his face with a mysterious gaze.Yuki shivered, feeling both unnerved and annoyed to be facing the being who had made his life a misery in the magical world. Curiosity gnawed at him; the Death God’s face, now so close, was hidden beneath the dark hood of his cloak, leaving only two glowing red dots visible. Those red dots seemed to lock onto Yuki’s gaze, forcing him to feel intimidated in the eerie silence.“How did you end up here? Didn’t I tell you to live long in that place?” The Death God’s bony index finger tapped Yuki’s forehead with a cold, piercing touch.“So, am I dead?” Yuki spoke unconsciously, his mind blank, unsure of how to process the possibility that he might have died a second time, especially since his mission wa