"Your everlasting belief is in your hands."
As the strange voice echoed through Phthonus' mind, the page in his hands unraveled into swirling yellow essence. His gaze snapped downward, searching for something solid amid the unraveling magic.
"My scarf."
Phthonus pulled his long black scarf, swung it into the air, and then wrapped it around his face. The warmth lingered over his mouth. Before his feet touched the ground, he hastily grabbed the blade and struck the kitsune with absolute force.
Steel met fur with a shower of sparks as the blade struck the kitsune's tail. In a flash, she vaulted into the treetops, weaving through the trunks like a phantom. Around Phthonus, embers danced in an endless blaze.
Narrowing his eyes at the darting silhouette, he launched himself forward, spinning through the air in pursuit of the elusive kitsune.
The air was smothered in ash. As the kitsune stood on a pillar, she swept her tails and propelled thick clouds of smoke to Phthonus' path.
His vision then blurred from the thick black fumes. Phthonus' breathing thinned, his eyes watered, and his skin was coated in stains of ash. While he pierced his body through the fumes, the kitsune's motherly voice echoed over the area.
"All you are doing is wasting your energy. Stop thinking about others and flee away from me. You will only achieve pain if you continue to battle."
The words only fueled Phthonus' fury. In a heartbeat, he hurled himself at the kitsune, unleashing a storm of fifty strikes in the blink of an eye. With a swift pivot, he drove his blade into the ground and snatched a book from his side.
"Muster the energy to grant your reward."
He ripped a page from his book and swept it before him. The parchment melted into a surge of crimson light, bathing his hands in a fierce red glow. Eyes shut, he lashed out with blinding speed—each blink sending a strike hurtling toward the kitsune. The air itself seemed to tremble with the force of his attacks, sweat tracing hot lines down his face.
"Come on..."
When the smoke finally parted, the kitsune stood untouched, not a mark marring her shimmering fur. Disbelief tightened Phthonus' gaze. Even with all his power, he had not managed to leave so much as a bruise.
Phthonus clutched his chest and crumpled to the ground, the weight of failure crashing over him. His voice trembled, barely piercing the thick fog of his despair.
"H-How... w-with all of that power... it wasn't enough?!"
The kitsune shook her head and swung her cluster of tails in a circular motion. The fire diminished, the scorched trees healed, and the powerful gust of wind cleansed the air. Just as Phthonus was about to strike once more, the kitsune knocked him away from the area and peered her menacing golden eyes straight through his soul.
"Get out of here. Return once you are ready."
A ring of glowing embers scorched the earth, flinging stones at Phthonus' feet—a clear warning. Sensing the danger, he seized his blade and vanished into the shadowy tunnel of trees. As his footsteps faded, the kitsune curled herself atop the great stone slab and drifted back into her ancient slumber.
. . .
Aletha's steps crushed dandelions beneath her, her breath coming in ragged bursts. Sweat traced her cheeks, mingling with smudges of ash that painted her skin. She had lost all sense of time since being torn from Asahi's side.
"Please, be safe."
Aletha clung to the hope of finding him somewhere in the swirling mists, no matter what had happened. Drimi, usually so lively, had fallen into an odd silence. Was she simply tired of being interrupted, or was something else weighing on her mind?
. . .
Meanwhile, in the heart of the goblin village, Asahi and Kali huddled in a shadowed corner, bracing themselves against the storm of Marina and Deniz's hostility. They never imagined that those with such unassuming faces could wield such biting rudeness.
Kali Leila pointed to Deniz and Marina's arguing, bit her lip, then whispered to Asahi.
"See that, Asahi? That's the reason why you should never judge an individual based on their appearance. You never know who they could be on the inside. I hope you think the same. I probably did it before I even realized."
Though Asahi was right next to her, Kali didn't seem to break down in nervousness. Instead, she seemed calmer, serious, and respectful— as if she was a different girl than she was previously.
Amid the chaos, Asahi tried to keep his wits about him, oblivious to the food Marina had strewn across the floor. Though he and Kali had calmed, they found themselves pressed close together, their shared warmth sparking a quiet, uneasy tension between them.
As they perceived the arguments, suddenly, they heard a holler from outside.
"Fight! There is a fight!"
Marina turned her head and gritted her teeth. Deep in those serene azure eyes lay a burning rage that could not be comprehended. As she stomped her feet on the ground, she roughly pushed Deniz out of the way and complained.
"Are you kidding? A fight already? Ugh, and it's morning as well. This white-haired boy and another trespasser are already stirring problems this early!"
She shook her head and raised her voice.
"NOW, I have to settle these two dunderheads fighting outside! Stay put!"
Marina stepped out of the building with an aggravated tone and raised her voice.
"Don't you dare try to tower over me! Respect your ruler!"
Deniz followed from behind. He sneered at Asahi and then growled.
"When the goblins find out that you are here, pipsqueak, you will get kicked out of this village in a matter of moments."
Asahi gritted his teeth and backed himself to the wall.
"Huh? What was that for? That's rude."
Kali Leila shook her head and whispered back.
"I don't know, but I say we should go outside."
"You're right. Let's go. No one knows what could happen next."
He swiftly pulled Kali upwards and then dashed through the exit.
While they stepped outside, they saw a small, green-skinned individual with pointy ears and short green hair being mercilessly pinched by Marina in front of a crowd.
"Ouch! It hurts, it hurts!"
Marina neared her face toward the goblin child and growled at him.
"Don't you dare mock me behind my back again! Got it?! I was generous to all of you for feeding this repugnant town, and this is what I receive? Disrespectful. Absolutely disrespectful of you! I should kick you out!"
A roar of cheers and shouts erupted outside, echoing like an ancient coliseum packed to the brim. Asahi turned to see a sea of green-skinned figures, their voices rising in wild encouragement for the fight. His heart raced with adrenaline, confusion clouding his thoughts as he struggled to grasp the scene before him.
As the blinding light from the piercing sun begins to settle, they dash to Marina and ask her.
"What are you doing?!"
Marina pushed Asahi from her path and kicked him in the shin without resistance.
"Don't you DARE go near me! You ignored my orders as well. That's disgraceful."
That action slivered a piece of Asahi's patience. He gritted his teeth and pierced his eyes through Marina's face. He tried to kick his feet back up and injure Marina; however, Kali stood in front of him and pushed him away.
"What are you doing?!"
Asahi answered while he tried to shove her away.
"I'm trying to stop this— get out of my way!"
Suddenly, as the crowd cheered, a loud shout sounded out from the cluster of bushes outside the village's perimeter. It was a deep, stern, powerful voice. A voice that matched a mature woman.
"Stop what you're doing!"
Asahi and Kali slowly shifted their eyes toward the bushes and saw a tall woman with long, thick dark hair, mysterious purple eyes of obsidian, and seemingly impenetrable attire step out of the bushes. Immediately, the cheers were silenced, Marina backed away from the child, and all froze in fear.
As they heard the sound of her heels touching the ground, a pretty adolescent girl with long white hair, crystal gray eyes, and ash-covered skin jumped out from the bushes and slid on the dirt. At one glance, Asahi knew precisely who she was. He gasped..
"Aletha?"
Asahi pushed past Kali and rushed to Aletha. Even their brief separation had left him feeling split in two, her absence aching like an open wound. Now, relief flooded him, fierce and desperate. Was it just friendship, or something deeper that pulled him so powerfully toward her?
As Aletha panted in exhaustion, Asahi bent over and anxiously asked.
"Are you okay? What happened?!"
She slightly wiped dirt off her face, then responded with a quivering smile.
"I…I…"
Sally's excitement erupted as she bounded toward Drimi, her laughter bright with longing. She leapt to embrace Drimi, holding her tightly like a child afraid of letting go. Sally pressed her face against Drimi's, voice trembling with joy and relief as she whispered her greeting.
"Drimi, I missed you!"
Drimi's heart ached with a longing she could no longer hide. Though Sally towered over her, Drimi melted into the embrace, powerless against the warmth and comfort she had yearned for.
It was Sally's bright laughter, unwavering strength, and fierce determination that had captivated Drimi from the very start.
As she felt Sally's warmth clasp against herself, Drimi patted Sally's back and nervously chuckled.
"Sally, it's been a couple of hours. Calm down… There are people h-here…."
As they rejoiced, Asahi curiously asked.
"So, what happened back there? Why is Aletha covered in burns?"
Suddenly, out from the crowd, a brittle, elderly, green-skinned man slowly walked up to Aletha and stared at her in silence. As the group fell silent and the birds' chirps started to strengthen, he turned his head to the right and swung his cane in the direction of where Aletha and Drimi ran.
"It seems she encountered Abril! That merciless kitsune who guarded this village's boundaries for thousands of years. It seems this girl challenged her!"
The crowd shrieked in shock.
"HUH?!"
As Asahi, confusingly turned his head to the crowd, he saw the massive group of goblins growing wild. Even Marina and Deniz appear to be shocked. Voices began to sound out from the panicked crowd of goblins. All are confused about how they survived.
Amidst the chaos, a gray-haired, green-skinned woman stepped out and hollered.
"Are you insane? Do you know how dangerous that creature is?!"
Then, another person stepped out and screamed. They sound more like a child rather than an adult.
"Wow! Did you beat her up?!"
The mother hastily jumped up, covered her child's mouth, and apologized.
"I'm so sorry for that. My child is being reckless right now. However, I am concerned about why anyone would decide to challenge Abril. There have been many attempts and—"
A tall, goblin man raised his hand, leapt up from the very back of the crowd, and commented.
"She simply can't be defeated!"
The remark sent a ripple of excited chatter through the crowd. The noise swelled so loud that Drimi, Marina, and the others could barely hear themselves think. Though everyone called them goblins, their features were strikingly human. As Aletha brushed ash from her pale face, Asahi leaned in to whisper.
"Are you sure these are goblins?"
Kali Leila lightly giggled.
"Of course. What… What kind of question is that?!"
While the crowd's chaos continued, Aletha turned to Kali and added.
"We have encountered goblins before, but they never acted like this. These goblins are closer to being humans than monsters."
"So, you're saying that you encountered goblins who are not like this?"
Aletha faintly smiled, then nodded.
"Yes."
Asahi deeply sighed and shook his head. Though he missed Aletha, he didn't want her to blurt out the truth all the time. He knew that always telling the truth was a unique trait of Aletha—but sometimes, he realized that trait could lead to danger, like the events that had happened in their past journeys in other worlds.
Just like every other truth Aletha blurts out, it's always correct.
As the crowd continued to scream, a dark-skinned man who wore a black scarf leapt out from the same cluster of bushes and raced to Asahi and the others. Aletha's eyes widened— instantly recognizing who the man was. She lightly tapped Asahi.
"Phthonus?!"
Immediately, the intensity of the crowd decreased. As the wanderers, Drimi, Sally, and Kali dashed to Phthonus, someone screamed out from the center of the mass.
"Another one?!"
An elderly woman stepped toward Phthonus and whined.
"You can't be serious. These poor souls challenged Abril?! Do you know how dangerous that beast is?! No one has defeated Abril for decades."
Both the wanderers screamed in confusion.
"Decades?!"
As the stillness of the forest grew, Phthonus wiped dirt from his hair and added with an endorsed tone.
"That isn't the only surprise. The kitsune told me that you and Asahi have some sort of connection to her. Right now, she's waiting for another challenge. But I suggest you prepare for the fight before you dare to rechallenge her. I just realized fighting her isn't an easy task, even with Drimi's assistance."
Asahi's eyes widened in shock. His memory of the kitsune grew blurry. He can't vividly recollect who she is, but he did have a feeling about what Phthonus was speaking about.
The goblins cheered in relief, knowing that there was at least some hope lying at the end of the tunnel.
Despite Marina's aggressive attitude, she grew curious about Aletha and Asahi. She had no knowledge of ancient times in Gincad. All Marina had was the knowledge of her home nation, Obrus.
After the crowd finally settled down, Marina tidied her glossy black hair, then coughed out of anxiousness. While she walks through the crowd, towards Asahi, she questions her mind.
(Perhaps there is more to them than meets the eye?)
Deniz yelled at Marina in a rough tone.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Marina doesn't answer. She was too focused on who Asahi and Aletha are. As she tilted her head up to Asahi, she questioned.
"You… have connections with Abril? J-Just, who are you?!"
Asahi gave her a sneer and refused to reply. It's understandable, considering she treated him like dirt a few moments ago. However, Aletha was unaware of the situation. So, she answered Marina.
"We are—
Just as Aletha was about to reveal, a tall, wrinkly goblin woman stepped forward.
She looked vastly old compared to the other elders in the village, yet her eyes looked young. The woman wore an old brown cloak, with symbols of squares, circles, and an S scattered over the thick fabric. She dragged her wooden cane over the ground, turned her head up to both Asahi and Aletha, then glared at them.
As the birds chirped, the wind blew, and the crowd stood in silence, the old woman's green eyes widened in shock, her face flushed, and she raised her frail voice.
"Y-You're… the… Adtraic! Owners of this world?! Asahi and Aletha!"
The wanderers reeled, stunned into silence, jaws dropping in disbelief. Not in a thousand lifetimes had they imagined being hailed as divine. Their hearts thundered, memories of loss and disaster crashing against this sudden, impossible revelation.
Never in millennia would the wanderers have thought that someone would recognize them as powerful beings after the calamity. They thought everyone had lost their lives.
As the wanderers stood in silence, everyone jumped up in shock and screamed in terror.
"Rulers?"