The invasion happened six days ago, and since then, time has passed quickly. We are now close to the harbor, expecting to arrive by tomorrow morning. For now, we've stopped to rest. In these few short days, we've grown comfortable with Natsume being around. She and Yuzuha have become very close, and Natsume has started learning quite a few things from her. We would have arrived at the harbor already, but we got delayed after helping a village evacuate. It left us beaten up, so we took a day off to rest two days ago.
Thankfully, we haven't had any issues with night patrols. Natsume's bubble magic has been a huge help—she can place bubbles in the air and see through them, giving us a good vantage point. So far, there have been no threats on our journey.
While I was down by the river, washing my shirt, Tokiro came up behind me.
"Arisu, you might not realize it, but your body has been developing since the invasion at Sunrise Village," he said. Tokiro, like his father, has the ability to analyze anything he sees—whether it's the hardening of muscles or magic power capacity. He's always been the one in class who could tell if we were improving.
"Is that so?" I replied, a bit curious.
"Your muscle cores—no, your entire body core—are strong as hell. If used to their full potential, they could destroy a mountain with a single punch. But you haven't fully polished them yet," he explained.
I blinked, taken aback. "Wait, what? Destroy a mountain with a single punch?! Why didn't you tell me that sooner?!"
He gave me a flat look. "Not my problem, idiot. I wasn't sure before since you were so clueless. I thought it might just be from your regular training. But in the past few days, your cores have been getting stronger little by little."
I frowned, trying to wrap my head around it. "But I never did that much training. It's just been sword swings and some magic. How is that possible?"
"That's because before you died, you had some ridiculous physics. You probably got it in your past lives," Natsume suddenly chimed in from behind us.
We both froze, the conversation falling into silence as we pretended not to hear her. But then Natsume repeated herself, casually.
"Arisu has already died a lot."
Tokiro and I exchanged a glance before turning to her, finally asking what she meant by that. Natsume explained that, like Mori, she was an otherworlder with appraisal skills. It's similar to Tokiro's analytical power, but far more advanced. With her skill, she can analyze anything based on its magic power, and ever since she arrived, she's been analyzing all of us.
She admitted that when she first encountered me, she was confused. A human shouldn't have such a developed body core at my age unless they weren't fully human. Her appraisal skill allows her to see death counts. For most people, their life status is marked as "Null" if they've never died. But in my case, it was marked with an "X," which she interpreted to mean I've died many times or might even be immortal.
"No, no, no! You can't just jump to that conclusion!" I said in a panic.
Natsume shrugged. "It's just a guess, so don't take it too seriously."
But then she added, "You're not from this world, are you? Your presence feels…different. Not entirely from here. There's something else. Tokiro and Yuzuha, I'm sure you've felt it too."
Tokiro nodded, Yuzuha joining in agreement. "Yeah, it's like how we feel around Mori. There's something unique about your presence."
I paused, trying to think. "I honestly don't remember much, but I'll keep that in mind. Maybe I'm an otherworlder too."
Curiosity getting the best of me, I asked Natsume if she could use her appraisal skill to determine if I had a special ability like otherworlders. She agreed to try, but after some effort, she said something was blocking her. Eventually, she had to use a physical contact appraisal, which required touching me directly. Tokiro and Yuzuha stayed quiet, serious, as the tension grew.
I sat down, and Natsume placed her hand on my back, focusing her skill.
But then she suddenly groaned, clutching her head. "My head hurts!" she exclaimed.
"What did you see?" Tokiro asked, concern in his voice.
"It's ridiculous. How can you have access to all elemental magic?" she said, still holding her head in disbelief.
I tried to reason with her. "Maybe it's just our bloodline. My little sister has similar magic, so it's not that surprising."
But Natsume shook her head. "No, it's not just five elements. I can't exactly name them all, but you've got more than a hundred types of magic locked inside you."
I was stunned into silence, unable to comprehend the sheer number of abilities I apparently possessed. But there was a catch—each of these abilities required experience to unlock.
Natsume told me about the ones that were already unlocked: Switch Magic, Magic Circles, Thread Magic, Summoning Magic, and the five elemental magics. She also mentioned that my fire magic wasn't typical fire magic. Beyond magic, she listed my non-magical skills: heightened five senses, Body Manipulation, and Breath Concentration.
Tokiro was only half-right earlier. With Body Manipulation, it explained why my body core was so strong.
We decided to stop with the appraisals and abilities for the time being—it was overwhelming, and we all needed to clear our heads.
"I'm going to go rest with Sho and Sumi," I told them, standing up.
Natsume, still recovering from her headache, decided to lie down too. Tokiro and Yuzuha, on the other hand, seemed unaffected and stayed up to spar.
As I lay beside Sumi, staring at the vast blue sky, my thoughts drifted back to my first encounter with Yuzuha. It was a calm, peaceful time—much like this moment. I kept my eyes fixed on the sky, feeling a sense of warmth radiating from its expanse. The sky, to me, felt like a bright and wise soul, impossible to describe fully but comforting in its presence. It reminded me of someone old and kind, always watching over everything.
Without realizing it, my eyes slowly closed, and once again, I found myself in that strange place—a boundless, flat world where the sky and the ground became one. The surface beneath me perfectly reflected the sky above, blurring the line between the heavens and the earth. The breeze was gentle, adding a soft ripple to the otherwise still air, while the sun cast a golden glow over the horizon. The scene felt ethereal and endless, a place where time didn't exist. It was familiar, though I couldn't remember why.
I stood there, feeling a sense of nostalgia, as if this place held something important, yet I couldn't recall any memories attached to it. Why did it feel like the world was trying to tell me something? As I pondered this, a soft sound resonated through the air. It didn't come from anywhere specific—it was everywhere at once. Without thinking, I began to hum along with the melody, matching its rhythm and tone perfectly, even though I had no idea how I knew the tune.
A tear slipped from my eye, but there was no emotion behind it. I was calm, detached, as always, simply accepting the strange circumstances. Then, a bright light appeared behind me, taking the shape of a human figure. I turned to face it and asked, "Who are you?"
The light spoke in an emotionless voice, "I am Asahi... Irregular X, Asahi... and you?"
"I am Arisu Tosaki," I replied, confused but curious.
Asahi's body shifted, mimicking my form except for the head, which remained a glowing light. He asked why I was here, and I explained that I always found myself in this place whenever I slept. We both sat down, watching the sun hover on the horizon, and began to talk about ourselves. Asahi's memories were fragmented and complicated. He could recall faces but not their names, and some voices were completely lost to him. He mentioned that he came from a different world, not Earth, but one called Ultnear—a world of destruction. While his world had a system similar to ours, only a few people had abilities, and they had gained them through a mysterious phenomenon.
He couldn't remember much about his past, but the events in his world were still vivid in his mind. Curious, I asked why he had chosen to take on my appearance instead of his own or someone he knew. Asahi explained that it was easier to communicate with someone when appearing human and that he had no fixed gender. He could change between male and female forms at will and had lived as both, but he didn't know which one was his original form—not even his heart could tell him.
"Asahi-san, what is your ability?" I asked, curious about the power he possessed.
There was a brief silence, and I panicked, thinking I might have been too forward with such a personal question, especially since we had just met.
"I've never met a human like you, so I'll tell you," he said, surprising me.
"Eh? Are you sure? We only met a little while ago," I replied, unsure if he should share something so significant.
Asahi explained that he could use nearly every ability in existence, but his original powers were the "Eater Ability" and "Adaptability." The Eater Ability allowed him to consume someone else's ability and use it as his own, while his Adaptability made it perfect for absorbing new powers seamlessly.
Since he shared his ability, I felt comfortable telling him everything I knew about my own powers. But something seemed to bother him, and he asked, "Arisu-san, do you really know what your fire magic is?"
"My friend once told me it didn't seem like normal fire magic. She couldn't even identify what type it was. Do you know what it is?" I asked, intrigued by his question.
"All fire magic originates from the sun. But none of the fire types in your world are wielded like yours. Your fire is different because it's a sacred fire—something that comes only from the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu."
"Wait... sacred fire? Sun magic? How do you even know about our magic and the Sun Goddess?" I asked, feeling a mix of surprise and skepticism.
Asahi smiled faintly, though his voice remained neutral. "As I mentioned, I possess nearly all abilities, and with that comes knowledge. I can access the Akashic Record, which contains the ultimate knowledge of everything that exists across different worlds. But your world... It's the only one I can't access fully. Despite that, I know a great deal about your magic."
"The Akashic Record?!" I gasped. I had heard of it before—a legendary source of knowledge that could access the past, present, and future. No one had ever seen it, and many believed it to be a myth, something long forgotten after hundreds of years of searching.
I asked Asahi if he had found the Akashic Record in his world and how he could access it. He explained that the Akashic Record wasn't a place or object to be found—it was a living thing, though even he didn't fully understand what it was. Somehow, he had gained access to the knowledge stored within it, but he speculated that the Record itself might possess someone, allowing them to tap into its infinite wisdom.
As we continued talking, the world around us began to crumble, and the light from the sky grew brighter, consuming the horizon.
"It's almost time. I guess it'll be a long while before we see each other again," Asahi said, his voice steady as the dream world disintegrated.
"I'll remember you, Asahi-san," I said, feeling a strange sense of connection to this mysterious being.
"You too, Arisu-san," he replied softly, disappearing into the light as the entire space dissolved around us.
I slowly regained consciousness, the surreal dream fading away. It seemed I hadn't slept for long. Yumi and Sho were still asleep beside me, their peaceful breathing filling the quiet space. In the distance, I heard Yuzuha, Tokiro, and Natsume chatting casually, the dream I had shared with Asahi lingering in my mind, adding yet another layer of mystery to my understanding of the world and my own powers.
I recalled my dream vividly—the endless horizon, the figure who looked just like me. His name escaped me, but every conversation we had remained crystal clear in my mind. The Akashic Record, a legendary source of all knowledge, truly existed. And now, I finally understood my Fire Magic: it wasn't ordinary. It was Sun Magic, a power granted by Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess.
As I mulled over this revelation, Yuzuha approached, informing me that we'd be leaving in a few minutes. She gently woke Sho and Yumi.
I glanced at the sky, questioning the identity of the person I had met. This was the first time we had spoken, though we had shared many silent encounters before, simply gazing at the sun together. He was always calm, emotionless, with no expression crossing his face. Despite his cold demeanor, I appreciated the knowledge he shared—it had been helpful.
I now realized something crucial about magic. Normally, mages call on their magic by name to summon it. Mastery comes when you can unleash magic without calling it, but precision matters. If you summon Wind Magic but your true power is tied to the Sky, the magic still works, but it's weaker. Wind draws its strength from the Sky, after all. But if you call on Sky Magic when your true power is Wind, nothing happens—you're trying to command a magic superior to your own.
It dawned on me that when I had summoned my Wind Magic as Sky Magic, its power surged because Sky is a more primal force. The same principle applied to my Fire Magic. If I stop calling it 'fire' and recognize it as Sun Magic, its true strength would be revealed—and I would become even more powerful.
We began moving forward again. Natsume used her Bubble Magic to create a scouting bubble in the air, checking for any signs of monsters or demons ahead. She spotted five goblins gathering in the distance. Without hesitation, Tokiro acted first. As our horse neared them, he froze the goblins, and we pressed on without slowing down. We could've taken the time to kill them, but it would've only delayed us. Dealing with every monster or demon we came across was a waste of time at this point.
As we continued, I started sensing something off. Natsume checked ahead and to both sides but found nothing unusual. Then, she glanced behind and saw it—Fenrirs were approaching. These monstrous wolves are incredibly fast and notorious for devouring even other demons. Their speed surpasses even that of a magically enhanced horse, which meant we had no choice but to stop them. Natsume estimated there were more than ten of them. Tokiro could freeze a few, but not all of them—they were too quick.
The moment the Fenrirs appeared, Natsume unleashed her Bubble Magic. The bubbles exploded upon contact, taking out three of the wolves. However, the remaining Fenrirs were closing in fast. Natsume couldn't make the bubbles any larger without risking us being caught in the blasts. Tokiro attempted to freeze one, but it was too agile and evaded his spell.
I turned to Yuzuha and told her to get closer. Natsume stood up in the saddle, and I quickly counted to three before she leaped onto our horse, taking the reins. I jumped onto Yuzuha's horse, balancing precariously on its back as I prepared to attack.
"Sun Art: Blazing Horizon!"
With a wide slash, I sent an arc of blazing sunlight across the battlefield, scorching everything in its path. The intense heat seared the Fenrirs, but as I moved, I lost my balance, tumbling from the horse and rolling onto the ground.
Before I could recover, one of the Fenrirs, its fur singed and body wounded, charged toward me, seemingly unfazed by the flames. It only had one goal: to devour me.
I raised my sword, ready to block its attack, but as I saw its jaws snap toward me, I dodged just in time. The Fenrir's attack missed, obliterating a tree behind me in the process.
"That was close! I almost died!" I muttered, adrenaline coursing through me.
More Fenrirs closed in, and they all attacked at once. Their wind-based attacks clashed with my flames, and I realized that their winds weren't extinguishing my fire as expected. Instead, the gusts fed the flames, intensifying them. The heat grew so intense it created a low-pressure zone, pulling their wind attacks toward the fire. Rather than weakening, my flames grew even stronger.
"Sun Magic: Falling Star!"
I slammed my fist into the ground, unleashing a fiery explosion that engulfed the entire area. The impact was immense, reducing the Fenrirs to nothing but ashes, their magic stones disintegrating in the process.
The noise was deafening, and the surrounding trees were set ablaze. I quickly realized that the sound would attract more monsters or demons, so I sprinted back toward the group, knowing we had to leave the area immediately.
Yuzuha approached me, worry etched on her face, but I reassured her that I was fine. We needed to get going since our earlier encounter had likely attracted more enemies. Natsume hopped back onto Yuzuha's horse, her eyes scanning the surroundings with heightened vigilance.
We became more cautious, the tension in the air palpable as we continued our journey. We traveled until midnight, then stopped to rest, estimating our arrival at the harbor by dawn with the help of the map.
Taking turns to watch for any threats, I kept my eyes open longer, allowing the others to sleep for two hours. When the clock struck 3 AM, I woke everyone for our final stretch of travel.
As we ascended the cliff, the harbor came into view, ships dotting the water below. For almost two hours, nothing happened; we moved safely toward our destination. However, as we prepared to advance, an unseen force suddenly struck, hurling Yumi and me away from the cliff's edge, and we began tumbling down.
"Crap! We're gonna crash!" I shouted, instinctively wrapping my arms around Yumi to shield her from the fall. The ground dropped away beneath us, and panic surged through me.
In a desperate bid to slow our descent, I unleashed a blast of wind toward the ground, but it wasn't enough. "Grab me tightly!" I yelled at Yumi as I pushed with all my strength. The wind created some resistance, but the impact still jarred my back as I struggled to protect her.
I can't breathe! my inner thoughts screamed.
As we plummeted, I noticed a shadow overhead. I rolled away just in time, urging Yumi to escape. A demon materialized before me, its presence menacing and oddly familiar, reminiscent of the demon Moritaka had fought.
Its legs shifted with unsettling speed, targeting Yumi. Reacting instinctively, I launched a punch at its abdomen infused with Sun Magic, but the demon anticipated my move, dodging effortlessly.
"Run as fast as you can, Yumi!" I shouted, desperation in my voice.
Before I could reposition myself, the demon kicked me in the stomach, sending me crashing into a nearby tree. Gasping for air, I felt blood trickle from my mouth, and panic washed over me. I'd barely managed to harness my strength during the fight at Sunrise Village, and now my senses felt dull and sluggish. Yet, I'd successfully blocked a fatal blow without my sword—perhaps I could hold on until reinforcements arrived.
I chuckled darkly, "That's wrong," my voice barely a whisper.
"Interesting. To think you can laugh in that situation!" the demon jeered, amusement flickering in its eyes.
"I'm just laughing at the futility of your struggle," I replied, forcing myself to stand and stretch my neck, defiance surging within me.
"That's some confidence! Good, I'm gonna kill you!" it roared, its eyes narrowing as it charged with explosive speed, preparing a punch.
I focused all my strength on my right hand, feeling a surge of energy swell within me. I ignited my fist with Sun flames, ready to meet its attack. As we clashed, my power overwhelmed it, and its entire right arm was obliterated. But before I could celebrate, it retaliated with a swift kick, catching me off guard and sending me flying again.
"Where's your confidence now—"
I stood up, shaking off the pain from the earlier blow. Channeling my energy into Vanishing Fire, I closed the distance in an instant. As I swung my leg horizontally, I sliced through both of its arms as it tried to block my attack.
Right now, I'm not scared. In fact, I can feel a smile spreading across my face.
The demon before me was furious, his body coiling with power as he prepared to attack.
"You're pissing me off! I'm going to kill you!!!" he bellowed.
We clashed, our limbs deflecting each other's strikes in an endless cycle of blows. Meanwhile, Yumi found the rest of our group and informed them about my battle with the demon. She described its terrifying appearance in vivid detail.
Tokiro, eager to help, tried to rush into the fray, but Yuzuha held him back.
"Why?!" Tokiro exclaimed, frustration etched on his face.
"Arisu can handle it. He's fought strong demons before and comes into his own when he's alone—without worrying about anyone else. Let's call for backup; the harbor is just ahead!"
Tokiro reluctantly returned to his horse. Yumi hopped between Yuzuha and Natsume as they continued their sprint toward the harbor. Suddenly, they ran into Yuna Ayanami.
Yuzuha quickly filled her in on the situation, explaining that a powerful demon was attacking while I bought time for backup. But Yuna urged them not to leave the harbor.
"Don't worry, I'll bring him back," she assured them.
Without another word, Yuna mounted her horse and sped off toward the sound of the battle. As she got closer, dust swirled around her from the intense fight, and she could hear the clash of our blows echoing in the night.
Every punch we exchanged resonated with a strong impact, shaking the very ground beneath us.
"THIS IS THE END!!!" the demon screamed, his voice filled with rage.
"Sun Magic: Devastation Fist!!!" I shouted, unleashing my ultimate attack.
Our fists collided in a blaze of flames that engulfed the demon, scattering embers across the battlefield. The force of our clash obliterated the trees around us, sending dust swirling into the air, obscuring the scene.
But the fight took its toll on me. After enduring the demon's blows, I stumbled, raising my fist one last time before collapsing to the ground, a smile still on my lips.
Yuna watched in awe. "Backup, huh? Looks like he doesn't need one."
She rushed to my side, scooping me up despite my fading consciousness. I was losing the battle against fatigue but managed to keep moving as we headed toward the harbor. From a distance, I saw my friends waving, and relief washed over me, allowing me to slip into unconsciousness.
"Let me guess, you're Tokiro and Yuzuha," Yuna said, and they nodded. "And this guy is Arisu Tosaki, no doubt."
"Did Cecilia tell you about us?" Yuzuha asked.
"She mentioned the three of you, but I recognized Arisu from a description we received before Cecilia's message arrived. I'm taking him to a special room; he's a special guest. You all should go inside and rest."
They introduced themselves to Yuna, thanking her for saving me, but she brushed off their gratitude.
"No need for formality. If you're a friend of Cecilia, then you're good to me," Yuna replied warmly.