Flashback: Ryuto vs. Shujin
The land was desolate and endless—
no trees, no sky, only cracked earth stretching beneath a blood-red horizon.
It was a place created by magic, a battlefield designed so that nothing could interfere with the clash to come.
Two beings stood there.
Ryuto, his blue eyes filled with determination, gripped his shining sword tightly.
Opposite him stood Shujin, clad in black. His dark crimson aura swirled around him like a storm of shadows as he wore a cold, composed smile.
"So… this is the battlefield you chose," Shujin said calmly, his voice measured.
His black blade gleamed faintly.
"Tell me, Ryuto… is the goddess Elmyria watching us even now?"
Ryuto's eyes widened.
"You… you knew?!"
Shujin's smile deepened.
"Of course. I've known your plan from the very beginning.
You and Elmyria—she promised to send you back to your original world after you played the role of the 'savior,' didn't she?
All while sealing me here for countless years."
Ryuto tightened his grip on his sword.
"…So you figured it out."
Behind him, a beautiful woman with long flowing hair and divine eyes slowly manifested, her form glowing faintly.
The goddess Elmyria.
"You've always been too sharp, Shujin," Elmyria said gently.
"But this ends here. For the sake of humanity, we cannot allow you to roam freely."
Shujin let out a quiet laugh as he stepped forward, emerging fully from his dark aura.
"Seal me away? With that boy and your divine tricks?"
"How amusing."
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The Battle
Ryuto was the first to move, charging his sword with golden light.
Steel clashed against steel as his blade collided with Shujin's, thunderous echoes rippling across the battlefield. Sparks flew.
"Take this!" Ryuto shouted as he unleashed a relentless barrage.
Each wave carried Elmyria's holy blessing—radiant energy meant to burn away Shujin's darkness.
But Shujin moved effortlessly, like a living shadow.
His black sword intercepted every strike, his movements growing faster than Ryuto could follow.
"Too slow," Shujin murmured.
In the next instant, his foot snapped forward, sending Ryuto crashing back into the ground.
Ryuto staggered, planting his sword into the earth to stay upright.
"I won't lose!"
Elmyria's voice echoed as divine light enveloped his body.
"Rise. You who I have chosen—use the gift I have bestowed upon you."
Ryuto leapt forward once more, faster than before, his movements refined to near-divine precision.
His blade sliced across Shujin's shoulder, and dark blood spilled onto the ground.
"…Oh?"
Shujin lowered his head slightly, smiling coldly.
"You actually managed to hit me. Not bad."
He raised his hand.
Dark magic surged as shadowy spears erupted from the ground like a storm.
Ryuto dodged desperately, but one spear pierced his side.
"Gghh…!"
He collapsed to one knee, blood dripping onto the barren earth.
Shujin stepped closer, lifting his sword high.
"This is the truth, Ryuto. You are strong… but not strong enough to defeat me."
Ryuto clenched his teeth, forcing himself to remain conscious.
---
Elmyria's Intervention
In a flash of light, Elmyria appeared beside Ryuto, her wings spreading wide.
"That's enough, Shujin!"
In an instant, both she and Ryuto vanished within a pillar of light, leaving Shujin's blade slicing through empty air.
Shujin lowered his sword and smiled faintly.
"Hmph. That was her choice. It doesn't matter."
As he turned away, his aura dimmed slightly.
"My goal is complete. I merely wished to test her chosen hero… and see how powerful he's become."
---
The Goddess's Domain
Ryuto awoke within a radiant hall, golden pillars stretching endlessly toward the heavens.
His wounds were healed. Elmyria stood before him.
"You pushed yourself too far," she said gently, her form glowing with divine light.
"You still can't defeat him—not like this."
Ryuto clenched his fists.
"…I couldn't even land a decisive blow."
Elmyria's voice softened.
"Strength alone won't defeat Shujin. You must train, Ryuto.
The Temple of Light will guide you. Learn. Grow stronger.
And when the time is right… face him again."
Ryuto's eyes narrowed, resolve burning anew.
"…Alright. Then I'll do it.
I won't give up until I surpass him."
---
Return to Valerion
Meanwhile, Shujin reappeared within a dark forest near Valerion City.
His aura was calm now, his blade concealed.
"So… everything is settled."
As he walked, he heard a quiet sound—sobbing.
Beneath a tree sat a young boy with crimson hair and red eyes, his shoulders trembling.
His clothes were torn, his gaze dull with despair.
It was Blade Lunaria—long before he became an adventurer.
Shujin's violet eyes fixed upon him.
A boy drowning in hopelessness…
yet a small flame still burned within him.
A faint smile touched Shujin's lips.
"…Interesting. Perhaps this is fate.
It seems I've found myself a piece to place on the board."
The wind swept through the forest, carrying with it the first intertwining threads of destiny—
threads that would soon bind them all.
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✨ End of Chapter 2 ✨
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