On his way back to Kyoko's house, Rey spotted Yuki struggling under the weight of several bags. She was clearly pushing herself too much. Without hesitation, he jogged toward her.
"Yuki, let me carry those," Rey said, already reaching out.
Yuki blinked, then let out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks, Rey. I didn't realize how heavy they'd get."
Rey took half the load from her and smiled. "What do you need all this for?"
"Well," Yuki began, tilting her head toward the bags, "some of it's for dinner, some are materials for Mom's garden, and the rest are things I need for my training."
"Training?" Rey raised a brow. "Don't tell me… you're trying to follow in your dad's footsteps?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Yuki froze mid-step. Rey instantly regretted it.
"S-sorry, I didn't mean—"
But Yuki shook her head, cutting him off with a faint smile. "It's fine. And yes… I want to become an adventurer."
Her tone was steady, but Rey could see the weight behind her words.
"How old are you again?" he asked.
"Fifteen."
Rey thought for a moment. "I think that's old enough to register as an adventurer, isn't it?"
Yuki shook her head firmly. "Not yet. I need one more year." She glanced sideways at him. "What about you? What are you even doing here?"
"Well…" Rey rubbed the back of his neck. "I was trying to find a library, but there isn't one in this village. So, I just registered at the Adventurer Guild instead."
"Oh," Yuki said simply. "And how old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Good for you then," she said with a little grin. "So, after we put these things down, are you heading back to take a quest?"
"That was my plan at first," Rey admitted. "But it's almost lunch, so I figured it's better to wait until tomorrow."
Yuki nodded. "You're right. We should hurry back, then."
With that, they ran the rest of the way until Yuki's house came into view. She pushed the door open and called out, "We're home, Mom!"
Kyoko greeted them warmly. "Welcome back, you two. You seem awfully close today."
Yuki's cheeks turned pink. "M-Mom!"
Kyoko only laughed. "Come on, sit down. Let's eat lunch."
On the table was a delicious spread—boar meat cooked to perfection, steaming soup, and fresh vegetables. Rey dug in eagerly, his eyes lighting up. "This is delicious!"
Kyoko's smile brightened. "Oh, thank you, Rey."
Yuki leaned back with her arms crossed. "For me, it's kind of… mid."
Rey turned to her in disbelief. "What do you mean? This is amazing!"
Kyoko pouted playfully. "At least someone appreciates my cooking."
Then her gaze shifted to Rey. "By the way, where did you go earlier?"
"Oh, I just registered at the Adventurer Guild and stopped by the Trading Guild to exchange some gems for money."
"And what do you plan to do with that money?"
Rey smiled softly. "To repay you—for taking care of me when I was wounded."
Kyoko's expression softened. "You don't have to repay us, Rey."
"Yeah!" Yuki nodded. "You really don't."
But Rey shook his head firmly. "If it weren't for you both, I'd be dead by now."
The conversation ended there, but the warmth lingered in the air.
After lunch, Rey stepped outside into the backyard. To his surprise, Yuki was already there, training with a wooden sword. She swung hard at a tree trunk, each strike knocking loose a scatter of leaves.
"You know," Rey called out, "you're just making a mess for your mom to sweep later."
Without stopping her swings, Yuki replied, "I'll clean it up when I'm done. Hey, Rey!"
"What is it?"
"Did you train after becoming an adventurer?"
Rey froze for a moment before scratching his cheek nervously. "Uh… a little, I guess."
Yuki stopped mid-swing, her eyes widening. "You can't be serious. That means… I might actually beat you!"
Rey gave a small shrug. "I don't know. Maybe."
Her lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Wanna test it out?"
Rey smirked back. "Sure."
She tossed him a wooden sword, and he caught it with ease. Yuki positioned herself to the right, while Rey took his stance to the left.
"Alright," she said, holding up a stone. "I'll throw this in the center. When it hits the ground, the sparring begins."
Rey nodded.
The rock fell—thunk!
In an instant, Yuki blitzed forward, faster than Rey expected. His eyes widened as their swords clashed, the force pushing him back.
"She's fast!" he thought, struggling to hold his ground.
Yuki darted around him, circling like a predator. Rey's eyes narrowed. "So this is the power of someone with 11,000 on their hand…"
Suddenly, she struck from behind. Rey ducked just in time, swinging his sword backward. Yuki flipped away gracefully, landing with a grin.
"Rey, what's your real number? You can't be lower than me—you dodged an attack from behind!"
Rey shook his head. "No. I just… had someone do that to me before. I learned from it."
Yuki's grin widened. "Then let's continue!"
She closed her eyes, and her aura shifted. Her clothes fluttered as her hair whipped wildly. With a whisper, she invoked, "Boost."
Then she vanished.
Rey gripped his sword tightly, his senses straining. Where is she—
A figure appeared behind him. Too late. Her strike landed, cutting across his back. Rey stumbled but didn't fall. He forced himself to steady, glaring at her.
But something caught his eye—the faint number glowing on her hand hadn't decreased.
He pointed his sword at her and charged. Their blades clashed again and again, sparks flying as the afternoon sun dipped lower.
Yuki's strike knocked Rey's weapon aside, sending him sprawling to the ground. He noticed a black mark etched along his wooden blade where her strike had landed.
Could her attack have caused that? he wondered.
Looking at Yuki, Rey saw not just her—but a shadow of a man, perhaps her father's spirit, pushing her forward. He tightened his grip, stood, and charged again.
The two of them clashed until the sun began to set, both finally collapsing onto the grass, chests heaving.
Rey looked at Yuki and couldn't help but smile. Despite the sweat and exhaustion, he felt something stronger than fatigue—he felt their bond growing.
From the house, Kyoko watched quietly. Her eyes softened as she whispered to herself, "Look at that, Yamato. Our daughter has found a great rival… and perhaps something more."
Rey clenched his hand into a fist, while Yuki turned her head to him with a smile.
Kyoko clapped her hands, breaking the moment. "Hey, you two! Come inside. It's time for dinner!"
They dragged themselves back into the house, eating together at the table once more.
That night, after the meal, Rey lay in his bed. His body ached, but his heart felt lighter. Slowly, he drifted into sleep.