Takuma, Emi, and Sota walked down a dirt trail together. The field behind them was quiet now. The sun was warm on them. Takuma carried his sword on his back.
Sota kicked a small stone and smiled. "That was some fight. I still can't believe that monster fell apart."
Emi laughed. "We did good. But we should keep moving. There might be more danger ahead."
They walked toward a small town at the bottom of the hill. People there had little shops and houses with tile roofs. The town looked normal, like nothing strange had happened in the woods.
Takuma adjusted the sword on his back. When he moved it there was strength in his arms. He felt safer carrying it.
When they reached the town, Emi pointed to a brown shed near the park. "We can rest there tonight," she said. "It's out of the way."
They set a small camp behind the shed. A soft wind blew. The stars were tiny and bright above. The three of them ate plain rice balls and drank water that they bought from one of the shops using the money Sota had in his pocket. They talked quietly about the fight.
"We should find other people like us," Sota said after a while. "If the stars keep falling, we can't do this alone."
Takuma smiled. "I agree. We should find friends who want to help people, not hurt them."
Emi nodded. "And we should learn more about our powers."
They made a plan. In the morning they would ask around the town. They would look for anyone who had seen stars fall or weird creatures in the woods. They would be careful and help people if they could.
As the night became darker, the town became quiet. Takuma stood and walked a little away from the shed. He watched the stars. They were calm. He thought about the night the star fell and how the sword had come to him.
"This is only the start," he whispered. He wrapped his fingers around the black handle. It felt steady in his hand.
Then he went back to the fire and sat down. Emi and Sota were already talking about training moves. Their voices were low and hopeful.
Takuma closed his eyes for a moment. He felt tired, but not scared. He had friends now. He had the sword and something to protect. That was enough to keep him going.
They slept on the ground near the shed. In the morning, they would begin asking questions and searching for more Starborne.
For now, under the calm stars, the three friends rested. The road ahead was long, but they would walk it together.