The wail of approaching sirens suddenly pierces the heavy silence, the screams of people getting nearer and nearer and growing louder and closer to the remote town in Beirut by the second.
Hirata's brow furrows in acute panic "Crap! We can't afford to be seen here, especially not with Naelia's body lying around!"
Amaru answers in a chilling steady voice "Indeed, our departure is imminent, but first... Haruto Okabe. You desire to ascend to the Third Measure, do you not? If so, you must act now before you miss this chance permanently."
Haruto grimaces through the pain, his grip tightens "Yes of course I want to get stronger. Why would I ever refuse
Amaru looks down at Haruto, a flicker of profound sympathy crosses his face, though his words remain unyielding "Then I must warn you, Haruto Okabe. You no longer have the luxury of Naivety."
"OKAY, just say it." Haruto chokes out, frustrated by hesitation.
"You must end this woman's life" Amaru declares, his declaration hung in the air like lead. Both Hirata and Haruto freeze instantly, staring at Amaru in absolute terrified disbelief. They say "WHAT! You want us to commit murder?"
Amaru meets their frantic gazes with an icy and unwavering stare "I understand your moral tribulation. However, she is a hostile entity, not to mention she is a existential threat to ordinary civilians here on earth. Judging by today's transgression, the Silent Abyss will orchestrate any atrocities to fullfill its goals. They will slaughter anyone in their path, including the innocent..."
Haruto stammers "B-but..." his deeply ingrained morals recoiling at the prospect.
"Reflect on your brother, Kairen!" Amaru interrupts sharply "Think of your own father! He is cut from the same cloth as the Silent Abyss, he is a man who is entirely willing to sacrifice his own son to satisfy his ambitions!"
The words strike Haruto like a physical blow. A wave of harsh realization washes over him, shattering the hesitation as the brutal truth of Amaru's words sink in. He looks down at his blood stained hands and says "I suppose... you are right. No matter my reservations, the world will keep spinning."
The sirens wail louder, now just blocks away. Amaru presses forward, the urgency bleeds into his tone "Now Haruto Okabe, we are completely out of time!"
Haruto swallows hard, forcing his broken body to look towards the collapsed facade where Naelia lay "How do I do it? Do I just... finish her off?"
Amaru nods, he explains the grim procedure as though it were a mundane instruction "Drive your dominant hand directly into her chest cavity and puncture her heart. Once inside, focus your absolute intent on siphoning her rituality. The duration of the absorption fluctuates based entirely on the absolute precision your willpower. That is the fundamental summary I can provide under these constraints. Do not waver now, or this opportunity is wasted for good."
Haruto offers no verbal assent, his blood-slicked face twist into an expression of reluctance and inner turmoil. Yet, two seconds later, he detaches himself from Hirata's grip. He stumbles forward, dragging his broken frame slowly toward Naelia.
He forms his right hand into a a rigid hand-knife strike, he attempts to coat his fingertips in Ritual Energy, but he fails to do so instantly. Amaru steps forward, placing his left hand firmly upon Haruto's shoulder. His gaze serves as a silent catalyst.
Haruto successfully envelopes his hand in a sharp layer of Ritual Energy. He pulls his elbow back to maximize the trajectory, he channels his remaining resolve and thrusts his pointed fingers directly into Naelia's chest.
The penetration was immediate and straightforward. Naelia offered zero resistance, her life extinguishes instantly. Within her cavity, Haruto's fingers locked around heart, then he tightly closes his eyes, plunging his mind into deep concentration to force the absorption of her remaining rituality.
Five seconds tick by. Suddenly, Naelia's corpse begins to fracture into an array of strange and ethereal particles. Each particle was perfectly bifurcated, a fused blend of vibrant green and black, drifting upward into the smike-filled air.
Hirata stares at the gruesome spectacle, his voice trembles with a mixture of revulsion and awe "There is no way... if anyone witnesses this, they'd be charged of murder. Not to mention the moral weight of doing this is just...insane. Now I see why you warned us that this path is not for the naive."
Haruto remains motionless, he keeps his hand tightly locked around Naelia's heart as he continuously siphoned her remaining rituality. With every passing heartbeat, the density of the floating particles multiply, shrouding the two in an ethereal mist. Slowly, Naelia's flesh begins to decay, eroding from the point of contact and disintegrating into those particles.
Hirata shifts his gaze away slightly "What... what is happening to her? Her body is literally turning into dust. This is genuinely... cruel to say the least."
Amaru replies coldly while his eyes track Haruto's process "As I stated before, she is a hostile entity. Do not squander your sympathy on her. Furthermore she is entirely detached from the human race."
"Maybe so." Hirata counters, turning his sharp gaze towards Amaru "This woman chose a dark path, yes. But just because she is not human does not mean she was entirely devoid of soul. Humanity is not an exclusive trait of our biology, Amaru-sensei. And I am certain you are well aware of that truth yourself."
Suddenly, the acceleration of the absorption shifts. The rate at which Naelia's rituality drains into Haruto accelerates exponentially, hence it reaches its critical threshold. Exactly three minutes later after the grueling process had commenced. The process is complete, Naelia's physical vessel vanishes completel, leaving nothing but a massive cloud of green and cloud particles that spiral grandly into the dusk.
The moment the final particle detaches from Naelia's corpse, a colossal wave of wind erupts from Haruto's center. The sudden atmospheric pressure tears through the ruins, violently whipping their clothes and sending their hair flying as the rituality siphoning process is settled down and completed.
Haruto's knees buckle once more as the residual shockwave subsidies. Hirata immediately acts and catches him by the arm and throws Haruto's weight over his shoulder.
"Okay, it is time to move." Hirata urges. His eyes dart toward the sound of the approaching sirens "We cannot afford to waste another single second."
Amaru nods in agreement, though his gaze shifts back toward the other side of the ruins "You are right, however, before we leave, we must secure the guy you defeated as well. We cannot allow him to slip away under the cover of the arriving authorities."
"Leave me here, guys." Haruto gasps, his voice strains and thick with fatigue as he tries to pull away "I will only slow you down in this state. Go and get him."
Hirata snaps "Absolutely not!" In fierce disapproval, he refuses to loosen his grip. He pauses for a fraction of a second, an idea suddenly hits his head "Actually... I have an idea."
Hirata shifts his weight to keep Haruto upright, Hirata swiftly pulls his own backpack around to his chest. He drags the zipper open with a sharp tug, reaches inside, and pulls out his textbook. Without a moment's hesitation, he grips the corner of a blank page and tears it out with a crisp rip.
Hirata smoothes the torn sheet between his fingers, he looks up at Amaru with a determined expression "I have just enough energy left for this specific thing that I am going to do. It should be no problem at all."
Hirata raises the page, his eyes narrow with intent as he recites the command "I charge thee, by this parchment form, to assume the guise of a flying bier. Bear thou my stricken friend in comfort and follow my path whithersover I tread, unseen by any soul of ill intent."
The instant the final syllable leaves his lips, the paper wrenches itself free from his grip. It hangs suspended in the air. Over the course of six seconds, the paper undergoes metamorphosis. It surges outward, expanding six and a half times its original size. It ripples against the invisible tension of the air, it lets out a sharp and resonance of the sound of fibers resisting then yielding to the arcane expansion, as it stretches wide.
When the frantic rustling ceased, the transformed paper drifts downward, hovering a few inches above the debris as a makeshift, floating paper bed.
"Here, rest upon this" Hirata says in a murmur and soft voice "This shall spare us both much trouble." With a blend of gentle care and hurried urgency, he guides Haruto onto the surface. Haruto sinks into it, his face tiwsts into a mix of bashfulness and exhaustion "You truly did not have to trouble yourself, Hirata." He whispers.
Hirata replies while already scanning the perimeter for threats "Nonsense, this is the bare minimum. Now rest properly."
Haruto settles back, he lets out a long and shuddering breath. As he sinks in the paper bed, his eyes widen slightly in surprise "Amazing... it does not feel like paper at all. It is surprisingly... plush."
"Climb onto my back, quickly." Amaru tells Hirata in a sharp and urgent whisper "let's make haste to the location of the other enemy. I am faster than you considering you are injured as well." Hirata agrees without hesitation and secures his grip as he mounts onto Amaru's back.
With effortless grace, Amaru leaps, scaling the side of the adjacent rubble. He stays deliberately within the shadows of the crumbling buildings, keeping them from any wandering eyes. True to its command, the paper bed carrying Haruto drifts smoothly behind them, tracing Hirata's movement like a silent and loyal shadow.
A mere minute later, the quiet of the ruins was shattered as news vans and journalists swarmed the entire area, being utterly oblivious to the supernatural battle that had just transpired. Heavy camera lights cut through the dusty air as reporters begin broadcasting live.
"As you can see behind me, we are live from a highly remote and abandoned sector of Beirut." One journalist announces into her microphone, she gestures to the shattered concrete. "Local residents from neighboring areas reported what appeared to be a severe localized lightning strike. Some witnesses claim the discharge possessed a distinct yellow hue, though we are still waiting for visual confirmation or footage."
Just a short distance away, a reporter from a viral network speaks rapidly to his camera crew "Reports are now circulating of a brief but intense seismic event, registering at 4.3 magnitude on the Richter scale. Given the decaying infrastructure and lack of municipal maintenance in this long-abandoned town, the tremors easily triggered the collapse of these fraying structures. There are no reported casualties or injuries at this hour. We will bring you more updates, stay tuned."
Across the bustling streets and quiet living rooms across Lebanon, the sudden influx of news alerts sparked instant skepticism.
A pedestrian walking down a busy sidewalk in Beirut slows his pace, the screen of his phone illuminates his face as a fresh notification pops up: "4.3 magnitude earthquake hits an abandoned town in Beirut, no casualties reported."
He wonders and stops in his tracks "An earthquake? How is that even possible? I did not feel a single tremor and besides... Lebanon does not even sit on an active major fault line that would trigger something so localized and random without us noticing."
Meanwhile, inside a family home, the glow of the TV set bathes the living room in blue light as a news anchor detailed the bizzare atmospheric reports. The father questions "yellow lightning?" He scoffs and leans back against the sofa cushions "That sounds incredibly far-fetched. Who has ever heard of solid yellow lightning bringing down entire concrete buildings?"
"Exactly." His daughter agrees without looking up from her phone "it sounds like a classic media exaggeration. Let's just wait until someone actually uploads some real footage before we believe any of it "
Amaru and Hirata skidded to a halt inside the ruined building. They rushed past the entrace and head straight for the exact spot where Zairen's defeated body should have been resting. Hirata stares at the empty and blood-stained ground. His eyes widen in sheer panic "WHERE IS HE?" Hirata yells "I am absolutely sure I left him right here when I took him down!"
Amaru's gaze remained flat, his voice dangerously level "had you ensure his death before you departed?" Hirata's breath hitches, he looks away and his throat tight as he stammers in a hushed whisper "I...I could not bring myself to do it... besides... I did not have enough Linguistic Energy left to finish him off..."
Amaru lets out slow, heavy sigh, his sound carries a weight of deep disappointment "You cannot afford to be naive, Hirata Alex. Naivety in this world is a death sentence, and I have no desire to see you learn that lesson the hard way." Hirata casts his eyes to the floor "I am sorry... no words can excuse or fix what I have done..."
Amaru replies "It matters not now?" He says while his tone carries cold calculation "Either way, it appears that woman was merely deployed as a decoy to gauge Haruto Okabe's capabilities, especially since his sudden intervention was an unexpected variable in their plans."
Hirata looks up sharply and says while panic returns to voice "Should not we hunt Zairen down then? We cannot just let him slip away!"
"Mount my back, quickly." Amaru commands Hirata, his eyes scan the shadowed corners of the ruined corridor "We shall pursue him. I can still sense a faint trail of his energy. He cannot have traveled far."
Hirata shakes his head "No need. I can run on my own strength. Preserve your stamina, Amaru-sensei." Amaru replies "Hen see it to that you do not fall behind. Under no circumstances can we permit his escape."
Without another word, Amaru vanishes into a blur, he darts toward the rear exit to evade the prying eyes of the assembling crowd and media outside. Hirata grits his teeth and lunges after him, he pushes his physical limits to match the pace. "I suspect... he has already evacuated the town." Hirata pants heavily while sprinting, his lungs burn as the ruined buildings whip past them "He would be just as eager to avoid the public attention as we are."
Amaru offers a single and curt nod in agreement. His stride unbroken as he maintains a blistering speed. Hirata's legs felt like lead, the gap between him and his mentor threatening to widen with every second. "He is way too fast!" Hirata thinks while forcing himself to keep the floating paper bed carrying the now asleep Haruto.
The pursuit leads them away from the desolate ruins ans straight into the dense urban labyrinth of downtown Beirut. Amaru comes to an abrupt and silent halt in a shadowed and narrow alleyway, with Hirata skidding to a stop a second later, gasping for air.
Amaru murmurs "He is in the immediately vicinity." He looks at Hirata and asks "Can you sense him?" Hirata closes his eyes for a brief second "Yes... actually... I can. I can distinctively sense his Linguistic Energy."
Amaru lets out a quiet and mocking scoff "It seems harboring dual branches of power is a double-edged sword. It is backfiring on him now. He lacks the refined control to conceal his Linguistic Energy entirely since this branch lacks the ability to conceal its energy, which grants us a perfect opening."
Hirata glances back at Haruto, who is now deeply asleep on the bed paper peacefully. "The problem is, I cannot turn off my energy right now. Maintaining this paper bed requires my energy." Amaru turns his gaze toward Hirata with a cautious express "In that case, you must find a place to hide yourself. A floating sheet of paper carrying a bloodied guy is not a spectacle we can afford to let the public witness."
Hirata casts a worried look at Haruto before offering Amaru a firm nod "Understood. I will take Haruto and find a blind spot. The chase is in your hands." Amaru gives a single and curt nod and vanishes instantly.
Left alone in the shadows, Hirata lets out a heavy sigh, dragging a hand through his hair "Great... let's find a sanctuary. It is broad daylight out there, and I desperately need to figure out a way to patch Haruto up. Maybe... I can channel my own abilities to heal him. Yet, I cannot risk leaving his side... what a drag!"
Meanwhile, Amaru navigates the narrow gaps between the downtown high-rises like a ghost. His eyes dart left and right to scan every alcove for a sigh of Zairen's presence. "Most likely, an accomplice extracted and healed him back at that abandoned town using a portal?" Amaru reasons "Which means every member of the Silent Abyss is heavily monitored and guarded..."
Before he could ponder further, a shadow detaches itself from the crest of the adjacent building. Zairen plummets from above, descending upon Amaru with lethal intent. Amaru reacts with flawless instincts, he whips his staff from his side, driving it horizontally upward to intercept the downward strike. The collision rings out with a sharp metallic echo as Amaru absorbs the hit.
Zairen snarls "You truly believe I was bested?!" Maintaining his downward crushing pressure against the staff "I will hunt Hirata Alex to the ends of the earth, and you are nothing but a minor inconvenience!"
Amaru merely scoffs with an unbothered expression "If I am truly so insignificant." He replies with a chilling composure "Why did you fail to eliminate me first? Sometimes, it is the minor inconveniences that ultimately tip the scales."
Zairen roars "Enough of your prattles!" He leaps back to break the deadlock. Zairen excutes a fluid mid-air retreat, landing heavily several meters away. He immediately falls into a highly disciplined combat posture, the very same stance he had utilized against Hirata Alex. He shifts his weight, places one leg firmly behind the other, and extends both hands before him with one raised subtly higher than the other, locking his predatory gaze upon the mentor.
Zairen remains completely motionless for 5 seconds. As the silence stretches, Amaru's battle-ready composure begins to fracture into deep confusion. His brow furrows as he feels the ambient pressure shift "What is he doing?" Amaru mutters "The volume of his energy is expanding exponentially. What is he plotting?!"
Without warning, Zairen detonates the compressed energy in his legs, fracturing the asphalt beneath his legs as he launches forward like a coiled spring.
"HERE HE COMES!" Amaru observes sharply. He braces his core and brings his staff up across his chest, he locks his joints to absorb a powerful frontal assault while mentally preparing a swift counter-offensive. Zairen closes the distance in a fraction of a heartbea. Amaru's focus reaches a razor-sharp peak. Yet, the exact millisecond Zairen came within millimeters of the staff, time itself seemed to slow down.
Instead of colliding, Zairen's trajectory shifts instantly. He completely bypasses Amaru, excuting a high-speed evasion and maneuvers that skips Amaru entirely. Amaru whips his head around to track the disappearing blur of his adversary. The realization hits him with a jolt of cold anger.
Amaru hisses with his voice dropping to a dangerous icy tone "So he truly has no intention of abandoning his hunt for Hirata. He will undoubtedly will pay for his insolence this time."
While still airborne, Zairen's body suddenly erupts with crackling arcs of yellow lightning that envelopes him. The surge was instantaneous, and his propulsion multiplies, cutting through downtown without being seen by the ordinary naked eye. Amaru's eyes narrow to slits. Without a moment's hesitation, he pivots and bolts after him.
The perspective shifts to the edge of Downtown Beirut, where the city concrete yields to the rugged Mediterranean coastline. Hirata had managed to drag Haruto down to the shore, retreating into a small and weathered sea cave tucked into the rocky cliff. Inside, the rhythmic crashing of the wave offers a deceptive illusion of sanctuary. Haruto's eyelids flutter, a groan escapes his lips as he stirs awake on the floating parchment "Where... where are we?" He mumbles, blinking against the dim light of the cave.
"We are hiding somewhere safe." Hirata whispers back while his eyes are glued to the mouth of the cave "Hold tight, it is not over yet."
Suddenly, Haruto's eyelids dilate in instinctual horror. He bolts upright, ignoring the agonizing screams of his cracked ribs "SOMEONE IS COMING!" He shouts with his voice echoing throughout the cave "Can you sense that?!"
Hirata gasps, he senses a hostile pressure coming his way "Yes! And he is moving incredibly fast! Wait... that signature... that is Zairen's energy! Is not Amaru-sensei supposed to be hunting him down? SHIT, this is bad!"
Before Hirata could move a muscle, the natural light filtering into the sea cave was abruptly cut off. Zairen stands squarely at the entrance, blocking their only escape.
Hirata's breath hitches as his mind races to process the sight "Why is he emitting that frequency? He is literally engulfed in yellow lightning... wait... do not tell me..." Hirata gets cut off by Zairen's roar "Here you are!" His voice competes with the crashing waves as the yellow electricity whips wildly around his frame "I will make absolutely certain to end your life, and I will ensure your demise is excruciating, you absolute scum!"
Panic seizes Hirata, but he forces himself to stand between Zairen and the crippled Haruto "What about your masters in the Silent Abyss??!" Hirata shouts back "Were not your orders to capture me alive?!"
Internally, Hirata's thoughts were a frantic scramble "I need to stall. I have to buy every single second I can until Amaru-sensei gets here..." Zairen's face twists into a maniacal sneer "Fuck the Silent Abyss! My pride outweighs their mandates!"
Zairen draws his arm back, his knuckles whiten as he clenches his fist into a devastating knot of yellow lightning. "I need at least a minute until Amaru-sensei gets here." Hirata calculates frantically "I have to hold out somehow."
Stepping completely in front of the paper bed, Hirata raises his hands and shouts "Fine! I lost. I admit it! But please, do not hirt my friend. He is already badly injured and cannot even fight!" Haruto stares at Hirata's back in absolute confusion and horror "Are you serious, Hirata? Do not do this! Just fight him! Fight and do not care about me You need to survive this too!"
Hirata glances over his shoulder. A calm? Sad smile graces his face "It will be fine... as long as you survive." Zairen momentarily pauses, his eyes narrow as he evaluates Hirata's sudden compliance. A cruel smirk plays on his lips "You are up to something, are not you? No matter. I will make you suffer all the same!"
Roughly twenty seconds has ticked away with Zaire savoring his impending triumph. Suddenly, Hirata pivots. With every ounce of his remaining physical strength, he shoves the floating paper bed, launching it out of the sea cqve's mouth toward the open shoreline. As it glides through the air, Hirata channels his energy, throwing his voice into a commanding Middle English decree Shield thou Haruto, and wend thee fer from this faste batayle! Be thou a targe from ilke a syde, and close thy flankes hye! Be as hard as stourly metal!"
The paper bed immediately reacts to the command. Rocketing roughly fifteen meters away from the clash, its edges rapidly elongate, folding inward like an intricate Origami vault. It completely seals Haruto inside a sturdy multi-layered cocoon. From within the closing shield, Haruto's voice echoes out one last time, screaming at the peak of his strained lungs "HIRATA! DO NOT! You will be killed!"
Hirata takes advantage of the brief distraction, he repositions himself just before Zairen could unleash the lightning-fast punch "Seems like you need to charge the hit before you actually strike." Hirata pants. But the strain was too much. Before he could even assume a defensive posture, Hirata's body revolts. He coughs violently a spray of blood painting the cave's floor as his legs gave out completely. He collapses onto the jagged stone. His body convulses as a wave of agony rips through him, forcing a loud scream from his throat. Through shaking, rapidly blurring vision, he could barely make out the imposing silhouette of his attacker.
Zairen looks down at Hirata, entirely unfazed. The yellow lightning crackles back to life around his fist as he begins to chamber his next strike. "Any last words?" he asks coldly.
Two seconds tick away like hours. Zairen braces his weight, preparing to deliver the final, crushing blow. But the strike never landed.
Suddenly, Zairen's posture breaks. A look of sheer bewilderment crosses his face as his vision blurs. He gasps, slowly lowering his eyes to his own abdomen. Protruding from his flesh was a sleek, deep midnight-blue kunai.
Before Zairen could even utter a sound or pull the weapon out, a violent tear in reality rips open directly above him. A swirling, abyssal portal manifests, generating a massive gravitational pull that instantly sucks Zairen's large frame upward into the unknown. The moment he clears the threshold, the portal snaps shut with a sharp crack, vanishing into thin air and leaving the cavern entirely silent save for the crashing of the waves.
Prostrate on the cold stone, Hirata strains to look up, his neck barely able to support the movement. His mind was a chaotic haze of confusion and pain "W... what just happened?" He thinks frantically, his lips move but absolutely produce no sound "I can't... Can't speak."
Amaru cames sliding into the cavern on his knees, his boots kick up dust as he stopped right next to Hirata's twitching form. He carefully supports Hirata's head and shoulders, keeping him stable on the rocky ground."I am truly so sorry." Amaru says, his usual stoic composure cracks by genuine regret. "He broke away from me. His speed was far beyond my estimations."
Without wasting another second, Amaru reaches deep inside his shirt and pulls out a small, 0.3-liter glass vial filled with a yellowish fluid. Uncorking the stopper with a swift flick of his thumb, he leans down close to Hirata. "Drink this." Amaru commands gently. "It will stabilize your energy for now until I can get both you and Haruto to a specialized doctor. The transition won't take long."
He presses the rim of the glass to Hirata's blood-stained lips, carefully tilting it so the liquid flows slowly down his throat. Once the vial was empty, Amaru gently rests Hirata's head back on the stone. "It should take effect within a minute."
Right at that moment, the spell holding the metallic cocoon together finally snaps. Deprived of Hirata's sustaining energy, the heavy shield completely unravels, instantly reverting back into a single, crumpled sheet of university notebook paper. Haruto drops from mid-air, letting out a sharp scream of panic as he plummeted toward the rugged coastline. Amaru moves like a blur. He dashes out of the mouth of the cave, tracking the trajectory of the fall perfectly, and catches Haruto securely in his arms just before he hit the rocks.
Haruto pants heavily, clutching Amaru's coat as his heart hammers against his ribs. "Thank you... Thank you, Amaru-sensei. Is Hirata alright? He... he didn't look well back there."
"He is stable." Amaru reassures him, carrying him back toward the shelter of the cave.
As they step inside, the potion begins to work its way through Hirata's system. His eyes flutter completely open, and the violent convulsions cease. Dragging himself up, Hirata forces his weak legs to move, walking with a slow, unsteady gait toward Amaru and Haruto. He opens his mouth, desperate to ask what had happened to Zairen, but his vocal cords refused to cooperate, only a few fractured, distorted syllables escaped his throat.
Amaru observed him closely "Do not force it, Hirata Alex. You have overexerted your Linguistic Energy to a critical degree, abusing your reservoir far beyond its designated threshold. As I have warned you before, the branch of Language is a double-edged sword; utilizing it recklessly invites catastrophic consequences."
He steps closer, placing a hand on Hirata's shoulder to ground him. "You are currently suffering from a condition known as Modern Language Erosion. Fortunately, your condition can be fully mended by a doctor where I am from. Let us depart."
Hearing those words, Hirata and Haruto lock eyes. Despite the blood, the bruises, and the sheer exhaustion weighing them down, a wave of profound relief washed over them. Haruto lets out a weak and breathless laugh, a bright smile breaking across his face. "Thank God... I genuinely thought we were goners this time!" Hirata smiled back, offering a firm, silent nod of agreement.
Adjusting his grip on Haruto, Amaru reaches into his inner pocket and retrieves a familiar object, the very same horn-shaped pen he used when he concludes his private lessons to return to where he came from. With a fluid, practiced motion, he traced a wide circle in the empty air, and the space within the boundary warped, summoning a swirling, luminous portal upon the cavern floor. "It is the exact same portal from that lesson!" Hirata thinks.
Haruto's eyes widen as he stares into the portal "Wait, are we actually stepping through that? Where on earth is this going to take us?"
Amaru does not offer a lengthy explanation. He casts a sharp glance at Hirata and commands "Follow close behind me, and both of you. Close your eyes!"
Hirata steps up to the edge of the swirling light and tightly shut his eyelids, while Haruto did the same, bracing himself in the mentor's arms. With a single, powerful stride, Amaru leaps forward into the portal, and Hirata stepped blindly into the void right behind him. A heavy, shifting pressure pressed against their chests for a fleeting moment before reality snapped back into place.
"Open your eyes." Amaru's voice rings out, laced with a rare hint of amusement "You have a great deal to process."
Hirata blinks against a sudden cascade of vibrant light. The moment his vision cleares, his jaw drops in sheer, unadulterated shock "What am I looking at right now?" he thinks frantically, his mind spinning "Is this a hallucination?" Unable to form coherent words due to his condition, Hirata begins pointing wildly at the impossible cityscape surrounding them. Haruto's reaction was just as stunned "What in the absolute world is this? Am I drugged, or did I lose my mind back in that cave?"
Stretched out before them was a chaotic and beautiful paradox. On the cobblestone street directly ahead, a heavily bearded, extraordinarily muscular Dwarf is effortlessly pulling a massive cargo carriage using a leather body harness. Right alongside him in the traffic lane, a sleek, ultra-modern luxury sports car is being driven by an elegant female Elf with glowing silver hair. In the adjacent lane, a massive, mutated bipedal lizard creature trotted along, pulling a double-decker carriage packed with bustling commuters and exotic goods.
They whipped their heads to the right, only for the architecture to shatter their understanding of history. Towering into the clouds was a pristine, classy glass skyscraper, its mirrored windows reflecting the image of a traditional, thatched-roof Viking longhouse sitting directly at its base, which was nestled right next to a cobblestone medieval-style estate.
Amaru watches their bewildered expressions, a proud, knowing smile spreading across his face as he gestured to the sprawling metropolis.
"Welcome." Amaru announces softly, "to Vaelthara."