"I'm telling you, Elias, his carriage was huge, packed full of stuff. The guy looked filthy rich."

  Elias narrowed his eyes, suspicious of the proposal he'd just heard.

  "I don't know… It sounds dangerous. Wouldn't it be better to try something smaller? We're already getting into too much trouble these days."

  Sarah grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a light shake.

  "If we keep going like this, we'll never get anywhere. Do you really want to live in this basement forever?"

  Elias stared at her for a long moment. He closed his eyes, weighing the possibilities. After a deep sigh, he said:

  "Fine."

  "Yay!"

  "Okay, so do you have a pla—"

  Suddenly, everything went dark. Even with the lantern lit, the world around them turned pitch black. Sarah tried to say something, but her voice was muffled—she couldn't even hear herself. She could only imagine the words: "Elias… Elias…" She thought she was screaming, but she wasn't sure if he heard.

  Knock. Knock.

  A heavy knock came from the secret passage—the only thing that wasn't completely black. Her head throbbed painfully at the sound. It hurt even more when she looked. She wanted to run, until she heard her name. Someone pleading.

  "Sarah, help."

  A voice she knew.

  Without thinking, she ran toward the stairs. Her legs felt heavy, like running through water. Panting, she climbed the dark steps.

  Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.

  The knocks grew louder, violent, impossible to ignore. The cries for help never stopped. After a huge effort, she reached the doorknob. The knocking suddenly stopped. Still terrified, Sarah touched the handle. Her hand trembled, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. With a small twist, she turned it. The door creaked open.

  Behind it stood Elias.

  His eyes were empty. Blood dripped from his mouth. He raised his gaze and pointed at Sarah as a hole opened in his stomach.

  The silence was suffocating… terrifying…

  "It's all your fault…"

  Sarah's eyes snapped open for real.

  She was lying in a place she didn't recognize. She sat up gasping, heart racing, breath short and ragged. Her hands shook.

  She looked around. It looked like some strange house, completely different from her old home. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, swaying gently in the breeze from the windows.

  Still confused, Sarah got out of bed and walked to the door. She hesitated for a moment—should she open it? After a deep breath, she turned the knob. A long hallway stretched ahead.

  At the far end, a door stood slightly ajar. She approached and peeked through the crack. Yajirushi was in the kitchen, preparing something. His tall, imposing figure looked focused and concentrated.

  Hearing the door, he turned and saw Sarah. A smile spread across his face when he noticed she was awake.

  "Ah, you're up, kid? Good morning! Hope you slept well. I made breakfast for you!"

  The smell of food intensified, and Sarah's stomach growled again.

  "I'm almost done here. Go ahead and sit at the table," Yajirushi continued, turning back to his work with quick, agile movements.

  "Where are we?"

  "It's an inn along the road. You passed out halfway here. Actually, you were barely conscious from the start. Good thing there's a little town nearby—we'll head there. The old innkeeper said I could use the kitchen as long as I didn't make a mess."

  While finishing breakfast, Yajirushi went on:

  "I hope you like omelette. I used whatever ingredients I found in the pantry. The important thing is it's nutritious."

  He served the omelette on a plate next to a slice of fresh bread.

  "Sit down, Sarah. Let's eat before we talk about our next steps."

  Yajirushi sat at the table, his gaze serious but kind, watching Sarah eat.

  "How are you feeling today?"

  "I… I'm okay. Honestly, I just want to know when training starts."

  "Eat first. Good nutrition matters too."

  Sarah wolfed down a few quick bites of the omelette—she barely chewed. Yajirushi watched her discreetly.

  In just a few minutes, she was done.

  "Done. Can we start now?"

  Yajirushi closed his eyes, then let out a deep sigh. He didn't look annoyed—in fact, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  "Alright… let's go."

  Before leaving, Yajirushi cleaned up the kitchen. They went downstairs to a small, simple reception area with a worn sofa near the stairs and a counter. Behind it stood an old man with a sour face, glaring at Sarah. She glared back, trying to avoid trouble. Yajirushi quickly pulled her toward the exit.

  He led her to a small clearing he'd discovered earlier.

  "This should be good… Man, being a teacher is harder than I thought."

  "Are you serious?"

  "Relax, I'm just figuring out where to start."

  "Magic! Teach me how to cast magic!" Sarah insisted, eyes shining with impatience.

  Yajirushi chuckled softly.

  "Easy, kid. You can't cast magic without controlling mana first."

  "Then let's start with the basics."

  "I'm not going to teach you directly. Your body will adapt to mana just by being near me—like a child learning to walk and talk by watching their parents. You'll learn to make the mana in your body obey your will."

  He made a quick gesture with his right hand.

  "To do that… fight me. Your job here is to at least strengthen one strike with mana."

  Yajirushi looked eager.

  Sarah didn't fully understand, but she didn't hesitate. She took a few casual steps and threw a weak punch toward him.

  He saw it coming and, with lightning speed, redirected the blow. The movement was so fast it threw Sarah off balance, sending her stumbling slightly to the right.

  "Ow!"

  "If you don't start taking this seriously, I'll actually hit you."

  "You jerk!"

  Sarah charged again, this time with real force.

  Once more, the attack was redirected.

  She kept attacking repeatedly. Each strike grew stronger. Faster. Yajirushi watched, sensing the raw anger in every blow.

  "Stop! Stop messing with me!"

  "Then land a hit."

  Sarah glared with hatred. This time she approached differently. She ran straight at him, crouched at the last moment, and—with unnatural strength—leaped over Yajirushi, who watched her arc through the air without moving much.

  She landed behind him.

  "Got you."

  A crushing punch.

  She was confident. No way he could redirect this one.

  BANG.

  The strike landed hard.

  But instead of a cry of pain, the only thing hurting was her own hand—stopped cold by a much larger one gripping it firmly.

  "I'm impressed… You learn fast. You think fast in tight spots too. But there are a few things to watch out for."

  He held her steady.

  "Sometimes anger can be useful. It's good to use it now and then. But uncontrolled anger is just chaos. People who let rage fuel their body…"

  Sarah suddenly felt her legs weaken strangely. She nearly collapsed, but Yajirushi caught her.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  "With just that, you released an insane amount of mana. Almost enough to die from mana exhaustion."

  "Why?"

  "Huh?"

  "Why didn't you kill him? Why didn't you kill that bastard baron?"

  Yajirushi met her gaze.

  "And why would I? Killing the baron would cause endless problems. We'd never have peace anywhere."

  "He killed my best friend. My only friend. He has to pa—"

  "So it's revenge?"

  His tone grew serious.

  "Taking one life to honor another means nothing. All it does is add another soul to the realm of the dead. If you cling to revenge, you'll never become truly strong. You'll just turn into a violent, irrational girl. I don't think that's what you want."

  He released her hand.

  "I'm not telling you to forget or ignore it. But for now, focus on one goal."

  He looked her straight in the eyes.

  "Sarah Kizuryu… answer me. To you, what does being the strongest mean?"

  Sarah stared back for a moment, trying to understand. Several answers flashed through her mind.

  But only one stuck.

  "The strongest is the one who can do whatever they want."

  Yajirushi paused for a few seconds to process it. Then a slow smile spread across his face.

  Maybe that was exactly what pleased him.

  "That's it for today. Let's head back. We'll keep training like this… until you become a pro."

  The following days were repetition. Same place, same training.

  At first, Sarah could barely touch his clothes. She fell easily, lost balance, burned through too much mana and nearly fainted.

  But she always got back up.

  Tried again.

  And again.

  Weeks passed, and something began to change.

  It was different. She still couldn't touch Yajirushi, but she could now strengthen her own body with mana more naturally. She still leaked huge amounts by accident, but she could hold the reinforcement steady.

  "A natural talent," Yajirushi thought, dodging her strikes.

  That day they trained until late.

  The sky was already darkening.

  "That's enough for today. Well done, kid. You're way stronger now than when we started. You should feel proud."

  "I've been waiting forever for you to teach me magic," Sarah panted, hands on her knees.

  "Relax. I'm not even sure you can do it yet. We'll do a little test. Pass it, and I'll teach you the basics of magic," Yajirushi said, walking out of the clearing.

  "Really?" Sarah asked, right behind him.

  "Dead serious."

  "What's the test?"

  "I'll tell you tomorrow."

  "Half-told gossip kills the gossip."

  "Hey… our money's running out. We need to find some work to cover expenses. Remember the little town I mentioned? Let's go find something."

  "So it's a regular job? No way. I'd rather die."

  "Stop complaining. We're looking for something interesting."

  The next day, as usual, Sarah glared at the innkeeper. They had never exchanged a word, but for some reason they couldn't stand each other. Yajirushi always intervened before anything happened.

  The walk to town was calm. They talked a lot—or rather, Yajirushi talked while Sarah listened to his stories, responding with only a sigh or nod here and there.

  Upon arriving, the houses became visible—simple wooden structures with slanted roofs. Thin smoke rose from one or two chimneys, mixing with the air. The town wasn't bustling, but it wasn't dead either.

  At the entrance, a small sign swung in the wind:

  "Welcome to Nalimar."

  "I'll see if I can find something. Wait here, okay?" Yajirushi said, pointing to a bench in the small central square.

  "Okay."

  They split up.

  Sarah sat on the bench, elbows on her knees, watching people pass by. Some carried baskets. Others chatted quietly. A child ran after a dog.

  Everything felt… too normal.

  Like the life she used to see in her old city—people living ordinary days, the kind she only remembered from childhood.

  It was strange watching people live as if the world wasn't always one step from ending. She thought about how odd it was that people carried on like this, even knowing someone powerful could show up and wipe them all out.

  Yajirushi, for example, definitely could.

  "The strongest does whatever they want."

  While looking around, her eyes stopped on a blond boy walking near the fountain. For an instant, his walk and hair made her heart tighten.

  She stood up almost without realizing and started walking toward him. The walk turned into a hurry. The hurry turned into a run.

  "Wait…" she shouted as she ran. "Wait, please!"

  The boy didn't turn.

  Sarah finally caught up and grabbed his shoulder hard.

  When he turned…

  It wasn't Elias.

  The face was different. The eyes too.

  Sarah slowly let go.

  "Sorry… I mistook you for someone else."

  The boy studied her for a moment and gave a small smile.

  "Really? No need to act all shy, cutie. If you liked what you saw, just say so."

  She didn't respond.

  He glanced at her red cape.

  "That cape looks good on you. Must be because of that beautiful blood-red hair."

  Sarah frowned slightly.

  "None of your business."

  She turned to leave.

  "Hey, calm down! I was just trying to be nice—"

  "I've noticed for a while now that you're terrible at following simple orders."

  The voice came from behind her.

  Yajirushi stood a few meters away, watching the scene.

  "Maybe you're a leader or something."

  "You took forever."

  "You left the bench."

  "You didn't say I couldn't leave."

  "Hey, hey… come on." He looked at the boy. "Sorry about my student. She's got a temper."

  The boy stood there confused as the two walked to a shadier spot in the square.

  "Did you find work?" Sarah asked.

  "Yeah. But before I tell you, I have a question… how do you want to fight?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Do you want to fight with your fists? Feet? Bow, sword, maybe a hammer? It matters."

  She glanced at the chained hilt on Yajirushi's back and answered without hesitation:

  "I want to use a sword."

  "Then I'll teach you how to imbue an object with mana."

  Yajirushi crouched and picked something off the ground.

  "See? This is just a common stone. But when you touch it with your mana, it can become much more resistant. Close your eyes. Feel the mana around you. Connect with it."

  He demonstrated, wrapping the stone in mana. Its surface grew denser.

  "Now it's more resistant. And stronger too."

  He threw it. The stone flew several meters and punched a small hole in a tree trunk.

  "You already do this with your body during training."

  He turned to Sarah.

  "Your turn."

  "You really think I can do this crap?" Sarah asked, a little insecure.

  Yajirushi laughed lightly.

  "Of course I do. But if you're already giving up before trying, it'll be hard. It's not about getting it right the first time. It's about trying and learning from each attempt."

  He handed her another stone.

  "You've got plenty of mana inside you. We just need to find the right way to channel it. Don't rush."

  Sarah tried.

  First time: nothing happened.

  Second time: the stone crumbled.

  Third time: she nearly passed out.

  "Ugh… this is so hard."

  She looked around, confused.

  "And why are we doing this in the middle of the street?"

  Yajirushi shrugged.

  "That's where we found the stone. And a little audience never hurt anyone."

  "That makes no sense."

  "Stop focusing on the street. Focus on the stone. I told you it's not about getting it right first try. Everyone messes up at the beginning."

  He twirled the stone between his fingers.

  "Close your eyes. Feel the mana flowing like water. Don't force it. Just listen."

  Sarah took a deep breath.

  She tried again.

  The stone began to glow faintly.

  Yajirushi noticed immediately. A big smile spread across his face.

  "Really… this girl is a talent."

  He ruffled her hair.

  "I knew you could do it. See? You're stronger than you think, Kizuryu."

  Sarah stared at the faint glow of the stone. She couldn't hold back a small smile.

  "Hey! Don't touch my hair!" she said, slapping his hand away.

  Yajirushi laughed.

  "Alright, alright. Let's find you a sword… and then take care of our job."

  They bought a sword in a small shop—it was a common weapon, sized perfectly so Sarah could carry it easily.

  "So let's go!" Sarah said, too eagerly. "What's our job?"

  Yajirushi looked at her seriously.

  "Drive off some Attei."

  "What are those?"

  "Humanoid wolves. They hunt in packs. Once they pick a target, they don't stop. They've been attacking merchants coming this way. Your goal is to make it stop."

  "My goal?" Sarah frowned. "You're not helping?"

  Yajirushi didn't change his expression.

  "No."

  "Even if I'm in danger?"

  "Especially if you're in danger. If you can't handle an easy job like this, you might as well quit."

  He pointed to a dense forest to the east.

  "Their den should be along the tree line. From here on, it's all on you. Use your sword, use your head… and use mana the way you know how."

  Sarah narrowed her eyes.

  "You're throwing me to the wolves."

  "Literally."

  For a second, she hated him.

  "You old trash."

  Yajirushi let out a short laugh, the kind that approved without admitting it.

  "Go."

  Sarah entered the forest.

  The air inside was humid and heavy. Tall trees devoured the light, and the sounds of the world seemed trapped in the branches. The silence wasn't calm—it was watchful. Waiting.

  She soon saw tracks on the ground: large like a wolf's, but with a "human" weight, as if someone was walking upright trying to imitate an animal.

  A distant howl cut through the woods.

  Sarah reached for the hilt of her sword and pulled it out slightly, feeling the cold metal. She took a deep breath and drew mana into her body the way she'd been training: heat rushing through her muscles, hardening her legs, firming her core. It wasn't comfortable. It felt like wearing armor inside her own body.

  Footsteps.

  Light. Rhythmic.

  She slowly turned her head, trying not to show fear.

  The Attei emerged from the shadows.

  It was enormous. Broad shoulders, dark fur, long claws, the stance of something that knew it was stronger. And those eyes… red eyes that could terrify anyone.

  Sarah raised her sword.

  The logic was simple: imbue and cut.

  But her mind tripped over a memory that didn't ask permission.

  Elias on the ground. Blood everywhere, a huge red pool covering everything, marking her shoes red.

  If I cut… there'll be blood again. This creature will bleed and then die.

  The hesitation cost her dearly.

  The Attei charged like thunder.

  Its claw caught her shoulder. Her body flew and slammed into the ground with a dull thud. The pain in her back and shoulder was overwhelming—if she hadn't used mana, she would have lost her arm. A ringing in her ears. Her arm failed for a moment, like it wasn't hers anymore.

  The Attei approached slowly, without hurry. With a certain arrogance in its steps, as if she had already lost.

  Sarah tried to stand, and her shoulder burned so badly her eye watered with rage.

  She wanted to scream. She wanted to disappear. She wanted… to stay.

  "If I die here… I'll be with you again. We can see each other. It's not such a bad idea—we could live our dreams in paradise."

  The idea came seductive, sick, too easy.

  But then another came, harder:

  "That's not what you would have wanted. Is it? You pushed me out of the way that day… the thing should have hit me, but you stepped in front to stop it… why? Why did you put my life before yours?"

  She swallowed the sob before it escaped and pulled mana through her body as hard as possible. First to her body: legs, waist, back. Then to the sword.

  She pressed her palm to the guard and "pushed" mana into the blade, like filling a container with no bottom. The sword grew heavy in her hand, vibrating strangely. It didn't shine. It didn't show off. It just… felt sharper. More dangerous. Like the air around it respected the edge.

  The Attei attacked again.

  Sarah didn't think. She just acted.

  She moved with her reinforced body, shoulder screaming in pain, and the mana-imbued blade responded as if making up for her earlier hesitation.

  The cut came out too clean.

  The Attei split open in a hot, heavy spray and fell like a felled tree.

  Sarah stood panting, staring.

  Victory didn't come pretty. It came with the taste of iron.

  She felt no pride. Just a hole.

  "Sorry…" she whispered, not knowing to whom.

  A howl answered from far away.

  Another.

  Closer.

  The forest stirred.

  The rest of the pack had arrived.

  Sarah gripped the sword with both hands, even though her shoulder begged her to stop.

  Her voice came out low, rough, almost an insult to herself:

  "Come… on."

  The Attei charged.

  It wasn’t elegant. It was pure survival.

  She ran, slipped on wet leaves, felt her mana flicker, took a grazing hit to the ribs, and forced mana into the blade until her hand shook. Sometimes she cut only because not cutting meant dying.

  And through the chaos, the same thought hammered in her head:

  The guilt will never leave. I’ll always remember the good times, our dreams, everything that could have been. I’m sorry, Elias. I just want the easy way out… but I’ll keep going until I’m truly strong—so I can do whatever I want.

  When the last one fell, Sarah stayed on her feet through sheer stubbornness. Her arm throbbed. Her breathing was ragged.

  She walked out of the forest slowly—every step now a choice.

  Yajirushi waited exactly where he said he would, sitting on a rock.

  Sarah tossed a torn claw at his feet.

  “Done.”

  Yajirushi picked it up, looked at the blood, then at her.

  “Thirty-seven minutes… you look wrecked.”

  “Yeah, I noticed.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “And the sword?”

  Sarah glanced at her sword, almost afraid to compliment it.

  “It almost broke. Probably wasn’t the best buy.”

  Yajirushi stared at the blade a second longer than usual.

  “Hm. We’ll get you a better one later. You did great. I’m proud of how much you’ve grown in such a short time.”

  He stood up.

  “Tomorrow we train.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened.

  “You’re trying to kill me?!”

  “Relax. It’ll be simple. A hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, a hundred jumping jacks. Then running. After that, I’ll teach you proper imbuing—because today you did it by brute force, and brute force will break you before the sword does.”

  Sarah made a face but didn’t argue.

  “And while we do that, I’ll teach you a bit about magic.”

  “Really?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “Yay.”