The alley reeked of iron and rot.
Noa crouched once more, blood-soaked and silent, as the spy's breath came in wet, choking stutters. His body trembled violently—no longer in defiance, but reflex. What little life remained was twitching on instinct.
One eye socket was hollow. The other, sealed shut with crusted blood. Teeth lay scattered on the stones like white pebbles, slick with crimson. His tongue was gone—cut clean.
And still, Noa hadn't gotten what he wanted.
"Disappointing," Noa murmured.
The man let out a shriek—raw, gurgling, primal. It scraped against the alley walls like nails on stone, echoing, clawing at the air.
It died out too fast.
"Still had breath for that, huh?" Noa muttered, tilting his head. "Not bad."
He rose slowly, dragging his blade across the man's throat—not to kill, but to open the windpipe. A bubbling gasp followed. The man choked, convulsed—
And then… went still.
A long silence stretched between the two figures in the alley.
Selene stepped forward, her shadow falling over the body. She studied it—expression flat, posture graceful, detached.
Noa wiped the blade against the man's ragged cloak and sighed.
"In the end," he muttered, voice hollow, "we didn't even get the name."
He stared down at the corpse, frowning—not out of remorse, but frustration.
Selene's golden eyes glinted in the darkness.
"He was trained well," she said quietly. "Conditioned to die before speaking too much."
Noa didn't reply. He simply stood there, the air around him still thick with the stench of blood and something colder—something deeper. He rolled his shoulder once. The knife, still warm from the man's flesh, disappeared back into his coat.
Then he looked at Selene.
"I'll find whoever sent him."
His voice wasn't loud. But it was final.
The corpse slumped, lifeless, against the wall—what remained of the man now just torn flesh and silence.
Noa stared at it a moment longer… then turned to Selene with a faint grin, his voice mock-cheerful.
"So, Professor Selene," he said, wiping blood from his cheek with a flick of his wrist. "How was I?"
Selene blinked, then let out a soft, deliberate sigh.
She raised a hand, pushing an invisible pair of spectacles up her nose. Her tone shifted—cool, lecturing, with a hint of theatrical deadpan.
"I give you a B," she declared.
Noa's smile froze. "Wha—only a B?"
"You showed enthusiasm," Selene said, tapping her chin as if grading a paper. "Creativity, even. But…"
She pointed one delicate finger at the mutilated corpse.
"You failed to extract the name of the mastermind. And you let him scream."
"I tried to silence him," Noa protested.
"And failed," she replied smoothly. "If not for my sound-dampening barrier, half the district would be out here with pitchforks."
Noa crossed his arms, pouting theatrically. "You're a harsh teacher."
Selene gave a small shrug. "Torture is an art. You'll improve. I suggest studying the basics again. Lesson one, make them beg before they break."
Noa chuckled under his breath.
He looked down at the body again, then back to Selene.
"Alright then," he said. "Next time, I aim for an A." And the next time… he wouldn't let them die so quickly.
Selene turned away, cloak billowing behind her as she began walking toward the alley's end.
"I expect no less," she said. He's changing Fast.
*****
Far from the blood-soaked silence of the alley, laughter echoed in the sunlit warmth of Velmoria's Adventurer Guild.
The bustling hall of the Velmoria Adventurer Guild hummed with early morning energy. Light spilled through the stained-glass windows, casting colorful patterns on worn wooden tables.
Lina, a short-haired girl in her early twenties, bounced forward with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with youthful enthusiasm.
"Good morning, Takeshi-kun! And good morning to you too Aiko, Riku!" she chirped cheerfully.
"Good morning, Lina." Takeshi replied. "Can we have a B-rank mission, as usual?"
Lina clapped her hands lightly. "Of course! Let me check what's available."
She hurried off toward the mission board, her energy infectious.
Riku stretched, cracking his knuckles. "I'm hoping for something challenging today."
Aiko smiled, adjusting her gear. "As long as it's not too dangerous, I'm in."
Takeshi glanced at them, then back to Lina disappearing among the guild members.
"Same old routine," he muttered. "But sometimes steady is best."
Lina bounced back, holding a parchment from the mission board.
"Here!" she announced, eyes shining with excitement. "A B-rank mission—giant boar subjugation just outside the northern forest. Locals have reported several attacks on travelers and nearby farms."
Takeshi took the parchment, scanning the details quickly.
"Sounds straightforward," he said. "Just a big nuisance beast. Perfect for a steady run."
Riku cracked his knuckles again, grinning. "I'm ready to take it down."
Aiko nodded. "Let's get this done fast."
Lina smiled brightly. "Good luck, heroes! The guild's counting on you."
The three exchanged determined glances, then gathered their gear.
Outside the guild, the morning sun warmed the bustling streets of Velmoria. The mission awaited.
"So, guys," Takeshi said with a confident grin as they packed their gear, "I'm pretty sure after this mission I'll hit level 46. How about you?"
Riku shrugged, stretching his arms. "I just recently hit level 32, so it'll take me a while to catch up."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, but you've got that skill—Berserker, right?"
"Yup," Riku said proudly. "Pretty awesome, isn't it?"
Takeshi chuckled. "Yeah, definitely a game-changer."
Aiko smirked, adjusting the straps on her backpack. "I'm level 35, but honestly… we're pretty far behind compared to you, 'true hero.'"
She mock-sighed dramatically. "We're just some poor heroes struggling to keep up."
The group laughed lightly, the camaraderie easing the tension before the hunt.
Takeshi smiled, a spark of admiration in his eyes. "Oh, speaking of true heroes—Miyu became an apprentice of Saint Seraphina, right?"
Aiko nodded, her expression turning serious. "Yeah. We really need to work harder to keep up with her."
Riku chuckled softly. "Guess we can't afford to slack off anymore."
Takeshi tightened his grip on his sword. "Then let's make sure this mission gets done fast. No slacking today."
Takeshi's smile faltered for a second."Though… I'm glad Miyu moved on after Itsuki's death," he said softly. "She cried for days, remember?"
Aiko's steps slowed. Her gaze dropped to the forest floor, the humor fading from her face.
"Yeah," she murmured. "She barely ate. Barely slept."
Riku scratched the back of his neck, his usual grin gone. "It messed her up. I thought she'd never smile again."
For a moment, silence settled between them—thick with memory.
Then Takeshi let out a breath, pushing forward. "All the more reason to keep going. For her. For him."
Aiko nodded, expression firming again. "Right. We don't get to fall behind."
Riku clenched his fists. "We'll catch up. No matter what it takes."
Takeshi looked away, pretending to check his sword hilt.
She had to move on… right?
Yet even now, a part of him flinched when he saw her smile again—because it meant she no longer cried for Itsuki.
Even now, when she laughed… part of him hated it. Not her. Not really. Just the way it made him feel. Like Itsuki never mattered at all.
***
After a few hours of steady walking through the thick woods, the group finally reached the clearing.
The morning sun filtered through the canopy in scattered golden shafts as the trio stepped into the forest clearing.
There, waiting in the tall grass, stood five giant boars—each the size of a wagon, their tusks curving like sickles and their muscles rippling beneath bristled hide. Steam snorted from their nostrils as they pawed the ground, agitated and aware.
Takeshi raised one hand in silent command, eyes locked on the beasts.
"Five targets. We take them down fast and clean," he said, voice calm but focused. "Riku—left flank. Aiko—right. I'll handle the center three."
Riku gave a sharp nod, cracking his knuckles. "Finally, something big enough to hit back."
Aiko twirled her daggers once, her eyes scanning the terrain. "Don't get reckless. These things don't die easy."
Takeshi drew his two-handed sword from his back in one smooth motion. A faint crimson shimmer began to crawl along its length—the mark of his Fire Affinity.
The boars roared and charged as one.
Takeshi moved first.
He surged forward, feet pounding the earth, the sword in his hands erupting into flame. With a battle cry, he met the lead boar head-on, swinging his blade in a wide arc.
WHAM!
The flaming edge sliced deep into the creature's shoulder. Fire burst across its hide, devouring fur and flesh alike. The beast bellowed in agony and reared back.
But Takeshi didn't slow.
He spun and drove his blade through the beast's throat, the fire intensifying with a crackling roar. The giant boar toppled with a heavy thud, flames licking from its wounds.
Two more charged him from the sides.
"Fireball!" Takeshi commanded, casting the twin flames from his palms.
Twin spheres of flame exploded from his palms and struck the incoming boars square in the snouts. The blasts sent them staggering back, skin scorched and eyes blinded.
Takeshi leapt, landing between them in a spin, slashing one across the flank and narrowly dodging a tusk swipe from the other.
To the left, Riku met his own opponent with brute force.
He ducked under a charging tusk and slammed his fists into the boar's side. The impact rattled the beast, but it wasn't enough.
"Earth Gauntlet—activate!"
His hands shimmered with brown light as stone encased his arms. The earth magic solidified into jagged, heavy gauntlets.
With a feral roar, Riku launched himself upward and brought both fists crashing down on the boar's skull.
CRACK!
The boar's legs buckled, its eyes rolling back. Blood spilled from its ears as it collapsed with a final grunt.
Riku panted, sweat beading on his brow. "One down."
On the right flank, Aiko was all grace and speed.
She weaved between trees and roots, her twin daggers flashing like silver lightning. As the boar lunged at her, she ducked low and sliced across its legs, drawing blood. It shrieked, stumbling forward.
"Too slow," she muttered, then leapt onto its back.
Driving one dagger into the spine, she twisted and stabbed again behind the ear. The beast collapsed mid-charge, dead before it hit the ground.
Back at the center, the final boar—snorting steam and soaked in blood—charged blindly.
But he was faster.
Takeshi raised his sword high. The crimson fire flared brighter than ever.
With a war cry, he brought the blade down in a clean, fiery arc.
SLAASHH!
The boar's head separated from its body with a hiss of vaporized blood. It crashed to the ground, unmoving.
Silence followed.
Only the wind stirred the trees now, carrying away the acrid scent of burning fur and blood.
Riku dusted his hands off, grinning wide. "Tougher than I thought. That was fun."
Aiko sheathed her daggers and wiped her brow. "You call that fun? I nearly broke my ankle dodging that last one."
Takeshi sheathed his sword, exhaling slowly. "Five giant boars, zero injuries. Not bad."
He reached into his coat and pulled out his worn status plate, holding it up as a soft glow spread across its surface.
Status
Name: Takeshi Hoshino
Level: 46
Class: True Hero
Strength: 97
Speed: 56
Agility: 47
Elementa Affinities: Fire | Water | Wind | Light
A satisfied grin crossed his face. "Yup. Leveled up, just like I thought."
Aiko peered over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Hmph. I'm still stuck at 35. Though my speed went up by one—now it's 78."
Riku groaned. "Seriously? I didn't get a damn stat this time. Only thing I've got going for me is triple-digit strength."
Takeshi laughed. "That's all we need from you, Riku. You're basically our battering ram."
Riku flexed with a proud grin.
Aiko rolled her eyes. "Let's just get back before something worse shows up.
Takeshi nodded. "Yeah. Seraphina wants us at the academy tomorrow—early. No teleportation allowed near the perimeter, apparently. Security reasons."
Riku let out a breath, then grinned. "Still… kinda looking forward to it. I mean, an actual academy in this world? Bet it's way different from anything back home."
Aiko's eyes lit up with a spark of curiosity. "Magic classes, swordsmanship drills, enchanted training grounds… I wouldn't mind seeing how they teach combat here."
"Or how strict they are," Takeshi added with a smirk. "Knowing our luck, we'll get roped into some royal demonstration."
They chuckled, the fatigue of battle slowly replaced by a quiet, buzzing anticipation.
The three turned toward the path back to Velmoria, talking lightly about what tomorrow might hold—training halls, strange lessons, new faces.
Their laughter followed them into the trees, lingering as the forest shadows swallowed the clearing behind them.