A cool breeze gently blew as Emi and Alex walked down the path that led to a small nearby village, the mountains still veiled in mist in the distance. It had been a long journey, and though their mission was important, Emi couldn't help but let her thoughts drift toward something much simpler—and much more tempting: food. Somehow, she always managed to rope Alex into solving her culinary cravings, and this time was no different.
"Alex!" Emi called out, her voice playful as she looked ahead toward the horizon. "How about we stop here for a bit so you can cook something? I'm starving!"
Alex sighed, not out of true annoyance, but more from habit than anything else.
"Again?" he asked, glancing at her with mild resignation. But of course, he didn't argue. He knew full well that when Emi asked for something, he would end up doing it—one way or another.
"Fine. But only because we're not in a hurry."
Emi jumped with joy and ran toward the nearby river, already imagining the delicious food Alex would prepare for her. Meanwhile, Alex knelt down by the riverbank, summoning a sturdy wooden fishing rod with his magic. The soft light of dusk reflected on the water's surface, creating a calm atmosphere that sharply contrasted the usual chaos of their adventures.
But just as he was focusing, a soft rustle from the brush behind him caught his attention.
Alex turned his head slowly, only to be greeted by an unexpected sight: Emi, grinning mischievously, was undressing and slipping into a bright turquoise swimsuit.
Alex couldn't help but blush slightly, quickly averting his gaze in an attempt to refocus on the river—but not before catching a bit too much of the scene.
Apparently, Emi wasn't the slightest bit bothered by the situation.
"Are you going to fish while I take a bath, Alex?" she asked, completely unabashed. She waded into the water, letting the gentle ripples surround her as she relaxed on a nearby rock.
Alex, on the other hand, was clearly uncomfortable. His face flushed a deeper shade of red, and although he tried to calm himself, the image of Emi enjoying the water in that swimsuit etched itself into his mind. He tried to ignore it, but the thought lingered.
Still, his focus didn't last long.
The wind suddenly shifted, growing restless, and Alex tensed up as he heard the river water begin to churn. In a blink, he saw the surface rise and twist, as though something massive was emerging from the depths. The colossal shadow rose with alarming speed, and before he could react, the aquatic creature revealed itself.
It was a monstrous being—scaly, massive, and with eyes that glowed with a sickly light. Its greenish skin shimmered oddly, and its gaping maw revealed countless razor-sharp teeth. Enormous tentacles, each thicker than a tree trunk, began snaking through the air—straight toward Emi, who still hadn't noticed the danger.
"Emi!!" Alex shouted, panicked, rushing toward her.
But the creature was faster.
One massive tentacle surged forward, aiming directly at her. The beast looked ready to crush her—but Emi, in her usual fearless fashion, finally realized what was happening. She didn't flinch.
With calm confidence, she raised one hand, gathering radiant energy in her palm.
"Don't worry!" she called out, locking eyes with the creature. "Just another oversized fish!"
The tentacle crashed down—but Emi let out a shout and released a wave of light that struck the beast head-on. The pure, blinding blast—like sunlight captured in her palm—pierced through the tentacle, disintegrating its scales in a dazzling explosion. The creature howled in pain, staggering, but it wasn't finished.
Emi didn't waste a second.
Taking a bold step forward, she extended both hands toward the monster and focused even more power.
The air around her began to tremble.
Then—she unleashed it.
A second, even more intense explosion of light burst forth, aimed directly at the monster's core. The beam concentrated into a single point—an invisible spear that pierced deep into the creature's chest.
The beast writhed violently, its tentacles flailing in the air as it struggled to resist—but the beam didn't stop.
A deafening roar of agony echoed through the forest… and at last, with one final spasm, the massive creature collapsed into the river, sinking rapidly as the light continued to burn at the place it once stood.
Alex, who had watched the entire battle from the shore, couldn't hide his awe and disbelief.
Emi, having obliterated the creature with ease, looked just as carefree as ever—like it had been nothing more than warm-up training. The air calmed. Silence returned.
The river water, once turbulent, began to settle again.
With a triumphant smile, Emi turned toward Alex.
"Well, that was faster than I expected!" she cheered, no sign of exhaustion on her face.
"Did you see that, Alex? I disintegrated it in the blink of an eye!"
Alex sighed—relieved she was safe, yet still stunned by how effortlessly she handled such a powerful threat.
He had always known Emi was strong, but seeing it firsthand never failed to surprise him.
"You did good, Emi…" he murmured, managing a small smile.
Even though he often tried to keep his distance, he couldn't help but feel proud of her—though he'd never say that out loud.
Emi waded back to shore, grinning ear to ear as she shook the water off her hands.
Her swimsuit was now torn in a few places from the battle, but she still looked as impressive as ever—as if nothing could diminish her presence.
In fact, Alex found himself thinking that even with a tattered swimsuit, she looked better than most girls he had ever met.
"That was awesome! See? No big deal!" she said, plopping down on a nearby rock.
"And you, Alex, just stood there as always. Want me to give you a combat lesson too?"
Alex gave her a cautious look, slightly unnerved by how much she enjoyed the danger.
Still, he turned back to cooking—choosing, as always, to focus on the fire rather than her antics.
Despite not wanting to get caught up in her whirlwind of chaos, he had to admit… being around Emi brought him a strange kind of peace.
Not from the madness—but from her.
As the monster's meat began to roast over the fire, Emi settled beside him, her eyes fixed on the slowly browning flesh.
"You have to try it, Alex!" she said excitedly, biting into a chunk of meat.
"It's delicious! And it's all thanks to your fishing, of course—don't forget that!"
Alex smirked slightly, staying quiet as he focused on the food.
The air had calmed once more, but the memory of the fierce battle lingered.
In the end, things were back to normal—or at least Emi's version of normal.
A life where danger was routine, and even the deadliest encounters ended with laughter and lunch.