Part 2
"Hyaaaa!"
Miharu's shouts echoed through the training hall, bouncing between the stone columns and rune-reinforced walls.
Her breathing was heavy, her body moving swiftly as she unleashed a flurry of blows.
In front of her, a fire elf with reddish hair and blazing eyes countered each attack with equal energy… without ever losing her smile.
"Not bad," the elf remarked, deflecting a punch with grace. "You've improved a lot these past few days."
Miharu stepped back, shaking her sore hands.
"Heh… you don't say. Looks like fire elves really love throwing punches."
The elf shrugged, still on guard.
"Well, it's not every day you get to spar with a hero. It'd be a waste not to take advantage of it, wouldn't you agree?"
Miharu smiled—winded but happy.
"Don't treat me with so much reverence. I'm just another student here."
The elf lowered her arms and looked at her intently.
"You may be a hero… but you're also a fighter. As your instructor, it's my duty to train you properly."
Without warning, Eleonor spun on her heel and delivered a powerful strike to Miharu, sending her crashing into the dojo wall, leaving a small crack in her wake.
"Maybe I overdid it a little," the elf said, lowering her stance. "Are you okay?"
Miharu calmly got to her feet, brushing off the dust.
A thin trickle of blood ran down from the corner of her lips, but her smile remained steady.
"It's fine. I don't like people holding back… though in your case, I know you're still going easy on me, Eleonor-sensei."
The elf smiled proudly.
Her breathing was steady but strong. Beads of sweat ran down her bronzed, toned skin—built from years of strict discipline.
"That's the spirit. I can see a strong flame burning inside you. For a human… you're pretty determined. Now I see I wasn't wrong to take you in as my student."
"Yes, sensei! Let's keep going!"
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Virtus Combat Academy, in one of the empty classrooms, Hayato Aizawa—the Hero of Wisdom—stood before a massive chalkboard covered in arcane equations.
He was completely absorbed, drawing lines with chalk, trying to translate magical formulas into mathematical logic.
A piece of chalk smacked him in the head, snapping him out of his trance.
"That's wrong…" said a lazy voice from the back of the room.
Hayato turned around with annoyance.
"Tch… Could you explain where I'm wrong, instead of throwing things at me?"
"Nah… I like teaching this way. If you don't like it, there's the door," replied the man, slouched in a chair with blatant disrespect.
"Grrr! What an insufferable jerk!"
Paf! Another chalk piece hit him.
"Maybe you were a brainiac in your world, kid… but here, you're just another arrogant brat."
Hayato clenched his teeth while the guy casually picked wax from his ear… and flicked it at him with utter disdain.
"I can't believe you're actually a professor…" he muttered, crouching to pick up the chalk.
"Please… I'm Gary Newman. The best mage this world has ever seen. And you can't even draw a magic circle without twisting your wrist."
Hayato took a deep breath.
"Why me…?"
Far from there, on the outskirts of campus, Kouya Arisato—the so-called "Hero of Leadership"—was doing the exact opposite of his classmates… Nothing.
Lying beneath the shade of a tree, arms behind his head, he breathed in sync with the breeze.
Beside him, two noble girls—both blonde, both dressed with the pomp befitting the upper class—sat as if it were just another picnic day.
"I can't believe there are only two weeks left before classes start," one of them sighed, stretching like a bored flower.
"I know, right? I can't wait to begin!" said the other, brimming with excitement.
Kouya squinted lazily, unmoving.
"I just want to live in peace..."
The girls laughed, as if it were the cutest joke.
"Don't worry, Hero-sama," one said in a sweet tone. "We'll make sure you want for nothing."
Kouya closed his eyes as the wind blew gently, and—for now—the world demanded nothing of him.
From atop the academy's main building, a woman watched the scene in silence.
Hair black as ink.
A long blue dress. A staff in hand.
A smile full of secrets.
"So these are the new heroes…" she murmured in a neutral tone. "Not very impressive, honestly."
She sighed, disappointed.
"Mizuki would be ashamed of such a… soft generation."
"But oh well. Not my problem anymore."
She lifted her staff with elegance. A dark portal opened before her, rippling like a lake under moonlight.
"First, the healer."
"Then... the only one who actually intrigues me."
Her lips curled into a different kind of smile.
"The bearer of Lunaris Edge."
And just like that, without anyone sensing her presence, the woman stepped through the portal—vanishing like a shadow too elusive even for the wind to follow.
Meanwhile, the bearer of Lunaris Edge was still walking through the dense Mareen Forest.
"Look, look! There's the exit!" Seri shouted excitedly, pointing between the treetops.
The foliage gave way to a wide clearing, covered in flowers and lush green grass. In the distance, a trail marked by wagon wheels led the way to the city.
"If we follow that path, we'll reach Aldoria by tomorrow," Eve reported calmly.
Ayame stopped in place.
Her legs trembled.
She didn't want to leave the forest.
"Is something wrong, Ayame?" Kaito asked gently, noticing she hadn't moved.
"If I leave here... I won't be safe anymore. I can hide here. No one looks at me weird."
Seri and Eve exchanged a silent glance. They understood immediately.
Kaito stepped closer and offered a gentle smile.
"I can't promise everything will be okay but I can promise I'll do everything I can to protect you."
"Yeah! We're basically a family now, right?!" Seri chimed in, fist raised.
"The master may be a hopeless pervert, and Seri might have below-average intelligence…" Eve added, "but you can count on us."
They both looked at her seriously. Eve simply blinked.
Ayame glanced back at the forest. For a moment, she thought she saw Lady Kaori among the trees, smiling gently at her.
"Live your own adventure, Ayame..."
The words echoed in her heart.
"I promised Lady Kaori I'd grow stronger... and earn the right to have pink hair."
Her eyes shimmered.
A tear fell—but not out of fear.
She took a step forward.
Then another.
"Yes. You're my family now. I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to be strong. Like my teacher."
Kaito extended his hand.
"Let's go on our adventure."
"To a brilliant future," Seri joined in.
"And more pantyhose to behold," Eve added, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ayame let out a soft, knowing laugh.
"Thank you… all of you."
She took their hands.
And just like that, she left the forest behind—along with her fear.
Walking forward, at last, to become the kitsune she had always dreamed of being.