At night, when the training grounds had finally quieted down, Hikari stood beside Mirai, who had just finished her last session. The breeze was gentle, and the field was immersed in stillness.

  "All right. Training is over for today," Hikari said. Mirai paused, but he added, "There’s something I’d like to test."

  He reached into his bag and pulled out three energy diamonds, handing them to her. "Crush these."

  Though confused, Mirai took the diamonds and crushed them one by one. Hikari stood silently, saying nothing.

  Mirai asked, "Now what? Are we just going to stand here in silence?"

  Hikari replied, "Ah, sorry. I’ve completed the assessment." Then he asked, "When you fought the demon, and also the samurai the first time—those finishing blows were from your real strength, not magic, right?"

  Mirai nodded. "Yes, but why are you asking?"

  "I heard you bought a large number of energy diamonds. Do you plan on using them?"

  "I do. Is there something wrong with that?"

  "Yes. Diamonds restore magical energy, not physical strength."

  "I know that," Mirai replied.

  "Then it means crushing them is useless for you. You don’t possess magical energy. When you crushed the diamonds just now, none of the energy entered your body."

  Mirai stood silently for a moment, thinking. "That does make sense. The energy always goes into my sword." Then, as if something clicked, she asked, "Wait… does that mean energy sensors can’t detect me?"

  Hikari answered, "They can detect your presence, but they won’t pay attention to you. You have no magic. People like you are incredibly rare. No one would expect you to have any real power. Those born without magic rarely risk their lives."

  Mirai murmured to herself, "That’s good. I can use this to my advantage." Then she asked, "Won’t they think I’m hiding my magic?"

  "No. People who hide their magic still emit a normal aura. You were born without any. I told you this because I was afraid you might waste the diamonds, thinking they’d make you stronger."

  Mirai smiled. "Thanks. That’s useful information."

  Then Hikari said, "One last thing. Your swordsmanship and reflexes have surpassed mine. As of now, no one in this city can match you in a sword fight. You could even defeat the Dark Knight on your own. From now on, your training will only be for maintaining your condition."

  Mirai simply replied, "All right then."

  After that final exchange, Hikari and Mirai began walking back to the city. Silence enveloped the journey, each lost in thought. When they reached the outskirts, they parted ways at a fork in the road.

  "I’ll see you tomorrow. Take care tonight," Hikari said.

  Mirai smiled and nodded. "I will. See you."

  **The Next Day**

  While in the training area, Hikari said,

  "By the way, Miss Mirai, I heard that Mr. Saito invited you to join the Monster Hunters’ Squad. Are you interested?"

  Mirai answered flatly, "No."

  Hikari let out a relieved sigh. "Good." Then added, with a serious tone, "I’ll say this just in case—no matter what happens, never agree to join that squad. At least not the one in this city."

  Mirai looked at him curiously. "Is it because their missions are dangerous?"

  "Not exactly. Their missions are dangerous, yes—but for you, they’d be easy."

  Mirai raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Then why?"

  Hikari lowered his voice, as if revealing a secret. "Because they’re terrible at teamwork. They don’t care if their comrades get hurt. There was a time when one of them nearly died, and the others didn’t even blink. Being with them would be worse than you can imagine."

  Mirai stood quietly for a moment, thinking, then said, "Now I’m curious about this squad. Can you tell me more?"

  Hikari sighed before answering, "The squad in this city is made up of four people: an offensive witch, a support mage, a swordsman, and a tank. All of them are ranked S. Of course, every guild in the kingdom has its own squad, and the number of members varies. Each squad protects their city and the surrounding areas."

  Mirai smirked slightly. "You seem to know a lot about them. Pretty accurate, too."

  "Well… that’s because I was—"

  Suddenly, his voice was cut off. Someone had appeared before them without warning. Both Hikari and Mirai turned to see three figures: a tall man with a sword, a heavily-armored brute, and a witch standing beside them.

  Hikari’s face showed clear discomfort, while Mirai remained unbothered.

  The swordsman smiled faintly. "It’s been a while, Hikari."

  Hikari replied coldly, "What are you doing here, Dai? I doubt there’s a monster around."

  Dai smirked. "Don’t be so cold. We used to be a team, remember? We came for you."

  Hikari’s expression hardened. "What do you want from me? I’m not coming back."

  Dai shook his head. "We’re not here to bring you back. Yukari suffered a serious injury. She barely survived. The doctors treated her, but she needs days of rest. We have an urgent mission, and we need your healing magic to bring her back on her feet."

  Hikari stayed composed, but his tone was firm. "I refuse. As long as she’s not dying, it’s not my concern."

  Dai quickly added, "We’re not asking you to heal her for free. We’ll pay whatever you want."

  Those words clearly irritated Hikari. His voice turned sharp. "I don’t want your money. Besides, Yukari doesn’t just need rest from her injury. She’s drained of magical energy. She expends a massive amount of power just to cast a single spell. My healing won’t restore her energy. If she keeps using magic this way, she could die."

  Dai responded coldly, "That doesn’t matter. Yukari asked us to bring you. She’ll use diamonds to restore her energy. So come with us."

  Hikari stood firm. "I won’t. Even if she uses diamonds, they’ll only restore a fraction of the power she needs for her spells."

  At that moment, Mirai was deep in thought, while the witch beside Dai glared with clear impatience. She finally snapped, "Enough. We came and asked nicely. Now you’re coming with us—whether you like it or not."

  Mirai looked at the witch, noticing a murderous glint in her eyes. She wouldn’t hesitate to use force. Calmly, Mirai stepped closer to Hikari and whispered so quietly only he could hear:

  "Heal her. I want to confirm something."

  Hikari lifted his head slowly, eyes filled with hesitation. He stared at Mirai for a moment, as if trying to read the depths of her thoughts, then turned to Dai and said reluctantly,

  "Fine… I’ll heal her. But Miss Mirai is coming with me."

  A faint smile crossed Dai’s face. "Thank you. Let’s go. Yukari’s waiting." Then he turned to the witch, Reza, and commanded, "Teleport us."

  Reza stepped forward, closed her eyes, and began chanting ancient words, her voice echoing like a spell from another era. Moments later, they were transported into a dim hospital room.

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  The scene shifted instantly. Hikari’s expression darkened. Yukari lay on the bed, her body wrapped in bandages and bruises that made it look like she had barely escaped death. Her face was pale, her eyes closed, and her expression blank—a mirror of her fading life.

  A sharp ache pierced Hikari’s chest, but his voice remained steady. "This is impossible… I won’t heal her."

  His tone was resolute, his eyes glowing with refusal. "She’s worse than I expected. She doesn’t need magic right now—she needs rest. Her magical energy is critically low. Trying to use magic might kill her."

  The tension in the room spiked. Jin said, "We came to you because you’re the only one who can heal her instantly."

  Hikari kept his outward composure, but the pressure in his eyes was unmistakable. "You don’t understand the real danger."

  Dai, who had stood still until now, began to grow visibly more aggressive. Unable to hold back his anger, he drew his sword in a flash and held it to Hikari’s neck. The cold steel pressed against his skin, stealing the breath from his chest. Dai’s eyes burned with fury as he spoke in a low, sharp voice:

  "Listen carefully, Hikari. Either you heal her now, or you’ll find out exactly what I’m capable of. This mission is critical—even if Yukari dies, her death could save hundreds of lives. Get that through your head!"

  Rage surged through Hikari’s veins. He couldn’t hide his growing anger.

  While Hikari locked eyes with Dai, Mirai stepped forward slowly, her movements confident and deliberate. Her icy gaze radiated a harsh intent, and her steps held no hesitation—like a predator approaching its prey.

  Dai, still holding his sword close to Hikari’s neck, looked at Mirai with a smirk of defiance.

  "And what exactly do you think *you’re* going to do, little—"

  Before he could finish, a weak voice interrupted him from the bed.

  "Please…"

  Yukari opened her eyes with great effort, moving with painful slowness. Her face was a mirror of everything she’d endured. Her tired eyes met Hikari’s, and she whispered in a nearly lifeless tone:

  "Hikari… please… I need your help… Heal me… I don’t want to stay like this…"

  Hikari looked at her with eyes full of sorrow and sympathy. He knew how much pain she was in, but he couldn’t ignore the danger she faced if she tried to use magic. His voice was firm, unwavering:

  "Yukari, your magical energy is critically low. If you use any magic now, your heart could stop. No one will be able to save you."

  With a broken voice and a desperate tone, Yukari responded:

  "It doesn’t matter. My life isn’t important… We’re here to protect others—even if it costs us our own. I don’t care if I die, as long as it saves lives."

  Her words stirred something deep in Hikari’s heart. He let out a heavy sigh as Dai withdrew his sword and said coldly, "You heard her. Heal her—now."

  Hikari had no choice. With heavy steps, he approached Yukari, his trembling hands reaching toward her frail body. He muttered the words of his healing incantation, and faint glimmers of light began to form around his hands. Slowly, her wounds started to fade, but Hikari’s eyes couldn’t ignore the grim truth—her magical energy was nearly gone. He knew this spell wouldn’t save her completely. It would only buy her a little more time.

  When the healing was done, Hikari stood silently for a moment before stepping back, watching Yukari as she struggled to breathe. Though her wounds had closed, the exhaustion in her eyes betrayed her true condition.

  Yukari slowly sat up in bed, her body fragile despite the superficial recovery. At that moment, Dai turned to Reza with a sharp tone.

  "Teleport us to the northern forest. He’s probably still there."

  Reza gave a quick nod and began chanting softly. The group vanished from the room in an instant, leaving Hikari and Mirai alone.

  Hikari turned to Mirai, puzzled. "What was it you wanted to confirm?"

  Mirai answered with apparent indifference, though a hint of internal irritation slipped through her voice.

  "Nothing. I was just curious about them. Let’s go."

  Despite her cold tone, something was stirring inside her.

  They walked out of the hospital together. After a few moments of silence, Hikari said apologetically, "Sorry, Miss Mirai. I can’t accompany you today."

  Mirai gave him a faint smile. "That’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow."

  They parted ways, each heading in a different direction. As the day slowly faded, shadows crept across the city, and night quietly took its place.

  **Midnight**

  The Monster Hunters' Squad moved through the dense shadows of the northern forest, where thick trees blocked out most of the moonlight, leaving the paths dim and treacherous.

  "That’s it! I’ve had enough!" Reza snapped, wiping the sweat from her brow. "We’ve been walking for ages and haven’t found anything."

  Jin responded dryly, "Stop whining. We could be attacked at any moment—stay alert."

  Yukari spoke in a hoarse voice, "I sensed him a few hours ago. I’m sure he’s nearby."

  Reza groaned. "You’ve said that three times already. Let’s go back and try again tomorrow."

  Dai cut in firmly, "Enough arguing." He turned to Yukari. "Use your detection spell again. This time, expand the range as far as you can."

  Yukari let out a weary sigh. "Fine…"

  She stood still and began to whisper the spell. Pain shot through her body like fire. Blood trickled from her nose, but she forced herself to cast the spell with a wide radius.

  As she finished, she collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, clearly exhausted.

  In a strained voice, she gasped, "There’s… someone… ahead of us."

  Jin’s eyes lit up. "Great! Let’s take him out quick."

  But Yukari, barely able to speak, gave a warning:

  "No… the person ahead… has no magical energy. It’s not the one we’re looking for."

  Dai’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "There’s no way someone without magic would be in a place this dangerous, at this hour. Are you sure he’s not masking his presence?"

  Yukari, barely coherent, replied, "Yes… His body is completely void of magical energy."

  Reza sighed in frustration. "I’m tired of this. Looks like we’re not finding him tonight."

  Jin turned to Dai cautiously. "What do we do, Dai? Head back?"

  But Dai remained uneasy. Something about this didn’t sit right with him. His instincts screamed a warning.

  "No," he said at last. "Let’s check it out first."

  And so, the squad cautiously advanced toward the source of the detection.

  ---

  "What’s going on?! My spells—they’re doing nothing! No… Noooo!"

  "I don’t believe it… She shattered my shields… like they were nothing."

  Jin and Reza never stood a chance. They were taken down with shocking ease, as if they were nothing more than training dummies in the hands of an unstoppable force. That force crushed everything in its path.

  Yukari, having exhausted the last of her magic supporting her team, felt her heartbeat slow—until it finally stopped. She collapsed to the ground, lifeless, like a discarded doll.

  Only Dai remained, kneeling, his body covered in deep, bleeding wounds. He slowly lifted his head, barely able to breathe, and stared at the figure approaching him.

  It was Mirai. She walked calmly toward him, her expression as cold as ice, her crimson eyes glowing in the dark.

  Dai’s voice was weak, filled with disbelief and shock.

  "This… can’t be… We took down a dragon without breaking a sweat… How… how did you defeat us? You don’t even have magic!"

  Mirai stepped forward, her gaze fixed on his broken form with lethal indifference. She stood in front of him and leaned down slightly, whispering in a voice as cold as frost:

  "Don’t compare me to a whimpering pup."

  She raised her head, her eyes burning with an inhuman glow, and added in a deep, chilling voice—something between human and beast:

  "After all… I’m the daughter of the Demon King."

  In a flash, she raised her sword and delivered one final, decisive strike.

  Silence fell. Only Dai’s lifeless body remained, and the heavy air around them filled with a deadly stillness.

  **The Next Morning**

  Hikari woke and left the inn, heading toward the guild.

  The moment he stepped inside, he was met with an unfamiliar quiet. Normally, the place bustled with life—adventurers shouting, laughing, sharing stories. But today, a strange tension filled the air.

  Adventurers gathered in small clusters, whispering anxiously, exchanging glances full of dread. The silence was thick, and something in the atmosphere weighed heavily on everyone present.

  Hikari took a deep breath and made his way toward the corner where Mirai was seated.

  He sat beside her and said, "Good morning, Miss Mirai."

  Then added cautiously, "The guild feels strange today… Do you know what’s going on?"

  Mirai looked at him and answered with detached calm, "The bodies of the Monster Hunters’ Squad were found a few hours ago in the northern forest."

  The words hung in the air for a moment.

  But Hikari showed no visible reaction. His expression remained neutral. Then he said quietly as he sat back, "I expected this. Most likely, they were killed by the very person they were chasing."

  Mirai remained indifferent. In a composed voice, she said, "Let’s not talk about them now. I need to speak with you. I’m leaving the city."

  Hikari was slightly taken aback by her words. He looked down, his eyes heavy with a quiet sorrow. The thought of parting from her so suddenly weighed more than he was ready to bear. An emptiness began to bloom in his chest, the slow realization that he might never find a partner like her again.

  Before Mirai could finish her thought, Hikari suddenly interrupted, speaking with determination:

  "Please… let me come with you!"

  Mirai blinked in surprise. But before she could speak, Hikari continued, voice firm:

  "I promise I won’t be a burden. I’ll do everything I can to be useful."

  She stared at him for a moment, then said, "Oh… sure, I don’t mind if you come."

  A wave of relief washed over Hikari. He hadn’t expected such an easy yes. Grateful for her trust, he smiled brightly.

  "Thank you… really."

  Mirai whispered to herself, "Truth is… I’ve wanted you to come with me from the start."

  Then she stood and said aloud, "I’m heading out now. Pack your things quickly."

  "I’m ready," Hikari said as he stood. "Everything I need is already in my bag. I’ll just stop by the inn to let them know I’m leaving—and inform Mr. Vinal too. Wait for me at the carriage stop, I won’t be long."

  Mirai shook her head. "No, I’ll wait at the city gate. I’d rather walk this time."

  Hikari nodded. "Alright."

  They parted ways after leaving the guild.

  Mirai made her way to the city gate to wait for him.

  Time passed. About half an hour later, Hikari arrived, looking like he’d been through a battle. His clothes were covered in dust, and exhaustion marked his face.

  Mirai eyed him curiously. "You look like you’ve been in a fight. What happened?"

  Hikari let out a tired sigh and answered with a weary smile, "Sorry for the delay. Mr. Vinal grabbed my leg and wouldn’t let go. He begged me to stay until he finished crafting the diamond."

  Mirai replied, "It’s fine. Let’s go now."

  They started walking away from the city. As they walked, Hikari asked,

  "So… where are we going?"

  Mirai answered simply, "Nowhere in particular. I just want to leave the city."

  Hikari raised an eyebrow. "Really? Um… alright."

  Then, with slight hesitation, he added, "Is there anywhere you’d like to go? I don’t mind heading wherever."

  Mirai answered casually, "No, I’m fine with anywhere."

  Hikari chuckled lightly and said with a playful tone, "Honestly, that’s exactly what I wanted. I left my village to explore the world, but for some reason, I got stuck in this city for too long. It’ll be great to travel with no destination—see new places, visit towns and villages we’ve never seen. Maybe even try some new food!"

  Seeing the excitement in his eyes, Mirai smiled softly to herself. *He’s like a kid stepping out of the house for the first time.*

  Then Hikari spoke with a more serious tone, "Of course, I know the dangers we’ll face. I won’t let my guard down."

  And so, they walked together—out of the city, with no map, no fixed plans—only the shared desire to explore the unknown and experience a world that neither of them had yet seen.

  (End of Chapter)

  Thank you to everyone who has given this story a moment of your time.Whether you’ve read, reacted, or simply passed by, your presence means more than you know—it fuels my passion to keep writing.

  I want to let you know that starting today, I’ll be publishing one chapter per day until Chapter 11.

  After Chapter 11, the release schedule will shift to one chapter per week.

  The reason is simple:Volume One is already complete and spans over 115,000 words. I’m currently working through the first quarter of Volume Two, and transitioning to a weekly schedule will help me maintain a steady pace, preserve quality, and stay ahead without delays.

  This rhythm allows each chapter to be shaped with care—giving the story the time and attention it deserves.I want every moment you read to feel alive: rich with emotion, meaning, and the kind of detail that brings this world to life.

  Once again, thank you.This isn’t just a story I’m telling—it’s a journey we’re sharing.