Great Jura Forest – Just Before Sunset
Sunlight timidly filtered through the dense foliage, reflecting off the nearby pond in golden ripples that shimmered on the water's surface. The air was warm, thick with the scent of wild herbs and the moist richness of the forest floor.
It was a rare moment of serenity—only birdsong and the flutter of a passing bee could be heard.
Akira sat on a slanted tree trunk, hands clasped before him, back leaned against the bark. He watched the scenery in silence.
His eyes weren't focused on anything in particular. He was looking… but not seeing.
"Ara~ What a poetic scene. I never took you for the type to appreciate nature, Akira-san."
The voice belonged to Kurumi, accompanied by the light sound of her steps through the grass. She sat beside him, swinging her knees back and forth casually.
"I'm not one to appreciate it," he replied in a hushed tone. "But I do notice when it's rare."
"Hmm… that makes sense."
In the background, the usual commotion of Tabane echoed as she ran toward them, carrying a wooden tray with a steaming bowl on top.
"Akiiira~! Sui and I made something special for you! Try it! And don't you dare pretend to be busy meditating!"
Sui, sitting by the pond, gave a small nod. The water curled around her fingers as if responding to her thoughts. She glanced up with a gentle smile.
"He asked me to test the temperature of the broth… with my hands. I'm not sure if that's legal in some cultures."
Akira chuckled softly, taking the bowl from Tabane.
"As long as it's not toxic, I owe you both."
Yukihime approached quietly, gracefully sitting on a nearby rock, her golden hair cascading over her shoulder like a royal veil.
"The smell of this soup... reminds me of something a woman I once knew used to make."
She looked at him with soft violet eyes and added,
"Though clearly, Tabane's touch is far less merciful."
"Oh, so you mean her cooking kills?" asked Asuna, who was cleaning her sword beside a tree trunk. She smiled. "I admire her confidence, though."
"At least I'm trying!" Tabane puffed her cheeks in protest. "You guys are just boring eaters with no imagination!"
Everyone laughed lightly—even Akira, who seemed to forget, if only for a moment, what awaited him.
But the moment didn't last.
Suddenly… his breathing changed.
His chest rose and fell unnaturally. His hands trembled as if he had touched a live wire.
"...Akira?"
Sui stood up quickly and rushed to him.
But Akira didn't respond.
Everything inside him was burning. No… it wasn't just burning. It was tearing apart slowly.
His body was rejecting something… or accepting it against his will.
[ Notice: Individual Nifuji Akira is undergoing evolution. ]
The Voice of the World echoed inside his head. He had expected this—just not now, not this soon, not right after arriving in the Tensura World.
"Damn it… damn it!"
"What's going on? Akira?!" Kurumi tried to approach, but a wave of energy pushed her back instinctively.
Boom
An explosion of pure magical power erupted from Akira, destroying everything around him in a 50-meter radius.
Everyone was sent flying.
"I can't stop it…" Akira muttered in panic.
Evolving now, in this place, was a major problem. It wasn't impossible that one of his companions could die because of it.
In his current state, the only thing Akira could do was use World Map to escape.
He couldn't move, and there was an overwhelming urge… to sleep.
"No need to worry… I just have to go for a bit, I'll be back later."
Though it was hard to stay conscious, Akira forced himself to speak—to at least explain, so they wouldn't worry.
A pale blue light enveloped him, as if he were dissolving into the air.
And then… he vanished.
_
Yukihime gracefully brushed dust off the edge of her robe, her eyes still fixed on the spot where the light had disappeared.
"That wasn't a decision… He left because something pulled him away, whether he wanted it or not."
By the pond, Sui watched the reflection of the trees in the water as she gently traced the surface with her fingers.
"That energy… it was unstable. He was struggling till the very end just to keep us from worrying."
Kurumi twirled a strand of her purple hair around her finger, her lips trembling into a small smile.
"And somehow… he succeeded. Even while falling apart in front of us, he found the time to reassure us."
Tabane bent down to pick up the spoon that had flown off. She inspected it like she was looking for scratches.
"He really did dodge tasting the soup... Forced or not, I'll keep a bowl for him when he returns—just to be sure."
She giggled softly, then murmured—
"But he… will come back, right?"
As the forest leaves settled again into silence, Asuna ran her hand over her sword's hilt, moving it just enough to hear it scrape.
"He's not the kind to vanish forever.
He left a mark too strong to be erased just like that."
This wasn't a farewell.
It was just… a pause.
One that left behind a burning imprint in their hearts, and a faint glow still floating in the air.
...
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