After a long walk, Jotaro and Kira finally arrived at the entrance of the kingdom. The bustle of the city grew louder with every step they took closer. Before them stood two imposing knights, clad in gleaming armor and holding their lances firmly planted against the ground.
A chill ran down Jotaro's spine. For a moment, he felt regret for not hiding his presence more carefully, but even so, he continued forward alongside Kira.
Suddenly, one of the guards raised his lance, blocking their path.
"Halt!" he commanded in a firm voice. "Tell us where you come from… demigod."
Jotaro's heart skipped a beat. He knew the kingdom's guards were trained to sense beings with unusual auras, but being identified so quickly unsettled him.
"I come from a village near the forest," he replied, doing his best to remain calm.
"A village?" the guard repeated, casting a skeptical glance at his companion. "Can you tell us the name of that village?"
"Yes. It's called Lythari."
At the sound of the name, both guards exchanged surprised looks.
"Lythari…?" one of them murmured. "That village is infested with monsters."
Jotaro frowned.
"I grew up there," he said, "and I never saw as many as people claim."
"That's probably because adventurers have been clearing the area," the second guard replied. "The monsters in Lythari are strong and give a lot of experience."
Jotaro nodded silently. He remembered that demigods, even without intending to, could drive away dangerous creatures simply through their presence.
"Are you done already?" Kira cut in impatiently. "We just want to enter."
The guards lowered their lances.
"You may pass."
As they crossed through the gates, Jotaro and Kira were left speechless. It was their first time entering a kingdom. The wide streets, stone buildings, and constant flow of people created an overwhelming atmosphere.
"Hey, Kira… how about we take a walk around the kingdom?" Jotaro suggested, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Sure," she replied with a smile.
As they walked, Jotaro noticed several people staring at them. Some stopped in their tracks; others whispered among themselves.
"Do I have something weird on my face…?" he asked quietly.
"No," Kira replied, "but they're staring at you a lot. I think they've already noticed you're a demigod."
"I don't think it's because of me," Jotaro said. "If it were, someone would already be shouting, 'A demigod!'"
A second later, a voice rang out through the crowd.
"A DEMIGOD!"
The murmur exploded into an uproar. Several people rushed toward them with overflowing excitement.
Kira glanced at him.
"I told you."
Without thinking, Jotaro grabbed her hand and started running.
"Let's get out of here!"
They darted through narrow streets and side paths, dodging people and market stalls, until they finally managed to lose the crowd.
Jotaro bent over, resting his hands on his knees, gasping for air.
"Why do they react like that?"
"Because demigods usually don't live in kingdoms," Kira explained, exhausted as she sat down. "They stay in remote villages."
Jotaro nodded slowly.
"That explains it."
Then he heard a different kind of shouting—charged with excitement. Following the sound, he arrived at a massive stone coliseum.
"It looks like the coliseums from my old world…" he thought.
Inside, two swordsmen were fighting fiercely. Jotaro became completely absorbed, watching the battle until the very end.
When the fight ended, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Are you planning to stay here all day?" Kira asked.
Jotaro let out a small yelp.
"Kira! How long have you been there?"
"Don't give me that! You left me lying on the ground, so I followed you!"
"I'm sorry…"
"And judging by your face, you're only interested in watching men fight in the Arena of the Braves."
"The Arena of the Braves? So that's what it's called…" he murmured, realizing that the arena truly did resemble the coliseums of his world.
The arena was packed. A thunderous roar echoed through the stands as the crowd leaned forward, eager to witness the battle that would decide the kingdom's champion.
Then, a powerful voice boomed across the arena.
"Citizens of the kingdom! The moment you have all been waiting for has arrived!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"On this side of the arena!"
The announcer's voice rose as he gestured toward one end.
"From the side where raw strength crushes everything in its path… Isamu! The swordsman whose presence falls like a relentless sun! The warrior who has overpowered every rival with sheer brute force!"
Isamu stepped forward, his massive sword reflecting the light as the crowd chanted his name.
The announcer then turned to the opposite side.
"And from the shadows, where silence comes before the strike… Ronin! The lone swordsman! The adventurer who dances among blades with agility and precision!"
Ronin remained calm, his gaze fixed on his opponent, holding his two swords with serene focus, as if the roar of the crowd did not exist.
"Let the battle begin!"
Isamu was the first to move. In the blink of an eye, he charged at Ronin, sword raised high. It was a simple, direct attack, loaded with enough power to split a man in two. The steel flashed like lightning as it came crashing down.
But Ronin, as if he had foreseen the move, deflected the blow with near-supernatural speed. With a precise twist of his blade, he redirected the attack and slid to the side, letting Isamu's edge skim past his chest without touching him. In the same motion, he unleashed a quick slash toward his opponent's flank.
Isamu barely had time to react. He blocked the strike with his sword, but Ronin's movement was so fluid that instead of retreating, he absorbed the impact and kept advancing.
Surprised by that speed, Isamu clenched his teeth and intensified his assault. Rapid strikes, vertical and horizontal cuts rained down on Ronin, each one packed with the brutal strength of a man capable of splitting stone in a single blow. Isamu fought without subtlety; every attack aimed to end the battle as quickly as possible.
Ronin, however, moved like a shadow. With a single sword, he evaded the blows with the grace of a dancer, deflecting attacks at the last instant and stepping back just enough to stay out of reach. Every step was calculated, every movement precise, waiting for the perfect moment to counter.
The fight turned into a battle of attrition. Isamu charged again and again with overwhelming force, while Ronin maintained the rhythm, dodging and forcing his opponent to waste energy. Each clash of steel thundered through the arena, drawing gasps from the crowd.
After several exchanges, Isamu began to show signs of exhaustion. His movements were still powerful, but noticeably slower. Sweat soaked his face, and his breathing grew heavy. Ronin, by contrast, remained calm, moving with the same precision and speed as at the start of the fight.
Isamu then unleashed a powerful upward strike, trying to cleave Ronin in two with all his remaining strength. Ronin ducked instantly and, with an agile twist, slipped to his side, exploiting the opening in Isamu's defense. His blade traced a clean arc, leaving a deep gash across Isamu's left side, slicing through the armor.
Isamu growled in pain, his body staggering, but he did not fall. Rage burned in his eyes. Gathering his last strength, he spun violently and unleashed a fast horizontal strike. But exhaustion had caught up with him. The attack was slower than before, and Ronin deflected it easily, delivering a precise slash to Isamu's arm in the same motion.
With a shout of frustration, Isamu made one final attempt and hurled himself at Ronin with everything he had left. Ronin took a single step back and, in a flawless motion, struck downward. His blade cut through the air like a serpent and, with one clean strike, disarmed his opponent.
Isamu's sword flew from his hands and landed far away as he collapsed to his knees on the arena floor. A deep silence fell over the crowd as they witnessed the brute-force swordsman defeated by Ronin's technique and composure.
With absolute calm, Ronin lowered his sword, signaling the end of the fight.
The announcer raised his hand and declared in a firm voice:
"Victory for Ronin!"
The crowd erupted into deafening applause, chanting his name.
"Ronin! Ronin! Ronin!"
The chant echoed throughout the arena as the victor walked away from Isamu, who remained kneeling, defeated but dignified.
Ronin did not smile. His expression remained serious, resolute. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, as if already thinking about the next battle. For him, this was more than just a victory; every fight was a constant test of his skill, and this time he had proven himself the best.
Jotaro and Kira watched from the stands and exchanged glances. They both knew they had just witnessed a display of pure mastery. Jotaro, impressed, murmured:
"That… that was incredible."
Kira nodded, not in surprise, but in genuine respect.
"Yes. Ronin is more than a warrior. He's a master."
Jotaro was so impacted by what he had seen that he felt the urge to buy a sword and learn how to use it. However, Kira stopped him before he made a mistake.
"Don't rush. We don't know if you have talent with a sword or if your abilities lie in another kind of weapon—especially since you're a demigod."
Jotaro agreed.
"You're right. I shouldn't rush just because of that fight."
Before leaving, Kira reminded him of something important.
"Don't forget to hide your ears and tail, Jotaro."
Realizing he had forgotten to conceal his demigod traits, Jotaro quickly recited a spell. His ears and tail vanished instantly, and he felt a deep sense of relief at no longer standing out so obviously.
After running through the streets for a while, they arrived at a small inn. The kind innkeeper offered them a room without asking too many questions.
Once inside, Jotaro went straight to the bathroom, while Kira, exhausted, dropped onto the bed. However, when she noticed there was only one, her face flushed slightly. She glanced toward the bathroom door, then back at the bed, trying to process the situation.
"W-What… there's only one bed?" she murmured softly, confused.
Her thoughts began to spiral.
Wait… if there's only one bed… that means Jotaro and I are going to sleep together.
The thought made her nervous. She leaned back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling, trying to calm herself.
No, no, no… relax. Don't think about it. It's not going to happen… it can't happen, she told herself. Still, just in case, she mentally prepared for the worst—with a shy smile.
When Jotaro finished bathing, he stepped out with one hand near his face, using wind magic to dry himself, completely unaware of the situation unfolding in the room.
"Kira, are you still awake?" he asked from the doorway.
She turned instantly, startled.
"Yes!" she replied quickly, as if caught doing something wrong. "No, I mean—yes, it's fine… I'm going to sleep now."
Jotaro didn't notice anything strange and shrugged as he dried his hair.
"Alright… good night, Kira."
As he finished drying off, he looked around the room more carefully. It was simple, but warm. A small window let in a cool breeze, and the soft glow of moonlight illuminated the space. That was when he noticed it.
There was only one bed.
He froze, scratching the back of his neck.
Huh… looks like I'll be sleeping on the floor, he thought.
He didn't like the idea, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable either. He looked at Kira, already settled in bed, and quickly dismissed any other option.
I don't want her to feel awkward… it's better if I sleep beside her. There's no problem.
He took a deep breath and, after hesitating for a moment, lay down next to her. He didn't have many alternatives.
Jotaro lay on his back, staring at the ceiling in silence. He was far too tired to think much more.
A few seconds passed before he spoke in a whisper.
"Kira… do you remember when we first met?"
She slowly turned toward him.
"When I was nine?" she replied softly.
"Yeah… I helped you get out of that trap in the forest. Then I took you to the temple to keep you safe…"
Kira smiled faintly at the memory. It was one she had always cherished.
"I remember," she said nostalgically. "That night we slept together because there was no other futon. The room was so small we barely fit, right?"
Jotaro let out a small, sleepy laugh.
"Yeah… it was strange. But I still felt good because you were there."
Kira blushed, though the darkness hid her expression.
"I'm glad I was able to help you that day…" Jotaro murmured.
Silence settled over them again. The room, bathed in moonlight, felt calm and warm. No more words were needed.
Jotaro fell asleep quickly. Exhaustion finally claimed him. Kira listened to his steady, peaceful breathing and smiled mischievously.
"You look really cute when you sleep…" she whispered affectionately, inching a little closer to him without being noticed.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, Jotaro woke up early. He tried to get up, but something stopped him. When he looked down, he saw Kira sleeping, resting against his shoulder.
He remained still, not wanting to wake her, and let out a silent sigh.
"Oh…" he murmured softly. "Looks like I'll be here for a while."
He accepted his fate with resignation, knowing his morning would begin far more peacefully than he had expected.