After updating his status, Keyaru didn't waste the rest of the evening. He left the abandoned church on South Main and headed toward the bustling district.
Lili only needed to think about seizing her future.
As Keyaru—the Healer, the so-called legendary Hero of Healing—he had a lot more on his plate. First up: the Soma Familia problem.
Is the Soma Familia strong? In Orario they're bottom-tier at best. But for him right now, even a few Level 2s from that lot were opponents he had zero chance of beating one-on-one.
"If you want something,"
"you have to pay something."
After cutting through Orario's lively night streets, he set a clear course for the group dorm where the Takemikazuchi Familia lived.
His finances had eased a bit. For the god of war Takemikazuchi and Mikoto—who'd helped him as a rookie—he needed to return the favor, at least socially. His gift wasn't expensive, just fresh fruit from a street stall—sincerity first, everything else second.
Besides, he had his own plan for visiting Mikoto Yamato: join the Takemikazuchi party for Dungeon runs.
Compared to going solo, teaming up would boost returns, expose him to stronger foes deeper down, and force growth—in both technique and raw stats. Plus, he'd have opportunities to use Imitation and Looting.
"Time isn't as plentiful as I'd like…"
"Hestia's been in Orario three months; there isn't much time left before the white-haired, red-eyed rabbit shows up. The Black Dragon subjugation quest… at most two years."
Set aside the long game for now. If he really wanted to be the one seized by the future, the urgent task was spiking his strength fast.
Talent alone? Whether it was the "airhead elf" or the Sword Princess—top talents in Orario both—they got where they were with years of sweat.
Even if his "vessel" could match theirs, it wouldn't be enough at this pace. He'd have to quietly use Looting and Imitation to maximize gains.
…
Back at the dorm, Keyaru didn't hesitate. As soon as he stepped into the yard he saw the long-black-haired beauty drilling by herself, sweat from effort and grind glinting in the faint light. Every full-force swing sent her high ponytail swaying.
When his footsteps drew near, Mikoto finished her form and turned, face calm—surprise flashing for a second before brightening into delight. "Looks like your Dungeon dives these last two days went all right. If you'd stayed gone any longer, I was going to assume you died down there."
She didn't wait for his answer—she tossed him a second wooden practice sword.
"Solo drills are boring. Spar?"
"No complaint here."
Truthfully, he was curious too. After these dives and his across-the-board stat gains, how far was he now from a Level 2 like Mikoto?
"How about you set the fruit somewhere first? You and your Familia really helped me the last few days. I can't afford anything fancy, so consider it a small token."
"…You even do that," she said with a tiny shake of her head. It felt unnecessary to her, but she didn't refuse and accepted the gift. Drawing slow breaths, she readied herself—genuinely excited for the spar.
Training with Kashima Ouka wasn't doing much anymore; they'd grown up in the same orphanage and knew each other's styles too well. With Keyaru, she could feel improvement during a match.
"Full power?"
"Okay."
Keyaru nodded seriously. His mind and stamina were both at a peak. They could split the session into two phases: first, pure fundamentals at current stats; then, with Transformation active, see how far he could push a fight with a Level 2.
He gripped the wooden sword in both hands. "Sword feel" honed by repetition didn't vanish just because the weapon changed—in fact he adjusted almost instantly.
"Then… I'll start!"
—
When you first become an adventurer, early Dungeon runs pop your stats up fast. Mikoto had lived that too. Hitting average H-tier in such a short time counted as serious talent in her book.
Having sparred with Keyaru, she knew his blade work—and how iron his body had become. She'd budgeted him as G-tier at best. But once they crossed swords, the pressure he exerted surprised her.
"That speed…"
"And that strength—can a new adventurer really hit this level?!"
Sharpened by real combat, Keyaru's sword grew even harsher—precise at catching the inevitable openings after each strike. Mikoto didn't charge recklessly; she tested with counters out of guard.
And quickly found the problem:
Keyaru's fundamentals were taught by Lord Takemikazuchi; his live-combat cues had been taught by her. Their styles were too similar.
Same teacher, same answers—nothing to break with.
The attacks she was best at, he knew as well. And the holes she'd found before? He'd patched them through repeated fights.
"What a… monster."
As a Level 2, she still held initiative off the raw stat gap. Even in a deadlock, she could rely on stamina to drag him to a mistake.
But there was no point continuing this way.
She had to admit: in sword craft, Keyaru had pulled ahead; what he lacked now was time-built experience—and ever-rising stats.
"Our live styles are too similar. I could lean on stamina and wait for your opening, but what's the point of a win like that?"
She broke off and widened the gap, frank as ever—only by recognizing your shortcomings do you find the direction to improve. No doubt about it: Keyaru's grit was something she needed to learn.
"If you really want a spar that pays dividends, fight Kashima Ouka. His style is totally different—you'd get a lot more out of it."
Against monsters, you find the weak point and the opening, and Keyaru could lock a win quickly. It didn't give him that clash-of-steel satisfaction he found trading forms with Mikoto.
"Ending it here?"
"How else do you want to spar?"
Hearing the regret in his tone, she frowned slightly. It had been hard enough to find a proper whetstone; of course he didn't want to waste it. He smiled, but his voice was dead serious.
"How about an anything-goes spar?"