Since Eran told us to prepare for the mission, I cornered Ryoshi the next morning, my curiosity burning. "What's this mountain den thing about?" I asked, kicking a pebble across the training ground. She frowned, her dark hair catching the sunlight, and shook her head. "I don't know much," she admitted, her voice soft but steady. "Eran says we have to go on that exact date—something about the den gates only opening once every ten years." I opened my mouth to ask why, but she kept going, her eyes lighting up. "He told me there are magical weapons hidden inside, ones that can help us fight demons." That shut me up. Demons—those monsters that stole my parents—were all I could think about. I didn't care what it took; if those weapons could help me hunt them down, I was in.
I nodded, my jaw tight, and didn't press her further.The next day at training, I saw things that made my stomach drop. Akriya wasn't just messing with plants like his tree prank—he could sense every movement around him, his red eyes glinting as he dodged a thrown rock without even looking.
That was nothing compared to Ryoshi. She stepped into the sparring ring, and the air around her shimmered, slowing everything in a wide circle—dust hung mid-fall, leaves froze in the breeze—while she moved like a blur, her speed doubled. She was only 13, same as me, but she'd already mastered a dozen weapons: daggers, staffs, even a bow she pulled from the ground like it was nothing. I gripped my own hands, feeling the paper magic hum under my skin, and swallowed hard. I felt so small, so weak, next to them.
Days passed in a blur of sweat and sore muscles, the mission date creeping closer like a storm on the horizon. One morning, Eran gathered us on the training ground, his voice gruff. "One-on-one battles today," he said, arms crossed. "I need to see if you're worthy of the mission."
My heart sank—first up was me against Akriya. I was nervous, a cold sweat prickling my neck, and yeah, a little scared. But I trusted my training, my techniques. I'd been practicing every night, folding my hands into paper blades until they moved like a part of me. I could do this.
The battle started fast. I lunged, my arms shimmering as they flattened into paper blades, sharp and white, slashing at Akriya with quick, slicing arcs. He smirked, red eyes glinting, and raised a hand—trees sprouted around him, their branches weaving into a thick shield, blocking every strike with a dull thud. Vines erupted from the ground, snaking toward me, their tips sharp as needles. I darted back, my speed kicking in, and sliced through them with my hand-turned-sword, the vines falling in shredded heaps. I thought I had him—until a tree shot up right under my feet, its trunk aiming for my leg. I'd seen him pull that trick before, so I jumped back just in time, my heart pounding. For a surprise attack, I scrambled up the tree, using its branches like a ladder, my paper blades digging in for grip.I forgot one thing in my rush—Akriya could sense everything. Spiky vines sprouted from the tree, lashing at me like whips, their thorns glinting. I dodged, twisting mid-air, and slashed them apart, but Akriya upped his game. More spikes came faster, too many to track, and one grazed my arm, then another sliced my thigh. Hot pain flared, blood trickling down my leg, but I gritted my teeth. I wasn't losing—not to him, not to anyone. I had a technique I'd been saving, one I didn't want to use in a normal fight, but I had no choice.
I couldn't lose."Art of Dispersion!" I shouted, my body shimmering as it broke apart into a thousand paper shards, scattering into the sky like a flock of white birds. I could only hold it for five seconds—five heartbeats to make it count. I reappeared behind Akriya, the shards snapping back into my form, my hand already a paper sword aimed at his back. I swung, so close to winning—but I froze. Vines wrapped my arms, my legs, pinning me in place, their grip tight as iron. Akriya turned, smirking. "Captured," he said, his voice smug. I gaped, shock icing my veins. "How? Why?" I stammered, my mind a mess. He laughed, red eyes gleaming. "I can sense everything around me—always."My head spun, my chest heaving. I didn't want to lose—not to him, not after everything. The thought of failing, of being too weak to hunt demons, clawed at me.
Eran's voice cut through the haze. "How'd you split your body like that?" he asked, stepping closer, his tone sharp with interest. "That's a damn good technique." I blinked, still tangled in vines, and managed a shaky reply. "I… I learned it from my father." The words stung, a fresh wave of grief hitting me, but I stood a little taller, even as Akriya's vines finally let me go.
I barely had time to catch my breath, still stinging from my loss, when Eran called akriya are you tired or you can fight with ryoshi. He replies i am not a bit tired it is like normal training. I am feeling hell with his every words but then eran toldthe next fight
. "Ryoshi versus Akriya," he said, his voice cutting through the murmurs on the training ground. I shuffled to the side, my arm throbbing where Akriya's spikes had grazed me, and watched as the two stepped into the ring. Ryoshi's calm, steady gaze locked onto Akriya, her dark hair tied back, a wooden staff gripped loosely in her hands. Akriya cracked his knuckles, his red eyes glinting with that same smug confidence he'd used against me. My stomach twisted—I wanted to see him taken down, but Ryoshi… could she really handle him?The fight exploded into motion. Akriya struck first, slamming his foot into the dirt—vines shot up like spears, their tips gleaming with thorns, aiming straight for Ryoshi. She didn't flinch. The air around her shimmered, a faint ripple spreading out, and time itself seemed to slow. The vines crawled forward at a snail's pace, their tips frozen mid-strike, while Ryoshi moved like a gust of wind, her staff spinning in her hands. She smashed through the vines with a single swing, the wood cracking them apart like glass, and charged Akriya, her speed a blur I could barely follow. He smirked, sensing her every step, and raised a hand—trees erupted around him, their branches weaving into a dome, shielding him from her attack.Ryoshi skidded to a stop, her time bubble fading, and the world snapped back to normal speed. Leaves rained down as Akriya's dome tightened, the branches creaking like a living cage. "You'll have to do better than that," he taunted, his voice muffled but sharp. I clenched my fists—his cockiness made my blood boil. Ryoshi's eyes narrowed, and she swapped her staff for a pair of daggers from her belt, their blades glinting in the sunlight. She darted around the dome, her movements precise, testing for an opening. Akriya laughed, and the ground beneath her rumbled—spiky roots burst up, aiming for her legs, but she was ready. She leaped, twisting mid-air, and threw one dagger—it sliced through a root like butter, pinning it to the ground.I held my breath, my heart pounding. Ryoshi landed lightly, her time power shimmering again. The roots slowed, their spikes inching toward her, but she was already gone, moving faster than I'd ever seen. She slashed at the dome with her remaining dagger, carving through branches with surgical precision, wood chips flying like confetti. Akriya's smirk faltered—I could see it through the gaps—but he wasn't done. Vines lashed out from the dome's core, faster this time, their thorns longer and sharper, aiming for her back. She sensed them somehow, spinning just in time, but one grazed her shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. She didn't even wince."You're fast," Akriya called, his voice tighter now, "but I can feel every move you make!" He thrust both hands down, and the ground erupted—trees shot up in a circle around Ryoshi, their branches snapping shut like a trap, caging her in. My chest tightened—she was stuck, just like I'd been. But Ryoshi didn't panic. She dropped her dagger, pulled a short bow from her back, and nocked an arrow in one fluid motion. Her time bubble flared brighter than before, slowing the branches to a crawl, giving her a split second to aim. The arrow flew, glowing faintly with her magic, and pierced straight through the dome's heart, right where Akriya stood.A sharp crack echoed as the dome shattered, branches falling in a heap. Akriya stumbled back, the arrow grazing his cheek, a thin red line blooming on his skin. He froze, red eyes wide, as Ryoshi stepped forward, her bow still raised, another arrow ready. "Yield," she said, her voice cold and steady. Akriya's jaw tightened, but he raised his hands, vines retreating into the ground. "Fine," he muttered, wiping the blood from his cheek. The training ground went silent, then Eran clapped once, his gruff voice breaking the tension. "Good. Ryoshi wins."
I stared, my mouth dry. Ryoshi's power, her precision—it was unreal. She was 13, just like me, but she fought like a warrior born for it. I glanced at my hands, the paper magic humming faintly under my skin, and felt that same ache I'd felt before. I wasn't enough—not yet. But watching her, I knew one thing: I had to get stronger, no matter what.
Just as the tension from Ryoshi's victory settled, a sharp voice cut through the air. We all turned as Offlia rushed onto the training ground, her expression grim.
'Eran,' she said, breathless. 'Sunshine Academy… it's been destroyed by demons. They need our help.'
A heavy silence fell. Even Eran, always composed, seemed unsettled. He exchanged a glance with Offlia before motioning for a private conversation. Moments later, he turned to us. 'Get ready. We leave tomorrow.'
For the first time, I saw Eran look… nervous