At dusk, Haruto had just returned home when he found Keijy waiting in the living room. Beside her sat her familiar archery gear and her cherished violin.
– "Didn't you go to the club this afternoon?" – Haruto asked, puzzled.
– "I didn't bring my bow."
– "You could have borrowed one from the school."
Keijy sighed softly, her eyes glancing over her belongings: "I'm not in the habit of using other people's gear. It just doesn't feel right in my hands."
Seeing her luggage neatly packed, Haruto sensed something was up: "Are you... going somewhere?"
– "I found a place to stay. Thank you for letting me crash here these past few days."
Haruto, who was mid-sip of water, suddenly choked. He hurriedly set the glass down, his face unable to hide his astonishment: "That fast? Where is it?"
Keijy stood up, slowly walking toward the door, her silhouette stretching long under the hallway light: "I'll introduce the place to you and Fushima tomorrow evening. See you then."
With that, Keijy vanished into the silent night, leaving Haruto bewildered with a dozen unanswered questions.
The next morning, Haruto was jolted awake by a persistent doorbell. Thinking his parents had returned early from their business trip, he scrambled down the stairs, still half-asleep. But as the door swung open, his face froze. It wasn't his parents; it was Keijy and Fushima standing there, arms crossed and waiting.
– "You two... what are you doing here so early?" – Haruto stammered.
Keijy raised an eyebrow, a subtle, cryptic smile tugging at her lips: "We're here to drag you out, obviously."
Fushima burst into laughter, reaching out to ruffle his goofy friend's hair: "Haruto, don't tell me you forgot today is Sports Day?"
Haruto went rigid. That's right! He dashed back upstairs at lightning speed. Keijy and Fushima could only exchange sighs. A few minutes later, Haruto reappeared in his formal uniform, a gleaming silver sword strapped to his hip.
– "You're registered for fencing?" – Keijy asked, surprised, glancing at the blade.
– "Yeah, it's my greatest passion, after all." – Haruto smiled radiantly.
The three of them strolled to school under the morning sun. The roar from the stadium could already be heard from afar. As they stepped through the school gates, Keijy frowned slightly at the excessive commotion: "It's so loud!"
– "It's a festival! It has to be lively to be fun!" – Haruto chuckled.
Suddenly, a loud shout erupted from the fencing area: "Haruto! Hurry up, it's almost your turn!"
Haruto ran off excitedly, not forgetting to glance back. Fushima and Keijy quickly followed. Fushima shouted words of encouragement: "Good luck, Haruto!"
Keijy said nothing, but she smiled softly and nodded in encouragement. Standing before the support of his friends, Haruto felt his heart warm: "This truly... is the friendship I've always dreamed of."
At the academy's multi-purpose arena, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Cheers erupted incessantly from the stands, intensifying the already tense atmosphere. All eyes were fixed on the main arena, where Haruto faced Yane – an upperclassman with the authoritative nickname: "The Excellent Swordsman." The disparity in reputation and experience only added to the drama of this confrontation.
The match began.
As soon as the referee raised the flag, Haruto launched his attack. He charged forward, his sword tracing a basic yet swift line, aiming directly at his opponent's chest armor. However, Yane remained completely still. Cold. Immobile like a stone statue.
This surprised Haruto somewhat. For a brief moment, he hesitated. Just as Haruto's sword tip was only a few centimeters from its target, Yane suddenly dodged to the side. His movements were incredibly fast yet incredibly light and smooth, like a streak of water gliding across a glass surface. Haruto lost his balance and lunged forward.
Without wasting any time, Yane spun around, swinging his sword in a lightning-fast counterattack aimed at Haruto's exposed flank.
"Clang!"
A deafening metallic clash rang out. Haruto, though off balance, reacted instinctively. He swung his sword horizontally, blocking Yane's blade just before it touched his armor. The two blades locked together, emitting tiny sparks of magical electricity from their protective seals. Eyes met; Haruto saw a fleeting surprise in Yane's cold eyes, while Yane saw the burning determination in his junior's eyes.
Haruto let out a low growl, pushing hard to break free from the sword lock. He took a step back, immediately changing his footwork and launching a more relentless attack. No longer relying on basic sword techniques, Haruto began employing more complex moves, combining thrusts, slashes, and continuous dodging.
Yane started moving. He no longer stood still but actively retreated, using delicate parries to deflect Haruto's attacks. Each parry was perfectly precise, just enough force to deflect his opponent's sword without disrupting his own defensive stance.
Miha shouted:
"Go, Haruto!"
Haruto fought with increasing ferocity, his shirt soaked with sweat. He felt like he was attacking an impenetrable fortress. Yane's face remained expressionless, but inwardly he began to reassess the young man. Haruto possessed not only speed but also incredibly quick reflexes.
The match dragged on, the pace intensifying. The blades of their swords clashed continuously, creating a rapid, resonant metallic symphony. The spectators in the stands fell silent, holding their breath as they watched their lightning-fast movements. Miha, in the stands, clenched her fists, her long, dark eyes anxiously watching Haruto. Fushima stood in a corner of the arena, his gaze thoughtful as he followed the two figures charging at each other.
"Ring!!!!! Ring!!!!! Ring!!!!!"
The bell signaling the end of the match rang abruptly, interrupting a dangerous exchange of swords. Both stopped instantly, Haruto's sword tip just millimeters from Yane's shoulder, while Yane's blade stopped just before Haruto's throat.
"Result: Draw!" – The referee's voice rang out clearly.
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause. What a spectacular match! Both lowered their swords, taking deep breaths to regain their composure. Yane looked at Haruto; this time, his eyes were no longer cold, but held a rare smile.
"Not bad, little brother. Next time, we'll settle the score." Haruto smiled, his eyes shining with admiration despite his fatigue:
"Yes, I'll wait for that time."
After the breathtaking match, a weary Haruto stepped into the locker room and flopped onto a bench. Keijy was already waiting there, and she casually dropped a comment: "Not bad."
– "Thanks, Keijy." – Haruto smiled gently.
Just then, a crowd of fanatical female students tried to rush in, but with a sudden "slam," the locker room door was shut right in their faces. A tall figure with vibrant red hair appeared – it was Aikari, the school's renowned beauty. She smiled as she approached: "Oh, it looks like I just blocked a 'total offensive'."
Keijy sighed softly: "I'm not one of his fans, you know."
Aikari giggled, her eyes full of grace: "I'm just teasing."
Looking at Aikari, Keijy secretly admired her: "A true beauty. She is unusually stunning; no wonder everyone is head over heels for her."
Then it was Keijy's turn. Her opponent was Neta, a seasoned archer two years her senior. The look Neta gave Keijy was one of pure hostility, without a hint of concession. In the first round, both hit the absolute bullseye, a perfect 10. In the second round, the difficulty ramped up as they had to fire two consecutive arrows. Keijy remained terrifyingly calm; both her arrows pierced the 10-point ring. Meanwhile, Neta's hand shook slightly, resulting in one 10 and one 9.
To end the match as convincingly as possible, Keijy made a bold demand: replace the target with an apple. Players would only be allowed to see its position for 5 seconds before being blindfolded to fire. The stands exploded in cheers. Neta hesitated but ultimately accepted the challenge.
Both were blindfolded. Keijy with a steadfast red scarf, Neta with a determined grey one. Keijy drew her bow, the string snapping with a dry twang. The arrow sliced through the air and pierced the heart of the apple in the blink of an eye. Neta fired next, his arrow only grazing the skin of the apple before thudding into the ground.
The crowd chanted Keijy's name. However, in the locker room, seeing Neta sitting dazed by defeat, Keijy walked over and handed him a bottle of water:
– "Losing one competition doesn't mean failing at life. Don't bind yourself so tightly."
– "But I worked so hard..." – Neta choked out.
– "This is the first time, but it won't be the last."
Just then, Vice-Principal Riven entered, announcing a new round of competition at the end of the term, giving Neta a spark of hope. Keijy smiled and quietly departed to where Haruto was waiting.
In the evening, Keijy took her two friends to visit her new apartment. While Fushima checked the furniture, Haruto wouldn't stop grumbling about her moving all the stuff by herself.
To change the atmosphere, Fushima suggested the group go to the park to practice. Haruto wore his sword, while Keijy brought her bow and her violin along. As they strolled under the streetlights, a dark figure suddenly darted past, snatching the violin right out of Keijy's hand and vanishing.
– "Stop!" – Keijy screamed, chasing the thief all the way to a deserted embankment.
The thief ran to an ancient, gnarled tree and abruptly... walked right through the trunk and disappeared. The three of them froze, unable to believe their eyes.
– "No! Give it back!" – Keijy hammered her fists against the tree in despair.
Just then, Miha – their classmate who was sketching nearby – rushed over. After hearing the story, Miha sighed: "If they've taken it in there, I'm afraid you won't get it back."
– "You know something, don't you? Tell me!" – Keijy pleaded.
Miha pointed at the tree trunk, her voice dropping: "Matrewer. It's a mysterious land running parallel to our world. There, everyone possesses extraordinary powers. If you step through this door, you will become part of that world."
– "I don't care what it is, I have to get my violin back!" – Keijy said firmly.
Keijy's courage filled Miha with admiration. She used her finger to trace a strange symbol on the tree. A door of light opened, revealing a bottomless pit inside.
– "Jump down here and you'll arrive, but are you sure?"
– "I'm going!" – Keijy didn't hesitate for a second.
– "I'm in too! Exploring a new world sounds exciting, doesn't it!" – Fushima smiled enthusiastically.
– "How could I miss out on this!" – Haruto gripped his sword hilt.
Miha smiled:
- "Then I'll lead the way for you."
The four of them cast themselves into the pit of light. Just seconds later, when they opened their eyes, they found themselves lying on a lush green prairie stretching as far as the eye could see. The sky was crystal clear, with clouds floating like small islands.
– "Is this... Matrewer?" – Keijy gasped, stunned by the ethereal landscape of the new land.
- "Even though I know this place, this is the first time I've ever set foot here," Miha said.
The real journey was only just beginning.
Welcome to Matrewer