After the wave of fire disappeared, Ken approached the end of the hill and looked down.
"Falling from this height shouldn't be something that he can survive, especially with no magic"
Ken, Riku and Izanami left the hill and head back to the castle. The next morning Sora woke up to the sunlight. He raised his back and looked around.
'What happened last night, how did I end up here?'
Sora started remembering what happened last night. He remembered when Airi pushed him; he remembered the fire wave coming off the top of the hill, and him hitting the ground. Sora looked to the sky.
'Oh yeah, they killed Airi last night'
Sora stood up with dirty clothes. He shook the dirt off and headed to the top of the hill. When he got there, he saw Airi's staff nailed to the ground. He walked closer and touched the sphere it had on the edge of it. Sora saw his reflection on the staff's sphere.
'Airi…'
Sora noticed a ring and a bag with gold near the staff. He picked them up and saw that it was the ring he gave to Airi as a present for her hard work. He put the ring and the bag of gold in his pocket and left the hill.
'They are going to pay'
Sora seemed cold. He walked to the place he fainted last night and continued towards the other side of the hill. Sora strolled inside the forest. He stopped after the forest to rest and sleep for the night. The next morning, he found a river near the place he slept.
'If there is a river, this means someone must use its freshwater. As much as I've read in the library, no water-magic user can generate freshwater'
He walked by the river when he saw a bridge with a sign saying a town is close by. He walked on the path that the sign was showing.
'Finally, after two days of walking, I found a town'
The pathway started getting mixed with grass. Before Sora knew it, the path was gone and he was lost in the middle of the forest.
'Great, I'll just continue walking forward to find a way out'
Sora started walking when he saw a girl, with blond long hair, fainted on the ground.
'Yeah, like I am going to help her'
Sora ignored the girl and continued walking. Some seconds later he heard a loud roaring. Sora turned around astonished and saw a bear coming out of a bush near the girl and trying to attack her. He saw the girl was unconscious and ran to help. Sora grabbed a rock, which he found on the ground, and threw it on the bear's head. The girl opened her eyes and saw Sora started running from the bear that passed on top of her. She fainted again.
'Crap, what now?'
Sora stopped in a dead-end and looked behind. The bear was running his way, and fast.
'Why did I help her? I don't even know her!'
Suddenly, a page on Sora's grimoire started shining. He opened it and saw that on the second page a spell was written.
'What the… I don't have any magic to use that spell'
Sora saw the bear coming closer.
'It's all or nothing I guess'
Sora started reading the second page from his grimoire and he raised his hand aiming the bear.
"Chapter one, Flame magic. Blazing wave"
A big wave of fire appeared and it went towards the bear. The fire burnt the bear's body into ashes and the surrounded trees. The fire stopped and was extinguished after some time so it didn't spread to the whole forest. Sora sighed.
'That was supposed to be a powerful spell, yet I don't feel exhausted, nonetheless'
It was evening. The girl opened her eyes and found herself covered with a blanket made of leather. She was inside a cave and turned around. The girl saw Sora sitting on a rock and cooking some meat in a campfire.
"Good, you aren't dead after all"
The girl seemed frightened and raised her back.
"What's your name?"
"M-my name i-is 496"
The girl was speaking hesitantly and Sora seemed confused.
"Hm? Digit numbers?"
"Th-That's what they call me"
Sora turned and looked at the girl.
"They? Who exactly?"
The girl seemed unhappy and looked another way. Sora sighed disappointingly.
"How did you end up in the forest?"
"They were chasing me…"
'She isn't gonna answer about who they are'
"Do you at least have some parents or relatives to return to?"
"N-No…"
"Alright, I saved your butt from a bear that was going to attack you. You owe me one for that, ya know"
"I-I know…"
Sora rubbed the back of his head with his hand while thinking.
"So, your name will be… Yui"
Yui's face was filled with enthusiasm and she smiled warmly.
"Mmhm"
Sora noticed the unusual long ears that Yui had.
Um Yui, what's up with your ears?
Yui seemed down.
Oh, I am an elf, didn't you know?
Wow, that's cool
Yui looked surprised to Sora
I mean, it isn't that different from what human is, but still, it's cool seeing an elf
'cool...we aren't different...'
Yui cried from happiness. Sora was confused.
"Quit crying already, I just complimented your kind"
Sora handed a piece of cooked meat over to Yui.
"Here, eat this. You will need energy if we want to get back to the town, where you are from, before night time"
Yui rubbed her eyes with her hands to wipe the tears and took the meat.
"B-But they are there…"
"Don't worry. As long as I am in this town you are working with me, so there won't be anyone weird approaching you"
Yui started eating and Sora turned on the campfire. He threw a branch and the fire lighted up a bit.
"By the way"
Yui was talking with her mouth full and she swallowed.
"Where did you find this?"
"I found two cows on my way here. The one is your food, and the other the reason you are warm right now"
"I see, why didn't we eat the bear though? Didn't you kill it?"
"Of course I did, but maybe I overdid it"
By the time they got to the town, it was night. They headed to a building that was renting rooms. They went into the reception and saw an old man.
"I am here to rent a room for two"
"It's room 205, on the second floor"
Sora put his hand in his pocket and he grabbed the bag of gold he found in the hill near Airi's staff. Yui pulled his hand gently.
"You don't have to rent a room for me, I will manage—"
Yui sounded sad.
"Are you out of your mind? How will I make sure that you are safe that way?"
"Oh yeah, that too…"
Sora saw Yui's disappointed face and patted her head kindly.
"What I am saying is that you shouldn't worry about a thing"
"In which name should I rent the room?"
Sora looked to the old man.
"Murakami Sora"
"Murakami Sora? Someone left a letter the other day, saying to deliver it to you"
The old man took out a letter and handed it over to Sora. Sora was lying on his bed in the room. He left his grimoire and the letter, which he received from the old man in the reception, on a table.
'Legendary heroes, yeah like hell. I am sure this king made up that story to get rid of those weird weapons and help his city. Like nothing bad yet to happen and we are here one month already'
Sora looked at his grimoire.
'I believe that if I know how a spell works and if I see it in action, then it is written automatically in the grimoire. That explains why I've read about various kind of spells in the library, the last month, and have only blazing wave written on it'
Sora stood up and walked towards the table. He took the letter that he received tonight. It was saying 'From Kazumi'. Sora opened the letter and read it.
"Look in the bathroom? What does that mean?"
Sora seemed surprised and rushed to the bathroom where Yui was taking a bath.
"Yui, is everything ok there?"
No one answered Sora's shouting. Sora kicked the door and found out that Yui was missing and a window was open.
'Crap'
Sora went on the street and saw someone in black clothing kidnapping Yui and running to the top of the buildings. Sora was running on the road behind him.
'He is too fast to hit him with blazing wave'
After some time of running the man stopped in a warehouse. Sora just got to the warehouse and the man threw Yui on the ground.
"Code 496 will come with us now, thanks for helping us finding it"
'It? Is this man thinking of Yui as an object?'
Sora opened his grimoire and a red circle appeared in front of him.
"Chapter one, Fire Magic. Blaz—"
"I am not so sure if you want to finish this sentence"
The lights turned on and there was a high amount of exploding material around them.
"You see, we are well aware of your abilities. We wouldn't fight a legendary hero in a one on one battle"
Yui looked at Sora.
'Legendary Hero?'
"Tsk"
Two little girls, one with white and the other with black hair, were sitting at the top of a building nearby.
"I bet Sora will find a way to save Yui"
"Nah, they are going to take Yui and Sora will be knocked out"
The girl with white hair looked at the other.
"We won't interfere though, right Hanako?"
Hanako seemed alienated.
"Yeah, yeah Kazumi…"
'I think I might have a chance to win if I can focus the magic power from the blazing wave in a little spot, something like a fireball'
The other man drew a spear from his back and ran towards Sora. His weapon got surrounded by ice.
'Energy can't just disappear. If I take the whole energy from blazing wave into one point and consider the counter matchup since he is using ice magic, I might be able to finish him with one blow'
A red circle appeared in front of Sora.
"Didn't you hear what I said? You are going to explode the whole town"
Sora closed his eyes and started concentrating. He visualized the spell to his mind.
'So, the whole wave should be minimized to one little sphere and it has to go straight to the target. Missing is not an option right now, meaning I must wait for him to come closer'
The man was near Sora and he was about to strike him. He jumped in the air ready to hit him. Sora opened his eyes and something was written on the third page of his grimoire.
"Chapter one, Fire Magic. Fire comet"
A sphere appeared in front of the red circle and went towards the man with the spear.
'What? He was able to create a new spell just by changing his old one?'
The sphere hit the man and knocked him out. Sora rushed next to Yui and shook her slightly.
"Yui are you ok?"
Yui didn't answer. Sora put her in his back and walked out of the warehouse.
"Wow, he's so creative"
"Yeah, I know. That's why I knew he was going to win.
Kazumi smiled. Sora was in the middle of the street while carrying Yui on his back. Yui opened her eyes and yawned.
"Sorry, I fell asleep because it was exhausting…"
"But you slept before we came in here"
"The bath I took was pretty relaxing…"
"Well, I'm glad to know that you are ok at least"
"That's the second time you saved me today… First from the bear and second from those bad people…"
"Don't worry about it, I told you we work together so we cover each other's back"
Some time passed while they were walking and they were near the place where they rent a room.
"Say Sora"
"Hm?"
"Do you happen to be one of those five legendary heroes that came to this world?"
"Four…"
Sora whispered.
"I am sorry, I didn't hear you"
"Only four of them are alive… But that's another story"
Yui yawned again.
"Don't worry, we are going to sleep soon"
"Yeah, I'm just going to close my eyes for a second—"
Yui fell asleep pretty fast.
'Don't worry; I am not losing another comrade, never again'
Sora seemed serious.
"Sora, I am hungry…"
Yui was talking while she was asleep and Sora smiled warmly.