Ryoshi rubbed his eyes, the haze of sleep slowly dissipating as he regained consciousness.
"Fuyu..." he murmured, his voice still groggy from his slumber.
"Hey Ryoshi! You're awake!!!" Fuyu greeted, his tone filled with warmth and relief.
Ryoshi blinked, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep that clung to his mind. "What's up, sleepyhead?" Fuyu teased gently.
But as Ryoshi's consciousness fully returned, a sense of unease settled over him. "What do I do if I don't accomplish my goal?" he questioned, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Fuyu furrowed his brow, puzzled by Ryoshi's sudden introspection. "Hm? What was your goal again?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Ryoshi sighed, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the confines of the room. "I came to the Negative Point for the sole purpose of wishing on the Negative Point... What if I fail..." he confessed, his voice heavy with doubt.
"Why are you asking this?" Fuyu pressed, his concern evident in his tone.
Ryoshi shook his head, his thoughts consumed by the weight of his own insecurities. "At this point, I'm the weakest in my team. The only reason I'm still alive to this day is because of being weak. If I can't become stronger, I can't be the best of the best... and if I'm not the best of the best... I will never get my wish. Where do I go from there? I would have no reason to stay at Negative Point..." he explained, his words laced with a sense of resignation.
Fuyu placed a comforting hand on Ryoshi's shoulder, his gaze gentle yet resolute. "I mean Ryoshi, if you stick around for THAT LONG, you would find something of interest in our community, but just in case you don't and you do decide to leave, you'd be completely fine," he reassured.
"But where do I go from there? I have nowhere to go," Ryoshi lamented, his voice tinged with despair.
"Why do you have to leave the Negative Point? You could just drop out of the rankings and live among the citizens of Negative Point," Fuyu suggested, his tone gentle yet firm.
Ryoshi fell silent, his mind whirling with conflicting thoughts and emotions.
"Ryoshi, why are you even thinking of this? You've displayed many amazing feats, unlocked two versions of a mana burst, and awakened your weapon," Fuyu reminded him, his voice filled with conviction.
Ryoshi's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, did you see me awaken my weapon?" he asked, startled by Fuyu's revelation.
"Pft, no. I felt it, the increase of power from you SKY ROCKETED. I also felt the power of your weapon increase," Fuyu explained, a wry smile playing on his lips.
Ryoshi's mind reeled at the realization. "Weapons have mana?" he mused, his thoughts racing with newfound understanding.
"You accomplished all of these things, but you're still thinking about the worst. Instead of doubting yourself, continue your life, and think about the worst when it comes face to face with you," Fuyu advised, his words ringing with wisdom.
"Yes... Fuyu," Ryoshi replied, a newfound determination coursing through his veins.
"Alright!... WAIT, we need to head to the Zero Point right now! A meeting between the seasons and their Mamoru is about to start in 10 minutes," Fuyu exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.
"Really?!" Ryoshi exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement.
"Wha- YES! Get up! You're fully healed! Get dressed!!!" Fuyu urged, his enthusiasm contagious.
"YESSIR!" Ryoshi replied eagerly, springing out of bed and hastily preparing himself for the impending meeting.
Nine minutes later, Ryoshi and the rest of the Mamoru assembled in front of the Zero Point, anticipation coursing through their veins as they awaited the commencement of the momentous gathering.
Toruri cast a concerned glance at Ryoshi, his brow furrowing with worry. "Yo Ryoshi, are you ok?" he inquired, his voice filled with genuine concern.
Ryoshi offered a faint smile in response, his eyes betraying a hint of fatigue. "Yeah... I'm fine," he reassured, though his words lacked conviction.
"Well, I'm glad you are," Toruri replied, though his tone held a note of skepticism.
Ryoshi turned his head to look at Toruri, his gaze lingering on the bandages wrapped around his friend's head and right arm. "You don't look too well yourself..." he remarked, his concern evident in his voice.
Toruri waved off Ryoshi's concern with a dismissive gesture. "Just like you, I'm fine!" he insisted, though the weariness in his eyes betrayed his words.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Anyway, where did Fuyu go?" Ryoshi inquired, shifting the focus of the conversation.
"He's the one hosting the damn meeting!" Toruri replied, his frustration evident in his tone.
"I didn't know that," Ryoshi admitted, his brow furrowing in thought.
"I wonder if it has anything to do with that M.A.J.I.C.I.L thing," Toruri pondered aloud, his gaze drifting into the distance.
Ryoshi chuckled softly, shaking his head at Toruri's misspelling. "I'm just going to ignore the fact that you didn't spell magic correctly. But you might be right," he remarked, a playful twinkle in his eye.
"My head did get crushed..." Toruri muttered, his voice trailing off as he glanced around nervously.
Ryoshi's attention was suddenly drawn to a figure standing a short distance away. Nagarimu's gaze met his briefly before she blushed and turned away.
"RYOSHI!" Toruri's voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"WHAT!?!" Ryoshi exclaimed, startled by Toruri's sudden outburst.
"Nothing, you just kinda zoned out there," Toruri remarked, his tone tinged with amusement.
"Eh, when is this damn meeting going to start!" Ryoshi grumbled, his impatience growing with each passing moment.
Just then, Fuyu appeared on the stage, his presence commanding the attention of everyone present.
"Hello, future Negative Point protectors," Fuyu began, his voice projecting clearly across the gathering. "I am here to announce something very important."
As Fuyu spoke, Ryoshi listened intently, his mind racing with the implications of the news he was about to deliver.
"The seasons and the Purotekuta have sensed large rises and drops in mana, and after a little investigating, we've come to the conclusion that something big is going to happen. A group of magic users that go by the company name M.A.G.I.C. are planning something potentially dangerous to the Negative Point," Fuyu continued, his words carrying a weight of urgency.
Ryoshi's heart quickened at the mention of the looming threat, his determination to protect the Negative Point burning brighter than ever.
"So be careful, and train yourselves to be stronger, because these aren't just any normal enemies," Fuyu cautioned, his voice tinged with solemnity. "That's all I have to say today. Bye."
With that, Fuyu vanished from the stage, leaving the Mamoru to contemplate the gravity of the situation that lay ahead.
As Toruri's body slumped to the ground, Ryoshi's heart raced with concern for his friend. "Oh shit, Toruri!" he exclaimed, rushing to his side.
Hiyoku approached them, his expression filled with curiosity. "What's up with him?" he inquired, his eyes scanning Toruri's unconscious form.
"Too many surprises..." Ryoshi muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.
Hiyoku nodded understandingly. "I can relate. So, do you want to train with me?" he proposed, his enthusiasm evident in his tone.
Ryoshi blinked in surprise at the sudden offer. "Train with you?" he echoed, his interest piqued.
"Yeah! If we need to get stronger, training is the right thing to do!!!" Hiyoku exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Besides, I would like to see your face when I impress you with how much stronger I am than you," he added with a playful grin.
Ryoshi chuckled softly, shaking his head at Hiyoku's playful boast. "You're not impressing anyone with your firework abilities," he teased, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"Shut up!" Hiyoku retorted, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Hehe, I'll train with you," Ryoshi agreed, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Nice, Kuroshi, would you like to join us as well?" Hiyoku offered, turning to include Kuroshi in their training plans.
"Sure, I'll join you. I need something to do," Kuroshi replied, her voice tinged with a hint of boredom.
"Ok, just follow me!" Hiyoku declared, taking the lead as they embarked on their training session. Ryoshi followed closely behind, eager to push himself to new heights alongside his friends.