"Who's this guy? Weak men aren't allowed here!" The guild master grabbed his collar.
"Joel, show him," Al demanded.
In a blink, I held my sword to the man's neck.
"What the hell? How are you so fast?" he gasped. Blood dripped from my jagged blade.
"Fine. I'm game, Al. Just get him off me," I sighed.
"Back down," Al said.
"Okay," I replied. I showed him around the guild.
At the climax, we reached a counter.
"Place your hand on the stone. Your magical abilities will be tested," Al said with a smile.
I followed suit. The stone glowed blue, then green, then red, then black. Al read the description engraved on it, stunned.
"Don't you see? This is the next hero. Not summoned by the evil goddess," Al said.
The guild master emerged like a shadow. "A miracle. Everyone, bow to the new hero of Kino."
---
Two years passed. Carrie and Rose still clung to my arms. I mastered magic—lightning spells, my own weaved spells. I could control time for a minute or two. I would eventually rival a god. I started as a newbie; leveling to the max was necessary. Levels could go beyond 100, up to 900. My body trained to its limit.
"Joel, the expedition is ready," Richard said.
"Let's go kick some ass," I replied.
---
Dungeon Ari…
The holy cave stretched before us. Normally empty, now unsettling—home to the goddess's monster menagerie. My cloak, woven with titanium, rustled across stone. Weapons reflected the meager light from crystalline walls. Fresh blood clung to my sword's ornate hilt—a grim reminder of our battles.
"Something's wrong," my friend whispered, following the folds of their daggers. "A place like this is—"
"Quiet." My voice cut through the darkness. I gripped my sword. Expectation hung heavy. Something shifted at the end of the cave.
"Whatever is inside… it's close. Too close."
He signaled us to stay still.
The beast revealed itself—massive, ten meters tall, on two feet. My powers felt off. Its claw bared; a flash, its arm fell. Who did that? More flashes. I looked back—my companions were dead.
"Dammit! I barely knew them, and you murdered them! They were going to take me to a bar… I hate you!"
Adrenaline surged. The beast's regrown arm clawed my reinforced cloak; blood sprayed. I jumped back. Without my abilities, I'd perish.
A petite girl appeared. Black hair, golden eyes, like a baby's face. Someone shouldn't be here.
"Y-yuzu… but how?" I asked.
She didn't reply. She followed the beast, seizing its claw, tossing it against the wall. The beast whimpered.
Yuzu approached, held my hand. The room fell silent. The beast was restrained.
"I thought I lost you forever," I said. "But you've always been in my heart, Joseph. That's why Mom and Dad sent us away. You awakened Skull… and freed Pandora from her box."
She smiled, fading away.
"Sister… I made a promise. Today won't be my last." She merged into me.
The beast trapped in the wall was unleashed. My arm was ruined; I couldn't wield my sword. I charged with all my might, ready to unleash my justice skill. The beast growled, bloodied but elegant. It healed instantly.
This was going to be tough.
Then I heard a voice.
"Joel, I wanted you, my child… but you tried to take my life. I created this cave."
The beast mocked me.
"You tried to kill me first. I'm the Fox? Pathetic. I have my own reasons to fight."
I lunged, dagger to throat. Blood poured. The beast crumpled.
Pain surged in my arm. Blood oozed. I debated healing it or carrying my friends. I carried them, pushing through. Reaching the healer, I was soaked in blood.
"They can't be healed. Their souls are gone," she said. I kicked grass in frustration. Another nightmare lost lives.
---
Dungeon Ari… The holy cave stretched before us. Normally empty, its eerie silence now felt heavier, more foreboding, given its status as the goddess's monster menagerie. My cloak, woven with titanium, rustled across the stone floor. My arsenal reflected the dim crystalline light. Fresh blood clung to the ornate hilt of my sword—a grim reminder of the beasts we'd battled outside.
"Something's wrong," my friend whispered, gripping their folding daggers. "A place like this is supposed to be—"
"Quiet." My voice cut through the darkness like a blade. I tightened my grip on my sword. Expectation hung thick in the air. Something shifted at the end of the cave.
"Whatever is inside… it's close. Too close."
He motioned for us to remain still.
The beast finally revealed itself—massive, nearly ten meters tall, standing upright. My powers felt wrong; something interfered with them. The beast's claw lashed at me. A flash, and its arm fell. Who did that? Another flash. My companions were dead.
"Dammit! I scarcely knew them, and you murdered them! They were going to take me to a bar… I hate you!" I felt adrenaline surge. The beast's regrown claw tore through my reinforced cloak, blood spraying. I jumped back. Without my abilities, I'd be dead.
A petite girl appeared, petite but fierce, with long black hair and golden eyes that seemed to pierce my soul. Her face was almost childlike.
"Y-yuzu… but how?" I asked.
She didn't answer. She mirrored the beast's movements, seized its claw, and threw it into the wall. The beast whimpered, restrained.
Yuzu approached, holding my hand. Silence fell over the room. The beast could not move.
"I thought I lost you forever," I whispered. "But you've always been in my heart, Joseph. That's why Mom and Dad sent us away. You awakened Skull… and freed Pandora from her box."
A gentle smile touched her lips as she started fading away, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Sister… I made a promise, and I won't let today be my last." She reached toward my chest, slowly merging with me.
The beast trapped in the wall was finally unleashed. My arm was in terrible shape; wielding my sword was impossible. Still, I charged ahead, ready to unleash my justice skill. The beast growled, bloodied but moving with eerie elegance. It healed instantly. This was going to be tough.
Then a voice echoed:
"Joel, I wanted you, my child, but you tried to take my life. Yet look at you now. I created this cave."
The beast raised its paws mockingly.
"You tried to kill me first. I guess I'm the Fox? Pathetic. I have my own reasons to fight."
I lunged, dagger to throat. Blood poured. The beast crumpled. Pain surged in my arm. I debated healing it or carrying my fallen friends. I pushed through, carrying one on my back and holding the other in my arms.
By the time I reached the healer, blood soaked my clothes.
"They can't be healed. Their souls have been ripped from their bodies," she said. I kicked the grass in frustration. How many more must I lose?
That night, I drank heavily to numb the pain.
---
Seven years before teleportation became a reality…
"Joseph, I truly regret what happened to your sister. We've found Pandora's box, but we can't contain her," a man said, locking eyes with me.
"Why didn't you get here sooner? You could have saved her," I shot back, drowning in emotion. "Why couldn't it have been me? I swore I'd get revenge… but how can we face a goddess?"
A thick silence fell. He finally spoke. "It was never meant to happen before midnight when we arrived. We're at the mercy of the goddess Kuni. By morning, we'd be gone. Pandora is just an angel; she creates monsters. You have the strength to face her, Joseph, but today isn't the day. Hold on."
A ray of sunlight broke through. The man and woman joined hands and were swept away by the wind.
---
I can't see a thing. Just moments ago I was at the bar, sipping my drink.
"Is this sad excuse for a hero really him?" a voice said. I realized I might have been kidnapped.
"Today was his birthday… well, who cares? I brought him a cake, and he asked for a straightjacket and bag over his head. I went along. I took him back home, hoping for fun, but he just cried all night. How about we let loose at this party?" A young woman, barely twenty-one, bra visible, said. Most girls were in bras and underwear.
"Can I get out of this?" I asked the one who put me in the jacket.
"Sure," she replied—cutting it open rather than taking it off properly. My legs shaky, I pushed myself up, trying not to draw attention. Heart pounding, I searched for a way out. This was a titty party, and I'd never experienced chaos like this. I couldn't handle humiliation on top of everything else.
"Hero? Is that you?" A voice sliced through the chatter. Al rose from a corner, chair scraping. She swept her gaze over me, taking in my battered state.
"You look like hell," she said, concern and accusation mingling. "You really took a beating, didn't you?"
I met her eyes, seeing something different. "Al… you're a girl?"
"Yes," she replied sharply. "Let's not dodge the real issue. You finished the guild mission, but the others… they didn't make it, did they?"
My voice broke. "No. They're all gone. I… I couldn't save them."
Al's eyes softened but remained steady. "Did you face that man?"
"That man… my father. I faced him. I killed him in battle," I spat. "I drove my sword straight into his throat. I watched the life fade from his eyes. He took their souls. Ripped them from their bodies. When I killed him, they didn't come back. Could he… not really be dead?"
Al sipped wine. "He's no ordinary man. A god. A trickster who toys with humanity. You survived where many fell."
Her next words sent chills down my spine. "There's something about me. Two years ago, I fought him. I gained two consciousnesses—a man and a woman trapped within me."
I sensed it—another presence within her, a second consciousness observing, waiting. I was no longer just me. We had become… something different.