As they entered the village, Jack and Sera couldn't hide their amazement.
This didn't feel like an ordinary mountain village.
It felt more like a small town—alive, warm, and full of quiet energy. People moved freely, talking, laughing, working. Children ran through the paths, elders sat outside their homes, and the air carried a sense of ease rather than tension.
Sera looked around, her eyes shining.
"This village is amazing," she said. "It feels so lively."
Jack nodded.
"It really is."
After a moment, he turned to Rayden.
"Hey… Mr. Rayden," he began politely. "Is there an inn nearby where we can stay? We appreciate what you said earlier, but we don't want to cause any trouble."
Rayden stopped walking and stared at him.
"Trouble?" he repeated.
Then he laughed.
"Oh, come on. Trouble? No."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Come to my house. I guarantee you'll get hospitality there that no inn can offer."
Jack hesitated.
"But...."
"You said something?" Rayden interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
Jack immediately shook his head.
"No. Not at all."
Rayden smiled.
"Good."
After walking a little further, they reached Rayden's home.
Near the entrance, a boy was chopping wood into smaller pieces for firewood.
Rayden raised his voice.
"Hey, Ray! I'm back."
The boy looked up.
"Oh-hey, Dad. Welcome back," he said, smiling. "You brought a lot of wood today."
"Sure did," Rayden replied proudly.
Ray's gaze shifted toward Jack and Sera.
"…Who are they?"
Rayden chuckled.
"This is Jack. He's a battler. And this is Sera-ah-"
He paused and looked at her.
"Hey, what was your profession again?"
Sera smiled awkwardly.
"Oh, right. I'm a professor trainee. I'm traveling with Jack."
Rayden laughed.
"Oh, now it makes sense."
He turned back to the boy.
"Ray, meet them properly. This is my son."
Jack stepped forward.
"Nice to meet you."
Sera followed.
"Nice to meet you too."
Ray nodded.
"Nice to meet you both."
A battler, huh… Ray thought quietly.
At that moment, Rayden spoke again.
"Listen, son. They're here to get the chief's permission to pass through and reach Grane City. So they'll be staying with us for the night."
Ray's face brightened.
"Oh, that's great. Come inside."
He stepped aside and gestured them in.
They stepped inside the house.
The interior was simple but warm, the scent of wood and herbs lingering in the air.
A woman looked up from the kitchen area and smiled immediately.
"Oh—so we have guests today," she said warmly. "It's nice to have you here."
Ray turned toward her.
"Mom, these are Jack and Sera. Jack's a battler, and Sera is a professor trainee. They're heading to Grane City."
"Oh, I see," she replied kindly.
"Please, come in. Make yourselves comfortable. You can consider this your home for now. I'll prepare something for dinner."
She paused and glanced around.
"Ray, where's your father?"
"He's outside setting up the firewood," Ray replied.
"Alright," she said with a nod.
Then she raised her voice slightly.
"Jennie, come here! We have guests—help me in the kitchen."
"Coming!" a voice replied from upstairs.
A moment later, a girl came down the stairs. As she passed by Jack and Sera, she smiled.
"Hey. Nice to meet you," she said. "My name's Jennie."
She picked up a basket and turned toward the kitchen.
"Help me cut the vegetables," Ray's mother said.
"Sure," Jennie replied cheerfully.
"I'll be back later—we'll talk then."
Sera smiled politely.
"Alright."
Watching the easy flow of conversation, Jack and Sera exchanged a brief glance.
They felt a little shy—unsure of what to say—but also surprised by how naturally they were being welcomed.
Ray noticed and spoke up.
"Let's sit down for now. Dinner will be ready soon."
Jack nodded.
"Sure."
And for the first time since entering the Kush Mountains, they truly felt like guests-not outsiders.
They settled down inside the house.
After a brief silence, Ray looked at Jack with interest.
"So… you're a battler, right?"
Jack nodded.
"Yeah."
Ray's gaze shifted to the monsters resting nearby.
"And you have two partners. One of them I recognize—that's a Fenix. What about the other one?"
Jack smiled faintly.
"That's Turt. He's my first partner."
"Ohh," Ray said, impressed.
"That's nice."
He paused, then added casually,
"I have a partner too, but he's upstairs right now, sleeping."
"I see," Jack replied.
Ray leaned back a little.
"So, what about you, Ray?" Jack asked. "What do you do?"
Ray smiled.
"I'm a battler as well."
Jack blinked.
"Oh-really?"
"Yes," Ray replied.
Jack thought for a moment, then said,
"Oh, right. I remember Mr. Rayden mentioning that a battler came to the village this morning asking for permission to pass. Did he get permission? Has he already left?"
Ray shook his head.
"I don't know. The last thing I heard was that after he fought me… he was taken to the chief's house."
Jack froze.
"…Fought you?"
Ray nodded.
"Yes."
He continued calmly,
"For the past twenty-five years, this has been our rule. Anyone who wishes to pass through Kushton territory must battle the strongest person in the village."
Jack frowned slightly.
"A battle… just for permission?"
"Yes," Ray said.
"Regardless of the result-even if the challenger loses-they are still allowed to pass."
"That's strange," Jack said honestly. "Usually, the loser doesn't gain anything."
Ray smiled faintly.
"That's true. But this battle isn't about winning or losing. It's how our village measures the battler's strength."
Jack nodded slowly.
"I get it now."
Then he realized something and looked up sharply.
"Wait… if you're the one they fight, doesn't that mean...."
Sera spoke before he could finish.
"You're the strongest in the village?"
Ray scratched the back of his head.
"Well… my dad used to hold that position. He retired five years ago."
Sera's eyes widened.
"I see. But that still means you succeeded him, right? That makes you incredibly strong."
Ray gave a small smile.
"Maybe. Today was actually my first battle-and I lost."
"…You lost?" Sera repeated.
Ray nodded.
"Yeah."
Sera turned to Jack.
"Jack… you understand what this means, right?"
Jack exhaled slowly.
"…Yes."
He looked at Ray directly.
"So tomorrow… I'll be battling you?"
Ray met his gaze and nodded.
"Yes."
Everyone gathered around the table, and as they ate, both Jack and Sera couldn't help but smile.
"This is really delicious," Sera said sincerely.
"Thank you for the meal."
"Yeah," Jack added. "It's amazing."
Ray's mother waved her hand gently.
"Oh, no need for thanks. Just enjoy it and eat as much as you like. There's plenty."
Both Jack and Sera nodded with grateful smiles.
Rayden leaned back, satisfied.
"Food always tastes better after a long day's work."
Jennie laughed lightly.
"You say that every time, Dad."
Ray ate quietly, his gaze lowered, lost in thought.
Once the meal was finished, Ray stood up and stepped outside without saying a word.
Jack noticed immediately.
"I'll be back," he said, standing up. "I'm going to take a short walk."
"Sure," Jennie replied.
As Jack left, Sera turned to Jennie and began helping with the dishes.
"You don't have to do that," Jennie said. "You're our guest."
Sera smiled.
"It's nothing. You and your mom cooked such a great meal-at least let me help a little."
She glanced toward Ray's mother.
She returned the smile gently.
"Alright."
Jennie nodded.
"Okay, then."
Outside, Ray stood quietly, gazing up at the night sky filled with stars.
Jack walked up beside him.
"You like the stars?" he asked softly.
Ray nodded.
"Yeah. They're beautiful."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply looked up at the sky together.
Then Jack broke the silence.
"Listen, Ray," he said. "Tomorrow, when we fight… I want you to come at me with everything you've got."
Ray looked at him.
"No holding back," Jack continued. "Don't let today's loss affect you. I want to face you at your strongest."
Jack extended his hand.
Ray studied him for a second...then his expression hardened with resolve. He shook Jack's hand firmly.
"Alright," Ray said. "I will."
"Then it's settled," Jack replied.
Two challengers, facing each other under the same sky....ready for tomorrow.
From behind a nearby tree, Rayden had been watching silently. A faint smile crossed his face.
He stepped forward and called out,
"Hey, Jack! Ray! Your match is scheduled for ten tomorrow morning. Make sure you both get some proper sleep."
Both of them replied at the same time,
"Sure."
After some time, everyone went back inside the house.
Rayden arranged the sleeping spaces simply. Jack and Ray were to sleep in the living room, while Sera would stay in Jennie's room.
The long day of travel quickly caught up to Jack, and he fell asleep almost as soon as he lay down.
Ray, however, remained awake, staring at the ceiling - his thoughts fixed on tomorrow.
In Jennie's room, Sera sat quietly, looking over a few framed photographs placed neatly on a shelf. They showed moments of the family - Rayden, Ray, Ray's mother, and Jennie - smiling together over the years.
Jennie noticed and smiled.
"Why did Dad make you sleep in my room?" she asked casually. "Shouldn't you be sleeping with Jack?"
Sera froze.
"…What do you mean by that?" she asked, flustered. "Why would I sleep with him?"
She quickly added,
"When we travel, we usually just sleep in the forest."
Jennie blinked.
"Oh - I didn't mean it like that. I just thought…"
"…Thought what?" Sera asked.
"Aren't you two married?"
Sera nearly jumped.
"What?! Why does everyone think I'm married to him?"
She sighed in frustration.
"I'm a professor trainee. I'm traveling with him for my research - that's all."
Jennie nodded slowly.
"Ohh… I get it now."
Sera paused, then tilted her head thoughtfully.
"By the way… Mr. Rayden did mentioned earlier that in this village, people usually get married around fifteen or sixteen, right?"
"Yes," Jennie replied.
"Then…" Sera hesitated. "You look about my age. How come you're not married yet?"
Jennie smiled.
"Because I already am."
Sera's eyes widened.
"…What?!"
Jennie nodded calmly.
"Yeah."
Sera stared at her, stunned.
"Oh - then I'm really sorry. I thought you were Ray's sister."
Jennie laughed softly.
"Nope. I'm Ray's wife."
Sera froze.
Right… she thought. Mr. Rayden did say his son got married a few months ago.
She let out a small laugh of disbelief.
"I honestly thought he was joking."
Jennie laughed again.
"Nope. Not joking."
She stretched slightly.
"Well, we should get some sleep now."
Sera nodded.
"Yeah. Good night."
"Good night," Jennie replied.
The room fell quiet, leaving Sera alone with her thoughts - about customs, responsibility, and just how different this village truly was.
The next morning, the entire village gathered near the battle ground.
Rayden stopped and gestured ahead.
"Here we are," he said. "This is where your battle will take place."
Jack looked around.
There were far more people than he had expected.
"…There are a lot of people here," he said quietly.
Rayden smiled.
"Of course. The village loves to watch these battles."
Sera scanned the area curiously.
"Where's Ray?" she asked.
"He's getting ready," Rayden replied. "He'll enter the arena at exactly ten."
"I see," Jack said.
As he looked at the crowd again, a strange feeling settled in his chest.
Nervous…
This was his first real battle -
And this many eyes were watching.
His fingers tightened slightly.
Then.....
A voice came from behind him.
"You're here… Jack."
Jack froze.
That voice.....
He turned around slowly.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
...…..
"…Evan," he whispered.