The carriage carrying Kurt and Ayako inside had arrived at the grand gates of Eldoria. When they finally reached the head of the queue, Isabel pulled on the reins, bringing the horses to a rhythmic halt.

"Good morning, sir." Isabel greeted the guardsman.

"Morning. Reason for egress?"

Isabel reached into her apron and handed the F-rank request form Kurt had snatched from the board. The guard took the parchment, scanned the seal of the Adventurer’s Guild, and nodded. "Herb gathering. Simple enough. Carry on."

He handed the paper back and let them through. But as the carriage began to roll forward, the guard’s expression shifted as if he had remembered something.

"Wait! Hang on a minute, missy! One more thing!"

The carriage stopped and Kurt poked his head out the window to ask, "Is there a problem?"

"Maybe," the guard said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Just a word of advice. Recently, near the area where those herbs grow, there’ve been rumors. Whispers of suspicious activity. Nothing concrete, so no official notice has been sent, but I’d be extra vigilant if I were you."

"Suspicious activity, huh? Got it. Thanks for the heads-up."

"No problem. Stay safe," the guard replied, returning to his post as the carriage finally cleared the threshold of the city.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Kurt looked out at the horizon beyond the capital. The sprawling fields of Eldoria gave way to rolling emerald hills and dense, ancient forests that seemed to hum with a life of their own.

"Isabel," Kurt called out to the driver’s seat. "Did you know anything about those rumors?"

"N-No, Master Rossana. Actually, I rarely leave the city walls. This is... actually my first time seeing the outside of Eldoria."

"That so? Mine as well," Kurt admitted, leaning back against the plush seat.

Ayako, who had been sitting across from him in quiet contemplation, tilted her head. "Truly? You are not from the capital? You carry yourself with such... familiarity."

"O-Oh! No, you see, I am – or rather was – a traveler... of sorts. I came here by boat from Riverton but decided to settle here because I... found... my people... yup."

’What the hell am I saying!?’

"Riverton? Us Myrian’s are neighbours, yet I haven’t heard so much as a whisper of someone like you residing there. A man of your caliber doesn’t usually go unnoticed."

"That’s good," Kurt lied as he dropped his voice into a low, mysterious tone. "I lived in secret for many years, honing my skills in isolation. I wasn’t exactly looking for fame."

Ayako’s smile turned predatory as she looked at him with raw admiration. She leaned forward and her eyes locked onto his. "Isolated training... no wonder you are so... strong. I can feel the weight of those years behind your eye."

Kurt felt a sudden, sharp chill creep up his spine. Not unlike Diana who would give off a loving, possessive vibe. Her gaze was like a blade resting against his throat, measuring the distance before she’d cut. But the feeling vanished as quickly as it came. Ayako turned away, looking out the window as the scenery opened up into a breathtaking vista of wild fields.

’This girl... she’s dangerous.’

......

The rest of the ride was spent in uncharacteristic peace. Nearing their destination, they passed through a quiet village about an hour and some change away from the city. Just a humble collection of thatched-roof cottages where the people waved at the passing carriage with genuine, weathered smiles. It was a stark contrast to the bustling energy of the capital.

Soon, the air grew humid, and cool and the carriage pulled to a stop at the end of a dirt road that led to a beautiful flower field and giant lake.

Kurt stepped out before Isabel could open the door. "Damn. It’s beautiful."

"Master Rossana, here’s your basket for the herbs" Isabel hopped down, handing him a string basket they received from the village they rode through. "And please be careful. Remember, the villagers mentioned not to enter the lake or even touch the surface. Monsters lurk just beneath the reflection. They are sensitive to vibrations."

"You think that’s why this request was put up for adventurers? Because the doctors or whoever are too scared to pick them?" Kurt asked when looking at the field and lake.

"Most likely. That, and the adventurers could make quick work of it while the alchemist and healers could focus on their own work."

"Ahhh. A win-win situation."

Ayako, standing at the edge of the lake, let out a soft giggle. She unclipped her katana from the sash around her waist and held the sheathed weapon in her hand.

"Little lake monsters? They are no match for us, Rossana-sama. In fact, let’s see just how ’dangerous’ they really are."

"Huh? Izumi-san, wait–"

But she was already gone.

A flurry of pink sakura petals swirled in the air where she had stood, and a split second later, she appeared in the very center of the lake. She didn’t sink. She stood with the tip of her foot resting ever-so-gently on the surface of the water.

She stood there, a lone figure in midnight blue against the crystal water and smiled at Kurt.

She dapped the surface with her sword when suddenly, the surface erupted. A piranha-like monster, with jagged, metallic jaws and teeth, launched itself out of the depths directly at her head.

Ayako didn’t even move her feet. With a movement so fast it was almost invisible, she unsheathed an inch of her blade and slammed it back into the scabbard. The fish was sliced cleanly in half in mid-air, and its remains hit the water with two distinct splashes.

This caused the lake to begin shaking erratically.

"Izumi-san! Get back here!" Kurt screamed. "You’re waking them all up!"

Ayako didn’t listen as a manic, ecstatic light sparked in her eyes. "Come."

Hundreds of the piranha monsters burst from the water like silver missiles. Then, Ayako began to move. She skipped and jumped across the surface as if she were dancing in a ballroom, swinging her blade at anything that came in her proximity. Every step left a trail of Sakura petals; every swing left a spray of dark blood.

"Izumi-san! Izumi!"

Kurt kept screaming for her to return, but she was lost in the rhythm of the slaughter. She was laughing all the while. Her dark whipped around her as the pristine blue lake slowly began to turn a sickening, murky red.

"AYAKO! STOP IT NOW!

Finally, she snapped her head toward him, blinking as if waking from a dream. At that moment, a massive piranha lunged at her blind spot. Its jaws snapped shut, passing through nothing but petals.

Ayako reappeared instantly by Kurt’s side, sheathing her sword with a satisfied click. She was panting slightly but had the brightest smile he’d seen from her yet.

However, Kurt was not having it. "What the hell were you thinking!?"

"What do you mean?" Ayako asked as her smile faltered. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"That! Look at the lake, Izumi-san!"

"Izumi-san...?" Ayako confusingly said her own name while looking toward the lake and back to him. "I was only taking out the monsters. No harm done."

"No harm–? You turned a scenic landmark into a slaughterhouse! We aren’t here to play ’Exterminator.’ We’re here to pick flowers. Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"I don’t understand why you are angry." Ayako tilted her head quizzically. "If anything, I did the people a favour by thinning the monsters, didn’t I?"

"No! It’s the opposite! We literally just rode past a village. Those people live off this land. What if they need those fish to eat or something? Or what if the blood attracts something even worse from that forest?" Kurt pointed behind them to the woods.

"When we passed those villagers, they didn’t ask us to kill the fish. They just warned us to be careful. They’ve lived with those monsters for who knows how long. You can’t just go around breaking the ecosystem. Besides, don’t you think something would’ve been done if those monsters were really a problem?"

Ayako’s eyes went wide. She looked back at the red-stained water, then toward the direction from which they came. The realisation hit her hard. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked down at her feet in genuine shame.

"I... I didn’t think... I truly am sorry, Rossana-sama."

"Why did you even do it?" Kurt asked softly but still stern.

"I just..." Ayako bit her lip. "I just... I wanted to have some fun. And... admittedly... I wanted to show off to you a little. I wanted you to see what I am capable of."

Kurt was taken aback. He looked at Isabel, who looked just as saddened by the ruined lake. He scratched the back of his head, feeling a pang of guilt for yelling so hard at her. He then reached out and placed a hand on Ayako’s shoulder.

She flinched violently at the touch, her body tensing as if expecting a strike. Kurt saw her trembling. It was a deep-rooted fear that seemed out of place for a girl who just fought a hundred monsters and exudes such elegance.

"Hey," Kurt said gently. "Look up, Izumi-san."

She slowly raised her eyes to his.

"As long as you understand the mistake, it’s all good," he said, giving her shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze. "Just remember, as cheesy as this sounds, strength isn’t just about how many things you can kill. It’s about knowing when not to. Unless you’re dealing with an evil piece of shit, of course."

Ayako visibly relaxed as a wave of relief washed over her. "I see. Thank you, Rossana-sama. I will remember your words."

"Cool. Now... What are we going to do about the lake? We can’t just leave it like this."

Isabel stepped forward and spoke softly. "I can clear the blood, Master."

"How? That’s nearly the whole lake."

"Don’t you remember? I have an earth affinity. More specifically, Nature." she explained.

She then knelt at the water’s edge and dipped her hand ever-so-gently into the red-tinted waves. Immediately, a circle of pure, crystalline blue began to radiate from her fingertips. "I can push the impurities away from the center. Once the blood is gathered in one spot, I can extract it. It will take about an hour."

Ayako stepped forward, her eyes bright with a sudden determination to fix her mess.

"Let me handle it, Isabel. You shouldn’t have to work for an hour because of my foolishness."

Isabel, confused, nodded and made way.

Ayako walked to the edge. She drew her katana and dipped just the very tip of the blade into the water.

A hum filled the air. Suddenly, the entire lake began to glow with a brilliant, multifaceted light.

Suddenly, she slashed her sword upward in a grand arc. And as if gravity had been reversed, every single drop of blood and every scrap of the dead fish remains rose out of the lake at once, forming a massive, swirling red orb in the sky.

She then fell into a low stance and slashed twice in quick succession.

Two vertical strikes cut through the air. From the first, a giant roaring wave of fire erupted; from the second, a massive current of purple lightning followed. The two elements collided in the center of the blood-orb.

KABOOOM!

The blood and remains exploded in a brilliant flash of heat and light. The cluster remained suspended mid-air as the fireworks continued. Soon enough it stopped and revealed itself to be incinerated into fine, grey ash.

Ayako then made a circular motion with her blade, carving a moderate hole in the dirt nearby. With a flick of her wrist, she used a gust of wind magic to guide the falling ashes into the hole, then covered the dirt back over it.

She sheathed her sword and turned back to them, a cute, innocent smile on her face.

"It is finished."

Kurt and Isabel stood there, jaws dropped, staring at the lake which was now perfectly blue and pristine once again.

"Okay," Kurt blinked, impressed. "I guess... I guess we should go pick those flowers now."