A pair of arms flips me over, giving me a view of the misty sky. But that view is partially covered by the expressionless face of a girl with azure blue hair, the same color as the sky on a warm summer day.


    "Ah, I can breathe again."


    "If you can breathe, then you can talk. And how about you start by explaining who you really are and how you defeated that aberrant with a single spell."


    "What''s that? There''s so much mist that I couldn''t hear what you–"


    "Would you like me to flip you back over?" She shows me her hands.


    "Ah, haha…" I meet her eyes. "Since you saw so much, you should already have some understanding. And once your spirit wakes up, she''ll be able to fill in a lot of gaps."


    "Are you saying you''re not going to talk?"


    I sit up, my strength slowly returning alongside my mana. "Will you tell me why one of the Lucavi is on this side of the mist? You''ve got one of the twelve Great Spirits inside you. Shouldn''t you be protecting the spiritkin?"


    "That''s…" Lyra makes a troubled face. "I have my reasons…"


    "Well, I can make a few educated guesses. But I''d like to hear the whole story from you."


    "Not long ago, weren''t you trying to warn me against revealing who I was by interrupting me before I could explain myself to the other heroes?"


    I get a hand beneath me and push myself to my feet, only wobbling a bit. "That''s right. You shouldn''t trust anyone in the human lands, not even the heroes."


    "Why? Weren''t they summoned to stop the mist? Why would we be enemies?"


    "The humans think the spiritkin are responsible for the mist, so if they knew one of the twelve Lucavi showed up, they''d definitely try to capture you."


    "And what about you?" Lyra narrows her eyes. "Can I trust you?"


    I silently look into her eyes for a long second before answering. "Of course. I''m not here to do the bidding of that cowardly king. I intend to put an end to the mist once and for all."


    A certain girl''s face appears in my mind. She carries a pure smile filled with happiness–and tinged with sadness.


    Absolutely. I absolutely won''t fail again.


    Lyra visibly considers everything she''s seen and heard until now. Without a doubt, she''s here for an important reason. Perhaps failure could even mean death for many of the people she cares about.


    With that kind of burden on such a young girl''s shoulders, it''s no wonder I can see her troubles weighing heavily upon her. It''s admirable that she can even control the powerful emotions that must be raging inside her.


    Finally, Lyra opens her mouth. "I–"


    "Hey!" A voice calls out from within the mist. "I see someone!"


    Turning, I catch sight of several shadows. Since the fog is thin here, our vision is rather good. So, even though my detection abilities are deactivated due to my low mana, I can make out the slim figure of a certain Japanese girl.


    "We''ll talk later," I say. "For now, a regular girl like you needs to play her part."


    "Fine." She puts on a strained face. "Oh, the mist is really getting to me now."


    "Hmm. Maybe leave the acting to the professionals. Your monotone voice is in complete contrast with your expression."


    Mitsuki stops beside us, her body looking a little worse for wear than the last time I saw her. Some of the blood even belongs to her, but it doesn''t seem to bother her too much, likely because she''s used to getting battered during her countless hours of training with me back on Earth.


    "Lezard!" She grabs me by the shoulders with a little too much force. "Are you okay!?"


    "Ouch. I was until you latched onto me with your iron grip."


    "Ah…!" She remembers the difference between our levels. "Sorry. I was just…"


    "Don''t worry about it." I motion to myself. "I''m completely fine, as you can see."


    "Yes…" Her composure returns. "I heard you were the only one left fighting one of those huge monsters that showed up. I had assumed the worst."


    Two more of my classmates show up, with one of them being Josh, the captain of our old school''s football team. Like Mitsuki, he looks a little beat up, but also like Mitsuki, he''s used to getting bruised.


    "Speaking of those huge monsters," Josh says. "Where did it go?"


    "Oh, man." I wipe the sweat from my forehead. "We just managed to lose it."


    "Lose it? It was chasing you?"


    "Yeah. That thing was terrifying, so of course I ran with all my strength."


    "I heard you ran away first, then came back after that thing started overwhelming the others. What was that about?"


    "Oh yeah. Lyra and I ran because we''re so weak. But we got turned around in the mist and ended up right back in the battle."


    Mitsuki narrows her eyes. "You got turned around? When we used to go hiking, you always had a good sense of direction."


    "Well, it''s my first time in the mist, so it can''t be helped, right?"


    "I suppose." Her knowing gaze tells me she doesn''t believe a single word coming out of my mouth.


    "Forget all that," I say. "We''ve got to get Lyra out of here and find the rest of our classmates. They scattered all over the place once the monster attacked."


    "Right." Josh turns to Lyra. "We should get her out of here first. She''s not looking too good."


    Lyra puts on the same strained face as before. "The mist is really getting to me now."


    Hey, what did I tell you about your acting?


    Fortunately, the disconnect between her serious expression and monotone voice doesn''t seem to register with the others.


    Mitsuki and Josh wave for us to follow them, so Lyra and I oblige without complaint, walking along with the third classmate that''s with us.


    As for why one of my classmates is being lumped together with the two weak members despite being a level 30 hero–well, he was one of the people who fled while facing that aberrant. And from the looks of him, he still hasn''t recovered his nerve.


    Since we were already near the edge of the mist before the aberrant caught up to us, it doesn''t take us long to break through to the sunlight. A quick trip up a hill, and we''re back at the convoy with the wagons, supplies, and soldiers.


    Some of our classmates are already here, including Nina, Alex, and Curtis. But several are still missing.


    The knight captain, Rosa, isn''t here either, meaning she must be in the mist, looking for the other heroes. Or maybe she''s hunting the aberrant. Unfortunately, I can''t tell them that I actually defeated it, so they''ll just have to settle with never knowing what really happened to it.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I''m going back in." Mitsuki turns her back to us.


    "It''s dangerous to go by yourself," Josh says. "Let''s get a group together first."


    "I guess so. Then I''ll leave it to you."


    She waits rather impatiently for Josh to get a few of the more willing members to go back in. Though even the ones who agree seem like they''d rather stay here where it''s safe.


    But fortunately, Josh is a rather charismatic guy. As the captain of the varsity football team, he has a strong reputation that makes it hard to tell him no. That and his large body makes people feel safe, even though this world is based on stats, rather than physical size.


    "Be safe." I speak to Mitsuki with my usual, carefree voice.


    "Not even worried?"


    "I''ve seen you fight. I''m sure you can beat that thing if you have a good group with you."


    "We fought two of them after we split up, but the third fled before we could engage it. That''s why we came back, to look for it. But we ran into some scattered members of the escort group, which is when I heard you were facing that monster alone."


    "So that''s why you look a little beat up. So you know how strong those monsters are, then."


    Mitsuki nods. "The regular monsters can''t compare. Now I understand why Rosa was adamant about not going too deep into the mist on our first trip."


    "Yeah, I doubt you want to face the creatures that live deep inside. Not yet."


    "What is it that lives in there?"


    "The longer a monster lives in the mist, the stronger it can get. There are various factors that determine their power, so it''s not quite that simple. But you can basically assume that the deeper you go, the more deadly the creatures will become. In truth, those aberrants weren''t even that powerful."


    "How do you know–"


    "We''re ready!" Josh yells.


    Mitsuki looks at the group he managed to gather. "I''ve got to go. Just stay here, and I''ll be back with the rest of our classmates soon."


    "Okay. Have fun." I send her off with a wave.


    Lyra and I watch as they leave the safety of the convoy and head back down the hill, where the tendrils of mist seem to be trying to claw their way up toward us.


    I don''t want to rain on their motivation by telling them that there''s nothing left but weak fodder.


    So let''s just leave them to it and enjoy a little break here.


    More importantly…


    A text box covers my vision again, filled with the usual status information. But there''s one noticeable difference from the last time I brought it up.


    I leveled up. It''s good that I can gain levels, but having to defeat an aberrant just to gain a single level is quite troublesome…


    My level has changed from a pitiful 1 to a glorious 2. Well, it''s still pitiful, but what''s glorious is just knowing that I can level up despite my powers being sealed.


    Hmm. This is going to be a problem when I get back to the castle…


    Ah, well. I''ll just deal with it when that time comes, as usual.


    For now…


    I meet Lyra''s eyes. She''s been staring at me ever since Mitsuki left, but I''ve been ignoring her gaze.


    I''m pretty good at that. Then again, I have a lot of practice with Mitsuki.


    "Hey…" A small voice draws my focus.


    Turning, I meet the eyes of the one who''s speaking to me. "Oh hey, Nina. What''s up?"


    "What do you mean ''what''s up''? Aren''t you even the least bit shaken up about what just happened?"


    "Ah, that? Yeah, I''m terrified. Never been so close to death in this entire life."


    "Then try to act like it!" Nina pouts. "Jeez. And here I was, worried we''d all left you to die as we ran away…"


    "Me, die?" I wave my hand dismissively. "I won''t die, even if I''m killed."


    "That''s not how it works!"


    Nina looks to Lyra, who''s been standing here silently listening. As usual, the spiritkin girl has an expressionless face, as if she didn''t just go through a near death experience in the mist.


    Hey, at least act like you almost died, even if you weren''t really in as much danger as everyone thought.


    Then again, with your acting skills, maybe it''s better if you just keep that nonchalant expression…


    As a Lucavi, Lyra is a host to one of the twelve Great Spirits, the Spirit of Water. That gives her an extraordinary amount of power, but right now, her spirit is sleeping.


    If the Spirit of Water is sleeping, then it must have used up all of its strength. That''s no small task, considering how much power the Great Spirits have.


    Does that mean the spiritkin are having an even more difficult time dealing with the mist than the humans?


    There are still a lot of unanswered questions. Fifteen years is a long time to be absent from a world on the brink of destruction.


    Unfortunately, we''re not really at liberty to discuss the details here at the convoy. There are far too many sets of ears. And mouths. Like the one that''s currently in the process of opening right beside me.


    "Hey," Nina says to Lyra. "How are you feeling?"


    "I''m fine. I can already feel the mist''s effects fading."


    "Yeah. You do look better already. I''m glad we got you out in time!"


    "Yes, I was fortunate that all of you showed up when you did. I never expected to run into an entire group of heroes."


    Nina puts on a stiff smile. "Some heroes. We couldn''t even beat one monster…"


    "I''m sure you''ll get stronger. That''s why you came here, isn''t it?" Lyra looks to me instead of Nina.


    "Yeah!" Nina recovers her energy. "Now that we''ve faced one of the most terrifying monsters and survived, I think we''ll be able to win next time!"


    "That''s … certainly the case."


    One of the most terrifying, huh? You''ve got a lot to learn, Nina.


    While that aberrant was certainly powerful considering how close we are to the edge of the mist, it''s far from the most terrifying.


    In fact, back when I was at the height of my strength, a creature like that was just fodder–a grunt that could only hope to overwhelm me with pure numbers. But even that was only a mild hindrance to me back then.


    No, the truly terrifying monsters are far, far worse…


    There''s nothing for us to do except wait. Or in Nina''s case, talk.


    But Lyra''s not what I''d call a talkative person, and she has a lot of secrets to keep hidden, meaning she has to be careful about what she says. So, I''m the one who ends up as Nina''s conversation partner for a bit.


    Like Lyra, I also have many secrets. But I have a literal lifetime of practice hiding them. Well, the entire lifetime of a teenager, anyway. But that''s enough for me to comfortably engage with anyone about topics that dance dangerously close to subjects that delve into the deep history of this world.


    Mitsuki is the only person that I''ve really clued in to what I know. Unlike my other classmates, I have a lot of trust in her. Not just because we''re childhood friends but because I know that she''s the kind of person who would keep my secrets, if she were to figure them out.


    But as of yet, I haven''t decided how much I should reveal to her.


    After all…


    The truth would put a huge burden on her shoulders.


    Knowing Mitsuki, her sense of honor wouldn''t let her stand by while others are made to suffer.


    But what would she do if I asked her to trust me? Would she set aside her honor?


    That''s not a choice I''d like to force her to make, which is exactly why I''m hesitant to reveal the truth to her.


    I have a feeling that she''ll find out what''s really going on, even if I don''t tell her.


    If that were to happen when I''m not around to hold back her anger…


    I can only imagine a scene where Mitsuki becomes an enemy to some of the most powerful people in this world. At her current strength, that''s a death sentence.


    Man, if only I weren''t so weak…


    Unfortunately, there''s nothing I can do about that right now. So, I continue to keep Nina company until something else catches her attention.


    Eventually, Rosa and my classmates appear from the mist. With a quick glance, I see that they managed to find everyone who scattered from that aberrant''s attack.


    You''ve really grown into a fine knight captain, Rosa.


    And to think, last time I was here, you were just a little pipsqueak.


    Though even back then, I knew you were special. That''s why I trained you, after all.


    I watch with hidden pride as Rosa comes to a stop and looks us over. Our initial venture into the mist was almost met with disaster, but in the end, we all made it out virtually unscathed.


    Physically, at least. I have a feeling a few of my more timid classmates will have unseen scars from their brush with death today.


    "It was messy," Rosa says to all of us. "But everyone made it back in one piece. When you run into danger within the mist, sometimes you have to count your blessings."


    Her eyes fall on me next. "Lezard, I heard you managed to lure the aberrant away from the others. An admiral job, and one I''m quite surprised worked in your favor."


    I shrug. "It basically just ran off after chasing me for a bit. Did you manage to find it?"


    "No. I can only assume it retreated deeper into the mist. Aberrants don''t like it when the mist is too thin, so perhaps after losing its prey, it simply decided to leave." Rosa looks thoughtful. "Though it''s rare for mutants to simply flee like that. We''ll need to be careful, just in case it''s still lurking nearby."


    Nina visibly flinches. "Are we going back into the mist?"


    "Of course. It''s the only way for you to get stronger within a reasonable time."


    "I see…"


    I put my hand on Nina''s shoulder. "Don''t worry. What are the chances that something worse than an aberrant will show up next time?"


    "Hey, don''t jinx it!"


    "Haha. Too late."


    Mitsuki grabs my hand and removes it from Nina''s shoulder. "There''s no need to worry. After seeing Rosa do battle, even a small army of aberrants wouldn''t pose a threat to her."


    "Really?" Nina looks to the knight captain. "Are you that strong?"


    Rosa shakes her head. "I was trained by the previous hero, but that was long ago. And I''m no hero, so my strength is limited. Even if I seem strong to you now, you''ll far surpass me one day."


    Mitsuki narrows her eyes. "The previous hero trained you? That was fifteen years ago, and you''re still so young. Just how old were you back then?"


    "I was ten years old when I first met him. He saved me from the mist, similar to how we just saved that young girl today. He took me under his wing, training me with his weapon of choice." Rosa holds up her scythe. "I''ve trained on my own since then, but I still don''t have a fraction of his strength."


    "He was that strong?"


    "I said it before, didn''t I? He was by far the most powerful person in this world''s history. Whether it was strength, skill, magic, or knowledge, he was unrivaled. Even now, nobody knows how he obtained the apex of power in so many categories. Unfortunately, we may never know."


    Sorry, Rosa. You may be right about that. A promise is a promise, after all.


    After a short break, Rosa calls for us to gather back up. And for the second time since coming to this world again, I walk back into the mist.