/CUCKOO/ /CUCKOO/


    With shining sunlighting from the windows, Aliya woke up early in the morning.


    "Ahh!"


    However, before she could even stand up from the ce she was lying, a sudden pain assaulted her on her lower abdomen, making her flinch.


    ''That''s right,st night we.... I finally became one with Callius.''


    Remembering the things she and he did on thest night, her face got red for a second.


    ''He was like a beast.''


    With her hand touching her lower sacred ce, she thought.


    ''But, he was so good. It is not his first time, isn''t it? I wish that was me.''


    Who wouldn''t like being his/her partner''s first time in the first ce?


    Looking around to see any signs of Callius around, she saw a note and a sphere nearby.


    "What is this? Did Callius leave that?"


    Seeing the note, she slowly stood up and grabbed that reading it.


    "Ah.... I see.... So, this orb is what my father got for me as my birthday present, and this is how we will be talking from now on."


    Mumbling like that while reading the note, her eyes fired up again.


    ''This time, I will really show him how valuable I am that he won''t ever think of leaving me. I will make sure of it.''


    Before she could even realize it, her thought process had already changed.


    If before she was trying to be worthy of Callius in her mind, now she is trying to show him how good she was.


    And this was her first step to bing the real self that she would have been in the game.


    It was at that moment that the future Demoness of Money regained her future characteristics.


    ''I will pull your legs if you seduce anotherdy while I am not with you.''


    With a smile on her face, she thought, looking at the greenery from the window.


    ''I am looking forward to meeting you at the academy.''


    ******


    After a very good and long night with Aliya, she was exhausted at the end.


    It was a very normal thing considering it was her first time.


    And I don''t know why, but bidding my goodbyes to others is not my type.


    I don''t like doing that.


    When you leave the person like that, it leaves the impression of mystery, and that either would make the other party overly anxious or would make them remember the night more.


    In Aliya''s case, this will be the second scenario. I am pretty sure of that.


    Therefore, after seeing her sleeping soundly, I grabbed the pen and left the room, grabbing my clothes and everything.


    ''She will be able to contact me with this orb, anyway.''


    Thinking that, I left the inn feeling the cold night breezeing through my face.


    Although it was an active night, that was nowhere close enough to tire me of a three-star knight.


    Therefore, even a sleep of two hours was enough to bring me to my top condition.


    Well, not my top condition but enough to train.


    Since tonight will be ourst lesson with Akira, I first reached my room while looking at the bright moon and the darkness surrounding the sky. I remember the first time I came to this world.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''It has already been a year, isn''t it? From being two different souls to bing one. From being a college student and a viin child of the story to Callius. And this was just the beginning.''


    ''All Seeing Eye.''


    With my [All Seeing Eye] opened, I started looking at the sky.


    ''Today is indeed the day I got my ss for the first time. The day of Night''s Fall.''


    Seeing the mana fluctuations, I thought.


    And then reached the ce where I promised Akira to meet.


    There I saw a man with a straw hat hanging over his head.


    With bright ck kimono on his waist and a hakama hanging over his legs, he was leaning towards the tree behind him, slowly blowing a flute.


    "You are here."


    "I am."


    "Are you ready for thest lesson?"


    "...."


    "Answer me."


    "I am."


    "I see. That''s good, then."


    "....."


    "Before we start, let me ask you. Have you ever heard of something by the name of Otakemaru?


    ''Otakemaru, huh? The evil yokai was represented in Japanese mythology. But, I have never heard of such a thing in this world, neither in the game.''


    "No."


    "I see....."


    "Then, let me begin with our family first. As you already know, we have different ns that go as the nobility of this continent. And all those ns stemmed from one simple family that would rule thosends. We call them Samurai Families."


    "My family was such a Samurai Family, Renshou n. We were one of the strongest families in ournd, with our unique sword style and strong warriors that founded our family. Every patriarch of our family had a unique strength. Even if our warriors were behind in number and strength, the strength of the patriarch would always close the gap making the bnce in ournds at the same time, making our family one of the strongest.


    "However, there was one thing that was hidden in the backlines. In this world, there is no power thates without a price. And, of course, such power that wouldn''t fit themon sense had its own price."


    "It was rted to the children of the lineage. Aside from one child that would be chosen as the future leader of the family, every other child would be sacrificed for the sake of the family to the being our family made the deals with."


    "Otakemaru, huh?"


    "That''s right. The life of the children of our family would be sacrificed to the Otakemaru, aside from that one child chosen. That was how I lost my brothers and sisters one by one, not knowing anything about this cruel truth."


    "But that is not everything isn''t it?"


    "You are right. In case the people of the family would betray the deal made, there is that one condition. The body of the person youngest would be the vessel of the Otakemaru, making him descend to the mortal world, on Yoru Ochiru."


    "I see. So, that''s why you were trying your best to teach me your techniques."


    "That''s right. To make you beat it."


    /SCHLINK/


    "Now, Callius. Let us begin our final lesson."


    With his sword raised from his handle, he locked his eyes with mine.


    "Show me your prowess."


    /SWOOSH/


    And dashed towards me with the sword in his hands raised....