Episode 1 – The Powerful Spirits of the Forest

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In the bushes near where Hikaru slept, a strange being was watching him. It had no head, yet wore a massive iron armor. Instead of a head, a swirling mixture of black and purple mist floated above its shoulders. Hanging at its waist was a colossal sword—powerful enough to split the entire forest in one swing.
This being had been observing Hikaru from the beginning, and for a reason Hikaru hadn’t realized: his body was radiating an immense aura. That was why no wild animals dared to approach him.
Just then, Hikaru woke up. He was surprised that no creature had attacked him during the night but felt relieved. As he stood up, he noticed the presence in the bushes.
“Who's there? Come out! I saw you! What do you want from me?” he shouted.
The being stepped out from the bushes and slowly approached him. The moment Hikaru saw it, his legs started to tremble with fear. The creature drew its massive sword and held it out toward him, saying only one thing:
“Fight me.”
Suddenly, a large screen appeared in front of Hikaru:

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[Conditions met. Your life is in danger.]
Fear Aura unlocked – Level 1
Gravity unlocked – Level 1
Body Enhancement (5 minutes) – Level 1
Fireball – Level 1
Mana Shield – Level 1


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Seeing the list of abilities gave Hikaru a glimmer of hope. The creature even seemed to step back a little. Unsure why, Hikaru raised his hand and shouted:
“Fireball!”
He had seen this done countless times in anime and hoped it would work. As his hand stayed raised, flames began forming around it. He visualized throwing the fireball at the being—and it actually launched! The fireball hit the creature, but it did no damage. Its armor was far too strong.
A single eye formed in the center of the being's misty "head."
“If you're done, it's my turn now, kid,” it said in a deep voice before vanishing.
Hikaru instantly realized the attack would come from behind and activated Mana Shield. The strike hit the barrier, but had no effect. The creature was surprised—but before it could attack again, Hikaru used his Gravity ability.
The being was slammed to the ground and momentarily stunned. Shocked, it began to smile.
Then, a sudden sound of applause echoed behind them. Hikaru turned to see a woman descending gracefully. Her enormous white-feathered wings could easily block out the sky. She seemed like the very spirit of the forest.
Her long emerald-green hair flowed down to the ground. But her most striking feature was her eyes: one gold, one emerald. Her gown was elegant, decorated with golden embroidery, and wrapped around her form like flowing light. A glowing blue gem hung on a necklace over her chest, and a golden halo hovered above her head.
The woman walked toward Hikaru and smiled warmly.
“My name is Aeris. I am the spirit and ruler of this forest. Would you mind letting my subordinate go? I promise we won’t hurt you. In fact, he’s the one who brought you here. We cannot go against his will.”
Hikaru lowered his hand and canceled the magic. But he thought to himself: "Who is this 'man' she's talking about? How does she know I came from Japan?"
Just as he was about to ask, Aeris turned to him again.
“When the time comes, I will tell you everything,” she said gently.
The armored being stood up, placed his hand on Hikaru’s shoulder and said:
“My name is Riho. Pleased to meet you. You're really strong.”
Hikaru replied with a smile, “You’re really strong too.”
Aeris stepped forward again and spoke:
“You must come with me now. There’s much I need to explain. You're strong, yes—stronger than I expected. I never thought you'd stand a chance against Riho. But you still have a lot to learn.”
She then looked at Riho with an intense glare.
“I’ll deal with you later,” she growled.
Hikaru placed his hand on Riho’s back and said, “Good luck.”
He knew Aeris was far more powerful and temperamental than she seemed. But if he wanted to learn more about this world—and the people who brought him here—he had no other choice.
Now that he was in another world, he felt it was time for a new beginning. He looked at them and said:
“My name is Riyo. Nice to meet you.”
And then, he started walking alongside Aeris.

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