Trip to World Two

Filna was crying as if it were the end of the world.

That sound... it cut deeper than any blade.

Even so, I needed to be strong — at least strong enough to leave.

— Filna — I called softly, approaching her.

"I need to tell you a few things before I go," I said.

She lifted her face, her eyes filled with tears.

— You can speak. — he said. FILNA .

I took a deep breath, trying to disguise the pain with a crooked smile.

"You probably won't grow any taller, so you'll stay short. Besides, your body attributes don't seem to grow like mine, which grow a lot. Lastly… you look like a grumpy old woman, but I think I'll end up grumpy too," I told her with a smile on my face.

Filna's eyes widened.

"Is that what you say when you say goodbye?" he said . Filna crying.

— Sayonara , Filna . — I smiled, trying to sound lighthearted, even though my heart was heavy.

She hugged me tightly, crying even harder.

— Sis!!!... please !!!... take care!!! — Filna said goodbye to me.

— You can count on it. — She smiled back.

"But obey Queen Galadriel properly , understood?" I said.

"Come on, Yumi . It's time." Galadriel 's voice echoed behind us, serene as always.

I gave one last wave.

And then, the barrier opened.

A bright light enveloped me and the queen, and when the light faded, we were in another world.

The breeze was different.

The air smelled of earth and green tea.

Ahead of us, a traditional Japanese wooden house.

A woman with short hair opened the door, looking surprised.

— Alors your nom est Elfsei Mayumi "Yumi ? " she asked , in a language I had never heard.

I looked at Galadriel , confused.

"Hey, did she cast some kind of spell using my name?" I asked.

The woman laughed.

"No, young lady. I only spoke French," said Emma .

"French?" I repeated , my tongue slightly tied.

"It's one of the many languages of this world," she explained , smiling.

"My name is Léa Emma, and I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about this place," she introduced herself.

Galadriel and Emma talked for a while.

The queen explained everything about me, about the elven kingdom, about the mission.

Emma listened attentively, and then looked at me steadily.

" Yumi , from now on, you will follow all the rules I tell you. I want you to become someone worthy of the queen's trust." He slammed his fist on the table authoritatively.

" She 's fierce..."

But I agreed.

"Don't worry. I'll learn it properly," I said.

Galadriel smiled.

" Yumi , I'm leaving you in Emma's care. She's polite, patient, and trustworthy. With her, you'll learn what you need to know," she said . Galadriel .

— Understood. — I bowed.

"Actually, before I go... I need to say something," I said.

The queen looked at me, surprised.

"I need to apologize... for everything I said before," I apologized.

Galadriel shook her head.

"You don't need to apologize. I understand what it's like to lose someone and to rebel against the world," he said . Galadriel .

"Even so... I want to thank you. And ask one more thing: until I return, take care of Filna with love and affection," I requested.

The queen smiled sincerely.

"You didn't even need to ask . I love all my subjects, including you, with the same affection," he replied . Galadriel .

I felt a warm relief in my chest.

"Thank you... that was all I needed to hear," I said.

Galadriel bid farewell with a gesture.

And before disappearing, she murmured to herself:

The following years passed in silence and learning.

Four years.

Emma taught me languages, customs, and how to live without drawing attention to myself.

It trained my mind, my body, and my self-control.

And one day, the time came.

"Keep going down this path, Yumi ," Emma said.

— Galadriel sent a warning. Elfherinsei would be using the Saipan school, here in Kyoto, as a teleportation point between worlds. You know what that means. — Emma said, reading Galadriel 's message .

I agreed.

"I know. I'll get ready," I replied.

The next day, I began my new routine: a student at Saipan High.

First day.

First step.

New disguise.

The classroom was typical: desks lined up, wide windows, and the smell of chalk.

The Japanese teacher took attendance and asked each student to introduce themselves.

When it was my turn, I spoke in my own way.

My name is Mayumi. Yumi . I like practicing martial arts… and anyone who tries to mess with me is going to get a beating. Need I say more, professor? — I introduced myself.

Some laughed. Others looked at me as if I were a threat.

I felt the same cold I felt the day I crossed the worlds.

But one thing was certain:

That would be my new arena.

And I was ready to fight again.

The bell rang. Break time.

It was officially my first chance to observe the "ecosystem" of that school.

"I think my presentation was enough to prevent any idiotic attempts at bullying me. They say my aura isn't very friendly anyway."

I went to the courtyard, where all the students were huddled together: groups laughing loudly, whispering, cliques.

Curious eyes had already stared at me in the room, now some pretended not to look.

"I need information about my group. Who's in charge, who obeys, who disappears, who gets beaten up."

While I was analyzing, something caught my attention.

One boy walked past with a tray of food. Another put his foot in front of it.

The fall was a sure thing.

Tray on the floor. Body on the floor. Laughter all around.

"That boy... he's in my class. Pathetic."

His name was Satoru. Fujimoto .

Before he could stand up, another student grabbed him by the nape of the neck and rubbed his face in the spilled food. Laughter echoed again.

An inspector appeared, looking serious. I straightened up, hoping for the bare minimum of justice in the human world.

"Now you're screwed."

But, to my surprise:

" Fujimoto ! Clean up the mess you made. Now!" shouted the inspector.

" I-I …" he tried to say, but swallowed his words.

The others escaped unharmed.

Not even a scolding.

Not even a glance.

"What the hell was that?"

That wasn't just regular bullying .

Something was… twisted. Addicted. Controlled.

A few hours later, classes ended.

I came home with my head spinning. Emma was at the table, reviewing some papers.

"So, how was your first day of school?" she asked , too calmly.

"Emma... do you know what kind of school Saipan is?" I asked.

"I know she's famous. I know she's useful for the mission. And I know I'm French, not Japanese," she replied, shrugging.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Wait. You only put me on Saipan because of the mission, right?" I asked, surprised.

— Correct. — She rested her chin on her hand.

"What happened?" Emma asked.

I told everything. The fall. The humiliation. The inspector. The shifting of blame.

Emma became serious.

"There's something wrong at this school," he murmured .

"Then answer me one thing, Yumi ," Emma asked .

"What?" I said.

"Do you intend to build relationships with your colleagues?" Emma asked.

— No. I'm not here for that. — I replied without thinking.

"Then create false bonds," she retorted.

"If you don't mingle, you could become a target," Emma explained .

— I already made it clear in the presentation… nobody will dare mess with me. Besides, I put —

Emma slammed her hand on the table.

— Vous n' utiliserez pas vos pouvoirs à l'école !!!

My eyes widened.

"When she switches to French, it's because she's really annoyed."

— Okay , okay. I'm not going to use it. — I raised my hands.

She stared at me for a little longer, until she relaxed her shoulders.

The next day, back in room 3-A.

I sat at my desk, observing in silence.

"Second day. Today's first class is math."

Professor Takama began the roll call.

It stopped halfway.

—Satoru​ Fujimoto … absent.

— Takashi Hiroshi … absent.

I sighed.

"Great. Clearly Hiroshi is up to something with Fujimoto . And classes are going to be delayed because of it. What a drag."

A few minutes later: knock touch .

Someone knocked on the door.

Takama opened.

In the hallway were Hiroshi, impeccably dressed in his uniform, and Fujimoto , wearing only a towel, trembling.

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.

"Professor Takama , I can explain," said Hiroshi.

"That's really good," the professor replied seriously.

Hiroshi gave a slight, practiced smile.

"I went to the bathroom and found Fujimoto like this, just in a towel, staring at a picture of himself. You can probably imagine the kind of strange thing he was doing," Hiroshi explained .

Murmurs filled the room. A few low giggles.

"Can you prove that?" he asked . Takama .

Hiroshi pulled a crumpled photo out of his pocket.

"Here," said Hiroshi.

Takama examined it. The photo was marked, crumpled, with strange stains.

"Why is the photo like this?" he asked.

"He got stuck with her," Hiroshi replied quickly.

I looked at Fujimoto . Pale. Trembling.

Tears began to stream down her face.

— P-professor Takama … that’s not true! — Fujimoto swallowed back tears.

"I... I was just being normal in the bathroom when Hiroshi showed up with three other guys... they held me down, took off my clothes, took this picture and... left me only with a towel..." Fujimoto said , crying.

A buzz spread.

Takama closed his eyes for a moment.

I held my breath.

"So, professor? Are you going to use your brain or follow the script of this rotten school?"

He looked at Hiroshi, then at Fujimoto .

The entire room was waiting.

— Fujimoto . Put on your uniform. Then come to the orientation room. We'll discuss this further. — he began . Takama .

No immediate punishment for Hiroshi.

No certainty.

Only doubt remains.

" I understood."

Saipan was not just a school with cruel students.

There was something invisible weighing on the decisions.

As if the scales always tipped to the wrong side.

I clenched my fists under my wallet.

" Elfherinsei ... if you're really using this place, I'll rip you out of here by the roots."

And that was only the second day.