Chapter Four - Encounter.

Hiro walked back toward the house quietly.

“Hey there.” Somebody said. Hiro looked back.

“W-What the hell?” Hiro said. Cyrus stood there, smirking. He wore his usual knight uniform but with the king's cloak over it. He also wore the king’s crown, he was clearly making a mockery of the king by wearing his clothes, but he was also announcing his rule.

“You must be Hiroyuki Uyehara… I’ve heard a couple things about you…” Cyrus said. Hiro gulped,

“Like…?” Hiro asked. Cyrus chuckled,

“Like? Mostly everybody in Aetheris knows you, you have a 50 million Aetherion bounty…” Cyrus said with a smirk. Hiro raised a brow,

“Conversion…?” Hiro asked. Cyrus chuckled,

“Righttt~ I forgot, you live in Novaterra, you guys have a lot of different currencies, hm…” Cyrus said.

“Where are we?” Cyrus asked.

“J-Japan…” Hiro said.

“Hm…” Cyrus rubbed his chin.

“That would be about 37.5 Billion Yen.” Cyrus said. Hiro’s eyes widened.

“S-So what, are you here to capture me and take me to collect my bounty?” Hiro asked. Cyrus bursted out laughing,

“Haha! Let me tell you, you are one fucking funny brat, ya’know that?” Cyrus said. Hiro forced a chuckle,

“N-No, I didn’t…” Hiro said.

“Well, anyways, you’re probably wondering why I’m here and all, let me tell you.” Cyrus said.

“I came here to meet with you and Lyra Fournier.” Cyrus said. Hiro blinked,

“That’s it?” Hiro asked. Cyrus nodded,

“But then I noticed she was leaving and you looked somewhat down in the dumps, so I thought I might reveal myself and encourage you.” Cyrus said. Hiro looked extremely confused,

“You mean to tell me, the guy who put a 37 billion yen bounty on me, is here to encourage me?” Hiro asked.

“Precisely.” Cyrus said with a quick nod.

“In what way?” Hiro asked.

“I’m glad you asked! You see, I noticed how sad you looked seeing Lyra leave and I thought, maybe you could challenge Cassandra to a fight and whoever wins gets to keep guard over Lyra!” Cyrus said. Hiro looked at Cyrus sternly.

“What's the catch?” Hiro asked. Cyrus bursted out laughing again.

“God, you guys on Novaterra are so damn paranoid… But it's a good question.” Cyrus said. Hiro sighed,

“The catch is… Nothing, there is no catch… Not for this atleast.” Cyrus explained.

“I just want to see if this will go my way… That's it.” Cyrus said. Hiro looked confused,

“I-I’m not gonna win that fight, are you kidding??” Hiro asked. Cyrus sighed,

“Such little belief in yourself… I see potential in you, believe in yourself.” Cyrus said.

“Now then, go on.” Cyrus said. Hiro looked confused,

“Uh okay…?” Hiro said. Cyrus smiled,

“We’ll see eachother again, really soon! Once that time comes, I’ll have you test something for me…” Cyrus said. Hiro looked surprised,

“W-What do you mean?” Hiro asked. Cyrus then walked backward into the darkness.

“H-HEY, ANSWER ME!” Hiro asked. Hiro walked toward the darkness but Cyrus was gone. Hiro scoffed, looking to his right to see how far Lyra, Cassandra, and Jin-Ho had gotten. He then started jogging which became a sprint. Suddenly, he would start using Leiwen and running really fast, though he didn’t know how to stop.

He looked down at his feet, not knowing how to stop. It looked as if he were ice skating on the ground extremely quickly. He looked up, noticing that he was about to run into a building. He then turned 90 degrees around the corner. He then saw Lyra, Cassandra, and Jin-Ho. Cassandra’s eyes widened slightly, noticing Ryuji’s energy.

“God dammit…” Cassandra said. She put her foot out to the side to trip Hiro. Hiro tripped on Cassandra’s foot flying past the three of them. He was back to normal speed but somewhat flying forward. Hiro then fell on his face, hitting the pavement. Smoke would be exhausting from the bottom of his shoes.

“This idiot…” Cassandra murmured. Lyra looked at Hiro somewhat surprised,

“What the hell do you want, kid?” Cassandra asked. Hiro stood up slowly, wiping off his bruised cheek.

“I… I want to… I want to fight you…” Hiro said. Cassandra raised a brow, somewhat irritated.

“You want to do what?” Cassandra asked. Jin-Ho's face palmed while Lyra just stood there in disbelief.

“I said… I want to fight you…!” Hiro said. Cassandra sighed,

“Piss off, I’m not entertaining your teenage adrenaline…” Cassandra said. Cassandra kept walking, taking a sip out of a beer can. Hiro stepped in front of her. She looked down at him with a glare.

“Move.” Cassandra said. Hiro shook his head,

“Not until you fight me.” Hiro said. Cassandra groaned,

“Ugh, fine…” She said, dropping the can on the ground and stomping on it.

“Park, hand me an Eclipse Shroud…” Cassandra said. A small portal opened and floated next to Jin-Ho. He put his hand into it, and pulled out a black orb about the size of a baseball. He handed it to Cassandra,

“Once we enter, nobody can leave until one of us is defeated.” Cassandra said. Cassandra dropped the orb on the ground and the area around them became a circular field with large tall trees around them. Hiro looked around,

“What the, what is this??” Hiro asked. Jin-Ho walked over to Hiro, handing him a glowing blue pill.

“This is an eclipse shroud domain… It can be used for fighting an opponent one on one…” Jin-Ho said.

“Swallow that… It’ll heal your injuries…” Jin-Ho explained. Hiro looked at it,

“What is it?” Hiro asked.

“It’s an Azura capsule… Now, take it if you want to last at least a minute…” Jin-Ho said. Hiro nodded, tossing it in his mouth and swallowing it.

“Those are useful because they don’t use up mana, like self magical healing does…” Jin-Ho said.

“I would tell you good luck… But there’s none…” Jin-Ho said, walking back over to Lyra. Hiro nodded, looking over at Cassandra.

“I have one request…” Hiro said. Cassandra raised a brow,

“And what's that?” She asked.

“Whoever is the victor of the battle… Gets to protect Lyra…” Hiro said. Cassandra scoffed,

Cassandra stood in the center, her scythe resting against her shoulder, the weapon glowing faintly with golden mana. Opposite her, Hiro clutched Ryuji’s sword tightly, its flickering flames reflecting his shaky resolve.

“You think you can protect Lyra?” Cassandra scoffed, her voice sharp and dripping with disdain. “You can barely protect yourself.”

“I don’t care what you think,” Hiro shot back, stepping forward. “She’s my friend. I won’t let someone like you decide what’s best for her!”

Cassandra’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t even know what’s at stake. You’re reckless, inexperienced, and a liability. But if you’re so insistent, let’s see what you’re made of.”

Without warning, Cassandra charged, her scythe cutting through the air in a swift, deadly arc. Hiro raised Ryuji’s sword just in time, the clash of metal reverberating through the field. The impact sent him stumbling back, his arms trembling from the force.

“Too slow,” Cassandra muttered, spinning her scythe and unleashing a wave of golden energy.

Hiro leaped to the side, the blast grazing him and leaving a scorched line in the grass. He swung wildly in retaliation, flames erupting along the blade, but his strikes were clumsy and unfocused. Cassandra dodged each one with ease, her movements fluid and precise.

“You’re just flailing,” she said coldly, stepping in and sweeping his legs with the butt of her scythe. Hiro hit the ground hard, gasping for air as Cassandra loomed over him.

From the side, Lyra took a step forward, panic in her voice. “Stop it, Cassandra! You’re going too far!”

“Stay out of this, Lyra,” Cassandra barked, her eyes never leaving Hiro.

“If he wants to protect you, he has to prove he’s worth it.”

Jin-Ho placed a hand on Lyra’s shoulder, shaking his head.

“Let them finish. Hiro’s the one who started this.” Hiro struggled to his feet, blood pounding in his ears.

“I’m not done yet!” he shouted, gripping the sword tighter. Cassandra sighed, her irritation growing.

“You’re going to get yourself killed.”

She dashed forward, her scythe glowing brighter. Hiro swung the sword in desperation, the flames surging unpredictably. This time, the fire lashed out in a wide arc, forcing Cassandra to backpedal. A flicker of surprise crossed her face as she glanced at the faint scorch mark on her armor.

“Not bad,” she muttered, her tone begrudging.

Emboldened, Hiro charged again, swinging the sword with all his might. The flames roared to life, but his lack of control made them as much a danger to himself as to Cassandra. She sidestepped his attack and slammed the blunt end of her scythe into his stomach. Hiro collapsed to his knees, coughing and gasping for air.

“Enough,” Cassandra said sharply, pointing the blade of her scythe at his throat. Her golden mana flared briefly, casting an intimidating glow over the field.

“You’ve got potential, but potential means nothing without control. Right now, you’re just a boy playing with fire.” Hiro glared up at her, his defiance undimmed.

“Then teach me,” he said, his voice hoarse but determined. Cassandra frowned, lowering her scythe slightly.

“I don’t have time to babysit you. Lyra and I can’t stick around with someone as untrained and reckless as you.” Lyra stepped forward, her voice trembling.

“Cassandra, he just wants to help!” Cassandra sighed, rubbing her temple.

“If he really wants to help, he can come find me when he’s ready to learn. You can visit Lyra, Hiro, and I’ll even train you occasionally. But until you prove you’re not a danger to yourself and everyone around you, you’re on your own.”

She turned and began walking away, her scythe resting against her shoulder.

“You’ve got a long way to go, brat,” she said over her shoulder.

“Don’t make me regret giving you this chance.”

Hiro stayed kneeling on the ground, gripping the sword tightly as the fire around it flickered and died. Lyra ran to his side, worry etched across her face.

“You’ll get there, Hiro,” she said softly. Jin-Ho joined them, shaking his head.

“If you’re serious about this, you’d better start training properly. That was embarrassing.”

Hiro ignored him, his gaze fixed on Cassandra’s retreating figure. His body ached, but his resolve burned brighter than ever. He would get strongerno matter what it took, though now he was tired.

Just then the domain lowered as they were back in the town. Hiro stood up, sighing. The sword then vanished from Hiro’s hands as he walked back toward his house, tired. Jin-Ho walked over, tapping him on the shoulder.

“Meet me after school tomorrow…” Jin-Ho said. Hiro looked back at Jin-Ho with tired eyes,

“Y-Yep… Will do…” Hiro weakly put a thumb up. Jin-Ho nodded, turning and jogging back over to Cassandra and Lyra.

“Damn it man… Why did I decide to do this on a school night…” He continued walking until he got to his house. He walked into his house, up the stairs and to his room. He sat on his bed, flopping on his back and sighing.

“Fuck dude… I’m tired…” Hiro internalized. He then closed his eyes, falling asleep peacefully. A few days later, he sat in his first period class, his chin resting in his hand which was held up by his elbow on the desk.

“Cassandra has been biting my ass with training…”

”I mean, I’m getting stronger but I can barely get any sleep at night cause I’m so sore…”

“I’m not allowed to use a sword or mana for a month, just pure combat… Only in dangerous situations am I allowed to use mana…” Hiro internalized. Suddenly, the teacher walked in, he had the same black aura with the thick purple outline.

“Alright everyone, stand up.” The teacher said, All the students in the class stood up.

“Today we have a new student.” The teacher announced. Hiro looked surprised.

“Don’t tell me…” Hiro internalized. He looked over at Jin-Ho. Jin-Ho looked at Hiro, shrugging. Suddenly, Lyra walked into the room wearing a girls school uniform.

“Hey there, my name is Kayla Thompson! Nice to meet you all, I hope we can be good friends!” Lyra smiled.

“Wow… She’s so pretty…” Muttered a couple girls in the class. While some other boys in the class fawned over her. Hiro sat back down at his desk.

“Why don’t you sit down between Park and Uyehara back there?” The teacher said, which surprised both Jin-Ho and Hiro. Lyra sat at the desk between them with a smile. Hiro looked at her out of the side of his eyes while Jin-Ho looked at a book.

“What’re you doing here?” Hiro whispered. Lyra looked over raising a brow,

“Being a good student and attending class.” Lyra said. Hiro’s eyes widened slightly,

“Did she just speak Japanese…?” Hiro internalized. He looked back up at the front of the room, shrugging.

A few minutes later, the bell would ring as the three of them left the classroom. There would be a big crowd standing in the hall causing a slight comotion.

“What’s going in the hall?” Hiro said.

“They’re probably looking at something… uh… strangerful?” Lyra said. Hiro and Jin-Ho looked at her, raising a brow.

“What?” Hiro asked.

“What? Did I say something?” Lyra asked.

“You said something wrong…” Jin-Ho said. Lyra looked confused,

“What?” She asked. Hiro and Jin-Ho shook their heads,

“Nevermind…” Hiro said. They walked closer to the crowd, seeing a path emerge. They saw a girl with slightly wavy straight hair in a wolf cut. She had dark black eyes and a welcoming smile. She had warm, sun-kissed skin, her features framed by deep, expressive eyes that held a natural intensity.

Her dark hair fell in soft waves, catching the light like silk. Hiro looked slightly surprised, seeing her. Lyra and Jin-Ho looked at Hiro, raising a brow. She then looked over at Hiro, smiling sweetly. She walked over, somewhat gracefully.

“Hi, my name is Aria Quinn.” Aria said, putting her hand out to shake Hiro’s. Her voice carried a gentle rhythm, as though her words danced with an unspoken melody. Hiro blinked,

“U-Uh yeah, Uyehiro Hara!” Hiro said. Aria blinked,

“Uyehiro? That’s an interesting name.” She said with a smile on her face.

“Oh- Uh, I meant Hiroyuki Uyehara.” Hiro said, smiling. Aria chuckled,

“That sounds more normal, haha.” Aria said. Hiro smiled. Lyra and Jin-Ho looked at Hiro and Aria, blinking.

“I don’t trust her…” Jin-Ho whispered in Lyra’s ear. Lyra nodded,

“Yeah…” Lyra whispered back. Hiro laughed as he and Aria continued conversing.