Chapter 2: The Girl from His Own Story

After that, the two of them stared at each other.

Kiryu was deeply shocked by the woman’s appearance. He remembered clearly—this woman standing before him was exactly the same as the illustration he had drawn long ago. She was the main heroine of his novel.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something wrong?” said the girl with bright red hair and vivid red eyes.
“Before that, are you alright? And why were you alone in such a dangerous forest?”

Kiryu remained silent. He still could not believe that he had been saved by the very girl he himself had created.

Then a tanker approached, assuming Kiryu was still in shock after being chased by three Minotaurs at once.

“Calm down. He’s probably still in shock after being chased by those three creatures.”

Elena grew more suspicious. She pointed her sword straight at Kiryu. The platinum blade stopped just a few centimeters from his neck.

Cold.
Sharp.
And far too real.

“Don’t move,” said the red-haired woman in a firm voice.
“Answer my question.”

She stared at him without blinking. Her gaze was sharp, as if judging whether Kiryu was a threat… or merely a burden.

“What is your name?”
“My name is Asuka Kiryu.”
“And what reason do you have for being in this dangerous forest?”

Kiryu was confused.

“A reason?”

“Why are you alone in Vargrimm Forest,” she said flatly.
“Without equipment. Without a party. Without magic. Without a weapon.”

Kiryu opened his mouth. Then closed it again.

“I’m just lost.”

The sword moved slightly closer.

“That is not an answer.”

“Alright,” Kiryu exhaled. “I appeared here. Literally.”

Silence fell.

The woman narrowed her eyes.

“Repeat that?”

“I didn’t enter the forest,” Kiryu said quickly. “The forest… entered my life.”

Several adventurers exchanged glances. The elven archer raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

The red-haired woman raised her sword a little higher.

“You think this is a joke?”

“No,” Kiryu answered honestly. “If this is a joke, the humor is extremely cruel.”

“Princess—”

A heavy voice interrupted them.

A large man carrying a thick shield stepped forward.

“Princess Elena, I think he’s telling the truth.”

The woman did not turn around.

“He’s a bit suspicious, Igor.”

Igor let out a small sigh.

“But he would’ve died earlier if we hadn’t saved him, right?”

The platinum sword was finally lowered—slightly.

The woman sheathed her sword at last.

“My name is Elena Virellisia,” she said. “And you’re extremely lucky we happened to pass by.”

Kiryu looked around—the dark forest, the traces of battle, the blood that had yet to dry.

Then the roar of another monster echoed in the distance.

“It seems we should leave this forest quickly,” Igor muttered to Elena. “There might be many more coming soon.”

Elena agreed, and allowed them to move out. Kiryu decided to follow them, having no idea where else he could go.

Kiryu walked in the middle of the adventurer group, his steps still slightly stiff.

Elena’s gaze occasionally fell on the clothes he was wearing—a red jacket made of an unfamiliar material, metal zippers, and a design that clearly could not have been made by any tailor in Estalia.

“Um, may I say something?” Elena finally said, without looking at Kiryu.
“Your clothes. I’ve never seen anything like them before.”

Kiryu glanced at his jacket.

“Is that a problem?”

“No,” Elena replied briefly. “But it’s strange.”

Kiryu fell silent. In his mind, he spoke to Karma.

Karma… should I be honest?

“Not recommended,” the voice replied without hesitation.
“Probability of suspicion increases by 63% if you reveal your origin from another world.”

Alright, Kiryu thought. Silence is a strategy.

He did not answer Elena’s question.

The woman looked at him a moment longer, then turned her gaze forward.

Not long after, the trees began to thin. Torchlight appeared in the distance.

“So we’ve finally arrived?” Igor said.

“Arrived? Where?” Kiryu asked, confused.

“That’s the Adventurers’ Camp. A safe zone for adventurers!”

“Confirmation,” Karma added. “You have entered an area with minimal threat level.”
“So the area you’re in now is very safe from any attacks.”

Kiryu let out a sigh of relief, only now realizing he had been holding his breath all this time.

Night slowly fell.

Inside the camp, several adventurers were busy—cleaning weapons, treating minor wounds, and trying to light a campfire. Two of them crouched in front of a pile of firewood, grumbling at each other.

“The wood’s wet.”
“No, it’s dry. But the fire won’t catch—the wind’s too strong.”

Kiryu watched from a distance.

Then, without realizing it, his hand touched the pocket of his jacket.

He froze.

He realized he was carrying a lighter.

The small object was still there. Somehow, it had come with him since the beginning.

Kiryu stepped closer, crouched down, and placed a small twig on the wood.

“Excuse me,” he said hesitantly. “May I try for a moment?”

He pressed the igniter.

Click.

A small flame appeared.

The dry wood caught instantly. The fire grew, steady and warm.

Several adventurers fell silent.

“Fire? How is that possible?”
“Is he using magic? But where’s the chant?”
“Without a spell?”

Elena quickly turned her head.

Kiryu stared at the fire with a blank expression.

“…It’s not magic,” he muttered softly.
“Just a bad habit from my original world.”

The adventurers didn’t seem to care. They began calling others over, saying the fire was ready and dinner could be prepared.

But in Elena’s eyes, the small object in Kiryu’s hand was a strange artifact.

She remained silent.

One by one, adventurers approached. Some even offered to buy the artifact from Kiryu at a high price.

“I’m sorry,” Kiryu replied. “I’m not selling this. It’s the most important thing I have.”

“Note,” said Karma.
“Objects from your original world may be misinterpreted as unique magic.”

“I know, Karma. That’s why I’ll protect it carefully.”

The night grew deeper.

Inside her tent, Elena sat quietly, her platinum sword lying beside her. The campfire outside cast faint shadows on the fabric of the tent, swaying gently with the wind.

For some reason, her mind would not settle.

…I’ve heard this before.

Her mother’s voice echoed clearly in her memory—calm, yet heavy.

“One day, someone will come.”
“Not through a ritual. Not through prayer.”
“He will appear suddenly, carrying a power that does not originate from this world.”

Elena clenched her fist.

That prophecy had always sounded ridiculous to her. Too vague. Too unheroic.

But tonight—

A man’s face surfaced in her mind.

Asuka Kiryu.

His clothes were unfamiliar.
His way of speaking awkward.
And the small object in his hand—an odd artifact that created fire without a spell, without a magic circle.

He doesn’t act like a mage, Elena thought.
And he’s clearly not an adventurer.

She looked out of the tent, toward Kiryu sitting alone near the campfire.

“Elena?”

Igor’s voice sounded faintly from outside.

“What is it?” she asked.

Elena replied softly, almost as if murmuring to herself.

“…Nothing.”

Yet her gaze never left Kiryu.

For the first time, that prophecy—
no longer felt like just a story.

And somehow, that made her uneasy.