The forge roared with a hungry breath, spilling orange light across the cavernous workshop. In its centre stood Dwargo Kors, a soot-smeared dwarf with silver hair and arms thicker than hammer handles. His focus never wavered as he leaned over the anvil, both hands steady as he set the still-glowing blade atop it.
"Alright, lad," Dwargo barked without looking up. "You know the drill. Channel that fat mana reserve of yours into the supply node."
Raymed, sleeves rolled up and hands already tingling with power, nodded once. He stood beside a crude, rune-etched contraption—a mana transference core Dwargo had cobbled together from scavenged materials. With a deep inhale, Raymed pressed his palms against the conduit. Threads of brilliant blue mana surged from his hands into the core, which shuddered and lit up with a low hum.
Mana flowed from Raymed, travelled into the forge tools, and wrapped itself around the unfinished weapon—an almost black blade, shaped like a katana, curved and lean yet incomplete. Dwargo grinned, baring white teeth through the soot.
"Heh, yer mana's richer than a royal banquet as always. Good, good. Keep it steady, no sudden spikes."
Raymed wiped sweat from his forehead but kept his concentration. Watching Dwargo work was a rare privilege for anyone. Each hammer strike wasn't just force—an ancient rhythm, a dance of intent and soul, guided it. Every swing poured the forge's heat and the dwarf's life force into the steel.
Clang! Clang!Clang!
The air thickened with a heady blend of mana, smoke, and hot iron. Raymed narrowed his eyes, seeing the blade shimmer unnaturally. Dwargo had explained before—this was no ordinary metal. It was a prototype of a Pseudo Artifact, designed to imitate the resonance of the High Humans' sacred relics.
It would never reach the true artifacts' splendor, but even an echo could change a battlefield.
Minutes blurred into hours.
Finally, after a particularly vicious strike, Dwargo stopped. He exhaled a long, rumbling breath, setting the hammer down with a thud that seemed to shake the room.
"There," he said, wiping his hands on his apron. "She's tempered. Still needs a proper name, but that'll be yer job."
Dwargo plunged the black katana into a vat of enchanted oil, the hiss and smoke filling the workshop with a sharp, biting scent. As the blade cooled, runes along its spine flickered into life—subtle, elegant. A hidden hunger seemed to sleep within the weapon, awaiting its master's call.
Raymed stepped forward, almost reverently. The katana hummed in his presence, drinking in his mana like a parched beast.
"It's yours now," Dwargo said, clapping Raymed's shoulder with a heavy hand. "Feed it, grow with it. And maybe—just maybe-this blade'll reach something close to the legends."
Raymed bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Dwargo."
The dwarf just grunted, turning away, already grabbing another lump of raw ore. "Bah, don't thank me yet. Go swing it around before it decides to eat you instead."
At night, Raymed decided to practice it around the courtyard. He previously met Thalamik and Carmilla and went his separate ways. He hasn't told them yet about his new katana; he wants to surprise them, so he decides to practice alone. He stood alone in one of Vanguard Academy's isolated training fields, practising with the newly forged katana. Every swing was smoother now, as if the weapon guided his muscles.
Shhhng—fsshhk!
The black katana cut through empty air, leaving trails of bluish mist in its wake.
Raymed's breathing was rhythmic, controlled.
Then, he froze mid-swing.
A ripple.A tremor across his mana senses.,
His pupils narrowed. Somewhere nearby, a surge of mana had erupted. Not random. Not natural. It felt structured, summoned. He tried to pinpoint it, but it was fleeting.
That mana signature... it was eerily familiar.Aric?
Raymed's fingers tightened around the hilt. No—Aric was dead. He was one of Thalamik's fiends now. Why would Aric's mana resonate like that unless...?
Without hesitation, Raymed sheathed the katana and sprinted toward the dormitories.
He found Carmilla quietly reading under a mana lamp, outside the study hall. She looked up as Raymed approached, eyes instantly catching the urgency on his face.
"Carmilla," he said quickly. "I just felt something strange. It was like Thalamik's fiend's mana. It seemed like he was fighting."
Carmilla's brow furrowed. She closed her book without a sound. "Where?"
"In the city," Raymed said, trying to steady his breath. "But it faded almost immediately."
She gently placed her hand on his arm, her touch steady and calming. "Thalamik could be in trouble. We should check," she said.
Raymed hesitated for half a heartbeat. Then nodded.
Without wasting time, they headed toward the city.
***
Suiko calmly raised her hand, the air around her shimmering with intricate mana patterns as she whispered softly, yet commandingly, "Alterity Shift."
In an instant, reality twisted and folded around them. Thalamik felt a vertiginous pull, his vision briefly blurring before refocusing on a surreal scene entirely removed from the city's familiar streets. They now stood within a mesmerising landscape—a seemingly endless field of luminescent flowers, glowing softly beneath a perpetual night sky scattered with countless stars.
"Where the hell did you take us?" Thalamik demanded, gripping his daggers tightly.
Suiko's calm demeanor never faltered. "Welcome to Alterity," she explained serenely. "A pocket world, infinitely small yet infinitely expansive within. Completely enclosed and isolated from our original world by a mana barrier."
"Isolated, huh?" Thalamik smirked dangerously, eyes flaring with determination. "Good. Means I can go all out without any interruptions." He extended his arms, mana surging dramatically as his voice thundered, "Come out!"
The ground trembled violently, cracking open as spectral knights emerged—150 skeletal warriors clad in dark armor, followed swiftly by fifty ghoul knights, their feral grins haunting beneath their helmets. At the forefront stood his elite commanders: Passete, Visha, Arcuest, and Black, who radiated a powerful and sinister aura.
Without hesitation, Suiko unleashed a torrent of mana projectiles—gleaming darts of pure magical energy, cascading endlessly toward Thalamik. Each projectile flew with precision, her mana seemingly infinite in this bizarre pocket dimension.
Thalamik danced through the barrage, weaving and darting between the luminous assault, each step calculated with expert precision. Closer and closer, he surged forward, eyes set fiercely upon Suiko.
As he lunged, daggers poised, Kourin intercepted him, her sword clashing harshly against his blades.
"Can't wait your turn?" Thalamik hissed grudgingly as their blades sparked, locked in a fierce exchange.
"Nope." Kourin acknowledged coolly, swiftly countering with precise, disciplined strikes. Each clash echoed throughout Alterity, their duel intensifying rapidly.
Thalamik's breath grew ragged, his movements slowing under Kourin's superior swordsmanship. Sensing his disadvantage, his fiend armies and captains surged forward, attacking simultaneously to relieve the pressure. Passete and Visha flanked Kourin, while Arcuest, Black, and the rest of the army targeted Suiko.
Yet, the sisters seamlessly defended themselves, easily repelling the coordinated strikes.
"Not even close," Kourin remarked coldly, "Shining Strike, Ezel" She chanted as she became a ray of light slashing Passete and Visha down and knocking Thalamik to the ground. Upon crashing, Suiko's mana barrage returned with doubled intensity, pelting Thalamik mercilessly.
His soldiers quickly came to be his shield yet due to the sheer number and unrelentless strike eventually he was battered him into submission.
Thalamik lay on the ground, body trembling, yet despite the bruises and mana burns, he slowly pushed himself back up, eyes burning defiantly. With a defiant grin, Thalamik muttered, "I didn't want to use this, but you leave me no choice."
His aura surged fiercely, mana roaring around him, building dramatically. "HAAAAA!" The very air trembled as his mana escalated—but suddenly, the surge ceased abruptly, and his aura dissipated.
Thalamik staggered, looking defeated as his undead army dissolved into wisps of fading mana.
"Given up already? No, perhaps you have depleted your mana reserves." Suiko inquired, her tone almost disappointed yet intrigued. "Truly valiant effort, Fiend Kaiser. However, you cannot overcome us. Within Alterity, my mana reserves are limitless."
Panting heavily, Thalamik smirked again. "I know…but you didn't possibly think that I'd call for backup, did you?"
The mana he emitted before wasn't to charge for a specific technique. Sure, he was in an enclosed space with a barrier. But that's to protect against any interference from outside. It also trapped him inside, but it doesn't necessarily mean any mana he emitted can't seep through the barrier. With some advanced mana control, adjusting the frequency, he transmitted the mana through the barrier to send a distress signal.
"What?!" Kourin snapped, eyes narrowing as she instantly extended her senses toward the boundary of the pocket world.
"This mana surge… we have to leave—!"
But it was too late. Hundreds of spectral hands burst from the earth, ensnaring Kourin and Suiko tightly, locking them in place.
"You won't be running anywhere," Thalamik declared grimly.
CRACK——-
CRUNGKKK!!!!!
***
As Raymed exited the academy's protective barrier, the noise of the evening town washed over them—vendors calling, students laughing, carriages clattering down stone roads. But amidst the normalcy, Raymed's senses stayed sharp, constantly scanning for any trace of that earlier disturbance.
Nothing.
It was as if the surge had never happened.
Raymed grimaced, frustration gnawing at him. "It's gone. I can't even feel the faintest trail."
Carmilla bit her lip thoughtfully. "Maybe it was cloaked? Or intentionally hidden?"
Raymed was about to answer when—
A towering column of mana burst into existence above the town's rooftops for a split second.A brilliant pillar of white-blue light.
It vanished almost as fast as it appeared.
Most townsfolk didn't even notice, but to those attuned to mana—like Raymed and Carmilla—it was impossible to miss.
"There!" Carmilla pointed urgently toward the northern alleys. "That was Thalamik's signal, wasn't it?"
Raymed didn't waste a second.
"Get on," he said.
Carmilla blinked in surprise. "What?"
He crouched slightly, offering his back.
"We'll move faster if I carry you," he said simply.
Understanding flashed in Carmilla's eyes. Without hesitation, she climbed onto his back, arms wrapping lightly around his neck.
Raymed grinned. "Hang tight."
With a mana surge through his legs, Raymed rocketed forward, weaving through the evening crowd at breakneck speed. His control was impeccable—no wasted movement, no stumbling despite Carmilla's added weight.
They tore through the market streets, vaulted over barrels, and slid beneath hanging banners. To ordinary eyes, they would have looked like a blur of motion, too fast to follow.
The closer they got to the alley where the mana beacon had appeared, the heavier the air became.
Carmilla whispered urgently. "I can feel it now—like a clash. Suppressed, but huge."
Raymed gritted his teeth. Thalamik... hang on.
As they neared the alley's entrance, the world seemed to go silent. No voices, no footsteps—only the crackling sensation of lingering mana.
Raymed skidded to a halt, setting Carmilla down gently.
Both of them stood still, sensing the aftermath of whatever had just happened.
"He's close," Carmilla said softly.
Raymed drew his black katana with a quiet, smooth motion. The blade seemed to purr in anticipation.
"Let's find him," Raymed said.
The two of them disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
***
CRACK——-
CRUNGKKK!!!!!
Suddenly, a deafening crack split the sky overhead. The barrier violently ruptured the boundary of Alterity, and from within emerged a figure cloaked in fierce magical energy.
Raymed stood tall, his black ponytail swaying gently behind him, his brown-golden eyes glinting fiercely. Carmilla, carried securely on his back, had lavender hair cascading around her crimson-eyed gaze.
They landed gracefully amidst the chaotic battlefield. Carmilla gently lowered herself from Raymed's back, her eyes filled with resolve. She made her way to Thalamik to weave a glyph of healing spells for him.
"Thanks… Carmilla…" Thalamik finally collapsed.
Raymed swiftly drew forth a black-bladed katana, instantly coating it in a fiery crimson mana. Without hesitation, he launched himself toward Kourin, blade clashing ferociously as their swords met with explosive force.
"HAAA!!!" Raymed shouted as he rapidly attacked Kourin.
Though battered, Thalamik rose slowly, a fierce determination rekindling within him as his friends' strength filled the battlefield.
Raymed's blade collided fiercely against Kourin's, sparks cascading in bright arcs across the eerie, glowing flowers of Alterity. Rage surged through every fibre of his being, burning hotter than the reddish mana that enveloped his katana. His strikes were wild, uncharacteristically raw and savage, driven purely by the sight of his battered friend, Thalamik, panting heavily on the ground.
"Why?" Raymed snarled, their blades locking momentarily as both warriors pressed their strength. "Why did you do this? What did Thalamik do to deserve this?" He gritted his teeth, sweeping Kourin's feet.
Kourin jumped and matched his gaze coolly, emerald eyes sharp and focused. "You misunderstand—"
"Misunderstand what?" Raymed snapped, pushing her back forcefully, launching another furious assault.
The strikes came faster, more powerful, each swing roaring with mana-infused fury.
Kourin gracefully parried every blow, her elegant footwork never faltering even under Raymed's overwhelming pressure.
Kourin's eyes began to glow as golden magical energy began to fill her very being. Perhaps it was the last straw; if she holds back, she won't survive Raymed's barrage of attacks.
The two moved across the battlefield, looking like red and gold rays fighting each other. In every place they landed as they fought, there was a hole due to their residual mana wrecking the environment.
"Why attack Thalamik like this? Was it just to kill him?" Raymed growled, his blade cutting through the air like a fiery comet.
Kourin deflected his strikes fluidly, her voice remaining even despite the chaos. "Our intention was never to kill—"
"THEN WHYYYYYYYY?!" Raymed interrupted with a frustrated shout, stepping into an overhead strike powerful enough to cleave stone.
10…
20….
30…
50….
Fifty percent of his mana was allocated as a rampaging whirlpool of mana that disrupted the environment appeared.
"HAAAA!!!!!"
Kourin raised her sword just in time, knees bending slightly under the force. She was taken aback by the intensity of Raymed's fury, yet her expression remained composed. The pressure was unreal, it was as if Kourin's body was pushed by gravity itself trying to take the overwhelming pressure Raymed is giving.
Diverting his katana, Raymed began attacking Kourin again in flurries of attacks as they continued their brutal dance of blades, Kourin noticed something peculiar—the black-bladed katana Raymed wielded resonated with subtle but unmistakable power.
As she deflected another strike, Kourin questioned, eyes narrowing, "Where did you get that blade? Its power… that's at least a fraction of a genuine artifact."
Raymed didn't even paused momentarily he kept striking, "None of your concern," he retorted sharply, quickly resuming his relentless assault.
Their swords clashed again, mana bursting outward in brilliant flashes. Raymed's anger-fueled strikes had raw strength, but Kourin's mastery of swordsmanship remained peerless. The two pushed each other relentlessly, their duel escalating to breathtaking displays of speed and skill.
Finally, both warriors lunged simultaneously, blades colliding explosively, forcing each combatant backwards. Breathing heavily, Raymed stood opposite Kourin, sweat trickling down his brow, eyes blazing defiantly.
"Okay~~ That's Enough," a calm voice intervened suddenly, clapping slowly yet assertively.
Both turned sharply to see Suiko standing calmly between them, her serene expression oddly incongruent with the chaos around them. "We should stop at this now~ Clearly, there's been a misunderstanding."
"Again with that?!" Raymed exclaimed incredulously, gesturing furiously toward Thalamik, still supported by Carmilla's healing magic.
"Yes," Suiko responded plainly. She raised her hands in a gesture of peace, stepping closer carefully. "I propose both sides stand down. I'll admit—we went overboard. But understand this clearly—even though Thalamik started attacking Kourin due to her stalking you over the past few weeks. He injured Kourin too significantly, nearly striking her vitals. As her sister, I couldn't let that pass unpunished."
.
.
.
.
Raymed blinked, surprise momentarily overtaking his fury. "Wait—Kourin was stalking me?"
Suiko's lips curled into an amused smile. "Yes. Although she should have been more forthcoming about her reasons."
Thalamik, catching his breath, spoke with a revelation, "I see. So, in turn, it was just like how Ray reacted to seeing me battered. You are trying to say that what you did to me is the same as what Raymed was doing to Kourin. I assume that's why you didn't attack Ray using your infinite mana projectiles."
"Indeed, you are beyond perceptive, Kaiser."
Thalamik rubbed his chin, "I am willing to let this go if Kourin or you explain the real reason for her stalking the three of us.
"I am glad you understood. Clearly, errors were made on both sides. Shall we discuss this more civilly over tea?"
Carmilla, her eyes alight with quiet anger, interjected sharply. "So, all this started because Thalamik caught Kourin stalking us, and you intervened, leading us here? And you say that Thalamik is equally at fault? Unacceptable."
Suiko's brows knitted subtly. "Carmilla The Saint, surely someone trained by the Saint Association would understand impartiality—"
"Stop," Carmilla interrupted firmly, eyes fierce. "I might be a Saint, but I am human first. If I didn't feel rage seeing my friend hurt, could I truly call myself human? And don't you dare ever to invoke the Saints Association's dogmas to dismiss my genuine emotions."
Raymed and even Thalamik were taken aback by Carmilla's fierce stance. Thalamik felt warmth bloom within his chest, pride and gratitude swelling to see Carmilla so passionately defending their bond.
Suiko, realising her misstep, regarded Carmilla respectfully. Sighed and raised her arms, "Fair point, Carmilla the Saint."
Then, to everyone's astonishment, Suiko gracefully knelt, pressing one hand onto the glowing earth, head bowed humbly. "I, Suiko, representing Psytelier, humbly beg forgiveness for the unjust attack on Thalamik. Allow us to speak openly, sincerely, over tea."
Thalamik and Raymed glanced uncertainly at Carmilla, whose tense expression softened slowly. After a long, contemplative pause, Carmilla sighed softly. "Fine. I forgive you. But we will discuss this clearly, calmly, without deceit."
Suiko rose fluidly, her smile returning confidently. "Excellent. Please, let us continue at our establishment."
Thalamik leaned heavily against Raymed, feeling exhaustion mingle with relief. He whispered dryly, "Never thought Carmilla could be this fierce."
Raymed chuckled softly. "Guess she cares about us more deeply than we knew."
Carmilla overheard them, cheeks slightly flushed, though her voice remained calm. "I won't let anyone unjustly harm those precious to me. Especially the two best friends I hold dear." She walked in front matching the pace of Suiko.
"Hey, wait for me, Carmilla…" Thalamik said.
Kourin stepped forward cautiously, meeting Raymed's eyes directly, her expression earnest. "Raymed—I owe you an explanation. And…I'm sorry."
Raymed, though still visibly flustered from earlier revelations, gave a cautious nod. "Alright. You better have a good reason for all this."
Suiko clapped her hands lightly, breaking the lingering tension. "Let's leave Alterity, shall we? A more comfortable setting awaits us."
With a graceful motion, Suiko dismissed the barrier. 'Alterity' melted away around them, reality shifting seamlessly back to the familiar streets of the city. Despite the chaos that had just ensued, a strange feeling appeared.
As they followed Suiko and Kourin through the nighttime streets, a sense of anticipation filled the air, hinting at revelations soon to be uncovered over tea, snacks, and perhaps the truth.