Days passed, and the Ayanami sisters safely arrived at Valoria Nation—the heart of all adventurers and home to the legendary Dungeon.
Upon reviewing the request, it became clear that Valoria had summoned its highest-ranked adventurers. At this moment, all S-Class adventurers were gathered in the grand S-Class Hall.
The atmosphere inside was suffocating, thick with overwhelming pressure. Then, the master of the hall arrived. A man in his mid-30s, dressed in a sharp black suit, stepped forward. His black hair and piercing eyes gave off an unsettling aura, but his expression remained confident.
"Thank you all for coming. I know we were preparing for the upcoming S-Class Banquet this week, but an urgent matter has forced us to gather here instead." His voice echoed through the hall. "Due to the level of danger, we've summoned some special guests—known as the Eclipse Sisters. You may step forward!"
As the two figures entered, the hall fell into stunned silence.
The Ayanami Sisters.
The older one, with silver hair tinged with pink, and the younger, with silver hair infused with blue. They were known as the Eclipse Sisters—one radiating light, the other shrouded in darkness, yet both shining together in perfect balance. Their mere presence sent a wave of pressure through the room, making even the strongest warriors uneasy.
"This mission must be insane if they had to summon them…" someone murmured.
"You're joking, right?" another whispered.
"What kind of mission requires their involvement?"
The room buzzed with murmurs until the master raised a hand, silencing the crowd.
"The enemy we're up against is the Blacklist Organization—four branches attacking simultaneously, each bringing hordes of monsters. We have a total of nineteen S-Class adventurers, including the Eclipse Sisters, present here today. Although they only have four branches, we have yet to uncover the identities of their generals. This uncertainty made it necessary to summon the sisters. Additionally, A and B-rank adventurers will assist in this operation."
A woman raised her hand. "Shouldn't we summon the Absolute instead?"
The master's expression darkened. "You know how terrifying that girl is, Yurie…"
Yurie hesitated. "Y-You're right… Who in their right mind would summon someone who could wipe out an entire battlefield on her own?"
Another adventurer, Yuna, interjected. "If we really want to destroy the Blacklist, isn't she the best option?"
The master sighed. "Julia could annihilate them if she unleashed her full power. But the battle will take place near this city. If Julia fights at full force, she won't just destroy the battlefield—she'll destroy the entire city."
The room fell silent. The weight of his words settled over them.
"So Julia-san is that dangerous…" Yukiha muttered.
The master nodded. "I fought alongside her when I was younger. I know better than anyone what she's capable of. That's why summoning her is not an option."
The master began strategizing, mapping out battlefield formations to end the battle swiftly.
Yuna, Yukiha, and Zyris were assigned to the front lines where the largest enemy force would strike. The three of them excelled in fighting multiple targets, possessing incredible speed, durability, and mastery in both close and ranged combat. Zyris, a scarlet-haired warrior, was particularly feared—capable of annihilating hundreds of enemies single-handedly. Additionally, all three had experience leading armies, making them the ideal vanguard.
Once the master finished assigning roles, he announced that a pre-banquet would be held after the meeting, giving everyone a chance to relax and socialize.
Zyris stepped onto the terrace, seeking fresh air. She leaned against the railing, her gaze distant.
From a distance, Yukiha and Yuna spotted her. As they approached, they noticed something different—her expression had changed, carrying a weight it hadn't before.
"Long time no see, Zyris-san!" Yukiha greeted.
Zyris turned, her red eyes settling on them. "Yukiha-san, Yuna-san… how long has it been?"
"You seem different," Yuna observed. "It's been years."
Zyris remained silent. The weight of her clan's history was something unspoken between them, and the sisters understood enough not to pry.
Yet, there was no mistaking the sorrow in her eyes. Despite that, her resolve was unwavering—she stood tall, ready to carry the burden of her fallen comrades alone.
"The Blacklist has been involved in every incident we've faced in the Dungeon." Her voice was firm. "This is my chance to pay them back. No—I'll crush them completely."
Yuna smirked. "That's the spirit. You're still you after all."
Then, Zyris turned her gaze toward Yukiha, her expression sharpening. "The one who changed the most is that large-breasted woman."
Yuna blinked before glancing at Yukiha. "Now that you mention it… I just noticed."
Yukiha crossed her arms, sighing. "Of all things to focus on, you pick that?"
The tension eased, if only for a moment.
They spent some time catching up, discussing personal matters before the conversation shifted to something more serious.
The sisters handed Zyris a letter from the princess—an official request from the Valoria Guild Master. However, since they were heading to Valoria Nation, the princess also wanted them to find someone—Priscilla Amanda.
Zyris's expression darkened slightly. "Amanda-sama hasn't returned since the day you last saw her leave. If you want information, you'll have to ask our clan leader. Unfortunately, we have no intel on her whereabouts. The only clue we have is that Amanda-sama planned to pass through the Continent of Arima before returning. Perhaps she had business there. However, you won't be able to meet the master directly—he left on a mission. You're welcome to stay at the mansion, though. We can use a magic ball to communicate with him."
Yukiha shook her head. "We'll just leave the letter with you. Right now, the Continent of Arima is in crisis."
Zyris's expression shifted to shock. "Crisis? What happened?"
"It's been a week since it started, so I suppose the news hasn't reached here yet," Yukiha explained grimly. "The Founder Land has fallen to demons. And The Land of Wolves is on the verge of collapse. That's why we need to leave immediately."
Zyris was surprised. "Founder Land has fallen? That's never happened before. As far as I know, it was the strongest land in Arima… but ever since the Three Deities scattered and disappeared, I suppose it was only a matter of time."
"There were many casualties," Yuna added. "But the good news is we managed to save 70% of the population. Founder Land has now joined The Land of Royal, so our army has grown stronger. Still, the danger hasn't passed. I can't shake the feeling that something even worse is coming."
Zyris exhaled, crossing her arms. "History repeating itself, huh? It shouldn't have come to this… The people of Arima have grown stronger over time, and the rulers are capable warriors themselves. You'll make it out somehow—especially with the Absolute on your side."
Yuna's brows furrowed. "You mean that powerful knight, Julia? I've heard about her, but I've never seen her in action."
Zyris nodded. "I was once on a mission with my clan when she accompanied us. We succeeded because of her—she single-handedly took down six S-Class monsters."
Yukiha's eyes widened. "Six…? On her own?"
"With just her White Magic alone."
Yuna's expression hardened. "White Magic, huh? That's rare. But if I remember correctly… she also possesses Black Magic. That combination is beyond absurd."
"That's why she's inevitable," Zyris said.
As they talked, the Valoria Guild Master approached. His expression was firm as he addressed them.
"Julia possessed both Dark and White magic. She could use every spell of both attributes that existed in this world," he said. "That made her a World Class—someone who stood on the same level as Hayako Makoto and Shynn Makoto."
Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Master, you really know a lot about Julia-san."
"Of course! That person is the scariest I've ever met." The guild master crossed his arms, his tone filled with both respect and unease. Then, his expression hardened. "Anyway, the three of you will be moving out tomorrow. I'll give you the exact location. Our army will prepare to strike, but your task is to sneak into their main force and signal us to attack. This has to end immediately."
He paused briefly before continuing, his voice more solemn. "However, you must return as soon as possible. Your homeland is in the middle of an invasion, and we've already requested backup. I truly apologize for this, but we need you back."
Yukiha clenched her fists. "So we're fighting two battles at once…"
"In exchange," the guild master added, "I'll activate the teleportation statue to send you back to the Land of Royal immediately."
Yukiha's eyes widened. "The teleportation statue?! The amount of magic power needed is enormous! The distance alone—"
"I know," the guild master interrupted. "That's why we'll gather monster magic crystals. If we collect enough, we'll be able to use it."
Yukiha exhaled sharply before nodding. "…Alright."
"Good. For now, come inside and eat."
Yuna and Yukiha turned to go, but Zyris hesitated.
Yukiha gave her a sharp look. "Zyris, come on."
"I-I don't want to…" Zyris mumbled.
Yukiha grabbed her wrist.
"W-Wait! Yukiha! There are people around!"
"Yuna, help me out."
Yuna smirked and gave Zyris a push. "Get in, you introverted girl."
"N-No, I don't want to—!"
Her heart pounded as they dragged her inside. The moment people started talking to her, showering her with compliments, her head spun.
Then—
Thud.
She passed out on the spot.
Yukiha sighed. "Well, that happened."
Yuna shook her head. "She really needs to work on this."
Even though Zyris carried the weight of her past and kept a serious demeanor, some things never changed.
Back at Valkyros Palace, after a short walk, I made my way to our room. It was empty except for Sheila. The others had gone to the training grounds with the trainees.
Sheila was doing something she always did when alone—writing a letter. I had accidentally read one back at the Dakini Student Building while cleaning. It was addressed to her parents and siblings in Farland.
Given the situation, I couldn't stop thinking about telling her to go back to her family. We weren't in Founder Land anymore, nor in the academy. Her job as our guardian was over, yet she still remained with us. It wasn't that I wanted her gone, but she also had her own family to protect.
As I wandered around the spacious room, my eyes landed on something lying on another table—a family photo.
At first glance, my attention was drawn to the pretty elf girl. A younger version of Sheila. She was naturally beautiful, and even as a teenager, her features hadn't changed much.
The photo was mixed up with Yuzuha's notes.
I approached Sheila from behind and handed it to her. "Sheila-san, you mixed this up with Yuzuha's notes."
She turned to me, her long hair flowing, her eyelashes flickering, and her pointed ears twitching slightly. Her expression was one of confusion.
For a moment, I froze.
What the hell was that?! I screamed in my head. How can she look at me like that?
I nearly had a nosebleed.
Trying to shake it off, I handed her the photo.
"Is there something wrong, Arisu?" she asked.
I couldn't tell her it was her fault for looking at me that way.
"N-Nothing, I just saw something beautiful—" I coughed too hard, completely messing up my words.
She tilted her head. "Oh my, are you really fine? Do you have any symptoms?"
What the hell was I saying, dumbass!
"Uh… I… something just entered my nose… probably dust," I sniffled.
She took the photo from my hand while I remained beside her. Then, she started introducing her family. She had two younger siblings—Nina and Sam, both around Chisaka's age. Her mother's name was Sherry, and her father's name was Drell. They lived in a small, peaceful town, far from cities, where no monsters roamed—just a quiet place with simple lives.
It was so far away. And that made me wonder—why would she choose to work in a place so distant from her homeland?
As if reading my thoughts, Sheila began to tell her story—why she became a maid.
A monster outbreak had struck, trampling through the town. Her family was together, but luck was not on their side—they became the first prey of a Goblin Challenger. Just as the monster was about to attack, a noble-looking figure appeared before them, standing between them and the goblin.
It was a girl with sea-blue hair tied in a ponytail, clad in light armor. The Princess of Founder Land—Charlotte Weisshart.
She and her subordinates remained in the village, tending to the wounded and protecting the survivors. Sheila's family owed their lives to the princess, and their gratitude ran deep.
Among those who watched in awe was a young girl. Inspired by the princess who had saved them, she picked up a sword for the first time.
That girl was Sheila.
She wielded the sword and began slashing at the air, mimicking the movements she had seen. The princess, noticing her, approached and demonstrated another sword technique. Sheila followed, mirroring the technique with near-perfect accuracy—99% to be exact.
Princess Charlotte was impressed.
That moment changed everything. The princess made a contract with Sheila's family—Founder Land would protect their town, and in return, Sheila would serve as the princess's personal assistant and battle partner.
Sheila wanted to keep her parents safe, so she accepted the offer without hesitation. Her parents respected her decision, and from that day forward, she fought alongside the princess on missions across the land.
Everything came together in a single realization—Sheila wasn't just an ordinary person. She was the rumored swordswoman who could copy any swordsmanship at 99% accuracy.
I blinked. Processing what I had just heard, curiosity sparked in me.
"Um, Sheila-san… do you have a rank or something? Like, are you with the law enforcement?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm not. But I'm a retired adventurer. An S-Class Adventurer."
I nearly choked.
"Eh?! Seriously? Have you gone into dungeons? What do they look like? I heard dungeons have limitless monsters that respawn! Is that true?"
She smiled at my enthusiasm. "Yes. The princess once assigned me to gather information in a dungeon, so I stayed there for years. It was near my hometown, so I had time to visit my family."
"Then… why didn't you join Yukiha-san and Yuna-san? They went to Valoria Nation for a mission—" My mouth slipped before I could stop myself.
I hadn't been told that. My senses had simply picked up the information. Ever since my battle with the demon at Golden Harbor, they had grown even sharper.
Sheila, however, just gave me a reassuring look.
"You don't have to worry about me, Arisu. I'm sure my parents are fine and healthy. I'll choose the path of adventure. For the time being, while the princess is away, I'll be fighting by your side."
"You don't have to do that," I protested. "Your duty was just to be our guardian at Dakini Academy."
She smiled gently. "We're family, right? Then I have the right to."
I sighed, defeated.
"You're right… You're our precious family now, after all!"
That's right.
Everyone who entered my life became precious to me. And I wanted to protect them all.
Even Yukiha and Yuna, who we had only recently met, had already become part of our family.
After some moments, she cut out the rest of the story and she told me that everyone would be returning in a minute. I came back lying on the bed.
I was staring at the ceiling while my eyes and mind wandered.
Then something bugs my head.
It's been out of my mind. Something is missing. A very familiar one that is the most important to my life.
I've come to my senses. I never seen my sister after on the day after we got in the palace.
I rushed myself to find the Princess because Julia's presence was nowhere.
I panicked, gripped my hands and starts to shout her name.
"CHISAKAAAAAAA!!!!!!! Where are you!!!!!!"
The guards and the maids traced the noise. Everyone in the palace was troubled by the shout, even the princess.
The guards approached me and scold me about the palace's protocols.
"I'm very sorry but my sister is missing! Can I ask for your assistance to find her? She is around 10 years old with black hair—almost looks like me."
The Princess came. The guard made a way and she told them to leave and she'll handle it alone.
I asked the Princess where my sister was.
"I'm truly sorry for not mentioning it earlier in our discussion." the princess expressed her sincere apology, and she bowed.
She added, "Chisaka left with Julia to train somewhere. Their training is not actually in this place. Julia had an upcoming schedule so they departed right away. I should have told or ask permission of you before acting," she once again apologized.
Yuzuha appeared saying that the princess was not lying. Judging by my expression, I'm anxious right now.
"Calm down, Arisu. We met Julia-san actually when we were at the training ground. she told me to tell you this."
I breathed deeply and after knowing that, I was relieved. But I'm still worried because she's with Julia.
"You don't have to worry about Julia. She will only enhance Chisaka's swordsmanship and her magic. Chisaka won't enter any battle. If ever they get ambushed, Julia knows that retreating is the best option when she has someone with her." the princess said.
But her mind said, "Probably" knowing Julia teaches people with opponents.
Yuzuha stared at the Princess, the Princess looked away.
"Then that's glad to hear. Thank you for telling me about this." I said.
The Princess invited us for dinner. We headed to the dining hall.
While we are walking, that almost our footsteps only can be heard, the other way around, my breath is visible from hearing. It's an abnormal sound that you can guess that it was a sign of being troubled.
The Princess stopped and everyone did too.
She walked and approached me saying, "I knew it. You're still the same as ever."
"He's breathing too loud and fast. Has he been like this, Princess? Is this normal to him?" Yuzuha said.
"You see, I know you already know that he has past trauma, this is one of those symptoms. Panic attack. Look, Arisu Tosaki-san cannot focus or can tell what we're talking about right now. For as long as the reason for his panic attack exists, this attack will always remain."
"Princess, do you actually know everything about his past?" Tokiro curiously asked.
"I can't say everything but most. This triggers when Arisu Tosaki-san's mother dies before him."
"How can we fix this?" Yuzuha asked.
"For now, you can only calm him by holding his back or hugging him from behind. His little sister actually always does that so Arisu always snaps back when he's like this. Because this reminds of Arisu's mother."
"If he has this kind of attack, then Arisu will be in danger of being sent to the battlefield," Natsume said.
"That's right. But no worries. Arisu Tosaki-san's mental state during the middle fight is only focused on the fight. Any negative thoughts can turn to his strength." The Princess said.
"That's some crazy kind of mentality," Tokiro said.
The Princess made her way behind me. He placed her hand on my back, I felt a cold from it.
The Princess was confused and it didn't work. The Princess went to the second choice which is hugging from the back.
The Princess' arm slid inside my hip, hugging me, her hands on my chest, I felt the warmth, coming back from the sense.
"P-Princess? What happened? Everyone? Did I do something wrong?"
I thought the one that hugged me from the back was Chisaka. It was the same feeling. The hug from the back felt really something deeply in my memory—a lost one. Important one.
The princess noticed that I was back to my senses, she released me and pardoned me for her action.
They seemed really worried and Yuzuha said that if I didn't feel well, I could skip having dinner and rest in the room for now.
The princess added, "I'll tell Sheila to deliver your food so take a rest for now"
"It's fine. I feel relieved now. I'm sorry everyone, especially Princess Juliet. I made everyone worried."
"Don't mention it! After all, we're here to be in your aid so feel free to ask something if something is troubling you!" the princess smiles.
She added, "Now, let's head to the dining hall. Dinner is almost ready."
The maid lend me a hand way back to the room. As we reach the front door, I told her that I'd be fine from here and she left.
I lie down on the bed. Everything is turning black. My head is dizzy. But there was a sound. I rang louder little by little as soon as I fell asleep.
The sound is similar to where I met a man on the horizon. And when I was sent to the sky at the Golden Harbor. But this time, the sound came from the palace, beneath.