The sun rose over the Crystal Empire, gilding the marble towers and crystal-paneled rooftops in a warm, golden glow. The birds chirped softly. Wind glided across the courtyards like a lullaby.
Kaida, for the first time since waking in this strange world, slept peacefully.
His limbs were sprawled across the oversized royal bed. A thin string of drool slid down the edge of his mouth. A low snore escaped with every breath. In this rare moment, Kaida wasn’t thinking about collapsing buildings, shadowy voids, floating menus, or being summoned by gods.
Until—
BANG!!!
The door was nearly blasted off its hinges.
“ON YOUR FEET, RUNT!”
Kaida shot upright like he’d been electrocuted, tangling himself in the silk sheets. He yelped as he rolled over the side of the bed and—
THUNK!
Slammed his head into the floor.
“OW—DAMNIT, OLIVIA, I TOLD YOU NOT TO—!”
He stopped mid-sentence.
That wasn’t his sister in the doorway.
A tall woman stood silhouetted by the hallway light. Muscular frame. Dark brown skin. Catlike yellow eyes glaring like headlights. Short black hair slicked back around a jagged scar running across her cheek. Black and gold fighter’s gear clung to her like a second skin. Her ears twitched. A tail flicked behind her, lazily.
Definitely not Olivia.
“…Who is Olivia?” she asked, voice rough like sandpaper, but sharp enough to cut steel.
Kaida winced, still rubbing the back of his head. He looked away, eyes lowering. “My… big sister.”
The woman stared longer than expected. Her tail slowed. Her ears flicked. For a second, her expression faltered.
A growl vibrated in her throat as she turned away. “Tch. Get yourself together. I’ll be waiting outside.”
She walked off but tossed one last warning over her shoulder:
“If you take too long, I’ll drag you out in whatever you’re wearing.”
SLAM.
The door shook in its frame.
Kaida lay on the cold floor, stunned.
“…What the hell did I just wake up into?”248Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJkOGHAU24
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Ten minutes later, Kaida stepped out into the hallway, dressed in the standard-issue black-and-blue Crystal Empire training uniform. Lightly padded tunic. Reinforced pants. Comfortable boots.
Temu stood waiting—leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, eyes shut.
He took a few cautious steps forward.
She opened one eye.
“…Took you long enough.”
Kaida awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Didn’t know if I needed armor or a shield to walk out.”
She pushed off the wall with a scoff. “Come on, runt.”
They walked through the castle corridors in silence. The faint clicking of boots echoed against the walls. Stained-glass windows scattered rainbows across the floors. Kaida walked a step behind her, observing.
She moved like a warrior. Every motion precise, efficient. Her gait reminded him of fighting game characters—the confident kind you didn’t dare challenge.
Kaida’s eyes drifted to her ears.
Her tail.
Her claw-like gloves.
She turned her head sharply. “What are you staring at?”
Kaida flinched. “N-Nothing!”
A pause.
“You’ve never seen a Demi-Human before?” she growled.
Kaida blinked. “A… what?”
She blinked back, deadpan. “You serious?”
Temu gestured to herself. “Demi-Human. Half-Human, Half-Beastling. Born from both. Faster, stronger, sharper.”
Kaida tilted his head. “Cool. Uh… what’s a Beastling?”
Temu covered her face with her hand. “…You’ve got so much to learn.”
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They arrived at the eastern training grounds, where early-morning light filtered through high archways, revealing a courtyard alive with motion. Dozens of other trainees—most wearing the same uniform as Kaida—were sparring, jogging, or practicing forms across the field.
But one man stood out.
A broad figure clad in shining silver armor stood with a massive claymore dug into the ground beside him. His hair was a wild spiked mess of red, like fire frozen mid-motion. His grin was even louder than his voice.
“MASTER TEMU! YOU’VE ARRIVED!”
Temu’s ears twitched in visible pain. “You don’t need to shout, idiot…”
The man ran over, armor clanking with every step. As he reached them, he threw Kaida a thumbs-up.
“Yo! Name’s Alric Voss, Facet in training, and proud pain sponge of Master Temu’s training squad!” he declared, pounding his chest. “Been under her for three years. Pretty sure I’m her favorite.”
Temu grumbled under her breath. “I didn’t teach you everything.”
Kaida chuckled awkwardly.
Two more figures walked up.
The first—a girl with light brown hair pulled into twin braids, bright eyes, and an unpredictable grin—waved enthusiastically.
“Hi! I’m Seraphina Vale. Acrobat, mood manager, secret agent of chaos.”
She leaned in. “…Maybe.”
The last was a shorter boy in glasses, sleeves rolled awkwardly up his arms. His training uniform matched the others, but a mage’s charm necklace hung loosely around his neck.
“I’m, uh, Lorien Endell,” he muttered. “Sorcerer. Strategist. Long-time note-taker. First-time world-defender.”
Kaida smiled, finally relaxing. “I’m… Kaida Tatsuya.”
Temu’s ears twitched again.
She stared at him.
“…Repeat your last name.”
Kaida blinked. “Tatsuya.”
She paused—just for a second. Her tail flicked slower. Her lips parted like she might say something.
Then she turned away. “Hmph. Thought I misheard.”
Kaida narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” she said flatly.
Before he could press further—
“WAIT UP!”
Princess Lysara came jogging from the castle, now dressed in a sleek blue training outfit that hugged her frame like armor-lite. Her usual elegance mixed awkwardly with effort as she huffed over to them.
“Sorry! Wardrobe change delay.”
Temu nodded. “You’re on time. Just barely.”
Kaida blinked. “Okay, but seriously—why did you drag me out here?”
Temu turned to face him fully.
“To turn you from whatever that is—” she gestured to all of him, “—into something that can survive a battlefield.”
“I’m not—”
“GEAR! NOW!” she barked.
Alric saluted. “Right away!”
He jogged over to a storage bench and returned with weighted cuffs.
“Ten pounds each,” he said, cheerfully strapping them to Kaida’s arms and legs.
Kaida staggered. “These are heavy!”
“For you?” Temu interrupted. “Triple weight.”
Kaida nearly choked. “Triple?! What did I do?!”
“Exist,” she muttered. “You’re untrained. Undisciplined. I feel like you’d sprain something brushing your teeth. If the gods made you their champion, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Lorien, already trembling under his weights, raised his hand. “M-Miss Temu, I’m studying to be a sorcerer… I don’t think I’ll ever need to run ten kilometers…”
Temu laughed coldly. “A mage who can’t dodge a sword dies in one swing. Double weight for you.”
Lorien’s soul visibly left his body.
Alric unstrapped his armor and set it down beside the path.
“I’ll run with everyone,” he declared. “Let’s go!”
Temu raised her hand. “Ten kilometers. Move.”
Groans erupted.
Kaida stumbled forward—immediately regretting every decision that brought him to this moment.
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By lap two, Kaida’s lungs were begging for mercy. His legs dragged like tree trunks. Sweat poured from every pore. And that’s when it happened.
BOOM!!
Lorien screamed as a glowing rune beneath his feet exploded in a harmless—but very painful—burst of blue mana, launching him skyward.
“Forgot to mention!” Temu shouted cheerfully. “Mana bombs. Scattered around. Just to spice things up!”
Kaida wheezed. “She’s insane… She’s actually insane…”
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Two hours later.
They lay in the grass like corpses.
Kaida’s chest heaved. His shirt clung to him. His legs trembled.
Only Alric looked remotely alive, sitting cross-legged and stretching.
“You’re a monster,” Kaida gasped.
Alric chuckled. “I was just like you once. Could barely finish a lap. But Temu doesn’t let up. And I realized something… I’m the shield. If I don’t stay strong, someone else gets hurt.”
Kaida looked at him, really looked.
Alric offered a hand.
Kaida hesitated—then took it.
“Break’s over!” Temu shouted. “Next part begins now!”
The group collectively groaned.
Kaida looked up at the sky.
“…Yep. I’m gonna die.”
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