I moved cautiously through the shadows, watching as the Djinns prowled the room, searching for something or rather, someone. Me. They were looking for me. I won't lie, it was worth it.
Darius and Elaine didn't give them a moment's rest. Their attacks were swift and precise, forcing the Djinns onto the defensive. I took advantage of the distraction and slipped down a side hallway, moving away from the battle.
The place was a wreck, with overturned furniture and shattered glass everywhere. I found a table still standing and crawled underneath. From there, I reached out my hand and stole a cookie. Not the best loot, but it was something.
I bit into it calmly, listening to the echoes of the battle in the distance. I just had to wait. That's when I noticed it there was someone else in the room.
At first glance, he didn't stand out. He didn't wear the Djinns' awful-looking outfits, nor those ragged cloaks that seemed straight out of a cheap theater play. But there was something off about him.
Then, my nose caught the strangest detail.
He smelled just like them.
I frowned. How had I not noticed before? Since when was I able to pick up scents this clearly?
"Is it because my senses are improving due to that ability?" I whispered to myself, feeling a shiver run down my spine.
If I could sense a Djinn's essence without seeing them, that meant my senses were quite useful.
I stayed under the table, telling myself it wasn't my problem.
Darius and Elaine were fighting, the Djinns were occupied, and I… I just had to wait. If I did nothing, the fight would end, and I could get out of here without any trouble.
But then, that Djinn wasn't after Darius or Elaine. He was after the civilians who hadn't managed to hide. His fingers moved through the air, and with a reddish glow, a sword appeared in his hand.
In that instant, time seemed to slow down.
'Run. Leave them. It's not your problem.'
That voice. I'd heard it before. It wasn't a whisper in my ear, but something deeper, something coming from within.
Was it the old Rurik? Or was it just me, trying to find an excuse not to get involved?
I turned my head. I saw a woman clutching her young daughter, shielding her with her body as if her own flesh could withstand the edge of a magical sword. The little girl trembled, tears streaming down her dirty face.
I gritted my teeth. Before I could overthink it, I hurled the cookie in my hand with all my strength.
The Djinn saw it coming and barely flicked his sword to slice it in the air. But the next move was for me.
An invisible force struck my chest, sending me flying like a rag doll against a table. The air was knocked out of my lungs, and a sharp pain shot through my back.
"Gh…!"
I struggled to my feet, my legs trembling. Desperately, I searched for my watch—the one that allowed me to summon my armor. If I had that, at least I could fight. But then my gaze froze. It had fallen far away. Too far.
Fear. That was all I felt.
My hands trembled, my breathing quickened, and the voice in my head wouldn't stop screaming the same thing.
'Run. Run. RUN!'
It was the safest option. I could do it. I just had to turn around and flee. Leave the civilians behind and hide until it was all over.
The Djinn looked at me and smiled.
It was the smile of someone who had already judged me. Who had already decided I wasn't worth it. That I was a coward. He turned his gaze back to the woman and her daughter and raised his sword.
No. I couldn't let that happen.
My legs moved before I could think. I ran with all my strength, throwing myself at the Djinn with the only weapon I had my voice.
"Get away from them!"
The Djinn barely turned his face. He lazily waved a hand, and suddenly, an invisible force swatted me away like an annoying insect.
My body was flung, crashing against a stone column. A sharp pain spread through my back, and the air was once again knocked out of my lungs.
"Gha…"
I collapsed to the ground, coughing. I could barely move.
The Djinn approached slowly, with the confidence of a hunter who knew his prey couldn't escape.
"I admire your bravery," he said mockingly. "For that, I will grant you a small gift—I will have the mercy not to consume your soul."
He raised his sword, ready to finish off the civilians without further interruptions. But before the blade could descend, something stopped it. A metallic sound rang through the air.
The Djinn frowned and looked at his sword. A metal hand gripped it firmly, preventing it from moving an inch.
"I told you… to stay away from them."
Confusion filled the Djinn's eyes as he turned to face me. I was standing inside my armor. I had seized the opportunity to recover my watch and summon my suit.
The levers in my hands groaned as I moved them, closing the chest mechanism and sealing the metal plate that protected my torso.
I clenched one of the levers tightly, and the armor responded instantly. My armored fist crashed into the Djinn's face with all the strength I could muster.
A sharp, resounding impact echoed through the air. The Djinn was sent flying backward, crashing into a wooden stall that shattered into pieces.
I breathed heavily, my hands gripping the armor's controls firmly. I was scared, so scared but isn't that what drives humanity forward?
The Djinn got up with a growl and charged at me, his speed terrifying. I raised my armor's arms, bracing for impact.
CLANG!
My metal arm lifted at the last moment, blocking the attack, but the force of the impact was brutal. I felt my armor creak under the pressure, and the feet of my suit slid across the stone floor.
"Is that all?" the Djinn mocked, a cruel smile on his face. "How disappointing."
I didn't respond. Instead, I stepped forward and threw a punch directly at his face.
The Djinn tilted his head slightly, easily dodging my attack, and countered with a kick to my torso. The impact felt like being struck by a charging ram.
I was sent flying backward but managed to dig my feet into the ground to stop myself. I couldn't let him corner me.
I ran at him, my armor screeching with every movement.
I feigned a punch with my left, but at the last moment, I spun and delivered a right hook. My armored fist crashed into his side, making him grunt.
Seizing his imbalance, I pivoted on my suit's axis and slammed my elbow into his jaw.
CRACK!
The Djinn staggered. I had hurt him! But the satisfaction was short-lived.
"Well…" he murmured, wiping the blood from his lip. "If you're going to get serious, so will I."
His body began to change.
His skin darkened like obsidian, his eyes burned with a crimson glow, and his nails elongated into sharp claws. This was his true demonic form.
I didn't have time to react before he vanished from sight.
One second later, I managed to close the chest plate of my armor, mitigating some of the damage from the djinn's knee, which would have sunk into my face if I had been any slower.
A second blow to my chest sent me flying, crashing through a table and slamming into a weapon display.
My breathing was heavy, and the armor felt claustrophobic.
With my senses clouded, my hand fumbled among the levers. I opened the chest plate and felt something metallic.
A halberd. I knew I didn't have the stats to wield it properly. Its weight would make me sluggish, and it would likely break after just a few strikes.
But I had no other choice.
I gritted my teeth and got to my feet, unsteady.
'Chain.'
My armor responded instantly. My left hand shot out like a metal grappling hook, latching onto the Djinn before it could react.
"What...?!"
I pulled with all my strength, dragging it toward me. The moment it was within reach, I drove the halberd into its torso.
The Djinn let out a scream of pain, but I didn't stop.
I pushed the halberd deeper and deeper, tearing through its demonic flesh as the blade creaked under the pressure. The weapon was breaking, but I didn't care.
The Djinn struggled to break free, but my mechanical hand held it firm.
One strike. Two. Three.
Each impact splintered the halberd more and more until it finally shattered into pieces.
The Djinn was left stunned by the damage. That gave me an opening, I stepped forward and unleashed a brutal punch to its face.
My blows were heavy, each one sending shockwaves through my armor. I felt its bones crack under the pressure.
Finally, I grabbed its staggering body and, with a roar, hurled it against a wall with all my strength.
The impact shook the room, and the wall cracked from the force of the blow. The Djinn collapsed to the ground with a groan. The spell preventing the civilians from escaping had broken.
As I leaned my armor against the wall, trying to catch my breath, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps.
Elaine and Darius appeared through the rubble, their respective weapons stained with dark blood.
Elaine's robe was torn in some places, but her expression remained calm. Darius, on the other hand, looked annoyed.
I glanced at his hand. His sword was broken. Exactly like in the game's story. I clenched my teeth.
"So… the story is still the same..." I murmured.
Or maybe not. I looked at the remains of the halberd on the ground—the fragments of my battle with the Djinn and a chill ran down my spine. I wasn't supposed to be here.Not like this. Not with this armor. Not with these decisions. From now on, I had no idea what awaited this world's story.
A slight tug on my mechanical arm pulled me from my thoughts. I looked down and saw the little girl I had saved.
She was trembling, her eyes still wet with tears, but she looked at me with gratitude.
"T-Thank you… Mister Titan..."
For a moment, I didn't know how to respond. I wasn't used to being thanked. I moved a lever on my armor, making my metal arm slowly rise… and gave her a thumbs-up.
The girl blinked in surprise. Then, she smiled.
I didn't wait any longer. Before anyone could start asking questions, I turned around and ran through the hole in the wall I had made.
I sprinted through the city's alleys without looking back, my breath ragged and my body still trembling from the adrenaline.
I couldn't stay in the plaza. I couldn't let them find me.
After several minutes, I found a secluded place an abandoned area between some old warehouses. The air was thick with the scent of dampness and rotting wood, but I had no other choice.
This would have to do.
A second later, I managed to close the chest plate of my armor, mitigating part of the damage from the djinn's knee, which would have sunk into my face if I had taken any longer.
A second blow to the chest sent me flying, making me crash through a table and slam into a weapon display.
My breathing was heavy, and the armor felt claustrophobic.
With my senses clouded, my hand fumbled among the levers. I opened the chest plate and felt something metallic.
A halberd. I knew I didn't have the stats to use it properly. Its weight would make me clumsy, and it would likely break after just a few strikes.
But I had no other choice.
I clenched my teeth and stood up, staggering.
"Chain."
My armor responded instantly. My left hand shot out like a metal grappling hook, grabbing the Djinn before he could react.
"What...?!"
I pulled with all my strength and dragged him toward me. The moment he was within reach, I drove the halberd into his torso. The Djinn let out a cry of pain, but I didn't stop.
I pushed the halberd deeper and deeper, tearing through his demonic flesh as the blade creaked under the pressure. The weapon was breaking, but I didn't care.
The Djinn tried to break free, but my mechanical hand held him firmly.
One strike. Two. Three.
Each impact splintered the halberd more and more until it finally shattered into pieces.
The Djinn was stunned from the damage. That gave me an opening. I stepped forward and delivered a brutal punch to his face.
My blows were heavy, each one sending shockwaves through my armor. I felt his bones crack under the pressure.
Finally, I grabbed his staggering body and, with a roar, hurled him against a wall with all my strength.
The impact made the room tremble, and the wall cracked from the force of the hit. The Djinn collapsed to the ground with a groan. The spell preventing civilians from escaping had broken.
As I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps.
Elaine and Darius emerged from the rubble, their weapons stained with dark blood. Elaine's robe was torn in some places, but her expression remained calm. Darius, on the other hand, looked irritated.
I noticed his hand. His sword was broken. Exactly like in the game's story. I clenched my teeth.
"So... the story is still the same..." I murmured.
Or maybe not. I looked at the remains of the halberd on the ground, the fragments of my fight against the Djinn, and felt a chill run down my spine. I wasn't supposed to be here.
Not like this. Not with this armor, nor with these decisions. From now on, I had no idea what the future held for this world's story.
A slight tug on my mechanical arm pulled me from my thoughts. I looked down and saw the girl I had saved.
She was trembling, her eyes still wet with tears, but she looked at me with gratitude.
"Th-Thank you... Mr. Titan..."
For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I wasn't used to being thanked.
I moved a lever in my armor, causing the metal arm to slowly rise... and gave her a thumbs-up.
The girl blinked in surprise. Then, she smiled.
I didn't wait any longer. Before anyone could start asking questions, I turned around and ran through the hole in the wall I had made.
I sprinted through the city's alleys without looking back, my breath ragged and my body still trembling from the adrenaline. I couldn't stay in the plaza. I couldn't let myself be discovered.
After several minutes, I found a secluded spot, an abandoned area between some old warehouses. The smell of damp wood and rot filled the air, but I had no other choice. This would have to do.
I made sure no one had followed me before stepping out of my armor. I had to hide it.
I opened the chest compartment of the armor and removed its power source. Without it, the armor was nothing more than a useless pile of metal. I stored the sphere inside my watch and then searched through the debris and trash in the area. There was enough old wood, torn fabric, and broken crates to cover the armor and make it look like just another pile of forgotten scrap.
I ensured nothing was sticking out, then walked away calmly. I couldn't look suspicious.
"Alright... that should do it," I murmured to myself, adjusting my clothes and brushing off the dust.
I took a deep breath. Now I had to return to the class.
When I arrived at the central plaza, almost all the students had already gathered. I didn't want to draw attention, so I walked naturally until I found Tesline.
She spotted me immediately and quickly approached.
"Rurik! Are you okay? I heard the museum was attacked. Weren't you there?" she asked with concern.
My mind worked fast. I couldn't tell her the truth.
"The museum? Oh, no..." I winced and scratched my neck. "I didn't even make it there. I got distracted buying street food and watching performers."
Tesline let out a sigh of relief.
"Good... I was already imagining having to get you out of trouble again." She playfully punched my arm.
I let out a nervous laugh.
"I'm not that reckless..."
"Yesterday, I saw you jump from a tree to catch a boar. You almost broke your arm," Tesline rolled her eyes but was smiling.
I crossed my arms and looked around. Darius and Elaine were nowhere to be seen. Before I could ask, the teacher arrived at the center of the plaza and called for everyone's attention.
"Listen carefully. Elaine and Darius aren't here because they are being treated by the priests and speaking with the city guards." His expression was serious. "As you may have already heard, the museum was attacked. We don't know exactly who the culprits were, but the situation is under control. I don't want anyone wandering off again."
The atmosphere grew tense. Some students murmured among themselves, worried. I simply clenched my fists.
Under control? No. That Djinn was still out there somewhere.
The teacher observed each student before raising his hand. A magic circle began forming on the ground, glowing with bluish hues.
"We will return to the academy. Form an orderly line and don't stray."
One by one, the students stepped into the portal. Tesline and I remained at the back of the group.
"I'm glad you weren't at the museum," Tesline smiled. "But if you had been, you probably would have tried something dangerous, right?"
"I would never. I probably would've just hidden," I replied.
Back in the forest, after the chaotic experience in the city, I made sure to store my belongings at home before doing anything else. The priority was to summon and stash the armor before Tesline started asking uncomfortable questions.
With a swift motion, I summoned the armor one last time, ensuring everything was in order before sealing it away.
Tesline wouldn't suspect anything... or at least, that's what I hoped.
That night, we went to bed early. I was exhausted both physically and mentally, and Tesline didn't complain either, probably because the day had been just as long for her.
However, the peace didn't last long.
*・・*・・*・・*・・*・・*
"Rurik, wake up!" Tesline's annoying voice yanked me out of sleep.
I opened my eyes with difficulty, and the first thing I saw was her furious face. She was holding up her bracelet in front of me, and on its magic screen, what seemed to be… a news broadcast? I rubbed my eyes and focused on the image. A serious-looking reporter was speaking while footage played behind him, showing Darius and Elaine fighting in the city.
"What the…?" I muttered, confused. Then my brain kicked into gear. Wait! Does this world have television?
This caught me off guard—I missed TV. And the internet. Especially the internet!
Tesline crossed her arms and pointed at the screen. Besides the footage of Darius and Elaine, the news was also talking about the appearance of a mysterious figure clad in massive armor. They had dubbed him the "Titan Protector" and were discussing how he had intervened to save civilians before mysteriously disappearing.
"So…" Tesline glared at me. "Do you have anything to say to me?"
I put on my best innocent face and blurted out the first thing that came to mind:
"We're running out of sugar."
A fist flew straight to my head. The punch wasn't as strong as it could have been, but it was enough to make me stagger.
"Ouch! Was that really necessary?" I complained, rubbing my head.
"Don't try to dodge the subject, Rurik!" Tesline snapped. "Are you the 'Titan Protector' or not?"
I let out a defeated sigh and raised my hands in surrender.
"Yeah, yeah, that was me. I did it to protect the civilians," I admitted. "And as you can see, everything turned out fine. I'm not dead, so I count that as a win."
Tesline stared at me for several seconds, as if analyzing every word. Then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
"Alright… I'm glad you're alive and that you did something heroic, I really am," she said, her tone sincere. But then her face hardened. "But I'm still mad that you lied to me, Rurik!"
"I didn't want to worry you," I explained. "I knew that if I told you the truth, you'd be mad or hit me even harder. Besides, it was just something I did in the moment."
"And does that justify lying to my face when I asked you in the plaza?" she asked, her gaze accusing.
I lowered my head. I had no way to argue against that.
"I'm sorry," I said sincerely. "I won't lie to you again. I promise to be honest with you from now on."
Tesline stared at me for a few more seconds before sighing and nodding.
"That's a good start… but I'm still mad at you," she declared.
I smirked and pulled out my ace.
"How about I give you five free punches to hit me whenever you want? Sound fair?" I offered.
Tesline raised an eyebrow, clearly considering the deal. Then, a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"Five free punches, huh? I like the sound of that," she agreed. "But I warn you—I'll use them when you least expect it."
"What kind of deal is that?!" I exclaimed, feigning outrage.
"I'm going to enjoy making you paranoid," she replied smugly, giving me a light punch on the shoulder.
After everything that had happened the day before, I was thankful we didn't have classes today. I could finally get some rest… though I knew it wouldn't be long before something interrupted my peace.
I stretched lazily, still feeling some soreness from the fight at the museum. Nothing serious, but my body definitely reminded me that getting hit was never fun.
"So, what now?" I asked, resting my head against the wall.
Tesline, already sitting at the table waiting for breakfast, propped her elbows on the surface and gave me a smile that didn't bode well.
"I heard there's a dungeon perfect for our rank," she said excitedly. "We can enter without any problems at our current level."
I lifted my head in surprise.
"A dungeon? Just like that? Can't we take a day off?"
"And miss out on a great training opportunity?" she retorted, narrowing her eyes. "Don't be lazy, Rurik. Besides, after what happened at the museum, you should work harder if you're planning to keep getting yourself into trouble."
I scoffed and crossed my arms.
"I didn't get into trouble, the circumstances just… happened."
"Uh-huh, sure," Tesline rolled her eyes. "So, are you coming, or are you going to stay here wasting time?"
I sighed. I knew that if I refused, I'd be listening to her lecture all day, so it was better to just give in.
"Alright, alright," I raised my hands in surrender. "But I want you to teach me how to watch the news on my bracelet too."
"Deal," Tesline grinned, satisfied.
"Where's this dungeon?"
"Not too far, just a few minutes' walk from here. It's an old but stable dungeon. The monsters inside are supposed to be appropriate for our level, so it should be a good challenge without being too dangerous. Plus, we might find some treasure."
"Are you sure we're not getting ourselves into something problematic?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"We've nearly died multiple times and always come out alive," Tesline laughed. "I don't know why you haven't gotten used to it by now. Come on, get ready. We're leaving in thirty minutes."