Before you go astray…?

The forest was a formless, damp mass. The fog clung to the trees with the tenacity of a cold shroud, making every shadow look like a specter and every sound, a danger.

"He's not here... Not here either...!"

Shija moved with blinding speed through the dense foliage; his steps barely broke the fallen leaves, creating a visual effect of rapid movement, almost like a gust of wind between the dark trunks.

"He's not here... Where... Where!"

His eyes, despite the hurry, scrutinized every corner of the misty landscape.

"Mireya! Where are you?!"

His breath condensed in the freezing air, but his mind was on fire. He tried to concentrate, desperately searching for his companion's energy trace. However, his Ki refused to cooperate.

(Damn it! His Ki is so... fluctuating. It disperses everywhere, like ripples in the water. He's impossible to locate)

Confusion and frustration mingled on his face.

How had things gotten to this point? How could his day, which began so routinely, derail so violently?

(How did this happen?!)

As he continued his frantic search, a calmer memory broke through into his mind, offering a pause in the chaos of the forest, recalling how everything had started like any other day since joining the Adventurers' Guild days after that "incident" upon his entry.

"Haaaah!"

(Clang! Klang!)

That morning, the day had dawned clear, and the first lights were streaming through the windows of the Guild's training ground.

"Haaaah... Haaa!"

(Ching! Tzing!)

At that moment, Shija was in the middle of an intense sparring session with the small silver armor known simply as Silver.

(Clang! Crash! Clash!)

The metallic echo of the training swords colliding filled the enclosure.

"Haaa... Haaa..."

Shija moved, dodged, and blocked, but every move from Silver was precise, fast, and frustratingly efficient, he felt it as Shija's sweat and panting intensified.

(She's too good)

However, despite that, Shija maintained his stance with admirable tenacity, using exhaustion as fuel to improve his analysis.

(She's not even using half her strength, I feel it in every block)

Silver, despite her small size, moved like a whirlwind of polished steel. Every blow was a reminder of the overwhelming difference in skill.

"Haaaa... Haaa... Haa..."

Shija felt his guard being penetrated again and again, not by brute force, but by a millimetrically superior sword technique.

(…Furthermore)

In every exchange, Shija not only fought but also analyzed. He tried to map his opponent's attack patterns, reaction speed, and the total absence of a blind spot, improving with every passing second.

(She's not taking me seriously!)

But the more he fought, the more painfully clear the abyss between the two became.

(Clink!)

In this way, the silver armor stopped a slash from Shija with a simple twist of the wrist that completely disarmed the attack.

(Fwoosh!)

And immediately afterward, she took a lateral step to avoid an instinctive counterattack.

"Ugh...!"

(I need a blind spot)

Shija, struggling to ignore the pain of the impacts and the burning in his muscles, concentrated more and more.

(A single mistake. A single movement that breaks her center of gravity.)

Thus, he calculated the distance, planning an aggressive feint to force the small armor into an awkward defensive position.

(It's time!)

However, when Shija was preparing to unleash his decisive blow, the accumulated fatigue finally took its toll.

"Kghh...!"

And at that instant, his left leg, overloaded, failed.

(Crash!)

Shija knelt down, his knee hitting the floor with a dull sound, panting, his face level with Silver's helmet gaze.

(Damn it...!)

The armor, taking advantage of the mistake, launched an attack, raising the wooden sword that descended with the cold speed of an executioner, aiming directly at Shija's unprotected face.

(Thwack!)

But when the edge of the sword was millimeters away from striking, a sound of applause resonated through the hall, loud and clear, breaking the concentration.

"That's all for now, Silver!"

Upon hearing that voice, Silver's sword stopped abruptly, motionless inches from Shija's nose, just before touching him.

"You did great!"

Waving her hands rhythmically with a cheerful smile, Mireya enthusiastically greeted Silver, showering her with praise upon arriving at the training ground.

(Clank, clank!)

In response, Silver, with surprising agility and joy for an armor, raised her free arm as a sign of agreement, running towards Mireya, who received her by affectionately rubbing the top of her helmet.

"Good job! What skill! You're the best!!"

But while Mireya continued to lavish praise on Silver without paying attention to anything else...

"Haaaa... Haaa... Haa... Ugh..."

Shija, still kneeling, was breathing with difficulty, gripping the handle of his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned pale.

"I can still continue!"

Shija, using his sword as a support, stood up with intense effort, demanding to continue despite the trembling in his legs.

"No, no. That's all for now. We'll have more time later."

But Mireya, still with a carefree smile and still focused on Silver, responded calmly.

"....."

Shija's exasperation was palpable. Not having forced even a show of effort from his opponent was a defeat more bitter than any blow.

"Besides, you are not in a condition to continue."

But interrupting the frustration Shija felt, Mireya, still rubbing Silver, pointed to his knees that were still trembling slightly after the fall.

"If you keep stressing your muscles like this, you won't gain anything but an unnecessary injury. I know this from experience, overexerting the body is never a good idea!"

Having said that, Mireya straightened up proudly with a practical glint in her eyes.

"So, it's time for a break!"

Just at that moment, a golden figure timidly floated in from the door with her characteristic red cloak/blanket, carrying a silver tray on which rested a variety of vibrantly colored and suspicious drinks.

"Thanks, Goldie!"

After receiving the tray, Mireya thanked the figure, who was a golden doll bathed in a golden glow, with a smile, taking one of the bottles to offer it to Shija.

"Here you go!"

"What is this...?"

"Well, obviously some energy drinks that I prepared."

Shija asked, observing the offered drink cautiously, to which Mireya replied, proudly sticking out his chest.

"Based on continuous observation of your training, I made these drinks to support your physical condition and properly regulate your diet!"

Thus, Mireya explained with excitement and the passion of a chef, detailing how he had created not just a nutritional supplement, but a perfect potion, with the sole drawback of the flavor.

"......."

Hearing that, Shija hesitated, but his need for rehydration overcame his wariness, and he took a large gulp.

"Ughh...!!"

And so, he verified the taste, which could objectively only be considered bad, mixing bitter and earthy flavors from the medicinal herbs, blended with a strange acidity that, although perfectly balanced on a nutritional and energy level, challenged the taste buds.

(Does it work...? But... How can something so beneficial taste so awful?!)

Shija reached a conclusion after analyzing the flows of his own Ki after drinking it, forcing himself to swallow the rest.

"That's it, that's it, keep going! Goldie, please give him the next serving, and then it's time to rest!"

Mireya smiled, unperturbed by Shija's gesture of disgust as he forced him to slowly consume each of the drinks he had prepared with a beautiful smile.

"Go ahead, baby, as much as you can!"

It was that way that minutes later, Shija was lying on the ground, moaning, revitalized but with his palate destroyed.

"Stop, please! That's enough!"

Finally, Shija, having no other option, begged, trying to recover from that gustatory experience.

"Hey, don't be dramatic!"

However, Mireya ignored him serenely, immersed in a game on his phone. Silver's figure was sitting docilely on his right shoulder and Goldie was sitting calmly on his left shoulder.

"The taste will pass with time."

Mireya explained, focused on his game, ignoring everything around him as he walked.

"Haaa..."

Sighing, Shija got up to continue his daily routine since joining the Guild, which had been quickly established: accepting the missions that Mireya found interesting.

"If you're ready, let's go!"

On this occasion, the mission was to collect a few rare herbs in a dangerous forest, protected by high-level monsters, so they both headed towards the city exit.

"Ah, I almost forgot!"

However, at that moment, Mireya stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing this, a puzzled Shija stopped to ask in the middle of the street, which was already quite busy with merchants and adventurers.

"....."

And Mireya, without saying another word, pulled an object from his pocket: a necklace with a simple chain that he put on without a second thought and then, with the most innocent smile in the world, handed the end of the chain to Shija.

"Here you go!"

All of this happened in front of a crowd that stopped to watch.

"?!"

Shija was momentarily in shock. The image was terrible: a man holding a boy/girl with a chain, which the people looked at with a mixture of curiosity, judgment, and morbid interest.

"W-what the hell does this mean?!"

The realization hit Shija with the force of lightning, demanding in a whisper not to draw any more attention, but failing miserably.

"Well, it looks like it will be foggy, and this way I avoid getting lost! Isn't it a perfect plan...?"

Shija felt the color rise to his face. The scene they were projecting was indefensible, and with his Master absent, the reputation of the Kyōgetsu style rested entirely on his shoulders.

"It is not necessary!"

He couldn't allow such an embarrassing image to be associated with his name.

"So take that off!"

"You should reconsider. I know from experience that forests are..."

"No! As long as I don't lose sight of him, it should be fine!"

Thus, without waiting for an answer and with an abrupt decision, Shija grabbed Mireya's hand and pulled him out of the city, leaving behind the crowd of adventurers and merchants who remained muttering.

"Will it really be fine...?"

Little did he know that Mireya's concerns would turn out to be true when he got lost in less than the blink of an eye in the fog...