The second ring was, quite frankly, far better than the outermost ring. It didn’t smell like rot, those pacing around looked like they’d bathed in the last day or two, and instead of rickety stalls, its inner walls were lined with sizable kiosks.

Another noticeable improvement was that there was a proper booth for the Crow’s Nest’s agents. Much to Kandy’s happiness, there was no line in front of it.

“Thank heck, finally a place without a line!” Kandy excitedly exclaimed under his breath. Ever since he’d arrived at the Crow’s Nest, or even the city for that matter, it felt like he’d just been moving from one line to the next.

He strode up to the booth and deftly handed over his stone tablet. The agent, a middle-aged man, took it. After a quick glance, he did a double-take.

“Damn! Just two fights and they sent you to the second ring already? All the way from X?” The man looked up at Kandy, only to drop his gaze once he realized there was nothing aside from black cloth to look at.

“Teh. Why are all the strong ones so weird,” he muttered. “Alright, take your damn tablet and go.”

And so Kandy did.

***

Dario and Carl the Camel stared intently at an object between the two of them. It was made up of three pots. There was a large pot, in which was a smaller pot that had been placed upside down, inside which was yet another, smaller pot that they’d filled with water.

They’d nearly run out of their water supply when they’d finally caught the first glimpse of water. In a mad rush, they’d dashed towards the water and buried their faces in it, only to realize that it was saltwater.

So here they were, using the incredible heat to evaporate the saltwater into drinkable freshwater. Thankfully, they’d started long ago, and a quick glance showed Dario that there was enough water for him and Carl to quench their thirst… somewhat.

Over the course of the next few days, Dario prepared enough water for himself to cross the ocean before him—and enough for Carl to make his way back to society or find a family, or whatever.

Eventually, the day came that it was time for the two to go their separate ways.

Dario held the end of a tube that he’d fashioned out of a strange plant he’d found growing in the desert. “Alright Carl, you see this here? I’ve put it nice and close to your mouth, so whenever you’re thirsty, just take a sip.”

After a bit of contemplation, he sighed and pulled a bowl out of his holding space and brought it under the camel’s nose.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“This is a scoop of chocolate ice cream. I thought about not giving it to you, since I don’t have much left… but after all you’ve done for me, Carl, it would be heretical of me to deprive you of the chance to experience the Holy Truth.”

With a dramatic sigh, Dario lifted the bowl of ice cream right under the camel’s mouth. With a swift lick of his tongue, Carl inhaled the chocolate ice cream.

After a brief moment of appreciation, the camel craned his head towards the sky and grunted with delight.

“Well, it’s time for me to leave, then.” Dario turned toward the ocean and climbed aboard a raft he’d made from random rubbish he’d found along the beach. He pushed it off the shore and, with a chant, began to propel it forward.

“Oh Holy Truth! Hear me, grant me the power to traverse these waves!”

With a bright blue glow, a jet of water surged from the raft’s back end, propelling it forward and over the ocean’s waves.

Dario stared proudly into the distance, and although he couldn’t see it, he could feel he was nearing his goal.

***

Toku sat on the edge of a mountain cliff overlooking a city. It was the largest city of the other side’s second layer and a near-perfect replica of Hon, Kaita’s capital city.

Although he’d never seen Hon from such a high view, he’d wandered its streets many, many times. Because of that, he understood its layout like the back of his hand—and the city far below him had been built in the exact same manner.

For example, when he had disguised himself as a wandering warrior and snuck out of the royal grounds, there was a particular bakery that he liked to visit.

Although it wasn’t a bakery here. The building had been designed the exact same way, right down to the pole with a phoenix head atop the roof that he’d used to guide his path from the royal court.

The existence of the near-identical cities led to two very important questions. Which city had been built first? And why were they so alike?

Toku sighed as he retreated from the mountain cliff’s edge.

He’d never expected for this excursion to the other side to be an easy mission, but he’d expected it to be difficult physically—reaching and defeating the second layer’s warden in combat.

What he hadn’t anticipated was running into something so confusing, but what choice did he have? Now that he’d noticed it, he was going to have to investigate it.

As he descended the mountain, a red-tailed hawk stared at him from its perch

Meanwhile, inside the city, a pigeon had just landed in the royal court’s guard office. As it landed, it saluted the guard on duty and lifted its right leg.

The guard saluted back and went to untie the paper that had been tied to the pigeon’s leg. After unfurling the paper, he read it and, with widened eyes, bolted out the door.

Mere moments later, he burst into the throne room.

“Reporting to his royal highness! A message from the first generation Jonin!”

A scarred man with graying hair looked down upon the guard from the throne. “Oh? It’s been nearly a hundred years since his last communication. What does it say?”

“He believes that he’s encountered a succession candidate—and that this candidate seems to be in their original form.”

A loud crack sounded through the hall as the figure upon the throne stood up too quickly, breaking the throne beneath him.

“In his original form? Here?” The scarred man’s expression swiftly turned from one of mild interest to shock, to confusion, then to mad glee.

In a loud, booming voice, the man commanded, “Send out all pigeons, notify every commander.”

He strode forward, past the messenger, his royal robes fluttering behind him. “It’s finally time to go to war!”