The story begins

Inside a kingdom of Golden Lion, people of the kingdom were busy doing their own thing. In the middle of the road, a girl wearing a robe was walking in a hurry while her eyes were sealed with a cloth. As she sped up, everyone near her was confused toward her appearance.

Soon, she arrived at her destination—a building like a fortress in front of her. In front of the gate, a receptionist was sitting at a table in front of her, resting her head on her hand with eyes looking sideways, showing an irritated expression and ignoring everything near her, including the young girl, as she was distracted by something in her mind.

The young girl, curious about the receptionist's expression and ignorance, looked at the receptionist. "Uhm . . . Hello?" She pulled out a paper. "Uh . . . Excuse me? Can I . . . sign in now . . . ?"

The receptionist blinked and suddenly became aware of her surroundings. She snapped back to reality, quickly shaking her head as if to clear away the haze she had a moment ago. Her eyes refocused. "Ah, yes . . . I am sorry . . . I was thinking about something." While forcing a polite smile, she slightly flushed with embarrassment, staring at the girl with wide eyes open while sweating.

The young girl laughed a little bit at the receptionist. Smiling, she looked at the receptionist. "So . . . ? Am I . . . like . . . too late? To sign in?" she asked while moving the paper toward the receptionist.

The receptionist's face was filled with surprise. "No, there’s no ‘too late.’ In fact, you're the first one who came."

The young girl quickly became confused as soon as she heard the word ‘first,’ curiosity and surprise filling her mind. "Woah . . . The first . . . ?"

The receptionist, seeing the confusion on the girl's face, quickly answered her curiosity. "Well . . . You see, the paper was spread like two days ago. We understand how long it takes for a person from another kingdom to reach here, sign in . . . become part of the elite party . . . And I didn’t expect someone would arrive this soon. My boss told me it would probably take someone at least four or five days to arrive, but he still put me at this table just in case someone would come sooner."

Hearing this, the girl bowed her head as she realized something. I can't believe this, Father’s bad habit still stuck inside me, she wondered, shock and disappointment on her face.

The young girl raised her head while the receptionist looked confused by her action earlier. The young girl put her hand on the paper and said, "Can I sign it now?"

The receptionist nodded with a smile. "Sure," she said warmly, reaching for the quill laying on the desk. She dipped it in the inkwell and pulled out a paper from below her desk. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked, ready to write.

"Mira. My name is Mira Evelina," she said confidently.

The receptionist began to write the name with careful strokes, the quill gliding smoothly across the parchment. Once finished, she reached for a seal and pressed it firmly onto the paper, leaving an official mark. She reached for a small bell on her desk and rang it, the soft chime echoing. Behind her, the gate slowly creaked open, revealing the path beyond.

For a moment, I thought there would be a long, boring questioning process. I guess they really need an elite party, she thought, wondering. The receptionist looked at the gate slowly opening, then turned around, looking at the young girl. "Hope you succeed," she said, welcoming her as the gate opened wide.

With confidence radiating from her, Mira then walked slowly inside the gate, ready to start a journey.

---

A few hours later

In the middle of the night, inside a bar.

"They kicked me out, that's the problem," she said with disappointment, sinking into the chair next to the table. "My father expects me to join the party. Maybe he's looking at me too highly." Mira sighed, staring down at the bowl of noodles in front of her. Across the table, an old man sat quietly, listening to her words.

"I understand that you're really angry at them for kicking you out," the old man said in a gentle, calming voice, his gaze soft with understanding. "But with the increasing demon activity, there’s no doubt they need more capable people to complete the task."

Mira looked at the old man, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "It's just... they said summoners are a really rare class in this world. Those who have it are marked as the weakest because they rely so much on their summons to aid and protect them. I didn’t even get to show them what I can do, and that so-called holy knight kicked me out while laughing at me." She took a spoonful of noodles, but as she ate, she felt the warmth of her tears welling up beneath the bandages that covered her eyes, soaking into the fabric.

The old man watched as Mira's shoulders trembled slightly, her tears hidden by the bandages wrapped around her eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern, a worried expression softening his features.

Mira took a deep breath, slowly calming herself. "Yeah, I’m fine," she said softly, trying to steady her voice. "I’m sorry you had to listen to my disappointment... Thank you for your concern, but really, I’m fine." She looked at the old man, feeling guilty for making him listen to her frustrations.

The old man chuckled softly, trying to comfort her. "It’s alright, I’m the one who asked," he said with a gentle smile. "Seeing the young ones frustrated after having their dreams crushed is something I’ve seen often. I once had my own dreams shattered, so I understand how you feel right now." His smile grew a bit as he spoke, a warmth in his eyes meant to reassure her.

Mira laughed softly, a small smile breaking through her sadness. "Please, I truly am sorry for what I did," she said, her tone earnest. "Seriously, I’m really sorry for making you listen to everything I had in my mind." She bowed her head respectfully, her voice filled with genuine remorse.

The old man smiled warmly. "Apology accepted," he said kindly, his tone reassuring.

Mira finished her noodles and pulled out a small bag of gold, placing it on the table with a smile. "Keep the change, old man," she said warmly.

The old man’s eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you, but you don’t have to," he replied, clearly shocked by her generosity.

Mira waved it off. "Nah, you can keep it," she insisted.

The old man looked confused. "Nah?" he repeated, unfamiliar with the term.

Mira chuckled softly. "Never mind. Thank you for everything," she said while smiling, standing up. With a more relaxed mood, she walked out of the tavern, leaving the old man smiling behind her.

On the crowded street filled with the wealthy and privileged, a voice suddenly echoed in Mira's mind, yawning as if just waking up. "Ugh... What time is it?" it asked, curiosity in its tone.

Mira replied silently, her thoughts directed inward as she continued walking through the throng of rich people. "Well, I can't say exactly what time it is, but one thing's for sure—it's the middle of the night."

"So, technically, I was sleeping for like 12 hours, wasn’t I? Ugh, I can’t believe this. Go on, tell me what I missed," the voice grumbled, disappointment clear in its echo.

“Well, one thing you missed is that we failed to get into the hero’s party. A so-called holy knight kicked us out, laughing at us like we’re some kind of freaks,” Mira explained, a tinge of bitterness in her mental voice.

Suddenly, the voice in her mind shifted, now filled with anger. "WHAT?! Argh, you better remember that knight's face, because when I find him, I’m going to personally drag him to hell and torture him!"

Before Mira could respond, a second, gentler voice echoed calmly, "Now, now, remember—just like in the movies, from above the wretched shall receive their just reward," it said, perfectly mimicking a line from a film.

The angry voice wasn’t having it. "Oh, please. The only reward that holy knight’s getting is my fist tearing his soul apart."

Mira interjected with a slight correction, "You mean her? The holy knight is a woman, just so you know."

The angry voice fell silent, stunned. "What?" it finally responded.

The gentler voice burst into laughter, clearly amused by the misunderstanding, followed by Mira's laugh a little at the angry voice misunderstanding.

Mira took a deep breath, trying to calm the two voices in her mind. "Guys, come on, I can't hear anything with you two talky."

The angry voice shot back, "What the fuck are we even doing here?"

Before Mira could respond, the gentle voice snapped, "Hey, language!"

Without missing a beat, the angry voice retorted, "Fuck you."

Mira couldn’t help but smile at their antics. "Guys, please, we're here because my bestie asked us to be. So, let's all be quiet for a moment and let me focus," she said, her tone firm but friendly.

She then came to a stop in front of the imposing fortress wall, the very place where they had held the sign-ups for the hero party. Mira looked up, her eyes tracing the stone walls all the way to the top.

As she looked at the top of the wall, the angry voice spoke with a calmer tone. "You know... we are forbidden to use any type of holy summoning to climb that wall, so basically there's nothing we can do."

Still gazing up, Mira replied with a smile, "We may not be able to summon the angel, but at least we can summon the opposite of angel."

The angry voice sounded uninterested. "Do what you want. You better not cry if you somehow fall from that stupid-looking wall."

A red circle began to glow beneath Mira, swirling into a portal. She let herself fall into the portal, feeling the rush of the energy as she fell into its depths. A few seconds later, the portal remained open, and Mira re-emerged from it, standing confidently on the head of a dragon-like demon that had been summoned. The demon lifted its head, reaching toward the top of the fortress wall. With a swift jump, Mira leaped from the demon's head and landed steadily on the wall's edge.

As soon as Mira landed, the demon vanished, and the portal beneath it closed, leaving no trace of their presence. Standing on the edge of the wall, Mira looked around and saw no one in sight. Feeling confident, she jumped down, landing softly in a bush that cushioned her fall. She raised her head, scanning her surroundings to ensure she was alone.

Out of nowhere, a boy appeared in front of her, covered in bandages that left only his right eye visible and wearing dark long pants. He looked at Mira silently. Mira was shocked but remained still, her eyes widening at the boy's incredible speed. The boy stared back at her, his expression one of confusion. Suddenly, the light of a lantern flickered nearby—a guard on patrol. The boy turned his head toward the approaching light, while Mira’s shock turned to frustration.

The angry voice inside Mira's mind erupted. "Fuck, fucking great job, MI-RA. This is the fifth day, and you already ruined it."

The gentle voice tried to soothe the situation. "There’s nothing we can do. I’ll open up a portal."

Before the portal could be opened, a blue magic circle glowed beneath both the boy and Mira, its light illuminating the area. Mira’s panic rose as the circle activated, but the boy remained calm and silent. The angry voice could only mutter in disbelief, "Fuck."

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Both Mira and the boy vanished from sight, leaving behind a faint blue glow. The guard, who had been patrolling, looked around in confusion, bewildered by the strange light that had appeared and then disappeared just as quickly.

She reappeared mid-air above a fancy chair, falling and landing directly into the seat. Mira's eyes darted around, taking in the dirty walls, the messy bed, and the overall dreadful state of the place. She was still trying to make sense of where she was when the same boy appeared again, this time holding a cup of tea, which he placed on the table in front of her. Mira could only look at him in confusion, her mind flooded with questions.

The boy pulled out a piece of paper and a quill, sitting down to write something while Mira watched, bewildered and unsure what to say. After a few minutes, he finished and handed the paper to Mira. She took it hesitantly, unfolding it to read:

"Hi, I am sorry for earlier. The guard left me no choice but to bring you to my room. I was saving you from them, in return for something."

"Here's an introduction of me. My name is Bintang. Nice to meet you ^v^."

Mira blinked at the message, still confused. "Uhm... So... Before we get to what you want, can I at least ask why you're in such an appearance? Like... I’m sorry... bandages all over your body except for that eye?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

The boy gently took the paper from Mira’s hands and began to write again. Mira waited patiently, her mind racing with possibilities.

The angry voice suddenly shouted in her mind, "Wait a damn minute, WAIT, DON'T YOU SEE WHO THIS BOY IS!?"

Mira, confused, asked in her thoughts, "Uhm... no? Is he special?" The gentle voice sighed, sounding disappointed. "Well, you completely forgot what Father said, didn’t you? One eye, full of bandages covering his whole body from foot to head... Did you really forget?"

Recognition flashed across Mira's face as she recalled the warning, guilt creeping in. Before she could respond, the boy placed another paper on the table in front of her. She picked it up and read:

"My whole body got burned in a fire accident. My voice box was destroyed, so I can't talk like I used to TT."

Mira looked up into the boy's eye and saw the pain reflected there. She asked, "So you saved me... What do you want me to do in return?" Her tone was serious now, cutting through the earlier confusion.

The boy took the paper back and wrote quickly, his movements hurried. Mira watched him silently, feeling the weight of the moment. He handed her the paper again.

"You’re with the demon lord's army, right? If you are, can you please take me with you so I can be free of this? This place is torture. No one here respects or cares about me. I want to join the demon army, so maybe I can have my revenge."

Mira looked at the boy's eye and saw hope, almost desperation. In his eye, she could see his longing for a different life.

The angry voice was ecstatic. "ALRIGHT, CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE A MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS WORLD AS OUR BROTHER. Can't wait to smash his skull with my head." The gentle voice remained calm.

Mira thought for a few minutes, considering the boy’s plea. After a long pause, she finally decided. "Okay, you're in."

The boy’s face lit up with excitement, and he jumped out of his chair. The gentle voice quickly warned Mira, "Yo, what if he betrays us?"

Mira, remaining calm, replied, "Father told us, the Main Character in this world was tortured and banished. The priests see him as a massive failure, like garbage." The angry voice could only relish in Mira's decision, already planning malicious acts in its mind. "ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT. I'M GONNA WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING I WILL DO TO THIS POOR BOY."

As the boy continued jumping in excitement, a bell suddenly rang from the fortress, snapping them both back to reality. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hall outside the room, and their joy was quickly replaced by alarm. Mira's expression shifted to one of disappointment.

A loud voice boomed through a speaker-like device, "ALERT! TO ALL GUARDS, a demon summoning spell was cast outside the fortress, and the demon may now be inside. All guards are to search and terminate that demon at all costs! I repeat, all guards search and terminate that thing!" Panic was evident in the voice.

Hearing the announcement, Bintang’s face filled with fear, not knowing what to do next.

Mira remained calm, her disappointment obvious. The angry and gentle voices inside her went silent as they knew what caused all this. Mira placed a reassuring hand on Bintang's shoulder, trying to calm him. He looked up at her, seeing the smile on her face, and his panic eased slightly.

Outside the fortress, the heroes summoned to this world gathered in a garden. Some of them stood idly, lost in thought, while others discussed various matters among themselves. Drake, one of the heroes clad in armor made from dragon scales with a large red sword strapped to his back, was deep in conversation with Wilhelm, another hero dressed like a knight but wielding a giant rifle. Both wore expressions of suspicion, and their eyes occasionally wandered toward the female heroes gathered in a corner, their smirks hinting at dirty thoughts.

Drake gestured toward a distant tower where Bintang’s room was located, an evil glint in his eyes. Wilhelm laughed in agreement, sharing whatever scheme Drake had in mind. Their laughter was cut short when they both sensed a fierce demonic aura emanating from within the tower. Rather than fear, curiosity sparked in their eyes as they turned their attention fully to the source of the dark energy.

Without warning, a powerful force exploded from inside the tower, shattering its walls and sending debris flying. Heroes and guards alike froze in shock, eyes widening as a giant demonic bird emerged from the rubble. Its form was monstrous, with sharp talons, wings that stretched wide, and eyes that glowed with malevolence. For a brief moment, the creature’s gaze swept over the heroes gathered in the garden, as if sizing them up. Then, with a thunderous clap of its wings, the demon launched itself into the sky, leaving the chaos it had wrought behind.

The boy took the paper back and wrote quickly, his movements hurried. Mira watched him silently, feeling the weight of the moment. He handed her the paper again.

“You’re with the demon lord's army, right? If you are, can you please take me with you so I can be free of this? This place is torture. No one here respects or cares about me. I want to join the demon army, so maybe I can have my revenge.”

Mira looked into the boy's eye and saw hope—almost desperation. In his gaze, she could sense his longing for a different life.

The angry voice piped up, ecstatic. “ALRIGHT, CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE A MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS WORLD AS OUR BROTHER! Can't wait to smash his skull with my head.” The gentle voice remained calm.

Mira considered the boy’s plea for a moment. After a long pause, she finally made her decision. “Okay, you're in.”

The boy’s face lit up with excitement as he jumped out of his chair. The gentle voice quickly warned Mira, “Yo, what if he betrays us?”

Mira, maintaining her composure, replied, “Father told us the Main Character in this world was tortured and banished. The priests see him as a massive failure—like garbage.” The angry voice relished Mira's decision, already plotting malicious acts. “ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT! I'M GONNA WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING I WILL DO TO THIS POOR BOY.”

As the boy continued to jump in excitement, a bell suddenly rang from the fortress, snapping them both back to reality. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hall outside the room, and their joy was quickly replaced by alarm. Mira's expression shifted to one of disappointment.

A loud voice boomed through a speaker-like device. “ALERT! TO ALL GUARDS: a demon summoning spell was cast outside the fortress, and the demon may now be inside. All guards are to search for and terminate that demon at all costs! I repeat, all guards search and terminate that thing!” Panic was evident in the voice.

Hearing the announcement, Bintang’s face filled with fear, unsure of what to do next.

Mira remained calm, her disappointment clear. The angry and gentle voices inside her went silent, knowing the chaos that had just been unleashed. She placed a reassuring hand on Bintang's shoulder, trying to calm him. He looked up at her, seeing the smile on her face, and his panic eased slightly.

Outside the fortress, the heroes summoned to this world gathered in a garden. Some stood idly, lost in thought, while others discussed various matters among themselves. Drake, one of the heroes clad in armor made from dragon scales and with a large red sword strapped to his back, was deep in conversation with Wilhelm, another hero dressed like a knight but wielding a giant rifle. Both wore expressions of suspicion, their eyes occasionally wandering toward the female heroes gathered in a corner, their smirks hinting at unsavory thoughts.

Drake gestured toward a distant tower where Bintang’s room was located, an evil glint in his eyes. Wilhelm laughed in agreement, sharing whatever scheme Drake had in mind. Their laughter was cut short when they sensed a fierce demonic aura emanating from within the tower. Curiosity sparked in their eyes as they turned their attention fully to the source of the dark energy.

Without warning, a powerful force exploded from inside the tower, shattering its walls and sending debris flying. Heroes and guards alike froze in shock, eyes widening as a giant demonic bird emerged from the rubble. Its monstrous form had sharp talons, wings that stretched wide, and eyes that glowed with malevolence. For a brief moment, the creature’s gaze swept over the heroes gathered in the garden, as if sizing them up. Then, with a thunderous clap of its wings, the demon launched itself into the sky, leaving chaos in its wake.

Wilhelm wasn’t interested in the recent explosion. He turned his back to Drake, only to find Drake had vanished from his spot, his laughter echoing through the city. Knowing what was going on, Wilhelm chose to stand and wait, ignoring the panic erupting around him.

From the rooftops, Drake sprinted, his eyes glowing red and a menacing smile on his face, targeting the giant demonic bird flying away. He drew his sword and leaped into the air, channeling his strength into a powerful strike aimed at the beast. Sensing the danger, the bird dodged just in time. Before Drake could prepare another strike, he suddenly felt a presence and shifted to a defensive stance in mid-air. Out of nowhere, a demon in red armor appeared before him, wielding a longsword that swung toward Drake. He blocked the strike, and both combatants crashed onto the rooftops below.

Drake was momentarily stunned by the demon’s speed. The demon wore knight-like armor, with a dragon head attached to its helmet, its eyes fixed silently on Drake.

Regaining his composure, Drake raised his sword toward the demon. The demon drew its own blade, mirroring his stance. Both aimed their swords at each other before charging in. Drake swung with killing intent, but the demon knight blocked each attack with ease, parrying with expert precision.

Frustrated that his strikes failed to harm the demon, Drake gathered his strength and raised his sword for a more powerful attack. The demon noticed and dodged swiftly, jumping onto another rooftop. Drake’s blow shattered the building beneath them, sending debris flying.

Looking back at Drake, the demon realized he seemed to have vanished. Suddenly, Drake appeared behind him, launching another powerful strike with a confident smile. This time, the demon blocked the attack with its sword behind its back, using just one hand.

Drake grinned, impressed by the demon's abilities. He leaped backward, studying his opponent. His eyes shifted to the dragon head on the demon’s helmet, which stared at him intently. Realization struck him. “So, it has four eyes instead of two—two on its own head and two on that dragon head. It keeps tracking me, no matter how fast I move.”

In an instant, Drake vanished, using high-speed movement to circle the demon. The demon stood still, unfazed, as Drake moved at incredible speed, creating a vortex around them. Despite his speed, the dragon head’s eyes never left him, continually tracking his movements.

Deciding to strike from above, Drake gathered his strength and leaped high into the air, preparing a powerful blow. Just before he could strike, the demon knight vanished in a swirl of red dust, disappearing completely. Drake’s blow landed on the empty roof, causing massive destruction to the area.

People below screamed in terror as debris rained down. Drake laughed, realizing something. “So, it was a distraction all along. No wonder it didn’t attack me. What a disappointment.” His laughter faded, confusion crossing his face. “I wonder why it didn’t try to kill me,” he mused, gazing at the sky as the first light of dawn began to break.

Meanwhile, outside the kingdom, the demonic beast landed safely in a field of grass. It opened its mouth, and Bintang and Mira stepped out. Mira took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Hahhhh, fresh air,” she said.

The angry voice filled with curiosity spoke up. “So... how's our passenger doing?”

Mira quickly realized and turned around in an instant, looking at Bintang, who stood gazing at the rising sun. Watching the beautiful sunrise, Mira could only smile at him. She approached Bintang and tapped his shoulder. “So? How do you feel?” she asked, smiling.

Tears began to form in Bintang's eyes. Seeing this, Mira's smile brightened, realizing how amazed he was by the view and the freedom he now had.

Bintang ripped a small piece of bandage from his body, preparing a quill to write something.

Meanwhile, Mira petted the demonic beast with a bright smile. Suddenly, a paper emerged below her neck. “This is from Father; he just sent us a message,” the angry voice said, hidden from view inside Mira's robe. She took the paper and read it, curiosity spreading across her face.

“Dear my sweet little candy, you better keep this message because I put a lot of effort into writing it. Tears flowed from my eyes, and I did a lot of thinking while writing this message. You will not believe how long it took me to write this single message, even though it’s not really important. But seriously, I was enjoying writing this message to send to my great, great daughter.”

Mira felt confused about what her father was trying to say.

“And not gonna lie, you should skip the next... pages. They’re not important. Let’s just say I wrote them because I felt like it.”

Mira moved to the second page, her expression gradually turning to shock as she read.

An eye in the middle of her forehead suddenly opened, revealing it wasn't a drawing but her true eye. Bintang tapped her shoulder, startling her. Mira turned quickly, and Bintang was shocked to see the single eye in her forehead staring back at him. He looked at her eye, then shook his head to snap back to reality, handing Mira the piece of bandage where he had written something. Mira calmed herself, took the paper, and read it.

“So why aren't we in the Demon King's castle? I thought we would go there?”

Mira explained, “I'm sorry, we can't go there yet. I have a lot of stuff to do right now. You can come with me and help if you want.” She gave a convincing smile toward Bintang. He extended his hand, opening his palm. 

Mira extended her hand and shook his, fully accepting his offer to help.

"Since you’re helping me, follow me then," Mira said, starting to walk away. Bintang put his hand on Mira's shoulder, prompting her to turn around. Bintang pointed at the demonic beast. Understanding what he was asking, Mira responded quickly, "No, we're not gonna ride Bir. We're doing this on foot. I don't want a thousand arrows flying toward me while we're in mid-air. Also," she said, pointing her finger at the demonic beast, "Bir, what did I tell you? Now go, leave."

Through Bintang's eyes, he looked disappointed by Mira's decision. The demonic beast turned into red dust and was carried away by the wind.

> The hero and the unknown summoner set off, their journey just beginning. The path stretched before them, winding into the horizon, promising both adventure and danger.