On our way to the guild hall from the inn early next morning, I hear a commotion a ways down an intersecting road. I only slightly lean in to half-listen while acting as though I’m not paying any attention to it. Nora beside me, who begrudgingly wears a dress that actually fits her now, can also hear it, and already has her fists balled.

   “You little floor-dwelling rat! That’s the last straw!” I hear.

   “P-Please, it was only a—“

   It’s a woman’s voice, and the other is a man. I can’t tell much else.

   “Shut your filthy mouth! You, a good-for-nothing slum-dweller, was given the honor of scrubbing clean the floors of my restaurant, and this is how you repay me?!”

   I hate it when I stick my nose in other people’s business. Now I’m well aware of the fact that there’s a maiden in trouble over there, and yet...

   “Well, if I’m gonna he a hero...” I mutter. I stop in place. Nora perks up slightly, and looks to me.

   The man continues to shout at the woman, every once in a while batting her head with an open hand. Nobody else seems to be doing anything about it. As I approach, a few people step out of the way.

   “Hey,” I mutter. “Something wrong over here?”

   The woman clambers to her feet and is cowering behind me before I can say anything else.

   “Y— Well, yes, in fact there is!” the man exclaims. He’s in some pretty expensive clothes. But I’m not about to jump the gun on him just yet.

   “What’s the problem?” I ask.

   “W-Well you see— that girl and her clumsiness has cost me three of my pristine dinner plates this week!”

   “Just three...?” I mutter, recalling back to the job I had washing dishes at a restaurant. I’d broken nearly a whole set once but was forgiven. “And you don’t suppose you’re being a little dense here?”

   “Wh— Dense?! I’ll have you know that my restaurant is worthy of serving royalty itself! That it even graces such a lowly rung as level two—!”

   “Lowly, huh? Makes me wonder just what’s on the next rung up,” I ponder. “Anyways, you look like a busy man, so how about I cut you a deal and we forget all about this, huh? How much were those plates worth?”

   “Fif— um, seventy Jeul each!”

   “You stumbled there, old man,” I mutter. I lean in on him just a bit in a condescending way. It’s lucky he’s shorter than I am. “Are you sure you’re not trying to rip us off?”

   “...U-Uh, fine, fine—! Fifty Jeul each, but it isn’t over with that girl!”

   “Then what the hell am I paying you for?” I glower, stamping my foot.

   “E-Eep—!” shrieks the man.

   “You people are all the same— you feel like you have the right to play or dehumanize others just because your cash sacks are a bit fatter than theirs,” I say. “If you’re gonna fire someone then fire someone. But if you even think you can get away with laying a hand on any one of them, then you’ve officially made my shit-list.”

   “W-What? Fire me...?” sputters the girl. I turn around, and she’s practically quivering on her knees. “I-I can’t be fired—! I-I have nowhere else to go, I—“

   “If you mess up,” I mutter, “they have every right to fire you. But I also think employees have all the right to some leniency.”

   “Leniency?!” hollers the man. “She’s been nothing but a nuisance ever since she stepped foot in this rung!”

“Tell me something, boss-man,” I say, turning back to him. “You’ve got a pretty decent establishment here. Seems like you’re not short of any customers. In fact, it almost looks like there’s a queue.”

   “B-But of course!” he scoffs. “It is the most successful eatery in the Second Rung! Only the finest of the fine dine here, and I can’t have that... that putz— ruining all my tableware!”

   “Three plates— fifty each, that makes a hundred and fifty Jeul,” I say. “You probably make twenty times that every day, and she only broke three plates in the span of a week. Someone so stingy that they can’t see to replace three plates isn’t someone whose business I’d want to eat at. Who knows— maybe you’re cutting corners with your food, too?”

   “That’s absurd! I won’t stand for such accusat—“

   “It shouldn’t be too hard to find some kinda kitchen inspector in this city, right? I’d really love to see them shut this place down when they find out all that’s going on back there.”

   “Y-You wouldn’t dare—!”

   “Really? You actually are cutting corners?” I smirk. “I was just bluffing, but the way you said that—“

   “Alright, alright!” He scuttles forward and cups the side of his hand to whisper. “You’ve made your point. Now please leave me alone—!”

   “My conditions for that are— This girl gets her job back, and unless she messes up really bad, like, I’m talking huge fuck-up— Just give her some leniency, why don’t you? For all of your employees. I’m sure they’d be willing to work even harder without you breathing down their shirts all the time.”

   “Breathing down their— I do no such thing!”

   “That was a figure of speech,” I sigh.

   A figure of speech from my world, though. I guess I should be more careful about what I say. I turn back to the girl and offer my hand to stand her up. She reaches up to accept it, but falls just short and barely misses my hand entirely. She squints and slowly inches her hand forward until hers and mine make contact. That makes me realize something.

   “Hey girl,” I say. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

   “U-Um...” She squints harder. She tilts her head, and moves closer and further from my hand, which shows four fingers held up. “Th-Three...?”

   “She’s not clumsy, boss-man,” I say, looking over my shoulder. “Her sight’s impaired. Be a gentleman and get her fitted for some glasses. Call it an investment— To save a few more plates in the future, yeah?”

   The man hesitates for a moment, but begrudgingly nods his head soon after. “She’d better show promise.”

   “All settled? Good,” I nod. “Now I’d better... get to... my... meeting.”

   “...We’re already late, Cyr,” mutters Nora.

   “Shit! N-Nora, we’re running—!” I shout. “U-Um, we’ll eat here some day, boss-man, so the girl’d better still be working here—!”

   Nora and I begin to haul ass back towards the main street. I totally forgot I’d already overslept on top of this incident.

   “Shit... The Admiral’s gonna kill us,” I mutter to Nora as we run.

   By the time we make it to the Admiral’s door, Lasphalia is already there waiting for us. She seems to be wearing a different uniform from yesterday and the day before, probably because that one got torn up in the fight with the wyverns. But she looks... well, good. I still haven’t completely recovered from the fight, but she’s virtually unscathed. It makes me almost feel I’m being cheated.

   “Late, as anticipated,” she says, readjusting her glasses with her ring finger. “Do not do anything to further anger the Admiral. He is unpredictable, and may very well throw your head through his desk... as he did Vice-Admiral Pierce when they first met.”

   “I-I’m having second thoughts about going in there now,” I whimper.

   “This is not a summon you are able to dismiss. If the Admiral asks that you come, then you have little other choice.”

   “This guy’s harsh,” I mutter, kinda leaning by Nora.

   “D-Don’t worry, Cyr—!” Nora chants. “I’m here to help, too!”

   “Th-Thanks, Nora.”

   “By the way, girl,” says Lasphalia, “you have been allowed admittance, however we request that you remain silently near the door. Understood?”

   “...Y-Yes, I suppose that’s fine,” Nora nods.

   Lasphalia turns to the door and knocks three times.

   “Who approaches?” says the Admiral from the other side.

   “Lasphalia Astellarius, Sir,” Lasphalia replies.

   “It is about time. I’ve grown tired of waiting,” he grumbles. “Very well. Enter.”

   Lasphalia pushes open the door and steps through. I follow and take a stand just in front of the desk. Nora stands beside me, but is still somewhat tucked cautiously behind my left shoulder. She turns off and stiffly leans against the wall beside the door as I continue forward. Before us now sits Admiral Leufgarde-Rosencrantz, with a look as stern as the first time we’d met.

   “One hundred and thirty razorbeak mountain wyverns slain in three hours,” he says, leaning into his hands which lay clasped on the desk. His eyes narrow, the invisible scary aura only thickening around him. “And Miss Lasphalia was certain she felt next to no power emission from you. I suggest you explain yourself.”

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  D-Damn. This fierce aura he’s giving off makes it hard to come up with anything he’d be satisfied with.

   ‘Hey, George—’ I think to myself. ‘What do I do?’

   I don’t get any response. I’m still not even sure what the hell George is, much less how to call it. And the Admiral is really starting to stare daggers at me, so I can’t waste any more time. I clear my throat.

   “Let me preface this by saying that I’m in no way a strong person,” I say. “Not yet, at least. And this power I hold isn’t mine. I don’t want anybody to get the wrong idea.”

   Shit—! This guy’s super scary—! How the hell am I still standing—?!

   The Admiral stares me down a moment longer before finally nodding. “Then this... foreign power... What is it?”

   “Hell if I kn— I-I mean... I’m not exactly sure, myself,” I reply. “To my knowledge, I’m able to borrow the power of people I’ve drawn blood from. I can’t stress enough that I don’t even understand what makes it work, or even how I got it.”

   “...I see.” The Admiral stands up and lands the knuckles of both his hands firmly against the desk. “As I suspected.”

   “H-Huh? You know something about this?” I ask. “Because I’ve got no idea how I got it. I’m scrambling for answers here.”

   “Many forms of power exist in this world, but few are sanguine in nature. Dark is the foul magic that uses blood to enhance power.”

   “B-Before you go making any assumptions— it’s not blood-fueled. It’s blood activated. Based off what I experienced, I inherit their muscle memory when I make someone bleed. And I don’t think it’s permanent, but there are some... residual effects.”

   “Then it is not blood magic... but a blood pact. A forced pact,” he says.

   “Well when you put it that way...”

   “—But I may be giving you the wrong idea,” he replies. “Dozens of strange and inexplicable powers have walked through these doors. Use it for the prosperity of the Guild and not for your own self betterment, and you will see no enemy in me.”

   “R-Really— oh, thank god,” I sigh in relief.

   “That aside,” mutters the Admiral, turning his gaze from the general area of attention. “I can see truth in your words. Now we may need use of this power in the coming weeks. Lasphalia, whom you evidently have grown close to, has vouched for you as a reliable combatant. Therefore, we will do whatever it takes to aid you in your recovery.”

   “‘Use?’ Wait, roll it back for me here. Is there something else to this?” I say.

   “As usual,” mutters Lasphalia, “our Admiral has gotten ahead of himself. Allow me to explain on his behalf.”

   “M-Miss Lasphalia...” mutters the Admiral, with a hint of some other lighter personality I’d had yet to see in him.

   “After some investigation, we found the appearance of the enemies we faced to be no coincidence,” she continues. “They were indeed driven from the mountain, and by a foreign entity. We have yet to identify it, but a party is being formed regardless to deal with it precisely three weeks from now. You are to take that time to prepare, and report to the hall precisely twenty-one days from now. Be you ready or not, you have been called to duty. You have no choice but to accept.”

   “Y-Yes— it is as Miss Lasphalia said,” the Admiral nods. “At the moment, I do not feel threatened by your power. I task you with mastering it in three weeks time. For the glory of Seynith and this Guild, you will not fail me.”

   “Master it... Sounds so easy,” I remark. “Look, I don’t even know where to start. There isn’t exactly a way for me to know if anything I do is helping or not.”

   “Then perhaps you should dedicate more time to honing your skill,” he says. “You may hold your own in combat, however your movements are sluggish, rudimentary. You hold yourself back by not pursuing a training regimen. Perhaps you should see to it that you find a mentor. And alleviate yourself of... distractions, for the time being.”

   As he says that, he looks to Nora. I narrow my eyes.

   “Oh no, I’m not leaving Nora to go it alone,” I say.

   “She is an adult, and a proud member of the Adventurers Guild. She can make do until you return,” he replies.

   I look back to Nora, who has her gaze affixed to the floor in a look of sadness. I turn again to the Admiral.

   Yesterday night I tried to rent us separate rooms for... obvious reasons. I guess I was just a bit on-edge in regards to Nora’s new body. Without going into detail, she panicked and had a fit like she was a kid again. It wasn’t for long, but it was enough to make me see the lasting scars that I don’t think time can easily erase.

   “For reasons, she can’t be alone just yet. But it’s not her fault,” I say. I turn to the side. “In any case, I’m gonna train with her for a few months. We aren’t strong enough for what you’re asking, and we won’t be in time for the fight. But after that, I can promise you I’ll be strong enough.”

   The Admiral doesn’t say anything for the longest of time, instead just staring at me with this eerie dead glare. The longer I stand here, the weaker my composure seems to grow.

   “Oh, you will be ready,” he says finally. “It is not a question that I ask, but a summon for your country. However, if you insist you will not be ready in three week’s time... then I have no choice but to expedite the process.”

   “Nah, I think I’ll do it my own w—“ As I turn around to leave, a rapid force seems to pass through me. It goes all the way to Nora, giving off a shimmering trail in the split-second that it’s visible. But I realize the world around me has changed completely. I’m no longer standing in the Admiral’s office, but instead a thick bamboo grove. The ground under my feet is damp as if from a recent rainfall, but the area around the Capital City supposedly hasn’t gotten rain in a couple of months. It makes me realize I’m likely not anywhere close from the city.

   “C-Cyr—?”

   “Y-Yeah, I’m over here,” I mutter. Soon after, Nora comes up from through the bamboo.

   “Wh-Where are we...?” she asks.

   “Nowhere I’m familiar with, I don’t think,” I reply. “The hell was that old fart thinking? Or... did he even do this...?”

   “I-I don’t know, but I feel a lot of bad here,” she mutters.

   “You... what? What’re you talking about?”

   “I don’t know... Bad.”

   “You’re saying you feel like something bad’s gonna happen, or something?”

   “P-Primal evil.”

   “For god’s sake, speak like an adult, pl— oh, err, I mean...”

   “N-No, I’m sorry. It’s just that... I’m...” Nora creeps closer to me and nervously covers her head with her hands. “I’m scared...”

   I remove Kenkui from its sheath.

   “D-Don’t worry,” I say, clearing my throat. “Let’s find our way out of... wherever we are.”

   Suddenly the world around me slows, and I can’t help but sigh.

   “Is this gonna be a normal thing now?” I huff.

   “This place is called The Forest of Change,” says the somewhat mystical voice in my head.

   “Ah... George. Y’know, I called for you earlier. Think you could’ve shown up then instead?”

   “You clearly do not understand the basis of our relationship.”

   “And whose fault is that, eh?”

   “I will henceforth present myself only at the pivotal points in your journey, where decisions could mean the death of those around you, or perhaps worse.”

   “So you’re saying now is one of those times...?”

   “...I am unsure. I have only recently awoken to my calling.”

   “Calling? More cryptic bullshit to keep me off your trail or something? Can you finally fork over the time of day to tell me who the hell you are?”

   “Yes, I suppose it is only fair. One moment, please.”

   “Don’t you dare put me on hold, you.”

   A hand is suddenly pressed against my back. I spin around to see a figure standing there patiently. It takes me a second to process it in my head, but by the time I do I’m nearly delirious.

   It’s me, no doubt about it. But my face is sunken and one of my eyes has clearly been gouged out. I have only a pair of torn pants on, showing a profuse amount of scars all over my body. I hold a dead expression, one that stares me right back like a reflection in a horror house.

   “Do you understand yet?” it asks. The voice is clearly my own now, strained nearly beyond comprehension, but mine nonetheless.

   “Actually, I think you’ve just lost me,” I mutter. “Is that really...”

   “I am you— and you are I.”

   “Oh, just kill my last two good brain cells, why don’t you,” I whimper, scratching my head frustratedly. “Alright, if you’re me— then why are you here?”

   “God’s will,” he replies. “The power we were given... to me, was a curse.”

   “I... don’t understand.”

   “I lived the same life you did. Up until we found ourselves in this world, I believe we were part of the same body. But when I arrived, I had no voice to guide me. The voice you hear is one who experienced life without aid. In my time, I was unable to even kill the brutish man— whose name is Pestilence. The result... was a hastened death for that woman and her children.”

   “Even... Nora...?”

   “She... was first to die. Such marks the first difference between our lives.”

   I feel a weight in my chest. The thought of losing her at this point is too much.

   “Should I continue?” he asks.

   “Hope I won’t regret it,” I mutter.

   “Very well. As a result of being near death, I still found myself in the care of one Kitsune girl and her father. I was taken to the Capital City to treat my wounds, and received the same blade you hold now. As such, I ended up becoming an adventurer same as yourself. But then... the man named Pestilence returned with a vengeance, and set the city ablaze. Only then did I awaken my powers to stop him, but I was again gravely wounded. Those I saved began calling me the ‘Bloodstained Hero,’ as I blindly dragged myself around the city soaked in both mine and his blood.”

   “The... Bloodstained Hero...”

   There is a brief pause in the interaction.

   “As for the reason I am showing myself at this place...” he then continues. “I pleaded to Admiral Leufgarde-Rosencrantz that he train me. He refused, but told me of a place where I could become strong, strong as a wyvern in merely three weeks. That place... is this forest.”

   “Strong as a wyvern...? That’s an oddly specific thing of him to say given you and he wouldn’t have known about the wyverns nor the three week interval.”

   “A coincidence. You will no doubt find many of those in this world.” He takes a step closer to me, and plants a hand on my shoulder. “What I tell you now is what you have probably dreaded to hear. Keep hold of your motivation, and spend these three weeks training your mind and body. To survive, and to further carry out the dream you now have, this is what you must do.”

   “Alright... so... You want me to train because you’ve already experienced whatever’s gonna happen next and you think I might not survive...?”

   “Yes. Although... I suppose our stories already diverge greatly.” He pauses, as if trying to make up his mind. “That girl... It seems she would follow you to the ends of the earth. I am sure that she would become a powerful ally if you both train here.”

   “But Nora is... I mean, she’s just...”

   “She is two years into adulthood in the eyes of this world. If you care for her, then you will keep her at your side. And... for god’s sake, buy her a better weapon.”

   I look back at the time-frozen Nora, and to the shrimpy-looking blade at her waist.

   “...Yeah,” I mutter. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to do that.”

   “Are we understood?”

   “As good as we’ll ever be.”

   “Then heed the words of the Bloodstained Hero,” he says. “For the sake of True Peace, fight with endless vigor and determination. Find strength in your comrades when your own strength fails you. Seek justice and fairness regardless of matter, and never forget... where you came from.”

   “...Alright. I can do this.”

   “Indeed.”

   I turn away for what seems like just a split second. But by the time I look back, time has returned its flow and my broken double is nowhere to be seen.

   “...Shit, I forgot to ask him how the power works,” I mutter.

   “Who?” asks Nora.

   “Nothing, just daydreaming,” I reply, waving a hand dismissively. I turn to her. “But I think I know why the Admiral sent us here now.”

   “Oh? Please, tell me!”

   “Long story short, we’re gonna train here. If want you to join me going forward, then you’ll have to surpass your limits here and now. That’s how we’re going to live, after all.”

   “Train? Y-Yes, if that’s what you want of me!”

   “What do you mean, if that’s what I want? You’re the one who registered yourself behind my back. It’s a given.”

   “Y-Yes, of course.”

   I sigh. “And... try to loosen up, why don’t you. We’re gonna start off easy. Don’t want to rush into anyth—“

   There is a roar in the near distance, and nearly a dozen massive bamboo stalks collapse from some unseen force. Only then do a pair of red eyes shine through the darkness of the forest, two menacing eyes that seem to yearn only for our destruction. But another noise comes from behind us, and another to our side— all beasts of the forest. It dawns on me now the true purpose of this place. It’s not something that helps you grow stronger. It’s a place that forces you to grow stronger. The reason I was sent here was because the Admiral knew damn well I’d be fighting for my life nearly every minute of every day. If I don’t get stronger, I’ll die.

   “Scratch that. We’re going all-out right away!” I holler.

   The Bloodstained Hero... I can’t be sure that what he’s telling me is the truth, but regardless, he can sense the conflict just as I can. Honestly, it shakes me to the core. But as I stare death in the eye, I’m almost horrified to find that I’m eager. Eager to get stronger. Eager to fight with my life on the line again. I don’t know if I’ll become the Bloodstained Hero, but one thing that is clear is that I won’t let this world beat me. That’s for damn sure.