Another chapter of this story completed. It's a bit shorter than I like, but this chapter was already kind of dragging. Small time-skips FTW!

Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 2

Adjusting to a New World

Seeming as I had no idea what my past held, I decided to use what I knew to try and help out. I seemed to have a large amount of strength in my body despite appearances. So in the mornings I would start to move water from the town well to the church before morning prayer. I wasn't particularly religious, but it was a requirement of living at the church. During the day, I would run small errands for the church, such as delivering supplies to various residents. During the evening, I would get some time to myself.

This was the part of the day that I enjoyed the most. Even though I had a purpose during the day, the evening was when I would tap into the one piece of my past that I was sure about. The guard that I fought, whose name was Killian, gave me a practise sword. I would spend my evenings next to a lake which was just outside the town, swinging the blade. It didn't matter how I swung it. It just…it felt great.

Afterwards, I would return to the church for evening prayer before eating with Myne, the only person who I knew from the church. We would recount the day (mostly her as my day was the same everyday) before turning in for the night.

One time, I asked her about Integrity Knights. She admitted she didn't know a lot, but they acted in service of the Axiom Church, the governing body of Underworld.

It wasn't the most exciting schedule, but it was helping me adjust to this world. And it was biding time until this tournament that was coming. At this point it was only two days away.

Sweat dripped from my forehead as I swung the sword again, the only resistance I felt was the wind, which was rather strong today. I did one final upwards strike before sheathing the blade on my belt. A water skin sat on the grass next to me. I picked it up and drank deep.

Footsteps came from behind me. I turned to see Killian and Myne. I replaced the stopper on the water skin and smiled at them. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for evening prayer Myne?"

"Killian wanted to talk, so I showed him where you practise." Myne bowed. "I'll see you at dinner Light." She walked away at a brisk pace, her nun outfit blowing in the wind. I waved goodbye to her and turned to Killian.

"I see you're not slacking." He chuckled, looking at the sword hanging from my belt. "I'm supposed to deliver the tickets that allow you to enter the tournament." He reached into a pouch that was slung over his shoulder. "There's 31 other people taking part. It's nice that we don't have an awkward number for once." He passed me the small wooden tag.

"Thanks." I slipped it into my pants pocket.

Killian closed the pouch and sighed. "Myne told me that you were asking about Integrity Knights."

I unsheathed my sword and began swinging again. "She couldn't tell me much."

"Yeah. I've only seen one once, when a band of goblins had managed to infiltrate the Human Empire." He crossed his arms, watching my swing. "He was clad in purple armour with a silver blade that shot beams of light. The goblins never stood a chance." I looked at him, an eyebrow raised in doubt. "Anyway, they work for Administrator."

The word Administrator was spoken in a language I knew well. Whoever this person was, they were obviously extremely powerful in this world.

I nodded, taking in the information. "So how do I become one?"

He shrugged. "All I know is that Centoria has some sort of tournament. If you win, you become an Integrity Knight." He pointed into the distance. I squinted my eyes to make out a large white spire. I was surprised that I hadn't noticed it before, seeming as it looked like it could be seen from anywhere. However, a large group of clouds were surrounding the top of it, making it difficult to see past a certain point. "Yeah, it's always been hard to see the top." Killian smiled, kicking a small rock away.

"Thanks." I went back to swinging away. I heard a weapon being unsheathed behind me. A smile creeped onto my face before I spun around and blocked his attack. "Nice try."

Killian sighed. "You're still too-" I slammed my hand into the centre of his chest, kicking the back of his leg and sending him flying backwards.

"And you're still talking too much." I offered him a hand to let him back up. He would regularly try to sneak attack me since our duel. An act that I always punished him with sending him flying into the nearest wall. It was all in good fun though. I lifted Killian back to his feet.

The sun was beginning to set, giving me the signal that it was time for evening prayer. I thanked Killian again before heading towards the church.

I walked through the large oak door and went straight to the pew furthest away from the statue of Stacia. Apparently Stacia was the goddess of creation. Until I saw her, I couldn't believe that such a powerful being existed. Even this Administrator, I suspect she isn't even too much more powerful than the average person in this world.

Sister Fornell soon came into the main chapel. I clasped my hands in front of me in prayer and begun the long wait until dinner.

"So you're going to be going to Centoria?" Myne stuck her spoon in her mouth, looking disappointed. "No fair. I always wanted to go there."

"What's stopping you?" I stabbed the piece of beef with my fork. The meat was overcooked and required extensive chewing, but since Myne was the cook today, I forced myself to eat it. I used the time she talked to eat.

"I want to, but until I complete my Calling as a Sister, I can't." Myne sighed. "As soon as I'm done though, I get to go to Centoria for a few weeks to celebrate."

A Calling, as I understood it, was a person's job that they were required to do by the Axiom Church. It often amazed me how dedicated people were to the Church. I swallowed the beef and shrugged. "I'm hoping that my answers will be there."

"To your past?"

I nodded, taking a moment before eating the next piece of beef. "I'm just want to know why I'm here. Everyone else I've spoken to seems to have a reason to exist."

"Maybe you don't need a reason to exist." Myne shrugged. "All that matters is that you do."

I considered it for a moment whilst chewing. Maybe that was true, but I there had to be something in this world I could do. "Well, the duelling tournament is in two days. I'll probably start making my way to Centoria the day after."

"You need to let Sister Fornell know." Myne pointed out. Her expression turned to annoyed as she stuck her spoon in her mouth again. "Phooey. That means I would've lost a friend."

I was confused for a second. "Just because I'm going away doesn't mean you've…lost me…" For some reason, those words seemed to drive a dagger into my heart. I shook it off. "When you come to Centoria, I'll be able to see you again."

Myne nodded. "Yep." She took a moment, hesitating before carrying on. "Is it alright if I can speak to you before you leave?"

"Of course."

"I won't be at dinner tomorrow as we're needed to help set up, so I probably won't see you until the duelling tournament." Myne picked up her tray and stood up. "Good luck."

"Thanks." I gave her a wave goodbye, waiting until she was gone before spitting out the final piece of beef. "Ugh, overcooked." I gave a silent apology to Myne before taking the tray to the clean up area. I scraped the leftovers into the box provided and washed the plate up using a basin of water, stacking it with the rest of the dishes.

I still have a while until I was required to be in bed, so I decided to wander the town for a bit. The air was filled with the sounds of owls and crickets. Many of the torches had been lit, lighting the air with a warm glow.

I walked at a slow pace down the main street. I saw an old man in armour standing there. He turned upon hearing my footsteps and chuckled, raising a hand to scratch his thick facial hair. I stopped next to him, realising he had some words for me. Judging by his attire, he was also a town guard, but of a much higher rank than Killian. His armour was made from iron, seeming as it was a much duller colour of grey than steel. His grey hair was combed backwards out of his face.

He glanced at me, hands behind his back in a noble pose. Everything about him was professional and showed his age. "Tell me son, what do you see when you look at me?"

I was confused by the question, but nonetheless obliged him. "An old man who, despite his age, seems confident in his ability."

The old man nodded. "That I am. And in you, I can see a seasoned swordsman despite how young you are."

I shrugged, feeling the cold night air beginning to take over the day's warm breeze. "I wish I could tell you if you were right or not. I don't know."

"You can tell a lot about a person by their posture." He turned to look straight at me. "Show me your stance son."

I grabbed the practise sword from my side and did so. My right foot in front of my left, sword in the same direction as my right foot, eyes forward. The old man nodded. He then walked towards me, taking the practise sword from my hands, putting a hand up to tell me to wait. He then unsheathed his own blade.

His sword was a double-edged blade. The entire sword was a deep purple, and it seemed to be made of some sort of glass or crystal. The cross guard was made of three curled pieces on each side, almost resembling a flower. It felt heavier than any other sword I had used so far, though it didn't have much competition. Still, the heavy blade felt good.

Almost without thinking, I gave it a swing, feeling the blade's weight take control halfway through the swung. I stopped it before it hit the ground. I turned back to the old man who looked pleased. "I hope you don't disappoint during the tournament." He exchanged his sword for my practise sword, sheathing his in a simple leather sheath.

"Thank you. I hope I won't either." I sheathed my sword on my belt. "I'm guessing that blade is the one that's rewarded to the winner?"

He nodded. "Good luck son. I'll be waiting to cross swords with you."

The tournament isn't too far away now. The reward is a Divine Object, made from a Nightshade flower crystallised in obsidian, found deep in the Dark Territory. How did it find its way to the Human Empire and becomes the thing that Light needs to begin his adventure? Well, stay tuned dear reader.

I have made a design for the Night's Shadow Blade. I tried to describe it as best as possible. It has no relation to Kirito's Night Sky Sword. I will reveal its Memory Release further down the line. First, Light must claim the blade.

Hopefully Chapter 3 won't take as long, but again, this isn't my main priority. At least until Fatal Bullet Rewrite is complete. Then I have a special project I want to upload that has been years in the making. I hope you'll look forward to it. I'm mentioning it here because it relates directly to this series, but I will mention it in my profile and FBR once I'm done with the next chapter of that.

Thank you for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. Until next time, stay cool