Darkness.

That was Bernard's first thought when he was fully yanked through the black portal. It wasn't just an absence of light, but a complete void—a realm where all logic and laws of reality seemed to dissolve.

He felt a crushing weightlessness, as though he were floating in the gap between universes, where time and space collided and twisted.

"Agh…" he groaned, feeling his stomach twist.

The experience was disorienting, like his body was being pulled in every direction at once. What was even stranger was that in this absolute darkness, Bernard could somehow see flashes of random images and sounds from countless realities that assaulted him, too much for his brain to handle. Within moments, the chaos overwhelmed him, and his mind just… shut down.

His unconscious form drifted through the darkness, carried by an unseen force for what could have been minutes, hours, or even days—time held no meaning in that void. Eventually, a new portal opened, spitting him out into a new world.

He crashed unceremoniously, landing face-first in the sand. The misty gateway closed behind him with a faint hiss, leaving only the quiet of the beach and the gentle waves lapping at the shore.

The silence was broken by the sound of heavy, clanking chains. A shadow fell over him—a massive, horned figure wielding a black iron club in one hand. The figure crouched down, peering at the unconscious man.

The stranger said nothing. Instead, they hoisted Bernard's limp form as if he were no more than a bag of feathers and began the long walk toward a looming castle in the distance.

Days passed before Bernard finally stirred.

"Ugh… what the hell…" he groaned, forcing his eyes open. His eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and his whole body ached like he'd been hit by a Radahn.

He blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings. The ceiling above him was wooden, and there was a faint scent of incense in the air.

He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. He struggled to piece together his fragmented memories.

"I used the spell... and then..." The events came flooding back, and his eyes widened in realization.

"The black portal!" He had been sucked into that abyss, and now he was... somewhere else.

The last thing he remembered was laying face down in the sand, he was so tired that he passed out immediately after.

Scanning the room, he noticed the wooden walls and the paper sliding doors, the sparse decorations, and the floor mat he had been lying on. It all seemed to resemble traditional Japanese architecture.

"Am I in Japan?" he muttered.

Then again, he could've been somewhere that just looked like Japan. He remembered the Land of Reeds back in the Land Between, a place with a similar aesthetic but full of monsters and magic.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Bernard tensed, his instincts kicking in as he reached for his bottomless pouch, but his fingers grasped at thin air.

He glanced down and realized that not only was his pouch missing, but he was also stripped down to just a loincloth.

"Oh, come on…" he groaned, just as the footsteps stopped outside the paper door.

The shadow cast on the door was massive, easily taller than him, and that was saying something since he was two meters tall himself after becoming a demigod.

The door slid open with a soft swish, revealing… not some hulking demon, but a tall, strikingly beautiful woman, her physique a striking mix of strength and beauty.

She had long, flowing white hair that fades into aqua green and then blue the further down it goes, a pair of horns on her head, and vibrant orange eyes that seemed to glow with a fiery intensity.

"Oh, good! You're finally awake!" she said with a grin.

Her voice had a tomboyish tone, and her casual way of speaking put him slightly at ease. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, her movements confident and unhurried.

Bernard quickly snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah, greetings," he said, bowing his head a bit. "I take it you're the one who found me?"

The woman chuckled, setting down the enormous club she was carrying. "Found you? More like saved you! You were out for three whole days. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up."

"Three days?" Bernard echoed, a bit shocked. He tried to shake off his lingering grogginess.

"Where am I, exactly?"

She raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by his cluelessness.

"You're in the country of Wano, on the island of Onigashima, territory of the Emperor Kaido." she explained, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Wano? Onigashima?

Bernard had never heard of these places. Though his knowledge spanned the breadth of the Land Between, this was entirely foreign to him. There was no Wano or Onigashima on any map he knew.

He decided to probe further, hoping to gauge her reaction. "I apologize for my ignorance. I am Bernard, the Elden Lord."

But the woman just tilted her head cutely, looking genuinely puzzled.

"Elden Lord? Never heard of it," she said matter-of-factly.

Her ignorance only fueled Bernard's growing hope. Perhaps, against all odds, he had indeed crossed into another world.

"My name is Kozuki Oden," she said, then added with a bright smile, "but you can call me Yamato."

"Kozuki Oden, huh? That's a rather bold name," Bernard remarked.

The name rang no bells for him, though the way she spoke it made him think it held significance.

"Bold?" Yamato echoed with a chuckle. "It was the name of a great man. I took it to honor him."

"Do you know of the Erdtree?" Bernard asked, trying to test if he really was in a completely different world. "I come from the Royal Capital, Leyndell, at the base of that giant tree."

Yamato's brow furrowed. "A giant tree? Nope, I've never heard of anything like that," she replied. "And Leyndell doesn't ring a bell, either."

A jolt of excitement ran through Bernard, and he felt his pulse quicken. The Erdtree had existed for so long and was so tall that anyone could see it. So to not know of the Erdtree mean that it didn't exist! This was it. He wasn't just somewhere else—he was clearly in another world.

Yamato watched him with some concern, misreading the tremor in his body.

"Are you cold?" she asked, noticing his bare skin. Without waiting for a response, she stood and walked to a nearby closet. "Hold on, I'll get your clothes."

While she rummaged through the storage, Bernard's mind buzzed with excitement. He had done it. He had crossed dimensions, and now the possibilities were endless. He barely registered Yamato's return until she stood before him with a bundle of cloth.

"Here, I cleaned them for you," she said, handing him the folded clothes and his bottomless pouch. "They were all covered in sand and dirt when I found you."

"I appreciate it," he said earnestly, Bernard smiled. It was a small gesture, but it meant something to him.

He quickly dressed in his familiar garb, the Ansbach Set but without the helm as he didn't want his vision to be obstructed. He had pillaged this set of clothes during his travels in the Land of Shadow, the feel of the familiar fabric grounding him back in reality.

"No problem," Yamato replied, her eyes lighting up a little at his gratitude.

She studied him for a moment, then asked, "So, how did you end up on this island? Are you a pirate?"

Her question took him by surprise, and her expression hinted at admiration, as if being a pirate was something worthy of respect.

"A pirate?" Bernard repeated, a bit perplexed by the notion. "No, I'm actually a sorcerer."

Yamato's eyebrows shot up. "A sorcerer, huh?"

Her curiosity seemed to grow, mingling with a childlike excitement. She leaned in a bit, clearly intrigued.

"You can do magic?"

Without another word, Bernard reached into his bottomless pouch, pulling out his Staff of the Great Beyond.

"I'll show you," he said, lifting the staff as a faint glow of magic gathered at its tip.

"Starlight!"

Dozens of tiny blue stars flickered into existence, illuminating the room with a soft, pale light. They danced and swirled, forming a miniature galaxy that seemed to hang in the air. Yamato's eyes widened with awe as she reached out to touch the tiny stars, only for them to drift out of her grasp.

"Woah… That's amazing!" she breathed, her voice filled with wonder. Bernard smiled, pleased with her reaction.

"I can do much more than this," he said, "but I'd like to learn about this world in return."

Bernard snapped his fingers and all the tiny stars disappeared. He stared at Yamato's beautiful pair of orange eyes and continued, "How about an exchange? You tell me about Wano and whatever else you know, and I'll show you more of my magic."

Yamato's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Deal!" she said immediately, grabbing his hand and shaking it with surprising grip was firm and rough, probably from years of wielding that massive club, but also warm.

"I've never met a real sorcerer before," she added, her face just a little too close to his.

Bernard's cheeks warmed slightly. "Well, then you're in for a treat," he said with a smile, a gentle hint of a blush on his face.

Man, I think I might have a crush, he thought to himself.

Bernard and Yamato stood on the rocky beach where the latter had found the former passed out before.

"Alright, here's a basic spell." Bernard raised his staff, drawing out the magical energy from both his staff and himself.

"Glintstone Pebble."

He swung his staff, and a bright, glowing projectile shot out like a shooting star.

CRASH

The magical projectile hurtled through the air, striking a large boulder with enough force to blow a hole right through it.

"So cool!" Yamato's eyes practically sparkled with excitement as she turned to him. "Can you do fire?"

"Sure." Bernard grinned confidently, murmuring an incantation,

"Flame Sling."

This time, a fireball formed in his palm instead of at the staff's tip. He hurled it onto the empty beach.

BOOM!

The fireball erupted into a sea of flames, the heat washing over them as Bernard's eyes widened in surprise.

Damn, I forgot how much stronger I am now as a demigod

He thought, resisting the urge to facepalm at his rookie mistake. He glanced at Yamato, who was staring in awe,

Well, at least she likes it.

The fire and smoke quickly dissipated in the sea breeze, leaving behind a large patch of crystallized glass where the sand had melted.

Yup, I definitely need to re-evaluate my capabilities again.

"What about lightning?!" Yamato asked, stepping closer than was probably necessary. Her eyes shone with excitement, but Bernard couldn't help but notice how… close she was. Her enthusiasm, combined with the view, made his face heat up like a teenager hitting puberty.

Her hot excited breath brushed against his face, the opening of her clothes showed her massive twin peaks in full view.

Get a grip, Bernard

He mentally scolded himself. He'd met plenty of beautiful women before, but none had ever flustered him like this.

"Y-yes, I can do lightning," he stammered, forcing himself to look at her face—though that didn't help much, since she was stunning.

"Can you do ice?" she asked eagerly, apparently oblivious to his flustered state.

Bernard nodded. "Yeah, I can."

"Wow! Sorcerers are pretty impressive, huh?" She clamped her powerful hands down on his shoulders, her strength nearly knocking him off balance. She grinned charmingly at him.

Before she could ask him any more questions, a loud rumble interrupted them—Yamato's stomach. She laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Hehe, how about we continue our chat over dinner?"

"Sounds good. I'll help you cook," Bernard replied, relieved for the distraction.

Yamato smiled, and the two of them made their way back to the castle in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.