Side Story: The Maiden's Worry.
I DON'T OWN ANKOKU KISHI MONOGATARI OR KAMEN RIDER AND THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
In the tranquil estate garden, Kyoka enjoyed a quiet tea moment. The gentle breeze carried the fragrance of blooming flowers as she found a brief escape from the recent events. A sigh escaped her lips, carrying the weight of the mysteries and challenges that had unfolded.
Observing Kyoka's subtle distress, Kaya, her attentive maid, approached with genuine concern. "Kyoka-sama, is everything alright?" Kaya inquired, her eyes reflecting worry.
Kyoka managed a soft smile, reassuring Kaya, "It's nothing, Kaya. Just lost in thought for a moment." With a graceful excuse, Kyoka decided to fetch additional snacks, leaving Kaya alone in the garden.
As Kyoka wandered, her mind drifted, retracing recent events. The focus shifted to her brother, Reiji, known as the "blessed child" for his exceptional talents. However, for the first time, he was rigorously training to confront the Dark Knight from Nargol.
Meanwhile, Chiyuki, Sahoko, and Nao managed curious onlookers during Reiji's intense training. Kyoka and Kaya, arriving at the training ground, brought findings from their investigation.
To their surprise, the Black Fang base scheduled for a joint raid with the temple knights was eerily empty. Only Gendor remained, his mind seemingly broken. In the basement, the remnants of a Manticore lay, cleanly bisected and charred.
Kaya added a disturbing detail — a suspicious person had been present. Attempting to apprehend them, Kaya, skilled in martial arts, found herself overwhelmed.
The revelation baffled everyone, considering Kaya's unbeatable combat reputation. Chiyuki, recognizing the gravity, called for an emergency meeting. The estate's residents gathered as the sun set, casting long shadows. The enigma of the empty Black Fang base, broken Gendor, and the mysterious assailant demanded immediate attention.
In a building near the Temple of Rena, the group, joined by Rino and Shirone, discussed the unsettling events in the outer city. Chiyuki conveyed Gendor's dire situation. Rino confirmed her inability to heal him.
Reiji dismissed Gendor's condition, labeling him a villain. Chiyuki shared the ruins' destruction, hindering the Manticore's remains' retrieval. Kyoka apologized for her loss of control, and Chiyuki wished for her to master her magic.
Nao brought attention to the mysterious individual who halted Kaya and deflected Kyoka's magic. Kaya added a chilling detail about the stranger's eyes, expressing fear. Sahoko injected humor, suggesting the stranger might not be so bad.
Chiyuki pondered the stranger's motives, prompting Nao to playfully suggest attraction to Kyoka. Kaya, angered by her own failure, speculated on perverted intentions toward Kyoka.
Kyoka defended the stranger, explaining that he had saved her. Reiji assured her that her honor would be restored once they captured the stranger. This caused Kyoka to look down in disappointment.
Reiji then turned to Chiyuki, inquiring about her ability to use the "Past Vision" spell on the stranger. Chiyuki hesitated before revealing an unsettling truth — when she attempted the spell, all she could see was "nothing."
Everyone was unnerved by Chiyuki's revelation until Kyoka casually mentioned that she had seen the stranger's face all along. The room fell into bewilderment.
Chiyuki asked Kyoka to describe the stranger. Kyoka recalled him as somewhat handsome, close to their age, exuding a melancholic air. She felt a strange familiarity with him.
Reiji inquired if the stranger was a citizen of any city they had passed, but Kyoka denied it, stating that he looked Japanese. The revelation shocked everyone.
Sahoko suggested the possibility of another summoned Japanese person. Kaya added that the stranger spoke without a translation spell and his fighting style resembled Shirone's but more refined.
Nao noted that Shirone's martial arts were supposed to be exclusive to Japan. Reiji concluded that someone had been summoned from Japan again.
Chiyuki and Kaya agreed that it made sense for someone from their original world to possess such skills. However, they were left with a multitude of questions about the stranger's identity, Rena's role, and the potential existence of another summoner.
Despite logical reasoning, doubts lingered about Rena's role in the summoning. Reiji challenged the quick conclusion, suggesting the possibility of another summoner bringing otherworlders. Chiyuki acknowledged the existence of such a possibility, emphasizing the need to question Rena and seek answers.
In a tense exchange, Rena admitted that someone else knew the ritual to summon otherworlders. Disappointment filled Chiyuki, who, aside from seeking answers, expressed a desire to return home due to homesickness.
Rena, disappointed by the request, questioned the consequences of abandoning the quest to fight the Demon King. Chiyuki, avoiding a direct answer, subtly threatened to approach the other summoner. Reiji defused the situation, apologizing for Chiyuki and promising not to abandon her.
In a seemingly change of heart, Rena agreed to perform the ritual to return Shirone and Chiyuki home, but they didn't notice Rena's fake smile that hides disdain and annoyance.
In the serene solitude of the estate, Kyoka found herself once more left behind, the empty spaces echoing with the absence of those who ventured outside. Her constant companion in this stillness was her maid, a loyal presence but a reminder, nonetheless, of the isolation she often felt. There was a tinge of disappointment that lingered within her, a familiar emotion that surfaced whenever she was excluded from the events that unfolded beyond the confines of the estate.
With a delicate motion, Kyoka opened her hand, conjuring a delicate magic flame that danced gracefully upon her fingertips. It was a manifestation of her power, a power that, until recently, had been somewhat uncontrollable. The stranger who had crossed paths with them had done more than merely tame the unruly energy within her; he had somehow fixed it. Now, her body responded seamlessly to the call of magic, devoid of the disruptive glitches that once plagued her.
Closing her hand, Kyoka turned her gaze towards the open expanse of the garden. The beauty of nature unfolded before her, a canvas of vibrant colors and delicate fragrances. The tranquility of the scene contrasted with the storm of thoughts swirling within her mind.
Her contemplation shifted to the enigmatic young man with sad eyes, the one who had not only saved her from peril but had also left an indelible mark on her magical essence. She wondered when their paths would cross again. The memory of those eyes lingered in her thoughts, eyes that held a weight of sorrow and a depth of understanding that transcended mere acquaintance.
As the magic flame flickered on her fingertips, she harbored the desire of the next encounter with the young man and hoped to meet him again.
In one of the inns located in the Republic of Lenaria…
"Are you sure, Nut? The goddess will return some of them and possibly summon another person to replace them?
"Yes, Kuroki-sama!"
"This is bad…really bad.
Kuroki knows that there is no way that they can return home; either the Goddess is planning something bad or genuinely doesn't care what will happen as long as she can complete the ritual. This forced Kuroki to make a decision right now.
"Be ready, Nut. I am going to raid the temple this evening."
SIDE STORY END
AN: Well, this is somewhat of a Sidestory, basically compressing the chapters 16,17,18 and 19. I really don't like the Heroes' parts because of how annoying that is. Basically, it's the chapters of the Hero Party being the Hero party as usual, aka being useless and irrelevant to the story. Another chapter after this will be the end of Arc 1.
Well, that's it for now!