The firebird's spirit lingered in the air like a mirage of sunlight and memory.
Aurelis stood at the heart of the ruins, surrounded by flame—not destructive fire, but testing fire. Each swirl of heat peeled back her doubts, forcing her to confront herself.
"To wield my flame is to walk without shadow," Tenrei whispered in her mind. "You must burn away all that dims your light."
She closed her eyes and the trial began.
Trial One: The Battlefield
Aurelis found herself standing in a smoky wasteland. Bodies lay strewn across charred ground—familiar shapes. Faces from her time on Earth, teachers, classmates, family…
And at the center, her greatest fear: herself.
Another Aurelis, darker, colder, wielding fire like a tyrant.
"I could've been this," she whispered.
The dark Aurelis scoffed. "You wanted power. For what? To protect others? Or to feel like you mattered?"
Flames erupted around them.
"I'm not like you," Aurelis said firmly.
"Oh, but you are. Every time Kazuki stumbled into another victory, you hated it. Admit it."
She clenched her fists.
"No," she said. "I envied him. But I never hated him."
She drew her blade, summoned her mana, and charged.
The battlefield blazed with light.
Meanwhile, in Renga Town…
"Snacks acquired!" Kazuki declared, bursting out of a convenience stall with a bag of grilled mochi skewers and three bottles of mana cola tucked under one arm.
Raigen fluttered overhead, exasperated. "This is a rescue mission, not a picnic!"
"But what if she's tired after all the rescuing? Gotta stay hydrated!"
Skye barked sharply, then froze mid-step.
The ground beneath their feet rumbled.
From the direction of the ruins… a burst of flame shot into the air, high enough to be seen across the town.
"That's not normal," Kazuki said, blinking.
Raigen sighed. "You don't say."
Back at the ruins…
Aurelis stood, panting, sword extended. Her shadow-self lay scattered into motes of fire.
Trial one: passed.
But the fire didn't let her rest.
Tenrei's voice returned, more ancient this time. "You carry more than your own light."
A new vision emerged—this time of Kazuki.
Standing, laughing, failing upward as usual.
And around him, one by one, their companions: Raigen. Skye. Smile. Even that grumpy little wolf pup curled up on his back.
"You resent his luck," the fire whispered. "His charm. His strength that comes from none of the things you trained for."
Aurelis didn't deny it.
"…Yeah. I do."
Silence.
But she continued, voice steady.
"But I also admire it. Because even when he wins by mistake… he fights. He cares. And if I'm honest…"
She smiled slightly.
"I'd rather have him by my side than anyone else."
The flames pulsed—warm, welcoming, approving.
And then came the final test.
The earth shook.
Stone cracked. The statue of Tenrei split open entirely, revealing a hidden chamber below.
From it… something rose.
Long. Coiling. Scaled.
A serpent made of stone and rot. Eyes glowing with cursed fire.
Tenrei's voice boomed in her mind:
"The coil of the Old Serpent binds my flame. Face him… or I shall never wake."
And at that exact moment…
Kazuki burst into the ruins like a tornado of snacks and good intentions.
"AU-REEE-LIIIIIISSSS! I GOT—"
He stopped cold.
In front of him: a giant, flaming serpent.
Standing between it and Aurelis: Aurelis, sword drawn, glowing with fire.
She turned, surprised. "Kazuki?! What are you—"
"Delivery!" he shouted, tossing her a bottle of mana cola mid-air.
She caught it without looking, spun around, and sliced through the serpent's first lunge.
"Thanks," she muttered, cracking it open mid-battle.
Kazuki grinned.
Raigen landed beside him. "That serpent's corrupted. Elemental curse. We need to end this fast."
"Fast," Kazuki agreed, cracking his knuckles. "Let's get spicy."
Smile oozed up beside him, eyes glowing with cosmic mischief.
"Okay, maybe not too spicy."