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  The bus moved along the road with the constant sway of its wheels against the manufactured pavement. The interior was wide enough for two rows of dark blue cushioned seats, with small symbols carved into the inner sides. Two eagles facing each other, forming a shield.

  A day and a half of travel was beginning to weigh on everyone’s shoulders, but the mood was still surprisingly light.

  Outside, the landscape alternated between open fields and stretches of low forest. There were scattered trees, grass rippling in the wind, and in the distance, gentle hills cutting across the horizon. The road was far too wide and straight to be natural, clearly built to support heavy and constant transport between the cities of Valoria.

  Don and Logy were sleeping in the front seat, their heads swaying with every irregularity in the road. I was right behind them.

  Viola was kneeling on the seat beside me, turned backward, holding her own face with both hands as if protecting a rare masterpiece.

  "I want my armor…"

  I turned to her.

  "What’s wrong? You’ve been like this for hours."

  "My beautiful face is being displayed for everyone to see for free!"

  Merlin, who was on my other side, turned her body with genuine curiosity.

  "Meanwhile I’m just here being fashionable. Eliza told me to."

  She was wearing a pink blouse over her tight battlewear that highlighted her shoulders and arms, and her new blue pants still had that recently-bought look. She had gone to pick everything out with Eliza before the trip and was clearly proud of the combination.

  "Stop rubbing salt in my wound!"

  I sighed.

  "Ah yes, Pumpkin. You explained to me that humans use armor so they don’t have to worry as much about defending themselves and can save mana, right?"

  She blinked, a dramatic tear forming at the corner of her eye.

  "Yes, and?"

  "And you have more mana than everyone here combined. Why do you use armor?"

  Merlin slowly turned to Viola, her eyes narrowing slightly.

  "He has a point."

  Viola crossed her arms.

  "Details."

  "Details?!" I exclaimed.

  Merlin laughed, stretching her legs into the aisle of the bus.

  “Be honest, what did that armor mean to you? It’s been two months since you lost it and you’ve complained every single day.”

  'In an impressively bratty way, by the way.'

  She didn’t answer immediately.

  Viola kept her gaze lowered for a few seconds, her fingers lightly gripping the fabric of the seat as if organizing her thoughts.

  Then she lifted her head, but this time without drama.

  “It’s just that now Don and Logy have their own armor. Before, everyone only called me to fight something. That armor meant I was truly part of a group…” she spoke more quietly than usual.

  The bus kept swaying, the sound of the wheels filling the silence that settled between us.

  I couldn’t find an immediate answer.

  Maybe it was because I was inexperienced. Viola had helped me a lot since we met. I saw her as this wise and mature person, even with the jokes and teasing.

  But this was different.

  The armor wasn’t about defense.

  It was about belonging.

  That loud and childish person was who Viola truly was beneath the fa?ade of a super powerful and confident adventurer.

  “I understand. Sorry.” I gave her two light taps on the shoulder.

  ‘I hadn’t thought of it that way.’

  She stayed silent for a little longer.

  Her gaze was still distant.

  Then suddenly, she lifted her head too quickly, almost theatrically.

  “But it’s also because of my beauty!”

  I blinked.

  'I’d like to argue… but I can’t. That damn woman is really beautiful. Damn it!’

  The bus made a sharper turn.

  "Did you feel that?" Merlin asked.

  Viola and I looked outside.

  "No."

  Then a light.

  The light cut through the inside of the bus like a tear.

  And the world disappeared.

  ━━━━━━━━━?◆?━━━━━━━━━

  When I could see again, the smell came first.

  Salt.

  Wet sand.

  I was lying on my side. Leaves stuck to the sleeve of my coat. The sound of the sea breaking rhythmically, not far away.

  'This isn’t the road.’

  I stood up slowly. There was no bus, no road.

  Behind me, dense forest. Ahead, the vegetation opened in a gentle slope toward a pale strip of sand. Beyond it, a wide lagoon, protected by natural rock formations that prevented the stronger ocean waves from fully invading it.

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  I looked for Merlin or anyone else. There was no one.

  ‘Merlin can fly, and the others should be fine too.’

  A scream cut through the sound of the wind.

  The voice was young. I turned toward the beach.

  Four teenagers were at the water’s edge, stumbling over the sand while something emerged behind them.

  The surface of the lagoon exploded into foam.

  Tentacles.

  Long, thick, dark as rotting seaweed. A colossal creature began rising from the shallow water, its skin gleaming like wet leather. It had no visible eyes, only a deformed central mass and a vertical mouth that opened in layers.

  I leapt.

  My right hand found the sword’s hilt automatically.

  The blade began losing its metallic shine. A white layer spread across its surface, thin cracks forming like frozen veins. Cold vapor began to escape from it, as if the air itself were being burned by frost.

  One of the tentacles came down toward the teenagers.

  I appeared between them.

  I raised the blade over my left shoulder, its tip angled backward. It was a movement I had practiced alone.

  I extended my arm, bringing the sword to the right.

  The blade cut through the air, and the ice did not remain only on the metal’s surface.

  It advanced.

  The water beneath the monster froze first.

  Then its body.

  The tentacle suspended in the air hardened mid-motion. The ice advanced beyond the cut, invading the creature’s central mass and several meters behind it.

  Everything turned white.

  And then—

  The monster shattered.

  Like an ancient statue struck by an invisible hammer.

  Frozen fragments scattered across the sand and shallow water.

  The vapor rose slowly.

  I kept the sword raised for a few seconds. The blade was still white, cracked, breathing cold.

  I had recently learned to channel skills directly into the blade. It wasn’t just ordinary mana. It was the effect of the skill itself being forced through the weapon.

  [Ruler’s Armament].

  It was still unstable. And my [Ice Manipulation] wasn’t at the level I wanted yet. But for now… it was enough.

  I lowered the sword slowly and turned around.

  The four teenagers were staring at me as if I had descended from the sky. Which, technically, had happened.

  “He… he killed it…”

  “With one strike…”

  One of them collapsed onto the sand.

  Another was still trembling.

  “Are you all okay?” I asked.

  It took them a moment to respond.

  A short-haired girl was the first to recover her voice.

  “We… we were heading to Serenáutica...”

  “Serenáutica? It’s close?”

  “It’s one of Valoria’s cities, it should be around here.” said the taller boy. “You’re not from here?”

  I shook my head.

  “No. I was heading to the capital, I’m from Cirgo.”

  The silence returned, but now it was different.

  Confused.

  The same girl spoke again:

  “We don’t really understand it either… I’m from Ardel. He’s from Norvak.” she pointed to another. “We’ve never seen each other before. But we appeared here. Out of nowhere.”

  “Those are cities in Valoria too?”

  “Yes.”

  Cirgo was small, essentially one city and its districts. Valoria, on the other hand, functioned almost like a country.

  “You said you appeared here out of nowhere. Can you describe what happened?”

  “I was on the road in my city…” another said. “Then… light. When I saw again, I was on this beach.”

  “It was the same for me.” another replied.

  So it hadn’t been just me.

  “So we recognized the beach and were heading to Serenáutica to get help.” said the shortest of them. “We just ran.”

  I looked again at the lagoon.

  At the frozen fragments slowly sinking.

  I sheathed my sword.

  “Then let’s go. I’ll accompany you to the city.”

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  The walk to the city took no more than twenty minutes.

  The vegetation became more organized. Sandy trails turned into stone paths. Small wooden stakes marked directions.

  And then I saw it.

  Houses built along narrow canals connected to the lagoon. Arched wooden bridges crossing from one side to the other. Flower gardens leaning over the water. Small boats gliding slowly through the canals.

  Serenáutica wasn’t just a coastal city. It was built over the water.

  The sound of voices came before the main square appeared.

  A lot of people gathered near a tall metallic structure in the center of an open area. The tower was cylindrical, made of overlapping plates and concentric rings, with luminous inscriptions running along its surface.

  There were many people there, some soaked. Some barefoot. Some still holding luggage.

  “I was at the market!”

  “I was on the road!”

  “This isn’t my city!”

  The teenagers with me breathed in relief when they saw other people in the same situation.

  At the center of the commotion, someone stood out.

  White uniform.

  Long coat fitted to the body. Dark details on the sleeves. Black gloves. Functional belt at the waist.

  Short red hair. Dark skin.

  She was in profile when I saw her face. Serious. Focused.

  I recognized that uniform. It was the same as the ones I saw in Cirgo when Valoria sent aid for the reconstruction.

  She raised her voice.

  “Everyone, please! Stay calm!”

  The authority wasn’t in the volume.

  It was in the posture.

  Gradually, the murmuring diminished.

  “We have already identified that there was a failure in the transport towers. Teams are being dispatched. Everyone who was displaced will return to their cities.”

  Lower murmurs now.

  I approached.

  She saw me before I said anything.

  Her pinkish-red eyes stopped on me, moved slightly down my body, then up again.

  “You’re a Metamorph.”

  I stopped a few steps away.

  A brief silence.

  She assessed that, then looked at the group of teenagers behind me.

  “He saved us from a monster…” one of them said.

  She analyzed their wet clothes. Then nodded.

  “I understand. Thank you for saving them.”

  “You’re from Valoria, aren’t you?”

  “I am.” The answer came directly. “I’m from the Special Combat Division. I was assigned to respond to emergencies. My name is Jane Ignaris.”

  “My name is Victor. It’s a pleasure.”

  I looked at the tower behind her.

  “This is…”

  She nodded.

  “Teleportation. The towers allow displacement between cities within the territory. Upon payment of a registered fee.” She looked around. “With the exception of restricted areas.”

  She turned toward the tower and opened a metallic side panel.

  Exposed wires, scorched components. The smell of burning was evident.

  She let out a small sigh.

  “It’s fried.”

  “Human error?” I asked.

  She ran her fingers along the internal structure, her metallic right hand reflecting the sunlight. A highly sophisticated prosthetic.

  “Or interference.” she replied. “The towers use synchronized [Spatial Manipulation]. If something affected the network…” She closed the panel with more force than necessary. “Anyone within the radius could have been launched near another active tower.”

  She looked back at me.

  “Were you hit too?”

  “Yes. I was heading to the capital with my group. We were returning from Cirgo.”

  “Ah, yes. I heard about that. You must have entered the area of one of the border towers. It’s the first time something like this has happened, so I can’t explain much yet.”

  She paused briefly.

  “I was teleported here as well.”

  Jane took a deep breath and returned to the center of the square.

  “Everyone, listen.”

  Her voice didn’t need to rise much.

  “The capital’s teams should already be investigating what happened. Stay gathered near the tower, it will not activate again. Do not leave the city. Reinforcements will arrive to organize everyone’s return.”

  Some people still murmured, but most seemed to cling to her firmness.

  She didn’t look worried. But she didn’t look calm either.

  When she finished guiding the civilians, she walked toward me.

  “I’m returning to the capital. I need to confirm what’s happening in the main network.”

  “Can I go with you? My friends should be heading there too.”

  She evaluated the logic.

  It didn’t take long.

  “Fine.” She nodded once.

  “If you were with the group sent to Cirgo, I see no reason to distrust you.” She finished.

  We left the city along the stone paths, crossing the small bridges over the canals. As we moved farther away, the sound of the crowd became more distant, until it turned into just an echo mixed with the wind from the sea.

  When we reached the main road, Jane stopped.

  It was a wide, well-maintained black strip that ran parallel to the coast before rising toward the interior.

  She brought her left hand to her belt.

  She took out a small red sphere, about the size of a tennis ball.

  She threw it onto the ground. The sphere bounced once and opened.

  Metal plates unfolded with a mechanical snap, expanding within seconds. Structure, wheels, fairing, everything locking into place.

  When the process finished, a red and black sports motorcycle occupied the spot where the sphere had touched the ground. It was slightly large, made specifically for two people.

  I remained silent for a few seconds, astonished.

  “You have this in Valoria?”

  She mounted the motorcycle as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

  “We have many things in Valoria.”

  I absorbed my sword. The blade dissolved into cold particles before disappearing into my body. It was better that way.

  I climbed onto the back seat.

  I sat sideways on the back, with both legs hanging to the right side of the motorcycle. I placed one hand on her shoulder to steady myself.

  The metal beneath the fabric of her uniform was firm.

  “You don’t wear a helmet?” I asked.

  She slightly turned her face, her red hair moving with the wind.

  “I don’t need one.”

  “Do you want me to create one for you?” she added, with an almost provocative tone.

  I thought for a moment.

  Considering everything I had already seen… a fall at high speed wouldn’t break anything in me. Not in her either.

  “No need.”

  A faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

  The engine roared.

  The acceleration was instantaneous.

  The landscape began to move in green and golden blurs. The wind hit my face, pulling my coat backward.

  Serenáutica quickly became small.

  Ahead of us, the road rose toward the interior of Valoria.

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