stepped back instinctively, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Is he really going to win?
Who cares… I just have to wait.
If anything goes wrong—
I run.
Hikaru stood calmly, yet his presence alone crushed the air around us.
"Let's start the fight," he said calmly.
The next moment, the battle began.
He cast a fireball magic.
The instant it left his hand, the wind exploded.
It screamed, ripping across the battlefield like a beast set free.
The fire didn't fly—
it expanded, twisting with the storm, growing so massive it swallowed the sky itself.
The pressure slammed into my chest.
I couldn't breathe.
My legs shook—I dropped to one knee.
The world turned white with heat.
Then—
obliteration.
When the howling wind finally fell silent and I opened my eyes,
the battlefield was gone.
No bodies.
No screams.
Only drifting ashes…
and scorched earth where enemies once stood.
Hikaru relaxed his stance.
"The fight has ended."
I swallowed hard. "What… how are you so strong?"
He glanced back at me. "It was nothing. You said you wanted a job, right?"
"Yes…"
"Then do you want to become a Knight?"
"A Knight?" My voice trembled. "But… how?"
"First, you take a test. After that, you can become a Knight—like me."
"Are you… a Knight?"
"Yes."
I looked at him again—
Ohh… that's why he's wearing a soldier uniform.
"But I…" I hesitated. "I can't fight."
"Ohh, that's a big problem," he said casually. "But don't worry. My master, Con, can teach you."
"Really?" Hope sparked in my chest. "Then… I have to become a Knight, right?"
"Yes."
"But what about the test?"
He smiled. "Simple. You just have to defeat your opponent."
I took a deep breath. "Your master can teach me how to fight, right?"
"Yes. But first, we're going to Kurohana City."
"…Okay," I said quietly.
"Then let's go."