While Hayama scouted from atop one of the towering trees, Kirishima and I gathered the food. We had to place it in the center of a large leather sheet, pierce holes in the corners, and thread rope through to craft a bag we could open and close at will.
But I wasn't focused on the task. Standing so close to Kirishima made my heart flutter, and I stole glances at her whenever I could. This was my chance to start a conversation. I had to be brave.
"Have you been in a world like this before?" I asked. "I entered a kid's psyche once, obsessed with mobile games, but it wasn't like this—totally different. Probably because this guy's an adult."
She didn't answer or even look at me.
"I'm sorry about last night," I pressed, refusing to give up. "I didn't mean to disrespect your beliefs."
She ignored me completely, finishing the leather bag she'd crafted, then dropped it and walked away.
Oddly, I didn't feel the usual embarrassment or regret. Instead, I just smiled, watching her walk with that mesmerizing grace, each step quickening my pulse like she was dancing on my heart.
She glanced back. I met her gaze, my smile unwavering. She blinked rapidly, visibly surprised, then looked away. A moment later, she glanced back, and I was still watching, still smiling. She shook her head, turning fully to avoid me. Her reaction only deepened my admiration.
Hayama leaped down from the tree and approached, pointing toward the forest. "We're deep in the woods," he said. "Nothing but trees in every direction. We need to get out before sunset, and we're lucky it's morning. To do that, we pick a direction and move, using the trees to navigate this damned forest. One of you choose where we go—my luck's rotten today."
He called his luck bad because I'd been wiping the floor with him in video games this evening and in the basketball, baseball, and other games we played past midnight last night. If I hadn't gotten close to him, I'd never have guessed he believed so strongly in luck and fate.
I looked at Kirishima, and she met my gaze. I smiled, and her face twisted in disgust, like she'd seen a creepy old man leering. I sighed and turned to Hayama. "You're the leader. You choose."
"Fine," Hayama said. "I'll take point. Carry the food and follow me. Obey my signals—you both know them, right?"
"Why bring the food?" I asked. "You've got your portal ability to come back for it."
"I thought of that," he said. "But if one of you needs food to restore HP while I'm fighting, what then? We take it with us. When monsters attack, we drop it nearby and fight in a 1-2 formation. If someone needs it, we cover them while they restore HP to avoid losing hearts."
"You're right," I said.
Hayama wasn't just talk—he had real experience, thinking through details this fast.
I slung my leather food bag over my shoulder, mimicking Kirishima's method.
Hayama took off, leaping onto a tree and swinging from branch to branch like a ninja.
I followed, the heavy bag dangling behind my shoulder as I vaulted from tree to tree. To my left, Kirishima mirrored us. This was the 1-2 formation—Hayama in front, Kirishima and me behind in a line. It was the default for three-person teams, drilled into us at the academy before graduation.
After a while, Hayama signaled us to stop. We froze instantly. Then he gave the signal to prepare for combat.
I glanced at Kirishima, who was tying her food bag to a tree trunk. I did the same, then focused ahead.
Creatures emerged on the trees opposite Hayama, leaping branch to branch—muscular gorillas, each with a sword dangling from a belt at their waist. Some carried spears or bows.
Text floated above the nearest one:
Ninja Ape
Lv. 10
HP: [██████████]
Every one was at least Level 10. We'd screwed up, taken the wrong path, and now there was no turning back. The battle had begun on enemy ground.
Hayama flashed a series of signals, boiling down to one command: "Danger level increased. *Shinkai* is authorized if necessary."
Archers among the apes fired arrows at us, blazingly fast. I had to activate all three of my abilities to dodge them as they streaked toward me.
Hayama used his cloud ability to absorb the arrows. I didn't see what Kirishima did, but when I glanced at her, she was unharmed, with arrows embedded in the trees behind her.
The damned apes must've used that volley to gauge our strength, because most of them charged us afterward, swords in hand.
Fighting in the trees was brutal, and dropping to the ground would make us easy targets—certain death.
One ape reached me—a massive, muscular beast, terrifyingly fast, wielding a bone sword.
I activated *Time Slow* just before it closed in, used *Probability Cut* to block any archers from hitting my back, and cycled through stances. As it reached me, I triggered *Time Cut*, snapping back to an earlier stance to dodge its swing while slashing in the same motion, severing its head from its body. I grabbed the head, letting the corpse plummet.
+1000 XP
Lv. 1 → Lv. 10
I'd expected an easy kill, but it forced me to use my abilities. Worse, more were charging me. Did I need *Shinkai* already?
*Time Slow* let me glimpse Hayama and Kirishima. Hayama had activated his abilities, redirecting the apes' arrows against them and cutting down several with his sword. Kirishima gripped her bladeless sword hilt, firing shots like a pistol. The bullets were smaller and didn't explode, unlike her fight with the captain. Had she found a way to conserve energy this fast, or was she risking her life? Why not use her other abilities?
I didn't have time to watch. I hurled the head in my hand, striking an oncoming gorilla in the face, and used the distraction to cleave it in half at the stomach.
The onslaught didn't stop. If this kept up, I wouldn't last and would have to use *Shinkai*. But that meant sustaining it as long as possible without losing control, because canceling it would lock me out of using it for the rest of the mission.
Lv. 19 → Lv. 20
EXP: 10060
After killing ten, I was gasping, exhausted despite only ten minutes passing. I'd already pushed past my limit.
Lv.23 → Lv. 24
EXP: 14060
I managed four more kills before taking my first hit—an arrow that pierced my shoulder, nearly knocking me off the tree. My HP dropped:
HP: [█████████ ]
♥️♥️♥️
Something shot past, striking the gorilla that hit me between the eyes, dropping it dead. It was Kirishima's shot. I nodded in thanks, then yanked the arrow from my shoulder. A hit like that wouldn't faze a spiritual body—it didn't even bleed—but losing HP was dangerous. If it ran out, I'd lose a heart.
Fortunately, their numbers were finally thinning.
"Fall back, Reiji! We'll handle the rest," Hayama called, retreating to take my place in the formation.
I dropped back to the tree with the food bag, grabbed some dried meat, and shoved it in my mouth. It vanished instantly.
HP +++: [██████████]
♥️♥️♥️
While I recovered, Hayama and Kirishima dispatched the remaining apes, showing no signs of fatigue or injury. I felt embarrassed, especially in front of Kirishima. I'd wanted to use *Shinkai* to impress her, but I chose the rational move and held back.
I needed to train harder to unleash more power without *Shinkai*. I wanted to unlock higher *Shinkai* levels to grow stronger, but first, I had to master my energy control. I needed to use *Shinkai* without a time limit. Only then could I attempt a higher level.
There were seven levels, and *Shinkai* was just the first. That's why I stood no chance against Hayama or the captain—they were on higher levels. I might have a shot against Kirishima, who was likely still on the first level or had recently reached the second. I had to get stronger if I wanted to avenge my sister against the demons.
This was only the start of my journey… and I'd barely cracked open the first gate of hell.