The sun had already begun to set.

They were gathered around a small campfire enjoying a meal of roasted turkey-chicken the Adventurers had recently caught in the middle of the forest.

Anna quickly bonded with Liscia. Although discomfited, Liscia soon found Anna quite endearing and friendly. Anna thought the same but her ulterior motive was hugging a human-sized cat pillow.

Ace and Barton also bonded with Ace admiring the Adventurer’s strength and his Magic Tool’s Earth Magic. The face he was able to wield that heavy thing and manipulate the earth was tickling his interests in such fields. He never explicitly shows this interest but he has the same level enthusiasm for this genre as his best friend Benny.

Terri and Alva bonded by their shared liking for hand-to-hand combat and apparently annoyance of the two males before them.

A while back, the leader of the group, Alva wanted to question them as to what were they doing in a forest as dangerous as this in the first place. But after seeing how exhausted and famished they were, she decided that they should rest fully first.

At first, Ace and the others thought they were going to cook that huge warthog(?) but they soon learned it was called a Pufferwarthog and that was an endangered species or whatever species it was. They let it go after Liscia, who had healing skills, treated its injuries and removed the strange bandages which turned out to be a hammock.

Where a wild beast got a hammock in the first place is a question with.

Being up close to Liscia, Ace and the others at first thought she was wearing a costume and as such they were very much surprised that it turns out to be real. Just as surprising as seeing them all use Magic.

While Anna and Terri were busy being amazed by Liscia’s cat features, Ace was quick to deduce from everything that just happened up until now that they were experiencing that “transported-into-another-world phenomenon.” How Ace was quick to arrive to that conclusion was because of all those anime and web novels Benny’s been talking about. It was one of Benny’s favorite genres.

Frankly speaking, he wasn’t that interested in that kind of stuff. Well, maybe just a few shows…okay he was interested in such but not to the extent like Benny.

But what Ace didn’t fathom is that it would actually be useful.

The plants, the animals, the people (both human and non-human) and most especially…the magic were all tell-tale signs that they were on Earth anymore. Wracking his brains, he remembered all the prologues of some of the shows and novels that led to the characters suddenly being transferred into another world and the excuses for their existences.

This allowed him to formulate their alibi.

After finally getting to know each other, Ace (it was agreed that Ace would explain as it was a known fact that he was a good liar between them) to explained their circumstances…in a way.

He decided to go for the partial truth. Telling how they wound up here but concealing the fact that they somehow crossed into this world.

“I see…the ship you were riding on got capsized and you were washed up on the shores at edge of Marble Forest.”

“That would explain that salt smell on your clothes-nya.” Liscia sniffed at Anna.

“E-Eh? Do I really smell like salt? Anna nervously pulls on her hair to smell if she indeed had salt smell on her.

“And here I thought you kids went for a picnic! Wahaha!” guffaws Barton while letting out a booming laughter that was cut off from Alva’s fist.

“Be more tactful, you damned muscled-head!”

Ace and Terri were staring at the scene.

“Hey, doesn’t this feel familiar?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, it’s probably just my imagination.”

Anna was watching at the pair of them deny their familiarity with this scene.

“The storm last night was pretty strong-nya. If it was a small fishing vessel there was no way it could handle such storm-nya.”

Anna looked like she wanted to retort that her small yacht was no fishing vessel but a sharp cough and a glare from Ace told her to be silent.

“But I’m truly glad that you all made it out alive-nya.” she said looking at them with concern.

All fell silent.

Both Ace and Terri avoided their gazes. Anna’s shoulder shook while struggling to keep her tears in check.

“E-Eh-nya? W-What’s wrong-nya?”

“You two… Don’t you ever think?”

Alva was shaking her head while massaging her temples. She of course, knew that there was no way a ship could be maneuvered by these kids or that such a thing as capsizing would not have casualties.

“We didn’t all make it out…” says Terri.

“Eh?”

“There were two others…our ship’s captain…and a very close friend of ours…” her voice broke at the last part.

There was a long, painful silence.

Ace, Terri and Anna had avoided that topic until now because they prioritize in finding help. Now that they did so, the full impact of what just happened came rushing in at them. Ace and Terri were trying their best to hold it in. Anna, on the other hand, had broken down as she buried her face in her hands and tears were falling down her cheeks. Liscia, who was sitting beside her, took her into her arms and comforted her.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” says Alva in a solemn manner.

Ace stood up silently and began to walk away.

“Oi! Pabby, where are you going?”

“To take a wazz.”

The Adventurers looked confused at his term. Anna was blushing pink at his words while Terri just snorted.

“““Wazz(-nya?””

Terri decided to explain.

***

Ace did his business but he didn’t immediately return to the campfire.

He walked a little further away from the campsite but not too far where he can still see the flames from the campfire. He sat underneath a tree nearby the creek to think.

“We’re really in another word, huh?”

Ace looked up at the sky and saw seven brightly-colored crescent moons glimmering in the night sky.

While admiring the scenery, he had a lot of questions roaming in his mind.

How did they get there? What happened to Benny and Manong Dario? Is there a way to get back to their home world? If not, what are they going to do now?

“Benny… You’re the one who’s most familiar with this kind of stuff and off all people you’re the one who isn’t her. Just where are you, bro? I know you’re alive…you’ve gotta be…”

Rustle*

The sound of sudden footsteps alerts Ace that someone was approaching him. He looked behind him and saw Anna was walking towards him. She was staring down with her hair bangs covering her eyes. The effect made her look like that scary character from that horror movie.

“Oh! Hey, Anna…I was just heading back-”

“An Adventurer’s mantle thou shall take…

Near encounters thou will make…”

“Eh?”

Ace felt a cold chill.

Anna raised her head…revealing glowing eyes!

“Wha-!? Anna! This again!”

Ace backed away from her but Anna steadily approached him. She really…really is now looking like a character from a horror movie.

“Anna! Snap out of it! You’re creeping me out!”

Ace backed himself towards a tree.

As Anna drew closer she spoke once more.

“Towards the tree’s gem, the crown shall send…

Magical Story will be at the end…

The trap laid by a poisonous fruit…

A duel with its purpose moot….”

Ace was staring blankly at her. This has happened the night before and it’s happening agai “Another one of those weird poems? Anna, what exactly are you talking about?!”

But Anna simply continues speaking as though she hadn’t heard him.

“And a puppeteer’s string shall test thy bond…

While the shadows of light will abscond…

When all is lost and everything is found…

The true fruit shall be raised from the ground…”

Then to the north, thy birthright awaits…

Thy decision will decide…the two lands…fates…”

With a final gasp, the glow in Anna’s eyes fades away and collapses. Ace barely managed to catch her.

What just happened?

He felt as though this looked very much like a scene where the protagonist was suddenly given an oracle as by the High Priestess. No, judging from the fact that everything has been following the stereotype scenes of Benny’s books it seems to be just that.

If that were case…was that some kind of prophecy? Did her words before to Benny was also a prophecy?

And most importantly: did Anna have this ability all along? How long had she had it? It was clear that she didn’t seem to be aware of it at all?

Everything Ace knew had been turned upside down in just a span of few hours.

“Oi, Anna? Did you find that idiot?”

Terri’s voice snapped Ace out of it.

“Seriously… How long does a guy need to take~”

Terri’s words suddenly cut off before she screamed out loud.

“W-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!!”

“Huh?”

Ace turned to the direction of Terri’s voice. He sees her along with the adventurers staring at him in disbelief.

Alva had a disgusted look on her face. Liscia was blushing with her hand on her mouth. Barton simply had a dumbstruck look.

As for Terri, she first had a look of shock before it melted to fury and outrage.

Ace felt cold shivers rock his body. He didn’t really get why they were looking at him like that…that is until he just realized his own position.

Ace was standing there. He was holding Anna while she was hanging limp in his arms. From this perspective, it looks like Ace had just assaulted her.

“I never thought you’d stoop to this level!”

“Eh? Wait! I can explain-”

“Unhand her, you criminal!”

“GUHAA!!!”

In an instant, Terri’s flying kick smashed into Ace’s face. And before he knew it, he was out like a light.