Sparks of light assembled, creating a small portal. Then in a flash, both Allisa and Nel came flying out of it. Allisa didn't stick the landing like the Assassin and skidded across the ground. Nel went over to Allisa and helped her up. They both had arrived in some forest.

"This is your world?" Allisa was still having a hard time believing her, about the fact that she was from another world, and what she said about her.

"We should be close to Riser. This forest is not far from the city."

"Riser?"

"It's the capital city of the Rosarian kingdom." She saw a little hill nearby through a clearing in the trees. "You should be able to see the city from there."

Allisa walked up the hill. There in front of her was a massive city. A mass of buildings surrounded by high walls with towers. There was a large harbor with ships entering and exiting. There was a large palace located on a mountain near the city which stood dominant over it all. Allisa collapsed from the overwhelming view presented to her, staring with amazement. This was something straight out of a fantasy movie, only, it was real.

"Do you believe me now?" Nel said approaching her.

Allisa put her hand out and summoned her sword. "It's still too much for me to believe." She said, studying her sword. "What you said about me, and this sword, Excalibur, choosing me." The sword then vanished. "But why me of all people? You know I'm not the best person in the world, but this seems more like a dream if anything."

"You'll have to ask the Arch Sage about that. It was on his orders that I came to find you, and the is only so much I can tell you about."

Allisa stared at the view for a little longer, lost in thought. She then got up. "So where's this Arch Sage?" she asked.

Nel smiled a little before she replied, "He's in Riser. We'll need to go through the forest to reach the city. Stay close and try not to get lost."

****

Growing up in a town situated in a forest it suppressed Allisa how out of place she felt. While the lush green of the forest gave the impression that this was more like what she was used to, it was hard to discount the fact that this truly was another world.

"So.... What's this forest called?" Allisa asked as she followed after Nel.

"The Green Wood." Nel responded. "Its known for its high-quality lumber, and is also used as a training ground for adventurers and city guards due to the weak monsters."

"Oh really?" Allisa responded. "..... wait, Monsters?!" She then picked up on something Nel said and jumped. "You mean there are actually monsters here?!"

"Don't worry, I said they were weak. I'm fairly certain someone with no experience like you could defeat them..... Probably."

"P-Probably?" Allisa didn't like how her supposed guide said that.

Nel then stopped and pointed at a nearby clearing. Following her finger, Allisa saw a small boar nuzzling the ground.

"That's a monster?" Allisa asked.

"As you can see they are quite docile, so if you leave them alone they won't attack."

"Good."

Nel then glanced at Allisa, "Although," She then picked up a pebble and threw it, smacking the boar in the hide.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Allisa yelled.

The boar then turned around, seeing Nel and the panicked Allisa.

"May as well give you some experience," Nel said, folding her arms. "Summon your sword."

"Uh.. R-Right," Allisa concentrated on her right hand, summoning her sword.

The boar then charged forwards, as Allisa held out her sword. "W-what do I do?"

"Just block for now,"

Allisa held out her flat of the blade as the creature came, preparing for the incoming impact. Strangely, however, her body seemed to react calm itself, almost as though this was familiar. Like she had done this before. That illusion was shattered when the boar slammed into her blade. Allisa was forced backward, feeling the wind knocked out of her as she landed on her back.

"Ooowww...." Allisa groaned as she got up.

"That was better than expected," Nel said as the boar charged towards her. Drawing out her dagger, Nel blocked the charge. "Now, try to finish it off,"

"WHAT?!"

Nel pushed the monster off and kicked it to direct it towards her.

Allisa held out her sword once again, nervously awaiting the charge of the boar. Before it reached her, Allisa, jumped to the right, acting like she was possessed. Raising her sword overhead, she cut downward, slicing through the boar's body.

The creature squalled as it tumbled across the ground.

"Not bad," Nel said, sheathing her blade. "Seems you're not a lost cause after all."

"H-Huh?" Allisa glanced at the body of the boar she had just killed. Lying eyes on it, seeing the blood, she felt her stomach lurch. "I-I think I'm gonna be sick." She said as she put a hand to her mouth, her sword disappearing.

"Suck it up," Nel said, devoid of any sympathy. "We still have a long way to go yet before we reach Riser. We don't have time to waste,"

"THEN WHY DID YOU SEND THAT THING AFTER ME?!!" Allisa yelled.

"To give you some experience," Nel said. "If you're going to stay here, you need to learn how to defend yourself at the very least."

Allisa scowled at Nel. ".... I only came here to get answers about me and this sword,"

"You sure know how to complain," Nel muttered out loud.

"I heard that!"

Ignoring her Nel glanced to the boar. "You seem to have some skill at the very least. Anyway, let's move. I'm sure you don't want to stay here when it gets dark." Nel turned abruptly leaving Allisa little choice but to follow.

She took one last glance at the dead boar, trying to think back what she did. It was similar to the assassin that night, how her body just acted on her own. It felt exactly the same. She had never held a sword, let the way she moved felt almost familiar like she had been doing that all her life.

"Try to keep up. If you get lost, it will make my job that much harder." Nel broke Allisa's train of thought.

"W-wait for me?!"

The Fenrias

The two continued their way through the dense forest. Since it seemed as though Nel knew where she was going, Allisa followed her without question. She looked around at the forest and various plants, seeing no real difference that she was in another world. Various questions still plagued her mind.

"I know you want to ask me something." Nel's voice broke Allisa's wandering mind and brought her attention back on Nel. "Go on."

"Ok.... um. I was wondering how’d you find me?" Allisa finally asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you said that the crystal you carried can't sense very far, so how did you find me?"

"Ah, a good question. To be honest, it actually took me a while to find you. I was probably in your town for about a week."

"A week!" Allisa said with surprise.

"Since I didn't know who the wielder was, I thought I should check out people with high mana levels. It took me a while, but it eventually paid off." Nel then looked at Allisa, "Just in time for your sake." That was intended to be a joke.

"Yeah... lucky me," Allisa said, not appertaining the joke. "Wait... Mana?"

"Oh right, I guess you wouldn't know," Nel said, stroking her chin. "I suppose you could refer to it as..... Spiritual energy."

"Spiritual energy?"

"That's how I was taught. It's like inner power a person unconsciously produces. Some might refer to it as magical energy or even simply as power. It's even possible to utilize your mana to cast almost impossible phenomena. Magic is the best example of this."

"Magic? You mean it exists in this world?"

"That's right. The Arch sage is a wizard, and probably one of the most powerful wizards in the world."

"Wow." She wasn't sure how to process the information. Let alone the fact she was in another world, everything seemed something out of a movie or video game.

Nel then pointed at Allisa. "The way you summon your sword is also an example of utilizing mana."

"It is?"

Nel nodded. "Although it's quite basic."

Allisa gazed at her right hand as she took in what Nel had told her. "And you can sense mana in people?"

"That's right. It's a skill that only a few people can actually perform. My ability to sense how much mana a person has is a very rare trait that only a handful of people can perform."

"So how much mana do I have?" Allisa was curious to know.

"Well, I can't get an accurate reading, but you are a lot more powerful than you look."

"Really." Allisa looked at her right hand with amazement. "I'm really that powerful."

"Don't let it go to your head. There's a big difference between someone's mana level and skill." She then started to walk again. "At your current state, even a bunch of bandits with no use of mana can get the better of you."

"Oh, right," Allisa replied disappointedly. She then resumed following her. "I have another question." Allisa looked around her, "It was pinched black when we left my world. Why does it seem like morning here?"

"That is a good question." She put her hand to her chin as she thought. "I guess I didn't notice."

"Are the times here different?"

"No, Avalon and Terra shair the same time. I guess crossing between the worlds took longer than it seemed."

"How much longer?"

"I'd say about nine hours, give or take."

"Nine hours!" Allisa said in amazement. "Traveling here felt like three seconds, not nine hours."

"I don't know the details, Nel said nonchalantly, putting her arms over her head, "You could ask the-" Her posture suddenly changed as she glanced over her shoulder all of a sudden.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Allisa asked.

"..... Nothing," Nel said as she turned around, her eyes narrowing. "Let's press on. Riser's not too far now."

*****

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

The pair had now reached a small opening in the forest. The hadn't run into any monsters, much to Allisa's relief. With the moment of calm, Allisa took the opportunity to ask questions.

"When I was attacked that night, I got a cut on my side. But when I woke up that morning it was gone. Did you do something?"

Nel turned to look at her. "No, After I carried you back I noticed you were bleeding. When I took off your clothes to treat your wounds, it had completely healed, no scar or evidence that you were even hurt."

"Really?" Allisa put a hand to where the assassin from the other night had cut her. "You said my sword has some kind of power. Do you think it healed me or something?"

"It's possible. You may have the ability to regenerate you injuries faster than normal. It seems to be the most logical explanation."

"Really," Something then suddenly dawned on Allisa from Nel's explanation to her original question. "Wait, when I woke up that morning I was in my underwear. Did you...."

"I told you, I was seeing to any wounds you had," Nel said with a completely straight face. "Clothing can unintentionally hide serious wounds if left alone can get infected."

Allisa's face went bright red. "Y-You can't strip a complete stranger!"

"But I needed to check for wounds. I don't see why you’re embarrassed, you were unconscious at the time."

"THAT MAKES IT EVEN WORSE!!"

All of a sudden, the sound of a wolf howl could be heard, echoing through the wood.

"Wh-What was that?!" Allisa said startled.

".... Allisa, get behind me," Nel instructed, drawing out her blades.

Allisa did as instructed. "I-Is something out there?" She asked timidly.

Nel remained silent, scanning the surroundings. All of a sudden, a shock came over her face. "GET DOWN!!" A large shadow lunged at the pair.

Due to Nel's instructions, Allisa dodged in time. Standing before them was a giant wolf. Its eyes were bright red. Fur was pitched black, and covered in large scars. It started at the two, growling as it started to circle its prey.

"Wh-What the hell is that?!" Allisa muttered, staring in horror.

"A Fenrias."

"A What?!"

"A dangerous monster," Nel held out her daggers, keeping her gaze on the monster before her.

"Allisa," Her attention then switched to Nel. "Find somewhere to hid."

"What about you?"

"What else."

"You're not going to fight that thing are you?"

"Don't argue, just go!" Nel fixed a sharp look at her, which made her comply. At that moment, the beast lunged at Nel, mouth wide open. Nel blocked the beast with her short blade, and dogged to the right, narrowly avoiding a strike from its claws. She fell to the ground and rolled back onto her feet in a split second.

The Fenrias's attention was solely on her.

Best end this quick.

The beast charged Nel again. Right as it was about to bit, Nel disappeared in a flash, skidded around its right side and sank her dagger in. The beast swung its claws out again at Nel in retaliation. She immediately jumped back avoiding it again.

Although her dagger stabbed the beast, it didn't go very deep. There was a shallow piercing wound in its side where Nel had stabbed.

Damn it.... this is going to be tough, Nel thought. Monster's that size was not her area of expertise, and her instincts would demand she avoids them as much as possible. If there were times when that wasn't the case, she would find the quickest ways to fell the creature, avoiding a prolonged battle.

She waited for the beast to charge again, then did the same move again, this time going to the left, and then slashed it with her short blade along its left side, after which she did an about turn and faced the beast to inspect her work. Again, despite the gash she had made on the left side it wasn't deep enough for it to even register the cut.

Ok, I'm going to have to go for the neck. The beast then charged at her again. Nel dogged to the right, not as far as last time, and slashed at the beast's neck.

However, before the blade made contact, it jerked off in the last second, as though it knew what its prey was doing. It then used its head to bash Nel back. She flew for a short while before smashing to the ground. "What the?"

Nel recovered by backflipping, skidding across the ground. "Did it somehow read my moves?" the beast charged again fast, preparing to bite. Leaving no time to dodge again, Nel blocked with her short blade. The beast then slashed at Nel with its claws. In that split second Nel leaped back, getting off with scratches on her right arm. As she got back onto her feet she felt a sharp pain coming from her right arm. The wound the beast had left her was bleeding badly.

"Oh no! Nel!" Allisa said quietly. She was hiding in a nearby hedge like Nel had instructed, and was watching the fight unfold. "I have to help her."

But what can I do?

She kept herself fixated on the fight, worried about the turnout.

I'll only get in the way. I can't fight that. She thought to herself over and over. I'm just too weak. I can't even protect myself.

She thought back to the night she first met Nel. How defenseless she was, frozen by fear, unable to move. The more she thought, the more wound up she got about the situation.

The beast circled its wounded prey, drooling from its fierce jaws, staring down its prey. This isn't good.

Nel's wounded arm was stiff. She used it to block the blow from the Fenrais's claws. It was the arm she carried her dagger. In a straight-up fight, she was used to fighting with weapons in both arms. To her it gave her a little balance and support in a fight, having a weapon that had a long reach to shatter the enemies' guard, and a smaller one to strike when the guard was down. Against this monster, it was far more a challenge, especially since her fighting style was more suited to battling against humanoid opponents.

All of a sudden, the beast screamed in pain as a longsword cut deep into its skin. Nel turned to see who this savior was, and to her surprise saw it was Allisa. The beast retreated back and stared at its new prey. Allisa stood there with Excalibur held in front of her.

"You idiot! What are you doing?" Nel snapped at her.

"I-I don't know....." Allisa answered timidly while her sword began to shake. It was clear she was terrified, taking a few steps back from the monster.

Ignoring Allisa's presence, Nel inspected the wound her charge left on the beast. Unlike the wound she inflicted earlier, the one Allisa made was deeper, and bleeding badly. "When you cut it earlier, was it tough to cut."

"N-No... not really."

"I see." She replied. I may not like it, but it doesn't look like we have much choice. "I'm going to get it to charge me again. When it does, I want you to strike it again. Think you can do that."

"Yeah," Allisa replied. "Are you going to be ok?" She was referring to Nel's bleeding arm.

"I'll be fine. Just focus on yourself." The beast then charged Allisa. Before She could react, Nel appeared in front of her and blocked the beast's jaws with her short blade. "NOW!"

At that moment, Allisa then went to the left and cut horizontally along the beast's side. As Allisa attacked, however, the beast withdrew from Nel, quickly turned and with its claws, slashed Allisa's back.

"ALLISA!!"

Almost as though she was possessed, Allisa regained her footing and with her sword, slashed the creatures face in a downward strike, cutting right through the beast's skull. For a couple of seconds, the beast stood there motionless. Then, blood sprayed out from the vertical cut along the creature's head. Then, the beast collapsed, dying before it hit the ground.

Exhausted, Allisa collapsed to the ground taking in deep breaths. "Are you alright?" Allisa asked Nel.

Nel was astonished at what had transpired. She turned to Allisa, as she sheathed her weapons. "I told you to stay put." She said sternly. "That was a dangerous monster, and could have easily killed you if I wasn't around."

"S-Sorry..." Allisa muttered.

"As long as you understand," Nel nodded with a smile. "And thanks. I appreciate the gesture."

Allisa couldn't help but smile at the comment. She then gritted her teeth, remembering the cut on her back.

"Does it hurt?" Nel asked.

"I-Its fine," Allisa shook her head as she got up. "What about you? Y-Your arm."

Nel shook her head. "Don't worry about me. Something like-" Nel suddenly stopped, glancing over her shoulder, reaching for her dagger.

"Wh-what is it?" Allisa said startled. "D-Don't tell me its another one?!"

"Whoa! Captain, Look!"

"It's the Fenrias! Someone killed that son of a bitch!"

Just then, four men dressed in leather and chain mail emerged from the hedges, two of them rushing up to the body of the dead monster.

"Rosarian Guardsmen," Nel replied lowering her guard. "We're fine."

Allisa relaxed, letting out a huge sigh and collapsing the ground as the tension wore off. "Don't worry me like that. I thought for sure another one was gonna jump out."

One of the men approached the girls. "You two are the ones who took it down?"

Nel nodded.

"You have my thanks. That bastard killed one of my men a day ago." The man then saluted the girls. "Captain Warren of the Riser guard. I take it you two are adventurers?" He said glancing at Allisa.

"That's right." Nel answered before Allisa could ask something. "What brings the guard out here? Seems a bit too out of the way for a training exercise."

"Ha, got us there." Captain Warren laughed. "We were actually looking for that," He pointed over to the husk of the monster, "It's been causing trouble on the highway for over the past week, and as I said it killed one of our men. Got our thanks for taking it out. As you probably saw it wasn't your normal variety."

He then turned to his one of his men, inspecting the carcass of the monster. "Hey Hal. You better heal them."

"Right." One of his men broke off from the others, who went to inspect the slumped beast. That man first went to Allisa first, crouching by her back.

"I-Its not that bad, really," Allisa said, wincing from the pain she felt.

"Just let me look." He inspected her back. There were claw marks which tore through both her hoodie and shirt, it was slightly stained with blood. "Ok, it's not serious. It's also not deep. This won't take long."

Nel glanced over and saw the marks on her back, a look of surprise came over her. It should have been deeper than that....

Hal placed one hand on Allisa's shoulder "Hold still." He instructed holding his other hand close to her back. A green glow emitted from his hand. "There, that should do it." He said after a few seconds.

Allisa reached back to feel her wound and felt that there was no trace of it anymore. "Whoa..."

"Ok, now you." Hal turned his attention towards Nel. "Yours seems worse." The cuts on her right arm were bleeding badly.

Nel held out her arm towards Hal. He held both hands and emitted the same glow. Allisa watched in amazement as the scratches on Nel's arm began to close. "There," Hal said after he was finished. He then bought out some bandages from the bag he was carrying. "I healed the damage, but it will still take time for your arm to heal fully."

"Thanks. I appreciate it" Nel said, accepting the bandages.

"Was that Magic?" Allisa asked, still astonished at what she saw.

"Of course it was magic, what else would it be," Hal said turning to Allisa. "By the way," He added, "Where exactly are you from? Never seen clothes like that before."

"Huh?"

"She's from Miltesa," Nel answered for Allisa who was standing back up.

"Miltesa huh?" Hal said, looking impressed. "Wow, quite far from home. Must be from the capital. Heard it's one of the most advanced cities in the world."

"Ok, we're done here!" Warren called out, gathering his remaining men who were inspecting the area. "Hal."

"Yes Captain." Hal saluted.

"You girls want us to escort you back?" Warren called out to Allisa and Nel. "We're not far from the city now."

"R-Really?"

"Thanks, but we'll be fine on our own," Nel spoke over Allisa.

"Ok." Warren then turned to his men who then began to march towards the path that brought Allisa and Nel to the location. "By the way, the monster's got a 2000 Rundes bounty. Since you're the ones who killed it, may as well take a mark to claim it."

"Will do," Nel nodded as the men continued on, disappearing from sight.

"S-Shouldn't we have gone with them?" Allisa asked.

"We're nearly out of the woods and I'd rather not draw unnecessary attention to us," Nel said as she walked over to the body of the beast. "Wait there," Nel said, drawing her dagger and grabbing the beast's ear and cut it off with one slash.

"Ew..." Allisa cringed as the put the dismembered ear in a pouch. She then noticed that she had unequipped Excalibur. "You're not seriously taking that with us?"

"We need proof to claim a bounty," Nel said as she dropped the cut off ear into her pouch. "Anyway, shall we go?"

"Waiting on you," Allisa muttered feeling impatient.

Nel walked past her, and before Allisa could follow, stopped and looked back at her. "Can I ask you something?"

"What now? I had enough of this forest." Allisa complained.

"That move you used to finish the monster off, what exactly did you do?"

"Huh?" Allisa thought back to what she did when she was fighting the monster, remembering how that skill she used just came to her. "..... I'm not sure. It was like.... Instinct I guess."

Nel's eyes narrowed. ".... Never mind. Let's go."

"You're the one who asked...."