In the middle of a forest, there was a manmade route leading to a tunnel on the mountain base. A sand coloured horse carriage was following the route and moving straight to the tunnel, where dozens of guards patrolling around as they guard the tunnel opening.

The guard slowly walked as he waved at the carriage signalling the coachman to stop. The coachman lightly pulled the rein of his horse and they stopped before the guard. The guard, seemingly middle-aged guy with thick brown moustache grew above his mouth. He looked at the coachman and his brown horse. The coachman had some sweat rolling down on his forehead, whether because of the hot weather or... he was nervous.

“There was an intruder at The Hell Gate and they have escaped, I will need to check what’s inside the carriage” The moustached guard said to the sitting coachman. The coachman was hesitating for a while but eventually he nodded as he uttered, “Yes, sir” and he hopped down from his seat. He lead the guard to the tail of his carriage.

The moustached guard now stood behind the carriage, he stared at the same sand coloured cloth curtain blocking the inside. In a swoop, he swept the cloth to aside, exposing the barrels, boxes and brown gunny sacks which lied in the carriage floor.

“What are those” The moustached guard asked as he fixated his gaze to the coachman.

“Ahh... those are the blessed supplies... You know, the supplies that have been blessed by the monthly ceremony” The coachman explained but the moustached guard shot him an even more doubtful face.

“Aren’t those supplies have been transported few days ago? I didn't hear about the upper asking for more" The moustached guard questioned the coachman which resulted the coachman to slightly flinched. The coachman slowly leaned closer to the moustached guard and cupped his hand beside his cheek while his eyes darting left and right.

"Actually, sir... It was..." He whispered into the moustached guard's ear. As he whispers, the moustached guard smirked, as the coachman secretly pushed a small pouch to the moustached guard. They both exchanged an agreement nod and smile.

"But, still, let me check inside... those big barrels" The moustached guard had stepped his leg into the carriage and the coachman was surprised.

"T-those are just the usual goods too!" The coachman subconsciously pulled at him but the moustached guard threw him an unfriendly sharp glare, so he let off his grip reluctantly. The moustached guard had now moved into the carriage.

He scanned at the four barrels put at the most inward corner of the carriage, those barrels were big enough for a human to hid inside. He slowly closed the distance toward the barrels while he unsheathed the sword hanging on his waist. The moustached guard thrust his sword to the barrel's lid and flicked it open.

"I-I can explain!!" The coachman immediately followed into the carriage. It was a clear water filled barrel. But, both the moustached guard and the coachman looked at each other tensely. The moustached guard immediately opened the three other barrels with the same content. The carriage was filled with a flowery smell afterward. The moustached guard turned and glared at the coachman.

"Are these from the sacred hall??" He almost shouted out loud.

The coachman blinked nervously and then he pulled out another pouch, and thrust it to the moustached guard's palm. The bag was a little bit bigger and heavier. The moustached guard weighted it on his palm by swinging up and down, then he opened the bag and peered what's inside.

The moustached guard rolled his scrutinizing eyes toward the sweating coachman. After a while, he raised his hand and pat on the coachman's back, then he smiled as he turned away and unmounted from the carriage. The coachman secretly sighed from relief.

"T-Thank you" The coachman stuttered and forced himself a weird smile directing to the back of the walking away moustached guard. The moustached guard waved his hand at the guards blocking the tunnel and they casually moved away from the tunnel opening. The coachman went back to his seat and reined his horse, as he kept his smile at the moustached guard who was standing beside the tunnel. The coachman leaded the carriage forward, not knowing that his carriage had two uninvited passengers on board.

["Hahaha! Your face is sooooo red Yuu!"]

Elly and I was hanging under the carriage, beside the moving wheels, whilst upside down. It was easy for Elly, but as for me. It was hell. Elly was grinning while looking at my desperate self. I glanced at the tunnel entrance which was drifting further and further away. Wishing for the tunnel to end as quick as possible.

It was not long, and the tunnel finally ended. There was no guards at this other side of the tunnel. So, we dropped ourselves down to the ground, the wheels went pass through our side. We stayed low on the ground, in the middle of the route as we watched the carriage moving forward. And then I let out a short sigh, tense almost left my body, but I know that I still can't let my guard down. We rolled ourselves up and dashed into the woods where Elly suddenly burst into laughter.

["You should see your expression when we were under the carriage"] She chuckled. I glanced at my red palms. My hands almost went numb when I was holding on the underneath of the carriage. The metal bars under it was thin and difficult to grip with. I almost gave myself away. Especially when the carriage stopped for quite a long time. What were they talking about anyway? They seemed to be arguing about something, but it was solved pretty quick... fortunately for me.

["Where are we going now?"] Elly had stopped her laugh which I ignored and she asked me the question. I looked at the road.

If there is a route, it will eventually lead to a city or a village...

"We will follow the route... but, we will trace it from the woods" I suggested. The guards will have found us if we stay in the opened area. But, for now, they probably still thinking that we haven't gone pass the mountain.

And so, we started walking in the woods, not too far from the road but also not too close and constantly keeping an eye out at the surrounding. I looked up at the sky which I haven't yet closely observe. No matter how long I stare at it. It looked just like the normal sky to me. White clouds scattering on the big sea of blue with the sun shone so bright on it. But, if I really had to point out a difference, it will be the blue of the sky. It was rather clear and clean. The air also smelled fresh and nice here. More than any forest that I've ever visited.

How long has it been since I feel this peaceful?

I glanced at Elly, who's now walking in front of me, she swung her hands back and forth and she was humming.

Ah... I can ask her about that

"Elly... " I called her name and she stopped humming. Elly tilted her head to the side and looked at me from the corner of her eyes.

"How do you concentrate mana into a specific part of a body? In your case, you usually focus it into your legs" I asked solemnly.

Her eyes widened and she smiled excitedly, ["Do you want me to teach you?"]

"Yes" I answered without hesitation.

Elly raised her right hand up as she pulled her sleeve down, exposing her pale fingers and the blue scale on the back of her hand. Then, she curled her palm into a tight fist.

["You will need to imagine the mana flowing into it"] She explained while her hand now has started reflecting a faint blue glow, from the tip of her fingers and spread to her wrist. ["Aaaanndd... that's it!"] Elly ended the short, abrupt explanation which left me still unsatisfied.

"How do you actually 'imagine'?" I asked again. Elly mumbled and pondered for a way to answer me.

["You do know how to transfer your mana to me, don't you?"] Elly asked with a solemn manner unfit her usual demeanour. I nodded at her.

["To be honest, Yuu didn't actually transferring your mana toward me"] She continued.

"Huh? But you did get the mana, right?" I replied her with a confused question. I've always thought I did properly transfer it to her.

["Yes, I did... But, it was not directed to me and I had to absorb the mana you aimlessly released by myself. It wasn't that much different, but the way you did it will be taking more toll"] She stated as I stared closely at her every movement. ["What were you thinking when you did it?"] She continued with a question.

When I was transferring the mana... I was thinking about shooting the mana out from me... I was chasing them out from my body so that Elly can... wait, I was forcing them out, wasn't I?

I tried focusing on the mana which was flowing inside my body, it was getting more obvious as time goes if I had to compare with the time when I first reached the cave. I didn't even realize it until Elly forcefully took it out from me. And since then, I couldn't un-feel the mana anymore.

["Imagine the mana flowing gently... don't rush it Yuu. Try directing it only to me"] Elly instructed.

I stopped walking so I can be more focused. I closed my eyes. All I could hear is my own breathing. I feel the mana flowing inside of me. I gathered it, slowly, gently, while keeping myself relaxed. I calmly inhaled... and exhaled... My heart beat in a normal pace and it felt quite comfortable.

I opened my eyes and stared at Elly, who is now standing in front of me, waiting. I can feel the mana slowly emerging out from me. I stared at Elly with scrutinizing eyes and beads of sweat have started pooling on my forehead. ["Take it slow Yuu"] She whispered and actually calmed me down again.

I raised my right hand up and moved my palm out facing Elly. I tried making a thin opening out of the mana shrouding my hand and directing it out from me. A thin golden transparent thread of mana travelled to and touched Elly's forehead. Slowly, spreading over her and also shrouded her with the same golden light.

["You did it! Yuu, you actually did it!"] Elly suddenly shouted in my head and broke my focus. The golden light instantly vanished.

I think I've got it

The longer I focus, the more the mana felt like another perception to me. Human has five senses, which are the sense of taste, sight, touch, smell and sounding. Human received all senses at once but some sense tends to be stronger than another at sometimes, it depends on where the focus was put and how it was activated.

Mana felt like the unity of all five senses. If I put enough focus on it, I can control it. That's what I convinced myself. And now, to strike the iron while it's hot, I turned my focus back on my hand and solely on my hand. Doing it once made it easier at the second time. I, slowly, shrouded my hand with mana. After feeling contented with the mana I gathered on my hand. I raised the glowing hand and I swung it in front of me in one straight swift line.

"…"

["What are you doing?"] Elly stared at my glowing right hand, then she shifted her eyes meeting mine. It was awkward.

How did I do it... the slicing magic. It was magic, right? The spiders... then, the blade too...

"Elly... do you remember that giant spider monster back in the canyon cave?" I asked and she nodded.

"I think I am the one who killed it" I confessed. Elly gave me a surprised look. But, not because she didn't know the fact that I was the one who killed it. It was the opposite.

["Huh? I've always thought that it was Yuu"] She stated. Listened to what Elly said, made me feel even more confident about it. I am the one who did it. But how?

"Can you teach me how?" I seriously asked but I was responded with a plain big old stare.

["Heee? I thought you yourself know how, because it was Yuu who did it, didn't you?"] She threw me a confused look.

"No, I wasn't aware about it myself" I answered and now she crossed her arms across her chest. She leaned her back on a nearby tree and looked at me.

["Elly also doesn't know how"] She uttered.

"But, didn't you use magic on your legs and arms?" I asked again.

Elly once again raised her right hand with clenched and glowing blue fist. She turned away from the tree she formerly leaned on and thrust her magic imbued hand into the tree bark.

Baam!

She thrusted her fist straight through and out from the other side. The tree cracked and started swaying. The leaves on the tree shook, old ones dropped from the branch and swinging on the air until it reached the ground. Elly retracted her fist back in a swoop causing a hollow on the tree, thus it tilted to one side and fell toward the ground. The tree had crashed down and the leaves from the tree were scattered everywhere behind Elly.

["Mine is different, what I did is to boost my strength while protecting my fist too... it will be easier than just to throw bare punch, which will be damaging to me if I hit things like this"] She explained while showing her flawless hand to me.

"So... did you mean that you cannot do it like what I did? That slicing magic" I asked. Elly nodded while hiding her hand back into her dangling long sleeve.

["Uhhm... I can't do it like the way Yuu did. But, I might be able to find some other way to achieve through my own mana affinity. It was awesome after all!"] Elly declared excitedly.

Hmm? Does it mean...

"Elly... what's your mana affinity?" I solemnly asked.

["It is..."] She paused and blinked, ["Water!"] And she announced as she stretched her hands open as though asking for a hug.

Well... that is what I've expected. Elly is a mermaid anyway. What else could it be

"Elly, what's my mana affinity... can you tell?" I asked while my heart secretly pounded with excitement. But, my brain ignored it.

Elly moved closer with scrutinizing eyes. She stared at me for quite a while without saying any word. She scanned me from top to bottom. After that, she let out a sigh.

["Eh, I thought I know but... Uhm... I am not sure. I can normally see the mana's affinity in a person but why... why can't I see yours?"] She mulled over it while eyes still stuck on me. ["I thought that Yuu's affinity is 'wind'…] She added as her eyes opened wide and now looked into my eyes.

["The way you sliced through the air... that should be the power of 'wind'] She added some explanation. But, then she puffed her cheek and turned around.

["Aaaah... I don't know! Observing your mana made my head hurt"] Elly started marching forward and thus we left the area where the tree collapsed by Elly's thrust.

Wind... Hmm... I will have to find it out myself then...

We started walking down the forest. Elly looked as carefree as she usually does. As for myself, I started organizing my thought. Where questions were still piled as high as mount Everest. I was lining up my priorities.

First, I have to find out where exactly is this place, am I still in the earth?

Second, I have to find out a way to go back to my homeland... the only clue is the people who came with me, who Elly said that they have been transported out of the cave while I didn't.

Third, find out what was that caves all about... It was called 'The Hell Gate', well... I need to know more. But, definitely not by going back to those caves again.

Those were three of my main priorities, as for now, I will have to find a city or village to start gathering the info. I looked at Elly and myself. We will need to change our cloth too. And... also food for my growling stomach. After a while of walk, a sudden loud collapsing sound reached both me and Elly.

BOOMM! CRASHH!

Elly suddenly ran and hid behind a tree. I, too, followed her steps. The sound was drawing closer. I peeked from behind the tree and saw two persons running from a far. No, actually there was three persons as the third person was carried on the back. An old man carrying a girl around my age, she seemed to be unconscious and another guy with a dark blue hair, wearing white coat, holding a long sword while chasing the old man in front of him.

The dark blue haired guy slashed his sword mid-air, all of the sudden, the trees in front of him collapsed. The old man barely dodged and he looked troubled. I glanced at Elly, she was looking at them intently.

"!!!!" The dark blue haired guy shouted and thrust another air slash with his sword. Another tree collapsed in front of the old man and the foliage blocked his way. The old man turned and about to made a roundabout but the dark blue haired guy flicked his sword again, slashed on the ground beside the old man. The old man couldn't dodge in time and got his left leg slashed. The dark blue haired guy put on an evil smirk on his face as he inched closer to the old man who was wailing in pain. I kept myself stay hidden behind in a distance tree. Now turned my sight back to forward and closed my eyes for the inevitable.

Exposing ourselves now is the last thing I want to do. That guy looked like a knight or something... Instinct told me to not making any contact with that guy, he looked strong... stronger than any guards before. Although i felt sorry... I can't be reckless in this unknown area.

"Grraaaaahhhh!" A familiar snarl and shout suddenly filled into my ear. I immediately opened my eyes and looked to the left where Elly was supposed to be there.

Damn it... that girl!

I peeked at them again, Elly had just landed a kick but got blocked by dark blue haired guy with his sword. He was pushed aback and far from his original position, regardless, he's still standing on his two feet with unfaltering stance. He fixated his glare on Elly who had leapt behind, now standing face to face with that guy.

Sigh... I should've known it, shouldn’t I?