Nozomi sits at a table, her eyes glued to the book in her hand. Kaito was on the floor next to her, doing pushups with one arm.

"This is just mind-blowing Kaito. The amount of history here alone is crazy, but there are countless spell tombs, fictional stories, and more just at our disposal here. Not only that, if we didn't already believe Brandon, everything he has mentioned is in this book. This book explains that once a mortal completes the trials, they will possess the same amount of power that God has. They will be able to create life itself." Nozomi explained as she turned to the next page.

"Well, at least we know one hundred percent that he isn't crazy. I'm still just trying to keep up with everything going on. It's been so much information just thrown on top of us at once. It wasn't that long ago we were street rats in Rodon, just trying to live to our next meal. Now, we're suddenly in heaven's library, training and reading as much as we'd like. Talk about a life-changing event meeting him." Kaito said as sweat dripped from his face onto the floor.

"Though we've seem to have gone overboard with the training. I don't think our clothes could last another sparring match." She said looking at all the holes in her clothes and laughing.

Kaito stands up and wipes the sweat off his face, then takes a seat next to her.

"Agreed, but I guess that goes to show we're making progress. Though I'm more worried about the fields out front. We sorta left a bunch of holes, scorch marks, and more all over the place. I hope we don't get in trouble for it." He said, catching his breath.

Suddenly the portal in the center of the room begins glowing brightly. Adam appears from it and they could see the panic on his face.

"Quickly, we have to leave, Brandon's dying!" Adam yelled, gesturing for them to go through the portal.

They all rush through the portal and back into Brandon's room with no time for words. They rush out into the throne room, as they do Mirabelle and Syllia enter from the main doors.

"Well there you three are, we were looking for you before all that commotion earlier. What's the rush?" Mirabelle questioned.

"Brandon's dying, we need to get help to him now!" Adam exclaimed!

They're taken aback by his words.

"I knew him going was a mistake, where is he?!" Mirabelle questioned.

"Brittlemore," Adam said.

"Syllia!" Mirabelle called out.

Syllia nods at her and opens the main doors. She holds out her arms to her sides and suddenly she turns into a crow. Once transformed, she flies off in the direction of Brittlemore.

"She'll get there faster than we can by wagon. She'll tend to his wounds and stabilize him until we can make it there, let's go." Mirabelle ordered.

They rush out the doors, following close behind Mirabelle.

Several days pass since they found Brandon. Syllia and Nozomi managed to tend to all his physical wounds quickly and expected him to wake up shortly after. However, as the hours turned to days, it became very clear that he was injured in a way they couldn't heal. Syllia steps out of Brandon's room and lets out a sigh. Mirabelle was waiting for her in the hallway.

"He's still out?" Mirabelle asked.

"Yeah, I can't think of anything else we can do. We've tried every spell, potion, and home remedy. From our standpoint, he's perfectly fine physically, he won't wake up. His fever is still extremely high, I don't know why but we can assume it's linked to his coma." Syllia explained, leaning against the wall.

"Remember when he was younger, I mean way younger. He used his godly powers and was in a coma then. My guess would be it's the same thing here, from what Adam explained, this was the most magic he's ever used." Mirabelle stated.

"Then that means there is only one more thing I can think of doing. I was wanting to wait a few more days before suggesting it, but since you reminded me of his previous coma, I think now is the right time. He needs to be taken to my homeland, our goddess there can cure anything. She's even woken people up from year-long comas. She would be able to fix him easily, and given my relationship with him, she won't turn him away." Syllia said.

"How would we even get him there? We can't leave here, we're the main defense for the city until the council finishes helping us." Mirabelle questioned.

"Kaito and Nozomi will have to do it. We'll put him in a secure coffin-like box and give them a wagon to take. It'll take several weeks, but they can do it." Syllia explained.

Mirabelle becomes bothered by Syllia's suggestion.

"We don't even know them and you want to trust them with our son?" Mirabelle questioned, becoming slightly bitter.

"Honey you need to remember, we don't know them but Brandon has known them for more than a year. He's traveled with them, trained with them, and he trusts them. And if he trusts them, then that's good enough for me. This is the best we can with the cards we've been dealt. If there is another option, I can't think of it." Syllia said.

Mirabelle bites her bottom lip.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I hate being stuck here, our son needs help and I feel useless. If that damn demon hadn't killed our army, one of us could at least go with them." Mirabelle said.

"I feel the same way, but it won't be like this forever. Our kingdom will bounce back and will be stronger than ever." Syllia said, hugging Mirabelle.

Once finished with their hug, they make their way toward the guest room Kaito and Nozomi were staying in. They quickly explain Syllia's plan to them.

"This goddess, she'll see us? Even though we're not elves?" Kaito asked.

"Yes, I'm going to give you something that you can show them. Once they see it, they'll let you into the main settlement where she resides. We would go, but we can't leave the city for long periods currently. We already took a huge risk both of us going out to Brittlemore. However, Brittlemore is a lot closer than Neflen. It will take weeks to make it to the border." Syllia explained.

"We'll do it, Brandon saved us and completely changed our lives. Not only that, but he is our friend. It's time to return the favor and save him." Nozomi said.

Mirabelle and Syllia smile from hearing her words.

"It warms my heart hearing you say that. Brandon doesn't have many friends, honestly, I can only think of one. So hearing that you two are his friends and have is back makes me feel better about all the traveling he does." Mirabelle explained.

"Of course, long as we travel with him, he'll have someone watching his back," Nozomi said, smiling back.

With the plan set in motion, Mirabelle ordered Gerald to ready a wagon. She then went to get a secure coffin to put Brandon inside. Syllia gave Kaito a map and a card. The card had a deer head in the center with two bows diagonally behind it. A checkmark made of blood was in the bottom left corner.

"This card will let you by any guards that stop you at the border and let you into the city. Unless you sneak in, you normally have to wait weeks to get through the border legally. Unless you have this, this card is for those born in the country. We can use it ourselves to come and go as we please, however in some rare cases we can give it to a non-native to gain access to the country without waiting." Syllia explained.

Kaito took the map and placed the card into his pocket.

"Make sure you don't lose it. We get one card only, without it we'll have to wait like everyone else." Syllia said, trying to stress the importance as much as she can.

"I promise I won't lose it," Kaito said, giving her a nod of assurance.

Once the wagon was loaded with supplies, Gerald and Kaito loaded Brandon into the wagon. The coffin was reinforced with metal plating, making it durable and heavy. The wagon was dark brown, recently painted. The wood was perfect, no splintering could be seen. Two black horses stand strongly, ready to take them on their way. Nozomi climbs onto the wagon and takes the reins into her hands. Kaito sits down next to her and everyone sends them off. It doesn't take long before they're out of the city and it becomes a faint image on the horizon. They ride down a cobblestone road, surrounded by open fields filled with crops.

"If this were under different circumstances, I'd be ecstatic to be traveling to a new country by wagon. We're going to have chances to see so many new things." Nozomi said as she whipped the reins gently.

"We can properly enjoy everything on the trip back, with Brandon. I'm just glad we got some new clothes before leaving." He said, looking out onto the fields.

"Me too, showing up with tattered clothes would've probably made it harder to get in." She said letting out a slight chuckle.

Kaito was wearing a beige shirt that held tightly to his skin. The outline of his newly formed six-pack could be seen through the shirt. He wore a pair of black khaki pants with it. Nozomi wore clothes she got from Syllia when she was younger. She wore a gray tank-top accompanied by a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans.

"You know when we were training and felt that extreme power surge? I felt as if my soul left my body, I couldn't move in the slightest at first. To think that Brandon was standing next to the demon that emitted that power is crazy. How do you even manage to not get scared and freeze at that moment?" He asked.

"I'm sure he was scared as well, but he couldn't afford to show it. Think back to all the close calls be had back in Rodon when I had to fight off other people. I was terrified with every passing second we spent facing the end of a weapon. If we let our fear control in those moments, it would mean the end of our lives." She explained.

"I was such a burden then, all I ever did was freeze up and cry. There were so many times I could've gotten us killed." He said, clenching his fist and looking down at his feet.

Nozomi rubs the top of his, roughing up his hair a little.

"You were just a kid, you're still a kid. It's not your fault that your fear took over in those moments." She said.

"And you weren't a kid? You're only nineteen now, you're still arguably a kid as well." He said, pulling his head away and fixing his hair the best he could.

"Well instead of beating yourself up thinking about the past. Why not look at how far we've come, how far YOU'VE come? You've been busting your ass as much as you can to get stronger no matter how tough things got for you. There probably isn't anyone strong enough to even fight you now back in Rodon. Your improvements and progress are something to hold your head up high and be proud of. I know I'm proud of you." She said smiling at him.

Her compliment causes him to blush a little. He quickly turns his head away to stare at the passing trees.

Nearly a week has passed since they set out on their journey and the only thing they've had to worry about was boredom. In-between their pitstops, Nozomi had been slowly teaching Kaito how to drive the wagon.

"Seems like all that work you did for the stablemaster in Rodon is really paying off," Kaito said, holding onto the reigns.

"That it is, the pay was terrible but the skills I was able to learn made up for it," Nozomi replied in between bites of jerky she had been eating.

The fields soon turn into dense woods, the road turns from cobblestone into a narrow dirt road, barely wide enough for two wagons. The sounds of flowing water echo through the woods along with the sounds of small birds singing their melodies. Suddenly another wagon begins gaining on them from behind. The wagon was painted black, with a single red stripe in the middle, wrapping around the entire wagon. Four horses were pulling the wagon with several felonious-looking men and women riding it. Their bodies were covered in tattoos and scars, and most of them were smoking cigarettes or cheap cigars. Nozomi glances back and begins to worry.

"Maybe we'll be lucky and they'll just pass us." She worryingly said.

"I highly doubt that they don't look the type to simply pass by." He said trying to speed up the wagon.

Before they knew it, the other wagon had gained on them and was riding to their left. The group grinned, showing their slightly rotted teeth and they raised their weapons. One of them shot an arrow into the horse on the left of their wagon, causing the other horse to trip underneath the wagon. Kaito and Nozomi were flung from the front of the wagon, their faces smashing directly into the dirt. Brandon's coffin flies out and smashes into a nearby tree. Kaito and Nozomi push themselves up from the dirt and are ready for a fight. Their remaining horse cries in agony as the weight of the broken wagon crushes its lower half. One of the bandits draws his sword and stabs the horse. Nozomi looks around and counts eight bandits before them. Five men and three women, each armed and ready to kill the two of them. The men wore red bandanas on their heads, their shirts from shirts to tank tops to nothing at all. The women wore their red bandanas as make-shift bras, letting their stomachs show. They all wear a variety of shorts and jeans, each with holes in them.

"We're going to give you one chance. Leave peacefully without your belongings and we'll let you live." One of the men said, pulling an ax off his back.

Kaito glances over to Nozomi and they nod at each other.

"We'll leave, just let us take the coffin with us. It's our grandmother, we're taking her back to her homeland." Nozomi said, pointing at the coffin.

One of the women walks over to the coffin and examines it.

"This is one fancy coffin for your grammy, it could fetch us a pretty penny so we'll be keeping it." She said, sitting on it and crossing her legs.

Kaito grits his teeth and clenches his fist, trying to contain his anger.

"Get your ass off that coffin right now, don't you dare disrespect the person inside!" Kaito yelled, focusing his glare on the woman.

The woman stands up, then stands on the coffin. She begins stomping on it as hard as she can. The other bandits begin laughing and some even began throwing some dirt at the coffin. Suddenly Kaito sprints towards her and grabs the woman by her top and grips it tightly.

"Whoa kid, if you wanna get handsy it's gonna cost you." She said grinning at him.

He ignores her remarks and jerks her off the coffin, ripping her top off and sending her into the dirt. The others watch in shock, they couldn't believe a kid had the gaw to do that. Kaito kneels next to her, aiming his right hand at her face. Black flame shoots out of his hand and directly onto her head. She screams in agony as she tries to getaway. He pushes down on her chest, keeping her pinned to the floor. After a few seconds, her half-naked body goes limp and Kaito stands up from her body, and the flames slowly fade. All that remained of her head, was her skull which had singe marks all over it. Everyone was taken aback by what they just witnessed, even Nozomi. Kaito turns to the rest of the group, small flames shooting from his hand ready to melt anything he points at. Without warning, the remaining bandits charge him with their weapons drawn. They begin casting different elements on their weapons, fire, water, lightning, and more. The bandit with the bow had cast fire on his arrows and shot an arrow directly at Kaito's heart. The arrow whizzes in between the other bandits and flies for Kaito. Nozomi quickly drops down to the ground and places her hands on it. As the arrow is mere inches away from his chest, it bounces off a transparent blue barrier.

"That was too close." Nozomi thought to herself as she let out a sigh of relief.

Kaito jumps backward, dodging the assortment of weapons being swung at him. He shoots flames from his feet and boosts himself over the bandits, landing next to the archer. He grabs the archer by the arm and pulls it behind his back. With one hard twist, he breaks the archer's arm, and the bone tears through the skin letting some blood drip onto his back. He shoves the archer onto the ground and the man begins crying in agony.

"Only six left." Kaito thought to himself, cracking his knuckles.

The remaining bandits had split into two groups now, one running at Kaito and the other at Nozomi. One man towers over Nozomi and swings a one-handed ax at her. She catches the ax on the handle, just barely beneath the head of the blade. The man pushes with all his strength down onto the ax, causing her to slowly bend her knees. With haste, she casts a speed spell on her foot and kicks the man's legs out from beneath him. He lets go of the ax and falls to the ground. She swings the ax down onto his chest, he yells and coughs up blood as it cuts into him and breaks his ribs. As she tries to remove the ax from his chest, another bandit lunges at her from the side. The woman cuts Nozomi's left arm with a lightning-covered dagger. Blade cut deep and the lightning burned her skin and caused her arm to have extreme muscle spasms. Nozomi uses her speed again, this time hastily ripping the ax from the man's chest and swinging it towards the woman. The ax comes down on the woman's arm, nearly chopping half of it off. Blood spews out of her wound as she drops her dagger and stumbles backward. Before she had a chance to act, Nozomi swings the ax once more, this time hitting the woman in the throat. The woman's body gurgles and Nozmoi rips the blade from her throat and her lifeless corpse falls onto the ground, soaking the dirt with her blood. Nozomi turned to the last bandit that stood before her. Her clothes were drenched in blood, and so was half of her face. Blood trickled down the ax onto the grass below. The man was horrified at the sight and made a break for it into the woods. She lets out a sigh of relief and looks down at her hands, she closes her eyes in regret for a moment from all the blood she had spilled. She then turns to Kaito, who was pulling a sword out of one of the bandit's chests. Only one bandit was remaining and his focus was entirely on Kaito. Nozomi throws the ax using her speed increase and it flies directly into the man's spine. Kaito walks up to her, wiping his bloody hands onto his pants.

"That went better than I expected," Kaito said, still trying to get the blood off his hands.

"What the hell was that? We still could've tried to talk our way out of that, but you just went beserk on that woman." Nozomi exclaimed.

"Look, there was no way we could talk our way out of that and get Brandon out of there. You heard them, they wanted to sell that coffin. We did what we had to do." He said.

"I guess." She responded, looking down at the nearby bodies.

They quickly make their way down to the nearby river and begin washing their bodies and clothes. Once cleaned, they head back to the bandit's wagon and put Brandon in the back of it and any food they could salvage from their wreckage. Kaito then begins searching the bodies of the bandits, taking whatever gold he could find. Nozomi hesitates at first but eventually helps him loot them. She knew they would need the gold to replace the supplies they had lost. Once done with the bodies, she takes the reigns of the wagon and they set off on their journey once again.