Ichi walked through the forest. Moonlight cut down through empty patches in the treetops. Ichi could walk blind home because of his innate abilities, but he liked looking at the trees. He could have flown home too, using his eagle form. It was late, and he didn't give Grandpa any notice he was cooped up with Rikya. Surely Myon said something?

Ichi wasn't sure he cared. He planned to just come clean about what was going on, and go from there. Might as well wake him up to do it. After all, it was only this morning he was feeling like just flying off to the city and abandoning this place. Then again, he might even get recaptured by the Seer Council themselves, now that Myon and Syon were gone.

As Ichi walked toward home through the forest, he pondered what about Renya changed his mind. He didn't have much of a clue. There was her being naked, her being not like herself. Something happened when he talked with her. When it was she was crouched in front of him naked? That part about druids hunting him down? It all seemed to swirl through his head.

Like last night, it was a rush. A challenge. And, most importantly, there were girls. Ichi's eyes narrowed as he walked through the trees. His hand would reach out a push off a tree, as if guiding him to the next one, then he would push off that tree. He acted like he needed it, playing around for the sake of doing something different.

Really, Ichi thought, he could call Renya a challenge. Her little promise to serve him passed the smell test, but Ichi didn't probe her any more. He could've said something like what's your goal here, or ask about the druids that Satou was talking about, but in the end, it all didn't seem to matter.

Ichi stopped. His hand creeped to his chest. Pressing his palm against his chest, he felt the black stick of the stick of balance melded near his heart. When he touched Scipio's sword, it sucked itself in through his hand. Ichi tried since then to get it out, but his connection with it wasn't there. An idea came to him, and he lazily decided to try it.

Ichi walked to a nearby tree in the dark. His laid his palm against the tree trunk. Imagining that his black stick was his body, he channelled energy into it. He only channeled a little. However, the bark in front of him cracked as violet energy expanded out from his hand. The tree's branches shook as the top above Ichi's palm snapped off and collapsed to the ground.

Ichi guessed right. The black stick, somehow, was part of him now. When Rikya taught him magic it didn't seem as mysterious, and when Myon taught him magic he was more confused by the details. Ichi crossed his arms, imagining a sphere around him expanding.

A massive violet sphere shifted into being around Ichi, leaves and loam shot into the air away from him. The trees around him bent and their branches shook as wind whistled through them.

Ichi smiled as he let go of the channeling. Like turning off a light switch or snapping his stick of balance apart, he had a sense for it. Instinct was the word that came to Ichi's mind.

It'd be useful if he ended up fighting Syon for sure. Ichi laughed to himself as he continued on his walk, grasping the hilt of the orc sword as he did. Less than a week ago he would have given anything to skip town just to get away from her, but now he'd be heading after her and Myon.

Ichi felt like breaking them up. That relationship didn't seem healthy. Of course, it was none of his business how Myon wanted to live, maybe she was even into that sort of thing, like a masocist or whatever, but Ichi didn't like it.

He drew the orc sword carefully from the sash of his robe so he wouldn't rip his new clothes to shreds. Gripping the blade in front of him, a pulse of red flashed over it. 'Magic Resonance', right? Satou said something last night about repeating the spell or whatever?

But, Ichi was just holding it. The infinite battle roar echoed in his head as it did when he held last night. He'd read stories when he was younger with talking swords, but not yelling swords. It suited him, Ichi felt.

Back in the old days in the city where he'd download and listen to podcasts, play mobile games, and go looking for fights with anyone who looked stupid enough. Did anything change?

Ichi's half covered he lower face with spread fingers as he stared as the orc sword. The roar sounded like background music in his head as muttled over what was different, what he wanted to do next. Ichi's hand left his face as a smile formed, alterning to a wide grin as his grip on the orc sword tighetened.

He slashed. Like last night, the orc sword went where he didn't cut, decapiting a group of trees far beyond it's range as a red pulse shifted over the scarred metal lump.

He'd swing his sword. He'd let Renya play around. He'd protect Rikya. He'd outfox Tama. He'd save Myon, if he felt like it.

What changed from his old life, from the city with his smartphone to six months hanging around silent girls in a small village, walking to school with Renya with her fake confessions of love? More girls. More mysteries than he had time to unravel, more danger, and a ticket to another world.

Of all of that, Ichi couldn't decide if he liked all of this in his life, or even if he liked being involved with any of it. But he knew that he liked being involved. He'd swing this sword.