The sun rose, casting its golden glow over the rooftops of Azura. Morning banter filled the air—mostly Nara's excited shouting and Hina's half-hearted scolding—before the trio finally set out for their mission, heading toward Azura Station.
The atmosphere between Hina and Code was a little awkward at first, but the tension faded quickly, smoothed out by the rhythm of their usual nonsense.
"This mission's already got me pumped," Nara grinned, stretching his arms as they reached the station's entrance. "Can't wait to kick some demon ass!"
"Tch. After we had to yell ten times to wake you up?" Hina rolled her eyes playfully.
As they stepped inside, the station was alive with motion—chatter, screeching wheels, and constant announcements bouncing off the high ceilings. It smelled faintly of oil and steam.
Inhale. Exhale.
Code scanned the surroundings, eyeing the trains with growing suspicion.
"So, is there like, a direct train to Hersh Forest or something?" he asked, staring at the locomotives as if one might sprout legs and walk them there.
"Nah, doesn't work like that," Hina replied. "We take a train to Busan. From there, it's a two-kilometer walk to Hersh Village. The forest is just beyond it—it borders Azura and Kaida."
"Hmmm..." Code hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"I didn't get any of that," he admitted to himself.
"Oi! Are we sightseeing or what?" Nara shouted, pointing to a large train huffing in the distance. "That thing's about to leave!"
They weaved through the bustling crowd toward the platform, where the massive iron beast of a train was hissing and steaming, preparing for departure.
Hina glanced down at the green card in her hand. "Carriage 4—this way!" she called, leading the charge.
A porter in a crisp sky-blue uniform stood by the entrance, eyes scanning the passengers like a hawk. Just as Code opened his mouth in panic—
"Wai—"
Hina handed the green pass to the porter without missing a beat. He inspected it briefly and gave a nod.
"Bound for Busan. Boarding will commence shortly."
Code blinked, jaw slightly ajar as he peered over her shoulder.
"What's that?" he asked.
"This?" Hina lifted the card. "It's a Green Pass. Every sorcerer guild gets one. It lets us use transportation freely—trains, buses, airships, you name it. It also shows we're registered with a guild, so cities and towns won't hassle us."
"Cool..." Code's eyes sparkled.
"I heard it comes with free food too!" Nara laughed.
"Wait, so I can go anywhere with that?" Code asked hopefully.
"Nope." Hina shot him down without hesitation. "Only within your region."
"But!" Nara chimed in. "There's one that isn't restricted—called the Gold Card or Supreme Pass! You can go anywhere with it!"
"Seriously?" Code turned to him, wide-eyed.
"Yup. I even heard you could buy a whole city with it!" Nara said proudly.
"But it's not for regular folks," Hina added, stepping toward the train without breaking stride.
"Only 1st-grade sorcerers and Sorcerer Generals get that pass."
"That's the depressing part..." Nara mumbled, hanging his head.
"Only 1st-grades, huh?" Code thought aloud.
"Then that means... Van has one!" he gasped.
He immediately began fantasizing—himself holding the golden pass, gliding through borders, crowds cheering, plates of food served wherever he went...
But just then, Hina crushed the dream like a bug.
"He lost it."
"What?!" Code choked.
"Yeah. He said he was starving and didn't have any money, so he paid with the card. Then poof. It was gone."
"How can someone be that stupid?!" Nara cried. "If it were me, I'd rent some cute girls or something. At least go out in style!"
Code slowly turned to Nara, his expression clearly saying: Seriously?
"Let's just get on already," Hina snapped, waving them forward.
"It's gone..." Code muttered as he stepped inside, on the verge of tears. "Why... why...?"
Meanwhile, Nara beamed with pride.
"Cute girls..." he whispered to himself, dreamy-eyed.
They settled into their seats—Hina on one side of the cabin, Code and Nara on the opposite bench.
Screech. Whistle.
The train roared to life, spewing steam into the air. With a final hiss and a jolt, it lurched forward, rattling the tracks and trailing a cloud of smoke behind as it carried them to Busan.
***
The ride was quiet, broken only by the rhythmic clatter of the train against the tracks.
Code stared blankly at the ceiling, eyes fixed as if something was written up there. Hina sat with her eyes closed, her breathing calm and steady—probably meditating. Nara, meanwhile, leaned against the window, quietly watching the scenery blur by.
"An upper-class demon..."
Code's thoughts swirled.
"If it's really the kind Van described... it'll be stronger than the one I faced on my first mission."
A flicker of that night crawled back into his mind—the distorted face of that grotesque creature, the overwhelming fear that nearly crushed him.
He clenched his fists, jaw tight.
"That'll never happen again. I swear... I'm going to get stronger. No matter what it takes, I'll reach the manipulation phase—and wipe every last demon off this world."
A voice buzzed from the overhead speaker, crackling slightly through the old train system:
"Next stop—Busan. Estimated arrival: five minutes."
The announcement snapped them all back.
Hina opened her eyes, expression calm. Nara pulled away from the window and stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles. Code shifted in his seat, posture straightening as his heart began to race.
They didn't speak—but the look on each of their faces said the same thing.
They were ready for whatever was going to happen.
***
TBC