John's eyes were wide as he lay on the floor, panting for breath. His weapon was shattered, shards of steel lying all over the floor.

"It was a surprise that you could pull off even aura," Lupin said calmly, sheathing his sword. "...although, your familiarity with mana is quite odd."

"It's… easy to use…" John gasped, rolling over.

"...I suppose I will not inquire further."

"Using mana… too lame… too much work…"

"I may have to retract some points for that statement," Lupin said with a hidden smile. "Well, I will not question your abilities. If you are capable of such a thing, then I suppose you are truly here for the sole purpose of watching over your sister."

"Yeah," John said, slowly recovering.

"Hm. Well, then. If you are truly this talented, then I hope you will use the pills your friend has given you to their maximum potential."

John shot up into a sitting position. "Hey, how do you know about-"

"Word gets around," Lupin said, turning to leave. "I just hope you do not abuse your friendship. Your friends are more than exploitable tools, you know."

John felt a chill run down his spine. Despite his fatigue, the fear coursing through his body was more than enough to wake him up.

Lupin knew about his pills. That wasn't good. But that didn't matter. John had accounted for this, especially after Draco had found out about them.

He'd gotten what he wanted out of this exam. He'd found out his limits in using the mana pills. Lupin now knew he could use mana, but that was fine.

Knowledge had been acquired.

During the fight, the only thing he'd done was apply a little mana reinforcement and aura to his blade. That alone was just enough to allow him to contest.

It wasn't like he was talented with mana, although it was possible that he was. Rather, it was simply that his body remembered how to use it. He'd been through countless [Stories], countless worlds, and a good number of them had mana. From the fragments of memories he still had, he could remember them.

And, even if his mind didn't understand it, his body did. All John needed to do was ask his body to do the task, and it would respond.

But why had he used mana when [Infinity] was available? Why use a lesser system? Yes, [Infinity] was a bad power in regards to the [Story], but that didn't make it any less effective to use.

Well, there was no point in thinking about it. The point was that he could theoretically do anything Lupin could. Obviously, the Mystic had far more mana than he did, but that didn't matter. If they had the same amount of mana, they could do the same things.

Probably.

Thankfully, Lupin hadn't questioned his abilities. John wasn't quite sure why this was the case, but it wasn't like he was going to go to Lupin and bring up the topic. Besides, if the wolf truly had a connection with Diaboli, then it would make sense that he understood, to an extent, his origins.

This might eventually make for a problem, but then again, that was a problem for later. Right now, he could be confident in the fact that, for the moment, he could keep up.

John closed his eyes.

Being competent wasn't such a bad feeling after all.

~~~

"All right!" Briar yelled, throwing her hands into the air. "Another boring year of school done!"

"You- you don't mean that, right?" Danjo said timidly.

"Well, no. But I don't have to worry about tests or anything anymore, and that's a pretty good feeling" Briar grinned.

"I understand the sentiment," Aurora smiled. "It is nice not to have to worry about grades for a while, isn't it?"

"I can finally stop worrying about blowing up the lab," Arthur said with an awkward smile, his hands still trembling.

Apparently, he'd nearly made a grave mistake on the final exam that would've taken out the alchemy lab. Briar had given him hell for it.

"You're all missing out on the most important part, though," Briar said, her eyes taking on a devious glare. "We get the princess to ourselves for a whole month!"

Destiny sighed, holding his face in his hands. "I don't want to think about that…"

"Come on!" Briar grinned. "Why so disappointed? Or… could it be that you were hoping for time alone with her?"

"Briar!" Celestia exclaimed, her face turning bright red. "Wha- what are you talking about?"

"Don't think I don't know," Briar grinned devilishly. "Or…"

"Don't- don't say anything!"

True to John's prediction, the group of friends had arranged to stay in a large cabin on a lakeside for a whole month. The royal Elvish family owned it, but the important thing was that Celestia had been allowed to go on her own. Guards were to be stationed around the area, but the only guard in close proximity would be Destiny.

This was a huge upgrade from the usual confinement Celestia experienced, so she was by far the most excited out of the group.

The group went on ahead, still teasing and joking, but John fell back a bit. Destiny noticed this and fell back as well.

"Hey. Everything ok?" he said quietly. "I know the stuff with Draco is blowing over, but-"

"That's not what I wanted to talk about," John said, keeping an eye on the group.

Prota had also fallen back, but that was to be expected. She would choose John over the others any day.

"What's up?"

"The vacation. We're not going," John said quietly.

"Huh?" Destiny exclaimed. "But you didn't say-"

"I didn't want to say it in front of the others. It's not their fault, but I have something I need to do. I'd go otherwise."

Destiny hesitated. "You sure it's not cause you're trying to escape?"

John shook his head. "I'd go if I could. But there's something Prota and I need to do this summer."

"Then at least let me help-"

"Thanks, but no." John glanced at the group, who still hadn't noticed the disappearance of three of their members. "You need to stick around them. And be a little careful, ok?"

"What do you-"

"I don't want you to worry about it too much, because you really should be having fun while you can. But just make sure you don't let your guard down too much, ok? Just, like, don't forget that there are cultists and shit. But also don't worry."

Destiny pressed his lips together, but in the end, what choice did he have? John had refused his help and instead offered him advice. All he could do was make do with what he had.

"Alright. You sure you'll be ok?" the hero said worriedly.

"I have Prota. I'll be fine, right?"

Destiny looked at the little girl, who nodded confidently. She would do her job. Destiny sighed. He had to admit, she was becoming as formidable a force as he was. Not quite. Not yet. But she was getting there.

"Yeah, you'll be fine," Destiny nodded. "Make sure you come back alive, ok?"

"Of course," John grinned. "What, do you think I'd just go charging into my death?"

~~~

Lupin sat in his room, the lights turned down. His wolf-like senses were heightened, so he wasn't fond of bright lights. Of course, he could handle them easily, but if he were alone, he preferred dark and quiet environments.

He worked through his papers. It'd been a week since final grades had been handed out, and students were preparing to head home for the summer. He closed his eyes. That boy.

John.

Why had he shown his hand? Why had he been so desperate to take a fight seriously in this last exam? Lupin had even given him the opportunity to walk out on his own. So why had he taken the initiative for the first time since entering this school?

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Sir," he heard as somebody knocked on the door.

He sighed. "Come in."

An assistant entered the room as Lupin lit a few more magic lanterns, turning the light level to one comfortable for regular people.

"I was able to find out what you asked for."

"Ah. Yes, that. And?"

The assistant cleared his throat. "Well, the boy seemed to be inquiring as to which portals lead to Vulcan. It makes sense, seeing as he came from there."

"Vulcan…" Lupin nodded slowly. "Very good. Thank you for your efforts."

"Yes, sir." The man nodded, but he seemed to hesitate. "Uh, sir. If I may ask…"

"What is it?"

"I mean no disrespect, but why did you ask for this? It isn't often we pry into our students' private lives."

Lupin just shook his head. "I cannot tell you that. It is for nothing dangerous, I can assure you that. It is simply a matter of safety."

The man seemed relieved to hear that. "Thank you, sir. Have a good day."

He left, and Lupin put out the lights once more. Closing his eyes, he leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanging. Finally, his eyes snapped back open. Reaching into his desk, he pulled out a device and pressed some kind of button.

"Leora. Get ready."

~~~

Prota shuddered as they stepped out of the portal room. The city was as clean and friendly as ever. There wasn't anything to be afraid of. Despite all of that, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.

Vulcan. Capital of Solaris.

The city where she'd first died.

John had assured her they should be fine. It'd been three years since their wanted poster had been put up, and there was no way their heads were still wanted. She didn't care. This was a safe city for most, but to her, it was the city she'd grown to hate.

She'd been beaten. Kicked. Punched. Chased. Treated like garbage. And for what? It brought back bad memories.

But as she continued to shake, she realized something. There were good memories here, too. Maybe they weren't as nice as some of the later ones, but without this city, she never would've made it out of her pit. She would've never found her life again.

She would've never found John.

"We gotta find somewhere to stay," John mused. "I just wanna check something…"

He led her down a couple of roads, most of which were unfamiliar. They were on her map since John had led her around much of the city at some point or another, but she had no recollection of them.

Suddenly, as they made one turn, she recognized where they were.

"It's… it's still here?" John frowned, looking up.

The Lucky Myth

The old familiar sign still hung up on the worn wooden door. Hand shaking, John pushed it open to a familiar sight.

"Welcome!" a deep voice called out. "Strange time to be entering, but- say. Aren't you two a little young to be drinking?"

At the bar stood Gorm, wiping down a glass. He looked the same, with that thick beard and stoic face.

"Hold on, aren't you that- Prota!" Gorm said, his beard rustling as his mouth curved into a smile.

She nodded at him. Prota wasn't nearly as friendly with him as she was with John, but she couldn't forget that he'd had a hand in her recovery.

"Where's Quarta?" Gorm continued. "Unless- say, you look awfully familiar," he frowned, looking at John.

"It's me, Gorm," John sighed, climbing onto a stool. "Why the hell did you take over this shitty place?"

"You're a little young," Gorm nodded, his smile fading as his initial excitement died down. "But then again, that's just how you've looked, isn't it?"

Large displays of emotion weren't really his thing. Still, his eyes twinkled in amusement. John felt himself relax a little. Yep, this was definitely his old ally.

However, his relief was short-lived. He stiffened up as he realized something. His age-changing shenanigans seemed to be a little messier than he thought they'd be. He hadn't thought of it much, but… how did this work? Just how had his age-changing affected his relationship with people he knew?

For some reason, Gorm seemed to understand that John shouldn't be this young. Probably the dichotomy between knowing he ran a bar and being forced to remember that he was, in fact, this age. However, it was almost as if the entire world had been hastily rewired in order to allow John to exist at such an age. Gorm and John's interaction had never been part of the plan, so it was rough.

Eventually, John calmed back down. Just another oversight by the [Author]. As long as this didn't interfere with anything… well, it wasn't too much to worry about.

"What have you two been up to?" Gorm said, walking over to the sign and turning it to "Closed." "You just… vanished."

"You don't remember a bounty being put on our heads?" John frowned. "Besides, it was about time I got out of here anyway. I've been up to some pretty interesting things."

"I'll have to hear all about it," Gorm nodded. "But the others-"

"They can wait. I didn't think I'd run into you," John said hurriedly. "I just came in, since… you know. Why'd you take over the bar anyway?"

"It was about time I retired," Gorm said calmly. "These old bones aren't suited for adventuring anymore. The others… still young. Still spry. I've heard Hestia is still looking for you. I… I was hoping you might return."

John's eyes widened. "For three years? What the fuck? Why?"

"We were companions, Quarta. What is the point in building a relationship if you fail to maintain it?"

Suddenly, images flashed through John's head. He watched as he blew Grey's brains out. Stabbed Hestia. Watched as Gorm and Gale were blown to fountains of blood.

"Companions? Is that what we are?"

He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. This Gorm had no recollection of such a thing, but… well, no point in lingering over it anymore. That was the whole point of [Resets], wasn't it? Those version of his party members didn't exist. They never would exist outside of his memories.

"Sure, sure," John said, waving him away. "Anyway, is there a place Prota and I can stay? We're only here for a month or so. Any good, cheap inns?"

"Why don't you use your room?" Gorm suggested. "Nobody is using it."

"You mean the place upstairs?" John said, surprised. "You're not using it?"

"I have a home, Quarta," Gorm reminded him. "Besides, I am simply running the bar as a formality. It does not… turn much profit."

"Ain't that true," John muttered. 'Wait, but if it's not profitable, then why-"

"I told you. I was waiting for you, hoping to hear good news." The dwarf smiled kindly. "And it is good news to see that the both of you are still alive. Come, you cannot be in that much of a hurry. There is time for a story and a drink."

"Fair enough," John nodded.

He walked around the bar and knocked on a section of the wall. It was hollow behind. He grinned and pushed on something, a hidden button opening a secret section. Inside were a couple of glass bottles with some kind of green liquid inside.

"Great," John said, pulling out two bottles.

They were ice cold to the touch. Taking a glass cup out, he poured the liquid inside and took a sip.

"Ahh," he sighed, leaning back. "Yeah, I suppose we got time for a chat."

Prota looked at him with pleading eyes, so he poured her a cup as well. She took a sip, and her eyes lit up in interest. It was fizzy, an experience she'd never had before, but it was also incredibly sweet and artificial-tasting. Still, she didn't mind it. It was quite good, actually.

She continued to sip away as John and Gorm chatted up a storm, mostly consisting of John talking with Gorm occasionally interjecting with a question or comment. He obviously left out a lot of the details, but he explained that he and Prota had been on a wild adventure in the Town of Beginnings. Then he explained how they'd made it into Scholaris, much to Gorm's interest.

"I mean no disrespect, but… you, Quarta?" Gorm said hesitantly.

"Don't worry about it. I just went in to watch over her," he explained, pointing to Prota. "But it's not that bad. The teachers are pretty good."

"Yes," Gorm nodded. "As I suspected. I am so proud of both of you."

John talked about their experiences, the exams, leaving out the details about the cultists and whatnot. In the end, Gorm seemed satisfied.

"We'll be going back in a month. I just have some business to wrap up here," John finished. "And… you can shut the bar down, Gorm. I didn't realize you would keep it open for me, and I appreciate it. Really. But you should go enjoy your retirement."

"I understand. I do not think the patrons like me very much," the dwarf nodded. "I do not have your… charisma, if it can be called that."

"Sure, whatever. Thanks for letting me use the room upstairs."

"It was always yours to begin with. I will head home, then," Gorm said, pulling out a bag from under the counter. "And, do try to find the others. Here is my address if you ever want to contact them. They'll be pleased to know you are still alive."

"Sure," John nodded. "If I find the time."

With that, his old companion left, the bell above the door giving its familiar jingle.

"Never thought I'd hear that again," John muttered.

He trudged up the stairs, pushing the door open. The place was as barren as the day he'd left it, although it was still clean. Gorm must've kept the place ready to live in, probably in the event that John did come back. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. This kind of respect and care was wasted on him.

Well, it was too late. He just had to remember that he wouldn't do such a thing to them again. He began pulling furniture out of his pocket dimension, and soon enough, it was as if he'd never left.

"John," Prota said quietly.

John nearly jumped out of his shoes as his sister called his name.

"Prota?" he said, trying to calm his beating heart. "What's up?"

"Let's… let's check," she said bashfully. "One more."

"One- oh. I understand. I don't really want to see her again, but… yeah, fair enough," John sighed. "Let's go."

They left the bar, treading down the familiar path to the friendly little alleyway. Most of the stalls were still there, selling wares John still recognized.

But one stall was missing.

Prota's eyes widened. She couldn't help but remember the image of Jinae's head spilling out of the bag. Had she been captured by the paladins?

"The paladins have no reason to suspect her," John muttered, seeing his sister's expression. "They only got called in because… well, I'm not going to explain it. But they shouldn't even be in this town. She probably left."

Still, he felt a little uneasy. She'd just up and left. Where had she gone? John sighed. Well, there was no harm in checking.

"Excuse me," he said, walking up to one of the other stalls. "I know this is a weird question, but… There was an old lady here, selling meat and various other foods out of a stall somewhere over there. Do you know what happened to her?"

The man running the stall shrugged. "I know who you're talking about, kid. One day, she just didn't show up. Nobody knew who she was. Us stall owners are usually pretty social, but not her. We don't even know where she lived. Eventually, the city came and took it down. No point in taking up . Shame, but she might've died or something. Why, you know her?"

"Kind of," John said, tossing the man a silver coin. "Thanks."

"No problem. You stay safe, kid," the man nodded.

John returned to Prota, whose expression had dimmed significantly.

"She's fine, Prota," John reassured her. "She probably just moved out or something. Come on, we gotta start planning our attack."

He couldn't help but be a little concerned, though. If she were gone, that meant that the [Author] had some kind of plan for her. Or maybe not? Maybe the [Author] just wanted to prevent John from gaining a powerful ally for what he was planning. Right, he had to remember that the [Author] hadn't even accounted for John coming here in the first place.

There was no point in overthinking it.

He returned to the bar, a little exhausted. There was a lot to take in and a lot to consider. He sat in a booth and pulled out a bottle of water from his pocket dimension.

"Let's just relax for the rest of today," John said, slumping in his seat. "We can worry about other things tomorrow. I mean, the whole thing shouldn't take more than a couple of days, right?"

Prota nodded, although she was still a little disappointed at missing Jinae.

Suddenly, the door burst open. John jumped in his seat, startled by the sudden commotion. Even Prota flinched at the noise.

"Quarta, you son of a bitch! Where've you been?!"

Hestia barged into the bar, a wide grin spread all over her face. John just sighed.

"Ah, shit."

~~~

"My lord," a servant said, trembling. "A message."

Emotor Wynton snatched the letter out of his servant's hands and dismissed the poor man with a single wave of the hand. The servant wasted no time in running out of the room while Emotor opened the envelope.

"They've… arrived?" he said, a grin stretching on his face. "And they want to attack me? As if!"

He laughed, tossing the paper away.

"They can come if they want. It's about time they surrendered their lives to me. It would be better if they knew their places and delivered themselves bound in chains, but… well, it might be amusing to see them struggle a little."

He stood up, heading directly to his captain of the guards.

"My lord," the man said with a salute. "It is rare you come to this section of the manor."

Emotor ignored the man's greeting.

"Captain," he said. "Prepare your men for battle."

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