"Big Brother... Wh—where are we!?" Maya uttered, as her voice trembling in fear.
"I'd like to ask myself the same question... Literally!" He murmured, his tone reflecting both bewilderment and disbelief.
Confused and frightened, the Tempest siblings faced an unsettling reality.
Once a bustling streets had suddenly vanished, replaced by a vast grasslands leading to a lush forest, where mysterious creatures howling on the distant horizon.
A large earthquake shook the ground, as if announcing the world of their arrival.
Small flying creatures and birds took flight from the distant forest, their panicked movements seeming to announce their fear.
"Wait... Did you just call me Big Brother?" Ewaan questioned, his voice tinged with disbelief as he turned to look at Maya.
Maya, who had been clinging to Ewaan ever since their arrival in this bewildering world, suddenly became aware of their closeness and withdrew from him.
Ewaan's question seemed to calm her a little from fear and confusion, but now her expression was clouded with fluster, as her cheeks flushed red.
"What, Big Brother? I don't know what you're talking about..." Maya replied, her voice tinged with a hint of defensiveness.
Ewaan's gaze sweeping over their surroundings as he tries to make sense of their new reality, he uttered, "Hmm... I kinda like being called Big Brother, you know!"
She murmured, "...You do?" Now her whole face flushing bright red, her embarrassment evident as she struggled to process Ewaan's unexpected response.
A large greatsword-wielding beast with a bull-like appearance suddenly appeared, roaring in the distance.
It charged towards Ewaan and Maya with bloodshot eyes and a furious aura, its massive form casting a menacing shadow over them.
Terrified by the sight, Ewaan swiftly pushed Maya away, understanding the danger to both him and Maya.
He then diverted the attention of the bull-like creature and luring it towards him alone, determined to protect his sister at all costs.
With the creature approached Ewaan alone and its sword poised to strike him, Maya's piercing scream of "BIG BROTHER!!!" echoed through the air, her voice filled with terror and desperation as she watching helplessly.
Looking at the creature's greatsword, he screamed, "RUN AWAY!" Still concern about her safety. After closing his eyes in fear, he pondered,
– Is this it? Is this really where I'm going to die?
The thought of his mortality weighed heavily on his mind as he braced himself for what seemed like an inevitable fate.
"[Electric Currents, Ensnare And Immobilize! — PARALYZE]"
A girl suddenly appeared in front of Ewaan, wielding a longsword, and blocked the creature's blade with swift precision.
Her ash-blonde hair cascaded down in an elegant flow, complemented by two small braids that artfully weaved through the open strands, adding a touch of sophistication to her overall appearance.
With a slim body build, her warm brown eyes reflected a depth of emotions and curiosity, enhancing the allure of her charm.
Additionally, she wore a small breastplate over her white dress, which flowed into a yellow skirt, adding to her warrior-like appearance.
Similar to her twin, the other girl shared the same ash-blonde hair with two small braids, but her build carried a mature touch, boasting a subtly sophisticated silhouette.
Her hairstyle made her hair slightly shorter than her sister's, and her warm and bright brown eyes reflected a sense of determination, as she radiated a captivating aura with a style uniquely her own.
Additionally, her white long dress with a slight touch of red complemented her mature look.
Completing her incantation, she concluded with a forceful slap on the ground, channeling the lightning through the earth with determination.
Lightning struck the creature as it surged through the ground, causing it to stop in its tracks, paralyzed.
Immediately, the girl with the longsword yelled, "[Sword-flame Infusion ― DEADLY CUT]!"
Her sword emitted fire as she slashed the creature in half. Flames erupted, enveloping the bull-like creature, turning it into a charred spectacle as it collapsed to the ground, perished.
Relieved by the whole ordeal, Ewaan's legs seemed gave up on him as he fell to the ground onto his butt.
However, an unexpected sight made him quickly avert his gaze and close his eyes.
It was the underwear of the sword-wielding girl who was in front of him, fully visible from the ground as her yellow skirt was above her knees.
Ewaan's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he tried to pretend he hadn't seen anything.
The girl with the longsword delicately began extracting the creature's horns and the big and shiny core from within its charred remains.
Maya, still on the ground due to Ewaan's push, kept her gaze fixed on Ewaan, frightened by this sudden ordeal.
As the spellcaster approached Maya, she offered her a hand to help her stand up, "Are you alright?"
Maya, still shaken from the ordeal, stuttered, "Y—yeah, I—I'm okay..." She then glanced at Ewaan, who remained seated on the ground, "Ewaan...?"
Sensing Maya's concern, both the spellcaster and Maya approached him.
Coming to his senses, he panicked, "Maya...?" before realizing they were approaching him.
Maya and the spellcaster extended their hands to help him up.
"Maya, are you okay? You weren't hurt anywhere, were you?" Ewaan's voice trembled with concern, his eyes searching hers for any sign of injury.
As she met his gaze, he breathed a sigh of relief at her nod.
Amidst the commotion, the sword-wielding girl approached the group, her hands carefully cradling the extracted items.
She then placed the creature's horns and the shiny red gem into the spacious shoulder bag that her twin was carrying, ensuring they were secure for transport.
°°°
After ensuring their safety and calming down, Ewaan's primary focus lingered on a single pressing thought.
"Umm... Excuse me, but how did you... do that?" He asked the spellcaster, while his expression remaining stoic, betraying none of the awe and bewilderment he feeling inside.
"Hmm? You mean the spell?" Confused by his question, she began to explain, "Well, normally I should've used my staff," pointing at the long rod wrapped in cloth at her back, "but since it was urgent, I just channeled my mana through the ground to utilize ‹Paralyze›."
Her explanation was delivered normally, her tone neutral despite the extraordinary nature of her abilities.
Even though it wasn't precisely what he intended to know, her explanation nevertheless addressed his bewildered thoughts.
– Now I'm certain that whatever that golden beam was, it transmigrated me and my sister here.
He glanced at Maya, while his thoughts running wild.
– This is not the world we're from! And the greatest proof is... Magic and that strange bull monster...
"Let's go, Ayaka. We shouldn't waste any more time here," Casting a glance at the setting sun, "since night is approaching..." The sword-wielding girl spoke.
Nodding, the spellcaster—Ayaka turned her attention to the Tempest siblings. "Alright, bye guys..." She uttered before turning to leave.
"W—wait... Before you leave, could you tell us the way to the nearest city from here?" Ewaan inquired hastily.
– Forget everything! We need to get out of here as soon as possible and survive... It's getting late and night time gets more dangerous in many settings...
His thoughts raced, drawing on his experiences from games and anime. Despite his stoic expression, desperation flickered in his eyes.
– Maya's also scared right now... heck, I'm scared!! But we need to calm ourselves and get the hell out of this wilderness before any other monsters shows up!
"Oh, you can come with us if you want! We're also heading towards the King's State, which is also closest from here!" Ayaka offered with a smile, her expression softened as she extended the invitation, conveying a mix of sincerity and friendliness.
Ewaan, with a sincere and thankful tone, uttered, "Then we'll ta—-"
Before getting interrupted by the sword-wielding girl, "Wait, we can't trust them! Come on, Ayaka, haven't you learned anything from trusting that guy who turned out to be a bandit?" her tone cautious and wary, contrasting with Ayaka's openness.
"Yes, but..." Ayaka countered, "look at how weak and terrified they are right now, and tell me, do they look anything like those bandits with how well they're dressed?" her tone filled with concern and compassion, "And my heart insists they are good people,"
"Don't be naive, Ayaka! When that pervy bastard kidnapped you, claiming he needed assistance, you said the exact same thing!"
The sword-wielding girl's tone was sharp and filled with warning, urging Ayaka to be cautious and not to trust anyone too easily.
"But still, Ayami, I'm certain that this time they're not bad people!" Ayaka pleaded with Ayami—the sword-wielder.
Her eyes filled with earnest sincerity and hope, hoping to convince her sister to trust the Tempest siblings.
••• ••• •••