On Planet NTOEL, silence slowly returned.
The battle had ended.
Smoke still drifted through the streets while emergency sirens echoed in the distance. Several buildings had partially collapsed, their walls blackened by fire and monster blood. Government workers hurried from place to place, rescuing civilians and repairing damaged structures.
Scattered across the city stood dozens of towering humanoid machines.
Each robot slowly returned to its designated position before entering a dormant state once more.
Their crimson eyes dimmed.
Their metallic bodies became completely motionless.
From a distance, they resembled ordinary statues.
Only those who had witnessed the battle knew how terrifying they truly were.
Nora stood quietly before one of them.
Not a single scratch remained on her body.
She had already recovered.
Her expression was as calm as ever.
She looked toward the enormous machine and allowed herself a small smile.
"My masterpiece..."
Years ago, before awakening as an Initiate, she had dreamed of building machines capable of protecting humanity.
Back then...
People had laughed at her.
The technology simply didn't exist.
Even after becoming an Initiate, completing such an invention remained impossible.
Until Asterion stepped in.
The Transcendent had patiently listened to every one of her ridiculous theories.
Instead of dismissing them...
He helped complete them.
He supplied the missing runes.
He solved problems she couldn't even understand.
Most importantly...
He infused each robot with a tiny fragment of his own essence.
It wasn't enough to unleash the full power of a Transcendent.
If they did...
Entire cities would disappear every time they attacked.
Instead, the machines were limited to a fraction of that strength.
Even so...
That tiny fraction was enough to overwhelm most monsters that invaded the Human World.
Nora slowly touched the robot's metal arm.
"...Thank you."
She wasn't sure whether she was thanking the machine...
Or Asterion.
Her eyes wandered across the city.
Several apartment buildings had collapsed.
Roads were cracked.
Glass covered the streets.
Although the robots had defeated the invading monsters...
They hadn't arrived quickly enough to prevent all the destruction.
Nora sighed softly.
"I wonder..."
"...when this apocalypse will finally end."
Nobody had the answer.
Ever since dimensional portals began appearing across humanity's planets, peace had become little more than a temporary illusion.
One portal closed...
Another opened somewhere else.
The battles never truly stopped.
After one final glance at the damaged district, Nora quietly returned home.
Fortunately...
Her own house remained untouched.
The defensive robot stationed nearby had protected it throughout the battle.
Stepping inside, Nora immediately noticed how peaceful everything felt.
The living room remained perfectly tidy.
Not even a broken plate could be found.
She climbed the stairs before entering her room.
There...
Resting atop a large wooden desk...
Lay a thick leather-bound book.
Its dark cover showed signs of age despite being carefully maintained.
Countless handwritten notes filled its pages.
Ancient symbols.
Sword diagrams.
Runic formulas.
Personal observations.
It was less a notebook...
And more a record of her journey.
Nora gently ran her fingers across its cover.
"I wonder..."
"...how much I've learned."
She slowly opened it.
The pages turned by themselves.
Ink shimmered.
Her memories gradually resurfaced.
---
Several months earlier...
After returning from Planet Diamond...
Nora had finally settled back into her usual routine.
The strange emotions she experienced there had gradually faded.
Training once again became her primary focus.
Although she possessed extraordinary abilities over Fate...
One weakness constantly bothered her.
Close combat.
Whenever enemies managed to approach her...
She relied almost entirely upon instinct.
That wasn't enough.
If she wished to survive future battles...
She needed proper swordsmanship.
Not merely swinging a weapon.
True mastery.
With that thought in mind...
Nora left home and traveled toward one of the largest martial academies on Planet NTOEL.
Unlike ordinary gyms...
This place specialized in combat techniques used by Initiates and Awakened.
Rows of weapon displays lined the walls.
Spears.
Sabers.
Greatswords.
Daggers.
Bows.
Even stranger weapons Nora couldn't identify.
Several students practiced inside spacious training halls while instructors carefully corrected every movement.
The atmosphere felt serious.
Dedicated.
Every person there desired one thing.
Strength.
As Nora entered, a receptionist immediately stood.
The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses before smiling politely.
"Welcome, Ma'am."
"How may I assist you today?"
Nora awkwardly smiled.
"Please..."
"You can simply call me Nora."
The receptionist looked troubled.
"I'm afraid that would violate our customer etiquette."
Nora blinked.
"...Seriously?"
The man nodded sincerely.
"Our manager is quite strict."
Nora sighed in defeat.
"Fine."
She decided arguing wasn't worth the effort.
"I'd like to learn swordsmanship."
The receptionist's eyes brightened.
"Excellent."
"Please follow me."
He guided her through several sections of the academy before stopping in front of a long shelf filled with combat manuals.
Each book radiated faint essence.
Clearly...
These weren't ordinary techniques.
The receptionist carefully picked up a blue manual.
"Our most popular technique."
He proudly presented it.
"Wind Slash."
Nora accepted the book.
The cover depicted a swordsman surrounded by spiraling currents.
The receptionist began explaining.
"Wind Slash revolves around constant grip transitions."
"The swordsman changes the position of their hands every instant during a strike."
"Each adjustment compresses surrounding wind essence."
"By the time the slash lands..."
"The accumulated wind explodes simultaneously."
He demonstrated with a wooden sword.
His grip shifted several times within a single swing.
A faint gust burst outward at the end.
"Simple."
"Elegant."
"Deadly."
"Many Initiates choose this as their first sword art."
Nora quietly observed the demonstration.
It certainly looked powerful.
But...
She slowly shook her head.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't think this style suits me."
The receptionist tilted his head.
"May I ask why?"
Nora gently held one of the practice swords nearby.
Her fingers wrapped naturally around its handle.
Firmly.
Comfortably.
She smiled faintly.
"I dislike changing my grip."
"When I hold my sword..."
"I prefer absolute certainty."
"My hands shouldn't hesitate."
"They shouldn't adjust."
"They should already know exactly where they belong."
The receptionist looked genuinely surprised.
Most beginners chased flashy techniques.
Few cared about fundamentals.
After several seconds...
He smiled.
"I understand."
"In that case..."
"I believe we should look elsewhere."
He carefully returned the Wind Slash manual to its shelf before leading Nora deeper into the academy.
Neither of them realized...
That this simple decision would eventually shape Nora's entire sword path.