THE REBORN WORLD OF THE CHRONICLES

"The spell was made by a powerful mage from the first generation of mages. It's nothing compared to the Icon. The Icon protects an entire kingdom, while this spell only shields a single body. The difference is obvious," Lucy explained.

"Yeah, I see that now. But for tonight… how are we going to spend the night? Where are we going to sleep?" Rebekah asked.

"Don't be silly, Rebekah. We're traveling through the night—we don't have time to waste," Lucy responded.

"Oooh, that's not fair, Master! We don't even know which kingdom we're heading to. How can we be sure we'll get there before morning?" Rebekah pressed.

"Be rest assured—we're heading to a kingdom more suitable for adventure. This trip will be one you'll never forget," Lucy said with a smile, gazing up at the moon.

"Why are you smiling, Master? Where exactly are we going?" Alfie, who had just regained consciousness after the spell was cast on him, asked.

"Oh, you're awake already. The sealing spell was a success. Now let's hit the road—to Ashura!" Lucy said as she mounted her horse.

"Ashura? Are you talking about the kingdom where everyone is a Shinra? I only heard about it from my father—I never knew it was real. That's going to be an amazing place to train. Let's get going, Master!" Rebekah exclaimed, leaping onto the horse with joy.

"And you call me easily carried away?" Alfie said. "You're so excited just from hearing about a place full of Shinras. You're such a kid, Rebekah."

"You idiot! What do you even know about the Kingdom of Ashura? It's the strongest kingdom in the entire country. Powerful Shinras from all over come to Ashura to train harder and grow stronger. There's no way someone like you would know about something so great," Rebekah laughed at Alfie.

"I don't care if all the strongest Shinras in the country are there. I'll kick anyone's butt who tries to mess with me or with you guys," Alfie said, climbing up behind her.

"Such big words for a little boy like you," Lucy teased.

"I'm not a little boy! I'm a man who swore to eliminate every last darkside spirit from this world. I stopped being a kid the moment I made that promise to my family and to myself," Alfie replied firmly.

"I'm impressed," Lucy smiled. "Let's get going. If we leave now, we can reach Ashura in about twenty days. If we had hired a chariot, it would have taken fifty-five. So be thankful."

"Twenty days on horseback?!" Alfie and Rebekah shouted in unison.

"Keep it down, you morons. We're not riding non-stop. If we travel all night and rest from sunset till noon in the nearest towns, we should get there in about fifteen days. Just remember—Ashura is about ten times the size of Guhan. We'll pass through many kingdoms, so don't get yourselves into trouble," Lucy explained as they continued riding.

"Yes, Master!" both replied.

"Master, what kingdom are you from? Which special darkside knight were you? And… why did you leave that behind just to help Alfie? Is that promise really that important to you?" Rebekah asked curiously.

"I left on my own. It wasn't just about the promise I made to Falco, but also the promise I made to myself. You see, the reason I know so much about darkside spirits, wizards, and witches isn't just because I was a special darkside knight—it's because of my life experience. I'm a witch myself. I possess both Light Renshi and Dark Renshi. I suppressed my dark Renshi with an ancient spell, similar to the one I used on Alfie. It's more like I exiled my dark Renshi deep inside me, beyond my reach.

"I served as a special darkside knight in the Kingdom of Mechan. But I wasn't their ruler. I hated doing paperwork and sitting in a castle while weaker Shinras died for me. That life wasn't for me," Lucy revealed.

"Hmm… sorry for asking so suddenly, Master," Rebekah said, surprised. "You look so young… and you said you gained all this from life experience. How old are you, anyway?"

"Well, promise me you won't freak out when I tell you," Lucy smirked.

"We promise!" both Alfie and Rebekah shouted eagerly.

"I've lived for several centuries now. I survived countless battles and trials with different identities. This is my twelfth century on Earth," Lucy said calmly as they exited the forest and officially left the borders of Guhan.

"Huh?! You've been alive for more than twelve centuries…?" Alfie said slowly.

"TWELVE CENTURIES?!" Rebekah screamed. "That's over one thousand two hundred years old! That's impossible! No human has ever lived that long!"

"And that's exactly the reaction I expected," Lucy sighed. "Seems you two aren't so great at keeping promises after all."