[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission! Rewards have been issued!]
[Detected: Host has completed a hidden objective. Bonus Reward: One use of the Lucky Roulette.]
The System's mechanical voice exploded in Aoi Kazama's mind just as she was leaning against her windowsill, idly poking at the new sprouts in her planter.
Her eyes lit up instantly. "Lucky Roulette?"
Spin it! Spin it now!
The moment the command echoed in her heart, a translucent wheel flickered into existence before her eyes.
The wheel was divided into countless tiny segments, each labeled with a different reward. Everything from the "Proper Usage Manual for the Crimson Red Nichirin Sword" to the "Secret Manual for Awakening the Slayer Mark" flashed past, leaving her dizzy with anticipation.
The needle began to spin at a blurring speed. Aoi stared at the wheel unblinkingly, her heart a frantic drumbeat of prayers. Give me something good, please, please, please!
The needle slowed, passing segment after segment while Aoi watched with a bated breath that felt like her heart might actually stop. Finally, it clicked into place, landing squarely on the golden tile in the very center.
"Time-Space Traverser!" Aoi gasped, staring at the reward in shock.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Time-Space Traverser. Usage Rules: Allows travel to any specific point in the past. Cooldown: Three months.]
"Holy crap, this is completely broken!" Aoi marveled, examining the reward—a sleek, ring-like device.
[Ding! Detected: Compatible item available—Portkey. Would you like to merge them?]
Merge? How does that work? Aoi asked internally.
[Simply bring the two items into contact and initiate the merger with your intent. Once merged, the Time-Space Traverser will upgrade into the Time-Space Star Key, unlocking the privilege of bringing one companion along during travels.]
A flash of excitement crossed Aoi's eyes. She immediately retrieved the Portkey from her storage.
Taking a deep breath, she pressed the key against the Time-Space ring. "Merge!"
Two distinct glimmers of light collided and intertwined, emitting a low-frequency hum. The patterns on the ring and the key began to flow and spiral like two merging streams, gradually fusing into a single entity.
When the light faded, the ring was gone, replaced by an exquisite, star-patterned key.
Aoi hung it around her neck on a cord and stepped out into the yard, feeling more than a little smug. She hadn't gone far before she spotted Muichiro Tokito sitting in a tree.
"Morning, Muichiro!"
Muichiro nodded vaguely. "Morning."
Aoi's eyes darted back and forth as her mental gears began to turn. This was the perfect chance to test her new toy.
System, she inquired, if I travel to a past timeline, how does time flow here?
[Ding! Inquiry received. The Time-Space Traverser utilizes Dual-Timeline Synchronization. The duration the Host spends in the past timeline will have zero impact on the flow of time in the current world.]
Zero impact?
Meaning, even if she stayed in the past for ten days, a month, or longer, not a single second would pass in her current world?
Aoi was ecstatic.
"Hey, what's with you?"
Muichiro, noticing her strange behavior from his perch, leaned down from the branches. His mint-green eyes held a flicker of uncharacteristic concern.
Aoi snapped back to reality and shook her head. "Nothing! I've gotta go, Muichiro. Bye!"
Since this was her first time using the device, she figured she shouldn't risk bringing him along just yet.
Muichiro watched her retreating back—she was practically skipping—and furrowed his brow. A flash of confusion crossed his pale eyes.
Aoi sprinted to a secluded area and touched the key at her neck. "Take me to Muichiro's past!"
The moment the words were spoken, the Star Key erupted in a brilliant, crystalline light. The intricate carvings on the metal seemed to come alive, flowing rapidly around the key's surface.
A soft yet irresistible force enveloped her. Her surroundings distorted instantly; the sound of the wind whistled in her ears, and the colors of the world bled together like wet paint before rushing backward.
When Aoi opened her eyes again, she was standing on the edge of a jagged cliff.
A torrential downpour was lashing the mountainside. The icy needles of rain bit into her skin, making her shiver violently.
"Seriously? This thing is way too literal," Aoi grumbled, wiping the water from her face.
Through the curtain of rain, a silhouette emerged in the distance. The figure was wearing a straw raincoat and a wide conical hat.
The rain blurred his features, but it was clearly a man. He appeared to be searching for herbs; his hand reached out toward a patch of Rock Coptis growing from a crevice in the cliffside. The herb was fresh and green—a vital medicine for stopping bleeding and easing pain.
Suddenly, his foot slipped. He lost his balance on the slick stone and began to plummet toward the abyss below.
Aoi's pupils shrank. Without even a second of conscious thought, her body moved.
She lunged forward, catching the man around the waist. Using her momentum, she kicked off a protruding rock and swung them both back onto a stable, safe ledge.
"Are you alright?" Aoi asked, helping the man steady himself.
The man shook his head, looking pale with shock. "I'm fine. Thank you... thank you truly."
Aoi waved it off. "Don't mention it. Just glad I was here to help."
The man looked at Aoi's soaked clothes and then at the relentless storm. "Thank you for saving my life. If you don't mind, please come to my home to escape the rain."
Realizing the storm wasn't going to let up anytime soon, Aoi nodded. "Alright. Thank you, I appreciate it."
"By the way," she added, "why were you out in such dangerous conditions just to pick herbs?"
"My wife is ill," the man replied, his voice dropping an octave. "I wanted to get some Rock Coptis to brew medicine for her."
Aoi felt a pang of sympathy. Life really has a way of kicking you when you're down. If I hadn't shown up, he wouldn't have made it back today.
A short while later, Aoi followed the man to a small, humble wooden cabin. He looked at her with an embarrassed smile. "It's quite modest, I hope you don't mind."
Aoi shook her head. "Not at all!"
"Is that Father?" a voice called out from inside. Aoi froze; the voice was hauntingly familiar.
Two boys, around ten years old, pushed open the door and stepped out. When Aoi saw their faces, her jaw dropped.
The boy in front had refined, delicate features and a pair of signature mint-green eyes. He was the spitting image of Muichiro Tokito, only without the distant, hollow quietness of the Hashira. He looked alive, vibrant, and full of youthful energy.
"This... this is..."
This is Muichiro! And wait, who's that beside him?!
The man—Muichiro's father—introduced them. "These are my sons: Yuichiro Tokito and Muichiro Tokito."
Aoi felt her brain stall out. Her mouth opened and closed, but not a single coherent sentence came out.
"Father, who is this?" Yuichiro asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion as he looked at Aoi. Why is this woman looking at us like she's seen a ghost?
He immediately went on the defensive; he wasn't about to let his father be swindled.