Shura adapted.

  Not all at once. Not perfectly. But every day, a little more.

  He talked—to villagers fixing fences, to guards standing long night watches, to kids who followed him around asking reckless questions. He listened more than he spoke. When he laughed, it was honest. When he apologized, it was immediate.

  People noticed.

  At the Guild, members stopped calling him the new kid.

  They just called him Shura.

  Mio was the worst case.

  They argued over paperwork, shared stolen snacks behind the counter, and exchanged stories after missions ended late. She teased him. He teased back—badly.

  “You’re going to get banned one day,” she said.

  “For what?” Shura asked.

  “For existing,” she replied.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  They laughed.

  Everyone liked Shura’s nature.

  Not because he was strong—but because he tried.

  Ren and Yura stood before Empress Rose.

  They reported everything.

  The dead farmers.

  The broken security.

  The monster that thought.

  Rose listened without interruption.

  “…This cannot be ignored,” she said at last.

  She turned toward the crystal array.

  “I’ll inform Senku,” Rose continued. “He’ll investigate this mess personally.”

  The air shifted.

  “Be careful,” she added. “If monsters are learning… the Deep will not remain quiet.”

  Elsewhere, Orin walked through the streets with Emma.

  Too close.

  Too relaxed.

  They shared street food, laughed too loudly, ignored the stares.

  “You’re enjoying this too much,” Emma said.

  “Dangerous missions build appetite,” Orin replied smoothly.

  She rolled her eyes—but didn’t pull away.

  They all gathered near dusk.

  The clearing felt fuller than usual—voices overlapping, presence layered. Shura sat near the edge, listening more than talking. Juro stood at the center, arms folded.

  “I’ll be brief,” Juro said.

  Silence fell.

  “A battle between the strongest fighters of all six Kingdoms,” he continued. “Held in the Colosseum of Aethelgard.”

  The Colosseum Battle in Aethelgard happens once every year.

  “For eight days,” Juro said, “transportation halts. Guild operations pause. Everything stops.”

  Shura blinked. “Everything?”

  “Yes,” Juro replied. “Because the world will be watching.”

  Orin smiled. “I'm Exited.”

  Rin nodded. “Of course I'm participating.”

  Yura tilted her head. “What about Zenkyou?”

  The air froze.

  Ren and Orin spoke together, without hesitation.

  “If we all fought her at once,” Ren said.

  “We’d still lose,” Orin finished.

  Shura stared. “Then why isn’t she joining?”

  Orin looked away.

  “She’s banned.”

  “…Why?” Shura asked.

  Orin met his eyes.

  “I’ll explain during the match,” he said quietly. “For now—be quiet.”

  Juro stepped forward.

  “The battle begins in ten days,” he said. “Prepare yourselves.”

  Shura felt it.

  This wasn’t just a tournament.

  This was a signal.

  And the world was about to answer.

  End of Chapter 15