Back in the capital of the 90th-ranked Kingdom of Thaleon, things were not going smoothly.
> "You what?! You let the illegitimate girl live?!"
"Your Majesty, she was born without any aura signature! She was useless—"
"Then explain this."
The King slammed a scroll on the table.
A message from the Royal Hunter Squad stationed near Mirewood.
> "Multiple sightings of collapsed bandits, trees vaporized, and a creature classified as a Cursed Wyvern Level 7 found fried to the bone."
"Magical residue unknown. Signature… immeasurable."
The royal council fell silent.
> "She couldn't have done that…"
"She's just a girl!"
The King clenched his fists. His knuckles cracked.
> "Then find her. Bring her back. Dead or alive."
---
Back at Camp Ayra
Ayra yawned. She was levitating upside-down while sketching a rune in the sky with her toes.
Kiel sat nearby munching cookies he insisted he'd found. (Ayra totally summoned them but let him pretend.)
> "Ayra?"
"Mmm?"
"Why don't you go back to the capital? Show them you're strong. Make them pay."
Ayra flipped mid-air and landed cross-legged.
> "What's the point?"
"Revenge?"
"Nah. Revenge is a side quest."
Kiel tilted his head. "Then… what's your main quest?"
Ayra smiled.
> "That's a secret."
---
The First Hunter
Suddenly, the air thickened. A sharp breeze cut through the forest.
Ayra's eyes flicked sideways.
A man stepped from the trees. Tall, armored, and radiating magic so dense it made birds fall silent.
> "Ayra Thaleon. By royal decree, you are under arrest for the illegal use of forbidden magic and treason."
Kiel froze.
Ayra, meanwhile, looked disappointed.
> "Wow. The King sent B-tier assassins already? I was hoping for at least an A."
The Hunter frowned.
> "You mock the kingdom?"
Ayra stood slowly.
> "No. I mock your fashion sense."
The hunter roared and charged.
Ayra didn't even move. Her shadow rippled.
With a blink, the world reversed. Grass grew backward, time paused midair, and—
> SNAP.
The Hunter turned into a harmless bunny with glowing armor and a confused expression.
Kiel: "...Did you just—"
Ayra: "Magic accident. Oops."
She picked up the bunny.
> "Tell the King I said hi. Oh wait, you can't. You're a bunny now."
---