"Diana, you're okay now!" Ren exclaimed, running to her side.

"Just a little. Thanks for worrying," Diana replied with a weak smile.

"Hey, where are the others?" Chizuru asked, looking around.

"Ah... I don't know about Naori, but Natsu and Nagi went on a mission."

Chizuru raised an eyebrow. "Wait, wait... do you really think those two will come back without a fight?"

"I'd say so," Ren affirmed with a confidence she didn't quite feel.

"I'm back!" Naori said, entering the room with a book in her hand. "Diana, you're okay!"

"Yes, but I still need to rest."

"Wow, healing magic is amazing."

"Hey, Naori," Ren said. "Where were you?"

"I went to the city library."

"To get a book? I didn't know you liked reading."

"Yeah, actually, my parents taught me that one of the best ways to acquire knowledge is through books."

"Wow, they're kind of right. Nagi reads a lot, and that's why he's so knowledgeable," Ren said.

"So, what's the book about?" Chizuru asked.

"Oh, look." Naori showed them the book. It was written in the ancient language of the demi-beasts, but the words "Demi-beast" and "Region" were clearly understandable. "I can understand what it says because, well... my parents made me study a lot, so I learned to read this language."

"Hey, maybe you can recommend a book for me later so I can learn the language," Diana asked.

"Sure."

"Hmm... Hmm..." Chizuru cleared her throat. "Well, let's go take a bath, and I'll tell you about an idea I have."

"But aren't we going to tell the boys?" Diana asked.

"Yes, but later."

Later, in the baths, Ren sighed with pleasure. "This feels so nice. Hey, why did we have to take a bath so early?"

"You'll see," Chizuru replied with a mysterious smile.

Ren saw Naori whispering something to Chizuru and Diana. "Hey, what are you talking about?"

"We have a little challenge for you," Chizuru said. The three of them started laughing maniacally.

"I don't like the sound of this..."

Just at that moment, the front door opened.

"We're back!" I shouted.

"You'd better shut up," Nagi retorted.

"What are you talking about? If it weren't for you, I would have defeated those monsters easily."

"Yeah, yeah," Nagi shot back. "And if you hadn't gotten in the way, I would have defeated the boss faster."

We turned our backs on each other. Nagi went to the kitchen, but I, without realizing it, headed toward the girls' bathroom.

As I entered the locker room, I realized my mistake. I heard the girls' voices. I'd better get out of here, I thought. But when I looked to the left, I saw her. Ren, completely naked.

"R-R-Ren, what are you doing?" I stammered, my face burning.

"Well... it's the girls' bathroom..." she said softly, equally flushed and flustered. "Why are you here?"

"I got confused... I... was... just leaving."

"Okay."

"See you later."

"Yes."

I ran out of the locker room as if my life depended on it.

"AHHHH!... What did you make me do!" Ren shouted from inside.

"Hmph... Well done, friend!" Chizuru's voice called out.

"AHHH, I want to die!"

When Nagi came out of the kitchen, he found me lying in a corner, my face extremely red. "What happened now?"

Later, as we were all sitting in the living room, Nagi spoke up.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"We already told Naori and Ren, but we were waiting for you two," Chizuru said.

"I don't want to go on any more missions," I complained.

"Relax, it's not that," Diana said.

"There's one more day until we go to the arena to meet our opponents," Chizuru explained.

"So what about it?" Nagi asked.

"My grandfather used to have one of the best guilds until he left it to my dad. And, well, he has a place near the academy where we can stay."

"And it also has a training ground," Diana added.

"Let's see," Nagi said, processing the information. "You're saying we can train there?"

"Exactly."

"But I don't understand why we have to stay there."

"Norimoa is a huge city," Chizuru explained. "Right now, we're in the southeast part, and the academy is in the northwest."

"But isn't the tournament arena we're going to tomorrow to the north?" Nagi asked.

"Exactly. We can train for the rest of today, and the house is right by the academy in the northwest."

"True. But the meeting is tomorrow, and it's already 10 a.m. If we leave today, will we have time?"

"Yeah, it's only a 40-minute carriage ride."

"Okay... Natsu, Ren, Naori, get ready."

"Yes!"

The carriage took us through the beautiful city. We passed by the large structure that reflected the sun and finally arrived at our destination.

"Wow, this is huge," said Ren.

In front of us stood a huge building, much larger than our house, shaped like a horseshoe. It looked like a luxury hotel.

"Welcome, Miss Chizuru," said a woman dressed as a maid, waiting for us at the entrance.

"Hello, Mei, how are you?" exclaimed Chizuru.

"Very well, always taking care of your grandfather's hotel."

"Th-this isn't a house... it's a hotel!" exclaimed Nagi.

"What's a hotel?" I asked.

"They're structures that began to be built in the north," Nagi explained. "Spaces where people stay overnight for special events. There are only five in the whole country, and this is one of them."

"There are strange things in the north..." I murmured, though a strange feeling of nostalgia washed over me.

"Of the three in Norimoa, this was the first to be built. It's called Soul Phoenix Paradise," Chizuru said. "Although it's been out of use for the past five or six years, since my father caused almost all of my grandfather's businesses to fail. And so, we have the entire hotel to ourselves."

"Then how is it still standing?" Nagi asked.

"Because Madam Mei has maintained it all these years, only for my father to neglect it."

"I don't know how your father could neglect this," Nagi said.

"Well, settle in, and I'll see you at the training grounds behind the hotel."

Mei had laid out the keys to all the rooms on a table for us. Nagi took room 139, Chizuru room 149, Diana room 148, Naori room 146, Ren room 154, and I took room 155.

Inside my room, the strange feeling of familiarity returned even stronger. Everyone, for some reason, chose rooms down the hall, I thought. It's weird, but that feeling from earlier... it makes me feel sad.

A fleeting memory crossed my mind. A boy.

"Kioyo, do you like this hotel?" "Yes, Mom, it's big." "HAHAHA." "What's up, Dad?" "Nothing, son. I just like coming to Okinawa with you guys." "I hope we can do it for the rest of our lives..."

"Ahh... What was that? Did I fall asleep? Or did I faint?" I said aloud. "But who were those people?"

Knock... Knock... Knock...

"HEY, NATSU, HURRY UP, WE'RE ALL READY!" Chizuru shouted from the other side of the door.

"I'M COMING! Damn, I forgot."

I left the room. "I'm here, let's go."

The training ground was amazing.

"Hey, wasn't it supposed to be behind the hotel...? THIS IS ON THE OTHER END OF THE CITY!" Diana shouted.

"Yeah, they couldn't have built it inside the city," Chizuru explained. "Sorry for not telling you. But look at the lake, it's so pretty."

"And the monsters?"

"Could you calm down a bit? Mei, activate the shield."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mei walked over to a stone in the corner of the ground and touched it. Instantly, torches around the lake ignited with a blue fire.

"What's that?" Diana asked.

"Look over there, in the distance. See that goblin? When it passes between two of the pillars, it'll burn up."

"No way," Diana said skeptically.

The goblin passed between the pillars and turned to ash in an instant.

"WOW!"

"I knew it would happen all along," Diana said, trying to hide her astonishment.

"Yeah, sure. Well, let's begin. Who's going to be the first to fight?"

"Me and Nagi!" I exclaimed.

"Me? Why?"

"Come on, let's go!"

"Fine..."

We positioned ourselves at opposite ends of the field.

"Are you ready?" Mei asked.

"YES!"

"START!"

We both shot toward each other, but...

"Stop!" Chizuru shouted.

We dodged at the last second. Nagi stopped on the sand, but I kept going and fell into the lake.

"Natsu, are you okay?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, I created a layer of ice before falling... ouch, but it still hurt."

"Tell me, why did you stop the fight?" Nagi asked Chizuru.

"How about we have a small tournament using the rules of the real tournament?"

"WHAT?" we all said, confused.

"What did my lady say?" Mei asked, equally confused.