Beyond the door lay... a forest unlike any I had ever seen.

The trees grew thick and dense, their leaves an eerie mix of purple and red, exuding an almost toxic aura.

From the distance came the growls of beasts, some so loud and guttural that they triggered a deep-seated revulsion within me.

It seemed that a vast array of monsters roamed this place.

For now... I had no choice but to move forward.

『Mii!』

“Ivy, you came with me... wait, why are you translucent!?”

I thought Ivy had come along, but upon closer inspection, I quickly realized that wasn’t the case.

After all, her body was so faint I could see the blue fruit on the other side of her.

“So Ivy’s real body isn’t coming. I need to make it through this forest alone... is that right?”

『Mimi!』

The transparent Ivy nodded in affirmation.

A sudden glow illuminated the ground before me, and then, a backpack appeared out of nowhere.

Checking inside, I found various survival essentials like food and a sleeping bag.

With Ivy gesturing explanations, I began to grasp my task.

It seemed that here, I was meant to build up the grit and stamina necessary to keep fighting, even when faced with hordes of monsters. More than that, I needed to learn how to conserve my energy in a smart way.

After all, once we reached the Demon King’s Island, I would have to battle numerous monsters just to reach the Demon King’s Castle. And even once inside, I’d need to fight my way through until I encountered the Demon King’s Ten Fingers.

If I exhausted myself before the final battle, it would be a pointless endeavor.

Thus, my first trial was to become strong enough to fight properly, even without Ivy by my side.

Right now, Ivy and I shared our total magic power as one.

And Ivy’s magic had never once run dry—her reserves were practically infinite.

With that kind of advantage, I had no excuse not to clear this challenge.

Of course, this was just the beginning. The second stage of my training would involve battling the most powerful monsters Ivy had encountered across the world. The third stage would be relentless combat against Ivy herself—until I could finally defeat her.

In other words, my goal was to surpass Ivy in pure strength.

If I could manage to defeat the strongest being on the surface, then I would have no trouble taking down the Demon King’s Ten Fingers.

Ivy was serious about this.

Though she seemed worried, she had no intention of going easy on me. Her expression was firm, filled with unwavering determination.

If that was the case, then I needed to brace myself as well.

I slapped my cheeks, hard.

Alright, from this moment on—this was the first step toward becoming a hero.

“GYAAAAAAAAO!”

A dragon dove toward me from the sky, and I steadied myself, preparing to unleash my magic.

And then—

“Pile Light Arrow!!”

The radiant arrow I fired at the dragon marked the beginning of my survival challenge.

Each member of the Savior’s party was transported to a completely different location through the teleportation doors Ivy had prepared.

There, each of them would undergo training to attain the strength necessary to face the Demon King’s Ten Fingers.

Rey's Side

A girl named Rey was just an ordinary girl.

However, the world had bestowed upon her the title of Hero, fated to defeat the Demon King.

That title changed her life completely.

Ever since discovering her role, her days had been filled with nothing but training and battle.

How strong was she?

Could she really defeat the Demon King?

More than anything, she feared failing to meet the expectations placed upon her.

Those relentless days slowly but surely wore down her spirit.

Though she often acted strong—sometimes even appearing as a noblewoman in disguise—her heart was anything but unshakable.

Compared to the heroes in stories, her mental fortitude was nowhere near that of steel.

She was constantly pushed to her limits.

If those days had continued, would she have truly been able to fulfill her duty when the time came to face the Demon King?

Honestly, the answer was likely no.

But then, one day, everything changed.

A certain turtle and a certain boy completely altered the course of her fate.

Rey, trained by the kingdom’s finest instructors, was utterly defeated by Ivy and Bruno.

Her confidence as a hero was shattered to pieces.

And because of that, she was finally able to live naturally—as just Rey.

Freed from the pressure, she was able to see the kindness of the world and the warmth of people she had been blind to before.

Some things changed, and some things didn’t—but overall, she believed it was for the better.

With Ivy and Bruno—who were far beyond her reach—by her side, she gained a new sense of composure and clarity.

That was why she had traveled from nation to nation, forging alliances where she could.

And though her efforts had not borne much fruit, it was that very frustration that made her accept Ivy’s summons without hesitation.

When she stepped through the teleportation door, she felt no fear.

Compared to before, she had become much more optimistic. She stepped through the door with a lighthearted, “Well, I’ll figure it out.”

“Huh? Where is this...?”

A momentary lapse in consciousness.

Rey’s awareness snapped back instantly, recalling what she had been doing.

She noticed the sensation of the doorknob disappearing from her grasp.

Then, as her mind fully cleared, she took in her surroundings.

“This place... an arena?”

Indeed, the location resembled an arena.

A domed structure, with tiered seating for spectators. In the center, a raised stage stood for combatants.

Realizing she was at the foot of the stairs leading to the stage, Rey decided to ascend.

At the top, she found two white lines drawn on the floor.

Likely, they marked where opponents would face each other.

Standing on one of the lines, she glared at the empty space across from her.

『Mii!』

A distant voice—Ivy’s—echoed through the arena.

It seemed she was speaking through a speaker system, as her actual form was nowhere to be seen.

Ivy’s tone was serious, and Rey steeled herself.

No matter what happened next, she would maintain her composure.

But that resolve was shattered in an instant.

Brilliant light flooded the arena.

The source was the white line opposite her.

As she stared without blinking, the next moment—

“Oooohohohoho!”

A familiar, unbearably annoying laugh shook the stage.

And before Rey’s eyes stood Icicle.

“……Oh no, oh no. This isn’t the time to be worrying about that.”

Rey halted her thoughts there.

No matter what answer he arrived at beyond this point, her gratitude toward Ivy wouldn’t change. Therefore, thinking any further was meaningless.

Thanks to him and Ivy carrying most of the burdens that Rey himself should have borne, she was free to move as she pleased.

That fact alone was enough for her.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah, then from my side—I'm going in!”

Rey's sword flashed, leaving a trail of light as it cut through the air.

To intercept it, the phantom of Icicle hardened its claws and struck them against the blade—