Flames of Determination.

In a field of blue flowers lay a girl who seemed to be unconscious. Her platinum hair moved with the wind and a blue butterfly landed on her beautiful face. Laying next to her was a black katana with a red scabbard adorned with gold ornaments.

The butterfly stayed on her face for a while until the girl woke up, scaring it off. Her sparkling grey eyes focused on nothing. Thus, Yoko Hachimura was awake.

------

I felt a warm summer breeze on my body and the smell of gentians was pleasant. I almost fell asleep until I remembered what happened.

'Punpun! Am I dead?!'

[No, you're not host. It's a miracle you made it out alive. I'm sure next time you meet Him, it won't be the same.]

[Also, in a sick sense of humor, he decided to give you a 'gift'.]

[Would you like to see it? Y/N]

A gift? Does that bastard think he's funny?! I grit my teeth in anger, but still had Punpun open the gift.

[Item received: Scroll of the Future (???)]

A thin scroll appeared in my hands and when I opened it, I heard His voice.

"Ahem, ahem. Hello there intruder, or should I say Yoko? You may be asking yourself, why did I receive this scroll, how am I still alive, and why did he let me live? The answer to the first question on your mind is because I want you to know of the coming events, the inevitable. Answer to the second question, because I allowed you to live. Answer to your third and final question, because I wasn't lying when I said you were strong. Sure, I've killed beings so powerful that they could literally erase you from existence, but they were powerful, not strong."

"You see, the very act of you fighting blind is strong. The fact that despite facing a foe much stronger than you, you still decided to fight is strong. I admire strength, as much as I love destroying it. You are one of the very few people I've commended for their strength, so you'll also be one of the very few to learn about what's to come." The Lich said before speaking again, "Since you're blind and can't really see what's to come, I'll put on audio captions."

The scroll then began to speak. It described giant eldritch horrors making their way across the universe and destroying everything in their path. It described what happens to the inhabitants of a planet in the way of their destructive path. I heard the screams of millions and the roars of the creatures. Along with the laughter of The Lich. The scroll spoke to me for three hours until it was over.

"Now that you know what's to come. I'm giving you 3 years. In 3 years I will come to Earth and extinguish its light. So, I hope you're prepared...Yoko." The Lich stopped speaking and I felt heat coming from the scroll. I presumed the scroll was burning itself, so I grabbed Kura and stood up.

I have three years, three years to get stronger, and three years to stop him from destroying Earth. I have to do it, I have to stop him, I will become the Ending of The End.

With those words, I felt a warmth inside of my soul. Even Kura was starting to warm up and the warmth inside of my soul turned into flames. Flames of Hope, Passion, and Determination. The burning flames of the indomitable human spirit!

[Skill gained: Indomitable Human Spirit (Passive)]

[Indomitable Human Spirit (Passive): The flames of determination ignite within you! You inspire hope, awe, and determination in others. Even when facing death, your determination will overpower everything!]

I clenched my fists and a smile crept onto my face, "The only inevitable thing in the universe is me kicking The Lich's ass!" Then I felt my stomach rumble, and my face got hot from embarrassment. Good thing no one was arou-

"Noona, who is The Lich?" I heard the soft voice of a child behind me. She walked closer to me and stopped in front of me.

"Uh, he's a bad guy. Why're you out here kid?" I crouched down in what I hoped was her direction. The little girl giggled, "Because I live near here noona! And is the bad guy gonna hurt us?"

"No, he won't. Also, where is here? Where am I actually?"

"You're in Korea! Me and my mommy live in the countryside, but she goes to the city for work sometimes. My mommy is an A-Rank Hunter! She's so cool, I wanna be like her when I grow up!" The kid's energy was contagious and I couldn't help but smile. But a Hunter? Korea? I know the system equates me to a Hunter but what is a Hunter? And Korea? I thought I would at least appear in Japan. Though it doesn't seem like language is an issue, so I can live with it.

"What's your name kid?" I asked the little girl who was probably realizing I was blind because I could feel the wind of her hand waving in front of my face.

"Oh, my name is Kim Hae-won! Also, are you blind noona?" I nodded my head, "It's nice to meet you Kim Hae-won, my name is Yoko Hachimura and yes I'm blind." I laughed and Hae-won walked around me.

"Your name doesn't sound Korean, where are you from noona?" Hae-won poked Kura as she asked her question, "You're right, I'm not from here. I'm from Japan."

"JAPAN?! That's so cool noona! I wanna go there too someday!" Hae-won exclaimed which made me smile but my stomach grumbled again, "Noona is hungry! Follow me! I'll show you to my mommy!"

Hae-won grabbed my hand and dragged me through the flower field. We walked for a few minutes until she stopped, "We're here!" Hae-won yelled as she dragged me to the front door and into her house.

"MOMMY! I FOUND A NOONA IN THE FIELD!" Hae-won yelled into the house and I took my shoes off and stood near the front door. Soon I heard the heavier footsteps of an adult and she spoke, "Hae-won, what did I tell you about bringing strangers into the house!"

Her voice, although stern, was incredibly silvery and pleasant to hear, "But mommy! This noona is blind! She can't possibly survive on her own!" I felt my eyebrow twitch at Hae-won's description of me but I let it slide because she was a child.

"Hae-won! That was very mean, apologize to her." Hae-won's mother scolded and Hae-won sniffled, "I'm sorry Yoko-noona, I didn't mean it in a bad way."

Ah, I can't be mad at the kid. I patted her head and smiled, "It's fine. I know you didn't mean it maliciously."

"Now, Hae-won go to your room while I speak with your guest," Hae-won sighed and I heard her walk away, "I'm sorry about that, she doesn't interact with the outside world too often, hence the constant string of strangers."

I put my hands up, "No, no it's fine. I understand how she feels." Hae-won's mother laughed, "Would you like some tea? It must've been a pretty far walk."

"Ah, sure!" Then my stomach grumbled again! Jesus Christ dude, can you be quiet for five seconds?! Hae-won's mother must've heard it because she giggled, "How about you stay for dinner? It's about to get dark soon and the city is pretty far from here."

I bowed deeply, "Thank you for having me!"

Hae-won's mother spoke, "Oh no, no need to bow. It's the least I could do after what happened, please make yourself comfortable."

I used Kura as a walking stick until Hae-won's mother guided me by the wrist. She led me to the table where I sat and I heard hot tea being made.

"As you've probably guessed, I'm Hae-won's mother, Kim Dal-Rae, but you can call me Rae. Tell me a little about yourself Ms...?"

"Yoko. Yoko Hachimura." I said and Hae-won's mother chuckled, "I was raised in the mountains with my grandfather until his untimely death. He taught me just about everything I know. I want to be Hunter because of him. He wasn't one but if he became one, I have no doubt in my mind he would be one of the greatest..."

I didn't notice the tears streaming down my face and before I knew it, I felt soft mounds on my face, "You poor baby, you must've gone through a lot huh? I know how it feels to lose a loved one, and a crucial piece of advice I can give to you is to stop holding everything in."

In the arms of a woman I met five minutes ago, I cried. I cried tears that I didn't even know I had left to spare. I thought I had grieved all I could, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing.