chapter 1

Kaizen wake up !

The teacher is coming ! .

The girl sitting at the shared desk with him whispered urgently.

He turned his face and continued sleeping, mumbling, "I was just dreaming about my future wife. Let me get back to that dream."

Emma felt annoyed and gave him a sharp tap on the head with her book .

He rubbed his head . Okay, okay, I'm up. Why do you always sit beside me? You're probably destined to be a hunter. Just go hang out with your own circle!"

"I'm just a bit bored. Besides, who would save you if you were in danger, Kaizen?"

He yawned, glancing around the classroom,

We're in class, Emma. Monsters aren't just going to pop up here. Plus, we have the teacher to handle everything."

She leaned back in her chair , "Yeah, but I like to think I'm your personal bodyguard, just in case."

Well, I appreciate the backup. But for now, let's just try not to fall asleep over all these lessons."

She tapped her pen on the desk, "I suppose surviving another day of lectures is our current mission then."

"Exactly. And I'll accept all the help I can get to stay awake."

"Consider it a team effort." She smirks

As the last bell rang, Emma and Kaizen grabbed their stuff and left the classroom.

Emma stretched her arms, "Finally, freedom! No more classes until tomorrow."

Kaizen adjusted his backpack with a relaxed grin, "Yeah, it's always the best part of the day, heading home."

They began their familiar walk home, cutting through the park like they usually did. Birds chirped in the trees, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.

She glanced at Kaizen

"So, any plans for later? Or just same old, same old?"

" Probably just the usual. A bit of gaming, maybe catch up on that series I've been watching."

She nodded, "Sounds chill. I might join you for some of that gaming if you're up for it."

"Always. It's more fun having you around. And who knows, maybe I'll actually win a round this time." He proud himself .

Emma laughed, "We'll see about that!"

AFTER A WHILE

The alarm suddenly rang loudly, startling everyone. Out of nowhere, a strange dungeon appeared in front of them. Its heavy door slowly opened, and weird noises came from inside. Then, big ogres with sharp tusks started coming out.

"Kaizen, run! These are B-rank ogres! We need at least five C-level hunters to fight them!" Emma shouted, her voice full of urgency.

She turned her head, expecting Kaizen to stand with her. Instead, she saw him running away as fast as he could.

Emma rolled her eyes, feeling both annoyed and amused. She yelled after him, "Seriously, Kaizen? You're leaving me here? You better be running to get those hunters!"

She watched Kaizen run off, then sighed and dropped her backpack. Even though things looked bad, she was ready to face the ogres. She had the system power of the sword—except, of course, she didn't have a sword anymore.

"Well," she said to herself, cracking her knuckles, "I guess I'll have to figure something out."

She check the surroundings and spotted a lone shovel sticking out of a pile of dirt. "Well, it's better than nothing," she muttered.

Grabbing the shovel, she gave it a quick test swing with an exaggerated flourish, trying to imagine it as a mighty blade.

"Alright, Mr. Shovel, today you're Sir Shovelot!" she declared with a grin, adding a dramatic bow, as if greeting an invisible audience.

Emma charged toward the ogres, swing the shovel like a knight heading into a joust. Her battle cry rang out, "Prepare to meet your defeat, ogres! By the power of... the garden tools!"

Emma bravely swung her trusty "Sir Shovelot" at the nearest ogre, imagining herself in an epic, slow-motion battle scene. However, the reality was a bit less cinematic.

The ogre looked down at the shovel with a question expression, as if confused why someone would attack with garden equipment. Then, with a casual flick of its massive hand, the ogre swatted the shovel aside as easily as if it were a feather.

Emma found herself spinning in a rapid circle from the force of the ogre's deflection, almost like she was a contestant in a dizzy bat race. she staggered as she tried to regain her balance, accidentally flopping to the ground in a most shameful manner.

As she lay there, staring up at the sky, Emma couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity.

"Well, that didn't go as planned," she mused aloud, raising a successful fist in opposition of epic fails everywhere. "Worry not, Sir Shovelot, we shall live to fight another day!"

she faintly heard Kaizen calling her name from a safe distance. Her heart lifted with hope. Perhaps he was finally coming to rescue her, the knight in shining armor she needed!

She quickly got to her feet, shielding her eyes to spot him, only to see his figure in the distance, waving something shiny above his head. With a dramatic toss, Kaizen throw it through the air.

Emma squinted, . "Is that... the legendary sword?" she thought, the words "Finally!" barely leaving her lips.

But Kaizen, true to his unreliable nature .

"Catch!" he shouted loudly , pointing at the airborne sword. Without another word, he spun on his heels and resumed his marathon escape, with the speed of someone trying to catch the last train.

Emma catch the sword, now grasped firmly in her hands, and muttered under her breath,

"Thank you, Kaizen. What would I do without your swift... assistance?" She sighed and chuckled at the stupidity . "No sense in counting on a hero when you can be your own, right, Sir Shovelot?"

Emma stood there, sword in hand, ready to face the ogre, who was still trying to remember if it was supposed to be menacing or just sleepy.

"Alright, you big green grump," she declared with newfound gusto, "let's get this over with." The ogre, with a confused glare , lumbered forward, perhaps to shake her hand or swat a fly—who knows?

Emma raised the sword, which somehow seemed lighter than she expected. With her best war cry, even though sounding more like an horny yodel, she charged the ogre.

The ogre, baffled by this tiny, loud human running toward it, opened its mouth to roar—or to ask for directions. But before it could decide, Emma gave a rather dramatic leap, swinging the sword in an exaggerated arc.

Miraculously, or maybe due to the sword's own magical intentions, Emma found herself landing perfectly on her feet, with the ogre stumbling backward, more from surprise than strength. In a moment of sheer comedic slapstick, the ogre tripped over its own feet, performing an almost graceful spin before landing with a great mass thud.

The ground shook, the ogre blinked, then let out a long, confused sigh before closing its eyes for a much-needed nap—dreaming, perhaps, of unintentional ballets and gracious falls.

Emma surveyed her victory with a sense of a great victory and a hint of disbelief. "Well... that was easier than expected," she mused, giving the sword a grateful pat. "I didn't even break a sweat!"

With a liberated skip, she walked away, muttering, "Thank you, Kaizen's sword, and bless that ogre for its love of napping in the afternoon."

As Emma walked away, she felt an odd vibration from the sword. Before she could react, with a dramatic and unexpected *pop*, the sword shattered into countless tiny fragments .

Out of nowhere, Kaizen appeared from behind a conveniently placed bush—possibly one he had been hiding behind just to witness the sword in action. His hair was heroically windswept, despite the lack of wind, and his tunic was comically askew.

"Wow, that was... unexpected," Emma managed, .

Kaizen, ever the dramatic maestro of magical craftsmanship, struck a victory pose, chest puffed out proudly. "Fuuuuh," he exhaled loudly, sounding almost like a blow up balloon. "My hard work has finally paid off!"

Emma looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Your sword just exploded," she pointed out, faintly amused.

"Exactly!" That was the plan all along—a self-destruct feature for dramatic effect! It adds an element of surprise!"

Emma chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, it was definitely surprising. And here I thought that graceful fall of the ogre was the highlight."

A small crowd formed, their faces a mixture of awe, confusion, and admiration.

"Emma! That was incredible!" someone shouted, while others nodded in agreement.

She beamed, trying to play it cool despite the unexpected turn of events. "Oh, it was... something, alright. More like a sword finale than a sword fight," she quipped good-naturedly.

Meanwhile, Kaizen, sensing the growing attention, decided it was the perfect moment to make a careful exit. With a quick look around, he tiptoed backward, melting into the shadowy edges of the scene like a ninja in mismatched socks.

Emma, catching him out of the corner of her eye, tried not to laugh. His departure was as stealthy as a marching band at a quiet library.

"Where's Kaizen going?" someone asked, noticing the craftsman's gradual vanishing act.

"Oh, you know Kaizen—always onto the next big thing, probably planning another masterpiece that might unexpectedly explode," she joked, lightening the mood.