Cross Worlds

Chapter 31-1: "A Forceful Encounter"

Whilst Riku Fantasy's troubles were finally wrapping up, Riku Reality was still going through his own troubles. Fitting in with people that had been fighting intense battles and taking down kingdoms for a good few years now proves to be quite the challenge for the young lad. Not to mention some of their morals make it hard for Riku to accept them in the first place. And if that wasn't enough, there are plenty of members claiming that he has no place in the resistance, saying he was too naive and immature for the battlefield they fought on.

To understand Riku's struggles a bit more, we'll have to rewind the clock a bit to when he was just getting comfortable in the resistance, mere days after he made the powerful declaration that he would bring Zourdor's nobility to its knees.

Every day since he lost Makou and Reina, he's been training non-stop day in and day out. Not only does he need to learn to adjust his fighting style to sync up with his magic ability, he also needs to help Gina and Haruto with their magic. He hasn't stopped having nightmares about watching the two die in front of him, and sometimes his nightmares become so intense as to show him images of Gina and Haruto dying before him as well.

Riku shoots awake after yet another nightmare, panting heavily and wiping the sweat from his face. "Damn..." He mutters, quickly getting out of bed to go and check on Gina and Haruto in their room. The two sleep peacefully, and though they have separate beds, Gina always sneaks into Haruto's bed. In the first couple of days, the two would sneak into Riku's room and into his bed when their nightmares got too bad.

Riku sighs with relief seeing their peaceful expressions whilst they quietly snore. He gently runs his fingers through their hair, smiling. "They're getting better... It's gonna take a while, but little by little, they're getting better..." Riku leaves the two to rest and heads off to the training facilities within the resistance base.

"It's hard to believe how quiet this place can be considering just how many people are living here..." The large force Riku had seen when he first arrived weren't all living at the resistance base, though a good 200+ members did live here. After all, most of the resistance members were people who lost their homes and families to the injustice of their respective kingdoms and capitals. And that isn't even the entirety of the resistance forces; there are still several hundred more members that continue working for peace in kingdoms already conquered by the resistance. Riku does see a few night owls and guards wandering the base here and there, but aside from them, the base is but a quiet nest compared to the full house it was a few days prior.

Riku also walks past the den of various magical beasts that also rest comfortably within the base. This is where Roco quietly slumbers, waiting patiently for when Riku will need him next. It's no surprise that Riku isn't the only resistance member with a powerful beast to fight at his side, but Roco still shines the most brilliantly in Riku's eyes. Seeing his peaceful expression as he rests, Riku smiles before continuing on his path.

Riku walks into one of the many training rooms within the base; a simple room, with bare wood floors and white walls. It's amazing to see just how advanced this base is in Riku's eyes; a simple control panel sits in the middle of the room, allowing the room to be modified to suit the needs of whoever might be training in them. The panel could even expand the space within the room to be an infinite, endless void where one could train as hard as they pleased without having to worry about holding back.

For Riku's purposes in the room, he simply inputted a simple command to turn the room's inner space into a small forest. Hearing the sounds of nature around him, though artificial, helps calm Riku's mind. He takes a seat beside the panel and begins to meditate right there, clearing his thoughts and letting his magic energy flow freely through his body.

Riku can't help but think back to the moment he awakened his magic as he meditates. When one awakens their magic in this universe, the magic itself is made for its wielder specifically. It pertains to their desires, who they are as a human being- it defines them as a whole. In the moment of Riku's awakening, he wanted nothing more than to be able to control the situation around him, just as he always had. More than that though, he also wished he could change himself. He wanted to be stronger, faster, gain sharper reflexes, etcetera. As such, when Riku's magic was brought to life, it could truly be called the magic of someone who desired control over their life and the space around them.