When Aeera destroyed the magical bond beads with her summoned beast, time distorted for a moment. Kenan saw a holographic silhouette of a man reflected from the Lightning Sword. That figure was human!

"Kenan, I am human too. I can do no more than I can. Now your bond with that magical girl is over. You will return to your world and will never be able to return to this one. I also have a choice: to stay here, or to return to my previous life."

"Sword Master, I beg you. Don't go. Please help Aeera and everyone in this world. For my sake, if I can't return, please take care of Aeera. I will do anything to make it up to her. Please help me, Sword Master."

Kenan trembled, his eyes puffy, and tears welled up. The helplessness that befell him, pretending to be the strongest summoned beast! What an irony! He was just a human with no power or strength whatsoever. Now, he realized his weakness.

"I beg you, Sword Master...!"

“Kenan… unfortunately, I can’t do it. In this world, I’m cursed to be nothing but a sword and have no power other than someone using me as a weapon.”

Sob! Sob!

Kenan wiped away his tears repeatedly as he sat.

“Why do you want to do this, Kenan Kalandra? You’ve come this far for Aeera and saved this world. You’re not from this world, so… why are you willing to sacrifice your life for them?”

Silence.

“Master Sword, I’m a useless human in my world. If I can become a hero and be useful in this world, that’s enough for me. Even if it means sacrificing my life. I want my life to be meaningful and to help others.”

The silhouette of the hologram man smiled and patted Kenan on the shoulder.

"I'll give you one more chance. I won't leave this world and wait for you. However, my limit is three hours, no more. If you return to your world, find the strongest source of divine mana and open a portal to re-enter this world. If you don't return within three hours, I won't be able to maintain my existence in this world."

"Master Sword..." Kenan wiped away his tears and looked up. The silhouetted man nodded.

"Fulfill my request, for I will remain in this world waiting for you!"

"Alright... alright, Master Sword. I will do whatever you ask!" Kenan stood up and wiped away the remaining tears that had fallen from his cheeks.

"Make your mother smile, make her happy. If I can't make her smile, then at least she won't be hurt like mine."

The energy dissipated, and the power of the Lightning Sword began to weaken.

"Hurry and go, and the great energy in your world!"

"Thank you... I will definitely return within the appointed time...!"

JEGLAAARRRRRR!

Kenan was pulled by a powerful energy and sucked into him by a thunderous roar. The time frozen by the Lightning Sword ended.

***

WOOOONNNGGGG!

JEGLAAARRR! SYUUUUNNGGG!

The white light disappeared, and Kenan was thrown to the floor in his room. His room in a world that had always considered him a powerless and weak human. Kenan closed his eyes, powerlessness and destruction becoming one. All he had now was powerlessness.

What! What will I do now? What! What!

Kenan gripped the floor tightly. I must not hesitate! I must not be weak! I must be strong!

Kenan stood, time running out. In three hours, he had to find a powerful source of mana energy to open the portal. He had to return to save Aeera and her world. He had also promised the Lightning Sword that he would come.

Kenan stood, the only thing he hadn't done in almost three years was comb his hair. He looked in the mirror, his face dull and his long hair disheveled. Kenan went to the small bathroom in the corner of his room. He washed his face and rinsed his hair with water.

Kenan returned to his room, grabbed a towel, and looked at himself in the mirror. He had become a young man. He hadn't realized he'd been imprisoned in his room, torturing himself. He grabbed a comb and quickly combed his hair. Kenan reached for his jacket from his closet.

Kenan put it on; there was no turning back but to step forward. Aeera and the Lightning Sword awaited him. Kenan was no longer afraid; the only thing he had to do was be brave. If this world hated him, then Aeera's world must be saved!

Kenan unscrewed the doorknob, opened it, and took a deep breath. He felt calm.

It was time to go to war, holding his body and head up. There was no longer a purpose to his journey except the final battle against the monsters and demons. He walked through the hallway of his small house, his mother gone from the kitchen.

What should Kenan do? Time was running out. His mother was probably delivering cakes to customers.

There wasn't much time, no more than three hours.

I'm sorry, Mother. I have to go. I have to save Aeera!

There was no more time.

Kenan hurried to the last door in his house, the door that would lead him out. After three years, Kenan hadn't left his house, only to pick up a package a few days ago. He'd never felt the air outside; this time, Kenan would.

Kenan had nothing to fear anymore.

The door was in front of Kenan. Kenan's hand was no longer afraid and reached for the doorknob.

I have to save Aeera!

Just as Kenan's hand was about to reach the doorknob.

Klak!

Too late, the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman with many wrinkles on her face. Her face was aged beyond her years; she looked older than her actual age.

This was because Mrs. Ghina, Kenan's mother, never stopped thinking about her only child's recovery. Her only child was her only hope in life, the hope that her son could live a normal life again. That hope was the only thing Ghina thought about every second, in her prayers and hopes. Nothing else, her thoughts were focused solely on Kenan, nothing else.

Even if the world were falling apart, Ghina just wanted to see Kenan return to normal and smile at the world.

Even if she had to sacrifice everything in her life, she just wanted to have time left to see Kenan recover.

Ghina couldn't say anything, her hand still clutching the shopping bag. She had just delivered the cake and done the grocery shopping. She opened the door, expecting, as usual, nothing but solitude, only to see her son's closed bedroom door, and hoping that one day he would come out of his room.

But...

This time...

As she opened the door, a long-haired man stood inside the open doorway, wearing a jacket and his long hair neatly combed. He stood straight, staring at her. Ghina froze, wondering if this was a dream or reality.

Kenan stood before her just as the door opened.

CRACK!

The shopping bag in Ghina's hand fell, its contents spilling out one by one. However, Ghina remained standing, simply staring at her son's face. The groceries fell out, some of them rolling against the wall.

"KE...KENAAN...!"

Kenan closed his eyes, speechless. He crouched down while his mother stood frozen. Unable to form a word, Kenan picked up his mother's scattered groceries. He gathered them one by one and put them back into the plastic bag.

There was no sound except the sound of items being placed in the plastic bag. Kenan didn't know what to say; his throat was too tight to utter a single word.

"Let me... Let me clean it up..."

The mother suddenly realized what she was doing, and she went downstairs to pick up the remaining items on the floor. Not a sound was heard. Kenan was now silent, watching his mother take over the shopping bags and put the remaining groceries in.

Now, Kenan was silent, watching his mother busily pick up the scattered items. She seemed to refuse to look at her son and ignore his gaze. She didn't expect anything more from her son.

"I... Mom... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Kenan..."

Ghina's hands stopped, and she lifted her head to see Kenan's wet face. Kenan's eyes were teary, as if he was forcing himself to apologize to his mother. It was evident how desperately Kenan was trying to say it.

Ghina understood... she understood. Even though she was very happy, she didn't want to bring her feelings into the picture, making her son appear weak. "It's okay, my son. You've done your best all this time, Kenan..."

And... Ghina's reassuring smile couldn't even continue because Kenan had already embraced his mother and was crying loudly. Kenan couldn't hold it in, sobbing in his mother's arms.

"MOM...! Sob! Sob!"

Despite holding back his tears, despite trying to stay strong and resilient, Kenan couldn't help it. He continued to cry in his mother's arms.

Mom... when you smile, I know that the world is okay.