The Crimson Bear roared.

  It charged without hesitation, massive paws tearing into the dirt as its bulk barreled forward. Trees cracked as it passed, sheer momentum alone enough to flatten anything in its way.

  Akira barely had time to react.

  He raised the sword instinctively, feet sliding back as he tried to remember how people were supposed to fight instead of panic.

  “Akira,” Lumi called calmly from behind him, hovering just out of reach. “Focus. You don’t need to overpower it. You just need to survive.”

  The bear swiped.

  Akira twisted aside, the claws grazing his sleeve instead of his chest. The impact alone sent him skidding across the ground, shoes carving deep furrows into the soil.

  He sucked in a sharp breath.

  ‘It’s fast… way faster than it looks.’

  The sword felt solid in his hands—balanced, reliable—but the bear was still a monster built to kill.

  In the distance, far beyond the trees, another explosion thundered through the forest.

  Grim.

  A shockwave rippled through the canopy, distant but unmistakable. Whatever Grim was fighting wasn’t getting anywhere near Akira.

  Which meant this one was his problem.

  The bear lunged again.

  Akira ducked under its jaw and slashed upward. The blade bit into crimson fur, carving a deep line across its shoulder. The bear howled, more furious than hurt, and slammed its weight down toward him.

  He barely rolled away in time.

  Panting, Akira staggered to his feet, sword raised.

  ‘This thing won’t go down like this…’

  His eyes flicked to the sword—and then to the status screen still faintly hovering at the edge of his vision.

  Fire magic.

  He hesitated for only a moment.

  Wrapping his fingers tighter around the hilt, Akira focused—not on casting, but on imbuing. He poured what little magic his body would allow into the blade.

  A faint glow crept along the edge.

  Not flames.

  Not blazing heat.

  Just a thin, flickering warmth, like embers clinging to steel.

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  “That’s fine,” Lumi said quickly. “Don’t force it.”

  The bear charged again.

  This time, Akira stepped forward.

  He met the charge head-on, bringing the sword down in a controlled arc. The blade cut deep, ember-like fire searing into the wound as it passed. The bear roared in pain, stumbling as the burn slowed its movement—just enough.

  Akira didn’t stop.

  He moved on instinct now. Dodge. Strike. Retreat. Each hit chipped away at the monster’s strength, the fire dulling its muscles and blunting its rage.

  One final slash across the neck.

  The Crimson Bear collapsed with a heavy thud, shaking the ground beneath them.

  Silence followed.

  Akira stood there, chest heaving, sword still raised—until the faint glow along the blade flickered violently.

  “…Wait,” he muttered.

  Cracks spread from the edge of the sword like spiderwebs.

  Lumi winced. “Ah—yeah. That’s the downside.”

  The blade shattered.

  Stone fragments crumbled into dust, the sword breaking apart in Akira’s hands as the magic holding it together finally gave out.

  He stared at the remains, stunned.

  “…It broke.”

  Lumi floated closer, inspecting the debris. “You imbued fire into stone. Even a little magic puts stress on it. Honestly, it held longer than it should’ve.”

  In the distance, a final explosion echoed—then silence.

  Grim had finished.

  Akira exhaled slowly, his legs finally giving out as he sank to one knee. Bruised. Exhausted.

  But alive.

  Lumi smiled softly. “You did great. Next time, maybe don’t make your sword out of a boulder.”

  Akira let out a shaky breath, staring at his empty hands.

  “Next time… I’ll be ready.”

  He sat against a nearby tree, still catching his breath, when his gaze instinctively dropped to his wrist.

  The digital watch he’d worn back home was still there—scratched, dirt-streaked, but intact. The screen flickered weakly, then went completely dark.

  “…Great,” he muttered. “Of course that doesn’t work.”

  Lumi drifted closer, peering at it with interest. “Oh! That thing?” She tilted her head, glowing a little brighter. “Yeah, it won’t work here. Different world, different laws. No satellites, no electricity grid—nothing for it to sync with.”

  Akira sighed and started to unbuckle it. “Figures.”

  “Wait—don’t throw it away,” Lumi said suddenly.

  He paused. “…Why?”

  She gently tapped the watchband, her expression thoughtful. “That casing? And part of the internal frame?” She smiled. “It’s real silver.”

  Akira blinked. “It is?”

  “Mhm,” Lumi said cheerfully. “Not magical silver, but still real. That makes it valuable here. Some monsters hate it, some enchantments react to it, and craftsmen would pay a lot for it.”

  He looked down at the watch again, seeing it differently now—not as broken tech, but as a resource.

  “…So even broken stuff from my world has a use here,” he said quietly.

  He glanced at Lumi. “…Could I separate the silver from the rest myself?”

  Her eyes lit up. “With Modeling and Craftsmanship? Absolutely. Just focus on what you want to keep—and what you want removed.”

  Akira nodded, unfastened the watch, and held it in both hands. He closed his eyes, imagining the silver separating cleanly from the rest of the materials.

  A soft hum filled the air.

  When he opened his hands, the casing and internals had fallen apart into useless scraps, and a solid chunk of pure silver rested in his palm.

  “…Huh,” he murmured.

  He slipped the silver into his pocket without ceremony, already thinking ahead. If it worked once, it would work again.

  Lumi smiled. “See? You’re already thinking like a craftsman.”