[Yuta Okkotsu]

Yuta’s eyes widened, a look of pure horror crossing his face at the mental image of Rika—the literal Queen of Curses—stuffed into an alchemical jar like a lab specimen. He hurried to catch up with Zarina’s brisk, confident stride, his boots clicking rhythmically against the cracked pavement.

“A jar? Please don’t do that,” he managed, his voice a mix of earnestness and lingering shock. “She… she wouldn’t like that at all. And honestly, neither would I.”

As they navigated through the labyrinth of rusted cars and skeletal skyscrapers, Yuta found himself marvelling at her intuition. “You’re right about her, though. About the ‘devotion’ part. I didn’t realize it was so… visible to people here.”

The Exchange of Worlds

Zarina kept her eyes forward, scanning the rooftops, but her posture softened slightly at his honesty. “In the Borderlands, energy doesn’t lie,” she noted. “So, Yuta. What was the last thing you remember before the sky opened up? You look like you were right in the middle of something important.”

“I was,” Yuta said, his expression darkening as he remembered the ruins of Jujutsu High. “I was in the middle of a war. Fighting a man who wanted to rewrite the world using… well, people like me. I was about to give everything to stop him, and then the ground just disappeared.”

He looked around the desolate metropolis, his heart sinking. “You said I’m a ‘new dropping.’ Does that mean… there are others? My friends—Maki, Panda, Inumaki—could they be here too?”

“It’s possible,” Zarina replied, her tone a blend of professional detachment and a hint of teasing. “The ‘Skyrieverse’ has a habit of plucking souls from their timelines when things get chaotic. You’re just the latest arrival. But don’t worry, the Grand Sugar Clan has scouts all over. If your friends dropped in, someone is likely tracking them down as we speak.”

The Guardian of the Path

The conversation died as they turned a corner, and the dull gray of the city was pierced by a brilliant, ethereal light. High above the skyline, a **vibrant blue beacon** cut through the haze—the Extraction Tower. It felt like a lighthouse in a sea of shadow.

“Almost there,” Zarina whispered.

But as they stepped into the final plaza, the ground vibrated. Dropping from the side of a half-collapsed department store, a **massive spider-like creature** blocked their path. Its body was a jagged mess of chitin and glowing obsidian, its eight eyes reflecting the blue light of the tower with predatory hunger. It was easily the size of a tank, its legs clicking sharply against the asphalt as it hissed, mandibles dripping with a corrosive, glowing fluid.

Yuta instinctively reached for his katana, his thumb clicking the guard open. “I’ll take the lead this time,” he said, his voice regaining the steady, cold edge of a Special Grade Sorcerer. “I owe you for the ‘jar’ comment.”

[Yuta Okkotsu]

Yuta leaned heavily on his katana, his chest heaving as the adrenaline from the beast’s defeat began to ebb. He felt the familiar, heavy weight of Rika’s presence beside him, but her focus had shifted. She wasn’t looking at him. Her massive, distorted head was cranked upward, staring at a rooftop several stories up.

**”YUTA… MINE… WHO IS… SHE?!”**

Before Yuta could even shout a command, Rika lunged. She moved like a blur of white muscle and vengeful spirit, her claws outstretched to snatch the interloper from the sky.

“Rika, stop! Don’t!” Yuta screamed, reaching out a hand, but he was too late.

Rika slammed into the rooftop, but the expected sound of crashing concrete never came. Instead, there was a hum of pure, celestial energy. From Yuta’s vantage point, he saw a shimmer of gold and black light. Using her **Stellar Transmutation**, the mysterious female didn’t strike back with violence; instead, she wove a tether of hardened cosmic energy, a geometric seal that acted like a soft but unbreakable cage around Rika’s claws.

Rika thrashed, let out a confused, garbled screech, but she was stuck. The girl on the roof didn’t look afraid; she looked *curious*. She leaned in, her eyes glowing with a cosmic purple hue as if she were reading the very composition of Rika’s soul.

Yuta stood frozen. He expected Rika to be attacked, but this girl was… analyzing her.

Realizing the stranger meant no harm, Yuta poured every ounce of his will into his connection with the Queen of Curses. “Rika! Come back! Now!”

With a final, reluctant hiss, the phantom dissolved into shadows, retreating back into the ring on Yuta’s finger. The golden seal on the rooftop dissipated into glittering dust.

Yuta took a hesitant step forward, looking up as the girl hopped down from the ledge, landing with a grace that felt almost supernatural. As she stepped into the light of the desolate street, Yuta felt the world tilt again—not from a wormhole this time, but from the sheer presence of the person before him.

She was breathtaking. Her long blonde hair, streaked with vibrant purple highlights, caught the dim light of the Borderlands like a nebula. She wore a sophisticated blend of modern tactical gear and alchemical robes, accented in striking black and gold. She looked like a master of a craft Yuta didn’t yet understand.

Yuta felt a sudden, sharp heat in his cheeks—a “slap to the face” realization that he was standing in front of someone truly extraordinary. He quickly sheathed his sword, bowing his head slightly in an awkward, polite reflex.

“I… I’m so sorry,” he stammered, his voice cracking slightly. “Thank you. For not… for not hurting her. Most people just start screaming or attacking.”

He looked up, meeting those cosmic purple eyes, trying to find his footing in this strange new world.

“My name is Yuta. Yuta Okkotsu. I don’t know where I am, or how I got here… but thank you for the help.”

[Yuta Okkotsu]

Hello! My name is Yuta! Nice to meet you! I’m grateful for the invitation here!