Princess Ryoko, watching intently, finally understood. Joseph had held back against her—not out of arrogance, but out of respect. He had chosen to prolong their match to protect her pride. She closed her eyes, smiling at the realization.

  As the universal livestream came to an end, praises for Joseph echoed across the neighboring planets under Akakawa’s rule. Citizens marveled at his performance, awed by his ability to go toe-to-toe with Aiko and end in a tie—an achievement no ordinary warrior could claim.

  Joseph’s team surrounded him, cheering and offering their compliments. Even Rieko, the second-most powerful warrior after Aiko, acknowledged his skill.

  Then, the man approached. His eyes held an air of wisdom as he regarded Joseph.

  “The kingdom is satisfied with your performance,” he stated. “You’ve proven yourself worthy, and we do not regret granting you passage to the next land. From this point forward, you have access to more of your power—a temporary bypass beyond your half-seal.”

  Joseph smirked slightly, absorbing the weight of the words. The journey was far from over. If anything, this was only the beginning.

  "It seems we've somehow reduced the stress for Katsuragi, Victory Empire," the man remarked.

  "Yeah!" Joseph responded with a smile.

  Not long after, Princess Ryoko approached him, offering a nod of approval before complimenting his efforts. However, she was quick to add, “You went easy on me, didn’t you?”

  Joseph chuckled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Well…"

  She crossed her arms but smiled. "One day, I'll be stronger. When that time comes, I want a rematch."

  Joseph grinned. "I'll be looking forward to it."

  With that, Ryoko returned to her family. Meanwhile, the lingering praise from nearly everyone left Joseph feeling both humbled and overwhelmed. His gaze soon fell upon the King and Queen, standing alongside their daughters. As he approached them, he once again expressed his gratitude for granting him passage to the next land. They nodded in acknowledgment.

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  Just as he stepped forward to shake the King’s hand, disaster struck.

  His foot suddenly slipped on a mysterious slick object on the ground. In a heartbeat, he lost balance, stumbling forward—straight into the princess, Ryoko.

  Before he could process what was happening, his hands accidentally found themselves firmly cupping her chest.

  A stunned silence fell over the small crowd.

  Time seemed to freeze.

  The princess, ever poised, reacted instinctively. One foot was planted firmly on the ground, while the other extended straight forward, like a ballerina maintaining perfect balance. Her back bent slightly, long hair cascading toward the ground. Meanwhile, Joseph, caught in an awkward position, was pressed up against her, still trying to make sense of the absurd position they had ended up in.

  His mind raced. Oh God, please, I wish for time to reverse…

  Before he could even untangle himself from his thoughts, a fierce death glare burned into him.

  “GET THE F* OFF ME!**” she snarled.

  Joseph immediately complied, scrambling to his feet and stepping back as fast as possible. His face burned with embarrassment.

  The tension in the air was unbearable—until Mai, one of his teammates, burst into laughter.

  “Now that was a show,” she mused, smirking as she crossed her arms.

  The others simply shook their heads, clearly secondhand embarrassed for him.

  Joseph groaned inwardly. Great… just great…

  Shaking off the awkwardness, he turned toward the glowing portal that had been prepared for him. It swirled with a mystic energy, its gateway leading to Katsuragi, Victory Empire.

  Taking a deep breath, he stepped toward it. Before crossing through, he turned back one last time, offering the group a final smile.

  They all waved at him—even the princess, albeit reluctantly.

  And with that, Joseph stepped into the portal.

  ***

  The moment he materialized, Joseph found himself at a mystical junction, an enigmatic space where portals twisted and shifted in uniform motion, their structures constantly altering as they rotated in an endless pattern.

  He recalled the elder council’s warning from earlier:

  "Find the right portal that will take you to the empire directly. A wrong portal could send you to the dark dimensions… or other neighboring regions."

  Joseph exhaled deeply. Alright, no pressure…

  Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused—then suddenly rushed forward, selecting a random portal.

  The instant he passed through, an unsettling sensation gripped him.

  The next thing he knew, he was somewhere else entirely.

  ***

  Instead of the grand empire of Katsuragi, Joseph stood at the entrance of a serene village, nestled deep within the majestic mountains. The scent of cherry blossoms filled the air, and a gentle breeze carried the distant chime of bells. Traditional houses lined the pathways, and the villagers, dressed in flowing robes, radiated an aura of peace.

  Kokoro (Heart Village).

  A sanctuary for those seeking healing, both physically and spiritually.

  Joseph blinked. Then exhaled sharply.

  “Oh, crap.”

  His adventure had just taken an unexpected detour.