Heir of the Forgotten Realm

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The Orb's Big Reveal

The glowing orb rested on the coffee table in Ryo's tiny living room, casting eerie shadows across the room. Sakura sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at it intently, while Ryo sprawled on the couch, munching on chips.

"So... what is it?" Ryo asked, crunching loudly.

"I don't know yet," Sakura admitted, tapping the orb with her finger.

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "You dragged me through a death maze for something you don't even understand?"

"It's a magical artifact," Sakura said, shooting him a glare. "I know it's important. I just need time to analyze it."

"Right," Ryo said, tossing a chip into the air and catching it in his mouth. "What if it's, like, a cursed bowling ball or something?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's not a cursed bowling ball."

At that moment, the orb began to hum, its glow intensifying.

Ryo immediately sat up. "Uh, is it supposed to do that?"

"I don't think so," Sakura said, backing away slightly.

The orb floated into the air, spinning rapidly before projecting a beam of light onto the wall. The light coalesced into the image of an ancient-looking man with a long beard and a very serious expression.

"Chosen One," the man intoned, his voice booming.

Ryo pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you," the man said, looking unimpressed. "You have been entrusted with a great responsibility."

"Cool, cool," Ryo said. "Does this responsibility come with health insurance?"

The man blinked. "What?"

"Never mind," Ryo said quickly. "What's this about?"

The man sighed. "The orb contains the key to awakening the forgotten realms, a series of ancient magical domains hidden from this world. It is your duty to protect it."

Sakura's eyes widened. "The forgotten realms? That's a myth."

"It is no myth," the man said gravely.

Ryo tilted his head. "If it's so important, why give it to me? I mean, I'm great and all, but I tripped on a puddle yesterday."

The man frowned. "The orb chooses its guardian based on qualities beyond mortal comprehension."

Sakura smirked. "Translation: the orb made a mistake."

"Hey!" Ryo protested.

The man ignored them. "Beware, Chosen One. The Obsidian Order will stop at nothing to claim the orb. You must train, grow stronger, and—"

The orb's projection fizzled out before the man could finish.

"Well, that's helpful," Ryo said, staring at the now-dormant orb.

---

The Training Montage

The next morning, Sakura dragged Ryo to a nearby park for an impromptu training session.

"You heard the old guy," Sakura said. "You need to get stronger."

"Stronger at what?" Ryo asked, yawning.

"Everything," Sakura replied, handing him a wooden staff.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Defend yourself," Sakura said, picking up her own staff.

Ryo barely had time to blink before she swung at him, forcing him to block clumsily.

"Whoa, whoa! Time out!" he yelled, stumbling backward.

"No time outs in real life," Sakura said, smirking. "Keep up."

What followed was a series of increasingly humiliating training exercises. Ryo tripped over tree roots, got hit in the face by his own staff, and managed to fall into a duck pond while attempting a dodge roll.

"Why is this so hard?" he groaned, dripping wet as he climbed out of the pond.

"Because you're uncoordinated and lazy," Sakura said matter-of-factly.

"Gee, thanks for the pep talk."

---

A New Threat

As they were wrapping up their training (or, in Ryo's case, limping away in defeat), a shadow fell across the park.

A man in a sleek black trench coat stood at the edge of the clearing, his eyes glowing faintly red.

"Ryo Saito," the man said, his voice cold.

Ryo blinked. "Uh, do I know you?"

"I am Kuro," the man said, stepping closer. "An agent of the Obsidian Order."

"Oh, great," Ryo muttered. "Another one of you guys."

Kuro ignored him, focusing on the orb in Sakura's bag. "Hand over the artifact, and I may let you live."

Ryo raised a hand. "Quick question: is there a 'neither' option?"

Kuro scowled and raised his hand, summoning a dark, swirling energy that crackled ominously.

"Guess not," Ryo said, grabbing his staff.

---

The Most Unlikely Duel

Kuro attacked first, sending a bolt of dark energy hurtling toward them. Sakura countered with a shield spell, but the force of the impact sent both her and Ryo sprawling.

"Okay, plan B!" Ryo shouted, scrambling to his feet.

"What's plan B?" Sakura yelled.

"Run!"

Before they could flee, Kuro appeared in front of them, blocking their path.

"You're not going anywhere," he said, smirking.

Ryo swallowed hard. "Fine. Plan C."

"And that is?"

"Fight really badly until he gets annoyed and leaves."

To Ryo's surprise, Kuro actually laughed. "I like your spirit, boy. Too bad it won't save you."

Kuro lunged at Ryo, who swung his staff wildly in response. Miraculously, he managed to knock Kuro's weapon—a gleaming black blade—out of his hand.

"Did you see that?" Ryo shouted, grinning. "I'm a natural!"

His celebration was cut short when Kuro punched him in the stomach, sending him flying into a bush.

"Not so natural," Sakura muttered, stepping in to take over.

---

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

As Sakura battled Kuro with a combination of spells and staff strikes, Ryo struggled to extricate himself from the bush.

"Any time now, Ryo!" Sakura yelled, dodging another attack.

"I'm working on it!" he shouted back, finally freeing himself.

Grabbing his staff, Ryo charged at Kuro, who was too focused on Sakura to notice. With a loud yell, Ryo swung the staff at Kuro's legs, tripping him.

Kuro hit the ground with a grunt, and Sakura quickly cast a binding spell to immobilize him.

"Nice teamwork," Sakura said, breathing heavily.

"Thanks," Ryo said, leaning on his staff. "I think I pulled a muscle."

---

The Aftermath

Kuro vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only his blade.

"That's not ominous at all," Ryo said, picking it up.

Sakura snatched it from him. "Don't touch cursed weapons, idiot."

"Right, because I'm the reckless one," Ryo muttered.

They made their way back to the apartment, where Kenji greeted them with a raised eyebrow.

"You two look like you went through a blender," he said.

"Close enough," Ryo replied, collapsing onto the couch.

Sakura placed the orb on the table and sat down with a sigh. "That was too close. We need to be more prepared next time."

"Next time?" Ryo groaned. "Can't I get a break?"

"Not if you want to survive," she said bluntly.

Kenji, who had been inspecting the orb, suddenly frowned. "Hey, is it supposed to be glowing again?"

The orb began to hum once more, and a new message appeared:

"Chosen One, your next trial awaits. Good luck."

Ryo groaned. "Why does it feel like my life just became a video game?"

Sakura smirked. "Because you're the protagonist, Dumpster King."

"Great," Ryo muttered. "Just great."

A Second Message

As the orb's glow intensified, another image began to form in the air above it. This time, it wasn't the old man with the long beard but a lively, somewhat disheveled woman wearing glasses, her hair sticking out in various directions like she'd been electrocuted.

"Chosen One!" she exclaimed, pointing directly at Ryo.

"Oh no," Ryo groaned. "Not another one."

"Silence!" the woman snapped. "I am Professor Ayame, the caretaker of the forgotten realms' knowledge repository. I bring you vital information!"

"Great," Ryo said. "Does it involve less running for my life?"

"Absolutely not," she said with a grin. "But it will make you slightly less terrible at it!"

Kenji leaned closer to the orb's projection. "Can I just say, this is the weirdest thing I've seen all day?"

"You're not wrong," Sakura muttered.

Ayame continued, seemingly unbothered by the interruption. "The orb has chosen you because of your unique potential, your unbreakable spirit, and—"

"And my devastatingly good looks?" Ryo interjected, smirking.

Ayame adjusted her glasses and squinted at him. "Sure, let's go with that."

Sakura snorted. "Even magic thinks you're average."

"Anyway!" Ayame said, clapping her hands. "The next trial is designed to help you unlock the orb's power. It will test your courage, your intellect, and your ability to think on your feet."

"Sounds fun," Ryo said flatly.

"Oh, it's loads of fun!" Ayame said, her grin widening. "For me."

Before Ryo could respond, the projection fizzled out, leaving the room in silence.

---

The Trial Begins

The orb began to pulse, emitting a faint vibration that made the table rattle. Suddenly, a beam of light shot out, hitting the far wall and creating a swirling portal.

"Okay, that's new," Kenji said, staring at the portal.

"Do we... go in there?" Ryo asked, pointing at the glowing vortex.

"No, we just stare at it and hope it solves itself," Sakura said sarcastically. "Of course we go in!"

Kenji crossed his arms. "Well, have fun with that. I'll stay here and make sure no one steals the couch."

"Thanks for the support, bro," Ryo muttered.

Sakura grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the portal. "Come on, Dumpster King. Time to earn your title."

---

Inside the Portal

They stepped through the portal and found themselves in a massive, empty arena that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. The sky above was an odd mix of swirling colors, like someone had spilled paint across a canvas.

"Welcome, Chosen One!" Ayame's voice boomed, echoing through the space.

Ryo looked around but saw no sign of her. "Uh, where are you?"

"I'm not physically there," she replied. "This is a simulation designed to test your abilities. Think of it as a magical escape room... with more danger."

"Great," Ryo muttered. "My favorite kind of escape room."

Sakura scanned the arena. "What's the objective?"

"To survive," Ayame said cheerfully.

"Could you be more specific?" Ryo asked.

Before Ayame could respond, the ground began to shake. Out of nowhere, three massive stone golems emerged, each one easily twice Ryo's height.

"Oh, come on!" Ryo yelled. "Why is it always monsters?"

"Because you need to stop being so useless," Sakura said, pulling out her staff.

---

The Battle of (Almost) Epic Proportions

The first golem charged at them, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground. Sakura cast a spell, sending a bolt of energy toward it, but the golem barely flinched.

"Any ideas?" Sakura shouted.

Ryo looked around frantically, spotting a pile of rocks nearby. He grabbed one and hurled it at the golem's head. It bounced off harmlessly.

"Great plan, genius!" Sakura snapped.

"It worked in the movies!" Ryo protested.

The second golem joined the fray, swinging its massive arm at Ryo. He dodged clumsily, tripping over his own feet but managing to avoid the blow.

"Why am I always the target?" he yelled.

"Because you're the Chosen One!" Sakura shouted back.

"Lucky me!"

Sakura's next spell created a barrier of glowing runes, temporarily holding the golems back. "We need a strategy!"

Ryo's eyes lit up. "What if we use the orb?"

Sakura frowned. "Do you even know how to use it?"

"Nope," he said, pulling the orb from his bag. "But how hard can it be?"

---

Orb Shenanigans

Ryo held up the orb, which began to glow brightly. He concentrated, trying to will it to do something—anything—that would help.

"Come on, magical bowling ball, work your magic!" he muttered.

To everyone's surprise, the orb emitted a burst of light, creating a dozen smaller, glowing orbs that began to orbit around Ryo.

"Whoa," he said, staring at the floating lights. "Did I just become a magical disco ball?"

"Focus!" Sakura yelled as the golems broke through the barrier.

Ryo pointed the orb at the nearest golem, and one of the smaller orbs shot out, striking the golem in the chest. The golem froze, its stone body cracking before it crumbled to the ground.

"Did you see that?!" Ryo shouted, grinning.

"Less celebrating, more shooting!" Sakura yelled, dodging another attack.

Ryo quickly fired the remaining orbs, taking down the other two golems.

As the last golem fell, the arena began to shift, the ground rippling like water.

"Uh, is that supposed to happen?" Ryo asked nervously.

"Yes," Ayame's voice said. "Congratulations! You've passed the first trial!"

---

Back to Reality

The portal reappeared, and they stepped through, returning to Ryo's apartment. Kenji was still lounging on the couch, eating chips.

"You're back," he said, glancing at them. "Did you save the world yet?"

"Not yet," Ryo said, flopping onto the couch beside him. "But I did take down some golems."

Kenji looked unimpressed. "Cool story, bro."

Sakura placed the orb back on the table. "You're not completely useless, Ryo. That's progress."

"Thanks," he said dryly. "High praise."

The orb pulsed again, but this time it didn't create a portal. Instead, it displayed a single word: "Prepare."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryo asked.

Sakura crossed her arms. "It means you're not done yet."

"Of course I'm not," he muttered. "Because why would my life ever be easy?"