The story begins in a world where an ancestral fruit grants special abilities to those who eat it. The protagonist, Light, dreams of becoming an adventurer and hopes to eat one of these fruits. His friend, Lena, asks what kind of skill he desires, and Light shares that while several skills interest him, a perfect aim or the ability to dual-wield powerful weapons would be ideal. Any combat skill would be enough. Lena also wants a skill but only wishes for one that will allow her to take on the same job as Light. They agree to become adventurers together, though the skills they’ll receive won’t be known until they eat the fruit.
They eventually arrive at a church where they will eat the fruit, and Light prepares for his new life. However, a little while later, we find Light picking berries, pretending to be happy. His true feelings are filled with anger and frustration as he realizes how far he is from his dream of becoming an adventurer. Light is now stuck as a fruit farmer due to the terrible skill he received.
We then flash back three months to when Light first arrived at the church. Several people were allowed to choose the fruit they wished to eat, but there was one important rule: they could only eat one skill fruit in their lifetime. Eating a second fruit would poison them and lead to certain death. This rule is well-known, as many people have tried to eat a second fruit, only to die. Light knows this and understands that adventurers need a combat skill, since every famous adventurer possesses a powerful skill. He wants to be just like them.
Lena goes first, and after eating the fruit, her body heats up. To everyone’s surprise, she receives the Sword Saint skill. The nun in charge is amazed, as Sword Saints are extremely rare, appearing only once every decade. She calls Lena a “chosen one.” Light is next, and he eagerly bites into his fruit, excited to leave his mark on history. However, the nun is unimpressed, and when Light eagerly waits to hear about his powerful skill, she reveals that he has received the “Fruit Master” skill. This skill allows him to harvest many berries at once and shortens cultivation times. Unfortunately, it’s not suited for combat. Light’s dream of becoming an adventurer is shattered, and he feels his life is ruined. Lena tries to comfort him by suggesting they can still work together to harvest fruits and even build a massive plantation. This frustrates the nun, who reminds them that Sword Saints like Lena are rare and precious for the nation.
Lena must leave immediately to become an adventurer and move to the city. The two friends say a tearful goodbye, with Lena being dragged away, leaving Light with no hope. Back in the present, Light has been working nonstop growing and selling fruit. He despises farming, especially since the fruit doesn’t sell for much. His skill would be more valuable if it helped him grow something other than fruit, but it doesn’t. Meanwhile, Lena has quickly risen to S-rank and is admired by orphans who dream of becoming adventurers like her, which only makes Light feel worse. He’s determined, though, and vows to become an adventurer even better than Lena, despite lacking a combat skill. He chops at a tree stump, convincing himself that if he can cut it, it means he’ll be an adventurer. However, he just embarrasses himself, and all his confidence disappears. He gives up, thinking Lena has already forgotten about him.
Just then, a girl named Aya brings him some water. The village chief had found her and forced Light to look after her. Light decided not to ask about her past, and they’ve been living together. At dinner, Light tells Aya he’s been growing skill fruits because they’re worth more money. He’s hoping to save up for a sword. Light shows Aya the skill fruits he’s grown and warns her never to eat one without his permission. Aya, clueless about their nature, admits that she used the fruits in the stew they’re eating. Light is horrified because eating more than one skill fruit is deadly. Just then, he starts feeling intense pain and fears he’s going to die. His last words are an apology to Aya, but his dramatic speech is interrupted when Light realizes he’s not dying. Instead, he receives a second skill, called “The Sword God.”
Back at the church, the nun senses something impossible happening. Back with Light, Aya also gains a skill after eating the fruit. Her skill allows her to see the abilities of others, revealing that Light’s “Fruit Master” skill makes him immune to the poison of all fruits. As for his “Sword God” skill, it dramatically increases his attack power when wielding a sword. Light runs outside to test his new skill and is thrilled to find that he can now easily slice through the tree stump. His attack is so strong it almost cuts down all the trees in the forest. Light couldn’t be happier, as he’s now the only person in the world with two skills.
The next day, Light heads to the city to join the Adventurers Guild. He explains to Aya that completing bounties will give them rewards for food and equipment, but he’s also eager to see how his new skill works in battle. If it’s as powerful as it feels, he might even surpass Lena. He leaves Aya alone while he heads to the receptionist desk, and she takes the time to observe the other adventurers’ skills. She’s shocked to see that everyone else only has one skill, and Light is the only one with two. Aya wants to be helpful to Light, so she studies the adventurers. Just then, a rude guy named Jean mocks Light, calling him the “Fruit Master.” When Light ignores him, Jean attacks, but Light easily blocks the attack, surprising everyone. Light realizes that simply holding a sword improves his reaction speed.
Jean dismisses it as luck and leaves, but Light has more important things to do. He soon finds a job and takes Aya with him to the monster location. He warns her to be careful, but Aya uses her appraisal skill to identify the monster’s high defense stats. Light readies himself for his first battle and uses his “Sword God” skill to slice the slime in half. He’s amazed at how light his sword feels, though he realizes he’ll need to learn to control his power. He plans to cut the slime into pieces to sell at the guild, but Aya feels bad for it. Light explains they can buy ten pizzas with the money, and Aya’s attitude changes completely. Now, she’s eager to tear the slime to pieces. As they start cutting it up, they hear people screaming in terror.
It turns out that Jean is being confronted by a giant ogre. The ogre is incredibly powerful, and the group realizes they have no chance of surviving. Light calls out to ask if they’re okay, but Jean comes up with an evil plan. He rushes toward Light, hoping to make the ogre switch targets. Aya reveals that ogres are rarely found in this area. Jean’s plan works, and the ogre focuses on Light instead. Light has no choice but to fight. He isn’t scared, though; defeating this monster would be a great way to start his adventuring career. Light dodges the ogre’s first attack, and Aya warns him to be careful, noting that his “Sword God” skill doesn’t improve his defense, so he must avoid getting hit at all costs.
Determined to become the greatest adventurer, Light prepares for his next attack. He’s now comfortable using his skill at full power and slices through the ogre’s weapon. As he thinks about catching up to Lena, Light uses his “Demon Slash” attack to destroy the beast. Aya celebrates his victory, and we see Jean’s group watching the fight in disbelief, wondering who Light is. At the guild, the receptionist is shocked to learn that Light not only defeated a slime but also an ogre. Jean’s thugs confirm what they saw.
Just then, the famous S-rank party, Sacred, arrives. Among them is the star, Lena. Light tries to greet her, but Lena strangely tells him he’s mistaken her for someone else. Back at the church, the nun reveals that she saw something troubling—she saw the future, and it revealed a terrible threat about to shake the world. The arrival of Sacred is a big deal, and all eyes are on the S-Class adventurers. Among them is the suave Gross, the hulking Strongarm Eric, and the fiery Serum. But the biggest star is Lena, who is especially popular with the guys. When some fanboys call out to her, Lena silences them with a deadly glare. Gross teases Lena, telling her not to scare the small fry too much.
However, Light isn’t intimidated. He pushes his way through the crowd to get Lena’s attention. He’s excited to see his old friend, but when he runs up to her, Lena barely acknowledges him and says he’s mistaken. She leaves without another word. Light is shocked to be forgotten, but Aya knows exactly what will cheer him up: pizza. Light is still sulking, but Aya threatens to eat all the pizza before he gets a chance to try any. That snaps him out of it, and he starts devouring slices, almost choking in the process. A stranger hands him a drink to help, and it turns out to be Lena, who’s arrived in disguise. Before Light can blow her cover, Lena hushes him, not wanting Gross to know she’s there.
The three sit down together, and the girls introduce themselves. Light is eager to know what’s going on, and Lena asks why he’s at the guild. Light smirks and proudly declares that he and Aya are adventurers. Lena is overjoyed to discover that her friend has finally achieved his dream. Light tells her that with his incredible “Sword God” skill, he’s ready to take on anything.
Light is confident he’ll catch up to Lena’s level in no time. Lena is happy to see that Light hasn’t changed since they last met. Light eagerly asks about Sacred, curious to know what life is like with the greatest adventuring party. However, Lena’s mood changes when she hears the mention of her team. She reveals that not everything is perfect at the top. Lena explains that she’s only working with Sacred because it’s what the Holy Sister commanded; she doesn’t really have a choice. The money is great, but the vibe is off. Lena warns Light to stay away from Sacred, saying they’re not the people he thinks they are. This explains why she pretended not to know him earlier.
Light presses her, asking why she doesn’t like Sacred, and Lena begins to flash back to two months prior. She and her team were on a job involving a giant Viper terrorizing the locals. Fortunately, monsters like these are easy to defeat with fire, so Gross ordered the team’s resident pyromaniac to burn it down. The fight went smoothly, and the serpent was easily defeated. However, as the wind shifted, a new problem arose—the fire began to spread to nearby farms. Lena tried to warn the others, but Gross didn’t care. By the time the fire was out, the farms were destroyed, and the farmers were ruined. Gross coldly explains that while crops can be regrown, lives cannot. He says if they hadn’t fought the monster, who knows how many people it could have hurt. This doesn’t sit right with Lena, so she goes to complain to the Holy Sister, but as expected, she doesn’t care. The Sister tells Lena that all history will remember is how Sacred defeated an evil monster, and as far as she’s concerned, Lena did a good job.
Since then, Lena has been troubled by her teammates’ callous attitude towards the people they’re supposed to serve. Light sees how this has affected his friend and suggests that if she doesn’t like Sacred, she can join his team. However, Lena turns down his offer, explaining that things aren’t that simple. Light then asks if she really wants to stay with Sacred, as she’s crying. Embarrassed, Lena quickly gets up and leaves, leaving Light even more worried about her than before.
Later, Light and Aya receive their hefty reward from the guild—10,000 gold. Aya is overjoyed at the sight of it, but even such a large sum doesn’t cheer up Light. He’s still troubled by Sacred, so Aya tells him that if he’s really that concerned, he should just ask them himself. Coincidentally, Gross is right there in the VIP lounge, living it up with some women and bottle service. He’s in the middle of recounting a tale of his “heroic bravery” when the guild receptionist approaches with a complaint from the locals. Apparently, Gross and his team caused more collateral damage on their last mission, including destroying a reservoir. Gross dismisses the complaint, reminding the receptionist that sacrifices sometimes have to be made for the greater good. He says he can’t be expected to keep track of every little detail while walking through life.
At this point, Light has heard enough. He storms into the lounge, demanding that Lena be freed from Sacred. Gross mistakes him for another one of Lena’s fans and, with a snap of his fingers, has security throw Light out of the lounge.
An adventurer warns Light that messing with Sacred will get him into trouble with the Holy Sister, which would mean no work and no pay. Aya is concerned about Light, but he reassures her that he knows what he has to do. The only problem is that they might not be able to eat pizza anymore.
Meanwhile, Sacred is admiring a new gift from the Holy Sister, but Lena is lost in her thoughts, reflecting on Light’s words. She finally makes up her mind and decides to leave Sacred. The rest of the team is shocked—why would anyone want to leave the greatest team of adventurers in the world? But Lena is certain; she wants to be a hero she can be proud of, not like them. As she heads for the door, Gross steps in her way, drawing his blades and placing them against her throat. He tells her it’s audacious to think she can leave. Lena reaches for her own weapon, but Gross reminds her that no matter how skilled she is with a sword, she can’t defeat him with his power. Realizing she’s beaten, Lena stands down. Gross, demonstrating just how unhinged he is, slaps her hard, knocking her to the ground and declaring that they’re going to be heroes together forever.
Later, as Sacred departs for their latest job, the people cheer in the streets. Lena follows along meekly, trying to convince herself that the only way she can help people is by staying with Sacred. Just then, the team stops when they notice a figure standing in their path—Light. He’s back, and he’s not leaving until Lena comes with him. He tells her that he and Aya are about to fight monsters, and since they’re complete novices, she should join them and help out. After all, they promised to become adventurers together. Gross interrupts, telling Light to move out of the way because they have work to do. Light, however, draws his sword and challenges Gross to a duel for Lena’s freedom. Gross, calling Light a chicken, takes the bait, and the fight is set.
Before the match begins, Gross warns Light that if he loses, he’ll be banished from the Adventurers’ Guild and the Holy City forever. Lena is horrified—she doesn’t think Light can win, and Gross agrees, offering Light one last chance to back down. Aya uses her eye app to reveal Gross’s superhuman speed, and to keep things fair, Light considers revealing both of his skills. However, before he can do so, Gross is upon him in a flash. The two lock swords, and the crowd gathers to watch. Even knowing about Gross’s speed, Light is still surprised by how fast he is. Gross launches a flurry of rapid strikes that Light just barely manages to block. Gross appears behind him multiple times, catching him off guard.
As expected of an S-rank adventurer, Gross is no joke—not even the ogre was this tough. With Lena’s freedom on the line, Light charges forward, showing no fear, but his blow is easily countered, and Gross breaks his sword with superior skill. Laughing, Gross tells Lena that if she swears obedience to him, he might consider showing mercy. Light gets back up, determined. He tells Lena not to worry and that he’ll win. His confidence isn’t just empty words; Lena, along with Aya, walks over to him, telling him that she believes in him and knows he’ll win. Ready for round two, Light raises his broken blade and tells Gross to bring it—he has adventuring to do and no time to waste on someone like him. Enraged, Gross decides to destroy them once and for all.
Light is ready for round two, but there’s one problem—he needs a new weapon. Spotting a man on the sidelines holding a broom, Light runs over and asks to borrow it for a moment. Gross, seeing Light wielding nothing more than a simple broom, is furious. He can’t believe Light is mocking him like this. But Light isn’t laughing—his skill makes even a humble broom a formidable weapon. All he needs to do is imagine it.
Gross, enraged by the mockery, launches into another attack, speeding toward Light with incredible force. Light realizes that up until now, he’s been reacting to Gross’s movements, but now it’s time to switch tactics. Instead of matching Gross’s speed, he needs to predict where Gross will be. Closing his eyes and focusing, Light waits for the perfect moment.
Just as Gross looks like he’s about to finish the fight, Light swings his broom with perfect timing. The broom strikes Gross across the face with a satisfying crack, sending him flying backward. The duel is over, and Light wins.
Everyone is stunned, including the other members of Sacred. Light warns them that if they mess with him or his teammates, they’ll face the same treatment as Gross. With that, he turns to Lena and asks again if she wants to join him on his adventures. Lena, relieved and overjoyed, happily agrees—she’s been wanting to say yes for a long time.
A week later, at Lena’s house, Light and Isa are tending to the garden. Things are going well for the group, but Lena wonders if Light’s injuries have fully healed. He tells her he’s fit enough to join her for a job at the guild. Just then, a messenger from the Holy Sister arrives, informing Lena that the sister has summoned her to discuss what happened with Sacred. Lena firmly tells him that her answer hasn’t changed—she won’t return to her old team.
The messenger warns Lena that things will change now, and she won’t receive the same benefits she once did. This becomes evident when the group goes to the guild looking for work. The only jobs available are menial tasks like clearing rats, repairing homes, and rescuing lost cats—far from the dangerous monster hunts they used to do. Light realizes these tasks won’t make enough money to cover their expenses, let alone afford pizza. This news nearly sends Isa into a coma.
Despite the disappointment, Lena accepts the jobs, eager to help those in need. The people are thrilled to see the famous Sword Saint helping them, and the group gets to work. With Lena’s skill and Light’s Sword God ability, they quickly complete every task. At the end of the long day, the three count their earnings, only to find they’ve barely made any money. Isa asks how much it is in terms of pizza, and the answer isn’t good. However, for Lena, the money doesn’t matter. Helping those in need is the most important thing to her, and she’s content with that.
Lena is content, but she worries that the kind of adventuring they’re doing may not be what Light had in mind. Light reassures her that he’s enjoying it and wouldn’t have it any other way. To celebrate, he suggests the three of them make a vow, like wishing upon a star for good luck. He names their new party Luxeria, meaning “imperfect light.” Together, they vow to adventure together forever.
Meanwhile, the Holy Sister is scheming something sinister. She has an S-rank job only Luxeria can handle. While someone as skilled as Lena might survive, the others might not be so fortunate.
A little later, Light and his team are traveling across a fog-covered bridge. Visibility is poor, but Lena reassures them that they’re close to their destination. Just then, Light’s horse loses control, and Lena reveals that they’ve arrived.
A flashback to three hours earlier shows Luxeria at the adventurer’s guild. Rumors are circulating that Lena is taking a new job, and Light declares that Luxeria will handle it. The receptionist expresses relief, as the job is a Race Against Time, but no one knows what kind of monsters are causing the trouble. Two months ago, a hero party disappeared while researching the area, and all adventurers sent to find them have also vanished. A total of 18 adventurers, all A and B rank, have gone missing, which terrifies Isa. Lena is shocked to learn that some of the missing adventurers were her teachers.
The job’s goal is to find the missing adventurers and determine the cause of their disappearances. Although Lena fears the difficulty of the task, Light is eager to take it on, and Isa is right behind him, insisting that they pick up some paks for the journey. The receptionist is surprised to learn that Isa, a small girl, is going with them, but Light explains that she’s dependable and has the rare appraisal skill, which she acquired by accident. With that cleared up, they head out, though Light is nervous since he’s never ridden a horse before.
Back in the present, the trio arrives at the giant manor. Lena is deep in thought, planning their approach to entering the house, while Light is preoccupied with the thought of how much money adventurers can make. Lena explains that high-ranking adventurers can afford lavish homes after years of work. She adds that in a few weeks, she might be able to buy a house like this one. Light dreams of one day building his own house, complete with a large farm and training grounds. Isa enthusiastically joins in, saying they should have a candy house as well, but her excitement fades quickly.
As Isa falls off the cliff, Light and Lena attempt to help her, but they all end up tumbling together. Despite the fall, Light remains calm and uses the wind pressure from one of his attacks to slow their descent, landing them safely. However, they soon realize the danger isn’t over, as they’re surrounded by monsters. Light, eager for battle, barely contains his excitement, while Lena notices that the monsters are wearing armor. Isa uses her appraisal skill and identifies them as undead—once human adventurers who now create more of their kind by biting others.
Isa warns them not to let the undead touch them, but Light is distracted by the thought that he might have just killed an adventurer. Isa then discovers that the undead have skills, such as archery, thermal resistance, and sprinting, which match the abilities of the missing adventurers. Lena realizes that these undead are the reason the adventurers disappeared. Though Light struggles with the thought of fighting his former comrades, Lena tells him there’s no time to mourn. She insists that the right thing to do is to send these adventurers to the afterlife.
The group decides to head into the mansion to search for survivors, but inside, they find more undead. Lena wastes no time taking them out with ease, impressing Light as he watches her skillfully switch between attacks based on the type of undead. He explains that the undead who still resemble humans have weak spots in their hearts, while the skeletal ones can be defeated by cutting through their spines. Light admits that while the Sword Saint and Sword God skills are nearly equal, his own skill is less refined than Lena’s, though he’s determined not to just watch.
During the battle, Isa is almost attacked but is saved by Lena, who manages to stab an undead right between the gaps in its armor. Despite Isa being okay, Light realizes how difficult it is to fight while protecting someone. He vows never to hesitate again and to protect Isa at all costs. After the battle, Light wonders why there are so many undead. There were only 18 adventurers missing, but they’ve encountered far more zombies than that. Something doesn’t feel right, and the group presses deeper into the house.
They come across a portrait of the noble who once owned the mansion, and as they proceed, they encounter even more undead. To their surprise, some of the undead seem to be acting as decoys, as if they have minds of their own. Light instructs Isa to check her appraisal skill again, and she reveals that these undead have been tamed. Someone is controlling them, and Light notices threads attached to the monsters.
As they follow the threads, they find themselves in a ballroom, though Light is confused and assumes it’s a place for playing sports. Lena explains that it’s actually for dance parties. At that moment, a mysterious voice welcomes them, introducing herself as Jatan. She claims to have been waiting for a long time and somehow knows Light’s name. Light is relieved to meet a living person, but he senses something off about her. Just then, Jatan pulls the strings on her zombie puppets, and Isa reveals that she has the Necromancy skill, allowing her to control corpse and spirit-type monsters.
She reveals that she can control undead using her Necromancy skill, even utilizing their skills and unique traits. She dismisses Light’s attempt to reason with her, stating that her only mission is to kill him, as that’s the order she’s been given. She mentions being part of the Black Swan, a group Lena has never heard of, and even more concerning, Lena is unfamiliar with the Necromancy skill. Jatan seeks only entertainment and sends out her undead minions to attack, but they are no match for the teamwork of Light, Lena, and Isa.
Lena and Light manage to fight back, but Jatan has her undead isolate them by sending those with the best skills. Isa identifies their opponents’ abilities: one zombie has the Mirror Strike skill, which creates mirror image attacks, while another has the Claw skill, which extends and hardens the nails while boosting strength. Jatan grows frustrated with Isa’s analysis and orders her zombies to take her out. Light doesn’t hesitate to protect Isa, but the group soon finds themselves overwhelmed by the endless wave of zombies.
Lena, struggling to fight her former teachers who are now undead, faces a moral dilemma. These were the adventurers who took care of her when she was a newbie, and they taught her many things. Unable to overcome the emotional pain of fighting them, Lena comes up with a plan. She cuts the threads controlling the undead, and to her shock, she hears their spirits speak to her. They tell her that they know their fate, and the best tribute Lena can give them is to destroy their rotting forms. With great sorrow, Lena swiftly ends their suffering, shedding a tear as she says her final farewell to her former teachers.
Meanwhile, Light, exhausted from the fighting, has an epiphany. He asks Isa to check if the Necromancy skill can create undead. Isa confirms it cannot, only allowing the user to control existing undead. This raises a troubling question for Light: if this mansion has been abandoned for years, where are all the undead coming from? Determined to find answers, Light urges Isa to investigate further. Jatan is impressed with Light’s intellect, but she grows more irritated by Isa’s snooping and continues her attack. Light, unable to simply defend, tells Isa to hop on his back and hold tight. Jatan, envious, tries to keep up her relentless assault, but Light has had enough of her casual attitude.
Back at the Holy Sister’s location, she watches a vision of something ominous—a shadow devouring the moon. She’s certain that no one, not even the strongest individuals, will be able to stand against what is coming.
Leave a Reply