THEIR JOURNEY BEGINS - YUMI POV

Yumi can't believe what she's seeing. She has spent so much time with Benny that a ray of early morning sunlight filters through the window. Despite having slept for only an hour, the horrifying situation immediately jolts her awake.

Completely naked, with her skin sticky from dried sweat and cum, Yumi leaps out of bed, startling the person sleeping beside her.

"What's going on?" Benny stammers.

"I have to go," Yumi says, her attention divided as she frantically searches for her hastily discarded clothes. She easily finds her bra, but her panties remain missing.

"Have you seen my panties?" she asks, panic-stricken, her eyes darting around the dorm room as she slips on her bra.

"No idea," Benny replies groggily. Despite his drowsiness, he dutifully stands up to help her, picking up her shirt and leggings from the floor and handing them to her.

As Yumi takes the clothes from Benny, she silently curses, annoyed at the situation she finds herself in.

I must hurry - Aki must already be at the entrance arch.

Not wanting to disappoint Aki, Yumi makes the decision to leave without her panties. Despite betraying him by sleeping with someone else, she still deeply loves Aki. She knows how important this day is for him, which in turn makes it important for her as well.

Quickly, she puts on the leggings and shirt, grabs her coat from the floor, and heads for the door. She's already at the door when she finally looks back at the still-sleepy Benny.

"Goodbye, Benny," Yumi says, not unkindly but with a tone of absolute finality.

"Good b-," Benny begins, but Yumi has already left.

Stunned by how she just left him, like he was a mere throw-away, Benny's mouth hang open - the look of shock and incredulity readily apparent in his face.

"Oh well," he says, a few seconds later, gathering himself. He smiles and pulls out a panty from his pocket. "At least, I got a souvenir."

Thankfully, with the academy still enveloped in slumber, Yumi stealthily navigates through the deserted hallways, swiftly making her way to her dorm room. Upon arrival, she glances at her timepiece, a sense of urgency sweeping over her.

Silently cursing her lack of time, Yumi forgoes a bath and heads directly to the water stone basin to freshen her face. However, as she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, she can't help but notice the disheveled state she's in. A simple face wash won't suffice to rectify the situation. Her hair is tousled and matted, and remnants of dried semen cling to parts of her hair. Anyone who sees her can tell she got properly fucked the previous night.

Determinedly, Yumi swiftly rectifies her appearance, employing her practiced skill in making quick touch-ups. Satisfied with her efforts, she takes a final glance in the mirror, a smile of contentment gracing her face.

Filled with renewed determination, she hastens her movements. Expertly donning her armor and grabbing the enchanted satchel prepared two nights ago. She, of course, knew that she will be spending the celebration night in someone else's bed. Lastly, she slings the long shield across her back before exiting the dorm room.

Yumi propels herself forward with rapid strides, her legs carrying her as swiftly as possible. Finally, upon reaching the entrance arch of Beakdawn, her eyes alight upon Kei, patiently awaiting her arrival.

A broad smile adorns Yumi's face as she calls out, "Hey!"

As Aki turns to wave at her, Yumi's joyous expression momentarily falters. The realization that she forgot to wear her panties washes over her. Nonetheless, she maintains her smile as she approaches him.

After reaching her beloved, Yumi takes a moment to catch her breath, her lungs gasping for air. In the midst of swallowing, she realizes that her mouth still tastes of Benny's body fluids.

Unconsciously licking her lips, she requests a potion from Aki. While the primary intent is to replenish her energy, she also hopes it will help cleanse her palate of Benny's lingering presence. Prior to embarking on their journey, she has resolved to leave behind all memories associated with the academy, embracing a fresh start with Aki.

Having consumed the potion, Yumi expresses her gratitude to Aki before assuming her signature pose - hand on her hip, the other pointing onward.

Aki, with a gentle tone, interjects, "That's south. There's nothing but a barren desert in that direction. We need to go around and head east, where the nearest village awaits."

A realization dawns upon Yumi;

That's not good.

Despite noticing Aki's movement to depart, Yumi remains rooted in contemplation. Venturing to the village is an undesirable option, as it serves as a reminder of numerous intoxicated nights spent there. Add to the fact that waking up in rented rooms beside unfamiliar individuals has become an all too familiar occurrence.

Fortunately, a swift idea materializes in Yumi's mind. Turning to Aki, who has noticed her hesitation and casts a curious gaze her way, she seeks confirmation.

"You mentioned 'going around.' What lies to the west?" she inquires.

"A longer and considerably more perilous route. We'll encounter bandits and goblins, at the very least." Aki responds.

"But we'll still reach our destination, right?"

"Yes,"

Yumi's heart swells with gratitude as she strikes her signature pose once more, this time extending her arm westward.

"Are you sure?" Aki questions.

"Absolutely!" Yumi asserts, her wide smile radiating towards Aki. "We graduated at the top of our class! What's the point of all that if we're just going to take the easy way out?"

"Alright," Aki concedes.

Triumphantly, Yumi strikes a pose of victory, exclaiming, "YES!"

As they finally depart from the village, a lingering sensation of being watched tingles Yumi's instincts. She steals a glance at Aki, who seems oblivious, solidifying her conviction that the watchful eyes are directed at her.

Whoever that is, just know, I'll slay anyone who tries to come between me and Aki.