I AM EXTRA IN A SHONEN MANGA

The morning mist clung to the cobblestone courtyard of Veyl Academy's departure grounds. Carriages waited by the gates, laden with provisions, banners of the academy fluttering faintly in the breeze.

Kaen's sharp eyes caught sight of familiar black hair among the gathering crowd. He raised a hand instantly, his fiery grin breaking through the mist.

"Khael!!!! You're here!"

He ran up without hesitation, his voice echoing like a spark of joy across the otherwise quiet field.

Khael blinked, pausing mid-step. His heart gave a strange pull at seeing Kaen's unguarded happiness.

(You're… happy to see me? This guy… I know what's coming, yet still… he smiles like that. Makes me remember those tragedy in the manga.)

Khael straightened, his tone calm but carrying weight.

"Kaen."

The single word carried both greeting and restraint.

Behind him, Ceyla Nox crossed her arms, her wolfcut hair catching the morning light. She gave only a sharp glance toward Team 3, muttering a low:

"Hmmp."

Juno Arkai stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully. His Taishin robes shifted with the movement, his tone deep and formal.

"Thank you for having us. We will do our best to honor this joint mission."

Lira Valenne smiled softly, her silver-pink hair swaying as she greeted them with open warmth.

"Welcome, Khael, Ceyla, Juno. It's good to have you with us."

Her lavender eyes lingered kindly on Ceyla, though the other girl only flicked her gaze aside with an unimpressed scoff.

From the side, Rael Eluron observed silently, posture rigid as a blade drawn but not yet swung. His emerald eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hmmp."

The air stiffened for a moment, rivalry threading between him and Khael like invisible wires.

Kaen, oblivious or simply ignoring the tension, clapped Khael's shoulder with a wide grin.

"This time we're going together! No senseis, no babysitting! Just us, like equals!"

Khael felt the weight of Kaen's words, the irony stinging in his chest. He forced a faint smile, though his thoughts whispered darker truths.

(Like equals…? Kaen, if only you knew what fate this mission carries for you.)

The horns of departure blared, cutting the silence.

Captain Kaedros's voice thundered from the carriage steps, commanding and steady.

"Team 3. Team 9. Board now—we ride for Heliana."

The rookies exchanged looks some cold, some warm, some uncertain. But the path had been set.

The two teams climbed aboard, the wheels creaking to life as their journey began toward Heliana, toward corruption, and toward tragedy.

As The wheels rattled over the dirt road, the carriage swaying lightly as the two rookie teams sat across from one another. The faint creak of wood and the distant call of crows filled the silence until Kaen broke it, as he always did.

"So… who's gonna lead us in this new mission?" Kaen asked, leaning forward, eyes bright with restless energy.

Rael's emerald gaze flicked toward him, sharp and disdainful.

"Can you shut your mouth, loser?"

Kaen shot up halfway from his seat, fists clenched.

"What did you say!!!"

Before sparks could catch, Khael placed a steadying hand on Kaen's shoulder, voice calm.

"Calm down, Kaen. Calm down."

Kaen huffed but sank back, glaring daggers at Rael.

Rael, however, didn't spare Kaen another glance. His eyes shifted toward Khael instead, studying him silently.

(Khael Corzedar… from the Corzedar line. This is the first time I've really observed him. We've crossed paths plenty, but… what he did in the mock battle… even Seraphis couldn't identify that power. And the incident… we almost died, yet he remained calm throughout.)

Khael met his gaze with nothing but an easy, quiet smile.

Rael clicked his tongue and looked away.

"Tsk."

On the other side, Lira leaned slightly toward Ceyla, offering a small smile.

"Um… Ceyla, this is the first time we've actually spoken, isn't it?"

Ceyla narrowed her eyes, scoffing.

"Heh… don't talk to me, princess."

Lira blinked but pressed on gently.

"Are you still angry about… my elder sister?"

Ceyla's jaw tightened.

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm not here to play friends with the Valenne clan."

Before the air could sour further, Khael reached over and rapped his knuckles lightly on Ceyla's head.

"Ceyla. Be nice to her."

She snapped her gaze toward him, frowning.

"What was that for?!"

"You're being rude to someone who just wants to be friends with you."

Ceyla turned away with a huff.

"Hmph. I don't need friends."

Khael sighed deeply, his gaze steady on her.

"Hayyssstt…" He leaned closer, looking directly into her eyes.

Ceyla froze, caught off guard. His stare lingered—not cold, not commanding, just unwavering. Her cheeks heated against her will.

"O-okay, okay, don't stare at me like that! Tsk… annoying."

Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest. She didn't know what this strange feeling was—only that she had been feeling it ever since she first started traveling with Khael a month ago.

From the corner, Juno sighed softly, arms folded.

"Children."

The word drew a few looks—and then another voice, heavier, broke the atmosphere.

Captain Kaedros, seated at the front bench with his massive frame taking up half the space, turned his head just enough for his gravelly tone to reach them all. His scarred jaw caught a sliver of light as he spoke.

"Kids…"

The chatter stilled instantly. Even Rael's sharp eyes lifted in attention.

"…Since we're heading toward my village, I need to ask you all—are you willing to take a risk?"

The words hung in the cramped carriage, heavier than the jolts of the road.

Kaen's fists clenched instinctively.

"A risk? What do you mean?"

Kaedros' gaze swept across them—Kaen's fiery determination, Khael's calm eyes, Rael's cold precision, Ceyla's stubborn glare, Lira's uncertain kindness, Juno's quiet focus.

"Heliana is no playground. There are voids—corruption festering near the temple, disappearances no villager dares speak of, shadows moving where light should reach. If you come with me, you must understand… not all of you may return the same."

The carriage jolted as the horses pulled harder uphill, but no one spoke.

Kaedros leaned back slightly, crossing his arms, his voice like a vow carved in stone.

"I won't force any of you. But once you step foot in my village, you fight with me as one—no matter the cost. That is the risk I ask of you."

Silence. Only the creak of wood, the stomp of hooves.

Then Kaen broke it, his voice unshaken.

"I'll risk it. Whatever it takes."

Rael closed his eyes, chin high.

"Hmph. Do you even need to ask? I was prepared the moment I wore this uniform."

Ceyla looked out the window, her reflection faint in the glass.

"…I don't care what happens. I'll fight."

Lira's hands trembled in her lap, but she nodded firmly.

"If the temple is in danger, then… I have to help."

Juno adjusted his hair, sighing.

"I suppose my answer was decided the moment I stepped aboard."

Finally, Kaedros' gaze rested on Khael, who hadn't spoken.

Khael only smiled faintly, meeting the captain's eyes.

"You already know my answer, Captain."

Kaedros' words about risk still lingered in the air when he gave a short grunt, almost like a laugh. His broad shoulders shifted, the weight of his armor creaking as he glanced back at the rookies.

"Seems like you're already aware… I am Captain Kaedros, the Guardian of the Temple of Heliana."

The rookies stirred. Even Rael's eyes narrowed—Guardian of the Temple was no small title.

But Khael leaned forward slightly, his calm voice breaking the silence.

"Yes… we were aware the moment the mission scroll was handed to us. And by observing your frame, the way you carry yourself—battle-hardened yet disciplined—I knew you weren't Elder Ryozen. You're Captain Kaedros, the one who guards Heliana's temple."

The captain's eyes, sharp as steel, fixed on Khael. For a heartbeat the air grew heavier, as though Kaedros was weighing his soul.

Then, the older man gave a deep, rumbling chuckle.

"Hoh. Smart kid. You've got eyes that don't waste a detail. Good. I'll be counting on that."

Rael's gaze flicked toward Khael, unreadable.

Kaen grinned with pride at his friend, though he didn't fully understand the weight of the exchange.

Ceyla blinked, caught off guard by Khael's composure, her chest tightening with that same annoying thump she could never explain.

Kaedros turned his head back toward the road, his tone returning to iron.

"Then listen well. If you know who I am, then you also know what that means. This mission is no test—it is a war waiting to unfold. And Heliana's temple is the first line."

The rookies fell silent once again, the creaking of wheels carrying them toward their fate.

To be continue