Embers crackled softly, tiny sparks bursting from the fire as it struggled against the biting cold. The faint glow spread across the cavern, offering what little warmth it could to those gathered around it.
The goblins huddled close.
The injured lay supported against the rough stone walls, their bodies wrapped in fur and cloth. The young were pressed together near the center, their small forms trembling despite the heat. Their breaths were uneven, some too shallow, others too fast, their bodies fighting against fever, hunger, and exhaustion all at once.
It wasn't getting better.
If anything… it was getting worse.
The cold had seeped too deep into their bones. Hunger had weakened them beyond recovery. And now illness had begun to take root, turning their already fragile condition into something far more dangerous.
Even with the fire burning, it felt like they were slowly losing.
---
Outside, the situation was different.
The masked woman stood over a Sabertusk carcass, surrounded by a few male goblins assisting her. In her hand was a simple flint knife, yet it moved with unnatural precision. A faint green energy flowed around the blade, enhancing it as she cut through the beast's thick hide as if it were nothing more than cloth.
With practiced efficiency, she peeled the fur away in large sections, separating meat from bone in clean, deliberate motions. Each piece was carved down into manageable portions before being handed off, ready to be skewered and roasted over the fire.
There was no hesitation in her movements.
No wasted effort.
This wasn't her first time doing something like this.
---
From a distance, Haruna watched.
Beside her stood Hana, along with the two goblins from before. Haruna's gaze remained fixed on the masked woman, sharp and untrusting, her posture still carrying that lingering tension.
"So," Haruna began, her tone low, "you're saying she saved you all?"
The scarred goblin warrior nodded without hesitation. "Yes… she did."
His eyes drifted toward the woman as he continued.
"While you were away, we were approached by a group from the Crimson Battalion. They claimed this land as their own… said they were now its caretakers. When we refused to leave…" his jaw tightened slightly, "…they destroyed everything. Our village didn't even last the night."
The young female goblin clenched her bandaged hand, her voice trembling with restrained anger. "After we ran… Lady Venora took some of us into her own faction. The rest…" she hesitated, her eyes lowering, "…scattered. Some didn't make it."
Haruna's expression darkened, frustration rising visibly.
"How far are those insects planning to push this…?" she muttered under her breath, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword. "They're getting way too comfortable."
Hana remained silent, her gaze lowered slightly as she processed everything.
The pieces were starting to fall into place.
The ones who conquered the labyrinth… the same ones now expanding outward. Taking territory. Seizing control. Using monsters as tools, as weapons, as resources to strengthen themselves.
This wasn't random.
This was deliberate.
Which only left one question lingering in her mind, heavy and unresolved.
What are they actually after?
The thought lingered uncomfortably, pressing against her chest in a way she couldn't quite explain. For once, she didn't try to reach a conclusion on her own.
She wanted Haruto here.
Not just for answers.
But because, for some reason… she felt safer when he was.
---
"You're wasting that anger."
The voice cut cleanly through the tension.
Everyone turned.
The masked woman stood nearby, handing freshly prepared meat skewers to a few goblins, who quickly carried them inside. Her movements remained calm, her presence steady, as if the chaos surrounding them had no effect on her at all.
"If you let it blind you instead of using it, it becomes nothing more than a burden."
Her words were quiet.
But they carried weight.
She glanced toward them, her gaze unreadable beneath the mask.
"There's no point in resisting them directly. We're too weak. That's the reality." She paused briefly before continuing, her tone unchanged. "The only thing we can do right now… is survive."
The truth landed heavily.
Too heavily.
Haruna's jaw tightened immediately.
"You think we can just keep running forever?" she shot back. "They'll find us eventually. It's not like we can just abandon the forest and—"
"Why not?"
The interruption was calm.
Almost casual.
But it struck harder than anything else.
Haruna froze slightly, caught off guard.
The masked woman's expression didn't change. There was no anger, no frustration—only a quiet acceptance.
To her, this wasn't something worth arguing over.
It was simple.
Survival over pride.
Life over attachment.
But to Haruna…
That logic felt wrong.
Deeply wrong.
She had risked everything to get here. Pushed herself beyond her limits just to reach Haruto. To seek help. To protect what remained of her people.
And the forest—
This place wasn't just land.
It was home.
More than that… it was something she believed in.
The forest had protected them. Sheltered them. Guided them. To her, it wasn't just nature.
It was something alive.
Something sacred.
Something that carried the will of their lord.
To abandon it now… felt no different than betrayal.
And yet—
She understood.
That was the part that hurt the most.
Because no matter how much she wanted to deny it…
The masked woman wasn't wrong.
They were weak.
Powerless.
And completely outmatched.
Haruna's fists trembled at her sides as her head lowered. Anger and helplessness twisted together inside her chest, tightening with every passing second. A tear slipped from her eye, trailing down her cheek—only to freeze halfway as the cold air brushed past her.
She didn't even notice.
Not until warmth surrounded her.
Hana wrapped her arms around Haruna from behind, pulling her into a gentle embrace. It wasn't forceful. It wasn't sudden.
Just… steady.
Grounding.
"Hey," Hana said softly, leaning closer, her voice calm but firm. "You're not alone in this. Got it?"
She reached up and gently wiped away the frozen tear.
Haruna's voice wavered. "But… wasn't it Lord Haruto's idea to leave the forest in the first place…?"
Hana tilted her head slightly, a small smile forming on her lips.
"You remember that dream you told me about?" she asked lightly. "The one where I said you're a lot like him?"
Haruna blinked, caught off guard. "…In what way?"
Hana's smile widened just a little.
"Greed."
The word lingered.
Not as an insult.
But as something… deeper.
Something familiar.
---
Then—
Something shifted.
The air changed.
A subtle disturbance rippled through the surrounding trees. A single leaf trembled and fell, the faint sound echoing far louder than it should have in the unnatural silence.
Everyone felt it.
Except Hana.
She didn't tense.
Didn't react with fear.
Instead, she smiled.
"…Finally," she murmured softly, pulling the small mask closer to her chest as if hugging it.
The next moment—
A droplet of blood shot out from the forest.
Fast.
Precise.
The masked woman reacted instantly, stepping forward to shield the goblins. Fear flickered in her chest, but she didn't hesitate. Her grip tightened around her staff as she prepared for whatever was coming.
The droplet stopped midair.
Then—
It expanded.
Violently.
Its size multiplied in an instant, swelling into a massive sphere of crimson that pulsed like a living heart. The surface rippled, unstable, before it suddenly hardened—
And shattered.
Like glass breaking from within.
Fragments dissolved into nothingness as a figure emerged from the center, descending casually as if gravity itself had no authority over him.
Haruto landed lightly on the ground, hands tucked into his pockets, completely unfazed by the stunned silence around him.
"Yo."
He raised a hand, offering a relaxed wave, like he had just walked into a normal conversation instead of rewriting reality on arrival.
Haruna didn't hesitate.
The moment she saw him, she sheathed her sword and rushed forward, throwing herself into him without holding back.
"You worried us!" she muffled against his chest, her grip tightening as if making sure he was actually there.
Haruto blinked once, then let out a small, helpless sigh before resting a hand on her head.
"C'mon… you really thought I'd struggle with something like that?" he said, a faint grin forming.
She shook her head, but didn't let go.
Not even a little.
Yeah… he was stuck.
And he knew it.
Hana, watching from the side, couldn't help the small grin creeping onto her face.
Walking up to him, she crossed her arms lightly. "So? How'd it go? Anything dangerous?"
For some reason, the way she asked that felt… oddly familiar.
Like someone asking how your day at work went.
The thought hit him out of nowhere, and he immediately looked away, clearing his throat as if that would somehow erase it.
"Nothing too crazy," he replied, forcing a casual tone. "Found a pack of those Sabertooth looking things. Took them out… but I did figure out something that might be very useful."
Hana leaned forward slightly, interested. "Oh?"
"Their blood," he continued, "stays warm even after death. Not just warm—consistently warm. It's like the substance itself holds heat. If we use it right, we can make something like heat packs. And their hides… they barely lose heat at all. If they can retain that much heat, we can definitely use them to trap our own body heat easily. With both, the cold stops being a real problem."
Hana's eyes lit up instantly.
"That's huge. Where are they? We need to grab them before something else does."
Haruna finally pulled back slightly, her expression already focused again. "We should move immediately. If we delay, other beasts will take everything."
Haruto just raised a hand lazily.
"Relax."
He pointed toward an open area and summoned a small sphere of blood onto his fingertip. With a flick, he sent it flying forward.
It stopped at a distance.
Hovered.
Then—
Expanded.
In an instant, it grew massively, its size multiplying beyond reason before releasing everything it contained.
A thunderous crash followed.
Dozens upon dozens of Sabertusk carcasses spilled out onto the snow, piling over each other as the ground trembled beneath their weight.
The sound alone was enough to freeze everyone in place.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Overwhelming.
The goblins stared.
At the beasts.
At the sheer number of them.
At him.
Creatures that had once felt like unstoppable monsters now lay stacked like discarded prey. The same beasts that had taken lives… wiped out entire groups…
Reduced to nothing more than resources.
By one person.
Understanding settled in quickly.
Clear.
Absolute.
There was a hierarchy here.
And Haruto stood at the very top of it.
Even then… none of them dared to approach.
They wanted to.
Needed to.
But fear held them back just enough to keep them frozen in place.
...