The silence didn't last long.
At first, the forest felt like it was watching us.
Then—
It attacked.
The ground behind us exploded.
A massive shape burst out from beneath the roots of the trees, shattering the invisible barrier like glass.
Wood cracked.
Earth flew into the air.
And something enormous rose before us.
A serpent.
No—
A monster.
Its body was thicker than the largest tree trunk. Dark green scales reflected the faint light like armor. Its golden eyes locked onto us with ancient intelligence, and when it exhaled, the air itself trembled.
Lucas froze.
"…Zeus," he whispered, voice shaking, "tell me that thing isn't looking at us."
It was.
My legs wouldn't move.
Fear wrapped around my body like chains.
My heart pounded so loudly I thought the creature could hear it.
Run.
Fight.
Hide.
My brain screamed commands—but nothing happened.
I couldn't move.
Then—
Akira's voice echoed in my memory.
"Fear will stop your body before your enemy does."
My fingers clenched.
No.
We didn't go through all that pain just to die here.
I forced myself to breathe.
One step.
Then another.
I grabbed Lucas's shoulder.
"Lucas! Move!"
He snapped out of it.
"What?! WHAT DO WE DO?!"
I looked around quickly.
Trees.
Distance.
Weight.
Timing.
A reckless plan formed in my head.
"Lead it toward the trees!" I shouted.
Lucas blinked.
"WHY?! Do you actually have a plan?!"
"No time to explain! JUST RUN!"
"…You're insane! Fine!!"
Lucas bolted.
The serpent's head followed him instantly.
Good.
That meant it worked on instinct.
I ran behind them, shouting directions.
"Not that way! Left! LEFT!"
The ground shook with every movement of the creature as it chased him, smashing smaller trees aside like they were nothing.
But ahead—
There it was.
A massive tree.
Ancient.
Unmoving.
Even that monster couldn't destroy something like that easily.
"Head for that giant tree!" I yelled.
Lucas glanced back.
"You BETTER NOT BE WRONG!"
He sprinted straight toward it.
"WHEN YOU REACH IT," I continued, "I'll pin its tail! That'll slow it down!"
"And then?!"
"Climb! Use your hands and feet—just like training!"
Lucas grimaced.
"…I hate that you're right."
As soon as he reached the tree, I moved.
The serpent lunged.
I dashed behind it.
Every instinct screamed that I was about to die.
But I forced myself forward.
I drove the knife down with everything I had—
THUD!
The blade pierced between scales and lodged into the ground, pinning part of its tail against the roots.
The serpent roared.
The sound shook my bones.
"NOW CLIMB!" I shouted.
Lucas jumped, gripping the bark.
Months of brutal training showed their results.
He didn't slip.
Didn't hesitate.
He climbed.
Fast.
Our arms… our legs… they were no longer weak.
"Lucas!" I called out. "When I say jump—you jump onto its head!"
"…YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!"
"TRUST ME!"
The serpent thrashed wildly, trying to free itself.
The knife wouldn't hold forever.
I stepped forward, yelling to get its attention.
"HEY! Over here, you oversized lizard! Come on! Try and catch me!"
Its golden eyes focused on me.
Good.
"Lucas!" I shouted.
"Ready…?!"
"…NO!!"
"ONE!"
The tail began tearing free.
"TWO!"
The monster lunged.
"THREE! JUMP!"
Lucas screamed as he launched himself from the tree.
"THIS IS A TERRIBLE PLAN!!"
"Put all your weight into the sword!" I yelled. "Like a spear!"
Lucas raised his blade midair.
Time seemed to slow.
Then—
CRACK!
He struck the serpent's skull with full force.
The impact echoed like metal hitting stone.
The creature's body stiffened.
Then collapsed.
Silence.
Lucas slid off its head, shaking.
"…I… I'm alive?"
I exhaled.
"…We're alive."
We didn't celebrate.
We didn't even smile.
We just sat there breathing for a while.
Eventually, we approached carefully and removed its massive fangs. It took both of us kicking, pulling, and using rocks just to loosen them.
"Why are we even doing this…" Lucas muttered.
"No idea," I admitted. "But it feels important."
We decided to wait.
If it woke up again, we'd run.
Instead—
The serpent opened one eye and spoke.
"Yes… you may stop harvesting my face now."
We froze.
Lucas slowly turned toward me.
"…Did it just talk?"
"…It talked."
The serpent lifted its head slightly.
"You are the first humans… to defeat me."
We stared, speechless.
"For that," it continued calmly, "you may take my fangs and my shed skin. They will grow back."
I blinked.
"…What do we even use those for?"
"I will leave that… a secret. Take them to a guild."
Lucas leaned toward me.
"Ask if we get paid."
"Do we get paid?" I asked instantly.
"…Yes."
"Good enough!" I said.
We began packing everything.
"What's your name?" Lucas asked.
"I do not possess one," the serpent replied.
Lucas frowned.
"That's illegal. Everyone needs a name."
He looked at me.
"We're naming it."
I nodded seriously.
"…It needs something cool."
We both thought.
Long silence.
Then I said,
"…Mirei."
Lucas's eyes widened.
"…Yeah. That's good."
The serpent seemed to consider it.
"Mirei… I accept this name."
Then it added:
"In return, I shall give you something as well."
Lucas stepped back.
"…That sounds suspicious."
"Permission… to bite you."
Lucas shouted, "ABSOLUTELY NOT—"
I stepped forward.
"…Okay."
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Lucas yelled.
"I trust her," I said.
Lucas stared.
"…I trust her halfway."
"Prepare yourselves," Mirei said.
The bite hurt.
A lot.
Lucas screamed.
I tried not to.
When it ended, nothing seemed different.
"…So what did that do?" I asked.
"Try speaking," Mirei replied, nodding toward a nearby creature.
I looked at a monkey sitting on a branch.
"…Hey."
The monkey waved.
"Hello."
We both screamed.
"IT TALKED!"
Lucas grabbed his head.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
Mirei explained calmly:
"You may now understand all monsters and beasts."
We looked at each other.
"…That's actually amazing," Lucas said.
We thanked her.
Then Mirei asked,
"Where are you going without me?"
I looked at her giant body.
"…How are we supposed to carry YOU?!"
She vanished.
"…Mirei?" I called.
"Down here."
We looked.
A tiny snake sat on the ground.
Lucas blinked.
"…That's cheating."
"This is one of my abilities," she said proudly.
"…You're coming with us," I decided.
And so we continued.
Strangely, no monsters approached us anymore.
Mirei's presence alone frightened them away.
It made the journey… peaceful.
Eventually—
The trees parted.
And we saw it.
A palace.
Gigantic.
White stone towers reaching into the sky.
Golden roofs shining like sunlight.
We both stopped walking.
"…That's huge," Lucas whispered.
"…Yeah."
For the first time since entering this world—
We felt small.
We approached the gates.
And immediately—
Guards crossed their spears.
"Halt. State your business."
Lucas leaned toward me.
"…Okay. Now what?"