Haruto stood pressed against the rough bark of a tree, keeping his body as still as possible as he hid from them. Even from a distance, he could feel it—the heavy pressure in the air, thick and suffocating, making it harder to breathe with each passing second.
His eyes moved carefully through the forest, tracking the Dami human
They wouldn't listen to him. He already knew that.
Trying to talk was useless.
Then how…?
How was he supposed to get out of this?
His jaw tightened slightly as another thought crossed his mind. If this fight dragged on any longer, night would fall soon. And in this unfamiliar forest, fighting in the dark would only make things worse for him.
He wasn't strong enough to survive that.
Not yet.
Haruto slowly shifted his gaze toward the base of another tree nearby. Miyuki lay there, completely still, her chest rising and falling softly. She hadn't woken up yet. Before losing consciousness, he had given her an order—and because of it, she remained trapped in a deep, unnatural sleep.
Her body rested against the trunk, unmoving.
If she woke up… she might be able to help. At the very least, she could speak to them, maybe buy time… maybe change something.
But she wasn't waking up.
And that made everything worse.
Haruto clenched his fist.
He couldn't summon her either.
The skill had a limit—he had already used it once. Until it reset… or until he leveled up, it was useless.
Right now, he had nothing.
No backup.
No plan.
No time.
"…Miyuki…" he whispered under his breath, his voice barely audible. "Wake up…"
No response.
Only silence.
His heart began to beat faster.
Think.
Think.
But before he could come up with anything
A sharp sound cut through the air behind him.
Haruto's body reacted on instinct.
He turned
Too late.
A spear shot forward with terrifying speed, tearing through the air before slamming straight into the tree beside him.
Thud—!
The impact was violent enough to shake the trunk.
The tip of the spear grazed his side, slicing through his clothes and cutting into his flesh.
"…Ghh—!"
A sharp pain exploded through his body.
Haruto stumbled slightly, his breath catching in his throat as warm blood began to flow down his side. It wasn't a deep wound—but it was enough to weaken him.
Haruto clenched his teeth as pain spread through his body. Blood continued to flow from his wounds, warm and relentless. Without wasting time, he pressed his hand tightly against the injury, trying to slow the bleeding. His fingers quickly grew slick with blood, but he didn't stop. Gritting his teeth, he tore a piece of cloth from his clothes and wrapped it firmly around the wound, pulling it tight to stop the flow.
His breathing was heavy, uneven.
He barely had time to steady himself before he sensed movement around him.
By the time he lifted his head
They were already there.
Several demi-humans surrounded him from all sides, weapons pointed directly at his body. Spears, blades, and bows—all aimed at him without hesitation.
Haruto's body tensed.
On the other side, Miyuki slowly regained consciousness. Her vision was still hazy, but as it cleared, the first thing she saw was Haruto—injured, surrounded, and seconds away from being attacked.
Her eyes widened.
Without thinking, she forced herself to her feet and rushed forward.
"Stop!" she shouted, stepping in front of Haruto.
The demi-humans froze, startled by her sudden movement.
A young cat demi-human girl stepped forward, gripping her spear tightly. Her eyes were sharp, filled with suspicion.
"Why are you protecting him?" she demanded. "He tried to enslave you. We saw everything."
Miyuki shook her head immediately.
"No—you're misunderstanding," she said firmly. "He's not a bad person. He didn't try to hurt me."
The cat girl frowned. "Then why were you unconscious?"
Miyuki hesitated for a brief second before answering, choosing her words carefully.
"I wasn't hurt," she said. "We've been traveling for a long time. I was just exhausted… so I fell asleep."
The tension in the air didn't disappear completely, but the weapons slowly lowered.
The cat girl clicked her tongue softly. "Then he should've explained that earlier."
Haruto let out a quiet breath, still holding his wound. "I tried," he said. "But you attacked before I could say anything."
The group exchanged glances.
Miyuki stepped forward slightly and began explaining what had happened—the bandits, the destruction, and how Haruto had helped her escape. She left out the part about the contract, keeping it to herself.
When she finished, silence settled over the group.
The cat girl lowered her spear completely this time.
"…Sorry," she muttered. Then the others followed, bowing their heads slightly.
"We misunderstood," one of them said. "We thought you were trying to enslave her. That's why we attacked. We're adventurers—we protect people."
Haruto shook his head lightly. "It's fine."
The cat girl stepped closer and raised her hand. "Wait," she said. "I can heal you. I know healing magic."
Before he could respond, a soft light began to glow from her palm. The warmth spread through his body, and within seconds, the pain began to fade. His wounds slowly closed, and the bleeding stopped completely.
Haruto looked down at himself in slight surprise.
"…Thank you."
She nodded, then asked, "What's your name?"
"Haruto," he replied. "And this is Miyuki."
After a brief pause, Haruto spoke again.
"Do you know an old demi-human woman who lives in the mountain area?"
The girl's expression shifted slightly. "You know her name?"
Haruto glanced at Miyuki.
Miyuki shook her head faintly. "I… don't remember much after the war," she said quietly. "I used to call her Master… but I don't know her real name."
The girl crossed her arms, thinking for a moment.
"…We're heading toward that mountain area," she said finally. "There's a small village there. If you want, you can come with us."
Haruto nodded. "Alright."
She gave a small smile. "Good. My name is Emi."
The rest of their group was a short distance away, waiting. Soon, Haruto and Miyuki followed Emi and rejoined the others.
Emi stepped forward and raised her voice slightly.
"Everyone, listen for a moment."
The demi-humans turned toward her.
She gestured toward Haruto and Miyuki.
"This is Miyuki, and this is Haruto. Don't worry—he's human, but he's not a bad person. He helped her."
Some of them looked curious, while others simply nodded.
"They'll be traveling with us for now," Emi added.
Then she turned back to them and motioned them closer.
"Come here."
Haruto and Miyuki stepped forward.
Emi gestured toward a group standing nearby. "These are my siblings."
She folded her arms. "Go on. Introduce yourselves."
One of the cat girls stepped forward first. She had long hair and a calm expression.
"Well, I'll start," she said with a small smile.
"My name is Nao Tanaka, and I'm the oldest among them
A taller boy followed. "Toru Tanaka."
Another raised his hand casually. "Daiki Tanaka."
A quieter one nodded. "Riku Tanaka."
"Kenta Tanaka," another said with a grin.
Finally, the second youngest of them scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
And… I'm Shinji Tanaka," he said.
After all of them finished introducing themselves, Emi stepped back in front of Miyuki and Haruto again.
She folded her arms proudly.
"And you already know me," she said with a playful smile.
"I'm Emi Tanaka."
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"And yes… before you ask, I'm the youngest among all of these siblings."
Emi clapped her hands once to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, let's move. If we stay here any longer, we won't reach the village before dark."
The group nodded and began moving again.
Haruto and Miyuki followed quietly behind them as they walked deeper through the forest. The journey wasn't easy—the wounded slowed them down—but no one complained.
Hours passed.
Gradually, the dense forest began to thin. The air felt lighter, and the path became clearer.
Finally, they reached the edge of the trees.
Emi stopped and looked ahead.
"We're here," she said.