Orange flames flickered against the forest's cold breath.
Torches ringed the monster encampment, their light casting long shadows across the snow. Armed patrols moved in steady patterns—ogres and orcs in heavy steps, goblins and lizardmen weaving between tents. Above them, insectoid shapes drifted through the air. King bees hovered silently, their compound eyes scanning every inch of the perimeter.
The camp was alive. Alert.
At its center stood a tent larger than the rest—reinforced, brightly lit, and heavily guarded.
Inside, a round table awaited.
The same leaders had gathered once more.
The ogre prince sat upright, arms folded, expression carved from stone. Beside him, the goblin chieftain watched the room with narrow, calculating eyes. The orc leader leaned back with visible impatience, while the lizardmen chieftain remained motionless, hands clasped. Across from them, the insect queen sat quietly, wings folded tight. The dwarf merchant wiped sweat from his brow, clearly out of place among such figures.
This time, however, they were not alone.
The tension in the air was unmistakable.
The ogre prince cleared his throat, the sound cutting through the silence.
All eyes turned toward the man kneeling before the table.
"What news do you bring, Takada?" the prince asked. "Has the council decided when the gathering will be held?"
Takada bowed his head deeply.
"Yes, young master. That is one of the reasons for my return."
He lifted his gaze.
"The lord requests your immediate presence before the day of the gathering."
A pause.
"For what reason?" the prince asked.
"I do not know," Takada replied calmly. "But judging from his expression... it is serious."
The prince considered this, then spoke again.
"And the others? Any movement from the Crimson Battalion?"
"Yes."
The bluntness drew attention.
"They are abandoning their lesser outposts. Preparations for war are underway. The outposts near the Chaos Maw—and those bordering the Death-Hill Mountains—have been evacuated. Destroyed."
The orc leader slammed a fist into the table.
"That's impossible! We would've sensed them moving!"
Takada nodded.
"They used underground tunnel systems. Suppression crystals in large quantities. From the surface, even magic sense is blind to it."
A sharp inhale passed through the room.
"Suppression crystals... of that scale?" the lizardmen chieftain muttered.
The ogre prince spoke before anyone else could.
"Then there's only one explanation."
His voice dropped.
"The Broodmother has chosen their side."
Silence followed.
Heavy. Suffocating.
At last, the prince spoke again.
"If she is aiding them, then she and her kin must be treated as enemies of the council."
"Y-your majesty—" the insect queen began. "The Broodmother would never—"
"This is war," the goblin chieftain cut in sharply. "And betrayal will not be excused. If a guardian appointed by the council itself has turned, then she has chosen her fate."
The insect queen fell silent.
Then—
"Forgive me," a woman's voice said calmly. "May I offer a suggestion?"
A slender figure raised her hand.
Crimson feathers shimmered under the torchlight. Sharp eyes, folded wings, posture proud yet restrained.
The prince hesitated—then nodded.
"The Broodmother is dangerous," she said evenly. "With suppression magic, she becomes untouchable. I propose we act first. Reinforce the seal if it still holds. If not..."
Her gaze hardened.
"Kill her."
A ripple of shock passed through the room.
"The princess speaks wisely," the goblin chieftain added. A tall figure leaned forward, tusks visible beneath a cruel grin. "Eliminate her, and the battalion loses its greatest advantage."
The insect queen clenched her fists—but said nothing.
Then—
"Well said... princess."
The air shifted.
A cold breeze swept through the tent as roots burst from the earth, spiraling around a faint green glow at the center of the table. The light intensified—then shattered outward.
A divine figure emerged.
Her skin and hair glowed green, eyes pure black. Roots withdrew as the aura of authority pressed down upon the room.
Everyone dropped to their knees.
Everyone—except the insect queen, who froze in disbelief, and the dwarf merchant, who only realized what stood before him a heartbeat too late before following suit.
A Dryad.
One of the forest's highest authorities.
The insect queen rushed forward.
"Vona! It's really you!"
The dryad smiled softly, returning the embrace.
"It's good to see you well, my friend."
Then her gaze shifted.
"Prince Dino," she said calmly. "I bring information. And it seems..." her eyes fell to Takada, a faint smile playing on her soft lips, "...your subordinate here does have more interesting news as well."
Takada bowed deeply.
"Yes, Lady Vona. I have two additional matters to report."
"Proceed."
He raised his head.
"For starters..."
He paused.
"Kataka is alive, my lord."
---
The room fell silent.
"Are you sure? Absolutely certain it's Kataka—" the goblin chieftain demanded, his voice sharp with agitation.
"Yes. It is him," Vona replied calmly.
She shifted her piercing gaze to the hobgoblin. "Didn't I warn you not to draw conclusions without proper evidence?" Then she turned to the prince. "Kataka is an exceptional talent among ogres. His techniques have been refined across generations. Even without his blade, he's more than capable of eliminating several troops on his own."
"There is... one additional matter," Takada said after a pause. "Though it may not seem important. I also encountered the female goblin Kataka was caring for. Near the Chaos Maw."
The goblin chieftain's expression tightened. He said nothing, but the irritation was unmistakable. The girl's disappearance had never concerned him. Everyone in the room knew there was history there. Unpleasant history.
For the others, however, the news brought relief. Kataka was alive. That alone restored a measure of hope. And the girl had survived as well. The weight in the room eased, if only slightly.
Near the Chaos Maw—wait.
"The Chaos Maw?" the prince asked, almost reflexively. "Why were they there?"
Takada bowed deeply. "I did not encounter them together. Not at first. I met Kataka at the outpost. He was investigating an unusual shipment of suppression crystals. Later, the girl arrived. Kataka concealed his presence and ordered me to deny having seen him. He intended to meet with the chieftain himself soon after."
He hesitated before continuing. "However... during that time, I learned something else. Something that may be more important than Kataka's survival." His eyes hardened. "The girl has received a name. She now calls herself Haruna."
"Named her?" the orc leader asked. "Kataka did?"
"No." Takada straightened. "That leads to my final report. The most troubling one."
Silence deepened.
"A powerful Majin," he said slowly. "By the name of Haruto. Despite his youth, he was skilled enough to eliminate the remaining ants that were left out in the abandoned outpost, alone. His energy reserves were unusually low, but I believe they had been exhausted in battle."
The room went completely still.
"I see," the prince said at last. "So this man named the girl and stands opposed to the battalion as well. That sounds beneficial." He paused. "...Or are you suggesting he cannot be trusted?"
"If it were my decision," Takada answered carefully, "I would not trust someone so suspicious. However... Kataka trusted him. Because of that, I did not intervene."
"Wise," the lizardman chieftain said. "Had you acted with hostility, he might have turned against us. We cannot afford to lose strength. Nor can we allow our enemies to gain it."
"How can you assume he's trustworthy at all?!" the goblin chieftain snapped. "You think giving a name is enough to—"
"That is precisely the matter I came to report, Prince Dino," Vona cut in, silencing him. Her tone was light, almost amused, completely at odds with the tension in the room.
The prince studied her. "It seems you know more than you've shared, Lady Vona. May I ask what that is?"
Vona smiled, eyes closed, the curve of her lips playful. "If you wish, I can reach out to this Majin. Open negotiations. Perhaps even propose an alliance."
She made it sound effortless.
After a brief moment, the prince nodded, trusting his instincts. "Then, if you would," he said, a faint smile forming, "please deliver a message on my behalf."
"With pleasure..."
---
As the breeze carrying the newfound hope of survival spread across the entire forest swallowed by the darkness of the night, all living things in the forest felt the difference in the air. As if the forest itself was whispering into them, reassuring it's children like the caring mother it is.
But somewhere within the same forest, some had invaded into this land in hope of finding answers.
The party of adventurers that ventured into this forest alongside duke Velnard... faced another obstacle in their path.
The giant snake like creature towered above everyone like a giant redwood-tree. There is clear difference in power here. This party would never be able to handle the thing. Specially with their leader benched with his broken arm. On top of that, he had prince Rudra on his back, unconscious.
Looking back, several monster corpses could be seen, hinting at vicious battles that took place beforehand.
They were running.
But why?
If a camp why established, why abandon it instead of resting and saving up energy for tomorrow?
It was all so sudden.
Prince Rudra suddenly collapsed out of nowhere(we said this in a previous part with a cliffhanger). So, they immediately looking into what had happened to him.
Well, it was pretty dire.
His pulse was slowing down. Healing magic was dismantled the moment one was casted. Leading them to conclude the possibility of a curse.
There are only few races in this forest that can chant such powerful magic.
And they, are the only ones who can take it out, since a church bishop is out of the question at the moment.
So, they went off trying to get to an ogre tribe, ogres being known to be easily negotiable due to their high intelligence.
Velnard trusted Rudra with Dreuo and went off to find a high ground to find the location of one of the nearby tribes. Leaping from one tree to another.
Dreuo and the others also followed him from the ground. But on the way, many magic beasts started attacking them out of nowhere.
It seemed very convenient, as they didn't bother to attack them till the prince collapsed.
But Dreuo just shrugged it off and fought through most of them. Even breaking his left arm in the process.
The team pushed forward without the support from their leader. Occupying the large beast until—
*Swoosh*
An invisible force cut the snake in half, making it fall to the ground but throw around its tail like it's still alive.
At that very moment, an order came from above, literally.
"FALL BACK! GO TO THE DEATH-HILL MOUNTAINS! NOW!" Velnard exclaimed from the trees, holding his golden rapier in his hand.
At this dire situation, nobody dared to question his decision. So, they obeyed. Circling around Dreuo and prince Rudra, they all started running towards the frozen lake.
Velnard stood standing, on the tall tree, looking into the distance. A faint light was visible, most likely a village. He knew it was risky, but if the manged to convince them that they're from Leonhart, they should be fine.
"I was a fool..." He clenched his teeth before his attention got swept up by something he saw in the distance.
There were more monsters, following the crew.
He took a deep breath, infusing his sword aura into his rapier.
Then, like the wind, he moved so fast he vanished.
Everything had changed with just one thing.
"Why is this happening?! Who is doing this?!"
The words bothered Velnard as he blitzed through the forest.
Then, in just a minute, he appeared above the large obsidian python that was chasing Dreuo and his team.
With his eyes gleaming with bloodlust, he plunged down like a meteor and Peirced through the snake's skull, killing it instantly. Then, with his mind set on more and more targets, he vanished yet again, leaving the dangling snake corpse behind.
---
As chaos unfolded elsewhere in the forest, our crew remained unaware of it all, gathered near the frozen waters of Tsukuyomi Lake.
A rough blueprint was etched into the snow-dusted ground, lines drawn with a simple stick. Hana stood at the center of it, focused, while the others wisely stayed out of her way.
When she finally finished, she stepped back, studying the result in silence.
With a powerful leap, she launched herself upward, gaining a brief bird's-eye view of the plan. She landed lightly, boots crunching against the frost. The look on her face hovered somewhere between doubt and concern.
"Sis?" Haruki called from behind.
"Hm?" Hana turned slightly.
"If it's not working out, maybe we should wait for him to come back," Haruki suggested as she stepped closer. "He's better at this stuff than we are."
"Well, yeah," Hana replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm just bored. Besides, laying down some basics won't hurt, right?"
"Sure—"
She didn't get to finish.
A thunderous screech tore through the stillness.
All three of them froze and turned toward the sound.
On the far side of the lake, a massive silhouette loomed atop the frozen surface. In the darkness, its form was little more than a moving shadow, jagged and colossal. Each shrill cry echoed across the lake, vibrating through the air and rattling the ice beneath their feet.
What stood out most wasn't its size.
It was the way it walked.
The creature moved across the thin ice as if it weighed nothing at all, each step effortless, unbothered by the frozen lake beneath it. As though its body carried no mass. As though gravity itself hesitated around it.
"The hell is that thing...?" Haruki whispered, straining her human eyes to make sense of it.
"It doesn't look hostile," Hana murmured. "More like it's... searching. Something under the ice."
Haruna squinted, her expression tightening as recognition finally struck. "That's... an Emperor Earth-Crab."
"Emperor what now?" Haruki hissed.
"I mean," Hana said casually, eyes still on the beast, "it doesn't exactly scream 'normal crab,' but I wouldn't be surprised if that thing's just a baby or something. That happens all the time, y'know."
"You—do you even hear yourself—"
Haruki stopped mid-complaint.
Of all three of them, she was somehow the most shocked.
Which was impressive, considering she really shouldn't have been.
Guess the family genetics didn't go that far.
Probably a good thing.
Hana finally turned to Haruna, the unspoken expert among them. "Are they dangerous?"
Haruna hesitated. "I... don't know," she admitted. "I've never seen one in person. But I know they live beneath the lake. Lord Kataka mentioned them in his diary during his travels."
She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Those records never described combat. Only observation. According to his notes, the two Emperor Earth-Crabs he encountered were always accompanied by numerous smaller king crabs. Some followed them. Others lived on them."
Her gaze flicked back to the lake. "If that's still true, then the water beneath the ice could be crawling with them. Even if we could handle the big one... hundreds of smaller ones would overwhelm us."
"I see," Hana said quietly.
Yet in the back of her mind, another thought surfaced uninvited.
That way of thinking... it's just like Haruto's.
Was it because she'd been named? Or had she always been like this?
Hana shook the thought away.
Then she noticed it.
Her eyes narrowed, locking onto something beneath the ice.
"Wait," she said sharply. "There's something down there. Under the ice—"
She sucked in a breath.
"A human."
Haruki and Haruna leaned forward, straining to see what Hana had spotted.
Without another word, Hana broke into a run.
"W—wait!" Haruna called after her, panic flashing across her face.
Too late.
With a curse under her breath, Haruna followed, turning back only long enough to shout, "Please stay here—lady—! I mean—Ha-Haruki!"
The words tangled as she ran, leaving Haruki behind with nothing but the cold air and her nervous little slime companions for comfort.
Hana was already halfway across the ice when she stopped abruptly.
Haruna reached her moments later, slipping as her foot skidded across the frozen surface.
Hana caught her by the arm before she could fall.
"Th-thank you, my lady," Haruna said, steadying herself.
"Look," Hana said, pointing straight down. "Do you see it?"
Haruna froze.
Beneath the ice lay a human figure, suspended within a faint, spherical barrier. Dim light shimmered around it, and dozens of tiny, firefly-like motes drifted nearby, circling anxiously, as if trying to reach him. Or call for help.
Hana didn't understand what she was seeing.
But Haruna did.
"Those... are spirits," she whispered. "They're gathering around him. He's likely someone chosen by nature."
Hana swallowed. "We should save him. Right?"
She already knew the answer. Monsters and humans rarely coexisted peacefully.
Haruna lowered her gaze. "It's your decision, my lady. If it were up to me alone... I would leave him. But I don't believe that's what Lord Haruto would do."
Hana smiled.
"Yeah. He definitely wouldn't."
Her eyes shifted to the massive shape inching closer across the ice.
"...Maybe the crab's looking for food," she said. "Either way, we have to get him out before it reaches him."
Haruna clenched her fists.
She didn't want Hana anywhere near that thing.
But she couldn't bring herself to oppose her.
In the end, she only nodded—knowing full well that her master would have chosen the same path.
---
Hana's grin stretched wide, sharp with confidence and excitement.
"You go save the guy," she said, already rolling her shoulders, "I'll keep the monster busy."
Before anyone could object, she rushed forward, Astrons flooding into her fists. The energy crackled, swelling until her hands looked like they might burst apart at any second. Her whole body trembled, not from fear, but from anticipation.
"I really wanna know how crabs taste in an isekai world!" she shouted, laughter riding her breath as she charged, one fist engulfed in explosive energy. This was a technique she had been refining ever since the labyrinth. And now she finally had something big enough to test it on.
The problem was—
She was already imagining how she would cook the poor thing afterward.
THIS GIRL IS A DEMON.
Haruna stared after her for half a second, utterly baffled. "...That's... really unheard of..." she muttered, forcing an awkward smile. Shaking her head, she turned and sprinted toward the trapped man. Someone had to be responsible here.
From a distance, Haruki watched everything unfold, her vision limited by her human eyes. She clutched the squishy slime in her arms, annoyance written plainly on her face.
"It's not fair," she grumbled. "They're both having fun."
Suddenly, two hands clamped over her eyes.
"Ah—who is this—AM I BEING KIDNAPPED?! I swear I don't have anything valuable—!"
"Hey, idiot."
The familiar voice cut straight through her panic.
Haruki yanked the hands away and spun around. "Haruto—!"
Before she could say anything else, he pressed a hand over her mouth.
"Shhh. Just enjoy the show in peace, will ya?"
And before she could protest further, he scooped her up like a child.
Then—
Four massive, blood-red wings burst from his back.
Haruki didn't even have time to scream.
With a single powerful flap, the wings sent them soaring into the air. The ground vanished beneath them almost instantly.
Out of pure reflex, Haruki squeezed her eyes shut.
But when she slowly opened them...
The world stretched endlessly below. A vast forest of snow-covered trees spread out like a frozen ocean, branches glittering faintly under the pale light. The battlefield looked smaller from up here, quieter, like a story being told from a distance rather than lived inside.
She looked up.
Haruto was staring down at her, a teasing grin plastered on his face, wings beating steadily behind him.
"Don't tell me you're scared of heights, little pilot~"
Her cheeks puffed up immediately. "Who told you I'm afraid of heights?! I'm not a loser like you!"
"Oh yeah?" he shot back. "Then look down."
Without hesitation, she glanced below—
—and instantly flinched, burying her face into his chest.
"It's not fair!" she snapped. "We're way too high up!"
But as she stayed there, something strange caught her attention.
She wasn't cold.
The biting wind she expected never came. Instead, there was only a gentle, refreshing breeze. Even at this height, it felt... calm.
She frowned, then finally voiced the obvious question. "Hey! Where did you get those wings from?!"
Haruto looked away, scratching his cheek. "Ah... about that. I just kinda tested some stuff. Reduced my weight with magic, figured out a way to fly. Don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal."
Still clinging to his shirt, Haruki scowled. "Whatever! Just take me down. I'd rather be on the ground than... y'know."
He chuckled softly. "C'mon. I didn't bring you up here to flex my wings, idiot. Look down."
"No! I'm not gonna—"
"You really think I'd let go of you?"
His voice was steady. Certain.
After a moment, she trusted him.
"...Fine. But if you try anything stupid—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
From up here, she could clearly see the battlefield. Hana danced around the massive crab monster, every movement sharp and deliberate. Each strike, each dodge, each burst of power unfolded like a performance.
She'd seen fights like this before.
But not like this.
From this angle, everything felt different. Cleaner. Clearer. Almost... beautiful.
She watched silently, her senses slowly sharpening, something within her stirring as her abilities began to respond.
She would never admit that it felt nice.
---
Down below, Haruna smashed through the thick ice, finally reaching the trapped human. The boy looked young, dressed in formal adventurer clothing, his face wrapped tightly in cloth.
Without hesitation, she lifted his lifeless body onto her back.
Spirits spiraled around her feet as she began skating across the ice, mimicking Hana's movements as she sped toward the shore where their camp waited.
But halfway there—
She noticed something wrong.
Haruki wasn't at the shore.
Her pace slowed as she scanned the area, senses reaching outward. Then she felt it. A familiar presence.
Haruna looked up.
High above, Haruto hovered in the sky, four massive wings spread wide, Haruki safely in his arms.
Understanding dawned instantly.
"She's safe..."
Relief washed over her.
Her gaze snapped back to the battlefield. Hana was holding her own without issue. No openings. No danger yet.
Decision made, Haruna tightened her grip on the unconscious boy.
She would drop him off first.
Then she'd return and help finish the monster.
With her plan set, she surged forward, skating faster across the ice, spirits whirling fiercely around her as she carried the young man toward safety.
---
Now, the other part of this part:
Meanwhile, Hana was confronting the giant monster.
Fueled by desire to eat something delicious for the first time in this new world, she charged up her technique: Doom fist.
She had learned how to manipulate her bodily energy, gathering them up into one fist which she transformed into a ball containing an unstable Astron singularity inside of it. Inspired by Haruto's pseudo singularity and how it's instability caused it to explode, she refined her own technique which was originally just a mere punch enhancement.
Now, it can destroy the tough exoskeleton of such a heavy armored creature with ease.
Burning up more and more energy, she had managed severely injure the giant creature and had killed all its minions in the span of about 10 minutes.
Now, it's time for the final blow. Everytime her hits landed, the unstable energy exploded, consuming her arms in the process. But her regeneration instantly repaired them. And she didn't feel any pain to begin with so, it was never a risky technique, unlike Haruto's pseudo singularity.
The only problem being, it's Astron consumption is a bit too much, specially since she was wasting too much of it because of her poor control over the mass majority of the channeled energy.
Burning all of her remaining energy reserves, she charged up one more powerful focused Doom fist, as her slime body regenerated and formed another bulb around the unstable orb of energy.
Flashing a confident grin on her face, she jumped up and fell down on the monster like a meteor.
The crab was helpless on the floor as the fist connected and exploded it's head off, the force sending it crashing down into the freezing water.
Then, realizing her food is being wasted, she planted herself on the ground and extended her arm into the water, grabbing on to the giant creature without any issue. It was surprisingly light as she slowly pulled it up.
But just then...
From the forest, another monster crashed out from the bundle of trees, tumbling them down like nothing more than mere branches in its path.
The giant obsidian python opened it's giant maw, maliciously intending to devour its next target. This time it was Hana.
It shot towards her with insane speed. Though she could've barely dodged it, she didn't want to let go of the crab she just hunted all by herself.
But even before the snake could reach Hana—
*Snap*
Crackling Lightning split the sky.
The thunder came a heartbeat later, rolling across the frozen forest as the obsidian serpent convulsed mid-lunge. Electricity crawled over its scales, locked its muscles, then burned straight through its skull. The massive body hit the ice with a smoking thud, motionless.
"Ow—what the hell?" Hana muttered, glancing down at her arm as a leftover spark nipped her slime body like a prank.
Wings flapped behind her.
She turned.
Haruto descended from the sky, four massive blood-red wings folding in as his boots touched the ice. In his arms, Haruki clung to him stiffly, eyes still wide from the drop.
Hana stared.
"...Since when do you have wings?" she demanded.
Haruto gave her a lazy grin. "Don't worry about it."
Before she could argue, he knelt and pressed his palm to the ice. Energy flowed outward, cracking the frozen surface in widening circles. The lake trembled. Then, with a violent surge, water exploded upward from the hole where the crab had sunk, lifting the massive lifeless body with it before slamming it back onto the ice.
"There," Haruto said, standing. "Problem solved."
"That's... really convenient," Hana said flatly. She gave a approving look as she added, "The way you saved me was pretty cool. So, I'll let it slide this time. But..."
Then she jumped.
Her slime body stretched midair and dropped straight onto his head, reforming instantly as she positioned herself on his head like a territorial hat.
"Hey—" Haruto protested.
"We'll talk later," Hana said, voice muffled but firm. "I'm tired."
"You're the one who went feral over seafood."
"Yeah? If I didn't, who's gonna catch this crab for dinner, huh? Now you owe me one."
"Really now?" He asked playfully, "What do you want? A smooch, perhaps?"
"Ah—N-No!" She stammered if front of the bold offer. "Just... just Teach me!" She demanded.
"Teach you what?"
"Everything!" She said
"... What is Everything? Be specific!"
"The black hole thing. The flying. The lightning. The water trick. All of it."
Haruto sighed, already losing the battle. "Okay, okay. I'll explain what I know. Just get off my head."
"Nope."
---
Nearby, Haruki stood alongside Haruna, peeking up at the sky they'd just fallen from. The cold wind she expected never came. Instead, there was only a steady, gentle breeze, wrapped in warmth.
She liked it. Even if she was afraid of heights. The experience felt... amazing.
Now, standing back on solid ground, that same warmth lingered.
Back at the ice, Hana finally slid down into Haruto's shoulders and crossed her arms, taking on her humanoid form on top of his shoulders.
[Take notes slime-girls... that's definitely a power move right there. lol]
"Also," Hana added, "you're helping me cook that thing."
"The crab?" Haruto asked.
"Yes. The crab. I didn't almost die for nothing."
"You didn't almost die. Besides, we have nothing around here to even cook it!"
"Minor details doesn't matter. At the end of the day, it's your responsibility to help me prepare it. I'm fine with just boiled."
"Okay... Fine, whatever." He finally agreed.
Haruki tugged on Haruna's hand and leaned in, whispering, "Let's leave them alone."
Haruna nodded, a rare smile touching her lips as they turned away.
Behind them, the night settled. Ice cracked softly. Steam rose from melted snow. Warmth lingered faintly across the frozen lake.
None of them noticed the way the forest watched.
None of them knew what waited beyond the next dawn.
...