Chapter 17: An unreliable team

 Dawn enveloped the sky in shades of pink, and a light breeze stirred the banners lined up in front of the village walls. The troops were already in formation: orderly rows of knights, their armor reflecting the morning light like fragments of sunshine. At the head of them all, as always, was Lucius, with his arrogant smile and confident gaze.

Their goal was clear: to leave the village and face the magical creatures that infested the area. For Lucius, it was an opportunity to prove his strength. For Ren... it was just another chain.

He stood at the back of the formation, almost hidden among the last men. Every step he took was heavy, his heart telling him that he would have preferred to stay there, within the walls, ready to protect those who remained. But, as much as he hated that man, he knew he had no choice: at least for now, he would have to march alongside him.

Just as he was about to resign himself to that fate, a voice reached him from behind, light but firm.

“Hey, you!”

He turned abruptly. “Mizuki...? What are you doing here?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

The girl approached with a confident stride, bringing a hand to her belt, where the blade hung ready for use.

“It's obvious, isn't it? I came to train! And then...” She paused for a moment, meeting his gaze suspiciously. “I don't trust you. Someone has to keep an eye on you.”

Ren let out a short laugh. “Ahahaha... okay, then.”

“Don't laugh! And don't even think for a second that I want to be friends with you!”

“I told you it's okay. I believe you.”

“Hmph!” she snorted, crossing her arms.

A mighty shout interrupted their conversation.

“Are you ready, warriors?!”

“Yes!” the knights in the front row replied in unison.

“Then let's go!”

The sound of boots on the ground mingled with the clanging of weapons. Ren found himself forced to move with the column, while next to him Mizuki advanced with a proud stride, as if she never wanted to show herself inferior.

“You know, Mizuki... I still have to thank you.”

She looked at him sideways, puzzled. “Thank me? For what?”

“If you hadn't intervened that day... let's just say I wouldn't be here now. Maybe I'd be looking down on you from above.” He laughed, trying to lighten the weight of his words.

The girl blushed slightly and looked away. “Eh?! Why are you saying things like that? Don't think that I...” She became agitated, clenching her fists. “I don't want to be your friend, okay?!”

“Ahahaha, I told you it's okay.”

“Shut up! I don't care what you think!”

He smiled, amused by her reaction, but his gaze shifted forward.

“Mizuki... maybe you should look ahead.”

“Eh? Why should I—”

Before she could finish her sentence, a huge tree trunk blocked her path. The girl's eyes widened: she was too close to stop. For a moment, she thought she was doomed.

But a strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him decisively. Mizuki's world slowed down for a second. She felt the warmth of that hand, her heart suddenly racing, and her cheeks turning red.

Ren, with a slightly ironic smile, stared into her eyes. “Be careful... If you want to keep an eye on me, you can't afford to faint before you even start.”

Mizuki immediately lowered her gaze, feeling strangely vulnerable.

“T-The... I mean! I didn't tell you to save me! I could have done it myself!”

“Oh, sure. You probably would have destroyed the tree with your kicks, right?”

“How do you know?! Maybe I would have! I would have destroyed it because it got in my way!”

“Hmm... yeah, I don't think that's how it went. But if you say so...”

“What do you mean?!”

“Me? Absolutely nothing,” he replied with feigned innocence, an amused smile escaping his lips.

“You lied! Ahhh, you're a liar!”

“You're right... I'm a liar. Do you know how many lies I've told in my life, just to keep my family from getting hurt?”

Mizuki stared at him in surprise. That sentence, uttered almost in a whisper, sounded different from the others.

“W-what did you say?”

But he looked away and started walking again. “I said you should be more careful next time.”

“Tsk! You're not the one to tell me what to do!”

Yet, as the two continued along the dirt road, something in the air had changed. Despite the banter and bickering, at that moment, they both sensed something new.

Ren felt it deep down: the journey he was about to embark on would be important. For him, for Mizuki... and for everything that awaited them beyond that forest.

The tense air of the forest seemed to vibrate as Lucius, with his deep, authoritative voice, raised his sword high.

“Soldiers! From this point on, we will come face to face with dangerous magical creatures. Never let your guard down and, above all, do not stray from the group!”

A decisive chorus responded in unison. “Yes, sir!”

The boy swallowed, watching the backs of the knights in front of him glistening in the dim sunlight filtering through the foliage. He felt his heart beating faster, as if the forest itself were holding its breath. Next to him, Mizuki walked stiffly, her face slightly reddened and her gaze avoiding his.

“So, Mizuki... shall we team up?” he asked, trying to ease the tension.

She jumped, taken aback. “Y-yes... but don't get me wrong!” she muttered, turning abruptly. “It's not that I want to team up with you, okay?”

“Okay.”

Mizuki snorted softly, but after a moment her brow furrowed. “But... don't you think there are only two of us? I mean... if something big happens...”

“Actually... you're right.”

As if fate had heard them, a young, fair-haired knight approached with a determined stride, followed by four other armed companions. His smile was open and sincere.

“Hey, hi! I'm Alvin, and these are my friends. We'd like to join you, if you don't mind.”

He glanced at them quickly: they were well equipped and seemed to have some experience. Reinforcements like these were a godsend.

“Of course, you're welcome to join us.”

Alvin blinked, surprised by the immediate response. “Really? So quickly? You don't even want to know our names?”

“No need. It doesn't matter what your name is here... what matters is that you can cover our backs.”

Alvin was silent for a moment, then smiled gratefully. “Well... thank you.”

“No problem,” replied Ren with a half-smile, “now let's go hunt some beasts.”

“Yes!” replied the newcomers, visibly motivated.

Their group, now consisting of seven people, ventured into the trees. The ground was damp, the leaves rustled under their boots, and the tense silence was broken only by the distant chirping of birds.

Only a few minutes passed before a heavy thud echoed through the trees. Something was advancing... and when it appeared, everyone held their breath.

In front of them stood a gigantic boar, at least five times larger than a normal one. Its skin was dark brown with black streaks, its small, bloodshot eyes glowed with rage, and a long, spear-like horn protruded from its forehead. Its claws dug into the ground with every step, causing the earth to shake.

“But... it's huge!” Ren murmured, with a mixture of amazement and fear.

Behind him, however, there was an unnatural silence. He turned and saw that Alvin and the others had hidden behind him, trembling like leaves shaken by the wind.

“Um... guys? You're not telling me you're scared, are you?”

Mizuki stepped forward with a determined stride, her face reddened and her pride wounded. “A-afraid? You're the one who's afraid here!”

He crossed his arms, smiling ironically. “Ah, sure. If you say so...”

But just then, the boar took a heavy step toward them, and Mizuki froze like a statue. The second step was enough to make her lose all her courage: with a strangled cry, she threw herself behind Ren and grabbed his shirt with both hands, clutching it as if her life depended on it.

“W-wait, Mizuki! You're hurting me!”

“I-I'm not... I'm not afraid!” she stammered, trembling. “I-I just... want to save my energy for stronger creatures! This... this is too weak for me!”

He looked at her with an expression somewhere between disbelief and amusement. “Sure... right.”

Then he turned to the others, who remained frozen like rabbits in front of a predator. “Guys? You know that if we don't attack first... he will, right?”

“Y-yes!” they replied almost in unison, without moving a step.

“So... let's attack him, shall we?”

He didn't even finish his sentence before, one after the other, his five companions took flight, running away at full speed through the trees.

Ren stood petrified. “Um... guys? This isn't funny...”

He slowly turned toward the boar, which was staring at him with its red, bloodthirsty eyes.

“...How am I supposed to beat it on my own now?”

The boar lowered its head, ready to charge.

He didn't think twice: “You know what? Maybe running away... isn't such a bad idea!”

He grabbed Mizuki by the wrist, and together they began to run after the others, while the forest filled with their frantic footsteps and the furious roar of the creature chasing them.

The hunt had just begun.