- Travelling At The End Of The World -

An oni attack party is separated from its main force. They travel to a more secluded part of the scorched forest. It consists of a meager crew of three with a pull cart drawn by a warg.

“Hold up!” an oni shouts to the crew, “I need to use the john!”

“Gah!” another oni retorts, “This is the fifth time today! What did you eat?!”

“It must be that strange liquid I had!!” she shoots back,

“Disgusting! I told you not to try it!” one of the oni in the back cries, “Flavor without calories?! No way that’s possible! Make it quick grub!”

The oni runs to a nearby bush. During her business, she notices a glint in the corner of her eye.

“Huh? What’s that?” the oni looks wide eyed, ”She approaches the oddity to get a better look.”

Shiny rectangular bars hang off branches of a small bush. Upon closer inspection it appears to be an energy bar!

“Guys! Guys! Come here!” the oni shouts,

“What?! Are we being attacked?!” the other oni come out from the brush,

“No, look!” the oni picks a bar off the branch. ”It’s some kind of luminous fruit!”

She unwraps the bar and takes a bite of the insides.

“Ah!” the oni exclaims, “It’s delicious! Sweet and flavourful!”

“Bah! You’ll get another stomach ache!” the gruff one barks, “... Give me one!”

“It’s true! This is good!” the third one yells,

“Wait…” the leader says looking closer at a bar on a branch, “This?! Someone tied these things to the bush! Hurry! We must return to the cart!”

“It’s gone!” They say in unison when they get there.

……

“Sorry Taro,” Elaine shouts over the sound of the cart, ”I usually would be able to get rid of small fry like that, but since I lost my arm…”

“Don’t you mind,” Taro reassures, “We don’t want to attract unwanted attention anyways,”

“Oh look!” he continues, “There are uniforms back here!”

“... I’ve felt like this was the case for a while now, but you’re scarily adaptable aren’t you?” the justiciar says,

“Heheh,” Taro grins, “It’s one of my best traits!”

Elaine thinks to herself. She is reminded of that fateful day she was confronted by the giant serpent;

“However, I am nothing if not patient… Your time will come.”

She shudders, Taro looks at her from the side with a concerned face.

“Where are we going?” Elaine asks, snapping herself out of her fearful state, “Just north?”

“No. We’re going to the Black Serpent's Dungeon..”

“... You want to see another serpent?” she asks fearfully,

“No it’ll be ok. It seems ironic, however it may just be our best chance.” Taro explains,

They continue along for a few days but they find an oni checkpoint up ahead.

“Let’s put on these uniforms Elaine,” Taro urges,

“Mh, okay.” she agrees,

The two of them put on the uniforms. The armor was thick enough in most places that Elaine could pass however…

“Th… There’s no way they’re going to believe there’s such a short oni exists…” Elaine looks at Taro with a strained expression.

“It’s not my fault! All these armors are too big!” Taro shouts with his sleeve hanging over his hands and helmet tilted because it’s too large. “What should we do…?”

“Hm…” she thinks,

… The cart comes up to the checkpoint.

An orc comes up and leans on the cart.

“What’s this?...” he grills the driver, “An oni… and…”

The meek Taro sits in the passenger seat with a chain hanging off the collar on his neck.

“Kappa? Is this a gift?” asks the orc,

“Mh. Pet.” Elaine makes her best gruff voice, “For the commander,”

“Urghh… Fine, you may pass,”

The orc motions for the kart to pass and the carriage continues through the checkpoint.

When the cart makes it to a good distance, Taro shouts:

“Aghh! How humiliating! What is it that makes people think that?! Should I shave my head?! Do I need to do that?!”

"We could've said you were my child?" she suggests,

"That's even worse!" he barks.

Elaine looks down at the chain she held in her hands.

“I don’t know. That was kinda nice.”

“Don't get a weird fetish now!” Taro yells ripping off the steel collar off his neck,

When they reached the marshes they had to dismount due to the terrain. Elaine gives the warg a big piece of meat and lets the beast loose.

“Have any bells?” Taro asks,

“No? Why?” the confused justiciar responds,

“We’ll need to stick together then, it’ll keep the banshees away.”

…

The pair huddles up close as they traverse the deep marshes. The fog was thick and they could only see about a meter and a half in front of them. Elaine holds a weak lantern above their heads. The sound of marsh insects and the rhythmic ring of Taro’s bell were the only sounds in the tense situation.

Taro could feel Elaine’s heartbeat on his back; they were so close. It was making the young boy nervous.

“Y-You know… It’s a bit…” he nervously stammers,

“Hm?...” the knight confused ponders, “What is it?”

“I… I can feel you… On my back…at… is…” Taro shyly says,

“What are you talking about?” Elaine asks before realizing, “That? You really are a child. Psh, don’t prattle about such worthless things...”

They continue to walk down the marshes. As time goes by Elaine starts to fidget. She starts to become conscious once Taro mentioned it.

“... M-Maybe… it is a bit…” she stutters,

“Huh?” Taro turns into her, just under her chest.

“Eek!” Elaine shouts and pushes the boy away with her eyes closed and flushed, “I can’t handle this after all!”

When she opens her eyes she could no longer find him.

“Taro?...” she calls out, ‘W-Where are you?”

The justiciar looks around frantically. Moving a bit she sees his silhouette in the distance.

“T-Taro? Are you mad?” She says scared and approaches him.

“Ouch! That hurt!” Taro yells from behind her,

“Huh?...” the confused knight questioned,

Looking back to her front she sees a kappa chewing on a stick.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

The knight cuts down the creature with her sword.

“Haah… Haah…” Elaine pants out of breath.

Taro was quickly reminded that Elaine was scary in her own right…
She essentially cuts the creature in half in a flash and without  much- if any; resistance. He keeps a mental note to not anger her in the future.

As they pass by the kappa, Taro gets a glimpse at the slain creature.

“(Oh.)” he thinks,”(That does kinda looks like me.)”