While crucial decisions were being made back at camp, the team sent toward the Herb Mountains had already run into trouble the moment they reached the higher slopes.
The silence of the mountains didn't last long.
Explosions of force echoed through the frozen air, followed by the wet sound of tearing flesh and the heavy collapse of bodies striking the snow. Blood splattered across the white landscape, staining it in violent bursts of crimson.
A massive, white-furred beast let out a deafening roar, its voice carrying across the peaks as it lunged toward Haruna.
She didn't move.
Unarmed, unmoving, she stood her ground as the creature closed the distance in a single bound. The sheer force of its charge whipped her pink hair wildly in the frigid wind, her mask hiding any trace of emotion.
Then—
She moved.
With a single step, she slipped past the beast's snapping jaws, her body lifting into the air in one fluid motion. The moment her feet left the ground, a burst of wind magic detonated beneath her, propelling her higher before redirecting her momentum downward.
Like a falling star, she descended.
Her fist drove forward.
The impact was instantaneous.
A thunderous crack split the air as her strike crushed straight through the beast's skull, shattering bone and driving its body into the snow with overwhelming force.
The ground trembled.
Silence followed.
The beast lay still.
Haruna landed lightly atop the snow, her posture calm, as if she had done nothing more than brush aside an inconvenience. She straightened and glanced back over her shoulder.
"Let's move," she called out, her voice steady. "We need to return as soon as possible."
Behind her, the rest of the team stood frozen, their eyes wide as they struggled to process what they had just witnessed.
That wasn't a fight.
It was domination.
Haruna turned her gaze forward again, already walking ahead.
"But before that…" she added, her tone shifting slightly, "let's clean this up first."
Only then did the others truly take in their surroundings.
The entire area was littered with corpses.
Dozens of the same beasts lay scattered across the slope, their bodies torn apart in what could only be described as a one-sided massacre. Blood soaked into the snow, turning the pristine white into a grim battlefield.
Haruna let out a quiet sigh.
"…Why can't they just mind their own business?"
It wasn't anger.
Just mild annoyance.
At her words, the others snapped out of their daze and immediately moved, beginning to clear the carcasses from the path. Some dragged bodies aside, while others began gathering usable materials with practiced efficiency.
Haruna stepped forward, placing her foot against one of the fallen beasts as she pulled her sword free from its skull. The blade slid out smoothly, stained but intact.
Just as she adjusted her grip—
"That was impressive. I see why you're so favoured by lord Haruto."
The voice came from behind her.
Calm. Familiar.
Haruna turned, slightly startled. "Ah—wa… what?"
Standing a short distance away was a tall goblin with a hardened build, his body marked with scars that spoke of countless battles. His posture was relaxed, yet grounded, his presence steady.
She recognized him instantly.
"Ray…? You're back already?"
He smirked faintly, clearly amused by her reaction. "You don't have to act so surprised. Or embarrassed."
Her shoulders stiffened slightly. "I'm not embarrassed. And don't say such things about our master! He does favor anyone..."
He chuckled under his breath. "Right. Of course."
She looked away, irritation flickering beneath her composed demeanor. "Why do you always have to be like this?"
Ray didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze drifted past her, toward the vast expanse beyond the mountains.
From this height, the world stretched endlessly.
Below them, the forest spread out like a living ocean, its canopy forming waves of deep green that rolled toward the horizon. Mist coiled between the trees like drifting spirits, while distant rivers carved silver paths through the wilderness. The cold mountain winds carried a sharp, clean scent, untouched by decay or conflict.
Above, the sky was impossibly clear.
Endless.
For a moment, it felt like standing at the edge of the world.
Ray took a deep breath, spreading his arms slightly as if to embrace the view.
"…This really is something else."
Haruna followed his gaze, her attention softening just slightly.
Then he spoke again.
"You're lucky, you know."
His tone had changed.
Quieter.
More serious.
Haruna glanced at him.
"The day you left to seek help from Lord Charybdis…" he continued, his eyes still fixed on the horizon, "Luna and I were worried. We even thought about following you. The others had already given up, assumed you wouldn't make it back."
His voice grew heavier.
"When days passed and you still didn't return… we were ready to head into the labyrinth ourselves. Even knowing it was suicide."
A faint breath escaped him.
"But that idiot sister of mine… she refused to give up on you."
Haruna's grip on her sword tightened slightly.
"Then… the Crimson Battalion attacked," she said quietly.
Ray nodded.
"It was a massacre."
The memory lingered in his voice.
"People died before we even understood what was happening. The strongest among us were cut down like nothing. The rest of us… we couldn't even move. Fear alone was enough to break us."
His gaze lifted toward the sky.
"And then she came."
A brief pause.
"Lady Venora."
Haruna's eyes flickered.
"Her spirit beast—Fenrir—tore through them like they were nothing. Gave us just enough time to escape." He exhaled slowly. "After that… she gave us shelter. Food. Even medicine. We've been surviving because of her ever since."
Haruna looked away.
"…Guess I should be thankful."
Then, almost immediately, her tone sharpened.
"But she's definitely trying to get closer to Master for her own reasons. Didn't you see how she acted?"
Ray couldn't hold it in this time.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"…You're jealous."
"I am not!" Haruna snapped, turning toward him. "I would never think like that!"
The denial was immediate.
And completely unconvincing.
Ray simply smiled, choosing not to press further.
Haruna, clearly aware she had lost that exchange, turned away again.
"…Anyway. Did you find what we came here for?"
Ray raised a hand and pointed toward the towering peak above them. "The ice herbs are near the summit. There's an easier route with fewer of them, but it's guarded by a group of ice serpents."
He glanced at her.
"…I doubt that'll be a problem for you."
Haruna nodded. "Good. Then we should—"
She stopped.
Something shifted.
Her gaze lifted toward the peak, narrowing slightly.
There was something there.
A presence.
Faint, but unmistakable.
"…I see."
Her voice dropped, quieter now.
After a brief pause, she turned to Ray.
"Take charge for a bit. I'll head up first and clear the path. It'll be safer that way."
Ray didn't question it. "Got it."
Haruna gave a short nod before stepping forward. With a light push of force beneath her feet, she launched herself upward, moving from one jutting rock to another with fluid precision. The steep cliff posed no challenge as she ascended rapidly.
Reaching a ledge, she paused briefly and glanced down.
"Get some rest and come up when you're ready. I'll take care of anything ahead."
Ray nodded in response. "Understood."
With that, she turned and continued upward, disappearing toward the higher peaks.
Ray watched her for a moment before exhaling softly.
Then, turning back toward the others, he walked over to assist, helping clear the remaining carcasses and organize their gathered resources.
Above them, the mountain stood silent once more.
But something stirred at its peak.
---
On the opposite side of the same mountain—
The silence didn't exist.
A deafening hiss tore through the frozen air as something massive carved its way across the snow-covered terrain. Ice shattered under its weight, long trails of frost spreading outward like veins cracking through glass.
An ice serpent.
Its colossal body coiled and uncoiled with terrifying speed, easily towering over the figures that surrounded it. Its scales shimmered like polished crystal, reflecting the pale light of the sky, while its breath carried a chilling mist that froze the ground it touched.
And yet—
They stood their ground.
"Hold it! Don't let it turn toward the casters!" a voice barked.
Three warriors moved in coordination, their boots digging into the snow as they circled the beast, weapons drawn, their breaths ragged but steady. They weren't winning.
They were surviving.
Behind them, two figures stood several meters away, magic circles expanding in layered complexity before their outstretched hands.
A man and a woman.
Both mages.
"Keep it still for ten seconds!" the male mage shouted, his voice strained as multiple rings of blazing sigils rotated in front of him. "That's all we need!"
"Eight!" the female mage corrected sharply, her softer voice edged with urgency. "We don't have ten!"
Their magic circles connected, overlapping into a larger construct, heat beginning to distort the freezing air around them. Flames gathered, unstable and violent, demanding precision.
Up front—
"Then make it eight count!" one of the warriors snapped back.
The serpent lunged.
Its jaws snapped shut where one of them had been a fraction of a second ago, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground.
They were too close.
Far too close.
But they didn't break formation.
Steel clashed against ice-hardened scales as the two lesser warriors struck at its flanks, drawing its attention, their blades barely leaving marks. Blood stained their armor, their movements slowing, yet they refused to fall back.
And then—
A blur cut through the chaos.
"Move!"
A powerful voice rang out.
One of the warriors dropped his stance instantly as a figure vaulted off his shoulder.
A woman.
Tall, muscular, her movements sharp and decisive.
Her greatsword caught the light as she rose into the air, her body twisting mid-motion before she brought it down with everything she had.
"I'm not done yet, you oversized snake!"
The blade struck.
A violent crack split across the serpent's face as a massive chunk of ice and flesh tore free, scattering across the ground in frozen fragments.
For a moment—
It worked.
The serpent recoiled, its body thrashing violently as a distorted screech tore from its throat.
Then—
It adapted.
Faster than any of them expected.
Its tail whipped around.
The female warrior hadn't even touched the ground when it struck.
Her body was caught mid-air.
Crushed.
The impact echoed like a snapped tree trunk as she was hurled across the battlefield and sent crashing toward a jagged boulder at terrifying speed.
"Kael!!"
The male mage's voice cracked.
The female mage reacted first.
Her incantation broke.
The massive spell destabilized instantly as she redirected her focus, thrusting her staff forward.
"Barrier—now!"
A translucent shield snapped into existence just before impact.
Kael's body slammed into it—
Then into the rock behind it.
The barrier shattered.
But it was enough.
"…Tch!"
The female mage staggered slightly, breath hitching as the strain hit her. She didn't hesitate.
She raised her staff again, voice trembling but resolute.
"We don't have a choice. Finish it, Riven!"
The male mage clenched his jaw.
"…Don't die on me."
The spell resumed.
This time, there was no room for error.
Up front, the remaining two warriors didn't wait.
"Oi! Keep its attention here!"
They charged in again, their movements slower now, blood trailing behind them as they struck from opposite sides. The serpent lashed out wildly, its attacks faster, more erratic, but they endured.
Barely.
Steel rang.
Snow exploded.
One misstep—
And they were dead.
"Now!!"
The female mage's voice cut through everything.
The warriors didn't hesitate.
They disengaged instantly, throwing themselves away from the beast.
Riven stepped forward.
His magic circle flared violently, flames compressing into a dense, unstable sphere that pulsed with destructive force.
"Burn."
He thrust his hand forward.
The fireball launched.
It tore through the air like a falling star, heat swallowing the cold in its path as it descended upon the serpent.
The creature tried to flee.
Too late.
The impact was catastrophic.
Flames erupted, devouring everything in their radius as the explosion carved a crater into the mountain itself. Snow vaporized instantly, steam and ash blasting outward in a violent shockwave.
When the fire cleared—
Half of the serpent was gone.
Its body had been obliterated from the midsection down, leaving only its head and a fraction of its upper body, charred and unmoving.
Silence followed.
Then—
Riven dropped to one knee.
"…We… did it…"
The female mage swayed slightly, exhaustion catching up to her as she steadied herself with her staff.
"…Kael…"
Without another word, Riven forced himself up and rushed toward where she had been thrown.
The dust slowly settled.
And from within it—
A figure emerged.
Kael.
She stumbled forward, her breathing uneven, one hand clutching her side.
A massive shard of ice had pierced clean through her waist, the jagged edge protruding grotesquely from her back.
Her steps faltered.
"…Heh… still standing…"
Then her legs gave out.
She collapsed—
But a pair of arms caught her before she hit the ground.
"I've got you!"
The female mage held her firmly, her voice shaking despite her effort to stay composed.
"…Elira…" Kael muttered weakly.
Riven let out a breathless laugh behind them, relief breaking through the tension. "We actually pulled it off…"
Kael coughed, blood staining her lips.
"Don't celebrate yet, idiot…"
Riven's expression shifted instantly as he raised his hand, magic circle forming.
"Hold still. I'll—"
Her hand shot up, grabbing his wrist.
"Don't."
"What?"
Before he could react, Kael reached down, gripping the embedded shard.
Then—
She ripped it out.
The sound alone was enough to make Elira flinch.
Kael's body trembled violently as blood spilled freely, but she didn't scream.
Didn't hesitate.
She pulled a small vial from her belt with shaking fingers and poured it over the wound.
The liquid reacted instantly.
Steam rose.
Flesh began to knit together at a rapid pace, sealing the injury in seconds.
Her breathing slowed.
"…Told you… I'm fine…"
Riven exhaled sharply, forcing himself to regain composure.
"…Everyone. Spread out. Look for spirit flowers. We rest here before moving forward."
The two remaining warriors nodded and immediately moved, disappearing into the surrounding terrain.
Elira adjusted her grip on Kael, lifting her carefully.
"You should go with them," she said softly, glancing at Riven. "They'll need support if something else shows up."
Riven hesitated.
"…You sure?"
"I can handle this much."
There was a pause.
Then—
"…Fine."
Reluctantly, he turned and headed after the others.
Elira watched him go.
Her expression changed.
The softness faded.
Something colder replaced it.
She waited.
Until all three figures disappeared from sight.
Only then did she move.
"…We're not staying."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
Kael blinked weakly. "…Heh… figured…"
Elira closed her eyes, raising her hand slightly as a faint magic circle expanded outward.
A detection spell.
It spread across the terrain, mapping everything within range.
Threats.
Paths.
Openings.
Then—
Her eyes opened.
"…There."
Without another word, she shifted Kael's weight onto her shoulders and turned away from the direction the others had gone.
Step by step, she moved toward a narrow, hidden path leading upward along the mountain.
Her movements were unsteady.
Her strength was nearly spent.
But she didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
Because she already knew—
Going back wasn't an option.
And whatever lay ahead…
Was still better than what they left behind.
...