The next morning arrived quietly. The storm had passed, but the air still felt heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Han remained unconscious.
Shin rested in a chair outside the room, exhaustion finally pulling him into a light sleep. Inside, Isolde had taken over the watch, sitting beside Han with her arms folded, her expression softer than usual.
Eva still slept beside Han, her hand wrapped around his as though afraid he might vanish if she let go.
Isolde leaned closer to Han, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I hope you can regain consciousness already," she murmured. "There's so much I want to talk to you about. I miss you a lot... my younger brother."
Her fingers brushed lightly against his arm.
"Please wake up soon. We're all waiting for you... especially Eva. The group feels so empty without you."
She exhaled shakily.
Just then, Eva stirred.
Isolde immediately straightened, wiping the emotion from her face. She forced a gentle smile.
"Good morning," she greeted softly.
Eva didn't respond. She stared at the floor, her expression blank, hollow.
Isolde's smile slowly faded.
Then Eva lifted her head.
Her voice trembled, but her words were clear.
"I'm sorry... for how I acted yesterday. I apologize for slapping you. I cannot justify my actions... therefore I ask you to slap me as well."
Isolde froze.
For a moment, she simply stared — stunned, speechless.
Then she rushed forward and wrapped Eva in a tight embrace.
"No," Isolde whispered, her voice breaking. "I understand your pain. And there's nothing to be sorry for."
Eva's body trembled.
"We're here for you, Eva," Isolde continued. "You're not alone in this matter."
Eva finally broke.
Tears streamed down her face as she clung to Isolde, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry... I really am... I don't know what to do... Han is... Han is... I can't accept what happened to him..."
Isolde's own tears fell as she held her tighter.
"I understand. But we have to be strong for Han. For his sake... okay?"
Both of them cried — grief, fear, and love spilling out in raw, unfiltered emotion.
During the moment, Chrome stood silently in the doorway.
He had come to check on them, but the sight of the two crying — the vulnerability, the pain — froze him in place. His eyes widened, and he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
He didn't want to interrupt.
He didn't want to cry either.
So he slowly, quietly stepped back... and slipped out of the room, closing the door without a sound.
As Chrome walked down the lobby, wiping the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a pink‑haired lady standing near the entrance — wearing a soft floral kimono.
But Chrome, still emotionally shaken, didn't even process who she was.
He walked right past her without a second glance.
The girl blinked, confused.
"...Rude," she whispered to herself.
Chrome headed straight toward Ciara, who was polishing her staff near the counter.
"Ciara," he said, clearing his throat, "I'll be going to the Desert Mine to get some mithril. Would you guys be okay without me here?"
Ciara looked up, puzzled.
"The Desert Mine? Why so suddenly?"
Chrome shrugged. "We'll need mithril for Han. Maeve can't forge anything without it."
Ciara's eyes softened — then brightened.
"Can I come with you?"
Chrome paused, staring at her.
"...Are you sure? It's dangerous and dirty inside the mine."
Ciara nodded firmly. "I'm positive."
Before Chrome could respond, a hand tapped his shoulder.
He turned.
The girl in the kimono stood behind him, smiling sweetly.
"Can I come?" she asked.
Chrome blinked at her, confused.
"...Who are you? I don't even know you to begin with."
The girl in the kimono smile twitched.
"I'm Sakura. Darnel left me with your group."
Chrome stared for a moment, then shrugged.
"...Still don't know you."
Sakura puffed her cheeks in frustration.
Ciara giggled softly.
"It's okay, Sakura. The leader approves!"
Chrome blinked again.
"...I did? Since when did I approve that?"
He sighed. "Well... doesn't matter. Let's go."
He clapped his hands once, shifting into mission mode.
"Pixie, you—"
He stopped mid‑sentence.
Sakura was suddenly inches from his face, eyes sparkling.
"Pixie? Who's Pixie? Is that me? Am I Pixie?!"
Chrome stepped back immediately.
"No. No you are not Pixie. I wasn't talking to you."
Ciara covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
A tiny glowing fairy zipped out from behind Ciara's shoulder, wings fluttering rapidly.
"Yes, yes! I'm ready! I'm ready! Adventure time!" Pixie chirped.
Sakura gasped.
"A fairy! A real fairy! She's so cute!"
Pixie puffed her chest proudly.
"I know."
Chrome rubbed his temples.
"Alright. Ciara, Sakura, Pixie — get your things. We leave in ten minutes."
Sakura saluted dramatically.
"Yes, sir!"
Ciara nodded with a gentle smile.
"Understood."
Pixie spun in the air.
"Let's go get some shiny rocks!"
Chrome muttered under his breath as he walked away:
"...This is going to be a long day."
The journey across the desert was long, but eventually the dunes gave way to jagged stone and a massive canyon split open before them — the entrance to the Desert Mine.
Chrome hopped off the carriage first, stretching his arms.
"We're here."
He immediately grabbed a pickaxe from the back of the cart, testing its weight.
Then he turned to Pixie.
"Pixie, use the owlbear transformation."
Pixie's wings fluttered excitedly.
"Owlbear mode? Ohhh yes! I love owlbear mode!"
She spun in the air, glowing brightly — and in a burst of shimmering light, she transformed into a small but sturdy owlbear.
Chrome tossed her a pickaxe.
She caught it with her beak.
Chrome grabbed another for himself.
"Alright. Ciara, Sakura — you two guard the cart."
Ciara pouted.
"No fair! I want to help too. This is for Han."
Sakura raised her fist.
"Yes! For Han!"
Chrome sighed.
"...Fine. But stay close."
They entered the mine.
The temperature dropped sharply. The walls shimmered with veins of glowing mithril.
Pixie‑owlbear struck the stone.
CLANG.
A faint metallic chime echoed.
Chrome's eyes sharpened.
"That's mithril."
They mined together, mithril piling up quickly.
When they had enough, Chrome wiped his forehead.
"Pixie, let's bring all this to the carriage. You two rest here."
Ciara and Sakura nodded.
Chrome and Pixie left with the sacks.
As soon as they were gone, Ciara collapsed onto a rock.
"Mining is really hard..."
Sakura stretched.
"That's why I respect miners everywhere."
Ciara's expression dimmed.
Sakura noticed.
"What's wrong?"
Ciara hesitated.
"My father... he was a miner."
She spoke softly, remembering waiting by the window, shouting "Daddy!" when he came home.
A tear fell.
Before Sakura could comfort her—
Clap.
Slow.
Mocking.
Two figures emerged from the shadows.
The first was thin — almost skeletal.
Messy black hair hung over his eyes in uneven strands. His face was sharp and hollow, marked with old scars and grime. His torn studded jacket clung to his narrow frame, and the shredded shirt beneath exposed his wiry build. His sunken eyes gleamed with a jittery, hungry sharpness.
He smirked and tapped his chest.
"Name's Juan. We're from the Thieves Guild."
The second man stepped beside him — massive, heavyset, his round frame stretching his studded leather jacket to its limits. Grease stains marked his shirt, and a faded skull tattoo sprawled across his exposed stomach. Gold chains clinked around his neck, and rings covered his thick fingers.
"And I'm Pedro," he said proudly. "Top collectors of rare merchandise."
Juan leaned in.
"And today, you two are our lucky catch."
Pedro cracked his knuckles.
"Guild's gonna pay big for beauties like you."
Ciara stiffened.
Sakura blinked.
"You're from the Thieves Guild? And you want to... capture us?"
Juan smirked.
"That's the idea."
Pedro nodded.
"Don't worry. We'll make it quick."
Sakura tilted her head, confused.
"So... what do you plan on doing with us? Are you planning something naughty?!"
Her expression was innocent, surprised, mouth slightly open.
Then she threw her hands up dramatically.
"Yamete kudasai!!"
Her dramatic cry echoed through the tunnel — sharp, high‑pitched, unexpectedly intense.
Juan and Pedro froze.
Then—
BLOOSH.
Both men's noses erupted in nosebleeds.
Sakura blinked.
Then grinned.
And vanished.
A gust of wind blew past Ciara.
When Juan and Pedro snapped back, Sakura was already in front of them.
After Sakura punched both men in the gut—
THUD.
THUD.
Juan and Pedro collapsed instantly.
Sakura dusted off her hands with a smug grin.
"Hehe. Easy."
She turned toward Ciara, raised a thumbs‑up, and smirked proudly.
But before Sakura could even finish her pose—
The wall behind her bulged.
A deep rumble rolled through the tunnel.
Ciara's eyes widened in horror.
"Sakura... behind you!"
A massive earthen fist burst from the wall, exploding out of the stone with terrifying force.
The fist slammed into Sakura.
Smoke blasted outward, swallowing the entire tunnel in a violent cloud.
Ciara screamed, voice cracking with panic.
"No!!"
Outside the mine, Chrome and Pixie were just loading the mithril into the carriage when Ciara's scream echoed out of the tunnel.
Chrome's head snapped up.
"That was Ciara! Pixie — let's go!"
Pixie immediately shifted back into her fairy form, wings flaring with urgency as they sprinted toward the mine entrance.
Back inside the tunnel, the dust began to settle.
Ciara coughed, waving the smoke away as she tried to see through the haze.
"Sakura...? Sakura!"
As the last of the smoke thinned, Ciara finally saw her.
Sakura was standing exactly where she had been struck — completely unscathed.
Behind her, a massive ethereal form shimmered — a mirror image of Sakura, but larger, made entirely of crimson mana. It had materialized as a fist blocking the attack at the moment of impact.
The mana guardian pulsed once, then slowly dissolved into particles of red light.
Sakura exhaled calmly.
"Ciara," she said, "can you conjure magic to carry these two out of the mine?"
Ciara nodded quickly.
"Yes — I can!"
She raised her staff, chanting softly. A gentle wind wrapped around the unconscious Juan and Pedro, lifting them off the ground.
Sakura cracked her knuckles.
"I'll hold off the Sand Golem. You escort these two bozos out."
The ground rumbled again.
A massive sand‑and‑stone golem rose from the earth, towering over them.
Sakura shifted her stance.
Feet apart.
Knees bent.
Center low.
A perfect iai‑goshi crouch.
The ethereal guardian reappeared behind her, copying her every movement.
Sakura whispered:
"Iai‑goshi..."
Her left thumb pushed an invisible sword guard.
"Nukitsuke!!"
The ethereal form drew its mana‑blade in a single, explosive horizontal slash.
SHHHHRAAAAK.
The Sand Golem was sliced cleanly in half.
The shockwave carved a glowing arc into the tunnel walls.
The golem crumbled into dust.
Sakura sheathed her invisible sword and exhaled.
She turned to Ciara, raised a thumbs‑up, and smirked.
"Hehe... looks like I overdid it."
Ciara stared at the massive cut in the tunnel.
"Yeah... you managed to cut the tunnel as well."
RUMBLE.
The mine shook violently.
"What do we do, what do we do—?!" Sakura shouted, eyes wide, mouth open in a sharp, stunned gasp.
Ciara matched her expression perfectly. as they both panicked.
"The tunnel's gonna collapse!!"
Sakura grabbed Ciara with one hand and hooked her arm around the floating thieves with the other.
"RUN!!"
They sprinted as the mine collapsed behind them.
Outside, Chrome and Pixie saw them burst out of the tunnel in a cloud of dust.
They collided with Chrome and Pixie, then all sprinted together as the entrance collapsed behind them.
They tumbled onto the sand, coughing.
Chrome stared at Sakura.
"What... happened in there?!"
Sakura raised a shaky thumbs‑up.
"Hehe... long story."
Juan and Pedro groaned awake.
They sat up, blinking.
Then froze.
Then bowed so fast their foreheads nearly hit the sand.
"We're sorry!! We're so sorry!! We didn't know you were monsters— I mean warriors— I mean PLEASE DON'T HIT US AGAIN!"
Pedro bowed even lower.
"We owe you our lives! Thank you for saving us! Also please don't let her scream again— my nose can't take it!"
Sakura blinked.
Then her eyes sparkled.
"Oh? You two are grateful now?"
Juan and Pedro stiffened.
Sakura leaned forward, tilting her head.
"You boys are sowwy for being naughty thieves~? Uwu~?"
BLOOOOOOSH.
Their noses exploded again.
They flew backward, twitching.
Pixie cackled.
Ciara covered her mouth.
Chrome facepalmed.
Sakura stood proudly.
"Hehe! Works every time."
Juan raised a trembling hand.
"S‑she's... too powerful..."
Pedro nodded weakly.
"We're retiring... forever..."
As the dust finally settled and everyone caught their breath, the sun began dipping toward the horizon, painting the desert in warm orange light.
Chrome dusted off his clothes.
Ciara stretched her sore arms.
Pixie floated lazily, exhausted from panic.
Sakura stood proudly with her hands on her hips, as if she hadn't nearly destroyed an entire mine.
Juan and Pedro sat quietly on the sand, terrified of making eye contact with Sakura.
Chrome clapped his hands once.
"Alright. Let's head home before something else tries to kill us."
Everyone agreed instantly.
They loaded the sacks of mithril onto the carriage — far more than Chrome expected to gather in a single day. Pixie perched on top of the pile like a tiny, smug queen.
Sakura hopped onto the back, waving at Ciara to sit beside her.
Ciara smiled and climbed in.
Juan and Pedro hesitated.
Chrome raised an eyebrow.
"You two coming or not?"
Juan bowed so fast his forehead nearly hit the sand.
"Yes, sir! Thank you for not abandoning us in the desert!"
Pedro nodded rapidly.
"We promise to behave! No more crime! No more kidnapping! No more... women!"
Sakura leaned forward slightly.
Both men instantly slapped their hands over their noses.
"NO UWU PLEASE!!"
Sakura giggled.
The carriage rolled forward, wheels crunching over the sand as the desert wind cooled the air.
The sky shifted from orange to purple as the sun dipped below the dunes.
Ciara leaned back, finally relaxing.
Chrome let out a long sigh of relief.
Pixie snored softly on top of the mithril.
Sakura hummed a cheerful tune, kicking her feet.
Juan and Pedro sat stiffly in the corner, terrified of making eye contact with Sakura.
And as the day came to an end, the four returned home with the mithril they had gathered — dusty, tired, and laughing despite everything.
That was the story of how the group first met Juan and Pedro.
A chaotic beginning...
but the start of something unexpectedly memorable.