Finally.
Splat!
With one last pounce, the hunter seemed to have finally caught something.
Then came a tearing sound.
Six only saw a spray of blood erupting from between his hands.
Something seemed to have been pulled out, dangling from the hunter's hand, dripping an unknown liquid.
Six watched helplessly, a sudden heaviness settling in her heart.
She withdrew her gaze.
She slowly slid into the hollow, leaning against the wall, her face returning to its cold indifference.
Her stray hairs covered her eyes again, making Six's face look somewhat gloomy.
After a long while, she murmured:
"I'm sorry... I, too, must escape this world."
However, just as she was murmuring to herself...
Crash!
Something suddenly scurried into the opening above.
Startled, Six quickly stood up and picked up a fallen wooden stick nearby.
"Ah~"
Mono slid to the bottom of the hollow, landing at Six's feet.
Six blinked, staring blankly at the suddenly appearing Mono.
"You, you..."
She was speechless.
But while she was still unsettled, Mono interrupted her again:
"What 'you'? Hurry up and help me up, it hurts like hell!"
Mono had just tripped a few times and nearly threw out his back.
Six finally snapped out of it and quickly grabbed Mono to help him up.
She was very strong and didn't find it difficult.
"Let's go~ before that guy finds us."
Mono said, somewhat out of breath.
Six nodded.
Supporting Mono, Six groped her way forward through the narrow tree hollow.
They hadn't gone far when a thick gun barrel suddenly thrust into the tree hollow behind them, cracking the tightly packed roots.
A roar accompanied by a violent burst of fire erupted; the massive boom could be heard from afar.
The hunter seemed to have realized he'd been tricked.
Mono was startled once again.
He had truly tasted the horror of the hunter.
Facing such a persistent monster, only its death could bring peace of mind.
"Just you wait. If I don't kill you, my name isn't Mono."
Mono cursed.
Seeing that Mono was still so energetic, a glimmer appeared in Six's usually calm eyes as she gave him a blank look.
Although she hadn't known this Bag-headed person who called himself Mono for long, she could feel that he meant her no harm.
Moreover, he had helped her several times along the way.
She naturally didn't want a boy she considered 'good' to die here.
Of course, all of this was predicated on her escaping this place.
If a good person stood in her way, she might...
Six shook her head, cutting off that train of thought.
He had said he wanted to leave here too.
Their goals were the same.
So, he wouldn't stand in her way.
She returned to her indifferent state once more.
Mono had rested enough by now and no longer needed support.
His body's recovery ability seemed fast, which was good news.
After walking through the dark passage for half an hour and bypassing layers of coiled roots, a sliver of light finally appeared ahead.
"Shh~ keep it down, we're heading out."
Mono said warily.
He was indeed terrified by that damn hunter.
Six nodded.
She followed slowly behind Mono.
Mono lay at the opening and waited for half an hour.
He was afraid the hunter would be waiting there like last time.
A hunter's patience was usually terrifying, and he had to use every ounce of his wits to contend with him.
After a long while, seeing no strange snoring or shadows around, Mono finally waved his hand.
"Come here, he's not here, we need to move."
Six came over and naturally took Mono's hand.
Mono led her forward cautiously.
Everything along the way was peaceful, and the path was no longer rugged.
The wind blew as two small figures walked slowly through the dark woods, looking unexpectedly heartwarming.
Of course, it might have been perfect if not for Mono's head constantly darting left and right.
The leaves rustled in the wind, and the sound of crows came from deep within the forest, carrying an inexplicable sense of oppression.
Six watched the wary Mono and said nothing.
In such a dangerous environment, being cautious was not wrong in itself.
Although, sometimes, when accidents happen, one mostly feels powerless and helpless.
Neither of them had any intention of admiring the dark scenery.
After walking for a while, another obstacle finally appeared before them.
In the middle of the road, a deep ravine appeared.
And the wooden bridge, the only thing connecting the two sides of the ravine, had snapped in half.
"Hey~"
Mono turned his head and shouted to Six,
"Can you jump across?"
Mono felt it was a bit of a stretch for him, but Six should be a bit stronger than him.
Hearing this, Six glanced at the ravine and then shook her head.
"It's too wide, and the terrain over there is higher than here."
Although her jumping ability and mobility were strong, she still couldn't escape the limitations of her size—she was just one of the Little Person (no more than 20cm tall).
...