Izayoi fled from the waterfall at top speed, while the Serpent God on the other side still seemed entirely unaware.
There may have been some exaggeration involved, but the opponent was still a god. The chill Yoru emitted hadn't gone unnoticed—but the proud Serpent God clearly didn't care.
Anyone capable of reaching her domain obviously wasn't ordinary, so it wasn't strange for them to possess unusual powers.
Frost, huh?
But if you think that alone is enough to defeat me, a Serpent God… then you're far too naive.
The Serpent God scoffed inwardly. Since Yoru had chosen the hardest trial—challenging her directly—she would show him what true despair meant.
"Very well, mortal. If you want my treasure, then defeat me!"
Twisting her long, powerful body, the serpent roared and lunged toward Yoru.
"Ugh, seriously! Where did they go!?"
Black Rabbit had already been searching for Izayoi and Yoru for over fifteen minutes.
It might not seem far when viewed from 4,000 meters above, but the distance from the lake they fell into to the "end of the world" was enormous. Not to mention, the path was through a dense forest—first-timers would never make it.
What's more, this region had divine or demonic entities who occasionally set up games, and if someone got tricked into joining one... things could turn very dangerous.
As Black Rabbit rushed forward in growing panic, a strange noise echoed through the woods, causing her to halt abruptly.
"Are you looking for the two who passed by earlier, Miss Black Rabbit?"
A calm voice came alongside the sound of hooves—a sleek, light bluish-white horse with a horn on its forehead emerged: a unicorn, a rare fantasy beast.
"A-A unicorn?! That's rare! Isn't the 'Unicorn' community based in the south?"
"That's what I should be asking. I never thought I'd see a rabbit outside an official match on the eastern side of Little Garden… but enough questions. If the ones you're looking for are who I suspect, then our destinations may be the same. The forest's inhabitants say someone has challenged a water god's kin to a Gift Game."
"Uwaaah…"
Black Rabbit swayed in dizziness, collapsing weakly to the ground.
At the edge of the so-called "end of the world" stood the Torridtuness Great Waterfall, where eight rivers of Little Garden converged. And those who lived near it… were none other than dragons or serpent gods.
"Seriously… seriously… they're such hopeless problem children...!"
"This isn't the time for tears. If those are really the ones you seek, you'd better hurry. The water gods choose their opponents. If you go now, you might still make it. Get on my back."
"Ah, right—wah!"
Just as Black Rabbit was about to climb on, the earth trembled violently. A roar shook the entire forest. All eyes turned toward the great river, where several towering water pillars erupted—visible even from this distance.
Such a scene should never appear during a normal Gift Game.
"…Sorry. Looks like I'll need to go alone after all."
"Ugh… I hate sending a young lady alone… but you think I'd slow you down?"
"Yes. If anything happens, I might not be able to protect you. It's rude to say so, but… you're faster than I am."
The unicorn smiled bitterly and stepped back.
"Please be careful—and pass on my regards to your problem children."
Black Rabbit gave a tense nod and darted toward the Torridtuness River. Her figure vanished in a flash, chasing the wind, leaping past trees, streaking through the forest like a beam of light.
The scenery quickly opened up. In mere moments, she reached the riverbank.
"This should be the place…"
"Oh? Isn't that Black Rabbit? What's with the hair color change?"
A familiar, irritating voice rang from behind—Izayoi. Apparently, he was still safe.
Black Rabbit let out a huge sigh of relief—or so it seemed. In truth, her patience had reached its limit after being dragged around by him for so long. Her hair bristled as she whipped around in fury.
"You! What the heck were you thinking running off like that?! And dragging Lord Yoru into your nonsense too!"
"We just went to see the 'end of the world.' Jeez, don't get so worked up."
Izayoi wore his usual cheeky grin. He looked completely uninjured, just a bit wetter than before from their earlier fall.
"Still, you've got pretty good legs! Even though this was just a game, I didn't expect you to catch up so fast."
"Hmph, of course! Black Rabbit is a proud noble species of the Little Garden aristocracy! So naturally—"
But then… something felt wrong.
Black Rabbit sensed something unusual.
Izayoi was the only one standing there. And it looked like he had been standing around idly for quite a while.
Then what about the deafening roar and those massive water pillars earlier? Who caused all of that?
Her face stiffened as she scanned the surroundings, her voice trembling slightly.
"W-Where is Lord Yoru?!"
"Oh, Yoru? He's probably still having a nice chat with the Serpent God over there. Don't know what happened, but when he heard he could get any reward he wanted, his eyes lit up like a starving wolf. Honestly, it was terrifying."
Recalling Yoru's earlier expression, Izayoi visibly shivered, while Black Rabbit's face darkened even further.
"How could this… how could it come to this?! Why didn't you stop him, Izayoi-kun?! That's a god! A Serpent God!"
"It's just a big snake. Compared to Yoru, it probably doesn't stand a chance. He'll probably end it in one hit, right?"
Izayoi said lazily, but Black Rabbit shook her head, tense with worry.
"Don't underestimate a being with divine status! Their power is beyond your imagination! Lord Yoru may be powerful, yes—but if his strength clashes with a water-controlling Serpent God…"
She couldn't finish the thought.
Yoru's power involved ice and cold—which was inherently tied to water. But if the enemy was a being who controlled water… then Yoru might be completely outmatched. He'd be forced onto the defensive from the start!
"No… No more messing around! We have to hurry! If we move fast, we might still be able to stop them!"
She grabbed Izayoi, intending to dash off—but he refused, shaking his head and staying rooted in place.
"I'm not going. That guy's serious this time. I'd love to fight him myself one day, but when he gets serious like that… he scares the hell out of me. Why do you think I'm still standing here? I didn't even have the courage to watch that fight."
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