The night dragged on.
Ahrie and Daiki waved goodbye to Amariel before heading off to their small, beat-up house.
They started betting on who'd get there first.
The road was wide open, silent, peaceful… and dark as hell.
No damn streetlights anywhere. Geez.
The only thing guiding them was the faint glow of the stars.
They kept chatting, voices carrying through the empty night as they walked.
"You're awfully quiet today, huh…" Ahrie mumbled.
"I–I'm not!" Daiki shot back.
"Ohooo… you miss your princess Amariel already, don't ya?" Ahrie smirked.
He clutched his chest dramatically. "Ohhh my dear prince… my knight in shining armor…"
"Cut it out, man…" Daiki groaned.
"Pff—hehehe…" Ahrie snorted. "This simp bastard… get it together already."
Daiki stayed quiet, stuck in deep thought.
Ahrie frowned, dropping the teasing.
"…What now?"
"I'm gonna do it," Daiki said.
"Do what?"
"I'm gonna confess to her. After the mission."
Ahrie barked a laugh. "Hoh… bro, you don't stand a chance."
"I'll help her, we'll get married…" Daiki kept going, eyes dead serious.
"Yeah, keep dreaming." Ahrie replied.
"And we'll have four kids. You'll be their godfather."
"Nope. Hell no." Ahrie shook his head.
"C'mon man…" Daiki leaned against him, nagging.
"Too much responsibility!" Ahrie shoved him off.
"…One kid. Just one." Daiki leaned again.
"Pay up first, then we negotiate." Ahrie finally pushed him hard.
Daiki paused for a second, gathering his thoughts.
"But seriously though… I'm planning on helping them in any way I can." He said it with pride, chest puffed.
"So how about it?"
ERR ERRR! Ahrie made a buzzer sound.
"Nope. Me + money = bye-bye."
"This cold-hearted bastard…" Daiki muttered.
"You owe me. Don't forget it," Ahrie shot back.
"Yeah, yeah… stop nagging already." Daiki waved him off.
Shhrt.
A sound slipped out of nowhere.
At first, they didn't mind it.
But then it came again.
Chrrrt.
Both froze, stiff as stone.
"…You see anyone?" Ahrie muttered.
"No…" Daiki whispered back.
Then a shadow stretched beside them.
A small girl stood there, eyes burning with intensity—
and a large man loomed behind her.
The girl held up a plate… something squishy skewered with sticks.
She tilted her head… and grinned, wide and manic, straight at them.
"Ickkk…" Daiki recoiled.
"Nope." Ahrie muttered—then, without even looking at Daiki, he stiffened, head forward… and bolted.
"HEY! Hold the fuck up—don't leave me!!" Daiki shouted, sprinting after him.
They tore through the open road, straight into their shabby little house, slammed the door, and collapsed on the floor.
"Huff… huff… I almost had a heart attack…" Daiki gasped.
"Ugk…" Ahrie groaned, pointing at the window.
The same girl.
Staring in.
Both of them ducked behind the sofa, hearts pounding.
Knock…
Knock…
Slow. Creepy. Relentless.
"You go," Daiki whispered.
"Fuck no, you go," Ahrie snapped back.
Before either could move, the door creaked open…
And the girl walked in.
With Derimiel right behind her.
The boys exhaled in relief.
"We heard you're not allowed in the village to buy food, so we brought you some," Derimiel said.
The kid set down a plate stacked with meat skewers.
"Don't worry, bros. I'm doing my best to say you're not some fucking thugs." She smiled.
"???" Daiki blinked.
"Where did he learn to swear?" Daiki muttered.
"I dunno. The kid's been with you the whole time," Ahrie said.
"HAAAH?!" Daiki shouted.
"HUURAA?!" Ahrie shot back.
Another ridiculous face-off, two wannabe thugs glaring like idiots.
The kid smiled… Derimiel too.
"We'll head on our way now."
"Byee byee~" the kid chirped, waving.
Ahrie and Daiki waved back until the two disappeared down the road.
"Let's cook 'em up," Daiki said, lifting the plate.
"Yep yep," Ahrie replied.
They dragged some firewood together, sparks flying as they set up a small campfire outside their crooked little house.
The smell of charred wood mixed with the sweet, savory smoke of roasting meat skewers.
For once, the night actually felt… normal.
Ahrie and Daiki roasted their food…
"Rest in grease," Ahrie declared.
"No, not that kind of roast…" Daiki muttered.
"Oh…" Ahrie reacted flatly.
The aroma spread wide as they divided the meat between them.
Daiki placed the meat on their plates while Ahrie held his skewer over the fire.
"That's right… bleed for me, you juicy little bastard," Ahrie said in his best evil wizard voice.
"I ALREADY SAID NOT THAT KIND OF ROAST!" Daiki shouted.
Wai— huh?
Daiki paused mid-plate. "Where's the food?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"What the hell do you mean where—" Ahrie snapped, reaching for the platter.
"You ate it already, you twerp!" Ahrie accused, pointing.
"NO! I swear—" Daiki protested.
CRAAW. A flap of wings cut the night from the trees.
"That stupid crow again," Ahrie cursed.
They both grabbed small rocks and chucked them up. "Shoo! Shoo!" they hissed like idiots.
The crow dodged every stone like it had rehearsed. CAA CAA CAA — it laughed at them, tail feathers flicking.
"This bastard," Daiki muttered.
The crow tossed something—then vanished into the dark.
It hit Ahrie square in the face.
A small scroll tumbled at his feet. It unraveled on its own.
They read it out loud, stupid and squinty:
What_dog: can you use your skill on yourself by punching yourself?
Daiki and Ahrie blinked at each other. "Ehh?" they both said.
Daiki, already chewing, muttered something like a question and kept gnawing. Whuush diishhh…
Ahrie stared at the scroll like it contained the meaning of life. His face went weird.
"Fuck… why didn't I think of that?" he whispered, eyes bright with sudden, stupid inspiration.
He polished off one skewer. Set the stick down like a holy relic. Then, like a man trying to solve a cosmic riddle, he drove the stick into his forearm.
"Aaaah—" He sucked in air, teeth clenched. "Urrgghh…" He endured it, brow tight.
Daiki gaped. "Huh?" he said, confused as ever.
Ahrie steadied himself. Then, with all the gravitas of a lunatic scientist, he used his skill on—himself.
POW.
He punched his own arm.
His arm slowly mended.
"Ohh… it works." Ahrie grinned—then winced. "Oh, fuck… I've got a bruise."
"This lunatic really did it…" Daiki muttered, facepalming.
Silence lingered, broken only by the faint crackle of a burning campfire outside.
They finished their food.
Then, at last, sleep took them.
Morning time.
Ahrie and Daiki were still dead to the world.
Derimiel barged into their shabby little house.
"MOOORNIINGGG—UUUH…." He froze for a second, staring at the ridiculous positions.
Ahrie was half on the sofa, half on the floor like a broken marionette.
Daiki was face-down on the table.
Ehem, ehem. Derimiel grabbed their feet and dragged them toward the meeting spot.
"Ouch—hey! Cut it out! We're awake!" Daiki groaned as his head slammed into something.
"Sorry… Elder specifically ordered…" Derimiel said, grinning.
A flash of the elder's memory flickered in his mind: If they're still sleeping, drag them here.
"This is kinda fun," Derimiel muttered.
Bomp. Bomp. Bomp.
Ahrie, still half-asleep, didn't so much as twitch.
Almost forty guards had gathered for the mission, equipment rattling as they prepped.
Ahrie sat slouched among them, still half-asleep, eyelids heavy.
The elder stood at the front, his voice steady.
"Prioritize your safety. This is a rescue mission, not a war. Avoid unnecessary fighting."
"Yes, Elder!" the guards echoed.
"Good luck," the elder said to Derimiel.
Derimiel gave a firm nod. "Let's move out."
The column of Floriae set off. From behind, the elder and a few villagers watched in silence.
On the other side of the village…
"La la la…"
The child skipped along, humming without a care.
Then it froze.
A small, red creature stood in the path, staring.
The child tilted its head.
The thing grinned, mouth stretching too wide.
"…Found yaaa."