(Attendances… plz…)
….
The chubby boy's words came out in gasps, but they were sharp and clear enough to everyone to know what he said. Ram's reaction was instant, her voice like a chip of ice.
"That is impossible," she said, her tone flat and final, as if stating a law of nature. "This village is protected by a magical barrier. No Mabeast can get inside."
"Well, we can think about the 'how' later," Gojo replied, his easygoing tone a strange contrast to the fear on the children's faces. "The point is, a kid is missing, and these guys aren't making it up. Let's go see for ourselves." He gave the frightened children a small, encouraging nod. "Well take us to this shed."
The children, who seemed to find a small bit of bravery in his calm presence, nodded quickly and began leading them toward the edge of the village.
The shed itself was a simple building made of weathered wood, big enough for a single person to call home.
But their eyes were not on the building. They were focused on the patch of dirt behind it, right next to a rough wooden fence that separated the village from the deep, dark forest.
"Here!" the chubby boy said, his voice cracking with fear as he pointed a trembling finger at the ground. "This is where I saw the footprints."
Gojo bent down, his eyes scanning the marks in the soil. He looked at them for a few seconds before standing up and dusting off his hands.
"Are the monsters in this forest just really big dogs? Because that's what these look like. Paw prints, just… huge." He looked from the tracks to the fence, then back at Ram.
"The prints are definitely here, so your barrier must have a hole in it somewhere. But that brings up a good question: if they could get this close, why just take one little girl? Why didn't they attack the whole village?"
Ram's eyes were not on the ground. They shot upward, searching the branches of the tall trees that formed a wall around the village.
Her face grew tense. She walked right past Gojo and pointed a sharp finger at a thick, old oak tree.
Tucked among its leaves was a small lantern made of a glowing crystal, one of many placed in the trees along the village border.
But this one was different. While the others gave off a soft, steady light, this one was dark and dead, like a piece of dull glass.
"The barrier has been broken," Ram said, and her voice was heavy with a cold anger. "Someone did this on purpose. They destroyed the magic crystal right here. With it gone, Mabeasts can walk right into the village whenever they want."
Gojo tilted his head. "You keep saying that word. What exactly are Mabeasts? You mentioned them before, but all I know is that they're some kind of monster." In all the strangeness of the last few days, this was a new piece of information.
Ram gave him a quick, sharp look. "Mabeasts are creatures creation kf the Witch's. They are enemy of humanity, they have magic power, and there are very, very many of them living in the forests."
"And a barrier like this just… breaks?" Gojo asked, thinking out loud. He didn't need her to answer.
The broken crystal told him everything he needed to know, and the answer was much worse for the village.
"Whatever the reason, if it's broken, this whole village is in danger."
The playful, relaxed air around him was suddenly gone. He turned back to the children and crouched down, so he was at their level. His voice became soft but very serious, the kind of voice that made you listen carefully.
"Alright, listen to me," he said, looking at each of their scared faces.
"First thing, stop being scared. When I'm here, worrying is the last thing you need to do. Understood?" He offered them a small, confident smile that seemed to push some of their fear away.
"Now, I have a very important job for you. I need you to run back to the middle of the village. Find the headwoman, Milde. You need to tell her, and everyone else you see, exactly what you told us. Go on, now. Run."
As the children turned and ran as fast as their legs could carry them, Gojo stood up. He faced the dark line of trees, his body language making it clear what he planned to do next. He took one step toward the forest, but Ram's voice stopped him cold.
"What do you think you are doing?"
Gojo looked back over his shoulder, a pretend look of surprise on his face. "If I'm not wrong, I believe it's called 'going into the forest to save the kid.' Seems pretty simple, right?"
"You will not," Ram said, her tone leaving no space for argument. "You cannot just decide to do that by yourself. We have to tell Master Roswaal what has happened. We must tell him about the missing child and the broken barrier. What if this is a trap? What if it's a trick to pull us away from the mansion so someone can attack it?"
Gojo let out a short laugh that held no humor. "A trap? To pull you away? Don't you think you're giving them a little too much credit? Or maybe giving yourself too much?" he teased lightly.
"Besides, sending a message and waiting for an answer will take too long. What is there to be scared of? A few big monsters? Dogs? Whatever they are." He put a hand to his chin, pretending to think hard.
"Oh, I get it now. The enemy knew that the mansion's greatest protector, the powerful Ram, would be in this very village today. So, they made this whole big plan just to get you to leave your post. Is that it?"
Ram's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Are you making fun of me?"
"Of course not," Gojo said, shaking his head, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I'm making fun of the person who set this all up. They clearly have no idea that a certain pink-haired demon is about to make them disappear for being so foolish." He gave her a quick wink.
"That was a compliment, in case you missed it. Now, come along if you want. This won't take very long."
He didn't wait for her to say anything else. He turned and walked straight into the forest.
His bright white hair stood out against the deep green and brown for just a moment before the shadows of the trees swallowed him completely.
Ram stood frozen for a second, her mind a battlefield. Her duty and all the rules told her to report to her master.
But a child was in danger right now.
Then, she remembered Master Roswaal's clear order, his voice echoing in her head: keep a close watch on their strange guest. With a quiet, frustrated sigh, she hurried into the woods after him.
….
The light inside the forest was already fading fast. The thick leaves overhead blocked out the last bits of the evening sun, making the world a place of deep shadows and strange shapes.
For a normal person, finding their way through would be hard and dangerous. For Gojo, it was like taking a walk in a well-lit park.
His Six Eyes saw everything perfectly, whether it was a bright day or dark night.
He walked for a few minutes, then stopped and spoke to the empty air behind him. "I thought you were going back to the mansion to tell the clown what happened."
A twig snapped nearby. Ram stepped out from behind a large tree, her face looking like a storm cloud ready to burst. "Do not call Master Roswaal that," she said, her voice low and full of warning. "I am warning you."
Gojo turned to face her, holding his hands up as if to surrender. "Relax, will you? I was just trying to make a joke to lighten the mood. But you have to admit, if the shoe fits, wear it."
"Can you not keep that mouth of yours closed, or is it always open?" Ram snapped. She pushed past him, taking the lead. "Let us find the child so we can go back to the mansion and report this. We still need to fix the barrier and find out who broke it."
She moved with a silent speed, her body alert and ready. After a few moments, she stopped, tilting her head as if she was listening to or smelling something that Gojo couldn't sense. She changed her direction slightly.
"This way," she said. Her voice was now all business, cold and focused. "We are close. I smell something alive."
Gojo followed her from behind. "Well, 'alive' is good news. Better than the other option," he said. "Though, you'll have to tell me more. What does 'alive' smell like? Like flowers? Or just… not dead?"
Ram, as expected, did not answer him. She kept moving, pushing aside hanging branches and stepping quietly over fallen leaves.
After a few more minutes, the thick trees suddenly opened up into a small, clear area. In the center of the clearing, lying on a bed of soft green moss, was the small, unmoving body of the missing girl.
They moved toward her carefully. Gojo kneeled and gently lifted the child into his arms, quickly checking her for injuries.
"Okay, am I the only one who thinks this is a little too simple in all?" he said quietly, mostly to himself.
"She's not hurt at all. Not a scratch. She's just unconscious. I mean, it's good, but..."
Before he could say more, Ram's body went completely stiff. "We're surrounded," she whispered, her voice tight with alarm.
A low, deep growl came from the shadows of the trees. It was answered by another, and then another.
All around the edge of the clearing, pairs of bright, hateful eyes blinked open in the darkness. One by one, huge, dog-like creatures with dirty, matted black fur and long, sharp fangs stepped into the light.
Their lips were pulled back to show their teeth, and a low growl rumbled in their chests. They made a perfect, tight circle around Gojo and Ram. There were…. many of them.
Gojo looked around the circle, the sleeping girl still held safely in one arm. He didn't look scared at all. In fact, he looked almost bored.
"Well, you have to admit, they're smart for dogs. Using a kid as bait to catch more people." He looked over the snarling beasts. "And wow, they are really big. What do they eat to get that large?"
"This is bad," Ram said, her hand slowly moving to the wand she kept hidden in her sleeve. "I cannot fight all of them at once. There are far too many. We have to escape."
A quiet laugh came from Gojo's lips. He shifted his position slightly, standing right beside Ram.
He casually reached over and patted her on the head, as if she were one of the worried children from the village.
"Don't worry, pink-haired maid," he said, his voice filled with so much confidence it sounded like he was bragging. "There won't be any fighting."
He paused, a huge, confident grin spreading across his face.
"Not in the usual way, at least."
….
A/N: Well how was it?! Yhh i was gonna include the fight in this but the chapter was already gotten too long, so the next chapter would be the cleansing of the forest.
&
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