The morning sun glimmered through the thinning trees as Yoshiya adjusted the strap of his shield and looked back at the small group behind him. Three rescued women shuffled forward, still pale from their ordeal in the mine, while Yumi kept her wand tucked beneath her arm, eyes sweeping the roadside for any hint of danger. Omina walked ahead, both swords at her hips now, their polished blades catching the light.
They had left the damp smell of the cave behind, but the tension lingered. Yoshiya felt it in the stiffness of his shoulders and the way the women flinched at every sound.
"We'll hit the main road soon," he said quietly. "Then Reflynne."
Omina only nodded. She'd barely slept, still turning over in her mind the rough dual-sword technique she'd tried against the goblins. It had felt clumsy, unfinished—but it had also felt powerful.
A faint acrid scent drifted toward them. Omina's nostrils flared. "Smoke."
Yumi stopped walking and lifted her head. "Not from the mine. Up ahead."
They pressed on, emerging into a clearing where the main dirt road cut between low hills. There, a cart lay overturned, its wheels scorched and crates split open. A horse had broken free and was tied shakily to a tree. Beside the wreckage crouched a merchant and his apprentice, both smeared with soot.
"Please!" the merchant called as soon as he saw them. "Bandits—no, goblins—at dawn. They took our goods!"
Yoshiya stepped forward, raising a calming hand. "You're unhurt?"
"Shaken," the apprentice murmured, clutching a splintered staff. "They fled that way." He pointed into a clutch of undergrowth where small tracks and crude arrows were scattered in the dirt.
Omina's eyes narrowed. "Goblins again." She glanced at Yoshiya. "If we're quick, we can get their supplies back."
Yumi swung her wand from under her arm. "I'll stay with the captives and these two," she said. "You two do your hero thing."
Yoshiya gave a short nod, turning to the rescued women. "Stay close to her. We'll be back."
---
They slipped into the brush, following the prints. The forest muffled the sounds of the road behind them. Omina drew both swords and rolled her shoulders.
"You're sure?" Yoshiya asked.
"I have to test this style somewhere," she replied. "Just bless me when I go in."
He raised his staff. "Blessings." A soft gold light pulsed outward and wrapped around her form, seeping into her muscles like warm fire.
Omina exhaled, igniting Aura Blade on her main sword. The edge glowed faintly. She felt faster, sharper, her senses tightened by Yoshiya's magic.
They burst into a small hollow where five goblins scrambled with stolen sacks. Two were dragging crates, one brandished a crude shield, and the last two hissed, baring jagged teeth.
Omina lunged first. Her heavy strike cracked across the nearest goblin's chest, throwing it into the ferns. Another rushed forward, shield raised; she shifted, letting her second blade flicker, and drove a Guard Break attack into the shield, splintering wood and bone beneath it.
Two more goblins tried to circle around her. Yoshiya saw the move and shouted, "Protect!" A shimmering barrier wrapped around her just as a jagged blade glanced off her shoulder.
Omina crossed both swords instinctively, slashing outward in an X-shaped strike that tore through the goblin's crude armor. It wasn't a named skill yet—just something she was forging in the middle of battle—but it felt right.
Yoshiya's healing light touched her back as she pivoted into another heavy strike. Within moments, three goblins lay unconscious or bleeding, and the last two dropped the sacks and ran.
"Not bad," Yoshiya said, lowering his staff.
"Still rough," she admitted, wiping sweat from her brow. "But it's coming together."
They gathered the crates and sacks, securing them with rope before retracing their steps.
---
Back at the road, Yumi had already soothed the horse and organized the frightened captives. The merchant's face brightened as Omina and Yoshiya emerged with his stolen goods.
"You found them!" he exclaimed. "You're saints, all of you!" He fumbled with a small purse and pressed three coins into each of their hands. "One silver each. And—please—ride with me back to Reflynne. There's room for the women as well."
Omina arched an eyebrow. "A silver and a ride? Not bad."
Yumi smirked. "Maybe next time you let me have a turn."
They loaded the supplies and the captives into the cart, settling in for the rattling journey north. The sun crept toward afternoon as the walls of Reflynne rose ahead of them.
---
The guild hall was busy when they arrived. Akira, the sharp-eyed officer who had handled their previous reports, spotted them at once and strode over.
"You three again," he said, taking in their soot-stained clothes and the rescued captives. "Another goblin mess?"
"Ambush on the road," Yoshiya replied simply.
Akira nodded grimly. "We'll handle the statements. Good work getting these people out." He guided the captives toward a side room and gestured for a scribe. "Report to me once you're clean."
As he walked away, Omina stretched her arms and let both swords rest at her hips. "Goblin numbers keep rising," she murmured. "Feels like we're patching leaks in a sinking boat."
Yoshiya only tightened his grip on his staff. "Then we'll keep patching. One leak at a time."
Yumi twirled her wand, a spark dancing at its tip. "Next time," she said, "let me off the leash."