Satoshi carried the unconscious girl through the dense forest, his boots crunching against fallen leaves. The air was thick with moisture, and the distant howls of beasts sent a chill down his spine. Finally, he reached a small clearing sheltered by jagged rock formations.
"This should be safe enough," he muttered, lowering the girl gently onto the ground.
Kneeling beside her, he pulled out a small flask filled with a bitter herbal mixture. He shook her lightly. "Hey, are you awake? Drink this—it'll restore your energy."
The girl's eyelids fluttered open, her breath still weak. She coughed as he pressed the flask to her lips, forcing the liquid down. The moment it hit her tongue, she gagged and pushed it away.
"This tastes horrible!" she exclaimed, wiping her mouth.
Satoshi smirked. "It does. But at least you can move now."
She took a deep breath and sat up, her limbs regaining strength. "You're right…"
Before she could say more, a deep, guttural growl rumbled through the trees, sending birds scattering into the sky. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.
Satoshi's expression hardened. "We're not in the clear yet. That monster is still on our trail."
The girl's hands curled into fists. "I still have magic left, but it doesn't work on that thing."
Satoshi turned to her sharply. "What do you mean?"
She swallowed. "Whenever I hit that giant bat with my magic, it barely flinches. It's like strong winds pushing against it rather than real damage. At best, I can repel it and buy some time."
Satoshi nodded. "Before releasing your magic, try concentrating it into a tighter, more focused form. Picture it like a small, condensed column of wind instead of a wide blast."
Her eyes widened. "I see…"
A deafening screech tore through the air, shaking the trees. The girl gasped as the massive silhouette of the evolved crimson bat swooped down from the treetops, its enormous wings slicing through the darkness. Its glowing red eyes locked onto them with murderous intent.
Satoshi drew his sword. "Looks like we're out of time. Cover me as much as you can."
She nodded, stepping back and raising her hands.
With a burst of speed, the bat lunged, razor-sharp talons slashing through the air. Satoshi barely dodged, rolling under the creature and springing to his feet.
"Flash Step!"
In a blur, he reappeared behind the beast and slashed across its chest. The bat shrieked, its thick hide splitting open as black blood splattered the ground. But it wasn't done. With a furious snarl, it twisted mid-air, whipping its barbed tail toward him.
Satoshi barely managed to duck, but the tail clipped his shoulder, sending him skidding backward.
The girl clenched her fists, focusing all her magic into a single point. "Concentrate… condense…!"
A sharp gust swirled around her hands as she released her spell.
"Barrage of Wind Bullets!"
Dozens of condensed wind projectiles shot forward, piercing through the bat's thick hide like a hailstorm of daggers. The beast screeched, its body riddled with holes as black ichor poured from its wounds.
Its wings faltered.
Now!
Satoshi took a deep breath, feeling his muscles tense. He focused all his energy, veins pulsing with raw power.
"Body Enhancement!"
A surge of energy exploded through him, his body growing faster, stronger. His grip on his sword tightened, the blade humming with lethal force.
With a powerful leap, he soared through the air and brought his sword down in a final, decisive strike—severing the creature's head clean off.
The giant bat's body convulsed before crashing to the ground, lifeless.
Rosalie stood frozen, breathing hard. "Did I… really do that?" She stared at her hands, unable to believe how easily she had pierced the monster this time. Her eyes drifted toward Satoshi. How did he know I could alter my spells just by focusing? Who exactly is he?
Satoshi exhaled, shaking off the adrenaline. "Finally done."
He walked over to the fallen beast, eyes gleaming with calculation.
"Evolved crimson fangs… those are worth at least a hundred thousand Gelts." He pulled out a knife and crouched beside the corpse. "And these eyes—crimson pearls! Quite rare. A hundred and fifty thousand each… six crimson claws, twenty-five thousand apiece. As for these massive wings, they're a deep red—I could probably negotiate a high price for them."
Rosalie blinked, watching as he rattled off the loot's worth with unnerving enthusiasm. She sweatdropped. One thing's for sure—this guy really loves money…
Before she could thank him, the bat's corpse began to rapidly decay, its flesh crumbling into dust.
"What… what's happening to it?!" she gasped.
Satoshi wiped his knife on a cloth, unbothered. "Can't you see? It's decomposing. Monsters don't stay dead forever. They break down and reappear somewhere else."
She shuddered. "Really…?"
"I'm surprised you didn't know that."
She hesitated. "Well… I'm still new to adventuring. I'm a G-ranked adventurer. Level 2, to be exact."
Satoshi raised an eyebrow. "I see."
Darkness settled over the forest as the last traces of the beast disappeared.
"It's getting late," he said, scanning the area. "We'll have to camp here for the night."
Rosalie's eyes widened. "What?! No way! Are you crazy?"
"If we head for the village now, we'd be in grave danger. The monsters are stronger and more violent at night."
"But we can't just sleep out here!" she protested. "Let's just go back—"
Satoshi sighed, tucking his blade into its sheath. "If you want to go, suit yourself."
She froze. "W-what do you mean?"
"Go back to the village alone."
A cold shiver ran down her spine. She quickly shook her head. "Um… on second thought, I'll stay."
Satoshi smirked. "Good choice. Follow me—I know the perfect spot."
After leading her through a narrow passage between rocks, he gestured to a small alcove sheltered by boulders.
"This should do. The monsters can't fit through here."
Rosalie looked around. "How did you find this place?"
Satoshi shrugged. "Glanced at it on my way to help you."
She stared at him. He found this spot just by glancing? This guy…
The temperature dropped, and a chill seeped into her bones.
"It's freezing in here," Satoshi muttered. "Do you know any fire spells?"
"Yes," she said, rubbing her arms.
"Good. Light this firewood."
She nodded. "Flickering Light."
A small flame ignited, casting a warm glow over the rocky walls. Satoshi exhaled in relief, sitting down and rummaging through his bag. He pulled out a small, wrapped container and opened it.
"Want some pudding?" he asked.
Rosalie hesitated, then nodded. "Yes… thank you."
She took a bite, her eyes widening. "This is delicious."
Satoshi grinned. "Yoshinori makes the best pudding."
Rosalie hesitated, then finally spoke. "Due to all the commotion, I never got to ask for your name."
Satoshi glanced at her. "Satoshi Yamamoto. I'm from the fishing village in Veltrum. And you?"
She straightened. "Rosalie de Lavigne."
He raised an eyebrow. "Rosalie, huh? Sounds like royalty."
She smiled faintly. "Not quite. But my family does come from a noble background."
Satoshi leaned back, gazing at the fire. "I see."
Silence settled between them, the crackling flames the only sound in the night.