FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Latif had never seen such creature before. It was similar to a dog, but its body was large enough to look up, its fur was black enough to doubt what had happened to his eyes, they were looks like burning with hatred, and its mouth was breathing out fire. Even if adults come at it all at once, it is no match.

It was strange to say Maju. The black dog approaches Latif.

Slowly, step by step. As it knew that fuels the opponent's fear.

"Latif! Run away!"

Bari shouts behind Maju. They seemed to be no energy left to get up. Nevertheless, he was desperately moving his hands and feet, leaving a red line on the ground, perhaps because he couldn't bear the sight he sees. He knew that he had to obey Bari. There was nothing he could do against Maju, which even adults were no match for. Latif himself knew it best.

'But I can't run away.'

Latif turned his consciousness behind his back, looking ahead. Karim shows no sign of getting up. If anything happens to Karim, the village is over. You must avoid that. It was helpless, but he could not retreat. Seeing Latif not running away, Maju opened his mouth. A red crescent moon in the dark. That was the laughter of Maju, Latif's intuition was saying. It was a smile with overwhelming flesh that seemed to be flowing malice. It was painful to breathe and his heart beated at an abnormal speed. He felt his body shaking.

He wanted to throw the spear right now and run away.

"I can't do that."

Somehow, he mustered up the courage and applied strength to his hand that holding the spear. He put strength on his stomach and was conscious of his legs strongly. He held his teeth and glared at Maju. And Latif and Maju's eyes engaged.

Maju's eyes narrow down. The smiling mouth closed and lowered the posture.

It put strength on the back foot. The air tightened. Latif even forgot to breathe and focused his nerves. Tension reached its limit. Maju's ears wriggled and it moved.

"It's coming!"

As soon as he thought so, Maju jumped back. The ground where Maju stood exploded.

It flies high in the sky like a puddle of soil winding up with flowers and roots.

A loud voice hits my ears. Binge drinking accompanied by a shock that seemed to split the sky.

A storm stroke and he endured it with his arms as a shield. He heard the sound of soil sand pouring down the ground and trees in the distance. Around the time of the tremor and storm, He opened his eyes in fear. There was a big hole where the Maju was. It was big enough for an adult.

"Where's Maju?"

When he looked in a panic, Maju was staring at Latif's left from the other side of the hole.

Consciousness seemed to have completely fallen on that side, forgetting about Latif.

He turned his eyes accordingly.

“…?"

Beside the tree surrounding the flower bed, there was something with a peculiar appearance. Based on Latif's knowledge, the closest thing to it was a mouse.

The same kind of mouse that sneaks into homes and steals food. However, this mouse was about the same size as Latif. Moreover, he was entirely wrapped in cloth and stood clearly upright on two legs.

“Could it be a human from outs of the forest?"

The ones Karim had heard about in stories from the “wind," described as people with different appearances. Beings he had thought he would never encounter.

The mouse appeared startled, almost troubled. But then, he shouted something and pointed the black staff he held toward the Maju. His expression instantly tensed, taking on the visage of a warrior. At that moment, the air groaned. A tension sharp enough to singe the tips of his whiskers filled the atmosphere. A chill surged from deep within his chest, carrying waves of emotion.

Izumo didn't know what to do. He couldn't believe what he had done. He hadn't intended to save anyone, but when he saw the beast lunge at the boy, he found himself shooting without thinking. He hadn't even considered whether he would hit or miss.

The Maju's eyes turned toward Izumo. The mere unpleasant expression it wore shifted into one of sheer fury. It radiated intense killing intent. The air grew sharply cold, and an oppressive heaviness settled as if gravity had suddenly increased. Izumo had hoped the noise and shock would cause it to flee, but it seemed it wasn't that simple.

Maju seemed to recognize Izumo as its prey now. It changed direction, loosening its hind legs.

There was no escaping anymore.

“If it's come to this, I'll just make my mind and fight!"

With a loud shout, Izumo aimed his gun once again. Finger on the trigger, he prayed.

He fired. The magic-created bullet shot through the trees and hurtled toward the demon.

But the demon had already moved. Instead, the bullet struck the ground, stirring up a violent blast. He fired Komadori

But Maju zigzagged unpredictably, making it impossible to lock onto the target.

Missed bullets gouged out large holes in the ground and tree branches, scattering lush weeds and splintering wood.

The forest, which had been the epitome of peace, was transformed in an instant into a scene of utter devastation.

“Damn... It's getting used to me!"

While changing the magazine, Izumo gritted his teeth.

This Maju seemed to have experience fighting magicians. Its movements suggested that it had learned how to deal with opponents who used magic. Its mocking combat style and the malice it directed at Izumo made it clear that something must have happened in its past. If it attacked people out of hatred, it was a highly dangerous entity.

Izumo fired his gun while running through the forest. The demon used the trees as shields and rapidly closed the distance.

“The opponent moving at high speed cannot be captured as a single point. Either strip away their mobility or attack them with a wide area."

His mentor's words flashed through his mind.

Regretting not heeding the advice earlier, he shifted his prayer.

'The throne of melting sugar confection. The engraver of gathering screw holes. The molasses of tooth-shaped ecstasy leading the feast of trembling ledgers. Pierce through, Kitsutsuki!'

He turned and unleashed the spell.

Maju reacted instantly, retreating into the shadows of the trees. Moments later, a deafening roar echoed as countless holes punctured the tree trunk, and the surrounding grass was shredded like cut threads.

The 33rd Feather, Kitsutsuki was a magic that fired numerous small projectiles in a radial pattern, much like a shotgun. It boasted overwhelming destructive power over an area and was effective against moving targets.

When Maju peeked slightly out from cover, Izumo fired again. The branches serving as its shield were left in ruins, though not fully pierced. Maju seemed to have realized the nature of the magic, adjusting its behavior to occasionally hide in the shadows of the trees while observing Izumo's moves.

“Impressive how quickly you've figured that out for a Maju!"

Due to its properties, Kitsutsuki had a limited effective range, and its lack of penetration power made it questionable whether it could pierce Maju even at this distance. Izumo aimed for unprotected parts like its eyes, ears, and mouth, but Maju continued using trees as shields to defend itself.

Still, Izumo hadn't expected to defeat it with this alone. Ordinary gunfire wouldn't work against Maju. What he needed was a strategy to deliver a decisive, fatal blow. To achieve that, he had to stop Maju's approach and buy time.

When Maju darted into the shadows of a trellis-like gap, Izumo seized the moment to utter a new prayer.

'The red dream seen by the atrium of the peeling bird within memories. The scent of death emanating from the quietly burning, nameless grave. Emit smoke, Tsubamekei!'

A metallic canister emerged from his gun's muzzle. It arced through the air, trailing smoke, and landed before the tree where Maju had taken cover.

An explosion followed, filling the area with white smoke and a sulfurous stench.

From beyond the smoke, a sound resembling coughing could be heard.

The 17th Feather, Tsubamekei was a non-lethal magic that used smoke and an overwhelming stench to obscure vision and disrupt the target's senses. As Maju's sight was blocked, Izumo moved immediately. He fired a scattershot into the smoke to keep it in check, then opened two unused magazines to retrieve mana stones.

It was a costly move, but hesitating could mean death. Gripping dozens of mana stones, he began to pray once more.

'The paradise of ashes built with fallen leaves and dust. The swarm of butterflies at dusk.'

Ma-ro felt a sense of movement, and Izumo retreated with a shotgun.

Ma-ro sprayed mana stone with a prayer in a place where he could hide himself.

However, Ma-ro had no sign of coming after him.

Maybe it is on alert because it caught up in smoke or lost its will to fight.

"Did it give up?"

When Izumo looked back, he could see light spot in the smoke.

his mind was drawn to the wavelength of the expanded horsepower, and jumpedinto the shade of a nearby tree.

Soon after, a giant band of flames ran out of the trees.

What was in the sunlight lost its contour and disappeared into the light.

The heat-swelled air became craze and swirls. Hairless hands and tails bite into the burning pain due to exposure to high heat.

After confirming that the fire is gone, he glanced his face.

The forest was completely different. Everything that got caught in the flames was burned, exposing the charred ground. Trees that had been subjected to extensive heat were carbonized and smoking.

There was a red and black mass rolling around, thought to be a small animal hiding all over the ground. It looked like there had been a forest fire.

You think you'd be a part of this if you'd missed a step

His spine was chilling. He could see Ma-ro sitting inside the hellscape.

There was not even a remnant of the acting of Tsubamekei.

"Did it burn the forest to blow away the smoke?"

There is also a degree to which no means are chosen.

When Izumo was afraid, Ma-ro and his eyes matched. A fierce light rose in the black eyes.

As they say, mischief doesn't work.

Reflectively, he shooted the Komadori, but Ma-ro avoided it as if he expected it, and began to chase.

Ma-ro seemed to have no intention of giving up. Izumo Wondered what is driving it Crazy. It bothers him, but he cut it because it was useless to think.

'If that's how he comes out, I'll just fight back.'

Izumo ran as if he were running away.

He pretended to be confused because his plan had been through, and he got nervous on his face. Sometimes he looked back and shooted Komadori. The bullet that deviated greatly from Ma-ro destroyed the surrounding trees randomly. There was no sign that Ma-ro had noticed the operation. As if pushing the game that had lost its means of counterattack, it followed with joy. It was the fear of counting emotions through the facial expressions and gestures of a heterogeneous human. However, he did not seem to be able to see through smoke.

When Ma-ro reached the center of the trap, he turned around. Maneuvering the 59th feather Tsukatsukuri.

'Burst out, Tsukatsukuri!'

Marang felt something strange and suddenly stopped. Ran to the side. The moment it landed, the ground bursted and the soil and flamed dry up. He ran like he's running away, but explodes again where he ran away. He shooted Komadori at Ma-ro, which is confused. Ma-ro twisted its body momentarily and got damaged his side while avoiding fatal injuries. He hid after appearing to roll.

The mana stone Izumo had just sprayed contains the magic of Tsukatsukuri that detects the approach of the object and explodes. Although it has the drawback of requiring a large amount of mana stone and induces target because it is an installation type, the average mana boasts the power to crush the legs, and even when it come to Ma-ro, it is not a firepower that can be ignored. Ma-ro turned his gaze around looking for a way to escape. However, on the way out to the safe zone, there was a fallen tree. Izumo's bullet that escaped was accurately blocking the retreat.

From the direction of Ma-ro, Izumo heard a groan that seemed to be ringing from the ground.

It seemed to have now found itself trapped. But it was too late.

No matter how sensitive Ma-ro is to magic, he must concentrate his attention to detect small-scale landmines scattered. And there's no way Izumo could miss it.

If it moves, it becomes prey for landmines, but if it does not, it becomes a good target to catch.

In this case, Ma-ro has only two choices: Using magic randomly in the spot or rushing through despite of getting hurt.

'But I won't give you the chance to choose.'

Izumo aimed the muzzle of his gun at the tree where Maju was hiding.

At that moment, it was evident that Maju shifted his weight, loosening his front foot and pressing down with the back foot.

"Are you planning to charge at me?"

Izumo squeezed his prayer out and placed his finger on the trigger. However, just as he applied pressure, Maju leapt backward. An explosion erupted where he had escaped, and though Maju groaned in pain, he continued to bound further back, clearing the minefield. He then turned his back on Izumo and started retracing his steps.

“Damn it!"

Izumo cursed, sprinting at full speed to pursue him. Maju's original goal was to devour the villagers, and the fight with Izumo was secondary. No matter how much Maju hated humans, there was no reason to risk his life for the battle. Beyond the trees, Maju's figure flickered in and out of sight.

It appeared he had sustained injuries from the explosion, as the fur on his hind legs had peeled away, exposing raw flesh. Compared to earlier, his movements were slower, but it was still difficult to aim at him as he leapt further away. Moreover, stray bullets or fallen trees could harm the villagers. Abandoning the idea of shooting, Izumo focused on chasing him.

As the forest thinned and the path brightened, Izumo arrived at the edge of a flower field. By then, Maju had already pounced on a man. It was the same man who had been knocked over during the earlier skirmish.

It seemed the villagers had been ambushed while tending to their wounded. The man screamed and swung his spear, but Maju bit the shaft and ripped it apart. The man stared blankly at the broken spear as Maju sank his teeth into his upper body. His screams echoed across the field.

"Let him go!"

Izumo dropped to one knee, steadying his rifle barrel, and took aim at Maju's torso. Just as he pulled the trigger, Maju hurled the man he had been holding directly at Izumo. The man's body intercepted the line of fire.

“Damn it!"

There was no way to dodge. The collision sent Izumo sprawling. He toppled over, landing flat on his back. When he tried to rise, he realized that his chest and lower body were pinned under the man's weight, along with his rifle. He tried to push the man off, but the body was heavier than expected and didn't budge.

“Hey! Get up! You're going to die in this rate!"

Izumo shouted into the man's ear, but there was no response. The man didn't seem dead, but he was entirely unconscious. As Izumo struggled, a shadow loomed over him.

Looking up, he saw Maju's dark eyes staring back. They gleamed with a hellish fire and carried an icy chill that froze Izumo in place. Overwhelmed by the sheer hatred emanating from Maju, Izumo couldn't move a muscle.

'Was the retreat just an act?'

Cold sweat trickled down his back. Maju hadn't given up. He had pretended to retreat while luring Izumo away, using the villagers as shields to restrict his movement. In that situation, it had seemed like Maju was simply running. That was the trap.

The realization that he had lost the psychological battle to a beast hit Izumo hard. Flames flared in Maju's mouth. Heat shimmered in the air as he exhaled near Izumo's face. It was clear Maju intended to incinerate him completely.

'No, I'm going to die.'

Just as Izumo braced himself for death, something snarled and lunged, stabbing into Maju's mouth.

A piercing scream, so loud it made Izumo want to cover his ears, erupted. Maju reeled backward. What had stabbed Maju was one of the crude wooden spears used by the villagers. Turning toward the direction it had come from, Izumo saw a boy with a wound on his chest, gasping for breath and trembling.

'Did that kid... do this?'

There was no other explanation, but Izumo couldn't believe it. The spear wasn't enchanted or magical; it was a simple wooden weapon. Yet the boy had thrown it with such speed and precision that it pierced Maju's fur and flesh.

And he was just a kid.

Maju yanked the spear out and glared at the boy. Flames reignited in his mouth, shifting from red to orange to blinding white. The sheer brilliance of the light made it impossible to look directly at. The air burned hot, and Izumo felt as though his own hair was shriveling. If hit by that fire, not even ashes would remain.

The light compressed, ready to be unleashed.

“You're not going to do that!"

Removing his hands from the gun, Izumo forcefully freed both arms. He raised his right hand, forming a gesture with his index finger and thumb extended while the other fingers curled inward. With his left hand, he grabbed his right wrist to steady it, aiming directly at Maju's neck. Memories of that fateful day flashed through his mind, and an overwhelming wave of determination surged within him. At his fingertips, a faint, dark-gray cylinder began to form. The surge of magical energy caused Maju's eyes to widen in shock.

“Now, fly!"

The projectile launched. In an instant, the bullet accelerated to multiple times the speed of sound. The recoil wrenched his right hand back, fracturing his forearm. The bullet struck true. A massive hole appeared in Maju's neck, spraying a mixture of blood, flesh, and bone backward. The force sent Maju's head flying, crashing into a sea made of its own blood and gore. Headless, the body swayed before collapsing to the ground with a resonating thud. From the neck's jagged stump, blood gushed like a fountain. Silence returned to the forest.

“I thought I was done for," Izumo muttered.

Ignoring the pain in his arm, he let his body slump forward. He barely registered the sound of light footsteps approaching, when suddenly the weight pressing him down was lifted. Looking up, he realized the boy from before was moving the man who had fallen on top of him. With surprising strength, the boy shifted the unconscious man to the side, laying him down next to Izumo and checking his injuries and breathing. Judging by the boy's relieved expression, the man didn't seem to have sustained any fatal wounds. The boy's gaze then shifted to Izumo, his eyes filled with visible hesitation. He seemed unsure of how to proceed.

“We're alive. Thanks to you, both of us made it."

Izumo spoke as gently as he could.

The boy tilted his head slightly before helping Izumo rise. Sliding an arm under Izumo's armpit, the boy supported him, pulling him up as if it were second nature. There was no awkwardness in his movements.

The moment Izumo stood, his vision wavered, and strength drained from his body.

“Is this rebound?"

Before he could fully process the thought, his knees gave way, and he collapsed. Catching himself with his left arm, he barely managed to avoid falling flat. The boy crouched beside him, speaking in a worried tone, but the pounding headache and ringing in his ears rendered Izumo unresponsive. Each breath produced a gurgling sound in his throat.

After a while, the pain subsided, and his breathing steadied.

“Sorry about that. I'm okay now."

“…?"

The boy said something, but Izumo couldn't make out the words. For a moment, he thought his hearing hadn't returned, but after several exchanges, he realized he couldn't understand the boy's language at all. It finally dawned on him—the boy was speaking in a completely unfamiliar tongue. Judging by the boy's expression, he didn't understand Izumo's words either.

“Are there places in this country where our language doesn't work?"

While it wasn't uncommon for people to have different native languages, it was the first time Izumo had encountered a situation where there was absolutely no shared understanding of a common tongue. It felt like something out of a comic, but he knew they couldn't waste time.

Pointing at the boy, Izumo tilted his head and asked, “Latif?"

The boy looked startled but nodded several times. Then, pointing to himself, Izumo introduced his name,

“Izyuu...myouu?"

The boy tried to repeat the name, but his attempt was far from accurate.

“I-zu-mo," Izumo said slowly, breaking the name into syllables for clarity. The boy echoed him.

After several repetitions, the boy's pronunciation improved to something more convincing.

“This is going to take a while to explain, but I could use a little help."

Izumo raised his right arm to gesture, only for it to suddenly drop limply to his side. The realization of his broken arm hit him, and a surge of pain caused sweat to bead on his forehead. Just as he felt himself about to collapse, Latif swiftly supported him. Latif's worried face looked directly at Izumo, his concern cleared even if words are unnecessary.

“Before I explain anything, I need to take care of this injury first."

Using his left hand, Izumo carefully rolled up the sleeve of his right arm. His forearm was badly swollen and bruised, the sight of it enough to make anyone wince. Muttering about something that worked well for fractures, he retrieved two rectangular papers from his pocket. Each was about the size of a palm and inscribed with intricate patterns.

Izumo placed the papers on his forearm and the back of his hand. The patterns emit a faint glow as a spell of pain relief and healing activates. His misaligned fingers straightened, and the intense pain subsided. By the time the light faded, his arm was fully healed.

“It was expensive, but worth it," he murmured, flexing and clenching his hand experimentally.

What he had used was a set of magical healing talismans. These talismans, made from a special resin-based paper and infused with magical ink derived from mana stones, activated healing magic when applied to injuries. For Izumo, who cannot cast healing spells on his own, these are a lifeline for him. While far from cheap, being able to walk away from a fight with a Ma-ro relatively unscathed was a stroke of luck.

When he glanced at Latif, the boy was staring wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape.

“Does he not know about magic?"

In today's age of advanced technology, magic is less prominent. Still, its existence is common knowledge, taught as part of elementary school history lessons. The idea that someone could be entirely unaware of it seems odd. Questions arised in Izumo's mind, but it was not the time to dwell on them.

“First, let's treat the others."

Once involved, he knew he had to see it through to the end. Fortunately, he had a large stock of healing magic talismans. There was no harm in offering grace. First, he decided to check on the unconscious man lying nearby. As he examined the wounds, Latif said, “Gavito," revealing the man's name.

As Latif had reassured, the wound from Ma-ro's bite had missed any vital blood vessels. Since the man hadn't coughed up blood, his respiratory and digestive systems also seemed unharmed. He was a lucky man.

It seemed there wouldn't be any problems even if he left it as it was. Still, just in case, he applied a low-grade magic talisman to the wound. Then he turned to the group's leader. His injuries appeared to be the most severe, but he was conscious and staring at Izumo with reverent eyes.

“Bari," Latif said.

“Can Bari understand what I'm saying?"

He asked just in case, but the man only gave him a puzzled look. When Izumo motioned for him to show his wounds, the man obediently complied.

The man's body was in a horrific state. His chest and abdomen were burned and oozing with blood and fluids. Additionally, crawling on the ground had left his flesh scraped raw. Yet even considering all this, the injuries were mild for someone burned by Ma-ro's flames.

It seemed that throwing himself to the ground and smothering the flames quickly had saved him. In the process, he might have stopped breathing for a moment, but his lungs appeared undamaged. His ability to react in such dire circumstances was remarkable.

As Izumo examined the wounds, Bari spoke to Latif. Latif, as if struck by lightning, jumped up and hurried off somewhere in a panic. Though it piqued his curiosity, Izumo focused on treating Bari first.

He placed a high-grade magic talisman in the center of Bari's chest. Undifferentiated cells began to cover the damaged areas. The skin regenerated, and the wounds closed. Within seconds, his skin returned to its original smooth state.

Though the talisman didn't regenerate hair, it would grow back soon enough. Bari touched his body in disbelief, as if struggling to accept what had just happened to him.

Izumo glanced at the other men. Aside from Gavito, they were all conscious, and their wounds, though noticeable, were shallow for a fight against Ma-ro. He couldn't determine whether this was due to their resilience or if Ma-ro had held back. Either way, had they been left untreated, they would have been forced to watch their comrades die while awaiting their own turn.

“All right, it's done," he said as he applied the final talisman to the last man.

Just then, Latif returned. He pointed quickly toward the inner part of the flower field, speaking hurriedly. When Izumo tilted his head in confusion, Latif grabbed his arm with a hardened expression and began to drag him along.

Latif couldn't seem to wait for Izumo to understand. With no choice, Izumo let himself be pulled along.

The place Latif led him to was a spot where the flowers were trampled and scattered. On closer inspection, someone was lying there.

“Hey, are you all right!?"

He hastily ran and caught his breath. What was there was a white Maju youth. He appeared to be in his late teens. His fur was as white as snow, and ash-gray stripes like thorns were wrapped around his entire body.

His sleeping profile, possessing the sharpness and beauty unique to Maju, was so beautiful that even a man like Izumo felt his eyes being drawn in. Yet, his chest was thickly swollen, and his arms and legs were incomparably thicker than Izumo's. He felt that there was no use in envying or being jealous, it was a truly divine beauty, as if it was a work created by the god of art. Izumo stood there unconsciously, wondering if such a human existed in this world.

"Izumo..."

Latif looked at Izumo anxiously. Izumo realized he was uncontious and hurriedly began his examination. He put his hand to the young man's mouth and found that he was breathing regularly. He checked for external injuries on his back and laid him down straight.

There were no visible wounds, and he didn't seem to have any fractures. There was slight bleeding on the inside of his right index finger, but the bleeding had already stopped, and it wasn't necessary to use a magic talisman. He looked very healthy.

"He just lost consciousness. He'll open his eyes even if we leave him be..."

He glanced at Latif, and the boy was looking at Izumo with expectant eyes. The gathered men were staring at Izumo with stern faces. To them, this youth must be a special being. They were pleading with their eyes to quickly confirm that he was safe.

Reluctantly, he took out a bottle from a small pouch. It was about the size of a palm and contained liquid and white crystals. He brought it close to the youth's nose and uncorked it.

Then, the youth opened his eyes wide, abruptly sat up, and coughed violently. The gathered men, startled by the sudden turn of events, took a step back.

What was in the bottle was ammonium carbonate in fragrant oil, a so-called stimulant. It had a strong, pungent smell that felt like it would pierce the brain, forcibly awakening consciousness. The amount he made him smell was extremely small, but it seemed to be too strong for the young man, who groaned in pain in a crouched position. Latif rubbed his back. He hadn't done anything wrong, but he felt like he had done something bad.

"Ah, um, are you alright?"

Feeling responsible, he spoke carefully. At Izumo's voice, the youth raised his head in surprise. Tearful eyes met Izumo's gaze directly. A clear light blue reminiscent of the surface of a quiet lake.

As the youth opened his mouth to say something, Latif hugged him. The youth was perplexed, but he spoke in a gentle voice and stroked Latif's head. Latif spoke quickly, pointing at Ma-ro's corpse with his finger. The young man saw the exhausted Ma-ro and inhaled sharply. After staring at Ma-ro for a while, he turned his gaze to Izumo.

"You are the one who saved us."

The young man spoke in the same language as Izumo. Izumo was not the only one surprised. Latif and the men seemed unable to hide their bewilderment at the youth suddenly speaking in a language they did not know.

"You, you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, although this is actually my first time talking to someone from outside the forest."

The young man, with Latif's help, got up and bowed politely.

"My name is Karim. I am a prayer officiant in the village. On behalf of everyone, I thank you for saving us."

"I'm Izumo. I'm called the magician of gunfire."

As Izumo extended his right hand, Karim responded gently. The young man's hand was even bigger and stronger than Izumo's, but it was very soft.

'It looks like things will work out somehow.'

While shaking hands, Izumo inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been wondering what to do for a while, but it seemed that fate was on his side. His life-risking efforts had paid off. He quickly erased from his mind the thought of having almost left them to die until recently.

"By the way, how did you come to be in this forest, lord Izumo...?"

As if interrupting Karim's words, a sound came from Izumo's stomach. It was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly. He now remembered the hunger he had forgotten due to the tension. Latif giggled, and the atmosphere became very awkward. Karim and Bari nodded to each other, and Bari said something to the men. Two of them answered and ran into the forest.

Karim smiled at Izumo, who didn't understand the situation.

"Lord Izumo, if you don't mind, would you like to come to our village? It's a small village with nothing much, but we will prepare a meal and a place for you to sleep."

"Well, I'd be grateful for that!"

To Izumo, Karim looked like a god.