*Interlude*

A Sword Wolf monster is attacking a dog-ear person but Nelsia quickly slices it into two with her chainsaw relic.

"T- thanks, Nelsia."

"Don't mention it, just stay back."

The dog-ear person nods and leaves Nelsia.

While looking at the Sword Wolf's corpse, Nelsia starts thinking.

(Because of Mriento, animals and monsters in this area start getting restless. It will be bad if we stay here for too long.)

Then Nelsia starts looking at the blue-haired man wearing glasses.

"Firth-sama. Any word from him?"

"Nope. I tried calling him few times already though..."

"That guy... he's supposed to give us report. What is he doing..."

After hearing Nelsia's complain, Firth looks at big floating ship near a mountain.

"I guess they will also stay there until they get further order from Victorious huh..."

Right after he says that, he looks at incoming wolves and Sword Wolves from the forest.

"For now, let's focus on clearing this area first."

"Yes!"

Nelsia says that as she goes fight the wolves with her beastmen comrades.

Firth starts thinking while he is looking at the floating ship.

(The plan was for us to kill Victorious after Midora destroy Mriento with his Hero System power... but thanks to other power destroying the Mriento, Midora became interested in that power instead...)

Firth then looks at Nelsia slicing a Sword Wolf with her relic before thinking again.

(With our current manpower, attacking Aegandr now would be too reckless. Either we wait for him to come back or...)

Firth continues thinking while his comrades is fighting the wolves.

Meanwhile, in other part of the forest, Antarea the dark elf blacksmith falls to her knees because she is out of stamina. She was in so much of a hurry that she didn't pace herself while running.

"Haah... haah..."

She looks at the night sky and confirms that she can no longer see the Bladeleaf Eagle.

Right after that, she leans on the tree besides her and sits on the ground out of exhaustion.

(Miika...)

Upon thinking about the boy who just got captured, she starts remembering the day when she first met Miika.

It was around a month ago, Antarea noticed that Panthos bought another slave from travelling slave trader.

It was a common knowledge for people in Liasr Town that Panthos would buy a female slave to satisfy his desire and throw them away once they are 'unusable'. None of the previous slave ever survive Panthos' treatment which earned him an infamous reputation among the locals. But no one was dare to raise their voice against Panthos due to his sheer strength that actually makes a huge contribution to the guild and town's safety.

Antarea was no exception. She knew that Panthos' attitude becoming worse and worse after he became stronger as adventurer. But she resolved herself to not get involved with Panthos anymore after their separation.

However, she happened to hear Panthos' irritated voice complaining about the lack of female slaves so she went out of her store to observe Panthos.

She saw Panthos buying a one-armed boy from the slave trader instead of the usual female slave.

She pitied the nameless human boy but convinced herself that there is nothing she could do about it. Slaves are normally captured criminals. Due to that understanding being the norm, no normal people would dare to save slaves from their justified punishment.

Few days later, Antarea noticed the nameless boy wandering around at night alone. She immediately understood that Panthos released him because he is useless for night duties. Antarea had no intention to make contact with him but that boy made her uncomfortable. That boy's presence kept reminding Antarea that the person who was once close to her acting like this.

Finding that boy walking in front of her store every night make Antarea more and more conscious of Panthos. It was mentally tiring for her so she wished that Panthos would just stop whatever he's doing.

Around one month later, Antarea was shocked hearing that Panthos was killed by Shion. The one who told her was the elf receptionist, Rimikia.

Based on that boy's testimony, Shion protected him from Panthos who went berserk after consuming unknown drug.

The little girl who just became adventurer fought B-rank adventurer to save the boy. Hearing the news madeher unwanted thought resurfaced.

'What if I talk to Panthos before all of this could happen...'

'I should be the one who stop him...'

'I could have helped that boy or even the previous slaves...'

These thoughts bothered her non-stop that she decided to apologize to Miika in after raid party.

Miika never blame Antarea. But it's to be expected, Antera never did anything wrong. She didn't do anything from the start.

Realizing that fact, Antarea Kilpercgio resolved herself to finally do what she must do.

She will gain nothing from lamenting her past. That's why she decides to create a positive future to make up for it.

That's why... Antarea won't hesitate anymore. Just like the little girl who is not hesitant to what she must do in front of a bigger threat like Panthos.

After reminiscing for about one minute, Antarea stands up once again.

She thinks about the monster kidnapped Miika. Monster would attack people on normal basis.

The fact that the Bladeleaf Eagle chose to capture Miika instead bothers her. Bladeleaf Eagle is a name referring to one type of monsters that has evolved from eagle.

"... maybe that monster has a nest somewhere?"

Antarea says that after assuming that. She can only hope that the direction where the eagle flew to is where its nest is.

.....

....

...

At the night sky, Bladeleaf avoids the one-eyed goblin's Fire Claw while still carrying Miika.

(Fast as expected... but the moment it shows an opening...!)

While the one-eyed goblin's Fire Claw keeps missing, the 'BOOSTER' relic behind his back helps him keeping up with Bladeleaf Eagle's speed making them constantly at close distance towards each other.

The moment Bladeleaf Eagle finds an opening in the goblin's movement and uses its break to pierce his stomach.

However, instead of piercing the goblin's stomach, the eagle's beak only pierces the goblin's black robe and does not hurt the goblin's stomach at all.

The Bladeleaf Eagle quickly pulls its beak but the one-eyed goblin slashes its face with his Fire Claw.

*shriek!*

The eagles screeches out of pain and drops Miika before flying away.

"!"

The one-eyed goblin rushes towards falling Miika and grabs his right arm.

Noticing that Miika is still unconscious, the one-eyed goblin decides to wake him up.

"Oi, wake up. You sure can sleep despite being carried by that bird..."

Miika's face twitches as if he can hear the goblin's voice but he does not wake up.

(This response... is he under some kind of hypnosis spell that prevents him from waking up?)

While the goblin's left arm is holding Miika's right arm, he extends his right arm towards Miika's head.

(This magic is not my forte but...)

"This world is the one and only truth. Reject the false reality in front of your eyes. Hyspel."

After chanting and calling out the name of the magic, a white magic circle appears on the goblin's right hand near Miika's forehead.

After five seconds, the white magic circle disappears and Miika is starting to wake up.

"Uh... huh?"

Miika wakes up and sees the one-eyed goblin in front of him.

"I..."

Miika starts looking at his surrounding while saying that.

"... !? Wha- what is this!?"

He says that after knowing that he is mid-air above the forest.

"Stop shouting. I'll drop you if you're being too noisy."

"!"

"That's right. If you don't want to die, obey my words."

"Die...?"

The one-eyed goblin's words make Miika look at forest below once again.

"Answer me, when that Liasr Town get burnt, did you- !?"

Before the goblin can finish his sentence, he realizes that green sharp feathers are rushing towards him from the upper right of his vision.

The feathers hit both the goblin and his 'BOOSTER' but it doesn't even leave a scratch. All it does is cutting a little piece of the goblin's black robe.

"Tch!"

Even if the feathers don't hurt the goblin at all, he still covers his face with his right arm out of surprise.

However, one of the feathers hits goblin's left hand and makes him lose grip of Miika's hand.

"!? Dammit!"

The one-eyed goblin is surprised to see Miika falling but he can't afford to save him because Bladeleaf Eagle is rushing towards the goblin.

The goblin aim the 'BOOSTER' double cannon towards the rushing eagle and shot it. But the eagle evades it with ease.

Griselda the rabbit-type beastman and Erkimo the dyrad receptionist ends up noticing the big blast in the sky while fighting a group of orange monkey monsters.

Not only that, Antarea also notices the big blast in the sky while running. She stops and looks at the direction of the blast.

While falling with his back facing below, Miika is starting to feel something as he looks at himself getting further away from the goblin.

'Death'

The familiar feeling that he felt before. Back when he was used as a monster bait by Panthos. Back when Berserk Panthos was about to kill him. Back when he almost got eaten by the big plant monster named Manterlant.

He felt the same feeling but he forgot how to respond towards those feelings. But this time, he instinctively understands more about his situation. Especially after long time has passed after Panthos' death, Miika finally understands that he can no longer meet dead people.

He sees many flashbacks of his recent memories in an instant once again, just like when he was inside Manterlant's stomach. At the end of flashback, he sees Shion sitting on bed when she talked to him about leaving him.

(If I die... I won't be to meet Shion again...?)

"No..."

Miika's eyes turn pink once again after he finally remember his survival instinct as a living being.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

He falls to the ground with his back facing the ground while screaming.

*boom!*

He falls really hard at the ground. However, he survives the fall despite the height.

This is due to the Sweet World effect. Just like when Panthos' body becomes really hard when his eyes turn pink, Miika's body undergoes the same change that made his body way stronger than it used to be.

However, it does not mean that he becomes invincible. He starts coughing immediately after falling and his body is currently experience immense pain that makes him unable to move his body.

(It hurts... Am I... going to die...?)

Miika thinks that while looking at the night sky with his pink eyes.

(I want to meet Shion again...)

Right after he thinks that, he notices a figure that is crawling on a tree near him.

"!?"

He notices that a very big spider that has a similar size as Manterlant is looking at him from the tree. The size makes it obvious that it's a monster.

Miika wants to get away from the monster as far as possible but his paralyzed body makes him unable to do so.

The big spider quickly launches a thread that immediately binds Miika's body and slowly pulls him up.

Miika's breath is getting rougher and rougher once he thinks that the spider is going to eat him.

"No..."

Miika starts talking again when he sees the spider opens its mouth where the thread comes from.

"I... don't want... to die...!"

Right after he says that, someone is running towards him.

"This hand of mine is the trigger!"

A female voice can be heard chanting her magic. Immediately after the chant, a red magic circle appears near the right hand of that person.

*tap!*

The person then jumps towards the tree and the moonlight reveals her as Antarea Kilpercgio.

Antarea aims her right fist that has the red magic circle towards the spider.

"Power Hand...!"

Before Antarea finishes shouting her magic's name, she shoves her right fist into spider's mouth.

"IGNITE!!!"

The red magic circle inside the spider's mouth shines and explodes. The explosion instantly rips apart the spider's head causing the thread to no longer binds Miika and let him fall to the ground.

Antarea manages to lands on the ground without hurting herself. The dead spider body falls to the ground immediately after.

"Ugh..."

Antarea then groans out of pain due to her burnt right hand.

(I guess this is what I get for not using this magic properly... My mana is running out too. I need to be more careful.)

Antarea looks a bit at the dead spider body to make sure that it's truly dead before looking at Miika.

"Are you okay, Miika?"

After saying that, Antarea crouch and picks up Miika by letting him sit on the ground.

"Anta... rea..."

Miika says that while looking at Antarea's face.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Right after Antarea says that, she notices that tears flowing down from Miika's pink eyes.

She has a lot to ask about Miika's weird eyes but she decides to keep quiet while Miika is trying to say something.

"It's... scary... I don't... want this..."

"..."

Before saying anything, Antarea hugs Miika with her left hand.

"!?"

While Miika is still surprised by her action, Antarea starts speaking with kind voice.

"It's alright, Miika... Everything is alright now."

As if Miika finally feels relieved, he does not hold back crying anymore while hugging Antarea back with his only right hand.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAHN!!!"

Antarea thinks to herself while hearing Miika's cry.

(This is the first time I see him cry.)

Antarea remembers the days when she usually saw Miika alone on the road at night.

(I really... should have done this from the start.)

Upon thinking that, Antarea smiles while hugging the crying Miika.

*End of Interlude*