Ryo had managed to assemble a party of six, including himself, Mei, and Tadashi at the front, Emma walking alongside him, and the couple, Logan Snowfall and Olivia Astrid, both from the Sword isle, trailing behind.
For the past two hours, they had been winding their way through the maze of caves, and in that time, not a single word had been spoken— not even by the usually talkative Emma. The silence hung heavily in the air, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere that felt strenuous for everyone. Sensing the need to lighten the mood, Emma decided to speak up.
"Hey, Mr. Fujita, why don't you swap positions with me?" she said, her playful tone brightening her words.
Tadashi looked taken aback by her suggestion. "Why though? Are you not satisfied with your current position?" he queried.
"Oh no, it's nothing like that! I just wanted to get to know... um, Ms. Arakawa better," she replied, a bit flustered but determined to keep the conversation going.
"Besides, all this silence makes the journey feel a lot longer than it already is. Walking and talking with people has a way of making it waaay easier!"
Emma's reasoning was clear, though it wasn't the whole truth. Tadashi wondered what had prompted her idea, but lacking a solid argument against it, he relented.
Emma had specifically crafted this situation so that Ryo and Tadashi would be compelled to talk things out—she hoped that one of them would pick up on her subtle hints. The awkward atmosphere between the two of them had been palpable, marked by those little moments when they'd intentionally avoided each other's gazes. There was definitely an air of teenage angst about it, she thought.
"Come on, Ryo, take the bait," she murmured softly to herself.
Ryo quickly caught on to Emma's intentions and felt he had no choice but to go along with the plan. As he did, Tadashi fell back to walk beside him while Emma moved forward to join Mei.
Ryo aimed to initiate a conversation and gradually ease into an apology for avoiding him, hoping that perhaps things could return to how they once were. Yeah, that could work.
"So, Fujita—"
Before Ryo could finish, Tadashi interrupted him.
"Before you say anything, I'd like to apologize for my behavior so far," he said bluntly.
Tadashi had gone straight to the point, catching Ryo off guard. Yet the firm glint in his eyes made it clear that he meant every word. Despite the unexpectedness of his apology, Ryo understood how serious Tadashi was. They hadn't really had a falling out; this whole situation stemmed from miscommunication, or rather, a complete lack of communication.
Tadashi's apology shifted the weight of the situation, making it clear that this was more than just a simple misunderstanding. Ryo felt a swell of guilt; he knew who was really responsible for the whole mess. It was evident that Tadashi valued their friendship more than he did. Ryo had been avoiding not only Tadashi but also Mei and Svetlana for his own personal reasons, yet that wasn't an excuse for ignoring a friend.
Determined to confront the issue directly, Ryo decided to face Tadashi rather than dance around the matter as he had initially planned. He stepped forward, ready to take responsibility for his shortcomings.
"No, you're not in the wrong. I am," Ryo admitted, his voice steady. "I used my weakness as an excuse to avoid approaching you."
He lowered his gaze and bowed sincerely before Tadashi, his expression serious.
"I wasn't sure how I would face anyone after how badly I messed up during that incident. Honestly, I wasn't even sure how to process it myself. But that's no excuse. In times like that, you're supposed to talk to a friend about it, right?" Ryo asked, seeking understanding.
Tadashi, seeing the sincerity in Ryo's response, wore a wry smile in return. Although Ryo was far from ordinary, and Tadashi suspected that the weight of the incident still lingered heavily on his mind. After all, he had nearly lost what had seemed like a close friend during the attack. It was understandable if someone needed space to process such a trauma. Tadashi had thought it best to respect that and not pry too much. Yet, he also disliked being ignored so deliberately. He had played the same game, distancing himself from Ryo despite knowing the turmoil he was enduring. He recognized that this had been a misstep on his part.
"I'm really sorry," Ryo said again, the sincerity raw in his tone.
"I accept your apology," Tadashi replied. "Keeping up that immature behavior would have proven tedious eventually."
"Shake on it?" Ryo proposed, extending his hand in a gesture of reconciliation.
But instead of shaking, Tadashi wrapped both arms around Ryo in a hug, his expression unreadable. The onlookers at their party stared in surprise, taken aback by the unexpected display of affection.
"Oh my, get a room, you two!" Emma quipped, breaking the tension with laughter.
Mei grinned at the sight. Just months ago, Ryo had been the one expressing serious trust issues, yet here he was, learning to forge a genuine, equal relationship with another person.
Ryo hadn't experienced anything like this in his old world. These past five months had marked the beginning of many firsts for him.
He had learned to fight, to collaborate with others, to smile more often, to engage in conversation, to make friends, and was gradually learning to place more trust in people.
Perhaps this world wasn't so bad after all.
Afterward, Ryo confided in Tadashi about his experiences of being spirited away, both times. He shared everything, albeit with some reluctance, speaking in a tone only Tadashi could hear. Tadashi's response was measured; he wore a puzzled expression, perhaps sensing Ryo's hesitation and choosing not to pry further. He remained quiet until Ryo finished conveying all he needed to share.
Meanwhile, Emma was busy chatting with Mei, exchanging small talk and discussing their interests. Yet, her curiosity got the better of her, and she broached the subject of Mei's relationship with both Tadashi and Ryo.
It was clear Emma wanted to delve into romance, but every time she attempted to steer the conversation that way, Mei would either dodge the question or fall silent, refusing to reply.
"No fair, you're no fun! Could it be that you're too embarrassed to talk about it?" Emma teased, poking fun at Mei. Mei, however, responded with a blunt retort.
"Why do you want to know about 'that' so much? In fact, I refuse to answer your question," Mei replied, a hint of embarrassment creeping into her voice, although she masked it well.
"Fine then, be like that," Emma grumbled in response, crossing her arms in mock frustration.
As this playful exchange unfolded, Ryo glanced back at the couple sitting at the back of the group. They were engrossed in their own conversation, seemingly oblivious to the others around them. They say love is blind, but did it also dull one's awareness of others? Ryo pondered. Apart from introductions, they hadn't interacted with anyone else unless absolutely necessary. Perhaps they weren't taking the situation seriously, he mused, recalling a similar couple from his past, Tsukiko and Akimitsu. However, their behaviors had been entirely different; they had even taken the lead in their group back then.
...
They had now been walking as a group for six hours, taking breaks every now and then. Emma, despite having just given a speech about how walking with friends made the journey easier, was still the reason they came to a stop most of the time. And once again, she made that same request.
"Hey... guys... please, can we... take a break?" Emma said, completely out of breath.
"But we just took one," Mei replied, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.
Emma crouched down and placed her hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath. "Sheesh, well excuse me for not being a strong and capable woman like yourself," she said, trying to sound playful but failing to hide her fatigue. "I'm fragile, you know. Any more of this and I'll snap like a twig."
Upon hearing that, Mei let out an exasperated sigh, her expression making it clear she felt she had no choice but to compromise. "Fine, I guess it was naive to think we could make it to the second layer on the first day," she reasoned.
To Ryo, this was the right call. Although he didn't like the idea of sleeping in a cave, it was safer to rest here rather than exhaust all their energy trying to reach the second layer. They hadn't encountered any monsters yet, but the further south they traveled, the wetter the caves became. It wouldn't be long before they ran into some slimes.
What if they were too exhausted to even fight creatures as weak as slimes? The likelihood was slim, but the possibility remained. It was best to rest here for the night, taking turns on guard—a choice he wouldn't have had if he had ventured through this cave alone.
"At any rate, it's a good call. Better not to exhaust our energy," Ryo said, his tone flat.
With that decision made, they all seated themselves on the ground, attempting to settle down for a bit of sleep, with Tadashi volunteering to keep watch first.
However, their moment of rest was short-lived. Soon, Tadashi shook them awake, saying he sensed a presence. They all took defensive stances.
"Dur...ruu...ders."
"In...ruuu...der."
They heard sloshing wet noises approaching from behind them, accompanied by a strong sound—quite a few of them.
"Druu...derrr."
Ryo's threat perception kicked into overdrive, reminiscent of the time he faced a few hundred Kardia beasts. He didn't like the sound of this at all.
Soon, the creatures came into view—an incredibly large horde of slimes charging at them. A dozen? Fifty? A hundred? Even more than that! They all surged toward Ryo and his party.
"In...druu...ders!"
Intruders? Is that what they're saying? Ryo wondered to himself. How exactly were they even communicating? No time to dwell on that.
"Everyone, run!" yelled Mei.
They all sprinted forward, hoping to lose their pursuers in the next clearing if they made it that far. Slimes were weak creatures; even a two-meter fall could prove fatal for them. It only took one solid strike to take down a single slime—hell, even a child could exert enough force to harm one. However, if a slime managed to latch onto your head, it could sap all the Kardia-magia from your body, leading to your demise. Given their sheer numbers, the group decided it would be unwise to stay and fight; despite their physical frailty, slimes were still dangerous monsters.
The cave they entered was dimly lit, and when they reached the clearing, they could potentially jump out and let gravity take care of the slimes. But in their hurry, they weren't paying attention to their footing.
The ground beneath them creaked ominously, and they all came to a sudden halt.
"Yikes, this is bad. Really bad!" Emma squealed.
Crap, is this really how we're going to die? As Ryo's thoughts spiraled, the ground beneath them broke apart completely, and they plunged downwards. It was evident they were heading towards the second layer, but whether they could survive the fall was another question entirely.
Without a moment's hesitation, Emma materialized a staff from thin air and shouted, "Flatus Nimbus!" A powerful gust of wind propelled them slightly upward, breaking their fall.
Ryo landed hard on the ground. It still hurt like hell, but at least he hadn't broken anything.
"Ouch!" he groaned.
Mei stood up, rubbing her backside from the impact. For a brief moment, Ryo thought he saw a tiny cluster of tears forming in her eyes, but given the pain he was feeling, it was probably just his imagination.
"Phew, that was really close, wasn't it?" Emma said, still catching her breath.
"You saved our lives; you have my thanks," Tadashi grunted as he struggled to his feet.
The couple seemed fine, though—Logan had Olivia in a sort of princess carry.
Is this whole thing just a honeymoon for them? Ryo thought.
They looked up; the slimes showed no intention of following them down here, and they could guess why. As they clustered around the hole, the crowd accidentally nudged a few slimes over the edge. Those unfortunate creatures simply fell to their deaths, evaporating in a swirl of green light.
They felt a moment of relief, but it was short-lived. Turning around, they faced a shadowy figure with a massive great sword standing in front of Mei, who was furthest from the group.
"Do not take another step, or I will cut you all down!" the man's voice boomed.