A couple more days passed in a blur.
Drake barely noticed the time slipping by—because each sunrise meant he was one day closer to returning to the Demon Slayer world. Only one week left.
He needed to level up his skills the most he could.
So he hunted.
Every day.
All day.
Since Barbara accepted him into the Thieves' Guild, the original plot of Grimgar had begun unfolding. Haruhiro had joined the guild shortly after. Drake never interacted much with him—he had been to busy training.
He still hadn't met Yume or Shihoru yet, at least not face-to-face. And that annoyed him.
"I want to see them already…" Drake muttered as he crept through the forest.
But training came first.
And right now, the forest around Ortana was his personal skill EXP farm.
...
Drake moved silently using his newest Active Skill—Stealth Walk. It softened his footsteps until even dry leaves barely crunched under his weight.
Ahead, a goblin stood guard with a rusted axe.
Perfect.
Drake shifted his stance, hand on his katana. He was just about to strike when—
"WAAAAHHHHHH!"
A scream tore through the trees.
The goblin flinched, startled, and turned toward the voice.
Charging in with all the grace of a drunken rhinoceros was a red-haired guy in jagged armor.
Ranta.
Drake stared.
Then sighed.
Ranta tripped over a tree root and slammed face-first into the dirt with an ugly splat.
The goblin blinked.
Then roared and prepared to chop him in half—
THWIP!
An arrow struck the ground inches from the goblin's foot, making it jump back in alarm.
"Nice shot, Yume!" Haruhiro's voice echoed through the trees as he ran in—
—only for him to slip on the same root and crash right beside Ranta.
Drake pinched the bridge of his nose.
'This looks like... episode 2…'
The goblin lunged toward Haruhiro, swinging its axe down. Haruhiro barely dodged, backing up with panicked steps, scraping the dirt.
The goblin swung again. And again. Wild, aggressive, relentless.
Haruhiro yelped and tried to counterattack, but his hesitation left him wide open.
Drake exhaled in defeat.
'If I want to meet Yume and Shihoru properly… I should help them.'
He moved instantly.
One silent step.
Then another.
"Backstab."
His katana slid in cleanly between the goblin's ribs.
The goblin froze—shock in its yellow eyes—before collapsing forward with a wet thud.
Drake flicked the blade to clear the blood, then sheathed it casually.
He now carried two swords—
The iron katana he used here,
And the wrapped wooden katana at his waist for when he returned to the Demon Slayer world.
He glanced at Haruhiro's group with a flat expression.
"Haruhiro… you and your team are a complete disaster."
Haruhiro opened his mouth—no sound came out.
The rest of the group stared at the corpse, pale as ghosts. Ranta looked like he was about to puke. Yume barely breathed. Shihoru trembled so much her staff rattled.
This was their first kill attempt.
And someone else did the killing.
Drake crossed his arms.
"What? Is this your first hunt?"
Haruhiro swallowed hard and nodded.
"…Y-Yeah… it is…"
Drake raised a brow.
"So none of you have killed anything yet?"
They shook their heads in unison.
He sighed again.
'Man… anime logic. They're traumatized. Meanwhile I killed my first goblin like I was stepping on a bug.'
Drake looked over the terrified party and muttered:
"…Yeah. This is gonna be a long morning."
...
Drake's eyes immediately drifted toward the two girls standing behind Haruhiro.
Yume and Shihoru.
He had seen them animated countless times—but seeing them in person was something else entirely.
Yume had sun-kissed skin, messy reddish-brown hair tied back in a loose ponytail, and bright teal eyes that sparkled with energy. Her hunter outfit showed off her athletic figure—tight shorts, a cropped top, and a short skirt-like layer hanging at her hips. Her toned thighs were… hypnotic.
[Image Here]
Shihoru, meanwhile, looked like the dictionary definition of "cute and shy." Petite, soft curves, short lavender hair, and a mage robe that clung enough to show her shape when she moved. Her chest was… well, impressive. Very impressive. Enough that the robe struggled to contain it.
[Image Here]
Drake swallowed.
'My god…'
He marched right up to them without hesitation.
Yume blinked.
Shihoru froze like a deer in headlights.
Drake knelt down between them like a knight about to propose.
Before anyone could stop him—
He gently took each girl's hand… and kissed them both.
Shihoru gasped, face turning cherry red.
Yume yanked her hand back instantly.
"W-Whaa?! W-Whatcha doin', ya weirdo?!" Yume sputtered.
Shihoru couldn't even speak, her brain buffering.
Drake released her hand slowly, staring up at them with a dramatic seriousness.
"Girls… this world follows the rule of the jungle. Kill or be killed."
They stared at him, unsure whether to be alarmed or flattered.
He placed a hand on his chest.
"And so… I'll protect both of you—if you become my wives."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
YANK.
Drake's head snapped back as someone grabbed a fistful of his hair.
Haruhiro.
"Stop it, Drake!" he barked.
"What?! I didn't do anything bad!" Drake protested.
"You literally proposed to them after kissing their hands, you pervert!"
Haruhiro released him with a sigh.
Yume and Shihoru stood frozen.
Yume's face was scrunched up in confusion and shock.
Shihoru looked like she was about to melt into a puddle of embarrassment.
That g-guy... Shihoru thought silently, cheeks glowing.
He's... h-handsome…
Drake dusted himself off and cleared his throat.
He took on a serious posture, as if the past 30 seconds didn't happen.
"Anyway… everyone. My name is Drake Curtis. Nice to meet you."
Ranta jabbed a thumb at his chest. "Name's Ranta! The future greatest Dark Knight EVER! Tremble before my power!"
Next came Manato—calm, composed, smiling softly.
"I'm Manato. The priest. Nice to meet you, Drake. And… thank you for helping us."
Drake nodded respectfully.
Manato had that big-brother energy.
The giant guy spoke up, "I'm Moguzo."
Then Yume stepped forward, hands on her hips.
"Yume's Yume! I'm a hunter, ya know? And stop kissin' people without askin'! I'll shoot ya next time!"
And finally, Shihoru.
She fidgeted, squeezing her staff, eyes downcast.
"I-I'm Sh-Shihoru… M-Mage… I-It's… n-nice to meet you…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Drake smiled gently at her.
She immediately turned the color of a tomato and hid behind Manato.
To be continued...
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Also, I thought of the next world (soon), would you like to know it, or keep the suspense?