"Are you ok Ms?"
These 4 words, said by a man riding on a horse, who'd just slain a Daihedoa (the 2 headed beast from before) and made it look so simple yet so heroic, addressed the still stunned and wide eye'd rabbit-girl. Seeing that his question was ignored, Sargon sighed and was prepared to ask again. However,
"Hey rabbit! Aren't you supposed to say thank you when someone does you a favor," an annoyed voice spoke out aggressively.
This time, she responded to the voice and turned around, only to find an annoyed Hajime looking her down with a frown. At this, she shrunk back and shivered,
"Oh, right! Sorry," she then looked at her savior, who was still mounted on his horse, and smiled gratefully at him, "Thank you mister."
Hajime then spoke up abruptly, "Alright, now that you've been a hero for the day, let's get moving," Hajime said as he prepared to go back to Steiff.
The rabbit girl, alarmed by this, suddenly rushed up to him, "Wait wait hold on! Aren't you interested in what I have to say," she said desperately.
"Not at all," Hajime replied bluntly.
The rabbit-girl was caught off guard with how quickly she was dismissed, but she quickly recovered and went to hug Hajime,
"Please wait! I need your help with–arrrrggghhhhh!"
Before the rabbit-girl could explain herself, she was interrupted by an electric shock. Afterward, it looked like she was knocked out from the attack, but somehow this attack wasn't enough to make her let go of Hajime, which increasingly annoyed the latter.
"Stupid rabbit. Let go of me already," Hajime yelled.
The rabbit-girl shook her head violently, "I can't! The future of my people is at stake! If let go, you'll leave and we'll all die," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Remind me how that's supposed to be my problem again," he asked sarcastically as he tried to pull the clingy girl off.
She then felt a pull on her rabbit ears, "Ow ow ow ow ow!"
It was Yue, who had a cold expression on her face, "Stop clinging to him already."
But even with all of this harsh treatment, the rabbit girl still wouldn't let Hajime go and in fact, held on tighter the more they tried to push her off without killing her.
Sargon, witnessing this, sighed and got off his horse. He then walked close to the currently comedic trio.
"Why don't we hear her out, you 2," he suggested.
Hajime and Yue looked at Sargon and the former narrowed his eyes, "You're not just saying that because you're the one who saved her right?"
Sargon shook his head, "No I'm not. We're not getting anywhere with this. Despite the current torment she's undergoing, she's not letting go. At this point, her death will be the only way to free yourself of her, which I'm unwilling to allow. Besides, for a rabbit beastman to come all the way out here by herself despite the dangers in an effort to tell us something, it must be something important. Not only that, she's earned a bit of my respect for doing something so brave for one perceived as weak."
Hajime and Yue looked at the rabbit girl and couldn't help but agree with the points he made. The girl on the other hand was ecstatic that at least someone was willing to hear her out. The man kneeled to her level,
"Alright Ms. Go ahead and tell us what you wished to convey," he said gently.
"Ok," she said, somewhat calmer now.
The rabbit-girl's name is Shea Haulia from the Haulia tribe located in a village within the Sea of Trees and close to a country known as Verbergen, which houses Demi-Humans. The reason they're in the village and not the country was because of her existence. See Demi-Humans aren't originally able to use magic, but she's the exception, even born with an inherent spell called {Prophecy}, which can be used to gaze into the future before it becomes the present.
In her case, the ability to use magic via direct {Mana Manipulation} isn't something that bodes well in the kingdom of Verbergen as this trait is most commonly seen with monsters. Hence, she was deemed a cursed child, who'd be executed upon sight if captured. The Haulia Tribe tried to go to the Northwestern Mountains after leaving the forest, but were unfortunately caught by Imperial Soldiers, who proceeded to either capture or slaughter them mercilessly.
Luckily, they decided to run deep into the canyon where magic became less effective, but that didn't stop the monsters from attempting to have their fill.
After Shea was done explaining her situation, she pleaded towards the trio to help her, "Please! You have to save my family!"
What happened after that?
"I refuse!"
Shea was once again caught off guard by the immediate and blunt dismissal. "Wha?! But why?! Usually one would think about it and say 'Don't worry, I'll do something about it.' Why are you so cruel," she said with a shout.
Hajime sighed, "Look, I don't have a single reason to actually help you out. You got kicked out of your home country despite being able to see the future. You honestly sound like a lot of trouble to begin with," he said with a pointed stare.
Shea flinched and looked down, clenching her hand into a fist, but then she looked back up at the trio resolutely, "Even so, I still can't allow the future I saw with you 3 to go so quickly. Especially you," she said, with the last part directed towards Sargon.
Sargon looked at her slightly shocked, "You see a prosperous future with me specifically," he asked.
Shea nodded in response with a smile. Sargon thought for a moment before speaking up again,
"Why don't we give her a hand?"
Hajime and Yue looked at Sargon, "You sure about this," asked Hajime.
Sargon nodded, "Yes. As I said before, I respect her bravery in making it this far despite the fear I know was within her. Besides, she and her family can act as a guide within the forest in order for us to find the next Labyrinth. Or at least a clue. Does that work for you Shea?"
Shea nodded happily, "Of course! I'd be more than willing to help you in exchange!"
Sargon shared her smile. "Well then, let's get going."
The dark horse Sargon rode on before walked up to him and knelt, for Sargon to hop onto. He then extended his hand towards Shea, to which she took and climbed on top of the horse with him. She momentarily though looked at it with wonder,
"Where did you get this horse," she asked in astonishment.
Sargon smiled, "Let's just say this is one of my abilities that I was born with. Similar to you, I suppose."
Shea's eyes widened and looked towards Hajime and Yue, "Oh that's right! I never asked for your names!"
Hajime smirked a little while getting on Steiff, "Hajime Nagumo."
Yue followed suit, "I'm Yue."
Then she looked towards the man in front of her, who didn't keep her waiting long, "Sargon Kaze."
"I know I already said mine, but I'll say it again, I'm Shea Haulia. Nice to meet you all," she said cheerfully.
It would seem Shea's smile was infectious as everyone else shared it. Even Hajime. Then both Sargon and Hajime started their mounts and bolted off deeper into the canyon.
[A few minutes later]
"Roooaaaaaaarrrrrr!"
"Hyveria!"
"Everyone take cover behind the rocks!"
This was the current chaos that unfolded for the rabbit beastmen as they were attacked by a pair of wyvern-like monsters who were trying to eat them. There was a pair of rabbitmen, a woman and a child, trying to hide behind some pointed rocks, however the monsters still saw them. But just as it could chomp them,
"Bang!"
A loud sound was heard, followed by the monster falling down, dead as if struck by an invisible attack. The next monster met a similar fate with the same loud sound.
"Bang!"
The rabbitmen were relieved that they were no longer being hunted, but were also confused as to why the monsters fell. Then a couple of the rabbitmen looked into the canyon and saw people approaching them, one riding a peculiar vehicle which they haven't seen before while the other was riding a horse.
The rabbit-men at first, grew frightened at the horse, thinking back to the time most of them were indiscriminately slain and slaughtered by Imperial Soldiers. That fear and dread vanished when they heard a familiar voice.
"Hey everyone! Don't worry, we're saved," said the voice excitedly.
The rabbit-men relaxed and sighed in relief and joy, "It's Shea! She's returned!"
[A Few Minutes Later]
"I humbly thank you 3 for bringing my daughter back safe and sound. My name is Cam Haulia, the Chieftain of the Haulia Tribe. May I please know your names?"
"Hajime Nagumo."
"Yue."
"Sargon Kaze."
The trio introduced themselves one by one to the Chieftain, who smiled gently, "We're deeply grateful for your aid in saving our kin. If there's anything we can do to repay you, please let us know."
Hajime walked up to the chieftain, "In that case, we'll need someone to act as a guide to the Haultina Tree. Will you do it?"
Cam nodded with a smile, "Of course! Let's depart now before more monsters swarm this place."
As the trio along with the rabbit-men walked up an incline with steps, Shea stepped forward to talk to Hajime, "Hey Hajime, are you really ok with this? You'll be fighting against your own kind."
Hajime merely looked towards her, "And?"
Shea, by this point, shouldn't have expected otherwise, yet she was still caught off guard by his bluntness.
"I promised I'd protect you and your family until the deal has been fulfilled. Anyone who stands against that, be they monsters or man, will die," he said matter of factly as he continued onward, reaching the top of the steps and making his way to the soldiers.
Yue followed a little bit behind, but still kept a short distance away. Shea looked on worriedly and turned to look at Sargon, "Was he always like this?"
Sargon sighed remorsefully, "No. Not even close. But in order to survive and get through what he experienced, he had to shed his previous mindset for the cold and ruthless one he has today."
Shea's eyes widened slightly and then looked at Hajime once more, "I don't know the full details as of yet, and I don't intend to potentially reopen old wounds. However I do know that I most likely would've died had he stayed who he was before now. Even I most likely would've ended up the same had I been in his situation," he said with sorrow.
A moment later, loud shouting was heard, along with some very horrendous threats, "First I'll cut off all your limbs, then r*pe that girl you're with right in front of you! How you like that?!"
Shea and the rabbit-men froze up in terror while Sargon's face darkened while his eyes narrowed, 'I suppose someone isn't interested in making it back home anymore.'
The man then started making more threats until,
"Bang!"
A loud noise echoed across the canyon, followed by a huge splatter of blood and a headless body falling on the ground. The other soldiers panicked, seeing one of their own killed so easily and coldly.
"Attack! Open fire with your magic–huh?"
The other guy didn't even have time to question what strange object was thrown in front of him before a huge blast was made and seen, killing off most of the other soldiers. Only one remained, trembling in fear of the power shown by Hajime.
The latter then walked up to the trembling soldier and was presumably speaking to him. Hajime then, after a moment, drew his gun, and aimed it at the trembling man, who pleaded for his life. His plea, however, fell on deaf ears as Hajime coldly pulled the trigger, and ended the man's life.