White snow blanketed the forest in its entirety—beautiful, yet frightening.
The cold was unreal.
And yet, most of the creatures living here were barely affected.
That wasn't to say winter spared them completely. Many magic beasts had already entered hibernation, burrowing deep beneath the frozen ground. Only the most cold-adaptive creatures remained active, ruling the silent forest in their stead.
But among all of them—
The last thing anyone would expect to survive... no—thrive—
Were ants.
And it was obvious these weren't ordinary ants.
They were nothing like the ones from Earth.
Even ignoring their size, their biology was fundamentally different. Their blood boiled—acidic, volatile. Creatures like these should never have been able to endure winter.
And yet...
They were completely unaffected.
It left Haruto confused. Uneasy.
Meeting Takada had reminded him of an uncomfortable truth—there was always something bigger. Stronger.
If they fought, Haruto was confident he could go toe-to-toe with him. Maybe even kill him.
But that wasn't the point.
What bothered him was how insignificant he still felt compared to the true monsters of the forest. It wasn't about wanting to be the strongest. It was about reassurance—the certainty that he could always protect his family.
He didn't want history to repeat itself.
That frustration weighed heavily on him.
But there was another reason.
They still hadn't found Haruna's master.
He hadn't fulfilled his promise.
That failure gnawed at him more than he liked to admit.
Strangely enough, Haruna herself seemed calm. Too calm. Kataka could literally be dead, her composure felt unnatural. Either she knew something Haruto didn't... or she was simply choosing to believe.
Either way, he resolved to help her however he could.
She was family now.
At least, Hana and Haruki treated her like one.
Everything had happened quickly.
But not suddenly.
They finally reached the peak of the mountain where the labyrinth's entrance once stood. From there, the entire forest spread out before them in a single breathtaking view.
"Now... where could they have gone?" Haruto muttered, focusing as he traced Hana's Astron residue. "...Ah. There they are."
His gaze shifted toward a frozen lake further in the distance.
Haruna recognized it immediately. "Tsukuyomi Lake. It's an ideal location for a base camp—but it's dangerous."
"Anything too much for Hana and Haruki?" he asked as they moved forward.
"No, my lord. Though... Sabertusks could be troublesome. Still, they should be able to escape if needed."
"Sabertusks, huh?" Haruto frowned. "What are they? Big tigers with large tusks?"
He paused.
Why did that description come so naturally?
Haruna stared at him, puzzled. "Y-yes... something like that. Have you seen one before, my lord?"
"N-no. It just... popped into my head."
"That's strange," she murmured. "Sabertusks are extremely rare. Humans once tried to tame and breed them, but even that failed."
"So, they're near extinction? Then, if we run into one," Haruto said as they leapt between frozen branches, "it'd be better not to kill it, right?"
Haruna tilted her head. "Why?"
"If they're rare," he replied, "we shouldn't push them toward extinction."
She didn't respond.
Didn't seem to understand.
That's when it clicked.
This world was different from Earth—deeply, fundamentally different.
On Earth, humanity tried to preserve endangered species. Not just for survival, but so future generations could feel the same wonder we once did. Ecosystems. Interactions. The shared history between humans and nature.
No one wanted something to disappear forever.
That's why we fought to protect them.
Even went as far as attempting to revive extinct species.
And with every failure, technology and knowledge only advanced further.
Humans stumbled countless times.
But we succeeded more often than we failed.
Intelligence. Creativity. Curiosity.
And emotion.
That's what it meant to be human.
At least—
That's how I see it.
...
Haruto and Haruna rushed toward the frozen lake, hoping to reunite with the girls as quickly as possible.
Haruto kept his senses sharp, scanning for anything unusual.
But everything felt... wrong in its stillness.
They were alone.
No traces of life. No movement.
Other than the crimson ants earlier, he hadn't encountered a single magic beast during their entire journey outside.
It was unsettling—though he chose to treat it as a good sign.
Soon enough, they reached the shore of the frozen lake.
"It's a really nice view," Haruto muttered. "I wonder if we could build a house here."
Then he turned to Haruna. "By the way—who owns this land? If I wanted to build here, who do I ask for permission?"
"Permission?" Haruna echoed, clearly confused. "This land—no, the entire forest—belongs to Lord Charybdis. But there's no need to ask anyone. As children of the Great Ancestor, we have neutral rights within the forest."
"Oh," Haruto nodded. "So basically, I can just take any place I want."
Before she could respond—
A massive wave of Astrons surged through the air.
It slammed into them like a shockwave, heavy and suffocating. The wind itself carried weight. Presence.
Haruna stiffened instantly.
Haruto felt it too—but to him, it wasn't hostile.
It was... familiar.
Not as overwhelming as Takada's presence, but undeniably powerful.
"Is that them?" Haruto asked. "What are they doing?"
He turned to Haruna—and froze.
Her face was pale.
Cold sweat rolled down her temple.
"What's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"
"H-holy magic..." she whispered.
"Huh?" Haruto blinked. Then it clicked. "Oh. So that was holy magic? Felt kinda weak though. Maybe a lesser priest?"
Haruna was stunned.
To her, that presence was crushing. Even a lesser prayer could weaken an ogre general. And yet Haruto stood there, unaffected—casual, almost bored.
...Of course.
This only deepened her respect for her master.
"I'm fine, my lord," she said, forcing herself to straighten. "It was just... unexpected."
"Good," Haruto replied awkwardly, then turned toward the source. "But that blast was strong enough to reach us. Hana's a slime—holy magic is bad news. If they're dealing with a magic user, it could get dangerous. Let's move."
Without warning, he scooped Haruna into his arms and sprinted forward.
"AH—!" Haruna yelped, instantly blushing as she was carried like a child.
Haruto activated Magic Instincts and pushed it to the limit.
The release point was clear.
A massive tree loomed ahead, its trunk hollowed like a cavern.
Within seconds, they reached it.
Haruto rushed in first.
People were dangerous—far more than monsters. Monsters were predictable. Humans weren't.
Then—
Something flew at him.
Haruto twisted aside just in time.
In that instant, his vision sharpened.
His sclera darkened into abyssal black, while his irises and pupils glowed a deep, radiant blue.
To an outside observer, the change was barely noticeable.
To Haruto—
It was like the world slowed to a crawl.
Thoughts flooded his mind. Calculations. Trajectories. Simulations. Survival routes.
Instincts—pure and overwhelming.
With Haruna still in his arms, he dodged projectile after projectile. Each movement precise, effortless.
Too effortless.
The objects moved sluggishly.
Then he saw them.
Slimes.
All around them.
This wasn't a cave.
It was a giant tree—its interior riddled with snow, ice, and hundreds of dormant slimes clinging to its walls.
His body struggled to keep up with his thoughts. His mind raced far faster than his muscles could follow.
And then—
Two familiar Astron signatures.
Deep inside.
His mind exploded with possibilities, scenarios piling over one another.
Too much... Whatever this skill is, it's a pain—
"Hana!" he called out.
From behind the trunk, Hana jumped out, startled.
Then she noticed them.
"Ah! Hey—STOP THAT!"
At her command, the slimes immediately dropped, sinking back beneath the snow.
All this happed under just five seconds.
Haruto gently set Haruna down.
Hana rushed forward and hugged him tightly, smiling.
Haruto didn't want to ruin the mood—but he cut straight to it.
"Did anything happen? We felt something strange on the way here."
"Strange?" Hana tilted her head. "Oh—wait. You mean the shockwave?"
"Yeah."
She smirked. "That was the result of my genius."
"...Right." Blank stare.
"Oh? You don't believe me?" She laughed, dissolving into slime form and hopping onto his head. "He's here. Come on out."
Another presence stepped forward.
Haruki emerged shyly.
Her footsteps crunched softly against the snow. Her eyes gleamed—unnatural, yet alive. Tight black fabric wrapped her body just enough to preserve modesty. Snow-white hair shimmered faintly, a slime already perched atop her head like a crown.
"Um... I..." she hesitated, clearly uncomfortable without her old shapeless form that hid her emotions.
"You actually did it..." Haruna murmured in awe.
Haruto blinked. "...Did what?"
Haruna turned to Hana. "That holy energy earlier—was that Lady Haruki's awakening?"
"I don't know what that means," Hana shrugged, "but... yeah, probably. I was just helping her unlock a new form. Didn't expect her to evolve. Guess she was already on the edge—just needed a push."
Haruto stared at Haruki.
He didn't understand the details.
But one thing was clear.
Haruki had reached a new peak.
She had evolved.
---Evolution is fundamentally different from merely awakening a new form.
Hana had been pushed to her absolute limit inside the dungeon, forced to awaken a humanoid body under extreme pressure. Haruki's case, however, was entirely different.
She didn't unlock a new form—she evolved.
Her very origin had changed.
Unlike Hana, who could freely shift between her true form and her humanoid body, Haruki was now bound to a single structure. A body built around a humanoid frame—complete with senses and even organs reconstructed from her memories—yet clearly unlike any organic lifeform from their previous world.
In that sense, she was now the same as Haruto and Hana.
A Magic-feeder.
According to Haruna, certain monsters—mainly majin—possess this kind of biological system. They sustain themselves entirely on Astrons. Food is unnecessary, and waste does not exist. Even when they consume organic matter, their bodies simply break it down into Astrons, since everything in this world is composed of them to begin with.
Surprisingly, this revelation didn't shock Haruto.
Long before in his past life, he had already begun theorizing about the fundamental differences between "humans" and "monsters." No matter how many paths his thoughts took, they always converged on the same conclusion.
Though majin retained structures resembling a digestive, excretory, circulatory, and nervous system, those systems no longer served their original biological purposes—or had become entirely repurposed.
The digestive system, for example, no longer existed to extract nutrients. Instead, it functioned as a powerful Astron processor, breaking down matter into raw energy and distributing it throughout the body.
The excretory system, on the other hand, had lost its role entirely. Rather than removing waste, it evolved into a pressure-release mechanism—expelling excess energy whenever Astron levels exceeded what the body could safely contain.
As for the circulatory and nervous systems, they no longer relied on blood flow or electrical signals. Instead, they manipulated Astrons directly. This allowed for near-perfect energy circulation, delivering power to any part of the body that required it instantly.
It also explained accelerated thought speed.
It's of course considering that, Astrons moved faster than electrons.
When regeneration was needed, wounds released magic-infused fluid—enhancing healing rather than hindering it.
These beings...
Were known as Majin.
At least, according to Haruto's theory.
As for why they still possessed such human-like internal structures, there was one final possibility.
Genetic inheritance.
Perhaps thousands of years ago, this land contained far fewer Astrons. Lifeforms would have relied on conventional biological processes—eating, digestion, and metabolism—to survive. As Astron density increased over time, those same bodies adapted to exploit a far more efficient energy source.
But evolution takes time.
And since the transition was relatively recent on a cosmic scale, remnants of those old systems still remained. Majin continued to eat and drink—not out of necessity, but for culture, habit, or satisfaction.
It was a logical conclusion.
But still, only a theory.
There simply wasn't enough information to claim certainty.
Yet even coming this far—forming such hypotheses at all—was only possible because a fantasy-obsessed novelist happened to be standing among them.
There was, however, a clear drawback to Haruki's evolution.
By reconstructing her body from humanoid memories, she had also regained the sensory framework of her past life. Pain, temperature, touch—every signal was now transmitted with the same sensitivity as a normal human. Her body itself could effortlessly nullify damage from heat, cold, or pressure, regenerating faster than those elements could harm her.
But the sensations remained.
The cold didn't injure her—it felt cold.
The pain didn't wound her—it registered as pain.
Her new form did not suffer physically, yet her senses told her that it should. And in the dead of winter, that contradiction made the cold unbearable.
---
The only way to keep Haruki warm was through the slimes. Since Hana could exert limited control over them and their behavior, they allowed it to serve as a temporary solution. Still, Haruto knew it wasn't enough.
They needed fire.
For warmth.
For cooking.
For survival.
He made it his next goal.
But before anything else, they needed to sit down and share everything they had learned so far.
The four of them gathered on the ground, the tension lingering quietly between them.
"So... yeah. That's basically what happened," Haruto said, finishing his explanation.
"I'm sorry, Haruna." Hana turned toward her, unsure how to continue. What weighed on her most was the promise they had made—to find Haruna's teacher. That promise was the very reason Haruna had joined them in the first place. Losing him like this felt unfair.
"No... it doesn't really bother me," Haruna said softly. "It was always survival of the fittest. If he truly died, I only hope it was peaceful." She paused, clenching her fists. "I had already come to terms with that. But... if only I could have seen him in his final moments. I promised I would bring help." Her voice trembled. "But I was too late."
Tears welled in her eyes.
Haruto stepped in before the silence could crush her.
"It's not your fault, Haruna. You did bring help, you kept your promise."
The words echoed back at him.
...But I couldn't.
Hana noticed it immediately—the regret in his eyes. That confident smile he had worn since arriving in this world was gone.
And it bothered her.
Still, she understood. This was something he needed to face.
In stories, games, novels—fantasy worlds were easy to accept. But reality was different. Humans struggled to change even their diets. How could anyone expect adapting to an entirely new world—new rules, new dangers—to be simple?
Even for someone like Haruto.
Even for a fantasy-obsessed weeb.
He had been overconfident, relying on his knowledge and experience. But here, in a real world, he was still being carried by luck—by unseen protection.
Use your knowledge.
Accept who you are.
Think.
You always find a way.
"Listen... I know this isn't the best timing, but," Haruto said, turning to Haruna, "what do you think about that Takada guy?"
Haruna thought for a moment. "He's powerful. Trustworthy. The ogre chieftain's right-hand man."
"Trustworthy to us," Haruto pressed, "or only to his people?"
She immediately understood his skepticism. Setting aside her personal feelings, she answered honestly. "Master Takada is my teacher's brother—Master Kataka. Different mothers, but they grew up like real siblings." She exhaled. "He's cold. Calculating. He doesn't hesitate to kill. Unlike my master, he would sacrifice anything for the clan—even himself."
"So we can trust him," Haruto said slowly, "as long as we're on the ogre clan's good side."
"Yes."
The sudden shift in topic made Hana and Haruki feel left out.
Did they really let go of all that emotion so quickly? Haruki thought. Are they even human—oh. Right.
Hana, on the other hand, felt relieved. This was growth. Instead of drowning in guilt, Haruto was moving forward.
Meanwhile, the two strategists continued.
"Can we trust the clan itself?" Haruto asked. "Are they prideful? Hostile? Or are they open to outsiders?"
"The ogre clan is prideful by nature," Haruna replied. "It's best we stay out of their way." She hesitated. "...That's why my teacher separated from them."
"But if we don't," Haruto countered, "they'll see us as enemies."
"Not enemies. A threat," Haruna corrected. "If we were enemies, Takada would have killed us already. I broke sacred law by entering the Chaos Maw labyrinth. That alone warrants execution."
"Or they're desperate," Haruto said, his gaze sharpening. "I fought the Crimson Battalion. One of them could destroy five—no—six humans with a single bite."
"They're that strong?" Haruki asked.
"One of them crushed a fully grown tree trunk, effortlessly." Haruto replied quietly.
"Oh... yeah. That's a problem."
"If the council was summoned," Haruna said, clenching her fists, "then this is beyond containment. Even the Dryads are struggling."
She took a breath.
"...I have a suggestion, my lord."
All three turned to her.
Haruna hesitated.
"I suggest," she said firmly, "that you join the Lunar Council, Lord Haruto."
...