Upon passing through the gate, Takeru found himself in a vast forest.
Perhaps because of the large trees, or maybe due to the fact that giant monsters frequently roamed the area, the trees weren’t densely packed, creating pathways wide enough for people to walk through with ease.
The absence of birdsong suggested that weaker creatures couldn’t survive in this forest inhabited by monsters.
"This feels familiar..."
Though he knew that the inside of the gate connected to another world, the atmosphere was strikingly similar to the world where Takeru had once lived.
For a moment, he thought that this might indeed be the same world.
"If this is truly that world..."
Briefly, he wondered what had happened to Edelweiss after his death.
Since she was the only one who had supported him in front of a crowd of onlookers, there was a chance she could have been charged with treason—
"No, Edelweiss should be fine..."
The strength of her heart, which bore the heavy burden of being a saint to bring smiles to people, was genuine.
Takeru knew how much she had sacrificed to protect the people.
Even when she was battered and worn out, she continued to defend the people from demons and monsters.
Takeru had seen the hope she inspired in those who followed her.
So, surely, even if something had happened to Edelweiss, there would be people who would come to her aid.
Although she had been shaken at his execution, Takeru believed that she had overcome it and was still bringing smiles to the people.
"...I need to hurry."
Shaking off thoughts of the past, Takeru looked ahead and sprinted through the forest, moving much faster than an ordinary hunter.
Until now, he had held back his power in case someone was watching, but here, there was no need to suppress it.
With sharper movements than usual, he sped forward and soon encountered goblins and ogres.
The large trees around him had clearly been violently destroyed and broken.
"It’s this way."
Following the direction of the broken trees, he found footprints.
They were quite large, indicating that whatever had made them was much more dangerous than an ogre.
"—"
Faintly, the roar of a monster could be heard. At the same time, there was the sound of trees being broken in the forest.
Takeru leaped onto a tree and looked in the direction of the noise.
"There it is."
The one-eyed monster with a massive body, likely around four meters tall, was a Cyclops if Takeru’s knowledge was correct.
As a pure breed, it ranked among the highest of the ogre-type monsters and had a cruel nature, playing with its prey until it broke.
It was on par with the Bloody Ogre that had appeared recently, and its strength was beyond what an average hunter could handle.
The members of Wing Guard wouldn’t stand a chance against it.
In front of the Cyclops, fleeing from its pursuit, was Wind Guard’s thief, Shirai Chika.
She was barely dodging the Cyclops’ club with swift movements, but after running for so long, her agility was starting to wane.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before she would be hit.
"I made it in time."
Muttering that, Takeru put strength into his legs and shot forward.
It had been a considerable amount of time since Chika became a decoy to protect Gato and the others, who had been severely injured by the Cyclops.
In her efforts to help her teammates escape, she had managed to keep her distance while dodging the Cyclops’ attacks, but her stamina was nearly depleted.
"Huff, huff, huff...!"
The gust of wind from a sideways swing of the Cyclops' club briefly pushed her forward, throwing her off balance.
At the same time, she heard a familiar sound—the sound of yet another massive tree being felled.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
Despite its enormous size, the Cyclops was slow and sluggish.
Earlier on, it wouldn’t have been too difficult to lose it.
However, continuously dodging blows that could kill her with a single hit had drained both her mental and physical strength.
She no longer had the energy to outrun the Cyclops.
"Kya—!"
The Cyclops brought its club down from above, and as it struck the ground, the earth shook violently.
Already at her limit, her legs wobbled as she ran, causing her to slip and tumble across the ground.
She tried to get back on her feet, but the shadow of the Cyclops loomed over her.
"Ah..."
The giant club, thicker than her own body, was raised high above her.
—I’m going to die.
The moment she was convinced of her death, a dark figure intervened.
With a powerful step, Takeru burst forward and landed in front of Chika, positioning himself between her and the Cyclops.
Then, suddenly, the Cyclops’ club was deflected upward as if it had been struck, and the monster’s massive body staggered backward before being blown away.
"...Huh?"
Chika was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
The Cyclops was flung into the air, and Takeru stood calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah… um..."
He was dressed in a hoodie and ordinary pants, like someone out for a casual walk around the neighborhood.
It was such an odd contrast in the dangerous depths of the gate that it left Chika speechless.
Takeru examined Chika, ready to heal her if she had been injured, but there were no signs of an attack.
She was just very dirty and appeared exhausted.
It seemed that she had managed to keep dodging the Cyclops' attacks, though her stamina was nearly depleted.
"...Looks like you're okay."
With that, Takeru turned his attention to the enraged Cyclops charging toward them and began walking leisurely in its direction.
The Cyclops swung its massive club sideways with tremendous force—
"Gorrrraaaagh!"
"Watch out! Run!"
Chika’s mind flashed back to the devastating blow that had shattered their party.
Gato, who always protected them with his huge shield, had been taken down, the shield destroyed in a single hit, leaving him unable to fight.
That image played in her mind, and she feared the same future awaited the boy walking toward the monster, causing her to cry out.
But the future that unfolded was vastly different from what she had imagined.
"...Huh?"
The club that the Cyclops had swung with such force was effortlessly stopped with one hand.
The monster strained desperately to move it, its face contorting in rage, but it didn’t budge.
Meanwhile, Takeru’s expression remained calm and collected.
"What… is that…?"
This was the same opponent who had blown Gato away, whose attacks her teammates couldn’t land a hit on, and whom Chika had only barely managed to distract long enough for them to escape.
Yet, the boy had stopped its attack as if it were nothing, like twisting a baby’s arm. She couldn’t hide her shock.
"...Freeze."
Takeru muttered just one word.
Freeze was a weak spell, something any novice who could use a little magic could cast.
"At least… it should be, right?"
Chika felt a cold breeze brush against her cheek for just a moment.
Before she could fully process it, the Cyclops' club began to emit a white frost, and that frost gradually spread along the monster’s massive body.
The Cyclops tried to release its club, but by the time it realized it, both the club and its hand were already frozen.
Its entire body began to tremble, and then, from the inside out, it started freezing solid.
"G… g… gaaah…"
The Cyclops attempted to resist, but there was no sign of the freezing slowing down.
In just a few seconds, its entire body was encased in ice, and its movements came to a complete halt.
"…"
The moment Takeru touched the now ice-encased Cyclops, the ice shattered into tiny fragments, disappearing into the wind as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It was more beautiful than any magic Chika had ever seen.
—What should I do now…?
Although he had entered the gate without much of a plan, having defeated what appeared to be the boss monster, his objective was essentially complete.
"Are you hurt?"
"Huh? Oh, no... I’m fine. By the way, who are you...?"
"Just a passing stranger."
"A passing stranger...?"
He wasn’t lying.
In fact, Takeru had only happened to pass by the park while out for a run.
"Weren’t you the one I met before you entered the gate?"
"..."
Takeru subtly averted his gaze.
His face was already hidden by the hood, so doing so was pointless, but he did it instinctively.
It was clear that Takeru was trying to hide his identity.
However, it was so obvious that Chika couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward.
"Your face is covered, but your clothes are the same."
"...You’re observant."
"As a thief, my role is to scout and search. I need to pay close attention to my surroundings."
Hearing that, Takeru sighed, realizing he had slipped up.
As a minor form of resistance, he kept his hood up and faced her directly.
After all, she was clearly still wary of him.
"..."
"Is something wrong?"
"That magic... no, never mind. You’re still a student, right?"
"No comment."
Takeru firmly drew the line, not offering any more information.
He was relieved that she hadn’t pressed further about the magic, but it would be troublesome if she investigated his age or identity later.
So, he pulled his hood down even further to signal his wariness.
"The boss of this gate was that Cyclops, right?"
"Yes... thanks to you, the gate should close in a few hours."
"Then let's get out of here. Your comrades are worried about you."
With that, Takeru turned and began walking away.
Although there was still some time left, other monsters besides the Cyclops roamed this gate.
Moreover, the longer they stayed, the more anxious Gato and the others waiting outside would become.
"Hey, wait a second!"
Chika hurriedly followed behind him as he walked briskly.
Takeru led the way, retracing the path they had taken.
Thanks to the destruction the Cyclops had caused while moving through the forest, there was no risk of getting lost.
During this time, Chika glanced at Takeru as if she wanted to say something, but the aura he gave off made it clear he wasn’t interested in talking, so she kept quiet.
—Who is this person…?
She had been certain she was going to die, yet her life was saved.
The Cyclops that her entire party had been helpless against had been easily defeated by this boy, all on his own.
And he had entered the gate dressed like someone taking a casual stroll around the neighborhood.
In this dangerous place, filled with monsters and the constant threat of death, the bizarre scene unfolding before her was driving her mind to the brink of confusion.
Far away from where Takeru and Chika were, a girl cheerfully raised her hand.
Behind her, a massive black magic circle appeared.
