The elf woman lowered her bow but kept a firm grip on it. Her emerald eyes remained locked on Kazuya, her wariness palpable. It was clear she wasn't going to fully trust him right away. Kazuya, standing tall but nonthreatening, understood her caution. After all, he was a stranger in her world, and his mere presence could easily be misinterpreted as a threat.
"What's your name?" she asked, her voice sharp but calm.
"Kazuya Hiyotoshi," he replied, bowing his head slightly out of respect. "And yours?"
She hesitated, her fingers brushing against the string of her bow as though she were debating whether to trust him with the answer. Finally, she relented. "I'm Lyriana. A scout for the Forest Sentinels."
"Lyriana," Kazuya repeated softly, committing the name to memory. It was the first name he'd heard in this new world, and somehow it carried a weight that made it feel significant. "Thank you for not shooting me," he added, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Lyriana's expression didn't change, though her gaze softened ever so slightly. "That depends on what you're doing here," she said. "This forest isn't a place for idle wanderers. Where did you come from?"
Kazuya hesitated. How could he explain that he came from a completely different world? He didn't even fully understand what had happened to him. Still, he decided to be honest—at least partially.
"I don't know how to explain it," he began, his tone earnest. "I woke up in this world not long ago, with no idea how I got here or why I'm here. I've been fighting to survive ever since."
Lyriana narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing his face. "And you expect me to believe that?"
"It's the truth," Kazuya said firmly. "I'm not here to harm anyone. I just want to understand this place and… maybe find a way back home."
At that, Lyriana tilted her head slightly, her sharp gaze softening into something resembling curiosity. "Home?" she echoed. "You don't seem like someone from around here. Your clothes, your mannerisms… they're strange."
Kazuya glanced down at himself, his modern attire now dirty and torn from his battles. He realized how out of place he must look in this medieval-like world. "You're right," he admitted. "I'm not from here."
The silence that followed was tense but not hostile. Lyriana seemed to be weighing his words, deciding whether to believe him. Finally, she lowered her bow completely and slung it over her shoulder.
"If what you're saying is true, then you've been through a lot," she said. "But that doesn't mean I can trust you. You'll have to prove yourself."
Kazuya raised an eyebrow. "Prove myself? How?"
Lyriana gestured toward the forest behind her. "There's a nearby village. It's where I'm stationed, and it's where I'll take you—if you can handle the journey. The path is dangerous, and I'm not going to babysit you. If you can hold your own, maybe you'll earn a sliver of my trust."
Kazuya nodded, understanding her position. "Fair enough," he said. "Lead the way."
---
The journey through the forest was far from uneventful. Lyriana moved with the grace and precision of someone who had spent her entire life in the woods, her footsteps almost silent against the forest floor. Kazuya followed closely behind, his senses on high alert. The encounter with the Beastmen from earlier still weighed heavily on his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling that they might still be nearby.
As they walked, Kazuya noticed Lyriana glancing at him occasionally, as if trying to gauge his strength. It wasn't long before she spoke up.
"You carry yourself like someone who knows how to fight," she said, her tone casual but probing. "Did you learn that… wherever you're from?"
Kazuya smiled faintly. "You could say that. I've been through my share of fights, though none quite like what I've faced here."
Lyriana raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. She seemed content to let his vague answer stand for now.
The forest began to change as they went deeper. The trees grew taller and denser, their gnarled branches forming a natural canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. The air grew cooler, and the sounds of wildlife became more subdued. Kazuya's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, his instincts telling him that danger was near.
Suddenly, Lyriana held up a hand, signaling for him to stop. She crouched low, her keen ears picking up a sound that Kazuya couldn't hear. He followed her lead, his muscles tensing as he prepared for whatever was coming.
"Stay quiet," Lyriana whispered, her voice barely audible. "Something's watching us."
Kazuya's hand went to his sword, his grip tightening as he activated his enhanced senses. He could feel it now—a faint presence, lurking just beyond the trees. It wasn't Beastmen this time. Whatever it was, it felt… different. More primal.
Without warning, a massive creature burst from the underbrush, its roar shaking the ground beneath their feet. It was a dire wolf, easily twice the size of a normal wolf, with fur as black as night and eyes that glowed with an unnatural red light. Its sharp teeth gleamed as it lunged toward them.
Lyriana reacted instantly, drawing her bow and firing an arrow in one smooth motion. The arrow struck the dire wolf's shoulder, but it barely flinched. The creature snarled and turned its attention toward her, its muscles coiling as it prepared to strike.
Kazuya didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, his speed leaving a faint blur behind him. Drawing his sword, he aimed for the creature's exposed flank. His blade struck true, cutting deep into the dire wolf's side. The beast howled in pain, its attention now divided between the two of them.
Lyriana fired another arrow, this time hitting the creature's leg. It stumbled, giving Kazuya an opening. With a powerful swing of his sword, he struck the dire wolf's neck, severing its head in one clean motion.
The beast collapsed, its massive body hitting the ground with a thud. Kazuya stood over it, his chest heaving from the effort. As the adrenaline began to fade, he noticed Lyriana staring at him, her expression unreadable.
"You're… stronger than you look," she said finally, lowering her bow.
Kazuya shrugged, wiping the blood off his sword. "I told you I could handle myself."
Lyriana nodded slowly, her gaze lingering on him. "Maybe you're not as helpless as you seemed. Let's keep moving."
As they continued their journey, Kazuya couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He had proven himself, at least for now. But he also knew that this was only the beginning. The challenges ahead would only grow more difficult, and he would need every ounce of strength—and every bit of trust from his new ally—to survive.
For now, though, he was one step closer to finding his place in this world.