After sending the clones off to school to take over their lives, all five of them, Yamikuro, Kaminari, Isabella, Deia, and Cedar, with their new mentors, went to train.
However, Yamikuro's clone was taken over by someone who saw himself above humans and had now gone to take over his day-to-day life, which threw Yamikuro off.
'Why did that guy have to take my place?' He asked himself, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.
The tusk had grown older, with the sun now barely poking out of people's horizon. Yamikuro's and Urashin's view was blocked by the large mountains reaching easily over 5000 meters, slightly covered with snow at the tips.
Besides the mountains, there were still buildings ahead of them, which they both sprinted past, towards a destination Yamikuro didn't catch the first time Urashin mentioned it.
Urashin seemed to be in a hurry all of a sudden, rightfully so, considering the time, but Yamikuro struggled to keep up, not knowing the Hideout's capital's map.
Yamikuro didn't catch the time, but it wasn't like he cared. They had definitely been running for over five minutes in complete silence, the tapping of their feet echoing in their minds.
Urashin's introduction was sudden, but all of them were desperate to take down Lucian and his gang, which is why Yamikuro followed him so carefree.
There was also a strange yet familiar look on Urashin, like they had met before, apart from the Diner incident a few days ago.
"Yamikuro." Urashin stopped, with the words piercing through Yamikuro's mind. It was almost like he could tell Yamikuro was deep in thought.
"We'll keep going north from here."
Before them was the border of the capital, and for some reason, Yamikuro never thought about visiting the border before. It wasn't anything unusual, but there was a very faint, almost glittering sound coming from a few steps ahead of them.
Urashin extended out his arm, the hoodless cloak sliding off it, and the invisible wall Yamikuro couldn't see before stretched open.
A sudden scent of the fresh leaves, wet grass, and foggy air wafted through the air.
The forest in front of them seemed to go on forever, looking the same as Yamikuro's eyes followed the road.
However, there was one detail that was missing; they couldn't hear any noise coming from the forest. Perhaps it was silent, considering the time; however, the wind blowing the trees around was dead silent.
Yamikuro glanced at Urashin, not directly asking anything.
"This is the Whispered Forest. I assume you can tell why, no sound except for our voice can be heard."
"...Whispered Forest?"
"It surrounds the capital with its dense trees and foliage; it was planted to keep invaders away and acts as a pathway to the inside or outside of the capital."
That was going to be the forest they'd walk through to reach the other world, known as the main part of The Hideout.
Yamikuro found it to be interesting, but didn't really show it.
"Let's go," Urashin said in his usual tone as he stepped through the barrier.
Yamikuro followed behind him, their steps completely quiet this time. The only thing they could hear was their breaths.
There wasn't anything peculiar in their walk; every step they took felt like they hadn't progressed at all. The trees were tall and lustrous, the foliage had grown wild, and a few occasional rabbits poked their heads out.
But a sign started to get bigger and bigger as they walked toward it.
"This is where we'll make our pitstop for tonight," Urashin said before reaching for his cigarette and a lighter.
Yamikuro's eyes shot wide open. What did Urashin mean by that?
"Make a pitstop? Here of all places...?"
"There's a small village somewhere over here. If we stay out here too long, who knows who could come after us. The world outside the capital is nothing like you've seen."
"Nothing I've seen? It's not like the capital or the world I come from are safe..."
Urashin blew smoke through his teeth, glancing at Yamikuro. He was right, no place was safe in this universe.
"In The Hideout, people form guilds, hunt bounties, claim territories, and try to make a name for themselves daily. Unless you have your guard up, you won't survive a day in here."
Yamikuro felt chills run throughout his body.
"Are you serious?"
Urashin let out a singular chuckle.
"People have lived here way before the others came from the normal world. The capital has an invisible bubble protecting it from outsiders, that's where people like you live. This forest is the line between the dangerous world and the safe capital of The Hideout."
"...I see," Yamikuro responded.
He was more cautious of his surroundings and felt his hands shaking after that. Could he have saved someone from the normal world who ended up a criminal in here? Considering he had saved Resonants for years now, and there was no way all of them ended up peacefully in the capital.
"Here it is," Urashin said.
A wooden sign stood tilted roughly a hundred meters away from them. The sign was unreadable, but the arrow pointed to their right.
Once they turned right, the first thing they saw was a motel made out of fine wood, with paint peeling off most of the outer walls. There was a strong scent of booze coming from its direction.
Further ahead, down a slope, seemed to be a full-fledged village, built out of similar wood.
"Come on, Yamikuro," Urashin said, holding the door open, still holding the lit cigarette in his mouth.
Yamikuro followed him, taking his eyes off the village.
When they stepped in, the saloon-like bar fell quiet, with strange looks coming towards Yamikuro and Urashin.
Urashin didn't seem to be bothered by it, even though he clearly saw the looks on the men drinking all sorts of beverages, with most of them being beer.
He stepped near the counter, the wooden boards creaking under his feet and smoke floating in the air.
"I'll book one room for the two of us, with the boy behind me."
The man behind the counter had his head under the counter, but when he stood up, he ran his tongue across his lips.
"You're still alive, huh, Urashin Kari?"
Their eyes widened hearing that name.
"Urashin Kari, you don't mean that's actually him... Right?"
"What's another member of the Dagger Guild doing here?"
"Not so loudly, I heard he kills people if you look at him wrong."
Urashin let out a sigh, pressing his cigarette against the glass bowl on the counter.
"Just give us the room."
The man let out a devious laugh and threw Urashin the keys.
"You better not mess up my motel."
Urashin turned his back to the man without saying a word and faced Yamikuro, tilting his head to hint that they should go upstairs.
Once they were clear of the people downstairs in the saloon, Yamikuro opened his mouth.
"One room for the two of us?"
Urashin turned his head away at that, fidgeting with the pack of cigarettes in his right pocket, almost like he was embarrassed.
"My only income comes from doing part-time jobs around the world."
"Something to do with the man downstairs?" Yamikuro immediately asked.
Urashin's face straightened, hearing that. He didn't want to talk about his past or his regretful decisions with Yamikuro. At least not yet.
"Let's just focus on finding our room."
They walked past a few doors until Urashin whispered to himself.
"Here it is."
With a simple turn of a key, the door screeched open.
Yamikuro peeked over Urashin's shoulder, and his eyes closed in.
"That's all we get for a room?"
There was a window with curtains not drawn over it. The walls were made out of light brown wood, while the floor was made of darker wood. And on top of the floors were two white futons.
"Not even a bed?"
Urashin stepped into the room and took off his shoes.
"Futons are as good as beds." He said after a delay.
"...I've never slept on one."
After Yamikuro took off his shoes and stepped further into the room, Urashin was already looking around.
"There's a first time for everything, Asaki."
Yamikuro followed what Urashin did. He had no clue about the customs, although taking off his shoes was something that was common everywhere.
When he stepped further in, his impressions of the room didn't change. There were a few abstract paintings on the walls, but that was about it.
Urashin sat down on the left futon.
"I recommend we get some rest for today and get into training tomorrow. The walk took more time than I had expected."
Yamikuro also sat on a futon. He was exhausted from the travel, and the loss he couldn't accept as reality still, but didn't want to admit it.
After a short trip to the bathroom, Urashin walked out in just his boxers.
Yamikuro didn't know what to say to that, and he instead just lay on his futon.
Yamikuro hadn't had the time to pack his stuff, but he at least kept his shirt on after taking off his long pants.
But as they got to bed, with Urashin in his boxers, someone was watching them from the forest in the back of the motel.
A woman in a purple-and-black outfit leaned against a twisted tree trunk, half-shrouded in mist. Her gaze stayed locked on the window above.
"Urashin Kari, the traitor, has returned," she whispered, before stepping back into the dark.