"He does look like them, I won't disagree with you on that."
Noroi spoke harshly, both hands shoved into his pockets, his eyes fixed on Haruki above. A frown formed on Haruki's lips as he glanced down at the two of them, then raised his voice so they could hear him.
"Can you get me down now?"
The girl bent down to pick up the axe she had dropped moments earlier, fastening it firmly onto her back. She then looked at Noroi and gave him a kind of peace gesture.
Noroi understood the gesture, but he didn't return it. Instead, he averted his gaze from her and turned it toward Mini, floating beside him, before ordering with a stern expression.
"Get the fool down from the tree."
The small robot instantly processed the command and flew upward to where Haruki was dangling. It shifted its hand into a sharp-edged tool, then moved in to saw through the rope with the blade-like extension.
Haruki's face lit up with joy, finally, he would be free from the net and regain his freedom. But as soon as the rope was cut, his body slipped from its place. The boy gasped loudly, then crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.
BOOM!
"Ah…"
A small groan slipped from Haruki's lips as his back slammed against the ground with force.
He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing, then arched his back with stiff movements, rubbing the sore spot. After that, he stretched out his body and rolled his neck from side to side, his muscles had gone stiff from being trapped for so long.
A laugh escaped the girl when she saw his pained state after the fall, and she teased him with a mocking tone.
"What's wrong, huh? Can't handle a little tumble from a tree branch?"
Haruki looked up, his eyes widening slightly as a memory flickered in his mind. A single word left his mouth in a low murmur.
"You…"
His memory pulled him back.to the very moment his feet had stepped into the market just yesterday morning.
That girl with pale skin, orange hair braided into small intertwined plaits, and bright green eyes, her face sprinkled with a few freckles. She still wore the iron helmet with bull horns jutting from the top, and the massive axe strapped tightly to her back… It was the very same girl who had been yelling at the merchant in the marketplace.
The girl tilted her head, surprised by Haruki's stunned look and the way his voice suggested he somehow knew her. That confused her, because she didn't remember him. She asked in a hesitant tone.
"Have we met before?"
"Yes! No!.. I mean, I saw you, but it didn't seem like you noticed me."
Haruki pushed himself up from the ground as he tried to explain how he knew her. Still, he looked genuinely happy, excited at the thought of gaining another friend.
The girl rested her right elbow over her left arm, her hand settling under her chin in a contemplative pose as she tried to grasp at a thread of memory.
A few moments passed before she broke her stance, then lifted a supportive hand to place it on Haruki's shoulder. She looked straight into his eyes and spoke in a tone that carried true seriousness.
"I don't remember you."
"But there's one thing I do remember… that creature tried to kill me!"
The girl's voice rose sharply on the last words, and in a burst of speed too quick for Haruki to catch, she swung her axe off her back and charged directly at Mini. She raised her weapon-
And in the blink of an eye, all Haruki saw was this: the girl gripping her axe with both hands above her head in a striking stance,but her body froze completely. The edge of Noroi's sword was pressed against the center of her forehead, leaving a shallow cut from its sharpness, a single drop of blood trailing from her brow down to her chin.
Noroi's eyes held no mercy, no hint of warmth,only a cold, threatening glare. His words ignited the air with danger as he spoke.
"Touch him, and say goodbye to your life."
His warning was as clear as daylight; he would show no leniency to anyone who laid a hand on his mechanical companion.
The girl clenched her jaw, her eyes blazing with defiance and irritation. She wasn't the least bit frightened by his threat. Instead, she opened her mouth and spoke in a lofty tone, a dangerous gleam flashing in her gaze.
"Watch your tone, skinny boy… I take threats very personally."
Noroi ground his teeth at the condescending tone in her voice. He already disliked this girl, and he didn't mind getting into a fierce fight with her now,after all, she didn't matter to him.
But Haruki rushed between them, placing a hand on each of them and pushing them apart, forming a barrier to prevent them from killing each other. He shouted at them.
"Stop! We're not enemies here! We should be friends!"
Both of them looked at Haruki with annoyance, wearing the same expressions of disgust and disdain toward each other.
"No! I will never be friends with him/her!"
They spoke simultaneously, staring at each other for a moment with scowls. The girl returned her axe to her back, and when Noroi sensed some hesitation from her, he pressed a button to return his sword to its safe position.
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Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐