The footsteps of the monstrous rabbit echoed through the forest like war drums.
With every shift it made, the very air trembled—yet the trees remained untouched, as if everything around it was nothing more than an illusion… except for the crushing weight pressing down on everyone's chest.
Willin led the way, shouting over his shoulder:
— "Quick! Spread out! Grab rabbit corpses and throw them at it!"
Reina instantly conjured her energy bow, shooting down a few smaller rabbits before swiftly scooping up one of their bodies. With all her strength, she hurled it at the beast's massive frame.
Once again, its colossal body shrank slightly, and the dead rabbit sprang back to life, hopping away as if it had never died.
— "It works!" Reina called out, though her voice still trembled.
The group quickly scattered through the woods, each carrying several rabbit carcasses. Willin's arrows, Shun's sword swings, and the mages' spells now served only one purpose—killing as many small rabbits as possible.
But the giant monster didn't stay still.
It tilted its head, its glowing red eyes piercing into each person as if reading their thoughts. Then, in a single heartbeat… it vanished.
— "Where is it…?" Break muttered.
No one had time to answer.
-"BANG!!!!!-" A deafening crash erupted behind them—the monster reappeared right behind one of the mages, its claws slicing through his body as though it were paper. Blood sprayed through the air. The mage's body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Break's fellow warriors screamed in horror as their comrade died in such a gruesome way.
— "Don't stop moving! Keep moving!" Willin barked.
Shun gritted his teeth, dashing into a thicket. He cut down three smaller rabbits, grabbed all three bodies, and hurled them toward the giant beast. Each one that touched it caused its form to shrink a little more. But before he could move again, another rabbit slashed across his shoulder, blood pouring from the wound.
Reina, seeing this, unleashed a gust of wind to blow away the rabbits swarming Shun.
— "Shun! Don't stop!"
Meanwhile, Willin stood atop a large rock, firing arrows so rapidly the bowstring became a blur. He dropped dozens of the smaller rabbits, giving everyone a chance to gather more corpses.
The giant beast roared—its voice was a cacophony of hundreds of rabbit screeches overlapping into a maddening, piercing shriek.
Its body was now only the size of a large house, but its speed had doubled.
Willin lowered his bow, drew a knife, and shouted:
— "All at once! Throw everything you have!"
Everyone hurled the remaining rabbit corpses at the monster.
Each impact peeled away layers of the black haze wrapping its body. The massive form shrank further and further… until only a normal-sized rabbit remained.
It sat there, its once-blazing red eyes now dim, breathing heavily… then turned away, hopping silently into the darkness until it vanished from sight.
No one spoke.
Only the sound of ragged breathing and the heavy stench of blood filled the air.
Shun collapsed to the ground, his hands trembling. Reina sat beside him, both of them looking at Willin—who still stood, his last arrow quivering on the bowstring.
Willin exhaled, his gaze dark.
— "If it comes back… it'll be worse than today."
In each of their hearts, the relief of survival was drowned out by a chilling truth—
this was only the beginning of what it meant to be a true hero.
After everything had finally settled, the group carried Break's body back to the village.
The road felt longer than ever, each step heavy with grief.
As they passed through the village gates, the townspeople rushed out—not to welcome them, but to hurl curses.
— "Why did you even come back?!"
— "My child died because of you!!"
— "That damned competition only exists to kill our children!!"
Eyes burned with hatred. Fingers pointed straight at the heroes. Shun clenched his fists but kept silent, while Reina lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.
Willin stepped forward, his voice firm and unyielding:
— "Enough! Do you think we wanted this to happen? That monster's appearance was completely unforeseen. None of us—no one—knew it existed before today. They fought to protect you all. They do not deserve your insults!"
His resolute tone slowly quieted the crowd. The shouting didn't vanish entirely, but it grew weaker, retreating to murmurs.
That day, a quiet funeral was held for Break. On a small patch of land near the forest, they dug a fresh grave. The simple coffin was lowered into the earth, and Miliana—the young woman in the hero's party—collapsed beside it, clutching the lid with trembling hands, her tears soaking into the wood.
Drake and Bruno, the other teammates, said nothing. They stood still, heads bowed deeply, whispering a silent prayer for their friend's soul—to be reborn far away from the blood and fire of a warrior's life.
Shun stood beside Reina. He knew that in her eyes there wasn't only the grief of losing a comrade—but also the personal pain of losing family. Her own brother had died in this very competition.
— "Reina…" Shun spoke softly, placing a warm hand on her shoulder, "He'd want you to keep living. And to grow stronger."
Reina bit her lip and gave a small nod, though her eyes were still wet and red.
A breeze swept in from the forest, carrying the rustle of leaves—a mournful farewell. The freshly packed earth of the new grave still smelled of soil, and in the hearts of all present, the wound of this day would remain unhealed for a long time to come.
That night, Mr. Thomas opened his door and welcomed the group of heroes inside.
The small wooden house glowed faintly under the dim oil lamp, its warm light casting tired shadows across their faces. Dinner had been set out—simple dishes, but hot and fragrant, their scent quietly filling the air.
Yet the meal was heavy with silence. No one spoke. The faint clink of spoons against bowls mixed with the sound of the wind whistling outside the eaves. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts—the image of Break lying in his coffin, Miliana's cries, the villagers' bitter glares and accusations—all of it still lingering like a shadow that refused to fade.
Shun kept his head lowered, each spoonful of rice feeling like it was stuck in his throat. Drake and Bruno sat still as statues, their eyes distant.
In the midst of this heavy quiet, Willin set down his chopsticks and took a deep breath. His voice broke the stillness, clear and firm:
— "I… will take Break's place. I'll go with all of you."
The words landed like a stone thrown into a still pond. Everyone looked up at him. Shun, mid-bite, froze with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, eyes wide.
Willin met each gaze in turn, his expression unwavering.
— "I know this decision is dangerous… but I can't stand aside any longer. Today, if I hadn't been there, things might have been far worse. I want to fight… so that no one else has to die for nothing."
A brief silence followed. Then, Mr. Thomas let out a low chuckle—warm, yet tinged with sorrow.
— "You're right… youth is short. If there's something your heart urges you to do, you'd best do it before it's too late."
The flame of the oil lamp flickered, casting the group's shadows long across the wooden walls. Though grief still clung to the room, something new began to kindle quietly among them—a fragile but enduring spark of hope.