The sun hung bright in the sky, casting its light across the dirt road as Rey walked steadily toward the capital of Glodaria. Dust clung to his boots, and the weight of silence pressed on him—until a scream split the air.
A boy and a girl.
Rey's eyes sharpened. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the voice.
Through the trees, a carriage lay tipped to the side, its wheel shattered. On the ground were five people—one middle-aged man in common clothes and four younger adventurers: two boys, two girls, each armed but battered.
But it wasn't the sight of them that caught Rey's attention.
It was the six red-horned wolves encircling the group, their eyes glowing like molten embers.
Rey muttered under his breath, "Red wolves… if I remember right, their numbers start at 25,000 down." His gaze hardened. "That's no joke."
One of the adventurers—an older teen with a short sword—yelled, "Akame, behind you!"
The girl with the staff spun around just in time to see a wolf lunging, its jaws open wide.
But before it could reach her—
BAM!
Rey dashed forward, leapt, and delivered a crushing kick to the wolf's head. The beast staggered back, snarling, while the adventurers froze in shock.
"Tch… persistent thing," Rey muttered, landing lightly.
The wolf shook itself, flames licking between its teeth.
"Wha—what was that speed?" one of the boys with daggers stammered.
Another girl cursed, firing an arrow that sank into the wolf's knee. It stumbled, buying them a moment.
"Do you have a spare weapon?" Rey asked curtly.
The swordsman blinked, then tossed him a dagger. "Here!"
"Thanks."
Rey gripped it, and in one smooth motion, slashed through the already-wounded wolf's neck. The beast collapsed, its number flashing [0] before the ground beneath it opened.
A shadowy arm erupted from the earth, dragging the corpse down into the Abyss.
The party gawked. The dagger-user whispered hoarsely, "The hell just happened…?"
"Stay focused!" Rey barked.
The staff girl, Akame, shook off her shock and cast a glowing circle at Rey's feet. "Support magic—use it well!"
Energy surged into his limbs. Rey tightened his grip, then rushed forward as the five remaining wolves snarled in unison. Flames spilled from their mouths, setting the air ablaze as they charged.
The swordsman and dagger-user ran beside Rey, their fear swallowed by instinct.
Clang! Slash! Crack!
The battle was chaos—steel clashing against hardened horns, arrows whistling, fire crackling through the grass.
And then, silence.
One by one, the wolves' numbers hit zero, their bodies dragged into the Abyss by shadowy arms. The stench of burnt earth remained.
Rey exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his brow.
The four adventurers stepped forward.
The swordsman lowered his blade and gave Rey a grin. "Kid, thanks for saving Akame back there."
Rey gave a small nod.
"Name's Kyawey. I'm the leader of this party." He pointed around. "That's Noir," he gestured to the dagger boy, "Akame with the staff, and Shoko with the bow."
The merchant dusted himself off and bowed deeply to Rey. "Thank you, young man. Truly." His face softened. "I am Flio, merchant of the Flitz Trading Company."
Kyawey studied Rey with curious eyes. "What're you doing out here, kid? These roads aren't safe."
"I'm heading to the capital of Glodaria," Rey answered plainly.
Shoko tilted her head, looking him up and down. "How old are you, anyway?"
"Seventeen."
Akame frowned. "Seventeen? Don't you think you're too young to travel alone?"
Rey shrugged. "I'm old enough."
Noir crossed his arms. "Then tell me, how did you one-shot that wolf earlier? Don't give me some cheap excuse."
Rey's gaze flickered. "…I just hit its weak spot."
The four exchanged looks. They didn't buy it, but no one pressed further.
"Either way," Flio interrupted, "let's keep moving. Kid, why not join us? We'll stop by the next village, then head to the capital together. Safer that way."
Shoko smiled. "Yeah, he's right. Strength in numbers."
Rey hesitated, then gave a small nod. "…Fine.
The carriage, though damaged, still rolled along after repairs. Inside, conversation sparked again.
"So, Rey," Kyawey asked casually, "what's your real weapon? That dagger doesn't suit you."
Rey's expression dimmed. "…My weapon was broken. By a monster."
"A monster?" Kyawey leaned forward. "Are you an adventurer?"
Rey nodded once.
Noir frowned. "Which guild?"
"Iwata Village."
Flio's brows rose. "Iwata? They say everyone born there has the potential to become great adventurers. Even newborns there start with numbers above 5,000."
Noir muttered under his breath, "So I was right…"
Rey's jaw tightened. "…I wasn't born there. I just registered."
Akame noticed the tension in his hands as he clenched his fists. She softened her voice. "It's fine, Rey. You don't have to say if it hurts."
Rey looked at her, then gave a small nod of thanks.
Later, Rey returned the dagger to Kyawey, but the man waved it off. "Keep it. You'll need it more than I will."
"…Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Consider it a gift."
Rey's lips curled into the faintest smile. "Thanks."
By noon, they stopped beneath the shade of a tree. Meals were unwrapped, and the group shared bread and dried meat.
Rey, however, ate with one hand while his eyes darted left and right, always scanning the surroundings.
"Rey," Kyawey chuckled, "calm down. No monster's going to ambush us. And if one does, Akame's detection magic will warn us first."
Rey finally relaxed a little, nodding. "…Alright."
The group laughed lightly, the tension easing.