The two groups of personnel sent out for reconnaissance had quietly returned and were reporting the situation to Miki in low voices.
Their findings were largely the same, no traces of bandit activity were found in their assigned areas.
After listening, Miki did not show much surprise. He had already expected this.
Since nothing was found in these two locations, the bandits were highly likely to be entrenched at the last marked point predicted by the Intelligence Squad, though it was also possible they would find nothing at all.
However, he was prepared to conduct a dragnet search with the entire team.
After all, the Intelligence Squad's deductions were merely theoretical. The real answer had to be revealed through field investigation.
He stood steadily in an unremarkable clearing in the woods, his gaze calm, patiently waiting for the last person to return.
Time passed quietly in the silence.
Occasionally, the cry of a bird echoed through the woods, making the surroundings feel even more oppressive.
Suddenly, a "rustling" sound came from the nearby bushes.
"It's me!"
With a deliberately lowered announcement, Yuya pushed aside the dense foliage and walked over quickly, panting.
A few stray leaves hung from his hair and body, and his collar was soaked with sweat, but seeing his tidy clothing and steady breathing, it was clear he hadn't encountered a battle.
"What's the situation?" Miki asked unhurriedly.
At this moment, he was no longer anxious, his voice carrying a sense of calm strength.
"I found their tracks." Yuya replied, taking an unscrewed canteen from a subordinate beside him and tilting his head back to gulp it down.
The clear water rushed into his mouth. The portion he couldn't swallow in time overflowed from the corners of his lips, sliding down his slightly moving chin and neck into his collar.
"Phew—"
He let out a long breath, wiped the water from his lips with his sleeve, and then said, "Their base is a simple Mountain Fortress. There's a perimeter wall and two watchtowers inside. I was afraid of alerting them, so I didn't get too close, but I could just barely see two figures standing on each tower."
"This intel is enough."
Miki nodded and patted Yuya's shoulder firmly. "Rest first and recover your strength as quickly as possible."
He then turned to the others, his voice low but clearly audible to everyone. "Since we've pinpointed the location, let's formulate a battle plan. We'll start the operation once it's completely dark."
"Yes."
Everyone responded in unison with lowered voices, their eyes sparkling with eagerness.
Night fell, and thick layers of clouds completely cut off the stars and moonlight from the sky.
The entire forest was plunged into a near-viscous darkness, so silent that only the faint whimpering of the wind passing through the gaps in the leaves could be heard.
With a command from Miki, the operation began.
Mamoru watched as figures nimbly disappeared into the dense undergrowth, quickly vanishing at the edge of his vision.
He looked up. The night sky was a dead, pure black, as if all light had been devoured by an invisible behemoth.
Without the moonlight, the forest appeared even more profound, so dark that one could hardly see their own hand in front of them. This extreme darkness was, in a way, a stroke of luck for the companions on their stealth mission.
"Mamoru, aren't you... afraid?" Yoko, approached under the cover of night, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, her shoulder brushing against his arm as if by accident.
"If you're afraid, go find Teruhito or Daichi." Mamoru said, stepping aside without a word, his tone carrying a hint of helpless detachment. "The two of them would surely be happy to comfort you."
"Yoko, don't be afraid. Hold my hand."
Sure enough, Teruhito immediately leaned in with a fawning smile. "Don't worry, even if I have to risk my life, I'll protect you."
"Who wants your protection? Get lost, you fat pig!" Yoko replied ungratefully, her expression souring instantly, her voice filled with disgust.
"W-Why..."
Teruhito felt as if he had been struck by lightning, clutching his chest in pain, his voice carrying an exaggerated sob.
"I'm clearly willing to do anything for you. Why don't you understand?"
"Enough, both of you quiet down." Daichi, who had been watching coldly from the side, finally couldn't take it anymore and interrupted.
Teruhito's behavior was truly unsightly. He wasn't pleasant to look at, yet he insisted on acting the part of a devoted lover, which only added to the nausea.
Boom!
Just then, a violent explosion echoed from the distance, startling the night birds nesting in the forest, the sound of their flapping wings filling the air for a moment.
"The battle has begun." Daichi muttered to himself, his eyes sharpening as he walked quickly toward the clearing they had prepared earlier.
He lit the firewood piled there, and in a few moments, the dancing flames rose, greedily devouring the surrounding darkness and casting the shadows of the four people in the flickering firelight.
The four of them sat around the campfire.
Daichi scanned the group with a serious expression and warned in a low voice, "Everyone, stay sharp. From now on, keep your guard at the highest level and do not relax even for a second. We could be attacked here at any time."
"Yes."
Teruhito and Yoko instinctively straightened their backs, their bodies tense, ears pricked to catch any slight movement in the surroundings.
Mamoru, however, had his eyes closed, resting his chin on one hand as if thinking about how to pass this long and boring night.
Rustle—
Just then, there was a sudden, slight movement in the nearby bushes without any warning.
"Who's there?!" Daichi reacted instantly, shouting toward the source of the sound while quickly grabbing a Kunai, assuming a combat stance.
"Ah—"
Teruhito was so startled he practically bounced off the rock he was sitting on.
Yoko let out a short scream and lunged toward Mamoru, tightly clutching his arm.
"Don't attack! It's us!"
Two figures stumbled out from behind the bushes. One of them seemed injured, draping an arm over his companion's shoulder and leaning almost his entire weight on him, looking very weak.
"Masamoto? Haruki? It's you."
Once Daichi saw their faces clearly by the firelight, he breathed a sigh of relief, though his tone remained urgent. "What happened to Haruki? Is he injured? How's the situation over there?"
"Yeah, Haruki was hit in the waist by a falling rock and has trouble moving."
Masamoto, a Chunin, helped the injured man to the campfire and, with Daichi's help, carefully settled Haruki on a relatively flat patch of ground.
Mamoru expressionlessly pried Yoko's hand off his arm and then unceremoniously pushed her aside, saying irritably, "Don't get touchy-feely with me. I'm not that kind of person."
Yoko was stunned by the push, and after hearing the second half of Mamoru's sentence, her expression became quite colorful. The way he said it made it sound like she was some kind of loose woman.