Iltimina's companion and party leader, Kirt Amandes, was a beautiful woman with silver hair and golden eyes.

　Her age would be around 20-25 years old.

　She looked a bit older than Iltimina-san.

　Her height was shorter than I expected, and it was good to say she was petite.

　And yet, the gestures, the atmosphere, and most of all, her inhuman beauty, made her look larger than she really was.

　Kirto-san wore black armor that covered only her torso and both legs, and on her back she carried a large sword that was larger than she was.

　However, there is a red cloth wrapped around the blade, so it is impossible to tell what is inside.

　And even though she is carrying such a super weight on her back, she runs through the forest at night like a black lightning bolt.

　--I'm not going to be the only one who can do this.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


"-- Merle," you say?　Are you sure this is the right direction?

　Ms. Kilt's sharp, choking voice flew in.

　I nodded coyly, clinging to her neck with each beautiful silver hair.

　The vibration was so intense that I almost bit my tongue when I spoke.

　Kilt-san's tremendous running speed was much faster than Illtimina-san.

(Or maybe it was the other way around...?)

　Maybe it was because she was running with me in mind, and Illtimina was slow.

　I didn't notice it at all.

　I should thank her properly.

　That's why I have to take these people to Illtimina-san, properly!

　I check the position of the red moon above my head.

It's huge and strong!　You never stop, South!　There's a hunter's cabin in the woods!

　In between shakes, I scream frantically.

　Then Mr. Kilt says, "Huh? He let out an admiring voice.

'Did you see the direction from the Red Moon?
Irty, Mina showed me how to do it!
I see.

　I nodded as if I was convinced.

　And the girl running behind him - Solstice-san - bit her thumbnail in frustration.

''There, that's not where we checked two days ago!　Oh, you've been misplaced!

　He shouted and crumpled his hands and ruffled his soft purple hair with both hands.

　Ms. Soltis Wong.

　She was a girl who Iltimina had told me was her sister, and to my surprise, she was about ten to twelve years old, just like me.

　As you can see, she's a vivacious girl.

　Her large eyes were red and her young face was well-defined and very pretty.

　She seems to be promised to be a beautiful woman in the future, even if she thinks about her sister.

　She wears light leather armor and a shirt that looks like a mini-skirt, and on her small back is a large staff with that magic stone on it, of disproportionate size.

　Despite the cuteness of her appearance, she must be an adventurer after all - even now, with her young legs, she's still showing off her leg strength to keep up with Mr. Kilt.　

　And Soltis-san, who was throwing a tantrum, suddenly glared at me and her voice was sharp as if she was taking it out on me.

''Hey, antah!　I hope it's true what you said earlier!

(Did I just say that?)

"The Red Dragon of Darkness Aura!　And my sister Irna says she's fighting!
It's true!

　I yelled back.

　Otherwise, I wouldn't be this desperate!

'In The Cliffs of Toggle, Mr. Illtimina defeated him!　But then Gad's body fell into the depths...
So you were tainted by the local "aura of darkness"?
Yes!
Mmmmmm ... that's so fake!

　Why?

(I mean, maybe she's not just basing it on her distrust of me!

　I'm angry and disgusted, and she sticks a young finger at me with her zealous eyes.

'Isn't it obvious?　I mean, who the hell are you?

(Heh?)

''My name is Marle,'' ''I met Illtimina-san in the forest,'' and ''On our way out of the forest together, I was attacked by Gad, the red fang dragon with a dark aura'' - a fool!　In the first place, why are we talking about a kid alone in the woods!
So, that's what I'm talking about.
You don't expect me to believe such a convenient story!

　Is that so?

(But Mr. Illtimina, you believed me...)

　Mr. Soltis - no, I can't call him that anymore - I was a little bit depressed, because of the power of Soltis.

　Because it's true, and more than that, how do you expect me to explain it?

　And.

Shut up, both of you.

　The air felt heavy and hard as iron.

'If you have time to talk, move your feet, Sol. Are we falling behind, little by little?
I'm sorry.

　Solstice is tazed by Kilt-san's golden gaze.

　And that gaze shoots through me, too.

　A chill runs down my spine.

You must be Marle. I do not believe your story," he said. We will find out the truth when we have found Illtimina and then hear it from her. If it is true, then so be it. But if it's not, that's fine.
..........
You don't think you're gonna get away with it?

　He was serious.

　There was a definite killing intent in Kilt-san's eyes - I knew that because he had killed the evil tiger.

　I nodded divinely.

''At that time, kill me.''
..........
'I had help from Miss Illtimina. So I wouldn't lie to two of her friends. -- and if I'm the one who's going to cheat on Ms. Illtimina, I'd rather have her killed.

　Mr. Kilt said, "Huh? He muttered, and Solstice looked surprised.

　I think he had the nerve to surprise himself.

　But he meant it.

(I don't want to betray that man's kind smile, I don't want to ever again.)

　The betrayal of not making it to 5km from the medis this time was erased by meeting the two of them, but I don't think I want to cause any more of that.

(.........Huh?)

　Then I remembered the question I had in the first place.

''Um ... can I ask you one thing, too?''
What is it?
What are you two doing in there?　Iltimina told me you were in Medis....
You know what I mean.　I've been looking for my sister Irna!

Are you an idiot? --The gaze told me.

　Mr. Kilt nodded, shaking his rich silver hair.

'For a mere distress, Irna has not come back, too. I asked the innkeeper to give a message to the innkeeper, and for the last three days the warriors have been out searching the Great Forest of Aldoria.

(Was it?)

　But Mr. Quilt just frowned a little.

But I didn't think they'd go as far as the Toggle Cliffs. No wonder we couldn't find them.
''It's true. And when a luminescent signal bullet went up there and I rushed over thinking it was sister Irna... I didn't expect it to be just a dying raggedy brat...

I see.

　That dying rag I was, I nodded my head in great agreement.

　And I was kind of happy.

(Illtimina-san, you were properly worried about me, weren't you? ........good.)

　Mr. Kilt was scary, and Solstice was a foul-mouthed, cocky kid.

　But they were both desperately looking for Illtimina-san, and I knew they were good friends.

　So I thought that they must really be 'good people' too.

''What, are you grinning, rag?　It's disgusting!
..........

　........Yeah, I'm sure he's a 'good guy', I'm sure.

　Shaking my fists, I swallow my anger and do my best to calm myself down.

　Kilt-san chuckles, then exhales.　

　And the raised beauty no longer looked loose.

''Alright, let's speed it up a bit more.'' --Sol, let's skip the 'light bird' and widen our vision.
Copy that.

　As he runs, Solstice grips the large cane on his back in his hand.

　Hyundai.

　As the large staff was waved in the air as if drawing letters, the magic stone in the center began to shine white.

　With a large swing, he swung his shining great staff down in front of him.

''Fly in front of us, 'Lightum Vadoo'!

　Piiiiiiin.

　There was a sound like the chirping of a bird, and a bird made of glowing white light flew out of the magic stone.

(Oh!)

　It spread its wings and flew ahead of us.

　Its glow was stronger and wider than the lantern lights, illuminating the surrounding forest and dispelling the darkness of the night.

''Great........''

　I was blindsided, and she laughed at me, "Nyohoho..." with a proud smile.

'You can respect me, rags?'
'Yeah, I respect that!　That's awesome, Solstice.
.......... Well, well~

　For some reason, she turned away and started scratching her own little nose.

(?)　(What's going on?)

　I look at him in a scary way.

　We were listening to our ears.

No more talking. --Let's go.

　Kilt's iron-like voice announced.

　Thud!

(What?!)

　Instantly, like a shell, her speed increased.

　A level where she couldn't breathe anymore.

　Solstice also seems to have no more time to speak, and is chasing after me with a desperate expression.

　I, too, adjust my posture so as not to lose the wind pressure.

(Wait for me, Illtimina-san!　I'll be right there!

　In my heart, I called out to that distant person.

　The two beautiful Demon Hunters and I were guided by the brilliance of the Light Bird as we sped through the deep darkness of the Great Forest of Aldoria at a terrific speed.