Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)

The camp was in shambles by the time Kaede and Kirara made their way back toward the staging area. Britta greeted them with a lazy wave, her smirk sharper than usual. "You two missed all the fun," she drawled, wiping a thin line of blood off her dagger.

Ordric strode up, his expression unreadable but his tone brisk. "The camp's been cleared. Rhalin's team reported minimal casualties, and we managed to recover some stolen supplies. Good work holding the eastern flank."

Kaede glanced at Kirara, who had fallen unusually quiet since their confrontation earlier. "Yeah... That's what we were doing." She turned to Ordric. "Did we get the leader? Where is he?"

Ordric's jaw tightened, and the lanky woman from earlier, her name was Veeno, replied. "Gone. Slipped out during the confusion. Tracks lead deeper into the forest."

Kaede crossed her arms. "You're letting them go?"

"No," Ordric replied sharply. "We've sent scouts ahead to confirm their direction, but this isn't some mindless pursuit. The forest of Jura is under the storm dragon's influence."

Kaede frowned. "But we can't let them regroup. If they escape, they'll just rebuild somewhere else."

Ordric hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fine. You, Kirara, Veeno, and I will track him down. The rest will stay here to secure the camp. But keep your wits about you—the forest is filled with monsters that have adapted to the dragon's miasma."

The group moved quickly, following faint tracks that twisted deeper into the forest. The further they went, the denser the trees became, their gnarled roots snaking across the ground like traps. Eventually, the air grew thick and heavy, the faint calls of wildlife fading into an eerie silence.

Kaede felt the abrupt change, the air growing colder, a constant chill on her skin, promising pain and brutal destruction. "What is that?" No one answered, or maybe they didn't hear what she said. 'Artificia?'

'Why isn't anyone saying anything? Am I the only one who can feel this wrongness?' Kaede clenched her fists, the chill gnawing at her resolve. The sensation wasn't just cold—it felt alive, crawling across her skin like unseen claws.

Kirara walked a few paces ahead, her movements brisk but still relaxed, her earlier anger replaced by a quiet determination. Kaede trailed behind her, casting wary glances at the shadows shifting between the trees.

It was nearly an hour before they spotted the signs of another camp—trampled grass, the remnants of a fire pit, and broken branches leading further into the darkness. Veeno raised a hand, signaling the group to stop.

"They're close," she murmured. "Stay sharp."

Kaede adjusted the straps of her circular shield, a familiar knot of tension forming in her chest. Artificia's voice chimed in her mind, calm and precise.

Kaede's stomach tightened. She glanced at Kirara. "Hey maybe you should-"

Before Kirara could respond, a low, guttural growl rumbled through the air, sending a shiver down Kaede's spine. From the shadows emerged a figure larger than any bandit they'd encountered—a towering creature with black skin, jagged black markings etched across its body, oh, and a Fifteen meter long elongated body.

A black serpent.

"Damn," Veeno muttered, stepping back instinctively. "That's not your run-of-the-mill monster."

Ordric didn't flinch. "Formation!" he barked. "Kaede, keep him distracted. Britta, flank him. I'll cover the rear. Kirara-"

The snake didn't wait for them to make the first move. With a hiss, it charged, its massive head swinging toward Kaede. She raised her shield just in time, the impact reverberating through her arms and forcing her back several paces.

"Kirara!" Kaede shouted.

Kirara stepped forward, her voice sharp and commanding. "Sleep!"

The snake faltered but didn't fall, shaking off the spell with a guttural hiss. Kirara's eyes widened in shock. "It resisted?!"

Kaede tightened her grip on her shield. "Then we'll do this the hard way!"

The battle that followed was unlike anything Kaede had faced before. The snake was relentless, each swing of its tail or head leaving craters in the ground. Kaede darted around, her shield intercepting blows that would have shattered the bones of her comrades.

Veeno moved like an arrow, her movements graceful yet deadly. She struck with precision, aiming for the creature's head, but her attacks seemed to do little more than enrage it further.

"Ordric!" Kaede shouted, sweat dripping down her brow. "Forget defense! I'll protect you. I promise!"

"In that case!" Ordric called back, his sword a blur as he darted in to land a shallow strike against the snake's side. The monster instantly countered, it's blasting into Ordric's skull.

[Loving sacrifice]

Ordric didn't so much as flinch when the attack connected, resuming his attack on the beast.

Behind Ordric, Kaede grunted, a trickle of blood going down her lips. "I really should have taken that rest."

<...>

"I heard that!"

With the battle raging on, the situation slowly leaned in their favour. Unable to harm it's attackers, the monster was eventually felled.

Kaede lowered her shield, her hands trembling. "Is it… dead?"

Ordric approached cautiously, his sword at the ready. He knelt beside the fallen creature, studying it intently. "It is."

Veeno frowned. "That was a B-rank monster. It shouldn't have been this close to the edge of the forest."

Kaede turned to the adventurer. "The edge? I thought we were pretty far in "

Veeno shook her head. "No. The forest of Jura is quite massive. We're still on the edge of the forest."

The Forest of Jura stretched endlessly in all directions, shadows coiling between ancient trees, promising secrets and dangers both. Kaede had heard of its size before, but hearing it was one thing—feeling it pressing down on them was another.

Veeno crouched near the serpent's carcass, studying its black, slick scales. Her expression was pinched, her twin swords still drawn and at the ready. "I don't like this," she muttered, flicking her gaze up to Ordric. "B-rank monsters don't wander this far out. Not without a reason."

"Something must be disturbing the forest then." Ordric concluded. "Which means it's our time to leave."

Kaede was shocked. "What?"

Veeno nodded. "He's right. This forest is dangerous. The last time something similar happened, the kingdom of Brumund was almost overrun by Army Ants. We have to retreat, and report this to the adventurers guild."

"But we're so close." Kaede stared at them, her chest rising and falling as frustration churned inside her like a storm. She turned to Kirara, desperate for someone to back her up. "Kirara, come on. You know I'm right. If we let him go, more people will die—guaranteed." She let out a breath. "Who am I kidding, you don't even care."

Kirara hesitated, her silver hair falling over her face as she glanced between Kaede and the others. For a moment, she looked like she might say something, but then her shoulders sank.

Ordric said nothing as he turned, heading in the direction out of the forest of Jura. Veeno followed soon after, and then Kirara. Gritting her teeth, Kaede followed after them. 'Artificia can you find him?'

'You don't even know what he looks like.' Kaede sunk her shoulders. 'Try anyway, chances are he's dressed just like his crew.' above the group, a tiny drone shot into sky moving farther into the forest.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Kirara glance back at her. The look on her face was hard to read—concern, maybe, or something else Kaede couldn't quite place. But Kirara said nothing, choosing instead to keep pace with the others as they pushed toward safer ground.

---

The minutes crawled by, and the forest grew quieter, its unnatural silence pressing down like a weight. Kaede kept her gaze fixed on the dirt trail beneath her boots, pretending to follow while her mind raced ahead.

Then Artificia's voice chimed in.

Kaede's heart skipped a beat. "Humanoid? Is it him?"

Kaede slowed her steps, her pulse quickening. She shot a glance toward the others—Ordric at the lead, Veeno just behind him, Kirara bringing up the middle. No one had noticed yet.

Now or never.

She darted off the path, her boots barely making a sound as she slipped into the shadowy underbrush.

Unknown to Kaede, Kirara watched her as she slipped into the forest. Thanks to her new passive skill [Battle Awareness] Kirara had a great perception of hostile territory and the forest of Jura was definitely a hostile territory.

Certain that Ordric and Veeno weren't paying attention, she slipped after her only friend.

---

Veeno turned, brow furrowing. "Where are the girls?" she sounded exasperated.

Ordric's sharp gaze flicked to the empty spot where Kaede and Kirara had been moments before. "Damn it. Those fools!" He spun back to face the others. "Veeno, double back. Find them and drag them out of this forest if you have to."

Veeno paled. "Wait, what if—"

"No 'what ifs,'" Ordric snapped. "If we leave them alone, they're as good as dead."

---

Kaede ran, ducking under low-hanging branches and leaping over gnarled roots that seemed to snatch at her feet. Her breath came hard, but she didn't slow, Artificia's instructions guiding her like an invisible thread.

The forest pressed in on all sides, the air colder than before, tinged with a sickly weight. Kaede could feel it deep in her bones.

Finally, she burst into a clearing, the ground uneven and covered in patches of scorched earth.

And there he was.

The bandit leader stood at the far edge of the clearing, his back to her. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his tattered cloak flaring in the slight wind. A jagged, slightly rusted blade hung at his side, and he muttered something low under his breath—words Kaede couldn't quite hear.

"Found you," she breathed, planting her feet firmly as she raised her shield.

The man turned slowly, his face coming into view. He was older than she expected, his skin weathered and scarred, eyes hollow and rimmed with shadows. But what struck her most was the purple colour of his skin, and the single horn on his forehead.

Kaede's blood ran cold.

The man's lips curled into a sigh. "Once again, you humans take what is mine." he said, his voice like gravel. "And I'm supposed to just take it. Just another monster."

Kaede tightened her grip on her shield, ignoring the tremor in her hands. "I don't wanna hear it."

The man laughed, a broken, hollow sound. "You're bold, I'll give you that." His free hand rose, red tendrils of energy swirling around his fingers like fire. "Coming after me alone."

Before Kaede could react, the man thrust his hand forward, and the red energy exploded toward her.

Kaede immediately raised her shield in front of her, deflecting the blast but sending her skidding backward. Pain lanced through her arms as she dug her heels in, her shield absorbing what little energy slipped past.

"Cheap tricks won't save you either," the man said darkly, stalking toward her.

Kaede's mind raced. "That hurt a lot more than expected.'

"Artificia," she whispered, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart. "What gives? Why am I so weak?"

Kaede's eyes widened. "What!"

The bandit leader lunged, closing the distance with frightening speed. Kaede raised her shield just in time, the man's blade crashing against it with a deafening clang. Sparks flew as she staggered under the force of the blow, but she unexpectedly held firm.

Even the bandit was surprised, as he discontinued his attack, leaping back in caution.

With the new breathing room she had acquired, Kaede made a quick change and her circular shield vanished, replaced by her black tower shield. "Bring it."