Rangers Endgame

By the time they'd reached the exit, it was already dark out. Just as Aoi had predicted before they entered, the glitter bulbs scattered throughout the vegetation were truly mesmerizing, their soft hues resembling a sea of stars stretching through the trees.

Kazeki glanced back at the unconscious Aoi piggybacking on him.

"Just as you said, this really is a beautiful sight."

It felt as if it took them ages to find their way out. With Kazeki and Kateshi having to carry their teammates and with Yakeru's injured leg it took longer to get to the exit. Not to mention the detour they were forced to take since pits opened up in the floor the way they came. So when they finally arrived back at the entrance, relief washed over them.

The cool night air brushing against their skin was a welcomed change. Kazeki took exaggerated inhales, relieved he wouldn't have to stay in that stuffy dungeon any longer.

As they made their way through the jungle, Kateshi spotted something that wasn't there on their way to the dungeon. Usually, the thick greenery above them would've blocked out the moonlight but there was a wide gap in the otherwise dense branches and leaves above them, allowing the soft light to trickle in. This allowed him to spot a massive boulder a few dozen feet away. Had it not been for the moonlight, he'd have run into it.

"I do not recall this being here." He approached it with a tilted head.

Kazeki peeked around his muscular bicep, spotting the silhouettes of several more boulders behind the one in front of them.

"It's not the only one."

Yakeru studied the boulders for a moment, cupping his chin. He also couldn't recall there being any obstacles on their way to the dungeon of the sort so it was strange to come across some on their way back. They were certainly too big for anyone to move on their own and there weren't any monsters in the area physically strong enough to do so either. It was only when he tilted his head up to see the moonlight peer through the gaps in the leaves and broken branches.

"I think they may have fallen from the mountain." Yakeru speculated.

"Makes sense," Kenji agreed. "That would explain the sudden quake we felt earlier that caused the philorium sacks to detonate."

An avalanche was plausible. The mountain seemed stable during the journey to the dungeon. However, you'd need a powerful force for an event like that to occur.

'What could've possibly caused an avalanche so violent that we felt it underground?' Yakeru pondered as they continued, taking a detour around the cluster of jagged boulders until the path revealed itself again.

The path led to a clearing once they'd reached the base of the mountain. Trudging up the steady incline, they were forced to take periodic breaks, courtesy of the extra weight. As for Yakeru, the pain in his leg only worsened as limping, regardless of Kenji's support, only became increasingly stressful. He was even tempted to ask the giant of the group to carry him.

Nonetheless, they powered through their troubles until the trail had flattened out. As they continued they came across more rubble that halted their progress.

"More? Seriously?" Kazeki groaned.

There were massive chunks taken out of the side of the mountain.

"I'm guessing this is where the avalanche started." Kenji deduced.

Unlike before, bypassing this hurdle would mean taking a massive detour around the entire mountain which would take hours. They simply didn't have the energy to spare, especially with the extra baggage.

"It would seem we have no choice but to push through!" Kateshi exclaimed, gently setting down Fuyumi and grabbing his battle axe once holstered on his back.

Imbuing his axe, he winded up before Kenji shouted, "No, stop!"

He stopped mid-swing.

"Hm? What seems to be the issue?"

"Are you trying to risk another avalanche you big ape? Besides it looks like we have just enough wiggle room to get through."

Kateshi looked back at the rubble before him and sure enough, he spotted narrow passageways between the rocks. He looked back, giving Kazeki and Kenji an understanding nod.

Holstering his axe on his back, he scooped up his unconscious teammate and approached the debris. As they did, a strange glistening stone caught their attention, one with a cylindrical shape. Upon closer inspection, they realized it wasn't a stone at all but rather a vial, faintly reflecting the dim moonlight, with droplets of a red substance inside. Kenji stooped down, carefully picking it up so he wouldn't spill the liquid inside.

"I've never seen a red elixir before..." Kazeki remarked.

"Most strange indeed. Perhaps they have discovered a new type of elixir." Kateshi concured

There were various elixirs on the market. They all served a different purpose and were color-coded, making it easy to differentiate them from each other, such as:

Health elixirs - Green

Enhancement elixirs - Blue

Stamina elixirs - Violet

To their knowledge, they've never seen an elixir with red coloration.

Why was it lying in this rubble of all places?

Why haven't they seen this type of elixir before?

Was it a new type?

If so, what type was it?

Why haven't they seen it at any vendors?

Questions flooded their minds but Yakeru's groan reminded them of their original task: getting back to Yama Village. Kenji pocketed the vial for later before the group squeezed through the narrow spaces created by the boulders and resumed their journey.

*****

Fuyumi jolted awake with cold sweat droplets sliding down her face, though her lurch earned her a sharp pain shooting through her side.

"Tch!!"

"Woah! Careful!"

She turned her head in the direction of the familiar voice to find Yakeru lying in a bed wearing a hospital gown and a cast on his leg. She glanced down to find herself wearing a gown of her own, her ring and pinky fingers in splints while nearly half of her body was wrapped in bandages. She slouched back in bed before the sharp pain had a chance to intensify from sitting up.

"We're still recovering so try not to move so much."

She took a moment to scan the room. Unlike other hospitals, this one was mostly made of stone, the architecture blending seamlessly with comforting decors. It was then that she noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Aoi?" She asked.

"She was transferred to another ward. She wasn't severely injured or anything, just unconscious from exhausting her radiance."

"I see."

"Yeah..."

As expected, the room was plunged into silence. The combination of faint murmurs from the nurses escorting other patients down the hall became more audible through the wooden door.

As they sat in silence, she studied the room a bit more. Yakeru on the other hand, squirmed, not because of the awkward situation he found himself in, but because something had been tugging at the corner of his mind after they arrived at the dungeon. It was likely the ice queen wouldn't think much of his feelings on the matter but his curiosity got the better of him.

"You know, back there in the dungeon...I've never seen you fight like that before."

As expected, she didn't so much as look in his direction. All he could do was assume she was silently listening to what he had to say and hope she wouldn't be dismissive afterward.

"The monsters we've hunted before, you were always so calm and collected. But this time it seemed like you were willing to throw yourself into the fire to kill that bloodhound," he continued.

Memories of their time together played out in his head. She always had an aloof persona, keeping everyone at arm's length and making it difficult to get close to her. Regardless of whether she intended it or not, her soft side would periodically slip through the cracks of her stone-cold exterior. From their first meeting, he never imagined he'd form an attachment to such a person...unfortunately, the feeling wasn't mutual.

"It was concerning. I don't know what kind of connection you have to those things and I know you don't really see us as your friends but...I'm willing to listen if you'd like."

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination but he could've sworn he saw a tinge of guilt flash across her face. She studied the ceiling, her cool guise giving way to uncertainty as she hesitated to speak as if debating with herself. A moment passed before she took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"Their kind is responsible for taking my home..." she said with reluctance in her voice as her bruised hand tightened its grip on her bedsheets. Her voice, usually defensive and cold, quivered as she spoke. "...and someone important to me."

He lay silently and listened. He wasn't expecting much so he was surprised by her sudden vulnerability. Although he was curious about who she was referring to, he allowed her to reveal more at her own pace.

"I'm so sorry. That must've been a horrible experience." He replied sympathetically. He'd never seen even a remotely similar traumatic event before so he couldn't imagine what that was like.

Her eyes refused to leave the ceiling as she struggled to put her feelings into words, her voice smaller than before.

"...now, every time I close my eyes, all I see is..." she sniffled.

Turning her head away, she used her sleeve to wipe a tear that had formed in her eye as she quickly changed the subject.

"So where are the others?"

Sensing her discomfort, he dropped the subject. He couldn't help but feel relieved knowing that she was willing to open up to him now.

"Well, Kateshi said he was going to check on Aoi while Kenji and Kazeki went out to find a local elixir shop."

She gave a disappointed sigh.

"Kenji isn't planning something shady again, is he?"

Yakeru let out a chuckle.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. On our way back to the village, we found an elixir we'd never seen before. They thought if they could find a brewer it could shed light on what kind of elixir it is."