Start the first mission - Part 2

"Did you hear that?" Kazuki asked, his voice tense.

"Yes," Enea replied, his expression serious. "Let's check it out, but don't rush in. Observe first. We need to understand what's happening before revealing ourselves. The last thing we want is a misunderstanding with the locals."

Kazuki nodded, and the two moved swiftly but cautiously toward the commotion. As they got closer, they crouched behind a cluster of large fern bushes lining what appeared to be a well-worn path.

In front of them, a fierce battle unfolded. A group of six humans clad in futuristic bodysuits wielded oversized melee weapons, each designed for brutal close combat. They were fending off ten large theropod dinosaurs, each about the height of a man but stretching an imposing eight meters in length. The humans stood between the creatures and a small, heavily armored truck they were clearly protecting.

The group's leader was a striking young woman with long silver hair that faded to orange at the tips. Her eyes gleamed a vivid, fiery orange that mirrored the color of her hair's ends. She wielded an impressive all silver European-style sword—just under one and a half meters long—with a thin, razor-sharp blade. Its hilt was shaped like the open mouth of a velociraptor, with two orange claws curving outward. Despite the intensity of the fight, she bore no visible injuries, though her exhaustion was evident. The same could not be said for her companions, who were covered in wounds and looked near collapse. Meanwhile, all ten remaining dinosaurs seemed unscathed. Nearby, however, lay the decapitated bodies of four of their kind—undoubtedly her handiwork.

After taking in the scene for a few seconds, Enea spoke quietly. "We should help them. They might have valuable information. Plus, this is a perfect opportunity for a cool entrance."

Kazuki grabbed his arm. "Wait! Weren't you the one who said we need to be careful?"

But Enea was already gone.

"Damn it!" Kazuki hissed, leaping from his hiding spot to follow.

Enea appeared in the middle of the chaos, his black-and-white katana gleaming in hand and a chilling smile on his face. In one fluid motion, he decapitated three dinosaurs encircling one of the more injured boys. The speed of his strikes sent the heads rolling before anyone could react.

Kazuki wasn't far behind. He sprinted toward a girl who had collapsed from exhaustion, just as one of the dinosaurs lunged for her. With a powerful straight punch to its snout, Kazuki killed the creature instantly. The force of the blow, however, sent a sharp pain shooting through his hand.

"Damn! How can its skull be this tough? I should've activated the bandage before hitting it," he thought, wincing as he prepared for another attack.

The silver-haired girl, seizing the opening created by the newcomers, moved with such speed that even Kazuki, fresh from training, could barely follow her. In a blur, she plunged her blade into the windpipe of a dinosaur in front of her, killing it instantly.

The remaining five dinosaurs, startled by the sudden carnage and spooked by Enea's presence, hesitated for a moment before retreating into the depths of the forest.

As the danger subsided, Kazuki approached Enea, his voice low and sharp. "You said we needed to be careful. What are we supposed to do if they get suspicious of us now?"

Enea shrugged, his expression calm. "I guess we're about to find out."

Before Kazuki could respond, the silver-haired girl approached them. She studied them intently, her gaze piercing but without hostility. Kazuki braced himself for suspicion, but instead, she bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your assistance!" she said, her voice melodic yet vibrant. "If not for you, I might've survived, but I doubt I could've saved these beginners from that group of Wiehenvenators."

"Beginners?" Kazuki asked, intrigued.

She nodded. "Yes. This was their first hunting mission, and I was tasked with overseeing their success and protecting them if necessary. The hunt itself went well, but on our way back, we were ambushed by fourteen Wiehenvenators. I managed to kill four, but the rest proved too much for these novices to handle. Thank you again for stepping in when you did."

"No problem, but Miss...?" Enea prompted.

"Ah, forgive my rudeness!" she exclaimed. "I am Sigrid Schleifer, eldest daughter of the noble house of Schleifer and vice commander of the Eidechsenjäger Association."

"My name is Enea Draghi," Enea said, pausing briefly to let Kazuki introduce himself.

"Kenmoto Kazuki," he added.

Enea continued, "We're travelers and would greatly appreciate it if we could accompany you to your city. We're unfamiliar with the area and running low on food and water. A place to rest would be a tremendous help."

Sigrid's orange eyes lit up with curiosity. "Travelers, you say? I suspected as much when I saw that unusual sword you used, Mr. Enea. This is wonderful! Of course, you can accompany us. Not only did you save these novices, but you're also the first travelers to visit our city in twenty years! I'll need to confirm your stay with the captain, but given your strength, I doubt it'll be an issue."

"Perfect. Then it's settled," Enea said, glancing at Kazuki. "What do you think?"

Relieved that Sigrid didn't seem suspicious of them, Kazuki nodded. Turning to her, he said, "Schleifer-san, thank you very much for helping us." He bowed deeply.

Sigrid tilted her head slightly. "'San'? Is that a tradition in your city? Could you explain its meaning?"

"It's simply a way of addressing someone respectfully," Kazuki explained. "It's similar to the 'Mr.' you used with my name."

"Fascinating," Sigrid said with a smile. "Thank you for the explanation, Mr. Kenmoto. Now, we should prepare to leave. Staying outside the city with injured people is dangerous; the smell of blood could attract other predators, including more Wiehenvenators."

With that, she turned to the five novice hunters, who sat on the ground, visibly exhausted.

When Sigrid reached the novice hunters, her demeanor shifted entirely. Her voice became sharp, commanding, and almost militaristic as she barked at them:

"What are you fools doing? Do you want to die out here? Have I not drilled it into your heads that no matter your condition or the circumstances, you must remain vigilant at all times? None of you are so injured that you can't stand. Get up immediately, or I'll kill you myself before the dinosaurs get the chance!"

The five hunters scrambled to their feet, their faces pale and drenched in sweat. In unison, they shouted, "YES, MA'AM!"

"Good. We're leaving now, and I don't want to hear a single complaint on the way back," Sigrid continued, her tone unwavering. "But first, go thank Mr. Enea and Mr. Kenmoto. Without their help, most of you would be dinosaur dung by now. Move it!"

The group nodded hastily, ignoring the pain from their injuries as they shuffled toward Enea and Kazuki. Bowing deeply, they said in unison, "Thank you for saving us. Without your help, we'd all be dead!"

Kazuki observed them more closely now that the chaos had subsided. He noticed peculiar features that marked them as far from ordinary humans. The girl he had saved earlier had feathers growing among her hair, while the boys Enea had rescued had crocodilian teeth peeking out when they spoke. Additionally, all five had hair with two distinct colors, one more dominant than the other—a strange but consistent feature.

"So these must be the mutations the old man mentioned, Kazuki thought. But Sigrid… she's different. She doesn't have any visible animal traits, yet her speed and strength are far beyond normal. Could it be her uniform? And what's the deal with everyone having two-toned hair? Is this some bizarre trend? And why does her personality change so drastically when she talks to us versus her subordinates?!"

Kazuki pushed the questions aside for now. Asking too many could make him appear suspicious, especially since he wasn't sure how much knowledge an outsider was expected to have.

Once everyone had taken their assigned positions around the vehicle, Sigrid led the group back toward the city. Kazuki and Enea walked alongside her at the front, while the novices split up—two on each side of the vehicle and one guarding the rear.

"Schleifer-san," Kazuki began as they walked, "I've been curious since I first saw it. What's inside that vehicle?"

Sigrid glanced at him. "It's carrying the result of the hunt. Inside the mobile freezer is a Plateosaurus carcass. Once we're back in the city, it'll be skinned and butchered. Depending on the quality and quantity of the meat, the rookies who captured it will be paid accordingly. The meat will then be sold at various markets through the association."

"So the Eidechsenjäger Association handles hunting for the city?"

"Yes," Sigrid replied with a nod. "Our primary responsibility is providing food for the city. But we also deal with bandits, patrol the walls, and protect anyone venturing beyond the dome. Essentially, we handle most of the dangerous work outside the city."

"That sounds like a dangerous job," Kazuki said, genuinely impressed.

"It is," Sigrid admitted, "but I couldn't stand doing nothing to contribute. I'm the only member of the noble Schleifer family who has no talent for crafting armor for the Eidechsenverteidiger, so I decided to prove my worth another way. Four years ago, when I discovered I was the first in my family to become an Eidechsenverteidiger, I enlisted as an Eidechsenjäger. At first, my family was against it, worried about my safety. But they eventually relented and gave me what my father called the best armor he'd ever crafted. I trained relentlessly, and in just two years, I earned the rank of vice commander."

Sigrid paused, her cheeks flushing. "I apologize, Mr. Kenmoto. I started rambling about my life without asking if you were even interested."

Kazuki quickly shook his head. "No need to apologize. It's a great story. It's good to know there are parents who support their children like that" He hesitated before adding, "But there's a term you mentioned several times that I didn't understand. Something like the name of your association."

"You mean Eidechsenverteidiger?"

"Yes, that's the one. You said you became one four years ago. What does it mean?"

Sigrid seemed relieved that her story hadn't bothered him. She explained, "I apologize again—I hadn't considered that the term might differ in your city. Eidechsenverteidiger are people who, around the age of fifteen, start developing a second hair color and manifest animal traits somewhere on their body. Along with these physical changes, they gain greatly enhanced strength, speed, and endurance, making them far more capable in combat than normal humans."

"Ah, I see," Kazuki said, nodding. A bead of sweat ran down his temple as he scrambled to maintain his cover. "These people are rare in my city, so it didn't occur to me right away. But then, Schleifer-san, you must be one too. Where are your animal traits? I don't see any."

Sigrid's face turned red, and she looked away. "You can't see them because they're hidden under my clothes. But, Mr. Kenmoto, I'd prefer not to discuss it. It's… quite embarrassing. So, could you please stop staring at me so intently?"

Realizing what he was doing, Kazuki blushed furiously and stammered, "I—I'm sorry!" He quickly averted his gaze, silently cursing his curiosity.

An awkward silence fell between them, but it was broken when the group emerged from the dense jungle.

Before them stood the immense city, its silhouette dominating the horizon.