Chapter 5 : Mysterious rescue

Sora struggled to his feet and asked:

— Why did you help me?

The young girl replied calmly:

— I couldn't just let someone die before my eyes. Besides, eliminating that goblin king was part of my mission.

She glanced around the cave and noticed the three goblins lying on the ground. Surprised, she asked Sora:

— Did you kill them?

— Yes… but it was mostly luck, he replied humbly.

The young girl wasn't convinced. This wasn't the kind of battle one won by sheer luck. However, she chose not to press the matter. The important thing was that the goblins had been defeated.

Sora and the girl left the cave and headed toward the city. Yet, a lingering doubt gnawed at the fighter's mind. She found it strange that the goblin king had been defeated so easily. A gut feeling told her he might not have been completely vanquished… and she was right. That monster possessed a terrifying regenerative ability.

On the way, she suggested to Sora that they grab a drink together so she could learn more about him. She had never seen him in town before. Intrigued and impressed by her skills, Sora agreed.

Seated at a table in an inn, Yukiko ordered a drink for Sora and asked him to tell her about his adventure. He recounted his experience but avoided going into too much detail, carefully omitting the whole truth.

— I see… she replied, skeptical.

Something didn't add up. The goblins he had fought were rank A, yet he…

— Tell me, are you an adventurer?

— Yes, I'm rank D, he replied.

Yukiko's eyes widened in shock.

— Wait… You're rank D and you managed to defeat three rank A goblins?! Those creatures are three levels above you! Why did you take on that quest?

— It was an accident, Sora explained with a sigh. I was just supposed to hunt five rabbits…

Exhausted by all these revelations, Yukiko chose not to press further.

After a moment of silence, she finally introduced herself:

— My name's Yukiko. I'm 17 years old.

— I'm Sora. I'm 16, he replied.

Curious, Yukiko asked which club he belonged to.

— I'm part of the Adventurers' Club.

A smile lit up Yukiko's face.

— Me too!

She paused before continuing:

— What's your goal?

Sora hesitated for a moment. He knew exactly what he wanted: to become the King of Soldiers. But he didn't dare admit it. He simply replied:

— I don't know yet…

To avoid the awkwardness, he turned the question back to Yukiko. She was about to answer when an explosion echoed from the forest—the very place where they had fought the goblins.

A crushing, malevolent presence suddenly rose, drawing dangerously close to the city.

— Not again… Yukiko murmured, her gaze darkening.

She rose abruptly.

— I won't let another massacre happen.

Without wasting a second, she rushed toward the source of the sinister aura. Sora hesitated briefly, then followed her, determined to understand what was going on.

When they arrived, they were met with the unthinkable: the goblin king was still alive. Yukiko's intuition had been right.

She drew her sword and cast an ice spell. Crystalline blades shot toward the monster, slicing off its arms and legs… But, to their disbelief, the mutilated body regenerated instantly.

— So that's it… she murmured.

She had just realized why the king had survived,his regenerative power was far more potent than she had imagined.

Determined to try a different approach, Yukiko focused her magic and conjured a massive fireball, hurling it at her enemy. Convinced she had found the solution, she allowed herself a faint smile… But when the king emerged from the flames unscathed, without so much as a scratch, her confidence wavered.

Before she could react, the goblin extended a hand toward her and activated a gravity spell. Yukiko felt her body grow unbearably heavy—she couldn't move. She was trapped.

Just as she thought her end had come, a shadow appeared from nowhere. A masked man, wielding a sword with inhuman speed, sliced through the air and cleaved the goblin king in half in a fraction of a second. The monster's body vanished instantly, annihilated without a trace.

Yukiko stood frozen, stunned. What just happened?

Five minutes later, Sora arrived at the scene, out of breath.

— Are you okay?! he asked, worried.

Yukiko hesitated. Should she tell him the truth? Should she admit that she hadn't done anything and that a stranger had saved the day?

Sora looked at her with admiration.

— Incredible… You managed to kill him all by yourself?

Faced with this unexpected recognition, an internal conflict stirred within her. She didn't want to disappoint him… So, after a brief moment of hesitation, she simply nodded:

— Yes, it was me.