Finally

Nick blinked repeatedly as he stared at Sosora's innocent face.

"When you say 'finally' like that, it almost makes it sound like you were waiting and hoping for them to move," he bluntly pointed out before anything else.

"Nonsense. You're just imagining things." Although that's what she said, she couldn't help but glance away while clearing her throat.

Nick rolled his eyes.

"When you say the monster kings are moving…?"

"It is definitely related to you," She answered with a firm nod, squashing any hope Nick might have had.

Nick sighed.

"They are hard to keep track of and watch closely, but the Gezercher tribe have been pretty diligent in tracking the Roaring Boar. They know it fought with one of the other monster kings, but not which one. They could, however, figure out that both monster kings were moving in your direction."

"So, I might be dealing with two—"

"Two monster kings at the same time, yes. But it's no big deal for you, right, Mister Fearless?" Sosora asked with a teasing smile when she saw Nick's shoulders slump, and he put his head in his hands. But on the inside, she was growing more and more curious about Nick. How was he? Why was he living in the center of the Tiabe Forest? How had he gotten there without anyone noticing?

And why was he clearly worried about the monster kings like he didn't stand a chance against them but not afraid for his life?

She even considered staying nearby just to get a look at what would happen when the monster kings finally arrived, but she did not want to risk her life. She could always hope someone from the Gezercher tribe was keeping watch or sift through the aftermath for clues when everything was said and done.

"Well, I doubt my tribe wants me to stay here much longer, so I best get going—"

A bellowing sound like the harrowing sound of a rusty airhorn interrupted Sosora. Her face paled.

After the nearby birds flew away in a panicked hurry, the forest returned to deathly silence. Nick's face was also pale as he gulped. He had a feeling that he knew what that ominous roar was from.

"I-is that…?"

"The Roaring Boar? Yes." Sosora nodded stiffly, trying to stay composed. She glanced around, trying to pinpoint the direction it was coming from. But with the way the roar spread and locked down the air from every direction, she didn't have much success. By the time she heard the boar trample through the forest with creaks and cracks, signaling its arrival like a string of applause, it was already too late.

Sosora turned to Nick and bowed at the hips until her torso was parallel to the ground.

"If it's not too much trouble, please show me hospitality and grant me refuge!" She pleaded desperately.

Nick was stunned by her sudden fear and desperation. Sosora could fly, and she had seemed unbothered by entering the center of the forest and talking about the monster kings. But now, she was shaking until her feathers almost fell off.

"Of course," Nick responded, standing up. He glanced inside.

"If you promise not to be scared by what you see," he quickly followed up. He was not going to make the tentacle hide inside the house. That was a boundary he didn't want to cross. It felt like infringing upon its kindness too far.

Sosora hesitated for a second at those words. What was this mysterious man hiding inside that would warrant such a warning even in the face of a monster king? She couldn't even guess.

But she did know that she did not want to encounter the Roaring Boar.

"I promise." She nodded decisively. Whatever it was, she would not let the fear show on her face, and she would not let it affect her. Besides, it wasn't like Nick was going to cut her up and feed her to a monster or something. He was letting her seek refuge inside his house because he was kind.

Or very good at deception.

Sosora had resolved herself. But doing that without knowing what waited for her as soon as she stepped inside was easy. It was not as easy staying true to that resolve even with a slithering tentacle, longer than she could imagine, reached up out of the abyss of Nick's basement. It hovered right in front of her.

Sosora felt like it was going to pierce her head through her mouth and caress her brain. It was instinctive.

Her brain was repulsed by the tentacle's existence. Oddly enough, looking into the impenetrable darkness of the basement surrounding the tentacle soothed her mind. It enticed her with endless peace and calm. It invited her in.

Sosora snapped out of it when the tentacle poked her in the center of the forehead. She hadn't even been able to react, which surprised her. In hindsight, the tentacle hadn't moved fast at all. But she hadn't even noticed it move, much less thought about dodging.

If the tentacle wished her harm, she wouldn't have stood a chance.

Sosora's eyes were wide open.

Somehow, the knowledge that the tentacle could harm and possibly kill her with ease but wasn't doing so let her rest easy. It could do it, but it wasn't. That meant it wasn't going to.

"A-are you alright?" Nick asked after a little while when it looked like thought returned to Sosora's glassy eyes.

"S-sorry," she apologized, blinking repeatedly. For some reason, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She had no idea why. It was her body's subconscious reaction to wanting to wash away a sight her eyes and mind were not ready for.

She looked away.

"I-I'm alright now," She said right before the Roaring Boar let out another loud bellow, much closer this time.

Slowly, the two of them turned around and looked out through the open door.

There it was. It stood at the edge of the clearing, staring straight at them. Its eyes burned with a passionate hate for intruders on its territory. One of its front hooves scratched against the ground like it was a mad bull. It snorted and took a deep breath.

It charged.