The morning sun filtered softly through the treetops, dappling the forest floor in streaks of gold and shadow. Yoshiya stretched, rubbing his shoulders as Omina carefully organized the saddlebags for the two boars. Today's task was simple in theory—accept a guild quest, reach the kobold camp, defeat the troublemakers, and return with loot. Simple, that is, if not for the whispered rumors that a certain lone hunter had already visited the area.
"Morning, Lia," Yoshiya greeted as they arrived at the guild outpost.
Lia looked up from her ledger and gave a small, serious smile. "Ah, just in time. A kobold camp has been causing trouble near the northern cave. Are you two ready for this?"
Omina grinned, confident as always. "Always ready, Lia. Just tell us the details."
Yoshiya frowned slightly. "How many kobolds are we expecting?"
Lia adjusted her glasses, glancing down at her notes. "Around a dozen, possibly more. Be cautious. And… bring back what you can. But watch your backs."
They accepted the quest, checking their gear and ensuring the boars were ready. Baboar snorted impatiently, while LaBoar pawed the dirt, eager for action. A light breeze carried the scent of forest pine, but beneath it lay a subtle tension—the kind that hinted at a storm yet to come.
As they traveled through the forest, the usual morning chorus of birds seemed muted, the air heavy with anticipation.
"Quiet today… almost too quiet," Omina muttered, her eyes scanning the tree line.
Yoshiya tightened his grip on the reins. "The forest seems calm, but calm is deceptive. Stay alert."
The boars followed silently, their ears twitching at every distant rustle. They moved with purpose, but the tension between the two adventurers was palpable. Then, something in the underbrush caught their eyes.
A figure moved with unnerving precision. Blood smeared across his armor, his posture rigid, his pace deliberate. Kaito Mugenrei. He carried in his hands the severed head of a kobold shaman.
Omina's breath caught. "Is that… Kaito? He's… covered in blood…"
Yoshiya's voice was calm but wary. "Stay calm. Don't provoke him. Let's observe."
Kaito moved alone, silent as a shadow. He did not acknowledge their presence, nor did he slow his pace. The more they watched, the clearer it became that he operated under a code of efficiency that left no room for hesitation—or mercy.
The forest opened into a small clearing, and there it was—the kobold camp. Tents lay in ruins, fires still smoldering, wagons overturned and broken. The scene was chaos incarnate, yet eerily meticulous. The remaining kobolds had been exterminated; only a few scraps of weapons and armor were left behind, along with a meager handful of coins.
Omina's voice was soft, almost reverent. "He… he didn't leave much behind."
Yoshiya shook his head, his eyes scanning the carnage. "This is insane. He just… obliterated everything."
"Reckless, but effective," Omina said. Her tone was equal parts awe and unease. She crouched beside the remnants of a burnt tent, lifting a fragment of leather. "Even the boars would hesitate here…"
Yoshiya's lips tightened. "We need to keep an eye on him. If this is how he operates alone, I can't imagine what he could do against stronger enemies."
They moved cautiously through the camp, collecting what they could. Coins, scraps of weaponry, and bits of armor were all they found. Not nearly enough to compensate for the effort—but enough to remind them how brutal and efficient Kaito was. Every step he took, every swing of his blade, had been calculated yet merciless.
"He doesn't care about anyone else," Yoshiya muttered, glancing back at the figure of Kaito disappearing into the forest. "Or even himself."
Omina nodded. "He doesn't need anyone. He's… terrifying."
Their hands brushed against the cold steel of weapons left behind, the weight of the scene settling in. It was one thing to fight kobolds, to clear a camp with strategy and teamwork. It was another entirely to witness a hunter who seemed to thrive on solitary violence, who treated life and death with equal, detached precision.
Silence fell between them as they prepared to leave the camp. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath. Even Baboar and LaBoar moved with a measured caution, instinctively aware of the lingering aura of danger.
"Let's go," Yoshiya whispered. "We take what we can carry and get back. No heroics here."
Omina placed a hand on Baboar's flank, feeling the steady heartbeat beneath her fingers. "He's fast, and he's strong… but he's alone. That has to be a weakness."
Yoshiya glanced at her, brow furrowed. "We'll need to understand that if we ever cross paths directly. For now, observation only."
They left the camp silently, their steps careful on the leaf-strewn forest floor. The morning sun climbed higher, illuminating the remnants of the kobold camp with harsh clarity. Smoke from burnt tents curled lazily toward the sky, a stark contrast to the crimson trail Kaito had left in his wake.
As they moved through the forest, the weight of what they had seen pressed upon them—not physically, but in the quiet awareness of a predator unlike any they had ever faced. Kaito Mugenrei was a force to be reckoned with, one who would not tolerate failure or weakness, and certainly not dependence.
Omina finally broke the silence, her voice soft yet steady. "We survive today, Yoshiya… but I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of him."
Yoshiya nodded. "And when it is… we'll need to be ready."
The forest swallowed the last remnants of the camp behind them as the two adventurers pressed forward, their boars trudging faithfully beside them. The world seemed quieter, almost too quiet, as if the forest itself was wary of what had passed through it.
No words were spoken beyond that, yet the understanding between them was clear: some hunters did not fight for reward or glory. Some hunted because it was all they knew. And some, like Kaito, left no trace of mercy in their wake.
The kobold camp receded into the distance, leaving only scorched earth, shattered wood, and the echo of a lone hunter's efficiency—a warning, and a story yet unfinished.