Journey 10# Nice Akihiro, Never Change.

(A/N: Maybe Shea will be OOC here... Dunno, I'm in the middle of deciding)

"Please help my tribe!" Shea suddenly requests out loud.

Before Hajime say something edgy, Akihiro smiled and said, "Alright, I'll help your tribe but in return, I want you to be our guide."

Hajime scratches his head in annoyance and mutters to himself, "He really never changes, huh..."

Shea blinked, she didn't know that requesting help would be this easy.

"Shea-san, is my condition is unfair?" Akihiro said while feigning a disappointed face. A bit trickster from Akihiro but that's the card he always plays when things aren't going in his way, sympathy card.

"N-no! I accept." Shea hurriedly accepts, feeling flustering seeing Akihiro intensely stare at her.

Seeing Shea accepts the terms. Akihiro claps his hand and turns around, "Now that Shea-san will be our guide, are there any objections?"

Hajime sighed, "She will be your problem."

"...No objection..."

Akihiro turns around to face Shea.

"Now before we go, is there anything we need to know?"

Shea without hesitation tells Akihiro about her 'Clairvoyance'. Shea 'Clairvoyance' can predict a future based upon her choice of action at that moment. Not only does it require a large amount of magic power to activate, but she will be exhausted after one try. In addition, there are times when it'll automatically activate, whether she wanted it to or not when the situation is dangerous for Shea. Although this automatic function also consumes a large amount of magic power, it seems that it only consumes 1/3 of the magic power of its manual usage.

Apparently, Shea left her tribe in order to find Akihiro. She found a future where Akihiro would protect her and her tribe from the empire. After that, she left her tribe behind in order to find Akihiro. She was too excited at the prospect of finding Akihiro that she carelessly ran alone into this dangerous place.

"That's an indeed useful skill but how did the empire find you and your tribe?" Akihiro asks, a bit confused with Shea's tear-filled story.

Shea averted her eyes as she become nervous.

"It was unusable at that time…"

"So you used it before the empire found you and your tribe, no?... Anyways, what did you use it for?"

"That… I-I was anxious about my best friend's love life…" Shea stammered.

Akihiro, Hajime and Yue were dumbfounded. Akihiro's smile almost wavered as he tried to resist facepalm whilst tick mark appeared on Hajime's forehead.

"Isn't that the same as peeping! Why the heck did you use such a precious skill for something so trivial?!" Hajime exclaimed making Shea flinch.

"Eek! I'm sorry! I will seriously reflect from now on!" She said apologetically.

Akihiro sighed, "Alright alright, there's no need to fight now. Let's go."

"...Umu." Yue nodded.

* * *

It is said that only demi-humans won't get lost on the path to the [Hartzena Sea of Trees], and if the Rabbitman tribe would guide them through, then that would be reassuring. Though there were some measures that Hajime could think of to resolve the situation when he got lost, it could be said that these measures weren't foolproof. At worst, he planned to kidnap some demi-humans to guide them along the path, but if some demi-humans willingly decided to guide them through, that would be for the best. However, since Akihiro managed to get one to guide them, Hajime didn't need to threaten demi-humans.

Shea clung to Akihiro's waist as he rode the bike, and Akihiro could clearly feel Shea's large breast, but he managed to keep his casual smile.

"Uummu, even though traveling faster is better, what kind of vehicle is this? Moreover, Akihiro-san, Hajime-san and Yue-san are magic-users, right? Even though magic shouldn't be able to be used here…" Shea ask.

"I'll explain..." Hajime said from the side as he matched the speed of Akihiro's bike.

On the way, Hajime started to explain why they could use magic, how the bike operated, and how Hajime's left arm and bikes were similar to an artifact. Shea opened her eyes wide in astonishment.

"Eh?? Then three of you are able to directly manipulate magic and also capable of using unique magic…"

"… Something like that." Hajime said.

"… Nn."

"...Mhm." Akihiro hummed.

For a while, Shea's mind was blank from surprise. Suddenly, she buried her face into Akihiro's shoulder, starting to sob.

Akihiro raises his brow as he feels his back getting wet.

"… What is it now? You went from being an annoying rabbit to a depressed bunny, and now you're a sobbing mess… You're truly a failure rabbit." Hajime said.

"… Failure rabbit." Yue said

"Failure rabbit~" Akihiro hummed, enjoying teasing the rabbit girl.

"What do you mean? I'm not a failure! … It's just that, when I think I'm not alone anymore, it somehow makes me happy…" Shea cried out, making Akihiro a little bit surprised.

Hajime: "..."

Yue: "..."

It seemed that because her ability was similar to the demonic beast's, she always thought she was the only one in this world with this ability. Her family raised her for 16 years and called her a family member. Although protecting her ultimately brought danger upon them, causing them to flee Faea Belgaen for her sake, they still loved her. Despite their love… no, because of their unique love for her, she felt isolated and alone; she was different from everyone else.

Hearing Shea's words, Yue silently began to think. It seemed like her expressionless face was turning pale. Hajime was somehow able to understand Yue's feelings. In all likelihood, Yue's circumstances early on were probably almost the same as Shea's. Both of them were capable of magic manipulation and using unique magic and skills, without being able to call anyone "kin".

But there was a definite difference between them. While Yue did not have a family that loved and accepted her, Shea did. That gave Yue a rather complex feeling mixed with envy. From Shea's perspective though, Yue was "kin", someone she could finally say was truly like her. It was a complicated matter.

Hajime decided to pat then stroked Yue's head in an effort to comfort her. Hajime, who was raised in a rich country like Japan with affectionate parents, only to be forsaken in an alternate world by his friends and teacher alike, still felt that his solitude couldn't be compared to that of the Vampire Princess, Yue. Thus, he couldn't say anything that could ease her pain. He could only show her that "now", she is not alone.

Yue loosened up and leaned against Hajime's chest, as though she wanted to be spoiled.

While Akihiro, who was raised by unloving wealthy parents, felt alone in his childhood, but that loneliness was broken and replaced with warmth light, Shizuku was the one who took Akihiro's hand and brought him a new light. Akihiro felt grateful that he had friends that cared for him.

Akihiro's smile look a bit more genuine today, he suddenly spoke.

"That's right, Shea, you're not a failure. Failure is for someone who has given up, but you haven't, despite feeling unique and alone. You show that you are not a failure by never giving up. So keep your head up and don't give up. This world is a huge place; all you have to do is keep looking for it."

Shea who's a bit surprised with Akihiro's warm speech silently smiles.

Hajime smiled, they are friends but it's rare for Akihiro to comfort someone.

Suddenly they heard several demonic beasts' roars in the distance. Apparently, there were several demonic beasts in front of them.

"!!! Akihiro-san! We will arrive soon! Those demonic beasts' roars are close; close to father and my tribe's hiding place!" Shea alerted.

"Right! hang on tight, because I'm going to increase our speed! Hajime, keep up with me!" Akihiro yelled as he poured more magic power, and the bike started to accelerate even further. The scenery blurred into a mirage.

Hajime nodded as he follow behind.

After 2 minutes, they saw dozens of Rabbitmen under attack by flying monsters.

Screams echoed inside the [Raisen Great Canyon].

The figures of desperate Rabbitmen fleeing to hide behind rocks could be seen. Looking around, Hajime could see 20 Rabbitmen hiding behind rocks. If combined with those still fleeing, there would be around 40 people.

In the sky, flying demonic beasts, that were rare even inside that hell, were glaring at the frightened Rabbitman tribe. The flying demonic beast's appearance was similar to what gamers would call a wyvern. Their wingspan was around 3-5 meters with sharp claws and fangs, equipped with a sharp thorn at the swelling end of their long tail, similar to mace.

"Hy-hyveria…."

Over Akihiro's shoulder, Shea's trembling voice could be heard. It seemed that those Wyvern-like creatures were called "Hyveria". There were six of them circling in the sky, waiting for a chance to catch the cowering Rabbitmen.

Finally, one Hyveria took action. After adjusting its position in the sky, the Hyveria dove towards one of the large rocks where some Rabbitmen were hiding and struck the rock with its swinging tail. A deafening sound resounded, and the remains of the pulverized rock flung the screaming Rabbitmen in all directions.

Looking upon its helpless prey, the Hyveria heavily landed where the rock was before and roared at the frightened Rabbitmen in its presence. A Rabbitman could be seen shielding a child from the fangs of the Hyveria that encroached upon them.

Seeing this scene, only despair could be seen on the other Rabbitmen's faces. No one knew which of their family members would be Hyveria's next meal. But that concern was unnecessary.

Akihiro grabs a palm-sized rock from the ground while riding his bike.

BAM! DOPAN!

One flash and one flashing rock were seen. One of the shots was aimed at the back of the attacking Hyveria's head. With a hole ripped through its brain, the Hyveria stopped mid-roar and fell on its side before the shielded child.

At the same time, the whistling sound of an object falling caused the Rabbitmen to look up. Without any time to be surprised, the Rabbitmen saw one of the Hyverias without its arm, blood bursting from its shoulder while it writhed in pain. The Hyveria tumbled to the ground, skidding across the earth, causing the Rabbitmen to collapse onto their knees from the collision.

"Wh-what is…." (Rabbitman 1)

The man who tried to cover the child could only mutter simple words in confusion while looking at the incomprehensible scene that took place before him.

When he heard the unfamiliar sound of a distinct explosion, he could only see a flash pass by. Suddenly, the Hyveria collapsed, causing the earth to tremor. When he finally came to after the miniature earthquake, it was dead already.

Seeing one comrade dead and the other collapsed on the ground, the other Hyveria roared in unparalleled rage. The cowering Rabbitmen covered their ears in response to the frightful roar. For comparison, the quality of sound resembled that of a jet engine. However, in the distance, a voice could be heard, and they turned their eyes to the source. What they saw was a black vehicle traveling in their direction, with 2 figures riding it at high speed, and a yellow vehicle traveling in their direction, with 2 figures.

Of the four, one of them was someone they knew all too well. In the morning, she had suddenly disappeared. She was the reason they were in this mess in the first place, as they went out to find her. The girl felt that it was her fault that the tribe is in the state they are now. She tried to conceal her feelings with outward cheerfulness, but her expression showed her inward anguish. Then, she suddenly disappears. So the Haulia tribe had no choice but to carefully search for the girl, even if the tribe would be annihilated before finding her.

That was the girl waving at them from the back of the black vehicle. Cheerfulness could be seen on her face. The Rabbitmen looked at her with disbelief.

"Everyone~ I have called for help~!" Shea yelled.

When they heard her voice, they had no choice but to believe it was real.

"""Shea?!""" (Haulia Tribe)

A tick mark appeared on Akihiro's forehead while driving the magic bike at high speed. When Shea saw her family in the distance, she immediately stood up and started waving her hands wildly. Even though standing on the bike was fine, Shea had leaned her body onto Akihiro, and with her lethal weapons bouncing up and down, they continuously hit his head. Because of that, his aim shifted and the Hyveria he was aiming for didn't die.

Suddenly Akihiro has a brilliant idea in his mind.

He clutches Shea's arm.

"Eh?! What are you doing, Akihiro-san?"

"Don't worry, this will be quick and easy... maybe safe too."

"!? Wha-what are you-! Ah, don't lift me~! Don't swiii-nnnn-gggg meeeeeeee~!!!"

The rabbit-eared girl flew in the sky with high speed. Shea's scream echoed in the canyon. The Rabbitmen screamed, "Shea!" while looking upon this unbelievable spectacle with their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. The Hyveria also roared, trying to catch the prey that came right for them, but Shia just flew past them, right before their eyes.

"Wew~ Nice throw, Aki." Hajime chuckled.

"...Umu."

Because Shea had caused a distraction, Hajime wouldn't miss this opening. Those flying Hyveria had become "sitting ducks". Four gunshots could be heard simultaneously, penetrating through the four Hyverias' jaws in the same instant.

Unable to react, the Hyveria carcasses fell to the ground. Even though the Hyveria are known to be dangerous and troublesome demonic beasts with hard to resist attacks and stronger than the Daihedoa that attacked Shia, they dropped to the ground like flies. Looking into the dead eyes of the Hyveria that fell before them, the Haulia tribe stiffened.

Gradually, they heard a girl's scream becoming increasingly closer and clearer.

"A-aaaaah~! Help me~, Akihiro-sa-~n!" (Shia)

Akihiro, who drove through the Rabbitmen tribe that started to frantically run around in an attempt to catch her, and splendidly caught the falling Shia while drifting to a stop. Realizing she was carried in a princess style, she can't help but blush.

"Perfect save." Akihiro smiled.

"T-Thank you..." Shea said shyly.

Shortly after, Hajime and Yue arrived at the scene with amused faces, Akihiro could only cough after he gently let Shea go.

"Shea! Are you okay!?"

"Father!"

The one who called out to her was a middle-aged, rabbit-eared man with short, dark blue hair. It was clear who the rabbit-eared man was. This spectacle gave him a surreal feeling, especially after seeing how the Hyverias were taken down. After calming down, Shea immediately began to explain to the Rabbitman tribe what happened while she was gone and the promise Akihiro had made to her. Knowing that they had been saved, the entire tribe looked towards Akihiro

"Shall I call you Akihiro-dono? I am Kam Haulia, Shea's father and also the chief of the Haulia tribe. I cannot thank you enough for helping Shia and our tribe escape this precarious predicament. To even go as far as helping us flee from the empire, as a father and chief of my tribe, I wish to express my humble gratitude."

Kam, who introduced himself as the chief of the Haulia tribe, immediately bowed down to him. Behind him, the other Haulia tribe members mirrored his gesture.

"Nah, don't worry, besides, Hajime was doing the job to kill the Hyverias." Akihiro said casually, he only kills one of the Hyveria so he feels like doing nothing since Hajime was doing the works.

"I see! Thank you, Hajime-dono!" Kam then bowed down to Hajime as the others follow.

"Please, raise your head. Don't forget: after escaping the empire, you'll be our guides into the [Haltina Sea of Trees]… Also, how can you trust us so easily? Demi-humans and humans don't have good relations with each other, after all…" Hajime said.

Forget about Shea, in this world, demi-humans were discriminated against worldwide. In fact, it was a human empire that had cornered the Haulia tribe. Despite that, they had bowed down toward Hajime and Akihiro, who were clearly a human and even accepted Akihiro and Hajime's help. Even though this was their only choice for survival, hadn't they made this decision too quickly? Hajime started to doubt them whilst concealing his concerns.

In response, Kam answered with a wry smile.

"Shea trusts you two, and so by extension, we trust you as well; because we are a family…"

Hearing his answer, Hajime and Akihiro were astonished, admiring their naive solidarity. For a tribe to leave their nation for the sake of a single girl, then trust a human they knew nothing about, they must be a foolhardy group that threw caution to the wind; they were kind to a fault.

"Ehehe, it's okay, father. Akihiro-san is gentle and nice but sometimes cruel enough to use others as bait, he will surely keep his promise! He is not like those scum that tramples over others' hopes! They will protect us for sure!" Shea said.

Akihiro's smile winces a bit hearing Shea calling him cruel.

"Hahaha, is that so? So he's a nice fellow, isn't he? If that's so, I will believe in him." Kam said.

Hearing Shea and Kam, the other tribe members murmured in agreement while looking at Hajime, Yue and Akihiro with warmth in their eyes.

Akihiro could only scratch his cheek shyly while Hajime's face seemingly looked irritated.

Their dialogue had given the demonic beasts enough time to begin gathering around their current camp, and so it would be troublesome if they continued to linger any longer.

Thus, they began their march towards the exit of the [Raisen Great Canyon].

- To Be Continued

(A/N: Wew, 2800+ Words in one day is exhausting.

I'm back guys! Yey! Finally free from exams.

Anyways, I just wanted to tell you guys that I have a brand new PC! So probably expect less update because I'm addicted to playing GTA V and Apex Legends.

If you guys are curious about my spec.

16 GB

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz

Radeon RX 550X

Don't worry about the updates, I'll do my best to update every week)