In the end, Kiriya and the others had no choice but to push forward with their mission—even though the conditions were far from ideal. Tension clung to every step they took, as if even the air had grown heavier, harder to breathe.
The situation was downright hostile. Some of them were still reeling from Kiriya's report about what they'd found in the goblin den, while others were quietly unraveling into panic beneath a brittle silence.
And who could blame them? What could you expect from kids born in the 21st century—kids from a world where conflicts were settled through mediation, not blood and real death staring them in the face?
But this wasn't the world they knew. This was a world that demanded combat—a world where survival instinct was worth far more than modern ideals or moral codes.
Kiriya knew that, and that's why he had to step up as party leader. He had never wanted the role, but no one else was mentally stable enough to take the reins right now.
