Kisha stepped cautiously into the edge of the forest.
She didn't know what exactly she was expecting, maybe to find Elvia hiding, or even Hazuki talking to himself again .
But what she saw instead...
Her body froze.
Her legs buckled.
She dropped down where she stood, butt hitting the grass, both hands braced behind her like they were the only thing keeping her from falling completely.
Her eyes widened.
Her breath caught in her throat.
In front of her..
A mountain.
Towering piles of monster corpses.
Trolls. Ogres. Giant beasts. Snakes thicker than trees.
The kind of creatures she'd only seen listed in cautionary guild reports.
High-tier. Deadly.
And now they were stacked like lumber.
Too many.
Far too many.
Her eyes couldn't move.
Her body wouldn't stand.
Her thoughts blanked out.
"…What… is this…?"
She didn't know how long she sat there.
Just staring.
Mouth slightly open.
A sudden sound broke the stillness.
Loud. Deep. Rhythmic.
Kisha jolted.
