Yumix; Unveiled Chapter 21: The Woods Call to Us

Read chapter 21 of Yumix; Unveiled by iiPilix on NovelPedia.

The Original LightNovel Project Volume 02, Chapter 06: [ The Woods Call to Us ] Original work, all rights reserved to the Author ‘Pili’, until we get an adaptation contract Hiroki’s group huddled in their dimly lit hut, finalizing their preparations for the mission. "So… I think the equipment is sufficient," Hiroki stated, holding a candle lantern. While Yoru was stretching her legs in a series of warm-up exercises, "I'm all set and ready" she said confidently. Meanwhile, Amaya was sitting on the edge of the wooden bench, and her gaze was darting between them. "So… where are you guys going?" curiosity was evident in her voice. "Nothing to worry about," Yoru said with a reassuring tone, tying her combat belt around her waist "It’s just a usual official mission. You should stay here and take it easy." "But…" Amaya frowned, gripping the bench's edge with her fingers. "Don’t worry, we’ll be right back before you even blink" Kenji added with a silly smile. Yoru glanced back at Amaya, "You’ll be fine here for now. Ayuri should be on her way here, so don’t open the door for anyone else, okay?" Amaya smiled reassuringly, "Okay! Then I'll make sure to protect the place from any bad guys." She instantly rose from her seat and grabbed a long, sturdy stick propped against the wall. "I’ve trained enough, so you can count on me!" Kenji joined her playfully, exclaiming, "Hehe, the evil Kenji has come to snatch your luggage, come here!" He started chasing her, while she was laughing and screaming, running away from him. "Hey, Kenji, you're scaring her. Let us leave now," Yoru crossed her arms, annoyed as she glared at him. As Hiroki opened the door for them to leave, Kenji waved farewell to Amaya, "See you later, Guardian girl" and then he departed with others, while Amaya kept watching them with gladness before closing the door. On their way to the forest gate, Hiroki suddenly recalled the terrible dreams he'd had about this place. He froze in place, placing his left hand over his mouth in tension, "Wasn’t… there something similar like this?", his mind started to drift away in thoughts, Yet, is it possible to stop anything from occurring in first place… No, I don’t think anything bad will happen anyway." "Hiroki?" Yoru’s voice brought him back to reality. "Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry." Kenji halted his steps, facing the small forest's gate in front of them "So, uhh… what’s up with this mission anyway?" "They said in the mail that there were suspicious reports about people moving through this area," Yoru replied, glancing at the small dark metal gate that stood between them and the woods, and it was apparently not maintained. Hiroki knitted his brow, trying to recall "People crossing through the gate? Wasn’t there a mention of some group, known as… 'Night Crows'?" Kenji nodded and grimaced "Yeah, but whoever they are, stopping them should be our job." "Not tonight," Yoru replied to him "We’re here only to investigate. That's what we were given." After a short silence while gazing nervously at the gate, they nodded to each other, and began moving towards the gate. Moments later, back to the hut… The hut's door creaked open slowly, revealing someone standing there with a calm yet curious expression. "Aaaaaah!" Amaya screamed, charging forward with the wooden bat raised high. Ayuri blinked, clearly unfazed, and caught the bat in one hand without any effort. "Seriously?" Amaya opened her eyes and gasped, visibly relieved but also embarrassed "Ayuri?! Oh… I thought you were a thief or something. You scared me!" Ayuri chuckled softly, returning back the bat to her. "Well, it’s good to know you’re ready to protect us. Very impressive." Amaya grinned, swelling her chest with pride. "Of course! I’m practically the hut’s guardian now." She spun the bat around and started pretending to fight. "BAM! I’ll take down anyone who dares to mess with us!" Ayuri couldn't help but laugh, her hand over her mouth as she watched Amaya perform with enthusiasm. "Hmm?