Noroi threw up his hand in a gesture of complete indifference, then added a biting remark.

  "That's irrelevant. You're from the Viking era… your brain has a thick layer of fat that makes it hard to reach."

  Tension escalated between them as Yamka felt insulted and irritated, her eyes igniting with the fire of anger, especially after Noroi had mentioned her origins in a way she found offensive.

  She stepped dangerously close to Noroi, pushing him in the chest with one hand while drawing her axe from her back with the other, in a clear threat, and said.

  "Say that to my face again… I dare you!"

  Noroi didn't hesitate to repeat his words directly to her face.

  "You Vikings are a bunch of fools who think you can take everything by force!"

  Yamka clenched her teeth, then let out a war cry, raising her axe high in front of him, ready to strike…

  Haruki rushed between them, pressing his hand against Yamka's chest to push her back and soften her aggressive stance.

  A peaceful expression formed on his face as he spoke in a low voice, trying to calm the flames burning between them.

  "Hey, hey… come on now, we're not enemies. We share a common goal."

  But Yamka paid no attention to his words, shoving him aside with determination as she made her way toward Noroi.

  Haruki's gentle tone wasn't enough to erase the sense of insult consuming her.

  She advanced with angry steps until she stood directly before him.

  Yet Noroi showed not the slightest tremor of fear or hesitation, his gaze locked firmly onto hers, face-to-face.

  Yamka's hand clenched into a tight fist at her side, her teeth grinding harshly against each other… then suddenly, her hand loosened, and she turned her back fully on Noroi, speaking with deliberate coldness.

  "Fine, fine… whatever. I need to go hunting before nightfall."

  Yamka looked at the sky to find that the sun had already begun to set, and hunting would be nearly impossible with the coming of darkness.

  Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

  She sighed as she placed her hand on her stomach, mumbling to herself.

  "Looks like there won't be any food for today… not as if it's something new anyway."

  Her words reached Haruki, and his face lit up. He jumped to her side and grabbed one of her hands.

  When she turned to him, she found his eyes sparkling like stars and his smile so full of excitement, as he offered his suggestion to her with his hopes raised so high.

  "If you don't have a place to go, stay with us!"

  Those words immediately drew Noroi's attention to Haruki, his brows furrowing at the other boy's offer, as he spoke in a tone wrapped with reproach.

  "With us? Who do you mean by 'us'?"

  Haruki turned his face toward Noroi, that same naive smile still drawn across his features, before speaking with confidence as if the matter were perfectly clear.

  "I mean you and me."

  Noroi crossed his arms over his chest, refusal etched across his face, and before he could protest, Haruki moved until he was behind Yamka, placing both hands on her shoulders to push her slightly toward the other boy.

  "Come on, someone with her skills would be a great help to us."

  Noroi reconsidered the proposal Haruki was putting forth, and after all, he couldn't deny the girl's combat abilities; she had managed to face "Mini," a robot equipped with a lethal weapon.

  After a few moments of thought, Noroi let out a loud sigh and turned his gaze to the side.

  Haruki's hopeful smile widened as he kept his hands on Yamka's shoulders, then he asked, trying to get a clearer answer from Noroi.

  "So…can we keep her?!"

  Noroi never thought he would agree to keep a Viking like her, but he merely nodded.

  Haruki jumped up, feeling victorious inside; his joy increased at his ability to convince Noroi to let her stay with them.

  Now he has two friends in Malvora.

  "Yay!"

  And as the sun set, painting the sky with a soft, eye-pleasing orange that warmed the heart, it made way for the moon to turn the blue sky into a deep darkness, blocking the sunlight from the entire area.

  The three of them gathered a pile of dry branches from the area and stacked them together.

  Noroi signaled his robot to fire a hot laser, turning the wood into kindling for the fire to warm the cold night.

  Haruki, Noroi, and Yamka gathered around the flames.

  Haruki smiled as he warmed his hands by the fire; the soft rustle of the wind brushing against the leaves and the crackling of burning wood were the only sounds heard at this hour.

  "By the way, Noroi, how does Mini work without electricity?"

  Haruki asked, breaking the silence, pointing at the small robot sitting quietly beside Noroi.

  Noroi snapped out of his distraction, his eyes automatically shifting to Mini, who was currently powered down, then returned his focus to Haruki and began explaining.

  "he doesn't need electricity because he runs on solar and thermal energy."

  Noroi picked up a stick beside him and tossed it into the fire, causing the flames to flare higher and glow brighter.

  Yamka rolled her eyes dismissively at Noroi's words, then spoke sarcastically.

  "You're just a fool who needs this nonsense while you already have a weapon."

  Noroi turned his attention to Yamika and responded coldly, with a tone of challenge.

  "I bet Mini can do more than you ever could, you barbarian."

  Yamka froze at the last word that left Noroi's lips, gripping the handle of her wooden axe resting beside her, ready to grab it if needed.

  She hated every moment this arrogant boy spoke.

  "What did you just call me?"