Kawao quickly broke free and started running after the two.

"If you're not going to tell me why we shouldn't fight them, at least tell me where we're running to!"

"Are you stupid? If I tell you that now, they'll hear it too. Just follow me!"

Together, they ran down the street, closely followed by the soldiers.

"Catch them!"

"Don’t let them escape!" the soldiers yelled after them.

Suddenly, their rescuer took a sharp turn to the right. They followed her and quickly found themselves in a small labyrinth of narrow, winding alleyways, through which they darted with purpose.

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Left, right, right, left, straight ahead! Over time, the sound of the soldiers' footsteps and shouts grew fainter.

They had been running for what felt like an eternity until they reached a small, unremarkable house squeezed between two larger ones. Together, they stormed inside, startling the two elderly residents.

But after their rescuer quickly whispered a few words to the residents, words that Kawao couldn’t understand, they nodded in agreement and turned around. They moved aside a large old rug that covered almost the entire floor, revealing a hidden door underneath.

Once the door was opened, the three of them hurried inside, and they heard the door close behind them.

"SHHH! Be quiet now!" their rescuer whispered to them, holding her hands over their mouths.

The two did as they were told, staying silent and waiting. After a while, they heard the footsteps of the soldiers again. They were searching the area!

It seemed like the soldiers were asking the locals if they had seen them.

'Hopefully, the old folks won’t give us away!' Kawao thought to himself.

They could hear the residents talking with the soldiers but couldn’t make out what was being said. After a short while, the voices and footsteps gradually faded.

They were safe!