As the boy stood, they finally saw the girl lying behind him. She was tall, with flowing blue hair and striking azure eyes. Despite her youth, she exuded a sense of strength and determination.

Orano addressed the boy. "I'm not here to harm you or her," he said. "I need to know what happened to her. Can you tell me why she's like this?"

"I don't care about your intentions!" the boy retorted. "I won't trust someone who appears out of nowhere!"

As they argued, the girl weakly pulled the boy's pants. "Bachi," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "We can't fight them. We couldn't get the medicine, and I need to get rid of this disease. Let them do what they need to."

She turned to Orano. "They don't seem like bad people."

Reluctantly, the boy agreed. "Fine," he said. "A Pyron's poison infected her body back in Faye. She needs medical help, and she needs it quickly. Do what you need to do. But if you hurt her, you'll pay."

Orano sighed and placed his bag on the ground. He rummaged through it, pulling out a glass bottle, a Bona horn he had recently acquired, a magic mushroom, and a bottle of medical potion. He crushed the horn and mushroom, dropped them into the bottle, and added the medical potion. He shook the mixture vigorously.

Orano held the potion up, looking at the boy. "Let her drink this," he said. "The magic mushroom will accelerate the elixir's absorption. The medical potion and Bona horn will restore her immunity, heal her, and provide temporary protection."

Despite his initial reluctance, the boy took the potion and approached the girl. He carefully supported her head as he administered the potion.

The girl drank it quickly and lay back down. Now, they had to wait.

An air of anticipation filled the room as everyone waited to see the outcome.

-------------------------

Fortunately, the girl, now recovered, moved with ease. Witnessing her recovery, the young boy's joy was palpable. His anger and stubbornness vanished, replaced by a contagious laughter.

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He scratched his head, his smile still lingering. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't expect you to help us. I'm truly grateful."

The girl sighed. "Excuse him," she said, her voice soft. "He can be a bit of a fool sometimes."

The boy's face flushed with annoyance. "Hey, that's not nice, Kurumi!" he protested.

The girl turned to Orano, her smile returning. "I apologize for our earlier behavior," she said. "I'm Miko Kurumi, and this is my friend, Bachi Tomoe."

Bachi waved, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Yo!"

Orano introduced his companions. "I'm Orano Tatsumi. My friends here are Caitrin Nakahara and Lydia Shimizu."

Miko's eyes widened in surprise. "Orano Tatsumi? I've heard of you! You're the famous Creature Hunter, right?"

"Yes, I am," Orano replied.

Lydia asked, "You were running away from soldiers back there. Why were you two there, and what was the medicine you couldn't buy related to?"

Miko lowered her head, her expression somber. "Unfortunately, it's related to our condition."

Miko continued, her gaze fixed on Orano and Caitrin. "A long time ago, when we first began experimenting with spells, we decided to investigate a rare spell known as the Rift."

She paused, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Initially, everything went well. But recently, I became ill due to an encounter with a Pyron. Our situation was dire. Bachi searched tirelessly for medicine throughout the kingdoms and finally discovered that the Sixth Kingdom might have what we needed.

We arrived here as quickly as possible. Bachi and I conducted extensive research on the medicines and planned our route. Unfortunately, the people here were unable to help us. My illness worsened, and I became bedridden.

Bachi insisted on going out to get the medicine himself. As you know, he encountered trouble and returned empty-handed."

Caitrin, her curiosity piqued, asked, "The Rift? You guys are searching for those too? Why?"

Miko hesitated, her expression filled with uncertainty. "The reason is complicated, and you might not believe us, but..."

She met their eyes, her voice filled with sincerity. "We're not from this world.

"Four and a half years ago, we found ourselves floating in Lake Rawara. At first, we had no memory of how we arrived here or why. Eventually, we pieced together the events and began searching for a way out. As we grew stronger and learned to survive in this world, we stumbled upon each other.

"Initially, I thought he was a Creature Hunter from this world, and he believed I was a wizard. But when we realized we both came from the same place, we formed a team and became close friends."

Bachi beamed. "Close friends! Yay!"

Miko turned back to Orano and Caitrin. "You seemed surprised when we mentioned the Rift," she said. "Why did you get so excited?"

Orano crossed his arms. "Because I'm from the same world as you," he replied.

Miko and Bachi's eyes widened in astonishment. They were taken aback to hear that another person from their world was with them.

"Really!?" they exclaimed in unison.