Hinako's eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion. Morning had already arrived.
"Why...?"
She was no longer lying on the ground. Instead, she found herself leaning against Kogan's back, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, while her legs dangled below.
"I told you—I won't leave you behind." Kogan spoke calmly.
Hinako sighed softly, closed her eyes, and rested her head against his shoulder before drifting back into sleep.
Above them, the sky stretched vast and clear, bathed in gentle light. With every step Kogan took, his feet sank into the white sand.
'The sand here is a bit deep… it makes walking harder.'His eyes gleamed with a faint yellow hue.
They had covered more than half the distance, all thanks to Kogan's relentless perseverance. Though his body ached, and the wounds he had previously healed might have worsened, he kept moving forward.
"We'll spend the night here again."
Kogan gazed at the towering mountain wall before him. What once seemed merely ten meters tall now loomed over them, stretching beyond a kilometer into the sky.
***
Hinako's eyes fluttered open. She lay on the soft white sand, her long black hair spilling around her like dark silk.
The sky was no longer as bright as before—night was approaching.
"How long has it been?" She struggled to lift herself, as if she had been buried in the sand, before adjusting her posture.
"A long time." Kogan, too, remained lying on the sand.
Hinako looked ahead—their destination was closer than before.
'Just a few more hours and we'll be there,' she thought. Then, turning to Kogan, she said, "I can't even imagine the hardship you endured carrying me all this way. Thank you for not leaving me behind." She bowed her head slightly in gratitude.
Kogan stood up and extended his hand toward her. "Let's keep going."
She took his hand and struggled to her feet.He gestured for her to climb onto his back.
"No, no! I'll walk now. I can't burden you any further." She waved her hands in refusal, her voice filled with respect.
Kogan glanced at her without saying a word, then continued walking. Hinako followed closely behind.
At this point in the journey, the sand had grown deeper—lying down even for a moment would make you feel as if you were being buried.
The rocks that once scattered the path had vanished. Perhaps the ones they encountered earlier had rolled down from the mountain.
Kogan pondered this as they walked. Massive boulders, some the size of a single-story house… what could possibly dislodge them and carry them so far from the rocky mountain?
Even if they had rolled, could they truly have traveled such a great distance without stopping?
Had some great entity moved them? Or was it…
"My legs are still weak... They're trembling." Hinako's body shook, as if the very ground beneath her was quivering.
'Damn it, we're so close.' Kogan scowled. His body was trembling as well— even the white sand beneath them began to vibrate.
Suddenly, the shaking intensified at an alarming rate.
Then, from their right, a deep, terrifying roar echoed, followed by a gust of wind so strong it sent their hair whipping through the air.
"Oh—" Hinako's body gave out, but before she could hit the ground, Kogan caught her, lifting her into his arms.
'Hmph. This is going to drain me... but I have no choice.' Kogan clenched his teeth, bent his body slightly, and then—exploded upward. A violent blast of sand erupted beneath him.
Hinako shut her eyes tight, clutching his neck with all her strength as the sheer force pressed against her.
Three seconds into the jump, Kogan landed with a heavy impact—only to launch himself again almost instantly, leaving a swirling vortex of white sand in his wake.
The terrifying winds kept howling fiercely, affecting Kogan's trajectory mid-air, forcing him to exert extra effort against their resistance.
After four leaps, he was finally swallowed by absolute darkness.
'Exactly what I was missing…' He gritted his teeth and kept jumping with all his might.
Now, even if the winds pushed him off course, he wouldn't be able to tell.
With the seventh leap, he coughed up blood. His leg muscles tore apart, and his bones felt as fragile as a spider's web.
Had he not been carrying Hinako, he might have avoided sustaining such severe injuries.
He leaped through the darkness, using the wind as his only guide.
But suddenly, a violent gust exploded from his left, throwing him off balance. Hinako slipped from his grasp, and both of them plummeted to the ground in opposite directions.
Hinako was almost completely buried in the sand, unable to move. She struggled to breathe amidst the raging winds.
''Kogan... ah—'' She tried to call out, but the impact of the fall had shaken her internal organs.
Ferocious winds howled from both sides.Kogan was entirely buried in the sand, with only a portion of his bare back visible.
Despite the wind's intensity, it did little to disturb the sand. Only a faint dust cloud drifted through the air, blurring the vision like a dense fog.
"I can't let Kogan's efforts go to waste." Hinaiko gritted her teeth, struggling to free herself from the sand.
She pushed her body forward with all her strength, crawling on her hands and feet.Standing was impossible against the raging winds—low movement was her only option.
"His injuries are far worse than mine, yet he kept moving."
"And on top of that, he was carrying me."
"How would he feel knowing I died here after he gave everything to save me?"
Hinako admired Kogan's mindset. At this point, she no longer feared death.
Not disappointing him mattered more.
"I have no idea where I'm heading, but anything is better than staying buried there, waiting for help like some spoiled girl."
She kept crawling through the sand, struggling with every movement. She had no sense of direction—perhaps she was going in circles. At this stage, no one could tell.
Her vision was blurry, and after crawling for a long time, she pushed her body up, trying to stand.
"Finally, the storm has weakened a little," she murmured, feeling a small sense of relief.
The wind was still strong, but at least it allowed her to stand, even if with difficulty.
She waved her hand in front of her, trying to clear the haze or dust.
"Kogan!!"
"Kogan!!"
Hinako called out, but how could her voice carry through the deafening winds?
Clap!!!
As she waved, Kogan suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Kog…"
Hinako's eyes widened with joy, and she was just about to smile—but before she could, he lifted her again.
"Stop… You don't look well," she said, her brows knitting together in concern as she caught sight of his face.
Blood was trickling down the corners of his mouth and from his nose.
Kogan took a deep breath, clenched his teeth tightly, and leaped once more, taking advantage of the sudden lull in the wind.
"Don't push yourself. We're close—we can continue on foot," Hinako urged anxiously.
But how could he respond in his current state?
Suddenly, a terrifying roar shattered the silence, accompanied by the sound of something breaking. Its source was unclear—it felt as if it was echoing directly inside their heads.
'Just a little more…' Kogan gritted his teeth, mustering the last of his strength for one final leap.
The solid ground beneath him told him they had at least made it halfway up the mountain.
Reaching this stage was due to the sandy ground—it absorbed the impact of his jumps, which helped him slightly.
But on this mountain, with its rocky surface, his body would shatter if he didn't stop.
And so, after three jumps on this mountain, his body was completely wrecked, yet he estimated that at least one small jump remained for him to reach relative safety.