Episode -5 B

♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢

Suddenly, from one of the huts in the village, a young Kurak ran out in a hurry and shouted:

“Elder! My mom… my mom!~”

In the child’s frantic eyes, sorrow and despair filled his gaze.

The elder and several Kurak rushed into the hut and began checking on a woman lying inside.

Her breathing was extremely rough, and she was gradually losing consciousness.

It looked as if the flame of her life was slowly fading.

The young Kurak pleaded desperately:

“Please… please save my mom.”

At the same time, he burst into tears, and the nearby villagers embraced him, sharing his grief.

The elder shook his head and said, “It seems… there is nothing more we can do now….”

A moment later, Pai arrived at the hut and spotted Rogi among the despairing group.

Pai quietly approached her.

Rogi was holding the woman’s hand, trembling in distress.

Knowing Rogi’s situation well, Pai realized that Rogi was reminded of her own sick mother.

But something was strange.

Rather than simply being sad, Rogi looked afraid.

She was trembling so violently that her teeth clattered.

Pai: Rogi… are you okay?

Rogi: …..Pai…

Without a word, Pai embraced Rogi.

Held in Pai’s arms, Rogi spoke:

“I’m going to be so sad… it’s going to hurt so much….”

Pai looked at her with warm eyes and said:

“No… it won’t hurt, and it won’t be sad… we’ll pray….”

Pai closed her eyes and clasped her hands, beginning to pray.

Seeing this, Rogi quickly straightened herself and joined her in prayer.

Some of the Kurak were confused and slightly unsettled by the girls’ actions.

Then something astonishing happened.

From beneath the hut, something like tree roots extended outward, surrounding Pai and Rogi as if embracing them.

Some Kurak were startled and ran away, shouting.

Rogi opened her eyes in shock.

“Pai!”

Pai opened her eyes as well.

She was slightly startled by the unknown plant surrounding them.

Soon calming herself, Pai began speaking with the plant—something no one else could hear.

“Please help… I’m begging you….”

The Kurak looked at each other, wondering who she was speaking to.

When the exchange ended, the plant moved again.

Two root-like tendrils formed a shape as if bringing hands together, as though asking Pai to imitate it.

Pai said, “Like this?” and immediately brought her hands together, forming a shape to receive something.

At that moment, a sprout emerged from the tip of one root, blossomed into a flower, then shed its petals, leaving behind a small fruit.

The small fruits rapidly grew.

They became as large as grapes, filled with a green, shimmering liquid—three large fruits formed.

Then they detached on their own and settled into Pai’s hands.

They glowed faintly.

“A giant grape!”

Eti, who had come over, picked one up and examined it.

Then she immediately pulled off the stem and brought the flowing liquid to her mouth.

She swallowed it quickly.

Startled, Pai scolded her:

“Eti, you can’t just eat something like that!”

But Eti shouted:

Eti: “Wow, it’s so good! It’s cool and refreshing!”

Pai: “Eti, are you okay?”

Eti: “Yeah! It’s really good!”

Eti: “…Huh!?” [She suddenly looks surprised]

Rogi: “Eti, what’s wrong?”

Suddenly, Eti screamed and ran out of the hut.

Rogi rushed after her.

Eti ran wildly, found Poppy, climbed onto its back, and roared:

“Graaah!!~”

Rogi: Eti, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Was that fruit bad?

Eti: My whole body… every part of my body… it feels like power is surging!

Leo: What’s going on?

“Graaah!”

Eti shouted again, jumped off Poppy, and ran through the village endlessly.

“Power is surging?” Rogi said, shocked, and ran back into the hut.

She grabbed one of the fruits from Pai, pulled off the stem, and carefully fed the juice into the sick woman’s mouth.

The elder approached Rogi and asked:

“Warrior… what is that?”

Rogi turned in surprise.

“Warrior? Me?”

Behind her, Pai sighed.

At that moment, the unconscious woman opened her eyes.

She softly called:

“Moring… Moring…”

Hearing her voice, Moring ran to her.

“Mom! Mom!”

She embraced her mother, who weakly wrapped her arms around her.

Though still weak, she was alive.

Rogi quickly fed her more of the fruit.

Soon, the woman recovered enough to sit up on her own.

“Thank you… I’m not in pain anymore… thank you for saving me.”

Moring ran to Rogi and hugged her.

Rogi cried tears of relief with her.

Pai was overjoyed and tried to thank the plant—

but something was wrong.

There was no response.

Pai hurried outside, following the withered roots.

They led to a massive tree behind the village.

Pai approached it and called out—

but there was no answer.

Then something strange happened.

The giant tree began to dry up and split from top to bottom.

Pai realized—

the tree that had helped them was dying.

Her friends gathered beside her.

“What’s wrong, Pai?”

Pai quietly replied:

“This tree… I think it gave its life to us….”

The children whispered with mixed gratitude and sorrow:

“Thank you…”

Pai reached out and gently touched the tree.

At that moment, small buds appeared—

they bloomed, and petals fell softly over the children.

Then the tree quietly came to rest.

Pai covered her face with both hands, crying.

The children placed their hands on the tree, expressing gratitude.

As they were about to leave—

countless sprouts began to grow around the tree.

“Everyone, don’t move! Don’t step on them!” Pai shouted.

Soon, the sprouts grew to knee height.

Small fruits appeared—

they were the same as before, but smaller.

Suddenly Pai shouted:

“Really!?”

Her friends asked what was wrong.

Pai: It says… it’s here…

Ellie: What?

Pai: It says… I’m here…

Rogi: Huh? What?

Eti quickly understood:

“The tree is speaking! It’s alive!”

Excited, Eti picked a fruit and ate it.

“Graaah!”

Yona shouted:

“What’s wrong?!”

Eti screamed again and ran through the village.

Yona: What is this, it’s scary!

EAT: Leave her… she’ll burn it off…

After that, the children distributed the fruits to the injured Kurak.

Those who ate them recovered rapidly.

The children named them “healing fruits.”

The Kurak approached them with tears and smiles, expressing gratitude.

Moring stepped forward.

“Please… warriors, protect us… we might be attacked again at any time.”

Dabi and the others looked at each other with concern.

Leo replied:

“That’s right… once we leave, they’ll be in danger again.”

At that moment, Eti ran back, panting:

Eti: Solve the problem… before we leave… *pant*

Yona: How?

Eti: We have to find a way.

Dabi: Yeah, that’s a good idea.

Yona: What do you mean good? We don’t even have a plan.

Ellie: Then let’s ask EAT.

Dabi: Yeah, good idea.

The children looked around for EAT.

They found him examining a small fruit.

“EAT, what are you doing?”

He popped the fruit into his mouth—

then frowned.

“Tch… why does this have no effect on me?”

Yona spoke carefully:

“EAT, if we just leave, the Kurak will continue to suffer. We have to help them.”

EAT replied:

“A method is the result. We need to find the cause first.”

Yona nodded:

“That’s right—we need to find the cause.”

Dabi: The cause is Poppy, right?

Ellie: No, we should ask the Kurak first.

They approached the elder and asked about the origin of the crisis.

The elder answered:

“One day, stars began falling from the sky.

After that, those beasts appeared and began attacking.”

The children were shocked.

“Stars fell?”

Yona: What happened where the stars fell?

Elder: We tried to investigate, but only more injuries followed.

Elder: We don’t even know the exact location.

EAT: Then is there a region where the beasts appear more frequently?

Elder: Yes.

Elder: They are more violent there.

Pai: That must be their habitat.

Leo: Strange… beasts living where stars fell…

Yona: Right… they should have fled if stars fell…

Eti: Then we know where to go.

Elder: I will have Neb guide you.

Rogi: No, we’ll go with Poppy.

Leo: We can’t all ride it.

Yona: Four at most.

Rogi: What do we do…

Pai: Why?

Rogi: I don’t want to walk…

Pai: Ugh… me neither… my legs hurt…

Everyone fell into thought.

Then Eti spoke:

“I have an idea.”

She ate a fruit, grabbed a sack, filled it with fruits, and returned.

Eti: Some ride Poppy, the rest run while eating these.

Rogi: Huh…?

Leo: Good! Rogi, Pai, EAT, and Yona ride. The rest run.

Pai: Huh…?

-5 B END