* * *

“Chirp! Chirp-chirp!”

(Oh no… what do I do?)

The tiny sparrow fluttered helplessly above the swirling smoke, searching for Jibeom.

The rooftop reverberated with the sounds of fierce growls and the clashes of wild beasts locked in combat.

Having never faced a situation like this, Saewoo was at a loss.

He desperately wanted to help, but every time he thought about entering the smoke, his coughs returned, and confronting those terrifying predators seemed impossible.

Worse, his interference could put Jibeom at an even greater disadvantage.

‘What if Jibeom gets seriously hurt? How can I help…?’

Worry gnawed at him.

Even though Jibeom was larger and stronger than most of the leopards, fighting in such conditions against a horde was an uphill battle—especially since he was already injured.

Saewoo vividly recalled the sight of Jibeom’s paw dripping with blood after being cut earlier.

He couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.

“Chirp!”

Determined, Saewoo inhaled deeply and dove into the smoke.

Thwack!

However, his resolve was short-lived.

He was swatted away by a leopard’s swinging tail and sent tumbling out of the cloud.

The impact left him gasping, inhaling more smoke in the process. He coughed violently, struggling to regain composure.

“Chirp… chirp-chirp…”

(Ugh… I’m so useless….)

Tears welled in his eyes.

What could he possibly do in this tiny body?

Fighting was out of the question, and even calling the authorities seemed futile.

After all, would anyone willingly intervene in a battle involving predator beastmen?

❀❀❀

Now wasn’t the time to leisurely sit back and regret.

With roars mingled with growls, two beasts lunged at Jibeom simultaneously.

At that moment, the black panther’s eyes flashed, its leg muscles tensing as it sprang forward.

Its sharp teeth sank into one of their necks, ripping it apart.

At the same time, pain shot through its side.

“Grrk…!”

Jibeom quickly kicked off the panther clinging to his body and swung his paw.

The reckless attackers were struck and sent flying once again, sustaining further injuries.

“Huff…”

Breathing short and ragged, Jibeom glared fiercely, his hostility palpable.

The wound on his side wasn’t serious, but blood dripped steadily from his front paw.

Drip… Drip…

At first, he thought it might be the blood of the enemies, but it wasn’t.

The cut he had sustained earlier had reopened, blood seeping out once more.

“Damn it…”

If it weren’t for that smoke grenade, he could’ve taken care of those bastards long ago.

More than the blood loss, it was the suffocating situation that irritated Jibeom.

Still, a small part of him was relieved—he had confirmed that the enemies were after him and not Saewoo.

“…Peep!”

“…?”

At that moment, a faint chirp echoed in Jibeom’s ears.

‘Am I hearing things?’

Dismissing it as an illusion, Jibeom tried to refocus on the leopards in front of him.

“Peep, peep, peeeeep!”

“Peep-peep-peep!”

“Peep, peeeeeeeep!”

‘What is this…?’

The chirping, which had seemed like a mere hallucination, grew louder, resounding from all directions.

“Peep, peep, peeeep—cheek!”

‘Cheek?’

And in the midst of the chirping, a different bird call mixed in.

“Grrrr…?”

It wasn’t just Jibeom who was bewildered.

The leopards in the fog appeared equally disoriented, stumbling and looking around.

Their silhouettes surrounding Jibeom turned their gazes to the sky.

Whether it was luck or not, their attention shifted instantly.

Taking this as an opportunity, Jibeom decided to strike first.

At that moment—

“Peeeeep!”

(Jibeom!)

“……!”

Just as Jibeom prepared to attack, a sparrow darted like a bullet through the thick fog.

He didn’t even have time to question why it had come here.

Saewoo whispered something quickly into his ear and then flew out of the fog.

‘…So that’s what it is.’

Realizing the meaning of Saewoo’s words, Jibeom’s lips curled into a smirk.

He let out a thunderous roar, directing it at the confused leopards.

“Raaaawr! Graaagh! Grrrrr!”

(You slow bastards! Planning to fight all day? Come at me!)

Provoked by Jibeom’s taunt, the leopards bristled with rage.

Without hesitation, they all charged toward the black panther at once.

…Thud, thud!

Jibeom waited until they closed in before tensing his hind legs and leaping powerfully.

The jump propelled him high enough to emerge entirely out of the dense white fog.

“Peep!”

(Bite it!)

At that exact moment, Saewoo shouted to Jibeom as he emerged from the smoke cloud.

The sparrow tossed a rope, thick as its own body, toward the black panther.

The rope was tied to a lamppost outside the rooftop.

Snap.

Using the rope’s momentum, Jibeom soared to the edge of the rooftop, landing safely in an area free from the smoke.

Above him loomed a massive shadow.

Ssshh…

‘What… what is that?’

Startled, Jibeom took a step back.

“Grrr?”

(Where did that black panther go?)

“Growl?”

(He was here just now…?)

Unable to spot their target, the leopards stumbled about, crashing into one another.

As confusion spread among them, the surroundings suddenly darkened.

A gust of wind blew from above.

“……?”

The leopards, sniffing around for the black panther’s scent, instinctively looked up.

They froze at the sight of a giant rectangular tarp descending rapidly toward them.

“Rooaaar…!”
(Dodge—!)

Too late.

The leopards, lost in the fog, couldn’t find their way and were trapped beneath the enormous tarp.

“Chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp!”

(Serves you right!)

“Cheek-cheek, chirp-chirp-chirp!”

(This is fun!)

Above, dozens of sparrows chirped cheerfully, circling in excitement.

“Peep! Peep-peep!”

(Thank you, everyone!)

Flying amidst them, Saewoo expressed heartfelt thanks.

The sparrows chirped back, saying it was natural to help out with something this amusing and even thanked Saewoo for giving them such a fun diversion.

“Growl?”

(What’s going on?)

Hearing their chatter, Jibeom looked confused. Saewoo flew to him and explained.

Saewoo had thought of using the tarp but knew it would be impossible alone.

So, after some searching, he found a group of sparrows resting on power lines and explained the situation.

They had gladly helped move the tarp together.

Boom!

Once the explanation ended, Saewoo transformed back into his human form.

He hadn’t had time to grab any clothes, leaving him stark naked, but he paid no mind and immediately examined Jibeom.

“Jibeom, let me see. Are you hurt anywhere?”

‘This cheeky sparrow again…’

Flustered, Jibeom untied the cape still draped over his back and covered Saewoo’s shoulders.

“I knew this would happen…”

Moments later, Saewoo’s eyes reddened as he noticed the blood dripping from Jibeom’s paw.

* * *