Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
The moment he began to think about water, the thirst became more difficult to bear.
He looked down at Aryes curled up in his arms like a rabbit and thought.
As they'd run through the forest, they'd crossed so much fresh water that he'd started to wonder whether the entire place was flooded. If he just looked around a bit, it seemed likely he'd be able to find some.
Once he started considering this, he couldn't stop himself.
It was hard to bring himself to let go of Aryes's hands, soft as rising dough, but he slowly released his fingers and carefully rearranged their bags to support her shoulders.
This was not without a certain feeling of guilt, but he could not win against the terrible thirst within him.
Once he confirmed that Aryes was still sleeping peacefully, Klass took the water skin and stood.
It felt as though his throat hurt more with every blink.
Over and over again, he tried to swallow nonexistent saliva, imagining it was cool water.
He cast his gaze about his surroundings, looking for plants that seemed likely to grow near water.
It would be dangerous to stray too far from Aryes's side, so turning in a circle, bearlike, he searched for a likely spot and soon found one.
A short remove away he noticed a huge tree covered in moss, and behind it he found a trickle of water.
However, the tiny amount could hardly be drunk, to say nothing of filling the water skin.
After a moment's hesitation, Klass started walking upstream of the trickle.
As he climbed, careful not to slip on the moss, he soon came to a small bluff.
He peered over the edge, and before he could even raise a cry of joy, he immediately started looking for a way down.
At the base of the drop, no higher than he was tall, was a large pool—perhaps where many of these trickles ran together and collected.
The water was very clear, and the base of the pool seemed to be sandy.
In any case, Klass forced himself to be patient as he pushed through the grass and circled the pool, taking care not to trip on the suddenly rocky terrain as he approached it—and then he noticed something.
The place from which he'd first spied the pool was directly above a cave, and the pool seemed to continue on into it.
The entrance was too cramped for Klass to fit through even crouched, so he didn't know how far back the cave went.
But what he wanted was the water, the sight of which was enough to snap him back to his senses.
He knelt down and took a drink.
There was no way for Klass to express the joy he felt in that moment.
The water was cool and wet, and he gulped it ecstatically.
After drinking he didn't know how much, breathing became difficult, and he finally brought his head up, belching loudly and sighing.
It was as cold as well water in the middle of winter.
Fish swam in the pool, taking no notice of Klass whatsoever. They would trace serene paths through the exposed area, then swim back into the cave.
In the dazed, absentminded satiety that followed after Klass quenched his thirst, he watched the fish.
When he finally came to his senses with a start, he realized he'd been about to fall asleep, and he hastily wiped his mouth and slapped his own head.
If he slept here, Holo was sure to be furious at him when he returned.
Klass filled the water skin and fastened it to his waist.
Just as he lowered his mouth to the pool to take one last drink—
***
Quite suddenly he felt that he was being watched.
Thinking that perhaps Holo had come looking for him after seeing that he'd left Aryes's side, he looked around, but Holo was nowhere to be seen.
Tall grass grew around the edge of the pool, but visibility was not particularly poor.
Despite there being nowhere good to hide, he could not find the gaze's owner.
"Must be my imagination...," he murmured, partially to convince himself. He checked behind him, then turned to face the pond again, lowering his mouth to its surface—and then he saw it.
To the left of the semicircle-shaped entrance to the cave was an animal standing very still.

Output:
Its natural camouflage hid it against the bluff, and even as Klass realized that was why he hadn't noticed it, he concluded quite clearly that the fawn hadn't been there before.
He'd heard frightening stories about all sorts of strange things that could happen in the forest.
But the fawn was not some sort of animal spirit; it was simply looking at him. This may well have been the first time it had seen a human, he realized, so perhaps it was just curious.
Klass looked furtively back at the fawn, then stole a quick drink of water and stood.
The fawn did not so much as budge.
If anything it was rather cute, but somehow looking into its motionless black eyes made Klass feel a chill down his spine.
Of course it wasn't attacking or baring its teeth—it was just looking at him, so there was nothing to fear. Klass reminded himself as much, then turned on his heel and half ran away.
He looked back several times as he went. The notion that the fawn might follow him was utterly absurd, but his feet quickened their pace nonetheless.
The distance was not so great, but he was much relieved when he arrived back at Aryes's side.
Of course, the fact that Holo was also there was both fortunate and unfortunate.
"You look as though you're about to tell me you've seen a forest spirit."
***
Holo's jeering smile was a bit irritating, but looking at it did dispel his worries.
"I brought water."
"Mm, I see," murmured Holo, playing idly with the sleeping Aryes's bangs.
Klass wanted to tell her that if she kept doing that, she'd wake the girl, but watching Holo's beautiful fingers touch Aryes's soft hair aroused complicated emotions in him.
"...May I not have some?"
"Huh?" Klass snapped out of his trance at the sound of Holo's voice.
Holo narrowed her eyes slightly and repeated her question. "May I not have some water?"
"Oh, er, yes." Klass hadn't even sat down before he hastily handed the water skin to Holo.
Holo, of course, was not going to let him get away so easily.
"You want to give it a try too?"
Klass couldn't help swallowing at Holo's low-lidded eyes and wet-toothed smile.
With effort, he managed not to nod. "N-never mind about that. What about the people coming after us?" he asked forcefully, sitting down a short distance from Holo.
He was irritated at having to endure her teasing, and he was worried that if he didn't ask the question with some force, he'd be reduced to weak protestations.
Holo twitched her ears two or three times at Klass's words, then after peering into the water skin, muttered vague assent.
"They weren't there," she said.
"Wha—?"
"They weren't there."
After considering Holo's words for a moment, he realized the truth that they pointed to and let slip another exclamation of surprise. "But that means we're—"
"—Safe? Aye, it might be a bit early to say that. But at least it seems we won't be caught right away."
Klass exhaled, though even he wasn't sure whether it was a sigh of relief or not; his shoulders went slack.
He felt like a rigid pole in his back that had done its best to support him had finally snapped.
Holo watched this and chuckled soundlessly.
But as she did this, she stroked Aryes's cheek, and Holo's expression did not seem to be a teasing one—if anything, it was kind and her smile one of praise.
"Of course, there are probably also men walking outside the forest, so we're not completely safe yet. Our first job is to cross the forest and make it to the town."
He couldn't imagine Holo telling him that just to make him feel better.
Klass believed her words wholeheartedly. He nodded and stretched his cold-stiffened legs.
"Let us take a bit of a rest. We pushed ourselves rather hard to make it this far."
"Yes...I guess we did," he said, yawning midway through the sentence.
Holo smiled wryly at this, then rubbed her nose and smoothly stood before sitting down next to Klass. "You needn't be on your guard so."


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
Its natural camouflage hid it against the bluff, and even as Klass realized that was why he hadn't noticed it, he concluded quite clearly that the fawn hadn't been there before.
He'd heard frightening stories about all sorts of strange things that could happen in the forest.
But the fawn was not some sort of animal spirit; it was simply looking at him. This may well have been the first time it had seen a human, he realized, so perhaps it was just curious.
Klass looked furtively back at the fawn, then stole a quick drink of water and stood.
The fawn did not so much as budge.
If anything it was rather cute, but somehow looking into its motionless black eyes made Klass feel a chill down his spine.
Of course it wasn't attacking or baring its teeth—it was just looking at him, so there was nothing to fear. Klass reminded himself as much, then turned on his heel and half ran away.
He looked back several times as he went. The notion that the fawn might follow him was utterly absurd, but his feet quickened their pace nonetheless.
The distance was not so great, but he was much relieved when he arrived back at Aryes's side.
Of course, the fact that Holo was also there was both fortunate and unfortunate.
"You look as though you're about to tell me you've seen a forest spirit."
***
Holo's jeering smile was a bit irritating, but looking at it did dispel his worries.
"I brought water."
"Mm, I see," murmured Holo, playing idly with the sleeping Aryes's bangs.
Klass wanted to tell her that if she kept doing that, she'd wake the girl, but watching Holo's beautiful fingers touch Aryes's soft hair aroused complicated emotions in him.
"...May I not have some?"
"Huh?" Klass snapped out of his trance at the sound of Holo's voice.
Holo narrowed her eyes slightly and repeated her question. "May I not have some water?"
"Oh, er, yes." Klass hadn't even sat down before he hastily handed the water skin to Holo.
Holo, of course, was not going to let him get away so easily.
"You want to give it a try too?"
Klass couldn't help swallowing at Holo's low-lidded eyes and wet-toothed smile.
With effort, he managed not to nod. "N-never mind about that. What about the people coming after us?" he asked forcefully, sitting down a short distance from Holo.
He was irritated at having to endure her teasing, and he was worried that if he didn't ask the question with some force, he'd be reduced to weak protestations.
Holo twitched her ears two or three times at Klass's words, then after peering into the water skin, muttered vague assent.
"They weren't there," she said.
"Wha—?"
"They weren't there."
After considering Holo's words for a moment, he realized the truth that they pointed to and let slip another exclamation of surprise. "But that means we're—"
"—Safe? Aye, it might be a bit early to say that. But at least it seems we won't be caught right away."
Klass exhaled, though even he wasn't sure whether it was a sigh of relief or not; his shoulders went slack.
He felt like a rigid pole in his back that had done its best to support him had finally snapped.
Holo watched this and chuckled soundlessly.
But as she did this, she stroked Aryes's cheek, and Holo's expression did not seem to be a teasing one—if anything, it was kind and her smile one of praise.
"Of course, there are probably also men walking outside the forest, so we're not completely safe yet. Our first job is to cross the forest and make it to the town."
He couldn't imagine Holo telling him that just to make him feel better.
Klass believed her words wholeheartedly. He nodded and stretched his cold-stiffened legs.
"Let us take a bit of a rest. We pushed ourselves rather hard to make it this far."
"Yes...I guess we did," he said, yawning midway through the sentence.
Holo smiled wryly at this, then rubbed her nose and smoothly stood before sitting down next to Klass. "You needn't be on your guard so."

Output:
Such suspicion bothered Holo not at all, of course, and by the time the word "Come" reached Klass's ears, his head was already upon her lap.
This had to be some sorcery, he was quite certain.
Because, although his face burned red with embarrassment, the courage to pull his body upright again had left him entirely.
"If you'll sleep a bit, your strength will return. We've some distance yet to cover. You'd best sleep."
He felt his head being stroked; it was such a pleasurable feeling that the back of his neck tingled.
That plus Holo's words were all the excuse he needed.
He started to nod, his head still in her lap. He didn't finish it, though, because Holo kept talking.
"Depending on what may come, you may have to carry Aryes over your shoulder if she becomes exhausted."
Aryes had earlier grasped Klass's right hand, turning her expression instantly from unease to relief, but now her hand was lightly closed, holding nothing.
Surely she was holding Klass's hand in her dreams.
When the thought occurred to him, he suddenly felt terrible for laying his head in Holo's lap.
He tried to sit up.
What stopped him was—of course—Holo's hand.
"Heh-heh-heh...you're such a faithful male, you are." Holo rested her elbow on his temple, holding her chin in her hand.
Half out of surprise, half out of anger, and with only a bit of regret, Klass tried to get out from under her elbow, but when she increased the pressure so that it actually hurt, he gave up.
"Seems I didn't actually have to do anything after all."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. 'Twas merely talking to myself. Anyway—" Holo removed her elbow from Klass's head as she spoke. Klass sighed and again tried to lift his head up when Holo interrupted him. "I simply hate losing, you see."
He felt, in the distance between his raised head and Holo's lap, a very soft thing indeed.
He didn't even have time to wonder what he'd done.
There was a delicate, almost ticklish sensation on his cheek and ear, along with Holo's sweet scent.
Beneath his head was her soft, silky tail.
Holo chuckled. "I wonder if you'll be able to raise your head now, eh?"
The sensation of the warm tail on his cheek made her point very hard to dispute, Klass thought.
Then she began to gently stroke his head.
There was no way he could sit up.
Klass relaxed his neck, and his head made a soft landing on her lap.
"I suspected as much," said Holo a bit haughtily, whereupon his gaze went to Aryes, still sleeping quietly. "Do not worry. I'll make sure to wake you before she rises."
Klass felt somehow tainted, which was sad enough, but still sadder was how relieved he was to hear Holo say this.
But even as he wanted to cry at how pathetic he was, Holo leaned down and whispered into his ear, her tone both teasing and honest, "'Tis nothing—a bit of indebtedness will only make you treat her more kindly."
"Wha...?" He thought about her words for a few moments.
Holo had called herself a wisewolf.
Klass believed that it was the truth.
He'd treat Aryes with kindness once she awoke.
Murmuring the excuse to himself, he felt like he would sleep very well upon Holo's tail.
Mere moments later, Klass was surrounded by darkness.
"Now then, next...," Holo muttered as though talking to herself.
But Klass couldn't tell whether he'd dreamed it or not.
He got the feeling that Holo and Aryes were talking about something.
Unable to clearly understand the words, he was at least certain that it was a dream.
After all, Holo had said she would wake him before Aryes awoke.
Which was why when he opened his eyes, his head still resting on Holo's warm tail, he turned bright red, and the first thing he thought was Holo, you traitor!
"Ah, it seems the sleepyhead has finally come awake."
***
Without being given so much as the opportunity to blame her, to say nothing of apologizing, Klass shouldered their bags and set off walking.
It seemed little time had passed; Klass felt he'd been asleep for no more time than it took for a thrown stone to fall to earth.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
Such suspicion bothered Holo not at all, of course, and by the time the word "Come" reached Klass's ears, his head was already upon her lap.
This had to be some sorcery, he was quite certain.
Because, although his face burned red with embarrassment, the courage to pull his body upright again had left him entirely.
"If you'll sleep a bit, your strength will return. We've some distance yet to cover. You'd best sleep."
He felt his head being stroked; it was such a pleasurable feeling that the back of his neck tingled.
That plus Holo's words were all the excuse he needed.
He started to nod, his head still in her lap. He didn't finish it, though, because Holo kept talking.
"Depending on what may come, you may have to carry Aryes over your shoulder if she becomes exhausted."
Aryes had earlier grasped Klass's right hand, turning her expression instantly from unease to relief, but now her hand was lightly closed, holding nothing.
Surely she was holding Klass's hand in her dreams.
When the thought occurred to him, he suddenly felt terrible for laying his head in Holo's lap.
He tried to sit up.
What stopped him was—of course—Holo's hand.
"Heh-heh-heh...you're such a faithful male, you are." Holo rested her elbow on his temple, holding her chin in her hand.
Half out of surprise, half out of anger, and with only a bit of regret, Klass tried to get out from under her elbow, but when she increased the pressure so that it actually hurt, he gave up.
"Seems I didn't actually have to do anything after all."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. 'Twas merely talking to myself. Anyway—" Holo removed her elbow from Klass's head as she spoke. Klass sighed and again tried to lift his head up when Holo interrupted him. "I simply hate losing, you see."
He felt, in the distance between his raised head and Holo's lap, a very soft thing indeed.
He didn't even have time to wonder what he'd done.
There was a delicate, almost ticklish sensation on his cheek and ear, along with Holo's sweet scent.
Beneath his head was her soft, silky tail.
Holo chuckled. "I wonder if you'll be able to raise your head now, eh?"
The sensation of the warm tail on his cheek made her point very hard to dispute, Klass thought.
Then she began to gently stroke his head.
There was no way he could sit up.
Klass relaxed his neck, and his head made a soft landing on her lap.
"I suspected as much," said Holo a bit haughtily, whereupon his gaze went to Aryes, still sleeping quietly. "Do not worry. I'll make sure to wake you before she rises."
Klass felt somehow tainted, which was sad enough, but still sadder was how relieved he was to hear Holo say this.
But even as he wanted to cry at how pathetic he was, Holo leaned down and whispered into his ear, her tone both teasing and honest, "'Tis nothing—a bit of indebtedness will only make you treat her more kindly."
"Wha...?" He thought about her words for a few moments.
Holo had called herself a wisewolf.
Klass believed that it was the truth.
He'd treat Aryes with kindness once she awoke.
Murmuring the excuse to himself, he felt like he would sleep very well upon Holo's tail.
Mere moments later, Klass was surrounded by darkness.
"Now then, next...," Holo muttered as though talking to herself.
But Klass couldn't tell whether he'd dreamed it or not.
He got the feeling that Holo and Aryes were talking about something.
Unable to clearly understand the words, he was at least certain that it was a dream.
After all, Holo had said she would wake him before Aryes awoke.
Which was why when he opened his eyes, his head still resting on Holo's warm tail, he turned bright red, and the first thing he thought was Holo, you traitor!
"Ah, it seems the sleepyhead has finally come awake."
***
Without being given so much as the opportunity to blame her, to say nothing of apologizing, Klass shouldered their bags and set off walking.
It seemed little time had passed; Klass felt he'd been asleep for no more time than it took for a thrown stone to fall to earth.

Output:
He ignored Aryes's puppylike reliance on him, the fact that he'd slept on Holo's lap still gnawing at him.
As he started to walk, he felt entirely gloomy and had a special hatred for Holo's tail, which up until a moment ago had seemed so invitingly comfortable.
He had no idea how he was supposed to talk to Aryes now. Why hadn't Holo woken him?
The dark feelings pressed down upon him so much that for a moment something escaped his notice.
When he did notice it a moment later, he couldn't help but make a sound of surprise.
Aryes was in fact doing nothing less than holding Klass's hand.
"Miss Holo said I mustn't let go," she said with a serious face.
Klass could not, of course, muster any anger at Aryes and felt an inward sigh of relief. He was so sure she'd be furious at him.
"It is a test from God, she said," said Aryes with an ambiguous expression. She then glanced at Holo.
Klass consider the meaning of those words, then glared at Holo's swaying tail.
She should mind her own business, he thought.
As he considered such things, thoughts of the exhaustion that he'd felt back when he'd started walking were chased to a corner of his mind.
Klass wordlessly walked, and the forest, too, was quiet.
A short walk through the woods near the mansion revealed all sorts of creatures, but here, the only animal he'd gotten a clear look at was the fawn; he saw nothing else.
Just as he was wondering if that was simply the kind of forest this was, he looked up.
He wondered if perhaps there were squirrels or the like scampering about above him in the trees.
He realized he'd misunderstood when he looked up and saw droplets of rain falling through the gaps in the forest canopy.
"Rain, eh? Well, so long as it's no worse than this, we'll get no wetter for our walking in the forest."
And it was just as Holo said—a small drop eventually fell on his nose, but little rain made it through the gaps in the thick foliage overhead.
And yet the rain made him begin to notice the strange quiet of the forest.
There was no sound—but it was not the silence that would've made a far-off pin drop audible and rather more like lead placed over his ears.
He could hear his own breath, but though Aryes was right next to him, he could hardly make out the rustling of their clothes.
Their surroundings were smothered in the peculiar silence of the rain.
Klass had heard that children born on rainy days never smiled.
The rumor around the mansion was that the silent, stoic beekeeper the lord retained had been born on a soggily rainy afternoon.
The forest overflowed with the green of the leaves, ferns, and moss, but it was starting to look hazy and misty.
The effect was somehow eerie, and Klass held Aryes's hand a bit more tightly.
Aryes seemed to likewise feel uncertain and returned his strengthened grip.
Soon thereafter, Klass happened to catch sight of something ahead.
The trees were thick. Past them, he thought he could make something out.
Standing on a small ridge, it looked down at them as though they were dolls made of straw.
It was a deer.
Holo seemed not to have noticed it, and when Klass looked again to make sure it wasn't his imagination, the deer was gone.
He felt an unpleasant chill and shivered.
He didn't want to say anything; he didn't even tell Aryes, who'd surely never seen a deer before.
Aryes and Holo continued walking silently.
As though rushed by the silence, Holo's footsteps grew steadily quicker.
She'd said that their pursuers weren't coming so there was no need to hurry, but the very idea of spending the night in the rainy forest made Klass's hair stand on end. It hardly mattered whether they were caught by the pursuers or by the dark of the forest.
Holo looked in his direction several times, irritated.
Noticing this, Klass wondered how many times he'd looked at Aryes similarly over the past few days.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
He ignored Aryes's puppylike reliance on him, the fact that he'd slept on Holo's lap still gnawing at him.
As he started to walk, he felt entirely gloomy and had a special hatred for Holo's tail, which up until a moment ago had seemed so invitingly comfortable.
He had no idea how he was supposed to talk to Aryes now. Why hadn't Holo woken him?
The dark feelings pressed down upon him so much that for a moment something escaped his notice.
When he did notice it a moment later, he couldn't help but make a sound of surprise.
Aryes was in fact doing nothing less than holding Klass's hand.
"Miss Holo said I mustn't let go," she said with a serious face.
Klass could not, of course, muster any anger at Aryes and felt an inward sigh of relief. He was so sure she'd be furious at him.
"It is a test from God, she said," said Aryes with an ambiguous expression. She then glanced at Holo.
Klass consider the meaning of those words, then glared at Holo's swaying tail.
She should mind her own business, he thought.
As he considered such things, thoughts of the exhaustion that he'd felt back when he'd started walking were chased to a corner of his mind.
Klass wordlessly walked, and the forest, too, was quiet.
A short walk through the woods near the mansion revealed all sorts of creatures, but here, the only animal he'd gotten a clear look at was the fawn; he saw nothing else.
Just as he was wondering if that was simply the kind of forest this was, he looked up.
He wondered if perhaps there were squirrels or the like scampering about above him in the trees.
He realized he'd misunderstood when he looked up and saw droplets of rain falling through the gaps in the forest canopy.
"Rain, eh? Well, so long as it's no worse than this, we'll get no wetter for our walking in the forest."
And it was just as Holo said—a small drop eventually fell on his nose, but little rain made it through the gaps in the thick foliage overhead.
And yet the rain made him begin to notice the strange quiet of the forest.
There was no sound—but it was not the silence that would've made a far-off pin drop audible and rather more like lead placed over his ears.
He could hear his own breath, but though Aryes was right next to him, he could hardly make out the rustling of their clothes.
Their surroundings were smothered in the peculiar silence of the rain.
Klass had heard that children born on rainy days never smiled.
The rumor around the mansion was that the silent, stoic beekeeper the lord retained had been born on a soggily rainy afternoon.
The forest overflowed with the green of the leaves, ferns, and moss, but it was starting to look hazy and misty.
The effect was somehow eerie, and Klass held Aryes's hand a bit more tightly.
Aryes seemed to likewise feel uncertain and returned his strengthened grip.
Soon thereafter, Klass happened to catch sight of something ahead.
The trees were thick. Past them, he thought he could make something out.
Standing on a small ridge, it looked down at them as though they were dolls made of straw.
It was a deer.
Holo seemed not to have noticed it, and when Klass looked again to make sure it wasn't his imagination, the deer was gone.
He felt an unpleasant chill and shivered.
He didn't want to say anything; he didn't even tell Aryes, who'd surely never seen a deer before.
Aryes and Holo continued walking silently.
As though rushed by the silence, Holo's footsteps grew steadily quicker.
She'd said that their pursuers weren't coming so there was no need to hurry, but the very idea of spending the night in the rainy forest made Klass's hair stand on end. It hardly mattered whether they were caught by the pursuers or by the dark of the forest.
Holo looked in his direction several times, irritated.
Noticing this, Klass wondered how many times he'd looked at Aryes similarly over the past few days.

Output:
If possible, he wanted to see the mountains that held up the sky, but that was probably impossible.
"What else...?" Tired as she was, her voice still had a bit of energy left in it.
More than anything else, her simply talking to him helped him find some relief in her meager expression.
"I've heard there are mountains that shoot fire and places where rivers run out of the sky."
Beneath her hood, Aryes cocked her head, puzzled.
It seemed she was having trouble imagining such things, but Klass couldn't blame her for that as he couldn't really imagine them himself.
He decided to stop posturing and talk about something he knew. "Hmm...have you ever seen any wheat fields?"
"Wheat fields?"
"Yeah. You know wheat, right?"
She nodded.
"They're where wheat comes from, whole fields like a golden carpet."
Aryes seemed to be able to imagine this.
Her eyes widened and she looked off into the distance dazedly—then tripped and nearly fell, vaguely murmuring, "Wheat fields...," to herself as though trying to confirm their existence.
"They look really fluffy when you see them from far away, like you just want to jump into them—but if you do, they're not fluffy at all. And if you knock over too much wheat, the adults will beat you with sticks," said Klass, which Aryes looked a bit surprised at and laughed.
Her face was elder sisterly. "Did you reflect on your misdeeds?"
"You bet I did," said Klass honestly.
"In that case, God will forgive you," said Aryes with a brilliant smile.
Klass found it somehow hard to look at and hastily averted his face, searching for another topic. "O-or a ship!"
"I know about ships."
"Oh, er, really?" Klass stopped himself from adding, "Even though you didn't know about the sea?"
"When the earth is covered in a great flood, that's a giant vehicle that will take all the righteous people to the kingdom in the sky."
Though fatigue was making her footing a bit uncertain, her face was entirely confident, and she spoke with even a touch of pride.
It was the same face she made when talking about God, and Klass was not overly fond of it.
But this time, something about her daft pride was endearing.
"The ships I know about don't fly in the sky, I don't think."
"...?" Aryes's look was so puzzled that Klass, who did not know about every ship the world over, was suddenly uncertain, but looking ahead at Holo, who was still just walking ahead, he answered.
"They float on rivers and lakes and things, on water, anyways. People ride on them, and they carry horses and such, too."
"On the...water?"
"That's right."
"And they don't sink?"
When Klass had first seen a ship, he'd also found its failure to sink rather mysterious, but since he had in fact seen such a ship, he stuck his chest out, quite able to answer. "They don't. Even if you put a bunch of people and a whole lot of heavy bags of wheat on them, they still don't sink."
Aryes regarded Klass's statement suspiciously, pursing her perfectly formed lips slightly. "It's a sin to lie, you know."
She seemed to think he was teasing her.
He was so tickled by her words that Klass couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not lying! I saw it with my own eyes."
"It could have been the work of a demon."
"So what would you do if you saw a ship floating on the water?"
Aryes was suddenly at a loss for words.
It seemed that within her there were parts that all too quickly believed what other people said while other parts stubbornly refused to listen.
Klass was getting the sense that this was one of her stubborn parts.
So whether or not it came from proposing a bet she could actually win, he found her stubbornness very charming.
"If it were floating on the water...?"
"Yes, floating on the water."
Klass smiled as he looked at her, and Aryes seemed to lose confidence by the second, averting her eyes and lowering her head.
But Aryes didn't take the coward's way out—that was one of her good points.
"I would apologize."


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
If possible, he wanted to see the mountains that held up the sky, but that was probably impossible.
"What else...?" Tired as she was, her voice still had a bit of energy left in it.
More than anything else, her simply talking to him helped him find some relief in her meager expression.
"I've heard there are mountains that shoot fire and places where rivers run out of the sky."
Beneath her hood, Aryes cocked her head, puzzled.
It seemed she was having trouble imagining such things, but Klass couldn't blame her for that as he couldn't really imagine them himself.
He decided to stop posturing and talk about something he knew. "Hmm...have you ever seen any wheat fields?"
"Wheat fields?"
"Yeah. You know wheat, right?"
She nodded.
"They're where wheat comes from, whole fields like a golden carpet."
Aryes seemed to be able to imagine this.
Her eyes widened and she looked off into the distance dazedly—then tripped and nearly fell, vaguely murmuring, "Wheat fields...," to herself as though trying to confirm their existence.
"They look really fluffy when you see them from far away, like you just want to jump into them—but if you do, they're not fluffy at all. And if you knock over too much wheat, the adults will beat you with sticks," said Klass, which Aryes looked a bit surprised at and laughed.
Her face was elder sisterly. "Did you reflect on your misdeeds?"
"You bet I did," said Klass honestly.
"In that case, God will forgive you," said Aryes with a brilliant smile.
Klass found it somehow hard to look at and hastily averted his face, searching for another topic. "O-or a ship!"
"I know about ships."
"Oh, er, really?" Klass stopped himself from adding, "Even though you didn't know about the sea?"
"When the earth is covered in a great flood, that's a giant vehicle that will take all the righteous people to the kingdom in the sky."
Though fatigue was making her footing a bit uncertain, her face was entirely confident, and she spoke with even a touch of pride.
It was the same face she made when talking about God, and Klass was not overly fond of it.
But this time, something about her daft pride was endearing.
"The ships I know about don't fly in the sky, I don't think."
"...?" Aryes's look was so puzzled that Klass, who did not know about every ship the world over, was suddenly uncertain, but looking ahead at Holo, who was still just walking ahead, he answered.
"They float on rivers and lakes and things, on water, anyways. People ride on them, and they carry horses and such, too."
"On the...water?"
"That's right."
"And they don't sink?"
When Klass had first seen a ship, he'd also found its failure to sink rather mysterious, but since he had in fact seen such a ship, he stuck his chest out, quite able to answer. "They don't. Even if you put a bunch of people and a whole lot of heavy bags of wheat on them, they still don't sink."
Aryes regarded Klass's statement suspiciously, pursing her perfectly formed lips slightly. "It's a sin to lie, you know."
She seemed to think he was teasing her.
He was so tickled by her words that Klass couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not lying! I saw it with my own eyes."
"It could have been the work of a demon."
"So what would you do if you saw a ship floating on the water?"
Aryes was suddenly at a loss for words.
It seemed that within her there were parts that all too quickly believed what other people said while other parts stubbornly refused to listen.
Klass was getting the sense that this was one of her stubborn parts.
So whether or not it came from proposing a bet she could actually win, he found her stubbornness very charming.
"If it were floating on the water...?"
"Yes, floating on the water."
Klass smiled as he looked at her, and Aryes seemed to lose confidence by the second, averting her eyes and lowering her head.
But Aryes didn't take the coward's way out—that was one of her good points.
"I would apologize."

Output:
As he was doing so, basking in the afterglow of the conversation, Holo suddenly stopped, turned, and looked at him.
For just an instant, he prepared himself to be teased once again but soon realized that she had a different—and strangely serious—expression on her face.
"It pains me to ruin such a hard-earned mood," she said shortly. "I kept mum about it because if I'd said anything, 'twould have made you nervous, and nerves invite injury. But it seems I must tell you."
Klass had a very bad feeling about this and wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Our pursuers are coming."
"Wha—?" he murmured in spite of himself, and Aryes also looked up. "B-but you said they weren't coming—"
"Aye," said Holo evenly, not seeming to take notice of Klass's accusatory tone. But as she continued, he soon realized that wasn't out of some generosity on her part, but rather because it was a trivial matter compared with their real problem. "Our human pursuers are not coming."
The wolf pack that attacked them a few days earlier appeared in his mind.
"I thought it strange. This is a grand, large forest. It should have a master. For such a master not to appear...Also, the group that was following us—I can't believe they'd suddenly turn tail. So—"
Holo turned and surveyed the surroundings, then sighed there in the green-choked forest.
She pursed her lips like a child. "So they've either been tricked by dwellers of the forest, or..."
Just then, Klass was sure he heard a howl, but then realized it was thunder from overhead. "Dwellers of the forest...?" he asked, unable to stay silent in the face of his uncertainty and fear, but Holo only shook her head, not giving him a straight answer.
When she spoke, it seemed to be mostly to herself. "I'm a wisewolf after all. Between my words and wisdom, I often get my own way, but that lot seems to have gotten rather crafty as well. I'd like to get out of this forest straightaway...and even I can't do anything about the weather," Holo murmured, looking up.
Klass nodded and looked over at Aryes beside him. He squeezed her hand slightly. "Do you mean the...the deer?"
Holo's eyes widened slightly at the words, and she nodded. "You saw it, did you?"
"Yes. When I was fetching water and also just a moment ago. It was staring right at me, not moving at all."
Holo scratched her cheek and furrowed her brow.
Her tail flicked in displeasure.
"They're a cunning lot. I've no idea what they might do. There's not much use in telling you to be on your guard, but I suppose it's better than being suddenly ambushed in ignorance, eh?"
Aryes shrank back at the quiet words, looking at Klass.
If he also faltered at Holo's lack of confidence, then who would protect Aryes?
He braced himself on his heels and forced a smile. "It'll be all right. A wolf's stronger than a deer."
Klass wasn't sure whether his smile had been convincing enough, but Holo burst out laughing, so it must have gone over well.
She mussed his hair, which made him feel a bit awkward in front of Aryes but also pleased.
"Human cubs surely do grow quickly." Holo looked at Aryes as she spoke.
Klass wondered why Aryes, while Aryes herself neither nodded nor shook her head.
She only looked back at Holo with an expression of endurance.
"Ah, well, 'twill work out somehow. The rain's a calamity for more than us." Holo responded to Aryes's look with a triumphant smile, gazing up overhead.
The umbrella of the forest canopy seemed to be nearly at its limit.
Drops of water fell down now like leaks in a leak-riddled hut.
"Well, shall we be off?" said Holo, and began walking.
Contrary to the tone of her voice, Klass saw uncertainty in her steps.
Huff, huff, huff.
After taking three breaths, he would swallow to hide his fatigue.
Then three more breaths, then swallow again—over and over.
The wine was an encumbrance and had been long since discarded. Half of the water he'd gone to such lengths to fetch was also left.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
As he was doing so, basking in the afterglow of the conversation, Holo suddenly stopped, turned, and looked at him.
For just an instant, he prepared himself to be teased once again but soon realized that she had a different—and strangely serious—expression on her face.
"It pains me to ruin such a hard-earned mood," she said shortly. "I kept mum about it because if I'd said anything, 'twould have made you nervous, and nerves invite injury. But it seems I must tell you."
Klass had a very bad feeling about this and wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Our pursuers are coming."
"Wha—?" he murmured in spite of himself, and Aryes also looked up. "B-but you said they weren't coming—"
"Aye," said Holo evenly, not seeming to take notice of Klass's accusatory tone. But as she continued, he soon realized that wasn't out of some generosity on her part, but rather because it was a trivial matter compared with their real problem. "Our human pursuers are not coming."
The wolf pack that attacked them a few days earlier appeared in his mind.
"I thought it strange. This is a grand, large forest. It should have a master. For such a master not to appear...Also, the group that was following us—I can't believe they'd suddenly turn tail. So—"
Holo turned and surveyed the surroundings, then sighed there in the green-choked forest.
She pursed her lips like a child. "So they've either been tricked by dwellers of the forest, or..."
Just then, Klass was sure he heard a howl, but then realized it was thunder from overhead. "Dwellers of the forest...?" he asked, unable to stay silent in the face of his uncertainty and fear, but Holo only shook her head, not giving him a straight answer.
When she spoke, it seemed to be mostly to herself. "I'm a wisewolf after all. Between my words and wisdom, I often get my own way, but that lot seems to have gotten rather crafty as well. I'd like to get out of this forest straightaway...and even I can't do anything about the weather," Holo murmured, looking up.
Klass nodded and looked over at Aryes beside him. He squeezed her hand slightly. "Do you mean the...the deer?"
Holo's eyes widened slightly at the words, and she nodded. "You saw it, did you?"
"Yes. When I was fetching water and also just a moment ago. It was staring right at me, not moving at all."
Holo scratched her cheek and furrowed her brow.
Her tail flicked in displeasure.
"They're a cunning lot. I've no idea what they might do. There's not much use in telling you to be on your guard, but I suppose it's better than being suddenly ambushed in ignorance, eh?"
Aryes shrank back at the quiet words, looking at Klass.
If he also faltered at Holo's lack of confidence, then who would protect Aryes?
He braced himself on his heels and forced a smile. "It'll be all right. A wolf's stronger than a deer."
Klass wasn't sure whether his smile had been convincing enough, but Holo burst out laughing, so it must have gone over well.
She mussed his hair, which made him feel a bit awkward in front of Aryes but also pleased.
"Human cubs surely do grow quickly." Holo looked at Aryes as she spoke.
Klass wondered why Aryes, while Aryes herself neither nodded nor shook her head.
She only looked back at Holo with an expression of endurance.
"Ah, well, 'twill work out somehow. The rain's a calamity for more than us." Holo responded to Aryes's look with a triumphant smile, gazing up overhead.
The umbrella of the forest canopy seemed to be nearly at its limit.
Drops of water fell down now like leaks in a leak-riddled hut.
"Well, shall we be off?" said Holo, and began walking.
Contrary to the tone of her voice, Klass saw uncertainty in her steps.
Huff, huff, huff.
After taking three breaths, he would swallow to hide his fatigue.
Then three more breaths, then swallow again—over and over.
The wine was an encumbrance and had been long since discarded. Half of the water he'd gone to such lengths to fetch was also left.

Output:
The lingering sense of fun in their last conversation was nowhere to be found now.
From her expression, Klass gathered that she'd be willing even to toss aside the robe if only to lighten her burden a bit.
The number of times she'd tripped and fallen to her knees was too many to count on both hands.
Aryes was working very hard.
But a certain clinging tendency had begun to tinge her efforts, and Klass was too close to his own limit to feel it as anything other than an extra burden.
"Keep at it," he said as she took his arm more than his hand, speaking not so much for encouragement as prayer.
He didn't think her tendency to trip was due only to exhaustion.
No doubt the blisters on her feet had long since burst.
The pouring rain was only intensifying, making it seem as though they were walking through a shallow river.
Small streams were everywhere, and every small hollow was rimmed with green and filled with brown water.
He desperately wanted to get to the town and sit in front of a warm hearth with a bowl of porridge.
With each step, thoughts of escaping their pursuers or protecting Aryes ran out of his ears.
The forest seemed to never end, and with the dense foliage and the cloud-choked sky overhead, it was a dim and gloomy place.
He couldn't imagine anything more terrifying than trying to traverse the forest at night in this rain. Holo had told him that come what may, she would be with them but had given him no hint of a clear resolution.
"Miss Holo!" he finally cried when they reached a small clearing.
"..." From her wordless over-the-shoulder glance and breathing, he could tell she was tired.
"I just..." Can't walk anymore, he thought—but he didn't have to finish the sentence. He looked at Holo and held up Aryes, who seemed to be on the verge of sitting herself.
Holo was a spirit who'd lived for centuries and had sounded full of confidence when she'd said that if worse came to worst, she'd be able to do something.
Hadn't that time now come?
He accused her with his eyes, and she looked evenly back at him, then pushing her rain-soaked bangs aside, turned her gaze upward.
"I am sorry."
"Huh?" For a moment, he thought she said, "I am stopping," but Holo said it again.
"I am sorry."
"Wh-what for?" asked Klass, standing there, barely managing to support Ayres.
"I may not be able to save you."
"Wha—?" he started to say, then was cut off.
It wasn't because Aryes was nearly collapsing; nor was it because of the way Holo bitterly chewed her lip.
It was because an intense chill had shot up his body, up from the ground through his feet, lancing through his spine.
Even over the sound of the pouring rain, he heard a strange noise.
It overflowed the torrential downpour—glub, it went, shlukk.
It might have been the sound of his own rising terror.
Noticing the sound in her exhaustion, Aryes twisted around to see, whereupon he could hear her breath catch.
Klass was too scared to turn and look.
He couldn't turn, but holding still while not looking was even more horrifying.
***
When he finally did, he saw what existed there.
It didn't simply stand.
It existed; it endured.
Like a great tree. Like a rocky crag. Like a mountain.
"...Ah..." His knees trembled, his breath stopped, and as Aryes clung to him, he clung to her.
The notion that this was pathetic or unmanly did not so much as occur to him.
There at the end of his gaze, so huge it could easily trample an ox, so tall he had to look up to see it, was a great stag.
***
He couldn't understand what it said.
Only that its voice was like thunder echoing through the mouth of a cave and more than enough to strip Klass of reason.
The animal was so rugged and cragged it was hard to think of it as a deer, and its eyes were two black moons.
The great horns that sprouted from its head seemed like they could rake the very sky.
Klass fell down on his backside but didn't immediately notice.
***


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
The lingering sense of fun in their last conversation was nowhere to be found now.
From her expression, Klass gathered that she'd be willing even to toss aside the robe if only to lighten her burden a bit.
The number of times she'd tripped and fallen to her knees was too many to count on both hands.
Aryes was working very hard.
But a certain clinging tendency had begun to tinge her efforts, and Klass was too close to his own limit to feel it as anything other than an extra burden.
"Keep at it," he said as she took his arm more than his hand, speaking not so much for encouragement as prayer.
He didn't think her tendency to trip was due only to exhaustion.
No doubt the blisters on her feet had long since burst.
The pouring rain was only intensifying, making it seem as though they were walking through a shallow river.
Small streams were everywhere, and every small hollow was rimmed with green and filled with brown water.
He desperately wanted to get to the town and sit in front of a warm hearth with a bowl of porridge.
With each step, thoughts of escaping their pursuers or protecting Aryes ran out of his ears.
The forest seemed to never end, and with the dense foliage and the cloud-choked sky overhead, it was a dim and gloomy place.
He couldn't imagine anything more terrifying than trying to traverse the forest at night in this rain. Holo had told him that come what may, she would be with them but had given him no hint of a clear resolution.
"Miss Holo!" he finally cried when they reached a small clearing.
"..." From her wordless over-the-shoulder glance and breathing, he could tell she was tired.
"I just..." Can't walk anymore, he thought—but he didn't have to finish the sentence. He looked at Holo and held up Aryes, who seemed to be on the verge of sitting herself.
Holo was a spirit who'd lived for centuries and had sounded full of confidence when she'd said that if worse came to worst, she'd be able to do something.
Hadn't that time now come?
He accused her with his eyes, and she looked evenly back at him, then pushing her rain-soaked bangs aside, turned her gaze upward.
"I am sorry."
"Huh?" For a moment, he thought she said, "I am stopping," but Holo said it again.
"I am sorry."
"Wh-what for?" asked Klass, standing there, barely managing to support Ayres.
"I may not be able to save you."
"Wha—?" he started to say, then was cut off.
It wasn't because Aryes was nearly collapsing; nor was it because of the way Holo bitterly chewed her lip.
It was because an intense chill had shot up his body, up from the ground through his feet, lancing through his spine.
Even over the sound of the pouring rain, he heard a strange noise.
It overflowed the torrential downpour—glub, it went, shlukk.
It might have been the sound of his own rising terror.
Noticing the sound in her exhaustion, Aryes twisted around to see, whereupon he could hear her breath catch.
Klass was too scared to turn and look.
He couldn't turn, but holding still while not looking was even more horrifying.
***
When he finally did, he saw what existed there.
It didn't simply stand.
It existed; it endured.
Like a great tree. Like a rocky crag. Like a mountain.
"...Ah..." His knees trembled, his breath stopped, and as Aryes clung to him, he clung to her.
The notion that this was pathetic or unmanly did not so much as occur to him.
There at the end of his gaze, so huge it could easily trample an ox, so tall he had to look up to see it, was a great stag.
***
He couldn't understand what it said.
Only that its voice was like thunder echoing through the mouth of a cave and more than enough to strip Klass of reason.
The animal was so rugged and cragged it was hard to think of it as a deer, and its eyes were two black moons.
The great horns that sprouted from its head seemed like they could rake the very sky.
Klass fell down on his backside but didn't immediately notice.
***

Output:
If Klass's head were caught between them, it would be smashed in an instant.
As he stared up, stunned, this was all he could think about.
"A good journey—"
Klass came to his senses with a start when a hand was laid on his shoulder.
"—is one in which you're blessed with a good companion."
He looked up to see Holo's fearless profile with her tail waving bravely.
The great stag's gaze fell on Holo, and it brought its face closer to her, threateningly.
***
A great gust from its nostrils blew the raindrops away, and in an instant, the rain stopped.
Klass realized that they were surrounded by deer, all of whom watched.
He got the feeling that if he was to somehow give the wrong answer, he'd be trampled to death or chewed to pieces.
And yet Holo did not flinch; she grinned invincibly.
***
A grumbling murmured around them—whatever Holo had said seemed to have been taken as a provocation by the great stag.
"—...—." The stag ground its teeth noisily, and Klass scrambled back, still sitting on the ground.
Holo looked back at him and spoke quickly. "Seems this lot doesn't like me overmuch." She cocked her and grinned ruefully. "My coming along has complicated things."
"Wrooooooooaaaa!"
It happened the moment a great howl from the stag caused the earth to tremble; Klass could barely believe such a sound came from a living thing.
"They say parting always comes suddenly. 'Twas a lovely journey. The two of you should hurry off and run—"
Holo's apologetic smile seared itself into Klass's memory.
How much time would he need in order to understand what happened next?
Just as the stag closed what should've been yet a good distance, Holo's small body was flung into the air. She simply flew, and the great stag turned its vast body with unbelievable agility and followed her.
Her body mowed through the trees' branches, flying absurdly.
Ahead of her was a steep slope, which led down into perhaps a stream.
The great stag leaped into the air, the slope mattering to it not at all.
In no time at all it had jumped down to the bottom of the descent and out of sight; immediately thereafter, the ground literally shook. Just when Klass understood that the stag had hit bottom, the terrible loud grinding sound of its millstone teeth echoed through the air.
Klass didn't know whether he was crying or not.
All he knew was that he was terrified and that he didn't want to think about what was happening.
The grinding sound continued, but eventually silence fell.
The deer surrounding Klass and Aryes did not move.
Then there was another terrible howl.
"Aaaaauuuah!" Klass cried out and started to dash away.
She'd claimed to be two centuries their elder, chased away a pack of wolves, teased Klass and outargued the stubborn Aryes, given them bread and taught them about money—and in an instant, Holo's small but trustworthy form had disappeared.
That was more than enough to make Klass forget everything and run—run down the path where water flowed like a river.
Or at least such thoughts filled his head, but when he actually rose and started to run, he pitched forward and tripped, clinging to his staff as he tried to get back up.
He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die crushed between those teeth.
His knees buckled and his courage failed, and he plunged face-first into the muddy water.
He didn't want to die.
Terror made him raise his head out of the water, and he looked back.
And the sight that greeted him—
Like a cursed steed out of his worst nightmare, the great stag rose slowly up the slope toward a small, curled-up ball of white.
Even smeared with mud, she looked like nothing less than a sheep—for it was Aryes.
"Ar...yes..." Klass tried to raise his hoarse voice but could not.
He prayed for her to run, to stand and run, but Aryes's feet did not suddenly sprout wings.
Had she lost consciousness? Or had she yet again failed to comprehend the situation and was simply staring in wonderment?


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
If Klass's head were caught between them, it would be smashed in an instant.
As he stared up, stunned, this was all he could think about.
"A good journey—"
Klass came to his senses with a start when a hand was laid on his shoulder.
"—is one in which you're blessed with a good companion."
He looked up to see Holo's fearless profile with her tail waving bravely.
The great stag's gaze fell on Holo, and it brought its face closer to her, threateningly.
***
A great gust from its nostrils blew the raindrops away, and in an instant, the rain stopped.
Klass realized that they were surrounded by deer, all of whom watched.
He got the feeling that if he was to somehow give the wrong answer, he'd be trampled to death or chewed to pieces.
And yet Holo did not flinch; she grinned invincibly.
***
A grumbling murmured around them—whatever Holo had said seemed to have been taken as a provocation by the great stag.
"—...—." The stag ground its teeth noisily, and Klass scrambled back, still sitting on the ground.
Holo looked back at him and spoke quickly. "Seems this lot doesn't like me overmuch." She cocked her and grinned ruefully. "My coming along has complicated things."
"Wrooooooooaaaa!"
It happened the moment a great howl from the stag caused the earth to tremble; Klass could barely believe such a sound came from a living thing.
"They say parting always comes suddenly. 'Twas a lovely journey. The two of you should hurry off and run—"
Holo's apologetic smile seared itself into Klass's memory.
How much time would he need in order to understand what happened next?
Just as the stag closed what should've been yet a good distance, Holo's small body was flung into the air. She simply flew, and the great stag turned its vast body with unbelievable agility and followed her.
Her body mowed through the trees' branches, flying absurdly.
Ahead of her was a steep slope, which led down into perhaps a stream.
The great stag leaped into the air, the slope mattering to it not at all.
In no time at all it had jumped down to the bottom of the descent and out of sight; immediately thereafter, the ground literally shook. Just when Klass understood that the stag had hit bottom, the terrible loud grinding sound of its millstone teeth echoed through the air.
Klass didn't know whether he was crying or not.
All he knew was that he was terrified and that he didn't want to think about what was happening.
The grinding sound continued, but eventually silence fell.
The deer surrounding Klass and Aryes did not move.
Then there was another terrible howl.
"Aaaaauuuah!" Klass cried out and started to dash away.
She'd claimed to be two centuries their elder, chased away a pack of wolves, teased Klass and outargued the stubborn Aryes, given them bread and taught them about money—and in an instant, Holo's small but trustworthy form had disappeared.
That was more than enough to make Klass forget everything and run—run down the path where water flowed like a river.
Or at least such thoughts filled his head, but when he actually rose and started to run, he pitched forward and tripped, clinging to his staff as he tried to get back up.
He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die crushed between those teeth.
His knees buckled and his courage failed, and he plunged face-first into the muddy water.
He didn't want to die.
Terror made him raise his head out of the water, and he looked back.
And the sight that greeted him—
Like a cursed steed out of his worst nightmare, the great stag rose slowly up the slope toward a small, curled-up ball of white.
Even smeared with mud, she looked like nothing less than a sheep—for it was Aryes.
"Ar...yes..." Klass tried to raise his hoarse voice but could not.
He prayed for her to run, to stand and run, but Aryes's feet did not suddenly sprout wings.
Had she lost consciousness? Or had she yet again failed to comprehend the situation and was simply staring in wonderment?

Output:
But somehow, a moment later, his face distorted pathetically.
Aryes had looked back, her face terrified.
"Wrrooooaaaa!"
The great stag bellowed a third time.
Its body was so big that it was only partially hidden past the slope.
Its roar seemed to be in anger.
Now—only now—they could still make it.
If she stood and ran, she could make it to Klass in ten strides.
Klass called out in his heart, but Aryes did not so much as stand; rage and urgency filled him.
But no, he realized.
That rage and urgency was directed at himself—at he who could not go and save her.
***
The great stag seemed to be calling something out.
Klass covered his ears and gritted his teeth.
The deer that had surrounded Klass and Aryes all along began to close in.
As if to drive them out of the forest.
Or possibly to trap them within it forever.
"Aryes!" He finally found his voice and called out for what he was sure was the last time.
Atop the slope, the great stag reared up as though to trample the mountain flat.
Aryes realized this and looked back for a moment—back again at Klass.
She slowly reached out to him.
"Klass..."
He heard her call his name like a whisper, like a murmur, and then—
Despite the distance, which at a glance seemed much too great for it to do so, the great stag's forelegs raised, poised to fall where Aryes lay. The huge legs were tangled in grass and covered in mud that dripped with a horrible sound like the drool of some god of death.
Aryes looked at Klass.
"Aryes!"
He didn't think. He just ran.
He didn't know if he was running or flying; Aryes was the only thing he could see. He leaped toward her to embrace her, then—having no idea how he was doing it—picked her up and ran back, away from the stag.
The next moment, Klass dared not open his eyes at the tremendous shock that followed the fall of the great stag's hooves, which scattered everything.
***
The fact that Aryes was in his arms and not under those hooves Klass could only consider a miracle.
Holding her, he staggered and ran forward, and just when he'd bought them a bit of distance, he collapsed.
Klass hastily got up when Aryes, shivering and mouth clenched shut, clasped her hands and began to pray.
As she prayed, Klass realized her forehead was pressed against his chest.
He reflexively held her soft shoulders and felt himself filled with new strength.
He had to protect her.
Because she was so—
Her shoulders were so soft.
"It'll be all right," he said, and took a deep breath.
At this distance, Klass could get a clear view of the stag's bristly coat, each hair of which seemed thick enough to be made of rope. It was still a moderate distance away, and he could only look at the great stag as it directed its glare at him.
It ground its teeth and shook its head.
A true hero could cleave a boulder with a fist and with just a sword could fell a dragon, but all Klass had in hand was the stick he used as a staff, which he'd somehow managed to hold on to. And yet there had to be something he could do. If he was ready to let Aryes escape alone, there had to be something.
Courage was not something one simply had. Like oil from a rapeseed, it had to be forced out under pressure—Klass finally understood this.
"Aryes, can you stand?"
Trembling in his arms, Aryes looked up, and displaying her surprisingly stubborn side, she bit her lip and nodded.
"Right, then stay behind me."
She did not ask why, only looking deeply worried as she said nothing.
Getting up quietly so as not to provoke the stag, she moved behind Klass.
"When I stand up, run."
"Wha—? B-but—"
"It'll be all right. I know the story of the hero who defeated the giant."
It wasn't a lie.
There was a story of a hero who'd killed a giant whose head reached the sky, whose arms were as long as rivers, and whose feet were so gigantic they filled lakes.
Compared with that, this was just a big deer. Hardly anything at all really.
Hardly anything at all.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
But somehow, a moment later, his face distorted pathetically.
Aryes had looked back, her face terrified.
"Wrrooooaaaa!"
The great stag bellowed a third time.
Its body was so big that it was only partially hidden past the slope.
Its roar seemed to be in anger.
Now—only now—they could still make it.
If she stood and ran, she could make it to Klass in ten strides.
Klass called out in his heart, but Aryes did not so much as stand; rage and urgency filled him.
But no, he realized.
That rage and urgency was directed at himself—at he who could not go and save her.
***
The great stag seemed to be calling something out.
Klass covered his ears and gritted his teeth.
The deer that had surrounded Klass and Aryes all along began to close in.
As if to drive them out of the forest.
Or possibly to trap them within it forever.
"Aryes!" He finally found his voice and called out for what he was sure was the last time.
Atop the slope, the great stag reared up as though to trample the mountain flat.
Aryes realized this and looked back for a moment—back again at Klass.
She slowly reached out to him.
"Klass..."
He heard her call his name like a whisper, like a murmur, and then—
Despite the distance, which at a glance seemed much too great for it to do so, the great stag's forelegs raised, poised to fall where Aryes lay. The huge legs were tangled in grass and covered in mud that dripped with a horrible sound like the drool of some god of death.
Aryes looked at Klass.
"Aryes!"
He didn't think. He just ran.
He didn't know if he was running or flying; Aryes was the only thing he could see. He leaped toward her to embrace her, then—having no idea how he was doing it—picked her up and ran back, away from the stag.
The next moment, Klass dared not open his eyes at the tremendous shock that followed the fall of the great stag's hooves, which scattered everything.
***
The fact that Aryes was in his arms and not under those hooves Klass could only consider a miracle.
Holding her, he staggered and ran forward, and just when he'd bought them a bit of distance, he collapsed.
Klass hastily got up when Aryes, shivering and mouth clenched shut, clasped her hands and began to pray.
As she prayed, Klass realized her forehead was pressed against his chest.
He reflexively held her soft shoulders and felt himself filled with new strength.
He had to protect her.
Because she was so—
Her shoulders were so soft.
"It'll be all right," he said, and took a deep breath.
At this distance, Klass could get a clear view of the stag's bristly coat, each hair of which seemed thick enough to be made of rope. It was still a moderate distance away, and he could only look at the great stag as it directed its glare at him.
It ground its teeth and shook its head.
A true hero could cleave a boulder with a fist and with just a sword could fell a dragon, but all Klass had in hand was the stick he used as a staff, which he'd somehow managed to hold on to. And yet there had to be something he could do. If he was ready to let Aryes escape alone, there had to be something.
Courage was not something one simply had. Like oil from a rapeseed, it had to be forced out under pressure—Klass finally understood this.
"Aryes, can you stand?"
Trembling in his arms, Aryes looked up, and displaying her surprisingly stubborn side, she bit her lip and nodded.
"Right, then stay behind me."
She did not ask why, only looking deeply worried as she said nothing.
Getting up quietly so as not to provoke the stag, she moved behind Klass.
"When I stand up, run."
"Wha—? B-but—"
"It'll be all right. I know the story of the hero who defeated the giant."
It wasn't a lie.
There was a story of a hero who'd killed a giant whose head reached the sky, whose arms were as long as rivers, and whose feet were so gigantic they filled lakes.
Compared with that, this was just a big deer. Hardly anything at all really.
Hardly anything at all.

Output:
As he said it, Klass tried to move his cheeks and lips.
He wasn't sure if he'd managed to smile.
Nonetheless, Aryes seemed as though she were about to say something, then thought better of it, stopped, and slowly nodded—so he must've smiled, he decided.
"Right, here we go."
He thrust his staff into the ground and took a deep breath.
Aryes put her hands on his back, and it felt like she was filling him with strength.
Perhaps sensing his aim, the great stag shook its head and slowly lowered its body.
That terrible pressure.
The hero from the story wouldn't be afraid of this.
"Let's see the sea together," he said, then stood and ran.
The huge stag's eyes were so high he couldn't imagine his stick could reach them.
But there had to be some chance.
Just as Holo had done, there would be a moment when its head drew near.
The great stag raised its hoof, and it felt like the very air itself was drawn back.
Klass, undaunted, jumped aside.
The deer was, after all, just a deer.
Bringing its raised hoof down, it sent mud splattering next to Klass.
"Damn you—!" Klass swung his staff in a wide arc, and the deer pulled its leg back with surprising swiftness.
While he tottered and stumbled forward, Klass did not panic. He instead saw that the stag was afraid of him, and it filled his heart with cold steel.
This time it did not raise its hooves, but thrust them forward as though kicking away gravel.
But perhaps its vast body was a liability—Klass easily avoided this.
It was nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to be afraid of at all.
It was just a big deer.
Swinging his staff with all his might, he grazed its leg several times.
Unbelievably, he was holding his own against the huge stag.
From the great gap of its mouth, the stag exhaled clouds of white breath. Klass was bobbing and weaving to avoid it, so the stag might well have been getting tired. Perhaps its body was too large.
Klass was tired, too. He'd long since lost feeling in his hands from gripping the staff so tightly, and his arms' muscles were so tight that it was hard to tell where they ended and the staff began.
He faced the stag square on, close enough to reach it if he was to leap forward.
It was said that if one ground a stag's horns into powder, one could gain the wisdom of the forest. With its unfathomably black eyes, the stag regarded him.
It was considering something.
What was it thinking?
No sooner did Klass wonder this than the stag's eyes glared at something else—Aryes, her hands folded in prayer.
Klass felt on the verge of vomiting. Aryes had not run. Or perhaps she had simply lacked the strength to.
Aryes noticed the great stag's gaze on her.
The stag moved. Turning about to face her, it stamped the ground three times like a horse, lowering its head
"—!" Klass had no idea what he said.
He moved as though someone behind him had given him a shove.
His staff in one hand, he ran as fast as he could. There were countless tree roots, puddles, and divots left behind by the beast's footsteps, but Klass looked at none of them, his gaze fixed on the stag as he sprinted.
Then, facing the head of the stag, whose lunge was like the mountain itself deciding to move, he leaped at it with strength anew—brandishing his staff in his right hand like it was the hero's spear before it pierced the giant's eye.
"Aaaaaauuoh!"
There was a dull krack.
It came from around his right arm, so at first Klass thought he'd broken it.
He hadn't given the slightest thought to his landing, so he brushed by the stag's chin as he leaped straight into the under-brush.
He was on the verge of losing consciousness, but the sound of something huge falling behind him brought him back to full alertness.
Bellowing in what might have been pain, the stag howled a hair-raising howl as its hooves crashed into the ground.
When he finally raised his head, he saw—past the stag, slipping as it struggled to stand—Aryes, whose gaze was fixed on the beast.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
As he said it, Klass tried to move his cheeks and lips.
He wasn't sure if he'd managed to smile.
Nonetheless, Aryes seemed as though she were about to say something, then thought better of it, stopped, and slowly nodded—so he must've smiled, he decided.
"Right, here we go."
He thrust his staff into the ground and took a deep breath.
Aryes put her hands on his back, and it felt like she was filling him with strength.
Perhaps sensing his aim, the great stag shook its head and slowly lowered its body.
That terrible pressure.
The hero from the story wouldn't be afraid of this.
"Let's see the sea together," he said, then stood and ran.
The huge stag's eyes were so high he couldn't imagine his stick could reach them.
But there had to be some chance.
Just as Holo had done, there would be a moment when its head drew near.
The great stag raised its hoof, and it felt like the very air itself was drawn back.
Klass, undaunted, jumped aside.
The deer was, after all, just a deer.
Bringing its raised hoof down, it sent mud splattering next to Klass.
"Damn you—!" Klass swung his staff in a wide arc, and the deer pulled its leg back with surprising swiftness.
While he tottered and stumbled forward, Klass did not panic. He instead saw that the stag was afraid of him, and it filled his heart with cold steel.
This time it did not raise its hooves, but thrust them forward as though kicking away gravel.
But perhaps its vast body was a liability—Klass easily avoided this.
It was nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to be afraid of at all.
It was just a big deer.
Swinging his staff with all his might, he grazed its leg several times.
Unbelievably, he was holding his own against the huge stag.
From the great gap of its mouth, the stag exhaled clouds of white breath. Klass was bobbing and weaving to avoid it, so the stag might well have been getting tired. Perhaps its body was too large.
Klass was tired, too. He'd long since lost feeling in his hands from gripping the staff so tightly, and his arms' muscles were so tight that it was hard to tell where they ended and the staff began.
He faced the stag square on, close enough to reach it if he was to leap forward.
It was said that if one ground a stag's horns into powder, one could gain the wisdom of the forest. With its unfathomably black eyes, the stag regarded him.
It was considering something.
What was it thinking?
No sooner did Klass wonder this than the stag's eyes glared at something else—Aryes, her hands folded in prayer.
Klass felt on the verge of vomiting. Aryes had not run. Or perhaps she had simply lacked the strength to.
Aryes noticed the great stag's gaze on her.
The stag moved. Turning about to face her, it stamped the ground three times like a horse, lowering its head
"—!" Klass had no idea what he said.
He moved as though someone behind him had given him a shove.
His staff in one hand, he ran as fast as he could. There were countless tree roots, puddles, and divots left behind by the beast's footsteps, but Klass looked at none of them, his gaze fixed on the stag as he sprinted.
Then, facing the head of the stag, whose lunge was like the mountain itself deciding to move, he leaped at it with strength anew—brandishing his staff in his right hand like it was the hero's spear before it pierced the giant's eye.
"Aaaaaauuoh!"
There was a dull krack.
It came from around his right arm, so at first Klass thought he'd broken it.
He hadn't given the slightest thought to his landing, so he brushed by the stag's chin as he leaped straight into the under-brush.
He was on the verge of losing consciousness, but the sound of something huge falling behind him brought him back to full alertness.
Bellowing in what might have been pain, the stag howled a hair-raising howl as its hooves crashed into the ground.
When he finally raised his head, he saw—past the stag, slipping as it struggled to stand—Aryes, whose gaze was fixed on the beast.

Output:
"B-but, his eye..."
Klass was past anger and had to smile at Aryes, who was worried about the great stag's eye when it had killed Holo and tried to kill her as well.
He couldn't be angry at her.
She was Aryes after all.
"We've got to hurry! If we're followed, there'll be nothing we can do!"
As soon as Klass finished saying this, the stag raised another bellow.
Klass flinched and turned to look. He saw that the stag had stumbled in a stream and fallen.
A sound like a landslide echoed across the forest; then there was a great noise that reverberated in his chest.
"Ha-ha-ha, we did it! Come, Aryes! Let's go!"
"Ah, er, b-but—"
Klass went to Aryes and took her hand, but she did not stand.
Her troubled face made Klass wonder if her feet were stuck in the mud.
"Can't you walk? Come—"
Klass wrapped the right arm he'd only just feared was broken around Aryes's back and slid his left under her legs.
This was how the hero always rescued the princess.
Despite her troubled expression, Aryes leaned into Klass's arms as though she'd practiced this many times.
"O-oof."
Compared with straw bales bound tight and hard as rocks, Aryes's body was like cotton.
That said, running like this was impossible, and Klass took careful steps, his trembling knees protesting.
He would carry her; he would escape the stag, get out of the forest, and reach the town.
Klass murmured this inwardly as Aryes's legs slipped free of his left arm, and he grit his teeth and summoned more strength.
It was a shame about Holo.
He'd hating her teasing, but in a very short time, she'd become like an elder sister to him.
He decided that once they'd reached the town and recovered, he'd come back in search of her body and give her a proper burial. And if he ran into the stag again, well—he'd take more than its eye.
Aryes's legs had escaped his arm again, and though they touched the ground, Klass had no strength in his left arm, and his legs felt so heavy they might as well have been tangled in roots—he could no longer move them at all.
And yet in Klass's mind, he could see a brilliant future, and he planned to face it, to head into it.
"P-please, just...," said Aryes about to cry, still somehow managing to cling to him. Klass smiled softly, finally stopped now.
"Sorry. You...go on ahead."
And as though saying it had taken the last of his strength, Klass collapsed on the spot.
He heard the thud of his fall as though at a great distance, and though his face was half submerged in muddy water, he could not move a muscle.
***
Aryes was crying something out, but he could not hear.
The falling rain felt like a warm bath.
"Run," Klass murmured.
Run. We'll meet again at the town's inn.
That's what he'd meant to say somewhere in his distant consciousness.
Aryes—she, at least, needed to escape.
Aryes, at least.
Because—
Klass closed his eyes.
Because—he loved her so very much.
***
There was a sweet scent.
Was it food?
He tried to remember but could not.
He could tell it was the scent of something he liked very much, but for the life of him, he could not remember what it was.
And there was the question of where exactly this was.
It was dark, and he couldn't see anything.
His body did not move; it felt like he was submerged in very heavy water.
But that sweet, sweet scent enveloped his thoughts, and so such concerns seemed unimportant.
He wanted to stay inside this sweet scent forever.
This...sweet....
"Wha—?" Klass cried out as he jolted awake.
He swiveled his head this way and that, searching desperately with eyes that refused to focus.
When he saw her, she looked about to cry, surely because he'd suddenly sat up and opened his eyes.
"Ar-Aryes..."
"G-good morning," said Aryes, swallowing nervously, looking strangely on guard. She slowly reached her hand out. "How...how do you feel?"
Her hand touched his cheek, and he instantly groaned in pain.
Aryes snatched her hand away as though she'd burned it, tearfully apologizing.
Klass tried touching his own face.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
"B-but, his eye..."
Klass was past anger and had to smile at Aryes, who was worried about the great stag's eye when it had killed Holo and tried to kill her as well.
He couldn't be angry at her.
She was Aryes after all.
"We've got to hurry! If we're followed, there'll be nothing we can do!"
As soon as Klass finished saying this, the stag raised another bellow.
Klass flinched and turned to look. He saw that the stag had stumbled in a stream and fallen.
A sound like a landslide echoed across the forest; then there was a great noise that reverberated in his chest.
"Ha-ha-ha, we did it! Come, Aryes! Let's go!"
"Ah, er, b-but—"
Klass went to Aryes and took her hand, but she did not stand.
Her troubled face made Klass wonder if her feet were stuck in the mud.
"Can't you walk? Come—"
Klass wrapped the right arm he'd only just feared was broken around Aryes's back and slid his left under her legs.
This was how the hero always rescued the princess.
Despite her troubled expression, Aryes leaned into Klass's arms as though she'd practiced this many times.
"O-oof."
Compared with straw bales bound tight and hard as rocks, Aryes's body was like cotton.
That said, running like this was impossible, and Klass took careful steps, his trembling knees protesting.
He would carry her; he would escape the stag, get out of the forest, and reach the town.
Klass murmured this inwardly as Aryes's legs slipped free of his left arm, and he grit his teeth and summoned more strength.
It was a shame about Holo.
He'd hating her teasing, but in a very short time, she'd become like an elder sister to him.
He decided that once they'd reached the town and recovered, he'd come back in search of her body and give her a proper burial. And if he ran into the stag again, well—he'd take more than its eye.
Aryes's legs had escaped his arm again, and though they touched the ground, Klass had no strength in his left arm, and his legs felt so heavy they might as well have been tangled in roots—he could no longer move them at all.
And yet in Klass's mind, he could see a brilliant future, and he planned to face it, to head into it.
"P-please, just...," said Aryes about to cry, still somehow managing to cling to him. Klass smiled softly, finally stopped now.
"Sorry. You...go on ahead."
And as though saying it had taken the last of his strength, Klass collapsed on the spot.
He heard the thud of his fall as though at a great distance, and though his face was half submerged in muddy water, he could not move a muscle.
***
Aryes was crying something out, but he could not hear.
The falling rain felt like a warm bath.
"Run," Klass murmured.
Run. We'll meet again at the town's inn.
That's what he'd meant to say somewhere in his distant consciousness.
Aryes—she, at least, needed to escape.
Aryes, at least.
Because—
Klass closed his eyes.
Because—he loved her so very much.
***
There was a sweet scent.
Was it food?
He tried to remember but could not.
He could tell it was the scent of something he liked very much, but for the life of him, he could not remember what it was.
And there was the question of where exactly this was.
It was dark, and he couldn't see anything.
His body did not move; it felt like he was submerged in very heavy water.
But that sweet, sweet scent enveloped his thoughts, and so such concerns seemed unimportant.
He wanted to stay inside this sweet scent forever.
This...sweet....
"Wha—?" Klass cried out as he jolted awake.
He swiveled his head this way and that, searching desperately with eyes that refused to focus.
When he saw her, she looked about to cry, surely because he'd suddenly sat up and opened his eyes.
"Ar-Aryes..."
"G-good morning," said Aryes, swallowing nervously, looking strangely on guard. She slowly reached her hand out. "How...how do you feel?"
Her hand touched his cheek, and he instantly groaned in pain.
Aryes snatched her hand away as though she'd burned it, tearfully apologizing.
Klass tried touching his own face.

Output:
"Ha-ha-ha-ha, I'm a mess," he said with a laugh, then winced. Aryes's worried face changed to a smile, and she laughed, too, but then began crying. "Wha...? No, er, d-don't...don't cry!"
Klass hastily grabbed Aryes's shoulders, then stroked her head.
Surprised at himself for so casually doing such things, he was very happy to see that Aryes seemed not in the least upset by them.
"I'm all right—see?" he said, trying to reassure the sobbing Aryes, who nodded several times, then burst out crying again.
Not knowing what else to do, he decided to wait for her to cry herself out.
Klass finally looked at his surroundings and wondered.
Where exactly was this?
Light came in from behind him, and in front of him was something like a wall made of dark wood, on which grew a scattering of moss. He cast his gaze around his visible environs, and he seemed to be in some sort of dome, although the floor was covered in dry straw. He knew one thing for sure—this was not the town.
What was going on?
Just as he was trying to figure it out—
"Hmph," said a familiar voice.
"Wha—?" He tried to look back, but Aryes was still clinging to him, so he wound up losing his posture and toppling backward. "Oww..."
He tried to sit back up, but Aryes was still firmly attached, making movement impossible. And anyway, trying to move seemed like a waste. Aryes looked slender, but she was surprisingly solid, and Klass lay faceup beneath the weight of her body, gazing vaguely up at the ceiling. And then something popped into his field of vision—a face looking back at him, a face he couldn't believe was there.
"Heh. Seems you're in the middle of something, eh?"
"Ah—wha—?"
"What's that? Only one girl embracing you upon awakening isn't enough?"
Completely ignoring her usual teasing, Klass cried out the name that rose up in his chest. "Miss Holo!"
"You needn't shout so; I can hear you well enough."
Unconcerned with her scowl, Klass continued. "B-but, I—I thought you were—"
"Dead, you say?" Her smile was so fearless it seemed like even if killed, she wouldn't die.
And yet the fearsome sound of those great millstone teeth grinding still echoed through Klass's ears.
He was so sure she'd been chewed up, crushed.
"Heh-heh. You heard the lad," said Holo, looking over her shoulder, and suddenly a great shadow fell over the light.
Klass had no words to describe the shock he felt.
Behind Holo, at the entrance to the cave, appeared the face of the great stag he thought he'd killed.
The eye he was sure he'd stabbed glittered like polished onyx, and when he met its gaze, it blinked once at him as though by way of greeting.
"A human child...with such courage. How many centuries...has it been...since I've...had...such fun...?" The words came with difficulty, and the great mouth twisted in an odd expression.
Klass realized it was a smile, and his chest burned. "It...it can't be..."
He pushed Aryes off him. Her eyes were moist with tears, and she looked deeply apologetic.
"You fool. Just who did you think you were attacking?" Holo smacked his head, and he faced her. The stag seemed to have retreated—in any case, it was gone. "I suppose the deer got a bit overenthused and played their part up rather more than I'd planned. Honestly, even I couldn't put them off it."
Holo grinned ruefully, and from somewhere far off, there was a short howl.
Had Holo planned everything?
Suddenly Klass could see it.
It had been so slow to bring its hooves down, but its movement when dodging his staff was swift indeed.
But did that mean that Aryes's look of terror when she'd been about to be trampled was a lie?
Klass looked at her, feeling suddenly betrayed, when Holo smacked his head again. "If you start doubting such things in matters like these, you truly are a fool."
She'd hit him with some force, and his scalp smarted.
When he thought about it like that, he realized that Aryes's face had been genuine.


Instruction: Given first part of the popular LightNovel spice and wolf as input, continue the story the best you can.

Input:
"Ha-ha-ha-ha, I'm a mess," he said with a laugh, then winced. Aryes's worried face changed to a smile, and she laughed, too, but then began crying. "Wha...? No, er, d-don't...don't cry!"
Klass hastily grabbed Aryes's shoulders, then stroked her head.
Surprised at himself for so casually doing such things, he was very happy to see that Aryes seemed not in the least upset by them.
"I'm all right—see?" he said, trying to reassure the sobbing Aryes, who nodded several times, then burst out crying again.
Not knowing what else to do, he decided to wait for her to cry herself out.
Klass finally looked at his surroundings and wondered.
Where exactly was this?
Light came in from behind him, and in front of him was something like a wall made of dark wood, on which grew a scattering of moss. He cast his gaze around his visible environs, and he seemed to be in some sort of dome, although the floor was covered in dry straw. He knew one thing for sure—this was not the town.
What was going on?
Just as he was trying to figure it out—
"Hmph," said a familiar voice.
"Wha—?" He tried to look back, but Aryes was still clinging to him, so he wound up losing his posture and toppling backward. "Oww..."
He tried to sit back up, but Aryes was still firmly attached, making movement impossible. And anyway, trying to move seemed like a waste. Aryes looked slender, but she was surprisingly solid, and Klass lay faceup beneath the weight of her body, gazing vaguely up at the ceiling. And then something popped into his field of vision—a face looking back at him, a face he couldn't believe was there.
"Heh. Seems you're in the middle of something, eh?"
"Ah—wha—?"
"What's that? Only one girl embracing you upon awakening isn't enough?"
Completely ignoring her usual teasing, Klass cried out the name that rose up in his chest. "Miss Holo!"
"You needn't shout so; I can hear you well enough."
Unconcerned with her scowl, Klass continued. "B-but, I—I thought you were—"
"Dead, you say?" Her smile was so fearless it seemed like even if killed, she wouldn't die.
And yet the fearsome sound of those great millstone teeth grinding still echoed through Klass's ears.
He was so sure she'd been chewed up, crushed.
"Heh-heh. You heard the lad," said Holo, looking over her shoulder, and suddenly a great shadow fell over the light.
Klass had no words to describe the shock he felt.
Behind Holo, at the entrance to the cave, appeared the face of the great stag he thought he'd killed.
The eye he was sure he'd stabbed glittered like polished onyx, and when he met its gaze, it blinked once at him as though by way of greeting.
"A human child...with such courage. How many centuries...has it been...since I've...had...such fun...?" The words came with difficulty, and the great mouth twisted in an odd expression.
Klass realized it was a smile, and his chest burned. "It...it can't be..."
He pushed Aryes off him. Her eyes were moist with tears, and she looked deeply apologetic.
"You fool. Just who did you think you were attacking?" Holo smacked his head, and he faced her. The stag seemed to have retreated—in any case, it was gone. "I suppose the deer got a bit overenthused and played their part up rather more than I'd planned. Honestly, even I couldn't put them off it."
Holo grinned ruefully, and from somewhere far off, there was a short howl.
Had Holo planned everything?
Suddenly Klass could see it.
It had been so slow to bring its hooves down, but its movement when dodging his staff was swift indeed.
But did that mean that Aryes's look of terror when she'd been about to be trampled was a lie?
Klass looked at her, feeling suddenly betrayed, when Holo smacked his head again. "If you start doubting such things in matters like these, you truly are a fool."
She'd hit him with some force, and his scalp smarted.
When he thought about it like that, he realized that Aryes's face had been genuine.

Output:
Klass had to admit that even if he'd known it would be all right, he might well have been nonetheless terrified before that presence.
And even now, she looked very apologetic.
As he looked at her, he wondered when Holo had found the time to explain the plan to her.
He'd been the only one fighting in earnest ignorance.
"Heh-heh. Still, you were quite gallant. Was he not?" Holo squatted down, propped her elbows on her knees, and thrust the staff, grinning.
Aryes wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't...say anything...but..." As she talked, she started to cry again.
Klass found not a trace of anger within himself, and he took Aryes's hand. "It's okay, really. I'm just glad we're safe..."
"...All right." As she nodded, a few tears dropped to the ground, and Klass realized something that had been bothering him.
"Oh—"
"Hmm?"
"What about our pursuers?" Klass asked, raising his head.
"Pursuers?" Holo returned the question, then made a pained face as she realized her mistake.
"W-wait, don't tell me that was a lie, too—"
"Heh-heh-heh," Holo chuckled and swished her tail.
When he looked at Aryes, he saw she was again wearing an apologetic look on her face.
He relaxed his neck and let his head fall back down to the floor, unconcerned with the thunk it made.
"Now then, we can't very well stay in this den forever—we must go out. There lies holy forest ground the likes of which few humans will ever see." Holo stood and cracked her neck.
"Holy...forest ground?"
"Aye. It's quite a sight, is it not?" These words were directed at Aryes, who nodded firmly.
It had to be something to see.
"The sun's been long up. Let us go and bask—your warrior tale will make a fine appetizer when considering what to do next. After all,"—Holo put her hand on her hip and flicked her tail—"the three of us have a journey ahead of us."
She grinned and walked off.
He could hardly be disappointed that she was safe.
And yet he couldn't help but wonder if she would play a trick like this on him again.
In any case, he wanted to see the holy forest ground.
What was so special about it, he wondered.
"So, this holy ground—was it really so great?" he asked Aryes as she helped him sit up, which she thought about for a moment, then nodded.
"I suppose..." She seemed to be seriously considering it, which lessened the joke. "Still...," she said, looking Klass straight in the eye.
His heart thumped painfully and not from any of his injuries.
And now he knew why.
"I'd rather visit the sea."
At this, Klass could no longer resist the smile that split his face.
Forgetting the pain it caused, he grinned and nodded.
Aryes then looked past Klass to something behind him. He got the feeling that whoever was there was looking at him and nodding, but he didn't care.
Someone rather clever and nosy had probably told Aryes to say it, but he was sure her words weren't a lie.
He'd found within himself the strength to believe that.
"Well, shall we go?" Klass took Aryes's hand and stood.
Just as he turned around, he saw Holo's tail flick and disappear into shadow.
That soft, silky, sweet-smelling tail. He thought about getting Holo to let him sleep upon it one more time by way of apology for overdoing her tricks.
It was so comforting, he felt it would be a fair trade.
He looked back over his shoulder as he thought about it.
"Hmm?" Aryes asked. He was surprised. Had he accidentally said it out loud? Not replying, he started walking.
Out of the den's opening, he went out into the light, holding Aryes's hand.
He thought about the saying "He who chases two rabbits catches neither."
But he had a wolf on one side and a sheep on the other, so...
"Shall I guess what you are thinking?" said a reproachful voice from behind him.
He was too scared to turn around.
There before him in a sunlit garden too beautiful for any painting, Holo basked in the rays of light, holding herself as she shook with mirth.
End.
***
Realizing it had suddenly become quiet, Lawrence looked up.