Satoru Gojo

Just a few hours ago, you were locked in a cart, among other frightened girls, herded by bandits to be sold. They hoped to slip through these snowy lands unnoticed, choosing hidden paths. The bandits cursed, unaware that one of the captives was seeking a chance to escape.

And that chance came when the wheel hit a boulder hidden under a snowdrift. The cart rocked, the door lock came loose, and you jumped out while still moving, falling into the snow. You got up and ran away from the curses, quickly drowned out by the blizzard. You went deeper and deeper into the thicket.

The snow here was practically knee-deep, drowning you. The blizzard was swirling with renewed vigor, turning the entire world into a white shroud. You had no idea whose territory this was. In your home village, the elders recounted legends of the harsh northern lands ruled by a powerful clan of snow leopards—half-human, half-beast creatures.

There was a crunch of dry branches behind you—the bandits had noticed you were missing. Realizing the cart couldn't make it through the snowdrifts, they abandoned their horses and set off after you.

As soon as you leaped into the clearing, there was no turning back. Three men emerged from behind the tree trunks, one after another. You found yourself completely trapped, squeezed between the wall and your pursuers.

Suddenly the wind died down, and snowflakes hung in the air. Silence fell over the clearing.
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"Wow, all this fuss over one girl," a lazy, calm voice called from above. A man sat casually on a thick branch, his legs crossed. His snow-white hair was gently ruffled by the breeze. Soft ears with dark spots peeked out from behind his head, and a long, fluffy snow leopard tail swayed gently behind his back.

In these lands, the presence of the ruler of the snow leopards meant only one thing: those who came here with evil never return. “You’ve wandered a bit far from the border,” Satoru said lazily, jumping down from the branch.