Chapter 6: The Announcement

The hut was warmer than usual. Not because of the fire burning low in the hearth, but because of the sweat running down my neck.

Dravel sat on one side of the table, quiet and unreadable as always. Yoruha was opposite me, arms crossed, tapping her foot like she already knew something was coming. Elder Liraeth sat at the head, posture straight, expression calm but sharp.

And me? I stared at my hands, running through about five different escape routes in my head.

Finally, Liraeth tilted her head slightly, breaking the silence.
“Tengen-sama… are you well? You seem… troubled.”

I coughed into my fist, waving her off. “I’m fine. Totally fine. Not sweating buckets or anything.”

Dravel raised an eyebrow. Yoruha smirked.

I sucked in a breath and straightened. “Actually… I have something to tell you.”

The room grew tense. Three pairs of silver eyes locked on me.

“I’ve decided…” My voice cracked, so I coughed again. “…to leave the village for the Capital of Solaria.”

There it was. Out in the open.

Dravel didn’t even blink. He gave the tiniest nod—he had already known.

But the women… oh, the women.

Yoruha’s eyes widened, then brimmed with tears. Liraeth’s calm expression hardened into something terrifying in less than a heartbeat.

“So,” she said slowly, her voice dropping an octave, “you mean to abandon your responsibilities as Chief?”

Her gaze could have frozen the air itself.

I threw up my hands. “Hold on! I never agreed to be Chief in the first place!”

It came out louder than intended, more like a kid yelling at his mom than a dignified rebuttal.

Liraeth slammed her palm on the table. “Chosen by the will of our people, by the legacy of Ashryn-sama, you cannot back down!”

“Correction,” I shot back, pointing like a lawyer about to win his case, “I can back down. And I’m doing it right now. Watch: backing down in progress!”

Dravel rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Before the Elder could launch her next objection, Yoruha burst into tears.

“WAAAHHH! You’re leaving me?! After everything?!” Her wailing shook the hut.

I froze, paling. Two weeks with her had taught me one thing: Yoruha crying was basically a weaponized sound effect. She could keep it going forever.

“W-wait, wait!” I panicked, leaning over the table. “I’m not leaving forever, okay?! Just two weeks. Two weeks, tops!”

Her sobbing cut off like someone had pulled a lever. She peeked through her fingers, eyes wet and shiny. “…Really?”

“Yes! Really.”
(Lie through my teeth now, deal with the guilt later.)

She sniffled, cheeks puffing. “…Fine.”

The Elder narrowed her eyes. “Then tell us, Tengen-sama. What is it you seek in the Capital?”

I leaned back, folding my arms. “Simple. I want to see the world outside this forest. Understand it. Experience it.”

The silence that followed was heavy. Then, to my surprise, Liraeth’s expression softened.

“…Very well.” She smiled faintly. “In that case, I shall accompany you.”

“Denied!” I shouted immediately, slamming my hand on the table.

Her smile froze. “…Denied?”

“I’m going alone,” I said firmly. “Exploring the Capital by myself. No entourages, no escorts, no clingy villagers who cry for hours if I so much as step outside.”

“HEY!” Yoruha shouted, cheeks red.

The hut went still. I braced for another fight. But shockingly, both women eased back.

“…Very well,” Liraeth said at last. “I will oversee the village until you return.”

“…Hmph.” Yoruha crossed her arms again. “You can go alone this time. But next time, you’re not escaping me.”

I blinked, stunned. Slowly, I turned to Dravel.

“…Is this a trap?” I mouthed.

He shrugged helplessly. His face said it all: Don’t look at me, man. I’ve got nothing.

“Well.” I cleared my throat, pretending this wasn’t the most shocking victory of my life. “In that case… I’ll depart tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” Liraeth and Yoruha said at once.

“Why so sudden?!” Yoruha demanded.

I smirked. “No reason. Just because I can.”

The morning of my departure should have been simple. Get up. Stretch. Leave. Become one with the wind.

Of course, Liraeth had other plans.

By the time I opened my door, half the village was gathered. Streamers, food stalls, flower garlands—the whole works. A departure celebration. For me.

“Behold!” Elder Liraeth raised her arms like she was presenting a god. “The journey of our savior begins today!”

Cheers erupted. Children tossed petals. Someone even sang.

I stood there with a smile frozen on my face, the kind you wear when you stub your toe but don’t want anyone to notice. Internally, I was screaming.
(I was supposed to be gone an hour ago. What part of ‘quiet exit’ do these maniacs not understand?!)

By the time the endless speeches, blessings, and ceremonial dances wrapped up, the sun was already high.

I left with a stiff wave, the villagers’ cheers echoing behind me.

“Great,” I muttered. “My journey starts with a parade I didn’t want. Perfect.”

Irritation had given way to excitement. Traveling on foot gave me a chance to test my speed—much faster than my old world body. Every step was like a sprint, every stride carrying me farther than it should have.

But on the fourth day, my pace slowed.

My senses prickled. The faint thrum of battle. Metal clashing. Screams. And beneath it all—the guttural roars of monsters.

I veered toward the sound, cresting a rise. The scene below froze me mid-step.

Three hulking beasts, each easily A-rank or higher, circled a group of armored guards. Behind them, sheltered desperately, was a girl. Maybe twelve, thirteen at most. Clothes so fine they practically screamed nobility. Carriages shattered, banners shredded, horses gone.

(Fantastic, I thought. The one scenario every isekai manga warned me about. Nobles. Absolutely nothing ever goes right when you get involved with nobles.)

I should have walked away. Really, I should have. My instincts screamed run. My brain said ignore it.

But then my conscience tapped me on the shoulder.
(Come on, Tengen. You’re strong. They’re screwed. Just this once.)

I sighed. “…Fine.”

One beast lunged for the knights.

I stepped forward and landed lightly on its skull mid-leap.

Crunch.

Its head split against the earth as I rode it down, crushing it flat.

Plunder activated.

Skill Acquired: Stone Hide

I grinned. “Sorry, for stepping in uninvited.”

The guards and the girl froze, staring as though a god had descended. The other monsters’ eyes widened, primal recognition of danger flashing.

“Twenty seconds,” I muttered.

The second beast snarled and lunged.

I caught its entire face in my palm, stopping it mid-charge. Its claws swiped uselessly.

“You know…” I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes. “…it’s almost insulting. Charging me straight on? Are you taking me lightly?”

It roared in my grip. I sighed, letting black fire seep into my hand. Flames devoured it until nothing remained but ash.

Plunder activated.

Skill Acquired: Rending Claw

I flicked the ash away, disappointed.

The last monster trembled, then spun—not at me, but at the girl.

Predictable.

I vanished, reappearing with my hand gripping its scruff. Yanking it close, I grinned.

“Oh-ho? You’ve got some brains. Going for the weakest link.”

Its pupils shrank.

“As much as I’d love to play with you…” My blade pressed against its throat. “I don’t have anywhere to keep a pet. What a waste.”

Steel slid through its neck. Blood hissed as I twisted the blade free.

Plunder activated.

Skill Acquired: Savage Instinct

I kicked the corpse away, planting my boot on its chest as the wind tugged at my coat.

The silence afterward was heavy. The guards gaped. The noble girl clutched her dress, wide-eyed.

“…Who are you?” she whispered.

I turned with my brightest smile. “Amakusa Tengen. At your service.”

I took a step toward her, resting my blade on my shoulder. “You alright, miss—”

The words cut short.

Something slammed into me.

The impact sent me soaring. Past trees, over rocks, farther and farther until the battlefield vanished behind me. I crashed through underbrush, skidding across the dirt before finally stopping.

I blinked at the sky. My body ached, but pain? None. Thank you, Pain Resistance.

Still, shock pulsed through me. (What the hell just hit me? Nothing gets past my senses—nothing.)

Back at the battlefield, a figure landed before the girl. A woman. Tall, clad in white armor, a holy sword at her hip.

“Princess,” she said firmly. “Stay here. I will handle the Demon.”

“W-wait!” the girl cried, reaching out.

Too late.

The woman shot forward, vanishing like a bullet.

Her final words echoed:
“I’ll kill you, Demon.”

I pushed myself from the dirt, brushing off leaves and snapping my neck back into place. Whoever had kicked me packed enough power to send me through half a dozen trees. And yet… nothing serious.

Then I looked up. And froze.

She stood framed in sunlight, as though the world wanted me to take her seriously. Long black hair, tied loosely with a ribbon, flowed past her waist. Pale, flawless skin. A beauty mark beneath her left eye gave her face just enough bite to stop it from being angelic. Deep brown eyes, sharp, unflinching.

She was stunning. The kind of stunning that made you forget she’d just tried to kill you.

“…Was that you?” I asked, flexing my shoulders like I’d only been nudged. “The one who sent me flying?”

Her gaze sharpened. “Even after that, you’re unharmed. That confirms it. You’re a Demon.”

I frowned. “Pretty rude to kick someone out of nowhere, then call them names without so much as a hello.”

“I don’t need to greet a calamity,” she said flatly. “Your kind doesn’t deserve words. Only eradication.”

My grip tightened on my sword. “You’re misunderstanding something. I’m not the bad guy here.”

“Lies. Demons don’t speak truth.”

I sighed. No matter what I said, she had already decided.

“…Fine,” I muttered, blade resting lazily on my shoulder. “But if we’re going to fight, it’s usually polite to exchange names.”

“I have no reason to give mine to a monster.”

Ice. Pure, unshakable ice.

That’s when I felt it—four presences, faint but steady, positioned evenly around us. A formation.

“Really,” I said, scanning the treeline. “Five against one? That’s a little much.”

“They’re not here to fight you.”

My eyes flicked back to her. “Then what?”

Her answer was calm. Too calm. “They’re maintaining the Holy Domain.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Don’t you feel it?” she said mockingly.

My chest tightened. I checked myself.

“…I feel weaker,” I admitted. “What did you do?”

“The Domain suppresses everything your kind relies on. Strength. Magic. Regeneration. It amplifies our strikes and strips away your resistance. And it locks you inside. There is no escape.”

I was quiet for a moment. Then I smiled. Not wide, not mocking—just enough to bare a fang.

“…So that’s how it is,” I said. “Guess this makes things interesting.”

Her brows knit. “You should surrender. And I’ll make your death painless.”

I let my blade slide from my shoulder, humming in my hand.

“Surrender?” My grin widened, sharp and thin. “Sorry. That’s not really my style.”

I stepped forward, letting the air tighten with tension.

“If nothing else,” I muttered, lowering my stance, “this’ll be a good test. Don’t disappoint me, Saint-sama.”