2nd day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 9:30 AM

  Almodea opened her eyes to the sound of an alarm she'd set just before falling asleep the night before. It was a kind of insurance policy: without it, she'd sleep until noon. She stretched her inky body slightly and stood up, adjusting the bluish jacket and T-shirt, then exited the cube. She made it disappear with a snap of her fingers and began knocking insistently on the door of the only remaining person.

  "Get up, Ryu!"

  Upon hearing his new mistress's call, the troll immediately opened the door, emerging with meat still in his teeth. Knowing the species' great hunger, Almodea had created a pantry full of food especially for Ryu.

  "Good day, Lady Almodea! I see you're awake!"

  "Yes, now get out! We have to go find the Oni!"

  "Right away!"

  The troll nodded quickly, took his sword and stepped out of the cube, which disappeared behind him in a black mist.

  "You're...much more docile than expected. Shouldn't you reluctantly obey me?"

  Almodea was quite suspicious of Ryu's behavior. If the day before he had obeyed her out of fear, now he seemed to show genuine respect.

  "I've thought a lot between yesterday and today! We trolls value strength as a fundamental principle!"

  The warrior reiterated, slapping his chest.

  “By losing to you, I have disappointed the great Hyo-Zan-Ryu. But, perhaps, by serving you I can become stronger and wash away the shame I suffered!”

  "Even if serving me leads to the death of your beloved master?"

  At those words, Ryu shook his head, then bowed to the demoness.

  "I have only one favor to ask of you in exchange for my loyalty!"

  He began, sounding genuinely honest. Almodea kept wondering what could have so influenced their culture that it seemed so culturally acceptable.

  “If you ever face the master and defeat him, please spare his life! He is a symbol to us mountain trolls! He is the most valiant of all, and I can assure you he would make a great ally!”

  Such behavior wasn't trollish. Evolution had made these beings much more than mere mindless brutes; Ryu might have been an exception, but the little collector instinct Almodea had inherited from her father led her to accept the demands of the new subordinate.

  "I will spare your master, but only if he submits to me!"

  The troll stood up and took in the situation. Ryu rested his sword on his shoulder and nodded.

  “Then you will have my complete loyalty, Lady Almodea. You have earned it.”

  "Very well. Now let's get going, Ryu! The more time we waste, the faster those Oni will escape!"

  She roared, urging the other to lead the way. Almodea had given it a lot of thought the night before; finding oni in a vast forest wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either. Given that the attack had occurred about a week before her arrival, it was impossible for them to have wandered too far without any resources. The question was where they were headed: toward the lizardmen seeking an alliance? To the various goblin villages for the same reason? Those were all good options. However, the likelihood of those being the possibilities was low. From what she knew, Oni were proud—they would never ask for help. But in this case, the extinction of their species was at stake, so an exception to the rule wasn't entirely out of the question.

  The most likely option, according to Almodea, was that they were heading for a river. They couldn't take revenge on their attackers without supplies, so they'd first have to find a way to survive. According to Ryu's information, there was a very large river east of the village, and that's exactly where the two were heading at that moment.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "Tell me, Ryu...why does the Troll King want to conquer the forest?"

  Almodea asked, just to make conversation and pass the time.

  "I don't know the exact reason, but I suppose it's for pride. The only thing that kept us trolls from invading the other races was the presence of the Oni, who were skilled with fire. Now that they're weakened, only the Sand Crocodile could stop us, but that's more of a legend from orcish culture."

  "I understand, but one thing still remains unclear to me: if your master is so valiant, why is he under the command of the Troll King?"

  Ryu sighed at that question, evidently it was a sore point for him too.

  "He is brave, but respects tradition. The Troll King is the strongest of all, and trolls respect strength..."

  "So you just follow it out of tradition?"

  "Exactly."

  "If the Troll King died, would Hyo-Zan-Ryu be willing to serve a new master?"

  At those words, Ryu seemed to enter a trance, staring doubtfully at the sky. Despite his intense thought, his face gave him a foolish look, to be honest. The idea of their King being killed was abstract to him, an unrealistic possibility. Few agreed with his rule, but by troll law, the strongest ruled.

  "If it ever happens, yes. He would probably be subjected to the new King or his deputy."

  Shortly after, having reached the river Ryu had indicated, Almodea approached to better observe the area. There were no footprints, much less signs of a camp. Had she made a mistake? Had the Oni gone elsewhere?

  “they're not here...”

  “So it seems, Lady Almodea.”

  "Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!"

  The girl was starting to seriously lose her patience: she had come there to subdue, not to play the role of a novice detective. In a fit of rage, Almodea stomped the ground a few times, creating some deep furrows.

  "Lady Almodea! Calm down, please!"

  Intimidated by the demoness's anger, and above all by her strength, Ryu tried in every way to calm the other's irritation.

  “It's normal that they can't be found; they hid to avoid being exterminated..."

  “But where the hell could they have gone, then?”

  Almodea looked around again, as if searching for a clue. They must have left something as evidence of their passage. She could have sent her shadow ahead, but even one with her speed would have struggled to cover an area as vast as the forest.

  Think, Almodea, think! Where could they have gone? What would you do if you were on the run?

  It was hard for her to imagine herself in the same situation as the Oni, but she needed to concentrate hard. There were several options, and she had to explore them all.

  "They could have gone up the river. Where is the source?"

  "From the mountains of us trolls..."

  "Then it can be ruled out. They must have gone down towards the opposite area...Do you happen to know where it flows?"

  "In a lake near a goblin village. The lake of Nasus, the Cerberus of the Waters."

  “Do you think they could have gone to that place?”

  “It’s plausible, yes. It was one of the first places I and my team would have searched.”

  “Okay...let's go then!”

  Having learned this information, the two began to walk toward the lake, scanning the horizon carefully. Along the way, they stopped several times to give Ryu a drink. Despite their size difference, Almodea tired much less than the troll, who, on the other hand, needed to drink, eat, and rest.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “You drink as much as you want, Ryu. I'll go look around.”

  “Certainly, thank you for your kindness.”

  “There's no need to thank me...”

  Almodea replied coldly, before walking away from her subordinate. She walked toward a small forest on the side, looking around carefully. For miles and miles there were nothing but stands of trees and rocks, but no sign of the Oni. Could they have already been eliminated by another sent team? Or could they have headed for a village of another species? She had ruled out the latter possibility because she knew the Oni were proud and would never ask for help, but she had to remember that there were exceptions to the rule.

  What could I do with that troll?

  Her thoughts turned to her new subordinate. Honestly, she'd known him too little to care for him; even if he died, she wouldn't miss him. However, Almodea had to admit that Ryu had provided her with important information about the Oni, such as the high probability that the fugitives wouldn't submit easily. They were a warrior race, so Almodea would have to knock out a few teeth before she could say she was done.

  The "show of strength leads to submission" tactic had worked with Ryu, but she wasn't sure it would have the same effect with the Oni. To avoid future problems, she should do as Hirashi had advised: convince them to submit, not force them.

  Maybe I could offer them something in exchange for their loyalty, like I did with Ryu just now.

  An idea began to form in her mind. It was likely that the Oni were out for revenge against the trolls—why not offer them that, then? With the power of the Fear Tower, the mountain trolls would be easily eliminated.

  I'm a fucking genius! Ha-Ha-Ha! Dad will be proud of...Huh? What was that?!

  An explosion sounded in the distance, and a column of flame as hot as the sun rose through the trees. How it hadn't set the entire neighborhood ablaze was a miracle. Could it be the Oni? They were, after all, experts in fire magic.

  “That's the area where I separated from Ryu...”

  Without wasting a moment, Almodea spread her wings and headed toward the descending column of fire, hoping her subordinate was still alive. She didn't particularly care about Ryu himself, but it would be a blemish on her record if one of her servants died while she was present.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Arriving at the scene, Almodea heard screams. It was Ryu. He had been visibly damaged by the earlier fire attack and was unable to regenerate. Despite the pain, the troll continued to swing his sword at the enemy—elderly, white-haired Oni armed with a katana.

  The old man moves well, and Ryu isn't bad either.

  The battle between the two seemed fairly even, allowing both to showcase their true strength. Ryu possessed enviable physical strength, while the elder displayed an agility and footwork that even Almodea would have struggled to match. They exchanged a few blows, but the Oni managed to land a slash to Ryu's chest, forcing him back. It was then that a pale purple-haired Oni leaped toward the troll, brandishing a heavy metal club in her right hand.

  Wow...this one is cool!

  Almodea couldn't help but look surprised. The Oni had struck Ryu squarely in the face, knocking him into the creek behind her. It took a lot of physical strength to do something like that, not to mention wielding a massive club with one hand as if it weighed nothing.

  "Ryu! Are you ok?"

  Having seen enough, the demoness decided to approach her wounded subordinate, casting a healing spell to treat the troll's burns. Without the fire damage, Ryu would be back on his feet in no time.

  "Y-Yes, Lord Almodea! We have found the Oni, my lady!"

  "I noticed..."

  Almodea looked at the armed group, consisting of six Oni in total. It was very different from what she expected. The girl knew the Oni of that world were different from those she was used to, but was still surprised. They had a savage appearance and all were dressed in leather. The males even wore light armor of excellent workmanship. The same could be said for the weapons.

  Wow! Evolution worked wonders! Especially for the purple-haired one.

  Almodea couldn't help but examine the group in front of her. Especially the purple-haired woman who had hit Ryu square in the face, sending him flying as if nothing had happened.

  "Hey! You redhead girl with wings!"

  She was brought back to reality by what appeared to be the Oni leader. He had red hair and black horns—he also wore light armor similar to that of a samurai. With the addition of the katana he held, the guy could almost be called an Oni Samurai.

  "Yes?"

  "Are you the boss of this troll? Do you know him?"

  "Of course! He's my subordinate...What a question."

  "Tsk!"

  The redhead clicked his tongue, visibly irritated by Almodea's attitude.

  “A troll submitting to a vampire, hard to believe!”

  "I'm not a vampire, I'm a demon! Why does everyone think I'm a damn vampire?!"

  Those words opened the eyes of the entire group of Oni, demonstrating once again that Almodea did not have an appearance reminiscent of the demons of that world.

  "Then you're an enemy! Everyone, be careful of her!"

  The Oni leader roared, unsheathing his katana with unparalleled fury.

  "Huh? But we've never even met before! How can you call me an enemy already?!"

  "Don't play dumb! My father confronted your masked friend! He was the leader of the troops that destroyed our village! It's all your fault, the trolls', and those pigs of ogres!"

  The redhead shouted at her.

  “Exactly. You’ve hidden your magical aura, but it’s easy to see that you have an evil alignment.”

  Added the elder, who stood beside him, holding an enchanted weapon.

  Shit...

  Things weren't going well. Almodea had immediately alienated the Oni without even lifting a finger. Indeed, revealing her race without knowing how the others would react hadn't been a clever idea.

  "Calm down for a moment! Listen to me for five minutes!"

  "Silence! I will not listen to a deceiver like you! I will kill you and then all the trolls and orcs! I will restore my tribe to its former glory!"

  The redhead's words were filled with hatred and desperation. It was clear he saw this revenge more as a duty than as something right to do. Almodea sighed, wanting to end the matter without casualties. If those six were the only Oni left, it would be a waste to kill them- especially if they had additional information about the trolls. She had to get them to lower their weapons and open a dialogue. It was then that a strange smell reached her nostrils...

  "I smell something sacred..."

  Almodea muttered, directing her gaze to the shortest and smallest of the Oni. She was a girl with pink hair and white horns, dressed in a very loose-fitting light-colored kimono. The Oni in question didn't seem happy about being targeted, and used the sleeves of her ceremonial robe to cover her face up to her eyes.

  "Hey, you! Little one! Are you a priestess or something?"

  As soon as Almodea asked the question, she saw another one of the Oni move toward the questioned woman, standing in front of her as if to protect her. He was similar in height to the redhead, but this one had black hair and a slimmer build. Wearing light and dark clothing, he looked more like a ninja than a samurai.

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  "Don't talk to the Sacred Priestess so confidentially, you devil!"

  The guardian roared, unsheathing two short swords.

  "Sacred Priestess? May I know what you mean?"

  "You invade us and know nothing about our culture? Typical of you despicable demons!"

  It was the boss who answered this time; his tone was filled with anger.

  "For the last time! I didn't invade you! I'm here to—"

  She couldn't finish her sentence when the Oni leader leaped at her with his katana. Almodea managed to avoid the blow by moving aside with the help of her wings, approaching a tree.

  "The time for chit-chat is over, I see..."

  Almodea sighed bitterly. She wasn't good at dialogue, especially with those who wouldn't even listen to her. The Oni were driven by rage and a thirst for revenge—at that rate, they'd never submit without a fight.

  “Ryu! Take care of the pink-haired one!”

  “But...That way you will have to fight five Oni at once?! All by yourself?”

  “Of course! Do you think I’m not capable of it?”

  "N-No! I would never dare question your strength, Lady Almodea! I will gladly take care of that little one; let me do it!"

  Almodea nodded at Ryu, then looked at the group of Oni. She wanted to avoid facing a holy magic user at all costs. One of her self-confessed flaws was the inability to control herself, especially when she took damage: the more Almodea was hit, the angrier she became. Since holy magic was her weakness, it wouldn't be a problem if it was low-level, but it still risked irritating her, and she couldn't afford unnecessary casualties.

  "Almy, help Ryu! But don't hurt the girl or her guard."

  Almodea's shadow- Almy- heard her master's whisper and rushed to support Ryu, who was facing the Sacred Priestess and the Oni guarding her.

  And that's it. Now...

  "Die!"

  Almodea narrowly avoided a blow from one of the Oni. It was the second female of the group—the one who had reshaped Ryu’s face with the mace. She was about four inches taller than Almodea, with a toned, muscular build. The warrior's striking features were her light purple hair, tied in a ponytail, and her attire, which consisted of a brown tunic with thick wool trim and a collar that revealed much of her cleavage, accentuated by her remarkably curvaceous figure, especially around the chest area.

  Wow, she’s really beautiful...

  Almodea shook her head, trying to concentrate on dodging the Oni's blows, who was swinging her mace like a madwoman. A savage fury was evident in her purple eyes and in the way she gritted her sharp teeth with every missed blow.

  "Talking's really out of the question, huh?"

  She proposed ironically, further enraging the woman in front of her, who attempted to strike again. Almodea managed to avoid the attack, making the club crush into the tree behind her.

  "Holy shit!"

  To her surprise, the blow had split an entire section of the trunk; how the tree hadn't collapsed yet was a mystery to physics. What amazed her most was the opponent's physical strength compared to the size: the Oni was well-muscled, but not with troll-like bulk, yet Almodea would have bet that between Ryu and the horned woman before her, the latter was physically stronger, and not by a hair. Almodea also noticed that she was the only female Oni with a single horn—wasn't sure if that meant anything specific, but it made that particular female even more valuable in her eyes.

  “Remind me not to arm wrestle you…”

  “What you're even talking about?”

  The Oni gritted her teeth and swung the mace again at Almodea, who used her wings as a shield to parry the various attacks.

  “Are her wings harder than steel?!”

  “You like it, huh?”

  With a quick movement of the wings, Almodea managed to unbalance the Oni, who nearly fell backwards.

  “Holly mother of ghost! They’re huge!”

  The hasty movement, combined with her cleavage, had made the Oni’s chest heave. When the purple haired woman realized that she was being watched in a private area, she gritted her teeth further and swung the club again with herculean force.

  “Huh? Wait! That’s not what I meant! I didn’t see them!”

  Almodea dodged the blow again, trying to concentrate. She had to turn the situation to her advantage, without overdoing it.

  "Listen, how about we take a break?"

  It was obviously a rhetorical question, but it gave her time to act. Almodea moved a finger and gave the damaged tree a gentle tap. Gentle in name, but not in fact, as the large fir tree began to fall toward her opponent. The Oni remained unfazed and did a sideways somersault, dodging the falling object with grace and agility.

  However, Almodea's attack had never been intended to harm the woman. The tree had been the perfect distraction, allowing the girl to grab the other female's shoulders.

  “Huh? What are you doing?!”

  “Don't be mad at me, please...”

  Almodea approached the other woman with her face, emitting reddish gas from her mouth.

  "What the hell is this.…Cough Cough!"

  As the horned Oni inhaled the steam, she began coughing uncontrollably. She clutched her neck, then fell unconscious toward the demoness, who gently placed her on the ground beside the fallen tree.

  "What the hell did you do to her?!"

  The leader of the group roared in concern and frustration, seeing his companion on the ground and unconscious. Almodea immediately put her hands up in defense, like a child about to be accused of a prank she didn't commit.

  "I just put her to sleep with my Nightmare Gas. But don't worry! She's just sleeping, no nightmares or trauma! I swear!"

  "Take this!"

  One of the Oni shouted, the largest of the group, clad in damaged armor and armed with a hammer, ready to strike Almodea squarely in the face. At the same time, the one guarding the Priestess activated some sort of ability, summoning a shadowy duplicate of himself and throwing it at Almodea. She managed to block both attacks, using her black dragon wings as a shield.

  "Dark Bind!"

  Black tentacles emerged from the shadows of the area and pinned the Oni with the hammer—not enough to hurt him, but enough to prevent the guy from attacking again. The same thing happened to the black head and its duplicate, which vanished immediately upon being touched, given the extremely low level of the ability used to summon it.

  Three out! Only the hotheaded boss and...an old man?

  Only then did Almodea realize the pale-haired elder Oni, dressed in a white robe and armed with a katana—just like the group leader—had remained calm throughout the entire battle. It was clear he was extremely experienced, so much so that he could maintain his composure even against an enemy of the demon girl's caliber.

  “Poisonous gas, dragon wings, magical abilities...”

  The old man muttered, moving his head towards the redhead.

  “Young sir, this girl appears to be an amalgamation of various beings.”

  "Do you think so too, master? Do you think we have any hope of beating her?"

  "I don't know. Despite my age, I've never faced anything like this. Her fighting style is...strange."

  The chief's tone began to lose confidence, while the old man's remained calm. Ryu and Almy were managing to hold their own against the small pink-haired Oni, who was limiting herself to using magical barriers to parry their attacks.

  "Listen, how about we talk? I'm not here to kill you! Don't make me do things I'll regret later!"

  "Don't take another step! Scarlet Flame!"

  With a lightning-fast movement, the redhead raised his hand and launched a powerful blast of flame towards Almodea, surrounding the girl with a column of flames similar to the one that had struck Ryu moments before.

  "I got her! So you'll learn to underestimate us, you devil!"

  "Well done, young sir..."

  The old man didn't have time to congratulate his pupil further, when Almodea's figure emerged from the flames, walking through them, completely intact and without any sign of burns.

  "Sorry, but fire doesn't work against me!"

  The two Oni opened their eyes in amazement. They had never encountered anyone with such resistance to flame. Being resistant to an element didn't mean being completely immune, so the fact that Almodea didn't have even a small burn was a further testament to the strength of the opponent they were facing.

  "Can I ask what you are?!"

  The leader shouted, taking a defensive stance, gripping his katana tightly.

  "I'm a demon! How many times do I have to tell you?!"

  "So who summoned you?"

  "No one! Why would I have to be summoned for being here?"

  "That's how it works!"

  The Oni leader was at a loss of words. The girl claimed to be a demon, but she didn't follow the basic laws that the species she claimed to belong to was subject to. During a moment of silence, the old man stepped forward, closing his right eye and keeping the hand on the hilt of his enchanted katana, which was not yet drawn.

  "Answer this question: Where were you born?"

  "No offense...what the fuck is that question?! What am I supposed to answer? My mother's belly?!"

  "Demons don't have mothers, or parents in general! You're lying!"

  "I'm not lying!"

  Almodea clutched her hair, exasperated. Was it so hard to believe her when she said she was a demon? She was becoming more interested in being believed than in subduing the Oni—which was the whole reason she was here in the first place.

  "Listen, I-“

  With a lightning-fast movement, the elder Oni moved behind Almodea, attempting to strike her in the neck, but she managed to parry the blow with her right hand. Despite his age, the old man had been incredibly fast, far faster than all the others.

  "Hmm? W-What?"

  Almodea looked at her red limb, which had fallen to the ground in a matter of seconds. She hadn't felt any pain, but she was still surprised. Although she hadn't activated any of her defensive abilities, her passive ones still had to be activated- including those that negated damage from attacks from those lower in level than herself. So how had that old Oni managed to cut her arm off so cleanly? The only possibility was that the sword he used was enchanted enough to inflict damage on her physical form.

  Okay! He's fast, I have to remember that.

  "I'm really getting old. I was aiming for the head..."

  The old man commented ironically, returning to his boss’s side.

  “However, she managed to spot my attack in advance. That's not something everyone can do.”

  “I don't think she saw it in time, master. Why else would she block with her arm?”

  “You are right on that, young sir. Maybe I am mistaken...”

  As the two argued, Almodea took a few steps forward. She didn't seem worried about losing an arm, especially since she didn't have to worry about bleeding or fractures; That was the lucky part in being made of ink, rather than muscles and ligaments.

  "Hey, old man! Um...old or otherwise young person."

  Almodea's attempt to appear respectful was extremely embarrassing, especially to the elder in question, who raised an irritated eyebrow in response.

  "You can call me Hattori; Hattori Hanzo!"

  "Okay, Hattori! Um...is your sword enchanted by any chance?"

  The old man opened his previously closed right eye, surprised by the opponent's question.

  "Uh-Uh! I see you noticed!"

  The Oni replied, showing his sword to the girl.

  “Yes, indeed! This sword is a relic of our tribe, forged from sacred steel by a demigod over five centuries ago. Normally, it would be up to our leader to wield it, but the young lord is not yet worthy of such a weapon—not that I am. I am merely the custodian of this relic.”

  "Oh, okay! I understand! Thanks for the explanation, and sorry for calling you old!"

  Almodea laughed, her expression sunny, surprising the two Oni. She had just lost a limb, yet she acted like a happy child.

  "I accept your apology and must congratulate you. Not everyone is so calm after losing a hand!"

  The elder commented, sheathing his katana. Almodea simply watched the two, confused. To her, the loss of a limb was nothing special, but she understood where the others were coming from.

  "Oh, yes! The arm! I forgot about it, you know?"

  Those words startled the Oni again. She couldn't be serious, right? Against all odds, she was deadly serious about that. Suddenly, Almodea's amputated hand twisted in its palm and began moving toward its owner, as if it were a spider.

  "Here you are!"

  The girl took the amputated limb and reattached it as if nothing had happened, leaving no trace of the old man's blow.

  "Thanks for reminding me, old...hem, Hattori! Sometimes I lose pieces!"

  She laughed, under the incredulous looks of the two Oni, who still couldn't believe what they had seen.

  "There's no doubt about it, master—she must be at least part vampire! Her regeneration is proof of that!"

  The leader said, eyeing Almodea. The girl snorted in irritation. What would she have to do to prove she was a demon? Present a birth certificate or something?

  "No."

  "What do you mean, master?"

  "I fought vampires in my youth; this girl's regeneration is different. If you cut off a vampire's limb, it grows back. Instead, she reattached and controlled it while it was detached from the body. Not even a Vampire Lord could do that."

  “Let me prove that I am not some lame Vampire Lord.”

  “Huh?”

  Almodea raised her hands, generating dark clouds above the forest. Red lightning streaked across the sky, almost like cracks in reality itself.

  “A Vampire Lord, huh? Hahahaha! Monsters of that caliber couldn't defeat me even if they faced me in a 100 vs 1! Behold my power! Behold the future end of all things!”

  A column of flame engulfed Almodea, but instead of burning her, they seemed to obey her like a puppy. It was then that the blaze took the shape of a colossal dragon. The beast's claws crashed to the ground, causing a small earthquake.

  “A-A dragon made of fire?”

  The redhead took a step back, showing fear for the first time since the beginning of the hostilities.

  “I have never seen anything like it, not even in more than three hundred years of life.”

  Hattori added, preparing for battle. He expected the beast to attack at any moment. However, that didn't happen. The fiery dragon blew flames into the sky, spreading its majestic wings. But that was it—there were no follow-up or direct attacks on the Oni. There was just a snap of fingers.

  “W-What?”

  The gigantic creature vanished into thin air, returning to ash. The clouds dissipated, and everything returned to normal within minutes. Anyone who had arrived now would never have believed what had just transpired.

  “All this...for nothing?”

  Redhead didn't know what to say. Had Almodea done all this just to show off her strength? Why hadn't she killed them? Was she really not their enemy or an ally of the trolls?

  “Young sir.”

  “Yes, master?”

  "I think it's clear that this creature is no mere Vampire Lord. If one of those beasts can devastate an entire kingdom, this girl would be capable of obliterating an entire continent single-handedly."

  The red-haired Oni nodded; he trusted his master knowledge. He'd known for some time that something wasn't right with Almodea in the first place. From what he'd seen, that strange girl could have easily killed them, but for some reason, she hadn't. Further evidence of this was the behavior of the troll and the strange shadow accompanying her; the two were facing her younger sister, yet they merely exchanged warning blows, never seriously harming each other.

  "You wanted to talk, didn't you? Then talk!"

  He roared at her, lowering his katana slightly.

  "Tell us who you are, what you're doing here with a troll, and what you wanted from us Oni! Why were you looking for us?"

  Hearing this, Almodea gave a short bow and spread her dragon wings, assuming a pose that was nothing short of majestic and intimidating.

  "My name is Almodea Fearterror! I am the daughter of the Absolute Lord, Almodeus Fearterror! I have come here because I have been asked to subdue the Oni race in this forest!"

  "Subdue us?!"

  The faces of the two remaining Oni darkened. It was clear that Almodea's words had not been taken lightly. Realizing this, she broke her glorious pose and put her hands out in front.

  "Hey! Calm down for a second! I know it sounds bad, but we wouldn't have done the same thing those trolls did! We're giving you a choice..."

  "A choice? What do you mean?"

  "Submit to me and survive or be exterminated."

  "What kind of choice is that?!!! You too just want to eliminate us!"

  The redhead roared, furious as ever. The girl didn't want to be called their enemy, but she had openly declared her hostility.

  "That's not true! Please...let me finish this, okay?"

  The horned man nodded and motioned for her to continue, gritting his teeth.

  "Listen..."

  Almodea's face became serious, along with her posture and tone of voice. For one of the few times in her life, she was trying to be a true and mature leader, like her father. For Almodea, this mission was no longer just a way to prove to others that she was worthy of her name, but also to prove it to herself.

  "I...I understand what you're feeling. The pain of losing people dear to you, I mean. What happened to you was a tragedy, I can't deny that, but we don't want to exterminate you! Our conquest of the forest is for our own safety, not like the Troll King's, driven by a desire to assert himself as superior!"

  "So, just because you have a noble ideal, we should follow you?"

  "No! Of course not! But...you should see it differently! If the trolls are truly trying to conquer the Dark Jade, they are our common enemies! We can help you in your revenge!"

  Almodea declared, extending a hand toward them. It was a symbolic gesture, given the distance separating them, making a handshake physically impossible.

  “I can help you…”

  At those words, the leader shook his head in denial.

  "We cannot ally ourselves with you ! What would become of the honor and pride of our tribe if I were to submit to the first man who comes along?!"

  Red Head clenched his fists and teeth, almost breaking them.

  “I cannot make this choice! I am the leader of the Oni tribe! I cannot submit without a fight!”

  "The honor? The pride of the Oni tribe? As a leader? But..."

  For some reason, Almodea seemed confused by those words, so much so that she lowered her wings.

  “...You have already lost these things.”

  "What are you talking about?!"

  The leader roared, falling silent when he noticed Almodea's cold face; she was staring at him with empty, soulless eyes, devoid of the ability to lie. She was speaking an absolute truth, something that no one could dispute, not even him.

  "By your reasoning, isn't running for survival a renunciation of your Oni pride? You should have died so others could survive in your stead. Who knows how many deaths your escape and failure of a sacrifice have caused..."

  The redhead's face paled. The girl before him was right; he had escaped, taking some of his companions with him, but he was the tribal leader, not an ordinary citizen. He should have faced the enemy to the death, saving as many Oni as possible, even if it meant losing his own life in the process. He was the leader; he should have been the strongest, but instead he had fled like a weakling.

  “I know that look well.”

  She continued, taking advantage of the leader's silence to press him.

  “It's the kind of person who wants to scream, isn't it?”

  Almodea asked, her tone cold and provocative. If his pride hadn't just been shattered, the Oni would have taken it as an insult, but right now he wasn't in the position to allow himself such a luxury—such arrogance. Especially when the one mocking him was someone he couldn't beat.

  "That's why I'll offer you a different deal! I came here to give you a choice between submission and death...But now I have a different idea!"

  The demoness returned, smiling, and raised her hands, mimicking the scales of a scale. She raised her left hand first, the same color as her face—a slightly dark pink—also similar to those of the Oni, by coincidence.

  "You can fight a losing war, alone and abandoned, in the name of a crumbling pride. Or..."

  She lowered her left hand and raised the right one. It was scarlet red, the same color as her hair, her right eye and the "A" on her chest under her jacket. Was a pulsating crimson, similar to the color of the fury with which the Oni had attacked her.

  "...You may submit to me! I want you to rise and fight alongside me, for a glory shared by everyone!"

  That speech pierced the hearts of the Oni who heard it, causing them to waver—especially the leader, who had lost all hostility toward the girl. Now everything was clear to him; he knew what he had to do in order to survive.

  "May I ask you a question, Lady Almodea?"

  "Obviously!"

  Almodea smiled happily. The fact that the Oni had used an honorific suggested that everything was going as she wanted.

  "If we submit...What will happen to us? Will we be slaves?"

  "Of course not! You will join our ranks!"

  "And what does that mean, if I may ask?"

  Almodea gradually lost her serious facade, feeling slightly embarrassed. She raised her hand to the back of her neck and began scratching it slowly, searching for the right words to answer the redhead's question.

  "Um...I'm not sure either, to be honest. B-But I can assure you that I will ask for favorable treatment! We have nothing to gain by squashing you like insects! I can only tell you that, if you are faithful to me, I will make you happy!"

  "Master..."

  The red-haired oni turned to the old man, seeking support. It was clear he was at a loss.

  "What do you think?"

  The old man closed his eyes and shook his head.

  "This choice is not mine, but yours, young master. We will follow you, no matter the destination."

  "I agree with Hattori, big brother!"

  A new voice approached the group, that of the Oni Priestess, who had been in the background the whole time fighting against Almy and Ryu- even though they had only exchanged warning shots and had stopped fighting for a while.

  "B-But Huna, are you sure?"

  "Yes, absolutely!"

  The little Oni declared, nodding forcefully.

  “This demoness could have killed us, but she didn't! Our comrades weren't hurt in the battle either! I sense her heart is dark, but not entirely evil! I think we can trust her."

  Having also heard his sister's opinion, the leader turned to Almodea, trying to maintain a solemn tone befitting his title, despite the disadvantage of forces at play.

  "Lady Almodea. Yours...is a promise?"

  The leader's bestial face lost its seriousness, looking more resigned. The question he'd asked the demoness was yet another search for certainty to cling to. He had nothing else left.

  "Yes! It is! You will all be my friends!"

  The cheerful, playful tone with which Almodea responded made the Oni open his eyes. The redhead's face lit up, changing from resignation to confidence in a matter of seconds. He felt strangely relieved to have found an ally, despite the subjugation. He had already lost his pride, along with the hope for a better future. If it had been up to him, he would have fought to the death, but he didn't think it right to condemn even the last of his comrades; they were all he had left- the only remaining of his family.

  "So is decided..."

  The Oni planted his sword on the ground and bowed to Almodea, smiling slightly.

  "...We will serve you, Lady Almodea. I place the future of the Oni tribe of the Dark Jade Forest in your hands. Please, bring us prosperity."

  Almodea smiled at those words. She'd done it! She'd managed to be mature for more than five minutes.

  "Very well, then. Get up and let's go!"

  She snapped the fingers of her right hand and removed the tentacles from the two trapped Oni. The sleeping woman, however, had been awakened a few minutes earlier so she could hear the conversation. All of them were now docile, awaiting orders.

  "Going where?"

  The Oni leader asked, standing up and sheathing his sword. Almodea motioned for him to follow her and began to head south, then responded.

  "My father conquered a small goblin village. We can use it as a base of operations against the trolls! An old man named Gurd should be running it right now."

  "I understand. Speaking of which, about the trolls..."

  The Oni glared hatefully at Ryu, who followed at the back of the line.

  "Hey, you! Ryu, right? Just because we're allies now doesn't mean we're friends! If you weren't at the service of Lady Almodea, I would have killed you already!"

  "You're right to do so..."

  "What?"

  The troll's words surprised the Oni; there was too much humility in them.

  "If I were you, I'd feel the same way. We trolls are disgraced for what we've done! My master, the great Hyo-Zan-Ryu, was himself against the sudden invasion of your village. I can assure you, we're not all like that. Some of us are more inclined to reason. We're still proud, but aren't we all?"

  The Oni found himself forced to nod, sighing.

  "Okay, I agree with you on that, but that doesn't mean I forgive your race for what you did! I'll kill as many trolls and orcs as I can, okay?"

  Ryu just nodded, bowing his head slightly.

  “Yes, you have every right to do so.”

  "I see you're already becoming friends! Very good! I like it!"

  Rise Almodea leads the group.

  I can finally rest; the surprises should be over!

  -In fact, the surprises weren't over yet.