I ended up losing against them. They were all accepted into my familia once again, but this time, my familia’s level rose to 8 and I acquired 100 more familia points, as well as the familia head skill [Family Bond] that linked me to all my servants, both skill wise and soul-wise. I could tell from a simple glance if they were truly on my side or against me, as well as borrow the skills of anyone in the familia be it a unique skill or regular skill with the same level of proficiency the user has.
A weird development, but a welcome one. If everyone in the familia managed to get stronger, my life would only get easier.
Once I was done with setting up the familia system once again, I ordered for the feast I asked the kobolds to prepare to begin. All the creatures were delighted to be able to eat new food they’d never seen before. Some of the goblins who completely slept through my speech assumed I only went away to get them food. Cheeky bastards.
No one here should have had such cuisines before so no one could complain. There was also the fact that the kobolds had never cooked such meat before and as such, were unsure as to how to make it delicious. We would all suffer with its ugliness together.
The food was surprisingly tasty. I asked how they’d done it and according to them, all they needed was to go to the caulala I kidnapped some time back. It could take a single glance at anything and produce the necessary spices to make it good. What kind of hack method was that? It was way too insane. Definitely the most broken ability I’d seen ever since coming here.
There was a lot of noise and partying. People going about talking to each other, feasting and generally enjoying themselves. Diane looked pleased by the current events and she came to me. She said something about how she wasn’t expecting me to be doing this. Diane left with the promise that if I ever needed the Dryads help, I could simply beckon on them.
She also secretly told me that she was on my side. Thinking back on how she claimed to not be able to choose sides, I feel like she was simply trying to make things harder for me back then.
Through the festivities, it felt like someone was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on who exactly, but it felt like a little annoying voice in my ear.
Amethyst! That was right! I hadn’t seen Amethyst yet. I called out to her using the system, but she was most likely sleeping. The lazy brat.
Shiroi came over to me with the leader of the Fenrir clan. He was a big wolf, although smaller than Shiroi. His fur was as black as midnight, with silver-grey markings spreading from his face to his back. His eyes were a deep orange and his fangs a stark white. His ears were perked up as was his tail.
“I am the leader of the Fenrir Clan, blessed with the name Unmei by the goddess of life Gamma.”
‘Eh? Unmei?’
‘T-That’s an o-odd name.’
‘Gamma? Kind of reminds me of Alpha.’
‘He doesn’t have the [Of World] title.’
To think I’d find a reincarnator so soon. I was about to tell him that I too was a reincarnator, but I realised this wasn’t the time and place. Besides, I wasn’t sure I if could trust him.
“Oh hi. My name’s Hinotori. Nice to meet you.”
I transformed and offered my hand to his paw. He looked at my hand for a while, making me feel like I shouldn’t have done that. I retracted it, but just then he himself was covered in a black aura. He transformed into a naked teenager. He towered above me easily with black spiky hair that easily touched his lower back and a very muscular body. Not buff, but just fitting of a boy his age. His face was still covered with the silver-grey markings from before, but it simply looked like a star mask on his face. Still, there was something oddly familiar about his face.
“Sorry, I was not aware you could also transform. Let me properly greet you.”
He took my hand.
“When the wolf Shiroi came to me asking me to join your group, I wasn’t sure if I could. She told me stories of what a generous and wise leader you are. I came here to see what kind of leader you are for myself. Now that I have heard your speech and seen your followers’ reactions, I have chosen that you truly are a good leader and possibly a good ally. I, Unmei of the Fenrir Clan, have chosen to form an official collaboration with you. Do you accept?”
He shouted it loudly for everyone to hear.
Suddenly, we were the centre of everyone’s attention once again. I didn’t know what was going on or why this guy appeared. Wasn’t Shiroi simply going off to gather food? Why did she bring an army of wolves that want to partner with me? This was insane.
At least, they weren’t asking to join my familia. Also, in a way I guess this is what I was originally asking for.
“Sure.”
I agreed and everyone roared loudly. God, this guy was so strong he lifted me up with one hand to officially announce our union. I felt like some kind of little sister. And I was stronger than him! He wasn’t stronger than Shiroi, yet this was the situation.
Everyone cheered loudly in joy at the union. We had more people on our side now, but still, being paraded on the shoulder of a naked 17-year-old for all the monsters to see was embarrassing. Did this guy have no shame?
The wolves all howled in joy and the leaders behind Unmei all came to introduce themselves to me. This cheerful guy named all of them. General of the Timber wolves, Loki, the general of the Elecza wolves Onmyo and the general of the Treants, Kukunochi.
They too were excited that we were elated about the fact that we were forming a union. It was a hectic night, till I realised that there were some friends I’d made who weren’t here. I excused myself from the party and teleported to the South, specifically into Zana’s cave.
I was met with the size of Zana curled up in what looked to be a giant lizard. Amethyst too? When did she get here?
She was surprised to see me appear out of thing air. From the looks of things, she had been crying. I didn’t know why and when I asked her about it, she said she thought I abandoned her forever. I was curious where she got that kind of premonition, but according to her, even when I wasn’t next to her, there was a feeling she had that told her I was still with her.
But, all of a sudden that feeling was no longer present and she couldn’t access the system. That was when I realised that in a round about way, I’d just lost all connection to people who weren’t next to me anymore.
The first name to come to mind was Aeri who was now possibly gone forever. I really messed up big time here.
But now wasn’t the time to focus on such melancholic stuff. I added her back into my system as well as delivered some uncooked meat so we feast together. I told her about my recent adventure and explained what would be happening, as well as the need for us to ally our forests together. She understood quickly, but was more interested in my time in Atlantis. I told her the story as best as I could with some exaggeration here and there of course.
The sleeping Amethyst slept through the entire time. When I looked, she had gone up quite the few levels, meaning she really had been training in the dungeons, growing stronger. Maybe her being jealous of Turu was a good thing.
I ended up spending the rest of day at her place, entertaining her while trying to talk about the encroaching dangers. She really wasn’t in the mood for that kind of talk.
DAILY ACHIEVEMENTS
[Tori acquired the skill [Insomniac Croak]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Hypnotic Gaze]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Illusion Miasma]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Cowardly Shriek]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Lightning Rod]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Dark Mirror]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Mimic]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Cloning]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Sea Dragon Rage]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Dragon Eye]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Dastardly Bite]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Dragon Scales]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Dragon Elemental Breath]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Iron Fortress]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Turf Domination]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Swift Movement]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Dragon Razor Fangs]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Sea Domination]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Wise Council]]
[Tori acquired the skill [Dragon Heart]]
[Tori consumed 3 dragon cores]
[Special skills linked the dragon cores will be unlocked over time]
------------------------------------------------
Demon Capital Kairosec, Demon Lord’s Castle.
The human gasped the moment he fell down. The roof of the once majestic palace had been destroyed, allowing light to leak in. The always cloudy demon capital was cleared and the sunlight shone brighter than it ever had.
Coincidentally, this led to a single figure being illuminated. On the throne that was made for only the demon lord, a ginormous figure with grey skin sat lifelessly. His head was hanging over, his long silky silver hair just covering his face. His armour had several cracks and piercings in them, covered in black liquid. This black was the blood of demons.
A sword was stuck deep in his chest, fixing him to the throne. All around the throne room, there were four other bodies, all either decapitated, dismembered or disfigured beyond recognition.
The human, a young man in his early twenties, wiped the blood and sweat off his face.
“You weren’t kidding when you said he was going to be close to impossible to defeat in my current state.”
He spoke to the person who stood next to the demon lord, checking out his corpse.
“If you had prepared just like I told you, this fight would be over in just a single day, yet you wasted two extra days.”
The masked person responded to him. She lifted the demon lord’s head up so she could get a better view of it. There was a large white crystal in his forehead.
“Yeah, but you’re the same one who told me I’d only get stronger through completing impossible quests.”
She tapped on the crystal several times till there was a reaction.
“I also remember telling you that if you don’t kill the demon lord in a day our enemies will notice our movements. Now the whole continent knows you really exist.”
The man stood up and dusted the dirt off his white cloak. His crimson red eyes looked at the girl seriously.
“If the demon lord managed to hold out onto the fourth day, you would have been the one stabbed through the heart.”
She forcefully removed the crystal from the demon lord’s forehead.
“What are you doing?”
He asked, knowing precisely how dangerous that crystal she held was. The masked woman looked at him. He knew her long enough to know that she wouldn’t tell him till later. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
“Aren’t you supposed to be tricking the Dark Church with your ability to mimic my little sister?”
“I made a clone of your sister to do that. I have other agendas.”
She wiped the blood off the crystal then put it into her pouch.
“For now, you’ll be attending the meeting of heroes, the Odysseus. Make sure to help your little sister with what she wants to do. Prepare everyone for threats greater than the demon lord. Push them beyond.”
A dragon roared loudly from the outside of the castle. From its cry alone, they both knew who it was. His trusted ally that he raised from an egg ten years ago, Kaiju.
“Your ride home is here.”
While she said that, silver wings erupted from her back in flames.
“What do you mean threats greater than the demon lord? I thought you said this was the end of the fighting? You would handle everything from here on out.”
The masked figure looked at him quietly for a while.
“You are the [Champion of Endless]. I did not choose this fate for you. You did this to yourself. You will continue to exist just to ensure the balance of the world. After you defeat the big bad, there will always be another worse big bad for you to fight.”
“But-”
“I have not forgotten my promise to you. This will be your last round. This will be the end of your curse. Enjoy your life as Hiro Tatsumaki. Once I ensure my… the former God slayer Vermillion’s resurrection, we will definitely have a way to free you.”
With that, she flew off, leaving the white-haired man to himself. Hiro walked over to the throne and picked up his sword. He sheathed the blade and walked towards one of the windows.
This phenomenal event he had accomplished, was only a precursor to even more dangerous and extraordinary events this world hadn’t seen in centuries.
Those who were relatively aware of the consequences of what just transpired had already begun their preparations. Only the strong would survive in the coming times.
