You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395
Outside the Fairy Tale Forest, massive clouds of smoke and dust billowed into the air.
Where the meteor had crashed, flames were still fiercely burning within the gigantic crater.
Aramaki’s figure had already vanished completely.
“…”
BABY5 stared blankly at the scene before her.
“W-What the hell is that?”
She felt as though this trip to Dreamland Island had really turned into a dream.
First, there was the forest full of monsters, then the man with the twisted sense of values, and now this?
A swordsman who could pull a meteor down from the sky with a swing of his blade?
She was starting to doubt whether she was even awake.
“This young lady.”
At that very moment, the swordsman spoke to her from afar.
“You are an intruder. Logically speaking, this old man should hand you over to Mister Hitsuji for judgement. But at present, I still have a powerful enemy to deal with. You should leave the battlefield first.”
That was what he said.
“…”
Hitsuji?
Powerful enemy?
BABY5 still could not understand what the other party was talking about.
The meteor’s impact had already caused this level of devastation; could that guy possibly still be alive?
Still, she at least had a rough idea of what he meant.
That was indeed the smartest thing she could do right now.
So…
“…”
Without hesitating for a moment, she dragged her heavily injured body away and fled.
“What an obedient good child.”
Seeing this, Issho smiled and nodded approvingly.
But at that exact moment…
“You bastard…” A voice and an overwhelming aura erupted simultaneously from behind him.
“Who the hell are you!?”
Enormous, razor-sharp trees suddenly sprouted upwards within the deep crater smashed out by the meteor.
“Blade Forest!”
Aramaki’s body grew alongside those trees. On closer inspection, it became clear that he was not simply growing on the trees themselves but emerging from the seeds growing on them.
The trees sliced towards Issho like countless blades.
“Gravito – Gravity Blade: Wide Slash.”
Issho showed no sign of panic. He merely drew the cane sword at his waist once more.
Clang!
The sharp, gravity-wrapped blade instantly shattered the incoming branches and the entire tree itself.
Aramaki was blasted backwards as well, though the vegetation sprouting from the ground cushioned his landing.
“…”
He straightened up and faced Issho.
“I’ve never heard of someone like you among the competitors fighting over the Fountain of Youth…” He said in a low voice, clearly realizing just how powerful his opponent was.
“How rude. This old man has no intention of competing for the Fountain of Youth.”
“Then get out of the way.”
“This old man refuses.”
Buzz!
Their overwhelming presences collided violently.
The sky itself seemed to tilt under the distortion of gravity, while lush green grass spread across the earth below.
Just as the great battle was about to erupt…
“…” *2
The momentum that the two men had built up paused suddenly at the same time.
Their gazes simultaneously shifted towards the nearby Fairy Tale Forest.
At that moment, soft, rustling footsteps could faintly be heard.
A figure slowly emerged from the forest.
“Issho-san, it’s been a long time. Though I must say, I spent quite a while restoring this island to its current state. It really isn’t very nice of you to use your abilities like this the moment you return.”
His long white coat and sheep-headed mask silently revealed the man’s identity.
“Mm, that is true…”
After hearing Hitsuji’s words, Issho also smiled.
“However, Lord Hitsuji, because of you, this old man spent a long time trying to find the island. Let’s call it even, shall we?”
“That is hardly fair.” Hitsuji replied in a righteous tone. “I clearly warned Issho-san back then that the island might not stay in the same place.”
“…”
Hearing this, Issho was speechless.
When he left Plague Island with the survivors, Hitsuji had indeed warned him that when he returned, he might no longer be able to find Plague Island, but he had never expected that ‘not being able to find it’ would mean this.
“…Indeed.”
Thus, Issho could only nod helplessly.
“It seems this old man was somewhat reckless.”
Hearing this, the amusement in Hitsuji’s voice deepened further.
“In that case, allow me to boldly request a small form of compensation from Issho-san.”
“Please, go ahead.”
As they spoke, Hitsuji had already approached the two of them.
“Please leave him to me.” Hitsuji’s gaze settled on Aramaki. “As for Issho-san, could I trouble you to hold back the fleet outside the island temporarily?”
Hearing this, Issho frowned slightly.
“Lord Hitsuji, although this Lord Aramaki seems somewhat problematic, his strength…”
Yes.
The strong could sense the strong.
Even though they had only exchanged two brief moves, Issho had already confirmed it.
The man called ‘Aramaki’ was very powerful.
“No matter.” Yet, upon hearing this, Hitsuji’s tone did not change at all. “I myself am also very strong. Besides… This is Dreamland Island.”
The moment those words were spoken, Issho was briefly stunned.
He could naturally hear the absolute confidence contained within Hitsuji’s voice.
Thus, Issho let out a thoughtful hum.
“Since Lord Hitsuji says so, then this old man naturally has no objections.”
As he spoke, he gently drew his blade.
Buzz!!
Gravity reversed.
His figure instantly rose above the stones beneath his feet and flew towards the edge of the island.
But at that exact moment….
“Hey! What the hell are you two doing on your own?” A furious voice suddenly came from behind them.
Rumble!
Along with it came the violent trembling of the earth and the sound of the crust being torn apart.
It was the sound of fury.
To be ignored so completely, to be treated like an object to be handed around casually.
For Aramaki, this was more than enough to enrage him beyond measure.
It shattered the ‘order’ he held in his heart.
“They’re nothing more than insects from non-allied nations… Don’t underestimate nature!”
A gigantic forest erupted from the ground around Aramaki out of nowhere. Unlike the Fairy Tale Forest, this forest was filled with brutality and death.
Countless trees and vines grew wildly, crushing everything in their path as they lashed out at Hitsuji and Issho.
[Raging Forest]
Yet, faced with the countless gigantic, furious trees, Hitsuji could not even be bothered to turn his head.
He merely raised his right hand and gave a casual wave.
In the next instant…
RUMBLE!
Aramaki suddenly saw the entire island begin to change.
The island’s ground shifted like a moving carpet while the Fairy Tale Forest, which had originally been some distance away, rapidly approached and expanded at a speed far surpassing that of his own forest.
This magnificent forest, which could only exist in Dreamland, moved like a repositioned chess piece, instantly enclosing him and Aramaki within it.
“Command: Forest Wave.”
Along with Hitsuji’s quiet murmur… Issho’s figure flew far into the distance.
The Raging Forest and the Dreamland Forest then began to collide.
RUMBLE!
Beneath the earth, the roots were tangled and withered.
High above, leaves rained down endlessly through the air.
It was only at this moment that Hitsuji finally turned around.
In the forest, he and Aramaki were the only ones left, standing opposite each other.
“Mr Aramaki, you should have heard what was said just now. The one responsible for dealing with you… is me.”
Those were Hitsuji’s words.
“…I see.”
After hearing these words, Aramaki ground his teeth as he watched Issho disappear into the distance.
He forced himself to calm down quickly.
“So you’re the so-called island spirit of this Dreamland Island?”
His gaze fixed upon Hitsuji.
“Hitsuji…” He muttered the name softly. “I feel like I’ve heard a similar codename mentioned before.”
Hitsuji gently corrected him.
“I am one of the highest-ranking officers of the Twelve Zodiacs… Hitsuji. Perhaps you have heard the code names of my colleagues.”
“The Twelve Zodiac!?”
The moment he heard those words, Aramaki’s voice rose instantly.
“The Twelve Zodiac who confronted the government, stole the Heavenly Tribute and killed the Celestial Dragons!”
As he spoke, the danger in his tone increased.
Clearly… Despite having only recently been released from prison, he had heard of the Twelve Zodiac, the hottest topic currently shaking the seas.
“Precisely.”
After Hitsuji had smiled and admitted his identity…
“Good… very good…”
Aramaki’s eyes had already turned blood red. His teeth ground together with a cracking sound.
“I never imagined that the mission I finally obtained in exchange for my freedom would coincide with this so perfectly. You scum who made the government lose face, attacked the world nobles and disrupted the order of this world…”
“I’ll wipe you out!”
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395