A figure stood atop the water, wearing geta sandals, cloth trousers, and ninja-style gloves.
On his left chest, difficult-to-understand kanji characters were inscribed.
Because the writing was black, the exact meaning behind it was hard to make out.
He wore a mask carved with a two-horned oni motif, baring its teeth with a wicked gaze.
The sky hovered in an ambiguous state, neither quite night nor morning, while moonlight illuminated the ocean’s surface—though it remained invisible from above.
Koi fish danced underwater.
He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the events that had just transpired.
“You want to attack me with that weapon?
How pathetic,” the Oni Mask muttered.
“Maybe.
But I’m here on a mission.
So please, move aside.”
“And if I refuse?” the Oni Mask asked again.
“Then I’ll stab you until you can’t breathe anymore.”
Suad used his ability to fight back, unleashing a triple strike through [Triple Combo Slash] toward the Oni Mask.
With effortless ease, the masked man parried upward, instantly slicing through both of Suad’s kunai.
However, what he saw was merely an afterimage.
Following up swiftly, Suad tossed three smoke bombs along with a Colt M1892 pistol.
Three shots rang out, striking the surface of the mask.
The sudden attack caught him completely off guard, leaving a crack across the right cheek.
While it didn’t guarantee the Oni Mask was furious over his precious mask being ruined, his expression remained flat as he let out a long breath.
“You startled me, brat.
Normally, anyone who gets a slash across the face would fly into a rage.
But I suppose I don’t need to take it that far.”
“What are you babbling about, weird mask?” Suad asked, gripping and aiming his Colt M1892 in his left hand.
The Oni Mask let out a small chuckle, clearing his throat before hurling two kunai at Suad.
The ninja-clad man stepped backward, raising both hands halfway.
A dark element accompanied by shadows surged around Suad, prompting the young man to shout, “Get out of here!”
Leo and Arlette sprinted quickly to the left, making sure the shadow didn’t trap them.
Suad prepared to throw a counterattack at the Oni Mask, but the figure simply vanished into thin air.
Ticking his tongue in annoyance, Suad tucked both knives back into his belt, a frustration shared by Leo as he watched Suad walk briskly toward Gavrilo’s corpse.
Suad pressed his left palm gently against the dragon-race’s eyeball, gently forcing the eyelids shut.
Arlette and Leo approached Suad as he crouched, watching him stand back up and decide to take Arlette away from the Chabagne Kingdom.
The Oni Mask’s eyes blinked forcefully; he was struggling to focus on his usual meditation.
Suad used his ability to fight back, unleashing a triple strike thdragon race’s Combo Slash] toward the Oni Mask.
With effortless ease, the masked man parried upward, instantly slicing through both of Suad’s kunai.
However, what he saw was merely an afterimage.
Following up swiftly, Suad tossed three smoke bombs along with a Colt M1892 pistol.
Three shots rang out, striking the surface of the mask.
The sudden attack caught him completely off guard, leaving a crack across the right cheek.
While it didn’t guarantee the Oni Mask was furious over his precious mask being ruined, his expression remained flat as he let out a long breath.
“You startled me, brat.
Normally, anyone who gets a slash across the face would fly into a rage.
But I suppose I don’t need to take it that far.”
“What are you babbling about, weird mask?” Suad asked, gripping and aiming his Colt M1892 in his left hand.
The Oni Mask let out a small chuckle, clearing his throat before hurling two kunai at Suad.
The ninja-clad man stepped backward, raising both hands halfway.
A dark element accompanied by shadows surged around Suad, prompting the young man to shout, “Get out of here!”
Leo and Arlette sprinted quickly to the left, making sure the shadow didn’t trap them.
Suad prepared to throw a counterattack at the Oni Mask, but the figure simply vanished into thin air.
Ticking his tongue in annoyance, Suad tucked both knives back into his belt, a frustration shared by Leo as he watched Suad walk briskly toward Gavrilo’s corpse.
Suad pressed his left palm gently against the dragon-race’s eyeball, gently forcing the eyelids shut.
He tried to slip past while gripping the scroll hidden inside his chest.
The Oni Mask had no intention of using the scroll tucked within his ninja attire yet; his fingers were poised to kill without mercy.
Leaping forward, he hurled a kunai infused with dark magic energy straight into a guard’dragon race’sly neutralizing him.
Beside him, the next guard approached suspiciously, the heavy clanking of his plate armor echoing loudly.
Pointing his left hand forward, the Oni Mask fired a silent, fatal shot that punched a clean hole right through the man’s head.
Without making a sound, the Oni Mask slipped away to hide behind the bushes.
Before his eyes stood a palace blending French medieval architecture with classical Renaissance style, notably lacking any defensive fortress walls.
Instead, it was surrounded by expansive gardens patrolled by guards resembling samurai or elite protectors of a shogunate empire.
It brought back grim memories of the Heian era for the Oni Mask.
Since they were outside the castle and the Chabagne Kingdom lacked any truly lethal defenses, he had no desire to waste time slaughtering the entire garrison.
He leaped forward swiftly, darting like a rabbit avoiding a pack of wolves.
He vaulted over the palace’s first and final defensive wall.
Strangely, no one guarded the corners, particularly near the top of the ramparts.
The Oni Mask walked briskly while scanning his surroundings, mapping out a path toward the bedchambers of the King and Queen of Chabagne.
Dodging with agile leaps, his hands and feet soon reached the far-right corner of the palace wall.
Clinging to the stone using dark magic, he began to crawl upward, turning his head downward as his limbs scuttled rapidly across the vertical surface like a spider moving without hesitation.
Yet, for someone like the Oni Mask who had only recently awakened this ability, it felt rather bizarre.
A window stood locked.
Glancing around, the Oni Mask crept upward until his feet finally touched the balcony floor.
The palace roof was painted blue, entirely empty of guards.
He offered no reaction to the pathetic security of the royal troops.
Walking slowly and stealthily, he ensured no one tailed him from behind.
The door opened with the faint squeak of a window hinge.
The room was empty.
Shrouded in dark magic, he stepped inside with utmost caution.
As he entered, a guard was making a patrol with a lantern.
The Oni Mask hid behind a wall, sliding his hands and feet to the left as he waited for the right moment to maintain his distance.
His eyes darted about, searching for the resting quarters of the King of Chabagne.
Suddenly, a seductive, heavy fragrance drifted into his nostrils.
Assuming the scent would lead him straight to his target, the Oni Mask followed his instincts—and his hunch was spot on.
His brow furrowed, one eye blinking as it focused on the sight before him: the king and queen of Chabagne were fast asleep on the bed, completely naked.
A tightly shut window blocked the front, leaving no visible entry point.
“I suppose I took the wrong route, but no matter—this makes things much more interesting,” he muttered to himself. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
The logical choice was to turn back.
Intending to exit the room, he took the opposite route and veered right.
A flicker of dark magic warned him that he only had five minutes left.
He needed to move fast.
“Where do you think you’re going in the middle of the night?”
The Oni Mask whipped his head toward the voice.
It was a man accompanied by five loyal guards, their swords drawn and pointing straight at him.
The Oni Mask was momentarily surprised that they had anticipated his movements.
“You must be Fabien Cochet de Chabagne, right?”
“Yes!
What business do you—”
Suddenly, the loyal guards collapsed in unison.
Blood spilled across the floor, their eyes wide with sheer disbelief, as though they were trapped in a nightmare.
“What was that?
What did you just do?” Fabien snapped.
“My apologies.
I don’t have time to entertain you,” the Oni Mask replied, subtly pulling an invisible wire.
Instantly, hundreds of razor-sharp threads materialized around Fabien.
Realizing too late that the Chabagne royal guards had been wiped out in the blink of an eye, Fabien tried to strike, but it was already too late.
His body was diced into hundreds of shredded pieces as the glowing wires melted and dissolved his remains entirely.
The Oni Mask sprinted toward the royal bedchamber.
He had barely taken three steps inside when a dense, impenetrable barrier of magical energy blocked his path.
It bore the exact same signature as the deadly trap he had used against Fabien and his guards.
Tracing the source of the energy, he found it linked directly to the tower bell overhead.
“Not a bad trick, even in death,” the Oni Mask acknowledged.
A heavy breath escaped his mask as he prepared to punch through the tight defense, eager to taste a final challenge left behind by the late Fabien.
Relaxing his muscles and flexing his joints, he made sure not to trip the magical tripwires.
His eyes locked onto a sudden vision—a memory of espionage, a mission cut short, and a brutal betrayal where he was stabbed in the back by his own comrade before drawing his last breath.
A dark aura enveloped him.
Realizing his own magic could destabilize the barrier, he compressed his energy down to a microscopic point, and miraculously, it worked.
Suddenly, a kunai coated in dark magic hurtled through the air, striking the King and Queen squarely in the throat.
With cold efficiency, the deed was done.
Yet his resolve flared.
Glancing down at his trembling left leg, he forced himself to push harder, feeling the physical toll take root.
His fingers twitched, manipulating his puppets.
He felt a heavy presence behind him.
Whirling around, the Oni-masked man was stunned to see a shinobi gripping one of his puppets while another lunged straight for his vital organs.
A mouthful of blood spewed from the Oni-masked man as he rapidly slashed his own throat, sending the shinobi crashing to the ground, drenched in blood.
Summoning his remaining strength, the Oni-masked man hurled a kunai, seized a blade from a fallen shinobi, and swung blindly with whatever life he had left.
The opposing shinobi collapsed weakly.
The Oni-masked man crumpled last, his right hand stretching desperately toward the moonlight.
Slowly, he removed his mask, exposing his pale face and bloodied lips to the bright light.
A knife lay within reach.
With his left hand, he grabbed it and performed seppuku.
Groans echoed as blood surged up his throat.
If only…
if only I could open that scroll…
before I die, flashed through his mind.
That illusion had shattered his perception of reality, destroying his own past.
He vanished without a word.
The vision wrenched the Oni Mask’s eyelids open.
He had never expected meditation to be this grueling.
Removing his mask, he stared at his reflection, but only a blank visage stared back—devoid of eyes, nose, cheeks, or lips.
“It seems the side effects of using that scroll are quite fatal after all.”
~o0o~
Under the moonlight, the howling of a wolf echoed from the west.
The dark sky glittered with tens of thousands of shining stars, while a gentle breeze swept across the man’s exposed skin.
His right knee was bent upward, and his right hand reached beneath his ninja tunic to pull out a clear red potion, which he chugged down entirely.
Instantly, a searing heat washed over his body—a natural reaction to consuming it while healthy, though he was nursing minor injuries.
Lacking bandages or medical supplies for his leg, he watched as a puff of steam evaporated into the air, making him feel as though his body were overheating.
The crackle of a campfire broke the midnight silence.
Removing his Oni mask, he scanned his surroundings.
Several carcasses of hunted beasts lay nearby.
Staring intensely at his left palm, he clenched his fist with all his might, then looked calmly toward the fire.
He pulled two kunai from his waist—weapons slightly different from standard ninja gear, carrying historical weight from his past life.
Deciding to get some rest, he closed his eyes.
At least for tonight, he refused to drown in bitter memories or emptiness, because tomorrow’s destiny remained entirely unwritten.
The next morning, an explosion shattered the quiet.
Smoke billowed everywhere.
A rock-skinned lizard had been easily dispatched; its stony armor simply peeled away.
Even without fire magic, the friction generated immense heat.
Three figures wearing LED masks stepped forward, katanas drawn.
Reaching into their pockets, they pulled out two smooth, glowing gems radiating pure light that vastly inflated their market value.
However, the LED-masked men began chanting, bending their thumbs, ring fingers, and pinkies inward while keeping their index and middle fingers extended, murmuring incantations over and over.
A hissing sound came from the south.
The LED-masked men turned toward the noise, where the Oni-masked man was peering through a makeshift spyglass made of leaves and lenses.
He spotted a horde of stone-bodied lizards approaching and jotted notes into a small journal.
Dealing with one lizard was simple; a whole pack was a different story.
The Oni-masked man checked his status window:
Name: ??
Age: ??
Race: Otherworlder
Ability: [Puppeteer Magic] [Dark Elementalist] [Ninja Master]
Skill: [Acceleration] [Accurate Point] [Black Hole] [Black Smoke]
Casually dismissing his status screen, he raised both hands and began chanting:
“[Black Hole].”
Dark energy bloomed from their direction.
At first, it looked like an ordinary portal, but soon a swirling vortex materialized, dragging in dozens of lizards along with surrounding plants and debris.
Fortunately, the Oni-headed man was immune.
He drove four kunai into the ground at cardinal directions, linking them with a heavy chain, and casually bound himself to the chain to keep from getting sucked in.
If he miscalculated by even an inch, he’d be pulled into the void as well.
His fingers danced, channeling energy into his two puppets as they stabbed their blades into the ground.
“I’m still not used to using magic ever since the incident at the Chabagne Kingdom.”
Refocusing his eyes, he watched as dozens of creatures stood helpless against his [Black Hole], hurled into the abyss with no return path.
Though a few tried to resist, the sheer pull of the singularity was insurmountable.
Moments later, the void vanished in a flash.
“Finally, it’s over,” he muttered.
Unbinding the chain, the Oni-masked man retrieved the two LED-masked puppets, slipped them into his mini pouch along with his gear, and leaped unhesitatingly from a tree, landing smoothly with bent knees and a hand touching the ground.
He walked away with a relaxed stride.
The strong breeze made him crave a brief rest, especially after burning through his energy against the lizard pack.
Straightening his legs, he crossed his arms behind his head and gazed up at the clear sky.
Feeling the mask was suffocating, he took it off, though his face remained hidden, revealing only dark hair mixed with prominent white bangs.
“A month already…
huh?” he murmured.
Leaves drifted down, brushing against his face and the discarded mask.
Blowing a leaf away from his hair, he squinted against the bright sunlight, shielding his eyes with his left arm as the calming breeze washed over him.
“I suppose resting here isn’t so bad after all.”
The next day, the Oni-masked man enjoyed the scorching heat—a warmth he rarely had the luxury of experiencing.
A gentle wind swept past as deer, goats, and water buffalo grazed peacefully nearby, while a giraffe drank from a nearby river.
His tranquility was shattered by the sound of approaching footsteps.
Moving instinctively, the Oni-masked man stood up, gripped a kunai, and readjusted his mask just in time.
Emperor Erwin of the Torquis Empire was taking a break beneath the trees, heartily enjoying provisions prepared by his servants while encouraging his soldiers and knights to eat alongside him.
Golden-haired and clad in heavy, gleaming red-and-gold iron armor, the Emperor carried a matching metal sword with a tapered, scimitar-like blade that possessed a unique gimmick: it could split into two distinct parts.
Rumor had it that only the Emperor could wield the weapon without suffering severe side effects.
“Reporting, Your Majesty!
Someone wishes to meet you!” a soldier announced.
“Send them forw—”
“I’m right up here, Your Majesty,” a calm voice echoed from the trees.
Instantly, the soldiers drew their swords, bracing for combat.
Emperor Erwin, however, gestured for them to sheath their weapons.
He looked up at the Oni-masked man with a smile.
“Pardon my men.
How can I help you?”
“There is something I wish to discuss with you regarding a new existence in this world,” the Oni-masked man said flatly.
“A new existence?
Don’t tell me the Otherworlder race has returned!”
Hearing the Emperor’s words, the soldiers and knights gasped in astonishment.
The Oni-masked man looked slightly surprised by the quick guess, though it wasn’t far off.
“I suppose that’s one way to put it.
But yes, Otherworlders are in this world.
I’m certain there are others like me out there—perhaps carrying roles far greater than simply saving the world from the Demon King,” the oni-masked man replied.
“In other words, Otherworlders are seen as a potential threat?” Emperor Erwin mused.
At first, the Emperor couldn’t quite read the Oni-masked man.
His aura was entirely distinct from ordinary humans, cloaked in a thick, suffocating darkness that kept the guards instinctively at bay, reeking of suppressed anger and resentment.
Emperor Erwin stepped forward slowly, ignoring his soldiers’ urgent pleas.
“Your Majesty!
Please reconsider!
He could be a demon!”
“Calm down.
He possesses a mysterious power…
one that might be both greater and more dangerous simultaneously.”
The soldiers fell silent, resigned.
Emperor Erwin sensed unusual magical energy; even if the masked man didn’t fully realize the extent of his isekai heritage, the Emperor clearly recognized his strength.
According to Isekai lore, an Otherworlder’s power exceeded the magical capacity of humans and non-humans alike, though they still fell short of true demons.
Consequently, Otherworlders were driven to train relentlessly to break past conventional limits.
While humans and non-humans—such as elves, dark elves, dwarves, beastkin, vampires, and undead—peaked at Level 100, the absolute ceiling for demons and Otherworlders remained an utter mystery.
It was precisely for this reason that Emperor Erwin wanted to recruit him.
“Would you like to become my subordinate?”
“About that—”
“Your Majesty, permission to report!” A soldier dropped to one knee before the Emperor.
“What is it?”
“We hear strange explosions heading this way!”
“Strange explosions?”
The Oni-masked man stroked his chin.
It was the first time he had heard mention of such a sound until realization struck him: the soldier was describing gunfire.
He turned his head sharply.
“How many?”
“Four individuals fighting off a mob of robed figures wielding curved swords.
Their commander is an old man with a thick beard, riding a creature with strange gray skin.”
“Gray skin?”
Could they be from the same world as me?
The Oni-masked man wondered internally before looking back at Emperor Erwin.
“Are you pondering something?” the Emperor asked.
“Hard to say.
I can’t be certain yet.
But I know one thing: he and his troops are just like me.
It’s very likely they share my origins,” the Oni-masked man replied formally.