After the blue ogre finished speaking to Yumeko, it felt something odd on its leg. Looking down, it saw a boy hacking at it without pause. Irritated, it shifted its knee, sending the boy flying with a heavy thud.
Haru had been about to step in, but he noticed a silver orb around the boy's neck glowing faintly as the ogre struck. The boy didn't seem to realize it himself but he hadn't been hit directly but was pushed back by the light.
'A protective charm… but it feels deeper than that,' Haru thought.
The boy staggered to his feet, blood seeping from his mouth. Even without a direct blow, the force should've knocked out most people. His ability to stand came down to sheer determination.
"Shion… let Shion go!" he yelled, voice rough with anger, and lurched toward the ogre again.
Yumeko frowned, snapping at the ogre, "What are you waiting for? That thing is coming!"
The ogre flinched, clearly wary of her, then glared at the boy, its temper flaring.
It raised its fist, putting full strength into a swing that could kill even through protection.
Too weak to dodge, the boy was moments from being crushed when a figure darted in, scooping him up with one arm while slashing the ogre's fist with a sword. They slid to safety with the momentum.
The ogre roared in pain. Its hand was already wounded, and Haru's strike took off its most damaged finger entirely.
The ogre thrashed, ready to lunge at Haru, but Yumeko shouted, "Stop! You can't finish him fast, and if we don't leave now, it's over!"
The ground shook harder, and a massive shape loomed in the distance.
Snorting in frustration, the ogre released its demonic energy, linking with Yumeko's as they rose into a demon cloud. Once inside, it sped off in a panic.
"Shion!" the boy cried, blood rushing to his head, and he passed out.
Haru sighed, slinging the boy over his back. He was about to move when a deafening roar swept through the village, even dimming the flames.
"What the hell is that?!" Haru turned toward Mount Enzou, a rare hint of fear in his steady gaze.
It was enormous; about two-thirds the height of the mountain beside it. In the dark, it looked vaguely human, but its limbs were off, more like a dwarf from old tales.
The roar was aimed at the demon cloud, its echo alone taming the village fires. The demons' cloud nearly broke apart under the full force, thinning as they fled.
Still angry, the giant "dwarf" dug its hands into the ground, lifting a "small" rock with ease. To it, the rock was small, but it was as big as ten houses together.
It threw the boulder with a deep rumble, tracing a clean arc that slammed into the demon cloud.
The crash was like a hammer on glass. Even from a distance, Haru heard screams and the wet sound of bodies breaking.
The cloud turned bloody but held together, shrinking into a small sphere that raced away.
The giant's rage seemed to cool. It didn't chase or maybe it couldn't keep up.
It knelt carefully, curling up, and the earth swallowed it silently, like water over a pebble.
"Whew…"
Haru relaxed only when it was gone, he breathed out slowly. If that thing had turned on the village, he'd have had no chance; not even to run.
It was beyond anything he'd faced.
Yumeko and the blue ogre were strong, but next to this giant, they were nothing but pests.
Now Haru saw why the ogre had fled. Against that, survival trumped revenge.
"Thank you, Mountain God! Thank you, Mountain God!"
Villagers crept out of hiding, bowing toward Mount Enzou with prayers. This "Mountain God" was clearly the giant.
Haru blinked at the sudden crowd. 'Where were they all hiding?'
He even saw one climb out from under a patch of grass that had looked normal moments ago.
'No matter the situation, humans adapt,' he thought. 'These people had learned to hide well in a world full of demons.'
A few older villagers took charge, directing others to put out the fires.
"Knock down the burning houses, cut the beams… don't let it spread… Men, chop the pillars; women and kids, get water…"
Some villagers Haru had saved came to thank him. He handed the unconscious boy over and joined the effort.
The fire looked fierce, but the village's spread-out layout slowed its reach. With hard work, they contained it by tearing down the worst-hit homes.
By the time the flames died, dawn had arrived.
…..
The next day, Haru was celebrated as a hero for facing the demons. Though a stranger, the villagers welcomed him openly.
He learned the full story from them.
"Our village has always been safe, thanks to the shrine and the Mountain God… until a few months ago, when demons demanded we give up the shrine maiden as a sacrifice.
The shrine has protected us for generations; we couldn't turn her over. The demons tried to take her by force. Usually, the maiden could handle them, but this one's young, her powers not fully grown… Luckily, the Mountain God woke up and chased them off."
Haru sat on a mat, listening quietly, then glanced at the boy nearby. "And him?"
The elder said, "Oh, he's the son of a wandering samurai… His father left him here when he got sick and never returned. The shrine's last priest and his family raised him.
A couple years back, the priest and the maiden passed, leaving just him and the young maiden at the shrine… Now he's on his own."
"Does he have a name? A samurai's son should have one."
The elder hesitated. "His father gave one, but he looked so broken, it might've been made up… Something like Tsu… Tsu…
Ah, yes, Tsuda!"
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The village sat between mountains and sea, rich in resources and far from war-torn lands. It had known peace until this demon attack nearly wiped it out.
About a hundred villagers remained, with enough food from storage and fishing, but many homes were lost, leaving little space to live.
Seeing this, and wanting to have some quiet place, Haru moved into Tsuda's home; the shrine.
The boy was awake but silent, often sitting on the porch with his rusty sword, staring at the sky. He moved only to eat or rest; hollow as a shell.
Someone should've talked to him, but Haru had his own troubles.
Staring at a salted fish, its dull eyes meeting his, Haru felt like he was turning into one himself.
The villagers had given him fresh sea fish, salted to keep it tender. The mix of salt and meat could make a fine soup or maybe raw slices…
But he knew he had bigger concerns.
'How do I get back?'
He mulled over the StarGate's options, both feeling out of reach.
First: Master the Second Magic.
Even if Haru could study magic, the Second Magic wasn't simple. The Tohsaka family's struggles proved that and the Jewel Wizard was still around.
Second: Reactivate the pseudo-Grail.
That needed massive magical energy, built up over centuries. Haru wasn't immortal; he couldn't wait that long. And by then, he'd be near his own time anyway, why bother?
His mood sank.
'StarGate, am I stuck here?' Haru asked.
[Beyond the two methods, other ways to leap through time exist, but they're even harder]
[Based on analysis, those two are your best shot.]
Haru felt a wave of hopelessness. 'I—'
[Ding! StarGate reminder: The first path is too tough, but the second path is not impossible.]
Haru straightened. 'Tell me more.'
[The second method's problem is the lack of enough magical energy for the pseudo-Grail. But please remember you're a magus.]
[For a magus, low magical energy means borrowing from somewhere else; it's basic.]
Haru could almost hear a smirk in the StarGate's tone.
'Hey! Where can I find someone to borrow magical energy from?' Haru asked.
[Ding! Confirmed. Analysis of your words suggests you're a 'pervert' Updating profile—
'Hey, hey stop talking nonsense! You're the one confusing me!' Haru cut in. 'I'm a well-rounded guy, not what you're implying!'
[Ding! Revised response.]
[You lack a big enough magical energy source for the pseudo-Grail. But this world's 'mystery' hasn't faded much, making high-energy sources easier to find than in modern times.]
[Any energy you find can be traded at the StarGate for pure magical energy.]
Haru's interest spiked. 'That's the best thing I've heard yet. How do I get these sources?'
[Ding! Scanning….Analyzing….Processing…
Results:
Hearts of living beings. Stronger life force means more energy, like demons or gifted humans.Special minerals that contain energy of various magnitudes.Artificial energy crystals.]
[Ding! High-energy reaction detected. Within ten meters, there's a powerful energy source.]
Haru glanced at Tsuda, lost in thought. 'The orb on his neck?'
'It's an artificial mix of metal, bone, and fibers; like a relic. It holds vast energy, tied to "demonic energy."'
The StarGate explained it was likely a demon-made vessel, storing power as a charm for descendants.
'Just tell me how useful it is!'
[Two orbs like it could activate the pseudo-Grail.]
Haru's jaw dropped. The pseudo-Grail took four hundred years of ley line energy but this orb alone held half that.
'What kind of demon made it? Stronger than the Mountain God, maybe.'
Haru stepped closer to Tsuda, eyeing the orb, unsure how to ask. The boy looked dazed; he might not even answer.
'Could I just take it? He can't stop me.'
The idea faded fast. Tsuda had lost enough; taking his last treasure felt wrong. It clearly meant something to him.
Haru wasn't a saint, but he wasn't heartless. And picking on a kid? Not his way.
"Do you want it?" Tsuda said flatly, no emotion in his voice. "You can have it."
Haru blinked. "How did you…?"
"Your eyes… you didn't hide it."
True, Haru had stared openly. Even in his haze, Tsuda noticed.
Haru looked at him again. The boy was sharper than he seemed.
"The orb… take it if you want… doesn't matter now." Tsuda's voice rasped, like he wanted to cry but couldn't.
Haru raised an eyebrow. Though offered, he didn't move.
"Is it special?"
Tsuda laughed; a dry, broken sound. "No it's just a plain stone."
"Then the one who gave it to you must be special?"