Chapter 15

"Why don't you try to win?"

Soma, who had just appeared, left everyone perplexed.

Everyone knew that he was a human child recently taken in by the village's princess, Miko. Although Shemul, the princess herself, had spoken of him as her "savior," the mere presence of a human in their village was deeply unsettling. Moreover, the fact that a male, even of a different species, was sleeping in the same tent as the young princess was utterly unacceptable.

Everyone was thinking of killing him at the first opportunity.

To Zoan and the others, Soma was nothing more than a pest, like a cockroach, that was unpleasant even to look at.

When Soma, a human child, spoke these unexpected words, everyone was at a loss as to how to react.

Only Shemul moved. For her, the first priority was to protect Soma, rather than consider what he had said.

Appearing before the villagers who were preparing to fight the humans to the death, was nothing short of suicide. Enraged, the villagers would swarm and brutally kill him, and his head would be used as a sacrifice in the pre-battle ceremony.

Shemul rushed to Soma and shielded him with her back.

"He is my savior! For my sake, let him go!"

However, Soma, ignoring Shemul's desperate actions, shouted again.

"Why don't you try to win?!"

Soma's eyes were fixed on the tribal chief, Garam.

This could be interpreted as an insult to the chief. If the chief were insulted, even if Shemul, the princess, tried to stop them, the villagers would not be deterred.

Shemul trembled with fear, as if her blood had turned to ice.

"Soma! This is not a place for you! Get out of here! Go away!"

But Soma seemed not to hear Shemul's anguished cry.

Garam then spoke to Soma.

"Boy, what do you mean...?"

"Wait, Fierce Fang! This is—"

"Be silent, Noble Fang! I am not speaking to you, but to him!"

Shemul despaired. There was no way to salvage the situation now.

Garam's attention was completely on Soma. No matter what Shemul said, Soma's words could not be undone. Moreover, one wrong move could cost Soma his life. Even if Garam had no intention of killing him, the other villagers would not stand idly by.

Unaware of this, Soma glared at Garam as if challenging him.

"Just as I said! You are not trying to win!"

"You are not trying to win?!"

"That's right! What you are doing is not even a fight! It's just suicide!"

Soma's words provoked angry shouts from the warriors present.

"A human insulting us?!"

"Let me show you what suicide really is, you piece of trash!"

Several hot-headed warriors drew their machetes and rushed at Soma. Shemul, with no choice, drew her own machete and stood in front of Soma to protect him.

The warriors would not harm the princess, but they were far stronger than she was. They would easily overpower her.

Desperately trying to think of a way to save Soma, but coming up with nothing, Shemul stood her ground, still shielding Soma.

The warriors hesitated slightly at the sight of Shemul, but their anger was not so easily quelled. They were about to overpower the princess and tear the insolent human to pieces.

"Stop, warriors!"

Garam's stern command halted them.

"A weak human boy is trying to entertain us with nonsense. Let him speak until the end."

Reluctantly, the warriors sheathed their machetes.

A confrontation with the warriors was averted, but only temporarily. Shemul continued to shield Soma, machete still drawn.

"What's the matter, boy? Before you die, try to chirp as loudly as you can and entertain us."

Garam's mocking words provoked an angry response from Soma.

"You are cowards! You are just hiding behind the words of a warrior's pride! You are not even trying to win! You are just running away from the fight!"

Shemul almost fainted. To call the proud Zoan warriors cowards or逃跑者 was absolutely forbidden.

"Are we running away?!"

"Cowards?!"

"Do you, a mere human, understand what a Zoan warrior is?!"

Garam raised his hand to calm the enraged warriors and motioned for Soma to continue.

"I do! The true Zoan warriors are right here!"

Soma pointed to Shemul, who stood in front of him.

"Shemul said that a warrior is one who fights in place of the weak. A warrior's pride is wounded when they fail to protect those they should protect!"

Soma looked around at all the warriors present.

"To me, it seems you are fighting for yourselves! It seems you only care about your own pride!"

"How dare a lowly human speak as if he understands!!"

"Then why are you dragging those who cannot fight to their deaths?! Is that what a warrior does?!"

The warrior, struck at a vulnerable point, was speechless.

The warriors themselves knew best their own inadequacy in failing to save the elderly and children. Confronted with this, they began to growl in anger and humiliation.

"This human brat! Talking big! If you can, then show us how to drive away the humans over there!"

"If you think you can win, then drive away the humans over there right now!"

"Can you do it, you weak human child?!"

The warriors burst into mocking laughter.

But Soma shouted, cutting through the laughter.

"I can't! But I know a way for you to win!"

Soma's words made the Zoans stop laughing and murmur among themselves.

Everyone had given up on winning, yet this human child claimed to know a way to win?

"If you follow what I say, I will make you win!"

Soma's bold statement made the Zoans flinch.

Is it really possible to win?

No, it must be a lie.

But maybe, just maybe...

These conflicting thoughts raced through everyone's minds, leaving them in a state of confusion.

"Hahaha...!"

Suddenly, Garam burst into laughter.

Not only Soma, but the Zoans also looked at Garam in surprise.

"Hahaha! Quite entertaining, boy!"

After a moment of laughter, Garam continued.

"It's futile, boy. We are the proud Zoan warriors. Zoan warriors do not follow those who are inferior to them. No one has ever fought or even held a sword. Who would follow your empty words? Your words are hollow! You have nothing to make us follow you!"

Garam's words cut sharply at Soma's weakness.

"If you were a seasoned warrior with a hundred battles under your belt, we might have listened to you. If you were a general who had led a thousand troops, we might have followed you. But do you have anything to offer?!"

Garam pointed his clawed finger at Soma.

"Do you have anything to make us follow you? Do you have anything to make us believe you? If you really want us to listen, show us something worthy of our belief!"

A moment of silence fell over the scene.

"You don't. ——Hmph. It was more entertaining than I thought."

Garam turned his back on Soma, signaling that the conversation was over.

Shemul was grateful. Garam had deliberately laughed at Soma's words and dismissed them as entertainment, thereby saving Soma. The Zoan warriors would not continue to be enraged by something the chief had dismissed as entertainment.

Everyone present thought the matter was over.

"…I do."

"What?!"

Not only Garam, but Shemul and all the Zoans present were taken aback.

Gathering all their attention, Soma slowly raised his right hand.

"If I show you proof that I can make you win, will you follow me?"

"Y-Yes, I will follow…"

Garam was confused.

What is this boy? Does he really have something to convince us?

Garam shuddered slightly.

How can such a weak human child, who could be killed with a single touch, speak with such certainty? His eyes shine with strong will; he is not a madman.

Then, who is he?

Garam began to find Soma incredibly eerie.

Soma was also afraid.

He wanted to cry and run away from this place.

But he had taken this step of his own accord. There was no turning back.

In truth, he had no proof.

Of course not. Soma, who had lived in modern, peaceful Japan, had never participated in a war. He had never led many people in battle. Garam was right; his words were hollow, with no backing or experience.

But even if they were hollow, he could make them seem real. If they wouldn't follow him unless he showed them something real, he would show them something that didn't exist. If it was hollow anyway, he would at least make it look impressive. He would make them believe it contained something incredible.

He might even provoke them into a rage and get killed.

But this was all he had.

The only thing he had gained in this world where he had arrived with nothing.

"…! Stop, Soma!"

Shemul, realizing what Soma was about to do, tried to stop him.

But it was too late.

Soma's right hand tore off the headband on his forehead.

The pale glow on his exposed forehead was a mark that looked like a combination of 8 and ∞. It resembled two snakes entwined, biting each other's tails, a sinister mark.

"Is he… a princess…?"

"What is that mark? I've never seen it before?"

"What kind of princess is he?!"

To the murmuring Zoans, Soma lifted his bangs to reveal the mark and took a deep breath.

"I am a princess! I am the princess of the goddess of death and destruction, Aura!"

Soma pointed towards the human encampment that was once the Zoan village.

"If you follow me, I will bring death and destruction to those humans who are tormenting you!"