No matter how much they attacked or tried to cast spells, nor how fierce or coordinated their assaults were, Shion, Shuna, Hakurou, Benimaru, and Souei simply could not defeat that woman.
Swords, flames, threads, direct blows, combined attacks—everything was neutralized, deflected, or simply ignored, as if they were fighting an abstract concept rather than a person.
Huff Huff
Even Shion was panting now, leaning on her sword planted in the ground to catch her breath. And if even she was in that state, there was no need to imagine how Benimaru, Souei, and Hakurou were doing.
To be honest, ever since they had evolved into Onis, all of them had become… just a little arrogant.
Just a little.
After all, who wouldn't, after gaining an absurd increase in power practically overnight?
But this battle was a bucket of cold water. A brutal and necessary wake-up call: there were still monsters and people in this world who were far, far above them.
Before anyone could gather their strength for another desperate attack, the sound of clapping echoed across the battlefield.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Alright, you can stop now," Arthur's voice rang out casually, as if he were interrupting an ordinary training session. "I think you've already learned your lesson from this fight. You can leave the rest to me."
"You…" the woman murmured, finally shifting her gaze from the Onis and fixing it directly on Arthur.
"Huh?" Arthur tilted his head slightly, about to ask something.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the woman vanished.
This is not good! was the collective thought that crossed everyone's mind at the same time.
Benimaru, Hakurou, Souei, Shion, and Shuna reacted instantly, moving to position themselves in front of Arthur—but it was already too late.
The woman appeared right in front of him.
"Father!!!"
The shout echoed like thunder.
In the next instant, she launched herself at Arthur with the force and enthusiasm of an emotional missile, wrapping him in a tight hug, clinging to him like a particularly affectionate octopus.
"Father!?" ×6
Six voices echoed in perfect unison, each carrying a different degree of existential shock.
"Father!?" Arthur repeated, completely confused, as the woman hugged him with absurd strength, burying her face against his chest with a satisfied and almost… needy smile.
"Eh?"
Arthur's brain simply shut down.
---xXx---
Some time later.
Arthur was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree, trying to maintain a neutral expression while processing everything. Sitting comfortably on his lap, as if that were her natural place in the world, was the golden-haired woman, now completely calm and in a good mood.
The Onis watched from a distance, in absolute silence, with expressions ranging from suspicion and disbelief to mild psychological trauma.
"Let me see if I understood this…" Arthur began, rubbing his temples. "You came from the future right after discovering Saeko's time travel, but you ended up arriving here by accident several years earlier and couldn't leave this world…"
The woman nodded enthusiastically.
"…Then you used some kind of temporal magic and traveled more than fifty years into the future hoping to find me here, and when you saw me with my head on Shion's lap, you decided to beat the crap out of everyone?"
"Exactly," she answered without hesitation, smiling in satisfaction.
Arthur let out a long, tired sigh.
My God… Saeko was right.
She really is a daddy's girl.
"So…" Arthur continued, glancing sideways at her. "When were you planning to tell me your name?"
She didn't waste even a second.
"My name is Angélica Morgan Pendragon. I'm fourteen years old, and I'm your eldest daughter."
"By the way, when I arrived in the forest, I met an interesting Slime. After a few days with him, I asked if he wanted to go back to Earth, and he said yes, so I sent him to our home."
Absolute silence.
The wind blew softly through the clearing.
A distant bird chirped, completely oblivious to the collective mental collapse taking place.
"…Okay?" Arthur replied, his voice slightly strained.
Inside, however, his mind was on fire.
Pendragon? So she was the catastrophe-class anomaly that messed with this world's timeline…
He cast a quick glance at Shion, who was staring at Angélica's position with envy, then at Benimaru, who was clearly reconsidering every choice he had ever made in life, and finally at Hakurou, who had simply closed his eyes, as if pretending none of this was happening were a valid option.
Arthur sighed once more.
"Alright… Angélica, was it?"
"Yes!"
"Let's take this slowly. Very slowly."
He could already feel it: this encounter was going to give him a monumental headache.
---xXx---
Two weeks had passed since Angélica had officially joined the group.
Those days had gone by so quickly, and in such a chaotic manner, that Arthur felt as if he had barely had time to blink.
During that time, thanks to Angélica's inexplicably and frighteningly efficient command abilities combined with Benimaru's natural talent for military leadership, Arthur practically had nothing to do. Nothing, except observe everything with a constant frown, silently wondering at what point he had lost control of the situation.
Things progressed at an absurd speed.
So fast that, by the time Arthur realized it, the city was already literally taking shape before his eyes.
Structures rising, areas being defined, paths opening, communal spaces being established… everything unfolded as if the group had been rehearsing this moment for years.
The only thing still lacking—and currently the greatest shortage—was basic supplies in sufficient quantity.
However, this wasn't exactly a serious problem for most of the Majins present. For creatures accustomed to surviving in the Jura Forest, improvisation was practically an instinct.
Inside the main tent…
"I bring my report, master," Souei's firm voice echoed. "Our scouts have discovered traces of the Orc army about four hundred and eighty kilometers from here."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"It appears the Lizardmen have already begun small skirmishes with them. Because of that, the Orcs are advancing directly toward their swamp."
Souei handed over the report with seriousness, maintaining his impeccable posture.
"Hm…" Arthur murmured, resting his chin on his hand as he mentally analyzed the situation.
He could clearly feel everyone's eyes inside the tent fixed on him.
Some carried a desire for vengeance. Others, an almost pure hunger for battle.
"Souei," Arthur began calmly, "you and the scouts continue monitoring the Orcs' movements. If there is any significant change, report to me immediately."
"Yes, sir!" Souei replied without hesitation, disappearing moments later as if he had never been there.
"Benimaru," Arthur continued, turning to him, "organize the army and keep everyone ready to fight at any moment."
"Yes, sir!" Benimaru nodded seriously and left the tent, already thinking about preparations.
Meanwhile, Angélica remained silent… staring fixedly at Arthur.
Far too fixedly.
"Do you want something, Angélica?" he asked with a light sigh.
She leaned forward, drawing closer, and put on an absolutely calculated expression.
"Could I also take part in the fun?" she asked, opening her eyes wide and making a puppy-dog look that seemed to have been trained over multiple lifetimes.
Shion: "…"
Shuna: "…"
Hakurou: "…"
Rigurd: "…"
The silence inside the tent became awkward.
Arthur stared at her for a few seconds before answering.
"Do as you like," he said at last. "Just don't interfere with the others' revenge."
Angélica's eyes sparkled.
"Aye, sir!" she replied immediately, performing an exaggerated military salute.
"Eck! I picked up that tic from that damn cat!" she complained right after.
Arthur blinked once.
Then again.
…Aye, sir? Damn cat? he thought, utterly confused.
---xXx---
They spent some more time discussing future plans before finally leaving the tent.
Some time later, a shout echoed through the newly formed city:
"Dinner is ready!"
In the next instant, the entire area erupted into noise and excitement once more.
Much of this was due to the countless seasonings provided by Arthur, which had drastically elevated the quality of the local food. Something simple could become extraordinary with the right touch of salt, herbs, and spices.
With food in abundance, the Majins practically turned the meal into an improvised festival.
Laughter, loud conversations, and even music filled the air.
To Angélica's deep displeasure, Shion and Shuna even dragged Arthur into an improvised dance.
And to the even greater displeasure of Shion and Shuna, Angélica didn't take even a minute to interrupt and pull Arthur into a dance with her, smiling as if she had just won a war.
---xXx---
Amid the chaos, Arthur took advantage of a brief lapse in the girls' attention to slip away with some excuse—something about "checking if there was still enough drink." Angélica merely narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but let him go when she realized Shion and Shuna were already pulling her elsewhere.
Arthur soon approached a slightly more distant bonfire, where Benimaru and Hakurou were drinking calmly, watching the party with relaxed expressions.
"May I join you?" Arthur asked, lifting his cup slightly.
"Of course," Benimaru replied with a broad smile.
Arthur sat down with them, toasted in silence, and took a generous sip. Then, almost without thinking, he spoke:
"Tell me something… do you know why Shion and Shuna are so… affectionate toward me?" He frowned. "I mean, I haven't done anything that would deserve that kind of affection. I can't understand it."
For a moment, Benimaru was silent. Then he laughed.
"It would be strange if it weren't that way, Master Arthur," he replied, still chuckling.
Arthur blinked, confused. "Strange? Why?"
Before Benimaru could elaborate, Hakurou spoke, with the calm tone of someone explaining the obvious:
"Ogre women, by nature, tend to be attracted to strong men, even if they are human or of other races."
Arthur opened his mouth to respond, but Hakurou continued without changing his tone:
"And not just strong in the physical sense. Strength of spirit, authority, presence, and so on. Furthermore…" He glanced slightly toward Arthur. "You granted them names."
"And what does that have to do with—?" Arthur murmured incredulously.
Benimaru nodded. "It has everything to do with it. To us, that is no small thing. We wouldn't accept a name from just anyone." He smiled faintly. "I believe that to Shion and Shuna, you're not just strong. You're the man who transformed them and gave their lives a new purpose."
Arthur fell silent, his face filled with pure perplexity.
Since when did this guy get so good with words? he thought, looking at Benimaru.
"You know I didn't have a noble reason for that, right?" he said at last, taking another sip of his drink.
Hakurou gave a faint smile. "Perhaps that is precisely why they feel the way they do."
Arthur leaned back, still trying to process those words, while distant female laughter echoed in the background, and he was struck by the sudden and uncomfortable realization that this conversation might explain far more than he would like to admit.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: I admit, even I didn't expect to think about adding this character, with a small spoiler attached to it. 🤏🤏
Angélica -