★30
THIRD POV
The next day, as promised, Yami set out with the Kijins and Goblins toward the Great Jura Forest. Morning mist hung low between the towering trees, drifting quietly as leaves rustled above.
"We'll approach the closest one. So which is it?"
Yami asked.
"The goblins. My kind uses the high ground deeper within the forest,"
A kijin answered.
"Good. Goblia, you lead the way."
"Sure."
Goblia moved ahead, guiding them through the dense forest. The path narrowed as roots and thick foliage surrounded them. Before long, a goblin village came into view.
"Goblins belong to different tribes and live separately."
She explained as they approached.
"But when danger appears, they usually band together."
"Makes sense."
They entered the village, and instantly, every gaze locked onto them. The sight of different races standing together was unthinkable to the goblins.
Panic spread in seconds. Goblins fled in all directions, disappearing into huts, burrows, and the forest itself, leaving the village eerily silent.
"Looks like they don't even recognise you."
"Yeah. I'll go talk to the leader. She knows me, I'm sure she'll recognise me."
Goblia led the way to the leader's hut, its structure larger and sturdier than the others, reinforced with thick wood and bone charms.
As we entered, several goblins remained behind instead of fleeing. They stood their ground, gripping crude weapons, though fear was clearly etched across their faces.
Inside the hut sat an elderly goblin, her back slightly hunched, eyes sharp despite her age. Tribal markings lined her green skin, faded by time but still dignified. Judging by her presence alone, she was the leader.
"Humans, ogres… and something that looks like a goblin, yet our kind does not grow that tall."
She said slowly, her gaze moving from one of us to the next.
"What brings you to our little village?"
We stepped in and sat opposite her, the tension thick enough to weigh on the air.
"Leader of the Goblin Collective Tribe." Goblia said, her voice steady,
"It's me. The Little One."
The moment the words left her mouth, murmurs spread through the hut. The elderly goblin's eyes widened slightly, and the others exchanged uneasy glances.
The name carried weight, clearly a title known among theses.
Still, the old leader did not lower her guard. Her fingers tightened around her staff.
"The Little One…"
She repeated.
Suspicion lingered in her eyes. A name alone was not enough. Not after years of fear, betrayal, and survival. Doubt hung heavy in the room as she studied Goblia, waiting for proof beyond words.
"I...it can't be... the Little One was kidnapped by humans."
"True, but someone saved us and gave us names."
"N… names? Impossible."
The elderly goblin stammered, eyes narrowing as disbelief and curiosity warred across her features.
Goblia nodded, her expression steady and unwavering.
"That man over there is the one who saved us. He did so under His Majesty's orders."
She gestured toward Yami, who remained silent, letting Goblia speak on his behalf.
Despite the gravity of the moment, a faint glimmer of gratitude flickered in his eyes. His presence alone carried authority, but today, he allowed Goblia to bridge the gap between legend and reality.
"Majesty? What are you talking about? And how can we believe it's really you, Little One?"
"Ask me anything. Anything only I would know."
The elder studied her for a long moment before nodding.
"Very well. What is the secret I once told you. A secret known to only a few."
Goblia exhaled softly.
"I may answer correctly, yet I know it still might not be enough. Even so, I'll say it. My father was a named goblin, one of the very few this tribe ever had."
The hut fell silent. The leader's hands trembled slightly as her eyes widened. Disbelief lingered, but it was steadily drowned out by recognition.
"…It's really you,"
She whispered.
"Your father, my son, was named by someone as well."
"So you believe me now?"
"I want to."
The elder replied slowly.
"It's also possible that something has possessed your body. But I fear rejecting the real you, should you truly have returned to us."
"I understand. I'm only asking that you believe me."
Goblia said quietly.
The elder's gaze shifted to the others.
"Then why are you traveling with ogres? It's rare, no, it's unheard of for goblins to walk beside other monsters. Especially alongside a human. Who is he?"
"He saved all of us."
Goblia answered without hesitation.
"And we've been together ever since."
The elder let out a long breath.
"It defies everything we know… but if you experienced it yourself, then I have no choice but to accept it."
Goblia gave a small nod.
"The Playful One, now called Gobna, is with me too. She's outside, playing like she always does."
"We really thought we'd lost you people. And some of our men went out looking for you, they said they'll come back shortly but they never did. Thank you human for saving them."
She forced herself into a deep bow, and the nearby goblins followed suit, even though it wasn't required. Yami, standing a few steps away, simply observed with a cold expression.
"His name is Yami-sama."
She said, her voice respectful.
"Yami-sama, thank you so much."
The elder replied, gratitude evident in her tone.
"I'm just doing what I was told to."
Yami said dismissively, his tone clipped.
"So, the Little One, what brings you here, to pay a visit or have you come back to us?"
"Neither. His majesty's order was to bring you under him that way, he'll be able to protect you."
My eyes are now on Goblia.
"Gob, no, demi-humans.. don't underestimate the Master's strength."
"Such generosity."
"He's beyond that. So what do you say, leader?"
Yami snapped, wanting to wrap this over.
"If that's what he wants, we will be happy to serve him."
"Good. Gather all your people we'll leave as soon as possible."
"O...ok."
"Don't take much just for your needs."
He told them as he made my way out.
"I will inform them about that."
She organised a meeting and told them the situation while the others were standing behind me observing the scene.
"Yami sama, are we going to our village with all of them?"
Sabi asked.
"No. I'll teleport them back, then we'll move."
"O..ok."
Yami surveyed the group, about thirty goblins in total, he estimated, before issuing his command.
"Goblia and Gobna, join them. I'll move on to the next location with the Kijins."
"Sure."
"Ok."
The duo nodded, bowed respectfully, and stepped forward to join the gathered tribe.
<
<
"Hmm… okay. You're still a clone like the rest of us. In no way are you superior to us."
Yami's gaze remained steady, distant. Unlike the others, he wasn't swayed by titles or decrees. Even if Asteri had placed Shinn in that position, Yami would never give his approval.
<
Shinn replied to Yami, then relayed everything to the all-knowing Asteri.
"No. You will go with the two and name them all."
Asteri ordered.
<
Shinn left at once to retrieve the two.
YAMI'S POV
I activated the teleportation magic, sending them straight to Star Island. With them gone, only the ogres remained.
"Sabi, how far is it from here?"
"Not that far. An hour or two on foot will get us there."
"I'll make it one. Point the direction, we'll teleport halfway."
"North-east."
She pointed, and we were instantly teleported, continuing our journey on foot. After fifty minutes, Sabi stopped and pointed ahead.
"There's the forest."
"Feels good to be home."
"Ogres are more intelligent and stronger than goblins, they might turn down this offer."
"Well try our best to change their minds."
"Yes, just leave it to us."
"Just don't force them to join us. It's against Master's orders."
"W...we know."
"Good."
We all moved deeper into the forest, the canopy thickening above us. I could feel faint traces of magic, lingering in the air, but I ignored them and pressed forward. The others likely didn't notice, but that was fine, if a threat appeared, I would be the one shielding them.
My senses were alert, every movement, every rustle of leaves telling me that we weren't alone.
Suddenly, the ogres emerged, materializing from the shadows as if they had been waiting. They formed a perfect cordon around us. Some were armed with massive axes and swords, their weapons glinting under the fractured sunlight filtering through the trees.
They wore heavy armor, plates clinking with every movement, muscles rippling under the metal. Their presence was a warning and a blockade all at once.
"You've pushed past your limits and chosen to move forward."
One of the ogres voices rumbled, reverberating through the forest.
"We cannot allow you to proceed further."
Kelly froze, eyes widening in shock as a flicker of recognition sparked.
"Ca… Captain?"
Her voice trembled. That's recognition. That one word revealed all I needed to know, time and history connected here, and it worked in our favor.
"How do you know that name?"
The orge asked, curious.
"It doesn't matter. We're moving through, whether you accept it or not."
I said firmly.
"No, wait, please, Yami-sama. Don't you recognize me?"
Kelly's voice cracked, urgent now. She reached into her clothing and produced a delicate necklace, the same design as the captain's own token.
I paused for a moment, observing the necklace. The two pieces, separate yet clearly designed to fit together, radiated significance.
<
"Im… impossible… it can't be…"
His voice shattered, disbelief and emotion bleeding into every broken syllable.
"Yeah. It's really me."
Kelly stepped forward, her grip tightening around the necklace.
"You were the one who gave this to me. The shell pendant, you split it in two and kept the other half yourself."
The captain's hand trembled as his fingers brushed the matching piece hanging at his chest. His breathing grew uneven, eyes locked onto Kelly as if she might vanish at any moment.
"Y–you've come back?"
He whispered.
"Does this mean… there's still..."
The air shifted.
In an instant, his gaze snapped away from her and locked onto me. Instinct overrode emotion.
Steel snapped into position, its edge directed towards me. The ogres around us stiffened, weapons rising in response, their hostility no longer uncertain but focused.
At that moment, I became the threat.
"Yes, they were the ones with me when we got kidnapped."
"Who's he? I swore to kill any human ever since that day!"
"Baring your fangs at me is enough to seal your fate. Your death is earned, Captain."
I murmured, dark flames blooming across my palm, dense and silent, ready to erase this insignificant existence.
Before I could act, Kelly moved.
She stepped between us without hesitation, then dropped to her knees. Her hands pressed to the ground, her head bowed as she pleaded, her voice trembling as it cut through the tension. The flames wavered.
I exhaled and let the power dissipate.
"Tch…"
"Make it quick. I have somewhere to attend to."
I closed my eyes and folded my arms, turning away, waiting for it all to end.
"He is the one who rescued and cared for us the entire time."
"...a human did that?..."
"Yeah."
"Technically, I'm not a human.."
Of course, I intervened because calling us, Supreme Beings, humans is so demeaning.
"So you're back to me? To us right?"
"Not really."
She replied.
"Then what? Tell me?"
"Let's go meet the elders. They will also need to hear this."
The captain and the others' faces changed.
"I'm...sorry.. My father passed away...I'm in charge of the clan now."
"I'm sorry I didn't know.."
"It happened weeks after they took you. It was tragedy after tragedy. I almost committed suicide, but I decided it would be foolish to kill myself and let my men die while they were counting on me."
"Yes. Well, I'm back now. Let's go somewhere private and talk ok?"
"Sure."
The captain along with two of his men joined our meeting and I stayed silent as Kelly filled in the details.
"So what is it, my love?"
Kelly's face was red from the captain's remark; this was no time to feel embarrassed.
"After Yami-sama saved us, he took us to an island where his master lives. He promised to take care of us and even gave us names. A few days ago, he asked Yami-sama to come and save the ogres and goblins here. We have already dispatched the goblins, so we are here now."
"Your master truly is a noble man. But what if he's just using you guys for his goals?"
That comment was out of line, and I'm not going to let it slide, not even if it came from someone as important as a Star. My loyalty lies in the Master and him alone.
My aura exploded, but for some reason, it did not feel like it was mine, so I was not concerned.
The air ripped off the hut and the whole village got the message.
"Choose your words carefully next time. Or I'll go beyond orders and kill you all."
I stated, but my closed eyes contradicted my intention.
"What...aura!?"
"Un... unbelievable!"
<
<
"Forgive him, Yami sama!"
Kelly prostrated, pleading for the captain's disrespectful word.
The captain also bowed and his two men were nowhere to be found. And just then did I decide to turn it off.
"S...I'm very sorry for my unforgivable act...I beg your mercy."
"....no doubt my master is using people for his goal but for the greater good. If he decided to be a bad Demon Lord, we wouldn't have met here peacefully but in a brutal massacre."
<
The captain froze at the mention of a demon lord. A title well known throughout the world.
"No more discussion, yes or no. Make your choice.."
I hurriedly decided to end the long, boring, and useless conversation.
"....out of my disrespectful act, I must follow you to seek your forgiveness."
"If you're forgiven then what? You'll leave?"
"No, I must stay no matter what."
"Good. Get your men ready. We'll leave now."
"O...ok...gather the community!"
Back in Star Island. Before the goblins arrived, Eto, Shinn, Elfaria, and Annie were there waiting. The space was suddenly filled with goblins.
"Greetings everyone, welcome to Star Island. My name is Eto. This is Shinn, Elfaria, and Annie."
Eto welcomed, snapping the goblins as they were out of touch with reality from the island's beauty, yes.
"You being here means you've accepted Yami's request. So now I'll head straight to business. Behind me is where you'll be living. You'll take your names and evolve for now."
Shinn spoke up.
"Form two queues one for me the other one for Shinn."
They did as they were told, and the two named all the thirty goblins and they immediately collapsed on the spot.
"Good, let's wait for Yami to return with the others."
While on the other side, Yami was prepared to teleport them.
<
<
<>
Once again, I used my unique teleportation magic and sent them all to the field. There were about fifty ogres this time.
"Eto, let's do it like before."
Shinn suggested and his partner happily accepted. The ogres materialised in the field and without wasting time, the two clones named all fifty ogres.
"Impressive. You have enough magicule to name monsters non-stop."
"Yeah, it's unbelievable."
Elafria and Annie exchanged a few words, their voices cutting through the tension. Eto, unable to hold back, let out a soft, amused laugh at the scene.
"Out of the master's current powers, we're only using 3.333 percent."
Eto said. The two listened, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yeah. We could do far more, even with half his powers sealed and another thirty percent restricted."
Shinn added. The pair stood in stunned silence as Eto and Shinn walked away.
"It's good we're on their side."
Annie said.
"Of course... I had no option but to surrender this place to him despite knowing his threats. He's the only one who can protect us after all."
Elfaria replied.
Shinn and Eto had already left for Star Palace and wouldn't have said anything if they had heard what they said despite knowing. They headed to the first floor and found Asteri talking with Yami.
"We're done, Master. Yami did a wonderful job. He bought fifty ogres and thirty goblins all by himself."
Shinn spoke as he entered the hall.
"Yeah, he's the most hardworking and strongest among you all."
"No doubt."
Eto replied.
"I thought you were going to protest Eto."
"Nah."
He waved his hands in surrender.
"I know the Dagger of the Beginning is the only reason I'll have the upper hand against Yami. It's one to infinite in ratio size."
"Of course."
"Permission to carry out my mission Master."
"Granted, you know what to do."
"Done."
"What about you, Shinn?"
"No, it might freak them out after seeing me dead. I'll leave it like that."
"Wise choice."
"Now if you'll excuse me..."
To be continued...