Tike strode quickly to the center of the village. Before he could even stand firm, a suffocating scent of blood, heavy and substantial, washed over him. It assaulted his olfactory nerves, making his expression turn even darker.
He was a step too late, after all. Corpses were strewn across the entire village, and blood flowed like rivers. There were hardly any living people left.
A burly man with a face full of rugged flesh spotted Tike. Grinning hideously like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey, he closed in on Tike step by step.
"You go become a sacrifice for Lord Zeref too! Hahahaha! To give your life for the great Lord Zeref is the highest honor you'll ever achieve!"
Tike's gaze sharpened, and his already dark expression turned freezing cold. He met the man head-on without fear, raised his arm, aimed the branch in his hand at the man's chest, and thrust it ruthlessly forward.
Facing this seemingly harmless attack, a contemptuous smile appeared on the burly man's face. He didn't even bother to dodge.
"Are you trying to tickle me with that little twig? What a childish brat, you don't even have the stren—"
The man's mocking laughter came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a muffled groan of pain.
His chest had been completely pierced through by that seemingly ordinary tree branch.
Tike kicked the now-lifeless man to the ground. As the bloodstained branch was pulled from the man's chest, blood gushed out like a flood from a burst dam.
Tike turned sideways to dodge the spraying blood, then slowly raised his head, his cold eyes scanning the other fanatics present.
The gruesome death of their companion made these fanatical believers realize something was wrong. However, having already lost their heads to the slaughter, they only became more excited and crazed.
"I didn't expect this brat to be so capable, actually killing one of our own!"
"Looks like he has good potential. He's perfect to be a sacrifice for Lord Zeref!"
"Cut the chatter! Get him together! Capture him and offer him to the great Lord Zeref!"
As the fanatical atmosphere reached its peak, the cultists raised their magic staves one after another, chanting spells as they unleashed magic at Tike.
In an instant, crimson fireballs rained down like meteors, carrying scorching heat waves toward the small boy.
Tike, however, showed not the slightest intention of dodging. Instead, he stood his ground, his hands forming the stance for Maker Magic.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless fireballs slammed fiercely into Tike's position, setting off a series of deafening explosions. The massive shockwaves, carrying large amounts of steam rising from the heat, shrouded the entire square in a haze.
"Wait! Something's not right! Why is there water here?"
Even though no one on their side had used Water Magic, a massive amount of water vapor had inexplicably appeared. This strange scene confused them.
It wasn't until the pervasive steam gradually dissipated and their vision cleared that they discovered a barrier of water standing in front of Tike. It was precisely this barrier that had blocked all the incoming flames, keeping him completely unharmed.
"This brat isn't simple; he can even use magic!"
They had originally thought he was just a kid with a bit of brute strength acting tough, but they hadn't expected him to possess considerable magical ability capable of blocking their attack.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I want you more and more now!"
"Haha! Such a perfect sacrifice will definitely satisfy Lord Zeref even more!"
Immersed in the fantasy of capturing the "perfect sacrifice," the fanatics were just about to continue their attack to take Tike down when Tike, standing opposite them, yawned nonchalantly.
"It's already over. You can all die now."
The fanatics were stunned for a moment, then someone tried to use words to mask their inner unease and fear.
"Wha... what crazy nonsense are you spouting? Brat, who do you think you are? A mere kid daring to talk so big!"
Just then, sharp-eyed cultist noticed that the branch in Tike's hand—the one stained with their companion's blood—had vanished. An ominous premonition suddenly welled up in his heart.
"Th... that thing... where did it go?! Where did you hide it?! Speak!"
Tike slowly raised his hand, pointing behind them, looking at them as if they were already dead.
"Become nutrients for this land, you trash."
An unprecedented sense of fear instantly enveloped the hearts of all the fanatics. They instinctively felt a chill run down their spines. Before they could even turn around to see what was happening, they were grabbed by wooden arms extending from behind them.
Behind them, on the originally empty ground, a giant tree resembling an animal had appeared. A massive mouth filled with sharp teeth opened on its thick trunk, swallowing the terrified fanatics into its belly one by one.
After eating them all, the giant tree let out a satisfied burp. Then, it slowly shrank and transformed, eventually turning back into an ordinary tree standing quietly in the center of the square.
Tike had already closed his eyes, using his sense of smell to carefully search for any survivors in the village.
(Counting the big sister I just saved, there are... two people left in this village?)
(The trash has been cleaned up; there shouldn't be any danger now.)
(If more bad guys come, I'll let the big tree protect them. If they get hungry, they can also get food from the tree.)
Tike moved his slightly stiff neck. He was just about to move his feet to return to Alice, who was still waiting where he left her, when a wave of intense exhaustion suddenly hit him, making his body feel heavy.
He looked up at the sky with some difficulty.
The moon that had been hanging in the sky was now obscured by thick dark clouds at some point, leaving only the dark curtain of night.
(So sleepy... eyelids are so heavy... but... the ground is so cold...)
The intense drowsiness pulled at his consciousness like an invisible rope. In his dazed state, Tike smelled a scent he didn't dislike and subconsciously opened his arms toward it.
In front of him, the scarlet-haired girl was standing there, somewhat at a loss.
She didn't know what exactly this little boy who had suddenly appeared had done. She only knew that the bad guys who had attacked the village like demons had vanished completely as if they had evaporated, and it was probably safe now.
(He... he suddenly made that pose... does he want... a hug?)
The scarlet-haired girl thought hesitantly. She approached carefully, just about to work up the courage to say something, when she noticed that the little boy in front of her had already closed his eyes.
He had fallen asleep standing up, just like that.