In an instant, five individuals in moss-green robes emerged, forming a tight, suffocating circle around Takeshi, poised to strike at a moment's notice.
One of them stepped forward—a man of rugged build with a long mustache that completely veiled his mouth. His features were unremarkable, standard, and mostly obscured by his hood. This man was known as Seishi.
Seishi knitted his brows and extended his hand, speaking with a tone of pure disdain:
"A new visitor, then? Or rather, new merchandise. Do you realize you've just sentenced yourself to death—or worse, slavery? You had a golden opportunity to run, but you threw it away like a fool. Well, you'll likely spend the rest of your life as someone's loyal slave, and I'll personally see to it that we fetch a staggering price for you."
Seishi based this boast on Takeshi's apparent strength and exceptional speed. A slave possessing such physical attributes would be worth a fortune on the market.
Suddenly, a murky green aura swirled around Seishi's extended arm. The energy surged against his limb like a crushing wave hitting a harbor wall. Solid green scales erupted across his skin, resembling stone overgrown with dry moss and caked in ancient dust. They were the scales of a Komodo dragon lying in wait for its next kill. The transformation was reflected in Seishi's sharp, black eyes, which now burned with a dark, predatory fury.
Beside him, Aaron—Eve's father—finally regained his senses. As he opened his eyes, he found five slave traders surrounding the young man who had just saved him. To make matters worse, he was sitting directly next to Seishi. Seishi flicked a glance at the man on the ground, then abruptly shifted his torso and focus toward Aaron.
"Damn it!"
Takeshi cursed under his breath the moment he saw Seishi's hand moving slowly toward Aaron's face. He lunged forward, hurtling toward Seishi with his own fist raised.
"Papa!"
Eve's scream pierced the air just as Takeshi reached Seishi. He was only a step away from landing a blow. For some reason, Seishi's punch seemed oddly slow, but Takeshi had no time to ponder why.
He would soon wish he had.
In a flash, Seishi redirected his momentum back toward Takeshi with incomprehensible speed, unleashing a devastating counter-punch.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact thundered through the hall. The resulting shockwave, trapped between the high walls, silenced the whispers of the captives and forced everyone to focus on the clash before them.
"Takeshi..."
Sota whispered, his voice barely audible. For a fleeting second, he felt all hope of survival vanish the moment he heard the bone-crushing sound of Seishi's strike.
But then...
"Don't think my reflexes are that slow!"
As the dust from the impact settled, Takeshi stood firm, unyielding. He had raised both hands, catching and halting Seishi's massive blow mid-air.
Seeing Takeshi standing his ground reignited the hope in Sota's heart—and the hearts of every villager present. The skirmish had officially turned into a spectacle of true power.
Seishi clenched his hands tight, then suddenly relaxed them. He took a deep, steadying breath, and a thin, unsettling smile spread across his lips.
"You are indeed a formidable individual, Master Visitor."
He finished his sentence with a chuckle that mimicked the polished air of a nobleman. Takeshi took a cautious step back, tightening his defense in anticipation of an attack from any of the five traders surrounding him.
"From what I can see, you're the leader of these fools. And I take it from your words that you really do deal in human lives..."
Takeshi gritted his teeth harder with every word. To him, freedom was a sacred, visceral thing—whether absolute or limited, it belonged to the individual. The idea of selling it for a pittance was an abomination.
Seishi raised his normal left hand to his mouth and let out a quick laugh.
"No, I am no leader. I also take it from your words that the reason one of our men is late is because you defeated him..."
Seishi raised his hand high. In response, two traders armed with long, rusted spears leveled them at Sota and Eve. Not only that, but one of the four surrounding Takeshi stepped out and approached Eve's father. His hand suddenly shifted into sharp, metallic plates as he smiled broadly.
"Don't worry. As long as you stay quiet, nothing will happen to you..."
Without warning, Takeshi charged directly at Seishi, lowering his center of gravity and cocking his fist for a direct, crushing blow.
"Slow..."
Seishi remarked. He raised both hands, and his normal limb transformed to match the other, both now fully armored in green Komodo scales.
When Takeshi reached him, he buried a punch into Seishi's abdomen. The force was no less than that of Seishi's own armored strike, and it succeeded in driving the man backward.
Despite the collective gasp of the crowd and the surge of joy among the shackled villagers, Takeshi realized instantly that the blow had done zero damage.
As Seishi regained his balance and lowered his arms from his face, his piercing gaze and mocking smile remained unchanged. He lifted his green robe slightly, revealing his midriff.
'I expected as much!'
The Komodo scales had completely encased Seishi's torso. This explained his lack of physical pain and his ability to pivot his body with such speed. Takeshi realized that dealing with the rest would not be as easy as the brute he fought earlier. He sensed that all of them possessed abilities. Seishi was a literal wall; his ability to shroud his body in reinforced scales was a clear Velk-type power. Takeshi realized he was in a dire predicament; with just his fists, he could achieve nothing.
'If I had my sword, would this battle go differently?'
That thought raced through his mind, along with another darker option he feared to use.
'The Savage Style…'
It was Takeshi's most potent fighting method, without rival. But its sheer brutality meant that using it here would make him look like a literal monster. He simply didn't want his reputation to plummet any further.
'Think, you idiot! Think! Should I grab one of those farming tools? No time, I'm surrounded... Damn it, every path is blocked…'
Seishi's voice cut through his thoughts.
"I wonder, what does someone like you stand to gain by fighting us and freeing these villagers?"
Anyone else in Takeshi's position might have shouted a heroic line to boost morale, but Takeshi was a true exception. His thoughts were habitually grim, his mind a landscape where rare positive sparks were quickly swallowed by a prevailing negativity.
'I have no idea what I'd gain by risking my life for them... I moved instinctively because I saw that Sota was braver than me. His will was stronger... even though I am more powerful and likely smarter in a fight, he had the courage to take Eve and look for her father…'
Takeshi smiled, relaxing his guard for a fleeting moment. No one exploited the opening; they were too curious to hear what he would say.
"What do I stand to gain? Well, the villagers can decide that once I've set them free!"
As the weight of Takeshi's words began to sink in for everyone in the hall, the scream of a young girl erupted from the entrance.