A harmonious atmosphere was established by the cool, gentle breeze. There's nothing more soothing than being surrounded by dense trees. Only after he made a stop in the city and met Aidera earlier, now he is already in the vicinity of his house. Zeyn takes a few breaths and exhales softly. His mind becomes relaxed, his inner peace is restored, and his soul becomes tranquil.
"Are you sure you want to go there?" asked someone from behind.
Both of his eyes opened, observing the old gate leading into Vasukih Forest.
"I have personal matters to attend to."
"I understand, but will everything be alright in the end?"
He turned around, observing the old man who was the elder of Dewi Ijo village. It was clear that his face was filled with worry.
"This is my issue with my sisters. I won't let this village be affected," Zeyn replied with a smile.
"I'm not worried about the village, but what about yourself? You're still young, yet you bear such burdens."
"...thank you for your concern, but I will keep moving forward."
"If it's already the path you've chosen, all I can do is pray for your safety."
* * *
Zeyn continued to step deeper into Vasukih Forest, moving further away from the outside world. He could feel the coldness of the forest breeze, causing the hairs on his neck to stand on end, but he paid no attention to it. The thick foliage revealed supernatural creatures lurking within. He walked with confidence, even though they possessed terrifying forms. There were creatures of various kinds, with abstract appearances reminiscent of a fairyland. There were minotaurs, ogres, werewolves, giants, and more. However, the majority of the inhabitants were half-reptilian humans.
With each step Zeyn took on the ground, it seemed to fill them with joy. Undoubtedly, this young man carried an immense aura of hatred. It wasn't just an intimidating presence but also a threatening one.
'Welcome to our domain, Your Highness,' they greeted.
'Why do you appear so enraged? It seems like you're looking for trouble'
Within this forest, not all creatures could be considered friendly. Therefore, he had prepared himself, with his inner chakra already overflowing. Zeyn appeared to be walking with a simmering anger, where the manifestation of that anger was a crimson chakra aura surrounding his body.
"You already understand the purpose of my presence here. Why bother asking?"
Those words only served to further enrage the inhabitants of the forest. These creatures shouted, joining in the intimidation. One of them, resembling a gorilla with the head of an old man and tiger fangs, moved forward to confront him. It roared and stood upright, pounding its chest like a monkey. Unfortunately, Zeyn remained unfazed, staring blankly as if unafraid and unaffected. In the end, it was the gorilla that became frightened. It quickly retreated and ran away.
"It seems that the human language is too challenging for lowly creatures like you."
He had no business with them, and as he requested them to step aside, the atmosphere grew even more heated.
'How intriguing, Your Highness!'
A sudden strong gust of wind emerged from above, slicing through anything in its path, including leaves and tree branches. Something was lurking, ready to attack unexpectedly.
BLAARR~
The loud sound of the clash of powers shattered the silence of the forest, and the astral creatures in the vicinity quickly distanced themselves, knowing that something had arrived. A warrior resembling a Lizardman, with a physique akin to that of a monster, with his sturdy shield and big sword. However, his attack was effortlessly thwarted by Zeyn.
"Oh?"
'After becoming a traitor, now you intend to wage war against all of us, Your Highness?' the Lizardman asked with a sharp tone, attempting to intimidate. 'Or should we revoke that noble title from you?'
He was quite surprised that his powerful wind magic attack was unable to penetrate his chakra shield.
"Perhaps," Zeyn replied with a sardonic smile.
Before they could speak any further, they were both confronted with an unexpected attack. A tremendous force struck from a distance with a powerful explosion. Swiftly, Zeyn kicked the Lizardman who had attacked him, sending him flying several meters away. Several figures dressed as royal warriors appeared and surrounded them, precisely ten individuals.
'You despicable creature, don't you understand your position now?' one of the figures exclaimed.
'You are part of this forest. You are the guardian that connects our realm and the realm of humans. How dare you do all of this?'
It couldn't be ignored that he was under threat. Zeyn assumed a defensive stance carefully, preparing himself to fight anyone who dared to approach.
'You won't be able to defeat all of us!'
"An intriguing statement. I'm curious to see how it plays out in reality," before the warriors could react, Zeyn took a deep breath and unleashed a tremendous shield of chakra energy.
One of the large creatures, with thick fur, red eyes, and a long tongue, ran towards the scene. Its footsteps shook the ground, but they did not seem to intimidate the young man. It was commonly known as a Genderuwo, a black giant figure.
'No matter if you are the beloved consort of the noble queen, I will punish you with my own hands!' the creature yelled as it lunged towards Zeyn with a punch.
"Hey, hey, you better not be too reckless."
BAMM~
A thunderous boom echoed, audible from several tens of meters away. The attack from the giant creature indeed destroyed the ground where the young man stood. However, it missed its mark, or rather, it had been evaded.
"You are too excited, yet your movements are too slow," Zeyn whispered as he hovered behind the giant's head.
With accumulated energy in his hand, he finally struck the giant from behind, sending it flying and once again shaking the ground.
DUARR~
The reptilian warriors also prepared to attack, unwilling to accept the fact that their comrade had been slain so easily.
'You wretch, Zeyn! How dare you harm your own people!'
'You will pay for your despicable actions.'
Zeyn took a defensive stand and waited for the warriors to come after him. He knew that he had to emerge victorious in this battle if he wanted to continue his journey. While in the air, both of his palms pressed together as he recited an incantation. A strange circle emerged from the ground and engulfed all ten warriors.
"You will all regret for awakening my darker side from the past," Zeyn said in a threatening tone.
'To hell with your excuses! Once a traitor, always a traitor!' one of the warriors shouted back.
One of the warriors launched an attack, aiming to strike at him again. Swiftly, Zeyn evaded the strike, grabbing the warrior's right arm and delivering a powerful kick to his thigh. With that, he delivered a knee strike to the warrior's elbow, intending to break his arm.
'Aaakkh...'
A cry of pain followed by a strike to the neck confirmed that the opponent had been defeated and lay incapacitated on the ground.
As another warrior delivered a kick with their left leg, Zeyn intercepted it by catching their leg. He swiftly spun his body, delivering an elbow strike to the warrior's face. Finally, he seized the opponent's body and delivered a knee strike to their sternum.
Two royal warriors had been incapacitated, leaving the remaining eight astonished at how easily they were defeated. They were supposed to be stronger than this.
'It seems that we lose our magical abilities once we enter this circle. Everyone, be cautious!' shouted one of the warriors.
"Perhaps you should try approaching me yourself and see what happens," Zeyn retorted.
The forest inhabitants, who had been mere spectators until now, grew agitated. They realized that their enemy was not to be taken lightly, as he was also an esper. Finally, they joined forces and surrounded him, wielding weapons and various sharp objects. A hundred, two hundred, five hundred, and even a thousand astral beings with diverse abilities and forms encircled him.
'Charge! Fear not!'
The moment those 60 figures rushed towards Zeyn from various directions, they unleashed their various supernatural powers and launched their attacks simultaneously, creating a chaotic and intense confrontation. But they were immediately defeated as soon as they stepped into the strange circle surrounding his feet. The pressure within the circle was overwhelming, rendering them powerless and causing them to collapse. Only a few of the beings managed to remain standing, but they too were swiftly met with powerful punches and kicks that inflicted immense pain.
Bagh~ Baaggh~ Daggh~
"This is great! This is so great... Attack me with all your might!!"
'Foolish human, how can he possess such abilities?!'
'Don't be surprised, he is an entity on par with the ruler of the forest.'
The swirling red circle seemed to become its own battlefield. Anyone brave enough to approach would be annihilated. Strangely, Zeyn never seemed to run out of energy. Perhaps he relied solely on his physical attacks, which incidentally had an effect on them as well. His energy even grew stronger with each creature he defeated. He showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever during the fight.
BAGH~ Daggh~
"It's time for me to create some distance between us," Zeyn murmured softly.
'What?!'
The circle finally emitted a bright light, which ultimately entered Zeyn's own body. The crimson chakra within him surged, as his eyes glowed in the darkness of the forest. The energy within him transformed into the manifestation of a colossal 30-meter tall, eight-headed serpent. Its body was singular, but its head branched into eight.
'That technique?! How is this possible!'
Each head of the serpent faced a different cardinal direction. From their mouths, dazzling clusters of energy were released.
'Run! Everyone, run!' a surviving lizardman warrior warned everyone to retreat.
"Too late!"
Syyt~ DARRRKH.....
In the blink of an eye, within a 60-meter radius, everything was leveled to the ground. The eight-headed serpent unleashed its energy in all directions, injuring numerous astral beings. Now, only the young man remained standing in the midst of the smoking, barren land, accompanied by the fallen bodies of many others.
'Grooaarr....'
The eight-headed creature roared thunderously, its sound reverberating through the sky, before eventually fading away slowly.
Zeyn sat down briefly, feeling exhausted. His power was immense, and at the very least, he managed to exert pressure on the inhabitants of the forest.
"Darn it, I need to replenish my energy. Haah!" He sat cross-legged in place, intending to meditate briefly to replenish his energy.
'What is this? How can everything be defeated in an instant?!'
'Such incredible power. It seems we are no match for him.'
Hundreds, even thousands of astral beings remained motionless, circling the scorched land. There was no denying that they were frightened.
The forest was suddenly surrounded by a roar of lightning, dark clouds, and an atmosphere that became increasingly oppressive. It was a sign that someone had arrived. Without a doubt, everyone was immediately captivated by her presence. Various abstract creatures bowed down, worshipping this entity. Somebody that wore a black cheongsam, exuding an exquisite beauty from her waist up, while her lower body transformed into that of a sleek black serpent with glistening scales.
'How troublesome!' echoed a woman's voice in the sky.
The second sister, who guarded the forest, descended from the heavens, riding on her chariot and accompanied by additional palace guards who accompanied her. With agility, she swiftly immobilized her brother, preventing him from causing any further mischief. With a clenched fist, she managed to render him completely motionless.
Zeyn stomped his foot on the ground, breaking free from the spell's shackles. He effortlessly escaped its immobilizing effects, leaving Ayu wide-eyed with vigilance.
'He just... How is that possible!'
'He easily broke free from the forest ruler's influence. He is more terrifying than I imagined.'
The additional palace guards became even more alert, intending to remain vigilant in case the guy attempted something more dangerous.
"So, you've decided to come, sister!"
* * * *