My steps were elegant and majestic as I leaped across the branches of the forest.
It was dense, and I could already observe the animals fleeing from the explosion I had caused.
'Interesting, the animals of this world are so different from those in mine...' I thought as I observed creatures resembling deer with more legs and horns, nearly twice the size of the ones in my world. Perhaps they aren't prey here; maybe they're predators.
Almost everything was different to me—trees with leaves and trunks of unusual colors and impressive formations. Truly, I was in a new world. This filled me with happiness. Perhaps, just as I had thought, this was my chance to be special, in a world that knew nothing about me.
As I leapt across the branches, reflecting on what I would do in the future, I heard a scream coming from the opposite direction of the Great Tree.
"KYAAAA!!" A feminine scream erupted. I quickly turned my head toward the noise, the Golden Lotus enhancing my vision, allowing me to see clearly what was happening.
An elf—I'd say a teenager?—was being attacked by those creatures that had previously attacked me. But... something was different. One of them was larger, more robust, and... it was talking to the elf.
'They can be intelligent too? Interesting...' I thought to myself, changing my trajectory. 'I need to help her; these creatures are dangerous.'
In a matter of seconds, I was close enough to hear what that creature was saying. Now that I was closer, I could sense it was also stronger than the others.
"Come on, girl... All I need is for you to hand over the Elven Royal Jewel!" it shouted as its three companions approached her.
"No way!" the elf's voice reverberated. "I will never hand over such a precious artifact to disgusting creatures like you Inferior Demons!!!" she said, standing up in an attempt to run.
However, what appeared to be their leader, the one who could talk, ordered one of them to stop her. This one grabbed her leg, causing her to trip and fall to the ground, leading the other demons to laugh.
"Damn it!" she shouted, as the so-called Jewel transformed into a saber. But before things escalated further, I jumped in between them, transforming my Golden Lotus into a sword, cutting off the arm of that demon.
"UGAHH!" The other demons gathered around him while the leader looked at me with curiosity and disdain.
"Who are you, human?" he asked, slowly approaching. "A human daring to face us? Hah... How amusing. Maybe you're not as insignificant as you look."
"Leave now, before I kill you all." My voice came out calmly, without any hostility. I simply wanted to avoid conflict, even though I could erase them from this place.
"GWahahah." The creature laughed. "Alright, and what will you do if I don't leave?" he questioned, staring at me as his companions spread out around me.
'It wouldn't be hard for me to eliminate all of them at once, but should I reveal everything about myself to this elf? I don't even know who she is or what she's capable of... Alright.' I thought to myself. At that moment, it was better to gather information about who these creatures were and what their goal was.
"... Tell me, what are you? And what do you want with her?" I asked, pointing my sword toward the leader. He stared back at me, not responding immediately. Maybe he was thinking about what to say? I had no idea. But after a while, he answered.
"We are demons, or rather, soldiers of His Demonic Majesty." He responded with a dry voice, slowly raising his hand toward the elf behind me. "We are tasked with capturing the Elven Royal Jewel. That's all you need to know, human," he finished, pointing at the elf's saber.
'Demonic Majesty? Could that be the Ancestral Demon King of Chaos the heroes were summoned to defeat? I'm almost certain it is.'
As such thoughts consumed my mind, the creatures began attacking me, intending to end this conversation once and for all.
"You've already heard too much, human! I guess now we have no choice but to kill you! Kuakuakaukau!!!" their leader said as the others lunged at me. Unfortunately for them, I was already expecting this, and I instantly counterattacked, slicing all four of his lackeys in half. Their purple blood splattered everywhere, their halves falling to the ground.
Their leader looked at me in surprise, questioning where this power had come from. "You're next!" I proclaimed, pointing my weapon at him.
"Huhuhuhu! Don't get cocky, human. I'm far stronger than those fools!" Slowly, his form grew, his muscles swelling, and I could feel his power surging.
'Lotus Analytical.'
{Talent: 50% -> 60% -> 75%}
'Heh, what a useful ability.' One of the many skills I obtained upon awakening, it allows me to see the talent level of my target. And apparently, this guy doesn't even compare to the heroes.
'And apparently, he was holding back his own talent... So that's possible, huh?'
"I am a Knight of His Majesty's Cavalry, Von Grumberg! I won't let a mere human bring us down!!" the demon shouted as his form transformed into that of a centaur, horns covering his face. Armor made of scales appeared on his body. I could feel it—he was much more powerful than before.
My mind, however, was elsewhere at that moment. As the wind from Grumberg's aura blew past me, I was trying to restrain my own talent. Such a difference in ability would make me stand out too much, which isn't what I want right now.
{777% -> 500% -> 200% -> 100% -> 90%}
'This is the best I can do for now...' I thought, sighing. Having a talent level of 90% must be extraordinary, but for now, it's the best I can do to weaken myself.
Holding the Lotus sword, now glowing less than before, I took a combat stance in front of Grumberg.
"So, human? Shall we begin the duel?" he asked, his voice much deeper than before and his appearance surprisingly larger. In his left hand, he held a lance that also appeared to be made of scales.
"I'm just waiting for you."
And then, only silence covered the area.
In a single instant, as a leaf fell to the ground, our attacks collided with ferocious pressure. The speed of those movements was nearly instantaneous, but it was obvious who held the advantage. Even with my talent restrained by various reins, I was still stronger than him, far stronger.
After exchanging several blows, my final strike decided the winner of the duel, an attack that sliced Grumberg in half.
"Ha... How impressive to find a human like you..." his voice slowly fading until he spoke no more. This marked the death of that knight of the demonic army.
Sheathing my sword and dismissing it in the process, making it return to being just the Golden Lotus, I approached the elf still lying on the ground.
She seemed relieved about the situation but also uncertain about what she would do next. She was quite cautious toward me.
"Are you alright?"