Haruki stood at the front lines of the makeshift battlefield, the air thick with tension. His eyes scanned the rows of goblins behind him—most were ready to fight, but there was something in the air that made him hesitate. He turned to Grix, who stood beside him, his grip tight on a crude weapon.
"Why are they fighting?" Haruki thought, but kept the question to himself. He could feel the weight of the situation—the animosity between the two groups of goblins was too deep for mere words to fix. But as the two opposing forces stared at each other, Haruki couldn't shake the thought that there had to be another way. "What happened between them?" he wondered silently.
Grix looked at him, seemingly reading his thoughts. "It's complicated," Grix muttered. "Not everything can be fixed with words."
As if on cue, the goblins on the other side mounted their wolves, their eyes filled with fury. Haruki could tell that their companions were not only riding the wolves but had likely summoned them using magic—wild, primal creatures made to fight. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his dagger.
"Stay behind me," he said to Grix, his voice steady despite the growing sense of danger. He stepped forward, positioning himself between the other goblins and the oncoming riders.
He moved with speed, cutting down three of the goblins before they even had a chance to react. But then, from the corner of his vision, one of them struck, knocking him to the ground.
"You think you can take me down that easily?" Haruki spat, gritting his teeth. He quickly kicked the goblin off the wolf beneath it and vaulted into the air, slashing down at the others in a series of fluid, precise strikes.
But one of the goblins managed to land a hit on his already injured side, sending a searing pain through him. "Damn it," Haruki muttered through clenched teeth. He staggered back, his blood staining the ground beneath him.
He could feel his Zetsu flaring up, the aura expanding outward. It swirled around his body, an invisible pressure that made the enemy goblins hesitate. They looked around, fear flashing across their faces. Haruki could sense their unease.
"This is one of my Zetsu abilities," Haruki said, his voice low but clear. "It's called Presence."
Grix, watching in awe, blinked at the growing aura. "Wow… you can control it that easily? That's amazing, Haruki!"
Haruki gritted his teeth, keeping his focus on the enemy. "Just… stay focused. I'm not out of the woods yet."
The goblins stopped, momentarily stunned by the overwhelming power radiating from Haruki's body. Their eyes darted between each other, and the air hung heavy with uncertainty.
"Stop fighting for once," Haruki shouted, his voice rising above the chaos. "Tell me why you're at war. What's going on? Why are you really fighting?"
One of the goblins hesitated, then spoke, fear and anger laced in their words. "We attacked them because they stole our orb!"
Haruki's brows furrowed. "An orb? You're fighting over a damn orb?"
Grix nodded gravely. "Orbs are very important to goblins. They're our most treasured possessions. The gods give us these orbs as symbols of our strength."
"Then why are you so certain that they stole it?" Haruki asked, his voice sharpening.
The goblin on the opposing side snarled, "We didn't steal anything. You're the ones who took it from us. You stole our orb!"
Haruki clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling inside him. "Enough of this back-and-forth. I'm getting two sides of two different stories. Tell me the truth!" His voice rang out, demanding clarity.
The goblins exchanged uneasy glances before one of them finally spoke up, their tone more somber. "We didn't steal anything. But the other clan—those goblins—they came and attacked us first. They took our orb."
Haruki's expression darkened as the pieces began to fall into place. "Wait a minute…" His voice trailed off, realization hitting him like a strike to the chest. "You're telling me you're two different clans, fighting over the same orb?"
"Yes," one of the goblins admitted, reluctantly. "Each clan has its own orb. But it's not just any orb—it's a sacred symbol that's passed down through generations. Without it, our clan is nothing."
Grix's voice rose, still confused. "But if you both have orbs, then why are you fighting over the same one?"
"Because," Haruki said, his tone harsh, "you think you're different, but in truth, you might all be from the same clan. You're fighting over symbols that were meant to unite you, not divide you."
One of the goblins, who had remained silent up until this point, stepped forward. He pointed at his chest where a mark resembling a goblin's face was etched with a scar through the middle. "This is the mark of our clan. It's a symbol given to us by the gods."
The other goblins showed their own marks, and Haruki could see that they were identical, except for one key difference—the scar on their faces was in a different direction.
"It's the same mark…" Haruki said, his voice rising in realization. "So, are you all from the same clan or not?"
The goblins paused, exchanging glances, confusion written on their faces. It seemed that Haruki's words had struck a chord.
"A couple of days later," Haruki muttered to himself, standing back and watching as the goblins slowly began to rebuild their village. The fighting had ceased, and despite the lingering tension, they were trying to make amends. With the war at an end, the goblins were beginning to reconstruct their homes. The village was still small, but there was hope now, a glimmer that things might get better.
Haruki looked at Grix, who stood beside him, a silent gratitude in his eyes. "I don't need to be called 'Lord,'" Haruki thought to himself. "I didn't do this for glory. I just wanted to stop the fighting."
A few days passed, and the goblins had started to rebuild their homes. But the village still lacked one thing: the manpower to make it a true settlement. Haruki turned to Grix.
"Let's go. We need to find builders," Haruki said. "I know of a town that might help us."
"Where are we going?" Grix asked, his tone curious. "Where's this town?"
Haruki didn't answer right away. He just smiled faintly, his long, white hair flowing in the breeze. "There's a town not far from here, full of demi-humans and dwarfs. They might be able to help us."
Before they left, Grix had one final question. "Haruki, why did you try to help us all out? Why didn't you just fight them and be done with it?"
Haruki thought for a moment, then answered quietly, his voice carrying a quiet resolve. "My dream is to bring balance to the world… to stop the endless war. I want to see a world where we don't have to fight each other for power or resources. That's why."
The chapter ends.