Chapter 27: History Repeats? The Oni Clan’s Attack
 

“To successfully cast the spell, you must precisely control the flow of each element’s energy, ensuring they remain balanced during the fusion...”

In the forest, the petite black-haired girl instructed the bald young man with serious intensity. He sat upright, listening attentively and nodding in acknowledgment as she spoke.

Nearby, Alea was pestering Zola with questions, bombarding her with curiosity.

“When you were still a tree, how did you control all those vines? Could you feel every leaf on your branches?”

“The vines are like my arms. As for the leaves… not quite every single one...”

“Did you have intelligence from the start, or did it develop as you grew?”

“It came later.”

…

These two had grown unexpectedly close. Whenever Aino taught Parker magic, Alea would often chat with Zola. Despite Zola’s stoic and sometimes eerie demeanor, she was surprisingly docile and friendly.

Zola responded to every question as earnestly as she could, though occasionally Alea’s thought process left her bewildered.

"She’s really trying. I could cry," Aino thought to herself with a wry smile.

But finding the elusive Shadow Wolves wasn’t as easy as they’d hoped. The creatures inhabiting Karlsa Shadow Forest were notoriously tricky to track, their movements shadowy and erratic. From Phantom-faced Spiders to Ghostly Rabbits, everything here seemed cloaked in an eerie veil.

Thankfully, the experienced dwarf shopkeeper had known how elusive Shadow Wolves were and had given them plenty of time to complete the task.

What they hadn’t expected, however, was to encounter a powerful and intelligent race before even spotting the wolves—the Oni Clan.

The Oni were humanoid creatures with prominent horns atop their heads, each member possessing formidable magical power. However, they reproduced slowly and were few in number.

Now, a group of towering Oni stood before Aino and her companions, watching them warily.

One among them, clearly agitated, immediately began channeling magic to attack, only to be stopped by the largest, most imposing Oni with the biggest horns—their leader.

The leader appeared calm, refraining from activating his own magic, signaling that he wasn’t in a combat stance. Of course, for beings of their strength, switching to combat mode was merely a matter of an instant.

“ᚠᛁᛖᚱ ᚨᚾ ᚠᛁᛖᚱᛁᛖᛚᚨ ᚦᚨ ᚠᛖᛚᚨᚱᛁ,” the leader spoke, his tone measured, indicating he wasn’t looking for conflict.

However, his companions didn’t seem to share his sentiments. Even as the leader held them back, their expressions remained hostile and filled with disdain as they glared at Aino’s group.

The situation was tense. Aino didn’t understand the Oni’s language, and using soul communication magic risked being perceived as an attack—especially given the strength of the beings before her.

Fortunately, Zola had mentioned that her innate ability allowed her to understand all languages.

Aino turned to Zola with a pleading look, and the green-haired girl blinked in response, ready to assist.

“What did they say?”

“They said this is Oni territory.”

Another territorial dispute. It was clear that the Oni were wary of the group’s unknown strength; otherwise, their approach might not have been so restrained.

These Oni were clearly among their clan’s elites, now tasked with driving off an intruder. Allowing an unknown, potentially dangerous presence to linger in their domain would be like keeping a bomb in their home.

“Alright, Zola, tell them we mean no harm and that we’re leaving immediately.”

Being on someone else’s turf, especially after being confronted, there was little choice but to comply.

Zola relayed the message. The Oni leader nodded, muttered something, and turned to leave.

“He said, ‘Our apologies.’”

The Oni quickly disappeared, vanishing into the shadows of the forest with an almost ghostly speed. The inhabitants of Karlsa Shadow Forest truly lived up to their reputation of being nearly impossible to track.

With no choice but to move on, Aino sighed. It was frustrating to always be on the defensive. Sure, this journey was meant to be an adventure, but constantly being chased off made it feel anything but harmonious.

Still, fate wasn’t entirely against them. Not long after, they finally found traces of the Shadow Wolves.

These magical creatures weren’t particularly strong, but their elusive nature and habit of residing in ominous locations made finding them a far greater challenge than defeating them. Discovering them was already half the battle.

A few gray wolves prowled nearby, their movements stealthy and deliberate. However, under the oppressive weight of Aino’s magic, they found themselves unable to escape. Despite their best efforts to use magic to flee, they were as trapped as if caught in quicksand.

Just as Aino was about to finish the task, a sudden slash accompanied by a furious shout shattered her control. The Shadow Wolves seized the opportunity to vanish into the forest.

Standing before them was one of the Oni they’d encountered earlier—the hostile one, distinguished by his dark skin, intricate markings, and a single, striking horn.

“ᚨᚾ ᚠᛁᛖᚱᛁᛖᛚᚨ ᚦᚨ ᚠᛖᛚᚨ!”

“He’s cursing us,” Zola translated with a frown, adding that the words were too vulgar to repeat.

Aino was puzzled. Based on her senses, they had already left Oni territory.

“Why?” Aino asked aloud, but before Zola could translate, the dark-skinned Oni launched an attack.

He moved with astonishing speed, appearing right next to Zola in the blink of an eye. His sharp claws arced through the air, aiming directly for her neck in a deadly strike.

“Shield.”

With a single word, Aino summoned a gray shield to block the attack. At the same time, she extended a finger toward the Oni, releasing a spell that struck him before he could react.

Attacking left one’s defenses open—a principle as old as combat itself.

This Oni, clearly an assassin-type fighter adept at shadow manipulation, was ill-suited for direct confrontation. Choosing to face Aino and her group head-on was a critical mistake.

Aino’s counterattack dealt a severe blow, leaving the Oni collapsed and unconscious on the ground.

“Foolish,” Aino muttered. It was clear the Oni hadn’t sensed her immense magical power. How could he have missed the wariness his leader had shown earlier?

But it wasn’t over yet.

More attacks came, swift and from the shadows.

In the Karlsa Shadow Forest, the Oni had a significant advantage. Even Aino couldn’t guarantee the safety of her companions against such a coordinated assault.

“Stay close to me,” Aino commanded, channeling her magic to form a massive protective shield. The barrier surrounded them entirely, offering 360-degree defense against any incoming attacks.

Such a spell had its drawbacks—it drained a massive amount of energy and left Aino unable to cast other magic while maintaining it. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as she focused, unwilling to let any harm come to her group.

The Oni attackers paused, visibly shaken by the sheer scale and power of Aino’s shield.

For them, the magic required to create such a strong and expansive barrier was unimaginable. That Aino could sustain it for several seconds without showing signs of magical exhaustion was downright terrifying.

The Oni scattered, retreating into the shadows. They were clearly planning to exploit any vulnerabilities in the shield, waiting for their opportunity to strike.

Even for a being as powerful as Aino, facing a coordinated Oni attack deep in the Karlsa Shadow Forest was a daunting challenge.

Would she prevail? Only time would tell.