When I Was Reincarnated, All the Heroines Were Stolen by the Fake Hero ~ The Guy Who Dominated With Original Story Knowledge, and Me Who Dominated With Talent. It Seems the World After the Ending Is My One-Man Stage ~ - Episode 23

Episode 23

The next morning, we quickly got ready by the river. Then we once again set off into the unexplored wilderness in search of the beastkin village.

Only the creaking of the wagons and the clopping of hooves echoed through the quiet forest.

Thanks to camping and bathing, we had recovered some strength. But the never-ending uncertainty of this search was steadily wearing us down mentally.

Especially on Freyja’s face, the weight of her responsibility as commander was becoming apparent.

“Yutaka-dono.”

As I gazed out the wagon window at the scenery, Freyja called out to me.

“About this search… considering our food supplies, we can’t afford to take our time. Including today, if we don’t find any clues within the next two days, we may have to consider retreating to Kanaloa.”

Her tone was calm. But I could see a hint of anxiety behind her eyes.

It was a logical decision, considering the morale and safety of the soldiers.

“I see. Understood. I’ll follow your judgment, Freyja. I agreed to that before we even set out.”

When I replied, Freyja slightly softened her expression and said simply,

“Thank you.”

That’s when it happened.

“Freyja-sama!”

Once again, the driver of the front wagon called out—his voice held the same tension as the day before.

“What is it this time?”

Freyja responded.

“Ahead, on the right—we’ve found another strange tree! It looks just like the one we saw the other day!”

“That tree again…”

Freyja frowned and gave the order to halt the wagon.

“Yutaka-dono, let’s go confirm it. The others stay behind.”

Freyja and I got down from the wagon with our weapons and walked in the direction the soldier pointed.

—

And there it was again—a massive, strange tree. It was just like the one we saw before.

Its trunk stretched toward the sky. And just like the last time, a deep gash ran down it vertically. It was as if a giant had tried to cleave it with a massive axe.

The edges of the wound were once again scorched black.

“This… definitely isn’t just some natural phenomenon.”

Freyja grew more alert. She was scanning the area.

I also kept my guard up while trying to piece things together.

This distinctive wound…

And the kind of force needed to damage such a massive tree…

Could it be——?

Just then, a faint static-like sensation ran across my skin.

At the same time, I felt a powerful presence from above.

Reflexively, I looked up.

The treetops swayed. And through a gap in the leaves, a shadow came plummeting straight down toward Freyja and me.

“Freyja, above!”

I shouted. And in the same instant, I raised the silver shield equipped on my left arm—Aegis—over our heads.

A moment later, a thunderous crash slammed into the shield.

*BZZZZT!!*

A violent sound of lightning crackling roared out, and bluish-white sparks exploded.

Aegis blocked the attacker’s blow. And with a loud *bang!*, the shadow was repelled.

The shadow landed smoothly on a thick nearby branch.

When I got a good look, I gasped.

Short black hair, pointed ears, a stiff short tail. A beastkin.

And still just a boy.

He wore a black coat that looked like it had been made from tanned monster hide. And around his neck was a necklace strung together from animal bones.

His sharp gaze pierced us with clear hostility.

“What was that…!?”

Freyja was shaken by the sudden attack. But she quickly spotted the figure on the branch and exclaimed,

“That’s… a beastkin!? Then that means, nearby…!”

Her voice held both shock and a subtle joy—joy at having finally found the people we had long been searching for.

From the direction of the wagons, soldiers who had heard the thunderous noise came rushing over with weapons at the ready.

Yet, the beastkin boy was unaffected by our words or the soldiers’ presence. He remained calm and began to prepare for another attack.

Magic circles began to form, two on each of his hands. They were emitting a faint glow.

In the next moment, bright light surged from them. And sharp claws made of pure light formed in his hands.

The claws sparked violently. They were clad in bluish-white lightning.

(That’s… the non-elemental attack spell “Break Claw,” enhanced with the lightning-element “Bolt Enchant”? And he’s casting both simultaneously… in both hands… This kid’s no amateur.)

As I analyzed the situation, I readied Aegis once more.

The boy, still silent, leapt from the branch again.

His speed and power had increased compared to before.

*CLANG!!* *BZZZZT!!*

Again, Aegis clashed with his blow. It scattered sparks and repelled him.

This time, he stumbled slightly but quickly regained his footing.

“Tch…”

I heard him click his tongue in frustration.

“Could it be… those tree scars were his doing…?”

Freyja murmured in shock. She was connecting this scene to the strange trees we’d seen.

It was very likely.

Yet the beastkin boy showed no signs of letting up—

As soon as he landed, he summoned magic circles in his hands again.

His unwavering hostility made us tense up even further.

Then suddenly——

The boy flinched.

He seemed to notice something and stopped moving.

His gaze slowly drifted away from us.

His previously intense expression now shifted to one of stunned surprise, even confusion.

(What’s going on…?)

I followed his gaze—and saw Kotama.

At some point, she had moved from the rear cargo wagon to the front. And though clearly uneasy, she was peeking out from behind the large soldiers, watching us anxiously.

At the same time, the magic circles on the boy’s hands vanished, as if melting into the air.

As I stood there, confused by this sudden change——

*WHAM!!*

A new shadow burst through the trees and landed between us and the boy.

“What are you doing here!!”

A sharp voice rang out.

The newcomer was a beastkin woman, likely an adult. She had two-toned hair of brown and black.