Asunder

I...I'm coming to see you guys...I'll find my way home, and we can chat just like the old days...

[Confirmed. Extra Skill: Pathfinder acquisition confirmed.]

Damn...this light is bright...and it feels hot...

[Confirmed. Heat Resistance acquisition confirmed.]

Agh! My head...what the hell...?

[Confirmed. Pain Nullification acquisition confirmed.]

Wait, why can I feel my body? Why can I still feel my connection with my Cursed weapon...?

[Confirmed. Extra Skill: Curse acquisition confirmed. Continuing...Extra Skill: Demonic Vitality, Curse Resistance, and Extra Skill: Demonic Aura acquisition confirmed]

I felt the muscles in my legs begin to twitch before it moved up to my stomach, chest, arms, and then head, jolting me awake. I sat up and pat my body, noticing that I was in perfect condition, but my armor was not. I began to frantically look around for Onimaru and, shortly after, I found him laying a short distance away. I stowed Onimaru away in my belt before inspecting my armor, which was practically useless.

After reluctantly taking off my ruined chest plate, I began to survey my surroundings, finding nothing but green grass for miles. There were faint outlines of mountains in the distance but, other then that, there was nothing. It was like the place was completely void of life.

Wait.

'If I'm alive...then did someone heal my wounds...?No, that's impossible. I had a hole through my damn heart after all. So then, how the hell am I still alive?' My head started to hurt after coming up with a seemingly infinite amount of possibilities that could have happened while I was unconscious, or dead whichever.

Well, if I'm alive, then I should head back to Alnaeon. I have to tell them what happened. There was only one problem with that plan, however. I had no clue where the hell I was. This place was completely different from the ash filled, bloody, somber battlefield I was moments before.

With no better idea at the moment, I decided to test my luck and run as fast as I could in a random direction in hopes of finding a Village or a Town that could direct me to where I wanted to go. Strangely enough, when I thought about trying to find a nearby town, a glowing white line appeared before me and began to veer off to my left, almost like it was showing me where to go.

I followed my instincts and followed the path, soon finding a small outline of what appeared to be houses in the distance. I picked up the pace after thinking about how fast I could get back home, but I noticed that I was beginning to get unnaturally tired even though I was drawing on Onimaru's Curse to fuel my stamina.

I was quickly out of breath and my limbs grew too heavy for me to continue. I dropped to one knee and began to gasp for air as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge. Blurred figures began to get closer and closer as they spread out and formed a half circle as they continued their charge toward me.

'Maybe this is where I can finally be at peace...'

There were 15 men, no, beasts. They were humanoid creatures with one or two horns sprouting from their foreheads. Their two meter tall frames were packed with muscles as they skillfully surrounded me and pointed their weapons toward my throat, their steps completely silent.

I slowly raised my hands in a gesture of peace, but that only made them more agitated. One creature, with a singular purple horn and short violet hair and eyes, began to order the group around in a harsh tone. Although I couldn't understand their feral-like speech, I could tell that I wasn't a welcomed visitor.

I felt a biting string wrap around my arms and legs as a burly creature easily lifted me over his shoulder and began to walk within the circle toward the village in the distance. I was honestly impressed with how coordinated they were, as well as how fast they had covered the distance between me an the village all while keeping their cool and showing a surprising amount of intelligence.

I was carried into the village and noticed that their houses were built in the same fashion as in the East, making me wonder if I was still on my home turf or not. We were travelling down a wide, dirt road and toward a large Eastern styled house. The front door was slid open and, when the group had arrived, I was set down and was allowed to move my feet once more.

A spear began to prod my back, forcing me inside of the house, before the door slid shut and left me in a large room with a grey-haired old man with three white horns, two coming out from just above his brows while the third was at the top of his forehead. The man had his eyes closed as he sat down in a seiza with his long grey hair cascading freely down his back. The old man was sipping on what I guessed was tea before he set his cup down and opened his eyes, revealing two black orbs that seemed to bore straight through me.

The man gestured for me to sit before clearing his throat and asking "What brings you to our village, Traveler?" in a deep voice that didn't quite fit his age. I sat down and glanced around the room as I said "I don't even know myself. I thought I had died and then I woke in the middle of a grassy plain. I was planning on asking for directions to my home city of Alnaeon, which is located on the continent of Narin."

The man cocked his brow and said "I have never heard of such places, but my eyes say you are not lying. Tell me, do you even know what race I am?" I knit my brows as I studied him closer before eventually sighing and saying "No, I have no recollection of anything that even looks close to you..."

The man nodded his head as he stroked his chin in deep thought. I sat there and waited for him to speak and, depending on his answer, I was ready to break free and flee. The man looked back up and squinted his eyes slightly as he stared into my eyes in silence. The atmosphere was beginning to turn tense and I was getting ready to break the strings around my arms when the man smiled and said "Alright, I'll let you stay here with us while I monitor you and reveal your true intentions."

The man's smile unnerved me for some reason, but I acted calm as I asked "Why would you let a stranger like me take refuge in your village? If I was you I would take no chances with such a shady looking man, ahaha..." The old man smirked and raised his brow as he said "No need to worry, my eyes can tell that you are a good soul. It appears that you were telling the truth, so I have no reason to be hostile toward you unless you give me a good reason. Now, I will provide you with a house as well as a personal servant to bring you meals and such."

I thanked the man and found that my bonds had already been cut. I glanced at the smirking old man and began to wonder what he was capable of, something he most likely noticed. The man chuckled and said "After you get accustomed to the village I will help train you in the ways of our world, and I will teach you a few Arts as well as teach you how to use your Skills if you have any."

I once again thanked the man and walked outside of the building, finding the earlier guards no where in sight. Just as I was about to turn around and ask the man where I was supposed to be going, a rather beautiful woman with a singular red horn in the middle of her forehead, two dazzling ruby red eyes, and long red hair tied up into a neat bun appeared next to me and bowed slightly.

I was surprised at how skilled these people seemed to be considering they had developed their skills to the point of me not being able to hear them when they walk. And I am no pushover either. The woman looked at me and said "Follow me, I'll show you where you will be living and get everything prepared for you."

The woman turned and walked off without another word. I caught up with her and took a good look around, noticing that the streets were pretty lively with various stands on the road with various foods and goods, as well as people training with weapons everywhere I went. We soon arrived at a large, but not too large, Eastern styled house made out of a type red wood.

The woman opened a sliding door and walked inside before taking her fur-skin boots off and entering the living room. I did the same and followed her as she said "This is where you will be living from now on until you leave. You bedroom is upstairs while everything else in down here. I'll be taking my leave now."

Honestly, she seemed a little too stiff and sounded very annoyed by my presence. I turned my head toward her departing figure and asked "Hey, what's your name? It would be rather difficult if I didn't know it while we would be seeing each other often." The woman turned her head with an annoyed expression and said "I don't have one." before walking out of the house.

'Hmm...no name, huh? Just where the hell am I?' Although the old man showed some hospitality, I couldn't let my guard down and interpret that for kindness. I've been in many situations where some Noble or even a King has offered me a place to stay only to try and assassinate me in my sleep. Even though I had kept my guard up, it didn't stop me from enjoying the onsen on the back.

I let the hot water calm my nerves as I let out a deep sigh of relief. It had been a while since I last took a proper bath. I looked at my arms, chest, and legs expecting to see all of the scars I had gathered over my relatively short lifespan. Hell, I was only 17 when I was pulled into the war, and I was only 19 when I was tasked with saving an entire continent.

All of my scars had disappeared, except there was a small one where the golden armored man's sword had pierced my heart. Just looking at the scar reminded me of that bastards smug face and filled me with hate and rage, but there was nothing I could do. I can't bring my friends back from the dead, and I had gotten my revenge as promised.

I leaned back against a large stone, placed in the middle of the onsen, and had my hands behind my head as I closed my eyes and tried to use my Metal Manipulation to create small things to keep my boredom at bay. However, I couldn't feel my mana.

Without my mana I was defenseless. Of course, I had Onimaru, but skill with the sword can only go so far when facing someone with magic. 'Wait...the old man said something about teaching me 'Skills'. What the hell is that? Some kind of hidden techniques...? Heh, if anything I think my Curse would be able to replace my mana for a little while...'

[Confirmed. Activating Extra Skill: Curse.]