Chapter 16: Talking to the Old Man

⚠️ I'm sorry guys. I just want you to know that my english is bad actually. Everytime I put the draft to edit on grammarly, the bitch always shows 60 or 70 corrections. It didn't even stop from that. I'm using free grammarly and clicked the premium button just to know the yellow line-indicator to fix the 'Slightly Off' label on the Delivery button. You know what almost all of the sentences had yellow corrections. Way to go grammarly --- I lost my confidence 🤧.

I'm sorry about claiming that my english is good. It's actually bad. And when I update next I'll just fix the grammar not the delivery.

My next chapters is likely going to be head ache inducing from now on.

You've been warned. ⚠️

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"She is a special fox, old man." 

"Special? Is it not a yokai?" The old man questioned. 

'Yokai? Isn't that Japanese folklore about supernatural entities and spirits?' I presumed.

"Yokai? What is that old man?" I asked. I had a guess. But I'm not sure if that's what I'm thinking about. It's because I'm essentially in another world. 

"Yokai's are evil spirits that hunt and harm humans. Like onis… " He spoke as he had that dazed expression once again thinking about something. 

'He must've had a history about it, huh.'

I thought, looking at his face.

"But Syri isn't an evil spirit, though. Take a brief look at this little gu— she-fox... Is she harmful?" 

I asked the old geezer while I was stroking Syri's chin. 

"Ning ~" She was closing her eyes as she made a satisfied sound.

'Keke ~ She's like a cat.' I thought. 

Other animals, like dogs, to give an example, if you stroke their chins, they would behave the way Syri was showing. However, her cuteness is the same — No, more than that of a cat.

"... No, it's not." The elder replied. His expression was back to normal.

He looked at Syri as a smile appeared on his face.

"Where did you come from, young man?" He said as he observed me.

'Another question came up that I haven't prepared about. How should I answer this one?' I thought.

I remembered most isekai'd MCs I've read on novels have something they prepared to answer this question.

'Well, whatever.' 

"I came from the forest. I lived there for a month." 

Another prop to myself. I didn't lie once again. 

"... Oh, it must be hard on you." The old geezer said as his voice trailed off. I felt he was pitying me. 

He must be thinking something along the lines: 'He must have some circumstances in his life.'

Or specifically, 'He must have been kicked out from his home or whatever.'

That's the only conclusion I can guess from how people would react if I, a young teenager, told them that I was living in a forest for a month.

Before I came and caught the old man, I changed the quality of my 'suit' to match his. But I didn't give it any holes, though. Just the shabby and old part of it. 

I also unsummoned the sword on my waist. It's a pretty convenient weapon. I'm guessing it is likely connected to my soul. 

So observing my whole get-up, he might have thought: I had been living with some hefty difficulties in life too.

He's not exactly wrong about it, so I'm not offended.

Who would? Maybe prideful people do. Like a 'man' they are. The 'prideful' get angry when they are being pitied about.

At this point, what is even pride? I experience a difficult life living a month close to nature, away from the convenience of civilization. 

Pity or not, I don't care. I'll accept whatever. 

But he is still —

'Such a good man. But how ironic. You ought to keep that 'look' to yourself, old man.' I said in my mind looking at his current poor condition. 

He looks like he hasn't eaten for weeks. Such a thin body he has. I'm surprised he hasn't kicked the bucket yet. 

"Say, old man, what are onis? Can you tell me about them?" I asked as I remembered he mentioned it earlier. It's better to have info about this possible enemy that could harm me. 

"Onis are evil beasts that appear at night. They are strong and can be distinguished by their fearful appearance. They have no conscience on killing and eating people." He said. His face was dark, and his expression was grim, trying hard to convey how scary these 'oni' creatures are.

'Yokai and Oni… Seriously? Am I in Japan?' I thought this information was similar to those from Japan's myth back in my world. 

My name sounds Japanese. I didn't grow up in Japan, though. 

I came from a family with mixed genes.

My mother was half-Japanese and half-Filipino. 

While my father is a white American.

So I learned some of Japan's culture and beliefs from my mother. Not entirely, only the most common.

"Do they hunt in a village?" 

I asked a question. To know if: Should I prepare myself and expect something before I'll go visit the village.

"Yes, they do. Onis even break at home sometimes." He said again, looking grim, and he even added some emphasis by widening his eyes and raising his hand in a wave.

'Keke ~ What's with that gesture? I thought they were supposed to be scary. You're making them look cool now, funny old man.' 

I thought as I saw him make a 'wow' hand motion. If only his head was square-shaped, he would almost look like Spongebob for that expression only.

"That's scary… So are onis like a thief or something? Do they wear ski masks?" I asked a stupid question. 

"... What is a ski mask? And Yes, they are a thief. They took my only granddaughter!" The old guy said, making an angry expression.

'Woah Woah! These oni creatures are thirsty, huh?'

'I should be careful my handsomeness knows no bound after all. It's reaching beyond heaven and earth. Who knows if there are female onis or possibly something who likes 'rainbows'?

I thought, cringing. I remembered my father. He wasn't someone who would do 'that' kind of crime. I just thought he fits the description about oni's being strong and possibly 'geh'.

Noticing that I was lost in my thought, I took a moment to compose myself.

"... I'm sorry about your granddaughter, old man," I said, trying hard to make a sad expression.

How would you react to this? Even though I don't know him personally yet, I still have human compassion, probably.

"..." He looked down with a sad expression on his face. 

We walked with an awkward atmosphere around us. 

I looked in the front direction, and there was a huge boulder. It was standing on the path the old guy was taking. 

'Room'

I silently thought and put my hands forward, creating a transparent, almost invisible 'dome'.

It's hard to perceive this one. It's like a transparent foil. 

This variation of 'room' was what I learned from that faked Doma when I noticed he was like teleporting from place to place.

'Shambles' 

I removed the boulder and replaced it with a small pebble nearby.

I look at the depressed geezer.

'At least I can do this much.' I don't want to disturb the old guy.

It looked like he was grieving, as I can see from his dejected body language. His shoulders were heaving down low, his back was arched forwards, and tears were threatening to fall in his eyes.

We continued with silence. Only the sound of footsteps on the grassy land being made and crickets from the grasshoppers can be heard. 

Then a moment later,

"What is your name, young man?" The old guy asked. His eyes were red, yet there were no tears from them. I guess he wiped it off, huh? 

"I'm Shin," I replied with a neutral tone.

I didn't give him my full name. It's not because I am ashamed of it. It actually sounds cool to me. 

I found that my name was something — No, actually it is Pain's iconic phrase when he destroyed the hidden leaf village of Naruto anime:

'Shinra Tensei'

It's close to mine, which is:

'Shin Roah Tenzei'

(A/N: I changed his name to this. So what can you do about it?)

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