Tsukasa's Six Eyes swept over the area, and he immediately responded with a smile, "No matter, it would have been hard to say if it were any later."
Then, with a light tap of his fingertip, the children were lifted by an invisible force and suspended in mid-air. The gentle glow of Reverse Cursed Technique enveloped them, and the children's pale faces gradually regained their color.
Just then, a brown-haired girl was the first to wake up, opening her eyes weakly.
"Subaru-nee?"
Tsukasa corrected softly, "It's Tsukasa-nii."
"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?"
Though she felt a hint of confusion, the girl urgently grabbed his sleeve and said, "There's one more child... who was taken to the south..."
Before she could finish, the brown-haired girl fainted again. Seeing this scene from within, Subaru once again anxiously asked Tsukasa about the girl's condition.
Tsukasa reassured the anxious Subaru, "It's just physical exhaustion. This is not worth mentioning before Reverse Cursed Technique."
But his gaze gradually sharpened, and he murmured, "I see. The seven children were bait for Subaru. The real target is..."
"Awoooo!"
A shrill wolf howl pierced the night sky, and countless Wolgarms emerged from all directions, their crimson eyes like hellfire in the darkness.
Looking around, despite being surrounded, Tsukasa smiled. That smile carried an arrogant disdain for all living things, as if the pack of beasts before him were nothing more than ants.
He slowly raised his right hand. "Since you want to play, I'll accompany you."
The first Wolgarm to pounce exploded three meters away from him, as if it had slammed into an invisible wall.
Tsukasa's figure flickered, leaving a trail of flying flesh and blood wherever he passed.
With a hand-blade strike, three mabeasts were snapped at the waist. With a spinning elbow strike, another's skull was crushed. But there were simply too many mabeasts, dealing with them was a waste of time.
"No more time to play with you."
Tsukasa sighed softly, and a sphere of blue light condensed at his fingertip.
Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue!
The moment the light sphere left his hand, space began to distort. The ground collapsed downward with the light sphere as the center, forming a massive vortex. Trees were uprooted and rubble floated in mid-air, as if gravity had ceased to function here.
Wherever the blue light sphere passed, the Wolgarms were ground into dust before they could even let out a scream.
Deep, bottomless ravines were plowed into the ground, the mana in the air wailed, and even light bent within the distorted space.
When the last bit of blue light dissipated, the entire forest had been leveled to the ground.
"Next..."
He looked toward the south, a cold light flashing in his blue eyes. "It's time to deal with the mastermind."
"Tsukasa! At least send the children back first!"
Seeing that Tsukasa was about to leave, Subaru's anxious voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Hearing this, Tsukasa gave a lazy yawn. "Now, now... isn't it good to let them experience camping a bit more?"
Before he could finish, he clearly felt a wave of chill from the Consciousness Space and immediately changed his tune, "Fine, I'll send them back now."
With a snap of his fingers, the surrounding lawn, along with the children, was instantly teleported back to the village.
The villagers who were rebuilding their defensive lines were startled by the sudden appearance of the group, and a few of the more timid ones collapsed directly to the ground.
"Th-this is..." A sharp-eyed villager was the first to recognize the children and began to shout excitedly.
Women and elderly people rushed toward their children uncontrollably, with crying and cheering blending together.
Tsukasa watched this touching scene, the corners of his lips curving slightly. "Don't worry, they're all fine. Just wait for the cleanup crew to arrive."
"Our savior!"
Several villagers fell to their knees, sobbing as they kowtowed in gratitude.
"If you want to thank someone, thank Emilia." Tsukasa waved his hand lightly as his figure began to fade. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have lifted a finger."
As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared from the spot without waiting for a response.
In stark contrast to Tsukasa's ease was Rem's bitter struggle.
"Haah... Haah..."
She panted heavily, kneeling on one knee.
The mountain of Wolgarm corpses around her bore witness to the tragic battle.
Her originally neat maid outfit was now in tatters, and countless wounds were gurgling blood. At this moment, even she realized that this was a trap.
Even so, Rem still stared fixedly ahead—at that cute-looking puppy.
Its soft fur shimmered in the moonlight, and its large grey eyes looked innocent, yet hundreds of Wolgarms around it were bowing in submission.
"Rem... must not retreat..."
She gritted her teeth, her gaze sweeping over the girl under the tree behind her.
At this moment, the quiet girl was curled up in pain. Subaru had said that this girl was named Meili and was very well-behaved.
Thinking this, Rem's gaze became even firmer.
As if sensing her determination, a weird smile curved at the corners of the puppy's lips.
"Awooo!"
With that howl, the beast pack surged forward like a tide.
Rem swung her Morning Star with all her might, and everywhere the silver light flashed, flesh and blood flew.
But just as she repelled the frontal assault, a Wolgarm ambushed her from the side, its sharp teeth biting through her shoulder.
"Ahh!"
Amidst the intense pain, a crimson horn protruded from Rem's forehead, growing rapidly.
Her expression gradually distorted, and her originally clear blue eyes were stained with a frenzied blood color.
"Hahahaha!"
A hair-raising laugh echoed through the forest.
At this moment, the composure on Rem's face had completely vanished, replaced by a maniacal, hideous grin.
After her Oni Transformation, Rem's combat power soared, and the movement of her Morning Star brought about a storm of blood and gore.
But the beast pack seemed endless, and even more Wolgarms joined the fray.
Finally, the exhausted Rem was once again pinned to the ground.
Watching the bloody maw snapping toward her, she closed her eyes in despair.
"Who gave you permission to touch my people?"
Tsukasa's figure appeared before Rem at some unknown moment, his deep blue eyes filled with chilling killing intent.
When that incredibly reassuring voice rang out, Rem, who had already given up hope, slowly opened her eyes.
The sight that met her eyes almost made her weep with joy—Tsukasa had appeared before her at some point, his right hand casually choking the neck of the Wolgarm that had attempted to deliver the killing blow.
The ferocious beast struggled desperately in his hand, yet it was as if it were nailed in mid-air, unable to move at all.
"Tsukasa-sama?" Rem called out weakly.
At the thought of almost never seeing her sister again, Rem's tears fell uncontrollably.
Just then, the puppy in the distance, which had been maintaining an elegant posture, suddenly had its fur stand on end. It felt a vast, sea-like mana surging frantically, spreading out in all directions with Tsukasa as the center. This power was so immense that it felt as if the entire forest were trembling because of it.
Boom!
Along with the explosion of mana, the Wolgarms within a ten-meter radius of Tsukasa instantly turned into a rain of blood.
There were no screams, no struggles, they were simply crushed directly by an invisible, massive force.
The Wolgarm in his hand suffered an even more miserable fate—its limbs exploded one by one, flesh and blood flying everywhere. Amidst heart-wrenching wails, it finally lost all signs of life.
Tsukasa casually tossed the mangled corpse aside, his blue eyes scanning the remaining beast pack.
He placed his hand on Rem's head again, activating Reverse Cursed Technique.
"Didn't I say? Just call me Tsukasa."
"Next..."
His voice suddenly turned cold. "Brat, I'll give you one minute. Entertain me."