"This spot will do."
Outside the Tengu's hidden village, Benimaru and Momiji set up a spatial anchor on a flat mountaintop.
Receiving the signal, Damien opened a portal to the dimensional space.
With the Void Ark's ability to cross worlds, a simple teleportation within the same plane was child's play.
"Lord Damien!"
Benimaru dropped to one knee the moment he saw him.
"Well done, Benimaru." Damien said, helping him up before turning to Momiji with a teasing grin. "Not bad, Benimaru. Quite the catch, eh?"
"Uh…"
The comment left both Benimaru and Momiji blushing furiously.
"Even your blushes are in sync." Damien teased, gesturing behind him. "Shuna, come meet your future sister-in-law."
"Coming, coming!"
"Let me see!"
"Oh, isn't she adorable!" Shion exclaimed, grabbing Momiji's hand. "I'm Shion. Nice to meet you!"
"N-Nice to meet you…"
Momiji was startled by Shion's enthusiasm.
To an outsider, Shion might seem like Benimaru's actual sister.
"That Shion…" Damien shook his head, unable to rein her in.
This was a joyous occasion, and he didn't want to be overly formal.
Especially with Momiji and Kaede's faction, who were willing to submit, Damien aimed to show the demeanor of a benevolent lord.
"So many people?"
Benimaru exchanged greetings with Shuna and Shion, but his eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Snow Empress and Ice Empress.
Good grief!
Those two were living nightmares.
The kind who killed without blinking.
Benimaru had been worried the Tengu might offend Damien.
Now?
He could only wish the hawk faction luck.
"Is this the Tengu's Sacred Mountain?" Artoria asked. "It feels… barren."
Artoria stayed close to Damien as the spatial gate shrank and vanished with Ogerpon's playful hop.
"It's a bit like my old home, the Oni Mountain." Ogerpon said, familiar with the environment. Her time in Kitakami had been similar, though Damien's care had helped her move past those painful memories.
"Hm?"
Artoria's gaze fixed on a certain direction.
"There…"
She sensed spatial fluctuations. "So, they've hidden the real village in a dimensional space?"
"You can detect our village?" Momiji was astonished by Artoria's perception.
Glancing at the other women with Damien... Snow Empress, Artoria, and Ogerpon... she felt an intense danger.
'I'd die!'
Her instincts screamed that fighting any of these three would mean certain death.
Then there were Ice Empress, Shuna, and Shion.
Their pressure was less intense but still palpable.
Without a doubt, each of the six women Damien brought matched or surpassed her magicule count.
'This is unreal!'
Momiji couldn't fathom the strength of Damien's forces.
Her mother's judgment was correct, and her father hadn't misled them.
'Unfortunately, those guys won't give in easily.'
She referred to the hawkish Tengu.
Their arrogance and stubbornness made them the type to crash into a wall before turning back.
"Lord Damien, it's an honor." Momiji said, bowing low. "I'm Momiji, acting elder of the Tengu."
"My father and Benimaru-sama spoke of you." She continued. "Please, allow me to guide you through the hidden village."
"Thank you." Damien replied. "But we can tour later. First, take me to meet your mother, Kaede-san."
"Of course."
"This way, please."
Momiji moved decisively, leading Damien and his group toward Kaede's residence.
Buzz~~
Crossing the dimensional barrier, the Tengu's hidden village, nestled behind rolling green hills, revealed its serene beauty.
A tranquil, Japanese-style haven untouched by the outside world's clamor.
Towering ancient trees stood lush and vibrant.
Sunlight filtered through gaps, casting dappled shadows, while the air carried a faint floral scent.
Along winding paths, the crisp chirping of birds and the distant murmur of streams filled the ears.
A gentle breeze brought cool relief, and butterflies danced in the grass, as if welcoming the visitors.
In the distance, rice fields swayed like a green sea, rustling softly in the wind.
"What a beautiful place." Damien remarked, appraising the Tengu's Sacred Mountain.
"Thank you for your praise." Momiji replied, tense... not because of Damien, but out of fear that the hawk faction might spot them.
She worried they'd act recklessly.
"More outsiders?"
A group of men in black haori, wings on their backs and red masks on their faces, emerged.
Behind the leader, four or five similarly dressed Tengu followed.
These were the hawkish Tengu causing trouble for Momiji and Kaede.
Unsatisfied with their mountain domain, they yearned to expand and invade others' territories.
Yet they were clueless about the world's vastness.
Kaede had ventured out.
She knew how big the world was and how many powerhouses roamed it.
If the Tengu left their defensible dimensional space, they'd either become familliars of a Demon Lord at best or face extinction if they crossed the wrong faction.
"Takeyu, don't cause trouble." Momiji warned. "This lord is not someone you can offend!"
She stepped in front of Damien, glaring at Takeyu and his followers.
The worst-case scenario had unfolded, putting her in a tough spot.
"What's that?"
"You haven't even decided, yet you're groveling, calling him 'lord'?"
"Momiji, where's your pride as a Tengu?"
Her words provoked them, drawing a barrage of insults.
"Enough!"
"This is your final warning... go back now!"
Momiji's anger flared, her magicules surging as she prepared to suppress them by force.
No matter what, she couldn't let them keep stirring trouble.
In that brief moment, she felt the murderous intent in Snow Empress and Ice Empress's gazes.
If she didn't act fast, they would.
With more Tengu drawn by Takeyu's commotion, Momiji sensed the situation slipping out of control.
For the sake of the Tengu, she steeled herself to strike!
***
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