Maleta stopped walking and lifted her hand, pointing ahead.
"We're here."
Tokarou and Sumi slowed their steps and looked forward.
Beyond the last line of trees, a village slowly came into view.
It was not large, nor was it hidden carefully. The houses were built mostly from rough wood, the kind that still showed uneven cuts and dark knots along the surface. Most of them were simple, single floor buildings, their roofs made from layered planks and dried leaves tied together with rope. A few looked repaired over and over, they had been damaged many times and fixed with whatever materials were available.
The ground beneath their feet changed from grass to a worn, rusty colored path. It wasn't paved just earth pressed down by footsteps. Small grooves ran through it where rainwater had passed, and in some places the soil was cracked and dry.
A wooden wall surrounded the village, though calling it a wall felt generous. Thick logs were placed side by side and tied together with rope instead of nails. Some sections leaned slightly, and others had gaps wide enough to see through. It looked more like a warning boundary than real protection.
Inside the village, beastmen moved about quietly. Some carried baskets, others talked in low voices, and a few were working near broken farming plots on the edge of the settlement. The fields were uneven and poorly maintained, the soil thin and tired, with crops growing sparsely rather than in neat rows.
Children peeked out from behind adults, half hidden by tails and cloaks.
The entire village was surrounded by the vast jungle. Tall trees rose on all sides, their thick branches stretching overhead. Sunlight only reached the village when it was directly above, and even then, much of it was broken apart by leaves and shadows. At other times, the village remained dim, wrapped in cool shade and quiet.
Sumi slowly took it all in, her gaze moving from the houses to the people, then to the trees beyond.
Tokarou remained silent, his eyes observing the layout, the condition of the walls, the way people were.
Sumi slowly turned her eyes toward Tokarou, her expression relaxed but observant.
'Darling… these people really look like they're living far behind… almost like the stone age.'
Tokarou took in the wooden houses, the uneven ground, and the way ropes were used instead of proper tools before replying quietly in his mind.
'Yes… but considering they were cast away by humans, it's impressive they managed to survive at all.'
Maleta slowed her pace and looked back at them.
"Please… follow us."
They walked further into the village.
As soon as they passed between the houses, a few beastmen noticed them. Conversations stopped one by one. A small group began approaching, their steps cautious.
Among them was an elderly beastman leaning on a wooden stick. His back was slightly bent. Unlike the others, his clothes were stitched more carefully and looked worn but respected.
He stopped a short distance away and looked at Maleta first.
"What happened earlier?" he asked.
"The ground shook. People were frightened."
Others spoke softly around him.
"We thought the forest was collapsing…"
"It felt like an earthquake."
"Are you guys alright?"
Maleta swallowed and forced a small, uneasy smile.
"Everyone is safe," she said.
"There was no damage here."
Before she could continue, Sumi calmly spoke up.
"Oh that?, It was me."
The words were simple.
For a moment, no one reacted. Then confusion spread across their faces.
"…You?"
"A human?"
"What do you mean?"
Several beastmen looked at Maleta sharply.
"Who are these people?"
"Why are humans here?"
Maleta quickly stepped forward.
"They're travelers," she said.
"They were lost in the jungle and asked for shelter."
The mood shifted immediately.
"Humans?"
"Did you forget what they did to us?"
"You brought them inside the village?"
The old beastman tightened his grip on the stick, his gaze steady but wary as it moved from Tokarou to Sumi.
Maleta hesitated, her ears twitching. Then, as if deciding something, she raised her voice.
"They…"
"They might be the Fallen Angel's children."
Silence followed.
The words hung heavily in the air.
Sumi blinked once and glanced at Tokarou.
'Darling… what is she yapping?'
Tokarou didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the crowd.
'Listen.'
The old man shook his head slowly.
"No," he said.
"That's impossible."
"They're humans."
"She's been deceived by them." one of them said in a voice filled with rage.
A few others nodded.
"Humans only bring suffering."
"She must be under some kind of influence."
Maleta clenched her fists.
"No," she said again, louder this time.
"I saw it myself."
She looked around, meeting their eyes one by one.
"Fura. Soujo. You saw it too."
The two men stepped forward, their expressions serious.
"Yes... she's right..they caused the earthquake," Fura said quietly.
"They even created a lake where there was nothing before," Soujo added.
Murmurs spread again, this time uncertain.
Maleta took a breath and continued, slower now.
"That lake… it holds more water than we could ever gather. Enough for our village to use for hundred of years!."
Some beastmen stared at the ground. Others looked back toward the forest, as if expecting to see proof with their own eyes.
Doubt remained, but it was no longer firm.
Tokarou slowly stepped forward, placing himself slightly ahead of Sumi.
His voice was calm, but there was no warmth in it.
"If you're stupid enough to doubt the one who went into that jungle and risked her life"
he said, looking directly at the gathered beastmen.
"then it's no surprise people like you were cast away."
Shock spread through the crowd.
Some gasped. Others stiffened, their ears twitching in anger or disbelief. Even the old beastman tightened his grip on the stick, his eyes widening slightly.
Tokarou didn't wait for an answer.
"Let me show you, then."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
He simply thought of letting it out.
The moment that thought settled, his mana burst from him.
A dark and red aura exploded outward, rolling like a violent wave. The air itself seemed to shake as a heavy pressure filled the village. Dust rose from the ground, clothes fluttered, and several beastmen stumbled back instinctively, shielding their faces.
Children cried out. Adults froze in place, their bodies refusing to move.
Fear spread faster than sound.
"This… no way…"
"That pressure…"
"My legs won't move…"
Sumi stood behind him, watching quietly.
'I can't see anything…' she thought, her eyes scanning the space around Tokarou.
The aura slowly settled, though the pressure remained.
Tokarou opened his eyes and spoke again, his voice low and steady.
"We are… the child of—"
Before he could finish, a memory surged into his mind.
A white hospital room.
The quiet hum of machines.
A woman lying on a bed, her body thin and fragile, tubes and wires running across her skin. Her face wasn't clear, but her smile was gentle, warm, and tired.
Beside her, a much smaller Sumi clung tightly to the bed, her arms wrapped around the woman, her face filled with pure happiness.
Tokarou's chest tightened.
"…the Fallen Angel."