The Forest of Jura was not peaceful.
It was only quiet between hunts.
The morning mist rolled between ancient trees like pale spirits drifting through a battlefield long forgotten. Magicules saturated the air so densely that even breathing felt heavy to ordinary creatures.
For monsters, however—
It was nourishment.
And for the Royal Oni—
It was home.
The Weight of a Chief's Son
At age four, Kaiser already understood something critical:
Strength alone was not enough.
In his previous life, power meant corporate authority. Titles. Hierarchy.
Here?
Power was survival.
The Royal Oni were respected—but not dominant. They were strong enough that most tribes avoided conflict, yet not powerful enough to dictate the entire forest.
That was dangerous.
In a forest ruled by Demon Lords and ancient calamities, neutrality was temporary.
Kaiser watched the warriors spar under the open canopy.
His father's voice echoed across the training ground.
"Your blade must carry intent! A dull strike invites death!"
Swords clashed.
Magic flared.
Oni warriors moved with terrifying coordination.
But Kaiser saw flaws.
Too direct.
Too honorable.
Too reactive.
In a world where beings like future Demon Lords existed… honor alone would get them exterminated.
His Observation Haki pulsed quietly.
He sensed fatigue patterns.
Muscle strain.
Emotional hesitation.
Even killing intent fluctuations.
It was unfair.
And he intended to use every unfair advantage.
A Sister's Challenge
Shiori dropped down beside him, wooden blade over her shoulder.
"You're thinking too much again."
He glanced at her.
"And you're charging too much again."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You sound like Father."
"And you sound like someone who will get surrounded and overwhelmed."
She lunged without warning.
Their wooden blades collided.
Even at her age advantage, Kaiser held firm.
She was stronger physically.
But his perception let him predict micro-movements before they formed.
He sidestepped.
Tapped her wrist.
She stumbled.
He gently pressed the wooden blade to her shoulder.
"…I win."
Silence.
Warriors stared.
Shiori froze.
Then—
She burst into laughter.
"You're annoying."
But there was pride in her eyes.
That night, she trained twice as hard.
Not out of jealousy.
But because her little brother pushed her forward.
And that was how the Royal Oni functioned.
They competed.
But they rose together.
Political Undercurrents
Three days later, a delegation arrived.
Lizardmen.
Tall, scaled, disciplined.
Their leader bowed respectfully to Raizen.
"Chief Raizen. The orc movements increase near the southern marsh."
Kaiser listened quietly from behind a wooden pillar.
Orcs.
He knew that word too well.
In the original timeline, the Orc Disaster would eventually devastate many tribes.
That event had not happened yet.
But movement meant something was stirring.
Raizen frowned.
"We will increase patrols. Inform your chief that the Royal Oni stand ready to assist."
The Lizardman hesitated.
"There are rumors… of a higher will guiding them."
Kaiser's mind sharpened.
Higher will?
Demon Lord interference?
Too early for Clayman's direct moves.
Unless—
The timeline was shifting.
Because of him?
His presence alone might already be altering fate.
Good.
He preferred chaos over predetermined tragedy.
Family Council
That evening, the family gathered in the central hall.
Not just as rulers.
But as parents and children.
Akane, his mother, laid out a map carved into bark.
"Southern marsh. Orc scouts confirmed."
She looked at Kaiser.
"You've been observing quietly. What do you think?"
She tested him often.
Not because she doubted him.
But because she saw what Raizen saw.
Kaiser was not ordinary.
He stepped closer.
"The orcs are probing supply lines. Not attacking directly."
Raizen's brow rose slightly.
Kaiser continued.
"They're testing response speed. Measuring strength."
Shiori leaned forward.
"So we crush them?"
Kaiser shook his head.
"Not yet. If someone is guiding them, a full strike reveals our strength."
Akane's lips curved slightly.
"So?"
"Send a smaller, elite response unit. Capture one alive."
Silence.
Daiki blinked.
"Big brother sounds scary."
Raizen slowly nodded.
"Very well."
It was decided.
Kaiser would accompany the scouting team.
First Blood
The southern marsh reeked of decay.
Mist clung low to the water.
Oni warriors moved silently between trees.
Kaiser walked beside Shiori.
"Stay behind me," she muttered.
He smiled faintly.
Observation Haki expanded.
Three orcs.
Hidden poorly.
Breathing heavy.
Hungry.
Desperate.
One carried crude armor.
Not typical scouting behavior.
Strange.
Kaiser raised a hand.
The squad halted.
He stepped forward alone.
The orcs burst from hiding with guttural roars.
Before the warriors reacted—
Kaiser moved.
Not fast.
But precise.
His blade struck once.
The air cracked.
A controlled vibration pulse.
The first orc's weapon shattered instantly.
The second stumbled as the ground beneath him fractured.
The third froze.
Fear.
Pure instinctive fear.
The vibration had bypassed physical defense.
It attacked structure itself.
Shiori stared.
"That… wasn't normal."
Kaiser pressed his blade to the last orc's throat.
"Who commands you?"
The orc trembled.
"Voice… from sky… hunger… promised power…"
Voice from sky.
A manipulator.
He met Raizen's gaze.
This was bigger than random raids.
Shadow Stirs
That night, Kaiser sat alone outside.
The captured orc was restrained for interrogation.
Moonlight cast long shadows.
And he felt something move within them.
A whisper.
A pull.
His Shadow Monarch authority reacted.
The dying orc's life force flickered weakly nearby.
An instinct rose.
Extract.
Command.
Control.
His hand twitched.
He could raise it.
Turn it into a shadow soldier.
No one would know.
But he stopped.
Too early.
Too suspicious.
Power must be revealed gradually.
Not recklessly.
He exhaled.
Soon.
The Feast of Unity
Despite tension, the Royal Oni held a communal feast that night.
Not to celebrate battle.
But to strengthen bonds.
Children laughed.
Warriors shared stories.
Shiori bragged loudly.
"Our Kaiser split the earth!"
Daiki mimicked sword swings wildly.
Akane shook her head fondly.
Raizen placed a cup in Kaiser's hand.
"You did well."
Kaiser looked around at the warm glow of firelight.
At smiling faces.
At his siblings arguing over meat portions.
In his previous life—
He ate alone at convenience stores.
Now—
He belonged.
He clenched his cup slightly.
No future calamity would take this away.
No Demon Lord.
No prophecy.
No script.
A New Resolve
That night, the system chimed softly.
[Shadow Monarch Authority – Synchronization increased to 8%]
[Whitebeard Template – 12%]
Growth through intent.
Through ambition.
Through resolve.
Kaiser looked toward the deep forest.
Somewhere out there—
Ancient dragons slept.
Demon Lords schemed.
Future heroes would be born.
And eventually—
A slime from another world would arrive.
When that moment came—
Kaiser would not be a bystander.
He would be the axis of Jura.
The one who unites it first.
The one who builds the throne.
And if fate opposed him—
He would shatter it.
Like fragile glass beneath a quake.