“Hey! We have a prob…lem.”

Akuma’s query had been stumped as he took in the scene before him. While the remains of man-eating plants scattered around was noteworthy, his attention was glued to the group sobbing as they gathered around Shibo’s lifeless form. Having been poisoned by the dangerous flora that surrounded the Amazonian village, Shibo now laid out flat on the soft short grass, a single tear escaping his eye while a feint smile could be seen on his lips.

In truth, the sobbing part was just Shibo’s imagination -his “wishful thinking” as some would call it. Rin had already healed him the moment he fell to the ground, just in case, as well as the rest of the group. And it was for that reason why he was forced to act out some hot garbage tragic hero play.

“As I was saying…” Akuma continued, brushing aside Shibo’s antics. “…There’s someone coming from over there. They’re most likely a scout from the nearby village who heard the ruckus we caused. At their pace, they should arrive in about ten minutes.”

“What should we do, captain?” Alice questioned, her gaze filled with a mix of eagerness and admiration.

“Hm… As curious as I am about their customs, I wouldn’t want to risk war with these people… Maybe it’d be best to avoid them-”

“We will proceed.” Arthur interjected, his expression resolute.

“?”

“Men all across the globe dream of visiting this place! But for most, it remains just that -a dream. We have the chance to turn those dreams into reality. Right now, we can live out the fantasies of those righteous men. Therefore, we will move forward!”

“Dreams…?” Akuma questioned, a bit confused as to why. “Why would they do that? Is there something special on this island? And can it only benefit men?”

“Oh, uh… well…” Arthur stammered, his steely demeanor faltering as he faced a barrage of questions. “Y-Yeah… T-There’s this thing at this thing that can do this thing…We totally need to find it to continue our journey.”

“Right…” Akuma replied, puzzled by Arthur’s sudden avoidance of eye contact. “Well, I’ve got no reason to doubt you, so I guess we should go meet with her.”

“If she’s really headed here because of the sound I made, then wouldn’t she think we’re some kind of intruder or at least a monster.” Tenshi pondered aloud.

Adding her remark was Rin, her eyes wide with disbelief at his unexpected cleverness. “Wow. That’s surprisingly sharp for you.”

“Get off my case, will you? We’re on vacation.”

“How about this...” Akuma suggested. “…Let’s split into two teams. One will be in charge of sneaking around and investigating the island for this ‘thing’ Arthur said was here. The other will meet up with the person and visit the village… I think I’d be best if Rin, Arthur and Alice do the former, and Tenshi, Shibo and I go meet up with the scout.”

(Dammit all. I wish I could just ask the Akashic Records, but I’ve been in this mortal body for too long. I won’t be able to handle the “price to pay” as easy as I did when I just got back here from the library.)

“Arthur and Alice, huh?” Rin thought aloud. “I guess Arthur would be the only one that knows what this ‘thing’ is. And it’d be best to keep Alice out of danger since she’s not really powerful. Alright.”

Naturally, Arthur wanted to argue against the teams, but with Rin’s logical reasoning and Akuma’s tendency to bombard people with questions, he clenched his fist and accepted his fate.

With that, Rin, Alice, and a visibly anxious Arthur -who was sweating far more than before-separated from the group, vanishing into the shadows of the woods.

It might be important to add that Arthur wasn’t sweating because they were chasing an item he’d pulled out of his ass on the spot. It was because Akuma had pulled him away from the group to warn him of what would happen if he let something bad happen to Alice. In his words:

“Every scratch on her will be a member of your lineage, starting with you. Take that how you will.”

The remaining trio traversed through the expensive flat field and encountered another dense thicket of trees, twisting vines and vibrant flora -just like the last jungle.

“I think I see them.” Tenshi said, squinting into the distance to see a galloping horse.

“Really?” Akuma replied, astonished by his keen sight. “Can you make out any weapons or features? …No, I guess not. She’s too far away-”

“It’s a woman…” he interjected, startling both Akuma and Shibo. “…She has black hair, dressed like a cowboy, and… um…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Maybe I’m seeing things, but it looks like she’s sleeping.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“What?! So how is she riding the horse?” Shibo questioned.

“I don’ think she is. It’s a wonder she isn’t falling off.”

“Alright, let’s shorten our journey a bit.” Akuma declared, grabbing both Shibo and Tenshi by their collars. Before they could protest, he unfurled his wings and soared into the sky, leaving his companions struggling to stay conscious. They landed with a thunderous impact, creating a crater beneath them and jolting the female cowboy awake.

She blinked sleepily, adjusting herself on her horse.

“So, she really is a cowboy. How cool is that.” Akuma remarked, while the others still struggled to shake off the disorientation from their flight.

Just then, the horse that had carried her there recoiled in fear of Akuma, causing the cowgirl to tense defensively. The cowgirl surveyed them, and though her eyes were still heavy with sleep, her beauty was almost radiant.

“Okay, so there seems to be a language barrier here.” Akuma said, oblivious to the potent smell of divinity he constantly emitted. Well, it wasn’t so much as he was “oblivious to it” as only gods could smell another god. That statement is true even to animals, so, he had no need to think this horse could. “Well, you’re up, jellybean. Get to translating.”

Shibo, finally regaining his composure, let out a deep sigh, chopping everything thus far to his rotten luck.

“This is the second time you’ve done that! Just who do you think you are?!”

Those were the words that Tenshi exclaimed as he grabbed Akuma’s jacket and delivered a swift headbutt.

“That hurt, dammit!”

“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

With that, a fierce brawl erupted between them, shaking the ground beneath as they grappled. Amidst the chaos, Shibo pressed a small red button on his collar, disabling its function and allowing him to speak in his native tongue.

“Leelas rubbib. Mi nomba tis Shibo. Alsunami pak to bin nos da ods tu pamrad. Bigo ka'm bido cama be do...”

A heavy silence followed as she glanced down at the boy. Then she tilted her head slightly to the right as she replied, “Sorry but I only got like half of that, man.”

“…………..?”

That sentence was so shocking that even the two brothers paused their fighting in shock.

“Huh?! Pelo amee? ...Oh, recha.”

Shibo clicked the button again, reactivating the device.

“Huh?! But how?!” he repeated. “…Wait. C-Could you be a deity?”

“Not a chance.” Said Akuma, approaching them with a large bump on his head. “I can’t smell any divinity coming from her.”

“Yeah. And she doesn’t have the same presence I felt from that other one.” Added Tenshi, also with a bump on his head.

“Hey, you.” Akuma called out, glaring intensely as if to intimidate her. “Tell me… you’re from earth, aren’t you?”

“Are you sure?” Tenshi asked, tapping his chin in thought. “Didn’t Finral say something about destroying all the humans from earth? Something about some disease?”

“Yeah. Anyone afflicted by that disease shouldn’t even be alive… Hey, you! Why don’t you introduce yourself for us?”

Shibo, feeling a bit lost, nodded along as if he understood the conversation. Meanwhile, the cowgirl let out a long sigh, clearly drained by the absurdity of it all.

“Look, isn’t it just basic manners to introduce yourself before demanding someone else do the same?”

“Hm? …Oh, my mistake.” As if it were a routine at this point, Akuma unfurled his wings, adding a touch of flair as he declared. “I am God! The creator of this world! And these two are my subjects, Shibo and Tenshi.”

“Like hell I am!” Tenshi shot back instantly.

“Yep. That’s us.” Shibo added, seemingly just going with the flow.

“You three seem to be close… A self-proclaimed God, a coward and a barbarian... As for me. My name is Aamil, and this I my best friend, Pegasus. And yes, man. It’s just as you said. I was born on earth.”

The atmosphere shifted as the trio exchanged glances, a palpable awkwardness hanging in the air. In particular, Akuma and Tenshi looked as if they were struggling to contain an eruption of laughter, their eyes struggling to not pop from their sockets.

“What is it?” Aamil asked, puzzled by their expressions.

“Pfft!” The two went, unable to bottle up their laughter. “Your best friend is a damn horse?! What a loser!”

A vein throbbed on Aamil’s forehead, irritation bubbling beneath the surface of her happy expression. “Sorry about this, man. But can you guys give me your hands?” she asked, forcing a bright, albeit strained, smile.

Like idiots, they extended their wrists, only to realize they were bound by handcuffs made from the hair of Amazonia’s chief. Just when they realized their idiotic mistake, darkness enveloped them, and they collapsed to the ground, the world fading into an inky void as they collapsed.

“I assume you won’t resist, intruder?” Aamil inquired of Shibo. She only had two cuffs as that was the number of intruders she planned for. But to her surprise, she was one off -well, in truth more like four off but details-shmetails I guess.

Shibo looked at her with a mixture of acceptance and annoyance. With a tone heavy with despair, as if he had faced unimaginable torment, he replied, “There’s no use in resisting. Just make my end quick, I guess.”

His sudden shift in demeanor sent a chill down Aamil’s spine.

“Who… are you?” She muttered, her body quaking a bit.

“Huh? Oh… Why would I say something like that.”

“Y-You’re asking me, man?” Aamil stammered, her heart racing. This wasn’t her first time catching an intruder, and throughout the years she had expected defiance, perhaps even anger, but this resignation was something she hadn’t prepared for.

Unbeknownst to Aamil, and maybe even Shibo himself, those were the words of his inner soul, feelings he had long concealed. As he grappled with these emotions, they began to surface, a phenomenon that seemed to occur when someone stood near to the chief of Amazonia. It was this unique power that earned her the villagers' reverence, as if she were a deity. Little did they know, she observed them from afar, standing on a sturdy branch, hidden yet ever watchful.

It took roughly ten minutes to traverse the jungle landscape on horseback. Shibo was perched behind Aamil, clinging tightly to her waist as they navigated the uneven ground. He wasn’t one you’d call a pervert, but his thoughts wondered here and there as he hugged Aamil’s slender waist. The other two, Tenshi and Akuma, were tethered by a sturdy rope, dragged along in a somewhat comical fashion. Despite the jostling and the occasional bump that sent them flying above, they somehow managed to remain unconscious.

Upon their arrival to the village, the group was met with the disapproving glares of women, their attires a striking combination of scanty leather and woven foliage that clung to their form. Each had a fierce expression and commanding presence that made it clear these women were not to be trifled with. Tenshi and Akuma, in particular, bore the brunt of their disdain -most likely due to their filthy appearances, marked by dirt and sweat from being dragged here.

“Sorry about the looks, man. This village really has a thing against men.”

A perplexing silence followed, prompting her to glance back while calling out, “Shibo?”

But there was no response, only the unsettling realization that her waist felt oddly unencumbered. Though she preferred to avoid unnecessary stress, she understood the urgency of locating him -otherwise, she would be in deep trouble.

With a heavy sigh, she began the task of leaving the two unconscious boys in front of the dungeon’s entrance, fully aware that her next mission would be to search for Shibo.