The beastmen stood frozen, their eyes wide as they stared at Sumi. The woman slowly lowered herself onto her knees, overwhelmed.
"Wow… I cannot believe…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Tokarou watched them without expression. His tone dropped into something calm yet sharp.
"What were we talking about?"
The woman snapped back to reality, as did the two men behind her.
"Y-yes…" she stammered before rising to her feet again.
She placed a hand on her chest and introduced herself.
"My name is Maleta… and these two are Soujo and Fura."
Soujo, the one standing on the right, gave a stiff nod.
Fura, on the left, nodded as well, though his tail flicked nervously behind him.
Tokarou stared at them for a moment before asking,
"Why did you agree to take us to your village so easily?"
Maleta blinked, startled by the question.
"Because… you said you were travelers and lost. So we thought we could help—"
Tokarou cut her off, his voice still quiet but holding a faint edge.
"We're humans. The same humans who cast you beastmen out. You expect me to believe you're willing to help us without hesitation?"
Maleta shook her head quickly.
"No! You are not the ones who—"
Tokarou stepped forward slightly, stopping her words again.
"Then why are you trying to trap us?"
Her eyes grew wide.
Soujo and Fura both stiffened, tails bristling.
Maleta forced a small, shaky smile.
"W…what are you talking about?"
Tokarou stared directly into her eyes, unmoving.
"You're talking with someone."
Maleta froze completely.
Tokarou continued in the same calm tone.
"Earlier, when Sumi was speaking with you, I saw a line going from your head into the jungle. I Went near it without you people noticing."
Sumi's gaze slowly shifted toward him, her red eyes narrowing with interest.
Tokarou finished,
"And I heard your voice say: 'Warning… two dangerous intruders approaching. Get the trap ready.'"
The entire group went silent.
Soujo's pupils shrank.
Fura's mouth dropped open.
Sumi tilted her head, her voice soft.
"Is that so, darling?"
Maleta's breathing became unsteady. Sweat slid down the side of her face as she backed up a step, her mind spiraling.
'Impossible… impossible… how…?
Telepathy is a skill no one should be able to see it… no one should hear it…
How can he see a mental link how can he hear a mental message, what are these two, how—!'
Her thoughts were pure panic, repeating the same question over and over.
'Who are these people…!?'
Maleta swallowed hard, her lips trembling before she finally spoke.
"It's… it's because we thought you were a threat."
Sumi's eyes lowered slightly. Her gaze turned cold as she looked at them.
"Oh?" she said quietly.
"And what do you think now? Aren't we a threat anymore?"
No one answered.
Soujo's ears flattened against his head. Fura stood stiff. Maleta couldn't bring herself to speak at all. The forest around them felt silent in a way that pressed against the chest.
Tokarou closed his eyes slowly. When he opened them again, his voice was steady.
"That thing you were using earlier… was that magic?"
Maleta hesitated, then shook her head.
"No… it wasn't magic... That was a skill."
"A skill?" Tokarou asked.
Soujo spoke up carefully this time.
"Skills are abilities granted by birth, race, or experience. Things like telepathy, enhanced senses, or resistance. They don't consume mana like magic does."
Fura nodded.
"Magic, on the other hand, is something anyone can learn...if they have mana and knowledge. You shape mana using formulas, elements, or chants."
Tokarou listened closely.
"So skills are more… instinctive?"
"Yes," Maleta replied. "They can activate naturally but magic requires control."
Sumi crossed her arms, glancing between them.
"Then show us magic."
Maleta stiffened.
"Can't you guys use magic?"
Sumi stared at him and said.
"Just do what we say."
Tokarou nodded.
"If you want us to trust you."
Maleta took a slow breath and stepped forward. She placed her palm over the ground beneath her feet and closed her eyes. The air around her shifted slightly as faint brown light gathered around her hand.
"This is earth magic," she said.
The soil beneath her palm began to move. Small stones trembled, then slowly rose, clumping together. In a few seconds, the dirt shaped itself into a solid stone about the size of her head. She lifted it carefully and set it down.
"It consumes mana depending on size and complexity," she added.
"If I push too hard, I'll exhaust myself."
Sumi crouched down and touched the stone but as she did that the stone crack and broke into many pieces, Maleta's eyes wide when she saw that.
"So this is magic…first time seeing in real.." she said in a small wishper.
Tokarou nodded slowly.
"I see..and skills don't work like this."
'I thought skills were same as magic since those overpowered characters kept using them..' He thought.
"No," Maleta replied. "Skills are always active or triggered by thought. That's why I was panicking… no one should be able to notice telepathy."
Silence settled again.
Then Tokarou spoke.
"We're not here to harm your village."
Sumi stood up, her cold gaze softening just a little.
"But if you try to trap us" she said quietly.
"you won't get another chance."
Maleta lowered her head deeply.
"I understand."
Sumi leaned closer to Tokarou and whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Darling...I want to try magic…"
Tokarou glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked unusually focused.
"Can you send me into the sky?" she added quietly.
He stared at her for a moment, then nodded without questioning it.
Tokarou stepped forward and bent down, placing both of his hands firmly on the ground. Sumi stepped onto his palms without hesitation, balancing herself naturally. In the next moment, Tokarou pushed upward with overwhelming strength.
The ground cracked slightly beneath his feet.
Sumi was launched high into the air, far above the treetops. Wind rushed past her ears as her body rose higher and higher. She looked down and saw the endless forest stretching in every direction, green waves without an end.
Hanging in the sky, she murmured softly,
"Magic… mana… I think it's like water…"
Her voice carried a strange calm.
"Water is beautiful… but sad…"
She closed her eyes.
In her mind, she imagined water, not raging, not frozen, just pure blue water, flowing endlessly. Slowly, something happened. A faint blue glow appeared above her head, forming a thin ring of liquid light. The water didn't fall. It hovered, circling her head like a halo.
Then more water gathered.
Droplets formed out of nothing, pulled together by her will. Streams connected, twisting gently around her body.
Below, Maleta looked up.
Her breath caught.
A memory surfaced in her mind, words once spoken by an old priest deep within her village.
'The one who suffers is precious to the Lord. Not giving up is the path. Search for them, and you will find the god you seek.'
Her eyes widened as she watched Sumi suspended in the sky, surrounded by flowing water. Sunlight reflected off the liquid, making it glow softly.
At that moment, Tokarou grabbed Maleta, Soujo, and Fura without warning. In a blur, he took off, sprinting forward at terrifying speed. The three of them didn't understood what was happening, only feeling the ground rush beneath them.
Above, Sumi raised her hand higher.
The water responded instantly, gathering into a massive stream.
"Water is…" she said quietly,
"suffering… and happiness."
She released it.
The collected water surged forward like a solid beam, roaring through the air. When it struck the ground, the impact shook the earth violently. Trees were pushed aside, the ground splitting as dust and steam erupted upward.
The ground trembled.
When the smoke finally cleared, silence followed.
Where solid land had once been, there was now a massive lake. Clear water filled the crater completely, its surface calm and reflective.
Sumi slowly descended, the last traces of water fading from the air as the sunlight reflected across the newly formed lake.