Yuri held Sato protectively in her arms, casting a fierce gaze at the witches gathered in the room.
"I ask that you show more respect to my master and refrain from dragging him into your meaningless banters," She scolded, her voice laced with authority.
Ava shifted uncomfortably and muttered under her breath, "Shut up already."
Yuri's eyes narrowed as she turned her attention to Ava. "Excuse me?" She asked, her tone sharp and unyielding.
Ava recoiled, unable to meet Yuri's unwavering gaze. "I...I didn't mean anything by it," She stammered.
Yuri's expression softened slightly, but her voice remained stern. "My master has not yet recovered his magic as you can see." She said, hinting at Sato's small child-like body, "Show some consideration at least".
Sato suddenly let out a nervous laugh, "Yuri, let's go, that's enough." He said.
"Very well," Yuri responded, striding towards the wall and in an instant, disappeared into thin air.
The rest of the witches just watched, not uttering a word until Yuri was completely gone.
Then Levia broke the silence, "Are you guys sure that was a good idea?" She asked, looking up with her arms tucked, "This was our chance to make him remember his life as the Successor and the goddess alliance."
"I'd rather he doesn't remember," Terafona uttered, which immediately drew the attention of the remaining witches. "Besides," She continued as she stood up, "I'm sure if he wanted to remember, he would have figured out a way. There's no use stressing about it."
"I hope you're right." Kirah said, resting her head on the table with a huge sigh following right after.
Meanwhile, outside the gateway. As they walked through the forest, Yuri carried Sato in her arms, cradling him protectively as they made their way back to the village.
"Honestly, those girls are so selfish," Yuri muttered under her breath, her voice filled with annoyance. "If I hadn't come, who knows what they would have done."
Sato chuckled softly. "It wasn't that serious, Yuri," He said. "They were just trying to help."
"You're equally to blame as well, Master," Yuri scolded, her grip on him tightening unconsciously. "Why did you go to the gateway without me?!".
Sato released a frustrated sigh, trying to wiggle himself free from Yuri's grip. "As I said before, it wasn't my fault," He reiterated. "You were unconscious during the evolution, and there was no way I could have woken you up."
Yuri paused suddenly, a glint in her eye as she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She exclaimed, her grip loosening as she shifted her focus to a new topic. "I wanted to show you something."
Sato raised an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering what it was that had caught Yuri's attention. "What is it?" He asked, his interest piqued.
Yuri gave him a small smile before continuing to walk, "let me take you there." She said, leading him off the path and into the deeper parts of the forest.
As they walked, Sato couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the beauty of the forest around him. The trees towered above him, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. Birds chirped in the distance, and small animals scurried about their business.
Finally, after a few minutes of walking, Yuri stopped in front of a large rock. "Here it is," She said, gesturing towards the boulder.
Sato looked at the boulder, confused. "What am I looking at?" He asked.
<<There seems to be an underground cave behind the boulder, and also living species… perhaps Grim reapers, the magic essence I picked up on led to that decision>>
'Oh,' Sato muttered, still looking at the boulder, 'Why would she want to show me this though, I already know about them?'.
"Master, remember when I told you about the Grim reapers I rule over?" Yuri asked before placing a hand on the boulder.
"Yes I remember, what about it?".
"Well."
Suddenly, the rock began to glow, and Sato gasped as he saw intricate designs and symbols appearing on the surface. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.
"What is this?" He asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
Yuri smiled. "It's a secret domain I created for them," She said. "It's one of the oldest and most powerful spells I can use. The designs you see are the records of all the magic that has ever been used in this forest".
Sato was amazed. "That's incredible," he said, still staring at the glowing boulder.
"Yes, it is," Yuri agreed.
Suddenly, Sato couldn't believe his eyes as he saw the boulder splitting open like a celestial gateway, revealing a blinding light shining from the inside. He watched in awe as Yuri confidently walked towards the light.
"Let me show you," Yuri said, beckoning Sato to follow her.
Without hesitation, Sato jumped down from Yuri's arms and followed her inside the boulder. As soon as they stepped into the light, the rock closed behind them, engulfing them in a soft, warm glow.
Sato stepped inside and found himself standing on top of a high rock surrounded by other rocks. The air was cooler than he expected, yet it felt strangely comfortable.
He looked around, observing the walls adorned with shining rocks that emitted a soft magical energy, keeping the cave cool and warm at the same time.
"This was why you wanted us to walk to the village rather than teleport." Sato said as he knelt down to inspect the ground beneath him.
"Yes, master," Yuri replied with a smile, standing beside him.
Suddenly, Sato's eyes widened in shock when he saw a group of people interacting with each other, completely naked. His surprise was evident when he uttered, "What the hell?".
Yuri calmly explained, "These are the grim reapers".
"You've got to be kidding, there's no way, did…they evolve or something?" Sato asked, his eyes still fixed on them.
<<Yes they did… it would seem that were directly influenced by Yuri's evolution, and they did to… evolved into Soul hunters>>
'That's…kinda impressive.' Sato muttered with a smile, he then looked to Yuri and said, "Quite the loyal subject you've got here…good job".
Yuri's eyes sparkled for a moment before she regained her composure. "It's good, but I don't know what to do with them," she said with a hint of concern in her voice.
Sato stood up and approached Yuri, "What do you mean by that?" he asked, trying to understand her thoughts on the matter.
"I mean," Yuri began, "It was easier keeping them here, they were lifeless and had no form, only followed the simple commands I gave them…but now that they have a form it's more complicated".
Sato nodded thoughtfully, barely understanding the gravity of the situation. "I see," He said, before speaking to his angel 'Aril, translate'.
<<Sigh, Grim Reapers are typically solitary entities whose sole objective is to retrieve lost souls.
They don't need anything to survive and simply feed off magic. However, now that they have evolved into Soul hunters, things are different.
They seem to have developed self-awareness, which means they will most likely want to live, wear clothes, and eat as part of their daily routine.>>
'Ahh, you're right, that could be a problem,' Sato thought to himself, while looking down at the Soul hunters.
<<I suggest, firstly naming them as they is a 98% chance of evolving to increase their intelligence, and then teaching them the basic steps of living, which would include, hunting, fishing, building and so on>>
'Great thinking Aril, as always.' Sato replied with a smile.
<<Praise me more…>>
"Master?" Yuri called out, feeling a sense of unease as Sato fell silent.
Maintaining a composed demeanor, Sato gazed at Yuri with a small smile on his face. "There is no need for concern. I have a solution, all I need from you, is to get their attention".
"O-Okay." Yuri strode purposefully to the edge of the rocky outcropping, her gaze fixated on the bewildered Soul Hunters below who had been stripped of their corporeal forms.
Without hesitation, she surveyed their positions, mentally calculating their numbers and positions before uttering a single word, "Yosh!"
As if on cue, the Soul Hunters looked up in unison, their eyes widening in recognition as they beheld Yuri standing above them, flanked by Sato.
"Arrgh!" One of the Soul Hunters cried out, immediately dropping to his knees in reverence. The others quickly followed suit, their postures deferential as they bowed their heads in submission.
Having captivated the attention of the Soul Hunters, Yuri turned to Sato and announced, "Master, I have their attention."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Sato's lips as he nodded in approval. "Excellent. Now, it's time to begin," he said, directing his gaze towards the Soul Hunters below.
"Good day, Soul Snatchers," Sato began, his voice projecting with a measured tone. "I hope this day finds you well," he continued, his words carefully chosen to convey a sense of respect and diplomacy towards their audience.
Yuri observed her master's communication skills with admiration, recognizing the art of persuasion he had honed over many years of experience. She stood by his side, fully engaged in the unfolding dialogue with the Soul Hunters, ready to support Sato in any way possible.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l