Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Equivalent Exchange
The whole world slowed down in Aziel's eyes. His gaze landed on the villagers, their hopeful stares and clenched fists entered his line of sight. Even a few of the elderly and children had come out of hiding to watch, despair no longer evident in their eyes.
Clouds of dust rose slowly as eighteen monsters advanced toward him. He scanned each of them, judging by individual lethality, yet none of them seemed capable of killing him.
Merely taking a single step forward, he was no longer anywhere near the spot he stood previously. To the untrained eye, it must've looked as if he disappeared, ending up directly in front of the Gnoll's without warning.
Aziel stood before a single Gnoll, its bestial glare giving no indication that it registered his presence. Saliva dripped from the monster's maw; its menacing fangs visible for all to see.
*PHOOM—PHOOM! CRACK!*
Within a split second, that same monster had its chest caved in by two successive attacks. Aziel's jabs were swift and deadly, leaving no room for evasion. Blood sprayed freely from the Gnoll's snout as it limply slid across the dirt, its heart already destroyed.
Only seventeen remained.
Finally noticing Aziel, the monsters locked onto his figure with murderous glares, itching to tear his flesh and drink his blood. Feeling such malice closing in on him, Aziel walked slowly as two Gnoll's at the forefront barreled toward him.
The ten-meter distance was closed almost immediately. Both Gnoll's lashed out with their claws, only to be met with empty air. Confused, they turned their heads, surprised to see Aziel continuing to walk forward behind them. Enraged by this display, the two monsters turned around to strike at him once more.
However, just as they were about to attack—
"Fuck off"
Aziels voice reached their ears as blood and entrails began spilling out of their bisected torso's, promptly sliding off the lower half of their body's.
Only fifteen remained.
Spine-chilling roars resounded as the rest quickly made way to attack.
Another Gnoll swiftly arrived in front him while three more followed suit closely behind. The leading monster leapt through the air, diving straight toward him with its claws brandished.
Aziel regarded the monster with a single glance, watching it slowly come within a few feet of him. Calmly lifting his leg, he rotated his torso to the left ever so slightly, before releasing a horizontal kick with immense force, driving his foot deep into the monster's skull and shattering it completely.
*GARGH!—CRSHHHH!!*
Due to its momentum, the Gnoll's corpse shot out like a bullet, flying into an already broken-down house. Wreckage and debris scattered in all directions as the rest collapsed in on itself.
Witnessing this scene, the three monsters who'd previously been preparing to pounce on him slowed down their charge, a sliver of fear manifesting within their psyches.
However, Aziel gave them no time to worry as he took another step forward, instantly appearing in front of them. The wind whistled alongside his movements, his lethal kicks crushing bones and organs. All three monsters were launched through the air like broken kites, their mangled bodies hanging limply.
Only eleven remained.
Aziel ducked his head, evading an overhead slash. Using that momentum, he shot backward, his forearm directly meeting the Gnoll's solar plexus. Doubling over in agony, the monster was forced to its knees, only for Aziel to deliver a roundhouse kick to its head, shattering its skull and sending it flying.
More and more Gnoll's gathered around, attempting to eliminate him with their numbers. Yet…Aziel remained untouched. No matter how many attacks were dished out, no visible injuries could be seen on his body. Moreover—it seemed as if they were suffering more than he was.
Tilting his head, razor sharp claws swept past as a small gale of wind whipped his hair back. Grabbing the Gnoll's outstretched arm, he yanked it back, not only reeling the monster in but also propelling himself forwards.
*BANG—CrAAaaaCk!*
In the blink of an eye, Aziel's knee was buried into the monster's rib cage, pulverizing its internal organs. Still held in Aziel's firm grip, its body took on the full recoil of his attack, not even allowed to be hurled backward.
"You're not even 'Orcus' material. What gave you the courage to fight me…?"
Narrowing his eyes in disdain, he used both hands to sling the Gnoll's corpse into three of the five remaining monsters, toppling them over like bowling pins.
Turning his head, his oppressive gaze made contact with the other two Gnoll's, both of which were readying their next attack, but flinched and took a step backward upon realizing they were next.
Instantly accelerating forwards, Aziel was already in the air, his knee colliding with the snout of a Gnoll, crushing the whole front of its cranium. Blood fountained from the dead monster as it shuddered through the air.
Without having to look, Aziel noticed the other Gnoll turning around, preparing to flee for its life. However, escape was impossible. The monster had only managed to get a few steps in before he arrived right behind it.
Immediately grabbing both of the Gnoll's large arms, it struggled fiercely as he placed his foot on the center of its back. Not hesitating in the slightest, he pulled the monster's wrists, the sole of his foot digging deeper into its spine.
*GRAAAAAAAAH!!!*
An anguished wail reverberated throughout the village, making all who heard it shiver in fright.
Until—
*CRAaaACK!!*
The Gnoll's howling was swiftly cut short as it collapsed to the ground, its spine snapped in two. Looking at the dead monster in his hands, Aziel squinted absentmindedly before letting go.
"Who said you could run….?"
Turning around, he began walking toward the last three Gnoll's who'd previously been pinned down by the corpse of their kin. They shuddered, feeling a mountainous pressure weighing on them with every step he took.
Blood squelched beneath his feet as he walked through dirt and grass soaked with viscous red liquid. Despite the hellish battlefield that surrounded him, not a speck of blood marred his clothes.
Seeing the countdown of their lives slowly coming to an end, the monster's eyes flickered with insanity, eliciting roars of madness as they charged with abandon.
Disregarding everything else, only thoughts of survival occupied their minds. With the threat of death lingering overhead, their assault was more ferocious than ever, lunging at Aziel, both claws and fangs bared.
And yet, all of their efforts were rendered useless in the face of Aziel's formidable strength. The leading Gnoll was blown backwards by a single kick from him, dying instantly with its chest caved in.
Sensing an attack coming from his right, Aziel parried it with a slap of his hand, fracturing the bones in the monster's arm before delivering a fierce vertical kick to its jaw, lifting it a few inches off the ground.
Eyeing the last surviving monster as it attempted to trample him from behind, he spun on his heel, his stretched-out leg connected with its neck a moment later, breaking it in the process.
Aziel stared into the dying monster's eyes as if enforcing his will upon it, smothering its unwilling gaze in its entirety.
As the final Gnoll collapsed to the ground, a tranquil silence overtook the surrounding area. Every villager who'd come out to watch was left in a daze, dumbstruck at what had just occurred.
The same creatures who had taken their friends and family away were now lying on the ground, life force completely extinguished. The same creatures that had brought them despair were helplessly demolished by a single individual; a young man who looked no older than 18 at that.
"I-it's…over…."
Upon hearing that remark, everyone came back to their senses, letting out breaths they never realized they were holding. At the same time, recognizing the reality of the situation, their repressed emotions came flooding back in waves.
"We…we're alive…!"
"We've won."
"He really did it!"
Tears gathered in their eyes as they relished the feeling of survival and mourned the loss of their loved ones. Laughing and weeping together as they wiped their eyes, attempting to shield themselves from the pain.
'It's too early to be happy.'
Aziel stood in place; his demeanor unchanged from start to finish. He watched on with an atmosphere completely detached from the somber mood. There had always been a distinct contrast between what he cared about and what he didn't.
To him, there wasn't much of a difference between them and the monsters. If negotiations didn't go well, he was fully prepared to show them another side of humans.
He'd never forgotten his original purpose in coming here.
Eventually, an elderly woman emerged from the crowd of grieving villagers, making her way toward Aziel who stood a few meters out.
Everyone quieted down as they watched their Village Head walk over to their savior. With eyes gleaming with gratitude and sorrow, the elderly woman spoke softly.
"Thank you….thank you for saving all of us. I-if it weren't for you, I'm not sure what would have—"
Choking back her tears, she took a moment to compose herself. Seeing this, the onlookers couldn't help but lower their heads slightly, sadness coiling around their hearts. Some even began sobbing uncontrollably.
"I…I'm not sure what I should call you, savior…." The elderly woman looked up at him after collecting herself, a gentle but melancholic smile gracing her face.
"….I go by Aziel Nox. And you…?"
"Ah…I'm sorry, I should've introduced myself first. My name is Glinda Grassheart. I'm not sure how we could ever repay you for this, but please know that we're all grateful from the bottom of our hearts."
Hearing Glinda's heartfelt words, Aziel nearly smiled. Not because her words had touched him or anything, but because she took the liberty of offering him compensation without any trouble. It turned out, he didn't have to kill anyone after all.
"If it's a matter of repayment, I don't need anything outlandish."
Aziel sent her a meaningful look, to which she widened her eyes slightly.
"Then what—"
"You have money, don't you…?" Aziel immediately cut her off, his question leaving her baffled.
"I-is that really all you want? Truly?"
"I just said that, yes?"
Although the village would also require even more money than they had at present, she was still more than willing to give him every coin they could scrounge up.
Just like that, Glinda had one of the younger women round up the village's funds into a large pouch, before presenting it to Aziel. Though some appeared a little more reluctant than others to part with the money as their livelihoods depended on it.
That, however, didn't concern Aziel in the slightest. After ignoring the cunning old woman's attempts at introducing her daughter to him, he prepared to leave. Turning around with the large pouch of coins at his side, Aziel was interrupted by the sound of Glinda calling out to him.
"Aziel-sama, may I ask what should be done with the corpses of these monsters….?"
Looking into her eyes, he understood what she was getting at.
"Stop beating around the bush. Just keep 'em"
"Sorry…?"
"You wanted them, right? Have at it."
Stunned, Glinda could only bow her head, extremely grateful for his generosity. Reason being was that the materials from the monster corpses would net them more money than what they'd given Aziel.
Of course, the only reason Aziel relinquished ownership was because he didn't feel like loading up each individual corpse into a wagon and slowly bringing them all the way to the nearest town. It
was all too troublesome.
Realizing their savior was leaving the monster corpses to them, the villagers all sent him off with a bow as he disappeared into the forest.
Jingling the pouch of coins in his hands, Aziel sighed in satisfaction.
'No point in doing a good deed if you don't get the credit for it.'
*****
The morning sun hung high, its rays shining down on the forest and bringing warmth to its surroundings. Trees swayed alongside the cool breeze, carrying with it the scent of fresh greenery.
Aziel made it back to the location where he'd first awakened; the forest nearest to the village of Splint-Wood. Scaling up a large hill, he set out to continue training, until the sound of running water drew his attention, also bringing along the realization that he had yet to bathe since coming to this world.
Changing his direction of travel, he sped down the hill at full speed, seeming as if his feet were glued to the earth as he ran unhindered by the steep incline. Not even a minute passed before he made it to a small river gently flowing downstream, its surrounding scenery adjoining wildflowers and large rocks.
After removing his clothes, he stopped by the riverside, looking down at his reflection. It was a face he'd seen his whole life, yet at this moment, his eyebrows weren't furrowed. There was no blood or soot staining his face, and his eyes weren't narrowed with killing intent.
His muscles didn't ache and the callouses on his hands disappeared.
'Crazy…....'
For the first time in a while, he was completely at ease. Despite only arriving a day ago, it'd been the most relaxing experience he'd had in years. He didn't have to give out orders to anyone or deal with cunning individuals who only wished to see him dead in a ditch.
"Yeah…fuck them."
Suddenly, he lifted his foot to take a step forward, acting on a whimsical thought that came to mind. He had no basis for it, but he nonetheless allowed his body to guide him. Hovering over the water, he lowered his leg, bringing it just above its surface.
Then—
'Oh….?'
A cool sensation spread out below the sole of his foot, standing on what seemed like solid ground. However, in reality, there was only water beneath it, yet it wasn't sinking into the river.
Seeing this, he brought his other foot forward, his whole body now settled atop the river's surface. This confirmed the astonishing fact that he was standing on actual water as if it were normal.
Such a magical phenomenon was commonplace in a fictional setting like this. However, this was 'Tortus', the Arifureta universe, where these kinds of abilities weren't seen too often.
It seemed he still underestimated how much of an anomaly he was. He truly couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.
It wasn't until he desired to halt his current actions that he finally submerged himself into the water, ceasing to stand on it any longer.
'I really can move on any surface, huh. What kind of dogshit skill.…'
After rinsing himself off for about 15 minutes, he soon got out and redressed himself. While he hadn't had anything to eat or drink since waking up, he didn't feel the urge to do so even now, a testament to how abnormal he'd become after being whisked away to Tortus.
The rest of his journey flew by uneventfully as he shortly arrived in front of the village's low gates. Making his way inside, he caught sight of the familiar houses made with timber frames, and panels filled with wattle and daub.
Villagers commuted outside, chatting about whatever came to mind. Though Aziel's presence once again drew the gazes of everyone present, hushed whispering traveled from person to person.
One of the village girls was even brave enough to speak, stepping out and waving her hand playfully.
"Welcome home, Aziel-sama!"
They all looked at her as if she were crazy.
Aziel only glanced at her, shaking his head.
"Yea, well I don't live here, thanks."
The girl chuckled awkwardly as her movements went stiff, eliciting a round of laughter from the onlookers and dispelling the rigid atmosphere. More villagers gathered their courage and spoke to him upon realizing he wasn't as scary as they'd initially thought.
"Hey! Aziel-sama! Look here! Do you think this hairstyle suits me?"
"Not quite."
"Aziel-sama! Here! Here! Did you have a good night's rest?"
"Yea, the hard mattress did wonders."
"Are you tired, Aziel-sama? You can sit on me if you'd like!"
"Take that kinky shit elsewhere."
"Aziel-sama! How'd you get so handsome? Could you share some with me?"
"Did he just call me handsome?"
A crowd gathered around him as he walked toward Randolph's house, uproarious laughter and chatter filled the streets. Whilst casually responding to their random comments, he caught sight of Randolph briskly walking toward him, a relieved expression on his face.
The villagers parted like the sea, making way for Randolph as he approached Aziel.
"Aziel-sama, you're here!"
Randolph was so relieved he nearly clung onto Aziel's clothes. Hearing such an impassioned exclamation coming from an old man, Aziel fought to keep his expression from twisting in disgust.
"Yes, I'm here, but why the hell are you causing a scene?"
Realizing his mistake, Randolph stood up straight, clearing his throat in feigned composure as if his previous outburst was a lie.
"I've been looking all over for you, Aziel-sama. When I noticed you weren't in your room this morning, I thought something might've happened…." The old Village head sighed, looking as though he'd aged a few years.
On the off chance something had actually happened to Aziel, Randolph was sure the first place his family would look was their village, and upon finding out that Aziel had gone missing, they would have his head. Additionally, he couldn't say with certainty that only his head alone would roll, perhaps even the other villagers would be implicated.
Though he had no way of knowing that his worries were all for naught unless Aziel explicitly told him. In which case meant that the old Village head was doomed to suffer from constant worry for the duration of Aziel's stay.
"You've suffered…" Aziel patted Randolph's shoulder with mock sympathy, before giving him a nod of approval and walking around him, continuing in the direction of his house.
"N-not…at all" The old Village head remained rooted in place, a twitching smile plastered on his wrinkled face.
The rest of the day was spent preparing for the upcoming flower festival. Spreading flowers and decorations to every corner of the village, everyone indulged in the festive atmosphere.
Despite Randolph's attempts at getting Aziel to participate, he'd only managed to get him to show his face every once in a while, which in turn, motivated all the women in the village to look their absolute best for the remainder of the competition.
Another three days passed like this, drawing an end to the village's flower festival.
Currently, Aziel sat on the front porch of Randolph's house, rereading the same books for the tenth time. Just then, a young man came running, calling out to him with perspiration covering his forehead.
"Aziel-sama….!"
Slipping a piece of cloth into the book, he closed it before answering.
"For you to call my name so obnoxiously, I expect something important."
The young man took in a few deep breaths of air, wiping his sweat and calming his pounding heart.
"T-the Merchant Caravan has arrived!"
Raising an eyebrow, Aziel stood up. It seemed the time had come. His lips nearly curled into a smile; things were finally getting interesting.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Depraved_Chap
Depraved_Chap Need a few powerstones to boost my stamina. If you're enjoying this story, drop a review for me; I'd appreciate it.
I'll try to get another chapter out as soon as possible, but no promises, okay?
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