"Hey, Gobta, are you alright?" Looking at the wailing Gobta, Houndoom said helplessly.
"Houndoom-sama! Takeru-sama! Tsumugi-sama! You're here! I got slashed! It hurts so much! I'm gonna die!" Seeing Takeru and the others, Gobta immediately wailed.
Seeing Gobta's agitated state, Takeru shook his head in amusement, 'It seems Gobta would really need to train under Hakuro for a while before he could truly grow.'
Subsequently, Takeru turned his gaze to the battlefield, where only Rigur was barely managing a fierce battle against the purple-haired Ogre.
Takeru and Tsumugi could clearly see Rigur was at an absolute disadvantage.
Upon spotting Takeru and Tsumugi's arrival, the red-haired Ogre and the white-haired Ogre regarded them warily, also feeling deeply perplexed.
"Nii-sama, they don't seem to be the ones," The pink-haired female Ogre directly addressed the red-haired Ogre.
"Everyone, fall back!" Hearing his sister's words, the red-haired Ogre called out loudly.
Subsequently, the purple-haired Ogre, who had been engaged in battle, ceased wielding his flail, cast a puzzled glance toward Takeru and Tsumugi, and swiftly returned to the red-haired Ogre's side.
"Takeru-sama! Tsumugi-sama! You're here!" Rigur, also noticing Takeru and the others, acted as if he had found a lifeline and quickly approached them.
"Leave the rest to me. Healing!" Hearing his words, Takeru nodded lightly and directly administered large-scale healing to Rigur and the others.
"Well, although they are not my subordinates, I have troubled them considerably these past days. Without a valid justification, I can regard you as intruders, correct?" Looking at the six Ogres before him, Takeru spoke calmly.
Takeru naturally recognized these six Ogres and knew their purpose. Their tribe had been devoured by the Orc army, forcing them to flee here. Unwilling to accept their fate, they sought to confront the instigator, Gelmud.
"Ordinary humans cannot command monsters. You are Majin, are you not? Even if you have altered your appearance and concealed your aura, do not think you can deceive me!" Looking at Takeru, the leading red-haired Ogre declared loudly.
The other Ogres were somewhat doubtful, though uncertain. Unlike Rimuru in the original work, who wore a mask leading them to believe he was Majin, Takeru and Tsumugi openly revealed their faces, making the Ogres hesitant.
"Can we only communicate through combat? Tsumugi, choose an opponent as well. It's a good opportunity to test your recent training." Looking at them, Takeru revealed a faint smile.
A brief explanation might resolve the misunderstanding, but Takeru found it troublesome. Moreover, defeating them might also boost his evaluation score.
"Eh, is that alright? They seem to be misunderstanding something, right?" Hearing Takeru's words, Tsumugi hesitated.
"Don't worry. We just need to defeat them." Hearing her words, Takeru said with a light laugh.
"Takeru-sama, Tsumugi-sama, please be careful! Their strength should not be underestimated!" Seeing the Ogres preparing for battle, Rigur spoke nervously.
The Ogres, naturally hearing Takeru's words and sensing the oppressive aura emanating from him, regarded him gravely.
"You dare underestimate us? Is this courage or recklessness? I salute your boldness, and I accept your challenge!" Looking at Takeru, the red-haired Ogre directly declared.
Then, the red-haired Ogre drew his blade and swung it at Takeru. At the critical moment, Tsumugi drew her longsword and intercepted the attack, shielding Takeru.
Sensing the force behind Tsumugi's strike, the red-haired Ogre immediately engaged her in combat.
Seeing this, Takeru stepped into the center. The black-haired Ogre, wielding a large mallet, swung it at Takeru.
Watching the massive wooden hammer descend, Takeru remained calm, lightly flicking his finger. The immense force transmitted through the hammer struck the black-haired Ogre, sending him flying backwards.
Simultaneously, from behind, the purple-haired female Ogre swung her flail at Takeru. Still neither dodging nor evading, Takeru casually caught the flail's head.
With a slight exertion of force, he crushed the flail into an irregular shape, shattering it.
Seeing Takeru casually crush her flail, the purple-haired Ogre's eyes widened in shock. Takeru swiftly moved behind her and lightly tapped her neck. The immense force instantly rendered her unconscious.
Having swiftly dispatched the black-haired and purple-haired Ogres, the blue-haired Ogre lunged from the shadows, thrusting his blade at Takeru's back.
Yet as his sword struck Takeru's back, it was as if he had hit some unyielding object… the blade itself shattered.
Staring at his broken sword, the blue-haired Ogre revealed a horrified expression. Takeru, smiling, turned and delivered a spinning kick, sending him flying.
"Amazing!" Gobta, Rigur, and the others, now healed by Takeru, watched in awe.
"Well? Still wish to fight?" Subsequently, Takeru turned his gaze to the pink-haired female Ogre and the aged white-haired Ogre. As for the red-haired Ogre, he was locked in intense combat with Tsumugi… the two were evenly matched.
Tsumugi had the assistance of her Spectator, while the red-haired Ogre could manipulate special demonic flames. A quick victory was impossible for either.
After briefly assessing their situation, Takeru refocused on the remaining white-haired and pink-haired Ogres.
The white-haired Ogre seized the moment when Takeru's attention seemed diverted. In an instant, he swung his blade directly at Takeru's neck, showing no mercy.
Takeru, however, had long perceived the incoming strike but still made no move to evade.
Clang!
With a sound like metal colliding, the white-haired Ogre's blade struck Takeru's neck. Yet it left not even the faintest mark. Conversely, his exceedingly sharp blade, as if striking some impossibly hard substance, similarly shattered.
Takeru turned his head and smiled at him. Noticing Takeru's smile, the white-haired Ogre looked as though he had witnessed something truly terrifying and instantly retreated at extreme speed.
Yet Takeru moved even faster, appearing behind him. He reached out and tapped his neck, rendering him unconscious like the purple-haired Ogre.
Having knocked out four Ogres, Takeru approached the pink-haired Ogre.
"Have you calmed down now?" Looking at her, Takeru said calmly.
"Yes. I deeply apologize. We have misunderstood you. I will immediately ask my elder brother to cease fighting." Hearing Takeru's words, the pink-haired Ogre bowed and spoke.
"No need for such trouble. Tsumugi, that's enough." Turning his gaze to the red-haired Ogre and Tsumugi Kotobuki, still fiercely engaged, Takeru called out.
"Eh, understood!" Hearing Takeru's words, Tsumugi paused, then leaped back, creating distance from the red-haired Ogre. The red-haired Ogre attempted to pursue but found himself restrained by Takeru's telekinesis.
"Why... I can't move?! Damn it!" Discovering himself bound by an invisible force, the red-haired Ogre was incredulous.
"Please wait, Nii-sama! They are not our enemies!" Seeing her struggling brother, the pink-haired Ogre quickly interjected.
"Please think carefully. Possessing such power, they would have no need to employ such perfunctory methods, directing Orcs to attack our village!"
Hearing his sister's words, and looking at Takeru and Tsumugi, the red-haired Ogre took a deep breath and completely calmed down.
Sensing his change, Takeru calmly released his restraint.
Feeling the bonds disappear, the red-haired Ogre knelt on one knee and apologized to Takeru and Tsumugi.
"I deeply apologize. It seems I was narrow-minded and mistaken. Please accept my apology."
"The ones you should apologize to are not me, but them," Takeru said calmly, looking at the red-haired Ogre.
"Um, may I ask... are you not their master?" Subsequently, the red-haired Ogre voiced his confusion again.
"No, I am not. Their master has already arrived." Hearing his words, Takeru shook his head lightly and pointed in a certain direction. A Tempest Wolf, carrying a slime, appeared before everyone.