"Is it, is it over?"
The pink-haired Ogre girl, who would become Shuna in the future was still somewhat lost in thought.
Following her brother and clansmen, they had formed a search party and successfully located the Insect Monster's nest.
Originally, they only intended to test the strength of these Insect Monsters and estimate how many more were still in the nest.
But who would have thought that the Insect Monsters, initially judged to be without reason, would deliberately feign weakness, luring the Ogres deeper and deeper?
By the time they realized it, it was already too late.
There was no other way. Faced with the encirclement formed by a tide of Insect Monsters, everyone could only break through under the leadership of her brother.
However, the Insect Monsters seemed to have anticipated that reaction.
Kill one wave, and the next would immediately fill the gap.
They were endless, as if they could never be completely killed.
Soon, casualties began to appear among the clansmen.
Magicules and stamina were heavily consumed, weapons were damaged, and comrades fell one after another.
For a time, the Ogres, always known for their bravery and skill in battle, could only fight to the death with their backs against the wall.
However—
The disparity in numbers between the two sides was too great.
When the girl's best friend fell protecting her, Shuna had already prepared for death.
But death never came.
Ogerpon!
Shuna would never forget.
At her most dangerous and desperate moment, what she saw was that small figure descending from the sky, saving her and her dear friend.
Her appearance was different from theirs.
But the blood that flowed within her was undoubtedly the same.
The other party was an Ogre!
There was no doubt about that!
The same Ogre horns, the same ferocity, the same monstrous strength.
Charging forward, invincible.
That was an unparalleled bravery Shuna had never imagined before.
Rumble~
The ground trembled, and a deafening roar filled the air as Shion, who had recovered, pulled Shuna away.
Shuna instinctively looked back.
What she saw was a towering pillar composed of hundreds of stacked magic circles.
"Highest-tier Explosion Magic: Explosion!"
Emerging from her earlier memories, Shuna gazed at the enormous crater in front of her, which seemed to pierce the earth. "This, can this really still be called magic?"
"Explosion Magic, so strong..."
Just as stunned as Shuna were Shion and the surviving Ogres, including Benimaru.
"Look over there!"
"Is that... a human?"
As the smoke dissipated, everyone clearly saw the two figures at the edge of the giant crater. One of them was the small kinswoman who had just saved them.
But what surprised the Ogres was Rin, standing beside Ogerpon.
"Rin, they're coming over."
Noticing the Ogres approaching, Ogerpon instinctively stepped in front of Rin and looked at them warily.
"You are human?"
They looked at Rin with disbelief, not understanding how a human could be here.
After all, the Great Jura Forest had always been a monster's domain. At most, humans hunted low-level monsters around the edges. No one had ever penetrated this deep.
"No, not human."
"His eyes, that's not a human eye color."
"And that aura."
The Ogres quickly noticed the oddities. Rin's golden eyes and the vast amount of magicules emanating from him were powers no human could possess.
"I apologize. My clansmen and I have been rude."
Benimaru, as the leader of the group, quickly stepped forward and bowed to Rin in apology. "May I ask, was the nuclear strike magic just now cast by you?"
"If you're talking about Explosion Magic, yes, I cast it."
"Thank you so much for your timely help in our time of crisis!"
Hearing Rin confirm it, Benimaru lowered his posture even more. "We are the Ogres living in the forest. May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Itoshi Rin, and this child is Ogerpon."
"Ogerpon? Itoshi Rin?"
"They have names?"
Hearing their names, the Ogres were even more shocked, not expecting to have the good fortune to meet two named monsters.
It turned out that not only Ogerpon, but Rin was also a named being with his own name.
Moreover, it was unclear if it was just their imagination.
Benimaru felt that the pressure emanating from Ogerpon was several times stronger than it had been just moments ago.
"This pressure...!"
Benimaru, Shion, Shuna, and Souei—the future core retainers under Rimuru—all looked upon Ogerpon with deep respect and solemnity, their gratitude transforming into awe.
"Could it be... could it be the legendary Oni?"
"It must be. Only a high-ranking Oni could be this powerful!"
For a moment, the surviving Ogres all showed expressions of admiration and longing.
In the monster world, strength is everything.
Ogerpon was stronger than them, had saved them, and was a higher-ranking existence within their bloodline.
With all these factors combined, Benimaru and the others unhesitatingly extended an invitation. "Please, both of you, come to our village so we may repay your kindness for extending a helping hand in our time of need!"
"Uh..."
"All right. Then we'll impose on you."
Rin had no intention of refusing. He still needed Ogerpon to level up through fighting monsters, and a village of 300 Ogres was simply perfect. "It just so happens that my camp in the forest was destroyed by these insects."
"You had a camp in the forest?"
"Darn insects!"
"It's all right. Our village is very large. You can settle down completely."
"Also, may I ask what the relationship is between Mr. Rin and Lady Ogerpon?"
This last question was what the Ogres were most curious about.
They deeply respected Rin, because it was the young man before them who had cast such a world-destroying nuclear strike magic.
So, not only Ogerpon, but Rin was also their savior.
Of course, compared to Rin, the Ogres still felt a closer kinship with Ogerpon.
"This child is my family."
Rin briefly explained his relationship with Ogerpon.
He didn't tell the full truth, but instead described Ogerpon as a child he found in the wilderness.
The two of them depended on each other in the forest, like siblings.
"Rin is Ogerpon's most important person!"
Ogerpon immediately took Rin's hand, expressing her closeness.
"So that's how it is."
The Ogres understood.
They could easily accept this kind of relationship.
Intelligent monsters meet and live together.
This kind of thing, though rare, wasn't impossible.
As for Rin himself...
There was nothing to hide about his half-demon identity.
Humans may dislike half-demons, but in the world of monsters, as long as you're strong, no one cares if you're half-demon or not.
(To be continued.)