A month had passed since the bandits were defeated.
Everwood had changed in ways Itsuki could scarcely believe.
New homes dotted the village, lamps illuminated the roads at night, and the sound of hammers and saws filled the air as villagers worked tirelessly to expand their walls. Guns were being refined, tools perfected, and even small gardens had begun to sprout, promising a steady food supply.
For the first time, life felt stable.
But peace never lasted long.
That morning, Lyra rushed into the council hall, her hair swaying with urgency.
"Itsuki! Scouts have reported a force approaching from the east. Not bandits this time an organized group."
Itsuki rose from his seat, his eyes narrowing.
"How many?"
"Dozens… no, hundreds. But they're not human," Lyra replied, her tone serious.
"They're beastkin."
The word stirred curiosity among the villagers. Whispers spread, beastkin were a distant race, almost human but marked with animal ears, tails, and keen senses. Some said they were savages, others that they were proud warriors with their own kingdoms.
Itsuki stepped outside, climbing the newly reinforced wall. His eyes widened as the approaching column came into view. They marched in formation, banners swaying, and at the forefront rode a young woman on horseback her blue furred tail swaying proudly behind her, her wolf-like ears pricked high.
Her armor gleamed in the sunlight, but what struck him most was her bearing. Regal, confident… undeniably noble.
Lyra exhaled softly beside him. "That's no mere warrior. That's royalty."
As the beastkin delegation stopped at the base of Everwood's walls, the young woman rode forward alone. Her blue emerald eyes locked onto Itsuki.
Everwood had seen many visitors since its founding, but none carried themselves with such pride as Lunaria, daughter of the Beastkin King. Her light blue hair caught the sunlight, her furred tail swaying with every step, ears twitching as she studied the growing village. Behind her followed a small entourage diplomats, guards, and attendants, all cautious but polite.
Itsuki greeted them at the gates with Lyra, Selena, and Elara at his side. The villagers whispered nervously, staring at the beastkin nobles with wide eyes.
Inside the village, Itsuki led them to his home a large wooden hall, sturdy and wide enough to serve as both residence and council chamber. As they sat around a simple but polished table, Lunaria's eyes swept across the room.
"Everwood…" she murmured. "For a settlement so young, you've accomplished much. But strength is not in walls and tools alone. Can your people truly defend what you've built?"
Itsuki leaned back slightly, meeting her gaze. "If danger comes, we'll protect what's ours. Not just with weapons, but with unity."
The beastkin diplomats exchanged glances, still skeptical. Lunaria's expression softened, but her tail flicked once, betraying her wariness.
And then
A thunderous roar split the air.
The ground trembled as shadows passed overhead. Villagers screamed, rushing into the streets. From beyond the trees, a massive wyvern swooped down, wings wide enough to blot out the sun. Its scales glistened like steel, its fangs dripping venom.
The villagers fired arrows and loosed bullets from their rifles, but the beast's scales deflected them like pebbles. It dove, smashing into a watchtower, scattering wood and stone.
Itsuki's eyes sharpened.
"Stay inside!" he ordered the diplomats, then sprinted outside.
Mana surged through him as he willed his power into being. A weapon took shape in his hands not a simple rifle, but a long, gleaming sniper gun, its design intricate, its barrel etched with runes of his Creation power.
He steadied his breath, aimed at the wyvern as it circled back for another strike, and pulled the trigger.
BOOM!
The shot cracked like thunder, echoing through the valley. The bullet, forged by Creation, tore through the wyvern's chest in a single strike. The beast let out a final, blood-curdling roar before collapsing into the forest with a crash that shook the earth.
Silence fell.
The villagers stared in awe, dropping their weapons. The beastkin diplomats, who had rushed to the doorway of Itsuki's hall, stood frozen. Even Lunaria's confident smile faltered, her ears twitching in shock.
"That…" one of the diplomats whispered, "…that wasn't any ordinary magic."
Lunaria stepped forward, her eyes fixed on Itsuki, who lowered his weapon calmly. "You…" she breathed, almost to herself. "…I didn't knew that you had such great strength.
That evening, as the wyvern's carcass was harvested for materials, the diplomats quietly sent word back to the Beastkin King. The report was clear:
Everwood was not a mere village. It was a rising power.
And though Lunaria remained wary, her eyes lingered on Itsuki longer than before part curiosity, part respect, and something she couldn't quite name.
The next day, a message arrived from the Beastkin Kingdom:
"make good relations with Everwood and specially with its leader Itsuki at all costs."