"Slap!"

However, just as Momiji opened her folding fan, preparing to subdue those ignorant clansmen, she froze.

She turned her head, only to see Rin passing by her.

At that moment, because of the shock in her heart, Momiji couldn't react at all.

There was nothing she could do. Rin's movement not only interrupted her rhythm but also scattered her magicules.

'How could such a thing be possible?!'

It wasn't an attack, and it didn't harm her, yet it instantly silenced her magicules!

If Benimaru and the others had made Momiji realize that there was always someone stronger, then Rin's presence completely shattered her worldview.

'So, so terrifying.'

Momiji thought.

"Who do you represent?"

Rin stood in front of the group of Tengu. He looked at the young Tengu named Shu and asked, "Is it yourselves, or someone else?"

"You, what do you mean?!"

Shu's magicules were probably around seven thousand.

Similar to Souei back then, he could be considered a young prodigy of the Tengu Clan.

However, with such strength, let alone compared to Momiji, he might not even rank among the top hundred in the Tengu Clan.

It was hard to imagine he actually had the guts to stand in front of Rin.

"Don't you understand?"

Rin sighed, and when he looked up again, Shu felt an unimaginable sense of oppression engulf him completely.

"Then I'll say it again."

As Rin's words fell, the four Tengu who followed Shu collapsed instantly.

They lay on the ground, already unconscious.

And beside them, Shion stood quietly, her eyes filled with the natural confidence of someone who had just taken out trash for Rin.

"So fast!"

Momiji could see Shion's movements, but she was still shocked by how sharp her strikes were.

In an instant, four Tengu were knocked unconscious by Shion.

Not only that, the leg bones of all four were broken by her.

With such injuries, even with the Tengu Clan's secret medicine, they would absolutely not be able to walk for at least ten days to half a month.

"Hoo~"

Momiji didn't blame her at all.

If it were her, she might have struck even harder than Shion.

Now that those people could still keep their lives, Momiji had nothing more to say.

She chose to remain silent.

Then she quietly waited for Rin's next move.

"You, what did you do?!"

"Damn it!"

Only then did Shu notice his companions falling. He was flustered, but he still mustered up the courage to point at Rin and shout, "How dare you attack us in the Tengu Hidden Village! Even with an elder's protection, you won't be able to leave the Divine Mountain today!"

...

Rin wasn't particularly angry, just speechless.

He wanted to ask if the other party was serious.

"Snow Empress."

Rin didn't bother to make another move, because the other party wasn't worth it.

"Hmph!"

The air turned cold in an instant.

The next moment, Shu, who had been shouting, completely turned into an ice sculpture.

"Crack!"

This wasn't the end.

As Ice Empress flicked her finger, the ice sculpture, along with Shu inside, shattered with a sharp bang.

Yes, Rin had killed him.

"The first time, I could tolerate your rudeness."

"But the second time..."

"I truly cannot understand why someone can be so foolish."

Shion's move had already been meant to establish authority—injuring but not killing.

It both showed Rin's prestige and gave the Tengu Clan some face.

But what was with Shu's behavior?

Was he really that brave?

Not only was he unafraid, but he dared to point at Rin's nose, question him, threaten him, and even tell him he couldn't leave the Tengu Divine Mountain.

Good heavens.

Even Kaede and Momiji wouldn't dare to say such words.

"Sorry, it was my dereliction of duty!"

Momiji had only seen Rin's gentle side before.

Now that she thought about it, how could someone who could subdue Benimaru and her father be without authority?

Rin was not a gentle Japanese protagonist.

For Rin, he could accept enemies fighting to the death and even quite admired such resolve.

But he could not tolerate the foolishness of others.

"Who is behind him?"

"And what are the conflicts of interest?"

Rin released the restraints on Momiji and said calmly, "Tell me everything from beginning to end."

"Uh, that..."

Momiji didn't know how to explain.

After all, she was just a little girl, completely lacking her mother's experience.

"If there are internal conflicts, then resolve internal conflicts."

"Don't worry, speak boldly."

Rin said, "I am not here to enslave the Tengu Clan, but to make you my people, my companions."

"So, whatever your needs are, just tell me."

"As long as I can solve it, I will try my best to help you."

As a lord, he had an obligation to help his subjects solve their troubles. Rin would not let the Tengu Clan pledge one-sided loyalty.

"Rin-sama."

Benimaru saw that Momiji was flustered and said, "Please let Elder Kaede discuss these matters with you."

"Benimaru, you..."

Rin looked at Benimaru meaningfully, making the young man's face turn completely red.

"Knowing how to protect women, not bad, Benimaru."

Rin patted Benimaru's shoulder lightly and said with a smile, "Alright, you guys continue to lead the way."

Rin did not make things difficult for Momiji. He returned to his previous peaceful demeanor, completely ignoring the dead Shu and the four unconscious Tengu.

Rin had asked Shu in what capacity he was standing before him.

If Shu could represent the hawk faction, Rin would not have acted so decisively.

He would have had Shu bring the hawk faction members over.

Then, depending on the situation, he would decide whether to kill them all.

Anyway, the Tengu Clan was going to become his people, so what did it matter to clear out some parasites and fools in advance?

Any race certainly has a few reclusive individuals.

Unless it was like the Goblins, who were on the verge of extinction, or monsters with sparse populations like the Ogre Clan or the Starfang Wolf Clan.

Otherwise, when the forest is big, there are truly all kinds of birds.

"That just now, that was already considered a declaration of war, right?"

On the way, Snow Empress voiced her opinion.

"Basically equivalent to a declaration of war."

Artoria was a monarch; she had fought countless wars.

Therefore, no one here had more right to speak than her.

(To be continued.)

***

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