Kairo cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp in the quiet campsite.
"Well then, kids. You know what? After watching your friends die, I will die over and over again for your sake."
A smart-looking boy stepped forward, eyes sharp with doubt.
"How will you be able to kill ten thousand soldiers? Ten thousand men and twenty thousand women? Not only that—kids too."
His sister moved up beside him, equally sharp.
"What about you? More importantly, how will you handle it?"
"My powers are logicless. Or you can say… beyond logic."
"Wait, are you a magician?"
the boy asked, leaning in.
"Hmm. Magicians exist in this world too, huh? I thought I was the only one."
Kairo gave a small nod.
"Okay, so… well then. Now let me introduce my robots."
He slammed his fist into the ground with sheer force. The earth rippled as puppet-like figures rose from the dirt—shaped roughly like Kairo, yet their faces were disturbingly off, features slightly warped.
"Ohh damn it, I forgot about the psychology of people."
Kairo winced.
"If we see people who look similar to humans but kinda off… people are gonna fear a lot."
He quickly wiped the faces clean off the puppets.
"Sorry, kids, for scaring you."
One clone scattered into the forest. An hour later, the faceless puppets returned, dragging five deer carcasses behind them.
Kairo's face lit up with a tired smile.
"Well, it seems my clones are stronger after all. So… anybody know cooking? Because I don't, and I'm so sorry."
A bunch of girls stepped forward eagerly.
"Yeah, we can cook food!"
"Woah, at such a young age?"
"We are not as useless as boys," one girl declared, puffing her chest.
"Ohh yeah? You can cook mud," the smart boy shot back.
"Hey, hey, no fighting. We both need each other," Kairo said quickly, raising his hands.
"Ok, big brother Kairo," the kids chorused.
Kairo smiled softly, warmth flickering in his eyes.
"Yeah… I am your big brother."
He helped skin the deer, cleaned the internal organs with steady hands, and placed them into pots he created on the spot.
"Woah, you can create pots too?!" one kid exclaimed.
"Yeah, I can. Kairo and these clones of mine are made of mud too, so I can create way many things."
He shaped delicate dolls for the girls. The boys crowded around him immediately.
"What about us??"
"Well, I don't know what to create for boys' toys… but who needs toys? Just catch each other, do wrestling, climb trees—just like you do. Girls have to be elegant, but don't do things way too risky."
"Ok, big brother Kairo," one boy replied.
Another girl approached shyly, clutching her new doll.
"Big brother Kairo, why didn't you draw eyes?"
"I made them eyeless for a reason."
Kairo gathered all the girls closer, his expression turning serious.
"About magic—you know, in black magic, magicians use these dolls to cast spells and it works. So listen to me. If I had created eyes for them, evil creatures could come inside these dolls. Also, make sure you don't remember them. If you do, they will become even more interested in you. The more you get scared, the more they scare you, and you will indulge in bad deeds."
"Bad deeds? Won't they kill me?" one girl asked, eyes wide.
"Only Satan makes you do bad deeds, but there are other creatures as well. They will possess you and eat you and all—ohh, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
The children huddled together tightly, trembling. Kairo watched them for a moment, then softened his voice.
"Hey, it's past bedtime. You need to sleep."
One by one, the kids lay down on the hard ground. Once their breathing grew steady and even, Kairo left a clone in his place and slipped away into the night.
He approached the nearby settlement, shadows clinging to his form. Hmm, I think I should become an adult. I won't be adult, but I'll look like one.
Using his clay mud magic, he reshaped his body—lengthening his legs, broadening his shoulders, adding a fake beard. Uhh, this mud stinks, but perfume helps.
He stepped into a perfume shop. The woman behind the counter widened her eyes.
"How much does this cost?"
"My my, you are so young, so powerful, and more importantly… so handsome. You can have it for free."
She bit her lip. "And also…"
Kairo replies "Also??" and then he smiles like a crazy person
Her gaze lingered. Kairo forced a charming smile.
"I will come afterwards. I am busy. I wish I could be with you, but you know… with my busy schedule." He waved casually. "Let's meet again."
The woman smiled and waved back, cheeks flushed.
What is with these adults? I know it is a trap.
[Maybe it was not lol]
Kairo walked deeper into the town and spotted people gathered for a ritual. He approached a man nearby.
"I am a traveler. What are these people doing?"
"Gold coins," the man answered curtly.
Women quickly surrounded Kairo, pressing close.
"Hey, why waste someone for a person who is fat like that?"
The man grew furious and raised his hand to slap the woman. Kairo caught his wrist effortlessly.
"I'm sorry, but I can break your bone like a branch. Because I have the strength of a general."
The man burst into maniacal laughter.
"Ohh yeah?!" He attacked with full force.
Kairo dodged smoothly and ripped the man's arm clean off. The man screamed in agony, but the surrounding crowd only laughed louder.
"Hey, you are unable to stand up. Do you need a hand?" Kairo tossed the severed arm casually.
The crowd roared with laughter. More women swarmed around him.
Wait, what? How did I get so strong? I'm acting arrogant, but I didn't intend to be arrogant. Maybe it is the magic.
"As much as I have knowledge, it didn't say it improves my prowess. So it must be something else."
The women leaned in, kissing his cheeks. Good thing my virginity isn't over because of that mud magic.
A group rushed in to heal him. Kairo's eyes narrowed as he recognized the face—He was the father of the kid who had killed him before.
Don't worry. Your kid will be next too. I will make sure you both suffer the same fate.
"Well then, you should step inside there," one woman purred, gesturing.
"Woah, what is that? A circle?"
"It shows how much arrogance you have."
"Arrogance? Why would people measure that?"
"It's because in this land, the more arrogant you are, the more power you will gain. I saw that you were shocked by your prowess. It seems you will be king if you were this strong before the ritual."
Kairo jumped into the circle without hesitation. Other men grumbled.
"Hey, you arrogant bastard! We've been standing here for hours!"
A blinding light erupted. The flash numbed everyone's senses. Yet Kairo stood unaffected, seeing clearly through the brilliance. Even the King of the Land of Arrogance, watching from afar, widened his eyes in shock. His guards remained frozen, senses overwhelmed.
"Finally… someone I can enjoy," the King murmured, lips curling.
Inside Kairo's mind, the shadowy figure whispered.
"It is because of me. Remember it. I will still help you."
"And I will still reject you."
Kairo vanished in an instant. The crowd remained stunned. The King spurred his horse forward while his guards were still recovering.
"Whoever brings me that man will be given the role of nobles! Those who are already nobles will be promoted! Any person—he is—find him immediately!"
A guard approached quickly.
"Your Highness, I will make sure I spread these words."
The King nodded, eyes gleaming with dark anticipation.
"It is about time to destroy the child of prophecy."
Kairo cursed under his breath as he slipped through the shadows.
Uhh, goddamn it… I should have stayed low. I didn't know this would happen. I thought I would just get humiliated…
All around the town, people were frantically searching—shouts echoing between buildings, torches flickering in the darkness. Kairo quickly dissolved his mud magic disguise, letting his younger appearance return. Confusion would buy him time. He darted into the hidden tunnel the children had dug earlier, heart pounding against his ribs.
"Uhh, now I'm in a very bad situation…"
he muttered, sweat dripping down his neck.
"And it seems like even the king has noticed me…"
A low, mocking laugh echoed inside his mind. The shadowy figure of himself was clearly amused.
"It was me. Now your strength is normal again."
Kairo's enhanced speed vanished instantly. His legs felt heavy, ordinary. He stumbled for a moment before forcing himself to keep running through the narrow tunnel.
"Wow, thank you very much for your kindness,"
he spat sarcastically.
"Aww, thank you very much,"
the shadowy figure replied in the same mocking tone.
Kairo's face twisted. "He has the same humor as me… Do I sound that lame?"
"I am not lame. Uhh, just be arrogant. Why are you going this far?"
Kairo's breathing grew ragged as he pushed forward through the dark passage.
"Because I am a good guy. I won't follow bad people's ideologies. Those people killed children for the sake of power… and that kid will destroy their power as well as their power too."
Kairo's footsteps echoed louder as he sprinted through the cramped tunnel. The passage the children had dug was painfully short, barely thirty meters long. Each frantic step splashed through shallow puddles, his ragged breathing bouncing off the narrow earthen walls.
Just a little more…
He slammed the hidden door open at the end of the tunnel.
The scene beyond froze the blood in his veins.
Deep in the forbidden stretch of forest that no sane person would ever enter, the campsite lay deathly silent. The King sat casually atop a tree stump in the center, legs crossed, as if he had been waiting patiently for hours. All around him, the eighty children lay slaughtered on the cold ground. Their small bodies were scattered like broken dolls, blood soaking into the earth where they had once slept peacefully by the fire.
Kairo's knees buckled instantly. He collapsed forward onto the dirt, eyes wide with raw horror, breath trapped in his throat. A cold wave of nausea twisted his stomach as the metallic scent of blood filled his lungs.
The King rose slowly, his movements deliberate and unhurried. He placed a heavy, gloved hand on Kairo's trembling shoulder. A cold, satisfied smile crept across his face, eyes gleaming with dark amusement.
Then, in an instant, the King vanished into thin air, leaving Kairo alone in the chilling silence of the massacre.
Only the faint rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a night bird remained. The forest, once a hidden sanctuary, now felt like an open grave.