The crimson princess

Pov Dia,

Sera: "What is our first destination, Yasaka-chan?"

We were all aboard the crimson plane I had created to travel quickly without triggering teleportation detection.

I must admit, humans have made remarkable progress in terms of technology, but it's disheartening to see it so often used for war.

Yasaka: "Given the unstable and crisis-ridden situation we're currently facing, we must go to the Oni immediately—they are our primary armed force."

Despite her sadness, Yasaka adapted impressively to her role as the new leader of the Youkai faction.

Dia: "Now that I think about it, apart from the Sword Oni, there hasn't been another Oni who left much of an impression on me."

Yasaka: "You've met the famous Sword Oni?"

She turned to me with a sparkling look of curiosity.

Dia: "Sorry to shatter your dream, but the Sword Oni I met is an arrogant fool who thinks he's some kind of chosen one. After he insulted Rimuru, I left him on the brink of death, but apparently, he managed to survive."

Yasaka, who found Rimuru to be one of the most incredible people, decided to hate the Sword Oni for the rest of his life.

Dia: "But you have to admit that he had a certain talent. Now, we need to see if he's training or if he continues to let his pride control him."

I was familiar enough with the map of Japan to know roughly where the village was, and my crimson plane made no noise, ensuring we didn't disturb the ongoing war.

When we arrived at the Oni village, I saw that it was on fire.

Dia: "At least this is the perfect opportunity to earn their lifelong loyalty. Yasaka, you save the weak and keep them safe while I handle the cause of this fire."

She wanted to protest, but she knew the situation was too dangerous for her to handle my task.

Dia: "Rimuru, you'll assist Yasaka, while Sera helps me. Do you agree?"

They all agreed with my plan, and to make a spectacular entrance, I leapt from the plane, letting my power stabilize it while they stayed onboard.

The wind whipping my face was nothing compared to what I usually experienced at my speed.

As I landed, I saw an old man fighting off enemies while protecting five children who were huddled together in fear.

I intervened just in time, striking down someone who tried to attack the old man from behind.

Dia: "Need a little help?"

He looked at me in amazement before smiling and accepting my assistance.

I must say, he was a skilled swordsman—able to fend off many opponents at once—but he was being overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

Dia: "You're not doing too bad for an elder."

Old Man: "I could say the same for you. How can a child fight with such skill?"

Dia: "Just because I look young doesn't mean I am. I might even be older than you."

Old Man: "That's a bold claim. I'm 450 years old."

I was genuinely surprised by his age, as most Oni only live about 350 years. He was indeed very old—and older than me, at that.

Dia: "I admit defeat in figuring out who's older, but you should be ashamed that a little girl is stronger than an old man with so much experience."

Old Man: "Not all of us are born with natural talent."

Honestly, I liked this old man. He was a skilled swordsman and had the demeanor of a true warrior. He could easily train the samurai forces in my faction. In fact, he'd make an excellent Knight.

The man and the five children left with Yasaka, who had apparently just finished ensuring all the civilians were safe.

Dia: "Now that there's no one to hold us back as dead weight, we can truly give it our all."

And with that, the battle took a dramatic turn.