Going to Town and Meeting Some Fellow Redheads

"Quickly, get inside! It's here again! It's back!" I heard bellowed from a tower and I could only smile as I rested my Odachi on my shoulder, the blade resting nicely against my bare flesh.

I continued walking, the grass and the firm dirt crunching under my feet. Looking ahead I saw a city I was reaching was surrounded by a firm wooden wall, some places even being supported by foundations of stone and backed up by pillars.

It was quite the advanced city, honestly.

Walking up to the gate, I lifted a hand and simply pushed the gate open despite it being closed and locked. The entire thing must have weighed 400kg but it was like it wasn't there to my strength. Even though the metamorphosis wasn't completed, my physical strength was obscene and utterly inhuman. Which made me wonder what it would be like once the 'strings' fully merged and aligned.

What met me through the gates were a group of elite warriors who'd actually fought me and survived. They were apparently the top dogs of some kind of Alliance up here in the north of Japan but I never really paid attention to the politics of this period because it changed like the weather.*

(*The Sengoku period was the period which was most full of war and whatnot. The states in power changed from one to another constantly so keeping up to date with it would actually be quite a hassle.)

"Oh~ So you're coming for another shot?" I gave an amused chuckled as I stretched my limbs a little, my sword seeming to hum as it swung through the air, the sound being like the growl of a hungry beast. "Don't think those pesky fucking powers will save you this time - I've thought up some counters that'll put you on your asses!" I gave a yell as I actually felt myself getting excited.

These people were like me. Like that explosion guy I killed a year or two ago. They had powers.

The guy at the front, the leader, stepped forward with his hand wrapped around a studded club which was attached by a rope to his waist. He was tall - very tall, especially for a Japanese person of this time - and he was only an inch or two shorter than my 6'7" height.

Though I had him beat in muscles, I didn't look down on him for it:

Because this bean pole in front of me was one of the few people who could match my physical strength.

"Sadly, we've been given orders to just make sure you don't kill everyone in Sendai," he, Akira, said with a solemn face like he usually spoke with. His black eyes, however, showed genuine disappointment at not being able to fight me. Probably for the same reason as me - he'd probably never met someone as strong as him.

Stopping my stretches, I rolled my eyes, "Orders, orders, orders - how do you guys cope?" laughed a little mockingly before resting my sword back down on my shoulder.

But as I went to walk past Akira, his club was placed over my chest, "Don't cause trouble," he said and I smirked at him before pushing his club out of the way. He was my physical rival but that didn't mean he was stronger than me. "Now that you've said that, I might actively try and make trouble for you guys," I chuckled before lifting a hand to catch an arrow fired right at my head, "Aya...is that any way to treat me?" I smilingly looked to a raven-haired beauty who had an emotionless face, her mouth being covered by a sort of mask.

"Die," she replied coldly and I just shrugged before walking past them.

When they thought I was far enough away to not hear them, they spoke. "Boss," a short guy, Shinji, who was always dressed up like some kind of knock-off ninja, spoke up to Akira first, "Why do we let him act like such an arrogant prick?"

"You know why," Akira scowled, a brief slip of his solemn and stoic mask which rarely happened. Hearing him, I smiled even wider. I knew why they let me as well.

I was stronger. Or at least strong enough to fight their entire group. An entire group which was currently leading the strongest Alliance to taking over Japan. An entire group that could take on a reasonably sized army and come out as winners.

I had the killing power of over a thousand men. I was not one to make enemies with.

Not unless you wanted to die, at least.

. . .

"How come you never seem to age?" an aged man spoke to me, his breath stinking of alcohol. Alcohol still dripping from his lips and spraying in front of him as he spoke. Not that I cared - I'd had blood and vomit, spit and snot projectiles straight onto my face, so it was safe to say I'd had worse.

Laughing, I took a swig of one of the nicer tasting spirits in this land, "Don't you know? I'm a Yokai, according to the common folk," I chortled before putting the gourd down.

The man just gave me a wry, thin smile as he shook his head, "I'm being serious, idiot," he spoke, his rarely seen seriousness bringing a raised eyebrow out of me, "Why don't you age? How old are you? I'm pretty sure you're still human but sometimes it gets pretty hard to tell," he laughed toward the end, knowing I wouldn't take offense as I wasn't someone easy to offend.

Shrugging, I let out a deep breath, "I don't know, Hiro. I just heal and heal - you've seen it yourself. Aging is just like a wound, so I guess I heal that and keep myself in my prime," I said, not knowing how to explain telomeres to a man from the 16th century. "And my age..." I said before frowning a little and scratching my chin, "If I had to take a stab in the dark, I'd say...37," I said adding up my age from my past world and the apparent 18 years I'd spent in Sengoku period Japan.

How did I figure out the last part? Well, it's not anything for certain but the best I could do was figure out which year the rumors of a red-haired demon prowling the battlefields of the north started. Which was 18 years ago.

...To think I'd done nothing but kill for nearly two decades...it was a depressing thought.

"37-years-old...and yet you look like you're in you early to mid twenties...I'm truly envious, you lucky bastard," Hiro laughed before taking another swig of his drink.

Coming out of such depressive thoughts, I remembered why I actually came here to Hiro's estate, "Do you have the stuff I wanted, Hiro?" I asked, not needing to be polite with the only person who doesn't treat me wholly like a monster.

"Jeez, is that all you came here for? I thought you were visiting your only friend on his birthday," Hiro gave a mock look of sadness and if not for the impatient look on my face, I'm sure he'd have carried on with the joke but thankfully for my already teetering sanity, he continued, "Okay, okay, I'll go get the you impatient bastard," he muttered before standing up and wandering off.

Hearing what he said, I didn't get angry and just laughed. Who else would have the balls to speak to me so vulgarly? Mother's warned their daughters to beware the red ogre otherwise he'd eat them and father's warned their sons to not adventure too far into the city's surroundings otherwise they'd get crunched into paste and eaten by the red-haired ogre that prowled the surroundings. Yet Hiro spoke to me like I wasn't some kind of brutal murderer who'd killed more people than most Samurai combined.

It was truly refreshing.

Soon after, Hiro returned, holding multiple bags himself and with a few maids and servants following behind him carrying even more bags, "I don't know what the Ogre of the North needs with art supplies but you really owe me this time - it cost so much money!"

Rolling my eyes at what he said, "Don't call me such a corny name," I scoffed before standing up, ignoring the flinch most the servants tried and failed to hide at my sudden movement, "Is it so hard to believe that after destroying things for so long I want to try my hand into creating something?" I smiled before taking a bag from Hiro and peering into the bag; canvases, paints, brushes, paper and pencils. Nodding, I looked back up at Hiro, "I'll pay you back with a few good paintings once I get good enough. Until then, I'll just protect your merchants if their route comes past where I live. Send some kind of messenger if certain merchants are delivering more important supplies or whatever," I waved my hand dismissively and yet Hiro looked like he'd hit the jackpot.

Taking the bags from the servants, I turned to Hiro, "Well, I'll be off then. Until next year," I said before leaving.

I'd met Hiro about a year and a half ago and he'd been on the brink of getting killed by a bunch of bandits. Seeing the point in maybe helping someone to gain some connections, I killed the bandits and like I thought, Hiro was a merchant. Quite a successful one, at that. Since I saved him, he was actually willing to look passed the 'rumors' surrounding me and even when he found out they weren't rumors and were just the truth about me - other than the rumors about me being a genuine monster.

Hence why I kept in contact with him. He was a decent guy to have a drink with and speak to. Even if I was incapable of getting drunk.

Anyway, as you might have figured, I offer my services in return for favors. These art supplies were one of those favors. In the end it was a beneficial relationship.

Exiting the estate in a stunning display of speed, I moved to the gate for the city. I wanted to get some practice in for painting and drawing, so I couldn't spend all day in this place. It was good to have a hobby other than fighting and killing people, right? I hope so.

. . .

Walking toward the exit, I felt a tug behind me and I turned with a raised eyebrow only to raise the other one in surprise as I saw two red-haired children standing in front of me.

...I haven't sired any kids, right?

But such a thought was quickly squashed as I saw that their red hair was more of an auburn color when compared to my vermilion shade. Plus the fact that they had black eyes, very Asian centric facial features, oh and the biggest thing against them being my kids? I hadn't had sex with anyone in this place.

Not by choice, either. But who'd want to sleep with someone who kills people constantly? Maybe it'll change when they know I'm a man of culture who likes to paint and draw.

...Probably not.

"Yes?" I asked, looking down at the older-looking of the two, who seemed to be a girl. But because of their age it was quite hard to tell, honestly.

"M-Mr. Ogre, please teach us how to use our Yokai powers!" the kid screamed, bowing along with their much younger sibling who barely seemed 4-years-old. I was momentarily stunned by what the kid said before I cracked a smile and started laughing.

"Hahahahahahaha!" I couldn't stop laughing as I looked at the kid's sincerity and seriousness when asking such a ridiculous question, "Yokai powers? Bwahahaha!" I asked before bursting out in laughter again.

"Yes, Yokai powers!" the kid looked up at me with hopeful eyes before looking a little sad and forlorn, "The people in this place say we're the children of monsters because of our hair-color. Some of them even say we're the same as you! So, please, teach us how to be strong like you so we don't have to go hungry anymore! So we don't have to put up with the older kids beating us up!" tears began to collect in the kids eyes and I stopped laughing.

Huh. That's a new feeling. Sympathy. I haven't felt that in...well, I haven't felt it for as long as I've been here.

"...What're you names?" I asked with a neutral tone.

Upon hearing my question, the older kid rapidly wiped at their eyes and nose before puffing out their chest and introducing themselves, "My name is Mai and this is my little brother Junichi!" they said and the little kid next to her just nodded his head up at me with shining eyes.

The last thing I ever expected to see in a kid's eyes when they looked at me...would have to be admiration. But these two were looking at me as if I were some sort of godly being.

Turning around, I heard the two of them begin to sniffle, so I turned my head and looked over my shoulder, "What're you crying for? Dry those tears and follow me. Just don't blame me when you realize the kind of person I really am," I said and they both perked up instantly in excitement, "And one last thing," I sighed, feeling slightly annoyed, "I'm not a fucking ogre, you brats."

And with that, I found two little brats who would become my disciples.