Chapter 5: A Follower? No, A Distraction

Kazuto walked through the moonlit forest, his crimson slime cloak shifting slightly with each step. He had done what he set out to do—cleansing the filth of bandits from the area and claiming their spoils. The fresh night air was refreshing, yet his mind was already calculating his next move.

Then, he sensed it.

Soft footsteps, light but persistent, trailing behind him.

He stopped. The wind rustled the trees. Silence followed.

A moment later, the sound of hesitant steps resumed.

Kazuto sighed and turned around. The elf girl stood a few meters away, her expression determined yet wary. Even after what she had been through, she still had the strength to follow him. That was impressive.

But he wasn't here to pick up strays.

"Would you leave?" he said, his voice calm yet firm. "I get it—you don't have anywhere to go. But following me isn't going to help you."

The elf girl didn't flinch. If anything, her expression became more resolute.

"You saved me," she said. "I owe you my life."

Kazuto clicked his tongue. "And? What, you think this is a story where you become my loyal servant or something?" He shook his head. "I know I said I wanted to be like Shadow, but having someone like Alpha requires training, discipline… an actual plan."

The girl blinked. "Shadow…?"

Kazuto ignored her confusion and continued.

"Besides, this world's combat style is honestly underwhelming. Compared to Earth, your techniques are rigid, predictable. Even Shadow—Cid—noticed that. He learned everything his world had to offer and went beyond it. I've done the same… and more."

The elf girl took a small step forward. "Then, if you train me—"

"Not happening."

Kazuto cut her off instantly. He turned his back on her and resumed walking. He had more important things to focus on.

The Moonlight Sutra.

A technique known to be one of the most refined and powerful arts in this world. A technique he would steal.

Not out of desperation. Not out of necessity.

But because it was there.

Just as Shadow built his legend piece by piece, Kazuto would do the same. But he wouldn't just follow the same steps—he would surpass them.

And to do that, he needed power. The kind that turned whispers into legends and legends into myths.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

This world would soon know the name Crimson.

Kazuto halted in his steps, his crimson slime cloak billowing slightly as he turned back to the elf girl. She was still staring at him, determined yet confused, unwilling to leave despite his warning.

A chuckle escaped his lips.

"I see… you truly don't intend to go."

He slowly raised his hand, letting the moonlight glint off his fingers.

"I am Crimson," he declared, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. "The unseen force that moves in silence, the abyss that consumes all who stand before me. In the darkness, I rise—not as a savior, not as a king, but as the inevitable."

The elf girl blinked, taken aback by the sudden proclamation.

Kazuto smirked and continued walking, but as expected, she followed.

After a moment, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"At least your mana level is decent," he admitted. "Which means, with proper training, you'll become quite strong."

The elf girl's ears twitched slightly, but she remained silent, listening intently.

Kazuto continued, speaking more to himself than to her. "I'll save six more… and perhaps name you all after the Seven Deadly Sins. All of you are female, huh? Strange, but it doesn't matter."

The elf girl's brow furrowed. "Seven… Deadly Sins?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "You'll understand soon enough."

Her confused stare lingered, but Kazuto was already thinking ahead.

Once he trained them to an acceptable level, they would leave this country. There was no reason to keep them under his wing forever. No, they had a bigger purpose.

They would go beyond these borders. They would expand.

They would start an empire in his name.

A small smile crept onto his face.

"Everything will make sense in time," he murmured. "For now… we have work to do."

The wind howled as Kazuto and the elf girl ascended the mountain trail. The path was steep, but neither slowed their pace. The girl, despite her previous hardships, moved with surprising endurance—another sign of her potential.

Kazuto's eyes swept over the darkened landscape below. From this height, the world seemed so distant, so insignificant. He smirked. It was fitting.

They reached the peak. His domain.

A fortress of jagged rock and mist surrounded the summit, nature itself shaping the perfect stronghold. The air here was thick with mana, far richer than anywhere else he had been. It was why he had chosen this place—it was a land untouched, undiscovered.

The elf girl looked around in awe, clearly sensing the potent energy flowing through the area. "This place... it's different," she murmured.

Kazuto exhaled slowly, extending his hand. Red mana pulsed at his fingertips, forming intricate patterns that spread like veins into the earth. The ground trembled in response, as if recognizing its master's will.

A deep crimson glow engulfed the perimeter of the peak, spiraling upward into an unseen barrier. The air itself seemed to shift, reality bending under the weight of his power.

With a final pulse, the magic solidified.

It was done.

Kazuto lowered his hand, his expression unreadable. "Now, no one—not even Cid—can set foot here unless I allow it."

The elf girl, still mesmerized by the display, turned to him. "You… sealed the entire mountain?"

He nodded. "A sanctuary. A domain that belongs solely to me."

She hesitated, then asked, "Why go this far? What exactly are you planning?"

Kazuto smirked. "That's simple. To build something greater than an empire. A legacy."

The girl studied him for a long moment before finally speaking. "...Then what's next?"

He turned away, staring at the star-filled sky. "Next? We gather the others. The Seven Deadly Sins must take form."

And so, the first piece was in place.