Chapter 12. Aunguru Tribe Base

"I've come quite close to the Aunguru tribe, huh," Julius muttered, brushing past the gigantic trees.

Emerging from the thick forest, he stepped into a slightly flat, open area. In the distance—about a few hundred meters away—stood a colossal wooden gate, crafted from ancient oak. That gate was not alone. Massive curved walls extended from either side, enclosing something within a large circular boundary.

"This has to be the Aunguru tribe's village. The map points directly to this spot," he confirmed to himself.

"But how do we sneak inside? Their numbers are insane... and we're just two. And let's be honest, only Saya is actually useful here."

Julius stood still, thinking hard, his eyes scanning the terrain.

"Oh, yes. An idea!"

He raised his hand and chanted:

"Maiden Summon: Saya."

A golden light burst into the air, and from it emerged Saya—kneeling gracefully on one knee, her head bowed in respect.

"How can I assist you, master?" she asked softly.

"Saya, I need your help to sneak inside," Julius said seriously.

"Whatever you command, I shall obey," Saya responded without hesitation.

He pointed toward the gate.

"Do you see those huge wooden gates?"

Saya turned in the direction he indicated. The area wasn't completely flat—though there were no towering trees, there were patches of wild grass, low bushes, and uneven terrain.

"Yes, master," she replied after scanning the area.

"Alright Saya, listen to the plan."

Julius leaned in and carefully explained his strategy to her.

Afterwards, both of them got on the advance bike, with Julius at the controls. He drove silently until they were about 50 meters from the gate. Then he brought the vehicle to a halt, and Saya got off.

"Now, everything depends on you, Saya," Julius said, locking eyes with her.

"Yes, master," she replied with calm conviction.

Julius quickly concealed himself and the bike within the cover of a bush.

Meanwhile, Saya slowly drew her black katana. She took a battle stance—left leg forward, right leg behind, blade held with both hands angled behind her. Her aura turned razor sharp.

Then she dashed forward at blinding speed and swung her katana upward.

A violent wind blade erupted from her sword, slicing diagonally through the gigantic gate. With a thundering crack, the gate broke free from the wall and crashed to the ground.

Instantly, the entire tribe noticed her. Men, women, and children all turned to face the mysterious intruder.

The women and children screamed and fled into their homes—simple shelters made from stacked logs and dried leaves.

The men, however, roared in fury and charged at Saya with whatever weapons they could grab.

Back in the bushes, Julius saw the gate fall and immediately started up his bike again. While everyone was focused on Saya, he veered off toward the side walls—heading for a blind spot the gate didn't cover.

As Saya braced herself to face the entire war party alone, Julius sped toward the wall, launched himself up with a ramped leap, and landed within the village compound—completely unnoticed.

All eyes were on Saya.

Inside the village, Julius moved swiftly, his eyes scanning every direction. He needed to find the leader's base—but since he hadn't designed this village himself, he had no clue about the layout.

Back outside, Saya was already taking down the charging warriors, one by one—her katana dancing like a shadow in moonlight, swift and merciless.

But then… a different kind of warrior stepped forward.

He was unlike the others—towering at nearly 6'7", with a body as broad and muscular as a grizzly bear's. Unlike the others who wielded primitive stone tools, this man carried a massive iron battle axe—larger and heavier than himself.

His gait was animalistic, almost gorilla-like. The ground trembled with each step he took.

Saya narrowed her eyes.

Her blade tightened in her grip.

A real challenge had entered the battlefield.

The air trembled as the monstrous Aunguru warrior pounded the earth with his axe, roaring like a beast. Saya, poised with deadly elegance, held only her black katana—its blade humming with anticipation. Her eyes narrowed. The brute lunged forward, swinging his massive axe with a force that could shatter stone.

CLANG! Saya vanished.

Reappearing at his side mid-dash, she delivered a flurry of slashes—sharp, precise, and too fast to follow. But the warrior's thick muscles absorbed the damage. He bellowed and countered with a sweeping strike that tore through the earth, but Saya had already vanished again.

Suddenly, three Aunguru men joined, their stone spears aimed at her. Arrows whistled in from archers on rooftops. Mages chanted as gusts of wind surged toward her.

Saya spun in a blur. A wind arrow shattered mid-air as her katana cleaved it apart. She somersaulted into the spear-wielders, cutting them down in a heartbeat. The mages fell next—blades slicing through their incantations before their eyes even widened.

The beast roared again, charging like a wild animal. His axe came down like thunder.

Saya disappeared—

SHNK.

She stood behind him, katana dripping, the giant's head slowly sliding off his neck.

Not a single drop of her blood spilled.

Julius had finally located the leader's base. It wasn't some massive castle or fortress—it was a small, watchtower-like structure right in the center of the village. One side of it was completely open, and a simple staircase led straight to the top where a stone throne rested.

There, seated upon it, was the Aunguru leader.

His skin was pitch black, just like the rest of the tribe, but intricate white patterns covered his body like tribal markings. His face resembled a demonic oni mask, and he wore nothing but a leaf to cover his lower half.

On either side of him were two women, resting their heads on his thick thighs. They were his maids, with the same black skin and oni-like faces. Like their master, they only wore strategically placed leaves to hide their private parts.

In the leader's hand was a large staff made of pale, ancient wood. At its center was a swirling greyish-green orb—constantly rotating, humming with eerie energy.

Julius gently descended to the ground on his hover bike, stopping a short distance from the base. Then, he issued a command.

"Cancel Summon: Saya."

With that, Saya vanished in a shimmer of golden light. This had been his plan all along.

—A few moments ago…

"Saya, listen. I'll drop you off about 50 meters in front of the gate and hide nearby. You need to cut through that gate and keep all the Aunguru warriors distracted until I sneak inside and find their leader. Once I locate him, I'll cancel your summon and call you back. But there's risk—if the summon has a cooldown, I might be vulnerable. Can you handle this?"

"Of course, master. But… if there's a cooldown, your life could be in danger. We should consider another plan."

"Saya, do you really think I'm that weak?" Julius teased.

Saya looked away, suddenly feeling guilty. Her head lowered in shame.

"I'm sorry, master. If you wish to punish me, I will accept it.

NOO!,I was just kidding!" Julius laughed.

"Don't worry. Even if I can't summon you back in time, I'll handle things."

Saya looked at him and smiled softly. Julius patted her head affectionately.

—Back to the present…

"Maiden Summon: Saya."

[You cannot summon Saya for 2 minutes.]

"Huh? Wait… seriously!? There's actually a cooldown!?"