Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

-Third-Person Perspective-

While Luciel and his group were still in the Demon Continent, busy gathering resources for their next long journey...

Elsewhere, deep within the Great Forest of Milis, a desperate struggle for survival was taking place.

When the teleportation incident occurred, Luciel and his younger siblings were flung to the Demon Continent, while Rudeus Greyrat and Eris Boreas were stranded in the middle of the Great Forest of Milis.

It had been a week since their arrival.

And now, they were in deep trouble.

They were surrounded by a pack of Leaf Tigers.

Leaf Tigers were deadly predators that hunted in groups.

Their large, muscular bodies were covered in green fur, allowing them to blend seamlessly with the forest surroundings, and their razor-sharp claws could tear through flesh in a single strike.

Rudeus and Eris had fought back, but there were simply too many of them.

After their previous battle, Rudeus's mana was nearly depleted.

Since he hadn't had enough rest, his mana recovery was sluggish, making it impossible for him to unleash large-scale magic.

Meanwhile, Eris, who had been fighting on the front lines, was beginning to tire.

Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped her sword, her breathing ragged.

But even though her body had reached its limit…

Eris refused to back down.

Her eyes still burned with the fire of resistance, as if declaring she would not fall before her enemies.

However…

With the number of foes continuing to grow, their options were running out.

This was bad.

They both knew that if this continued, they wouldn't last much longer.

The Leaf Tigers encircling them began creeping closer, emitting low growls as they waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Despair crept into their hearts.

Was this the end?

Rudeus bit his lip, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

He glanced at Eris, who was still standing with what little strength she had left, then lowered his head.

"I'm sorry, Eris… I shouldn't have taken this path."

Eris's eyes widened in shock at his words.

She turned to Rudeus, her expression filled with disbelief.

"Rudeus… Why are you saying that?! You're not someone who gives up so easily!" she shouted angrily.

Rudeus clenched his teeth. "It's not about giving up! I'm the one who brought you here, and now we're in danger. This is my fault!"

Eris glared at him sharply, then, without hesitation, swung her sword and cut down a Leaf Tiger that lunged at them.

Green blood splattered onto the ground.

But even though she had slain one, many more still surrounded them.

Eris stomped her foot on the ground and shouted, "If you really feel guilty, then stop whining! We fight until the end!"

Rudeus fell silent.

But before he could respond…

A Leaf Tiger suddenly leaped at him, its jaws wide open!

Its sharp claws gleamed under the sunlight, ready to rip through his flesh—

However, just before they could reach him—

"OUT OF MY WAY, YOU DAMNED MUTT!"

Boom!

A figure shot out from the trees at an incredible speed—

And in an instant, the Leaf Tiger was sent flying backward with the sound of bones shattering!

Rudeus and Eris's eyes widened in shock.

Who—

Both of them turned toward the source of the voice.

There, standing before them, was a young man with silver-blue hair and piercing eyes that gleamed like a beast's.

He wore simple beastman-style clothing, his body adorned with well-trained muscles, and his hands remained clenched, as if ready to fight at any moment.

Ryu Dedoldia.

Eris furrowed her brows. "Who—"

But before she could finish her question, Ryu moved faster than their eyes could follow.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Ryu charged into the pack of Leaf Tigers.

Boom!

With a single devastating punch, he shattered the neck of one Leaf Tiger instantly.

Green blood splattered into the air, but Ryu didn't stop there.

He lowered his stance, then shot forward with impossible speed.

A single straight kick to the head.

Boom!

Another Leaf Tiger was launched into the air, crashing hard into a tree before collapsing to the ground, unmoving.

Rudeus's eyes widened.

"Did… did he just kick a beast that huge like it was a ball?!"

Eris was just as stunned, her gaze locked onto Ryu as he fought.

Ryu let out a low growl, his sharp eyes glowing as a hint of his fangs peeked from his lips in a grin.

"Too slow. Too weak."

He weaved through the horde of monsters with terrifying speed.

With only his bare hands, he crushed them one by one.

A sight so unbelievable that even those witnessing it could barely comprehend.

Rudeus swallowed hard.

"Is… is he really a beastman?"

Eris, who was rarely ever surprised by anyone, found herself frozen in place

He wasn't just strong.

He was a demon on the battlefield.

In less than three minutes, all the Leaf Tigers that had surrounded them were either dead or had fled.

A few of the beasts still twitched on the ground, while Ryu stood among them, completely unscathed.

He let out a deep breath before stepping toward Rudeus and Eris.

His sharp eyes remained focused, but this time, the murderous aura had vanished.

"Are you two alright?"

Rudeus was too shocked to answer.

Eris eyed him warily, though there was also a hint of curiosity in her gaze.

She finally asked, "Who are you, really?"

Ryu simply grinned.

"I'm just a fighter."

After saving Eris and Rudeus from the Leaf Tigers, Ryu Dedoldia effortlessly hoisted two of the massive beasts onto his shoulders, as if they weighed no more than grocery bags.

Rudeus and Eris could only stare in disbelief.

For the two of them, who had witnessed incredible feats of strength before, this was still beyond comprehension.

Leaf Tigers weren't small monsters—they were large, heavy, and powerful.

Even for an experienced warrior, taking down just one was a challenge.

Yet, the beastman before them had singlehandedly annihilated an entire pack… and now carried two of them without breaking a sweat.

Rudeus swallowed hard, sweat forming on his brow.

"Just how strong is this guy…?"

Eris, too, looked a little tense, though her eyes burned with curiosity.

She wasn't the type to easily acknowledge someone else's strength, but even she had to admit—this man was beyond her expectations.

The three of them began walking.

Ryu led the way, casually carrying his prey.

Rudeus and Eris followed behind, still trying to process what had just happened.

For a while, none of them spoke.

The silence felt… awkward.

It seemed like no one knew how to start a conversation.

After several minutes of uneasy quiet, Rudeus finally broke the ice.

"So… um… My name is Rudeus. Rudeus Greyrat."

He glanced to the side. "And this is Eris Boreas Greyrat."

Eris huffed, crossing her arms but keeping her gaze locked on Ryu.

Ryu didn't respond immediately.

He merely glanced at them before looking forward again.

After a few seconds, he finally spoke.

"I'm Ryu Dedoldia."

His voice was deep and firm, though there was a slight stiffness to his accent.

Rudeus noticed it right away.

"Ah… He's making an effort to speak in human language."

Seeing that Ryu wasn't much of a talker, Rudeus decided to dig a little further.

"So, um… You're from the Dedoldia tribe, right?"

Ryu gave a small nod. "Yeah."

And then… silence again.

Rudeus scratched his cheek, unsure of what to say next.

Normally, he was good at making conversation, but…

Ryu gave off an aura that was hard to approach.

He wasn't like Eris, who was expressive and outspoken.

This man was like a silent beast—watching, observing, speaking only when necessary.

Eris also looked slightly uneasy, but not out of fear.

She seemed more like someone sizing up a future opponent.

Of course, the battle she had witnessed earlier was fascinating to her.

Even though Ryu didn't use a sword, his fighting style was efficient and brutal.

He maximized his speed and power, wasting no movement.

To her, someone like that was worth respecting.

Eris finally decided to speak up.

"Hey, you're strong."

Her tone was firm, but it didn't sound like empty praise.

Ryu glanced at her briefly.

Then, without hesitation, he simply replied, "I know."

Rudeus nearly choked.

"He just accepted the compliment without any modesty?! His confidence is insane!"

Eris also seemed a bit surprised. She hadn't expected such a straightforward answer.

Usually, people would downplay their abilities or deny the praise.

But not this man.

Ryu simply acknowledged it as fact.

That only made Eris more interested.

"Hmph. In that case, I want to fight you someday," she said with a challenging smirk.

Ryu looked at her again, this time his eyes sharpening slightly.

Eris felt a slight tension—not from fear, but because his gaze felt like a predator evaluating its prey.

Then, after a few seconds, Ryu shrugged casually.

"Alright."

Eris grinned. "Good!"

Meanwhile, Rudeus held his head in frustration.

"Seriously?! We just survived a life-or-death battle, and now you're already looking for another fight?!"

But then again, this was Eris.

And someone like Ryu seemed to match her way of thinking.

The three of them continued their journey, the tension slightly easing—though a subtle sense of rivalry still lingered between them.

Their next destination: The Dedoldia Tribe's settlement.