Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

The night wind blew gently, carrying the thick scent of iron through the air.

The once dew-covered ground was now drenched in blood, flowing through the gaps between tree roots like a crimson river marking the end of yet another tale.

Frozen corpses lay scattered in their final positions—some still clutching their weapons, others with eyes wide open as if trying to comprehend how death had arrived so swiftly.

And in the midst of it all stood a lone boy.

His green eyes were dim, almost lifeless.

No anger. No hatred.

Just a cold, chilling stillness—far more terrifying than any outburst of rage.

Luciel Greyrat.

The boy flicked his hand casually, as if brushing off dust from his skin.

A frozen spear embedded in a bandit's chest melted away, leaving behind a gaping black void.

Like an experiment with a predetermined outcome, Luciel observed the death he had created with the gaze of a scientist studying his test subjects.

From a distance, a figure watched in silence, his jaw clenched tight.

Gallus Cleaner.

A large man with sharp predator-like eyes, his face marked by a long scar, and hands stained with sin.

From the shadows of the trees, he exhaled slowly.

There was no anger on his face—only quiet shock.

That boy.

That boy again.

Gallus remembered him well—the child who had ruined his business, the one who had nearly bankrupted him.

At the time, he had thought it was just a coincidence.

But now, he knew the truth.

This boy was a real threat.

If left alive, he would destroy everything.

Gallus furrowed his brow, suppressing the rage rising in his chest.

Slowly, he reached for the dagger at his waist.

The steel blade gleamed under the moonlight.

A slaver couldn't survive in this world without knowing how to fight.

And he had already made his decision.

Tonight—he would kill that boy.

No matter what it took.

Gallus moved without a sound, like a wolf stalking its prey.

In mere seconds, the distance between them disappeared.

Luciel didn't react.

Or rather—he didn't need to react.

Gallus lunged forward, his dagger flashing like lightning.

But before the blade could even graze flesh—

The air shifted.

A silence fell over the battlefield.

And in less than a heartbeat, a bone-chilling cold spread through the air.

It was as if winter had suddenly descended, punishing the man who dared to stand before it.

Gallus froze.

Not out of fear.

Not because he had given up.

But because his legs—had turned to ice.

Like tree roots gripping the earth, frost had crawled up from his boots, encasing his body bit by bit.

Gallus gritted his teeth, his breath visible in the freezing air.

"Shit… shit…!"

Luciel finally turned to him.

His gaze—cold and emotionless.

"You don't get to decide how this ends," he said.

His voice was soft. Flat.

But absolute.

A shiver ran down Gallus's spine.

There was no escape.

No negotiation.

And before he could even lift his dagger again—

A faint blue light flickered at Luciel's fingertips.

"Hibernation Wave."

Darkness swallowed his consciousness whole.

Gallus Cleaner no longer stood.

In his place remained a frozen statue of a man, his final expression locked between anger, fear, and regret.

The night wind blew once more, scattering tiny ice crystals from his frozen form.

Luciel stared at him for a brief moment.

Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.

The fires in the distance still burned.

And he wasn't finished yet.

When it was all over, Luciel stood amidst the remnants of the chaos he had left behind.

Behind him, the frozen statue of Gallus Cleaner remained—its icy surface gleaming under the moonlight.

No voices.

No cries, no movement—only a haunting silence that blanketed the nearly ruined beastman village.

Luciel shifted his gaze away from the frozen corpse.

He had made sure it was over.

To be absolutely certain, he had even created a small hole—no bigger than a human finger—straight through Gallus's chest.

A simple but effective measure to ensure the man would never open his eyes again.

"Haaah."

Luciel let out a long sigh, his shoulders tensing slightly from exhaustion.

Tonight had been too long.

And he was far too tired to care about what would come next.

But then…

As he turned around, he found himself surrounded by countless eyes.

Beastmen warriors, village guards, even the children he had just saved—all had gathered around, watching him in silence.

They didn't speak.

They didn't know what to say.

Luciel merely raised an eyebrow.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

No response.

But somehow… he could feel something different in their gazes.

A gaze that was no longer filled with hatred.

Before tonight, every beastman in this village had looked at Luciel with suspicion and hatred.

To them, humans were a threat.

Enemies who had repeatedly hunted and enslaved their kind.

But after tonight…

Luciel was no longer just a stranger in their eyes.

He was the one who had saved their village.

The one who had fought against his own kind—for them.

And while some still struggled to accept that reality, not a single one could deny the fact that without him, this village would have been reduced to ruin.

Luciel scanned the crowd, then let out a small sigh.

"Haaah… Are you all just going to keep staring at me until morning?"

Some of the older beastmen shifted awkwardly.

The beastman children, who had been crying moments ago, now looked at him with wide, curious eyes.

The beastman women—who had previously avoided him—now nodded in silent acknowledgment. A simple gesture that might not mean much to humans, but for their kind, it spoke volumes.

And the beastman men…

They still seemed hesitant.

Not because they refused to accept reality, but because they genuinely didn't know how to treat Luciel now.

The enemy they had despised had become their savior.

That wasn't something they could accept overnight.

A Leader's Acknowledgment

Suddenly, the heavy sound of footsteps echoed through the clearing.

Luciel turned his head and saw two figures approaching.

Gustav.

Gyes.

One was the village elder, a wise man respected by all.

The other… the most stubborn warrior who had opposed Luciel's presence from the very start.

Gyes stopped right in front of Luciel.

His gaze was as sharp as ever, but this time, there was no hatred.

Only… uncertainty.

Luciel waited.

And after a few moments—

"…Forgive me."

Luciel blinked, slightly surprised.

Gyes—the man who had been the most hostile towards him—just apologized?

Not only that—he even dropped to one knee.

His head bowed low.

Instantly, the atmosphere grew even more tense.

Even the other beastmen looked visibly shocked.

Luciel, who was completely unaccustomed to this kind of situation, could only let out a long sigh.

"Haaah… So you finally get it, huh?"

Gyes clenched his jaw, his facial muscles tightening as if struggling to say something.

His gaze dropped to the ground, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.

"…I judged you too quickly," he muttered, his voice rough and strained.

Luciel raised an eyebrow, then exhaled briefly.

"Well, whatever," he replied nonchalantly, though the cold night air still bit at his skin.

He shifted slightly, trying to ease the stiffness in his shoulders from the freezing temperature.

Of course, that was because he was still wearing nothing but a tattered cloth to cover himself.

This situation was far from comfortable.

Luciel turned to Gyes, his expression deadpan.

"By the way, can I have my clothes back?"

Gyes was silent for a moment.

Then, for the first time, he let out a small, almost amused smile—

As if he was finally seeing Luciel as someone rather than something.

He turned to one of the beastman guards and gave a quick gesture.

"Return his belongings."

The guard immediately sprinted off toward the storage area, leaving Luciel standing there, still wrapped in his very inadequate clothing.

A few minutes later, his clothes were returned.

Luciel took them without a word and swiftly put them back on.

As the familiar fabric wrapped around him once more, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Ahh… finally," he muttered under his breath.

Just as Luciel finished dressing, Gustav—the village elder—approached with slow, deliberate steps.

His expression remained serious, but something in his gaze had changed.

It was no longer filled with wariness.

But respect.

"Young one," he called, his voice deep and steady.

Luciel turned, looking at him casually.

"I have a question for you," Gustav continued.

Luciel shrugged.

"Go ahead."

Gustav studied him for a moment, then slowly asked—

"Is your sibling a magician named Rudeus?"

Luciel blinked, stunned.

"Hah?"

His eyes widened slightly before he brought a hand to his chin, thinking for a moment.

Then, as if something clicked in his mind, his face brightened.

"Ah! You mean my older brother!? Yeah, I'm his younger brother!"

He looked at Gustav eagerly.

"Is he here?"

Gustav let out a slow breath, then shook his head.

"No. Rudeus has already left. He returned to the Central Continent—heading toward the Asura Kingdom."

Luciel frowned slightly.

"I see…"

Their conversation continued at length, eventually moving to a more comfortable location.

Seated inside one of the village's main buildings, Luciel listened intently to every piece of information given to him.

From their discussion, he finally understood his brother's current situation.

Rudeus hadn't left alone.

He had traveled with four others.

Three young women… and one other man.

But when Luciel heard one of the names, he suddenly froze.

"Ryu Dedolia."

The name triggered something deep within his mind.

Familiar.

Too familiar.

Luciel furrowed his brows, trying to dig through the scattered fragments of his memory.

"For some reason… I feel like I've heard that name before."

But from where?

Luciel rubbed his chin, deep in thought.