After a little small talk over food, I learned that Mr. Takoyoru is out on a merchant ship, selling goods for the family. Though it is a dangerous profession due to bandits known as 'pirates', the money to be made is great.
"It is due to him that we can live as lavishly as this." Takoyoru-san smiles happily at the thought of her husband. Her love for him is truly great.
I finish my fifth bowl of rice. It is truly strange for a random family to be this kind.
"Takoyoru-san, is it really okay for you to be this generous with the rice?" I ask politely.
She laughs gently.
"Of course! We are the only village on the island, and our family is quite well-liked! If you stiff me, I highly doubt you'll survive for long." I nod to her words. Though she was attempting to sound threatening, I could easily survive by myself. Even so, my Buddhist nature would always pay off a debt.
"Alright, off to sleep, Sakime! I assume you are tired, Himejima-kun. I'm afraid we have no extra beds, so you'll unfortunately have to sleep on the floor." Takoyoru-san ushers her daughter up the stairs.
"Good night!" I call out. A few moments later, a childish voice rings out.
"Good night!" The sound brings a happy smile to my face, and I snuggle to sleep on the surprisingly soft floorboards
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"No!" I gasp awake, sweaty, as yet another nightmare of my children dying haunts me. The guilt I feel for that failure can never be cleared.
Little Taro's head being crushed like a fruit, Hakus arm being devoured like a snack, muscles and skin being ripped off piece by piece. And Momo's beautiful eyes, once gazing at me with so much adoration, rolling on the wooden floor like worthless trinkets.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu..." The familiar chant calms my soul down.
"I will make up for it in this life," I resolve silently. To do that, though, I must become strong. Stronger than I was even in my past life.
I begin my training. As I creep out of the house, I see myself in a mirror on the door. Strangely, my frame has filled up somewhat from before.
"How can my body recover this fast?" I wonder. Deciding to forget it, I went out to chop wood.
Though I am thrilled with how the Takoyorus have accepted me, I know that there is always evil in the world. Bandits, pirates, even corrupt law enforcers were all possibilities. After all, like a wise man once told me: "If everything's good and it's great, why do I sit and wait 'til it's gone?"
He spoke strangely, but his words were wise. I must regain my previous strength and possibly even more. That should surely be enough to safeguard the new people I now care about.
The woods are dark, but I had grabbed a small axe from the back of the house. Chopping wood was easy for me. Strength and power were the only things I had needed to be a demon slayer.
The first tree felled made a great, creaking sound as it was cut down. While others may be worried about beasts who could be attracted, I couldn't care less. Stealth had never been a necessity for me. My body had been like a mountain, standing between those I loved and the wretched demons who wished to harm them.
A mountain need not move.
A mountain need not hide.
A mountain just stands there, doing its duty regardless of what happens.
And when a mountain moves, you don't fight back. You just run. Anything in front will be trampled afoot, ground into nothing but dust.
But right now, I was no mountain. I was a fletchling tree, easily toppled by the lightest breeze. Nobody was going to hide behind me, because I was barely wide enough to hide even a beanpole.
Training was necessary, and I could fulfill my goal of gathering trees to sell at the same time.
Fifteen hours of chopping wood later, I gazed in awe at my new muscles. What had just been a lean and wiry frame was now filled with lithe muscles. It was nothing impressive, but the rate of progress was surely impossible in my previous world.
"It seems that this world allows for rapid improvement..." I wonder out loud at this peculiarity.
"It is of no matter. This only means that my strength will surely be sufficient to protect this entire island in just a week." Dragging the trees I cut down behind me, I make my way back to the Takoyoru house. There seems to be someone else in the joyful atmosphere that I have not met.
It seems the father has come home in my absence.
"It is time to pay my respects," I mutter under my breath.