Tales of Demons and Gods: Light Devil Fruit

"Ume?" Ye Xinghan tilted his head, looking at her with a thoughtful gaze.

Both Gyuutarou and Ume were not supposed to exist in this world, which now posed a new question for Ye Xinghan: Could there be other fictional characters or perhaps another transmigrator from Earth like himself?

*Sigh,* Ye Xinghan thought to himself, *I guess I need to accelerate my plans. As long as this timeline matches the one where Nie Lie was reincarnated into his younger self, I shouldn't overthink this too much.*

"How dare you disturb my affair. Die!!" Shen Ye menacingly declared, gathering spiritual energy into his hand.

"North Fist," Shen Ye exclaimed as he aimed a punch at Ye Xinghan's head, aiming to catch him off guard and kill this seemingly random kid who appeared out of nowhere. He was furious, having been so close to success, only for someone to intervene.

However, Ye Xinghan, being an experienced warrior, was not about to make the foolish mistake of underestimating his opponent. As Shen Ye swung his fist, Ye Xinghan slightly tilted his head to the side, effortlessly dodging the attack (picture Pain dodging Kakashi's Raikiri from Naruto).

Shen Ye was taken aback; he hadn't anticipated his attack being so easily avoided. Noticing Shen Ye's lack of follow-up, Ye Xinghan seized the moment to strike the back of Shen Ye's neck, effectively knocking him out.

"Are you okay?" Ye Xinghan asked Ume once he was certain Shen Ye was unconscious.

"Um... who are you, kid?" Ume replied nervously. This young boy had suddenly appeared, easily defeating Shen Ye. Although Shen Ye wasn't a prodigy within his noble family, the resources available to him were significant, making even the least talented noble a formidable opponent for most.

"Kid??" Ye Xinghan's eyebrows twitched upon hearing that term. Having lived two lifetimes as an adult, he was unaccustomed to being called a child. However, he then noticed that Ume was indeed taller than him.

"W-what? Are you going to hurt me too?" Ume asked, stepping back, sensing that she might have offended him.

"Nope, I'm here by the request of your brother," Ye Xinghan replied, rolling his eyes slightly as he spoke softly.

"My brother? Where is he?" Ume asked hurriedly, her voice filled with concern upon hearing about her brother.

"Well, he's just outside dealing with the Sacred Family's servants," Ye Xinghan answered casually, pointing in the direction.

Without another word, Ume rushed outside, anxious about her brother knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against the Sacred family's forces. Ye Xinghan quickly followed her, not wanting to leave her alone in this situation.

——

Gyuutarou stood before the Sacred family's servants, his body battered with bruises and blood. He was breathing heavily, his gaze darting between each of his opponents, his stance unsteady as if he might collapse at any second.

"Give it up, kid. Just let the young master have his way with your sister. If she's lucky, she might become his slave, and you could benefit from that. It's a once-in-a-century opportunity for the likes of you," one of the servants taunted, eliciting laughter from the others. They appeared mostly unharmed, except for some cut sleeves from Gyuutarou's earlier attacks.

Enraged, Gyuutarou charged at them, swinging his sickle, but one of the servants swiftly kicked him in the chest, sending him flying.

"Arrrghhhh!" Gyuutarou grunted, the pain coursing through his body as if it might break him. He barely had the strength to stand, yet he knew he must. He needed to fight to create an escape for his sister.

It was fine if he died at their hands, as long as she was safe. She had a bright future; he did not. 

With her beauty, anyone would be tempted—even the young master of the Snow Wind family wouldn't be an exception. 

His status and personality were somewhat acceptable, making him barely worthy of being with his sister. Even Shen Ye had to be cautious of Ye Xinghan, didn't he?

With these thoughts fueling him, Gyuutarou gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand again, dizziness from the repeated beatings making even standing a challenge.

"COME AGAIN!" Gyuutarou roared at the servants.

The lackeys were slightly terrified yet amazed by his resilience; no matter how much he was beaten, he stood up again. 

Gyuutarou rushed towards them, ready to take them down with him in a suicidal attack, his eyes gleaming with determination to protect and die if necessary.

He gripped his sickles tightly, increasing his speed, but suddenly, someone collided with him, causing both to stumble.

"STOP!" A sweet voice screamed beside his ear, snapping him out of his rage.

It was his sister's voice!

He looked up, confused. Ume appeared neat and tidy, which was unexpected.

"Ume??" Gyuutarou asked dazedly. His sister was supposed to escape with Ye Xinghan. What was she doing here?

"How is it? The taste of being weak? Not really good, right?" A young boy's voice chimed in.

"What are you doing?? Bring Ume away!!! I will block them!!" Gyuutarou attempted to push away from his sister's embrace.

"Stop, big brother, stop!! Let's run together. Why don't you understand that I don't want to live without you?" Ume cried, tightening her grip around him.

Ye Xinghan watched silently, admiring the bond between the two, a bond that every sibling would dream of.

"She's right," Ye Xinghan said calmly. "Currently, she has no real value for me. Her only value is that she is your sister. I helped her because of your request."

Ye Xinghan smiled softly.

"Besides... everything will be okay because I'm here."

—-

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