That time I was reincarnated as a snake (Tensura)

This chapter may contain some gory scenes, so discretion is advised. I'll leave a mark before and after that part, so if you decide to read it, you're warned that I don't want to hear any complaints in the comments. You can skip this part, you won't miss much.

-KAI POV-

I was inside a shadow, inside a transport cart with Mira, heading to the capital of the kingdom of Eldoreth.

The reason we travel in a wagon instead of going straight using shadow movement, is because of my boredom boredom. Ever since I came to this world, it was always training, hunting, watching the backs of other monsters, gathering intelligence, making plans.

I'm fed up!

If I can't even take a vacation after work, what am I living for?

So I decided to make this trip a pleasure trip, no plans, no worries, just me and Mira enjoying the scenery.

As for how I got the cart, that was easy: money, dirty, filthy money.

With him, no problem is a problem. I just showed Night to the driver, offered him a lot of money if he could take us to the capital and a death if he refused.

He, with tremors of happiness, clearly of happiness, not of fear, agreed and the next morning he left for the capital with us in tow. We only had to sneak into the shade inside the wagon and travel comfortably, while making him think that Night was inside.

It's funny how shadow movement works, if you just enter the shadow without traveling, you can stay still for a long time without consuming almost any magicules. The wagon was pulled by a kind of hybrid horses between normal horses and some kind of horse monster that I don't know about. These are called Goliath horses, similar to normal horses, but with greater musculature. Although stronger, they had the disadvantage of their slow speed.

Although they made up for it with greater endurance, they were perfect for pulling carts. While a normal horse had to rest every few hours, these guys could last twice as long with twice the load.

Although they are a merchant's dream, they are very expensive. Not everyone could sustain their consumption, and being monsters, although docile, they were still monsters, so they could be violent when provoked.

I had estimated that at this speed it would take us a week or so to reach the capital, from what I had seen on some maps of that time.

The kingdom of Eldoreth was located where the kingdom of Brumund would be located in the future , the kingdom that took advantage of Rimuru to form an alliance. As for the kingdom of Eldoreth, it had a land area almost twice as large as Brumund. It specialized in exporting monster materials and equipment. Since it and the kingdom of Nexo to the north were the only ones that bordered the Jura Forest, they took advantage of the opportunity to monopolize the monsters in the forest. Although these monsters represented a potential threat, that did not deter them from seeking profit.

Until a few years ago, there were three kingdoms bordering the Jura Forest, but the latter was not happy with its meager territory, so in a risky move, it invaded the forest with the intention of seizing land, something that went very wrong.

The invasion did not please Veldora, he exterminated the invading force, but he did not stop there, he went and destroyed their capital the same day, killing the entire royal family. The only one who benefited was the kingdom of Eldoreth, who after Veldora left, annexed what was left of that kingdom. It is because of this incident that their territory expanded greatly.

During this trip, I would relax and see new landscapes. Mira, like me, was interested in seeing more of this world besides the forest, so it was a good companion experience. On our way, we could see large green plains, countless grain plantations, and many farms with cattle grazing. It was a relaxing landscape, free from the pollution of factories, without the traffic of cities, without worrying about being late for work.

It felt like going back to nature before the age of industrialization.

Looking at this landscape, I could understand Veldanava stopping the stupid humans from damaging this beautiful world out of sheer greed. Even with his presence, it would have been difficult to control a species whose greatest ability is its development potential and its ability to kill each other.

Much less now that it had disappeared.

As we travelled parallel to a large river, I could see a great diversity of fish within it. Not only typical river fish such as trout or carp, there were also tuna, swordfish, I could even spot a gigantic octopus at the bottom of the river with my magical perception.

It was normal for several species to overcome their environmental limitations such as living in fresh or salt water, with the omnipresent magicules of this world.

By nightfall, the wagon had stopped at a small village on the side of the road. It had only a small population, a few dozen inhabitants. Our driver sought out the village chief and offered him some coins in exchange for a house to stay in for the night, to which the village chief happily agreed.

In the middle of the night, we stealthily made our way to a nearby hill. When we reached the top, we could see the entire village, as well as a small forest near it.

"You felt them, right?" Mira asked me.

To which I just nodded.

"Do you want to intervene?" she asked me in a curious tone.

"No, why did you think I would?" I said in a monotone .

"From your past actions, you seem very close to humans. I thought you wouldn't like to see what's about to happen," she said in a doubtful tone.

I didn't answer her, just staring at the forest near the village. Between the trees, the silhouettes of several monsters could be seen approaching the village. There were more than a dozen of them, looking like wolf-sized coyotes, with deep scarlet fur. As they ran, small wisps of fire flew off their fur, a symbol of their association with the fire element. They were heading towards the village at top speed; if nothing happened, they were sure to kill all of its inhabitants.

"You know, Mira, even though I usually avoid harming humans who don't get in my way, it doesn't mean I won't do it for my own good," I said in a resolute tone.

"Do you remember when I told you that this world is fair in a certain sense?" I asked her as I continued to watch what was about to happen.

"Yes, you said that everyone can reach the top, the difference is how difficult the path is," she replied.

"If there was a god in this world, what do you think his favorite race would be?" I said in a playful tone.

"True Dragons, if they weren't, why would they be the strongest at birth?" she said confidently.

"Hahahaha, oh no, my dear Mira, nothing could be further from the truth," I said, laughing.

"Favoritism doesn't necessarily mean benefits; sometimes favoritism implies expectations."

"Expectations? What kind?" Mira asked.

I didn't answer his question.

"Why do humans, if they are so weak, continue to exist in this world, a world where the strong reign? The answer is because they have that ability," I said mysteriously.

Obviously I wasn't going to tell her that it was because Veldanava had tasked the strongest beings in this world with protecting them from extinction. No one but a select few should know that, so I'd rather keep quiet.

"They may appear weak, but they possess infinite possibilities for growth. But in order to grow, they must overcome countless difficulties, only these can temper them. If they cannot overcome them, then they are not qualified to continue living," I said in a cold tone.

"It is because they are that favorite race, that I am interested in them: their thoughts, their ways of acting. But I will always maintain the mentality of a monster, that only the strongest is right."

Well, that should remove your suspicions about me being a human. As for my interest in them, I didn't lie to you; I'm interested in them so I can milk them for all their value, of course.

I would rather get involved with the elves and their sorcery or the dwarves and their crafts than with the useless humans, if it weren't for the fact that the others have their own rulers who wouldn't accept me using their people for my benefit, I would go find them.

My words left Mira thinking. While our conversation was going on, the Pyro Coyotes had entered the village.

-Somewhat gore scene, starts-

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Without much effort, they eliminated the men standing guard.

While a few devoured pieces of flesh from the guards they had killed, the rest rushed into the village.

The great commotion woke up all the inhabitants. In panic, they tried to flee or confront the attackers; regardless of their decision, they all ended up the same way: killed by the claws and fangs of the Pyro Coyotes or burned by their powerful fire breath.

Some parents tried to protect their children, but to no avail. They could only watch, in tears of despair, as the Pyro Coyotes, not caring that they were only children, tore them apart and proceeded to devour them.

I could see a little girl screaming through tears, asking for help while waving her little hands in the air. I saw how her eyes lost the light of life as the Pyro Coyotes slowly tore her apart. With her little face stained with her own blood, they continued to devour her without the slightest mercy.

Although I have killed many humans since I came to this world, they were always adult males, perhaps the occasional female.

I never dealt with children; if necessary, I preferred to leave that job to Mira.

Watching this scene brought a gut-wrenching pain to my gut. I just wanted to jump in there and save that poor little girl from her atrocious suffering. I may have a mature mindset, but still, this scene caused me indescribable pain. Perhaps because I am an adult mentally, I feel more empathy for children than for other adults like me. To me, children are innocent beings, not yet tainted by the filth of the world.

I clenched my jaw to stop myself from letting out a moan; I didn't want Mira to see my weakness.

I wanted to look away from this cruel scene, but I refused to. I knew this was normal in this world and I should get used to it. Even though I thought I was prepared, when I actually witnessed it, I knew I wasn't.

But I had to get used to these images. I was no longer human, I had to leave my old mindset behind. In this world, millions suffered; this small village was but a speck in the grand scheme of things. If I ever wanted to become a Demon Lord, I knew I would have to take thousands of lives. Even if I limited myself to killing only grown men, their deaths would bring misery and pain to their families and loved ones.

For someone to reach the top, they must walk a path paved with the bodies and blood of countless beings.

And I have always been clear about my goal: to reach the top. Only in this way will I avoid becoming part of someone else's path.

With all my will, I continued to watch the slaughter of those poor children, without looking away, without hesitation, reaffirming once again my determination not to be like them in the future. I wanted to engrave this scene in my soul; I felt that I owed them at least that much, for giving me this lesson.

On Kai's hardened face, without him realizing it, a small tear slipped from his eye. A testimony that even though he has a strong will, it doesn't mean he doesn't suffer like any of us would.

Kai's small tear, though insignificant, did not go unnoticed by Mira. Seeing him, she had several thoughts and wanted to ask Kai, but seeing her in that state, she refrained from saying anything. She just waited silently beside him, until everything was over.

It did not take long. The inhabitants were completely wiped out; no one was spared. The houses were burning in flames. By the next day, there might not be any trace left that there had ever been a village here.

Without saying a word, I stepped into my shadow.

In an instant, I appeared in the middle of the village and, without wasting any time, I slaughtered each of the Pyro Coyotes. Following their example, I did not kill them quickly. I made them suffer a painful death by strangulation while, with hypnotic eyes, I multiplied their feeling of pain. Amidst heart-rending screams, they fell dead one by one.

Mira stayed out of my killing spree.

When I had eliminated them all, I went to the place where that little girl died. I only found traces of blood and organs. I remained silent for several seconds, observing them.

"I may not have saved you or your people, but you can rest in peace. All the culprits were killed by me. I'm not telling you this so you'll thank me. I only did it because that's how this world works. They were able to kill you and your loved ones because they were stronger. As someone stronger than them, it's only natural that I killed them," I said as I turned around.

Only to find Mira behind me. Our eyes met for a moment. Without saying anything, I stepped into my shadow and decided to head back up the hill.

Mira continued to watch the place where I disappeared.

I knew she had questions, but I wasn't in the mood to answer them.

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-Somewhat gory scene, ends-

I just stood there staring at the starry night sky.

'I'm not a childish guy who can believe that everyone can hold hands and get along.'

'I don't plan on being a hero either, helping anyone who asks me to, without asking for anything in return. I'm not that magnanimous.'

'I'm aware that I'm an ambitious bastard, who will do anything for his goals. How else? I used hundreds of people as guinea pigs just to develop my hypnosis skill, a skill that would help me with my future plans.'

'I only care about myself and my loved ones; the rest of the world can go to hell for me.'

'But even I, I have things that I would never do on my own, or I could become just a crazy guy, blinded by power. No, for me power is not an obsession, it is just the tool for me to reach my true goal: a comfortable life.'

It may be childish, but sometimes we forget the simple but important things. Why do we study most of our lives? Why do we work for hours a day at something we may not like? Why do we want more and more money? It is all for a comfortable life.

In this world, only with enough strength do you have the right to a comfortable life.

The next morning, we were preparing to set out once more on our way. The driver, the wagon, and the horses suffered no problems. When we reached the village and sensed those guys, Mira and I took them to a safe place. I used my hypnotic eyes to make the driver only think about leaving, not noticing the disappearance of the village.

Our journey continued.

Mira tried several times to ask me what happened to me the night before, but I just avoided the conversation. Revealing the reason would mean revealing my biggest secret; that was something I wasn't willing to do, no, at least not right now.

Seeing that I didn't want to talk about it, Mira gave up. She knew this was a clear sign of distrust on my part towards her. When I was the one who said we would be equal partners, I know I should share this with her, but… I didn't feel ready. Even between lovers, personal secrets are kept.

Trying to break the tense atmosphere between us, I decided to talk to her about another topic.

"How are you doing with the shadow bond?" I asked curiously.

She gave me a searching look. Letting out a sigh, she decided to drop the subject.

"I'm almost there. The problem I have is that they are too weak to stop what you call C-rank" she said.

Yes, I explained to Mira a while back the ranking system I knew, as well as which monsters fall into which ranking. She wasn't too happy when I told her that she would only be in rank A and that there were five ranks above hers, making for a tenfold difference in strength between rank A and special A.

"Can you show them to me?" I asked.

"Good," she said.

From its shadow rose several whip-like shadow tentacles, about six in total.

"Try to stop my movement," I said.

She did that, wrapping the whips around my body. I gradually applied more force, until they broke. I didn't even use half of my strength.

"You see, I've been trying to make them stronger for quite some time, but they still end up breaking," she said, annoyed.

I thought for a moment about a solution.

"If you can't improve the quality of whips, why don't you try interlacing them?" I told her my solution to his problem. That's the principle used for ropes: several fragile strands interlaced to gain greater strength.

"Intertwine them?" she asked doubtfully.

She apparently didn't know that concept, so I explained to her how it worked. Using my hypnotic eyes, I showed her an illusion that she allowed to work on the interlacing process. After understanding the process, she attempted to perform it with her shadow whips.

At first she tried to intertwine them after they had come out of the shadow, to get used to it. When she was used to it, she tried to bring them out of the shadows already intertwined.

It was a series of trial and error. At her side, I gave her my observations and possible ways to correct her mistakes.

It was this learning environment that helped ease our discomfort over what had happened in the village. As we went about our business, the wagon continued on its way, passing through small mountains and some forests.

I even got to see a giant crystal-clear waterfall. I wanted to try to get a closer look, but gave up; I preferred to continue helping Mira. If there was an opportunity another time, I would go back.

It was only after many failures that Mira managed to create a single shadow whip, but if you looked closer, you could see that the whip was made up of more than eight shadow threads. With it, she attempted to restrict my movements, which she succeeded in doing. Even though I used all my physical strength to break free, I was unable to do so.

"Congratulations, you did it," I congratulated her sincerely.

I had seen her continuous efforts since I suggested this idea to her long ago, from a mere idea to the results now.

"Thank you, I wouldn't have made it without you," she thanked me sincerely.

"It's nothing, that's what colleagues are for," I told her.

To which she stared at me for a while.

"That's what colleagues are for," she said with a smile.

I don't understand why, but I think I found that smile attractive.

...

No, Kai, control yourself, you're a reptile and she's a mammal, we don't practice zoophilia here, even though we're both animals/monsters!

I tried to calm myself down. It's not that I'm against such things, I'm not a prude, it's just that... I'd rather wait until we get humanoid forms.

It would be weird without them, you know… a snake and a panther… it's a bit of a bizarre image.

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Author's notes:

I just want to remind you, this journey is one of self-discovery, where it will focus on Kai's psychology. I will try to delve into his mind, show his personal nuances, and perhaps find out who Kai really is. What has he gone through for his unique ability, the manifestation of his mind, identity, strength, and destiny, to be adaptability, which entails taking damage in order to become resilient the next time?

Maybe… his humor is how he copes with everything. Or maybe he's exaggerating, and he's just a clown for the sake of it. 😊

Continue reading the chapters to find out.

PS: This is my first attempt at gore. I know for some it might not shake them ( cough Berserk fans ) cough ), but for others who are not used to it, it at least affected them a little. I admit that I cried when I wrote it. 😢