The World Is Mine For The Taking

Guns were trained on us from every direction. Shadows of rifles and armored figures loomed, pressing in from all sides like a suffocating tide. The air was thick with tension, a silent yet deafening warning—one wrong move, and bullets would rip through us without hesitation.

Then, amidst the rigid formation of soldiers, the ranks suddenly parted. It was as if an invisible force had cleaved them in two, their movements disciplined, unquestioning. From the path they created, she emerged—Lieutenant Zes.

She was a tower of sheer presence, her muscular frame exuding an authority so tangible that even the hardened soldiers around her instinctively stiffened. The closer she got, the more their bodies tensed, as if proximity alone was enough to freeze them in place.

Within moments, she stood before us.

"Hah… Do you really think I'm that dumb?" she murmured, amusement lacing her voice. Yet, beneath that amusement, something far more menacing stirred. The air itself trembled, her words carrying a weight that sent ripples through the silence. It wasn't just a voice—it was a force. An echoing, unseen tremor that made the very atmosphere feel heavier.

I shifted my gaze to Zoey, who stood beside me. Her face betrayed a flicker of shock. Did she seriously think that was going to work? Even I had doubted our ability to deceive someone like this. From the beginning, it had been a reckless gamble. There was no way a woman like this could have been so easily fooled.

"The girl's mistake was in her posture," Zes continued, her sharp, calculating gaze never wavering. "Too stiff. Too unnatural. A trained soldier doesn't move like that."

She stepped forward, and the weight of her presence bore down on us like an impending storm.

"Then there's the scent. Soldiers reek of gunpowder, sweat, and dirt. You two?" Her eyes narrowed. "You smell… nice. Too nice."

Her scrutiny intensified, picking apart every flaw in our disguise.

"And then, of course, there's the matter of protocol. No salute? Not even a trace of discipline in the face of a lieutenant? Sloppy. You might have gathered some knowledge about our military camp, but it's not enough to fool me."

Her gaze flicked toward Zoey, piercing, unrelenting.

"I'm convinced," she said, her voice smooth yet razor-sharp, "that the woman standing beside you is none other than the general's missing daughter. The very same girl who vanished after being kidnapped… by a human who crossed into this world through a portal."

The corner of her lips curled ever so slightly.

"And you didn't even try to be subtle about it," she added, tone laced with mocking amusement. "A pair of sunglasses? Really? Did you honestly think that would be enough to hide her face from me?"

Zoey remained silent, her fingers curling into fists at her sides.

"And now…" Zes turned her gaze to me, eyes gleaming with knowing certainty. "That would make you the otherworlder, wouldn't it?"

Still, Zoey refused to speak.

Zes exhaled lightly, almost as if sighing at our pathetic attempt.

"Silence only confirms it," she murmured, voice smooth but unyielding. "You refuse to answer because you know the truth. And that truth… is yes."

Her stare deepened, the weight of her words pressing into Zoey like an iron grip.

Finally, I stepped forward, my voice calm but unwavering. "I think you're misunderstanding something."

Zes let out a small chuckle, the sound low, almost predatory. "Misunderstanding?" she echoed. "What exactly? That the woman beside you isn't the general's daughter? Or that you aren't the otherworlder?"

The air between us was thick with tension, a coiled thread ready to snap at the slightest provocation.

"People call me dumb," she continued, her voice slow, deliberate, "because I couldn't care less about numbers and calculations. But my intuition?" Her lips curved into a dangerous smirk. "It has never failed me. I know when something is wrong. And I know when something is right."

I studied her carefully, my mind racing through possible responses. Then, I spoke.

"I see… But don't you think assuming that I have the capability or even the intent to spread information about interdimensional travel—enough to create a full-scale multidimensional war—is a bit of a stretch? You don't even know if I hold any authority or influence over such things, do you?"

Zes's expression remained unreadable. "We have taken every measure to prevent such a war," she stated. "Precautions. Intelligence. Containment efforts. We will not allow it to happen."

Her voice dropped lower, carrying a cold, unwavering finality.

"A war will come, one way or another. And as of now, with no knowledge of your world, we are at a disadvantage. Letting you leave is not an option."

I met her gaze head-on. "You're jumping to conclusions," I said. "If I truly wanted to go back, I wouldn't be standing here, talking to you. I'd already be in my own world. Don't you think?"

Zes tilted her head slightly, studying me as though weighing the truth in my words. Then, her eyes flicked toward Zoey.

"I acknowledge that possibility." Zes tilted her head slightly. "But I also see a device in the general's daughter's hands."

Her lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.

"A device that, more than likely, contains highly classified information."

For someone people called "dumb," she was anything but.

If anything… she was terrifyingly sharp.

"Soldiers—seize the general's daughter. As for the otherworlder... riddle him with bullets until there's nothing left."

The order cut through the air like a blade, sharp and merciless. The soldiers around us didn't hesitate, their fingers tightening on their triggers, their eyes devoid of doubt.

"No! Don't do it, please!" Zoey's voice suddenly rang out, shrill with desperation.

My eyes widened slightly. I hadn't expected her to defend me.

"H-He's not the otherworlder! I swear it!" She stammered, panic evident in her voice. "R-Right! He's my boyfriend! My boyfriend! You can't just kill my boyfriend! I mean… he's the general's potential son-in-law!"

Her words spilled out in a frantic rush, but the weight behind them was undeniable.

A suffocating silence followed.

Zes regarded her, expression unreadable, before exhaling a slow, amused breath. "Boyfriend, you say?"

Her eyes flicked to me, scrutinizing every inch of my face.

"Do you honestly believe I'd fall for that?" she said, her voice laced with condescension.

She took a step closer, her towering frame casting a long shadow over us.

"His face may be somewhat altered from the intelligence we received—longer hair, slight adjustments to his features—but it's still the same. I see it. And I trust my instincts."

A cold smile curled on her lips.

"There's no mistake. He is the otherworlder."

Then, she turned to the soldiers.

"Now—kill him."

Zoey barely had time to react before Zes grabbed her arm and yanked her aside, her strength undeniable. At that moment, all the firearms turned toward me, barrels gleaming under the artificial light.

Then—

A deafening burst of gunfire tore through the air.

A hailstorm of bullets came at me from every direction, each one a promise of death.

But before they could reach me—

I moved.

With a flick of my wrist, Ayuru materialized in my grasp, its steel humming as it met the oncoming storm.

In a single, fluid motion, I swung.

The air screamed as my blade carved through the onslaught. The bullets, once destined for my flesh, split cleanly in half, their momentum shattered. A heartbeat later, they clattered uselessly to the ground, the metallic ringing echoing in the stunned silence that followed.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then—

"What the hell…?"

"How…?"

The soldiers stood frozen, their disbelief almost tangible. They stared at the remnants of their attack, the halves of their bullets scattered at my feet, the realization dawning on them in waves.

Among them, Zes's lips curled into a smirk.

"Hoh…?" Her voice was thick with intrigue.

She stepped forward, her eyes sharp with newfound interest.

"So, you were armed all along. And not just armed—you're skilled." She tilted her head slightly, as if evaluating me.

Then, in a voice dripping with excitement, she declared, "I, too, am well-versed in swordsmanship."

The tension thickened.

"Why don't we put that to the test?" she mused, gripping the hilt of her own blade. "A battle between swordsmen—to see which of us stands superior."

Her gaze bore into mine.

"If you win, I'll grant you your freedom."

Bold words. Reckless, even. She had just seen me cut through gunfire itself, and yet—she didn't waver.

That meant only one thing—she had the skill to back it up.

I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening on Ayuru.

"Fine." My voice was steady. "Let's fight."

Zes grinned.

"Good."

She turned to her soldiers. "Lower your weapons. Let me have my turn with him first—before we kill him."

Her confidence was palpable.

But this wasn't mere arrogance—this was certainty.

She wasn't just some brute who relied on sheer strength alone.

No… there was something more to her. Something dangerous.

With that, we stepped outside..