I'm back guys! I'm so glad I managed to find the time to squeeze this story into my busy schedule. After seeing your reviews, especially those wonderfully long ones, I became so excited my mind quickly gave me fresh ideas as to how this chapter would go. Please continue to review! You have no idea how much it inspires me to write.

By the way, AnjoRemix had asked how Shin-Ah learned to feel the presences of the other Dragons. If you will remember, the timeline of this story before Shin-Ah went back is almost twenty years after canon. Judging from that, it would make sense that Shin-Ah would learn that ability during those times, since they would be incredibly useful during the war where they would constantly be separated from each other. And I'd like to think that Kija taught him while Jae-Ha or Zeno acted as the beacons. Also, the ability to sense the Dragon's presences isn't accurate, as shown in canon where they literally spent days searching for Shin-Ah's village, so Shin-Ah would definitely have a hard time pin-pointing the exact location of Kija's village. I hope that answers your question. :)

And for Guest, don't worry about it! Reviewing is a way of expressing your appreciation of the story, it doesn't have to have perfect spelling or grammar. Thank you for the compliment! And thank you to TheAngelicPyro, Slytherin Studios, Kiddiluna, Maya Amira, Frozen In Idaho, and Guest for your amazing reviews! I tell you now I really appreciate every one of them, so please keep reviewing and tell me your favorite part down below.

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Chapter Four: The Masked Demon

...

Before Shin-Ah knew it, news spread fast in the surrounding villages about the 'Masked Demon' who was said to live deep within the forest. His swift blade is said to instantly kill anyone who makes the mistake of stepping within his line of sight. No one knows who or what he is, sometimes they say he takes on the form of a child, sometimes, a man. Whatever form he assumes, the only thing that can truly distinguish who he is, is a horned mask.

The rumors are all greatly exaggerated, but it worked. Everyone now fears the Masked Demon and are wary to enter the forest. Anyone who spots him calls for his head. It didn't help that the men he originally struck down were instantly dead.

After what happened that day, Shin-Ah had secluded himself in a nearby cave, too horrified and distraught by what he had done.

He didn't mean to kill them, but his body reacted the moment the men stepped within his range. The last time he allowed anyone to get that close, everyone almost died; such is the effects of a war. Since then, he has become extremely suspicious and mistrustful of letting anyone unknown go near their group. The others usually calm him down before he lashes out like that, but now no one was around to stop him from committing such a mistake.

He stared at his trembling hands, trying in vain to clench and steady them. What would Yona and the others think of him now? A murderer who pointlessly kills anyone who steps within his reach? They would be so disgusted.

"I'm a monster…" He whispered, and he could sense the harsh truth in those words. Yona isn't there to stop him from thinking that. He really doesn't deserve her kindness.

She's wrong about him. After all, what kind of person kills without hesitation if not a monster?

He didn't know what else to do. Should he continue on to find a priest or try to figure things out himself without any guidance? He knows he will only bring pain and misfortune to the priest and Yoon, and he doesn't want to hurt or bring any danger to them. The best thing to do would be to keep himself away. Given time, he probably could figure out what to do on his own. However, does he have that time?

"I-I have to at least try and make things right." He told Ao, who only squeaked in agreement.

…

"D-D-Demon!"

Shin-Ah quickly darted to the side to dodge the arrow shot at him without warning and brought his hands up as a signal that he meant no harm. However, the villagers either ignored it or was too terrified to acknowledge it because they continued pelting him with arrows and rocks, all of which he dodged and avoided with ease.

His relentless training had paid off, and he actually felt accustomed to his smaller body now. However, dodging the arrows effortlessly only seemed to make the situation worse. The villagers looked even more horrified when their weapons did nothing to harm him. "S-Stop!" He tried to say, his voice struggling to rise amidst the cacophony of terrified shouts and screams. "I-I didn't mean to scare you!"

"He speaks!" A villager screamed and proceeded to pelt him with rocks, one of which was headed straight towards his head. Shin-Ah quickly reached out and caught it before letting it drop with a muffled thump! on the grass. "I won't harm you." He told them, voice soft but strong, the villagers freezing as they listened. "I am merely a simple traveler who had been attacked by bandits. I… I never meant to kill them…" He bowed his head in shame, guilt coloring his tone. "I only meant to defend myself."

He watched as the mob visibly hesitated and wavered in their resolve, everyone thinking over his words. Trusting that they wouldn't try anything anytime soon, Shin-Ah slowly begun to relax and hope…

"Lies!" Someone suddenly shouted, and Shin-Ah tensed. "The Demon only wants to lull us into a false sense of security, don't let him get to you!"

Shin-Ah watched in dismay as the crowd slowly seemed to agree with the man, his honest words having reached none. Knowing he had accomplished nothing today, Shin-Ah ran back into the forest just as the first arrows were shot yet again, frustrated with himself for failing to gain their trust.

This was the fifth time he had tried to gain their trust and failed. Ever since that day, he had begun to do everything he could to show the people that he meant no harm, however, every attempt he made was only interpreted negatively by the people. They run at the mere glimpse of his mask, arrows are fired routinely into the forests in an attempt to slay him (he only remained safe due to his well-honed senses and extreme luck), even Ao is rebuffed even though she did nothing wrong, all because she was with him the day it happened.

And when he thought his situation wouldn't get any worse, more bandits who felt challenged by his presence are constantly tearing into the forest to confront him. Shin-Ah always tries to avoid any fights, but the bandits are relentless. They wanted to know who is threatening their territory, which often leads to fights he just can't ignore.

If he doesn't defend himself, he'll be seriously injured. He wouldn't be able to complete his mission. The mere thought of which forces him to fight back. However, this action often leads to the death of the bandits, which only worsened his reputation.

Persuading the people that he means no harm isn't working, so with no choice left, Shin-Ah finally decided to leave his current dwelling and continue his journey. He contemplated on throwing the mask away, so that people wouldn't recognize that it's him. However, he doesn't have anything else to cover his eyes with. Besides that, the mask was a memento from Ao. He couldn't bring himself to throw it away even if he wanted to.

Ao continued to be a comforting presence by his side. He didn't know how he could have kept sane this long without her, so he constantly shows his gratitude by spoiling her with food. However, the moment they reached Fire Tribe lands, food slowly dwindled until it became scarce.

The Fire Tribe is the largest of the five tribes of Kouka Kingdom; however, most of its land is infertile, so it is of no surprise that the food source is dwindling. Even the wildlife seems to lessen in number, making it extremely difficult to hunt for food, and he can't go to the towns to buy food since he has no money. Add to that, Shin-Ah keeps on encountering many impoverished and deteriorating villages and farmlands on his travels.

Watching the suffering people from his place hidden in the forest, Shin-Ah felt conflicted. It was Yona's wish to improve the state of this kingdom, which includes helping the suffering villages and towns, not just fighting wars. He would be fulfilling her wish if he tried helping, but shouldn't his mission come first?

No… if he was reading this right, then he arrived back in time and into his fourteen-year-old body. This means that Yona will be about twelve-years-old by now, which gives him about four years before her cousin Soo-Won begins usurping the throne. Nothing would happen right now, which would give him plenty of time to help the villages. He could just search for the priest and plan his mission along the way.

How to go about it though…

He could become a bandit again, just like what they did in the past. He could fight and take back what belongs to the people and return it to them, and he could exchange his hard work for food or money. However, he doubts being a bandit would help his currently bad reputation. No one would trust him.

Besides… the last time they did that, it didn't end so well. People only got more hurt because the other bandits are enraged that someone is stealing their goods and 'territory'. So that just leaves honest jobs, but from what he had experienced, working honestly is a surefire way of earning slow money.

"I have to try though. People would soon know I don't mean them any harm, right?" He asked Ao, who nodded affirmatively. He felt slightly reassured by that and nodded determinedly. "I'll do it."

Unsurprisingly, it took a whole week before he spotted any group approaching the village. And he knew this isn't any ordinary group because they definitely have weapons. They don't look too friendly either.

Shin-Ah gripped the hilt of the sword behind his back, his position crouching above a tree a perfect vantage point. He will observe first, and if they proved to be bad people, then he'll intervene.

…

"That's it, fall in line and pay up!"

"Move it already! We haven't got all day!"

Shin-Ah frowned as he watched the people being forced to fall in line in front of what seems to be the group's leader, each carrying a small pouch full of coins. Everyone looked resigned, and some frightened whenever the men pushed someone into the line. What is the money for, though?

"Let go of me!"

Shin-Ah tensed and leaned forward, his eyes narrowed as he watched one of the bandits drag a woman into the line. She was struggling all the way, the man growling in annoyance as he hauled her roughly. No one moved to help her; they just remained watching with wide frightened eyes.

"We don't have any more money! Let go!"

"You better do what we say, girl." The leader said lazily, one hand tossing a money-filled pouch up and down. "Don't forget, we're the only reason this little town is still standing safe from intruders. Do you really want to risk leaving your family unprotected?"

She glowered at him, "There hasn't been an intruder for years! You're the only ones who kept saying there are!"

"That's because we got rid of them, girlie." The man leaned forward, one hand slowly resting on the hilt of his sword. "And you and all the other villagers here owe us for that, so pay up."

"I don't believe you." She lifted her head stubbornly. "I think this is all just an excuse to steal money from us."

"We're not stealing," The man grinned wickedly, "You're willingly giving it to us."

"Well, I'm not!" She shouted, "This has gone on too far! Help me get rid of these jerks!" She turned to the villagers for support, but everyone kept their gazes on the ground. Shin-Ah visibly saw her resolve weaken slightly at that, before she steeled herself. "Fine, I guess I'm on my own then."

"I think this show's gone on too far, myself." The leader laughed and before anyone could react, he punched the girl in the gut, the force of it making her stumble back a few steps before collapsing.

Shin-Ah saw red.

Everyone gasped in horror and tried running away, but the bandits quickly dragged back the deserters, forcing them to watch the horrifying scene. The girl coughed out blood and trembled weakly, the bandits sneering and snickering in amusement at her predicament.

"Anyone foolish enough to challenge me like this wench did will get the exact same treatment!" The leader roared. To his incredulity, he felt a sharp stab of pain on his chest just as everybody started screaming at him in horror. Confused, his eyes slowly followed their wide-eyed stares down until he is finally gazing down on his own bloody chest, a sword protruding straight out of it. Screams erupted from all around him, and he gaped at it uselessly before his bloodshot eyes attempted to glance behind him to see his killer.

What greeted his eyes is the sight of a horned skull mask, its hollow and vengeful eyes staring straight at his soul. The bandits cried out in shock at the sudden appearance of the man, who let out an animalistic snarl.

"T-The Masked Demon!"

"The rumors were true!"

The leader hacked and coughed up blood, the precious crimson liquid slowly dribbling down his chin. "W-W-What–?!"

"You have gone too far." The man whispered and slowly twisted his sword, the unexpected soft voice contrasting heavily with the horrifying mask. However, that voice only made it seem more unknown and dangerous.

He didn't get the chance to respond, because the Demon suddenly pulled the blade out in one swift motion, the loss of the only thing holding him up causing him to fall forward in a sudden spray of blood.

Through his fluttered eyelids, he could vaguely see the masked monster viciously cut down all twenty of his men. Blood splattered and spilled on the ground, and the collapsing bodies and screams seem never-ending. The Masked Demon moved like the wind, his sword movements a blur as they slashed and sliced through bodies.

The leader laughed, his throat bubbling from all the blood trapped inside. "Monster…" He called, and the Demon turned to stare at him after finishing hacking down the last of his men. "Murderer!"

"SHUT UP AND DIE!"

Everyone, even the Demon, turned to see the girl panting heavily, her gut bruised and her mouth full of blood. She spat at his feet and growled, "As far as I am concerned, you're the only real monster here!"

The leader laughed again, feeling his life slowly fading away. "You… d-don't know what you're talking a-about…" He coughed some more and felt the blood filling up his lungs. "T-That… is a Demon. A-And after he's d-done with us… he will k-k-kill you all…"

And with those chilling last words, the bandit leader collapsed and breathed no more.

The girl panted and coughed, before turning to stare at the sight of a frozen figure standing in the middle of dead bodies. The air stank of the metallic smell of blood, and she could vaguely see the villagers with children running away from the scene. Everyone else remaining was frozen in horror as they all waited to see what the Demon would do next.

Instead of turning on them like they had expected, the Demon only released a shaky breath before turning tail and fleeing from the scene and into the woods, leaving everyone terrified and shaken to the core and the girl trembling as she stared at his retreating figure already blending in with the dark shadows within the forest.

Unbeknownst to them all, even Shin-Ah himself, a hooded figure had seen everything from his vantage point. He frowned deeply before calling for his companion and whispering what he had seen. His companion stared in shock at his words before nodding solemnly and rushed to deliver the message…

…

"Are you absolutely sure?"

The scout bowed and nodded solemnly, "Yes, Elder. We've seen it with our own eyes. The Lord Seiryuu is nothing but a cold-blooded murderer."

The White Dragon village's Elder's eyes grew sad and solemn. She sighed and sat down heavily, her old heart growing heavy with those damning words. The scout gazed at her worriedly, before asking her the most important question: "How will we ever tell Hakuryuu-sama?"

"We don't."

He stared at her in shock, "A-Are you certain, Honored Elder?" The scout asked uncertainly. "Hakuryuu-sama wouldn't like it if he finds out we've kept such a thing secret from him, especially a secret that involves one of our Lord's own Dragon Brothers."

"What do you think will happen once Hakuryuu-sama finds out that one of the Dragons is a killer?" The White Dragon's Grandmother turned and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "He has waited for so long to be reunited with the Dragons; he would certainly disregard the fact that Seiryuu-sama is dangerous and will try to invite him to our village. And what will happen then?"

The scout ducked in shame as he finally realized the Elder's point. "The village will be in danger." He murmured gravely.

"Exactly. And while Hakuryuu-sama will definitely attempt to defend us, he will eventually hesitate to go against Seiryuu-sama. And such a mistake may cost him dearly." Her eyes narrowed, "We must keep this a secret from Hakuryuu-sama, so that all those things won't come to pass. In the meantime, continue to watch Seiryuu-sama's every move and report everything back to me.

"I know I have said this so many times, but be careful of his Dragon Eyes. According to the legends, they are powerful enough to see you no matter how well-hidden you are. Do your absolute best to stay away from his line of sight. One glance at his eyes and you'll be dead instantly, either by his gaze or by the blade he so skillfully wields. We must protect the village and Hakuryuu-sama at all costs."

The scout bowed low, his voice quiet but solemn, "As you wish, Elder."