Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Dancing with Alice (6)
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The Red Yaksha, Sakuragi Renji.
He was a blessed Oni, born with a powerful physique and two horns—special organs for manipulating mana.
When one thought of Japan’s strongest fighters, he was always acknowledged as a powerhouse, easily ranking within the top three.
His specialty was a fierce fire magic that could scorch even the clouds high in the sky.
The immense firepower, like a rising sun, was enough to inspire awe in all who witnessed it.
A nightmare to his enemies and a hero to his allies, he was… unfortunately, weak against the spring.
It was because he had lost his wife, Seria, in the season when flowers bloomed.
*‘Even now, seeing flowers… reminds me of her.’*
Like Renji, Seria was born in another world. They were childhood friends who grew up in the same village.
Unlike the red-haired Renji, she was a single-horned Oni with hair as white as a delicate lily.
The problem was that, unlike Renji who quickly adapted to Earth’s scarce mana, Seria’s health was not as robust, and she grew weaker and weaker.
Thanks to the naturally sturdy constitution of an Oni, she had managed to endure for a time.
But after giving birth to Lily, Seria’s condition deteriorated in an instant, as if she could no longer recover.
To be precise, her body had become far too frail… to bear another child.
-I… I really can’t. You’re more important to me than a child who hasn’t even been born yet. So…!
-Hee hee… No. Even if I don’t give birth to this child, I will be leaving you soon anyway…. So please… understand my selfish wish to leave even a small trace behind.
But Seria was a stubborn woman.
And the life inside her was already her precious child.
The option of not giving birth did not exist for her.
And so, having barely overcome the danger to birth Alice, Seria closed her eyes with a smile on her face until the very end.
She knew that her life wouldn’t have lasted much longer, even if she had given up the child.
In fact, she felt a great sense of relief in being able to bring Alice into the world.
-M-My lord… this child… a horn on her forehead…!
-A cursed Oni! Could it be that because of this child…!
-…Don’t speak such nonsense. This child’s name is Alice. She is my precious daughter, whom Seria brought into this world at the cost of her own life.
Therefore, Renji could never bring himself to hate Alice.
How could he possibly hate the child his beloved wife had risked death to bear?
But that didn’t mean he could shake off the despair of losing Seria.
Emotions were not like paint on a broad wall; love could not simply cover up sorrow.
Thus, he chose to distance himself from Alice to get his own emotions in check.
He did it so that the agony of losing his wife would never turn into resentment toward his child.
Though it had become twisted somewhere along the way, everything he did was born from affection.
“You say Alice truly wants to stay in Nighthaven… Is that the undeniable truth?”
“!”
That was why Renji did not dismiss the white-haired girl’s words lightly.
The true feelings of his youngest daughter, who always closed off her heart and refused to communicate, as if she were a sinner.
Opportunities to learn them were few and far between.
Perhaps sensing the sincerity in his question,
Yuria, whose body had gone limp and breathless, seemed to regain her strength and stood up on her own.
She then nodded her head vigorously, her eyes filled with a resolve that affirmed her words.
It was a confident demeanor, as if there was not a hint of falsehood or embellishment in what she said.
Renji, too, nodded nonchalantly, muttering as if her claim had considerable merit.
“I see. That child never reveals her true feelings in front of me. Your words could very well be true. No, whatever the case, they’re likely close to the truth. Alice wanted to go to the Academy if she had the chance… She would naturally hate staying in Japan, where I’m close by.”
He had to admit what was true.
Renji understood that Alice found him uncomfortable.
After all, he had neglected her for years after losing Seria, all to get a handle on himself.
It would be more surprising if Alice trusted and followed him.
Still, even so, there were things he could not concede.
“However, as a parent, I cannot simply leave her be. Alice was born weak… The outside world is far too dangerous for her. This is for her own sake as well. So I don’t mind being hated. This is the best I can do for her.”
Mana was not merely a source of power for magic.
It was the special power that made metahumans from another world what they were.
Just possessing it in one’s body allowed them to exhibit extraordinary strength, different from ordinary humans.
Therefore, Alice, who could not wield mana like a human, had a limit to how strong she could become.
Just as a human could never defeat Tempest alone, no matter how hard they struggled,
Alice, too, was far too lacking to protect herself in a world teeming with monsters.
Thus, Renji’s words to Yuria were an unshakable, clear fact.
His will was too strong to be bent by her childish wish to remain in Nighthaven.
*‘Hmph, she’ll give up with this. Seeing her clutch her throat in pain, she can’t say much more. She may be close to Alice, but she’s ultimately an outsider. She has no place to interfere here.’*
Renji thought as much, looking at Yuria, whose face had hardened, as if asking if she had anything more to say.
She was certainly cute enough for Alice to like her… but was that all?
Just as Renji’s interest, which had been piqued by her confronting him despite knowing who he was, began to wane, it happened.
“Alice…”
“Hm?”
It was a rather unpleasant, metallic sound.
Yuria’s voice was so strained it was obvious she was forcing strength into her throat.
Just as Renji felt a flicker of doubt, wondering if she still had something to say,
Yuria, with tears welling in her eyes from the pain in her throat,
spoke over the course of more than ten seconds, articulating each word with extreme slowness.
“Alice…. is…. strong…!”
“…”
*Alice isn’t weak. She’s stronger than you think.*
As if that was what she was saying, Renji’s brows furrowed involuntarily at the girl’s voice.
Alice, strong? What an absurd notion.
It was a thought that had never once crossed his mind. He looked down at Yuria and opened his mouth.
“Brat… Do you know that I am Sakuragi Renji, the head of the Sakuragi family that supports Japan, and still say such things? Quite… arrogant of you.”
“…”
He had been showing a degree of tolerance because she was a girl Alice cherished, but now…
Renji released the presence he had been suppressing, directing it solely at her in this vast garden.
It was a dread that would have made the Yuria who first arrived in Nighthaven lose consciousness instantly.
It was a powerful pressure that stimulated a creature’s base instincts, making them lose their reason to fear.
But perhaps because she had faced all sorts of enemies, and had even come face-to-face with Tempest,
Yuria did not crumble under his pressure. Instead, her eyes widened as she defied him.
*If I let myself be intimidated here, the words I barely managed to get out will all be for nothing.*
*Alice is strong. I will never admit that that’s wrong.*
“…”
“…”
How much time passed as they stared at each other?
Just as Yuria felt her back and bottom grow damp with the sweat she had unknowingly shed,
Renji, who had been applying pressure with a blank expression… finally broke into a smile for the first time that day and spoke.
“Heh, khuhuhu… I like arrogant brats. To withstand the full force of my spirit… That’s something even my own children can’t do easily… Are you really human? I almost want to adopt you as my daughter.”
“…?”
*This man… knows how to smile? I don’t think I ever saw that in the original story…*
Yuria blinked, dumbfounded by Renji’s completely unexpected reaction.
But perhaps her bewilderment didn't bother him much.
Renji, with a completely different air about him, suddenly began to pat the top of Yuria’s head.
The distance between them was hardly what one would expect when dealing with one’s child’s friend.
As she stood there, dazed and confused, he suddenly moved the hand that was patting her head cautiously toward her neck.
It felt as if he were about to poke her throat with his fingertips, and Yuria’s shoulders flinched involuntarily.
“!”
“Don’t be alarmed. I’m just checking the condition of your throat. Hmm, I see… Your vocal cords are quite swollen, even torn. To be so reckless with your own body… Wouldn’t Alice be worried?”
So, this is a gift.
No sooner had Renji finished speaking than the sound of something burning could be heard from somewhere.
An unsettling auditory hallucination made Yuria flinch instinctively…
She only realized it was the prelude to magic when the persistent pain and discomfort washed away as if cleansed.
*‘The pain in my throat is gone. Don’t tell me, healing magic?’*
To think he’d notice my throat was hurt and even cast healing magic himself.
Yuria didn’t know how to react, her eyes darting around.
It seemed his earlier comment about liking her wasn’t a lie.
Though, she found it hard to pinpoint exactly what part of her he had taken a liking to.
*Could it be that he really likes it when people are arrogant to him…?*
Yuria seriously considered whether she should try pulling a prank to raise his affection level even more.
*‘Besides, I thought healing others with magic was supposed to be quite difficult…’*
To receive such a kindness. Then she couldn’t possibly skip thanking him.
Especially since he was the father of a friend she held dear.
After touching her neck a few times and letting out a light “ah, ah,” Yuria looked Renji straight in the eye.
Then, she gave him a deep bow from the waist, with all the politeness she could muster, as if to show her sincere gratitude.
It was a thank-you gesture that wouldn’t be understood in Nighthaven, where Western-style greetings were common.
But Renji was an Oni familiar with Japanese culture. She hoped it would be received well.
“Hmph. Did Alice teach you that way of bowing? You’ve learned well.”
“…Hee.”
*Pat, pat.*
Renji, who had at some point returned to his usual stern expression,
gently stroked the head of Yuria, who had raised her face.
Perhaps the gesture, unique to a specific culture, had raised his favorability even more.
His touch was almost overly familiar for two people who had just met today.
The one receiving it didn't find it unpleasant either; it felt a bit like meeting her grandfather after a long time.
Renji seemed to notice this naturally, and his favorability rose again… an infinite positive feedback loop.
*I did it. This should completely solve Alice’s problem.*
Yuria smiled brightly, quietly basking in the full measure of Renji’s patting.
“Right, so Alice is that strong, is she…”
Renji stood up and muttered to himself as he gazed at the distant, flower-filled scenery.
What kind of intention was hidden in that mumble?
It was only a few minutes later that Yuria would come to understand its meaning.
After leading her, now wearing her mask again as usual, back to where they were before, Renji suddenly spoke to Alice.
“Alice, draw your sword. It’s been a while. Let me see your skills.”
“…What?”
His words were enough to stun everyone present.