Unicef Episode - Her Dark History
In the pitch-black darkness, a voice echoes.
A thick, low voice, yet intensely neurotic.
'Other kids do it just fine, but what the hell is this from you?'
Her eardrums throb. It's like an awl drilling through her ear and gouging her brain.
'You're no son of mine—you're my enemy!'
'I've never had a worthless kid like you!'
'If you can't win, you're no child of mine!'
'Is this how I raised you?!'
Clutching her pounding head, Hamask decides to sit on the ground for a moment to rest.
She is a great demon. In the demon world, she's known by the moniker Fighting Ghost God. She's a monster famous for hunting down and killing those rumored to be the strongest.
Her fearsome reputation is said to make even the mightiest demons hold their breath and straighten up.
Thud!
The moment Hamask sits, a faint earthquake rumbles. As soon as her rear touches the ground, the massive mountain before her crumbles.
"Grooo... grrrk!"
Surprisingly, the mountain begins to writhe slowly, groaning and spewing blood.
What had stretched out long and gigantic like a mountain range was the body of a single ghost!
He was a moray eel with red fins and razor-sharp teeth. His 108 hands were tipped with claw-like nails.
Now, he was gushing red blood from wounds all over his body.
"The Sea Floor King is nothing special, huh."
Hamask shakes her head. Perhaps because of the deep ocean depths, the blood splattered on her face is quickly swept away by the currents.
She strokes the white mask firmly covering her face. On that blank white mask is scrawled a large red number "1."
"Grrrk!"
The Sea Floor King. This colossal moray eel lifts its eerie yellow eyes, glowing even in the abyss, to glare at Hamask.
"To fell me... truly worthy of the demon world's rising star."
"You're too weak. Beating you won't earn Father's approval."
The Sea Floor King chuckles at Hamask's words.
"I heard some mad battle maniac had appeared in the demon world lately and wondered who it could be... Turns out it's just a brat throwing a tantrum for Daddy's pat on the head."
"......"
"I thought you were some proper demon... but you're just a pitiful puppet. Dancing on your father's strings."
At the Sea Floor King's words, Hamask springs to her feet.
Clang!
The flaming sword Hamask swings remains sharp even in the deep sea. She slices clean through the Sea Floor King's massive neck.
Krunch!
Hamask reaches out and rips out the Sea Floor King's heart.
"That's three now with 'king' in their titles."
Hamask has roamed the demon world, battling countless demons so far.
The Goblin King, the Reaper King, and now the Sea Floor King she'd just slain.
None of them could match her.
Western reapers, Eastern death gods—they all yielded their hearts once caught in her grasp.
Unrivaled!
Hamask is undoubtedly the strongest being in the demon world right now, with no one who can stand against her.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Hamask bursts from the deep sea into the open sky.
Burning lands and boiling oceans. Crimson mountains jutting like blades.
This demon world is vast... and lonely.
"Trophies like these won't win Father's recognition. I need... bigger, stronger prey!"
Hamask rockets off like a shot, seeking the conch shell portal to another dimension.
Sure enough, atop a red mountain peak sits a massive conch shell.
It's said that spinning the shell leads to an entirely different world inside.
Rrrrip!
Hamask passes through the conch shell into the world beyond.
"......!"
The first thing she sees in this new world is a beautiful forest.
Birds chirping, deer frolicking by the lake. In this lush woodland, Hamask lands for the first time.
"......A world like this exists."
Hamask pauses at the scenery before her eyes. For the first time, she reaches out to touch a tender green leaf.
Then.
"......!"
Hamask startles and pulls back her hand.
She begins berating herself for reaching toward that leaf.
You're no true demon. Why waste affection on weaklings like that? It's a disgrace to demons!
Her father's thunderous scoldings from childhood echo in her ears once more.
A demon must never act like this!
As Hamask steps onto the grass, hellfire ignites instantly.
Crackle!
The tender green leaves blacken, curl up, and vanish without a trace.
"Heh heh heh... Yes. This is my path. I can't disappoint Father."
Hamask looks around.
The Midland. She'd once heard a curious rumor.
'A terrifying powerhouse has appeared in the Midland.'
Hamask wants to meet him. If she kills him and proves she's a truly wild and powerful demon, surely even Father will acknowledge her?
"Burn the whole world, and he'll show up eventually."
If she topples the ruler of a realm and returns with his head, Father will have no choice but to recognize her.
She wants to be a son Father can be proud of.
That's what Hamask thinks.
Grrr!
Hamask races through the forest, setting it ablaze. She runs and runs until a powerful presence appears.
A few humans and monsters charge at her, but none in this world could stop the one called Fighting Ghost God in the demon realm.
How many forests and creatures has she burned?
Suddenly, Hamask lifts her head at the intense aura ahead.
"......!"
Before her stands a pair: a man and a woman.
One is a woman with fiery red hair. The other, a pink-haired boy with a languid expression.
"Da...mn, you... co...nfident?!"
The red-haired woman snaps gruffly.
Hamask senses it instinctively. The ferocious power emanating from this red-haired woman!
A wielder of mana not easily found even in the demon world!
"I am Hamask. The name that will erase you."
Hamask charges at terrifying speed.
"Co...me... on... then~~"
The red-haired woman draws a kukri from her waist.
And so their battle begins.
Hamask and the red-haired woman exchange over a thousand blows in an instant.
BOOM!
The terrain twists and shatters entirely.
"Impressive! To think a fairy in this land still fights like this?"
"No...t bad... but... my head's... dry... from... sleep... con...di...tion's... trash! Urk~"
The red-haired woman's kukri clashes with Hamask's flame storm, birthing a massive whirlwind that devours the forest whole.
"......!"
Hamask shudders at the red-haired woman's power.
She's bathed in countless blood across the demon world, but this is her first foe like this.
Has there ever been an enemy that tore her flesh and made her bones ache like this?
This opponent is far stronger than the Goblin King, the King of Hell, or the Sea Floor King.
"Gah! Slept... wrong... con...di...tion's... shot! Hic~"
The red-haired woman belches curses and steps back, her waist and shoulders cracking.
Hamask lands opposite her.
The moment she tries to retreat...
Win! Everyone but first place is a loser!
Her furious father's voice thunders in her ears.
The red "1" etched on her white mask. It's her blood oath and brand—a vow not to return home until she claims the top and earns Father's approval!
"Raaagh!"
Hamask lunges forward with all her might.
Crunch!
Her ankle snaps with a sickening sound, sharp bone piercing skin and cloth.
"Th... that... lunatic!"
The red-haired woman recoils in horror at Hamask charging even without her footing.
"I can't lose!!"
Hamask sacrifices the hearts she's gathered to unleash a colossal flame storm.
Her final blow, heedless of her own life!
She's charged ahead blindly all this time. Her path littered with nothing but blood and ash.
Falling here would negate it all.
So she believes.
But?
"Enough."
The pink-haired boy, who's been watching till now, clasps his hands and summons a tremendous storm.
"......!"
A color she's never seen. One absent from the demon world's red blood and black earth.
It swallows her red storm in an instant.
Dazzling pink engulfs Hamask, blinding as sunlight.
Flash!
Caught in the pink gale, Hamask feels her body relax against her will.
'Warm...'
Her hot blood, unquenched by deep-sea chill or polar ice, finally cools.
Hamask nearly gapes in awe.
"Gah!? No, this isn't right!"
Her father's roar still rings fresh in her ears.
'I have no use for weaklings.'
One loss, and all her achievements crumble to nothing.
Then.
The pink-haired boy, now right before her, speaks.
"Look behind you."
"......?"
Hamask turns involuntarily.
There...
"!"
For the first time, Hamask looks back at the path she's scorched.
A vast crater of devastation, everything burned and broken. Yet amid the scarred earth bloom pink tiger lilies in abundance.
"Flowers..."
Hamask murmurs unconsciously.
Cliche places a warm hand on her shoulder.
"What meaning is there in being number one? Many creatures thrive by joining strengths. That's what makes life shine."
"Plants... incredible."
Hamask stands dazed.
The pink-haired boy smiles at the lilies.
A pink breeze stirs, and the flowers grow vigorously.
"I'm Cliche."
"......"
"What's your name?"
At the pink-haired boy Cliche's words, Hamask replies in a low voice.
"Asking a demon their name carries deep meaning. I am Hamask—fierce rage—and Fighting Ghost God. Mad for blood, mad for battle."
"......"
"Can you handle my true name?"
Hamask's tone seems calm, but deep within hides an uncontrollable tremor.
A single tender green leaf drifts down to her forehead.
Cliche doesn't answer the retort, just smiles brightly.
And asks again.
"What's your name?"
Then.
Crack!
A fissure splits the white mask Hamask wears. The red "1" cracks diagonally into two pieces.
Hamask kneels amid the tiger lilies.
And bursts into tears.
"......Unicef."
A name that sounds surprisingly peaceful, belying her appearance.
Cliche quietly touches her—no, her—trembling form.
Warm pink energy envelops them both softly.
The lilies watch over them in silence.
It was a chilly late spring day.
* * *
"Oh my!"
Unicef's eyes snap open.
She overslept a bit. Last night felt like a nightmare.
It dredged up a black history she'd rather forget.
Best to shake it off with some activity.
"Ho ho ho, time to get moving!"
Unicef grabs her sprayer and heads to the flower bed.
A variety of plants grow together there. Tall ones, short ones, plump ones, skinny ones.
All harmoniously clustered, none left out.
A short tiger lily pokes its broad leaves beyond the fence.
"Ho ho ho, you're all amazing today too."
Unicef smiles, stroking the lily's leaves.
After swiftly watering the bed in 30 minutes, she heads to the kitchen to boil soup.
"Ho ho ho, today's menu is soybean paste soup! Need pumpkin, onion, and beans!"
Unicef hums cheerfully as she cooks.
First, boil water from washing the pumpkin!
Then add water from the onion!
Finish with bean rinse water!
This way, she makes soybean paste soup without harming the veggies.
"Ho ho ho, another win today!"
She proudly taps the pot and ladle.
"Ho ho ho, breakfast time, everyone!"
Ding ding ding!
With the clang of the wok, doors open, and Pink Dragon Knights members shuffle out sleepily one by one.
Blonde Hotse, robot girl AlphaGo, ever-gloomy Diablo, and tousle-haired pink Cliche.
Today, Queen Roin joins them unusually.
"Unicef. 4 AM isn't morning yet. Please, have mercy."
Roin grumbles, but Unicef shakes her head firmly, no coddling.
"Ho ho ho, the sun's up—how's it night? Plants started their day already. Eat up!"
"Sh...it, wha...t is... this... pla...in water!"
Hotse slams her bowl and draws her kukri.
Unicef dodges with a smile, then splashes soybean paste soup from her ladle onto Hotse's face.
"Ho ho ho, breakfast keeps you healthy!"
"No...t break...fast... no...t food... no...t healthy! No... paste... in it... how's... this... soup?!"
"Beep! Battery under 4%! Charge needed! Hungry!"
"Heh... ya-le ya-le. Legs aching like this, huh. Tch! Human bodies are so frail..."
"Queen's orders! Meat for breakfast today!"
After last night's welcome-back party for Unicef ran late into an overnight stay, the Pink Dragon Knights' barracks buzz with chaos once more.