Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: 16. Burning Brightly. (4)
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#7 Their Circumstances: Some Daughter's Circumstances
"Listen to Grandpa then."
"Okay!"
"And be careful!"
"Okay!"
"And also......"
"Dad, I know you're just repeating the same thing for the last ten minutes?"
I furrow my brow slightly at Dad, who's looking at me with eyes full of worry.
I don't want to make this face, but if I don't, it feels like he'll repeat himself all day.
"Yeah, be careful, and stay quietly at home today."
"Ugh~ But it's harvest time, we need to do it as soon as possible."
"One day is fine."
"Okay."
I nod, feeling Dad's hand gently stroking my hair.
One day, just one day resting at home isn't so bad.
"Then be careful."
"You be careful too, Dad!"
"You're going with Big Sis."
"I can trust Big Sis!"
"That's my little sister!"
Looking at Big Sis puffing out her chest confidently makes me feel reassured somehow.
Of course, if Big Sis raised a hand against me, that would be scarier than anything!
"Hmm... a match......"
"If anything happens to Ellis, I leave it to you."
Grandpa's been earnestly asking Dad for a match since yesterday.
But Dad always said to live without fighting.
Fights should be left to others as much as possible!
If you have to fight yourself, think of running away first.
Fights are always the last resort!
There's no way such a pacifist Dad would accept Grandpa's challenge.
"Urgh....... Fine."
Grandpa looked like he had a lot to say, but in the end, he nodded and saw Dad off.
"Hmm....... If anything happens, call this old man."
"Yes, Grandpa."
After Dad left, Grandpa watched his retreating figure with lingering eyes, then sighed once he was out of sight and stroked my hair.
After Grandpa returned to the house next door like that.
"What should we do, kids?"
I sat in front of the faintly burning fireplace and spoke to Misha and Kkoko.
"Nyaang~"
"Umm......"
Misha let out her usual languid meow, and Kkoko groaned, searching for an answer to my words.
"How do you usually spend your time?"
"Nyaang......"
"Auntie... hate....... Sob......"
Seeing Misha and Kkoko's reactions, I feel like I asked something unnecessary.
Normally, Dad and I farm, and these kids guard the house with Big Sis.
But Big Sis is Big Sis, after all.
She probably never left these kids alone.
"Mom's sorry, Kkoko."
"Sob....... Auntie... scary!"
Kkoko ran to me crying.
I gently pat and soothe her.
Big Sis's knuckle raps hurt a lot, after all.
"Yeah. Big Sis isn't here today. Today we're playing with Mom."
"Okay!"
I hug her tight until she stops crying.
"Mom will scold Auntie for you!"
This isn't just words for Kkoko.
I really plan to nag Big Sis when she comes back.
Even if it's Big Sis, this is too much.
Kkoko's only 1 year old!
Even if she can talk, doing that to a 1-year-old kid!
Of course, it's too much even for adults!
While chatting with Misha in front of the small flickering campfire like that.
Knock knock.
"Grandpa?"
I tilt my head at the sound of knocking on the door.
Right next to our house are the crops Dad and I grow, and Grandpa's house next door.
So the only people who come here are family and Grandpa next door.
But would Grandpa have a reason to come all the way here?
Something feels uneasy.
But the knocking on the door is getting louder.
"I guess I have to go?"
As I stand up, Misha and Kkoko start following behind me.
At the increasingly aggressive sound, I raise my voice a bit.
"Who is it?"
Dad said it's natural to answer when someone asks.
The people knocking on the door seemed to lack basic manners as humans.
"Over here!"
With those words, they smashed the door.
#8 Their Circumstances: Some Demon's Circumstances
"Find the succubus descendant without anyone noticing."
That was the order given to us by our lord.
The demon world is chaos itself right now.
Three factions are engaged in an invisible struggle.
In that situation, the reason our lord, Agreat, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, called us was just one thing.
To claim the Demon King's seat, he ordered us to find the succubus descendant.
"Understood."
One vote from the succubus tribe solves everything.
The chiefs who haven't joined Agreat's forces and are siding with the moderates mostly remember the previous Demon King.
The previous Demon King was a monarch even Agreat acknowledged.
The great Demon King who brought peace and prosperity to the demon world.
But after that peace and prosperity, the previous Demon King turned it into an era of peace.
Even though all demon tribe powers were united and supplies were perfectly prepared, he didn't invade the humans.
Humans and demons cannot live under the same sky.
That's one of the laws spoken by the Demon God.
Despite having ample power, the previous Demon King didn't attack humans for breaking that.
So after the previous Demon King's death, Agreat decided to take on that role himself.
Become the Demon King and lead the vanguard to crush all humans who mock and insult the Demon God!
Raise the demon tribe's name across all continents!
At those words, my tribe and I took him as our lord.
I believed Agreat was the one to make the demon tribe's name known to the world.
The greatest king to create a demon-dominated world.
That's why I set out on the journey with the others to find the succubus descendant.
Most were hot-tempered guys from the radical faction centered on battle-loving types.
War with humans can wait.
So after soothing them and traveling for 2 years.
Finally, in a small northern village, we detected a demon signal.
My heart pounded.
Our lord will finally become the demon tribe's king.
The demon tribe's dream is about to become reality!
'Calm down.'
This moment is crucial.
This is the human continent.
A kingdom in the northern corner at that.
If word spreads that demons appeared, the entire human continent might come rushing.
No matter how strong we are, if all humans swarm, it's dangerous.
So we must find the succubus descendant secretly.
I have to stay calm to restrain these reckless fools.
While dissuading those who wanted to kill all the village humans and search, we narrowed the area bit by bit.
And the last remaining house we found.
A bit away from the village, two small houses amid crops like wheat and corn.
"Start here."
"Can't we just smash it?"
Aphir, the chief of the dogkin tribe and one of the Four Heavenly Kings like me, growled.
Since it's a bit away from the village, this place seems fine.
But let's be a little more cautious.
"There's still the house next door, so... it might be best to be careful just up to here."
"Grr....... Fine. We've held back so many times already. One more time won't hurt."
Grinding his teeth, Aphir nodded.
He too wanted our lord to ascend to the Demon King's seat more than anyone.
"Why isn't anyone coming out?"
"No one's home?"
Aphir knocks on the door.
But no one comes out.
"There's a presence inside."
"Guh... this place......"
"Wait......"
Small footsteps approach, but more importantly, the magic tool's red light is growing clearer!
This magic tool reacts only to demons.
"Who is it?"
The moment the slightly trembling voice sounds, the magic tool's red light peaks.
The owner of this voice is the succubus descendant we've been searching for.
"Over here!"
Aphir yanks the door handle.
For the famously impatient dogkin chief, this is holding back a long time.
"Kyaa!"
With the girl's scream, Aphir's superhuman strength sends the handle and door flying into the air.
"Wh-who are you!"
"Come with us!"
The pink-haired little girl screams, but Aphir's hand doesn't stop.
"Be careful. If she dies, the demon world only has war left."
Even with factions divided, it's civil war among the same race.
Calculating the drop in military power and morale after infighting is impossible.
But if we secure this child, Agreat can become Demon King by the laws.
The moment our lord becomes Demon King, we can judge those arrogant humans who claim supremacy!
That moment was right before us.
Maybe that's why.
When the cat next to the little girl leaped, we didn't react.
Even Aphir, the dogkin chief, was the same.
We all knew that tough skin, unmarred even by steel.
"Graaaah!"
But soon after, we see Aphir clutching his severed right arm,
"Nyaang!"
And the cat emitting black aura from its long claws.
#9 Their Circumstances: Some Cat's Circumstances
Strong.
I could tell just from the auras emanating from the four who burst through the door.
So what’s needed now is to strike when the enemies let their guard down.
Just like I’ve done until now.
Like the appearance I showed to the man and silver girl who seem to know my identity, right up to the end.
Pretend to be just a cat lunging forward.
The enemies are off guard.
The robe falls, revealing a dog's head.
Not beastkin. The horns on the head prove it.
The opponents are demons, as in the stories.
More reason to fight.
Hostile to humans, but when demons invade, even beastkin ally against them—they're that evil.
That's the will of our god, the Holy Beast.
"Nyaah!"
"A, a cat... thing?!"
Target is the throat.
Seize the opening of their carelessness, gather mana in my claws to form a black aura blade.
The most primal weapons of beastkin are fangs and claws.
Unleashing martial arts learned from childhood in a cat's body, the enemy panics and pulls back.
'Faster than expected!'
As predicted, the opponent is strong.
Probably a level where even one-on-one I'd lose head-on.
The physical ability to judge in an instant and execute a retreat.
'Not the throat then!'
Twist my whole body to change trajectory.
Can't take a life, but must reduce combat power.
"Graaaah!"
Success.
The right hand reaching for my benefactor is cleanly severed.
"You little shit!"
The enraged dog-headed demon swings his left hand.
The wind pressure alone shakes my small body—threatening.
Naturally releases mana just from the swing.
I could dodge, but dodging would let my benefactor get hit.
And this small body can't block that attack.
Then, only one way.
"Nyaaaaa!"
With the cry, I wrap mana around my body.
Feel the mana flow through my whole body.
And with it, my body changes.
A sensation in a very long time.
In 0.3 seconds, from cat to human form, sharp mana approaches right before me.
"Cat Transformation Technique, Reversal."
Infuse mana into my hand and return the enemy's mana.
"Who the hell are you!"
The dog-headed demon glares with eyes that could kill a person ten times over if possible.
"Misha?"
My benefactor's surprised voice comes from behind.
But now, no time to worry about her.
Each enemy before me is a formidable foe.
So I need to buy time.
"My name is... Misha. The big brother of the benefactor you're trying to take......"
After a brief hesitation, I smile faintly and shout.
"Is here!"
And at that exact moment.
"What are you bastards?"
A monster-like old man perfect for dealing with the enemies before me appeared at just the right timing.