Episode 97

Translator : Missme

Editor : Aru

I blinked busily in a standing position. Still, the scenery has not changed. I raised my hand and rubbed my eyelids. It was the same.

It was absurd.

What is it?

A cave?

Why a cave?

Just before the explosion, I was clearly in the middle of the forest.

The refreshing plant odour. The cloudy clouds that fill up the sights. The somewhat suspicious, but nothing strange, bottom-tree in the middle of the forest.

I was surrounded by things like that.

However, I closed my eyes for a while due to the loud sound and woke up in the cave.

Whats going on here?

It seems I held Ashs hand with force in confusion. Conversely, it felt as if I was relieved, with the skin that touched me with the sensation that I held his hand tighter. Then in an instant, my stability came. It was a surprisingly immediate reaction.

This is almost like a drug.

Well, should I call it a tranquillizer?

Anyway, there was a room. As I guessed, I looked around calmly.

The tunnel-like cave was quite dark, but it wasnt enough to block the view.

It was worth saying that it was rather bright for a cave where a single point of light would not come in.

Suddenly I had a strange feeling. Why is it bright?

It was strange that there was no common torch hanging on the wall, and this much visibility was secured.

What the hell is this place?

Maybe its magic.

Magic?

I looked back at Ash. Ash still spoke in a terse manner without letting go of my hand.

Because as soon as I split the bottom of the tree, we suddenly moved here.

Did it split?

You finally managed to split it in half? No, the sound of that huge noise from breaking the bottom of the tree?

What kind of bottom-tree is that?

At this point, this is something other than suspicious.

Oh, he said it was magic.

Was it cast with magic, or was it magic itself? I felt something suspicious, but I didnt know it was something like this.

should we go inside first?

After a short thought, I suggested it first.

It was me who asked to split the bottom part of that tree. In other words, it will be concluded that I was the cause of this situation.

We need to find a way to get out of here.

Whatever it was, I couldnt be still. The conscience was quite distressing for that.

I took the first step enthusiastically without hearing any answer. Ash was naturally led by my walk because our hands were still untied.

There was something that caught my sight when I thought I didnt walk enough to hurt my legs.

I stopped my foot.

Hello?

For reference, that wasnt the greeting I made out of my mouth. And of course, not even the one that came out of Ashs mouth.

I stood tall and stared straight ahead. An unexpected sight caught my eye.

A person?

No, its not.

I dont think its human. The view may be too narrow because of the light, but it didnt look like a human being.

I asked a very natural question to the other person (?), who had only half of it stuck in the wall that was inferred as the end of the cave, like Earths contemporary art.

Who are you?

Me?

The mysterious opponent crumpled his face and laughed. I could see a smile from here.

The object you have come to save.

Thats not the purpose Im here.

Ive never met him before, and I think hes hoping for something too big. I answered in a quivering voice, and the other party insisted.

Why arent you? Youve released the magic on the bottom-tree. Isnt that why you came here?

Released the magic?

I slipped my tongue. Its kind of weird for me to be the only one who keeps talking short. But the opponent didnt seem to mind such a thing.

You must have found something strange under the tree. The bottom is the entrance and key to this place. You can move here if you get the order right on the surface.

Is that what it was? So thats what the secret of the bottom-tree is.

When I expressed that I knew it now, my opponent collected his forehead.

What? You really didnt know? You should know the order to release the magic.

Oh, thats because we just split the bottom-tree.

What?

We split it in half and then here we are.

What does that expression mean?

Thats ridiculousHow can you.

The opponent looked at Ash, not me as if he were dumbfounded. After a while, an acknowledgement emerged from his face.

Huh Ive been living for a long time and I see everything. I cant believe that theres a human thats less human than non-human.

I dont know the details, but it seemed to me that he recognized that Ash was not normal.

Its a clear analysis. Then Ash opened his mouth.

What are you?

Ash asked what it was, not who it was. Its different from the beginning of my question. But why does that seem more appropriate?

This time, the opponent revealed his true identity.

Have you ever heard of a half-demon?

Half-demon?

Half is humans blood, half is devils blood mixed. Oh, you know demon, dont you? |

I know

Its the devil, to put it simply.

A special species were other than humans known to live together in a place called the devil dom, not in this world.

Like its name, there are a lot of rumours about being able to deal with the dark magical powers and saying that there has been a contract with humans to lead the world to ruin.

But Ive never seen it before..

It really existed?

In other words, the demons were like fairies or ghosts. No, are aliens more accurate?

In the literature and stories, there are quite a few groups who claim their existence, but few have actually seen it.

Its amazing. Hes even half-demon. Isnt half rarer?

Whether its a surprise or an honour. I pushed my minds mind to one side, and then I put in my mouth what I had been worried about earlier.

So youre half-demon, so only half of your body is stuck in the wall?

No. I cancel it.

.

I said Ill cancel it.

My opponent, who introduced me as a half-demon, twitched his eyebrows one after another as if he was stunned. Now to describe it, there were two horns on his forehead. The horn moved with the twitch of the eyebrows.

The opponent sighed small. I added quickly.

I didnt mean to make fun of you. I wasnt trying to be funny.

Thats why Im welcoming you by kindly introducing myself right now.

Huh? You really stuck on the wall?

Yes.

The opponent rewrote his expression, which I thought was an annoying expression. Then he said, giving a look of meaning, presumed to be earnest.

Get me out of here.

Um

How?

The opponent was quite peculiarly embedded in the wall.

Its like, in an action cartoon, a character who flies away after being hit by strong enemy bangs on the wall and gets stuck.

Would it be said that it seems that such a scene was captured and realized in reality?

The opponent position was divided back and forth, and only the back was buried in the wall.

What in the world would he do to become like that? How can we get that thing out of there?

The other person must have interpreted it differently to worry about the method. He shouted in haste.

Im not just asking you to take me out. Im a half-demon man who knows how to repay.

Repay?

Yes! What do you want? Do you want some help? Im half-demon, so you can get some of my power if you sign a contract.

It was not necessary, but the opponents attitude became urgent as if such intentions had been revealed.

Oh, then how about this? I know that humans are being bothered by the monsters in this forest, but if not all, Ill get rid of most of them. You know thats not a bad deal, right?

You said youd be subjugating instead? Thank you for your words, but this subjugation is already over.

Hold on.

I opened my eyes wide at the thought of passing on my head.

Is this the unknown creatures?

I mentioned it once, but in <The Spring of The Goddess, Agrita>, this years monster subjugation is originally resolved as follows.

Agrita, who happened to visit the Apel Forest before the subjugation, accidentally wakes up an unknown creature that was asleep in the forest and wipes out monsters in advance with the help of its existence.

The unknown creatures who appear there.

Circumstances seem certain.

Thats odd. I suddenly got a little familiar with my opponent. Although I only read briefly in type, it feels like I met a person I know anyway.

Its not strictly a person, but.. . By the way, I didnt know because the book so roughly described it.

The book skips this part very roughly.

It cant be, but as if the narrator hadnt seen Agrita in person since she entered the forest.

Well, anyway. No, it is said that the creature was asleep, and it was sleeping like that?

While I was thinking of something good to do, the face of my opponent stuck in the wall became desperate.

I came to my senses as soon as I met his tearful eye. I looked back at Ash.

Lets get him out.

If he knew how to get out of here, it would be the fastest way to get him out of here.

Ash.

I just called, but I guess he got the message. Ash nodded. The nod immediately brightened up the discerning opponents complexion.

Good thinking! Its a choice you wont regret! Now, then Ill show you how to get me out of here. First of all, you see that stone on the left? Just one span to the right.

Noonim, step back a little.

I hid my body behind Ash without a word. I had already gone through it once and knew right away what Ash was trying to do.

Huh? What are you guys doing right now? Now, wait a minute. Its not what I think it is, is it? Come on. Say no, aargh!

Quang! Urrrrrrrr.

A loud noise rang out of the whole cave. I squinted reflectively, closed my eyes.

Then I could see the opponent with his eyes wide open, covered in debris, through the crumbling cave walls.

I, I almost died!