Arifureta After – As the Daughter of Demon King Part 1
In the middle of the night, in a room inside the Nagumo household, *tap tap* the small sound of a keyboard being tapped and the light of the display that faintly illuminated the room were spreading.
With a notebook PC being placed beside the pillow, and a posture of lying down with both elbows supporting the upper body, the one who was moving her small legs backward and forward in the air while staying up late was, the princess of the Nagumo family――Myuu. It has already been five years since she arrived in this world. Currently, the ten-year-old Myuu was still small statured as usual, but it appeared that the factor of “beautiful” had slightly entered into her “cuteness”.
At the end of the sentences that she spoke there was still “~nano” attached, the person herself was aware of it and wanted to fix that habit, but even with that she had become a person of firm character that was like a big sister as could be seen from how she had been given an individual room like this.
Although her mother and big sisters seemed to still worry about her because of her similarity with her father that often stayed up late and forgot the time completely due to the subculture. (TN: The subculture here might be talking about the otaku culture, maybe.)
『Nn~. So, Na-chan will also partic.i.p.ate in that ceremony nano?』
『That’s right. I will sing a hymn as a member of the choir.』
When Myuu wrote a question by operating the keyboard *tap tap*, the chat partner Na-chan (real name, Natalia) replied back like that. This girl seemed to be a girl of the same age as Myuu, a ten-year-old that claimed she was living in America. The two of them got to know each other by chance through the heartwarming net game they played, and sometimes they even contacted each other like this outside the game. This girl was a friend of Myuu’s.
By the way, Myuu’s language capability was helped by Hajime’s handmade artifact that was inserted with “Language Comprehension” (exclusive for Myuu, provided with voice recognition and letter projection), with this Myuu could not only comprehend languages all over the world, but she could even comprehend ancient languages. Even now she was actually chatting using English.
『Choir huuuh~. That’s amazing nano.』
『Is that so? I think in my country there are a lot of children that enter the choir though.』
『Then, Na-chan’s country will be fine even if the apostles attack anytime then nano. If the country people mobilize altogether and hit hard with the sacred song, you will be able to shave off the apostle’s status by ninety percent. They will become just a mere wooden doll nano.』
『I’m sorry, Myuu. I don’t understand what Myuu saying here……』
Of course, it was natural that she didn’t understand.
Now then, according to their talk today, it appeared that on Sunday Natalia would accompany her parents (who seemed to be fairly high officials) to a large ceremony where government officials would be gathering. There, it seemed that a chorus of hymn would be done by a choir that was comprised of the ceremony partic.i.p.ants’ children, so Natalia would also partic.i.p.ate in the choir.
However, from Natalia’s viewpoint, there would be nothing that she could really do there other than sing the hymn. At the buffet party after the end of the ceremony, the children had to wait while their parents were having “adult talk (long time)”. Natalia didn’t have any friends there that she was particularly close to, and there was also her parents’ instruction to get along with the children of such-and-such families. It seemed it made her feel constrained and gloomy.
『A~a~, if only Myuu will also attend this party.』
『You can use this chance to become friends with the other children, right?』
『I don’t wanna. Even if I get along with them, if the person is actually a child of a family that is in opposition against father, it will be awkward……there is also some children among the older ones that will come to talk to me because of the instruction of their family, you know? I don’t want to become friends with those kinds of children.』
『Muu, you sound like a n.o.ble.』
『Ahaha, what are you saying? Myuu saying that makes it sound like you know some n.o.ble. By any chance, is Myuu from Britain?』
『No, Myuu is a sea dweller race.』
『Ahahaha, I always heard you say that, but, what kind of people are this sea dweller race~~』
『We are the women of the sea.』
『Ahahaha~』
Perhaps feeling that the way Myuu talked was amusing, words that expressed laughter were listed on the display screen. Natalia who seemed to calm down after a while wrote a sentence that seemed to be pleading with her unique friend who obviously had a different atmosphere and rhythm compared to her normal school friends.
『Hey, Myuu. I wonder, can you talk with me like this during the party?』
It seemed that the ceremony would be in the afternoon, so even thinking about the time zone difference Myuu would be able to become her talking partner. However, if seeing the figure of a young girl who didn’t properly partic.i.p.ate in the party while earnestly playing with her smartphone in the corner, in the end just what would the family and also the surrounding think about Natalia……
However, even if only slightly, Natalia’s atmosphere that was really quite gloomy was conveyed through her sentence.
Seeing that, inside Myuu, the big sister soul was welling up!
『Muu, can’t be helped then.』
『Eh, is it fine? You said that recently you were scolded because you played on the internet too much though……it would be, really late, you know?』
『It’s fine. There is no problem. If it’s for the sake of a friend, then surely I will be allowed. That’s why, Na-chan, I won’t let you get bored and enjoy the party instead nano!』
『Ye, yes. What’s this, I’m happy but, for some reason, I have a bad premonition.』
That premonition of Natalia would splendidly come true during the weekend.
At a certain place in America, on that day, a certain ceremony was being held. At the ceremony that Natalia mentioned, where a lot of government officials were attending, ma.s.s media people were also going in and the situation of the ceremony was even broadcasted on the evening news in j.a.pan.
Naturally, the hymn that was sung by the partic.i.p.ating children, including Natalia, was also performed as one of the ceremony’s decoration, the figure of the children singing with their all was also broadcasted in the news.
After the ceremony program ended it was time for the standing buffet party. The ceremony was using a floor of a certain high-cla.s.s hotel that was reserved, so the served cooking was also first cla.s.s.
The adults were immediately involved in slightly difficult talks of this and that, and then Natalia, who was left alone just as expected, was now trying to become a wallflower and the heaven-sent child of the smartphone.
「Eh, I wonder if Myuu is still not online? By any chance, is it just as I thought, that she was stopped by her mother or her big sisters or someone?」
Natalia confirmed that Myuu wasn’t logging in on the chat room that the two of them usually used. Looking disappointed, Natalia sighed due to the gloomy time she had to spend until the end of the party.
But, it was at that time,
「Young lady. If you sigh like that, then happiness will run away, you know?」
「Eh?」
Natalia was startled and turned her gaze toward the direction of the voice that suddenly came to her. There, the one who spoke a line like a certain skirt chaser was unexpectedly a cute girl about the same age as her.
No, it was a beautiful girl to the degree that the word of cute felt a little lacking for her.
Emerald blond hair that looked fluffy and smooth, and clear jade eyes that looked mystical. Faint pink lips and dreamy rose colored cheeks. That figure which was wearing a dress with a gentle green tone was like a fairy that came out of a fairytale. That faint mischievous smile which had a close resemblance with a Cheshire cat somewhere despite her gentle look also spurred on that imagination.
After a while being in a daze, or possibly being enraptured, Natalia who was staring at that emerald fairy girl saw how that girl was peering into her wonderingly「Nn~?」which caused her to return to her senses with a ‘hah’.
「E, err, you are, who?」
「Muu, that’s mean. Even though I came here because Na-chan said that you are lonely.」
「E, e? Na-chan? E?」
Although this was a wide world, the only one who called her with that pet name was only that amusing friend which was living in j.a.pan.
However, yes, however, Natalia who was relatively clever for her age and parentage immediately rejected that possibility.
Well, of course she was. What was the chance of a friend in j.a.pan to rush here to America just because she was saying that she was lonely? Furthermore, the two of them had the talk about this at three days ago before the ceremony. Myuu wouldn’t be able to make it in time if she didn’t depart immediately, thinking normally this was something impossible.
Even if, just for argument’s sake, Myuu was really coming here for her sake, just how did she enter this place? This was a place where several big shot officials were gathering. Naturally, anyone other than related people would be checked strictly before entering here. There was no way for people other than the invitee that had been registered beforehand could enter.
In that case, there could only be one possibility, that Myuu was actually a child of a family that was invited into the ceremony today just like her family, which meant she had been lying to her all this time. But fundamentally, the two of them had only been talking with internet chatting, or using their net game avatar, they didn’t know each other’s face. Then, as expected this girl in front of her eye was…
「That’s not it nano. Myuu is Myuu herself, the genuine one that is living in j.a.pan you know?」
「-, y, you, as I thought you are Myuu? But how are……」
Myuu who seemed to guess Natalia’s thought talked looking like someone who succeeded in her prank. Myuu then approached Natalia who twitched in surprise and took her hand without hesitation. And then, Myuu brought her lips close to Natalia’s ear, and she whispered softly, as though she was blowing her breath on the ear, just as if she was exposing a secret.
「Myuu is the daughter of the demon king-sama, and also the top disciple of his wives so……」
「……」
「If it’s for a friend, then something like this is no problem nano.」
Myuu stared from really close at Natalia whose face was glowing red for some reason, and then, while smiling and looking slightly troubled,
「Or else, is it a bother for Myuu to come here?」
Myuu asked that.
Natalia’s head was swung left and right at high speed, to the degree that it felt like an afterimage could be seen from that movement. Her expression expressed her feelings more eloquently than anything.
Natalia, who was made to toss away the worthless minor details and felt like Myuu was somewhat forcefully having her way with her, became able to spend her time in this boring and gloomy party with her friend.
By the way, Myuu was here in this place because of Hajime who she asked to send her using the compa.s.s and crystal key.
Right now in j.a.pan, the time was already night, so beforehand Myuu had explained about the circ.u.mstance and her destination to Hajime and the others. Papa Hajime couldn’t say anything toward his daughter’s global acquaintance and the lightness of her movement, but Yue and the others were feeling warm and fluffy seeing a Myuu that had grown to become completely tough and they sent her here gladly. The one who prepared Myuu’s dress was also Yue and the others.
Although, if they knew that Myuu was making her friend red-faced by her actions and speech that was similar to a handsome man from an otome game performing a wall sandwich to the female character then……there was no doubt that the Nagumo family emergency meeting would be held right away. (TN: Otome game, a game like your usual visual novel, but here the MC is a girl while the targets to be conquered were handsome men instead of beautiful girls. While wall sandwich is slamming one’s hand into the wall in front of somebody (e.g. to stop them from leaving; often viewed as romantic))
「Geez, I was really surprised there!」
「I won’t let you get bored――that was what Myuu said, Myuu is keeping Myuu’s own words.」
「Aah, this rhythm, you are unmistakably Myuu.」
Natalia dropped her shoulders while intensely accepting the situation after seeing Myuu, who was saying such a thing, with a stiff and crisp expression. She accepted that the beautiful girl in front of her eyes that could be mistaken for a fairy was exactly her friend Myuu.
「I won’t ask about the details, but you really came here huh.」
「Nn. If Natalia is lonely, Myuu will rush to your side even if you are in another world.」
「-, thank you Myuu. ……For some reason, I got the hunch that in the future Myuu will be someone that is really no good you know.」
「Strange……recently Myuu is often told of something like that. Even though Myuu is just imitating all the onee-chans and papa.」
「Those onee-chans and papa-san, aren’t they also getting called as no good people?」
「Hah!?」
Even while having idiotic talk like that, Natalia’s heart was beating livelily inside. Her heart was beating fast because if the existence of Myuu, that shouldn’t be listed on the invitation list, got found out, it would become a really great uproar. But even more than that nervousness, she was feeling really happy that she could unexpectedly meet her friend, which she had wanted to meet, like this.
Furthermore, her friend was cuter than what she imagined. Myuu was humorous and for some reason, Myuu also looked adult-like. Myuu was exactly a friend that made her want to boast about her to other people.
Their talk was naturally turning lively, both of them were turning into wallflowers, yet they were looking more animated and purely having more fun than anyone there.
But that enjoyable time was suddenly broken.
Along with a sound *gashan*, one middle-aged male knocked over his gla.s.s while collapsing down. The surrounding people rushed to that person in a panic to check the situation, and they found out that the person appeared to be sleeping. The people got exasperated and explained to the surrounding that this person surely drank too much alcohol, but in the middle of that, suddenly another person at a different spot also collapsed similarly like that.
With that as the beginning, the people at the party venue were crumbling down one after another and fainted at different intervals.
「Wha, what? What is going……a, u?」
「Natalia?」
Natalia was bewildered, but in the middle of speaking her words suddenly cut off. When Myuu turned her gaze to her, she found the figure of Natalia falling to her knee with her eyelids looking like they would close anytime. She was obviously being a.s.saulted by unnatural sudden sleepiness.
Myuu immediately caught Natalia who looked like she was going to fall, and then she became aware that she was also getting sleepy.
「This is……by any chance the cooking is? Uu, even though this should be a normal party……is this also because Myuu is papa’s daughter nano?」
While murmuring something that might damage Hajime relatively if he heard it, Myuu said「It’s fine」to Natalia who looked like she would faint anytime. She then took out a magic medicine from her “Treasure Warehouse” and drank it. With that, the sleepiness was blown off immediately.
Myuu thought of giving Natalia the medicine too, but because she felt a doubt whether Natalia would be able to get a hold of herself in the event of what would occur from here on. In the end, Myuu didn’t do that.
She then decided to send a mail to Hajime but noticed that the transmission was being jammed. At that point in time, she caught the sound of the footsteps of a group approaching.
Myuu groaned「Muu」while looking around. Most of the people seemed to have consumed the cooking that was laced with a sleeping drug, and they were all sound asleep or almost falling asleep. No, when Myuu saw that the security and the waiters were also falling asleep, it seemed that another method other than dosing the cooking was also used.
To do something like making all people in a strictly guarded party of politicians to faint without killing or wounding anyone was impossible with just average planning and organizational capability.
「Can’t be helped nano.」
Myuu looked at Natalia with a troubled expression, and then she laid down in that spot snuggling close to Natalia. Then she pretended to sleep while opening her eyes only slightly so that no one would notice.
「Wake up, Na-chan. Come on, wake up.」
「Mmm-」
The squishy sensation that was gently touching her cheek, the sensation of her head getting patted slowly caused Natalia’s consciousness to become half awake. On the other side of her faintly opened eyelids, there was the upside down figure of Myuu peering into her face.
「Myuu?」
「Yes, it’s Myuu. Good morning, Na-chan.」
「Un, good morning. But, why is Myuu in my room?」
「Na-chan. If you are seriously mistaking this room that is surrounded by concrete and an iron door as your own room, then Myuu has to have a talk with Na-chan’s family at once, you know?」
「E? …………………-!?」
Natalia, who finally recovered from her sleepiness, rose her body suddenly and ran her gaze over the surroundings. She confirmed that the place she was in was exactly just as Myuu said, a room of dreary concrete and an iron door.
At the same time, she caught sight of children other than her and Myuu. Nearly ten children about the same age were huddling in the corner of the room where they were already awake. Looking at how everyone was wearing party outfits, it seemed that they were children that were also in that party venue. Several of the children had faces that she knew as members of the same choir with her.
Every one of them was sitting down looking scared. Natalia’s gaze then turned back at Myuu who seemed to be giving her a lap pillow.
「Myu, Myuu. Just what in the world, how did this……where is here!? What happened to us!? Where is father!?」
Natalia was on the verge of panic. To that, Myuu closed their distance smoothly and embraced Natalia’s head closely. And then, Myuu gently clapped Natalia’s back several times while saying「It’s fine, it’s fine nano. Myuu is together with Na-chan here nano.」, this sentence was whispered to Natalia with an extraordinarily gentle tone.
Having those done to her, Natalia gradually relaxed ‘funya’ with her composure returning back.
Judging that Natalia had calmed down, Myuu separated their body, and then she also turned her gaze at the other children and opened her mouth.
「First, all of us were made to sleep by the drug that was laced on the cooking, and then we got kidnapped nano. After that, we were taken to this place by car after traveling for about forty minutes. The ones who are kidnapped are only the children that were in the venue, the adults were left alone in the venue.」
The word ‘kidnapped’ made the children almost cried, but before that happened Myuu continued her words.
「Not everyone is in this room but at the very least all the children that were taken away from that venue seem to be inside this building. According to the perpetrators’ conversation, it seems that they are making various demands just as expected. All of us are the hostages for that. The perpetrators are a really large organization, all their members are equipped with firearms. It looks like it will be some time before help will come for us nano. Anyway, the current situation is something like that. Are there any questions?」
「First, I want to ask just how can Myuu understand that much!」
Myuu’s well-reasoned explanation made everyone’s face turn into something like「Ah, yes」, but from among them, Natalia howled. In response to that, Myuu answered frankly.
「Because Myuu has been awake all along!」
「The sleeping drug!?」
「Detoxified!」
Natalia didn’t even ask about ‘how?’ or anything anymore. While her words got caught in her throat, Natalia exclaimed,
「Wh, why, are you this calm?」
She threw that natural question at Myuu. To that,
「Because Myuu has an abundance of experience of getting kidnapped nano.」
「Just what kind of life have you had!?」
「Getting made to cross a desert, getting locked in an underground prison, getting washed away in a sewer, getting displayed in an auction, getting kidnapped by a monstrous sister……」
「Stoooop, I don’t want, to hear more than thaaat!」
When Myuu explained this and that of the kidnapping cases she experienced while counting with her fingers, for some reason Natalia then hugged her while crying. Surely Natalia was getting the impression that Myuu was an unfortunate girl that had went through a gruesome life.
「Uu, but, then, why is Myuu here? If it’s Myuu, then shouldn’t you be able to escape?」
「Myu?」
While wiping her eyes roughly with her sleeve, Natalia asked a question that if it was Myuu she should be able to escape. Despite being the center of attention for the other children, due to the conversation of these two, Myuu was tilting her head as though to say「Just what are you talking about I wonder?」while answering.
「Even though Na-chan is getting taken away, just why would Myuu run away nano?」
「u」
Hearing Myuu’s answer that sounded like she was saying, ‘even though 1+1=2, why would you answer with 3?’, Natalia couldn’t say anything anymore. Myuu was just too much of a handsome guy, the young maiden Natalia-chan couldn’t say anything! Her face was that of a ripe apple!
In order to avert her mind, Natalia asked what they were going to do from here on.
「For the time being, Myuu will contact papa nano.」
Saying that Myuu took out her smartphone from under her dress’s skirt. The boy hostages were whispering, 「Eh, weren’t all the smartphones confiscated……」but……under the skirt of a girl was a grand mystery. Surely that was how it was.
The boys’ face delicately blushed at the thighs of Myuu that they caught sight of from the flipped skirt, and they averted their gaze (it seemed that their tension and terror were softened from watching the exchange between Myuu and Natalia) while Myuu was trying to contact Hajime……
「!? Now I’ve done it, nano……」
Suddenly Myuu hung her head down while on all fours. On Myuu’s hand, was a smartphone that displayed a lightless pitch black screen.
Actually, this smartphone was different from the normal smartphone that Myuu took out previously, it was a communication artifact that Hajime created. So that Myuu could use it, it was a type with a magic power storage loaded inside just like Myuu’s other exclusive artifacts; but if it was asked what was its difference with a normal smartphone, then it was at how it was able to communicate with another world.
If one possessed this smartphone, at the very least it would be impossible for the owner to be unable to contact Hajime and others who possessed the same device no matter where they were on earth, so even if the normal smartphone was taken away then there would be no problem, was what Myuu was thinking but……
「I forgot, to recharge it nano……」
It would cost much energy if it was used to contact another world. Before this, Myuu, who was in that age, against her better judgment got too engrossed in talking with her friend, and she used up too much of the stored magic power and got scolded by papa Hajime. This time too she recently unconsciously used the phone too much. Fearing the scolding she avoided asking to recharge the phone, which caused the phone to be completely empty currently.
「E, err, Myuu?」
Natalia who somehow guessed the situation after seeing Myuu who kept feeling down on all fours, sent Myuu a faint smile. Myuu who noticed that raised her face all of a sudden, and opened her mouth while averting her gaze.
「For humans, it’s no good to pay attention only to the past nano. Looking to the future is exactly what is right nano. Isn’t that correct, Nataliaaa!!」
「Ee!? E, err……」
「This is not a failure nano. This is a discovery that this method is not working nano!」
「Ye, yes?」
「And so, let’s give up contacting papa.」
「……」
Myuu cheerfully stored the smartphone inside the skirt (was how it looked like, but it was actually stored inside her “Treasure Warehouse”). While Natalia and the others were staring at Myuu with an expression that couldn’t say anything, Myuu crossed her arms and begin to think while nodding ‘yup yup’ to herself.
(Eerr, promise number 1 to papa, don’t expose your true ident.i.ty, and don’t show the artifact. Promise number 2 to papa, at the time it’s necessary, always discuss it first with someone, whether it’s papa or one of the onee-chan. Promise number 3, when there is no time to protect promise number 1 and 2, at the time that Myuu thinks that it’s necessary……)
「――”Do as you like. As for the clearing up afterwards, I’ll do it”, papa said nano. Yup, right now is that time nano.」
Myuu, who had reconfirmed her important promises with papa, was whispering「Papa is just too cool nano. When Myuu recalled it Myuu got to fall in love all over again nano」inside her head while deciding on her plan from here on precisely.
Anyway, she had told Hajime the time the party would end, so even without her contacting him, no, exactly because she wasn’t contacting him, Hajime should get suspicious and he would open a gate to the party venue to pick up Myuu. Combining the time that they were being kidnapped and the time she spent at the party, Hajime should notice the abnormality in less than an hour.
When that happened, Hajime possessed the “Compa.s.s of Guidance”, so he would be able to instantly search for Myuu’s whereabouts. With that, this kidnapping incident would be resolved.
In the case that, for example, the situation changed before Hajime noticed, Myuu would use all the power she was gifted with and settle the problem without holding back. She planned to fight for the sake of her life and her friend’s life while entrusting the information concealment after that to her papa who was the most reliable person in the world.
In the case that she was fighting she would recover her smartphone, that should be somewhere in this building, and contact Hajime. With that, all the problems would be resolved.
With that being the plan that she decided on, Myuu fired herself up with「Yosh-, nano!」while her speaking habit that she was usually being careful so that it wouldn’t come out was going out in full throttle. Natalia and the other children, who were staring fixedly at such a Myuu, saw Myuu turn around to them, and they spontaneously gulped at Myuu’s wide smile toward them.
「It’s okay to not be that worried. Because everything is fine nano.」
That sentence wasn’t a mere consolation, or a wishful thinking, or even a bluff. A strength that made anyone who listened to be convinced, existed in her words. The tension in the children’s bodies naturally lessened and their expressions slightly recovered their natural color.
Myuu nodded once at those children, and then while whispering「Just in case, Myuu will make preparation nano.」, Myuu gathered the children to the corner of the room, then she began to set up small crosses in their surrounding.
Perhaps there was no meaning to wonder about it anymore but for the time being, the children watched Myuu putting her hand under her skirt once more. Although she had shown for real how she was taking out crosses from there, the size and number of the crosses were obviously surpa.s.sing the range that was possible to be stored inside a children’s skirt. That profoundly mysterious phenomenon caused Natalia to have a faraway look while the other children’s eyes were sparkling brightly from watching Myuu’s every single move.
「You……who are you?」
One blond-haired young boy, who blushed from Myuu’s smile, leaked out that question in a small voice.
In response to that, Myuu, who was nodding in satisfaction after finishing setting up the crosses, then proclaimed with br.i.m.m.i.n.g confidence and a grandly triumphant look, as though it was exactly her pride.
「Myuu’s name is Myuu. The beloved daughter――of the G.o.d-slaying demon king-sama nano!」
It went without saying that the faces of the children went blank hearing that.
A little bit after that.
In just a few minutes Myuu was becoming the center of this imprisonment room. It was obvious that the children would gather under Myuu, who even in this situation was still smiling without even a single agitation. Everyone huddled together wanting to be at Myuu’s side.
Seeing that, for some reason, Natalia wasn’t feeling amused. Myuu had asked for all the children to introduce themselves, and after everyone finished their introductions Myuu stated that Natalia was “a close friend nano!”. If Myuu didn’t do that, then perhaps right now Natalia would be acting sullen regardless of the current situation.
(Besides, that guy, isn’t he being too close?)
Natalia was occupying one of Myuu’s sides while at the opposite side there was a blond young boy talking pa.s.sionately to Myuu. The sharpness of Natalia’s gaze toward that boy was growing without end.
It was unclear whether the blond-haired boy noticed it, but the boy was continuing to talk to Myuu while sometimes feeling concerned of Natalia’s gaze.
「Err, I don’t really understand but……anyway, Myuu-chan’s papa is absurdly strong, and he will immediately locate us and then beat up those guys, is that true?」
The blond-haired young boy――he who had the name Emile asked Myuu. The children had sparkling eyes from hearing Myuu’s story about how strong her papa was, but Emile, who was comparatively calm, was thinking realistically during Myuu’s story and had noticed some things that should be impossible without using magic mixed in the story, so his impression became like that.
By the way, the total number of the children inside the room was nine. Every one of them were all children of the government officials that attended that party.
「Yup. If it’s papa, then against that kind of guys it would be instant kill nano. And if it is the onee-chans, then even if it’s just one of them then the bad guys will go splat or go boom, or go zap, or go pew.」
「I, I see. Yep, I see……」
For some reason, Emile felt like he was hearing excessively graphic sound effects, but he did his best in ignoring it.
「But, in that case then it seems that it will be all the better to not do anything uncalled for then. If within thirty more minutes our whereabouts will get find out, then let’s not do anything dangerous. Myuu-chan too, it seemed that you did something like pretending to sleep but it’s no good to do risky things, you know?」
「It will be fine. Nn~, Emile is kind nano.」
「-, no, no such thing, though……」
Myuu smiled sweetly at Emile who was worrying for her even in this kind of situation. The youth Emile noticed that something was shot through inside him. 「Aa~, Emile is getting red!」or「Emile, you actually like Myuu don’t you!」and so on, jeering characteristic of children was breaking out from the others seeing Emile’s face.
Natalia’s gaze was rapidly growing sharper. It was to the level that made one doubt whether this girl was really a ten-year-old!
Emile’s face went bright red while he made his objection inside that atmosphere, but the more he got worked up and denied the jeering, the deeper he was digging the hole for himself. Natalia’s face was growing to resemble Hannya. The tragic feeling that enveloped the children at the beginning couldn’t be found anywhere anymore.
In exchange, the youth Emile had to taste the tragic feeling instead.
「I’m sorry nano. Myuu, cannot answer Emile’s feeling!」
「I got strongly rejected! Wh, why? No, it, it’s not like, I like Myuu-chan or anything though. I’m asking here, because I’m just, feeling curious, or something……」
「Emile is not my type nano!」
「I got struck with a straight ball! The, then, what is your type……no, this is too, just because I’m curious, or something, it’s not like I really want to he, he, hear though……」
「Myuu like papa!」
「That’s an overly sharp curve ball! No, see here, Myuu-chan. It’s fine that you like your papa but, you cannot actually marry him……also, that, that’s different from liking a lover or something……」
「aAA?」
「Hii, I got threatened by a cute face that looked like a gangster! No, because, your papa, he is your father, you know?」
「We are not related by blood so there is no problem.」
「Unthinkable development! Lo, look here, Myuu-chan. Even though you two are not related by blood, he is your mother’s beloved person, isn’t he? Then, if Myuu-chan is feeling like that to your father, won’t your mother feeling troubled?」
「Mama said, ‘if there is an opening then take it!’ to Myuu nano!」
「Unthinkable backup! Such a thing……just what kind of family is Myuu-chan’s family……」
「There are mama and papa, then Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan, then in addition to papa’s wife there are also seven more wives, it’s a normal family.」
「There is something wrong with Myuu-chan’s father, you know!?」
「aAA!?」
「Hii, I’m sorry! I beg you here, don’t make a face like a mafia boss with that cute face!」
Emile-kun’s first love was showered with blows.
The surrounding children cackled. Natalia was hugging Myuu’s arm while making an expression of「Serves you right!!」. Natalia’s character was in danger of crumbling.
Amidst that, a blond girl looking slightly older than Myuu was asking with sparkling bright eyes, as expected it seemed that love stories being the favorite food of any girl were a common point that was shared by all worlds.
「Hey hey, Myuu-chan. Then, when will you confess to your papa?」
「Nn~, confess? Nn~」
Myuu tilted her head a little, then after showing a thinking gesture「Nn~」, her eyes slowly narrowed.
「If it’s confession then Myuu does it every day. Every day, Myuu says Myuu love papa nano.」
「Ee~, your papa won’t get it like that you know, absolutely~」
「Nope. Papa is sharp so he understands. But, Myuu is still little, so papa is not thinking of Myuu like that nano……that’s why……」
「That’s why?」
The girls’ eyes were sparkling with their heart beating fast, Emile was being crushed under a tragic feeling, Natalia was staring at Myuu with a complicated expression, and the boys were directing their grin at such an Emile. Amidst all those, Myuu……
「That’s why……eventually, Myuu will eat up Papa nano.」
Saying that Myuu licked her lips. She chuckled「Fufu」with faintly blushing cheeks and eyes that were moist from pa.s.sion. It was a bewitching figure that closely resembled a certain vampire princess, to the degree that it made one want to retort「Eh, she is ten-years-old right?」.
Spontaneously, the girls were shaken「Hawawa-」, the boys were overcome with a surprise to the point that their souls almost flew away while Emile and Natalia pressed their hands on their heart as though they were shot through.
As expected, it seemed that Myuu had inherited properly even the things that didn’t need to be inherited from her uncommon older sisters.
But, it was at that time, that the symbol of terror that was blown away thanks to Myuu became a footstep that resounded from the other side of the door. The children suddenly realized and they huddled close to the wall.
「Myu, Myuu……」
「Nn, it’s fine. I won’t let them touch even a single hair of Na-chan.」
「Un, I, believe in Myuu.」
The door opened with a creaking sound, and from the other side two men with their faces hidden by masks and something that seemed to be a.s.sault rifles hanging on their shoulders entered the room.
「Oi, which one we are going to take?」
「They are all the same, right? Anyway, other than that brat, these brats are all the kids of government or army officials. The effect will be the same no matter which one we kill. We also kidnapped a lot at other bases too anyway. It will be fine even if we used up all the brats here.」
「I see. It’s us two first for the time being huh. One will be killed right away as an example, right?」
The two who were exchanging in conversation, which could only be a.s.sociated with a dark future no matter how you looked at it, were acting as though the lives of children were worth nothing. It caused the children’s bodies to shrink and shiver. And then, one of the men reached out his hand to a girl that he just happened to catch sight of――at Natalia who Myuu covered behind her. But, that hand was stopped by the surprisingly strong grip of a small hand.
「……in the end, the time limit came first nano.」
「You are in the way, brat.」
A cold gaze that robbed all warmth pierced Myuu from behind the mask. Myuu talked to that man without even hiding her atmosphere of ‘it’s impossible huh’.
「This is a warning. It’s better for you all to immediately release all of us without doing anything at all to us. Ojii-san, you all have no chance of winning nano.」(TN: Ojii-san=uncle)
「………………fuh」
That unthinkable speech which came from a ten-year-old girl in this situation made the masked man to be lost for words spontaneously, but the moment his mind caught up, a snort came out from his nose. Thinking that the little existence before his eyes really didn’t know anything of what was called reality, caused ridicule to well up inside him.
At the same time, a color of sadism came into being inside his eyes. When he looked closer, it was a little girl with a very pretty look. This pretty little girl who didn’t know anything about reality, if he made her taste overwhelming violence, just what kind of voice would she be chirping with then, the man wondered.
Myuu who knew about the unreasonableness of reality understood what was in the mind of this kind of man like the back of her own hand. Therefore, while she was sighing in her heart that as expected, words wouldn’t do anything anymore now, at the moment when the masked man was about to strike Myuu, her lips curved up fearlessly.
「Enemy is to be killed nano!」
「-, wha!?」
Before he knew it, a small pistol for Myuu’s use was gripped in her hand and was pushed against the man’s stomach forcefully.
Just why a kidnapped child was holding a gun――even while feeling chaotic confusion from the incomprehensible situation, the man immediately twisted his body but,
*pan-*
A dry sound rang out, at the same time, the man received a fierce impact on his stomach, without even being able to scream the man turned in a somersault.
「s.h.i.t-, this brat-」
「……」
The other man aimed his a.s.sault rifle at Myuu――but, faster than the man, Myuu summoned a similar pistol in her other hand without even changing her posture or turning her sight. A bullet flew below Myuu’s armpit and impacted the stomach of the man who was at the left behind Myuu.
Once more, a dry sound *pan-* resounded along with the man groaning with a small voice while crumbling down. And then, even with an unbelieving expression, the man was trying to pull the trigger of his a.s.sault rifle.
「Fly away you a.s.shole nano!」
Before anyone realized, Myuu stepped in and in her hands was a comical hammer that was gripped――at the head of the hammer there was a rabbit character that looked like Mif○y attached colored in red and yellow――the pico pico hammer’s full swing pummeled the head of the man mercilessly and sent him flying. (TN: Search in google using this word ピコピコハンマー to find the ill.u.s.tration of pico pico hammer)
The man crashed on the wall *bekyo!* before crumbling down powerlessly. Giving that man only a glance, Myuu shouldered the pico pico hammer while turning around, and then toward the first man who was trying to stand up somehow.
「Hey-, wai――」
「No waiting nano!」
The pico pico hammer struck violently in full power. The hammer that flew with a force that was unthinkable when coming from the strike of a ten-year-old girl hit directly at the man’s face. *pikon-!* Such comical sounds and star images were scattered while the man was sinking down.
「Myuu……」
「A, amazing……」
Natalia’s eyes opened wide while Emile was letting out a murmur of admiration. That expression and murmur represented the heart of everyone there. After all, two adult men armed with guns were instantly killed by a girl whose age was not that different from them. In addition, there was also the weapons that appeared one after another like a magic trick.
However, Myuu’s expression didn’t show any sense of accomplishment. Rather, with a grim expression from her wariness that was raising up further, she was staring at the other side of the door and gave an instruction to the dumbfounded children.
「Na-chan, everyone. Until I say that it’s fine, you all absolutely must not get out from behind those crosses. Understand?」
「Eh, Myuu, we are not going to escape even though those men have been defeated?」
「Yup, several people are heading here after hearing the commotion just now nano. Even if we want to escape, right now it’s dangerous to go outside.」
「Go, got it.」
Natalia led the other children and they huddled against each other behind the crosses that Myuu had lined up. During that time, Myuu took out a new weapon. This time she chose something that would make as little sound as possible.
Right after that, three men stepped into the room. They were taken aback after seeing that two of their comrades were defeated before they aimed their rifle muzzle at the children. They were going to question the children what happened when,
*hyun hyun-*
The sound of something cutting through wind entered their ears. At the same time, one of the men received a fierce impact on his head that blew his consciousness to the beyond.
「Wha-」
「This brat-」
Voices of shock and curses resounded. Right after that, Myuu, whose dress waved from her elegant twirling motion, directed the weapon in her hand to the enemies and launched it with that twirling motion and her wrist snap.
*hyun* the sound of something cutting apart the air resounded and pulverized the ankle of one of the men while wrapping around it at the same time.
――Myuu’s exclusive use Black Whip “This is Weapon Desu”
The emphasis in the naming was surely the consideration of the papa so that the perverted character of the whip art teacher wouldn’t be transferred to his beloved daughter even in the worst case. It was a caution toward the daughter so that the whip would never, ever be used for any other purpose other than as a weapon.
“This is Weapon Desu” crashed the man whose ankle was pulverized into the man at his side before letting go, and then it struck the wrist of the man whose balance was broken. Just with that the bone of the wrist was smashed and the man screamed while dropping his gun. The collapsed man tried to ready his rifle while the man whose wrist was broken tried to take out his pistol from his waist, but the tip of the whip bent and hit the head of the two men hard almost at the same time and robbed them of their consciousness.
「Mu-, there is still one more nano!」
「-, what the, you-」
The last man who was standing by outside the room showed his figure while pulling his rifle’s trigger toward the girl who instantly made the three men entering the room faint. *da da da da da-* Amidst the fiercely reverberating sound of a gun shooting Myuu threw away her black whip and took out the “Pikko Piko Hammeeer” once again and threw it forward.
Myuu, who was in the line of fire, was hiding in the shadow of the “Pikko Piko Hammeeer” so that the bullets didn’t hit her. The stray bullets that missed Myuu pa.s.sed through to the back――toward the group of children behind.
「Kyaaah, wait, eee!?」
「Li, liees……」
Before the eyes of Natalia, Emile, and the others who spontaneously screamed, the bullets were stopping with ripples spreading throughout midair.
――Myuu’s exclusive use Barrier Artifact “Don’t Touch, You Pervert!”
The lined up crosses were artifacts where a barrier would be deployed with those crosses as the base. So that bullets wouldn’t hit the children even in the worst case, Myuu made a simple safe zone inside the room beforehand. The naming made apparent just what kind of situation that the creator imagined this artifact would be used for.
And then, Myuu herself who had completely protected the children from the wicked bullets was……
「Sleep nano.」
「aAA!?」
The thrown “Pikko Piko Hammeeer” instantly blocked the sight of the enemy and within an instant Myuu circled to the back of the opponent with low steps as though she was crawling on the ground, and with two kodachi in her hands, she rotated while severing the tendons of the enemy’s two legs. At the same time, the head of the man who became unable to keep standing and crumbled down was. .h.i.t and hit by two consecutive pommel strikes, causing the man to faint with the white of his eyes exposed.
――Myuu’s exclusive use Twin Katana “Muuramasa-Kotetsuu”
This artifact would react to Myuu’s image and could activate high-speed vibration-slash wave-impact generation, on top of that, just by holding it would cause Myuu’s perception and physical ability to rise. These two kodachi were truly worthy to be called as “demon sword”.
By the way, the twin sword art that Myuu learned was based from Kaori’s twin large sword art combined with Shizuku’s Yaegashi-style. Especially the combo of the rotating slash continued with a pommel strike just now was a technique that was just one step short of being the secret technique of the Yaegashi-style.
「For now we managed to endure through emergency, but reinforcements will surely come soon, so everyone, prepare to escape.」
Myuu twirled the two kodachi before like a magic trick, and the two swords disappeared somewhere. Looking at Myuu, the children finally raised their joyful voices and rushed out from behind the crosses. Their mouths sent Myuu words of praise like「Myuu-chan is amazing!」「So cool!」「Stro―ng!」.
「Myuu! Are you okay? You are not injured?」
「Myuu-chan! You are okay!?」
「Na-chan, Emile. Myuu is fine nano. Rather than that, the next enemy will come soon, so we are going to move to a place where it’s easier to fight while we have time. It will be dangerous if they throw a grenade in a dead end closed room like this.」
Even though Myuu had cut a swath through grown-up men like b.u.t.ter, she didn’t look particularly proud and instead calmly gave the children the next instruction. Witnessing this, Natalia and Emile raised an enraptured voice「Fuai」sounding extremely stupid.
Myuu gave a glance at the two of them who were like that, and then she took an action that made Natalia want to scream while making the boys feel both really happy and embarra.s.sed. After all, Myuu’s dress suddenly vanished.
「Fuwah」
「Wai-, hey-, you guys, don’t look-」
The dress was only stored inside the “Treasure Warehouse”, but from the point of view of the children who didn’t know about such a thing, it looked like Myuu was suddenly only wearing underwear. Furthermore, the undressed Myuu was wearing a green baby doll that wafted off an adult air which made one want to say ‘isn’t that a bit inappropriate for a ten-year-old?’
Myuu’s white skin that looked transparent was exposed generously, but there was no color of shame at Myuu’s serious expression. For Myuu who once went through an adventure in a world of sword and magic, something of this degree wasn’t worth feeling bothered about at all, to say nothing of how it was in the middle of a battle right now.
And then, in this battlefield, there was one reason why Myuu took off her dress.
Right after that, Myuu’s body was enveloped with a faint light, and then in the next moment, Myuu transformed into a new outfit.
A dress shirt that really resembled what Yue was wearing, and white-hot pants that resembled the one that Shia was wearing. White knee high socks that exposed the absolute territory of her legs, and cute frilly short boots. Her waist was wrapped with two gun belts like what Shizuku wore crossing each other.
A miniaturized “Picco Pico Hammeeer” was attached to the back of the gun belt on that waist while colorful gems were fitted on the countless slots that were usually for storing bullets. On Myuu’s two thighs at opposing sides were two gun holsters fitted with “Donneerr-Schlaaag” while on her back were “Muuramasa-Kotetsuu” attached crossing each other.
This was exactly the complete battle readiness of Myuu! She transformed instantly. That figure with an outfit change and weapon change was just like a magical girl somewhere!
In fact, all of the children that were directing yearning looks at Myuu said「Myuu-chan is a magical girl……」.
But, at that time, sounds of angry voices and many footsteps running to here entered Myuu’s ears. It appeared that she couldn’t expect the enemy to only send a small number of their forces anymore, and she also couldn’t hope to just wait-and-see. The enemy had clearly understood that they weren’t attacking but were receiving a counterattack, so they were sending their “battle force” to here.
Most likely, it would be thirty or forty more minutes before the time limit where Hajime would notice the strangeness. If Myuu was asked whether she could buy time until then by holing up, then as expected, no matter how many times she was rea.s.sessing the situation the answer that she came up with was doubtful.
Above all else, teachings like a nonaggressive defense of constantly being in defensive while kept being getting done in――was something that Myuu didn’t get taught with!
「You all are enemy nano. Enemy is to be pow-wowed nano!」
With her two beloved guns that were gifted to her by her beloved papa in two hands, *click* Myuu made a wide fearless grin.
Right now, the daughter of the demon king was starting to move.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
It feels like, I’m just doing whatever I like……
But, I’m not reflecting or regretting. Aa, I’m having fun writing.
About the trivial detail, I will be happy if everyone turns a blind eye with your usual tolerance of [Well, this is Shirakome after all].