“Indeed.” “How did you understand all that?” Arian was a little jealous that the pervert could decode her father’s speech. “If Shinichi licked my scales…” “It was like you —ed in front of your own father.” “AAAAAAAAAAH—!” Arian turned bright red, understanding the gravity of her actions. “Dad! I didn’t mean—” “I mean, I wouldn’t call it ‘sex,’ but it was raunchy,” said Sanctina. “I would never let a human do that to me. In fact, I wouldn’t even let my husband,” added Regina. Arian was getting roasted. “No!” she cried. “I’m not a pervert!” She collapsed from sheer agony. No one delivered the final blow by correcting that she was actually a “lady in the streets, a pervert in the sheets.” As Arian lay in a puddle of her tears, Celes removed her hands from Rino’s eyes and walked over to Shinichi. “Heh-heh-heh. Operation ‘No, Daddy! Don’t Look’ was a raging success…” He couldn’t even stand from the damage. “Dirtiest strategy to date,” snapped Celes, shooting him a cold glare. She used Healing on him anyway. He guarded his balls, assuming she would aim for them like usual. She surprised him by bringing her lips up to his ear. “The back of my ears are sensitive.” “What?” “…I may be the adult here, but that doesn’t mean I’ll put up with everything.” “Um. Noted.” Shinichi was lost in her cute little pout. However, he jumped to his feet when he noticed the Red Dragon eyeing him to see if Shinichi was planning on cheating on his daughter with some other girl. “Mr. Red Dragon, I’m sorry I used your daughter to disturb your rest. But I had to ask you something.” If they couldn’t get information about Elazonia, they’d lose their chance to save the Demon King. That would spell the end for the other demons. That was why he stood in front of the Red Dragon now, even if it meant provoking him and getting himself killed. “Who is the Goddess Elazonia? Where is she? And how can we beat her?” He knew it was low of him to try and force this from the dragon with nothing to give in return. However, he couldn’t stop himself from yelling. “If we don’t defeat her, neither the demons nor the humans will see the future. But my motivations aren’t that pure! I just can’t forgive her!” She trampled on people’s memories, toyed with people’s lives, made Rino break down in tears, hurt Arian. “I’m going to bring her down with my own hands—so the important people in my life can have fun!” He would toss away his pride and shame to do whatever it took to accomplish that goal. He wasn’t a hero or a Demon King or a dragon. He was a puny human with an intellect that was crafty yet lacked restraint. That was the weapon in his arsenal to go against a god. He stood taller, staring into the massive eyes of the creature before him. “……” For some time, he made no attempt to speak. Were their pleas falling on deaf ears? Did he not want to lend his help? Did even a beast from the ancient world not know about Elazonia? They all watched the dragon, enduring feelings of despair dawning on them. The dragon finally let out a resigned sigh. “Link.” In each’s mind’s eye, they saw themselves dotting the ground like ants from his perspective. “What?! Are we looking through his eyes?” Rino glanced around. The cave had appeared dim to them, but it was now encased in rainbow light. “Are we…seeing magic?” asked Shinichi. As they experienced these sensations for the first time, the Red Dragon seemed unruffled, raising his downward-facing palm. “Search.” A flood of information forced itself into their brains. “Agh! It feels like my head’s going to split open…!” “Red land of lava… Cool blue ocean…where the tiniest lives are born…” “Hold on! Or you’ll get swallowed whole!” screamed Regina. They tried to bear the headache, which was ten times worse than any kind of motion sickness. Memories of the past billion years pumped into their brains. Hundreds of millions of years ago, small organisms started to grow in the oceans, which pushed together the islands to form the supercontinent. The creatures of the sea crawled onto the land, evolving into birds and mammals. Monkeys began walking on two legs, using tools and creating fire, eventually turning into recognizable humans. “Woah! Did humans start off as monkeys?!” Rino knew nothing of the evolutionary theory. The time lapse didn’t slow down. They switched from using tools made from stone to bronze to iron. These developments weren’t too different on Shinichi’s home planet…except that magic users ruled this society. Many of the countries that collapsed had established absolute monarchies where the ruling class enslaved everyone else. “I had a feeling…” The disparity between the two groups had been more pronounced in the past. A thousand years passed. The human population exploded. Science was more advanced, granting power to normal people, leading to the abolition of slavery and the establishment of democratic societies. It was like mid-twentieth-century Earth. Their perspective zoomed in on one person: a woman in her twenties with shoulder-length black hair. She gave the impression that she was intelligent but severe. “Is that…?” Nothing about her face and build tipped him off, but he recognized that expression—one that looked down on everyone else. “Goddess Elazonia.” They watched in shock as her life started to stream into their minds. Anticum Empire: the country controlling the northeast section of the supercontinent. Magic and science had come together in magicology. Though the former featured a wide range of powers, it was unsustainable and influenced by the user’s talent. On the other hand, the latter could create machines to work without rest, greatly reducing the load on magic users. Scientists were starting to discover explanations for gravity, the structure of atoms, and genetics, which expanded the scope of spells for magic users. This combined field was boosting the spell casters and boasted the capability of dictating the country’s fate. The elite gathered in the Magicology Department at the National Research Institute. “Was it impossible to make war planes with propellers?” “They’re easy to build but make large targets for Homing Arrow. They’re no match for mages trained in aerial warfare. It’s better to keep using bombers and transport aircrafts.” “Hmm. And our experiments to absorb magic waves from livestock aren’t going well?” “They don’t emit as much as humans, and our collection methods aren’t the best. If we figure it out, it will change our understanding of magic forever…” Staff toiled over machines and designs in a research lab. It was protected with material barriers and magic to prevent information from leaking to foreign spies. Everyone had the body of a supermodel. Their ears were long and pointed. Even the men were gorgeous enough to be mistaken for women. However, they weren’t born that way. “Professor, your hair. It’s rainbow now.” “Isn’t it nice? Average magic users can’t even imagine making a color like this.” “Are your eyes bigger again? Don’t you think it throws off your facial balance?” “You’re so uncool. They’re all the rage these days.” The staff were taking a break in the cafeteria, fawning over each other to conceal their envy. To them, this wasn’t just a competition of sexual appeal. It symbolized their status and magical abilities. As proof, they scoffed at a normal-eared employee huddled at the edge of the room. “Ew. I swear my lunch tastes worse when I look at a short ear.” “Don’t be so mean. It’s not like they have a choice.” “Urgh…” The staff member with no magic endured their jeers in silence. The others could alter their appearance with Shape Change, which had been developed by medical sciences and biology. Elf ears had exploded in popularity—to distinguish them from non-magic users. In fact, they’d become mainstream. It was common knowledge among magic users that short ears meant the person was too weak to use Shape Change, and a hunky body was a sign of a gym rat who lacked confidence in their own magical abilities. Hence the reason men favored slender bodies. It didn’t stop with their muscles and bones. They’d even begun adjusting their hormones. They told themselves they were the ones with real power since they could make themselves beautiful from the inside. As a certain religious scientist had warned: “We may know more from the research of our predecessors, but that doesn’t mean we know everything about the human body. We’re too ignorant to be meddling with the great mystery of life created by God.” The magic users laughed off those cautionary words. “We can bring back the dead. Aren’t we already gods?” No one knew the price of their egos and body modifications at the time. Their distant ancestors would suffer from a declining birth rate of male children. “Wait a minute!” cried Celes, begging for a time out. The Red Dragon paused the flow of memories. Her voice trembled. “Were elves humans?” “Yes.” He said it was an undeniable truth. “Does that mean…I’m human…?” Celes looked at Shinichi’s face. Regina patted her student’s shoulder. “Good for you. Now you know you don’t have to worry about carrying his babies.” “““BLERGH!””” Shinichi, Celes, and Arian spat out. “Wh-what are you talking about all of a sudden?!” cried Arian. “If elves were humans, it means they can have children. Isn’t that good news?” “NO!” Arian had just lost her leg up. Shinichi and Celes stared at each other uncomfortably, cheeks tinged red. “…We’ll have to let Clarissa and the other light elves know,” he said. “…Indeed.” They weren’t sure if the light elves would accept that they used to be the same as the “inferior” species. However, it could be their last ray of hope, seeing as they were facing extinction. Shinichi and Celes thought about the elves, continuing to look at each other. Arian pouted. “Dad! Show us more!” “…Understood.” It left him feeling some type of way to see his daughter jealous, but he restarted the flow of memories. The black-haired woman walked briskly down the corridor of the Magicology Department crowded by the long-eared elves. Her ears were short, but her face wasn’t bad, though it was nothing compared with the elves’ works of art. However, they didn’t sneer at her. Instead, their faces paled as they stepped back to let her pass. That was because she was a genius, the pride of the Magicology Department, the most powerful magic user in the Anticum Empire: Doctor Elen Qunel. “Professor, what does this mean?!” Elen shouted, storming into her superior’s office and slamming documents in front of him. “You’re out of your mind if you’re cutting funding for nuclear fusion research!” “Are you sure you’re not the one who’s out of your mind?” The head researcher of the department was sixty years old, but he looked like he was in his thirties due to Shape Change. His tired expression said Elen was a difficult employee, even if she was a talented one. “If we can’t even control nuclear fission, how will we ever succeed in fusion? Our current thermal power plants are plenty for producing electricity—” “Who said we’d be using it to produce electricity?” barked Elen, tapping the documents. “This is a weapon to destroy those damned dragons.” “…Elen. You’re a scholar. Call them by their academic name: Proxies,” warned the professor, making her more indignant. “Proxies? They don’t deserve a proper name. They’re gross lizards!” “…Fine. Whatever.” The professor knew better than to start this argument. “So you’re saying you want to make a thermonuclear bomb?” “Yes.” “Like I’d ever approve that!” He raised his voice as his patience frayed. “It’s been thirty years since the last world war. We just finished reconstructing our respective homes. If we make a weapon of mass destruction, our neighboring countries would decide we’re a threat and band together to eliminate us. Even a child can understand the consequences!” Elen was a genius magicologist. She didn’t need the professor to explain it to her. She already understood the aftermath, but she continued to push it. “Sure. But humanity won’t survive if we don’t destroy the dragons.” “That’s where I’m saying you’re wrong.” His head was pounding, but he somehow managed to regain his composure. “You claim dragons are our enemy, but they slumber in their territory. They’ve never killed a plant, let alone a human. All they do is absorb mana in the atmosphere to live. They’re no more a threat than a fly.” However, she knew they could cause natural destruction more horrific than any earthquake or typhoon. “Don’t you even know what would happen if we provoked them?” “……” She was silent. There were very few people who understood their power more than Elen. She’d read everything there was to read on the topic. “Do you want the Anticum Empire to follow the footsteps of the Republic of Sentel?” “Grr…!” Elen gritted her teeth, refusing to admit he was right. “Sorry. May I?” This time, Regina was asking to take a break. “Is he referring the battle where the Republic of Sentel fought the Black Dragon?” “Yes.” The beast nodded. She clasped her hands together, practically begging. “Could we please see that?” Opportunities to see the almighty Black Dragon were few and far between. “…Understood.” He hesitated a moment before streaming the memories of the “battle” between humans and dragons. It was a comedy that elicited no laughter. There were five huge, dangerous areas on the supercontinent known as High-Density Magic Wave Regions. The areas were restricted to the public since monsters ran rampant. Anyone but the best magic users would become monster bait in a matter of minutes. In the center of each of the restricted zones slept one of the five dragons—the source of it all. All living things—humans, animals, plants—absorbed mana from the atmosphere to transform into magic. If it went beyond their total storage capacity, the excess was released from the body as a current. There was no difference between these waves and magical energy other than that the latter was released intentionally through spells and the former was naturally discharged. When exposed to strong currents, living organisms experienced a boost in magic production in their bodies, which made them more able to withstand the surge in energy. That was how monsters were created. Dragons emitted huge waves even while they slept, creating droves of monsters in a magic zone extending to a sixty-mile radius. It was only a matter of time before someone decided to try to destroy the source of magical beasts for access to swaths of untouched land and resources. “We have suffered for too long from the Black Dragon’s monsters, but that is all about to come to an end. We’ll wipe disaster from the face of the earth and return the lands to humanity!” Those were the words of the president of the Republic of Sentel, a military state located in the center of the supercontinent. It was a declaration of war against the beast in the restricted zone to the north. Some citizens and those abroad called them foolish, but the majority of the population supported the plan. In fact, the military was flooded with volunteer recruits. As the president had noted in his speech, monsters flooded out from the restricted zone, bringing human suffering with them. The destruction of the Black Dragon was the answer to their prayers. If they succeeded in apprehending their enemy—a “Proxy of the Planet” and one of the most powerful creatures in existence—it would prove the raw power of the Republic, showcasing their military power to other nations. They ran with the dream, mobilizing the entire military into the restricted zone. “Forward! Take back our land!” The soldiers shouted, using guns and heavy artillery to blast away the monsters, cutting open a path to the Black Dragon. Before science invented firearms, the average non-magic user had no way of defending against these Grim Reapers. But that power dynamic had been turned on its head. “Ha-ha-ha! Looks like an old rag!” A Gatling gun shot enough bullets to turn a massive wolf into Swiss cheese. The soldiers convulsed in laughter like they were intoxicated—by the finest invention that science had to offer. The magic users were drunk on power. “Target confirmed. All units—advance!” Equipped with six propellers, a massive transport airplane flew overhead, dispatching a load of mages trained in aerial warfare and carrying magic conductors. They made their way to the airspace above the Black Dragon, where they weaponized the magic stored in their conductors to cast a spell. “Apport!” Bombs falling from their hands—two thousand of them, specially shaped to pierce the armor of a tank—were pulled down by gravity, and detonated on the creature. The explosion was followed by a hail of bullets from the soldiers on the ground, leveling the lush forest in an instant. But the Black Dragon continued to sleep in the area raging with flames. “Damn this beast…!” “We knew this would happen. Let’s leave the rest to them.” The mages gritted their teeth, returning to their transport and opening the sky above the battlefield. The space was filled by another vehicle carrying twenty top-class magic users. Working together, they put everything into a single spell before tossing a tiny golden orb toward the ground and rushing to evacuate the area. It began with a theory from a scientist who proposed that all matter was energy. Industrious research had culminated in humanity’s greatest weapon: Nuclear Blast. For a moment, the Black Dragon was engulfed in hellish flames. They were livestreaming the event—from the mushroom cloud to the uprooted trees of the forest—to show the power of the Republic. The entire continent watched with bated breath as the dust settled…revealing the beast with all its scales in place, unscathed. “That’s…the Proxy of the Planet…” They knew what that name meant. Two hundred years ago, a prominent arch-mage had traversed a deadly desert, reaching the sleeping White Dragon. Impressed by his efforts, the beast cracked open its eyes and answered his question: What are Proxies? “Proxies execute the planet’s goals. Its only desire is to exist. If the planet subsists, we will never harm or help your people.” That was the truth. For proof, the beast presented a single white scale to the mage and teleported him back to his home. Though there were many tales of humans communicating with these creatures, this was the only story with any evidence. It was where the academic name Proxy stemmed from, and it implied the Black Dragon had the power of the planet incarnate, which it had expressed to all of humanity without lifting a single finger. “We’ll never win…” The soldiers trembled in dread as the creature opened its eyes for the first time. They knew they were going to die. They readied themselves, but the beast let out a huge yawn, as if to imply they were being too noisy, before casting Tunnel. The ravaged area disappeared, transforming into a bottomless pit. The Black Dragon looked at the soldiers as if silently asking them “to play elsewhere,” then dove into the hole, never to be seen again. In the end, the dragon had disappeared from the restricted zone. Technically, it was a huge victory for the Republic of Sentel, but not one person boasted or called it that. After all, the Republic of Sentel collapsed within three weeks. They’d depleted all their resources on the battle, and the shell of former nation was conquered by another country in the blink of an eye. This plot had been orchestrated by the neighboring nation all along. They were betting the dragon would suck the republic dry of resources. As proof of their plot, the president of the Republic of Sentel had been taken as a prisoner of war, only to enjoy a cushy life in his new country. The only miscalculation was that other countries swarmed like hyenas to claim their own share of the vacant magic zone, which triggered a world war. While the Black Dragon had attacked the terrain, not a single person had been harmed. On the other hand, the world war resulted in ten million deaths. “Nice! The Black Dragon never lets me down!” Regina whooped. Shinichi was visibly upset. “I guess humans act the same on every planet…” They were always itching to test out their newest inventions. He sighed. Sanctina looked grave. “These beasts are the source of monsters, huh…” As the Saint, she had a past of wiping out monsters and helping the injured who’d encountered them. Even though she knew the creatures weren’t intentionally malicious, she couldn’t shake her bad association with them. “That’s…” Arian wanted to cover for her dad, but she’d seen what monsters could do during her time as a hero. She couldn’t bring herself to say something she didn’t mean. Shinichi observed something. “Not all monsters come from dragons. I’ve heard stories of monsters away from the restricted zones.” “That’s right!” Arian smiled, but Sanctina still looked bitter. “But that doesn’t change the fact that dragons make monsters.” “Okay. Sure. But they’re like natural disasters. Complaining won’t change anything.” Dragons carried out the desires of the planet, meaning their powers drew from its resources. No use came from objecting to earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions. Their only real choice was to enact proper countermeasures. “If you want to eliminate monsters, you could try killing every single plant and animal in the restricted zones. Without living organisms, there’s no way for monsters to exist in the first place.” “That’s not very nice.” Rino pouted. Shinichi smiled at her, assuring her it was a joke. “I’ve heard of someone wiping out all the sparrows damaging their fields. That caused the population of grasshoppers to explode in the absence of their natural predator. In the end, the fields were still ravaged. Eliminating monsters would destroy the ecosystem, which could cause other issues.” “Is that true? When I exterminated mosquitoes in the demon world, we had a significant drop in other bugs.” Celes cocked her head to the side. “Which falls under ‘other issues.’” Since mosquitoes were at the bottom of the food chain, there was little risk of their extinction triggering a surge of another species. In fact, there had been suggestions on Earth of eliminating them to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. However, they had impacted other insects and small animals that fed on mosquitoes for prey. “Well, monsters are a natural creation. We need to reduce their damage to allow humans to prosper—like clearing forests to create farms. But trying to wipe them out or picking a fight with the dragons is reckless.” “I see your point.” Sanctina nodded. It didn’t change the fact that monsters created trouble for her and humans, but she knew the consequences of going up against a dragon. Her only choice was to accept the natural order of things. Shinichi looked up at the beast. The end of the planet, huh? They resembled Western dragons, though they were similar to their Eastern counterparts, which were considered natural phenomena. The planet wants to exist… All organic life—humans, plants, animals, demons, monsters—were of no value from the viewpoint of a planet. But if they’re all its creations, they might serve some value, like cells in the epidermis. Cells were constantly replaced with new ones. It was so miniscule a process that it didn’t register in human minds. Maybe the planet wouldn’t notice if a single species was gone. Which would make someone from another world…a virus. The Red Dragon didn’t exhibit any behavior indicating a need to eliminate him, even though he threatened to change the makeup of the planet. If I posed a real threat, I’m sure I would have disintegrated into dust as soon as I was summoned… Which meant someone like Shinichi was insignificant. Either that or he was beneficial for the planet’s development. Well, that’s just my ego talking. He chuckled at himself. A different question popped into his mind—about the demons, who lagged behind humans in technology and culture because they had magic. How could the Blue Demon King have the genius idea of summoning someone from another world? How could he cross dimensional barriers? That had to be more difficult than creating a thermonuclear bomb, even if he was almighty. Shinichi had done his research. He couldn’t find another person in all of history who had been successfully summoned from a different world. Who could say there wasn’t some divine intervention by a higher being? By the planet’s desires? “……” Shinichi stared silently at the Red Dragon, but there came no answer. “What’s wrong?” asked Arian. “Nothing.” He shook his head as she scrutinized his face. “Anyway, could you show me the idiot who picked a fight with the dragons?” “Yes.” The beast nodded, shifting their focus away from the Republic of Sentel and back to the genius magicology researcher, Elen Qunel. “It’s foolish to develop a thermonuclear bomb and risk another world war just to engage in an impossible fight. Give it up,” reprimanded the professor. His argument was reasonable. He shoved the documents back at her. Elen narrowed her eyes. “Who says it’s impossible? If Nuclear Blast doesn’t work, we make a nuclear bomb. If that fails, we try an antimatter bomb. We need to test every possible option to annihilate the dragons!” “Are you out of your mind? Let’s say the experiment is a success. It would leave the planet in smithereens!” “Then we’ll make spaceships and leave.” She didn’t take her eyes off him. If planetary destruction was collateral, so be it. “We won’t survive without exterminating them.” She was starting to scare him. The professor sighed. “Your suggestions are absurd. We can’t let the monsters threaten us…but if we increase access to guns, normal people can—” “That’s not what I’m talking about!” Elen shrieked, slamming her hands on the desk. “I couldn’t care less about unintelligent monsters. The problem is those mutants committing crimes with their humanoid intelligence!” “Elen. That’s offensive. They’re victims of magic waves—” “They are not victims!” she screeched, almost bursting a vein in the process. “They intentionally go into the restricted zones to get power, soaking up the dragon’s magic and abandoning their human forms. What else do you want me to call them?!” She tossed more documents on the desk. Some of the photographs blew into the air, displaying pictures of these “mutants.” A man with long claws, a woman with horns, a child covered in fur. They looked like they’d fused with beasts. He couldn’t deny that they appeared mutated. They were victims—human-turned-monster. “You know they commit tens of thousands of crimes each year!” “Because of their circumstances…” The professor weakly tried to defend them. It could be attributed to their corrupt magical society. It was widely known that even people born with weak magical powers could improve their internal production system by exposure therapy. There were even parents who would pay obscene amounts of money to powerful mages to work on their children. Magic was the key to success. In the military, those with strong magical powers were guaranteed an officer rank. In corporate life, they were indispensable for business meetings, because they could use Liar Detector and Mind Reading. If they were strong enough to use Teleport, they made a living working in the transportation industry. The rich got richer through magic. The poor got poorer with no magic. The power hierarchy was irreversible, the real problem gnawing away at the magical society. “Don’t you think it’s normal for the disenfranchised to want more power?” “That doesn’t mean we can forgive their crimes!” shouted Elen. There was one way for those at the bottom to crawl to the top: to enter a restricted zone, survive the monsters, and expose themselves to the dragon’s magic, which was stronger than any human. A few days of exposure was enough to throw the victim’s internal production into overdrive, giving them magic that surpassed an average magic user. However, the sudden surge of magic triggered the body to change—kicking it into survival mode. The body desperately wanted to become stronger to withstand the energy. Their new magic altered their bodies to match their imagination. Many drew inspiration from tigers and bears, while others turned to devilish creatures, giants, or even dragons. This gave birth to victims—those who lost touch with their human forms and hearts. That was the price of magic. “I know there are ‘real’ victims exposed to wave currents against their will. But the vast majority do it for power—and use it for evil!” “……” The professor didn’t respond to Elen’s angry protests. She wasn’t wrong. It seemed they had traded power for their conscience. Many victims had come from cycles of poverty, trodden on and mistreated their entire lives, and now ready to get revenge. That was why they were referred to as mutants and feared more than monsters. They had only recently reestablished them as “victims of magic waves” as human rights came to the forefront. “Now they’ve formed terrorist organizations and aim to overthrow the empire!” “Only some of them. Others have contributed to the empire as soldiers or researchers. To lump them in—” “That’s irrelevant. They should all be destroyed along with the dragons!” If Elen had been a politician, this could have destroyed her career. But even the “good” citizens would agree with her sentiments. These victims didn’t just possess magic. They had claws and fangs to rip through skin, scales and shells to repel bullets—superhuman strength. Paired with human intelligence, they could wield swords, guns, and spells. The average person stood no chance. That had inspired the creation of a secret society aiming for their annihilation. They were locked in a perpetual battle, trying to wash away past blood with new. “So what if they helped us in the world war thirty years ago? You know they just keep reproducing—coddled by performative assholes talking about human rights! If this continues, they will destroy humanity!” “That’s not the way to put it. They are just as human as—” “They’re not human!” shrieked Elen, unleashing her full wrath. “They’re obsessed with magic and abandoned their humanity. They are something else! They are ‘demons’!” Elen wasn’t the first one to call them that. It was the name that the victims were using for themselves. They weren’t ‘frail humans’ or ‘brainless monsters.’ They were a new, advanced race with brains and brawn. Aspirational usurpers had started to push that “demons should control the world,” and “humanity should evolve into demons.” “We must exterminate the demons and destroy their source—the dragons. That’s the only way to save humanity!” Rino was floored. Elen’s declaration, dripping with hate, rang in her mind. “Demons used to be humans, too…” “That means we can have children!” cried Sanctina. “No, it doesn’t,” retorted Shinichi. Arian tried to compose herself. He seemed far too calm about this bombshell. “When did you figure it out, Shinichi?” “Probably around when I met you.” “Really?!” The possibility had only crossed her mind when she saw the beast morphs in Mouse Village. Shinichi started to explain slowly. “There are so many different types of demons, from orcs to harpies. They’re all as smart as humans. They can all talk. They have their respective cultures. That’s already strange.” “Is it?” asked Celes, tilting her head to the side. It seemed perfectly normal to her. After all, she had been born and raised in the demon world. It was common knowledge that there were many species of demon. However, Shinichi was from Earth, which had exactly one intelligent race. Only he would think this was peculiar. “Their mental faculties were just a small clue. I started to question everything when I suspected the pig was turning into a monster.” He was talking about the pig intended for slaughter, which had ended up becoming their little pet. Since it was surrounded by demons, it was exposed to magic around the clock and transformed into a seven-foot pig as a result. “I asked myself: ‘What would happen if a human turned into a monster?’ That’s when I hypothesized it would be a demon.” “I see.” “And then there was the thing with Rino.” “Me?” Shinichi examined her from her head to her toes: luscious locks of black hair, contrasting white skin, ruby eyes. Nothing gave her away as a demon, aside from her devilishly good looks. Beginning with their journey to Tigris Kingdom, no one had suspected her true identity, even without altering her appearance. “You’re the daughter of the Demon King, but you look like a human. I started to wonder why.” “I never questioned it since this kind of thing happens every once in a while…,” Regina said. With the exception of her sapphire hair, she could also be mistaken for a human. It might be attributed to atavism, where a lost ancestral gene reappeared in a new generation. “I can’t believe elves and demons used to be like us…,” said Arian. “Oh, the irony.” Sanctina had broken into a crooked smile just imagining what would happen if the members of the Goddess’s church found out, since they were all about annihilating demons. “Nothing would change,” Shinichi argued. “They’ve already drawn the line that they’re a different race.” Even humans divided themselves into allies and enemies based on skin color and religion. They couldn’t simply get rid of this distinction between the two species with different appearances and powers. “But people don’t have to fight just because they’re different.” They’d managed to become friends with the captain in Tigris Kingdom. They’d even developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Holy Mother. So what if humans and demons were different? They could work together to find a path that didn’t result in bloodshed. “That’s why we need to get rid of this demon hater.” Shinichi was hostile toward Elen, who would later become known as the Goddess Elazonia. Rino looked up at his face. “Why does Elen hate us?” Her argument was that demons weaponized their power, making them a danger to society, but there was no reason to sacrifice everything for their defeat—whether it was contaminating large swaths of land with radiation, using nuclear weapons, or annihilating the entire planet with antimatter. The level of her animosity made no sense. “If my ancestors hurt her, I want to say sorry…” Rino hoped it would put a stop to their fighting and help them become friends. She begged him with puffy eyes. “Even though she killed Fey?” he asked. “—Ngh?!” That almost gouged her heart out. She averted her gaze for a moment, before turning back to face him. “I can never forgive her for that…but I don’t think we can solve anything by hurting each other and trying to get revenge.” “You’re right.” Shinichi smiled and stroked her hair. There were only two ways to stop war: destroying the other side and putting aside differences to forgive. Shinichi found it commendable that Rino had the strength to forgive Elazonia even though she’d killed her friend and captured her father. However, it didn’t mean it was enough for everyone to reflect on their ways, even if she had changed Sanctina for the better. Well, that’s what I’m here for. That was his role. Shinichi looked up at the Red Dragon. He seemed to guess what Shinichi was hinting at, because he resumed the memories of the fight between the professor and Elen. A new character appeared. “E-excuse me, Elen…” Someone nervously tried to step between the two. It was a baby-faced girl with glasses… “Fey?!” cried Rino. “Must be the original Fey.” He noted her pointy eyes. She seemed a little older, too. As everyone reeled back from shock, seeing Fey convinced them to stop arguing. Elen had to take one last jab. “If you don’t approve my research on nuclear fusion, I’ll go to another country.” She stormed out of the Magicology Department, stomping all the way home and trudging into her bathroom, where she began to undress. “Don’t look! Shinichi!” cried Arian. “Um. Covering my eyes won’t work. I’m seeing this in my mind’s eye.” “Should I remove your brain?” Celes suggested. “Do you want me to die?” Arian had clamped her hands over his eyes. Celes latched on to his head. It didn’t stop him from watching Elen take a shower. As soon as he saw her naked body, every dirty thought vanished into thin air, replaced by shock. “No way! Are those—?!” Her chest was covered in blue pentagonal shapes. Dragon scales. “Was the Goddess Elazonia a half dragon?!” “No relation.” The Red Dragon immediately shot down his guess. “Does that mean she’s a demon with scales like a dragon?” “Correct.” Shinichi looked at Regina, the Blue Princess of War, a woman with great magic. Her transcendent blue hair was the only thing that set her apart from a human. What was so strange about a demon of the same caliber with scales on her chest? “Hmph. So El-something-or-other is a demon just like us,” observed Regina. “If this gets out, it’ll be chaos.” Sanctina started to sweat, knowing this could shake the foundations of the church.
Chapter 68
32 min read