Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 266: Guardian of the Forest

Although the number of tails was different, I recognized the nature of the fox twisting in my grasp. It was the demon fox race, the same race as Woodsorrel with whom I had once made a secret pact during the rookie tournament battle, allowing her to leave and gain her freedom. Aside from the number of tails, she seemed just like a grown version of Woodsorrel from that time.

[Damn it! My illusion… it’s not working at all?!]

“I know it’s an illusion, but my spiritual power isn’t so weak that I would easily fall for it.”

The demon fox who was lifted up by me by the scruff of her neck attempted to use an illusion to confuse me again. However, as long as it wasn’t a surprise attack, I could prepare and thus was able to repel the illusion by amplifying my spiritual power.

Apparently not expecting her illusion to be repelled so effortlessly, the demon fox looked up at me with her mouth agape. But she quickly regained her composure and started scratching and kicking at my arm.

[Damn you! Let me go]

“Stop struggling, or I’ll end up breaking your neck.”

It seemed my threat had its intended effect as the demon fox became limp and subdued in my arm. Meanwhile, Mika and Asumi had also shaken off the illusion. The fox seemed surprised by this, but for me, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

The two of them were among the top fighters in our group, second only to Tigar and Zald. Their fighting spirit and spiritual powers were immense and finely honed thanks to their experiences racing across battlefields as part of the special operations unit. The demon fox was certainly skilled, but we had the upper hand. It was as simple as that.

Though I hadn’t raised my voice, the turtle and snake on the rock stopped their movements. They seemed reluctant to let this demon fox die. Is it because they care for their comrade, or is this demon fox special? I was about to find out.

“You seem to understand our language. So answer me. Why did you target us?”

[I might as well pretend I can’t hear you since my telepathy isn’t getting through. Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll throw in some insults too! Idiot, idiot!]

“…You do realize I can hear you, right?”

[Geh?!]

She might have been a more skilled illusion spiritualist than Rinne when we first met, but it seemed she was lacking in a lot of ways. Faced with such a childlike reaction, I couldn’t help but feel my anger dissipate.

But then, was it normal for my desire for retaliation to fade away this quickly, given that she had attempted to take our lives? Perhaps this, too, was a form of illusion. I decided to heighten my spiritual power just in case.

To put it simply, I wasn’t under any illusion. It seemed the demon fox’s actions and speech were simply too childish. Perhaps her behavior reminded me of the children among our own ranks.

Contrary to my relief, the demon fox was in a panic. I usually keep my spiritual power contained, but it seems that direct physical contact was enough for it to be felt. The fox in my grasp must have thought I intended to kill her, as she began to thrash about with her limbs once again.

[If you hurt me, my friends won’t stay still, you know!]

“You were the one who attacked first. I’ll ask again, why did you attack us?”

[Like I’d tell you! The guardians of the forest keep their mouths shut!]

The guardians of the forest… I see, so she’s referring to those who protect this forest. Our goal isn’t within this forest. Maybe I should clarify that.

“Our aim isn’t in this forest. We intend to cross the mountain range and build a settlement on the other side.”

[Hah! Who would fall for such a lie? There’s nothing but a desert beyond the mountains! You’re probably just planning to ravage the forest!]

I stated the truth, but she wouldn’t believe a word of it. It’s understandable, considering the immense challenge of crossing the mountain range, let alone settling in the desert beyond. It’s so far outside the realm of common sense that the truth is hard to believe.

Around the time my persuasion had failed, the two mountain cats that Mika and Asumi had blown away came back. They moved their eyeballs to look at the demon fox I was holding in my hand and then growled in frustration.

[Humans are nothing but liars! I’m so sick of it!]

“It’s not a lie, though…”

[Anyway! I don’t believe in humans, got it?!]

“Fufu, why do you keep calling us humans?”

[What are you talking about?! You’re hanging me down with your two front legs and you stand on just your two hind legs… Huh?]

Not only I but also Mika and Asumi couldn’t help but laugh when we realized that the demon fox had considered us humans from the beginning. Even though humans themselves were full of people who despised demons and considered demons to be nothing more than monsters, this demon fox, who despised humans, thought of us as such. Leo had stayed in the kingdom to slowly change that situation, but what an ironic story it turned out to be.

At first, it seemed like the demon fox thought we were mocking her with our laughter, but after watching us, she seemed to finally realize something was different. She kept moving her head around while observing us closely.

Mika and I had transformed into our demon forms, while Asuminaturally bore horns and body fur even without transforming. The turtle, the snake, and the mountain cats realized we were not merely humans. Aside from the turtle and snake who had been watching from a distance, the mountain cats nearby stopped their growling and observed us intently.

“As you can see, we are not humans. We are beings synthesized from humans and other creatures, commonly known as demons.”

[Demons… This is the first time I’m hearing of it.]

“I thought as much. Now…”

It seemed like the other party had calmed down. With this, they might be willing to listen to us calmly. I slowly lowered the demon fox I was holding by the scruff of the neck to the ground and after sitting down myself, I also removed the twin swords from my waist.

Sensing my intention to not engage in further combat, Mika and Asumi also sat down behind me after releasing their weapons. Whether the mountain cats couldn’t understand my actions or saw an opportunity, they leaped as if sprung from the ground and pounced on me.

[Wait?!]

“You have quite the fangs. Not quite on par with Tigar or Leo, though.”

I deliberately did not dodge the mountain cats’ bites. The cats who were biting at my neck from both sides must have been quite surprised. Their proud fangs couldn’t even penetrate my skin.

While they were biting and scratching me with their paws, my iron mask fell to the ground with a thud. When the demon fox saw my face, she stiffened perhaps from the shock. And that was only natural. The shape of the area from my cheek to my lower jaw was significantly different from that of the human species.

“I’ll say it once more. Our aim is to cross the mountain range and settle on the other side. We have no intention whatsoever of ravaging the forest. However…. we will fight off anyone that flies our way. You must understand by now that we possess the strength to do so.”

I understood that the demon fox had mistaken us for those who would destroy the forest. We had no intention of harming the forest, nor did we wish to be enemies with the demon foxes. However, we would eliminate any threats as long as we were attacked, given our superior strength.

The demon fox listened silently to my words, which were part persuasion and part threat, until the end. After pondering for a moment, she connected telepathically with all three of us.

[I understand your side of the story. But we have our own circumstances too. You get that, right?]

“Yes, I suppose so.”

[That’s why I need to consult with the higher-ups about what to do with you guys.]

It seemed that the decision could not be made by the demon fox before me alone. Although she might be the leader of her current group, it appeared she did not possess the authority to make an immediate decision.

However, instead of outright dismissing us, she mentioned the need to consult with others. It seemed we might not be asked to leave immediately but we could be given a chance while she sought guidance.

[Return to your group and wait there. I will ask and get back to you… Ah, but know this: if you move without permission, I will take it as you deceiving me.]

“Alright. How long should we expect to wait?”

[About four days.]

Four days. That duration seemed doable, even if it meant a delay. We had been taking frequent breaks, but we were also continuously on the move. A complete stop to rest properly might actually be welcome.

Moreover… if we were to be asked to leave, there might be a fight. Preparing and gathering our strength in preparation for such an event wouldn’t be a bad idea. We would wait.

“Alright. We will wait for your response in four days. If there’s no reply after that, we’ll take it upon ourselves to move on. And if we are attacked then…”

[Then you’ll retaliate, I suppose. I’ll hurry to make sure that doesn’t happen, so please stay put on your end.]

“Alright… Ah, one more thing. Just to confirm, you are of the demon fox race, correct?”

[You’re well-informed. Yes, I am Gardenia of the demon fox race.”

Indeed, she was from the demon fox race. I had thought as much from the start, and it turned out I wasn’t mistaken. Given this, the chances that she knew of Woodsorrel were high. If Woodsorrel was around, perhaps she could be persuaded to help us in our cause.

“Then, perhaps you know of a demon fox named Woodsorrel? I actually met her once, about eight years ago.”

[…Hmm. I do know her, but… what about it?]

Gardenia narrowed her eyes and started examining me as if trying to read my intentions. I needed to tread carefully here; mentioning the “Battle Beast Tournament” could easily lead to misunderstandings. It was important to steer clear of any unsettling terms and focus on a message that only Woodsorrel would understand. So, I decided…

“If you know her, I have a message to pass on. Tell her ‘I’ve learned to use telepathy’.”

[What’s that supposed to mean? Well, I’ll pass it along anyway.]

As expected, Gardenia didn’t seem to understand the meaning and lowered her level of vigilance by a notch. She and her comrades left us, and we, in turn, collected our weapons and headed back to our group to talk about the events that happened.