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Translator: Barnnn
Towering figures loomed above Tarawo as he glanced upward.
One was Kokki the Black Tortoise, his aged shell a deep ebony hue.
Another, coiled nearby, was Kohryu the Yellow Dragon, his scales gleaming gold.
And next to Pochi was Haiko the Ashen Tiger, his lazy smile betraying a lack of concern.
“Well, looks like everyone is accounted for,” remarked Kokki as he confirmed Konoha’s arrival.
Konoha, having just concluded his conversation with Viola moments before, was the final arrival to this gathering of beasts.
Gathered under Pochi’s coordination were creatures and monsters involved in the war.
Alongside the five Sacred Beasts were Chappie, Konoha, Baladd, Maïga, Tarawo, Hawk, Latt, Shiny, Platina, Ricky, and Pochi.
“Now hold your horses, maggots!” Hawk shouted, turning to Pochi, “What about Tzar!? Is he not coming!?”
In response, Pochi nodded and proceeded to explain,
“He’s got weeding duty in the fields.”
“Ah, figures. Guess some things never change even in peacetime,” Hawk grumbled.
With everyone accounted for, a signal from Kokki prompted Pochi to take charge.
“Alright, let’s get this started.”
“Yes! And so… enjoy the meal!”
“”Yeah!””
The formalities of hosting a party were swiftly abandoned as the beasts indulged their primal instincts.
There was no conversation, only the consumption of food and drink.
Whether it was Haiko and Maïga fighting over meat or Kokki accidentally nipping at Kohryu’s tail, nobody paid it any mind.
Even when Tarawo offered horse meat to Platina and received a kick in return, or when Baladd eyed Hawk and Shiny hungrily, or when the same Baladd was dangerously close to eating Latt by mistake, no one batted an eye.
The lightning-fast pecking of food by Shi’shichou and Chappie went unnoticed except for the joy it brought as ‘food rained down.’
While everyone dared to taste Ricky’s fiery dishes, only Pochi endured till the end, her jaws moving tirelessly.
Their instinctual appetites devoured the mountain of provisions piled before them.
The gathering of beasts, unlike any human feast, progressed silently, difficult to qualify as a party. Yet, Pochi’s efforts ensured everyone was satisfied.
As dawn approached, Pochi finally ceased eating.
Emitting a belch, she gazed at the rising sun in the distance and chuckled.
“…Hehe, just about sixty percent full, I’d say…”
The beasts, faces covered in sauce and blood, all turned towards the morning sun and howled their distinct farewells before departing, each content in their own way.
No formal goodbyes were, for they were comrades connected by heart.
As the long night ended, Pochi returned home, drifting into a peaceful sleep…
Though such happiness would only last until morning — when a dreadful reality awaited her.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
“Good morning, mustard… ZZZzzz…”
Aslet returned quite late.
At this time, Pochi would still be sleepy.
Yet, Asley woke her up — for a very simple reason.
“…Hey, wake up. You’ve got a visitor, Pochi.”
“Huh? A visitor? And Master, you seem… off. Is something the matter, sir?”
“……Hahaha, do I? Well, never mind me — there’s someone waiting for you outside, so get going already.”
Pochi tilted her head at Asley’s monotonous laughter, but with a guest waiting, she could not afford to linger on her curiosity.
Stepping outside, she found one of the Heavenly Beasts she had been with earlier.
“Oh, isn’t it Weldhun!”
At Pochi’s words, Weldhun’s eyes blazed a fiery red, as if ignited by passion.
“Mmm…! MOOOOOO!!”
Before long, Weldhun’s breathing grew erratic — intense. Perplexed, Pochi tilted her head.
“Weldhun…?”
“Hah… hah! Hahaha! I never thought you’d remember my name! So this means… you’ve been thinking about me too! Excellent! This is truly a wonderful reunion!”
“……Huh?”
Pochi was hit with a sense of déjà vu.
It was unmistakably the same anomalous behavior she had seen before — from a time she would rather forget.
“Ha! Hoo! Ha! Now! Now, now, now! Let us have a serious courtship! A serious courtship! Now! Now! Now! NOW!!”
“W-wait… you mean…!?”
That incident caused by Asley’s magic — it all came back in Pochi’s head.
Checking her own body hesitantly, Pochi realized…
“E-e-e… e…! EVERYONE CAN SEE MY BARE CHEST!?”
“Beautiful! How beautiful! Just like before! Unchanged from five thousand years ago! Could it be that you are a sacred being, close to a Heavenly Beast!?”
“H-how did I turn into a heifer!?”
“That is irrelevant now! I must convey my feelings directly! Haha… hahaha!”
No one could stop the fervent Weldhun now.
After all, the world’s strongest man was on his side — veins pulsing on his forehead as he clenched an extra restaurant bill from Duncan. He proceeded to declare “Pochi, it’s over,” with a tone reminiscent of the battle with Lucifer, coupled with an unprecedented fury.
“A real man needs no words! Only actions! Here I go!”
“Wait, wait, wait!!”
“MOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
Pochi… fled. Faster than the wind, faster than sound.
“Master!? MAAAAAASTER!! I’m sorry! I’m soooooorrryyy!!”
Pochi, who had never apologized to Asley for her past mistakes, shouted her apology at the top of her lungs.
But no help would come. Only intense fervor and affection — the ultimate pursuit aimed at Pochi. With Pochi fleeing to the south of Eddo, Weldhun gave chase.
“We’re making a big family! May our bloodline prosper!! Yes, this is the best! The world is at peace! This era is the greatest!! THANK YOU, LYLIAAAAAA!!”
Amidst the chaos, in the absence of his Master, Weldhun thanked her for bringing him along to this era, knocking down trees, relentlessly chasing and capturing Pochi.
“MEOWWWWWW!?!?!?”
Pochi let out an unintelligible cry, to which Weldhun shouted,
“What a beautiful voice! Now, let me hear that again with you in my embrace! AHHHHHH!!”
Objectively speaking, Pochi’s speed far surpassed Weldhun’s.
However, Pochi could not shake him off.
It was not merely a result of mental anguish manifesting as a physical struggle, but rather…
“Rise, All Up!”
Without a hint of concern, levitating high above Eddo, was humanity’s strongest man, the symbol of hope… invoking support magic on Weldhun…
“Rise, Speed Down!”
…And interference magic on Pochi.
“Keep it up, Weldhun~~ I’m rooting for you~~”
“YEEEAAAHHH!! I knew you would understand, Asley! The man among men! Hahaha!”
“Do you REALLY have to go this far, MASTERRRRRRR!?”
Pochi showed anger at this mistreatment, but Asley’s overwhelming aura of anger left her no chance.
“Damn you little…! I have no idea what you did, but do you know how much it’s costing me!? Ten million! TEN! MILLION! The last time I was this shocked was when I first saw Duncan putting on lipstick!! Damn it, you… you stupid COW!!”
“Hehehe… Uhh, w-whatever are you talking about, sir? Hehehe…”
As Pochi feigned ignorance, Asley’s fury reached its peak.
“…Rise, Ground Needle!”
“MEOW!?”
Finally, Asley began hindering Pochi’s path with offensive magic.
Pochi tried to dodge, but the relentless assault of the ultimate debtor gradually drained her stamina.
“Whoa–! I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die!”
“Well, if you’re going to die anyway, it might as well be in the embrace of a GENTLEMAN!”
“O-oh no! He’s seriously angry! This… this is bad!”
Pochi and Asley exchanged words repeatedly — words that, even if they reached Weldhun’s ears, would go unnoticed.
Because at that moment, he was more straightforward than any fool.
“MOOOOOO!!”
Weldhun surged forward towards Pochi’s back.
Try as she might to evade…
“Eeek! You… you actually hit me!?”
Weldhun’s relentless charge continued. Pochi closed her eyes, resigning herself to what seemed inevitable.
Just as Weldhun was about to devour her, a miracle occurred — not just for Pochi, but for the world.
Asley had nothing but a surprise-contorted face to show in response to this miracle.
“What the–!? NOW she gets it!?”
Pochi was not within Weldhun’s reach anymore.
Because she, like Asley, had soared high into the sky.
“Incredible! Oh, my supreme heifer… you were a Heavenly Beast all along!”
As Pochi leaped and soared, feeling a sensation unfamiliar to her usual gait as she scattered particles of light, she slowly opened his eyes.
She came to realize that she had just successfully awakened the ability she was meant to have as a Heavenly Beast.
As Asley was revving up his next move, however, Pochi had no time to rejoice.
“FWOOOOOO!!”
With joy in her voice, echoing through the mountains, Pochi disappeared.
Weldhun, still not awakened to his power of flight as a Heavenly Beast, vowed,
“Someday! Someday I will prove myself worthy of you! I’ll become much stronger!! So wait for me!!”
Watching this, Asley sighed softly, placing a hand on his hip.
“I could use Levitation on Weldhun… but, well, it’s probably time to call it quits. But don’t think you’re off the hook, Pochi. For the next month… you’ll get only one Gold of allowance per meal!
With a sharp gaze directed at Pochi’s back, Asley turned around… and yawned…
“Man… So sleepy.”
…Unaware that the dog he thought had escaped into the sky was waiting at his room’s entrance, ready to offer her belly as a pillow.
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