Ch.129Danya

# 129. Danya

“Danya?”

Yuri’s brief question carried many meanings.

Her tone seemed to contain about 30% worry and 70% disbelief.

The expedition members looked like they had a lot to say but were hesitant to speak up, glancing between Danya and me.

I understood.

After all, Danya had never shown her abilities or even her true form. All they’d seen was me paying the price and suffering whenever she did something. Direct communication with her was impossible, and they didn’t share a soul connection with her like I did. On top of that, while they were busy leveling up in Benas, she appeared to be just lazing around…

I wasn’t completely free of such thoughts either. But even if Danya lost, it wouldn’t immediately lead to our defeat.

The risk of losing one match.

The advantage of respecting her pride in wanting to participate in the expedition’s affairs with confidence after what happened between us.

From my perspective, the latter seemed much more significant.

And honestly, I was curious about Danya’s power too.

I didn’t bother with lengthy explanations and stood firm in my decision.

“Meow!”

[Thanks for believing in me!]

The black cat strode forward with dignity.

**

Gelin, the leader of the Blue Wolf Squad and the first contestant from the Nomad Troupe who had arrived early, secretly sneered at his opponent who hadn’t shown up yet.

‘The chief should have just ignored them.’

While Eril was certainly in the wrong, did the matter really need to escalate this far? By his standards, absolutely not.

But the chief’s final judgment had to be followed. Especially since it wasn’t a unilateral decision but one made after hearing all the squad leaders’ opinions, so he had no desire to rebel.

Still, he couldn’t help feeling displeased.

He didn’t like how that insignificant human held his head high and spoke so bluntly to the chief. He also didn’t like that despite his attitude, the human wasn’t even a proper man but surrounded by women.

Most of all, he hated how casually they talked about hunting “demons.”

‘Some of us are risking our lives without any reward.’

Just as he was about to urge them to hurry up—if they were skilled enough to talk so lightly about hunting demons, why were they taking so long?—

“A… cat?”

A sleek, black, dignified-looking cat was gracefully walking toward him. Everyone had assumed it was just that man’s pet, so no one had paid it any attention…

‘A throwaway match? No, a cat can’t drain my health, so what’s the point? Then…?’

“Hey!! Are you joking?!”

Gelin ignored the cat’s gaze and shouted directly at the annoying human.

He was furious.

If it wasn’t a throwaway match, wasn’t this basically saying someone of his caliber was only worth facing a pet?

Just as he was about to say that there were limits to provocation and protest, and this had crossed the line, the human was grinning, and behind him, gasps of astonishment kept erupting.

When he turned his head, there was…

“…!”

A breathtakingly seductive beauty stretching herself, so captivating he forgot to breathe.

“Hmm—ahh—it feels a bit awkward after so long…”

“Uh, um.”

“I’m still the same cat from before, so there’s no need for that stupid expression.”

“Ah, yes.”

And that voice…

He’d always thought love at first sight was just women’s fantasy… but maybe it wasn’t.

“Gelin! Hey! Hey, you bastard! Snap out of it!”

“L-l-look at that tail standing straight up!”

“She was definitely a cat just a moment ago—how did she turn into an Ayor?”

“Chief! Say something… Chief?”

His comrades were shouting something, but Gelin couldn’t hear them at all. He couldn’t take his eyes off the beauty stretching her limbs before him. Drool trickled down his chin without him even realizing it.

Not until the beauty smiled and pointed at her own chin with her index finger. Gelin hastily wiped his chin with the back of his hand. He wanted to hide in a cave from embarrassment.

“Thanks for waiting.”

“N-no problem.”

“Shall we fight, then?”

At those words, Gelin finally snapped back to his senses. But he immediately let out a sigh.

How could such a delicate body wield a weapon?

However.

“3, 2, 1. Begin!”

At the announcement of the match’s start.

And before he could even exhale once, he felt claws hovering at his throat, and his entire body froze.

“Next?”

**

‘Holy shit, that’s insane.’

The expedition members all marveled at Danya’s true form, the “Legendary Ayor Radaniya,” and when she stretched her limbs, they commented on how cat-like she truly was.

And when she subdued her first opponent in less than a second with invisible speed.

Surprise turned to shock.

“Crazy.”

“…I missed it.”

“Me too.”

Leaving her still-dumbfounded opponent behind, Danya turned to the Nomad Troupe’s chief, beckoning for the next challenger with a flick of her finger. Then she turned to look at me, grinned, and winked.

Cheers erupted.

“Damn, I knew it all along!!!”

“Kyaaaah!”

“Danya is the best!!!”

“Fighting!!!”

They thought she was just a pretty cat, but it turns out she’s the expedition’s strongest?!

Meanwhile, the Nomad Troupe was in an uproar for a different reason.

“Gelin might have been distracted, but he’s not an idiot…”

“I couldn’t see it either.”

“At that level, she’s almost on par with a Great Warrior.”

A few minutes later, the second opponent stepped forward. He seemed extremely tense, likely shocked by the previous result. In contrast, Danya maintained an incredibly relaxed posture. If not for the situation, one might think she was about to fall asleep standing up.

“3, 2, 1, Begin!”

The second opponent immediately retreated at full speed and took a defensive stance. It seemed he wanted to avoid Gelin’s fate and analyze Danya’s pattern.

But unlike before when she charged immediately, Danya remained still. This made the second opponent look like a coward who had retreated in panic for no reason.

“…Damn!”

But there was no time to laugh at the comical sight before everyone was struck with amazement again.

The moment the second opponent stopped his backward movement and was caught in his own momentum.

Danya, who had been standing still at the starting point, suddenly sprang forward and somehow had her claws at his throat.

It all happened in just three seconds, no, two seconds.

“…I concede.”

“Next?”

**

‘This is unusual.’

From the moment the black cat transformed into a black-haired beauty, Rahan sensed something extraordinary. His comrades seemed oblivious, perhaps too excited or distracted by the Ayor woman’s stunning beauty…

‘She resembles the legendary one too closely.’

Rahan was an Ayor much older than he appeared. And as with any race, older individuals tended to know ancient stories well. Before becoming a wanderer, Rahan had been a boy who loved stories.

Among them, he had memorized the legends and life of the legendary Ayor by heart.

While all Ayors respected the legendary one, Rahan’s admiration went beyond that. He had always aspired to become at least a fraction of what she was, if not her equal.

Just as Radaniya had united the oppressed Ayors against the Albs, fought for them, protected them, and built the city of Ayord, Rahan had become the leader of the Nomad Troupe, a group of persecuted wanderers, saving and protecting many.

Even after leaving Ayord decades ago, he still read parts of Radaniya’s biography before sleeping every night. As such a devoted fan of Radaniya…

The cat Ayor’s appearance.

The aura she exuded.

And the trademark swiftness of Radaniya.

Could it be Radaniya herself?

Or perhaps her descendant?

Or was he mistaking a mere lookalike for the real thing?

To find out…

“I’ll change the order and step up myself.”

He would ask her directly.

**

As expected.

After Danya easily secured two consecutive victories, the Nomad Troupe’s chief stepped forward as the third opponent. The giant, whom even I had to look up to, stood imposingly before Danya, making it look like David versus Goliath.

“May I ask a question before we begin?”

“To me?”

“Yes.”

At Rahan’s inquiry, Danya turned her head toward me. I nodded in response to her silent request for permission. She didn’t really need to ask me for something like this, but it felt good, and I listened intently.

“What’s your name?”

“Danya.”

“Danya… Is that, perhaps, your real name?”

Danya’s tail, which had been swaying leisurely, suddenly tensed up.

“You don’t have to answer now if you can’t. But after this match, I’d like to hear your answer. Whether I win or lose.”

What’s with this guy? Why is he suddenly asking about Danya’s real name?

I deliberately cheered louder so that he could hear.

“Danya!! If you win this one too, I’ll make all your favorite foods until you’re stuffed!”

“…Haha!”

Danya’s tail began to sway again.

“There’s no need to wait until later.”

She lowered her stance slightly, unlike her completely relaxed posture earlier, and spoke to Rahan.

“It is my real name.”

CLASH!!!

Danya and Rahan’s claws collided.

It was the beginning of a breathtaking duel.