Ch.130Danya+

# 130. Danya+

‘Tch. So this is what it means to be a leader?’

Danya clicked her tongue inwardly. After delivering a strike even faster than her first and second attacks, only to see it blocked effortlessly, she realized this wouldn’t be easy.

‘No, I might actually lose.’

Her current strength was only about 20-30% of her prime, and that was when pushing herself to the limit. To minimize the burden on Sunghyun, she had ended the previous two battles with single strikes despite her desire to move more freely, but now…

Even as she contemplated this, their fierce exchange continued. To onlookers, it appeared as nothing more than sharp sounds and afterimages repeating chaotically in the air, but as the battle wore on, Danya’s face gradually contorted.

‘…My limit.’

She could continue fighting at this pace. But at this rate, she would only be dragging out the inevitable without securing victory. Yet she couldn’t draw out any more power either. She was already exerting herself to the maximum.

‘Just once more.’

Danya deflected Rahan’s attack and used the momentum to leap backward. She assumed a stance almost on all fours as she glared at her opponent.

Creating distance wasn’t typically advantageous for the shorter combatant, but she needed the space for this final strike.

“May I ask one more question?”

“…”

“Your posture and aura are extraordinary, suggesting you’re about to use a special technique. Does it have a name?”

As Danya gathered strength in her muscles and calculated her timing, Rahan asked calmly while steadying his breath.

Danya inwardly wondered what he meant by “special technique” and why it would need a name… but then she remembered how her former comrades would always make a fuss whenever she did something in battle.

When she infiltrated enemy lines to assassinate an Alb and returned safely, they called it “Curtain of the Starless Night.” When she protected her fleeing kin and launched a counterattack, it was “Fury of the Beast King.” And this stance she took when facing powerful opponents…

“Heart Destroyer.”

One of those names her comrades had created to boost morale during those dark times—names she had found too embarrassing to ever utter herself while they were alive—was now spoken aloud, not by Radaniya, but by Danya in this distant future.

It felt strange. But not unpleasant.

“…I see.”

Rahan, who had been listening attentively, adjusted his stance. His posture now looked even more solid than before.

Inhale and exhale, sweat trickling down his cheek, hair swaying in the gentle breeze.

From her crouched position with heightened senses, Danya filtered through countless pieces of information to find the optimal timing, but she couldn’t detect a single opening in this man called Rahan.

‘No choice, then.’

But so what? Things had been far more desperate when she fought as Radaniya.

If there was no opening, she would simply create one and strike.

Finding a way to slip through defenses was a cat’s specialty, after all.

‘Now.’

Though it was midday, as if wrapped in the curtain of a starless night, Danya instantly appeared behind Rahan. Feigning an attack at his heart, she extended her body in mid-air, leaped once more, and reached for his carotid artery in his neck.

‘Got it…!’

Clack!

Rahan’s claws appeared as if he had anticipated her move, rendering Danya’s finishing strike futile. She managed to avoid a counterattack and create distance again, but deep disappointment was evident on her face.

‘Sunghyun is hiding it, but he must still be in pain. Anything more would be… selfish.’

She felt immense regret.

She regretted not achieving the three consecutive victories she had boasted about, not being able to move more vigorously outside of Ayord, and not being able to proudly deliver victory to Sunghyun… not seeing his joyful face.

But one must know when to retreat.

Just as Danya was about to let go of her lingering attachment and utter the word “defeat”—

“I concede.”

“I conc— Huh?”

“I disrupted your concentration with a frivolous question at a critical moment. Therefore, I disqualify myself.”

Danya blinked in confusion, but Rahan paid no mind as he turned and raised his voice toward where Sunghyun and the children were.

“Adventurer Sunghyun! Congratulations. You have achieved three consecutive victories and proven your skill. The trial of proof ends here.”

**

“Danya! Danya! Danya! Danya! Danya!”

“Nyaaaaaah!”

[S-stop! Sunghyuuun! Help me— Eeeek!]

After securing an impressive third victory and returning to her cat form, Danya received an enthusiastic welcome from the party members and kept screaming in protest. I wanted nothing more than to grab Danya and shower her with affectionate belly rubs, but I needed to discuss “cooperation” with the Wandering Troupe’s leader.

“As per our agreed rules, we will cooperate when entering Magicanth.”

“Good idea. My companions are all skilled individuals, so there won’t be any issues.”

“Hmm. Adventurer Sunghyun.”

“What?”

“That mysterious Ayor, Danya.”

“What about Danya?”

The way he kept glancing at Danya… this bastard, surely he’s not…?

“Could you tell me about her true identity?”

“…Her identity?”

“I know I should ask her directly, but I doubt I’d get a proper answer. Besides, weren’t you planning to ask me about the Edenic Fragment? What goes around comes around, I think.”

I felt a chill. Is this what it means to be a leader of a group? If he had just said something like the others, like he fell for her at first sight, I could have handled it easily.

“Don’t tell me you threw that match earlier?”

“My intention to disqualify myself was genuine. However, I won’t deny that I would have had the advantage had we continued.”

“Then why?”

“I suspect that Danya is either that person or someone closely connected to them.”

Wow. What’s with this guy?

I have no idea how he figured it out, but I maintained my poker face as I asked:

“And what would you do with that information?”

“Rest assured. I won’t exploit it in any way. It’s just… my personal curiosity.”

“I don’t know what makes you think that about Danya, but it’s been hundreds of years, you know?”

“The legendary Ayor lives forever in the hearts of all Ayors. That’s what I believe.”

As Rahan said this, he looked like a five-year-old insisting that superheroes never die.

I had planned to subtly approach the Edenic Fragment while “cooperating” as Rahan suggested, but seeing his expression, I somehow couldn’t dismiss him. Still, Danya’s consent was paramount in this matter.

I excused myself briefly, then returned with Danya, who had collapsed in exhaustion after being manhandled by the party members, perched on my shoulder.

“Danya.”

“Nyaang…”

[You abandoned me…]

“I’m sorry. But Danya, the Wandering Troupe’s leader is curious about your identity. Should we tell him or not?”

“Nyat?”

[What?]

Danya jumped up and landed gracefully. After staring intently at Rahan, she asked:

“Nyang, nya-nya nyang.”

[Would answering that help you?]

“Maybe. But if he intended to use that information, he wouldn’t have asked me to ask you first.”

“…Nya nyang.”

[…You can tell him. No, I’ll tell him myself. Is that okay?]

“Of course.”

Looking up, I noticed Rahan giving me a strange look as I conversed with cat sounds. I shrugged and stepped aside. Soon, Danya transformed back into her original form.

“I’ll give you some space. We can continue our cooperation talk later.”

“…Thank you.”

I instinctively reached out to pat Danya’s head as I would when she was a cat, but realizing she was in her Ayor form, I awkwardly began to withdraw my hand. However, she jumped up and pressed the back of her head against my palm.

The sensation was so pleasant that I naturally stroked her head. She made a contented purring sound.

“Hehehe. Sunghyun. I’ll be right back.”

“Ah, yes. Oh, right. Danya.”

“Hmm?”

“You were amazing. Look forward to tonight.”

“Hmm…!”

The expression on Rahan’s face, who had been like a statue until now, was quite a sight to behold.

**

Sunghyun’s habit of stroking her head or back had become so familiar that she felt something missing when he didn’t do it.

Whether she appeared as a cat or an Ayor, she was still herself.

Anyway, Danya had never intended to reveal her identity. She was a figure from hundreds of years ago, albeit legendary, and hadn’t expected anyone to dig into that.

Yet here was someone suspecting her identity after she had left Ayord with Sunghyun for such a short time. The world truly was vast, with all kinds of people in it.

“What do you want with my identity?”

“If you are who I think you are, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“And if I am, would you believe it?”

“That’s for me to judge and bear the consequences of.”

Though she didn’t get the same “feeling” about him as she did with Sunghyun, Danya thought this man was decent enough. There seemed to be no sinister intent behind his curiosity, and he didn’t seem like the type to spread rumors.

‘Besides, Sunghyun said it might help what he’s trying to do.’

Though she now used the name Sunghyun had given her instead of her old one, she didn’t deny her life as Radaniya.

Danya nodded and introduced herself for the first time in about 200 years, except to Sunghyun.

“Radaniya, daughter of Mures and Tiana, born on the Brayer Plains. That’s who I am.”

“I am honored to meet Radaniya, the builder of Ayord, the Eternal Mother, and the legendary Ayor.”

Rahan knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

The tips of Danya’s whiskers trembled.