Ch.20I Made a Mistake, So I Should Apologize (3)

About 30 minutes ago.

‘This is too suspicious…?’

It was right before boarding the limousine to return to City D with Miss Hoshino.

To be honest, I didn’t particularly care about going back like this.

It wasn’t my business to begin with.

Whatever happened to that vicious young lady who knocked out one of my teeth—whether she got beaten like a dog at home—was none of my concern.

Though I did feel some sympathy.

But separate from that were the countless breadcrumbs they dropped while leaving the principal’s office earlier.

That human who, for a moment, gave off the scent of a monster.

And Carmilla, who was being abused as if it were perfectly normal under that human mother.

As a veteran of <Monster Frontline>.

Ah, damn it.

How am I supposed to ignore such juicy plot hooks?

I can’t resist this.

It’s like getting early access to content that would make things much easier if unlocked before the original story even begins.

Therefore.

“…Miss, I’ll just go back by myself.”

“Huh? Why? I even brought the car specially!”

Both of them probably hadn’t left City E yet.

Thinking this, I channeled the unique vibe that only boys my age could pull off.

Pretending to be a young boy enjoying his ‘solitude,’ I gazed dramatically into the distant mountains and made up some excuse.

“Just… I just… want to be alone today.”

“…? No, but why?”

“It’s just one of those things, Miss.”

“……?”

Miss Hoshino, being the same age as me, seemed unable to immediately comprehend my ‘adolescent behavior.’

But she wasn’t my target to begin with.

“Hmm, I understand, Young Master. Then, we’ll go ahead first.”

“Huh? N-Nanny?!”

As expected of Nanny.

Like the experienced adult she was, she caught on quickly.

Only then did I wave goodbye to Miss Hoshino, who was smiling brightly with question marks floating above her head.

After the limousine left the school and disappeared beyond the horizon of the road.

Wee-ing, wee-ing.

Classic monster genre.

After main characters experience internal conflicts, a monster always appears to shift the scene to combat, as if saying “don’t be too serious.”

Following this genre convention, monster alert sirens began to blanket the entire City E.

“Let’s go.”

While everyone’s attention was focused solely on evacuation, I quickly slipped into the men’s restroom.

“KRAAAAAAA!”

In this place without CCTV cameras, I transformed into a monster.

And then, well.

“Ah, m-monster!”

“A monster came out of the bathroom…?”

Embodying a monster that respects bathroom etiquette, I leaped high into the sky, following the scent of the real monster that had appeared in City E.

‘Since Carmilla is a hero, she’ll definitely be near the monster that appeared.’

***

But what on earth was going on?

When I reached the outskirts of the city following the monster’s scent, on a road surrounded by nothing but fields and forests.

“WOOOAAAARGH!”

A house-sized, pot-bellied monster suddenly jumped out beside me as I was running smoothly.

With its hideous naked body and a rum barrel as big as itself slung over one shoulder, it immediately threw a punch at me.

So with the intention to counter-attack, I met its fist with mine.

BOOM!

“…Kruk?”

‘…Eh?’

The pot-bellied monster, who had tried to strike first, couldn’t withstand the impact when our fists collided.

It literally exploded its entire body in an instant.

Just before its innards scattered, I saw its severed head drawing a parabola in the sky before landing with a thud on the side of the road.

“M-Monster…?”

Since I’d already defeated it.

I chased after the remaining head to completely destroy it and confirm the kill.

When I landed on the road, Carmilla was standing there, looking at me with a strangely relaxed expression.

‘Carmilla? I expected her, but did she really chase after monsters to defeat them in that physical condition?’

She must be at her limit after being beaten nearly to death by Miss Hoshino this morning. What could possibly drive this child to fight?

I was curious.

More simple curiosity than sympathy.

So as I tilted my head in wonder.

“Wow, what a catch…!”

“Kruk?”

Carmilla’s mother, Ms. Lajerita, stepped out of the car behind her.

She was facing me with a voice drenched in excitement, almost as if salivating.

“So it’s you. The monster who defeated the S-rank hero known as the Lightning Fox—the head of the Okami Makoto clan from City D.”

“An S-rank defeating monster, Mother?!”

“That’s right. And there’s no better catch than this.”

At the same time, she began giving her daughter an absurd order.

“The plan has changed a bit, but this is even better.”

“Mother?”

“Carmilla. Defeat that monster right now.”

“…W-What?!”

“Kruk?”

What on earth was she saying?

No, anyone who knew about me would find such an order even more nonsensical.

While it was a false accusation, I was classified as an extremely dangerous monster who had even taken down an S-rank hero.

This meant that to defeat me, you’d need at least another S-rank hero of Makoto’s caliber.

And she’s sending Carmilla, who just became a hero, against me?

‘What’s going on? Is she trying to get her daughter killed?’

Is she really… a parent?

Even if gaining experience in real combat is essential for heroes, this crossed a line.

A major line at that.

If I weren’t a human disguised as a monster, Carmilla would already be an unsightly lump of red flesh buried deep in the ground by now.

“…Not answering?”

“!! I-I’ll do it! I’ll go fight right now!”

That way of demanding an answer.

It was the same tone Carmilla had used when she unilaterally assaulted me before.

‘I wondered where she learned such bad habits, but she’s been on the receiving end herself.’

Oh, you poor child.

Children are mirrors of their parents.

Seeing her trying to charge at me while covered in wounds makes my heart ache.

In my opinion, even the best child psychology expert wouldn’t be able to handle the scene before me.

And so.

Step, step, step.

“Huh? Uh… what?”

No, why are you ordering such a shitty thing to a child?

If you want something, a true parent would step forward themselves instead of using their child as a shield.

I simply walked past Carmilla, who was trembling as she prepared to confront me.

Then I stopped right in front of her mother, Ms. Lajerita, who seemed to be in need of some “treatment.”

Right in front of her face.

“Oh? Coming to take out the brain giving orders before the fight?”

What could possibly be so interesting?

From the moment she let me walk past her, her daughter was already fated to have died several times over by my hand.

Yet, if she really was a parent.

“Why don’t you try fighting me?”

Her giggling demeanor and complete disregard for Carmilla.

It was extremely irritating.

“KRAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

So I roared with all my might.

Hissssss.

“…!”

Again.

Once again, that smell from our first meeting began emanating from her body.

The fishy stench unique to monsters.

“Originally, I planned to intervene after letting Carmilla get half-destroyed.”

“Grrrrrr…”

“You know, ‘Elementary school hero defeats the monster that terrorized City D while covered in wounds!’… Wouldn’t that make for a dramatically compelling story if fabricated?”

Dramatic…

Certainly, with that kind of development, viewers beyond the screen would applaud its coolness.

I too enjoyed stories where underdogs defeat overwhelming opponents.

But you know.

When you realize the reality is this kind of “fabrication,” would anyone still enjoy it?

At least I wouldn’t.

So how could I stop this shitty staged show?

I couldn’t exactly turn her mother into a “bloody pulp” right in front of her daughter, and while I was contemplating this.

Grab.

Ms. Lajerita suddenly placed her hand near my neck.

“You were distracted, weren’t you?”

“Kruk?”

“That’s why you’ve lost.”

As she smiled maliciously and said:

“Die.”

“Kruruk?!”

A smell that humans could never detect.

That unique monster stench suddenly spread in all directions.

It was incredible.

At the same time, my body was somehow trembling.

As if an earthquake had struck my entire body.

“K-kuk kuk, KUHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Monster…!”

My body wouldn’t listen.

This was the first time this had happened since I transformed into a monster.

“Hahahaha! That’s what happens when you get distracted during battle!”

Ms. Lajerita, looking up at me with her mouth now split in a wide grin.

As she said, I had let my guard down.

No way.

No way, me of all people!

“Achoo!”

“…?”

“Huh?”

How embarrassing to “cough” because my throat got itchy during battle.

‘The mood was good, but I ruined it myself…’

“C-Coughing…?”

But why the sudden cough?

Did I catch a cold while in monster form?

However, I didn’t feel feverish or anything.

So as I tilted my head in confusion.

Grab.

Something was off. Just a moment ago, she seemed intent on killing me.

Suddenly, with a panicked expression, she raised her other hand, now gripping my neck with both hands.

“Die! I said die!”

…Um.

I mean, if you want to kill me, shouldn’t you actually “attack” first?

“Achoo! Achoo!”

“……Huh?!”

Oh boy.

It’s not even cold weather, so why does my throat keep itching?

I don’t have pollen allergies either, yet I’ve been showing this undignified display at crucial moments.

So, well, today just didn’t seem to be my day.

Grab.

“Wh-What?! Hey, let go!”

Seeing as Ms. Lajerita seemed to be a hero like Carmilla, this much should be fine.

With that thought, I grabbed her as she continued to just verbally command me to die.

Then I roughly tossed her into the car she had arrived in.

FLASH!

“Wh-What?”

“M-Mother?”

“Kruk kruk.”

‘Go get some fresh air.’

To spend some time alone with Carmilla.

I lifted the entire car, aiming to send it far enough to reach that distant star.

“W-Wait…!”

I threw her mother beyond the city walls with all my might.

Whoosh.

“KYAAAAAAAH?!”

“Mother?!”