Chapter 91

Ŕêád̃ ́òn̈​ ̃Ḱát́R̃ẽäd̈íǹǵ​Ć​âf̂​ẽ

“Interesting, you’re the first child who can see me.”

The shadow demon walked out of the closet.

It looked exactly like Lucy, but its entire body was pitch black.

‘A shadow demon.’

Its identity was a shadow demon.

A low-rank demon without even a name, it survived by feeding on children’s fear.

Children couldn’t see or touch this demon; they could only hear its voice.

“Oh, you even know what I am?”

The shadow demon approached Lucy and grinned.

“I like this form. It’s been a bit boring here with only beastfolk children around.”

Shadow demons, having no physical form, mimic the appearance of their target.

Though the target can’t see it.

Lucy could see it thanks to Night Vision and Devil Vision.

“I’ll follow you around and stay in this form.”

“Who said you could?”

Lucy activated Dark Ascend and swung her fist.

Her physical abilities surged, increasing the power of her punch, but

Whoosh.

Her fist simply passed through the shadow demon, dealing no damage.

“It’s useless. I’m a shadow, so you can’t hit me. Annoying, isn’t it?”

The shadow demon stuck out its tongue and began circling around Lucy.

“You can’t do anything~”

It taunted with playful gestures.

“…”

Lucy’s eyebrow twitched.

She realized for the first time how irritating her own appearance could be.

“If it can’t be seen or touched…”

Lucy murmured.

“It’d make a good informant.”

“Huh?”

The shadow demon tilted its head.

At that moment,

Whoosh!

The shadow demon’s body froze.

“Gasp, what’s this, shadow magic?!”

“Exactly.”

Thanks to Devil Vision, Lucy knew the demon’s weakness.

“They say you can hit a shadow with a shadow.”

Lucy extended a shadow from her hand and whipped the shadow demon like a lash.

Whack!

“Ouch! That hurts!”

The shadow demon grimaced and twisted its body.

But it was bound by shadows and couldn’t move.

Lucy smirked.

“Want to make a contract with me?”

A contract with a demon allows you to summon it whenever you want.

Like Amon or Agrevan.

Conversely, you can also send it back if you don’t need it.

Lucy didn’t particularly need to contract with this demon.

She could summon low-rank demons anytime.

She offered the contract just to get rid of it.

That way, the village wouldn’t have any more problems.

“N-no way. Become a lackey for a kid like you? My pride…”

Whack.

Another shadow lash struck.

“Ouch! That hurts!”

“You’re a kid too.”

Lucy felt a strange sensation.

She was whipping her own appearance.

‘So that’s the face I make when I’m in pain.’

Whack!

“S-stop… I’ll do it. Fine, I’ll do it!”

Whack!

“Why are you hitting me! I said I’ll do it!”

“I was just looking at your expression.”

“I’ll make the contract!”

Lucy approached the shadow demon and bit the back of her hand.

Crunch.

Blood flowed from her hand, and she brought it to the shadow demon.

Contracts with demons are made with blood.

The demon drinks the blood, and the contract is formed.

“Lick it.”

“…Tch.”

The shadow demon looked resentful but had no choice but to stick out its tongue and lick Lucy’s hand.

Lick. Lick.

A smile spread across Lucy’s face.

“The contract is complete now.”

“Hmph.”

“I’ll call you when I need you, so go back for now.”

“Don’t call me. I won’t help with anything.”

Whack!

“Ouch! Stop hitting me! I’ll help! I’ll help, okay!”

“What do you like, by the way?”

Amon likes eating human heads or having his head patted.

Agrevan likes dolls.

Lucy was curious about what this low-rank demon liked.

“Why are you asking? I won’t tell you.”

When Lucy raised the shadow lash, the shadow demon immediately spoke.

“I like scaring children. I survive by feeding on fear.”

“I can’t give you that. You’re not scary to me.”

“…Then why did you ask?”

Lucy narrowed her eyes.

Reviewing the information in her head, she found something the shadow demon liked.

“You like human blood, don’t you?”

Demons generally like human flesh.

Unless they’re unique cases like Agrevan, most demons, like Malcares whom Amon defeated in the Black Forest, crave human flesh.

“I do, but….”

This demon was the same.

It just hadn’t been eating because there were only beastfolk children here.

“If you do what I tell you from now on, I’ll give you blood as a reward.”

“N-no.”

The shadow demon turned its head away.

“If you’re going to give it, give it properly. Making me lick it like earlier is humiliating. Like in a cup or something…”

When Lucy extended her bleeding hand, the shadow demon’s expression became dazed.

“Not going to eat it?”

“I-I’ll eat it…”

The shadow demon immediately knelt before Lucy and began licking the blood.

Lick. Lick.

Lucy smiled quietly as she looked down at the shadow demon.

“You’re cute.”

After sending the shadow demon back, Lucy hugged Sophie and went to sleep.

Since the problem was solved, she could now stay in Harmonia.

She could also meet her mom.

‘No, I’ve already met her…’

In fact, Lucy had already figured it out.

The fox beastfolk sitting under the tree during the day.

Serena.

She was her mom.

The next morning, Lucy went to Serena’s house with Sophie.

Serena’s house was in a remote part of Harmonia.

Deep in the forest, right next to the Black Forest.

Lucy’s impression of her mom’s house was this:

‘It’s like a witch’s house.’

It was exactly like a witch’s house from a fairy tale.

“Lucy, is that fox beastfolk really your mom?”

At Finn’s question, Lucy nodded.

“Probably.”

Sophie looked puzzled.

“But… Serena is a beastfolk. How can she be your mom? And she always said she was a maiden…”

“She must have lied.”

When they arrived at Serena’s house, Lucy knocked on the door.

―Coming~

A cheerful voice came from inside.

A moment later, the door opened.

“Hmm? You’re the human child from yesterday?”

“…”

Serena had just finished bathing.

Her hair was damp, and steam rose from her body.

A towel barely covered her important areas.

“What’s the matter?”

Serena asked with wide eyes.

Lucy avoided looking at Serena’s body and spoke.

“I… know.”

“Know what?”

“That you’re…”

At that moment, Sophie let out a small gasp.

“S-Serena… your ears are gone…!”

Only then did Lucy look up at Serena’s head.

The fox ears that had swayed softly yesterday were nowhere to be seen.

This made it even clearer.

“Oops, you caught me.”

Serena casually touched her hair.

“I’ve been hiding it well until now.”

“…!”

Sophie trembled in shock.

“Sorry, Sophie. Come inside first. Lucy, you too.”

Lucy and Sophie followed Serena inside.

Serena closed the door and immediately hugged Lucy tightly.

“Ah, Lucy! I missed you!”

She kissed Lucy’s face all over.

“You’re even cuter than I thought, my daughter!”

“U-um, clothes first…”

Lucy blushed and lowered her head.

The towel covering Serena’s body had fallen to the floor.

“Hmm? Are you embarrassed? Is it because you’re seeing your mom after so long? No, actually, is this the first time? Anyway, I missed you so much!”

“I-I can’t breathe…”

Lucy tried to push Serena away but didn’t know where to push.

A moment later, Serena put on clothes and approached again.

“So, how did you figure it out?”

At Serena’s question, Lucy scratched her cheek.

“I just… felt something was different.”

“Different? What was different? No one else has noticed until now.”

Serena picked something up from the nightstand.

It was a headband with fox ears.

“With this, no one can tell, right?”

Indeed, it looked exactly like before.

Her voluminous hair hid her human ears, and only the fox ears were visible.

“Hic, hic…!”

Sophie suddenly burst into tears.

“S-Serena….”

“I’m sorry, Sophie.”

Serena quickly hugged Sophie and comforted her.

“I had no choice. Will you forgive me?”

“Hic…”

Sophie sniffled and hugged Serena.

“D-does anyone else know…?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Even the chief…?”

“Even the chief doesn’t know.”

Finn, who had been fluttering around, landed on Lucy’s shoulder.

“You figured it out even though the beastfolk didn’t know, Lucy. I had no idea.”

“I just had a feeling…”

Lucy couldn’t explain it clearly either.

When she first saw Serena, she felt a sense of kinship.

A familiar yet nostalgic feeling.

“Lucy probably sensed my magic.”

Serena smiled brightly.

“I intentionally leaked a bit of magic as a hint.”

“Magic…?”

“Yes. You have the same magic too.”

Lucy tilted her head.

She did have magic, but she couldn’t sense anything from Serena now.

“Want me to show you?”

At that moment, Serena’s aura changed.

Whoosh!

An overwhelming surge of magic erupted around her.

Unlike normal mana, it was entirely black.

“Ugh, ugh…!”

Finn trembled and hid inside Lucy’s clothes, while Sophie turned pale.

Hon, who had been sitting on the floor, also hid behind Lucy.

Serena immediately retracted her aura.

“Lucy probably sensed this magic.”

“…”

Lucy nodded slowly.

It felt right.

“Um, by the way…”

Finn cautiously poked his head out of Lucy’s clothes and asked.

“What about the tail…?”

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Tail, tail…

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
We do not talk about the tail.

No.