"Misako, what exactly is going on with you?"

  Farkonia gently tugged on Misako's hand, the height difference making it resemble a muiding her child along.

  "I'm fine. I just want to be alone for a while," Misako replied softly.

  "That is something wrong!"

  Farkonia, relying oatus and the innate power of her dragoage, forcefully pulled Misako closer. She bent slightly, pg both hands on Misako's shoulders.

  "Tell me the truth. What happened?"

  "..."

  Misako pressed her lips together, her adorable faow bearing a plicated expression.

  Rewinding the clock a few minutes, when everyone headed toward the house in the back er of the yard, Misako had silently slipped away. Farkonia had noticed her departure almost immediately and followed her.

  In fact, Farkonia had sensed something was off with Misako ever siheir versation with Lynne, but it wasn’t until now that she had the ce to talk to her about it.

  "...I shouldn't have e to the capital."

  "What?"

  "If I hadn’t e here, I could have at least pretended I didn’t know."

  A vivid memory fshed through Misako’s mind.

  In it, there was a beautiful, peaceful pce where people lived tentedly, a true paradise.

  Under a rge tree where leaves aals gently fell, a few small animals pyfully chased each other, as if all flid malice had no pce there.

  Of course, it was only temporary.

  One small fox, caught up in py with her friends, waoo far from the vilge and entered the first toualice from the outside world.

  "It’s a demon tribe! We’ve finally found it! Catch it!"

  A group of armored humans armed with ons crippled the fox’s legs to prevent her from esg. They bound her, demanding to know how to ehe demon tribe’s vilge.

  "If you don’t talk, we’ll kill you and find another one."

  Fag this threat, the little fox stayed silent. It wasn’t out of bravery or a willio sacrifice herself—it was simply because she didn’t know.

  She had never heard of the vilge’s entry method or of any barriers blog the vilge’s knowledge. This was her first time leaving the vilge, her first time learning that other races besides demons eveed.

  "...Then you’re useless. Take her to the bck market for au."

  It was the first time the fox heard the term "bck market," but her instincts screamed danger.

  She didn’t want to be taken away, didn’t want to be sold. She wao see her friends again.

  "...What did you do to Misako?!"

  Suddenly, the ceiling cracked open and a few small animals leaped through.

  Unlike her, Misako’s friends were much more talented and ceous. In no time at all, they had overwhelmed the humans who Misako couldn’t even hope to fight back against.

  "Really, why did you run so far?"

  "We’ve been looking for you everywhere."

  "You’re not strong enough to fight on your own."

  Back then, Misako didn’t uand the full scope of the situation. It wasn’t until she learned about the demons’ past and realized what might have happeo her if she hadn’t been saved that she fully grasped it.

  Or rather, it was when her friends left her that she truly uood.

  "...I was lucky. I was saved early. But, in exge, I saw many others disappear after being taken away, and I could do nothing to stop it."

  "I thought I had slowly let go of all of that, but when I saw something simir happen again, I realized I hadn’t let go at all."

  "..."

  Farkonia ko some extent, about all this.

  The two of them had met during the 'Demon War,' and even after they were sealed in the Abyss, they tio stay in touch. Over time, their versations delved into their pasts.

  But at that time, Misako’s tone and expression had never been like this.

  "When I saw those people taking others away and the monsters... it was like seeing my own people. When I first heard of the Alliance, I was happy, because it was a group striving to prevent things like that from ever happening again. But when I heard they needed our help... I didn’t want to get involved."

  Misako raised her head, her beautiful golden eyes log onto Farkonia’s face.

  "If I agree, I’ll be directly pulled into the whole thing, won’t I? That would take up so much time, right? I don’t want you to—"

  "That’s a lie."

  Farkonia interrupted with a single word.

  "That’s not your real reason, is it?"

  At the sound of Farkonia’s question, Misako’s body trembled involuntarily.

  "...I’m scared. I’m scared of seeing those sve traders again. I’m scared that everyone around me will gradually disappear..."

  The shadows of her childhood and the helplessness she felt growing up left Misako terrified of returning to that dark pce. Despite how much stronger she had bee, the fear in her heart remained.

  Sp.

  A soft sound echoed in the quiet.

  Farkonia, who had beeing her hands on Misako's shoulders, now cupped Misako’s face gently.

  "Don’t be afraid. Those things? They’re not worth your fear."

  "...But—"

  "Or do you think we’re at such a disadvantage?"

  "...No..."

  "That’s right. We’re not afraid of those things. They’re not my match, and you, standing beside me, don’t have to be afraid either."

  Farkonia gazed deeply into Misako’s golden eyes, her own filled with unwaveriermination.

  "..."

  Gradually, Misako’s trembling body rexed. But, as the tension in her body released all at once, she wobbled and almost colpsed.

  In a fsh, Farkonia reacted, lifting her effortlessly in her arms.

  "...Rest well."

  Cradled in Farkonia’s arms, Misako felt a twinge of shyness, but the fort of the moment, coupled with the weariness of her mind, made her fall asleep before she could even blush.

  "...Aris, are you there?"

  Once Misako had fallen asleep, Farkonia softly called out to the surroundings.

  At that moment, a golden-haired girl with a few streaks of bck hair stepped out from behind a tree. Farkonia also caught sight of a familiar fsh of green—Aris was not alone.

  "I k. Misako was so overwhelmed that she didn’t even notieone was nearby."

  Aris didn’t respond, only watg Misako in Farkonia’s arms, her eyes filled with quiet as a faint glimmer of tears lingered in the ers of Misako’s eyes.

  "Did you take care of the people in that house?"

  "...Yes."

  Due to the extraordinary admiration the people and monsters had for Aris, all it took was a single sentence from her, and they immediately accepted the 'Alliance of All Living Things,' even agreeing to cooperate.

  "We’ll go look for Lynne soon."

  "Hmm? ...You’re right. Misako must have made up her mind. Even if she ges it now, it’s too te."

  Farkonia reached out, gently wiping away the tear that had escaped from Misako’s eye.