A sudden appearance of a bear, with a child riding on top of it.

The child jumped from the demon, using the bear as a stepping stone, launching itself towards the monster that was still rolling on the ground.

While the monster continues to groan, it gets blasted further away from the kick of the child.

(The child..? It can’t be this one?)

Hiiro could see that the child looked about 10 years old.

It had unkempt light purple hair.

One characteristic feature was that all the hair was tied in a simple bun.

Although you couldn’t tell if the child was a man or a woman from its appearance, the child was certainly cute.

a.s.suming that it was brought up by a monster, I thought that the child would be naked, but it seemed to be covered in fur.

That aspect seemed to suggest of a certain hunting tribe.

(I remember that a certain man who moved the same in the Amazon.But..)

I don’t understand why, but when I see the child I get this nostalgic feeling.

(Is this because some of the characteristics were quite similar?)

Also, that bear monster, it is almost 3 times the size of the child.

It didn’t look like an adult bear, it was slightly smaller.

[That is a bamboo bear, right?]

Liliyn spoke while looking at the bear.

[Oh, considering the name, is it a demon that only lives in this area?]

[That’s right, Hiiro. The bamboo bears are quite few, it should be quite the gentle monster..]

The bear monster looked around and turned its hostility towards the demon which appeared with wings.

When the child tried to attack the monster, the monster didn’t retaliate but jumped up from the spot and ran away.

The child and the bamboo bear gazed at the monster which ran away while groaning.

[Oy, Aka(Red)-loli, didn’t you say previously that a monster was raising a child?]

[.....]

[Then, what is that?]

Naturally, Hiiro pointed towards the child and asked.

[Fuu, it’s still not confirmed! Perhaps there are existences that are here other than the monster.]

Certainly, Liliyn is correct. There is a possibility that there are other people here that are raising the child.

No, the probability that it is the latter is higher.

For now, the truth could probably be understood from the child.

When Hiiro tried to get close to the child with light footsteps, the bamboo bear suddenly rushed up with tremendous momentum from the side.

[!?]

Hiiro unintentionally moved from the place and took his distance.

The bamboo bear oozed hostility against Hiiro.

The child also came next to it and looked towards Hiiro and glared.

[I understand. I seem to be un-welcomed, but I have something I want to ask you.]

Pointing towards the child, the bamboo bear did not relax it's caution at all. The child pouted while wondering.

However, Hiiro thought that he would not get any answer if this keeps up, and so he pulled out the > from its sheath and pierced it to the ground.

[There is no danger here. I just want to ask? what is your story?]

{TLN: Hiiro legit sounded like a pedophile.}

Hiirop looked at the bamboo bear rather than the child.

The sword was pierced into the ground to show that here was no danger.

A little while later, the child came closer towards Hiiro with a *TokoToko*

The child came before Hiiro and looked at him with gleaming eyes which was completely different from the time when she was attack the demon.

Hiiro also gazed back into the child’s eyes.

[ga!]

The child looked back at the bamboo bear and raised a voice.

Soon, the hostility from the bear decreased.

Apparently, it seems that it understood that Hiiro did not lie.

[I wish to listen to your story. So, are you the only one here?]

Whether the child did not hear, or it could just not understand, Hiiro said the same thing again just in case.

But the child c.o.c.ked her head in puzzlement.

[Do you not understand words? This is really...]

Hiiro murmured while looking at Lilyn’s face, she also had a look of thoughtlessness.

Perhaps both of us arrived at the same conclusion.

Who could have known they would find the child so quickly?

[The child can’t understand the words, or maybe it does not understand the meaning of what we are saying. In other words, have you been raised by this monster?]

[......]

Suddenly, the child took Hiiro’s hand and pulled it.

Apparently, it wanted Hiiro to follow.

Thinking that there was something behind it, Hiiro allowed the child to drag him along and walked.

However, the bamboo bear’s killing intent was completely directed at Hiiro alone.

As we moved forward, a strange sight was spread in front of us.

Slowly, the green bamboo was replaced by black bamboo.

It came to the point that there was no green bamboo in sight.

(Black bamboo?)

Being curious, Hiiro found a huge rock ahead.

There was a hole in the rock, and if you looked closely you could see that there was something within.

[It seems like the parent of the bamboo bear is inside there.]

As Liliyn said, the bamboo bear approaches the huge rock and rubbed its cheeks on its parent.

The child also did the same thing as the bamboo bear while separating hands from Hiiro.

In the surrounding area, there were no other signs of life.

Of course, there were no other people around either.

Hiiro spoke looking at the three,

[Apparently, the rumour seems to be true.]

[Che, I really did not expect that it was true.]

There was a sigh mixed in as well when Liliyn accepted the fact.

[However, what is this black bamboo? What is up with the surroundings?]

[No, the entire place around here is supposed to be completely green all over.]

When Hiiro asked, Silva quickly responded to it.

[Then what is this? I know that his is quite abnormal situation but..]

[Hmmm, that is true. Hiiro, do you remember the monster just now?]

[Aaah.]

[When the monster bit the bamboo, did it not taint the bamboo completely black?]

Hiiro started to understand once his memory had a jump-start.

(EN: I find it increasingly difficult to not paint Hiiro in the light of an idiot who needs to be reminded of what happened what seems a few hours ago.)

[That seems to be so. Then this was also by.. it?]

The surroundings were completely filled with black bamboo.

If those monsters were doing this, then for what reason are they doing it?

Even the bamboos below were dyed completely black.

Hiiro cut out a bamboo leaf from a small bamboo and looked at it. However, there seemed to be nothing different other than the change in color.

Then the child unexpectedly turned its face and approached Hiiro, and pointed towards his right hand holding the bamboo gra.s.s.

[Wh!?]

I also looked on puzzled about what the child said with confusion, and the child put a finger on the bamboo that I had dropped.

Everyone’s gaze naturally turned towards the bamboo gra.s.s.

Sudden;y, the bamboo started to move with *uneune* and changed its shape.

Its appearance slowly changed to a form which Hiiro has seen somewhere before.

[Gii!]

The appearance of the bamboo was similar to the monster that they had seen previously but of a smaller size.

The child jumped way from the tiny monster, but since the child was fast moving it was able to escape.

As expected, the tiny monster moved towards Hiiro.

The child looked like it was trying to say [s.h.i.t!].

*bushin*!

The tiny demon was split into two.

*chakin* and Hiiro returned the sword to its sheath.

The monster turned into ash and disappeared.

[What the heck was that?]

Although he fought back unintentionally, FHiiro furrowed his eyebrows. Unable to grasp the meaning of this phenomenon.

The child stared at Hiiro with sparkling eyes.

The child approached him with considerable momentum.

[N gang a! gna!]

The child spoke while grabbing his clothes, but Hiiro could not understand what it meant.

[... Most probably, the child was impressed by your performance of skill?]

[It seems so, the child seems to be impressed with Hiiro’s skill and might be trying to say “Amazing~!” I believe?]

As Liliyn and Silva said, Hiiro also nodded thinking it may be so, but his nod seemed more delighted.

[But what is up with this bamboo?]

To the question that Liliyn mutters, even Hiiro was concerned about it as well.

But the problem was the child and monster could only hear and couldn’t speak.

(Hmm? Wait a minute. Then...)

Hiiro gathered magical power at his fingertips.

[Translate]

With this character it might be possible to communicate with monsters.

However, at the same time, the child who was pulling his clothes suddenly fell down.

It was because of the bamboo bear.

I was wondering what happened, but with [Translate] I could hear the conversation they were having within my head.

[How long are you going to be chummy with them! Those are people!]

The bamboo bear spoke to the child.

The child looked angry from its expressions.

[I am also a person! My mother told me! Among people there are those that are good! That person is strong and is also a good person!]

[I can understand that! But people are the ones that originally made those monsters! How can I trust such people then!]

Hearing those words, Hiiro narrowed his eyes.

(Those monsters were made by a person?)

Hiiro did not speak and listen to the conversation between the two.

[Although those people may look quite good right now, but their nature will come out soon! Because it is also these people that mother became like that!]

[Th-then, you are saying that you don’t believe me also!]

[L..ies, th-that... You are different from those people! You may look like a person, but you are a monster like me!]

[B-but, i am also a person mother also said..]

[You are a monster! So quickly get rid of them! Even bringing them to our place! They are the reason for all that is happening!]

Referring to the monster before, the one came from the bamboo that Hiiro had touched.

[No! I’m sure that these people don’t know anything about that!]

[How can you say that you know that!]

[Because... because...]

The child looked at Hiiro in the eyes.

Then turned its gaze back to the bamboo bear again.

[This person is not lying!]

[h..ow, Y... ou stupid Nikki!]

*Dosu* The bear hurled itself at the child and the bamboo bear soon ran off somewhere.

(Nikki.. so that is the child’s name?)

Hiiro calmly spoke the name of the child.

[Mou! Sometimes I can’t understand Ikki at all!]

Despite being tumbled around, Nikki spoke the name of the bamboo bear.