183: Family’s Embrace
This is the training room of Ark Dominion’s underground secret base. Since it was not used much except by members of the Hundred Beasts Legion, it had almost become their exclusive space.
There, the powerful beasts were sweating refreshingly.
「Oraaaaaaaa, great job on 1000 sit-ups!! Only 100 more to go!!!」
「Gi…… I give up, nyan…… You also said 100 more earlier……」
「It’s hard, wan… my abs are falling off, wan…」
「Gahahahaha! You still have plenty of time to chat, huh?! Come on, 1001!!」
The beasts screamed and struggled to raise their bodies in time to the call of General Bearion. Those who fall are given a rebuke from Bearion, and they would never be released from their harsh training.
However, if all that was being done was just rebuke, it would still be considered lukewarm training for the Hundred Beasts Legion.
「Don’t be left behind by the abs team! Let’s start another set of 1000 push-ups!!」
「Hiii, give us a break, Big Sis Usanyi……」
「Don’t forget the Colonel and the -chan, you fool!!」
Bishiiiiiiin!!!
「Aggyaaaaaaa!!!」
It was not a rebuke but an electric whip that flew around in the push-up team led by Colonel Usanyi-chan.
The cheetah-like, graceful man, his whole body bathed in electric current, lay limp, his eyes white. A fighter with cat ears then carried the charred body of the man away on a stretcher.
Under Colonel Usanyi-chan, the devil’s sergeant, half-hearted retirements are not allowed.
It’s either 『get it done (live) 』 or 『Electric Biribiri Whip (die) 』.
「Are you all full-fledged members of the Hundred Beasts Legion? Or are you just pigs eating free food? Come on, what’s wrong? Old man’s radio exercises look sharper than what you are doing!!」
A small blue shadow entered the field of vision of Colonel Usanyi-chan, who was also doing push-ups and shouting. As soon as their eyes met, the girl in the shark hoodie waved her hands in the air.
「Colonel Usanyi-chan!」
「Muh? Oh, it’s Private Samecchi. All hands, pause!」
At the same time as she spoke, the other members of the group fell to the floor with a thud.
The little visitor ran up to the drill sergeant.
「Was Samecchi in the way, ssuka?」
「No, it’s fine. We were just getting started.」
Colonel Usanyi-chan herself had just completed 1,000 pushups, but she said it nonchalantly as she rolled her shoulders. However, there was a little sweat seeping through her usual military uniform.
Seeing this, Bearion’s abs team also paused their training.
「Oh Samecchi, wait a minute! Alright, you guys can take a break!」
「I- I was saved, nyanna……! Samecchi, thank you, nyan, I thought my stomach was about to be bugged, nyanna……！」
「It’s painful, wan…… I can’t breath, wan…… Thank you, wan……」
While Bearion wiped his sweat vigorously with a towel, the group swarmed around Samecchi, crawling like zombies. Samecchi gave them a nice smile and a thumbs up.
「Thanks for the hard work, ssu. Samecchi got some sweets from the cafeteria as a gift, ssuyo. Samecchi is a thoughtful woman, ssu.」
「「「Yaaaaaay!」」」
What Samecchi handed the members were large Baumkuchens.
「There are a lot, so eat without worrying, ssuyo.」
「Thank you, nyanna…… Nffu, ngaffu…… The inside of my mouth feels so dry, nyan……」
「It’s hard to eat…… N’effu…… It’s frustrating, wan……」
Despite being deprived of water in their mouths, the group members welcomed Samecchi with smiles.
That’s because the Hundred Beasts Legion is Samecchi’s former home.
They were the ones who took care of Samecchi until she was on her own. To them, Samecchi is like a cute daughter or sister.
「Gahahaha! Ain’t this delicious! We’ll need to increase our training to make up for the food we eat!」
「Ojiki, Actually, Samecchi is here to ask about something, ssu.」
「Aah, What is it? Ask anything you want. Gahahaha!」
Bearion laughed boldly as he said this and brought the third baumkuchen to his mouth.
「What does “feeling” mean, ssukane？」
「Ngah?!」
At the unexpected question, Bearion choked on his baumkuchen. Not only Bearion, but also Colonel Usanyi-chan and the other members of the group around gasped.
That’s no wonder, because the questions they’ve been getting from Samecchi so far had been-
Like 『Why is the sky blue, ssuka?』.
Or 『Why is the earth round, ssuka?』.
Or 『Why can’t I plant bamboo shoots in a newly built garden?』, For better or worse, most of the questions are childlike.
Suddenly, it was “feeling”.
Perhaps this is puberty. If so, it is the duty of adults to take them seriously.
「Okay, listen carefully, Samecchi.」
Bearion looked again into Samecchi’s big eyes. Then, with his rock-like fist, he slammed his own thick, hairy chest.
「”Feeling” basically refers to… the heart! The one with the strongest heart will survive, that’s survival of the fittest!」
The king of beasts bared his fangs with a grin on his face.
However――
「Heart is a bit, Samecchi is troubled, ssu!」
「What do you mean, “troubled”? Did I say something weird?」
「Please be more specific, ssu!!」
「Ngugu…… Even if you say that.」
When pressed by Samecchi, Bearion was at a loss for words. However, when the general was in a pinch, the group members were quick to offer a helping hand.
「Of course, heart represents “love”, nyan yo… cough, cough!！」
「I want love, wan…… I am so sad, wan…… Nfuh, gehoh!」
The cat demon mysterious being Nyanzo and the negative dog mysterious being Negadog. They are veteran members who mainly support the financial side of the legion through shinogi.
The two poured water down their parched throats and grinned with a smug look on their faces.
However――
「Samecchi doesn’t understand, ssu! Love can’t be bought in a shop, ssu!」
「Nyan! What！？」
「Buying…… Love…… Wan……?」
Hearing this, the group members choked on their words.
And everyone’s eyes are moistened at the sight of the girl who had been destined to awaken as a mysterious being at such a young age.
「Sa- samecchi, you……」
Even the usually magnanimous Bearion’s mouth curled up in shock.
It was exactly three years ago that Samecchi awakened as a mysterious being and was picked up by Ark Dominion. At the time, it was far too heavy a cross to bear for someone as young as eight years old.
Separated from her family, a young girl wants their “love” more than anyone else. She even paid money for love.
They thought they understood it well enough, but being confronted with this fact once again brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the Hundred Beasts Legion.
Of course, she is no exception.
「……Private Samecchi…… No, Samecchi……!」
「Hawawa, ssu! Colonel Usanyi-chan!?」
Samecchi’s small body was gently embraced.
A girl in a bunny eared military uniform with tears streaming from the gaps in her eyepatch. Colonel Usanyi-chan, the kicking rabbit mysterious being, was Samecchi’s companion during her time in the Hundred Beasts Legion.
The young girl who had followed her around at every turn was now trying to buy “love” with money. The thought of it made Colonel Usanyi-chan’s heart burst.
Colonel Usanyi-chan squeezed her arms around Samecchi.
「Wh- Wh- Wh- What’s going on all of a sudden, ssuka?」
「……Do you understand, Samecchi? This is “love”. Love is not something you buy in a shop.」
Colonel Usanyi-chan spoke gently, yet forcefully to the bewildered Samecchi.
「Our positions may change, but we will always be part of the Samecchi family. Never forget that.」
「Colonel Usanyi-chan……!」
She hugged her tightly and told her how she felt. It was a clumsy expression of affection that the drill sergeant unexpectedly glimpsed.
「Uoooon! Samecchiiiii!!」
「Samecchi is family, nyan!!」
「Wan……!」
An impressed Bearion and the other members of the corps followed suit. Samecchi were at the center of the united Hundred Beasts Legion.
「Come visit the Hundred Beasts Legion anytime! We will embrace you with all our might at any time!」
「Mugyuuuu…… It hurts, ssu……」
It was about two hours later when Samecchi returned to Rintaro’s room after being released from the Hundred Beasts Legion.
「I’m home, ssu.」
「Welcome back Samecchi. You’re late. So, did you hear about what Minato wanted?」
「Everything is OK, ssu. Sametchi has done his research, ssuyo.」
――Find out what Minato wants――
That is the mission that Rintaro set for Samecchi.
Samecchi grinned smugly and gave a thumbs-up, as if to say, “Mission accomplished”.
「She wants to be embraced, ssu!」
「……Seeriouslyyy?」
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