Medusa of the Demon Beast Forest Part 5

At this rate, I’m going to awaken to the world of shotacons/homosexuals.

I shook my head left and right towards these dangerous, bold feelings that were sprouting.

—These fantasy women hold a beautiful figure, but even so, they keep having these unpleasant qualities to them.

“Hey Onii-chan…? Let’s keep going..”

“I refuse!”

Anastasia was on the verge of tears.

She hadn’t talked to anyone over the last six months.

Even if the other party seemed like a horrible person, she couldn’t help longing for company.

“I’m going to depart from this mansion now.”

“Wha, you’re leaving now?”

“I feel like my mind is going to get jumbled around staying here”

“Ok…but, you don’t intend to chastise me anymore?”

“I’m not in the mood.”

So, Anastasia was filled with relief, and also loneliness.

The danger of being killed seemed to be gone. Hence, she wanted to converse with someone a little more.

Then Anastasia realized something.

“Hey Onii-chan…it’s already…night, you know.”

Indeed, when looking out of the window, the sun was going down to the west.

In this different world, the activity of beasts rise during the night.

In a place like the Demon Beast Forest, camping outside is not favorable—

—Because my HP is 1. (TLN: Yeah, it’s a sudden switch to 1st person. There’s a lot of those.)

“Hey, Onii-chan…please stay overnight.”

With tears like pearls, Anastasia looked upwards.

Large droplets of water ran down her cheek and dropped.

She gulped when facing Yuuki, swallowing some of her saliva.

—Woah…So cute.

“OK… I’ll stay…”

I unconsciously said that out loud.

“I did it!”

Anastasia, who sprouted a pure smile,

“Is there a rooftop in this house?”

“Yes, there is, but…”

“I’ll sleep there then. I’ll head to the roof and leave by dawn.”

“Huh…why…?”

The person she was talking to is a pervert with a huge libido.

It’s hard to imagine what would happen at night being approached. In that situation, being in the same room, not to mention it being night, he wouldn’t be confident in his ability to suppress himself.

“Anyhow, I can’t sleep with you.”

“Please…with me…with me…more …”

‘…talk with me more’ is what she was going to say, but Yuuki interrupted.

“I’ll give you a special gift before I leave…so please don’t tempt me.”

The other party was a child. Promising a gift would easily overjoy and fool them.

“I see…”

Though Anastasia made a pout, it did not overcome her anticipation for a present.

The man in front of me is trying to get away from me.

Since she was somehow able to perceive that, she decided to withdraw in order to not inconvenience Yuuki.

“Well, I’m going to sleep on the roof.”

“Yeah…”

Yuuki went to the entrance and spoke with his back to Anastasia.

“So…that’s what I’m doing…really…you should be cautious”

“…”

—I like cats too.

That much is true.

So, Yuuki doesn’t blame her for her attempts at handling the cats.

In short, the problem is with her methods of doing so.

She keeps them away from the mansion without knowing how to deal with them.

In the end, the density of cats increases, but she denies the pleas of the cats to enter the house.

So, Anastasia just keeps the cats away since she just can’t take care of them, trampling on the feelings of those cats that might adore her.

That’s what he didn’t like the most.

So, Yuuki was really getting irritated.

“Well, since it seems like you haven’t eaten anything perhaps you are actually reflecting.”

According to his words, Anastasia looked thin and sickly…rather than her just being exhausted.

Though it’s apparent that she originally appeared to be a beauty, she currently looks more like a broken beauty.

Speaking in terms Yin and Yang, it is definitely an image that falls into the realms of the darker Yin side.

In response to Yuuki’s tone, Anastasia responded while confused.

“Yeah…”

“Perhaps you’ve given up on everything…blaming it on yourself…but I can say that you are simply lacking in wisdom. There are many paths you can take to deal with this.”

“…paths. How…?”

“‘I don’t want to be involved with in any of this anymore.’ Perhaps that’s your current line of thinking. However, there’s another path to take when thinking about it.”

“Other than keeping everything away…a path?”

“Yep, there are a variety of things you’ve kept your distance from. But, what you really want…is a path to coexistence. With your heart, your mind, and some figuring out…you’ll know what to do with your problem.”

“…Coexistence…?”

“Well then. We might not ever see each other again. Needless to say, if you come to the rooftop, I’ll shove you off.”

With a last word, Yuuki turned the doorknob with his hand.

“I’ve got a present prepared…so you really don’t want to come to the roof at midnight.”

Walking down the corridor, Yuuki was thinking:

I don’t actually have any presents…whatever, since I’ve said it like that he’ll probably restrain himself in hopes of getting a present.

—–

The next morning.

The roof of the Witch’s house was a place that was quite flat.

From the start, it was not expected for anything to have been done on the rooftop. In particular, there was no fence to prevent someone from falling.

The sun rises from the east and its morning glow encompasses everywhere.

It was a windy day. Yuuki’s mantle was fluttering violently.

“Alright…it’s morning…gotta bail for the Lindahl Empire.” (TLN: Each translator before has named it differently. It has also gone by Rindol Empire and Rindaru Empire, but I prefer this one)

And right there, Yuuki felt an intense need to relieve himself.

“I wonder why I have to go so badly in the morning.”

He heads towards the edge of the roof.

He had been thinking about it since yesterday, but it’s very uncomfortable to wear a pair of petrified trunks.

But it was his only garment to wear. He could not throw it away. Otherwise he’d be naked with only a mantle.

When he reached the edge of the roof, the flower bed in the garden spread across Yuuki’s eyes.

“How awful…it has not been taken care of.”

The weeds have roamed freely and the flowers were dead. Yuuki found a stone statue in the midst of it.

“Why is that stone statue in such a place? It stands out a little.”

Oh, it seems he’s shifted his trunks.

He grabs his “important body part” and begins to urinate.

Riding upon the wind, faint splashes spread widely.

There’s a reason why Yuuki didn’t petrify even after looking at Anastasia in the eyes.

To be exact, Yuuki actually was petrifying.

However, at the same time, his somatic cells enacted an abnormal healing process to coincide with the petrification.

It’s a phenomenon that his Nayuta-level HP (vitality) brought about. (TLN: Nayuta refers to an extremely large number, 10⁶⁰, that represents Yuuki’s HP/MP/Strength).

And the urine that comes from a body with such a Nayuta-level vitality is a source of life-force, holding a special power.

Furthermore, with Anastasia’s meek and honest way of thinking, she desired to cure the boy’s petrification and see him once more.

A phenomenon like petrification doesn’t necessarily leave the mentality of the caster unaffected.

Usually, it’s said that only a power greatly exceeding that of the petrification can undo the curse.

The water of life rides the wind and flies throughout, as does Anastasia’s dear wishes.

The two intermingle and cause what can be called either a magical or scientific change.

A miracle has occurred.

 

 

 

The wild birds are awfully noisy this morning.

Waking up, Anastasia walks to the terrace and looks at the flowers outside.

She was at a loss for words.

The withered flowers were breathing back to life.

Cherry trees, hydrangeas, sunflowers, marguerites, anemones.

The number of colors couldn’t be counted. They numbered in dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of palettes.

They ignored the seasons completely, and flowers that shouldn’t even bloom during the same period were all coexisting together and making a beautiful scenery.

And then, there was a rainbow.

The morning sun was beaming through sprays of liquid and formed a rainbow bridge across the sky.

It was a beautiful sight that seemed out of this world, but that’s not was Anastasia was focusing her attention on.

She collapsed on the spot and shed tears.

With her tears overflowing, she was shedding a full smile.

Gazing through the blurriness of her tears, the boy’s flesh that should have been gray returned to a normal skin color.

For six months, he was standing upright- he now had lost consciousness- he then lay sideways onto the ground.

The petrification was clearing.

—Why, why…?

At that moment, Anastasia remembered the words of Yuuki:

‘I’ve got a present prepared’

Well, it certainly was one.

She then remembered an old legend passed down in her neighborhood.

It was passed down by word that there would eventually come of those short-lived humans who would then leave profound changes behind; the original sentence has been distorted but it went something like that.

 

 

That person, wearing what must be the clothes of a supreme leader, had descended into the Demon Beast Forest.

The sacred golden water spread across the earth and rekindled the lost bonds of a boy and a girl.

Building a bridge of rainbows connecting human and demon, the young medusa has finally reached a path to remedy her closed heart.

 

 

In reality that guy just keeps misinterpreting everybody.

However, his power is beyond imagination.

His power was much higher compared to the Demon Lord. Since the petrification didn’t affect him, he was able to pull of such a phenomenal stunt.

 

 

She remembered the phrases that spurred yesterday:

‘Was there more you could do? Why did you choose to pull away without doing what you should have done?’

‘There are various things you’ve kept your distance from. But, what you really want…is a path to coexistence. With your heart, your mind, and some figuring out…you’ll know what to do with your problem.’

 

Well, that’s how it went.

That person…from the beginning…intended to give me…who lost everything…a chance to start again.

That’s why he was so angry, so that I wouldn’t fail next time.

In addition to that, he said,

‘I’ll leave this house by morning’

Anastasia rushed to the front door with the echoes of her bare feet on the marble corridor.

She didn’t know if he was that hero of the legend.

It did not matter…who that hero was.

But…Anastasia was thinking:

—I absolutely can’t let you leave without saying thank you.

Her mind starts accelerating as she runs through the hall.

When approaching the gate of the residence, the rear of his black mantle was visible.

Looking at it, Yuuki seems to be squatting down to play with the cats.

“It’s you…”

“O, O, Onii-chan!”

“Um…what are you going to do about these guys?”

At Yuuki’s words, the cats rushed to Anastasia, rubbing their heads on her thighs.

“I’ll…let them live with me…at the mansion.”

“Yeah, that’s good. It seems…at heart you’re a gentle person, aren’t you.”

Right…Yuuki nodded deeply.

He had a content smile as if he had accomplished all he needed to.

“Alright then.”

When he tried to step forward, Anastasia exclaimed.

“Wait…wait!”

*heart thump* *heart thump*

Her chest was beating fast.

Somehow, her mind was being influenced by forces that she didn’t understand.

The reason for that is the influence of the harem attribute.

Anastasia’s heart thumping did not stop.

“Thank you…thank you so much, Onii-chan”

“No, you don’t have to express your gratitude that much…”

Her mind was filled with cherry blossoms.

She was feeling a bit warm and embarrassed, her mind was a bit dizzy.

In her head, the image of the blind boy floated- her heart then ached.

However, the beating of her chest by this strange phenomenon didn’t stop.

Then…Anastasia, who had her cheeks dyed red, spoke.

“I am…Onii-chan’s…”

Abruptly, Yuuki held out his palm in front of Anastasia’s eyes.

“Don’t say anymore, I’m stopping you…at those words.”

Anastasia thought:

When thinking about it, it seems he knew everything from the beginning.

And, it’s likely that he planned his visit here.

He knew everything, as if he was the hero of the legend.

Perhaps, what’s whirling in this chest is some slight affection.

“Am I…a nuisance?”

“That’s not the problem. I can say with confidence that’s not it.”

Yuuki was thinking:

If only she were actually…a woman.

That was really dangerous. If she said any more, Yuuki really would awaken to something.

“Well…that’s that.”

He, after becoming aware of these urges, said to himself ‘Don’t succumb to such things.’

Anastasia thought that after knowing the ordeal between her and the stone statue, perhaps he was gently reprimanding her by saying ”Don’t succumb to such things.’

There, Anastasia got herself together- she felt that the haziness was dispersing.

The harem attribute- she had overcome it.

“Something was wrong…with me…I’ve corrected it…that definitely wasn’t something we should do, wasn’t it.”

“Yeah, it seems in the end you’re a good child. That makes me glad.”

“Afterwards…Onii-chan? I have lots of important thing to do, but…”

But still…she continued.

“I like you in a different way…I admire Onii-chan as…a hero…Onii-chan has become special to me.”

“…?”

“Because…of that…I’d be happy if you took this…and think of me…”

She took off her mask and gave it to Yuuki.

This mask represented what was once her strong will to reject everything around her.

She had received Yuuki’s spiel:

‘There are various things you’ve kept your distance from. But, what you really want…is a path to coexistence. With your heart, your mind, and some figuring out…you’ll know what to do with your problem.’

Those were his words.

From now on, she walked the path for goodwill between humans and demons.

That’s what Yuuki taught her to do, and what she originally wanted to do- she felt that the two races should have a strong bond between each other.

“Onii-chan? I want you to take this mask. Onii-chan was the one that removed it…so he should be the one to have it.”

“Ah, I’ll accept it.”

…why the mask? Not the slightest idea.

Well…for equipment…it’s better than nothing. Yuuki decided to keep it.

“Hey, Onii-chan? Can you finally…tell me your name?”

With a cheerful smile he said,

“I’m just a stray metal (slime) that’s passing by.” (TLN: In case you didn’t know, he keeps comparing to himself to a metal slime, a mob from Dragon Quest with high agility and defense but low HP and attack).

Saying so, he puts on the mask.

And so, he leaves while waving his hand from behind.

“Thank you. Thank you so much- bye bye…Onii-chan.”

Anastasia waved her hand, focusing the whole time on the back of Yuuki.

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Author’s Notes

Next is the Medusa arc epilogue.

It’ll depict a little bit about Anastasia and the blind boy.

There should be a beautiful end, especially since he didn’t appear here.

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