Brain bloom

After being scolded, Fernanda angrily ran away.

……

"Did you touch my balls, Mori?"

“No, I don’t have the courage to touch it. That’s not the best choice… My strength is too great. Even a little force could crack our most precious eggshell, and then… that’s it. We will all be buried sooner or later, turned into dust, and then no one will remember us. The only thing we can do is leave behind offspring… So, I will not destroy my offspring.”

The wondrous magical campfire cast a fiery red glow. It shone on the face of the melancholy man, painting his handsome, godlike features with a poignant, sunset-like hue.

"Sigh... No wonder I don't dare to touch my child."

Shise looked at her hands, realizing that her way of thinking had already been influenced. She turned around and took in the decadent figure wrapped in the flamboyant cloak. A feeling of warmth and affection naturally welled up in her heart; the feeling of having someone by your side was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Sen was grilling meat, adding only a few grains of salt each time, and carefully collecting every drop of oil that came out during grilling.

This guy is always worried that if the world were hit by a meteorite one day, we might have to start surviving in ruins and wilderness, so we should cherish even the smallest resources.

However, even after studying it for a long time, Toshiro and Mori still couldn't figure out why he was always worried about meteorites falling from the sky. Besides, even the largest meteorite is just a high-level spell from mages; what kind of threat is that?

"Speaking of which... Ten Colors, do you really exist? If one day, my world suddenly loses power and goes completely dark, you will leave me too..."

"Hey, hey, here we go again." Shise, looking impatient, picked up a pebble and hurled it at him along with her reply. "No matter what, I'll stick with you!"

"I don't believe any promises; words... are powerless."

"Pah." Shise looked disgusted, but then she thought about it and said a few more words, "Once my child is born, I will spend every day with my child and I won't cling to you anymore."

“…Then, I will be lonely.” He sighed heavily, and before he knew it, even the roasted meat had turned into charcoal. “But the only certainty we have in this world is that we will all eventually come to an end and a conclusion… Ah, although it’s annoying, we must know that this is life.”

It seemed this idiot was about to start his pointless whining again. Amused and exasperated, Shise simply covered her ears and focused intently on her child's egg. However—something was amiss.

There is a crack.

Upon seeing it, Shiro's heart suddenly stopped, as if all the magic in her body was about to dry up from grief. Then, this emotion, which had been suppressed to the extreme, turned into a rage that shook the entire world and even blew away Mori's pessimism.

"Why...it has a crack?! Why!!!" Ten Colors was furious.

The egg, which should have been perfect, and the child she had longed for—were they all going to disappear? Was this happiness beyond saving?! But then, a large and gentle hand gently landed on her shoulder, wiping away all her grief and anger.

"Children want to see your smile more than anything else."

"child?"

"It hatched from its shell."

As Sen spoke, the violet eggshell cracked open with even larger fissures. Only then did Toshiro realize that it was all a false alarm; the cracks couldn't shatter her happiness, because what lay within was true, sweet happiness.

Soon, more cracks appeared on the eggshell, fragments fell off one after another, and then the colors faded. Those colors were concentrated spiritual energy, which was sent back to the child inside the egg, composing a verse of innate strength inherited from its bloodline.

The two of them, extremely nervous, finally saw what was inside.

A tiny little girl with a bewildered expression, fearful of the light outside her shell. She has a pair of gentle, pointed horns on her head, beautiful wings that cover her body, and long violet hair and pupils.

"Daughter!" Shi Se almost flew up and circled ten times with joy.

"Oh, it's a female demon!" The always melancholy Mori revealed a silly, happy smile to his daughter who feared everything.

"Wow... what's going on?!"

"What...should we do?"

"What should we feed her?!"

"Quickly, keep her warm... No, no, I can't use regular clothes, those will harbor viruses and bacteria that babies can't fight off. Damn it, this isn't a sterile room, where are the doctors and nurses? Ahhhh, what am I going to do..."

"We...haven't decided on a name for her yet...Oh my god."

They were extremely panicked, especially Mori, who, as always, was muttering incoherently in words that Toshiro couldn't quite understand.

But amidst the chaotic sounds, a sob from the daughter brought silence to everything.

It seemed to express fear and unease, yet it also conveyed a deep sense of warmth. Clearly, she was simply worried about whether these parents would accept her, whether they would be willing to acknowledge her as their child, which was why she tried to greet them.

"This...this is!"

"The customs of the dragons!"

"Yes, a baby will name itself with its first cry after hatching!"

"It sounds like... Melia?"

"Yes, it must be telling the world that her name is Melia!"

Those small, violet eyes were still peering curiously from behind her wings. She didn't understand why she hadn't been hugged. These two people clearly looked like her parents... so why wouldn't they hug her? Melia's instincts were kicking in with questions.

"We need to feed her something and then wash her body."

"Viruses, bacteria..."

"Go prepare a barbecue! I'm a banshee too, and I think your grilling is delicious. Little Melia is a banshee too, so she'll definitely have the same taste as me!"

"Yes, high-temperature sterilization!"

"I'm going to the Demon Realm right now to capture a Balrog leader and make a lava pool! Bathing in that would be so relaxing!"

"Okay, let's split up."

Looking at her foolish parents, Melia simply hatched from her egg and hopped around on the barren ground in the yard with her bare feet. Although she kept falling, her wings helped her get up. She was hungry... her instincts called for food.

The eggshell is only used to supply magic power; something else is needed...

Ok?

There was a piece of charred meat in front of her? Black was a bit scary, but it should be pretty good, at least it smelled somewhat appetizing. So, while Mori was focused on grilling the meat and muttering to himself, "I actually have a daughter," little Melia happily ate her first meal.

It's just a bit hard to eat.

……

One day, Melia was suddenly picked up by her father and hung around his neck. This made Melia very happy, because it usually meant that they were going out. Although home was very comfortable, the scenery outside was also worth seeing.

It was like embarking on a picnic; the family entered a strange place through a door opened by the mother.

This place is home to many strange people, monsters, and species that Melia has never seen before. Every step they take, they are stared at like spectators of rare animals, but in turn, Shise points at them and introduces what they are without any hesitation.

Each race and each custom was introduced in a lighthearted and pleasant way and stored in Melia's mind.

Some so-called devilish nobles were displeased by this and wanted to cause trouble, but whenever this happened, Sen would exude a powerful aura that would intimidate everyone.

This made Melia blush and her heart race with joy.

"mom!"

"Hmm? What else do you want to know?"

"Is there anyone in the world... in the world who can beat my dad?"

"Haha, no."

"Sure enough."

Four-year-old Melia was riding on Sen's shoulders, her strong little hands constantly grabbing at her father's graying head. There were some shallow scars on it, and every time Melia touched them, she felt heartache and self-reproach; those were scratches she had made when she was still too young to understand.

Through Fernanda's introduction, his family received an invitation from the ancient Demon King, which seemed to involve some important commission.

The strange atmosphere of the Demon Realm felt quite familiar to Melia, perhaps because she had eaten too much charcoal-roasted food as a child, and her mouth watered a little.

Mori also began to express his opinions on topics that the children liked.

“Your mother is lying to you,” Sen said in a sorrowful tone. “This world is vast, and there are many strong people who can be my enemies… Remember, Melia, never be overconfident in your strength, and never forget to strive for progress.”

"Is Dad going to talk about meteorites and power outages again?"

"Well, it seems you've heard a lot of this already. Okay, let's talk about something different today."

"Ok?"

Sen adopted a rare serious tone and spoke gently to his daughter and the smiling Shise beside him.

"In this world, there is a powerful being hidden in the ancient abode of the gods, surrounded by desolation. Her title is 'The Thornless Flower,' and she possesses many rare treasures. Don't be fooled by her gentle demeanor; she is terrifying when she fights... Do you know how desolate the Rose Garden is?"

"Ahem!" The succubus next to her blushed slightly.

“The strongest…wait, are you talking about Mom?” Melia’s eyes widened, her gaze shifting back and forth between her father and mother. “Didn’t Mom lose to Dad? I know Mom is strong…but…I heard she was beaten up by Dad many times before she offered herself to him.”

"...Yes, but he was always very gentle."

"...Uh, I feel like I've forgotten a lot of things, but that seems to be the case."

"My memory is as unreliable as ever, but that's alright," Mori said with a rare smile.

"In short—to me, the strongest person in the world is my wife, your mother, 'Ten Colors, the Thornless Flower.' Do you know why? Because, you know, I could never harm her in the slightest."

Shise smiled broadly and said in the same cheerful tone, "He's right. Not only that, but even in the whole world, no one can hurt me. Because... your father is protecting me."

"Although I don't understand it very well, I think you two are... a little... shy."

"What's so embarrassing about this? It's just saying a few sweet words." Shi Se gently flicked her daughter's cheek. "When you grow up, you'll know what... Ah, I didn't say anything."

"Hmm, that's too early."

As the family chatted casually, they leisurely entered what the ancient Demon King called his palace… or rather, his lair. Everyone had heard of the ancient Demon King's name, and perhaps many had even ventured here to beg him for help.

But almost none of them were specifically invited by the ancient Demon King.

At that moment, the majestic owl sat regally on its throne, a beautiful little crown atop its head. Strangely, some of its feathers were missing, but no one dared to ask why. A solemn atmosphere suppressed the family's laughter and chatter.

"Welcome to my world, all three of you," the Ancient Demon King announced loudly, thankfully with a polite tone.

"What do you want from us?" Shise asked on behalf of her husband.

The ancient demon king wanted to immediately offer a deal, but then he saw the little girl sitting on her father's shoulders, which seemed out of place, and a hint of pain flashed in his eyes.

It sighed, "The following topic is not suitable for your daughter to hear."

“…Alright then.” Mori gently put Melia down.

He felt a slight liking for the ancient demon king, because this guy was also full of negative emotions.

Just then, he suddenly saw a little girl hiding behind a wall nearby, about the same size as Melia. She must be a gentle and kind little girl, but she was shrouded in a dreamlike fragility that made one feel inexplicably sad.

She held a handful of feathers in her hand, her dark, crystal-like eyes fixed curiously on Melia.

Before her parents could say anything, Melia left the adults' meeting room and ran off to befriend the girl who was about her age. From the first moment they met, she knew one thing: she would become good friends with her.

"So, a curse?"

“That’s right. I heard that you two, this reclusive couple, are actually the strongest people in the world… Perhaps you can be of help? Heh, how strange, Mori… right? Your soul is very interesting, the most interesting soul I’ve ever seen.”