The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

My father died when I can remember.

My mother, who taught me how to live in the forest and gave me wisdom, died of a disease three years ago.

I was alone.

My mother told me that there used to be many people in this forest besides me, but they are gone now.

There are few survivors because of the natural disaster.

There might be others alive somewhere in the forest, but after I lost my mother who was my only support, I decided to live alone.

I am strong.

My magic is a big fire beast.

Big means strong.

That's why I am the strongest in this forest territory and no one can defeat me.

I can live on my own.

I will always be .......

>

I thought so, but then I met Shea.

A short-eared woman who had stepped into my territory.

I had been trying to intimidate her as a coward, but I was taken aback by the fact that I had never seen a human being other than my father and mother.

<

Shea was a mysterious person.

She taught me things I didn't know and fed me delicious food I had never tasted before.

Shea lived and talked with me for days, and my days changed.

It was the first time I had ever felt that way.

I never thought that exchanging words could be so much fun.

>

Shea sometimes looks distressed.

She never tells me why, and when I ask her, she just smiles as if she is in trouble.

I didn't like to make her look troubled or pained.

>

<

Shea patting my head.

I close my eyes as I snuggle up to her, remembering the time when I was with my mother.

>

Shea is always having nightmares.

She was in agony, shivering and shedding tears as she hugged herself and shivered in the cold.

All I could do was just to be close to her shivering body.

>

<>

Even I, who am not very smart, knew that it was someone else's name.

Someone other than me.

Shea is asking him for help.

I got angry and asked her about this Usato guy at night.

Shea looked at me as if she did not want me to ask her that question.

I didn't want her to look that way.

<<< Is he strong? >>

<

Shea snarls and crosses his arms.

>

>

>

The one with the black hair and white clothes.

That's all I remember.

Shea wants to see me, so I'll let her.

I decided so and went to sleep as usual, snuggling up to her.

---The next morning, she was gone from her bed.

Shea's belongings were gone.

All that was left was a package filled with my favorite foods.

She disappeared without a word, and I was distraught.

I searched for her in the forest for a long time, but could not find her.

Shea, where did you go?

Was it my fault?

Did she disappear because I was a bad girl?

The food that used to taste so good doesn't taste so good anymore.

My fellow demons were looking at me with concern, but that didn't make me feel any better.

But... just then, a human just like Shea stepped into my territory.

"Who are those people?"

The same people as Shea.

And a lot of them came into my territory.

I watch them closely from a distance as they are chased by my monkeys. My mother says that I am a descendant of the Erufu tribe, so I have very good eyesight.

I can see the distant places clearly, so I can see the people who are being chased by the monkeys,

"...... nn."

Most of them have horns and the same skin color as mine.

Some of them are strange, with animal-like ears and tails.

Running at the center of them is ---,

"Black hair ...... white clothes ......!"

That's him.

That's him. That's Usato. ......!

"He looks totally weak......!"

Shea looked weak, too.

But she didn't look as strong as she said she was.

As I was thinking that, he grabbed the arm of the black guy next to him and threw him toward the monkeys.

"What?

The black human was attacked by the monkeys, moving his arms and legs as if he panicked.

I let out a muffled cry at the unbelievable act.

"You used our friends as bait ......?"

A few moments later, something green attached to the black-haired guy bursts open and the monkeys are blown away.

"What the ...... is that ......?"

It was bizarre.

I didn't even want to understand how they could just throw their friends into the herd as if they were sacrifices, and then explode them.

"Friends, and yet ......"

I know that hierarchical relationships are important in a territory, but I also know that companionship is even more important.

I have no family anymore.

But I have friends who I can follow as fellow demons .......

That's why I was afraid of what that dark-haired human did.

"He's dangerous ......!

Shea wasn't asking for help.

She was afraid of him!

Shea is gone because of him!

Maybe he took her somewhere!

"I'm going to get her and find out what happened to her!"

I decided to observe Usato first.

Demons and humans are no different.

The first step in hunting is to observe your prey.

---He's been raining green stuff from the sky!

What's that?

I restrained the stunned girl with my cloak and joined my companions who were engaged with the demons.

The demons themselves had already been repelled, and we should probably continue on our way, but I decided that we should first talk to this mysterious girl---a girl of dark magic with the characteristics of both elves and demons---and set up a temporary encampment. It is now.

You really attract dark wizards, don't you?

"That's just a coincidence. ......"

My head hurts when Koga looks at the sleeping girl and says that.

"Again, I don't attract dark wizards. I've been encouraged by the Demon King, but I've only had a connection with dark wizards as a result.

"Yes, Usato is right. Koga, Usato doesn't attract dark wizards, he just puts himself in a position to be easily involved in the case."

"Amaco. I know you think you're following me, but you're not, are you?"

Depending on how you look at it, that's worse than attracting dark wizards, isn't it?

I don't think Kohga would agree.

He looks at Hannah and Nair, who are nearby, watching the girl closely with interest while his shoulders slump.

"She looks like she's a mixture of elf and demon. She is quite small, but she has the horns that are characteristic of the demon tribe.

"At this age and this size, it seems unlikely that they will grow any larger. It's interesting to see a subhuman who builds his own living environment in the realm of demons. ...... Hmmm..."

I wonder if they'll be okay, though, with their overflowing thirst for knowledge and the awesome eyes they both have?

The girl is about the same age as Amako.

She has silver hair similar to that of Ferrum and Keira, with green hair mixed in like a mesh, and her face looks as tough as her words and actions when she is fighting.

"If I were to give her a name, would it be a demon elf?　Dark Elf?"

"There is a fictional race of dark elves in our world, but what about them?

What?　What? That sounds interesting. Why don't you tell me about it later?

You don't have to say it in such a snappy way: .......

You're as eager for knowledge as ever, Nair.

Anyway, I think I'll call you Dark Elf as a provisional name.

"For now, Usato, you might want to move her out of sight when she wakes up."

"I think that would be better. It would be troublesome to have another situation like the one with Rinka."

It reminds me of the time when Amako's friend Rinka mistook me for the person who kidnapped her and attacked me.

It was hard to explain the situation then, too, and first we had to get Amako and her friends to explain that we were not enemies.

"Let's go find something to eat for now," she said. We also confirmed that there is a river nearby. ...... Koga, lend me your alter ego."

Okay, but what are you going to do?

I'm gonna cast a net.

"...... I see."

"Mr. Koga is coming to terms with his own dark magic ......."

Ms. Hanna is pulling away from Koga, who nods at her with somewhat vacant eyes.

No, it's quite useful.

Koga lends me his dark-magic alter ego, though he says a lot of things.

"May I ask you to come with me, Nagi?"

"What?　Uh-huh.

We need to talk to Ms. Nagi, so let her follow us.

We move with her to a nearby river and start catching fish for food.

"Is this safe?　Usato.

"I'm fine. I'll hold the hands and you hold the feet. ...... Okay, I'll pull it while transforming it.

Nagi and I hold the hands and feet of the dark magic alter ego and stretch it out.

The stretched out alter ego transforms into a mesh-like shape, and is thrown into the river.

"Okay, let's pull it together.

"I may be in touch with the mysteries of dark magic now ......"

Nagi and I hold a cast net transformed from Koga's alter ego, and we round up all the fish in the river.

We let go of more fish than we can eat, but it is more efficient than taking them one by one.

Keira, who had been in a cloak, looks up when she sees a number of fish bouncing around in the net.

"Wow, you caught a lot of fish!

"Keira, can you make the cape into a tub?

"I'll try!

She changes the cloak and turns the edges into a slightly larger tub-like shape.

After scooping up the river water with it, he throws the fish he has caught into it.

"Usato, aren't you too good at dark magic ......?"

"This is not me, it's Keira who's amazing."

"Heh heh."

It was Keira, of all people, who made it possible for me to handle dark magic this well.

I'm only controlling it, so if you're going to praise her, praise her.

"Okay, now we can bring it in fresh. Let's let the others go and go to ......, shall we?"

"Yes."

We walk with Mr. Nagi on the road back to the encampment.

"That girl, I think she was meeting Shea."

I guess so. But where in the world is Shea Garmio headed?

"Do you have any idea what you're talking about, Mr. Nagi?"

"Hmmm. The realm of demons wasn't really a part of his life before he was sealed up. I think you might be attracted to the fragments of the demon king's power, don't you?

After all, that's right. .......

I can't help but think that's the only way. .......

"It may be a dangerous situation.

"We should probably get in touch with them as soon as possible, but the longer we hesitate here, the longer it will take. Maybe we should wait for the girl to wake up first and ask her to guide us through the forest."

"...... I see."

He may indeed be familiar with the terrain around here.

I guess I would have to clear up my misunderstanding first. ...... Why was I suddenly attacked with hostility?

Did the healing diffusion bullet the other day make them hostile to me? ......?

"At any rate, that girl is a valuable source of information. We need to talk to her in a way that doesn't provoke her."

"Right. I'll leave that part to Amaco and ...... Keira."

They are around the same age, so it will be easier for them to let their guard down.

As we walked back to the campsite with this conversation going on, we heard a bang!　and a black flame burst into the air.

"Mr. Nagi!

"You're awake."

You woke up earlier than I expected.

Well, I'm sure Koga is there and he'll be fine, but we'd better hurry.

I'd better hurry up and get there.

When we returned to the camp, the girl who must have been awake and rampaging had been subdued by Koger.

Well, it was a natural result, because although it is a dark magic similar to Koga's, Koga is by far the more powerful and troublesome of the two.

Now he was preparing the fish he had just caught, roasting it on skewers, and interrogating the girl whom he had restrained with a cloak of dark magic.

"...... hmmm."

The girl turns her face away from me.

She must not like me very much.

With a wry smile, I bend down to make eye contact with the girl.

We're here to help Shea.

"Can you believe it? A guy like you."

"...... ummm. You attacked me first."

I don't know how things got this far.

I know that Shea said something about me to this girl, but ...... maybe she didn't like me?

"You're not afraid to use your friends as bait."

"?　I don't remember doing that. ......"

Baiting your friends ......?

Amako, Nea, and Hannah come out of the back of the room as I tilt my head back.

"I think Usato is the type of person who wants to be the decoy rather than the bait."

"He's the kind of monster who can use his healing magic and his extraordinary physical abilities to make his opponents run out of stamina."

"And then they usually join us without incident. I understand."

<>

Is that you guys?

Are you my enemies?

Oh no.

I'm starting to feel like I'm going to break down when Keira comes in after Nair, Amako and Hannah.

The girl looks more confused than I am.

"I was there yesterday!　When the monkeys were chasing us. I used my friends as bait to escape!"

"......"

Perhaps he is referring to the time he used Koga's alter ego as bait.

I guess I was too far away from you and you thought I was baiting your friend.

"Ha-ha-ha, you misunderstood me. Coga, show me your alter ego."

I see. I see.

Coga, who was nearby, creates an alter ego of dark magic.

The girl's face turns pale when she sees it restraining her, but she immediately looks at the alter and a look of surprise appears on her face.

She was used as a decoy yesterday.

"This is my magic. It's the same dark magic you use to create your other self.

"...... like me?　What do you mean?

You don't know dark magic, do you?

It's quite possible that you used it without knowing it, or rather that you were able to handle it better because you didn't know it.

"So, I was just wrong ......."

The misunderstanding is over. ...... right?

Then, the girl stared at the ground and started to drop tears.

Suddenly, the girl's tears make me rush to remove the cloak that was restraining her.

"Um, um, are you okay?"

"...... I'm sorry."

"What?"

"My mother said she'd apologize if I did anything wrong. So I'm sorry."

This kid was just desperate.

...... I owe you an apology, too.

"I'm sorry I scared you, too."

"......,yeah......"

We've only been talking for a short time, but I can tell that this girl is worried about Shea.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been trying so hard to fight me.

"Ugh......Ugh......Gussh......"

But I don't know what to say to a crying child.

I should wait until she calms down.

As I think about this while looking at the sobbing girl with her knees in her hands, I suddenly notice that Hannah has come over to sit next to me.

"Hanna-san?"

Usato-kun and Koga-kun, you shouldn't be intimidated by a child. I'm the older one here, so I'll be the one to be the mature one and soothe this child.

"You're only three or four years older than us. ......!"

Hanna, who had not seen Koger's point.

Well, I knew she liked children from the way she dealt with Keira, Rum and Rose. .......

"We're not mad at you, it's okay."

With a snap, the girl's hand plays with Hannah's, causing her to freeze like a stone.

Déjà vu.

She thought of the older man who had tried to pet Bullyn.

"Children are pure, you know."

"Oh, you know who has a dirty mind."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll leave you to find a suitable stone.

Ms. Hanna leaves her seat, her expression fixed with a smile.

Nea, who has seen her back to me, looks at me with a stunned expression.

"Usato. Hanna went to look for the stone to beat you to death.

"We're harder than a rock."

"...... that's true too."

"I think it's a little different to admit it there, nea ......!!!"

"I think the kannagi are hard too."

"Hey, I'm a girl!"

Well, I know he's joking, so I'll just leave it at that.

Hannah, you are mentally weak .......

"First we have to get to know this girl. ...... Keira, can you help me?"

>

I call out for Keira and she emerges from her cloak.

The girl is visibly upset when Keira suddenly jumps out of the cloak.

"What?　What the hell are you?　Where did you come from?

"Nice to meet you!　I'm Keira!　Tell me your name!

Why do I have to tell you my name?

What do I call you?

Gugu...

Unlike us, the girl was dismayed by the pure eyes of Keira, who was close to her age.

She hesitates for a moment and then speaks awkwardly, her mouth agape.

I am Rune. That's the name my father and mother gave me."