“What will happen…?”
The Imperial soldiers shuddered at the strange atmosphere. Pink Mask said:
"When you shower at night, I'll be behind you. When you wake up from your sleep, I'll be on your stomach. At the end of an empty corridor, under a table, between the cracks in the curtains, in the corner of the mirror, even in your dreams... you will see the mask."
The pink mask spoke eerie words in a tone devoid of cadence. The Imperial soldiers swallowed their saliva and thought, "How terrifying..." It truly was like something out of a horror movie.
As if they had achieved their goal, the masks leaped from the rooftop into the alley. When the imperial soldiers hurried over, they had disappeared like a dream.
Later, "The horror of the pink mask - always watching you -" became a ghost story and circulated among the imperial soldiers, but this is another story.
The person under the pink mask was shocked and wondered why it was only me... This is another story.
Afterwards, the Hauriya tribe suddenly disappeared from the Imperial City, and a group of masked people, rumored to be the Demons' secret weapon, caused unrest. Needless to say, the Imperial City was in chaos from top to bottom until morning.
Hajime, Yue, and Shia accompanied Kam through the space gate and moved to the rocky area, where they were immediately warmly welcomed by the Hauriya people.
The Haolia people also patted each other on the shoulders, hit each other in the chest, threw cross punches, and cursed at each other, celebrating that everyone was safe.
"Wow, that's great! This may be a strange way to celebrate, but I'm glad everyone's alright. Mr. Hajime, Ms. Yue, thank you so much."
Xia cried and thanked him.
She had previously said that she wanted to see her family safe and sound, and now her wish has indeed come true.
"...Well, I'm glad I made it in time."
Yue stood on tiptoe and stroked Xia's head. Xia burst into tears and hugged Yue like a younger sister hugging her older sister.
"Although many things were unexpected, it's great that we were able to rescue them. The empire didn't have to disappear from the map."
Despite saying terrible words, Hajime still stroked Shia's rabbit ears with gentle movements.
At this moment, the sound of breaking wind was heard.
Hajime naturally raised his hand and grasped the familiar sheathed knife with the same technique as one would use to snatch a blade with one hand.
"...What are you doing, Yaegashi?"
The attacker who attacked Hajime with a black knife, sheath and all, was none other than Yaegashi Shizuku.
Even though Hajime only grasped it with one hand, no matter how hard Shizuku tried, the black sword remained motionless. Shizuku smacked her lips and continued to exert force.
“…I was just being a spoiled brat to Nanyun-san to vent my stress. No problem, I’m sure you’ll be tolerant of me with a heart deeper than the Mariana Trench… Just let me give you a good beating!”
"...Do you hate pink that much? I thought it would suit you so well, so I prepared it for you."
"Stop lying! I know exactly what you're up to! You're definitely playing a prank on me! Even though I was forced to do it by the circumstances, I foolishly agreed! In a sense, it's all your fault! But I can't bear the thought of giving you a beating! If you're a man, just take it!"
"How could this happen? This is too rude..."
It seems the damage done by the pink mask is deeper than imagined.
Indeed, Shizuku would have been fine if she had just refused. It was Shizuku's own fault that she was deceived by the atmosphere and the excellent functions of the mask itself.
Even though she knew it was her own fault, Hajime's words and actions clearly showed a mischievous nature, and the Imperial soldiers' words were quite powerful, so Shizuku couldn't help but vent her anger on them.
However, the difference in strength between Hajime and Shizuku was obvious. In fact, only the scabbard made a creaking sound, while the black sword remained motionless.
Shizuku had no other choice but to unleash one of the black sword's abilities. If it were Hajime, even if it hurt, he would definitely be able to take it. In a sense, this also represented Shizuku's trust in Hajime.
“Damn it! Move—Leika!”
"Oh? Oh~"
Hajime grabbed the black knife that was constantly discharging electricity, but he didn't feel any pain, and even showed an expression of admiration. Shizuku couldn't help but complain:
"Hey, Nagumo-san, I clearly released electricity, so why are you okay?"
"No, you ask me why. You've seen me fire the railgun many times, haven't you? I can control lightning with my own body. How could an electric shock of this magnitude possibly have any effect on me? Compared to this, you're lucky you can activate this function."
"Damn it, there's nothing I can do... I'll let you go this time. But one day, I'm going to smash that nonchalant face of yours. Also, the black blade's function is thanks to the efforts of the Kingdom's Alchemists."
Hajime's answer was indeed reasonable, and Shizuku reluctantly stopped.
Behind her, Guanghui and others were stunned, seemingly surprised by Shizuku's unexpected action.
There was confusion in Kaori's eyes, and Yue looked at Shizuku coldly.
"Shizuku-chan actually takes her anger out on others... This is the first time I've seen that."
"...You could say I'm just being spoiled."
The two of them discussed quietly, while Tio nodded frequently for some reason.
"Boss, can I excuse you for a moment?"
Cam and the others seemed to have finally finished celebrating and walked towards Hajime.
From Kam's serious expression, Hajime could tell he wasn't just there to greet him for the sake of reunion. Hajime used the chairs prepared by Renkai to form a circle, sat on one of them, and gave him a look that showed he agreed with what he was saying.
"First, let me explain what happened. To put it simply, we went a little too far..."
What Cam said next is briefly summarized as follows:
Kam and his men killed quite a number of the Imperial rearguard troops in the sea of trees.
Based on the number of soldiers who were unable to reunite with the main force and the testimonies of the survivors, the Empire learned that there was an unknown group in [Feyabergen] that was very different from ordinary warriors, so they were particularly vigilant.
Perhaps due to the attack by the demons and the severe damage to the imperial capital, the empire was extremely wary and abandoned the common sense that "demihumans would not leave the sea of trees", realizing that the demihumans might come to recapture the prisoners.
The reason why Kam made such a judgment was that when they arrived at the imperial capital, the many captured demihumans were not immediately forced into labor, but were all gathered in one place.
By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late.
Cam was discovered by the tightly-laid surveillance network and had to retreat temporarily.
The imperial soldiers were probably also quite surprised.
The unknown group that had fallen into the trap turned out to be a kind and gentle tribe of pet slaves, rabbit-men, who had no interest in fighting. Furthermore, despite not being in the forest, they relied on teamwork to hold their own against the surrounding Imperial soldiers. Their extraordinary strength naturally piqued the interest of the Imperial high command.
The result is——
"We were captured alive and tortured for days. They were primarily interested in understanding the reasons behind the Hauriya tribe's transformation, the origins of their equipment, and Fjarbergen's intentions. They seemed to mistake us for Fjarbergen's secret weapon... They probably never imagined that not only did we nearly face the execution of our entire tribe, but we were also expelled from Fjarbergen."
Kam repeatedly told the interrogator that the Hauriya tribe and the [Feyaberugin] were actually enemies. However, the interrogator seemed to believe that they were mentally prepared to sever ties with the nation for the sake of their country, and their interest in them grew even stronger.
Especially Gaharud, who came to watch the torture several times. He showed a smug smile, with excitement shining in his eyes, like a child who found a new toy.
"And what then? You're not saying this to excuse your capture, are you? Let's get to the point."
"Excuse me, Boss. Let's get to the point. We, the Hauliya tribe, along with the new members who have joined our family, the New Hauliya tribe, will declare war on the Empire."
Cam declared with a sharp look in his eyes, causing time to stop.
The reason for this illusion was that, with the exception of Hajime, Kamu, and the rest of the Horiyah tribe, everyone had stopped moving, their bodies frozen. It was unclear whether their thoughts were lagging behind the situation, or if they were so stunned that their thoughts had ceased to function.
The surroundings were silent, with only the chirping of insects echoing in the rocky area at night.
The first to break the silence was Shia.
"What are you talking about, Father? Did I hear wrongly? I just heard that my family is going to war with the Empire..."
"Shia, you heard me right. I did say the Hauriya tribe was going to war with the Empire."
Xia's voice was trembling and she tried hard to remain calm, but when she heard Kam's firm words, her face immediately changed.
"S-Stop talking nonsense! What are you thinking! Father and the others have certainly grown stronger, but there are only a hundred of you? You're thinking of going to war with the Empire with such a small number of people? Are you crazy? Has the hatred of having your own people abducted made you lose your common sense!?"
"Shia, no, we are mentally sound. Listen to me—"
"I won't listen! If this isn't revenge, then it's just vanity. In that case, take up your weapons now! Before we face the Empire, let me be your opponent and dampen your arrogance!"
Shia excitedly pulled the Drukken from her treasure chest, spun it in the air, whipping up a fierce gust of wind, and then brought it directly before Cam's eyes. Shia's expression was filled with pure anger at Cam and his men's reckless decision to commit suicide.
A faint blue-white magical energy swept across the surroundings, releasing pressure that even carried a physical force. The oppressive feeling that Shia emanated was so astonishing that even the otherworldly cheats like Kouki pale in comparison.
In reality, Shia always had a smile on her face, and even when angry, she seemed to be joking. But now, she exuded an unimaginable rage and oppression, shocking Kouki and the others to the point of being paralyzed.
Even though Shia's oppressiveness was so strong that even the heroes were frightened, Kam himself was not afraid when Shia held him with her hammer, and just looked at his daughter with calm eyes.
The two glared at each other, and just as everyone was watching with bated breath, it was Hajime who made a move.
I don't know when Hajime got behind Xia, grabbed her furry round tail, and stroked it with wonderful strength.
“Aaaaaa!? Hajime-san, what are you doing all of a sudden!? Ahhh, no, not there~! Hajime-san, stop~”
The rabbit's tail was being stroked with exquisite strength, and Xia's whole body suddenly became sore. She lay on the ground, panting, and glared at Hajime with resentment. Xia's eyes seemed to say that although she was happy to be touched, she hoped he would consider the time and place.
Hajime smiled wryly and this time he touched Shia's rabbit ears, his movements were not as lascivious as before, but gentle and soothing.
Xia glared at Hajime in hatred for sexually harassing her during a serious conversation, but quickly closed her eyes in comfort.
"How's it going? Are you feeling a little calmer? Cam hasn't finished what he's saying yet. If you want to beat him up, it's not too late to wait until he finishes, right?"
"Wow... That's true... I'm sorry, I was a little angry. It's okay now. Father, I'm sorry."
Xia lowered her rabbit ears to show her reflection.
Cam narrowed his eyes softly and shook his head.
"What's wrong with worrying about your family? There's no need to apologize. I should have been more careful with my words... I've been forgetting to consider other people's feelings lately. Should I say I'm scolding faster than I'm talking... But anyway, hehehe."
"What, what's wrong? Father, what's with that laughter..."
"No, I just thought it's wonderful to see you happy... After not seeing you for a while, the distance between you and the boss seems to have shortened quite a bit. The way the boss looks at you is quite different from when we left the forest. Could it be that I'll be holding my grandchildren soon?"
"What? Grandson? What are you talking about, father? How, how could it be like that? I still..."
Being teased by Cam, Shia blushed and kept looking at Hajime.
Looking closely, all the members of the Haolia tribe had smiles on their faces.
Their personalities have become quite interesting... Hajime thought to himself, and ignored Shia's gaze and asked:
"Kamu, you're telling me all this, aren't you just inviting me to join the battle?"
"Haha, how could that be? It's just that the reason we were able to make this decision is all thanks to the boss's training. I just wanted to show him our determination."
Cam laughed and denied Hajime's speculation. It seemed they truly intended to fight on their own. Hajime understood the determination in their eyes, and knew they weren't driven mad by revenge, nor were they complacent with their power.
But in this case, this decision can only be described as brave but foolhardy, and the reasons that prompted them to do so are also curious.
"What's the reason?"
"That's surprising. Boss, do you want to listen? I thought you wouldn't be interested..."
"Since your decision was made thanks to my training, then your reckless actions are also partly due to me, right? If that were all, it wouldn't matter, but..."
Hajime glanced to the side as he spoke. There was Shia, with her bunny ears drooping, worried about her family's future.
Just from that, Cam understood everything and explained the reason with a happy smile:
"As I said earlier, the Emperor has aroused his intense interest in us, the Bunnymen. The people of the Empire are all greedy individuals who believe in the supremacy of strength, and the Emperor is no exception. The idea that the weak should naturally obey the strong is deeply ingrained in their minds."
"In short, you're saying the Emperor will start hunting the Bunnymen? Not to kill them, but to collect them for his own use?"
"Yes, when I was being tortured, the emperor himself came and said he wanted to 'feed' me. Of course, I immediately spat on him..."
Hearing Kam spit in the emperor's face, the Hauriya people cheered happily, "As expected of the chief!" Guanghui and others exclaimed in astonishment, "Spitting on that King Gaharud!?"
This is no wonder. Kam is probably the first person in history who dares to spit in the face of His Majesty the Emperor, even including other races besides demihumans.
Even Hajime couldn't help but admire it.
"My actions have only endeared me to the Emperor. He's got a greedy look on his face, and he's saying with a smile that it would be fun to capture all the Bunnymen and train them. I can bet he's serious. He'll probably raid the Sea of Trees again and capture even more Bunnymen."
Of course, this time it is not for use as a pet, but for combat.
Cam's expression was solemn and he sighed deeply.
"Besides, Feyalbergen hasn't fully rebuilt yet and won't be able to survive the next attack. If the Empire offers to spare Feyalbergen in exchange for the Bunnymen..."
"I see. If we're left on the defensive, we won't be able to rescue anyone, and all of our kind will be taken away."
"Yes, if it were just the Hauriya tribe surviving alone, it wouldn't be difficult. However... we can't bear to see the future of other rabbit people being taken away because of us."
It seems that Cam and the others' situation is more urgent than imagined.
As he said, if it were just the Hauriya tribe, it wouldn't be difficult for them to survive by using the forest to escape or focusing on guerrilla warfare.
In contrast, the rest of the Bunnymen would be condemned to hell. If they failed to live up to the Emperor's expectations and become "strong Bunnymen," their women and children would likely be sold as pet slaves, while the rest would be killed.
"But you don't really think that a hundred or so people can fight against the Empire, do you?"
"Of course not. We can't possibly engage in a head-on confrontation on the plains. We're the Bunnymen, and when it comes to aura control, we're no match for any other race."
After saying this, Cam showed a smug smile, and Hajime also realized his intention.
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