42 Episode 41: Sparrow (1/2)

Forest of guardian.

The demon tribes so-called the forests that humans call Titis.

Sparrows are the last of the survivors of the Kamuna clan protecting the forest of their guard-the last of them.

Originally, Kamuna no Sato was a small village where about 100 demon people lived.

To humans, ”we do not invade and do not invade”, and we did not reach out unless we unnecessarily destroyed the forest.

The options that humans have taken against such a village in Kamna are eliminated. Fifty years ago, Kamuna village was destroyed by a group of samurai coming from the east.

Although the demon fought hard, the power of the samurai was overwhelming and only seven survived.

Old men who were too old to fight and children who were too young to fight.

Two Parents Among these children were sparrows.

After that, the surviving demons resumed their lives in detail, guarded by the barriers, but it was extremely difficult for only the elderly and their children to live deep in the depths of Titis, the nest of monsters.

Some fell ill, others were assaulted by demons, others shared little food with their children and died themselves.

One, and one and the demon tribes, reduce the number.

And by the time the sparrow was born, only his parents had survived.

His parents are no longer there. His father did not go hunting when the sparrow turned three years old, and his mother died of illness when the sparrow turned six years old.

Since then, seven years. The sparrow is protecting the village of Kamuna alone.

While the sun is rising, look for nuts and edible plants in the forest, and when the sun goes down return to the village to clean the roadside and care for the house. This included houses other than their own.

This is what the mother came, and the sparrow took over after her mother died.

Sparrows do not forget the mother's face laughing so lonely in case someone returns someday.

And one more thing sparrows inherited from their mothers. It was the offering of a sacred tree towering north of the village and the dedication of dance.

The Great Snake The ritual of calming down still sleeping here.

In a ritual inherited by Kamuna fosters, sparrows' parents gave priority to their offerings, even though they reduced their eating habits.

Even a sick mother was indispensable, even after she couldn't dance, and she taught a young sparrow how to dance.

Earlier, the sparrow was caught by the King of Flies because of the inadequate amount of offerings and the danger of collecting food away from the barriers.

There the sparrow meets a person and is helped.

――If you think about it, it was the first time I had exchanged words with others since my mother died.

Until then, I was so desperate to live that I never missed anyone.

Demon beasts do not enter the Demon Village due to the barriers, so small animals such as squirrels, rabbits, hedgehogs and small birds frequently visit. When I talked to them, my loneliness was lost.

Beware of humans aiming for horns has been repeatedly taught by their parents. Therefore, I did not intend to leave the forest and visit a human town, even if I made a mistake.

However, since that time, feelings about humans in sparrows have changed slightly.

If you find a demon, you will not be a monster attacking by changing the color of your eyes. Instead, you will be able to talk and laugh.

That's why when he found a lost man in the woods, he shouted away to the brook where he had previously avoided.

It is easy to return to the city of Ishka down the river.

He was a different person than the one who helped me from the King of Flies, but he wanted to be the same person, one of the rewards.

No one can predict that a 13-year-old girl would sell her information to a slaver.

Hunter It is also possible that the location of the village is roughly specified. It can be sent in a row. That also meant that they couldn't get out of the barrier, and that they couldn't do the serpent-sleering ritual--all of which could not have been predicted.

The king of the snake appeared and the sea of rot spread, swallowing a part of the village, the sacred tree withered, and the barrier disappeared.

The sparrow alone has confronted the attacking monster.

Long pupil peculiar to snake species. Does the bright red blood look like delight in front of the prey or hatred that has been sealed for many years?

The sparrow managed to escape from a monster, such as a hill, but was hit by a sharp-tailed blow against a tree trunk, and its body was squeezed by a basilisk, who had quickly stopped.

Kurororo and the demon happily throat.

Listening to it up close, goosebumps stand all over the body. The monster's mouth is wide open, trying to make himself a circle only.

...... Oh, I wonder if I die here.

The sparrow thinks so, trembling with pain and fear. It probably also contained relief.

Even if we survive today even if the barrier was lost due to the sea of rot, tomorrow we will have more difficult lives than ever before.

A thirteen-year-old nymph cannot live alone in Titis.

If so, death here would result in less pain.

You may be able to meet your father and mother.

”Please be happy”

--Mother who died regretting leaving her young daughter. I'm sad that I can't respond to that last word, but it doesn't seem any better.

Mother: ”I'm sorry.”

I mutter with a trembling voice.

The basilisk stretched his long tongue, licking the sparrow's body, laughing at it.

A terrifying feel that crawls the whole body.

But there is no power left to dispel it. There is no energy left to pay off.

Basilisk goes up the trunk of the sacred tree while holding the sparrow. On the ground, other monsters may get in the way. It must have climbed the tree for that.

While doing so, the sparrow's view becomes dark. Sparrow consciousness is swallowed by darkness.

Shortly before everything turned black, the sparrow felt like seeing someone rushing into the square-but that was definitely a concern. The sparrows immediately think so.

No one can come. If it were to come, it would be something of a quick grim reaper.

With that in mind, the sparrow gently let go of her consciousness.

But then.

”Curoa aa aa !?”

The roar of the demon that explodes in close proximity.

Suddenly, the sparrow wrapped around the body of the sparrow.