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“—That sure startled me.”

Fire Resistance 10, Magic Resistance 10.
For someone like me who possesses both of these, fire magic is practically meaningless, even if it’s a surprise attack. I felt an unpleasant heat, like a midsummer breeze, and that was all—it just passed through me.
It must have been a spell of considerable power to make me—someone who’s maxed out both resistances—feel the heat… What were they trying to do?

“Are you all right, Argento?!”
“Behaki, please step back a little.”
“A-alright… Are you really okay?”
“We both know each other’s abilities, don’t we?”
“…Understood.”

Behaki turned and moved away.
Thanks to our blood contract, we can vaguely sense each other’s abilities. If Behaki were hit head-on by that flame, he’d be a steak in the blink of an eye.

…Ah, he’s gotten a lot faster.

The acceleration is on a whole different level compared to when we played tag. His fluffy mane, which looks like bedhead, quickly recedes from view.
At that speed, I might not be able to catch up unless I run seriously. If he challenges me to a race again, I’ll have to decline.

“Geez…now my clothes are all burnt.”

The one and only outfit I got from Zeno has turned into a neat pile of ashes.
The items I received in the forest didn’t include any clothes. They did have some clothes, but since there weren’t any for a kid like me, I didn’t bring them.
It makes sense, really. Poachers don’t usually come with kids, so the gears they carry are just the essentials for their own lives. They might have a stove or a pot, but there’s no way they’d have kids’ clothes.

“That’s great, I’m naked again… Come on, come out.”

I guess I’ll just have to wrap myself in a blanket to cover up. But I’ll put that thought off for now.
In the direction I called out, a massive cloud of ash blew up a few meters away from me. The gust of wind brushing against my cheek felt like needles pricking my skin.
And at the center of the wind stood a girl.

First, what caught my eye were her ears.
Animal-like ears with golden fur, pointing straight up. The tips were tinged with brown, reminiscent of a fox.
Her long, fluffy hair, which looked somewhat tousled, was also that same golden-brown fox color.
Her slightly slanted yellow eyes had vertical pupils, making her resemble a cat. However, since foxes—despite being canids—are known to have cat-like eyes, I suppose “fox” is the correct term after all.
Since we were facing each other, I couldn’t see her backside, but I could still make out two fluffy, fox-like tails extending from her.

“…A fox girl?”

In a word, she’s a fox-like beastfolk with a forked tail. A human-like creature with animal ears and tail.
Looking at her features, other than the foxy ones, her apparent age seems about the same as mine right now. Rather than a young woman, “little girl” might be a better fit.

And around her neck is a metal collar.
Although there is no chain attached to the collar, it is extremely bulky and large for her small frame. It is clearly a restraint, not something that can be dismissed as mere jewelry.
She is wearing a kimono, but it is tattered in places, with large tears around her arms.
The hem of the kimono is short, exposing her thin, healthy childish legs up to her thighs.
Her appearance gives the impression of a slave. And it didn’t look like she was being treated well.

She had probably sensed us approaching and was hiding in the ashes.
Although her clothes were tattered, the soot had been mostly blown away by wind magic, and her skin and hair were very beautiful. That only made the filth of her clothes stand out even more, though.

“…I haven’t heard that such a strong monster resides here.”

The voice that rang out was high-pitched, matching her cute appearance.
She seems to be clearly mistaken. According to Oswald-kun, vampires are demi-humans and belong to a different category from monsters.

“I’m not a monster, though?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t let you go… It’s an order…!”

……Aren’t there too many people who don’t listen to me?

First Oswald-kun, then Chrome-san, and now this fox girl. With the same pattern repeating for the third time, leaving me slightly exasperated, she pointed her index finger toward the sky. At the same time, I felt a tingling sensation on my cheek.

“I see. So this is mana.”

This is the third time I’ve felt this sensation.
Feeling such a distinct power repeatedly over such a short period, I finally understood. This was a level of mana far beyond Chrome-san’s. I had a premonition that magic was definitely being used.
The mana concentrated at her fingertip turned into a red glow.
It wasn’t just a gentle warmth, like a lit flame. It held enough heat to easily burn down this entire area.

“I only used half of my strength before. From here on out, I’ll be going all out!”
“Ah, I see.”
“Foxfire—Fiery Balsamina!”

When I heard the word “Foxfire,” I thought to myself, “Ah, so she really is a fox.”
A ball of flame ignited at her fingertips, about the size of an adult’s face, and it was launched toward me.
The flames broke into tiny sparks before reaching me. Literally, like the seeds of an impatiens balsamina flower.

A hail of fiery particles came flying at me from the front.

“Gee, that’s hot.”

The flames struck my skin, yet their power was significantly reduced by my resistances. Still, I took some damage.
I felt a heat like hot oil splashing onto my skin while frying something, and I flinched slightly. It seems this is actually quite a powerful fire spell after all.

“Ouch… Geez, what are you doing?”
“Eeeh?!”
“What’d you do if it left a scar? You’re so mean.”
“Eh, uh… I-I’m sorry, then?”
“Okay, since you apologized, I’ll forgive you.”
“Ah, okay, thank you… Wait, why am I apologizing?!”
“Isn’t it normal to apologize when you do something wrong?”
“Yes, I know, but… Aaah, forget it! Tailed Beast Clone, Two Buds!!”

Her two tails undulated. In the next instant, one of them separated from her body.
Her tail, which had detached like a lizard’s, began to change shape dramatically.
First, it swelled up, then limbs sprouted from it. A face, clothes, and even a collar took shape, and within seconds, another version of her had been created.
The two were identical in both build and facial features. They swayed their single tails—both the same length—and raised their hands toward us. Their movements were perfectly synchronized.

“You’ve become twins.”
““I’ll be going all out—twice as hard!!””
“Please stop once you’re satisfied, okay?”
““Double Weasel Sickle!””

A twist in the atmosphere so powerful it warped the scenery occurred. While slicing through the surrounding charcoal, a wind blade so intense I could see it with my own eyes closed in on me.
Since I have no resistance to wind attributes, getting hit by that would probably hurt as much as being whipped. I don’t like pain, so I’d better put up a little defense.

“Help me, Mr. Wind.”

Just like the two girls who looked exactly alike, I raised my hands and spoke the spell.
The wind I created lacks the cutting power of my opponent’s. If her wind is a scythe, as the spell suggests, mine feels more like a gust of wind.
Still, it’s both wind magic. The oncoming blade was certainly affected by my magic, and by the time it reached my body—

“It stings a little.”

It’s just a dull ache, like when you use a face wash that doesn’t agree with your skin. It’s unpleasant, but it wasn’t nearly as painful as that Fiery Balsamina that hit me directly.
The two foxgirls are gaping with their little mouths open, as if they’ve seen a UFO. I don’t know if UFOs fly into this other world or not, though.

““H-how are you unharmed…?!””
“I have high magic resistance. …Are you satisfied now?”
““…But I was ordered to hunt down monsters.””
“I’m not a monster, you know?”
““Your overwhelming presence, and the fact that you took my magic head on and look completely unfazed, there’s no way you’re a human!!””
“Well, I’m not human, but I’m not a monster either…”
““…What do you mean?””
“You’re probably a beastfolk, aren’t you? I’m a demi-human like you. My name is Argento Vampyr, a vampire. Nice to meet you, Collared Commando.”
““Collared Commando?!””
“Would ‘No-Panties Collar’ have been better?”
““At least stop addressing my lack of underwear, please!””

No, I mean, I could see she wasn’t wearing any panties when she caused that gust of wind.
Seriously, such an indulgent kid—not listening to what others say, yet wanting people to listen to her.