「Puni」

After the fight concluded, Punigami came back from the distance.

「Punipuni!」

It was horrible of you to ditch me, he said in anger.

「Sorry sorry. But you might have died if you were to be caught in the crossfire, Punigami」

「Puni!」

「You don’t have to try so hard」

「Puni!」

I’m strong, even though I look like that, said Punigami.
But, no matter how big, slime is still a slime.
Iris wished for his to avoid fighting and work only as a hugging pillow and the bath.

「Punipunipuni?」

「Mn? Why is Jessica kneeling? I don’t really understand myself, but……I received a pledge of allegiance when I defeated them……」

As Iris was explaining, Marion clung to her mother’s back and spoke in despair.

「Mother! Why are you bowing before her!? You don’t have to be so subservient just because you’ve lost! What happened to the dragon’s pride!?」

「Marion. You are young, so it doesn’t seem that you realized yet……dragons…..no, monsters have a certain instinct. The instinct of obeying a demon that is stronger than you」

「What’s that all about!? I don’t want to see my strong and cool mother bowing before someone! 」

「Sorry, Marion……mother, when it comes to Iris-chan, can’t help but want to take care of her. Cooking a meal and making her say『Aan』, change her clothes, bathe together, sleep together, I can’t stop wanting that! 」

「Noooo, I don’t want to see mother so pathetic, nooo!」

Marion collapsed on the ground with her giant body and threw a tantrum like a spoiled child.
The tremors must have reached the village.

That being said, is Jessica really that pathetic for desiring to take care of Iris?
On the contrary, it matches her nonchalant character perfectly.
Although, there was a difference in their builds, she had no idea how Jessica planned to actually realize all of this.

「Emm…….just for a reference, how are you planning to sleep together? 」

Iris asked.

「Ara, there is no problem. Ei, Henshin! 」[¹]

Along with her exclamation, Jessica’s whole body was enveloped in red light………as she transformed into a human woman.
She seemed to be around her thirties by the human standards. Of course, a beauty.
Her long red hair covered about half of her back.
She was dressed in a one-piece dress and had an apron.
She did look like a mother.

「Wa, amazing! A human however you look at it! 」

「Puni!?」

Punigami was shocked.

「Fufufu, it’s transformation magic passed down among the dragons. It is hard to feed yourself when you are in that form, so a lot of us live this way……..Iris-chan? Why are you hiding in the slime’s shadow? 」

「No…..I’m just bad with humans……even though I understand you’re not one」

Having heard Iris’ confession, Marion opened her eyes wide.

「What!? You are bad around humans!? I’ve heard something nice! Henshin! 」

Marion too transformed into a human.
Her hair was red as her mother’s but it was tied into twin tails. [²] She was fifteen by human standards, from the looks of it. Of course, a beauty.
Her white blouse suited her black jumper skirt. [³]

「How about this! Scary, right!?」

Marion puffed her humble chest as she spoke triumphantly,
However–.

「Ah, Marion isn’t scary」

「Why!?」

「You have two horns on your head……there is a tail stretching from under your skirt. I can understand that you aren’t a human from the first glance. From this perspective you slightly resemble my father, it’s a bit nostalgic 」

The Great Demon King had two splendid horns growing on his head.
Truth be told, Iris too had two tiny horns. However, they were small enough to be concealed inside her hair. With her growth, they might become bigger.

「Be scared of me too!」

「You can just erase your horns and tail with magic」

「I’m bad with transformation magic, so I caaan’t!」

「Mm……stay as bad as you are forever」

「As if! I’m going to eventually master transformation magic and make you afraid of me! 」

She said as she stomped on the ground.
Since she became human-sized, the ground didn’t shake anymore.

「Ara, Marion. So you are motivated to practice transformation magic seriously. Mother is happy. You won’t become a true dragon if you can’t transform. She didn’t want to practice transformation magic before, just as I went harder on her, she ran away from home…..」

「Ah, that’s why Marion was all by herself on that hill」

「M-Mom, do we have to have this conversation right now!?」

Marion swung her hands in the air.
Her tail was also moving around.

「Ah, those tail movements are cute. As I thought, you should stay bad at it forever」

「Shut up, shut up! I will definitely scare you! Then I’ll defeat you while you’re afraid and release my mother! 」

「Even if you say that…..」

Iris did not intend to restrain Jessica, on the contrary, she wanted for her to return to her dragon village or whatever it was.
While they were at it, Jessica hugged Iris from behind and started patting her head.

「Ah~~ I can’t resist, this is the monster’s instinct」

「……..Jessica-san, is it truly an instinct? Maybe, you just want to pat my head? 」

「There is now way that’s true」

Sweetly said Jessica.
Really, she just wanted to pat Iris.

「Mother, are you still here!? She just has slightly beautiful silver hair, cute, and small! You just want to take her home! 」

「Marion. It seems that you can’t resist the instinct too」

「Hah!? Damn it……I was tempted by a mysterious power! 」

Marion pointed at Iris with a red face.

「No, I didn’t do anything……」

She had no recollection of doing something like that, only confusion.

「Puni!」

Punigami raised a voice of anger and hit Marion with his squishy body.

「Wha-What is this slime! That was the most pleasant body slam!  What are you trying to do!?」

「Em, he is angry since he doesn’t want you to take me away」

「I won’t take her even if you offer! I shall not succumb to your temptation! 」

「As I said, no one tempts anyone……」

「I-I won’t yield……I won’t…..damn, my hand moves on its own」

Marion’s hand stretched towards Iris’ head.
However, Marion trembled in desperately as she fought against herself.

「Fufufu, you struggle in words but your body is honest. It’s okay, Marion. Iris-chan in a demon, so it’s a matter of course for us, monsters, to obey her. Be honest with yourself」

Said Jessica, who didn’t stop patting Iris all this time.

「Mother……she is completely brainwashed……kuh, I won’t forgive you, Iris! 」

「Un……I can’t participate in this any longer, so I’m going back to the village. Punigami, let’s go」

「Puni」

Iris escaped from Jessica’s embrace and climbed on Punigami.
As always, she took off together with Punigami and flew in a direction of the village.

「I-Iris-chan, wait」

「Mother, you don’t have to chase after her!」

In the end, two of them, still in their human forms, grew wings from their back and chased after her.
Apparently, both of them had a nice feeling about that village.