33 Chapter 3.17

If you are wondering what kind of person my dad is, then the appropriate term to describe him would be a 'researcher'.

My dad is a person that's constantly brimming with curiosity. As long as there is anything in this world that could pique his interest, he would dive into study and research, regardless of what is it.

For example, history, engineering, magic, arts, music, martial arts, humans, animals, plants, language, psychology, culture, society, religion, sports, et cetera.

He had no specific interest.

Of course, my dad would get bored at some certain point— and that is the point where he completed his 'research'.

Though he may seem to be busy at all times— there are certain things he never neglects— his family and his faith towards the 'God of Creation'.

I've spent time watching my father from behind, and I always believed that my father is a person who does not believe in such thing as the existence of 'celestial gods'.

However, he does.

Because it was an answer through 'research'.

I don't understand.

He told me that I don't need to. Because the more he knows, the more he understands which would return with more questions, the more the answer for the problems leads to the existence of the 'God of Creation'.

He asked me before— something like 'how the world begins'?

How would I know?

'Big bang?' I answered.

—something like 'why does humans and different races in all over the world exists'?

'Theory of evolution'?

—something like 'where did you go after you died'?

…' Heaven or Hell'?

—something like 'why is sheep called a sheep'?

...…' Someone named them'?

—something like 'is money good or bad'?

'Depends on whether you control the money or letting money to control you.'

I only got one and a half question correct among five, he told me.

I was 9-year-old at that time if I remember correctly.

…These questions are hard. Why would he throw such questions to a 9-year-old kid anyways?

Well, it's not like anyone could answer it easily.

If anything, I would stick to mom's side a little bit more.

Yes, I proudly say that I'm a 'mama's boy'.

That's nothing wrong when there are times you want to be pampered like a kid— and I'm a kid.

Compared to dad, my mom is a person that would rather live by the day.

Unlike dad, who's constantly researching about the past and thinks for the future, my mom would choose to live today.

She's rather more— simplified.

However, it was because of her simplistic nature that makes our family filled with energy.

When she's happy, we are happy.

When she's sad, we are sad.

And Restia, in that aspect— is leaning more towards mom.

To dad and me, they are the ones who could keep us going on.

Right, although I say my mom is simplistic— but it doesn't mean she's dumb.

If my dad is the one to create a Wikipedia, then my mom would be the first to finish the Wikipedia.

In other words, my mom had the ability to learn anything extremely fast.

What's more, my dad is the one teaching her. She would definitely do her best to impress dad— like a teenage girl in love, even though they are already married for more than 10 years.

Hmm… seems like I'm the only son who would speak that way about his parents.

Sometimes I would wonder why my dad is so knowledgeable— and the answer is always the same.

He always told me that he went out on a journey across the world when he was in his teens.

Every time he talks about this, it would always end up to how she met mom.

But still, during his journey, he would come across some magical beast… helping them, while sometimes taming them.

It's the world he's talking about.

This means, it certainly isn't just a few magical beasts.

I don't know the exact number, but it seems there are more than twenty magical beasts he had with him.

And among those, he left Dómr here, with us.

Surely, he had been on an adventure with my dad once— but even if it's the youngest member of dad's contracted beast, I'm sure it understands my dad better than me.

That's why, unlike Nightmare, I would always believe.

My dad isn't a person who would do this for no reason.

.........…

The Mistress of the Fenrir wolves, Forsjá.

The Queen of the Snow Leopards, Asha.

The Black Cat of Misfortune, Felix.

The White Snake of Serenity, Pearl.

The Pink Rabbit of Fortune, Fortuna.

Not long ago, they became my contracted beast (though there aren't any contract between us).

The Alpha of the Fenrir wolves, Dómr.

My dad's contracted beast.

Is there really a chance for us to win…?

Me, Restia, Felix and Fortuna are riding on Forsjá's back— while running across the forest with Asha and Pearl.

Since there's no light anymore, I could only wear my night-vision goggles.

Though Asha could speed up if she wants, I could tell that she's keeping her pace so that she could look after us.

"...!"

The wind— it got colder.

The surrounding had traces of ice on it.

What's more—

"OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!!!"

—the howl of a wolf.

The moment we pass the border…

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!

…the shockwave of a powerful explosion blows on us.

"G-Guh…!"

Felix, Asha and Pearl, with synchronization— summoned an ice wall with their magic to shield us from the impact of the explosion.

At the centre of the explosion… a huge crater was left with a burnt ground, stands a man and a giant wolf who are completely unscathed.

"...….."

No, that man is not entirely unscathed.

There are several burns on him by the heat of the explosion— which then it heals afterwards.

"Nya…!"

Without any preparations, Felix quickly leaps into the air while using the power of her wind magic… climbing over the ice wall.

"Cat— that idiot…!"

Asha follows behind shortly.

…Dómr knows.

He… took a quick glance here.

However, it was that exact moment— that man landed an uppercut onto Dómr's lower jaw.

BAM!!!

Dómr took that hit— that powerful hit that smashed the giant stone wall.

However, he's unfazed.

"Growl…!"

Dómr swings down his claw— that man blocks with the katana.

"GROWL…!"

Dómr retreats his paw, countering it with a tackle.

"!"

B-WHAM!

"Gah…!"

The man flew here with a powerful impact, blasting off the top of the ice wall.

I immediately jump from Forsjá's back, catching him as I land on the snow.

"Kuh…!"

There's… blood!?

His chest, arms and legs had a lot of physical wounds from Dómr's claw.

The healing magic spell he placed on himself isn't keeping up.

"Huff— Huff— Finally… what took you so long…?"

He's completely in pain.

"I thought you said you will be fine…!" I uttered.

"I had to— if not— you won't be able to help them—"

He's saying this to me just so I could stop them without worries…!?

"…Take a rest— they will handle it."

With that said, Felix— slipping past Dómr's front right paw swing, lands the first strike.

A right paw slams on the front left leg, on Dómr's knee.

A powerful slam topped with strengthening magic and wind magic.

However, Dómr takes the full blow— baring his fangs on Felix.

"Grawr…!"

Which then, with a pounce, Asha strikes both of her paws on Dómr's left jaw— pushing his fangs away from Felix.

Pearl, which suddenly appeared out of thin-air— constricts Dómr with her body on his underbelly.

Though Pearl is almost as big as Dómr, but her body length could make up for that.

Dómr struggles to get free with his claws but is froze by Felix's ice magic to the ground.

Yet—

W-WHAM!!!

His tail, like a heavy whip, slams Asha flying away and crushes Felix to the ground.

Before Dómr could follow up with more tail slams, Pearl constricts harder on him—

"GRRRROWLLLL…!"

—with him returning a favour by digging his fangs into Pearl's body, piercing through her scales.

"HISSSSSHAAA!!!!?"

The pain from his bite forces Pearl to let go.

With his hind legs, Dómr escapes from Pearl's constriction by leaping into the air.

He's… aiming Felix…!

"RESTIA!"

Using the 'third key' magic, Restia moves Felix's body out from the crater just before Dómr lands.

But the moment Dómr's front paw touches the ground—

KA-CHING!

"...!?"

—the surroundings are frozen into ice.

If we weren't hiding behind the broken ice shield— we would have dragged along within.

Felix, Asha and Pearl— were frozen.

"…Is this what you've learnt after all these years?"

"!"

Dómr suddenly spoke.

And it seems, he's talking to them.

"How do you expect weaklings like you protect your master…?" He uttered.

Hearing these words, I was fully convinced that Felix, Asha and Pearl was trained under Dómr, for several years.

He did so because he knew these three would come to me one day.

If everything up until now came to this point, this means that what Pearl said to me regarding my dad, is true.

…Dad planned this.

Dómr… you are actually helping us while under dad's orders to kill them, weren't you…?

This fight will bring them to went past their limits to stop you.

But— what if they can't stop you, Dómr…?

Have you ever thought of that?

…Not good. They aren't showing any signs from breaking free from the ice.

"…Restia."

"Expurget!" (Dispel!)

With Restia dispelling Dómr's ice on Felix, Asha and Pearl, the ice around them immediately crumbles, where they quickly escape.

"Felix, Asha, Pearl— remember that time… the rat!" I yelled.

Though Dómr is not exactly a rat.

All I want is for three of them to work together.

…I could only do that much.

"..."

Dómr looked this way.

It doesn't seem like he's showing hostility on me… in fact, it seemed more like gratitude.

…Forsjá is terrified.

I calm her down by patting her paw.

With Restia and Fortuna sitting on her back, she could only sit and watch behind.

As for that man, he's still healing from his injuries.

Looking away on a battlefield is not a wise thing to do.

WHAP!

Pearl leashes a powerful whip with her tail on Dómr's left shoulder. It's powerful to break the ground beneath them.

"...!"

But it doesn't seem to do any damage to Dómr, while Pearl suffered a negative recoil from that whip.

Before Dómr could do anything, Felix made a tackle on the right side of his belly.

"Nya…!"

BAM!!!

It works.

Though only for a moment, Dómr visibly made a pained look.

Finally, from below his chin, Asha makes the final strike with her right paw— an uppercut.

WHAM!!!

That uppercut sent Dómr's body to fly upwards and fall backwards.

Please… Dómr���! just stay down already…!

"Growl…!"

He quickly got back on his feet and started to run.

"...!"

Noticing something, I remove my goggles.

Hold on… why is there a clear-rainbow, transparent borderline… like a hemisphere…?

Taking a piece of ice from the ground, I throw it towards the hemisphere— yet it bounced off from it.

"Restia— is that—!?"

I was going to ask whether is that a barrier or something.

Even though Restia casts a dispelling spell on it, however, it did not work. This means it's not a barrier, but something that could not be created by magic.

"No, brat. That's not magic…" That man suddenly told me. "…it's a special trait that only powerful magical beasts have— their 'hunting ground'."

"This means… Dómr is on a hunt…!?" I replied.

"…Yes. We could not get in, nor they could get out… he isolated that space away from us. They can't hear us nor we can hear them—"

THOK!

"E-Eh…!?"

A block of ice suddenly lands on top of his head, where he fainted.

Crap.

Felix, Asha, Pearl— please, don't die…!