When I came out of the bathroom, I found Tamamo’s grandmother smoking a cigarette on the dimly lit porch.

She seemed to be lost in thought as she gazed out over the neat garden.

—How was your bath, little boy?

—Stop saying I’m a boy. I’m 25 years old… Or do I think it’s 26 now?

—You’re not a boy? Well, to me you are.

I sat down next to her.

—How much do you know about what happened in this continent?

She shook her head. But then she answered.

—A long, long time ago, there was a great war in this world. It was started by the Dragon People. The war lasted for hundreds of years, with many weapons and many races. Everywhere there was hell on earth, and the dead were everywhere.

—Who was the enemy? Who did dragons fight against?

—Other dragons. It was a conflict of ideas with each other. It would have been better if it had been a children’s fight, but thanks to our advanced knowledge and technology, we ended up in a fist fight on a ridiculous scale.

She further commented that before this war that lasted hundreds of years, there were other wars that lasted thousands of years.

The war between the dragon people had only ended, and then the war involving other races had begun.

The history of this distant conflict is disgusting.

—After the first war, they learned a lot from us and their opponents. So instead of being wielded by the dragon men themselves. They were commanded from a distance and fought by celestial beasts, humanoid weapons and many other races. 

—….

—I was recruited and fought the Demon King many times.

—You mean the old Demon King?

—Yes. And I was a survivor of that great war. The few of us who made it out alive benefited from a long life. And even I was benefited. 

So, Grandmother Tamamo and Grandfather Yasufusa are the only ones who possess a long life. I had always thought that all celestial beasts were super long-lived. 

Why is Grandma telling me all this, though?

—The war left us with many scars. I experienced a lot of painful feelings, and I still resent a lot of people. In those days I was young, and full of life. I didn’t think about the consequences of my actions, and just went with the flow. 

—And the person who attacked this place?

—I’ve lived a good life. I’ve lived long enough, I can die whenever I want. But there is more to come for Kaede. I want to leave her many good things. What I was going to give to Ginkgo, she will inherit.

She speaks as if she is about to die.

I can’t read her thoughts, but it’s clear her feeling of wanting to leave her entire legacy to Kaede. And it’s one of the reasons she wants me to give up on her.

—Why are you telling me this?

—I’m sure they will attack again soon, and then I won’t have time to tell Kaede how I feel. So, I want to convey these thoughts to you.

I was angry with grandmother.

I stood up and let my voice express the anger that came over me.

—You can say it yourself. Defeat the enemy, survive and tell her how you feel in person. Kaede doesn’t want to hear it from me, she wants to hear it from you.

—The older you get, the less you are able to express your sincere feelings face to face. And I’ve been so hard on her, trying to raise her with tough love, instead of a mother.

—I don’t care. There’s only one way to get the message in, and I don’t plan to be the messenger.

I left Grandma alone and headed to my room.

The sound of hammering echoes to the surroundings.

In a few days, most of the building had been completed. It is said to be called the main hall, and the mirror, which is the entrance to the realm of the celestial beasts, was originally placed there.

I heard that it was broken in the fight between the attackers and the grandmother.

—Where is grandfather? I haven’t seen his face all day.

—Yatsufusa-sama has been out since this morning. He had a sudden craving for fish and headed for the nearest coastal town. 

Obi, who is in charge of the scene, looks apologetic.

I wonder what he does when he’s not working. And how far is the coastal town from here?

Anyway, I stopped making a big deal out of it, and decided to relax while basking in the sun.

—What do you think, master?

—It feels great.

 I was lying on Kaede’s lap, combined with the soft sunlight touching my skin, I felt like I was in paradise.

Kaede’s face reflected a lot of happiness.

—Fufu, the master looks very cute today, just like a cat.

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She gently pats my head.

It’s nice to do this once in a while.

—Umm umm…

—Kyu.

At the same time, Frau is eating Daifuku without getting tired. Panda also eats, but because of the shape and appearance of the sweet, it looks more like cannibalism.

But that’s what it looks like, isn’t it? I had a feeling, but now I’m convinced.

—Have you put on weight? 

—!?

Yes, Frau seems to have gained a little weight.

I think she’s twice as big as before. Her arms, her legs, her belly are so big that you can see her belly button.

In the last few days, I’ve seen her walking a lot. They must be too heavy to fly.

—Kyu kyu

—It’s your imagination! Frau is still thin!

Hmm, really? Well, to me it just reflects the opposite.

Frau is pale and sweating profusely.

—Although, you look like a Daifuku too….

—Kyui!?

—I should eat you

Panda rolled his eyes in surprise.

Frau is so obsessed with the Daifuku that I think she’s determined to eat Panda.

—Wow wow, I think you’ve gained weight in a very short time.

—Gained weight!? Frau!?

Those words were said by Grandma Tamamo as she approached Frau.

But suddenly, Kaede shudders all over her body as she notices a different presence.

—Who is this person…?

—I don’t know…

An unknown man was walking up the stairs. He has a fearsome smile on his face and on his body is a majestic armor that shows his high rank at a glance, and in his hands, he wears gauntlets for combat.

He is probably a demon.

—Kisama!

—Haven’t your wounds healed yet, Tamamo?

Tamamo’s hair stood on end and her fingers tightened with a snap.

The nine tails waved in the wind.