The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet

Chapter 253: Captive...Part 2

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

"Unyaaaaah...!"

Kanade glared at the cell that imprisoned her. If her gaze had power, it would have shattered the cell.

"Meow!"

She kicked the cell with a bang.

"Meow, meow, meow!"

Her legs tingled, the sensation reaching her tail, causing her fur to stand on end.

"Sigh... Is it hopeless?"

How many days had it been since they locked her up in this cell? After the initial questioning, she had been left alone. They only provided food three times a day, and no one else came.

What did they want from her? Kanade wondered.

She thought, but...

"Ugh... Just let me out already!"

Unable to find an answer, she decided to struggle. She shook the cell vigorously.

It was truly just a futile struggle, with no apparent purpose.

Even so, she was sure her fellow prisoners, wherever they were, were also fighting. They wouldn't just sit quietly and give up. So she had to put up a fight, not give up until the end, and reunite with Rain.

When Kanade had made up her mind...

The door leading to her cell opened.

Kanade tilted her head. It wasn't mealtime yet. The precise internal clock said it wasn't time for a meal yet.

So, who could it be?

"Long time no see."

"Meow!? You... you're the hero!"

The one who appeared was Arios.

"You have some nerve showing your face here!"

Kanade's fur stood on end. She wanted to pounce at Arios, but the cell prevented her. Still, she pounded on the cell, glaring at him.

"Hmph. You're quite lively, even though it's been a while since you were put in this cell. You even have a magic restraint on you. Truly, the Cat Spirit Clan is remarkable. Your physical stamina is top-notch. Different from the others."

"What do you mean?"

When she heard "the others," Kanade's tone dropped.

"You get it, right? You're not the only one captured. There's the Dragon Clan, the Spirit Clan, the God Clan, and... that strange ghost. And... we've captured Rain too."

Arios concealed Rain's escape, telling a lie, but...

Kanade couldn't see through that lie right now. Arios's words bothered her.

"What do you mean? What's happening to everyone?"

"Hmph, you're noisy. Well, I'm feeling generous, so I'll tell you. The Dragon Clan woman is still doing well. Like the Cat Spirit Clan, she has good physical stamina. But the others... are in a delicate state. The Spirit Clan lacks physical stamina, the God Clan one is still a child. And that ghost, her physical abilities are just like a regular human. She was loud at first, but now she's become quite docile. She might die from exhaustion soon."

"You...!!"

Kanade threw a punch, obstructed by the cell, but with a loud crash, she shook the entire cell.

"I won't forgive you if anything happens to them!"

"Don't bark. You can't do anything."

Kanade bit her lip, clearly frustrated. It hurt, but Arios was right. As long as the magic restraints were on her, she couldn't do anything.

Even so, she hadn't given up hope.

"Rain will...!"

"Huh?"

"Rain will find a way to help us!"

"Give me a break... Aren't you listening? Rain has been captured too."

"Even so, Rain will definitely find a way! He'll rescue us! Rain is... that kind of person!"

"..."

Kanade's unwavering trust in Rain caused Arios to flinch slightly. He couldn't pinpoint the reason. To be frank he couldn't arrive at a reason to be envious of a bond they didn't have in their party.

"Never mind. Today, I thought I'd tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Your execution has been decided."

"What!? Why?"

"You've been viewed as a threat to the nation, as enemies. I've been tasked with handling it personally."

"Why would that happen? We haven't done anything wrong! Rain hasn't done anything either! In fact, he's only done things for the good of others...!"

"...Rain is annoying."

Arios wore a deeply dark expression and spoke with a cold voice.

"He, a mere Beast Tamer, dared to defy me, a hero, and inflicted incredible humiliation. But that's not all. He outshone me, posing a threat to my position as the hero. This is unforgivable. Even if I kill him a hundred times, it wouldn't be enough... It won't be enough!!!"

"You... you're..."

"But you know... unfortunately, Rain only has one life, right? Even if I want to kill him a hundred times, it will be over after the first time, won't it? So, before I kill him, I have to make him regret everything. That's why I decided to use you. That fool keeps blabbering about camaraderie. If I were to kill you in front of Rain... Haha! I can't hold back my excitement. I'm really looking forward to it now! I can't stop laughing!!!"

"He's insane..."

Seeing the jealousy and hatred Arios had buried deep within him for Rain, Kanade felt fear. Her body began to tremble involuntarily.

At times, madness can consume a person's emotions.

Captured by fear, Kanade hung her tail and ears low.

She closed her eyes gently and whispered...

"...Rain..."

She prayed for the safety of the person she loved.

――――――――――

"Good day."

Nina woke up to a refreshing voice.

The bed was hard, but perhaps due to accumulated fatigue, she had slept soundly.

Nina tried to sit up, but felt dizzy and swayed. She ended up falling out of bed.

"Nina!?"

At the sound, Tina woke up and let out a loud exclamation.

She wanted to help somehow, but she was confined in a birdcage and her magic was sealed. She felt incredibly frustrated by her inability to do anything.

"Are you all right?"

"Huh...?"

The cell door opened, and Nina was lifted up.

The person who lifted Nina was Monica.

"Hmm... It seems there are no injuries. I don't sense any illness either. So it's probably just a drop in stamina. Are you eating properly?"

"You...! Instead of that, wouldn't anyone normally understand what would happen if children were locked up in a cell?"

Tina barked in anger, but Monica maintained a calm expression.

"Oh, that's true. I apologize. However, I can't just release you two without reason. But... I can do this much for you. Fufu."

"Huh...?"

Monica touched the magic restraint around Nina's neck. At that moment, a clicking sound indicated the lock had been released.

"Huh...?"

The magic restraint was still on her neck, but now the lock was undone. With just a light twist of the connection, it could be removed.

"There you go. Now you can take off the magic restraint anytime you like. Oh, just remember, it's a good idea to time it properly. You can escape immediately if you want, but keeping it a secret until the right moment is also an option. By appearances, you can't tell if the lock is undone, and no one will think to check."

"Why...?"

Nina asked.

In response, Monica smiled faintly.

"I originally intended to just watch how things played out. However, Arios-sama is a bit too reckless, it seems. If you corner someone without giving them an escape route, you might receive a painful counterattack. He doesn't seem to understand that. So, since I anticipated Arios-sama getting into a disadvantageous situation, I decided to be a little supportive of Rain-san's side."

"...I don't understand. You're on the side of the hero, aren't you? If the hero is going to be at a disadvantage, what's the point of siding with us? Wouldn't it be even more of a disadvantage for the hero?"

"In that case, our wishes will be fulfilled."

"Hmm?"

"That's all for the conversation. I don't plan to talk more than necessary. Well then... oh, I almost forgot. Your execution is scheduled for tomorrow."

"What!?"

"What will you do? It's up to you, but if the young lady uses her power, you might be able to help the others."

"I... just..."

"However, please be cautious with the timing. Since I went this far, I would advise not to ruin it with a reckless attack. Now... until next time, goodbye."

Monica closed the cell and locked it, then made an elegant bow before leaving.

The two left behind were now pondering their future.

For some reason, they had been released from the magic restraint.

Monica had also provided information that Arios would be at a disadvantage.

It might be a trap, but...

"Nina... what do you think we should do?"

"Well... I want to save everyone!"

Trap or not, they didn't care. They were determined to kick down all obstacles and rescue everyone. And, most importantly, reunite with Rain.

With determination in their eyes, Nina and Tina decided to conserve their strength in preparation for that moment.

TL Note- Sorry for the delay , I had a 3 hours long exam today. 

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