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

                

Chapter 352: Where is true happiness?

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

After that, I spoke with Tania and Sora.

Their reactions were pretty much the same as Kanade's and the others'.

Even though they were trapped in their dreams, they weren't completely immersed.

They seemed to feel a sense of discomfort.

They believed.

Leaving those words behind, we parted ways with Tania and Sora and...

We continued our search for Nina.

"Alright then... where could Nina be?"

"She’s a goddess, right? What kind of dream is she having?"

"A dream where she's with her mother."

"What about Nina's real mother?"

"... She's missing."

"I see..."

Normally, Nina didn't seem to miss her mother...

My eyes were really deceiving me.

There's no way a child... especially a young girl like Nina, could be okay with being separated from her mother.

Even if nothing shows on the surface, deep down, she must have been longing for her mother.

That I didn't realize this until now... what have I been doing?

"You don't need to burden yourself with this, Rain."

"Did you read my mind again?"

"It's quite obvious."

"Good grief..."

Iris spoke seriously, without any teasing.

"Taking on everything because they are your companions is both a flaw and a virtue of yours, Rain. Maintain a reasonable distance and be careful not to overdo it."

"Even if you say that... I know I'm being overbearing and meddlesome."

Treating your companions' worries as your own is indeed overstepping.

In other words, it's an arrogant belief that you can solve everything by yourself.

Even so.

Even if that's the case.

I still can't help but worry about Nina.

I can't help but care about my companions.

Because...

That's what being companions means to me.

"Oh dear."

When I shared my thoughts, Iris smiled wryly.

But it wasn't an unpleasant smile...

It was more of a kind smile, like a parent watching over their child.

"That's so like you, Rain."

"Is that so? I think it's just arrogance though..."

"But it's precisely because you're like that that everyone chooses to stay with you. I also... wish to stay by your side."

"... Iris..."

"Hehe, I’ve said too much."

As if signaling the end of the conversation, Iris walked a step ahead.

I felt like I had touched her heart just now...

But maybe she hasn't fully opened up to me yet?

Or perhaps...

Iris is still hesitating?

"Rain? If you don't hurry, I'll leave you behind."

"Ah, sorry. I was just spacing out."

"Hehe, please keep it together. You're not the absent-minded cat, Kanade."

Is that phrase trending...?

"Alright then."

Although I'm concerned about Iris...

They say a person who chases two hares won't catch either, so I should prioritize Nina right now.

"Where should we start looking?"

"Let's see... how about places like parks or streets with stalls? Those would be typical spots for a walk with her mother."

"Understood. However..."

Iris looked at me.

I met her sharp gaze and nodded.

Then, I scanned the surroundings.

"We're surrounded."

"Indeed, we are."

A menacing aura was coming at us from all directions.

Because of the fog, visibility was poor, and we couldn't see the enemies.

But there was no doubt something was out there targeting us.

"Could these be Alpha's assassins? It seems reasonable to think she found us bothersome and tried to eliminate us by force."

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Alpha said she wouldn't come after us for a while. She didn't seem like someone who would break her promise."

"I understand what you're saying, Rain, but... I would find it simpler and more convenient if these were indeed Alpha's assassins."

If the ones surrounding us now aren't Alpha's assassins...

It means there are other hostile forces out there.

This is quite a troublesome situation.

"Iris, do you have any ideas?"

"It could be demons who have lent me their strength... Recently, I must admit I've been wandering quite a bit... They might have judged me a traitor and are trying to eliminate me."

Though she said she never really considered them allies in the first place, Iris continued speaking.

"In any case, let's first identify our opponents. Rain, can I trust you to handle half of them?"

"Yeah, leave it to me."

After a firm nod, we covered each other's blind spots and stood back to back.

Then, a small laugh came from behind.

"Hehe."

"What's so funny?"

"Considering we once tried to kill each other, it's strange to now be trusting each other with our backs. Life is indeed odd."

"Yeah... but it's not so bad, right?"

"No, not bad at all."

We prepared simultaneously...

With the enemy's onslaught, we transitioned to counterattack.

"Come forth, flames from another world."

Iris summoned crimson flames to intercept the black shadows attacking us.

The black shadows engulfed by the flames screamed in agony.

They turned to ashes and transformed into magic stones.

"These are... monsters?"

"Yeah, no doubt about it!"

I drew Kamui and sliced through the black shadows.

In the thick fog, the enemy appeared... as a monkey.

Of course, it wasn't an ordinary monkey.

It had horns growing from various parts of its body, and its mouth was filled with uneven fangs.

A monster resembling a monkey, a Night Monkey.

"Alpha controlling monsters... No, that's hard to believe."

"I agree, it's unlikely."

Creating a barrier that induces dreams strong enough to cover Kagune...

And on top of that, controlling monsters, is too much.

Even for the strongest species, that would be overloading their capacity.

"It's hard to believe, but this monster might be a product of chance..."

"Or it could be the work of another enemy."

Dealing with Alpha alone is troublesome enough...

And now there might be another enemy lurking around.

It's a headache-inducing thought.

"In any case, what we need to do now is..."

"Make sure no harm comes to the townspeople and eliminate these monsters here!"

Having Iris as an ally is truly reassuring.

Our teamwork was flawless and our coordination was effective.

However, the number of enemies was overwhelming.

Due to the fog, we couldn't get an accurate count and were forced into a defensive stance.

Even so, we continued to fight...

"Huh?"

A small child appeared at the edge of my vision, possibly drawn by the commotion.

"This is bad!"

"Kyaaaah!!"

Reacting to the child's scream, the monsters all shifted their target simultaneously.

At this distance, even running wouldn't be fast enough.

The worst-case scenario flashed through my mind...

"Haa!"

Heroes appear in times of crisis.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Chiffon appeared and slashed the monster attacking the child.

TL Note- I am playing Zenless Zone Zero these days.........

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