Part 3
The dogs run across the snowfield like the wind against a raging blizzard.
“Soon we will be in my homeland…!”
“Lexia, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I’ll be fine…! I’m not afraid of curses at all…!”
Lexia says cheerfully, but her shoulders are shaking slightly, and her complexion is pale. The curse was definitely taking its toll on Lexia.
“Come on, come on… we have to hurry…!”
Tito put her hand on her chest, which was heaving with nervousness as she stared ahead of the blizzard.
“(I’m so nervous… I wonder how all the beastmen are doing…)”
Before Tito left the village, there were other beastmen in the village who were being held captive just like her.
Even though the situation was unavoidable, the fact that she had left them in the village had always stuck in Tito’s mind like a thorn.
“(And Emma…)”
Thinking of a familiar face, she squeezed her aching heart.
The only girl who was kind to Tito, who was feared and persecuted by the villagers, was a friend of hers.
When Tito was a little girl, she tried to save Emma from being attacked by a monster, and in the aftermath of her first awakened power, she scratched Emma’s cheek.
Shaking her head, she shakes off the illusion of the past.
“(No, now I have to get the [Fire Ring Grass] as soon as possible…!)”
Soon, beyond the blizzard, a series of mountains and a dense forest came into view.
At the entrance to the forest, there is a small village nestled between the mountains.
“Lexia-san, we’re almost there!”
“Yes…!”
They dismounted from the sled and entered the village while supporting Lexia.
At that moment, Luna’s voice came out piercingly.
“Wait, something’s wrong.”
“Eh?”
A scream and a roar reach them from deep within the village, carried on the wind.
“! Let’s go!”
The group ran toward the source of the scream.
They ran through the simple houses, and as soon as they turned the corner, they saw a huge bear.
“Guooooooooooooo!”
Tito felt all her fur stand on end.
“Blizzard Bear…!”
It is a gray bear-like creature that lives in the north. It is usually found deep in the forest, preying on other monsters, but it is extremely ferocious and brutal. No ordinary adventurer can stand up to it, and countless parties have been wiped out by it after unlucky encounters.
“How could a Blizzard Bear, which should have settled deep in the forest…!”
“Guoooooooo!”
Snap, snap, snap!
A terrifying roar deafens the ears, and an arm the size of a log destroys the livestock barn.
“Hyiiie!”
“Hurry, get out of here, get out of here!”
The villagers screamed and ran for cover.
A girl with braids stumbled and fell on the scattered debris.
“Ah!”
“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The Blizzard Bear raises its arm in an attempt to crush the fallen girl.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaa!”
“Look out!”
Tito was running faster than she could think.
Her claws sharpened with light.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh…!”
“Guoooooooooo!”
Just before the Blizzard Bear swung its arm down.
Tito slid in front of the girl with her back to protect her and swung her claws out.
“[Fierce Claw]!
“Gugaaahhhh!”
A vacuum blade is released, sending the Blizzard Bear’s arms flying.
The villagers were astonished to see Blizzard Bear flail about with a scream.
“Wha!? Who is that girl?”
“She stopped Blizzard Bear’s attack…?”
“A-ah…!”
“Get away from here, hurry!”
Tito shouted sharply, and the villagers fled with the stunned girl.
The monster, whose right arm had been ripped off, was not frightened but became even more ferocious and pounced on Tito.
“Guooooooooo!”
“W-watch out!”
“Huff!”
Before the villagers could scream, Tito was leaping with all her might.
“S-she jumped!”
“So high…!”
Tito gathered power in her claws as she hovered far above the monster’s head.
“(The old me would have gone berserk, unable to control my power. But now I’ve grown up…!)”
Her experience in the Kingdom of Sahar had made Tito stronger.
“Guroaaaaaaahhh!”
“If it’s a contest of strength, I won’t lose…!”
She looked at the raging monster and shouted.
“[Thundering Claws]!”
She twisted herself around and struck downwards with the power she had built up in her claws.
Boom!
A dazzling pillar of light crushes and shatters the Blizzard Bear.
“Guaaaaaaaaahhh!
The Blizzard Bear screams its last and disappears as particles of light.
“W-wha…!”
“Phew…!”
The villagers stand appalled as they watch Tito land on the ground.
“S-so strong… To defeat Blizzard Bear in an instant…! Who in the world is that girl…?”
“W-wait a minute! That pure white fur… and that power that overwhelms monsters… no way…”
Amidst the murmur, a soft voice said.
“You saved me again, Tito.”
“!”
Tito turned around at the sound of a familiar voice.
There was a girl with braids who had almost been attacked by a bear.
Tito’s eyes widened when she saw her tear-stained face.
“Emma…”
The girl whom Tito had saved without realizing it was Emma, the only friend who had been kind to her when she was persecuted in the past.
“Emma, u-um, I…”
Before Tito could find the words to speak, Emma ran up to her and hugged her as hard as she could.
“Wawa?”
“Welcome back, Tito! I’ve wanted to see you for a long time…! I just wanted to see you and say thank you! Thank you for saving me… now and then!”
Emma hugged the surprised Tito tighter and tighter.
“I’m sorry about that time…! I was attacked by a monster, and I was so surprised and scared that I couldn’t say anything… even though Tito was protecting me…!”
“Emma…”
Then gradually, the villagers came closer.
“Tito… You’re really, Tito…? I’m sorry, we were wrong…!”
“I’m really sorry for what we’ve done to you…”
“I can’t really ask you to forgive me, but I’m sorry…”
People that Tito knew came and bowed their heads in sincere apology.
“After Tito left, Emma cleared up the misunderstanding.”
“Eh?”
The villagers cast down their eyes as if regretting the past.
“After that, Emma patiently persuaded us over and over again that Tito was protecting her and that it was wrong to persecute you just because you were a beastman… and we finally realized. What we had done was wrong. We were really, really sorry.”
“! Then, all the other beastmen too…”
Just as Tito was about to open her mouth, a group of people with ears from various animals came running from the back of the village.
“Hey, Tito!”
“Everyone!”
Tito held hands with the nostalgic beastmen.
“Tito, you’ve grown up!”
“Yes! I’m glad to see you all looking so well…!”
“The village was now free of discrimination against beastmen because of Tito’s bravery in protecting Emma from the monsters. Now everyone in the village is cooperating with each other and living happily ever after.”
Tito looked at Emma in surprise, and she smiled as she wiped away her tears.
“I decided that one day when Tito returns, I will definitely tell you. Tito was and still is my best friend. Thank you so much for saving me and the others.”
Emma’s cheeks were smooth and white, and there were no scars left from that day.
“Emma… thanks…!”
They smiled at each other and hugged each other as if to confirm their warmth.
Lexia and the others, watching them, smiled with relief.
“I’m glad the misunderstanding was cleared up.”
“Yes. Tito-san seems to be very happy.”
“I can give a good report to Tito’s master, Gloria-sama, too.”
A warm smile bloomed in the small village in the snowy country.
The girl, a beastman who left the northern country with sad memories, has made her true homecoming after a long journey of time and growth.
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