I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Extra Chapter 125
5-8. Side – Houen – Reunion with Atrak
“Uwaaa! You gotta compensate for this!!”
“Shut up!! You’re the one who started this, right!? Don’t blame me for it!!”
“Waaaah!!”
“Enough, stop following me!!”
The young devil, whose weapon had been destroyed, was clinging to Houen as they walked away, grumbling.
If he put all his strength into escaping, he could easily shake the devil off, but his opponent was just a child.
Since the devil didn’t have a weapon, he wasn’t a threat, and it seemed he couldn’t use any other magic either.
The fact that he wasn’t attacking was evidence of that.
However, it was annoying.
Houen scolded the young devil, trying to pull him away, but he wouldn’t give up easily.
Was this the attachment of a child?
Despite thinking that devil children weren’t really that different from human children, Houen couldn’t hide his irritation at the continuous whining.
Being cried at by a child he didn’t even know was somehow annoying.
Clearly, the fault lay with the devil, and Houen had just defended himself and neutralized the situation.
Yet, it felt like he was being portrayed as the villain.
It was really frustrating.
Considering whether it was alright to bring someone like this to the Devil Lord’s castle, Houen decided that explaining the situation and getting rid of him would be quicker.
He swiftly glided to the Devil Lord’s castle and landed on the first terrace he saw.
He swiped his fiery wings with his hands to put out any flames and prevent them from spreading.
When he glanced back, the young devil was nowhere to be seen.
Curious, Houen looked up and saw him standing there, looking frightened.
It was unbelievable how he could stand there, given the circumstances.
Wondering if something strange was going on, Houen looked around, but there was nothing unusual, and there didn’t seem to be any special skill at play.
Why was he so afraid?
“What’s wrong?”
“Why, why aren’t you scared here!?”
“Scared?”
Puzzled, Houen tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand.
There was nothing terrifying around here, and he couldn’t sense any such presence.
However, it had probably been quite some time since he had fallen asleep.
He hadn’t accurately kept track of the time passed since then.
He might find out once he got here, but perhaps he had been asleep for so long that the devil they had fought alongside had reached the end of their lifespan.
If that were the case, the hierarchy among devils would have changed as well.
Was it really devils who controlled this place?
A slight anxiety suddenly welled up, and the young devil’s expression turned visibly worse in response.
Perhaps they had sensed something only a devil could feel.
Just as Houen was about to turn around to be cautious, a creepy devil with a clumsy but wide smile appeared in front of them.
“Aaaah!!?”
“T-teehee!”
The devil laughed silently, clutching his stomach, and seemed genuinely amused, tears forming in his eyes from laughter.
He wiped away the tears that had come out and extended their ragged fingers to greet Houen.
Then, he repeatedly pointed at his own face.
It was as if he were saying, “Do you recognize me?”
“Who the hell are you!?”
Of course, Houen couldn’t possibly know this person.
After all, he had changed a lot since then.
Still pointing at his own face, the devil finally managed to speak, just like the young devil had feared.
“A-Atrak-sama…”
“…Eh? Atrak?”
“(Clap, clap)”
Houen scrutinized the devil in front of them.
Their body had become like that of an old person, and his wings had undergone significant changes.
Although his appearance was greatly deviated from the memories of the past, there was a faint resemblance to how he used to be.
His smile was still eerie, but his way of laughing hadn’t changed.
He had a habit of slightly pulling back his chin and lifting the corners of his mouth, which inadvertently made him look like he was glaring at the other person, but since he was smiling, it didn’t inspire fear.
He remembered the little Oni at the Onivillage, who had been scared and crying at the sight of devils for the first time.
He remembered how Atrak’s appearance had caused even more chaos.
“Atrak? Is it really you?”
“(Nod)”
“How many years have passed since then?”
The joy of reunion is certainly there.
However, Houen was more surprised to see how much Atrak appearance had changed, and he couldn’t help but wonder how many years had passed since Houen was sealed away.
Atrak held up his four fingers, made a fist, and placed his fist next to it twice, thump, thump.
“Four hundred years…”
“(Nod)”
Houen couldn’t help but smile at the unimaginable amount of time he had slept.
The passage of time was so staggering that it brought up indescribable emotions.
However, Houen’s mind was sharp.
Wasn’t it around that time that Ouren sent Yuuzen and Karna into the future?
Why was it that the angel trying to kill them was from around the same time?
Was there some kind of connection?
Various concerns flooded his mind in an instant, and Atrak, who noticed his troubled expression, placed his bony hand on Houen’s shoulder.
He couldn’t speak anymore.
That much was understood through gestures, and Houen didn’t inquire further about it.
While keeping his hand on Houen’s shoulder, Atrak then moved behind him and pushed his back, indicating that they should go somewhere.
Although he couldn’t speak, his movements seemed to imply that he had something to show them.
“Yes, yes, I’ll go.”
“(Nod)”
“And it’s been a long time, Atrak.”
“…”
With a creepy smile, he nodded.
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