Makai Senki Disgaea: Revelations
3: Angelic Demons
1
"Let's play, Laharl-chan!"
It was morning, and just like the day before, Laharl was woken by Shas's voice calling.
"Why are you coming to wake me up?" Laharl got up, glaring at Shas in a foul mood from being woken. But, it had absolutely no effect on Shas.
"I got to switch places," Shas replied cheerfully.
"That Etna, she's slacking on my wake-up call."
Laharl clicked his tongue, and Shas clapped her hands as though she understood.
"You'd rather have Etna-chan. You like her," Shas teased, and Laharl's cheeks reddened.
"I-idiot! She's just my subordinate!! And there's no way I could like anyone who makes attempts on my life!"
"The person who calls someone an idiot is the idiot, Laharl-chan."
"'Laharl-chan'!?"
"Is that wrong? That's what everyone calls you."
"It's not 'chan'! It's 'sama'! It's 'Your Majesty'!!"
"That's too hard, I don't understand."
"Hell, I'd like to see the faces of this one's parents— No, I don't want that," Laharl corrected himself hurriedly.
"You want to see them?"
"No."
"If you want to see Mama, she's outside."
"Outside?"
"Outside the room."
Laharl cautiously turned his head towards the entrance. His neck made a grinding noise like a door which had not been oiled.
Standing there was a woman whose body went beyond 'nice'—in fact, it was dynamite.
"Hi, Laharl-chan."
Laharl's face froze. "Yasurl......"
"Addressing me so casually, I wonder when we became so close? And I took such care to look after you when you were little."
Just hearing Yasurl's voice, Laharl's entire body became completely unable to move.
He took several deep breaths, and was only just able to ask in a stiff voice, "Would 'aunt' be preferable?"1
"That's no good either."
Shas was clinging to her leg. Laying a hand on her head, Yasurl instructed her in a cold voice, "Shas, Mama is speaking with Laharl-chan, so go play outside."
"Eh—" Shas puffed out her cheeks.
"Don't complain."
"Okay." Shas looked up at Yasurl's face, and ran out with surprising obedience.
"I'll hear your business," Laharl said.
"I don't have any business. I just came to see how my adorable nephew was doing."
"If that's all, then why didn't you come to my coronation? I sent a messenger demon with a written invitation."
"Sorry about that. We had other plans and couldn't go."
"Hmph. Don't tell me you lot from the opposing faction came here without even one complaint. I know you all were against how my father did things."
"You have that wrong."
"How am I wrong?"
"The reason we were against him was because he mixed base human blood with the lordly demonic royal house," Yasurl said smoothly.
Laharl ground his teeth.
"And then, that filthy one, that mixed brat assumed the throne."
With the viciousness clear in this remark, an unmistakable anger came to Laharl's face.
Just then—
"Prince, Flonne-chan is—"
Etna came running in. Beside her was Flonne.
"Wait your turn!" Yasurl ordered them sharply in a voice like a whip.
"Ah, you have company."
In defiance of the threatening atmosphere, Etna answered with her usual amused attitude. Yasurl's face twisted as though that grated on her nerves.
But, before Yasurl could say anything, Laharl raised a hand. "It doesn't matter, Etna."
"Ah, but if we're in the way—"
"I, the ruler of the Netherworld, Overlord Laharl, am telling you it's fine. Wait there."
Once he had said this, Laharl returned to his conversation with Yasurl.
"Yasurl, if you had any objection, then you should have said so before my coronation."
"It's still possible to correct it afterwards." Because it appeared that correction would take some time, Yasurl's expression in turn was irritated and displeased.
"If you were going to do something like that, then you should have usurped the throne while I was asleep for two years."
"Unfortunately, those in opposition weren't united then. And there were idiots who tried to show off and were beaten at their own game."
She was referring to the incident when Maderas stole Etna's memories and conspired to poison Laharl.
"Poisoning you was nonsense," Yasurl continued. "I wonder how many centuries ago it was that I tried that?" In front of the person in question, Yasurl voiced such an awful thing calmly.
"Hmph, I declare that I accept challenges at any time. If you have a complaint, then defeat me."
"Do I look like a woman who carries things out with that kind of brute strength?" Chuckling, Yasurl fixed her gaze on Laharl.
Laharl's heart thudded in his chest.
That's it. That gaze. When that hits me, I can't do anything to defy her, or even breathe. Since when was it— I don't want to remember.
Feeling like his heart was being squeezed tightly, Laharl became unable to move.
Then, he heard a deep voice let out a bizarre phrase.
"Aahn, darling, there you are."
"Oh, it's you, dear." Yasurl turned, and freed from her gaze, Laharl fell forward like a stretched rubber band when cut. His forehead faintly coated with sweat, he drew in rough breaths.
When he saw the pink scarf that had appeared, Laharl seemed like he was about to feel even worse. Although, compared to a moment ago, this was incomparably better. In fact, that absurd color may have jarred him to his senses.
"Uncle Vesuvio, it's been a while."
"Ah, Your Majesty, how do you fare? I suppose you're finally past the time of diapers and bibs." Vesuvio bowed deeply, and from his manner one could not tell whether he was teasing or not.
Laharl looked up at his uncle with a face that was unamused.
With only panties and a scarf over that mass of muscle, looking down at himself could not possibly be a fun situation for Vesuvio. Furthermore, he was an uninvited guest who had just suddenly shown up.
"So, how long do you two plan on sticking around?" Laharl asked angrily.
Vesuvio began, "Well, of course, until we've succeeded at—"
Yasurl jabbed Vesuvio's side in rebuke and smiled.
"Succeeded?" Laharl asked. "Succeeded at what?"
"Dear, we're going."
Without letting him reply, Yasurl pulled Vesuvio, who bore the pain, dripping with a cold sweat.
"Well then, Your Majesty."
Putting a sarcastic emphasis on the 'Your Majesty' part, Yasurl turned quickly. As she took her leave, her eyes fell on Flonne standing at the door, and she said a word.
"Ah, so you're the rumored fallen angel."
"Rumored?"
"They say you're trying to assault us spreading doll's play throughout the Netherworld."
"It isn't an assault. It's love I'm sprea—"
"Ohh, how repulsive. It's a useless effort at best." Letting out a mocking laugh, Yasurl left the room at a smart pace.
"That was harsh," Etna muttered after shutting the door. "Prince, what was the poison your aunt spoke of?"
"It was probably something she tried when I was a kid."
"You don't suppose it's thanks to that that you developed a resistance to poison?"
"I dunno, maybe."
"In that case, maybe that's the reason my poisoning you didn't work. And in that case, you really should be grateful to your aunt."
"Don't be stupid."
Then, having been quiet until now, Flonne suddenly sighed and murmured, "How awful......"
Laharl stared at Flonne in startlement. "It bothers you that she laughed at you?"
"It isn't that. It's just that, those people are your aunt and uncle, aren't they? How is it that they can say such terrible things to you, Laharl-san?"
"Because they're demons."
"Flonne-chan, you still don't understand the nature of demons? Most demons are like that. Even if they're family, if you get the chance, you stick 'em."
"I live looking forward to that," Laharl said.
Flonne pondered this with a troubled expression, and then murmured with a sigh, "Their children don't know love, do they?"
"Shas and Kira?" Laharl asked. "Probably not."
It's not limited to them, but most of the Netherworld probably doesn't know it, Laharl continued in his mind.
"I will save those children," Flonne said firmly, clenching her fists, and like that she ran from the room.
"Oi, oi," Laharl said, but he had no time to stop her.
"Flonne-chan's ablaze, isn't she?"
"However it works out it's not my concern."
"Prince, you're worried, aren't you?" Grinning broadly, Etna peered into Laharl's face.
"About what, you idiot? What can Shas do?" Laharl said, although he looked at his hands which had been injured the day before. The fingers that had been caught under the lid of his coffin bed. Naturally they had already healed.
"Some kind of accident might happen, but...... She'll probably be all right," he muttered to persuade himself.
Meanwhile, out in the hall, Yasurl put her hands on her hips and glared at Vesuvio.
"Dear, I told you to be more careful of what you say."
"I'm sorry, darling," Vesuvio said, but he showed absolutely no signs of regret. In fact, for no reason he flung up his arms and struck a pose. Of course he did this to show off his tempered muscles.
"Hell, you're such a musclehead."
"Forgive me, darling." Making a circle of his arms to show the bulge of his huge pectorals and biceps, Vesuvio laughed.
"Even so, I'm trusting you because you do as I ask, dear."
"Of course, darling."
"For the rest, we'll see whether that child will do well or not." Yasurl laughed in amusement.
2
"I wonder where she went?"
Flonne was walking along the hall looking for Shas.
Being raised by those parents, it's too sad. Even if this is the Netherworld, I thought at least children would be raised with love.
Flonne was feeling a complex mix of sadness and anger.
"Even now it's not too late. I must teach those children love."
With that determination, she walked down the hall.
And, ahead of her she caught sight of a familiar hat. It was the hall leading from Laharl's room to his office. The figure was seated right in the middle.
"Ah, there she is."
Running up, Flonne called out from behind, "Hello, Shas-chan."
Looking at the one who turned around, Flonne felt a sense of unease. The figure and countenance were the same, but somehow there was a different air.
"That's my sister. I am Kira," said the person who had turned and stood, his voice calm. It did seem that Flonne could not see the tail a Netherworld girl should have had.
"I'm sorry," Flonne apologized. "You are twins, after all. Pleased to meet you." She held out her hand.
Kira chuckled.
"What is it?"
"You're Flonne-san, aren't you? I've heard about you from His Majesty."
"From Laharl-san?" This unexpected idea surprised Flonne. She had never thought that Laharl might speak about her to someone else.
"Yes. He said you're an adorable fallen angel. It's true."
"Eh?" Her eyes widened as though this caught her by surprise. "You shouldn't tease your elders," Flonne said, and extended a hand for Kira's face.
Slipping away from her hand, Kira laughed. "It's true. Calm down, I like you, too."
"You shouldn't tease."
"But I'm serious." Kira unexpectedly seized Flonne's hand.
"Eh?"
As though waiting upon the astonished Flonne, Kira kissed the palm of her hand.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me, onee-sama." A smile floating on his lips, Kira walked off down the hall.
Flonne stood dumbfounded. She stared at her hand where she could still feel the touch of Kira's lips and murmured, "Ohh, children lately—"
She said this with a troubled face, but it seemed she did not altogether feel that way. Even with parents like that, he was raised with the proper manners, she thought approvingly.
"Ah, Shas-chan, I need to look for her."
As if just realizing this, she looked around, and in a rush she ran down the hall.
"Hmm, I don't feel like it."
Looking dispirited, Laharl was making his way to his office.
If Yasurl came even when he stayed in his room, then it made no difference, so he had given up on it. His reluctance was because he knew his work was piling up.
"Etna's going to criticize me relentlessly," he muttered, seeming displeased enough with that to make it seem there was nothing else.
She had come after him with things like 'You know if these documents don't have the Overlord's signature, they won't get to the right department.' And yet, most of those so-called documents were the Netherworld inhabitants' arbitrary and never-ending requests. If he didn't read them one by one and validate them, then there might be something absurd inside. Especially with the recent attack by the super-Overlord, slipped in with the damage claims were impudent demands for compensation for the burning of masterpieces that couldn't have existed.
More than demons, they're just scoundrels. It's deplorable.
There was no way he could be in the mood to read that stuff with Etna glaring at him all the while.
"Instead of doing paperwork, I should be fighting enemies, or at the very least breaking rock to make the stones for building a mansion. That'd be refreshing. However you think about it, stuff like signing papers doesn't suit me."
Walking down the hallway, he nodded to himself.
"That's right! Signing documents is too pathetic to be the work of the Overlord!!"
In the instant he said this and raised a fist, Laharl's body was suspended in air.
"O-?"
No, to be exact, he was falling. Hurriedly he grasped at the air with his scarf, and tried to fly up, but it was too late.
There was a rough, unpleasant sound, and Laharl looked down at his foot.
A spear was sticking out from the bottom. The tip had perfectly pierced through his shoe.
"Wait a second! Why the hell is there a pit in a place like this!?" he yelled, smashing the spear and pulling his leg free.
Luckily the spear had pierced the very tip of his shoe. His foot was unharmed.
"That was a close—" he muttered, and at the same time he felt something off and looked over his shoulder.
"Uoh!? My scarf!"
His crimson scarf had been pierced by another spear, and a hole had opened near the edge.
"T-this— Who the hell did this!?"
"What are you playing?" a cheerful voice came down from above.
"Playing— is that what this looks like!?" he shouted reflexively, and then realized who he was talking to.
"Shas? Did you do this?" Laharl yelled, looking up and catching a glimpse of the characteristic hat. He leapt up and came down before Shas, thrust a finger at her, and demanded an explanation. "Digging pits in the halls of my castle, what are you plotting!?"
"Let's play, Laharl-chan." Shas wasn't listening at all.
"Listen, do this sort of thing with a zombie or something!!"
"What are we doing next?"
"We're not doing anything! I have work!! Go play with your brother or something," Laharl said, and Shas pouted.
"That boy, he won't play with me. I'm going with you."
Covering his face with the palm of his hand, Laharl groaned tiredly, "Oi, prinnies!"
In succession, six prinnies appeared from the shadows of pillars.
"What is it, Prince?"
"Fill in this hole. Immediately," he ordered the gathered prinnies, and they raised their voices in admiration on looking down at the hole. It took up the entire width of the passage—the square hole was about three meters on a side. The depth, too, was about the same.
"When did this get dug, dood?"
"That's what I'd like to know!" Laharl shouted in frustration, and Shas jumped at his back.
"Play—"
"Shut up! Go play over there!!"
"I don't wanna......" Shas lifted moist eyes to look up at Laharl.
"Oi, give me a break." Finally, Laharl gave up and ordered the prinnies, "Oi, you lot, play with Shas."
"Is it all right to play, dood?"
"I'll allow it this once."
"We'll do it, dood!"
Not just one or two, but all of them raised their hands. They were full of a desire to skip work and play.
"I'm leaving it to you." Turning to face Shas, Laharl pointed at the prinnies. "It looks like these guys are going to play with you. Go ahead and play whatever you want."
"Yay!" Shas threw up her hands and then caught the prinnies' penguin-like hands and bounced up and down.
"What'll we play, dood?"
"Demon-slaying!" Shas exclaimed.
"That's sake, dood."2
"It's tag, isn't it, dood?"3
Laharl watched the group run out into the courtyard in a clamor, and then finally took a breath.
"I guess I should get to work."
His breath came out as a sigh.
"It's really big, huh?"
Watching Jane run around the town in good spirits, Gordon felt his face breaking into a broad grin in spite of himself.
Ah, this must be what they call everyday happiness. A precious time when I can forget my responsibilities as Defender of Earth for a little while...
My young daughter. And, beside her, my forever beautiful wife.
With that magnificent sight so unlike the Netherworld before him, he felt like dancing.
"Jennifer."
Jennifer slipped out of Gordon's arms as he tried to embrace her.
"J-jennifer?"
When Gordon looked, he saw that Jennifer was looking in the direction of the castle.
"My, I wonder what child that is?"
In the direction of her gaze stood a small girl. She looked perhaps two years older than Jane. But then, the people of the Netherworld lived a hundred times longer than humans, or more, so one could not tell from appearances.
"We're about to have lunch," said Jennifer. "Do you want to eat with us?"
"Oi oi, she looks like a child, but she might really be some unthinkable monster."
"Dear, are you really such a narrow-minded person?" Jennifer said, giving Gordon a sharp look.
"No, that isn't the issue, it's just that Jane is here, too, so......"
"Can't you even protect Jane, dear?"
Whatever he said was no use, so Gordon gave up, and gripped the ray gun that was his last glimmer of hope.
"Please, come. Let's all eat together." Not at all worried about anything like that, Jennifer beckoned to the child.
"Yay!" The girl wearing the six-cornered round hat threw up both her hands energetically and came walking over.
"What's your name?" Jennifer asked, crouching down.
"Shas!"
"Shas-chan, is it? What are you doing here?"
"Mm, let's see, I came to the castle to play."
"You're Laharl-chan's guest?"
"That's right. I played a whole lot and I got hungry."
"That's good then, because I made a lot. I hope you like it."
Jennifer began her preparations right away. Spreading out a sheet, she lined up the bentō she had made the previous night in the spaceship's kitchen. There were sandwiches and fried food, stew, Peking duck...... Not one of the dishes was ready-made, but all of it was home cooking.
"You made all this?" Gordon asked.
"That's right. Is it all right?"
"No, it's fine," he said, but inwardly he was baffled. What sort of thing was Peking duck to put in a picnic basket? Geniuses sometimes have areas where they have none of a normal person's common sense, Gordon felt even now.
Shas let out a cry of delight and sat down on the sheet, and beside her Jane struck up a conversation.
"I'm Jane. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Shas."
Shas held out a hand, and Jane, looking at her face carefully, asked, "And the other person is?"
"It's only her, Jane," Jennifer chided, and Shas tilted her head.
"Uh-uh, I'm a twin."
"My, is that right? Jane, you must have seen him somewhere." Jennifer smiled and handed the two of them plates.
"My brother's called Kira."
"Nice to meet you." Jane smiled brightly and bowed to Shas.
"Now then, let's eat."
At Jennifer's signal, Jane and Shas raised their voices.
"Is this really all right?" Even now unable to trust Shas, Gordon sat in a position where he could protect his wife and child.
"That's enough for now......"
It was lunch time, and Laharl came out of his office looking exhausted. His level of weariness was so strong that he had dark circles under his eyes.
As he had expected, it had been nothing but worthless petitions. He had wanted to give it up and incinerate all of them in a Mega Fire, but that wouldn't do either. Just as Etna had told him, he'd looked them all over, and put his signature on half.
"I'm eating something and then I'm taking a nap." That was the only thing on his mind.
"Do you want me to bring your meal to your room?" Etna called out to him from behind, and Laharl nodded.
Walking down the hall, he turned towards his room. That's right, there was a pit, he remembered, and turning in the middle of the hall, he made his way towards the courtyard. With the square-shaped courtyard directly in the middle, his room and his office were on a diagonal from each other. Going through the courtyard made it a shortcut.
Laharl noticed prinnies lying about near Gordon's spaceship. Six of them.
"What are you doing? Weren't you lot playing with Shas?"
At Laharl's voice, the prinnies who had been reduced to corpses twitched.
"It was demon-slaying, dood......"
"We were half-killed, dood."
The prinnies' penguin forms were costumes, inside of which were souls, so they could not die from reckless treatment. But, be that as it may, this beat-up they weren't much to look at.
"So 'tag' is really that dangerous a game. I didn't know that." Folding his arms, Laharl snarled, "I thought all you were doing was kid's play."
"Prince, it wasn't like that, dood—!"
"We were seriously almost killed, dood—!"
"Well, if you played with her that much, then Shas must be satisfied. Good work." Complacently ignoring them, Laharl nodded coolly and crossed the courtyard.
"Prince~, please give us a raise, dood......"
The prinny's feeble voice demanding a salary increase faded before reaching Laharl's ears.
Laharl reached his room, but before his hand could reach the door, it opened on its own.
"Welcome back, sir~" the door greeted him in an overly-polite voice.
He nodded and took one step inside.
At that moment, he felt an incredible pressure above his head.
Immediately he wrapped his scarf about his body and flew forward.
Just after, a huge block came falling from the ceiling with a thud and shook the floor.
"Shas again!?"
Laharl's cry roared throughout the castle.
3
"Pretty impressive," Etna spoke up in admiration.
It was Laharl's room. She was looking with a sense of murder at the six-sided block which had completely shut up the entrance. The length of one side was three meters. Since this block had assailed Laharl, 20 minutes had passed.
"If you look closely, this block, it's the piece missing from the hole in the hallway, isn't it?" Laharl said.
Certainly the bottom was earth and stone, but the top-most part was the stone paving with which the hallway was laid, and jammed below that was gravel.
"Oh, I see. It isn't that she dug a hole, she just pulled the whole thing out."
"This isn't the time to be impressed." Passing by Etna, Laharl went up to the open door and kicked it. "Hey, door! You let Shas in, didn't you!?"
But, the door only answered sulkily, "I did not."
"You liar!"
"It's most certainly true."
"Then who set the trap?"
"I did not see, so I do not know."
At this unmotivated reply, Laharl chanted a spell, summoning a flame to the palm of his hand.
"I'll burn you to cinders in the flames along with this block!"
"Ohh, Prince, you're such a demon~ You're really the worst." Etna praised him in the manner of a demon, and Laharl furrowed his brow. "That's right, it's just too bad you'll have to burn up your own room."
The raging Laharl clapped his hands and erased the flames, then crossly gave out orders. "Anyway, I'm going to the cafeteria to eat something. While I'm doing that, remove this and fill in the hallway. With this stuff around, I can't relax and eat a meal!"
"Understood."
Incredibly ill-tempered, Laharl left, and Etna turned her gaze to the block in front of her. "Well then."
She folded her arms.
Although it was easily said, transferring the thing as he intended was going to be a real pain. Magic was not as all-encompassing as it was thought to be, and it greatly depended on the power of the one using it. It took great concentration. But, if it was just getting it outside, then that by itself was not much trouble.
"I'll transfer it to the hallway, and after that I'll make the prinnies return it to the hole."
Just as she muttered this, a voice came unexpectedly from behind her.
"It looks like you're having a hard time."
Etna turned around in surprise.
She saw the characteristic hat. "Shas?"
Etna stared intently at the other person, who shook his head.
"No, I am Kira. Her brother."
"You really look alike."
"That is what they say." Kira chuckled as though there was something funny.
"You're so much more composed that no one would think you were the same as Shas."
"Don't they often say that? That the younger sibling is more level-headed."
"They do, don't they?" Etna nodded, and with her reply brought the conversation back to where it had begun. "So, did you do this?"
"Why am I being suspected?" Kira replied without so much as a tremor.
"I didn't feel much magical power from Shas. And I can't quite read you."
"Is that a bluff?"
"Yep. Though I was fishing a little, too."
"You're a bad person."
"Well, which is it then?"
"Which, I wonder?" Kira only chuckled.
A shrewd brat, isn't he? Etna thought, scowling inwardly.
"My sister is skilled, too, isn't she?"
"At what?"
"She controls His Majesty very well. I was impressed."
"Could you not say bad things about his reputation? I'm just giving you a little advice."
"You know His Majesty's personality well, and say it's the other way around."
Narrowing her eyes and glaring at Kira, Etna advanced on him. The tone of her voice changed. "What the hell are you trying to say?"
"Please don't glare at me with that face. I'm timid, you know."
"In what way?"
Shamelessly ignoring her words, Kira raised his voice in amazement. "I like demons like you, onee-san." Kira continued further, "It's too bad. If I weren't the way I am, I could have you."
"Yeah, too bad. My tastes are a little different."
"You mean His Majesty?" Kira said teasingly, and Etna froze. "You suit him well. Much better than that half-wit of a fallen angel."
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm getting mad." Etna mercilessly brought her hand down.
"Scary, scary. It's only a joke." Kira quickly evaded her hand, and, laughing, dashed for the door.
"What was he aiming at......?" Etna muttered, following the sound of Kira's footsteps with her ears. "For the Prince to be my taste, even jokes have limits."
Snorting through her nose, Etna returned her attention to the block in front of her.
She began reciting a magic spell. Unlike attack spells, this was complicated and difficult.
But I wonder, what does the Prince think of me?
The thought floated up unexpectedly, and disrupted her concentration completely. Affected by the disorder in her heart, her control of the spell went awry.
The next instant, a loud crash of destruction resounded.
"Oops, I screwed that one up......"
The block had torn clean through the wall and flown out into the corridor.
"Etna-san, what happened, dood?"
With a patter of feet, prinnies had come gathering. For brats who always come leisurely when called, why were they so fast just this one time?
"It's nothing! Go back to your posts!!" Etna shouted, her face going bright red.
Having finished their picnic, Gordon and his family returned to the city, and headed for Flonne's House of Love.
"Flonne-chan."
Jennifer called out from the entrance, and Flonne came from within. Inside, as before, the demons were absorbed in their figures.
"She says she wants to play again, so is it all right with you?"
"Of course, I don't mind." Smiling, Flonne invited Jane inside. Jane went in, and looked at the figures lined up on the shelf.
Now that she had confirmed, Jennifer asked Flonne, "By the way, do you know where Shas-chan is?"
"I haven't been to the castle today, so I haven't seen her yet."
"Oh. She ate lunch together with us, but she left suddenly and I'm worried."
"I think she'll be all right. She might be small, but she is Laharl-san's cousin, after all."
"Is that right? No wonder she didn't seem at all timid."
"See? Even though she's a child, she's still a demon. There's no need to worry," Gordon interjected from beside her, but Jennifer said nothing.
From inside came the familiar figure of a child.
"Oh, Shas-chan?"
Jennifer addressed the figure, and Flonne replied, smiling, "He says he's called Kira-kun."
"Ah, you're the twin brother, aren't you?"
"Yes." Kira nodded.
"You wouldn't know where Shas-chan went, would you?" Jennifer asked, leaning down.
"I only saw her this morning. Sister has the sort of personality where she can't really settle down."
"I see. You seem like the complete opposite."
"That is what they say," Kira replied with a smile. Looking to Jane, he whispered, "So you're Jane. How interesting."
His tone had changed as though he were another person, but Jennifer did not hear it.
"Interesting?" Jane asked.
"Next time, I'll have you with me when we play with King Laharl."
Looking at Kira's smile, Jane's face froze. Looking like she was about to cry, she shook her head. "I'm not going."
"I can't have that."
All the while staring at Kira, Jane backed away from him. "Mama......" she murmured in a voice that scarcely came out, seeking help.
"What is it, Jane?"
The instant she heard Jennifer's voice from behind her, Jane clung to her mother's legs without saying a word.
"What's wrong?" Jennifer surveyed the surroundings, but there was no one there. "Where is Kira-chan?"
At her mother's question, Jane only stayed silent and shook her head.
"You were playing, weren't you?" Jennifer asked, but Jane just kept shaking her head.
"I'm staying with you, Mama."
Jennifer sighed and called out to Flonne, "Flonne-chan, never mind about today. Sorry."
"No, it's okay. I'll see you again tomorrow, Jane-chan."
Flonne waved cheerfully to Jane. Seeing her tail wave, too, Jane's expression finally relaxed.
And, from inside, the voices of the demon children could be heard.
"Give me back my Mundam4 robot!"
Jennifer looked over her shoulder, and two demon children were struggling over a figure.
"Forget your robot whatever. Look at how cute my Rian-chan is."
"What? In that disgraceful condition, it doesn't look a thing like her. You lolicon."
"Oh, give it up. You missed a spot on the bottom of the shoe. You suck at this."
It sounded like the demons were fighting over the figures they had made themselves.
I wonder if you call that, too, love?
Wondering to herself, Jennifer left the House of Love.
Next Time's Preview5
- ^ Laharl switches to the polite desu form for this one line, and says 'aunt' as oba-san. He normally never does this.
- ^ The original text is そりゃ酒っすよ. I thought this must be some kind of expression, but I can't find anything on it. Unless that prinny is suggesting they drink sake for fun, I really don't know.
- ^ The game Shas suggests is oni-goroshi or "demon-killing." The prinnies mistakenly assume she means oni-gokko, which means tag. In Japanese, the person who is It is called the oni or "demon."
- ^ mandamu - This is probably a spoof on Gundam (gandamu).
- ^ The system Etna mentions is written ツクエカンダル, which I've just transliterated since it doesn't translate to anything.