Kays Translations

Chapter 32: Exorcist

I thought I heard a snap and opened my eyes.

“Huh…?”

The plushie that was right in front of me just a moment ago had disappeared. It vanished without a trace, almost as if I had been having a strange dream. Not only that, but I felt like I had somehow become shorter compared to a moment ago.

My hands and feet, when I looked at them, had become surprisingly tiny.

It felt like I had gone back to three years ago.

“Ta-da!”

Sitting on the bench, I blinked, and Daddy presented a large tub of popcorn in front of me.

“What do you think, Nina? Did the surprise wake you up from your sleepiness?”

“Oh, come on, Dad!”

I hopped off the bench.

I knew that Daddy loved surprises, so I pretended to be a little annoyed and accepted the popcorn.

However, as I thought about how there was someone sitting next to me just a moment ago and how Daddy managed to buy popcorn during that time, I noticed that there was only one tub.

Because, if it were Daddy, he would usually…

“Hey, Dad, how about some for Itsuki too…”

“Itsuki?”

Even though I asked as if the name belonged to someone he should know, Daddy tilted his head as if he didn’t recognize the name at all. I also turned around after saying it, but there was no one on the bench.

…Huh?

There was no one on the bench.

Something was off.

“Come on Nina, there are still plenty of attractions we haven’t tried. Let’s conquer them all before Irena arrives!”

“Dad, were you serious…?”

“I’m always serious.”

Daddy said with a wink and took my hand.

“Now, princess, where would you like to go next?”

“…Let’s walk for a bit.”

“Sure thing. I’ll escort you.”

With popcorn in hand and not knowing what attractions were in this amusement park, I felt like taking a walk.

So, I told Daddy that I wanted to walk, and he took my hand, and we started walking.

As we walked, memories started to slowly come back to me.

Last Wednesday, Daddy suddenly said, “Let’s go to the amusement park!” Mommy agreed with him, but both of them ended up with work that week, so it didn’t work out. So, we planned to go this week, but Mommy got more work, and she would come later.

Mommy had a really pained expression, and it was typical for both of them to suddenly have work, so I could bear with it. If I endured, I’d get praised.

But I still didn’t like that Mommy couldn’t come even though she said she would.

“Why are exorcists so busy, Dad?”

“It’s because they protect people.”

“……….?”

Daddy always said that without fail.

Because it’s my job to protect people. Because there are people in trouble.

The only person who can protect those people is myself.

I don’t really understand it.

Even if someone is in trouble, other people might help them.

It doesn’t have to be Daddy.

“I’m sure you’ll understand someday, too, princess.”

“…I’m not a sixth rank. I’m more like a fourth rank.”

Since Daddy tried to evade the topic, I decided to be a little mean.

But when I said that, Daddy ruffled my hair.

“You’ll always be a princess to Daddy.”

What a thing to say.

I always tell him to stop because it makes my hair crumple, but he doesn’t stop at all.

I don’t like him like that.

There are only a few rides that I can go on, so there are only a few that Dad and I can enjoy together. But if I can play on the same ride with Dad, that’s fine with me.

Because Dad is not always with me.

He’s always saying, ‘work, work,’ and he’s never at home.

While riding on the carousel with Dad, I asked him.

“Hey, Dad. Are you working today?”

I thought that as long as we’re riding together, even if he suddenly has work, Dad won’t leave.

When I asked, Dad smiled.

“Of course. Today, Dad is a knight, you know?”

“Nope. Dad is also a ‘Fourth degree Bishop.'”

“You’re teasing even though you understand what Dad is trying to say? You’re a naughty kid. But Dad is happy because you’re smart.”

Daddy said that behind me.

Yes, Daddy and Mommy are both fourth degree exorcists.

They’re “prodigies” born only once every few years.

They can exorcise monsters that others can’t.

“And I can take a break from magic practice today, right, Nina?”

“Nope.”

“Then, will we practice when we get home?”

“Yes, with you and Mommy.”

I refused Daddy’s suggestion by shaking my head.

Because I’m a “prodigy” too… I’m sure I’ll become an exorcist like Daddy and Mommy someday. Then, we can all be together.

The music ended, and the carousel stopped.

Daddy and I moved on to another ride together.

“How about getting something to eat soon, Princess?”

“I’m still full from the popcorn earlier.”

“Oh, well, I guess that’s okay. How about a drink, then?”

Daddy said playfully, and I glanced up.

Drawn by his words, I looked up too.

The sky was incredibly beautiful.

The air was so clear that you could probably see the moon floating in the beautiful midday sky.

And there was something there, like a marionette puppet.

Almost transparent threads bound its entire body, extending straight up towards the sky.

What’s mysterious is their appearance.

They are covered in masks from head to toe, and these masks are shouting freely.

“Hey! The weather is great today! Good weather and children’s smiles are wonderful!”

All the masks shouted in unison.

The voices could only be heard by me and my dad, probably because only exorcists could see these monster forms.

The moment we heard the voices, my dad clicked his heels. It was part of his routine for fairy magic.

“Disappear.”

Daddy called his “pixies,” which soared into the sky at incredible speed. With a loud “bang,” they exploded into pieces.

“They are here! The exorcists!”

“Doesn’t matter!”

“We came to bring smiles to the children!”

“We’re giving the gift of happiness.”

“Swallow them.”

The monster’s sharp voice and my dad’s heel-clicking coincided.

A surprisingly large whale appeared and swallowed the monster. However, the whale’s belly suddenly inflated, and it burst open just like before.

“…….!”

Daddy gasped. The monster that emerged from the whale’s stomach shivered.

“Saaaa! ” “Attendance, attendance!” ” “Are you guys ready?” 

The masked monster laughs happily, as if Papa’s magic has no effect on it.

“Let’s start the show!”

At that moment, the threads binding the monster’s body unraveled.

The monster’s body floated and expanded like a cloth.

From the expanded space, dolls began to fall.

“Now, members of the acting troupe, let’s enjoy ourselves to the fullest! Ahaha!”

Daddy wore a bitter expression when he heard their voices. I, too, was left speechless.

Because only monster forms of “Rank 5 and above” could create monsters.

“Nina, run! I’ll figure something out…”

Daddy said that much before the sky slowly turned gray above him.

It was as if we had been cut off from the world.

“A barrier…”

Daddy’s face twisted.

“Dad, does this mean…”

“Entry and exit are prohibited. You can’t get out unless you break the barrier from outside.”

Could a monster of “Rank 5 and above” do something like that?

Setting up a barrier, summoning monsters, it seemed like something a more powerful monster could do.

The moment I thought that, screams echoed from the merry-go-round.

I saw stuffed animals playing soccer with a man’s bloody head.

“Hey, you there! Let’s play together!”

“It’s fun!”

The boy who was called over seemed dazed, not knowing what had happened.

“Don’t worry! You won’t die! Only the adults will!”

“So let’s have fun together!”

“Let’s smile!”

Stuffed animals of various colors shouted with piercing voices.

“Now you too!”

“Swallow them.”

There was the sound of a heel clicking.

At that moment, the stuffed animals, along with the man’s head, were engulfed by the shadows.

“Whoa! Wawa!”

“Shadow sending!”

“It’s a magician!”

“We’re going to die!”

Along with nonchalant voices, the stuffed animals disappeared. As Daddy watched, he breathed out, and next to me, a woman was split in two.

“Mom?! Mom!!”

A girl screams as she is bathed in the blood of a woman who has been torn in two.

“Amazing!”

“Ahaha!”

“Let’s break them more beautifully!”

A stuffed animal raced past the girl.

But that’s not all.

Not only the girl, but also the adults around were being killed by the monsters.

Screams echoed. The screams grew more painful.

Blood was shed. People were easily dying.

“Run! Just run away from the stuffed animals!”

Dad shouted.

However, his voice couldn’t reach amid the overflowing screams in the amusement park, and only the laughter of the stuffed animals echoed.

“Nina! Don’t leave Dad…!”

“Y-yeah.”

She grabbed onto Dad’s clothes.

At the moment she grasped it, the body of the woman that had been torn into two twitched! She made a sound, “Huh…” and leaked a voice.

The two halves of the woman’s body slowly moved right and left… It was somewhat insect-like.

“I think that children represent the completion of humans. They’re something beautiful, you see. But, you know, for children to grow, I think they need adults.”

The masked monsters wriggled.

The moving mouths of the woman’s body started to move slowly.

“Ah… soo…”

“Mama…?”

A girl looks on with tears in her eyes.

I stare at the strangeness of a dead person moving.

“Scorch them!”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the situation, but instead, my dad shouted. At that moment, a large dragon was born from under his feet.

I had seen it only once before. It was the most powerful fairy that my dad could use, “Ifrit.”

The blue flames it breathed out consumed the moving woman, leaving nothing behind, not even bones or blood.

“…Huh? Mom…?”

The girl let out a hoarse voice when her mother completely vanished from her sight.

To silence that voice, my dad shouted, “Burn the stuffed animals and the dead people, Ifrit! Before this place turns into the Carnival of a Hundred Monsters!”

The Carnival of a Hundred Monsters. People killed by monsters turned into demons, and the monsters became uncontrollable. It led to a catastrophe.

To prevent that, exorcists fought.

“Whoops!”

“Don’t interfere! It’s inconvenient!”

“This place is fun!”

“It’s a party venue!”

At that moment, a monster like a puppet floated right in front of my dad.

“You’re not invited.”

“Take it away!”

My dad summoned the pixies once more, and they grabbed the monster’s body. The moment they caught it, the body inflated, turned inside out, and became a stuffed animal.

The stuffed animal started running.

“Ahaha!”

“Weak magic!”

“Maybe a Bishop of the Fourth Rank?”

“Or perhaps a Knight of the Third Rank?”

“…Eat.”

My dad’s voice, about to shout, stopped halfway.

“…Dad?”

I raised my head.

There was nothing there.

Only half of my dad’s body remained, the left half was missing.

“Dad!?”

“Hmm…”

“Current exorcists are at this level, huh?”

The monsters spoke whatever they liked.

“We can’t talk to you.”

My dad collapsed.

I pulled his clothes behind me desperately, but his body was falling forward as I pulled it backward.

“No… Dad! No!”

“Oh dear.”

“Come to think of it.”

“I haven’t introduced myself yet.”

They introduced themselves.

“Now, let’s introduce ourselves! A Queen of the Sixth Rank is here.”

They were a monster of the “Sixth Rank Queen.”

“Puppet Lapette Marionette.”

“…!” 

“It’s a good name, right?”

“It’s a cute name.”

The masks spoke like they were reciting incantations.

I wanted to block my ears because I couldn’t stand it, but if I did, my dad would fall.

When I didn’t know what to do, my dad slowly extended his arm.

“…There’s something wrong with you.”

Blood was flowing.

My dad was bleeding.

“Dad?”

“Queen? There’s no way…”

The blood slowly began to heat up.

“There’s only one queen…!”

“Ahaha!”

“In terms of presence, you’re like a King of the Seventh Rank!”

“Ifrit…!”

In an instant, Ifrit, who was setting the amusement park on fire, returned to my dad’s side.

“Take… her… away!”

When it returned, it licked my dad’s blood and then unleashed flames towards the monsters. The blue flames became even brighter, making it impossible to keep my eyes open. I closed my eyes involuntarily but held onto my dad’s clothes tightly. I did it because I thought that way, my dad wouldn’t go anywhere, and he wouldn’t die.

“Nina, listen to what I’m about to say.”

“…Dad?”

“Dad will always be with you.”

The moment he said that, Ifrit devoured my dad’s remaining right arm.

“…Huh?”

“Trading the body.”

“Boosting magic power?”

“Quite classical.”

Ifrit roared, and the flames grew even stronger. The flames began to consume my dad. He burned with a blue flame.

Even though I held onto his clothes, I shouldn’t feel any heat, but…

“No…! Dad, no…!”

“It’s okay. Dad will always be with Nina.”

Dad was burning. With a ‘spaa,’ the sound of my dad’s ear disappeared. The moment it disappeared, the color of the flames turned purple. The flames scattered around the amusement park intensified, and with crackling sounds, the merry-go-round melted away.

But I didn’t feel any heat. My dad didn’t burn people.

“No, it’s different! It’s not like that!”

I understood what he was trying to do. Dad intended to die and exorcise that monster.

“I don’t want Dad to die!”

“Thank you, but Dad is an exorcist…”

Thud.

“Okay, it’s over.”

“Without the resolve…”

“…to sacrifice your life…”

“…you can’t.”

Dad’s head fell. It landed on the ground with a ‘thud.’

“…It’s not true…!”

“…But it is.”

“This is reality…”

“…Now that the interference is gone…”

“…shall we continue the party?”

Despite talking and laughing just earlier, Dad’s head had fallen and… was saying nothing. Half of his face was covered in blood and illuminated by Ifrit’s flames, but he just lay there without saying anything.

“No…! I don’t want this! Dad! Dad!!”

“Hmm…”

“I don’t like the crying of children.”

“I like smiles.”

“Dad! Dad!!”

I let go of my dad’s clothes, and his body fell. As I tried to run toward my dad’s head, my feet suddenly stopped, and I couldn’t move. My body was forcibly turned around. I was made to look at the monsters. In front of me, the monsters approached.

“Smiles suit you.”

“Children should always smile.”

“Now, let’s smile together.”

I didn’t understand what they were saying at all. Because Dad had died, there was no way I could smile. But when I heard those words, my mouth moved on its own. My cheeks were pulled involuntarily, and I was forced to smile.

“That’s it!”

“Smile, smile!”

“Now, let’s all smile together!”

“……”

I was out of breath. I didn’t want to laugh. There was no reason to smile. But my face moved on its own, and I found myself speaking involuntarily.

“Ahaha!”

Laughter bubbled up, and tears overflowed alongside it.

“That’s right!”

“That’s what’s worthy of a festival carnival!”

“Ahahaha!”

Even though I didn’t want to, I kept laughing. Even though I was unbearably sad, tears flowed uncontrollably, my legs were trembling, and I couldn’t breathe, I just couldn’t stop laughing.

“Fun, isn’t it?”

“It’s so much fun!”

“Everyone’s smiling.”

“What a wonderful world!”

“Ahahaha! Cough, cough! Hahaha!!!”

Ifrit’s flames continued to burn down the amusement park. They burned the plush toys. Using what remained of my dad’s magic, Ifrit burned down the plush toys. However, that too ended quickly. The plush toys possessed Ifrit cut and cut off its head, just like my dad.

“Ah! Ahahaha! Cough!”

I couldn’t stop laughing, even though nothing was funny. I laughed. I couldn’t help myself, even though I was so sad that tears were welling up, my legs were shaking, and I couldn’t breathe.

I laughed even though I didn’t find anything amusing.

When I realized it, my legs were becoming fluffy. I looked down. I turned into a stuffed animal.

My body was transforming into a stuffed animal.

“A-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!”

Dad died. He was killed.

Yet, I can’t do anything but laugh.

It’s frustrating, it’s sad, but all I can do is laugh.

It seemed like I was laughing at my dad.

It seemed like I was laughing at my dad who had died helplessly, without being able to do anything.

Even though he was an exorcist, he couldn’t protect anyone.

“Well, well.”

“Preparations are in order.”

“Come on, to my world!”

When the puppet-like monster shouted, all the plush toys exploded simultaneously.

“Huh?”

“Is the barrier already broken?”

“Could it be a new exorcist?”

“Why is that so amusing?”

Voices fell from the sky. The monsters looked up at the sky, and I could only see it through my eyes.

“Even though people are dying, what’s so funny?”

The sky… is… split…

The gray sky split, and through the fissure, I saw a boy fell from the sky.

“I see, I see.”

“This place is this girl’s memory, huh?”

As the entire landscape was disintegrating, Itsuki descended from the sky.

Itsuki reached out.

The moment he reached out, my body was freed from whatever bound it. The laughter suddenly ceased, and I started coughing. When I realized it, my hands and feet, which had turned into plush toys, had returned to normal, thanks to Itsuki’s healing magic.

When I noticed it, Itsuki was standing in front of me. He was acting as a shield between the monsters and me.

“I used Hamanabuda.”

Itsuki came to my aid.

“Sorry, Nina-chan. I’m late.”

Itsuki had come to my rescue!

“I’ll take care of the rest. Leave it to me”

The blazing amusement park disappeared, and in the sky, the puppet-like monsters from that time were hovering around.

I remembered everything perfectly now.

Why my dad died.

Why I was here.

I now remember why Itsuki had come to rescue me.

“Now, I’ll settle everything.”

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