"How could it be ......"

Lying on his back on the surface of the sea, his pupils dilated as the waves went up and down, and he couldn't believe what he had experienced before.

“…… Perfect, perfect sage...... Failed......"

After the sage was eliminated by Yakumo Mo, the Tenzuka Mercury, who had gotten rid of his control, also regained his senses.

"This can't be, this can't ......"

It's just that, after understanding the truth that he was just an artificial life form created by a sage and had never been a human being, he already thought that he had lost a qiē Tianzuka mercury could no longer accept the fact that the sage was defeated.

Yakumo Mo's body slowly landed and stood on the sea not far from Amazuka's body.

Sensing this, Amazuka raised his arm with difficulty, wanting to attack him.

"Still not giving up resistance? Why is that? ”

The metal lifeform that claimed to be Amazuka Mercury was tough enough to support its body, but Yakumo Mo's attack just now not only eliminated the sage, but also severely injured him along with him, and in the end, Amazuka Mercury could only have an empty smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, because I don't know what else I can do......"

"I'm so scared...... I'm afraid I'm not going to be me anymore...... Who the hell am I? What was it for? And what should be done? ”

As he continued to ask questions spontaneously, Tenzuka's voice gradually became high-pitched, and finally he roared and shouted at Yakumo Mo.

"You say! What the hell should I do! ”

Yakumo was silent.

There was no answer, and Amazuka's smile became more and more broken.

"You don't know? Ha ha...... Hahahaha......"

“…… Is that the identity of a human being so important to you? ”

Yakumo asked suddenly.

He didn't understand, even if he had been a human, he still didn't understand why Amazuka Mercury would attach so much importance to the fact that he was "human or not".

"That's ...... Absolutely!! ”

Use your last strength. Amazuka ripped open his clothes, revealing his torn chest.

It was a chest with more than half of its body turned to metal.

"I'm such a monster...... Monster...... How can you live! ”

Shaking his head and sighing, Yakumo Mo, who was already a demon, didn't know what to say for a moment in the face of an alchemical creature who was trying to become a human.

After a long silence. Yakumo spoke: "In fact, from the moment you aspire to be a human being, you have been able to survive as a human being. ”

"You ——!!"

Amazuka's eyes widened and he looked at Yakumo Mo.

"Haha! A demon, a monster! Actually told me how to behave! Ha ha...... Hahaha......"

"You're surprised? You know, I used to be a human ...... too."

Standing on the surface of the sea, letting the sea breeze hold up his long hair, Yakumo raised his head and looked at the blue sky, and above his head, there were seagulls circling.

The sound is far away. It was as if it were a memory from a long time ago.

In fact, the experience of being a human being has long been like another person's memory for him now.

"What? It can't be—"

"—nothing impossible."

The corners of his mouth were filled with complicated smiles, and Yakumo retracted his gaze to look at Amazuka.

"It's just that, in my opinion, being a human being is not as beautiful as you think. What you can't get. It's often the best, when you actually become a human being. Maybe you won't agree with what you think now. ”

"Whether it's a human, a vampire, a youkai, or an alchemical creature like you......"

“…… At the end of the day, what's the difference? If it's power, then there is also a power in the human race that is so powerful that even the big youkai can avoid its edge. ”

"So. What is it that separates humans from other living beings? ”

"Yes...... What the? ”

"yes, I want to know what ...... is too"

After a while, Yakumo Mo's body slowly rose.

"You...... Did you just let me go? ”

"How to deal with you, in fact, the one who has the most say is Xia Yin, just with that child's character. She'll just choose to let you go—"

Yakumo lowered his head and looked at Amazuka Mercury, who was still lying on the surface of the sea.

"—So, do it yourself."

Turning into a streamer, Yakumo ink instantly disappeared in front of Tenzuka's eyes.

◇

"Brother Yakumo!!"

As soon as he returned to the cruise ship, Yakumo threw himself into the warm body of nephrite jade in his arms.

Natsune hugged Yakumo's waist tightly, trying to squeeze her petite body into that warm chest.

Ji Hiiragi, who was holding the dagger, stepped forward, looked at the situation in front of her with a little blush, and asked in a low voice, "Yakumo-sensei, ...... that alchemist?" ”

"It's settled."

Touching Xia Yin's head, the corners of Yakumo's mouth raised an elegant smile.

"Xia Yin, what would you do if you were asked to deal with that Tenzuka mercury?"

"Huh? I? ”

Raising his head from Ya Yunmo's arms, Xia Yin was stunned for a moment, then frowned in distress, and then pouted and said, "That, if he repents, let him go, right?" ”

"But he killed everyone in the monastery except you?"

"But, but...... Even if Amazuka mercury is executed, everyone won't come back to life, will they? In that case, why do you want people to die......"

Looking at Yakumo cautiously, the kind girl was worried that he would be angry because of it.

"Well, I knew Natsuon-chan would say that, so ah, I've already let that guy go."

"Teacher, will this be ......?"

Ji Hiiragi Yukina was a little worried, wouldn't it really be disastrous to let such an alchemist leave on his own?

Xia Yin breathed a sigh of relief, with a happy smile on his face, and turned to look at Ji Hiiragi Yukina after letting go of Yakumo Mo.

"Yukina-san, it's okay."

"That...... All right! ”

In the end, Ji Hiiragi Yukina can only agree with this treatment.

"Ha, the soy sauce guy is here......"

"Huh? Soy sauce? ”

Hearing Yakumo's words, Ji Hiiragi Yukina and Xia Yin were stunned at the same time, and then suddenly heard a sound of breaking the air.

Dragging the ass of water vapor and breaking through the flying object flying straight from the sea, Hiiragi Yukina's eyes suddenly widened in horror: "Cruise missiles!! ”

It was too late to realize this.

The "cruise missile" with a cruising speed of Mach 2.8 flew over the tanker in Yakumo's faint eyes, but the two girls flew over the tanker in horror.

It's just that. There was no expected explosion, and at the moment when the two girls thought that the cruise missile was a direct hit-

"The realm of movement and stillness."

The sound of breaking through the air disappeared abruptly, and the fast-flying object stopped completely in defiance of physical laws, as if the picture had been suddenly suspended.

"Wow!!"

An exclamation was heard, followed by something falling on the deck, and then. The eerily halted cruise missile continued to fly forward, and soon disappeared from everyone's sight.

A boy in a coat and a girl in a brown skin costume were lying on the deck.

"—It hurts...... Ahhh I almost thought I couldn't stop! ”

"Really, this body is about to collapse from a sudden stop at such a fast speed......

When the two of them finally adjusted from the contrast between rapid progress and sudden stop, Ya Yunmo clasped his hands to his chest and smiled: "Yo, classmate Xiao Gucheng, I haven't seen you for such a short time, and you have another one in your harem?" ”

"Eight, Yakumo-sensei!"

Xiao Gucheng shook his head fiercely. After calming himself down, his face was full of complaints.

"Vampires can't stand such a rough way of parking, okay!"

"Hey, you can't die anyway, and being crippled or something is a joke for the True Ancestor, so the eldest husband ......"

"Is this what a teacher should say to a student!!"

At this time, Ji Hiiragi Yukina and Xia Yin reacted to who came here.

"Senior ......"

Yukina's wide-open eyes reflect the figure of the ancient city. A look of disbelief whispered.

Then she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and rushed out towards the ancient city.

"Huh!?"

The sword witch girl who was about to cry. Flew into the bosom of the ancient city.

She still clutched the bare dagger in her hands, and at the discovery of this fact, the ancient city's face froze.

"What the hell are you thinking, Senpai!? Why do such dangerous things——! ”

Hiiragi Yukina kept beating the ancient city's chest with her fist. Although this behavior was very cute, the dagger grip that emerged from her hand hit the ancient city directly, so Xiao Gucheng's face suddenly showed a painful expression - of course, Yakumo was convinced that it was faked.

"Of course, it's to save Ji Hiiragi!"

"I don't remember asking you!"

was denied his kindness on the spot by Yukina. Xiao Gucheng was a little lost.

"What's the point if even my predecessors encounter such a dangerous thing!? And after all, why did the people who came to save people come to the rescue with missiles to crash into them!? ”

"Ah...... It's not a missile, it's said to be a prototype plane, so let's talk about it. ”

"Please don't tell this kind of lie that even a child can't fool!"

"No, even if you tell me that......"

The Sword Witch Maiden raised her eyebrows and glared at the ancient city. The latter could only look up at Yakumo at a loss and smile dryly.

"Okay, stop arguing."

Yakumo interrupted the two of them with his mouth, and then looked at another girl with darker skin and the same appearance as Blue Feather and Light Onions, if you ignore the amount of breasts.

"You're the Great Alchemist Nina? Andrade? ”

"Exactly."

The alchemist with the appearance of a blue feather and a shallot, performed an ancient ritual.

"What is your ——??"

"Well, let's be the teacher of these children, just call me Yakumo. Besides, you're here to play, the matter of alchemist Amazuka mercury has been solved......"

"Huh!?"

Xiao Gucheng and Nina glanced at each other.

"How is that possible! The sage—"

"—the words of the sage, now it's scum......"

Turning around, Yakumo Mo looked at the endless sea.

As he recounted, the story gradually became known to everyone.

"I see...... Has it become like this......"

looked Yakumo up and down.

"If you can get rid of the sage, your strength is comparable to that of the True Ancestor......

"I can't beat this perverted teacher......"

Xiao Gucheng on the side muttered.

"Because you're only half-."

Nina complained unceremoniously, and then the alchemist looked at Yakumo again.

"Let me say thank you. Thanks to you, I am finally freed from the weight of two hundred and seventy years. ”

"It's easy to do, and I can't thank you enough."

"Ah......" Nina blinked, looking at Yakumo with a strange look, "Sure enough, it's still a little more accustomed to communicating with the elderly, and the juniors are talking too strangely now." ”

"You're mistaken, I'm a monster who is forever sixteen. It is important to keep in mind that older age is a forbidden thing. ”

"Huh!!"

On the deck, everyone's exclamations rang out. (To be continued......)