Arifureta After – Protector of Angel

Everyone too, please be very careful against the cold.

Part 1

A famous foreign manufactured car (Mercedes Benz) that was reputed to be the firmest in the world was gallantly driving on the road along the coast. The car’s exterior, which was shining silver, showed how well polished it was, making anyone who saw it understand how much the owner cherished it.

Inside that car, the sea breeze flowed in from the opened window and the classic song, which was the favorite of the car owner, was playing making the time of the people riding that car to pass in relaxation.

「This sea route still feels pleasant every time we come here.」

Yes, the refreshing voice that expressed the feeling of this drive, was the driver of this car and also its owner――Shirasaki Tomoichi. He had hair that was lightly flowing down his back, long slitted and gentle eyes, and a balanced body type while his age was only that of being in the middle of his forties; just from his appearance, he was a handsome man that could pass as a man that was still in his late twenties.

Sitting beside Tomoichi was a woman that nodded at Tomoichi’s words while saying「You’re right, no matter how many times we come here, this is a really good place.」, was Shirasaki Kaoruko. Looking at her straight black hair without any white hair, her droopy eyes, and the neat and clean atmosphere she was clad with, she was a woman that felt like a lady. She was the same as Tomoichi as her age was in the middle of her forties, but she still looked like a young woman in her late twenties.

Just like their family name showed, they were a married couple. Just from their atmosphere, it could be clearly seen how they had been building a satisfactory marital relationship.

But even while Tomoichi’s consciousness was concentrating on the driving, it didn’t seem like he was paying attention at his wife. Since before, he kept glancing at the rearview mirror and repeatedly paid attention to the rear seat. Even his impression of the drive just now seemed to be a bit forced if someone listened carefully, rather than saying that it was his true feeling it was more a lure for starting a conversation. And then, it was clear that the cause of that was the passenger in the rear seat.

Hearing no other response to his words other than from his wife, Tomoichi coughed「A, ahem」, this cough also seemed to be forced, and then he once again formed his words to try to attract the attention of the person in the rear seat. This happened while his wife beside him was giggling at him.

「O, Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan, their ages are already quite old, so how about we move here soon? A home near the sea is nice don’t you think? Hey, what do you think? Kaori?」

「……Absolutely, no.」

The cold voice and words that came back caused Tomoichi to let out a small groan「Uguu」. He once more began repeatedly glancing at the rearview mirror to look at his beloved daughter――Kaori’s expression who was sitting in the back.

Kaori was emitting an assertion「I am displeased desu!」from her whole body while staring fixedly on the outside as though to say that she absolutely wouldn’t meet Tomoichi’s eyes. But even with such a super displeased mode being turned on, her posture, without putting her elbow on the window or crossing her arms, of having her two hands were put on her lap with her back straight, was really Kaori like.

Tomoichi attempted to talk further with an expression that looked a little desperate at Kaori.

「I, is that so? In the past, each time we came to play here, wouldn’t you always say ‘I don’t want to go home!’. Remember Riko-chan who lived next door, or your cousin Sakura-chan, you always played together with them, right? I think moving here is not really ba――」

「Then, isn’t it fine if Otou-san moves here alone?」

「!? No way!? That’s too much you know, Kaoriii!」

With a snap, Tomoichi turned around to the back seat. The Benz of the Shirasaki family was zigzagging! A string slap landed on Tomoichi’s face! Tomoichi’s face was forcefully faced to the front!

A call「Dear?」from Kaoruko that made Tomoichi fell a small but intense chill resounded inside the car. 「Forgive me」Tomoichi honestly apologized. Tomoichi knew really well that the true anger of his wife was like a production machine of trauma. In his dream, the Shiro Yasha-san was making an appearance! (TN: Shiro Yasha=white demon)

「Geez, dear you really……there is no way Kaori will accept that suggestion, right? There is Shizuku-chan, and also her friends at school back there.」

「Pe, perhaps that’s true but……」

Tomoichi’s eyes were swimming while he was still feeling the stinging pain on his cheek. Seeming very reluctant, he whispered「Even so, I think that idea is not bad though……」

Currently, the Shirasaki family was heading to the home of Tomoichi’s parents where both his parents and his older brother and his wife were living. Tomoichi’s elder brother and his wife had a daughter that was four years older than Kaori. That daughter was a really helpful daughter even though she could be a bit frank; she was an existence that was like a big sister to Kaori. The house was near the sea, so the two of them often played at sea together with Riko of the Ayasaki family who lived next door.

Kaori was an only child, and because of that she really idolized Sakura. When Kaori was little she often clung to Sakura while throwing tantrums and yelling「I don’t want to go home yet」. Due to that, Tomoichi was thinking, could Kaori possibly consider moving there even now……could she be distanced from that nasty shitty brat……and so on, but…….

Kaoruko, who seemed to grasp those thoughts dwelling inside of Tomoichi’s heart clearly, was giggling while speaking about the thing that Tomoichi didn’t want to hear the most. About the real reason why Kaori was displeased. About the young man that was the reason that Kaori absolutely wouldn’t accept moving from home.

「Besides, you see? There is no way that Kaori will leave the town where Hajime-kun is, don’t you think?」

「Stop it Kaoruko! This is our long-awaited family’s homecoming without any outsiders, you know!? Don’t say anything about that shitty brat who dares to make a pass at the cute angel of our family――」

「Otou-san?」

Tomoichi felt a chill at his back and twitched. He understood even without looking. This was a presence that really resembled his wife’s! It would be there if he looked back! The incarnation of fury that his daughter inherited from her mother before he noticed――the Hannya-san!

But, just with this much, Otou-san wouldn’t lose. For the sake of his beloved daughter, the apple of his eye!

「Ka, Kaori, calm down. My words just now were a bit poor. But, as expected Otou-san, about that bagwor――ahem-. That tras――ehem-. That shitty――」

「……I’m going home right now. I won’t listen anymore to what Otou-san has to say.」

「Nooo! Kaori, listen to what I’m saying! Otou-san is thinking about what is best for Kaori’s sake……」(TN: Here Tomoichi is saying nooo in English.)

「Otou-san is badmouthing Hajime-kun because Otou-san is thinking about what’s best for me? I never thought that Otou-san is that kind of person.」

「You are wrong, Kaori! Even Otou-san doesn’t want to say bad things about, Ha, Haji, Haji――about that guy. But, but still? While that bastard already has Kaori, he still made many other girls to serve him and open their legs for him; on top of that, instead of feeling guilty, he is acting defiant, you know? Do you think there is any father that can entrust his daughter to that kind of shitty bastard? No, such a father doesn’t exist! I’m telling this for your own good. Kaori, cut your relation with that cocky rubbish scum――」

「I hate someone like Otou-san so much!」

「Gahah!?」

Tomoichi, who was hit by the speech that would empty the HP of any father in the whole country if it was said to them by their daughter, caused the car to zigzag once more. With tears gathering at the corner of his eye, Tomoichi was leaking out the voice「No waaay, Kaorii, My Angeeeel~」looking really pathetic. (TN: The ‘my angel’ here is said in English.)

A few months after Kaori returned home from the other world, Tortus. Tomoichi and Kaoruko were already introduced to Hajime. From the beginning, before the summoning, Tomoichi and Kaoruko already knew that Kaori had a boy in her mind, but putting aside Kaoruko, from the start Tomoichi was already unable to stomach that boy――Hajime.

It wasn’t like Tomoichi had a clear reason. It was the feeling of a father whose treasured daughter might be taken from him, that feeling might even be called as a conditioned reflex. Tomoichi sometimes even bared his hostility toward Kouki and Ryutaro. If he acted like that even to the childhood friends of his daughter, then Hajime, who had started to live inside his daughter’s heart before he noticed, was already like his sworn enemy, that really couldn’t be helped.

Naturally, because this was Tomoichi, whose level as a doting parent had already reached the max value when Kaori disappeared, it was already a disaster for him. At that time, Kaoruko’s physical condition also worsened, but the Shirasaki family somehow held on by borrowing the help of the elder brother’s family and their parents, and also their whole relatives.

And then, his beloved daughter returned home like a miracle. They were told about the truth of the disappearance which scared them out of their wits from various things, and then they were shown many mystics in order to prove Kaori’s story, naturally all of those were a succession of astonishment for them but……there was a matter that was really hard to forgive, to the degree that all those absurdities seemed like trivial matter.

Yes, it was the matter about how his beloved daughter(My Angel) had made a lover.

Furthermore, that lover had several other lovers other than Kaori, he didn’t even have any intention to separate from any of those lovers, and in the end, he started talking about taking them all as wives. ‘Are you making a fool of me-, you bastard!’ Tomoichi roared angrily like that many times……

On top of that, the daughter in question was accepting of such a harem situation and making a really happy expression that even Tomoichi had never seen before. She was also saying things like ‘together with the other girls!’, and upon hearing that several times Tomoichi yelled angrily ‘You bastaaard, you are putting my daughter under some strange magic, aren’t you! No, it absolutely must be like that, you harmful pest-!’……

Furthermore, the speech that all the fathers in the whole country feared that someday might be said to them, no, the speech that the fathers had resolved they wouldn’t let any man say! ――「Father-in-law, please give your daughter to me!」, instead became「Father-in-law, I’ve received your daughter. Please take care of me from here on too」. When that curve ball was thrown to Tomoichi, he very naturally thought this, 「Yosh, let’s kill this guy」.

Everything was for the sake of his beloved daughter, to protect her from a bad man. Yet despite so, when he was about to punch the bastard, the one who pinioned him from the back was the daughter herself. While Hajime, who was about to be punched, kept sitting calmly and composedly. That self-assured attitude (Hajime himself was aware that he had something that was considered the worst, so he was only waiting to be punched) was also something he couldn’t stomach! Tomoichi was raging「This shitty bastarddd-, I’ll beat you to deathhhhh!」like that, but in the end was stopped by Kaori「Otou-san, calm dooooown!」with a suplex. Because Tomoichi lost consciousness, the meeting at that time was dissolved just but……

After that, Tomoichi knew that actually, Kaori had already climbed the stair of adulthood, which caused Tomoichi’s killing intent to climb without knowing a place to stop.

This time too, actually Kaori wanted to participate in the Nagumo family’s little gathering. But Tomoichi who thought ‘No way I’ll let my daughter go to the devil’s place’ hurriedly scheduled a visit to his parents and took Kaori along half forcefully.

When Kaori was in the middle of talking to Hajime about the arrangement, Tomoichi took away Kaori’s phone and said to the phone「Kaori has plans! She is going to spend her holiday with me! From here on too she won’t have any openings in her plans! Don’t call anymore, you scum bastard!」, and then he cut off the connection as he pleased.

Naturally, Kaori was getting angry at her father’s doing, but Tomoichi only looked aside with a huff and turned a deaf ear to Kaori. While that was happening, Hajime used telepathy to Kaori to tell her 「You should spend time with your family this time. Actually, I really understand how your father is feeling.」with a wry smile, and so Kaori reluctantly acquiesced to visit her grandparents.

Although, Kaori’s mood, who had her phone call taken over as it pleased on top of the fact that her lover had abusive language spouted at him, was at its lowest, so since they departed from their home, Tomoichi was desperate in currying favor to his daughter.

「Come on you two. Leave it at this; we are going to arrive soon, see?」

While smiling wryly at the cold war (one-sided) between father and daughter, Kaoruko intermediated between them. Just as she said before they realized it, they had entered a residential area, and in front of the car, a splendid house with two buildings that they were really familiar with began to become visible.

While being concerned about Kaori’s state, Tomoichi stopped the car at the shoulder of the road, in front of the house. In the middle, *garigari*, an ominous scraping sound that should not come from a high class car could be heard, but such a thing was only a trivial matter for Tomoichi who was hopelessly bothered over his daughter’s state. He left aside the expression of his wife that was looking like she had a headache.

Kaori immediately got out of the car without saying anything. Tomoichi also hurriedly got out of the car and took out the luggage from the car’s trunk.

「Kaori. Otou-san will carry the luggage for you!」

They planned to stay for three or four days, so Kaori’s luggage was in a Boston bag sized bag. Tomoichi carried the luggage while speaking smilingly, but Kaori walked briskly to him and tore off her luggage from him with a huff.

「It’s only until the entrance, Otou-san is too exaggerating. ……If it’s Hajime-kun, he will naturally bring the luggage without saying anything like that.」

「!? Is, is that so!? Ha, Haji……that bastard, earning a point in a petty way like that. (Hajime-kun, really is a considerate child isn’t he~)」

「……Haah. Dear, your true feelings and surface attitude are reversed there you know.」

Kaori averted her face ‘Puiihh!!’ from Tomoichi who was plainly leaking out his true feelings without hiding it at all, and then she ignored Tomoichi and walked away briskly. Tomoichi fell to his knees at the entrance of the house. His figure that was on all fours with his head hanging down was really inviting pity……

「……Just when I thought that you all finally arrived. Oji-san, what are you doing in that kind of place? The neighbors are looking, so I want you to stop doing that though.」(TN: Oji-san=uncle)

When Kaori was about to ring the chime of the door, a resident of the house, that seemed to come from the backyard while circling the house to the front, called with a voice that sounded exasperated and astonished.

「Sakura-oneechan!」

「Welcome Kaori. As always, it looks like it’s difficult for you involving various things, but I’m glad that you look energetic. Just relax slowly here.」

Kaori smiled widely at the owner of that voice――her cousin Shirasaki Sakura and embraced her.

Sakura, who was a female college student, had straight brown hair. She was a beautiful woman with a well proportion body like a model (TN: The words used here have the meaning beautiful, well-proportioned woman (body 8 times longer than the head)). The features of her face itself vaguely resembled Kaori, but the atmosphere she was clad in was basically cool. She felt like the so-called frank girl. Her hand was holding a hose that was trickling water, so surely she was just watering the garden before this.

Sakura’s cool gaze softened at her cousin that was like a little sister who leaped into her chest, and then she used her empty hand to caress Kaori’s head gently.

When she heard that Kaori was involved in a group disappearance, she was really worried to the point that she felt lost. Naturally, when she was notified that Kaori had come home, she immediately went to meet her directly. And so, different from the other distant relatives, she had already met with Kaori several times since Kaori’s return.

Even so, the society was still in commotion in regard to the topic of the returnees. The topic could be seen enough on the television, so as expected, it was something joyful to be able to see Kaori’s energetic face directly like this.

Having the sharp words of his niece directed at him, Tomoichi hung his head down even lower. Kaoruko was dragging Tomoichi while entering together with Kaori and Sakura into the house where the grandparents and uncle were living.

Part 2

The sun had already gone down by this point. On the coastal street where the veil of night was beginning to fall, Kaori and Sakura were walking close to each other like true sisters.

「The live show was amazingly lively, wasn’t it? I don’t really go often to that kind of event, so I was really excited.」

「Is that so? Then that’s good. There were only local bands, so I wondered if it was strange for you.」

Kaori, who received a passionate welcoming at Sakura’s home, had passed a relaxing time there while talking to each other about their families’ recent state for a while. And then when it was evening, she was told that there was a live event of the local bands at the coastal venue starting at that time, so she was taken along by Sakura to attend at the live to kill time.

Sakura responded to her cheerfully smiling younger sister that she would be glad if Kaori was able to enjoy the show, however, Sakura’s expression was twitching a bit. The cause of that was one person. Sakura glanced over her shoulder behind them.

「Uu, Kaoriii. My angeeel. Can you make eye contact with Otou-san soon? Otou-san is going to die here from the loneliness.」

Yes, it was Tomoichi. For two women to go to a live show by themselves, they didn’t know what could happen to them. Giving that argument, Tomoichi went along with Kaori and Sakura, but the attitude of Kaori that treated him like he didn’t exist caused Tomoichi to make a contorted face that was about to cry. Furthermore, Kaori didn’t change her attitude at all even after looking at her father acting like that; instead, she was still smiling cheerfully, and looking at such a Kaori, honestly speaking, it was a bit scary.

The cold war between the father and daughter was definitely inflicting damage to Sakura’s stomach.

By the way, the reason Kaori was taking such an attitude wasn’t only because of the quarrel in the car, or Tomoichi’s accompaniment to the live show. Actually, when the families were talking at Sakura’s house, a topic about Hajime came up and urged by Sakura, Kaori made a call but……anyway what could be said was that Tomoichi bombed that phone call once more.

「……Hey, Kaori. How about you forgive Oji-san soon? Oji-san, he looks like he is seriously going to cry there. Honestly, having an uncle with a face that’s about to cry following behind you on the street at night, it’s scary.」

「Fufu, sheesh Sakura-oneechan. What are you saying? No matter where you look, there isn’t anyone like that here, you know?」

「Kaoriii! Otou-san is right here! Now, look here, please!」(TN: The ‘please’ is said in English.)

「See? There is no one, right?」

「Haa……」

Sakura’s stomach received further damage. For Sakura, if her cute little sister made a boyfriend, then she also wouldn’t be so accepting of that boyfriend. Therefore, it wasn’t like she couldn’t understand Tomoichi’s feeling. But, in reverse, to have a parent saying this and that about the person that she liked was……as a girl in the same position of being a daughter, she was also able to understand Kaori’s feelings. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

‘Geez, anything is fine, so won’t something happen that will end this father-daughter fight that has become quite troublesome’, when Sakura was running from reality by thinking that……

「Eehh? You girls there, you two were at the live show just now, right? What a coincidence! Want to talk a bit?」

It came. Inside her heart, Sakura held her head thinking「What kind of timing this is.」. Ahead of the gaze of Sakura, there was a group of youngsters with a really flashy atmosphere as though they were someone that really liked messing around. When judging from their similar appearances, there were about ten people. Sakura grandly made retorts, like why they were calling out to two girls when there were about ten people in their group, or whether they even saw the man who seemed to be the father behind the two of them. Of course, those were done inside her heart.

「My bad, but we have plans after this.」

「Plans? It’s plans to go play, right? Then, let’s go together yeah. The more, the merrier.」

Sakura politely refused, but the seducer group was grinning while surrounding Sakura and Kaori. No matter how they looked at this, it didn’t seem like they were planning to let the two of them go home merely. Because Sakura and Kaori were a beautiful woman and girl that really couldn’t be found that often in this area, these men wouldn’t give up that easily.

But, naturally, seeing his beloved daughter and cute nephew getting hit on, there was no way Tomoichi could just stay quiet.

「You all. My daughter just said that she doesn’t want to go with you. Now, open the way. We all just enjoyed a nice live show. Let both of our groups avoid any troublesome matter.」

「Aa, what is it, old man? Rather, your daughter? Eeh? By any chance, are you coming along with your daughter? Uwaa, that’s seriously disgusting.」

「Hey old man, being overprotective is no good. Is this what is called an over-demanding parent? Have some self-awareness. Seriously, how uncool.」

「Rather, the one harassing these two here is you old man. Seriously, realize that. Come on, you two too, let’s leave this stalker father and come play with us, yeah?」

The men who were trying to pick up the girls guffawed loudly from the words of Tomoichi who came to the front while verbally abusing Tomoichi. Hearing their words, Tomoichi didn’t even look particularly angry, far from that, he didn’t even show any fear being surrounded by more than ten people. He firmly said something more to stop the men from picking up girls more than anything but……

Perhaps feeling that Tomoichi, who was blocking their way, was irritating, one of the men passed beside Tomoichi and stretched his hand out toward Kaori.

「Can you not touch my daughter?」

「-, you really are noisy huh.」

Tomoichi suddenly gripped the man’s hand, his almond eyes quietly narrowed and he gave words of restraint. Tomoichi wasn’t particularly strong in a brawl. In his occupation, he was a first class architect, and there was no chance for his physical strength to be questioned in such an occupation. Even so, as an adult male who had piled up experience, furthermore, as a father who was witnessing someone trying to lay their hand on his daughter, the light of his eyes contained a considerable amount of pressure.

Therefore, the man was reflexively overpowered mentally. However, it seemed the man felt some shame from that fact, and his face immediately turned red indignantly. The man shook off the hand of Tomoichi that was grasping his hand, and at the same time, he hit Tomoichi.

Tomoichi let out a muffled voice, and something red oozed from the corner of his lips.

The man, driven by his indignation, swung his arm further, while the other men also stepped forward to further hurt Tomoichi who was a hindrance for them. Sakura was raising her voice to stop them while her fingers were gliding on her smartphone to contact the police, but it was at that moment,

「What are you all doing, I wonder? I wonder?」

Dread rushed through all the people in that place.

And then they noticed it. Before they even realized it, Kaori, who was already at Tomoichi’s side, had stopped the fist of the man that was swinging downward with one hand.

A chill that was impossible to understand lathered on their skin causing bumps and the strange situation of a girl smiling while stopping the serious punch of an older man with just one hand caused everyone to stiffen. In the middle of that, Kaori let out words with a flat tone that was the opposite of her smiling face.

「I’m asking you here, just what are you doing to my Otou-san, I wonder?」

「Wha, what the hell, are you!? Aa!? The father of you bitch was screwing around, so I was only giving him a lesson!」

The intimidating air that Kaori emitted caused the man whose fist was stopped to go into a frenzy while ranting. And then, the man’s other hand tried to strike in order to “give a lesson” to Kaori.

「Otou-san was screwing around? I guess so. Indeed, he is a troubling Otou-san who is always screwing around. He is overprotective, treating me like I’m still a small child. He immediately sulks if he is not paid attention to, and he keeps badmouthing Hajime-kun.」

「hrk, wha, what the hell-. This stupid strength-」

Kaori was talking with a small voice in a murmur, leaving the dumbfounded surrounding to lurch.

All the while gripping the two wrists of a man with a build far larger than herself.

From a glance, it was clear that the man was trying to pull his hands away with all his strength, but the hands holding him didn’t even twitch, as though he was being shackled with iron to a wall. Kaori’s words reached toward the man who was half falling into a panic.

「But you see, Otou-san is kind you know? He always thinks of me, no matter how busy he is with his work he always tries to make time to speak with me, he always protects me even though he is not strong in a brawl. When I worked hard, he praised me a lot, and when I made mistakes, he scolded me a lot.」

Kaori lifted her face. However, that gaze wasn’t directed at the man in front of her eyes. What she was looking at was Tomoichi at the side.

「……Otou-san, I’m sorry. I should have stopped it before you got hit. I recalled many things, so I was late to move. Thank you, for trying to protect me.」

「Kaori……」

Tomoichi only called Kaori’s name while looking at her wry smile. He could do nothing else but that. The reason was that his daughter’s figure was looking really grown-up for some reason. It was as though she was letting go of his hand; as if she had already left the nest since a long time ago. Even though they were in the middle of a situation like this, the loneliness that flooded his chest clogged up all his words.

Kaori moved his gaze from Tomoichi toward the men surrounding them, and then she let out her words along with an icy gaze.

「My father is the greatest father in the world. Don’t you dare, humans at the level of you all, make fun of him!」

「You bitch, let go of me alre――bugeh!?」

A kick that pointed to the sky was launched immediately after the angry yell. That kick impacted the jaw of the man whose both hands were gripped, and like that, that man was blown away like a joke in a parabolic arc.

The air returned to dead silence.

「If you all disappear right now, then I’ll overlook this.」

Kaori’s words resounded dignifiedly. A dainty girl was sending a young man with good physique flying with one kick――normally, the group of men would surely sense the abnormality of the situation; however, the difference in number between both sides and the common sense that said there was no way ten men could lose against a high school girl caused them to mistake their choice for the sake of their tiny pride.

The men were breathing roughly in agitation, their mouths hurled out unrestrained abusive language, and they adjusted their stance in preparation to attack.

「Yep, I guess it can only be like this. People like you all surprisingly all have the same pattern.」

Kaori lightly waved both her hands. Immediately, *kyakin!* a satisfying sound resounded, and two metallic poles appeared in both her hands. Those were extendable batons.

Kaori was wearing short sleeve clothes, which made anyone want to retort just where she hid those batons, but those who knew knew that it was great that what came out were only extendable batons, wasn’t it. Inside the ring that was attached with a crimson jewel dangling on Kaori’s neck, there were even brutal large swords that could easily split a great rock into two; those swords were exactly Kaori’s specialized weapon.

In the end, the two sword style using the extendable batons (Adamantium made-Lightning Clad enchantment) flashed on the coastal street at night; it became a fierce society study for the young men. Along with a trauma that wouldn’t disappear.

「Oji-san. It’s great, isn’t it? Kaori got angry like this for Oji-san’s sake. See, she is just like Oba-san. Please look at this goosebumps. It’s also like this when Oba-san is angry.」(TN: Oba-san=aunt)

「……Yo, you are right. Also, is, is it just my feeling? It feels like I can see “something” on Kaori’s back just like Kaoruko though.」

The last man ate a fierce blow at his butt that would make even a Thai kick look like mere child’s play; that man screamed「Aaa―――!!」while flying through the air. Sakura and Tomoichi were looking at that scene with a distant look and raised a dry laugh.

After that, Kaori tampered with the memory of the seducers with her own soul magic before she returned toward Tomoichi and Sakura with a really nice smile. It went without saying how Tomoichi and Sakura shivered altogether.

After that, seeing Kaori getting all fidgety looking like she wanted to talk with Tomoichi, Sakura read the mood and went back home first. Currently, Tomoichi and Kaori were walking silently with just the two of them on the path home.

「Otou-san, it doesn’t hurt anymore?」

「Yeah, it’s fine already Kaori. ……Magic is really amazing huh. You have shown it to me many times, so it feels too late saying this, but even now it still makes me feel admiration witnessing it.」

The wound on his lips had been healed by Kaori’s healing magic. Tomoichi said his thanks to Kaori with admiration just like he said. Feeling relieved hearing that, Kaori’s expression softened. And then, her gaze began wandering as though she was searching for words.

Seeing that state of his daughter, Tomoichi half-guessed just what she wanted to speak about and sighed inside his heart, then he urged Kaori to speak.

「Kaori, if there is something you want to say, then you can just say it as it is within your mind. After all, I’m the best father in the world. No matter what is it, I’ll listen to what you have to say.」

Kaori chuckled at the way her father spoke, and she opened her mouth.

「Say, I noticed this just now but……Hajime-kun, he resembles Otou-san doesn’t he-, that’s what I think.」

「……Can you pause there, Kaori? Even Otou-san has this thing called limit to what I can and cannot accept, you know? I’m similar to that harem man that is like a walking and talking haughty arrogance? I wonder, can Otou-san go out for a little bit of a journey? It’s okay; I think after finding myself for about a year, Otou-san will be able to stand up again.」

「Ahaha, that’s not what I meant. What I mean is not the current Hajime-kun, but the previous Hajime-kun.」

「The previous?」

Kaori nodded toward Tomoichi who showed a questioning face. And then, she narrowed her eyes in nostalgia and began to talk.

「Yes, previously. He couldn’t fight or anything at all, but when he thought that it was necessary, then he would step out without hesitation, that kind of weak but strong person. Yep, surely, that was why I became curious about Hajime-kun. Because, if I can be with a person that is similar with Otou-san, then I will be happy, I know that from looking at Kaa-san.」

「Kaori……. Right now, Otou-san’s feelings are really complicated. I’m happy but perhaps not happy……. However, that’s really hard to believe huh. That him, and the him of the past that Kaori talked about, I really cannot connect the two of them……」

「Isn’t that right. I too, when I reunited with Hajime-kun I was really shaken then. That was how much he changed. It was really terrible for him, to the degree that it was absolutely necessary for him to change. But, even so, deep inside he didn’t change. That’s why there are people that love Hajime-kun that much. A person who is merely insincere and like women, it would be strange if that kind of person is surrounded by that many people, isn’t it?」

「……Perhaps it’s just as you say. But, even so, as expected as a father it’s hard for me to consent. No matter who, if it is a father who has a daughter, then he will surely want to entrust his daughter to a person who will treasure her the most and only her.」

Tomoichi scratched his head looking troubled. Kaori took Tomoichi’s arm and then hugged him happily.

「Thank you, Otou-san. But, I have confidence. Indeed, it’s not just me alone that is with him, and I might not be the number one, even so, I’m confident that I can have happiness that won’t lose to anyone. Even though there are many people that are walking together with him, even so, I can puff up my chest and say I am cherished. Because, the person who had crawled up from the bottom of the abyss just with the thought that he wanted to go home to his important family, and defeated even god just because he wanted to take back his important person, such a person is the one who gave his promise to me, you know?」

Kaori showed Tomoichi the ring that was dangling from her neck. Different from the treasure warehouse, it was just a ring, but it was the eternal ring that was filled with the oath of her loved one.

After seeing that ring, Tomoichi’s expression turned extremely bitter.

「Otou-san. Hajime-kun, he is a person that will treasure every aspect of his important people, even the treasured people of that treasured people. That’s why he said that he wouldn’t give up no matter how much Otou-san hates him. He told me that he would treasure Otou-san and Okaa-san too.」

「……」

「That’s why, I understand that this is not normal, that this is something outlandish, but it’s fine even if it will take time. I want Otou-san to treasure Hajime-kun too. I want Otou-san to treasure my treasured person too.」

Kaori’s words rode the flowing night wind that carried the aroma of salt and vanished. Tomoichi’s expression was still bitter without any reply. If anyone looked at his eyes, they would be able to see a horrible discord whirling inside.

The long silence was continuing. Only the sounds of footsteps and sea waves were resounding in the ears of the two.

It was unknown how much time had passed, but before long Tomoichi deeply and grandly sighed. Toward Kaori who was staring at Tomoichi anxiously, his shoulders dropped while one of his hands held out to Kaori.

「Kaori. Can you contact that guy……Hajime-kun for me?」

「Otou-san……yes, wait a little bit.」

Kaori took her smartphone and called Hajime with a few rings. Hajime, who answered the phone, was told by Kaori that Tomoichi wanted to talk. Hajime consented readily without sounding particularly worked up. Hajime’s attitude that sounded composed caused Tomoichi’s face to turn bitter once more. Kaori handed over the smartphone while smiling wryly at that expression of his father.

「……It’s me.」

『It has been a long time.』(TN: Hajime used extremely polite language here.)

「Hmph! We just met around two months ago. Saying it has been a long time from that……it appears that within you, the matter of me is just like a mere stone at the roadside, huh.」

『No, that’s unthinkable. The family of Kaori is as important as a jewel for me.』

「Hmph! As always, it’s only your mouth that keeps spouting out pretty words, isn’t it? Is that how you trick my daughter?」

『Never. If pushed to say, then I think it is me who got caught.』

「Hmph!! Is this that? 『Not really, I am not really feeling anything here, but Kaori said that she wants this no matter what sooo, I’ll just give it a try』That’s what you think huh! Just what in the world are you――」

「Otou-san?」

「I’m sorry.」

When Tomoichi heard Hajime’s voice, his hostility flooded out like a conditioned reflex. At the same time, when he heard「Otou-san?」from his daughter, he also let out words of apology from a conditioned reflex. He wasn’t a mere father. He was a trained father.

While keenly feeling the gaze of Hannya-san from the side, Tomoichi cleared his throat while trickling cold sweat and opened his mouth once more.

「Ahem-. That, see, today, I called because……well, I too have various things in my mind. A father that has a daughter, no matter what, he cannot be gentle toward the man who is the partner of said daughter.」

『I understand. After all, I too have a daughter that makes me resolved to be a father. If I am in your position, and my daughter brings along a man like me, then there is no doubt that I will break all the bones in his body and bury him inside concrete, and in the end, I will throw him in the middle of Pacific Ocean.』

「Eh? Ah, yeah, tha, that’s it. I, I too, am thinking of doing at least that much, yup, to such a man, you know?」

『Yes. That’s why I understand how your blood must be seething. So much, that you must be thinking that you want to drop a nuclear bomb on me right now even if it drags the surroundings into it; that you want to dye everything in dark red, isn’t that right?』

「…………………Yo, you really got it huh!」

This time Tomoichi was trickling cold sweat from a different meaning. Hajime’s hostility was too extreme that far surpassed him. Furthermore, just by imagining the imaginary loved one of that daughter who might appear in the future, Japan might fall into a pinch in the future. Tomoichi was thinking, 「Ee? Isn’t the scale of hostility a bit too different from mine?」, which caused him to succumb to a complicated sense of defeat.

「Ahem-. It feels like I somehow came to understand really well how you are thinking, so let’s put this matter aside for a bit. More than that, I want to confirm something with you.」

『Yes.』

「You don’t have any intention to separate with Kaori. Conversely, you also don’t have any intention to separate from the other girls. You are planning to remain married with them all for life, and you don’t have the intention to bend that will. Isn’t that right?」

『It’s just as you say. I understand how such a thing is outlandish, how it goes against ethics, and how there are people like you who think unpleasantly of such a thing. But even knowing that, let me say it once more. Everyone, they all are my wives. That will of mine won’t bend. No matter what can possibly happen from here on, I won’t yield that will at all. My deepest apologies, but I will stick to this will for my whole life until you can possibly accept it.』

「tsk, you are brazenly acting defiant huh.」

『I will do everything in my power so that someday, you can possibly accept this as sincerity and determination of my own way.』(TN: The way Hajime used you to call Tomoichi here is also done in the politest way.)

Tomoichi’s hand that was holding the smartphone tightened. His fury was welling up hearing that nonsensical thing being spoken so brazenly. However, he saw the eyes of his daughter that was staring fixedly at him from the side, and then Tomoichi sighed once more to let out the heavy thing inside his chest.

「I really want to punch you flying right now, you know? The ideal future for me is that I won’t see your face anymore with my daughter, completely forgetting you once and for all.」

『I guess so. The troubling thing is, I understand your feelings painfully well. I also understand how it must be irritating for you that I am acting sympathetic like this. This is really a highly difficult problem, even more than adventuring in another world that was filled with death and absurdity.』

「I don’t know about the absurdity of another world, but there is not even a single doubt in me that this is the greatest trial that I have ever faced in my whole life. Aah, really, just why did my daughter encounter you in the past?」

『Surely, that’s because there is no one who can stand superior to this mean world.』

「No doubt about that. Good grief, this world really makes me go through something uncalled for. ……However, what is really, reall~y unfortunate is………………………………my daughter, is happy with this, with an expression so lovely that I have never seen before.」

『……』

Tomoichi stood still there. His parent’s house had come into view. But he couldn’t muster any will to enter the house like this. First, there was something that he had to ask, for the sake of the words and wish of his daughter that he had heard in this night, and above that, for the sake of producing a conclusion inside himself.

「Let me ask this to you, the shitty bastard who is trying to have your own way for a screwy future. Can you vow, that you will able to make, my daughter, my Kaori, to keep having that kind of expression forever? Can you vow, that she will be able to throw out her chest, and declare without hesitation that she is happy, can you make her continue to be that kind of girl forever?」

On the other side of the phone, Tomichi felt that the atmosphere suddenly changed. It was something that made Tomoichi feel Hajime’s serious feelings beyond any doubt before even hearing his next words……

『If it’s that vow, I have vowed it since a long time ago. This life is for that sake. It will never change, no matter what.』

「……」

Standing still in place, Tomoichi looked up to the sky. While feeling the gaze of his daughter that was looking up at him, he repressed the excessive urge to yell「BASTAAARDD――――!!」inside him. And then, breaking the silence, he formed the words while feeling a strange sense of defeat; he summoned up all his strength to the limit, in order to grant the earnest wish of his daughter.

「……Next time, come to my home. You can have dinner there.」

『……Thank you very much. I will surely visit to trouble your hospitality.』

An impact run through Tomoichi’s arm. When he looked there, Kaori was hugging Tomoichi’s arm with a full smile. With a small voice,「Otou-san, thank you. I love you!」she sent him the greatest words for a father. His feeling that almost made him scatter bloody vomit from working up the sentence just now, and also his murky feeling, all those feelings were somewhat cleared up if he could receive such words.

At the same time, when he thought that he received those words due to Haijme’s existence, as expected, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of defeat.

「Do, don’t you misunderstand! It’s not like I recognize you or anything! Until the end, I’m just thinking of keeping an eye on you for a bit, that’s all there is to it, don’t you dare make Kaori sad even for a bit! If you dare do that, then it will be that, that! It will be concrete and the Pacific Ocean and Nuclear I tell you!」

『Haha, that’s really terrifying. I will engrave those words deep in my heart.』

Tomoichi’s speech that was just like a tsundere caused Hajime and also Kaori to leak out chuckles reflexively.

It was at that timing when the talk almost end with a good feeling,

『Goshujin-samaaa~. Thy beloved servant has returned~. For the reward, please, chastise mine butt a lot toniiight!』

From the other side of the phone, some kind of voice that was filled with a mix of excitement and charm resounded. The moment that voice became audible, the atmosphere of Hajime changing into astonishment could be felt transmitted through the phone receiver.

『Tio, you, how did you come back!? Even though as the punishment of making merry in front of my Jii-chan and others before this I had wrapped you in a bamboo mat and tied you up to a missile before launching it……』(TN: Jii-chan=grandfather)

『Of course, it’s obviously by crawling back without untangling Goshujin-sama’s love(rope)! The kindness of not exploding the missile……if I didn’t answer that kindness, how could I be Goshujin-sama’s servant!』

『That’s a lie right……I sent you flying until the other side of the mountain; you shouldn’t be able to come back without crossing through the downtown……』

『Yes! When the people saw this crawling figure, that art like a caterpillar, cheers(screams) were raised everywhere. As expected even I felt shy. Furthermore, the authorities came out, so I traveled with a higher speed; everyone was already loudly cheering(pandemonium) then.』

『You are making a new urban legend in the city where my Jii-chan is living……』

『Now, grant the prize to me who hath worked hard in coming back. Specifically, a reward using that black, hard, and large thing, to chastise mine butt! Recently, Goshujin-sama didn’t do it much, so it feels lonely!』

『You stupid idiot! What kind of thing are you running your mouth about with that loud voice!』

Of course, the perverted exchanges that were done with loud voice were properly transmitted through the phone, to the father and daughter with cleared feelings.

「……Oi, perverted bastard.」

『! ……This is a misunderstanding desu. Give me a chance for explaining――』

「You think I’ll give you a chance? You think I’ll let you? Fufu, isn’t it strange? Aa, you are really, a strange man. Fufufufu.」

An eerie chuckle came out from Tomoichi. At his side, Kaori was holding her head while murmuring「Tio you idiooot」. And then, she tried to cover for Hajime and tried to talk to Tomoichi, but before she could do that, Tomoichi exploded.

「I take back my words-. You shitty bastaaaaarrrdd-! I absolute won’t hand over my daughter to a perverted bastard like you! I prohibit you from approaching her until the end of the world-! Someone like you, just explode with a nuclear bomb in the Pacific Oceaaaannnnnnnnnn――――!!!」

『Wai-, ple-――』

Hajime tried to make an excuse, but before he could do that, Tomoichi swung up his hand holding the smartphone, and then he threw the phone to the ground. A grievous scream「My smartphone――――!!」could be heard from the side, but such a voice didn’t reach Tomoichi who had transformed into a warrior that was a father protecting his daughter.

Far from that, as though the smartphone was a nemesis that couldn’t be allowed to live under the same sky, or possibly so that the hateful scum wouldn’t be able to call from the other side of the phone anymore, he stepped on the smartphone and grinded it many times.

Naturally, Kaori’s smartphone was invited into heaven.

「O, Otou-san! What are you doing!?」

「I am severing ties with that maggot-, with all my strength here! Kaori, don’t meet with that perverted bastard, until the end of the world! This is a promise with Otou-san!」

Indeed, if there was a father who would still entrust the daughter after hearing that kind of dialogue from the other side of the phone, then it would be better not to waste time to take such a father to a hospital. To a hospital for the brain.

However, from the point of view of Kaori, who had thoroughly witnessed Hajime’s unique relationship with Tio in the other world, she had already accepted it as an ordinary happening. Although she could understand her father’s feelings perfectly, witnessing her smartphone trampled and heard the person she loved being called a maggot caused her to want to object against her better judgment……

Tomoichi sensed his daughter’s atmosphere that obviously didn’t seem to obey him even after hearing that kind of exchange on the phone, and on top of that, even after he told her that she must not meet that man anymore. Tomoichi was trembling all over while declaring with all his strength in the residential area at night.

「Otou-san! Is abso~~~~~-lutely! Not appro―――――――ving-!!!」

「Ah, wait, Otou-san! Where are you going――――!!」

Tomoichi suddenly started to run. ……To the direction that was the opposite of the house. And then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared toward the residential area.

If he went back to the house, then he would be talked to by his daughter about that hateful shitty bastard again. That was why he wouldn’t go home anymore. Until Kaori understood, Otou-san will run away from home! It was such a thing.

The shoulders of Kaori, who somehow guessed her father’s intention, slumped down.

「Normally, the one who runs away from home because they are not being understood should be the daughter, isn’t it?」

After whispering that, Kaori then chased after Tomoichi.

The father who absolutely didn’t want to approve the person that his daughter loved, and the daughter who wanted her father to approve no matter what; both of them began to race at night.

After that, whether Hajime could be accepted or not by Tomoichi……

Anyway, let’s just say that Hajime worked even harder than even god slaying for that.

AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

Everyone, do you know about [Aozora no Kishi] series on Ni○ Dou? (TN: This refer to Nico Douga)

I found it recently, and it was totally enthralling.

Watching that, my hand reached out to Ace Combat again (it makes me have misgivings about the update next week……)

I want to try writing a light novel with an idiot and cool fellows like that as the characters someday.

Uploader-sama, thank you for making my holiday lovely.