Chapter 118

Nickname: Maehwa Tree.

She had temporarily stopped watching Gye Se-hoon’s broadcast and was currently calling her junior, Cat-eared Woman.

Ring ring-

The signal tone kept ringing.

When the call didn’t connect again, Maehwa got irritated and muttered softly.

“Why isn’t this girl picking up? Is she still sleeping?”

Five times.

That was the number of times Cat-eared Woman hadn’t answered the phone so far.

“How long is this crazy girl going to sleep? What time is it now…?”

Just as Maehwa was reaching her limit of patience.

Click.

Finally, Cat-eared Woman answered the call.

[Ugh. Why do you keep calling me while I’m sleeping…?]

From the other side of the phone, Cat-eared Woman’s sleepy voice came through.

Maehwa suppressed the urge to curse and swallowed a sigh before speaking calmly.

“Hey. I just want to ask you one thing.”

[What is it?]

“Did you ever visit a restaurant run by mermaid yokai when you went to Jeju Island?”

[…How did you know? Did you stalk me or something?]

“Why would I stalk you, you crazy girl? Maybe if it were Se-hoon… Anyway, you did go, right?”

[I did. But why? Is there a problem?]

“You just ate there and came back, right?”

[How do you know so much…? Who told you that?]

“Never mind who told me. Why didn’t you exorcise the yokai even though you saw them?”

[I don’t do indiscriminate exorcisms, you know. And those mermaid yokai weren’t there to be exorcised; I met them to seek cooperation.]

“Cooperation?”

[Ah. It seems you haven’t been informed yet. Actually…]

Their conversation continued for a while.

*

*

*

To summarize the call:

Near Jeju Island.

A Queen-level yokai, higher in rank than a Great Yokai, known as the Mermaid Queen, has awakened from a long seal. She is currently leading the mermaids to subjugate all underwater yokai.

If the Mermaid Queen dominates the sea, she will undoubtedly set her sights on the land. To exorcise her before that, it’s necessary to form an alliance with underwater yokai.

The reason for contacting the mermaids was to establish a cooperative relationship.

After hearing all this, Maehwa furrowed her brow.

So that’s why those brats didn’t tell me.

With that thought, she asked her junior again.

“So, you’re saying you’ll join hands with all the friendly yokai?”

“That’s the idea.”

“Sigh. Are these guys really insane? Have they forgotten the history where exorcists were nearly wiped out due to the betrayal of Great Yokai?”

“History doesn’t always repeat itself. And haven’t you noticed that exorcists who make contracts with yokai are emerging lately? Times are changing.”

“…Times changing, my foot.”

“Why are you so skeptical? You even like that teddy bear… I mean, the maid, who’s a yokai.”

“That’s… a different case.”

Maehwa rubbed her forehead and gazed into the distance.

She recalled the eight-foot yokai and the Dolharbang yokai she saw in Gye Se-hoon’s broadcast not long ago.

‘That could all be an act…’

Her suspicion of yokai remained.

But she didn’t hate yokai as much as before.

Partly because the memory of the yokai who gave birth to her had faded over time, and partly because of the maid who had been living peacefully with Gye Se-hoon without any issues.

‘I don’t know anymore.’

Maehwa let out a sigh and decided to trust the decisions of other exorcists.

The decision to establish a cooperative relationship with yokai.

“Anyway, senior, can I hang up now? I’m sleepy.”

“Sure. Hang up and tell them I’ll join the queen’s subjugation.”

“But you’re not assigned to the subjugation team.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to say it.”

“…If it’s you, they’ll probably refuse, thinking you’ll kill all the cooperative yokai.”

“That won’t happen, so just talk to them.”

“Alright, I got it. I’ll hang up now. Bye… I mean, bye!”

Click.

The call ended.

Afterward.

Maehwa turned on Gye Se-hoon’s broadcast again and started gathering the items needed for exorcism.

To join the Mermaid Queen subjugation team.

***

Meanwhile, as if the accumulated tension had exploded.

The mermaid yokai drew their swords and began to antagonize the Mermaid Prince.

[Maou Guburi]─Oh, what? Are the mermaid brats on Gye Se-hoon’s side?

[Min Ji]─Seems like it.

[Handsome Licker]─No wonder they seemed nice. Lick.

[Balloon Gum Collector]─Wow! The Mermaid Prince just got betrayed!

[Maid]─Wow! The ugly guy’s end is here!

『’Jujijoa’ has entered the chat.』

[Meng Yao]─Juji, welcome.

[Jujijoa]─Get lost, idiot.

[Big Girl]─Juji, long time no see.

[Jujijoa]─Yeah, been busy.

[Jujijoa]─But what’s going on? What’s with that creepy black mannequin?

[Yoho]─That monster says it’s going to eat the room master.

[Jujijoa]─Is it insane? It looks like it’s going to die after getting hit by Se-hoon.

[Qkrnfl892]─Is this okay? Shouldn’t we run away like the octopus said?

[Se-hoon Defense Team]─Are you still doubting Se-hoon?

[Qkrnfl892]─You never know. That mermaid might be stronger.

[Drifting AI]─I predict Gye Se-hoon will win.

[Reverse Rape Mania]─Exorcise! Exorcise! Exorcise!

The Mermaid Prince remained indifferent.

Until he heard someone call him ugly.

[What did you just say? I can tolerate anything, but calling me ugly is unforgivable…]

[Maou Guburi]─Don’t you look in the mirror, you bastard?

[Min Ji]─Does he think he’s handsome?

[Yoho]─I doubt it. That yokai must have eyes.

[Meng Yao]─But isn’t the point of anger weird? Is being betrayed okay?

[Se-hoon Defense Team]─What the hell is this guy doing?

[Qkrnfl892]─He doesn’t seem normal.

As the Mermaid Prince expressed his anger, the surrounding air rapidly cooled.

It felt like tiny needles piercing the skin.

It had been a while since I felt someone else’s killing intent.

[Guest! What are you doing? Run away quickly!]

The octopus yokai standing in front of me seemed to feel the killing intent too, trembling all over.

It seemed the mermaids were much lower in rank than the Mermaid Prince.

The other mermaids were equally frightened.

The Mermaid Prince sneered at them and said.

[Kehehe, do you bugs really think you can defeat me?]

[Maou Guburi]─Kehehe. LOL.

[Min Ji]─Kehehe!

[Qkrnfl892]─These guys have no tension.

[Se-hoon Defense Team]─They think Se-hoon will win anyway.

The mermaids didn’t back down and glared fiercely at the Mermaid Prince.

Even though they were trembling in fear.

[Don’t be afraid. On land, we mermaids have the advantage over mermaids.]

[R, right. If we all attack together, we have a chance.]

The first to act was the skate.

The skate stretched its arms back and charged fiercely at the Mermaid Prince.

Its momentum was unmatched.

[Fish! I’ll win! Die!]

[Maou Guburi]─The skate is brave. I should try eating skate sometime.

At that moment.

When the Mermaid Prince opened his eyes wide, the skate’s movement suddenly stopped.

Looking around, the other mermaids were also frozen in place.

As if they had turned to stone.

[Min Ji]─?? What’s this?

[Qkrnfl892]─Why did he suddenly stop?

[Reverse Rape Mania]─Is this the domineering aura from manga?

The Mermaid Prince slowly approached the skate.

He transformed his right arm into a sharp blade and sneered at the skate.

[You insolent bugs… I’ll start by slowly slicing you up.]

[Maou Guburi]─No! Save our skate!

[Yoho]─Gasp! Skate, run away!!!

I decided to help.

If left alone, the skate would be sliced to pieces.

[G, guest? Why are you going that way! Come back!]

[Reverse Rape Mania]─Let’s go!!!

[Drifting AI]─I say, run.

[Maid]─Wow! Go! Gye Se-hoon-mon!

Ignoring the octopus’s shout.

I pushed off the ground and leaped forward.

And in an instant, I reached the Mermaid Prince.

[Huh…? Human? When did you get here…?]

I didn’t give him a chance to counter.

I headbutted him right in the face.

[Gah!?]

The Mermaid Prince couldn’t withstand the impact and was sent flying far away.

[Handsome Licker]─Cut! Lick!

[Se-hoon Defense Team]─As expected of Se-hoon.

[Jujijoa]─As expected of my husband.

[Qkrnfl892]─Wow. I’m truly impressed.

[Maou Guburi]─What’s with the headbutt. Damn.

[Yoho]─Gasp. Room master, is your head okay?

[Balloon Gum Collector]─Wow! Se-hoon has a hard head, so he’s fine!

[Reverse Rape Mania]─The mermaid was acting tough, but he’s weak.

[Min Ji]─Se-hoon is strong.

It was a clean and easy end to the situation.

*

*

*

The mermaids looked back and forth between me and the Mermaid Prince, trying to grasp the situation, and then belatedly realized that I had defeated the Mermaid Prince. They started gathering around me.

[Guest… Are you an exorcist?]

[How did you send that Mermaid Prince flying in one hit!?]

[Drifting AI]─I say, praise him more.

[Maou Guburi]─LOL. That was nothing. Ahem.

[Fish. I thought you were just a human by your looks…]

[Amazing! So cool! Fish!]

[To think I told such a strong person to run away because it was dangerous… I’m ashamed of myself…]

Just as everyone was looking at me with surprised faces and praising me.

[How dare, how dare… my noble face…!]

[Maou Guburi]─What the hell? Why is he still alive?

The Mermaid Prince, buried in the ground, twisted his body and got up.

He was still alive.

Of course, he had taken damage, as half of his face was caved in.

[Se-hoon Defense Team]─You should have finished him off properly, Se-hoon.

[Big Girl]─You were too soft.

Did I hit him too lightly earlier?

With that thought, I was about to hit him again with full force.

Crack crack.

The Mermaid Prince’s body split like a shell.

And blue flesh began to grow from within.

Seeing this, the mermaids couldn’t hide their shock and started to panic.

[What, what’s this! Body transformation!?]

[That’s something only a few mermaids can do… Especially since he was the weakest among the Mermaid Princes?]

[Ah, no. We can’t beat a transformed mermaid. Fish.]

[Fish! That’s dangerous…!]

[Guest! You really need to run away now! If the Mermaid Prince transforms his body, we have no chance! It takes about a minute to transform, so hurry and get out of here before that!]

I roughly understood what they were saying.

So, the Mermaid Prince is transforming now. It seems to take about a minute to complete the transformation.

I don’t know how much stronger he’ll become after transforming, but there’s no reason to tuck my tail and run away here.

After all.

He seems defenseless while transforming.

“…You said it takes about a minute to transform, right? So, shouldn’t we attack now?”

[Huh?]

[Fish!?]

[Reverse Rape Mania]─Oh! That’s right!

[That method…!]

[Is he a genius?]

[Oh. Not only is he strong, but he’s also smart.]

The mermaids’ eyes widened as if they had realized something.

They must have been idiots.

Anyway.

I have no intention of kindly waiting for him to finish transforming.

I immediately pushed off the ground and leaped forward.

[W, wait! I’m in the middle of transforming my body…]

“Shut up, idiot.”

Wham!

I gifted the Mermaid Prince another powerful headbutt to the face.

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