Chapter 76: Winter's Memories
"How's it going, Natsu? Do you smell the devil?"
When faced with multiple paths and not knowing which one to take, it's time for Natsu's nose to come into play.
Natsu sniffed in front of each passage, and came back to suggest: "It seems that there is the smell of demons in every passage, why don't we go separately!"
"Should we go separately? Not impossible..." Erza lowered her head and pondered over the possible combat capabilities of each person and the possible situations that might arise.
"Yoshi! Happy, let's go!"
"Why!"
Before Erza could give the order, Natsu led Happy into the middle passage.
"Natsu! Wait... Damn it, this guy always acts without even listening!"
"Forget it. It's not the first day you've known him. He's just like that. The guild really needs someone as reckless as him to make it look lively!"
Hot-blooded young people can get along well wherever they go. You may get angry when you get along with them, but you will never harbor resentment.
"Gray, please go with Natsu!"
Erza's idea is very simple. There are three roads and four people here, so one of them must be for two people.
In terms of strength, Natsu and Gray are relatively weak, and they will not have the upper hand if they encounter elemental demons alone, so it is best for them to go together; while she and Kira are stronger, and their chances of winning if they encounter demons alone are greater, so they can each go one way.
"I understand!" Gray also knew that he didn't need to worry about the two people in front of him, so he quickly agreed and turned to chase after Natsu in the passage.
"Then I'll leave the enemies in the other passage to you!"
"Leave it to me!"
After saying hello, Erza turned and walked towards the passage on the left, leaving Kira standing still.
One second... Two seconds...
"Alright, alright, let's get started and move all the things here away, hahahaha..."
After everyone left, Kira finally revealed his true form, rubbed his hands together, then took out a backpack from his pocket and started putting the gem crystals on the wall into it.
"One, two..."
The backpack doesn't look big, but it can hold a lot of things. Kira spent ten minutes unpacking it but still couldn't fill it up. Instead, it still looks empty.
This is of course, because this backpack is cast with space-transfer magic, and the other end is connected to the underground treasure house in Kira's home. It can be regarded as a portable treasure house.
Of course, no one except himself can activate the magic of space transfer, and it can only be used as an ordinary backpack.
"What are you doing?"
The sudden crisp sound echoed in the cave and almost scared the porters to death.
At some point, the girl Winter quietly followed them, and at this moment she was looking at Kira with a puzzled look on her face.
"Uh...I am creating wealth through labor!"
Kira still felt a little embarrassed to be seen like this by the girl, but after all, it was making money, so it wasn't shameful!
"You said yesterday that adults all have special fetishes. Is this what you meant?"
Although his family runs a pub, Winter is still young and has always lived in the snowy mountains where even birds don't come, so he has no concept of money and doesn't quite understand Kira's behavior. He just thinks that Kira has a hobby of collecting things.
Ah, what fetish? Did I say anything to her yesterday?
By the way, this little girl actually said such innocent words, isn't her character broken? I always thought she was a very mature person...
Kira decided not to dwell on these trivial matters and asked directly: "Why are you here?"
After returning to the normal topic, Winter obviously returned to his original tone: "Dealing with the demons is the responsibility of the Ashesnew family. I don't want to rely on you all. I want to fight together!"
Wow! He is so young but has a very high level of ideological awareness!
"It's very dangerous!" Kira half-knelt down and looked at her straight in the eyes. "You haven't inherited the magic to kill demons, so you'll be at a disadvantage against those guys who have lived for dozens or hundreds of years!"
"I have received the power of a demon. Even if I can't help much, I won't be a burden!" The girl's attitude was very firm. "The day my father died, I promised him that even if I didn't inherit that magic, I could still shoulder the responsibility of the Ashesnew family!"
Kira stood up and continued the work in his hands. Without turning his head, he asked, "Is this your father's request before he died, or is this your own attitude?"
Winter didn't know what Kira wanted to say, so he just answered truthfully: "I wanted to do it myself!"
"I see..." Kira thought for a moment and asked, "But maybe your father doesn't want you to inherit these responsibilities at all?"
"I know! Because the Ice Demon-Exterminating Technique can only be inherited if the person is willing!"
What? There is such a thing?
Kira looked back in surprise: "So..."
"Yes, this is a secret that only those who have inherited the tradition can know. Even my uncle doesn't know it," Winter said, revealing a secret that he had never told anyone before. "Back then, the magic of the Ashisnew family was not stolen. My father gave it to him voluntarily!"
"No wonder you don't seem to have much hostility towards the person who took away your magic. What about your father's death..."
"When I was very young, my father told me that people who hunt demons will eventually be devoured by them. I didn't understand it at the time, but later I found out that his consciousness had already been devoured by the power of the demon!"
Winter told Kira his story word by word, while Kira just ate the melon in silence.
There were two figures, one big and one small, standing in the snow.
"Father, why is your body like this?"
"Those who hunt demons will eventually be devoured by them. Is that what it means..."
The man looked at his mostly black body, squatted down and said to his daughter, "Winter, this is the responsibility our family must bear. If possible, I hope you never have to accept this power."
…
Inside the small shop, two men sat opposite each other.
"You said you wanted this magic? This is a power that can devour a person's will!"
"I need it to fight stronger demons. Please lend it to me! Before I die, I will return this power to your daughter!"
"No... it would be great if you are willing to accept it! Although the elders of the tribe have always said that it is used to guard against a powerful demon, no one has seen it for a long time. Instead, many tribesmen have died because of this magic.
It's better to pass on the magic like this, at least it can play its due role. In the future, you don't have to deliberately return the magic to my daughter, you just need to find a suitable person to pass it on! "
"Grateful!"
Out of their sight, Winter listened silently to their conversation.
…
On the snowy mountain, demons and wolves surrounded the father and daughter.
"Damn it... I didn't expect to encounter the legendary devil right after I taught him magic. What bad luck!"
"Father!"
The man died, and at the critical moment, the man who was taught magic came to support him...
"Are you... the demons in the legend? Go to hell!"
…
In front of the tomb, men and girls knelt down and worshiped.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't expect this to happen because of my arrival!"
"Father passed on the magic for me. This is not your fault! I will prove to father that even without this magic, I can still live well! I can still shoulder the responsibility of the Isisnew family!"
…
Inside the cave, Winter recalls his past and tells Kira about it.
“The Ice Demon-Exterminating Technique may seem like the glory of the Ashesnew clan, but in fact, only those who have inherited it know that it is not a glory at all. Instead, it is a power that will put us in danger.
In order to prevent me from being devoured by the devil's power and to prevent me from taking on the responsibility of the clan, my father passed on the magic to a man who came here by chance, hoping to put an end to the nightmare of the Ashisnew clan!
I didn't expect to be attacked by water demons afterwards. Although that man avenged my father later, I still want to put an end to these demons that have cursed the Ashesnew family for hundreds of years!"
Interesting, I didn't expect this to happen...
Kira ate the snacks he had brought with him while listening to Winter's recollections.
"So, for my father to rest in peace, and for future generations to avoid having to shoulder the same responsibility, I want to personally eliminate the culprit who has been dragging down the Aishiniu clan for hundreds of years!"
"I understand your determination!" After wiping his hands, Kira said, "But this may very well lead to death!"
"I'm not afraid!"
Kira chuckled: "But I'm scared!"
