This Story Is A Bit Different, You Know?

“…”

Ma Tae-han gaped. His pupils trembled. No—an earthquake seemed to erupt, everything shaking and scattering.

“Uh, uh, uh!”

He looked at his daughter.

Her body bowed slightly, index fingers touching each other, gaze cast furtively. The faint flush on her cheeks and the pink heart reflected in her irises were unmistakable signs of a woman in love.

It was the look of a woman ready to give everything to the man she loved. Not just a lover’s affection, but the look of someone already dreaming of a future as a married woman blessed by the world.

Ma Tae-han squeezed his eyes shut. He’d known—people had been saying things about Yu Seha from the start; it would have been stranger if this weren’t the kind of relationship.

Ma Tae-han trembled with sorrow, while his wife Han Ara chimed delightedly, “Oh my~.” She smiled gently at their daughter.

“Our Meowi said that much… so he really is my son-in-law, huh?”
“Me, mea… yes.”

“Is that so? Then that’s a thousand times fortunate. I’m glad I worried about our Ma Hana’s future.”
“…! Um, um… what do you mean by that?”
“Yes, you don’t need to worry.”

The [Demonic Nature Beast] torn from Ma Hana was not simply a lump of power. It had even clearly separated the will of ‘Baal.’ They focused on completely annihilating it.

“In other words, the tragedy will be limited to me and our Ma Hana. No more repercussions will reach the descendants. I can assure you of that.”
“Me, mea… th-that’s a relief…”

“By the way, how many children will our Ma Hana have?”
“Me, mea!?”

“H-honey! That kind of question—”

“—Enough, get a grip and accept it. Look at how our Ma Hana is acting. It’s the gesture of someone who wants to be a mother right this moment.”

“Kuh, kyaaak!”

Ma Hana scratched her cheek, face red and flushed. H-How many… Ah, she wasn’t even in a relationship with Se-ha yet, nor had they even gotten together. Being asked this made her a little embarrassed.

“Mea, still…”

After all, it was something that would inevitably happen in the not-so-distant future. If she went first, then the others could freely be with Se-ha and not leave a single drop behind when settling things. She decided to give a definite answer as the legitimate partner.

“…At least… three or so…”

“I see. Three children… they’d be so cute.”

Han Ara smiled warmly at her daughter, who didn’t know what to do from embarrassment. Then she looked at her husband Ma Tae-han with a serious gaze. At that look, Ma Tae-han also nodded with a seriousness different from before.

The atmosphere suddenly turned somber.

Ma Hana tilted her head.

“Um, mom, dad?”
“…Hana.”
“Me, mea. Yes?”

“From now it’s important. Now Ma Hana must tell us, and then make a choice.”
“…A ch-choice?”

“Yes, it’s something you must be certain about if you dream of a future as the mother of three children.”

It’s the final resolution regarding the [Demonic Nature Beast].

“Whether to give it up like this or…”

Whether our Ma Hana will accept it again and make it her own power…

“We want you to choose right now, here.”

“Me, mea…?”

Ma Hana opened her eyes wide. She blinked, flustered. What on earth was this about?

They had sealed and suppressed it with such difficulty, and now they would unseal it? It didn’t make sense.

“Y-you intend to unseal it?”
“Depending on our Ma Hana’s choice?”
“Me, mea?”

Han Ara and Ma Tae-han looked at each other. They began to tell the main point of the matter as if now was the time.

“Actually, we considered the possibility that the seal might never be lifted in our lifetime.”

To be precise, they considered the possibility that Ma Hana might never come here—the possibility of a future where they would never see their precious daughter again. In reality, the chance of this happening was quite high.

If Ma Hana, who had been about to give up everything, had not taken Yu Seha’s hand; if she had not entered the Academy at his request; if she had not grown strong enough to pass Professor Cha Yeojoo’s standards; she would have failed to receive the tome in the end, and of course would never have known this background.

She would have lived like that. She would have loved normally, and died normally. Han Ara smiled faintly.

“…Here, and if it’s the two of us, we would have the strength to keep the seal until Ma Hana dies.”

No matter how powerful an innate ability is, if the original owner dies, the power cannot be maintained.

“If our Ma Hana lived as she wished and lived out her full life, then about ten years after that it would have naturally faded away.”

“At the same time, father and mother could also peacefully pass on.”

From beginning to end, the couple wanted only one thing: their precious daughter, whom they would never tire of looking at. Ma Hana—that she live more happily than anyone else. Because of that, Ma Tae-han had asked Im Hye-ja and Cha Yeo-joo not to tell their daughter if possible.

But Ma Hana moved forward. She kept moving forward, and forward, and eventually, drawn by fate, she stood here. Therefore, Ma Hana was qualified.

The timing was also good. It was the [Demonic Nature Beast] that Han Ara had continuously suppressed for twenty years, extracting all Magi and shackles.

“Even if it returns to Ma Hana, there will be no side effects of being a Demon King, right?”
“Of course, Meowi must firmly take control.”
“Mea? Control?”

Whatever else about the [Demonic Nature Beast], it is another incarnation of Ma Hana. At the moment it returns to the original body, a struggle for dominance is inevitable.

“If the worst happens, the two of us will resolve it, so don’t worry too much.”

The method was simple. The moment they unsealed it, that lump of power would rush toward Ma Hana.

“Mea. Then…”
“Yes, at the moment you decisively break it head-on and win, it will be entirely Meowi’s power.”

The completion of the imagery she was meant to possess. She would become a perfect Meowi in the truest sense.

“…”

Ma Hana stared blankly. Various thoughts swirled. To be honest, she wasn’t particularly interested in becoming stronger. There was only one thing she cared about. If she fully accepted the [Demonic Nature Beast] and this place’s seal was no longer necessary.

“…Mom and Dad would be free.”

It was a good thing, but it also meant an everlasting parting.

Ma Hana held the rising sadness in her chest. Various hesitations followed her like shadows. So she made her decision all the more quickly.

“…I’ll accept it.”

Ma Hana wanted to put an end to it. The misfortune that began with her birth—she wanted to place the period with her own hands. And decisively…

“…I want to set you both free.”
“…”
“…”

Ma Tae-han’s eyes filled with tears; Han Ara also smiled softly with wet eyes.

“Then, shall we start now?”
“Yes!”

“Alright. Then explain it to our son-in-law as well.”

In the meantime, mom and dad will prepare to unseal it.

A moment later, after explaining everything to Yu Seha, Ma Hana wrapped herself in [Devotion of the Wolf Spirit King] and stepped forward. She put strength into the shield she held.

She paused and turned around. Yu Seha, who respected her choice, nodded and watched. Ma Hana smiled softly.

She whispered the short words, “I’ll be back…”

Then, as if signaling the start, the floor beneath them spun and a long structure rose up.

Soon, a spherical object the size of a person’s head sprang up from directly between Han Ara and Ma Tae-han.

Thud, thud-!

“…!”

Ma Hana felt her heart pounding. She could tell—her instincts were shouting.

“That is…”

another me.

“Meowi.”
“Hana.”
“Yes! Come as much as you’d like!”

No sooner had Ma Hana finished speaking than the sphere shot out with a whoosh and slipped neatly between her perky breasts.

Thud-!

“Me, mea!”

A massive resonance of power. Ma Hana sank to one knee as the power of the [Demonic Nature Beast] that entered her body swelled like a tidal wave.

As Han Ara said, there was not the slightest demonic nature in the Magi, but it was already an untamed colt of power on its own. Ma Hana struggled as the massive will tried to dominate her self.

Cold sweat ran down her jaw. Her consciousness began to blur, and Han Ara and Ma Tae-han, watching, were about to reapply the seal thinking it still wouldn’t work.

A clear shout struck her eardrums. Yu Seha—he was shouting.

“Meowi, hang in there!!!”

At that voice, Ma Hana smiled faintly. The anxiety and fear that had hovered until a moment ago vanished. Somehow she felt strengthened. Yes—Seha was watching.

She couldn’t show a miserable figure in front of him. Ma Hana stood up again, and she realized.

“Huh?”

For some reason, the [Demonic Nature Beast] was not rampaging as before; it was eerily still, as if reacting to something, startled. It responded as if possessed by something.

‘…Ah!’

Thanks to that, Ma Hana gained a small realization. She steeled herself and entered the dominance battle with it. Then perhaps it felt it couldn’t continue like this.

The violently resisting [Demonic Nature Beast] reemerged at about half its previous size. In an instant its form changed.

Limbs stretched long. Hair flowed down to the hips. A physique so tall and strong it would make another woman envious. It was undoubtedly the form of a woman who had just reached adulthood. Ma Hana gazed steadily at the opponent’s face.

Soon, she smiled faintly.

“Mea, you’re my carbon copy.”
“…”

A face identical to Ma Hana’s and yellowish eyes. Of course, the body differences were considerable.

If one insisted on comparing, it resembled her mother Han Ara more than Ma Hana. Therefore Ma Hana recognized that this appearance was indeed what she herself would have become if she had grown up without any intervention.

And if it were herself…

“…You like Seha, don’t you?”

Ma Hana liked Yu Seha. That obvious truth influenced even that entity. Of course, the [Demonic Nature Beast] gave no answer. It sharpened its claws and took on a beastlike stance.

“…”
“…”

Ma Hana and the [Demonic Nature Beast]—the two identical beings charged at each other without hesitation. The sturdy shield and sharp claws clashed with tearing sounds.

And about an hour later.

“Meaang!”
“…!”

Ma Hana’s feints, born of skill and combat experience, completely deceived the [Demonic Nature Beast]. Immediately after, she spun and delivered a belly strike known as a ‘baeppang’!

Bang-!!!

With a massive shockwave, the [Demonic Nature Beast]‘s body collapsed on the floor. Ma Hana leveled her shield at the opponent’s throat.

“I…”

I won! A proud declaration of victory.

The sprawled [Demonic Nature Beast] returned to its spherical form and floated in the air. Ma Hana grabbed it with her hand, turned back, and smiled brightly. She ran toward Yu Seha, who looked at her with eyes full of trust.

Muda, mudada-! One step. Soon, as always, she felt warm arms and spun around in circles.

“Mea, Seha~”
“As expected, our Meowi~ I knew you could do it~”

Spinning round and round, Yu Seha and Ma Hana looked at each other and smiled brightly.

A short while later.

“Meowi.”
“Mea, yes!”

Ma Hana placed the [Demonic Nature Beast] she held back into her body. An intense wave of power surged, but because she had firmly subdued it, it was absorbed without the earlier rejection.

Yu Seha’s eyes shone with anticipation. Something never seen or heard of in GAL—the manifestation of an innate ability called the [Demonic Nature Beast].

Just as he wondered, “What kind of ability could it be…”, a sharp jolt warned of danger.

“Huh…?”

The startled Yu Seha was struck by a huge something and shot backward with a thud.

Bang-!
Flap.

“…What was that?”

Yu Seha brushed off the debris piled on him and stood up. A gigantic roar echoed.

—Krrr!!!

“…”

Yu Seha let out a small breath at the scene before him. He glanced aside and quietly asked the clearly flustered Ma Tae-han.

“…Um, senior Ma Tae-han.”

This story is a bit different, isn’t it?