*
Mephisto, Beilak, and Lucsifer gathered in a circle in a quiet hallway and squatted down.
In the center, a pure white puppy sat collapsed, trembling all over.
Yulian could not hide his unease as he glanced at the one human and two animals surrounding him.
He had never imagined the skill he used would rebound on him, nor had he expected to end up back in this form.
Yulian looked down at his soft, fluffy paws, densely studded with pink paw pads.
Doll-like paws, feeble claws and teeth. The most insignificant creature in the world, unable to protect anything at all…
It was then.
“Throw it away.”
After hearing the whole story from Mephisto, Beilak finally opened his mouth.
“Ppi?!”
“Kkyut?!”
Mephisto and Lucsifer’s eyes went round in shock.
Make him an abandoned dog? How could he say something so cruel and immoral?
Beilak calmly accepted their stares and continued.
“This puppy tried to attack you. If you throw it away now, you won’t be attacked again, there won’t be any future trouble, you won’t get caught and scolded by On Jurim, and you won’t be banned from watching TV. How’s that? Nice and clean, right? Leave it somewhere with lots of people. Someone will pick it up.”
Yulian trembled as he barked at Beilak.
“Arf! Arf!”
It meant he agreed.
If they threw him away, that would be better, actually.
He could return to his master and ask to be made the master of the tower like this. It did not matter at all whether he was human or not.
But Mephisto looked at him pitifully with drooping eyes, then shook his head.
“Arf?”
The white ball of fur tilted his head.
‘Why is that bird bastard shaking his head?’
“Ppipit— ppipit.” (Geuru can probably turn you back into a human.)
Then he swiftly grabbed Yulian by the scruff of the neck and flew up.
“Arf! Arf arf!”
Yulian told him to stop, to leave him alone, but the difference between species was hard to overcome.
“Arf!” (You crazy bird bastard!)
He tried hurling curses in a cute little voice, but the fellow did not understand at all and flew straight off somewhere.
*
Geuru lay on the sofa in the waiting room like a dried pollack, staring up at the ceiling without moving.
Then he opened the information for the drone he was holding in his arms again.
[Mephisto Series mk.3 Support Type (S+)]
“S+!”
His body shuddered.
This was different from the Filial Piety Snacks. The Filial Piety Snacks had a debuff attached, so they could not be a very helpful item.
This drone, on the other hand, was truly an achievement he could proudly present.
He still felt as if a hot heat lingered in his hands.
Just thinking of the moment when he had secretly approached the enemy lines and delivered the finishing blow sent a thrill through his entire body.
“Uuuugh!”
Around the time Geuru was hugging the chick drone tight and rolling around on the sofa—
After circling around the stadium and landing in front of the waiting room window, Mephisto set Yulian down beside him and tapped on the glass.
Tap, tap, tap—
Geuru, who had spotted Mephi, brightened at once and opened the window.
“Mephi, where were you!”
“Ppi!”
“Did you see Geuru’s match? I looked for you after it ended, but you weren’t…”
Before Geuru could finish speaking, his coral-colored eyes rolled sideways.
“Weren’t…”
He repeated the words, then blinked as his gaze met the puppy’s.
Yulian bared his teeth warily.
“Grrrrrr—”
His twitching black nose was damp.
Geuru gasped.
“Cute…”
“Grrrrrrrrr—! Arf! Arf!”
“Ppi ppi!”
But why was there a puppy here? Had Mephi picked him up?
“Mephi, you can’t pick up just anything. His owner will be worried.”
“He doesn’t have an owner.”
Beilak, who had belatedly sauntered after them, answered in his stead.
Lucsifer, who had been in Beilak’s arms, leapt into Geuru’s arms.
While Geuru hugged Lucsifer, Beilak jerked his chin toward Yulian.
“That thing is a person.”
“…Uuum?”
Geuru’s eyebrows twisted into a distressed V.
*
“You shot a skill at Mephi? Why?”
“Ppi ppi—”
Mephisto shook his head. It probably meant he did not know either.
Why? Could it be because of Dominic, whom he had made out of that takoyaki?
If so…
‘Revenge for his friend?’
Geuru’s eyes trembled.
What should he do? For now, it would be good if he explained that Dominic had been the one trying to do something bad first and cleared up the resentment.
“Arf!”
But the other party was a puppy.
Not only had they become Dominic’s enemy, they had even turned him into a puppy!
‘First, I’ll turn him back to normal, then explain properly from the beginning.’
Then he might understand.
Good. Having made up his mind, Geuru took a deep breath and drew up his magic power.
Mephisto watched tensely, while Beilak shook his head as if to say it would not work anyway.
‘Geuru can do it. Turn him back into a person…! Geuru is an S+ owner!’
[Activating skill “Knead-Knead.”]
[The target’s magic defense is high. Resisting the skill.]
[Skill “Knead-Knead” has failed.]
[Skill “Knead-Knead” has failed.]
[Skill “Knead-Knead” has failed.]
.
.
.
“Hing!”
“Ppii?”
Mephisto blinked sadly, as if asking if he could not do it.
Geuru shook his head violently.
“I-I can do it. If I just have a little time, later I can go to the snowfield…”
Yes, if he bought some time, he might be able to do it. If he gathered his magic power again and went to the snowfield to draw up his strength to the maximum, he might be able to change him back into a person.
Of course, he would have to keep the puppy until then…
But in order to do that, he had to get over one enormous mountain.
“What do I tell Dad…?”
The waiting room fell silent.
Mephisto, Beilak, and Lucsifer all lost their words and sank into thought.
First option.
Tell Dad honestly that this was originally a person, so they had to turn him back into one.
“…”
Geuru looked up at the ceiling with clouded eyes.
Today was a historic day that had marked a major milestone in his five-year life.
He had finally bragged about making an S+, and people had cheered for him. Dad had seemed to be in a good mood, too.
He had thought all that remained was to be praised…!
Geuru turned pale as he imagined Jurim with horns and shook his head.
He really, really did not want to get scolded today.
Then the second option…
This was just a dog. A little puppy Mephisto had picked up.
“…”
Geuru narrowed his eyes and looked at Yulian.
“If he’s a good puppy, he might let us raise him.”
“Ppit?”
Was that so? Seeing hope, Mephisto spread his wing wide and held it out.
“Ppi!” (Paw!)
“Arf!”
Yulian barked sharply and snapped Mephisto’s wing in his mouth.
“Ppiiiii—!”
“Hwaaaah!”
Geuru hurriedly pulled Yulian away from Mephisto.
“Wh-what do we do?”
Geuru rounded his mouth.
This puppy was not good at all!
Of course, that was only natural. He had turned from a human into a puppy in an instant, so it made sense that his personality would get worse.
“Grrrrr! Arf! Arf!”
Just as Yulian was barking shrilly—
Creak—
The door to the waiting room slowly opened, and Jurim appeared.
Behind him, Gidan, Lee Taemin, and Sergei, who had finished their interview, came in one after another.
Geuru, who was holding Yulian, broke out in a cold sweat as he looked at them.
“Oh, it’s a puppy.”
“What? Whose puppy is it? It’s cute.”
Gidan and Lee Taemin scampered over and examined the puppy from every angle, while Jurim waited until Sergei had entered the room as well, then closed the door and asked.
“Whose dog is that?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Geuru.
Even Sergei, who seemed tired and had flopped onto the sofa, turned his head to hear whose puppy it was.
Gulp. Geuru swallowed under their stares.
“I-I picked him up…”
“Again?”
When Jurim’s face crumpled, Geuru quickly continued.
“Mephi said he saw the owner abandon him. He’s pitiful. Geuru wants to raise him.”
After hearing the situation, Gidan and Lee Taemin chimed in that the puppy was pitiful, but Jurim did not back down.
“No. If it’s an abandoned dog, we can send it to an abandoned dog center. How many animals do we have at home right now?”
“Animals?”
At Gidan’s question, Jurim paused for a moment. Strictly speaking, they were not animals, but…
In the meantime, Geuru stuck out his lips and mumbled.
“But he’s good… Right?”
“Grrrrrr—”
Yulian bared his teeth. Then he bit down on Gidan’s hand as Gidan tried to stroke his head.
Gidan shook Yulian, who was hanging from his hand by his teeth.
Jurim stared at the sight and asked.
“He’s good?”
“Uuung, a little.”
“…”
Geuru hugged Yulian tightly to his chest.
Jurim closed his mouth as he watched Yulian bare his teeth even at him.