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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Elf Picked Up the Heavenly Death Star
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"What a shame. She had a killer body, though."
A man walked by with a vulgar chuckle.
The boy stood frozen in place, watching the chunk of meat being carted away.
A slum whore. Bottom-of-the-barrel life.
A worthless soul who'd fallen ill, then beaten to death by some nameless man, now reduced to a slab of meat.
And the boy's mother.
"Ah."
A shove sent the boy's face slamming into the dirt.
He blankly turned his head, and there was that same man with the sleazy grin.
"Your face is pretty enough, though."
The man cackled, his eyes raking over the boy's body.
"Bet you'd taste just fine."
The boy ignored the man's words and gazed up at the sky.
Gray. More thunderclouds.
Lightning flashed through the gaps, but no rain seemed forthcoming.
Rumble—!
Pleasant thunder rolled.
At the sound, the boy instinctively reached out a hand.
As if the lightning might come down into his palm.
"Tch, what a retard. No fun at all."
Flash────────!!!
"Gaaah…!"
A bolt struck out of nowhere, startling the man into falling flat on his ass.
Who wouldn't jump if lightning hit right in front of them?
The man calmed his pounding heart and stared at the bizarre sight before him.
"Wh-what the…?"
Electric currents sparked from the boy's unscathed body.
Even though he'd clearly been struck dead-on.
"That idiot's got some luck."
"Aw, too bad! I was looking forward to not seeing that face anymore."
Unlike the surrounding thugs mocking the scared man with their laughter, he sensed something off.
The boy's eerily deep black hair and eyes.
Purple electricity crackling over them looked strange to anyone, but that wasn't it.
"Fuck…"
A grin split the boy's lips as his eyes locked onto the man.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
That day, an entire slum was found charred black.
The topic of shredded, coal-blackened corpses buzzed for a bit, but as always, people's interest didn't last more than a week.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The boy walked endlessly.
All around him was dense forest.
He trampled through the grass, then suddenly looked up.
"Ah…"
The pitch-black sky had turned blue.
Night had passed, and morning come.
Gurgle—
His stomach clock agreed.
The boy picked up a stone from the ground and glanced around.
Rustle—a faint sound.
He hurled the stone right at it.
—Squeak…!
At the short death cry, the boy approached.
A rabbit lay there, trembling in death.
The boy picked up the rabbit, purple currents sparking from it.
And then,
Crunch—!
He bit into it whole and chewed.
The half-roasted rabbit from the electricity was decent food, aside from the annoying fur in his mouth.
As he mechanically worked his jaw, enlightenment struck.
"Ah."
If the fur was annoying, just remove it.
He peeled the skin away from his bite, reducing the amount but getting rid of the fur.
Nodding in satisfaction, he brought the rabbit back to his mouth.
"Eh?"
A voice made currents spark from the boy's eyes.
His mind grew hazy, just like in the slums days ago.
Crackle─────!!
With purple electricity, the boy's body vanished in an instant.
He reappeared atop a tree.
Lightning wrapped around his body, and he swung his arm.
Rumble—!
Thunder boomed, leaves charring black.
But there, standing unscathed amid it all, was a figure.
"Ah… how pitiful. Born under the Heavenly Death Star's curse."
The woman looked at the boy, her eyebrows drooping in sympathy.
But the boy bared his teeth, face twisted.
"Grrr…"
Electricity coiled around his hand as he growled like a beast.
Crack—! He vanished and reappeared behind her, swinging.
"No helping it."
Smack—she lightly swatted his hand away.
The boy twisted his body in response.
His rising kick aimed for her abdomen.
And,
Thwack—!
He took a hit to the nape and collapsed.
The woman sighed, scooping up the child.
"Haa… I've never raised a kid before."
Soon, she walked off slowly.
First things first, a bath and some food.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
When the boy opened his eyes, the sky filled his vision.
It sounded crazy, but this was definitely the sky.
"Ah?"
As he blankly looked around, a gentle voice spoke.
"Awake?"
He turned his head.
A woman like the forest itself stood there.
He reached out dazedly, and she smiled warmly.
"Amazing, right?"
His hand aimed at her ear.
An elf's long, pointed ear, unlike humans'.
Amazed by the soft-yet-firm feel, he suddenly remembered he was in the sky.
"Ah…"
Up, down.
Blue everywhere.
He reached for passing clouds, then looked at his butt area.
A flying sword was there.
She sat atop it, and he was cradled in her arms.
"What's your name?"
Gazing into her forest-green eyes, he answered.
"Ah."
"Ah?"
"Uh…"
Instead of pressing, she gently stroked his head.
After three clouds passed, he hesitantly spoke.
"E-Enoch…"
"Enoch? Nice name."
She smiled, though she thought it a harsh fate.
A child born under the Heavenly Death Star, named Enoch.
Enoch meant "offered to God."
Not fitting for the Heavenly Death Star, prophesied to tear even the heavens apart.
Or perhaps.
Maybe fitting, blessed by the Heavenly Death Star divinity.
A pitiful being caught in a god's whim, after all.
"I'm Rionne. Rionne Estor. Call me whatever."
"…Rionne?"
"That's right. Smart boy."
Rionne stroked Enoch's head, and he flinched.
She smiled and looked below.
"We're here."
She scooped him up and leaped from the sword.
The sword flew back into its sheath at her side.
"Waa…"
Enoch's mouth gaped at the wind whipping his body.
Cheeks pushing back, hair fluttering.
Rionne laughed at the delighted child.
Thud—
She landed lightly, set him down, and spread her arms.
"Ta-da. Home sweet home. Like it?"
A cozy nestring amid the woods.
A small yard grew vegetables; nearby water murmured.
Enoch smiled silently, and Rionne scooped him up.
"First, a bath… Ah."
She'd forgotten.
Cold sweat beaded on her cheek.
"…Come to think of it, Enoch. Where are your parents?"
Born under the Heavenly Death Star, normal parents couldn't raise him, but still—kidnapping without a word…!
As she waited anxiously, his head shook side to side.
Half-relieved, half-sad, Rionne hugged him tight.
"I see… No need to worry anymore."
At least until he was grown, he'd be safe in an elf's arms.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After a bath and meal, the child began nodding off.
Rionne tucked him into her bed, then stepped out and gazed blankly at the sky.
"What now…?"
She'd brought him home, but no plan.
She'd never raised a child, knew little of humans.
And her own situation was precarious.
[Rionne's an idiot. Why pick up something so ominous?]
"Undine, don't say that."
Rionne glared at her tiny friend.
The blue water spirit puffed her cheeks sullenly, flitting around Rionne.
[It's ominous even up close. Don't you know what the Heavenly Death Star is?]
"Of course. I saw the last one with my own eyes."
[And you brought this home?]
"He's still a child."
[Idiot.]
Hmph! Undine snorted and settled three feet away.
Her way of venting.
Rionne smiled at her friend's cute tantrum, but her heart was troubled too.
Over her long life, few shocks stood out.
Memories of the Heavenly Death Star occupied a bold spot—and not pleasantly.
'…A disaster.'
Rivers of blood.
That rampaging Heavenly Death Star killed about 100,000 humans that day.
By the time Rionne sensed the ominous aura and rushed over, multiple cities lay in ruins.
'About 200 years ago?'
Recalling it, Rionne shuddered.
The ordeal back then was unreal…
To spare the boy that, she needed to educate him from childhood.
Until adulthood—say…
'Around 150 years?'
Not that long.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Dwarves are sneaky thieves."
"The Heavenly Death Star that blessed you, Enoch, can be called a nasty little dwarf like them."