Chick 356

356

Chapter: The First Father-Daughter Joint Operation?

“On Ijo’s soul is now asleep inside his body. That fellow called Cabalon has taken possession of him.”

Bailach recalled the last traces of Cabalon’s presence he had sensed.

“Beep.”

Mephisto, too, seemed to have sensed something, nodding in agreement.

“Cabalon?”

At Gru’s question, Mephisto transformed into the form of a white child and answered gently.

“Yes. The man you struck with the duck tongs.”

Gru pursed her lips in a round “O,” remembering the satisfying feel from back then.

“Oh!”

She had wondered why she saw the witch’s eyes in her father as well as that man—it seems there was a hidden story behind it.

Gru looked down at her hands.

Should she break the seal on the duck tongs once more?

While Gru’s eyes flashed with determination, Daniella, who had been listening quietly, raised her hand.

“Wait a moment. So the man who was hit by Gru’s duck tongs—he’s the one who’s taken over Mr. On Ijo’s body? Am I getting this right? But why did he take over Mr. On Ijo’s body? Because you hit him with the duck tongs? Is this some kind of grudge?”

Mephisto’s brow furrowed.

“Are you an idiot? Obviously, it’s so he can raise the tower. That’s Cabalon’s goal.”

Bailach, nodding, added an explanation.

“He must have been hiding within On Ijo’s consciousness ever since the 100th floor.”

Daniella, abruptly made to look like a fool, stood frozen, while Chuen, seeming to understand, spoke.

“So Cabalon was the one on the 100th floor. And then he possessed Mr. On Ijo.”

Bailach sighed deeply.

“That must be it. Which means you should be able to set things right. You can handle souls, can’t you?”

“…Yes.”

Chuen replied softly, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Bailach, though somewhat puzzled, continued.

“If we can draw On Ijo’s soul back out, it will make things much simpler. It seems On Ijo is powerless against this guy.”

Bailach pointed at himself, causing Gru to gape in surprise.

“The soul of a living person…”

Chuen fell silent for a moment, then looked up.

“There are a few conditions. Physical contact, or at least being close by, is necessary.”

Bailach narrowed his eyes.

“Earlier, you said you’d put On Ijo’s soul in that ridiculous doll…”

“I told you, I was joking…”

She had only tried to lighten the mood.

Muttering, Chuen turned her head, face flushing with embarrassment.

Silence fell once more.

Daniella crossed her arms and drew a deep breath.

“Returning to the beginning, does this mean we just have to wait until he makes a move…?”

At that, Mephisto, who had at some point sidled right up to Gru, asked with wide eyes,

“Wait until he raises the tower? It won’t be easy for humanity to attack the tower again.”

At her words, Daniella and Chuen’s faces darkened.

After all, everyone knew the only reason humanity had managed to attack the tower before was thanks to On Ijo at the peak of his powers.

But if the tower were to appear again?

What would happen to humanity without On Ijo was all too clear.

“That’s… that can’t be. I’m not saying we should wait that long.”

Chuen, pale as a sheet, shook her head, and Daniella sighed heavily.

They weren’t going to sit back and wait for the tower’s reconstruction. But in truth, there were no better options.

Faced with a bleak situation, no one could easily break the silence.

Despair swelled, filling the room.

In the heavy silence, Gru blinked quietly in Mephisto’s embrace.

As fluffy clouds billowed in her mind, she conjured a daddy sheep and a baby sheep.

Daddy sheep, controlled by a wicked entity, tried to abduct the baby sheep.

Because the baby sheep had the eyes of the daddy sheep.

Even now, daddy sheep was probably searching everywhere for baby sheep…

Under her sisters’ protection, baby sheep trembled on fragile shoulders.

If she kept hiding, she would be safe, but the evil villain might raise the tower again.

So then…

When baby sheep seized the duck tongs and rose to her feet—

—A stylish tomato!

Gru’s phone rang with her ringtone.

“Hello~ Yes, Dad. Gru is doing fine.”

Gru answered in a relaxed voice.

Joorim’s voice crackled through the phone, checking if his child was safe.

“You’re not alone, are you?”

“No, I’m with my sisters. We’re all together.”

“No injuries?”

“No, none.”

“Not scared?”

“Nope.”

Gru answered his questions absentmindedly.

“But Dad, I’ve been thinking.”

“Yes?”

Glancing at her sisters, Gru continued.

“I think it would be good… if I became the bait.”

“What?!”

“Huh?”

Daniella and Chuen stared at her, eyes wide.

“On Groo, don’t move an inch from there.”

It wasn’t long after Gru let drop her bombshell that Joorim appeared at Daniella’s lodgings.

At the sight of the grim-faced Joorim, Daniella and Chuen swallowed hard.

“Dad!”

Gru hurried over to him.

As Gru ran into his arms, Joorim asked harshly,

“What are you saying? What on earth have you been telling my daughter?”

---

“Follow my lead!”

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Kkyuu~”

Gru dashed forward holding the duck tongs, with Mephisto and Lucifer running after her.

“Haa…”

Bailach trudged heavily at the rear.

To the right, to the left.

The children followed Gru, feet scuffling back and forth.

Watching the scene out of the corner of his eye, Joorim pressed Daniella and Chuen,

“Are you sure you didn’t put strange ideas into her head? Look at her now.”

“That’s…”

Daniella was at a loss, feeling wronged.

They too had only been explaining the situation, when Gru volunteered herself out of the blue.

They had explained it all clearly to Joorim upon his belated arrival.

That On Ijo’s body had been stolen by someone called Cabalon, and that to awaken On Ijo’s soul, they first needed to confront Cabalon.

They had said nothing else to Gru.

Yet, Joorim still seemed suspicious that some outside influence had prompted Gru to act on her own.

At that moment—

“Don’t bully Big Sis!”

Gru hurled her duck tongs at Joorim as he questioned Daniella.

But—

He caught them easily with his bare hand.

“Oh!”

As expected of the strongest! Gru’s eyes sparkled.

Joorim took the duck tongs from her and said,

“I told you not to hit people.”

“What about bad guys?”

“Bad guys…”

Joorim hesitated, and Gru answered for him.

“Then it’s okay~”

“Bad guys are dangerous, so no, it’s not.”

Gru puffed out her cheeks at Joorim’s firm expression.

“Are you just wanting to use this to hit people again?”

Joorim narrowed his eyes, lightly brandishing the tongs.

He had hurried here, thinking something terrible had happened, only to recall the image of Gru giving Cabalon a solid beating. It was almost absurd.

Startled, Gru shook her head.

“No, it’s not like that…”

“Are you sure…”

“If we just wait for the tower to appear… that’s not good, is it?”

“…”

The thought of the tower…

Joorim bit his lower lip as he mulled over Gru’s words.

He wished he could say there was nothing for her to worry about.

He lowered his gaze, remembering the dead.

“I can do it, Dad. I’ll do my best.”

Hearing Gru’s earnest voice, Joorim let out a small sigh.

“You don’t have to step up. Aren’t you scared?”

“But…”

Gru gripped his collar tightly.

“Uncle is trapped, sleeping because the bad guy got him.”

“…”

Gru held out her hand as if to propose a deal.

“Dad, come with me, and let’s bring Uncle back.”

Joorim looked down silently at the tiny hand before him.