HoloAdvent (A Hololive fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter 18

It was foolish of me to believe I was anything other than human. When confronted with danger, my response mirrors that of anyone else. I rise from my seat, lift my arms defensively, and my eyes widen akin to a doe facing a predator ready to strike. 

Even though my dad revealed the truth about me being an oni, the monstrous entity he unleashed in that one single moment didn't feel like a boost of motivation that'd produce latent energy residing within me all along to burst forth in front of something more dangerous than the occasional killer or murderer. My affinity towards it seemed almost absent, considering how long I'd ignored my true nature throughout my life. As if I'd abandoned all there was to me. 

I couldn't do anything as the bear was thrice my size. Such a thing existed in this forest when it could've shown up this morning. It wasn't any ordinary run-of-the-mill bear that stalked the woods with a lazy growl. It stood on its two legs, its snout high up in the air. 

Hakos Baelz seemed to be right in one thing. If I was around these girls, I needed to prepare for the consequences. This was probably one of them.

"How troublesome..." Nerissa sighed. "I should destroy this immediately."

"No, wait, that's my bear. I tamed it earlier. Must be possessed..." Shiori held her hand up. "But look at the cutie! I didn't know bears could grow exponentially after being tamed!"

"Possessed?" Bijou reiterated.

"Boss, look at those..." Sarah pointed for me.

"... Now that I look at it more closely..." I muttered, focusing my sights on its eyes overwhelmed with a maelstrom of red. There must've been something that shifted within my vision, something subsidiary, like I had grown a second eye beneath my pupils that increased my field of vision. "Its eyes are red and there seems to be some sort of coat around it."

"Coat?" Sarah probably couldn't see what I see. 

I'm seeing a ghostly coat around it.

Maybe I was the only one who could see it. Sarah didn't seem to react towards it.

As the power emanating from the bear became more palpable, its image grew sharper in my mind. The sense of dread intensified... multiplying within me. My arms quivered but stayed at my sides. There was a slight tremor, just a little that reverberated and swung around my system, yet why did I briefly entertain the thought of confronting this monster in battle? 

Apart from sensing its aggressive intent, what was the bear after?

"Fuwawa Abyssgard. Mococo Abyssgard." The bear bellowed, its voice creating an abyssal effect, its immense volume echoing boundlessly across the horizon.

"I-it knows our names!" The girls clasped hands in panic, their tails rising simultaneously as they gazed at the bear.

"How dare you remain imprisoned, freeing yourselves by escaping, and never once visiting your parents!" The bear's powerful tremor shook the ground. Nature around us seemed to react—hoofbeats fading, cicadas quieting to the sounds of life and death. Even our once brightly burning fire we used to cook food seemed to diminish, almost prostrating itself at the presence of a colossal beast. "-is what your family ordered me to tell you word for word!"

"Who are you?!" I exclaimed loudly.

"I am among the many caretakers for the Abyssgard Family in Hell. It is my duty to convey a message from our masters to their daughters who were prisoners for an extended period of time, a responsibility I am now currently fulfilling."

"For your information, we got pardoned by Hololive! We're not prisoners anymore!" Mococo said.

"In the eyes of a mere caretaker, that still does not excuse you from seeing your family. If you truly were excused for the sins you've committed, then this should have been your top priority."