Side Chapter — Dungeon Core Children

Ever since Leona started working in the church, I kept Rokuko far away from it as a defensive measure. As a result, Rokuko got bored enough that she began visiting the [Flame Caverns] with her Phoenix named Phenny in tow. She and Redra, in her human form, were drinking tea together when Rokuko casually dropped a question.

“Hey, do you have any kids, Redra?”

“Kids? Yeah, I got one! She’s a super cute girl that looks just like me!” Redra grinned broadly enough to show all her sharp teeth.

“Wow, really? Is she somewhere in your dungeon?”

“Nah, she left home like two hundred years ago! I sure hope she’s doing okay... But hey, it’d take a lot to kill a Flame Dragon!”

“A Flame Dragon?! That’s a higher ranked Dragon than you, Redra!”

“That’s ’cause she’s my kid! I’m still stronger, though!” Redra cackled with pride. She was a Red Dragon, one that specialized in the fire element. If you took that specialization a step further, you would have a Flame Dragon. It would be fair to call them the physical embodiment of the fire element itself.

“So, is that Core 112’s kid?”

“Gr, Rokuko?! Are you thinkin’ I would cheat on him?!” Fire roared from Redra’s mouth.

“No, I was just wondering if Dungeon Cores could have children! Because I’m a Dungeon Core too, remember?”

“Oh, I see what you’re saying. Of course it’s Ittetsu’s kid!” Redra calmed down in a second. Rokuko took a sip of her tea. Incidentally, Redra’s human transformation was perhaps intentionally incomplete, leaving her tail and horns in place such that she still looked like a Dragon. The fire breathing was part of that.

“Whew, it’s kind of hot. Be careful, I’m not strong like you are, Redra.”

“Haha, sorry, sorry. I jumped on ya too fast! Still, y’know, you and Ittetsu sure are different for both being Dungeon Cores!”

“That’s just how Dungeon Cores are.” Human-type Dungeon Cores and Salamander-type Dungeon Cores were as different as a normal human and a normal Salamander. They were entirely different species, with only their nature as Dungeon Cores connecting them.

“...Wait. Have you always called Core 112 Ittetsu?”

“Keima says it’s hard for humans to understand Dragon language, so I’m using it instead for now!” Redra once said Ittetsu’s name in Dragon language, but it always ended up like “grroohgghogooh.” That would definitely be hard for humans to say, thought Rokuko.

“Still though, you want to know more about my kid?! Alright! I’ll talk to you about her all night, she’s my baby! Proof of my love for Ittetsu!”

“I wouldn’t mind that, but there’s something else I want to ask about first.”

“Mmm? What’s that?!”

“Well.” Rokuko took a deep breath, then sat up straight. Redra, seeing that, sat up straight as well.

“How do you make children?”

“Bppph?! You’re asking me that?!” Rokuko’s question made Redra sputter with surprise. “Uh, that’s the kinda thing you should ask your parents! Why ask me?!”

“I don’t have a mom.” Dungeon cores only knew of their Father, so it was fair to say that they didn’t have a mother.

“I have an older sister, but Keima said I should never ask her this under any circumstances, so... I’d really appreciate it if you told me Redra.”

“O-Oh, huh... Sorry for bringing up bad memories.”

“No worries. It’s the same way for all Dungeon Cores. So... Would you tell me?”

“Ah, right. Ittetsu doesn’t have a mom either. Wait, does that mean you’re Ittetsu’s little sister?!”

“I guess you could say that. But really, would you tell me? I don’t have anyone else I can ask about this,” said Rokuko, looking up at Redra with puppy dog eyes. It was a request from both a friend and a sister in law. Refusing her would be the act of a truly despicable woman.

“Alright! I’ll tell you! I am a mother, after all!” Redra thumped her chest confidentially. To Rokuko, she looked like someone who could really be relied on.

“Thank you!”

“Yeah, no problem! Uuuuh, so y’see, you just, uhhhh...” Redra folded her arms and fell into thought. The question was how much she should tell Rokuko about baby making. How many of the ancient secrets she should reveal, the secrets that embarrassed her to think about. Even Redra, resistant to heat as she was, blushed bright red thinking about explaining said secrets to Rokuko. What had she told her daughter, again? Oh. She hadn’t. Anyway, Redra just said the first thing that came to mind.

“First, you gotta... kiss him! It all starts with kissing!”

“Kissing! It starts with kissing, okay!”

“That’s right! A big smooch! This is important, don’t forget it!”

“Got it!” Rokuko engraved on her heart the importance of kisses. Her strategy so far had not been mistaken. “And after that?”

“...Then, uhhhhh, y-you gotta make them kiss you too!”

“They have to kiss too!”

“Yeah! They’ve gotta kiss you back!” Rokuko nodded. Up until now, her attempts at kissing had been one way.

“What comes after that?”

“Well, y’see! Uhhh, eeer, uhhh! Err, aaah...” Redra began to awkwardly fidget, unusual behavior for one as energetic and straightforward as her. Rokuko was confused.

“Redra, you really did have a kid with Core 112, right?”

“I-I did! But y’see, ahahaha, weeelll, how to put this, it’s crazy embarrassing to say this kinda thing to a friend...”

“Embarrassing, hm... I can understand that.” Rokuko nodded. She always felt embarrassed when kissing Keima, too. But Redra had gone even further beyond and actually made children. She was a wise master compared to her.

“Well, you know! Once you start kissing each other, you’ll just know what to do next! Instincts! Just trust your instincts! Your body knows what to do!”

“Instincts! My body will know what to do!” Redra’s statements were pretty out there, but Rokuko believed them all in full.

“That’s right! Instincts! Feel it in your bones! Don’t think too hard, and by the time you’re thinking about making kids, you’ll already have one! Basically, kissing makes babies!”

“Kissing makes babies...!”

“That’s right! Kissing makes babies!”

“Kissing! Makes! Babies!” Rokuko repeated Redra’s words like a chant. For some reason, they high-fived each other.

“Now I can have kids with Keima!”

“Feelings are everything! Get close with him!”

“Got it!”

“Take good care of your kids!”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Don’t turn in bed and crack your eggs!”

“...Um, what? Did you crack your egg?”

“J-Just a few tiny cracks is fine! Just cover them with magma so it’ll harden!” Magma is probably only good for the eggs of a Red Dragon, so I shouldn’t follow this advice thought Rokuko as she scribbled on her internal notepad.

“Heya, the fuck you two talking about, huh?” Ittetsu came to check in on them since they had been making such a fuss. Upon seeing her four legged husband walking in their direction, Redra beamed a full smile.

“Ah, Ittetsu! I was just telling Rokuko how to make kids!”

“Er... A-Alright, nice. Just, uh, don’t go too far, alright?” He was relieved that they hadn’t been fighting, but now he had to question whether he should tell Keima about this. In front of him Rokuko and Redra faced each other and shouted “OKAY!” with enthusiasm.

“Later Rokuko, good luck!”

“It’s gonna happen!”

“KISSING MAKES BABIES!” they shouted in unison, high-fiving for the second time. Ittetsu was glad Redra had such a good friend, but now he really didn’t know what to tell Keima.

“...You sure that’s a good enough explanation?” Ittetsu tilted his head, his heavy neck cracking.

“It’s fine! But we gotta demonstrate to her first! I’m gonna bite ya!”

“Demonstrate... bite... kiss?! R-R-R-Right here, r-right now?! That’s so bold!”

“Wait, Rokuko! We’re not gonna actually make babies in public! We’re not, right?! I mean, if you want to Ittetsu, I could do it! Wait, what are you making me say, jerk?!” Redra slammed her fists against Ittetsu, bright red. He hadn’t made her say anything in particular, but Ittetsu stood there and took her (fairly painful) blows without complaint.

“...Y’know, humans and Dragon’s aren’t so fuckin’ similar biologically speaking, so don’t take her advice too seriously, alright?” said Ittetsu just to be safe, but Rokuko was blushing so bright red it was hard to tell whether or not she was actually listening.

“...Good fuckin’ luck, Keima...” Ittetsu quietly prayed for Keima’s future. Despite thinking that his prayers would probably reach no one.