Time flies, and the years pass by.
In the blink of an eye, Zunzun is six years old.
In this golden age where some people train in fighting spirit, others awaken martial spirits, and some smelt runes, he's stuck playing in the mud at the edge of a remote village—and he even has to bring his own cement!
But Zunzun wasn't angry. Just a little bored, a little depressed.
Originally, he had mentally prepared himself to grow up all over again—running around the village naked with a bunch of ignorant little brats. But in these six years, he'd only met children his age a handful of times. He never got the chance to build any deep friendships.
Zunzun understood why. The Crimson Demon Clan only had around 300 people to begin with, and even fewer children around his age.
"Zunzun! Zunzun!"
A melodious voice called from afar.
—Zunzun.
That was his name.
Because of the amazing performance he put on during his naming ceremony, his parents decided to name him Zunzun.
It was a transliteration of his own modern language.
Originally, it was supposed to be "嘬嘬," but the pronunciation made it sound like someone calling a dog. After Zunzun's fierce protest (mainly crying), his parents finally compromised and named him Zunzun.
Thank you, past me, for being mature enough to resist. Otherwise, I'd be too ashamed to show my face now. Nobody wants to be called like a dog every time someone shouts their name.
"What are you daydreaming about?"
With a faint floral scent and a sudden lift, his feet left the ground as someone picked him up by the arms. Turning around, he saw a beautiful girl.
She was tall, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders like a smooth waterfall. Her scarlet eyes weren't frightening—rather, they shimmered with a gentle, intellectual light.
Her delicate face always wore a warm smile. Her eyebrows, curved like willow leaves, reminded people of springtime. She was truly a beauty.
The person in front of him was his biological sister.
"Sister Soketto?"
"It's me. Zunzun, you've been playing in the mud again—your clothes are a mess."
Soketto sighed and patted the dirty, pink skirt he was wearing.
…Yes. It was a skirt.
But don't get the wrong idea—Zunzun was a proper boy.
Anyone who's not an only child knows: if there are older siblings, the clothes you wear depend entirely on who was born first. And parents don't care—they even call it "secondary use" to save money.
Zunzun had tried to protest, but it was no use. With no choice, he wore the hand-me-downs his sister used as a child.
But it didn't matter.
Once he grew a bit taller and put on some muscle, he'd have his own clothes.
Zunzun looked up at his beautiful, straight-haired sister as she fixed his outfit. Even squatting down, she was still a head and a half taller than him. He grinned wide and showed off his back teeth in a bright smile.
"Sister Soketto, welcome back."
"Yes, I'm back."
"You're home really early today."
"Because I finished up quickly. Come on, let's go home. I brought something tasty for you."
"Thanks, Sis!"
The two of them walked home hand-in-hand.
Zunzun's home sat by the forest on the eastern edge of the Crimson Demon Village, far from the village entrance. That was probably why he rarely met other kids.
Back at home, Soketto started preparing dinner.
Right now, only the two of them lived in the house. Their parents weren't home. Why? Because their parents were famous liars—no wait, fortune-tellers. Respected fortune-tellers, in fact, popular among nobles and royalty alike. They were constantly traveling from town to town to offer guidance and tell fortunes.
Zunzun, who hadn't received much parental affection, didn't feel lonely. Besides his sister's care, he understood that their comfortable life was thanks to the efforts of their parents.
So…
Please, Mom and Dad, make lots of money! Let me live the rich kid life I deserve!
I hope my parents grow up to be as successful as Jackie Chan.
"What's wrong, Zunzun? Don't like the food?"
"No, it's delicious."
Enough dreaming about Dad becoming a legend. It was time to enjoy this warm meal with his sister.
After dinner.
Zunzun skipped happily to the kitchen.
"Sister Soketto, I'll help with the dishes!"
Since their parents were gone, it was up to Soketto to take care of Zunzun. That was a heavy burden for a twelve-year-old girl. So he did his best to be a good, helpful little brother and pitched in with simple chores.
After dinner came bath time before bed.
"Zunzun, the water's hot—come on."
"Okay! Coming!"
At Soketto's call, Zunzun ran to the bathroom door, stripped down quickly, and stepped inside. His sister was already waiting for him.
Of course, this meant bathing together.
Zunzun had once suggested that he could bathe on his own, but Soketto always insisted he wasn't thorough enough. Every time, she insisted on washing him herself.
He wasn't embarrassed. In his past life, he'd been a young master of a wealthy family, surrounded by maids. Being bathed by others wasn't new. He just didn't want to make things harder for his sister.
He pushed open the door and stepped into the steamy bathroom.
The first thing he saw was his naked sister, slender yet well-developed.
His reaction?
…Nothing.
He'd seen it so many times, he'd become completely desensitized.
Besides, as we all know, hormone secretion is age-dependent. At six years old, Zunzun's hormones hadn't kicked in yet, so he came off as a bit saintly.
For the same reason, Zunzun couldn't understand the senior who wore panties on his head. What kind of mental state made him do such a thing?
Don't get the wrong idea—Zunzun wasn't criticizing. Everyone has their own preferences, and there's nothing wrong with a little unconventional taste.
That said, let's not keep mentioning underwear. Just saying the word too much leaves a weird taste in your mouth.
"Here, sit here."
Soketto patted the small stool in front of her.
Once Zunzun sat down, she began washing his back. Her hands moved across his smooth, rosy skin, which looked as soft and flawless as a peeled egg. She couldn't help but sigh.
"Your skin is so nice."
"Really? Sister Soketto's skin is really nice too."
"No way. Compared to yours, my skin doesn't even come close. Even when I was six, it wasn't this smooth."
There was genuine envy in her voice.
What can you say—it's in a girl's nature. Even though Soketto was only twelve, she was already interested in skincare and beauty.
After the scrubbing came the soak.
Maybe it was a trait passed down from the creator, but Crimson Demons loved soaking in hot water after washing—something about relieving the day's fatigue.
Zunzun and Soketto were no exception.
Right now, he was curled up in her arms like a contented dumpling. The tub was small, after all.
"Mmm, this feels so nice."
"Yeah."
Soketto leaned back in the bath, enjoying the warmth. Zunzun, meanwhile, blew bubbles out of boredom. The tub was too small to do much else, so he just sat there, quietly.
That's when he saw something strange—through the clear bathwater, he spotted a string of characters on the inside of his sister's thigh.
[934Q118Q741]
This was the identification code engraved on every Crimson Demon at birth. It didn't have any special meaning—they just thought it looked cool. These codes were usually placed in private areas and rarely shared with anyone outside the immediate family.
Of course, Zunzun had one too.
[647Q477Q894]
But his was… different.
It wasn't a typical Crimson Demon barcode. His was engraved just below his lower abdomen—and the design was in the shape of a heart!
I get the feeling… someone is targeting me.
-End Chapter-
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