Mother Chimera

Cheyhuen walked down the street wrapped in thick clothing.

"Brr—so cold." He looked at the thick snow piled along the roadside and the oppressive clouds overhead. "In weather like this, soup would be nice, but I should still have a little drink to warm myself up."

His gaze settled on Elma Tavern in the middle of the road.

"Elma, bring me a—"

Cheyhuen pushed open the tavern door, but before he could finish speaking, he froze on the spot.

What was going on here?

"Ah, it's Old Man Cheyhuen." Aga noticed the customer at the door and stood up to greet him.

"Uh, Aga, what is your sister doing?" Cheyhuen pointed at the utterly bizarre scene.

Elma sat on one side of the table, while across from her was Lemoni, one of the heroes who had defeated the two Demonic Beasts, the White Chimera and Khaimera, wielding a Golden Spear.

The two of them were... arm wrestling?

Elma was a frail woman, while her opponent was a hero capable of defeating Demonic Beasts. The outcome of this arm-wrestling match should have been obvious.

"Urgh—" The green streak in Lemoni's hair trembled. Veins bulged across his arm as he gritted his teeth, cold sweat streaming down his face. He stared at Elma in disbelief.

"Heh, heh heh heh—" Shadows covered Elma's eyes, and a terrifying smile spread across her face.

"Is that all you've got, Hero?" Mysterious white vapor, like steam, escaped from her mouth, and her smile made Lemoni's heart tremble.

Her arm did not move an inch.

"Urgh—" Lemoni put every ounce of strength he had into it, but—

He could not move her!

He simply could not move her at all!

"If that's really all you've got—"

Elma's voice was calm, but to Lemoni's ears, it sounded like