VS Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Part 3

The Library, which the group has finally arrived at, was completely enveloped by darkness devoid of any natural light sources, creating an eerie atmosphere. Kaban and co nervously opened the door and entered. Inside, there were no signs of anyone being there. Everyone's minds were filled with worry thinking about how Eurasian Eagle-Owl could attack from the large hole in the wall through which you could see the cloudy sky.

"Pr-Professor-san… Are you here?"

"Professoooor! Where are you noda!?"

As opposed to Kaban's somewhat quiet voice, Common Raccoon yelled out at the top of her lungs.

"Arai-san~... You've gotta think before you yell~… What are you gonna do if someone comes~?"

"I-It can't be helped noda! Maybe Professor is asleep somewhere!?"

"I hope that she's just sleeping…"

Boss, who stood by the worried Kaban while shining various spots inside the Library with its lights, began speaking.

[The "Northern White-Faced Owl" is a nocturnal animal. After transforming into a Friend, her biology changed somewhat, so she would probably continue sleeping if you just make noises.]

Thinking about the meaning of those words, Kaban's face turned pale.

"So… That means she won't react to us calling out to her…"

"H-Has she already fallen victim to Assistant noda!?"

"Maybe the same thing that happened to Assistant-san happened to her~..."

"Stop creating imaginary tragic conclusions, if you could." A voice resounded behind Kaban, Common Raccoon, and Fennec, as they were speculating the worst.

"UGYAAAH NODAAAA!"

"How loud…! We are not that good with loud noises…!"

The one covering her ears while scolding Common Raccoon, who jumped up while screaming, was unmistakably Professor.

"Ahh… Currently, it is not "we"... but "I", rather."

Professor's face as she said that to no one in particular, while it read as expressionless as always, had a somehow lonely and sad note.

"Professor-san… Thank goodness. You're safe."

"But of course. That is because w- I am smart. It seems that you too kept yourself safe."

Squinting her large eyes, Professor gave Common Raccoon a fleeting glance.

"...The survival of you two is surprising, I must say."

"Oh come on noda―!"

Ignoring the furious Common Raccoon, Professor turned her head until she saw Serval.

"...? Is something the matter, Serval? You are strangely quiet."

"Mya!? U-Umya… I'm just a bit tired…"

Serval, who stood away from everyone else, hurriedly responded to Professor with a surprised look on her face. Upon seeing Serveal's wound on her right arm, Professor's expression became emotional. It was complicated, seemingly a mix of astonishment and sorrow.

"That wound… I was already suspecting it from your earlier comments… But as I thought, you've been attacked in the forest― By Assistant."

"Y-Yeah… We were somehow able to repel her without getting injured… And ran away deeper into the forest." Kaban answered in Serval's stead.

Professor took a small breath.

"I see… Not only have you managed to flee from my Assistant in her current state, but to do that without getting injured… I've expected nothing less, Kaban."

"―Uhh, same goes for you, Professor… I know that I've said it already, but I'm glad that you're safe… Do you know anything about this incident? We came here, because we thought that maybe you'd know something."

At Kaban's question, Professor approached a bookcase and began speaking.

"I have only hypothesized that it would be the worst-case scenario after Assistant became strange… And yet, as you have witnessed, it appears that the worst-case scenario has come to reality."

Professor procured a translucent cylindrical object from the shelf, and turned her head while simultaneously putting it on a plate.

"Let me hear more about what happened outside of the Library. I don't mind holding a long conversation in pitch darkness, but I've prepared an item for your sake. Kaban, light this up with the extra prize we gave you."

Just as said, Kaban made a flame with the "extra prize". Feeling Common Raccoon staggering from fear next to her, Kaban transferred the flame to the thin thing sticking out of the white object prepared by Professor. The calm fire brought a tender light to the Library.

"It's bright noda… Arai-san, when it comes to a flame like that… can get closer to it no problem nanoda!"

"This is a tool used by Humans called a "candle". This way everyone can talk while seeing each other's faces during the night. So, hurry up and give me the information."

Everyone sat down around the candle in its light just like Professor. Having sat down in a seiza position, Kaban noticed that Serval, who would usually be right by her side, elected to sit in the furthest away spot opposite of her. While Kaban was worried about Serval, seeing an unwell-looking complexion on her face in the candle's dim light, she began telling Professor about their experiences with the incident.

…

"I see… Is that so?..."

As Kaban was finishing telling their stories, the tired Common Raccoon began dozing off. Fennec poked at her side with her elbow, who opened her eyes in a shock and wiped the drool off her face, and took on a serious expression as if she was listening from the start. Professor brought her hand to her mouth as she pondered, staring at the candle's flame.

"Oh, this reminds me, why did Assistant get caught up in that storm, while you are doing fine~?" Fennec asked Professor while tilting her head.

Professor closed her eyes for a moment, then began speaking.

"In this Library, there's a room underground where books are stored. I was there in the cellar, that's what it's called, looking through books. Assistant, on the other hand, was spending her time where we currently are."

Professor moved her large eyes towards the holes in the Library's walls.

"While I was down there in the cellar, I didn't notice that the Library had been engulfed by the approaching Sandstar Raw. As the walls have holes in them, the Sandstar Raw got into the building, swallowing up Assistant."

Professor's expression as she was scowling at the holes in the walls looked as if she was guilty about something.

"When I came out of the cellar, Assistant was behaving oddly, having been engulfed by what you called a storm of Sandstar Raw. I thought that she suddenly began to groan, and as her eyes turned to the color of Wild Release, she began attacking me. I've managed to take refuge in the cellar, but if my reaction was any slower, then I wouldn't have a chance holding her off."

Assistant, having been engulfed by the Sandstar Raw storm, had suddenly changed. Having listened to the circumstances, Kaban thought back to Brown Bear and Campo Flicker.

"―That wasn't Assistant. That was… a 'Wild Eurasian Eagle-Owl'. Actual Eurasian Eagle-Owls are the largest predators of the birds of prey. Stimulating that instinct of hers is hunting things like me or Fennec."

Kaban has reflexively opened her mouth.

"Then, when it comes to Brown Bear-san and Campo Flicker-san who also were swallowed by the Sandstar Raw storm as they were outside of the Bus and Lodge…?"

"From what I've heard from you about Brown Bear's situation, then she's without a doubt a 'Wild Brown Bear'. Due to her incredible wariness she instinctively attacked Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey when she approached, and due to her powerful sense of curiosity she was lured by the paperplane thrown by Kaban."

Professor told Kaban that everything should be clear now.

"Friends swallowed by the black storm― the Sandstar Raw shockwave lose themselves in a Wild Release and fall into a state of 'Instinctive Frenzy'. They become ferocious to satisfy their instinct, and attack others they deem as prey or enemies. While we don't know how far the storm has reached, the damage it caused is without a doubt large."

Hello, this is PoGu. Apologies for the the delayed post, Christmas preparations can be like that sometimes.

Anyway, since FF doesn't like any kind of link anywhere, I'll instead leave directions on how to find the original work.

First method is to search for "「けもの」の本能" and find the link that leads you to a Japanese site called "kakuyomu".

Alternatively, you can go to the kakuyomu site and add "/works/1177354054882921926" to the domain.