Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2889 - 2890: The Clans Of Japan

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”Oi, Erika! Whatʼs with the long face? Did you want to do the whole mission with your friend? You know your father wouldnʼt allow it, right? We all have to work for our own clans.”

Erika was quickly reprimanded by a tall werewolf lady in her human form. She looked beautiful, with clear brown skin, long blonde hair, and sharp emerald eyes. Tall and strong-looking, she wore a golden dress and had long, painted nails.

She was Erikaʼs aunt, Beowulfʼs youngest sister, Thyra. Erika lowered her gaze, lips tightening in defiance, but before she could respond, the sound of heavy boots echoed against the forest floor.

Ulric, the eldest of Beowulfʼs brothers emerged from the shadows, though still younger than him. His human form was weathered and scarred from countless battles, his hair silver as moonlight, his eyes a piercing dark gray. He wore a mantle of black fur clasped with iron, and his presence carried the weight of centuries.

”Child,” he rumbled, ”you speak of friendship as if it were stronger than blood. But blood binds the clans, and your fatherʼs word is law. Do not mistake kindness for weakness.” Ulricʼs voice was deep and grave, his face perpetually serious and expressionless. Unlike most of the younger werewolves, he was old, experienced, ruthless, and cold-headed. He was sometimes mocked by his older brother Beowulf for being too serious.

”Ugh, I-I know... Uncle, you donʼt have to remind me of the importance of my clan, okay?” Erika flinched, but her aunt placed a hand on her shoulder, nails gleaming like golden talons—a silent gesture of restraint.

Then came Selene, the matriarch of the Moonfang line, one of the oldest allies of Beowulfʼs pack. She was tall and regal, her hair black as midnight, braided with silver threads that shimmered like starlight. Her emerald cloak flowed behind her, and her cold, bright eyes seemed to pierce straight into Erikaʼs soul.

”Ulric speaks true,” Selene said, her tone sharp yet melodic. ”But do not think we are blind to your yearning. You are Beowulfʼs daughter, spoiled by his victories, shielded by his strength. Yet one day you must stand alone, without his shadow to guard you. That is the burden of heirs, dear.”

The three elders stood before her: Thyra radiant and stern, Ulric grim and unyielding, Selene regal and merciless. Their words pressed down on Erika like the weight of the full moon, reminding her that though she was young and privileged, the legacy of Beowulf demanded more than indulgence. Even though her father never acted serious with her, his intentions were clear—he wanted her to start taking life seriously.

”I know, I know, stop glaring at me like that,” Erika rolled her eyes. ”I understand my purpose and blah, blah, blah... Bleeeh...” She sighed. She had grown up in a city of humans and acted very much like them, unlike her two aunts and her uncle, who were born in Europe within their clans, once unified by Beowulfʼs might. ”So weʼre infiltrating? You donʼt look like you can act very well... Are we not going to get found out?”

”If that happens, then we simply run away,” Ulric said. ”Or we can, and might as well, slaughter a few of our competitors.”

”Hm... I am not into senseless slaughter. I prefer hunting strong prey myself,” Thyra replied. ”But infiltrating is our top priority. Your father wants us to become part of Chaos Gate and report everything we learn.”

”Itʼs an important mission... I told your father you were too childish and young, but he didnʼt listen,” Ulric said. ”He insisted youʼve gone through many battles and are more than ready to take on more responsibilities.”

”Ah...” Erika was surprised her stern uncle Ulric had actually tried to convince her father not to bring her along. ”Thank you for trying uncle.”

”Donʼt get me wrong. I didnʼt do it because I felt bad for you,” Ulric said. ”I merely believe youʼre dead weight, Erika. Be careful. I donʼt want to bring my brother the corpse of his daughter.”

”Ulric!” Thyra reprimanded him. ”Enough with your cold remarks!” she growled.

”Grrrr...! A spoiled child like her shouldnʼt be on this important mission...!” Ulric roared, baring his sharp canine teeth. ”Unlike us, who were raised in harsh environments and came out strong and competent, this child has only been fed humanityʼs many indulgences. She has grown weaker despite carrying the Bloodline of her father. Itʼs almost an insult to our great-grandfather, the Great Wolf Fenrir.”

”Sheʼs competent. She has battled many times now in situations where she was destined to lose and either survived or won,” Selene said, patting Erikaʼs head gently. ”Letʼs believe in her, Ulric.”

Ulric sighed and glared elsewhere. ”Letʼs hurry.” He took the reins of the mission without even asking for their permission, making Erika groan in annoyance. She hated her stupid uncle.

.

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Kireinaʼs cosmic eyes and consciousness could see all things.

Sitting on a boulder near the mountainʼs entrance, she observed everyone approaching.

She saw many assassins kill one another; she did not stop them.

And she also saw many familiar faces dealing with various threats themselves.

On one side, her wives had finally arrived to join her in freeing those lost in this mountain.

Noah, Iris, and their children had come for strange reasons—she assumed they wanted to infiltrate the organization.

And Erika and Harumi were here as well, bringing along three powerhouses from each of their clans. It seemed their aim was either to infiltrate or, if that failed, to kill as many Chaos Gate members as possible.

By her side stood Frank, her Aunt Agatheina and her cousins Alice, Alucard, and Jeanne. Her maids were present too, concealed by stealth techniques.

”Looks like thereʼs a big crowd coming today, huh?” Agatheina wondered, floating down from the sky.

”A lot of people want to join, or do something else,” Alice said, narrowing her eyes.

”Rimuru and the rest are already here, look,” Kireina said, waving as the schoolgirls team emerged from the forest.

They waved back but did not approach, choosing to act ”professionally” and ”focus” on the trial—even though it was a secondary goal compared to finding the lost ones.

”And also...”

Kireinaʼs eyes glowed as she spotted another group of familiar faces approaching.

A young blonde Japanese man, clearly with dyed hair, and calm golden eyes.

He wore casual school clothes but radiated a powerful aura.

By his side were three other formidable members of his clan: his father, a master of talismans and formations; his mentor, master of light magic and clone creation; and the ancestor of their clan, disguised as a young woman.

”What are they doing here?” she sighed. ”Do they really think they can do anything? And I doubt theyʼll infiltrate. I suppose this is part of the bugs we wanted to bait...”

”Is it him?” Frankʼs eyes glowed briefly as he recognized his friend. ”Matsuo...”

”Yes, itʼs him, his father, that small lady, and the great ancestor,” Kireina said, rubbing her chin. ”Worst-case scenario, they came here to ruin our plans and summon the Gods down here or something...”

”So we should stop them?” Agatheina asked.

”No, not now. Let them play along for now,” Kireina replied. ”Letʼs join everyone else. Letʼs pretend we are just participants.”

Three instructors from Chaos Gate emerged from the caves, calling for everyone present.

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