The Demon Fox and the Major

Alicia had fallen asleep.

Though she was still too young to grasp the meaning of death, children are keenly sensitive to their surroundings. Witnessing her “father” being buried in the cemetery left a profound impact on the little girl. Then, to experience her mother’s tears and comforting words at their doorstep, only to be confronted by a miraculous turn of events—it was a day of sorrow and joy, so overwhelming that even Gracia, a grown woman, wore exhaustion on her face. How much more so for Alicia, her small daughter?

Even as she slept, Alicia clung tightly to her father’s collar. Whenever Hughes moved, the girl would furrow her brows in her sleep, a sight both endearing and pitiable. The Hughes couple, though silent, could not hide the flicker of tenderness and worry in their eyes, revealing their deep love and concern for their daughter.

Fortunately, Alicia did not have to learn strength and maturity from this moment on.

Because Hughes was still alive.

Watching the black-haired man beside her, one arm wrapped securely around their sleeping daughter, the other holding her hand tightly, Gracia pressed her lips together and smiled, happiness shining in her eyes.

“My dear,” she called softly.

The man, who had just been praising their little princess’s charm, cleverness, and lovable nature to their friends, turned to her with a gentle expression, deepening Gracia’s smile.

“Shouldn’t we inform Colonel Mustang about this?” she asked gently.

Normally, Gracia never interfered with her husband’s work, but she couldn’t help but think of the black-haired colonel who had pulled his cap low at Hughes’s funeral, hiding most of his face and his emotions. Given their unbreakable bond since student days, Gracia squeezed her husband’s hand, conveying her concern with her gaze.

The black-haired lieutenant colonel was momentarily stunned. Then, his face suddenly took on an expression that screamed, “Oh no!”

“I knew I forgot something,” he said, turning to his friend lounging lazily on the sofa. Hughes spoke with solemnity, “Geset!”

The handsome uncle glanced at him carelessly. “Hmm?”

“You haven’t told Roy I’m alive?”

The handsome uncle shot him a disdainful look. “How was I supposed to tell him? Don’t you know the military screens all external calls, verifying identities and codes? Who would believe my current identity is connected to Roy? And if I used the identity that could reach him…” He narrowed his eyes and delivered a fatal blow to the lieutenant colonel. “Mas, do you want me to die a second time?”

The lieutenant colonel was rendered speechless.

Far from showing sympathy, the handsome uncle laughed gleefully at Hughes’s pale face. “Haha! Think about how you’re going to tell him, Mas. That guy rushed from the eastern city to attend your funeral—he spent enough time on the road for you to tell him the truth. Hey! Don’t glare at me. You know Roy’s pettiness and ability to hold a grudge better than I do. Instead of staring at me, you’d better figure out how to weather his anger.”

Of course, the fact that Hughes was alive would outweigh all the other negative emotions in Roy’s heart.

Smirking, Geset turned his gaze from Hughes to the sleeping Alicia in his arms.

Seeing his friend’s “betrayal,” Hughes turned away and looked hopefully at the red-haired fox sitting leisurely nearby.

“Kurama! Kurama, you have a way, don’t you?”

After all, that day, Kurama had displayed astonishing, miraculous skill.

Yet, facing the hopeful look from the lieutenant colonel, Kurama only smiled and shook his head.

“I do have a way,” he began, watching as Hughes’s eyes dimmed, then brightened with renewed hope. Kurama’s smile deepened. “But… it seems it’s already too late.”

He spoke softly, his gaze shifting from Hughes to the door not far away.

“Because the colonel you’re talking about…”

Now, already—

Before he could finish, polite, rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.

There was no need for Kurama to say more; Hughes knew exactly what he meant. Turning stiffly toward the door, Hughes’s face went blank.

What should he do? Open the door… or not?

＊＊＊

Of course Hughes couldn’t leave Roy outside.

In the end, it was Gracia who opened the door, not Hughes. The lieutenant colonel thought a “dead man” suddenly appearing before anyone—even his best friend—would be a bit too shocking. He decided to wait, giving Roy time to adjust.

Holding Alicia anxiously, Hughes stretched his neck to catch the conversation at the door.

Meanwhile, Gracia opened it to greet Roy and his lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye.

“Gracia…”

Having been close friends with Hughes since their student days, Roy was also familiar with Gracia. Facing the woman who had lost her beloved husband, Roy felt unable to meet the face that might be marked by grief and pain. So, though it was impolite, he didn’t immediately look up when Gracia opened the door.

Thus, he failed to see that Gracia’s face was not marked by sorrow and tears, but by a genuine, radiant smile.

Roy missed it, but his keen lieutenant, Riza, did not. Seeing the gentle smile on Gracia’s face—no different from before Hughes’s death—Riza’s first reaction was not suspicion, but concern. She reached out to steady Gracia’s arm.

“Gracia, are you alright?”

As a fellow woman, Riza could better understand Gracia’s feelings. Yet Gracia’s demeanor was nothing like expected—making Riza wonder if the shock had broken her.

Gracia was momentarily surprised, then smiled warmly after seeing Riza’s worried expression.

“I’m fine, thank you, Lieutenant Hawkeye.” Her smile remained unchanged as she gestured them inside. “Please, come in. As for why I seem this way… you’ll soon find out.”

Roy, who had remained silent, sensed something in her tone. He slowly looked up at the gently smiling woman—and the moment his eyes met those soft hues, identical to little Alicia’s, he was stunned.

There was none of the sorrow or despair he expected.

What did this mean?

What did it mean?

A wild, almost unbelievable hope rose in Roy’s heart, one he desperately wanted to believe. Swiftly, he changed his shoes and strode into the living room.

Then Roy froze.

He stood straight as a rod, as if spellbound, unmoving. Riza, following him, couldn’t help but call softly,

“Colonel?”

Roy jolted back to himself as if struck by lightning. Without responding to Riza, he nearly sprinted to the sofa.

As he moved, the scene in the living room—previously blocked by his figure—became visible to Riza, and the composed, rational blonde soldier’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Where Roy stopped, the black-haired lieutenant colonel, whose funeral they had just attended today, sat smiling brightly, holding Alicia in his arms!

“Hey, Roy! Ah… and Lieutenant Hawkeye! You’re here?”

The man saw Riza standing at the door, shocked, scratched his cheek, then waved cheerily as if nothing unusual had happened.

Riza saw her commander’s expression twist suddenly.

Ah… Would he punch Hughes, or just put on his gloves and ignite?

She wondered absently, then watched as the usually composed colonel suddenly swung his fist—and, in midair, it met Hughes’s raised fist in a perfect collision.

“You…!” Roy’s expression flickered, but finally settled into a joyful smile.

He nearly ground out the words, but the smile on his face was one Riza had never seen—bright, delighted.

The blonde lieutenant smiled as well.

The lieutenant colonel was alive.

That… was wonderful.

—Colonel.

＊＊＊

The reunion of old friends lasted only a few minutes.

Then Gracia took the sleeping Alicia from Hughes’s arms. Though the absence of her father made the girl restless, her mother’s comfort soon soothed her back into slumber.

With mother and daughter gone, the atmosphere in the living room grew solemn and grave.

Hughes detailed his analysis, discoveries, and suspicions leading up to the attack, concluding that someone in the military’s upper ranks was involved with the homunculi—and revealed the truth behind the Ishvalan War. Roy and Riza’s faces changed instantly, and Roy’s eyes nearly blazed.

“They wanted to kill you because you uncovered something extraordinary?” Roy’s voice was low and chilling.

Kurama, who had been a silent observer, felt somewhat reassured. In the original story, Hughes’s death had ignited Roy’s true nature and fighting spirit, leading him to defeat the homunculi in his rage.

Without that stimulus, Kurama had wondered how much power Roy could unleash.

Now he had his answer.

Whether Hughes lived or died, the fact that the homunculi had tried to kill him was enough to provoke Roy’s fury.

And because Hughes was alive, Roy, after believing him dead and experiencing the pain and anger, seemed to have gained even greater energy—at least, the fire in his eyes now burned even brighter than in the story, when his “face rained.”

Just as Kurama was lost in thought, a slender, beautiful hand reached out.

“You’re the one who saved Hughes?”

Kurama looked up to find the colonel standing before him. When Kurama met his gaze, Roy smiled warmly.

“Hello, I’m Hughes’s friend, Roy Mustang.”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for my friend. It’s an honor to meet you… Kurama.”

He deliberately softened his voice, speaking gently.

—for a moment, the fox felt all his fur stand on end!