[Alan Harwey's Perspective] [Training Room]
Inside the training room, Miguel and I were sparring to improve our skills.
Right now, we're sitting on the floor while I watched Miguel clean a sniper rifle.
-Hey~ Hey~ This new gun my parents bought me is really good. I think I'll have to make a few adjustments-
-Yes, it's a good gun, but... Don't shoot me in the ass?!-
-Hey, it's your fault for biting me earlier. At least a little revenge, right?-
-Yeah, but I know how to moderate myself-
-Changing the subject... Do you really think Superior Jeremy is a Daemon?-
Miguel asked while cleaning his gun.
The truth is, I don't think he's a Daemon. It's a fact that that guy is a Daemon since I deciphered a secret in Sylvie's diary.
-Yes, that guy is a Daemon. His charm is inhuman, something he didn't have last year, and now, in his second year, he has a strong influence-
-Well, that could be because the students recognized him as a hero and contributor to society-
That could also be true, but the feeling Jeremy gave me...
No!
I'm sure he's a Daemon. He's the one responsible for the multiple disappearances
"Shiva was kidnapped."
The voice of a certain ghost echoed in my head
Nameless, like the floating blue flame, appeared out of nowhere
As I suspected, Jeremy is a Daemon after all
-Come on, Miguel, please help me. Look, how about this? If Jeremy isn't the Daemon, I promise I'll buy you the most expensive food in the wing kingdom-
Miguel stopped cleaning his gun and looked at me with shining eyes.
-I'll gladly help you, friend-
In these types of cases, where I'm at a disadvantage due to strength, I need good support, and there's no one better than Miguel for this job. Besides, I don't know if that guy has henchmen who helped him in all those gruesome crimes.
"It's time to use the [Chameleon Trench Coat]."
«Huhu, I've always wanted to wear that trench coat because it looked so cool… congratulations, Shiva. You'll soon be safe in the hands of yours truly… but where is Shiva currently?»
"Jeremy is moving to the Western Forest. I think he'll do his final act there."
After Nameless finished speaking, I stood up and took out two masks from my backpack.
-Okay, Miguel. As my accomplice, you'll need to keep your identity well protected-
***
[Mirai Shiba's Perspective] [Island X – Western Forest]
I still remember my childhood
—Well done, Hazuki
—That's our little girl
My parents stroked my then-elder sister's head very tenderly, as expected of parents
At that time, I was around 5 years old
I watched in admiration as my father and sister used their swords with an elegant and refined style
My ancestor, on one of his many forays into the towers, encountered the spirit of the past, Sasaki Kojiro. The sword master himself was his teacher and taught him all his secrets. With that, a powerful flame was ignited in his heart, a passion for the art of the sword
From there, my family's obsession was born: to perfect the art of the sword, and I, as the second daughter of the Shiba family, had that duty
Well,
it was my duty.
The test of the cards.
Cards with runic magic that allowed a person's talents to be seen. If you knew what talents the individual possessed, you could better instruct them to realize their full potential.
Everyone says that unique abilities could decide your destiny, but that's a complete lie. What decided your destiny was the talent you were born with and the unique ability.
One autumn night, my father and mother looked at me, eager to know my talents.
When my fingers touched the cards, it was revealed that I possessed Magic and Whip as talents.
Throughout the history of my family, all my ancestors without exception possessed talent with the sword. Well, until now, even when I entered the towers, they would only give me one talent that couldn't grow like the natural ones. The most they gave was one of Expert-High rank.
My parents looked at me with great disappointment, only to later stop treating me the way they did my sister.
Every day I They compared her to her, day after day after day she always heard the same thing
—Hazuki, you are the pride of the family
—If you continue on this path, you will surely reach the National rank
The love I felt for my sister had turned into hatred. She had the love of my parents, the respect of the guild, and above all… she had a very promising future
On the other hand, I had none of that. Although I had my own faction, my father only allowed my whim to inherit the Yamato guild if I managed to defeat my sister
I don't care if no one has faith in me. I can defeat my sister. I will become the guild leader and show everyone that I'm not just a pretty face
*Splash
Suddenly, a stream of cold water hit my skin
I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was a large, lonely forest in the middle of the night. The only thing that illuminated me was the glow of the full moon
My hands were tied behind my back along with my feet. I tried to break the ropes only to give up when I realized that the ropes were reinforced with various enchantments
*Clap Clap
Applause echoed through the forest.
Three figures emerged from the darkness, each wearing a malicious grin.
The first being I saw was that detestable Daemon, Jeremy, who wasn't alone. Kevin, the club's vice president, and Thomas, a second-year student who was leading the second-year research team.
-You'll regret your stupid decision, Jeremy-
-Ha, believe me, Miss Shiba, I don't regret anything-
The little I remember was that Jeremy put me in some kind of dimensional pocket. His two companions must have erased my traces that were in the club.
Right now, my kidnapping should be on the security cameras, but they aren't stupid enough to stay on the island.
-You know, Miss Shiba... the three of us made a contract with a demon... specifically with an incubus. Thanks to that, my charm reached 20, which is why all the girls were attracted to me-
I tried to use my video transmitter, but when I pressed a button, I noticed it was gone.
Kevin, who was to Jeremy's right, smiled at me and showed me my video transmitter.
-You were looking for this-
The video transmitter was crushed by Kevin's hands, who was laughing at me. His face said, "You think we weren't ready for this?"
Jeremy spoke.
-You guild children, who have a great advantage because you were trained from a young age for combat, are always the center of attention... but normal people like us can never shine like you... In my first year, I was always bullied by everyone, but when I made the contract with Arneb the incubus, no one mistreated me again. Now everyone saw me as their equal-
-No one helped us from the abuses of the higher-ups-
-We were just outcasts with no social life and broken dreams-
At that moment, I began to remember. Every victim was a child of some normal guild, and it seemed that each disappearance was very well planned.
I gritted my teeth tightly as I looked at the Daemons, who kept mocking me.
Jeremy, seeing my gaze, was excited by ecstasy.
-You're incredible. What kind of dreams can you give me, miss?-
Jeremy licked his lips as if he were looking at a delicious dish of the highest quality.
Just his gaze gave me chills.
Jeremy approached slowly and looked me in the eye while his monster showed a chillingly kind smile.
-You're very beautiful-
Jeremy placed his hands on my skin and then touched it with his own hands. A faint imprint of his hand was left on my face.
The sensation was like a snake licking my skin, evaluating the quality of the flavor.
-I know everything about you, your sister Hazuki Shiba, a genius who reached the S rank in the fourth year of the academy... the pride of your family, you were envious of her... you wanted to surpass her, but everything you did was insignificant, unlike her who was very respected and loved you simply looked down on everything around you that didn't seem interesting to you... but I like you that's why I will make you sign a pact with Mr. Arneb-
-What?-
-Hey Jeremy, you're crazy-
His classmates questioned him about that sudden decision, but Jeremy silenced them with a look.
-She's an outcast like us, and outcasts support each other. That's the rule-
Jeremy spoke calmly.
Incubi could bewitch people into signing pacts by force. Once he got his way,
I won't be the same. My mind will be altered, and the demon who made the pact will have my soul.
-Come on, Shiba, I understand that loneliness... I've experienced it too. I just want to help you-
He spoke persuasively near my ear.
Jeremy maliciously placed his hand on my head and forced me to look into his eyes.
His eyes shone a faint pink color that gave off a "Charm."
It was a statistic that supposedly increased the charm of individuals. The higher the level of charm, the greater the effect, to the point where you can control people and force them to do things against their will.
My body began to tremble.
[Your enormous perseverance is mitigating the charm]
[Your enormous perseverance is mitigating the charm]
[Your enormous perseverance is mitigating the charm]
I felt myself slowly losing control of my body. My 17/20 perseverance was only delaying something inevitable.
-You're very resilient-
Jeremy further strengthened the charm.
I couldn't move; I felt like each of my senses was betraying me. My judgment began to cloud.
I no longer even have the power to bite my tongue, at least to commit suicide and prevent myself from joining the evil side.
-Surrender and in return you'll have... power-
Jeremy's charm began to stimulate my body, each stimulus forcing me to bend. The pleasure began to overwhelm me little by little, causing me to let out moans of excitement.
-Ahh~ Ahh~ Ahh~!-
Involuntary moans came from my mouth, echoing throughout the forest.
*Crash
Suddenly, Kevin, who was staring into space, fell to the ground as his corrupted blood poured onto the ground in gallons. There was a bullet hole in his forehead. The only expression he left was one of pleasure.
-That sound will be my new ringtone~-
A voice echoed in the woods.
*Chas
Thomas was attacked from behind by a mysterious shadow and his head fell to the ground. The mysterious shadow retreated into the woods, hiding from Jeremy's sight.
The bodies of Jeremy's accomplices began to disintegrate. Frightened, Jeremy turned his head around and clenched his fists in uncontrollable rage.
-Damn coward!-
Jeremy shouted, his corrupted magical power leaving his body as his eyes, which had become bloodshot from his immense rage, looked around the vast forest.
-Show yourself! Come out, you damn coward!-
Jeremy unleashed more of his magical power until the individual who had done this was visible.
The man responsible was wearing a white mask, a black trench coat, and his entire face was covered by a hood of the same color, while holding a sword.
Suddenly, several arcs made of darkness were directed at Jeremy. The Daemon blocked them by creating a magical barrier, but sustained some injuries on his hands.
-It's useless. The darkness in Daemons slows their regeneration more than light-
-Damn!-
His voice was recognizable to me. The man who came to save me was Alan Harwey himself, and he wasn't alone.
From the trees, a boy fell. He was wearing the academy uniform, only he had a white mask like Alan's, and he was holding a pistol. On his back, he had a sniper rifle.
-I'll take you with me-
-You won't!-
*Bang Bang
Two silver lines hit Jeremy's shoulders as a golden glow emerged from the wounds.
-These bullets have the element of light. Now let's see how much damage you can take, Jeremy?-
The strange challenge to the Daemon, who reacted very violently by launching several blasts of air.
Alan, for his part, began to carry me like a princess and began to run with all his strength, taking me away from the battle.
When we were far away, he left me near a tree and pointed his sword at me with a look full of hatred.
The cold steel of his sword made my heart race. Ultimately, Alan Harwey never forgave me and it seems he wants to kill me.
-You're such an insufferable bitch... I think it's best to end your life and blame it all on the Daemon. I'll tell them, "I'm sorry I got here too late and that bastard killed her. The only thing I could do was... avenge her death"-
When I heard those words, I froze in absolute fear. This guy meant it. I could even see a smile that looked like a psychopath's.
I closed my eyes in fear, but I felt my hands free as I received a hard blow to the head and another to the stomach.
-And that's because it was...!-
-Hey, I see you're finally behaving like a "normal" girl. These blows are for all the bad time I went through because of you, and saving you didn't come for free, so tomorrow I'll ask you for all kinds of expensive things... Do you understand?!-
-Yes, yes, I understood, but why did you save me? This was your chance to get revenge on me-
-...I'm not a bad person, and I won't let sons of bitches like you turn me into a bad person. I won't let this damn world turn me into something I'm not-
I was surprised.
This man had every justification to get revenge on me, but he didn't choose that, but another path. Even if it's a little abrupt, I must admit it was all my fault.
My head started to spin. Apparently, resisting Jeremy's perfect charm had an effect on me after all.
-By the way... How did you get here?-
-I don't know... maybe the ghost of a deceased person helped me, who knows?-
-... Oh... I see-
I slowly closed my eyes, reassured that in the end everything turned out all right and my life was safe. The last thing I could see was the man walking away and going into the forest to help his companion.
***
[Alan Harwey's perspective]
[Hey Hajime, come quickly, Shiva is unconscious in the forest]
I sent a message to Hajime and he replied "Understood" even so I left Nameless in that area to check his current condition
*Bang, Bang, Bang
The sounds of gunshots, the white lines hitting a body were the sign that he was not that far from Miguel's position
Miguel's bullets were infused with the Light element using my [Duality] skill, currently he must have three cartridges that had said element
-It's useless, you're too slow for me, idiot-
Upon arriving, Miguel was dodging Jeremy's dark magic attacks with ease while firing two shots at Jeremy's shoulders with his pistol.
-Dirty, slippery rat. Once I catch you, I'll have so much fun torturing you-
Charm energy was pouring out of his body, but is he an idiot?
Charm is a very useful stat, but only for the opposite gender. Since he's a man, his charm affects women more than men. All he's doing is wasting his energy and cornering himself.
When Jeremy turned his back, I didn't hesitate to take advantage of it.
[The mythical ability Muramasa has been activated]
[Episode 1-2-3 have been activated]
I grabbed my sword, impregnating him with darkness, and began to run. With murderous intent, I cut through his legs and shoulders.
Jeremy, bewildered, saw how his corrupted blood was leaving his body. His dark mana had reached its limit from wasting so much of his energy just trying to charm Miguel.
-H-Help…!-
-Shut up-
Miguel ordered, kicking him in the face. I know he's really mad because he's a murderer, but I think he kicked him for other reasons (he's mad because he's handsome).
-The only reason my partner didn't sever your head and leave you alive is so you can tell us if you have a benefactor-
Yes, consecutive Daemon attacks aren't a mere coincidence. He could be working for a circle, a group of Daemons who commit misdeeds and always roam around the world in packs doing whatever they want.
-I-I don't know... I only transformed into a Daemon to get revenge on my abusers-
Jeremy said, frightened.
From his tone of voice, it seems he's telling the truth, but I can't help but think something bigger was causing all these disasters.
After thinking about it for a while, I came to a conclusion: he won't tell me anything, and it's better for him to be dead.
-Kill him-
-Gladly, brother-
-D-Don't wait-
*Bang
The sound of the bullet fired from the gun echoed throughout the forest.
I could see how his brain had been completely destroyed by Miguel's bullet, his insides had flown out, staining the grass, giving me a slight feeling of disgust.
With this, the mystery of the disappearances had been solved. The truth is, I was satisfied with this result. It provided the power of the mythical ability, and I was more than satisfied. Now I had enough power to face opponents stronger than me.
-Hey bro, what about Hajime?-
-Oh, right... well, who cares about that girl?-
-Yeah, you're right. Hey, let's go get some pizza. I know a good place that makes a delicious cheese pizza.-
-Oh~, I'm dying to try it-