Chapter 17 Narumi Honoka ④
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I scanned the clearing and found the second man. His skull had been split wide open; he was clearly dead. There was no time to waste on a corpse. I had to focus on the brown-haired man over here – the one still breathing.
”Lil, grab his legs,” I said. “On my count, we’re going to roll him over. One, two… three!”
”Understood,” Lil replied.
We heaved together, flipping the man from his stomach onto his back.
”God… this is…” I muttered.
”It’s a horrific injury…” Lil whispered.
His face was ghostly pale from the massive blood loss. A jagged laceration ran from his right shoulder all the way down to his left flank. Seeing him cough up thick spray of blood, it was clear the wound had reached his internal organs. To make matters worse, his entrails were beginning to spill out. The sheer brutality of the sight made my stomach churn, and I had to force myself to look away.
I deserved a medal just for not vomiting on the spot.
A potion wouldn’t do a thing for a man this far gone. There was a way to heal him, but I wasn’t about to perform that particular ritual with a man.
”I’m sorry,” I said with a heavy heart. “There’s nothing we can do for you.”
”I… see… cough…”
The man gave a weak shake of his head, accepting the inevitable as I spoke.
”This is… the life… I chose,” he wheezed. “I knew… ghk!… I knew it would end… like this… eventually. I was… prepared…”
”Hey, don’t talk! Save your strength!” I snapped.
He continued to spit up blood. Lil, the man, and I all knew there was no hope of survival. Still, hoping to at least dull the agony, I poured a low-grade potion dropped by a Goblin¹ onto the wound. It was a waste of medicine on a dying man, but it would at least serve as a numbing agent.
”Did that help the pain at all?” I asked.
”Sorry… for wasting… such precious… medicine…”
”Don’t worry about the potion,” I replied.
I could always farm more off Goblins. That wasn’t the problem.
”What were you thinking anyway? That’s a Minotaur,²” I said. “Two people shouldn’t have been anywhere near it. It’s suicide.”
”No… there were… others,” he rasped. “Our companions… but they ran. Those cowards… left us. Besides… we weren’t even… hunting that thing…”
So the encounter with the Minotaur was a freak accident. They were likely after that massive Death Mantis lying dead nearby when the beast ambushed them. Against a Minotaur, running is the only logical choice. The dead man must have been caught in the initial surprise attack, while this man stayed behind to play the rearguard.
But wait. Did he just say “they ran”?
”Damn them…” the man hissed, a flicker of hatred in his eyes. “Stronger than me… and yet… Akiyama Ryunya and the others… they call themselves… Heroes…”
”What did you say?” I demanded.
To hear the name of a classmate – a “Hero” – in a place like this. Akiyama Ryunya. And he had said “and the others.”
A murky, dark emotion began to boil in my gut. This man would be dead within minutes. A plan began to take shape – something so far beyond the path of humanity that it could only be called demonic. Without a hint of hesitation, I leaned in and made my pitch.
”Hey, friend. Do you want revenge? Do you want to settle the score for what they did to you?”
”Re… venge…?”
”Exactly. If you want them dead, I can make it happen for you.”
I can only imagine the look on my face in that moment. Was I wearing a mask of wrath, or was I sneering?
”Are you… a devil… or something…?”
”Not quite,” I said. “I’m a Dealer in Vengeance. Just like you. So, what’s the verdict? If you want your wish, you have to give me everything. Your blood, your flesh, and your soul. Hand them over to me.”
He hesitated for a heartbeat before answering with a final, desperate resolve.
”Please… I’m a dead man… regardless. Devil… or Vindicator… I don’t care. If you can use… this body and soul… then take it all…!”
”Understood,” I said.
He was on the verge of death. If I didn’t move now, it would be too late. My right arm shimmered, turning a void-black as it shifted into its Predation³ form.
”I’ll give you this much: I’ll make sure you don’t feel any pain when I consume you. And as for the vengeance? You’ll be the one to do it.”
He didn’t have time to process my words. A confused sound escaped him before I swallowed him whole. Within my arm, the man was instantly decomposed. There was no crunching like there had been with the Barghest; he simply dissolved into me.
By performing Predation while he was still alive, I inherited his life and his memories. His name was Shin, a Monster Hunter with decent skills. And I saw exactly what had transpired.
It was Akiyama, no doubt about it. Along with Koganei, Oshiro, and Narumi. Akiyama and Koganei were supposed to have buzz cuts, but their hair had grown out. Even so, those bastards hadn’t matured at all. Just like when they fled from the Barghest in terror, leaving me to die, they had abandoned their own comrade the second things turned south.
”Um, Natsumi-san? What are you going to do now that you’ve absorbed him?” Lil asked, her voice full of confusion. “And what did you mean about him being the one to get revenge?”
”You’ll see in a moment,” I said.
I activated the skill.
*Perfect Mimicry.⁴
An Envy-category skill, and it was every bit the cheat its name suggested. By consuming a living target, I didn’t just mimic their appearance; I copied their DNA, their memories, their emotions, and their very soul. Even if someone used an Appraisal skill on me, they would see Shin’s status. My core persona remained, but the mask was flawless.
My body began to warp and shift. And then –
* * *
”…? What’s going on? I was… the Minotaur got me. I should be dead.”
I checked myself over. Despite those fatal injuries, I didn’t have a single scratch. I looked around the clearing. There was the corpse of Luck, my partner and my childhood friend’s younger brother. There was the decapitated Minotaur. And there were two people I didn’t recognize – no, wait. My beloved Lil and her daughter, Leki…
Wait. Something was wrong. I tried to organize my memories. I had teamed up with Ryunya and his group to hunt a Death Mantis. We killed it, then the Minotaur ambushed us, and then…
Ah, right. I remember. I – Shin – was dying, so I – Natsumi – used Predation to take him in.
”E-eh? Natsumi-san? That is you, right?” Lil asked, stepping back.
”Wa, wau?” Leki whimpered.
They were understandably bewildered. One moment Natsumi was there, and the next, a completely different man was standing in his place.
”Yeah, it’s me, Natsumi. But for now, I’m Shin,” I said.
”What? I don’t understand…” Lil replied.
I took a moment to explain how the skill worked.
”I… I guess I sort of get it. But you’re still Natsumi-san inside, right?” Lil asked.
”That’s right. But Shin’s persona is on the surface now, so call me Shin while we’re in public,” I said.
”I understand, Natsu – I mean, Shin-san,” Lil replied.
”Make sure you don’t let the secret slip, Lil,” I said.
”I-I’ll be careful…” Lil replied.
Since the appearance and personality were so different, we would probably be fine. My bones and skin felt like they belonged to Shin, but my mind was still Natsumi. It was a strange, dual existence. Yet, I knew exactly what had to be done.
Vengeance. For Shin, and for Natsumi. I wouldn’t let them get away with it.
I turned to the corpses of the Minotaur and the Death Mantis – after harvesting the proof of the kill – and consumed them. Then, I turned to Luck. The fact that I could eat a human, especially someone who was like a younger brother to Shin, and feel absolutely nothing… it was proof.
I really am broken, aren’t I?
It was the same when I had consumed my own previous self. Not a shred of guilt. I was finished as a human being.
But if being “broken” meant I could achieve my vengeance without being paralyzed by regret, then I was fine with that.
”Let’s go, Lil,” I said. “They’ve likely tucked tail and run all the way back to the town of Rubia.”
”Yes,” Lil replied.
We turned and began the walk back toward Rubia.
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Summary:
Natsumi finds a dying hunter named Shin who was abandoned by Natsumi’s former classmates (the ‘Heroes’). Natsumi offers Shin revenge in exchange for his soul and body, then uses ‘Predation’ to absorb him. Using ‘Perfect Mimicry’, Natsumi transforms into Shin to infiltrate the hunter’s life and hunt down his betrayers.
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Character Insight:
Natsumi acknowledges his own loss of humanity, noting a complete lack of guilt even when consuming a human corpse (Luck). He prioritizes revenge over moral integrity, effectively merging his own grudge with Shin’s to create a singular focus for vengeance.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Envy’ category skill ‘Perfect Mimicry’ highlights the series’ thematic connection to the Seven Sins, suggesting that Natsumi’s power-ups are directly tied to dark, taboo abilities.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Lil – One of the heroines. Height 166 cm, B-W-H: 90-56-90. She is a top-tier beauty with long indigo hair down to her waist, a large scar on her abdomen and sharp golden eyes. She has wolf ears and a tail.
• Ryunya – Height 177 cm, weight 70 kg. Oshiro Yuuko’s boyfriend. A hot-blooded, handsome guy with a buzz cut. Member of the baseball club.
• Emi – A 23-year-old teacher. Height 159 cm, B-W-H: 85-56-83. She looks younger than her real age. She is popular with students because she acts nice, but she is actually a trash teacher who was the first to bully Natsumi Sasaki.
• Barghest – A massive wolf the size of a warhorse with bluish-gray fur. It is the King of the Forest of the Greedy Fool.
• Shin – A level 18 greatsword user and Hunter from Rubia. Jade rank.
• Koganei – Height 166 cm, weight 56 kg. A mood-maker in the baseball club. He was only after Honoka’s body and worked with Oshiro to steal her from Akiyama.
• Narumi – Narumi Honoka. A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki. Black hair, black eyes.
• Natsumi – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
• Leki – Lil’s daughter. Height: 140 cm, B-W-H: 70, 54, 69. She looks more like a Siberian Husky puppy than a wolf. Honestly, she just looks like a stuffed toy.
• Luck – Shin’s partner and a wind magic user. Hunter from Rubia. Deceased.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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