Chapter 25 The Half-Demon Thunder Beast, ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I hope my mom didn’t say anything weird to Reina…”
Mom can be a bit air-headed, and even at her age she still loves romance stories. I was scared she might have told Reina something strange. She is sharp in a strange way, so she has most likely seen through my feelings. I had no idea what kind of teasing she might try. My mom is not very strong, so I wished she would not raise my mood too much. If not for that, she is a mother I really love.
”…I don’t have anything ready today. It’s not your birthday.”
I walked through the city gate that split the so-called slum from the lower district, then stepped into the run-down shop right in front of it. The old shop owner spoke without even looking up.
When I raised my head, I saw the old man behind the counter. He smoked a pipe and read his paper without giving me even one glance.
”No, a friend is visiting, so I came to buy some food,” I said.
”You? A friend?” he grunted.
At my answer, he finally looked up and gave me a doubtful glare.
This old man is one of the few people who does not treat me badly for being half-demon. His attitude is rough, but he is like that with everyone.
”So my mom got all excited and told me to bring something with her hidden savings,” I said.
”I see,” he replied.
This shop is the only place on the main street that sells to us from the slum. He even buys herbs we pick outside, and sometimes brings in meat when a regular has a birthday.
The academy forced me to enter to “test my loyalty to humans” because of my half-demon blood, but they never gave us any support.
The old man helped my mom find home work after I left, since she lost her only worker. His customer attitude is bad, but he is a kind person.
”Maybe steamed sweet potatoes are good?” I wondered.
”Hey,” he said.
”What— whoa!”
I was checking the sweet potatoes in the basket when the old man called out and tossed something at me.
”What is this… wait, this is meat!” I gasped.
”Take it,” he said.
”But you said there was none today… and three copper coins won’t be enough!” I said.
”That’s for me. I forgot I’m on a diet and ordered this junk cut. Three coppers is about right,” he said.
”Old man…”
”Don’t eat it alone,” he warned.
”I won’t! …Thanks,” I said.
”Hmph.”
He must have heard I made a friend and tried to be nice.
His clumsy kindness made my chest feel warm as I paid.
It’s a feast for us, but will Reina be happy with it? …Wait.
”The old man even put sweet potatoes in… If I go back to tell him, he’ll just yell at me,” I sighed.
A few steps from the shop, I felt the bag was a bit heavier. If I went back, he would only shout and brush it off, so I decided to take his kindness as it was.
It’s fine. I will have many chances to pay him back. No, I will work hard so I can repay him.
Or so I thought.
”Rei… na…?”
The sight was so shocking that I dropped the food in my hands.
I had walked home thinking about what they might be talking about, if Reina felt relaxed, and if she would enjoy what I prepared… but what waited for me was the moment Reina twisted my mom’s neck.
Mom’s head and jaw were held as her face turned with a sharp crack, still showing her soft smile as she slowly fell.
”A… ah…? U-ah… aaaaah!!!”
She was my only family, my one true ally. The one I had to protect. And my first love broke her so easily. Something inside me burst.
My sight turned red. My horns grew large and crackled with lightning. White fur with black claws spread on my hands and feet, no longer human.
Heat rushed through me as my cells changed from inside. My eyes saw every detail clearly and told me my demon blood was waking up.
And my eyes showed me more than my change—
’—Okay, ready, start,’ a voice said.
In that moment, I understood. This was not the Reina I loved.
”You…” I growled.
Something dark and thick wrapped around Reina. I had never seen it before, but now my eyes saw it clearly.
”You… you took Reina—!! You took my mom—!!”
’In the main story, Haruka-kyun works hard even with discrimination and makes trusted friends in his second year after doing well in the school martial arts contest,’ the voice said.
Driven by the fire in my chest, I followed my demon instinct and slashed at the thing around Reina with my charged claws. But she spun lightly and my attack only tore the ground.
’Haruka-kyun got so happy with his first friend that he invited them home, but they reported his mother for “hiding a demon,”‘ the voice went on.
”Graaah!!” I roared.
My claw strike was pushed aside with only a light touch. My kick was dodged with a small step back before I could move in close.
When I roared and sent lightning all around, she knocked each bolt down with her bare hands covered in darkness.
’That friend had demon blood and felt jealous that Haruka-kyun stood out more. So they reported his mother. When someone he trusted hurt him and his mother died, Haruka-kyun’s demon blood ran wild for a short time and his magic eye woke up. If you make a mistake here, it’s Haruka-kyun’s bad end,’ the voice said.
Time passed, and each move I made helped my brain fit this new body and sight. Things I could not see before grew clear. I caught information I should never be able to see, and my mind began to understand it.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Name: Reina Alcott?
Race: Human?
Sex: Female?
Age: 15?
State: ???
Karma: (Evil)
Stats
Power: 241
Mind: 187
Flex: 210
Speed: 263
Stamina: 196
Magic: 357
Luck: 10
Unluck: 100
Basic Skills
(Altair Language)
(Sewing) (Cooking) (Leather Work)
(Body Art) (Martial Art) (Water God Style) (Magic Combat) (Poison Hand)
(Sight Boost) (Hearing Boost) (Power Boost) (Mind Boost) (Flex Boost) (Speed Boost) (Stamina Boost) (Magic Boost) (Sense Boost)
(Magic Control) (Magic Sense) (Darkness Sorcery) (Sorcery Resist)
(Instinct) (Danger Sense) (Presence Sense) (Hostile Intent Sense) (Evil Intent Sense) (Gaze Sense)
(Stress Resist) (Pain Resist) (Suffering Resist) (Hunger Resist) (Sleep Resist) (No-Sleep Resist) (Poison Resist)
(Regen)
Blessings
(Evolution) (███)
Titles
(Empty Vessel)
(Unlucky)
(No-Face) — a killer
(Murder) (Parent-Killer) (Soldier-Killer)
(Exhibition Habit) (Self-Harm Habit)
(Leather Worker)
(First Exposure: Kyle Cummings)
(First Kiss: Harold Gescas)
(First … with the mouth: Harold Gescas)
(First … with the hand: Harold Gescas)
Gifts
(City Guardian God’s Blessing) (█████████)
Held SP: ???
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
What… is this? Is this Reina’s information?
’Haruka-kyun’s magic eye lets him do a status open all by himself. Very handy,’ the voice said.
No-Face was the name for the killer who hunted soldiers and scared the city these days.
And her “firsts”— that… that jerk!!
’Since growth rates change later, the info you have may not match the truth as the story goes on,’ the voice added.
”So that’s… what you made Reina do! You made her do such terrible things!! Don’t play with us!” I shouted.
Reina mumbled with wet cheeks, like she spoke to someone who was not here. Her voice shook with pain. Even as she threw punches at me, I saw a bit of her real self behind her tearful eyes— and I wanted to save her fast.
’Later in the game, the plan needs very careful steps, like putting a thread through a needle, so info skills are a must,’ the voice said.
”Who are you talking to!? Look at me!” I yelled.
You ruined her! I’m the one you’re trying to kill now, right!?
’So we wake Haruka-kun, take his magic eye, and break his flags so his route won’t lock. We also raised his bond too fast, so we must crush that too,’ the voice said.
”Gah—! Guh… jiiya!!”
I slashed with crossed claws, but she bent forward to dodge and slid in close. A palm strike hit my jaw. The hit was heavy, and my mind almost went blank. I held on and drove my knee toward her gut, but she moved like nothing touched her.
”What?!”
I dodged the strike at my eye by dropping low, yet her next move came fast and smooth. I blocked a sharp punch with my arm, but the shock rang through my bones and sent numb pain through my body.
I could not avoid her well, and blocking hurt me too. Her hands had Darkness Sorcery that ate at me. I could still resist for now, but if this dragged on, it would end badly for me.
’This item should only appear in the second year, but we got it early. If we crush Haruka-kyun here, the martial arts event ends fast. For that, we needed his bond high early, and it was rare to trigger the home event in test runs. But this time we got lucky. Is Homo-chan a shotacon, I wonder?’
Her voice— but not her— kept talking and talking with a creepy tone. It was loud and wrong. What was this thing even saying!?
’He is weak right after waking, but Haruka-kyun has thunder beast blood, a Level-One Disaster class. He can’t win alone now, so he must fight to defend and lead us to a better place. That’s why we needed Water God Style. In this run, you must fight stronger foes often, so it helps,’ the voice said.
”Tch!”
Before her next fast strike could hit, I let out lightning from my whole body to push her back.
But as if she knew my move before I did, Reina moved a split second earlier and took distance, then ran out of the house.
”Wait! Don’t run!” I yelled.
’But in this run, she isn’t attacking Haruka-kyun much… maybe because his play-personality is shy, lonely, and with trauma, and his bond is high?’
Don’t you dare… don’t you dare… don’t you dare… don’t you DARE—!!”
Notes:
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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