"AGH NOT AGAIN?!"
I yelled at the top of my lungs while staring the ridiculous notification...
But of course there was that white-haired person right beside me who managed to be far more startled than me...
"REIKA, WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
"I DON'T KNOW!?"
As both, Scarlet and I stared at the broken choker in horror... she asked...
"wait... Reika..."
...
"Yeah...?"
...
"Let me use [Greater Athos]... now..."
Hearing her request I simply nodded in the leftover perplexion of the recent notification...
I couldn't quite describe a strange feeling I was having, I felt insecure, anxious but most importantly I am pretty sure I wasn't the one who was surprised more in this situation... because I gave my acceptance... Scarlet took a long pause, preparing herself...?
But as I thought about what could she possibly be preparing for she finally chanted:
"[Greater Athos]..."
...
I wouldn't quite be able to describe her face properly because of the amount of change it underwent in nearly no time at all...
'What... did she just see...?'
I was left in curiosity as I saw Scarlet's jaw drop while her eyes seemed to be ready to pop out of her sockets.
"Ehhh... Scarlet... are you okay...?"
"..."
I was left in some confusion as Scarlet remained disconnected from reality...
'Seriously... Just what is she seeing that makes her so surprised...?'
But as my naive thoughts invaded my head I had a 'great' idea which I now regret...
'Status?'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Reika
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Race: N/A
Danger Level: SS
Class: Oblivion Wielder
Lvl: 85
HP: 40,853,645/40,853,64
MP: 0/0
STR: 33,643,765
DEF: 34,643,765
SPD: 35,643,765
MRES: 34,643,765
Skills: [Oblivion Blessing], [Absolute Oblivion], [Oblivion Presence], [Master Hide Presence], [Master Information Falsification], [Master Appraisal], [Ultimate Demonic Control (Transition)]
Affinities: [Oblivion Flames]
Titles:[Other worldly Hero], [Oblivion Wielder], [Ultimate Threat], [Ultimate Antihero], [Calamity], [Peerless Beauty], [Demon Empress (Transition)], [Demon Monarch]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"..."
'What... the...?'
I guess I can't really blame Scarlet now... because the moment I saw my status my expression pretty much rivaled hers...
"..."
I mean... I kinda expected this to some extent... so I'm not that surprised regarding my stats... but what is this 'Transition' thingy...?
As I analyzed deep into my status I had noticed that two of the tags on my status had an extra component indicating '(transition)' which took me by surprise the most.
'Transition... transition into what...?'
I had started thinking what could that tag possibly be, yet the as my thoughts began questioning what this ominous component meant, I was snapped back into reality as someone grabbed my shoulders...
"WHA-!? SCARLET!?"
For some reason, Scarlet had grabbed both of my shoulders with an extremely concerned expression that took me by surprise instantly...
"REIKA... CALM DOWN... IT'S ALL GOING TO BE FINE!!!"
I was left incredibly confused as Scarlet yelled in preoccupation, but before I could even understand what was going on... her expression changed... Her concerned expression became that of grief as small tears began crawling out of her eyes...
"Scarlet what's wrong?!"
I asked in deep concern... But as snot and tears rained down on her beauty... she uttered words which filled me with unease...
"Reika... please, *sniff* endure it... please... I beg of you..."
"What... do... you... me... an...?!"
I hadn't been fully aware of it up to now... But as I barely managed to finish my sentence, my senses began running rampant...
"AGH.... WHA-WHAT'S THIS!? UGH..."
In an instant... I had fallen to my knees as I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists trying to endure the sudden pain overcoming my body...
"AGH... WHAT'S THIS...!?"
I could feel every fiber of my body screaming in pain, as a burning sensation began to well up in my abdomen...
I could no longer differentiate the sweat from the tears cascading down my face as I kept trying to endure the pain...
"Reika... Hang on please... It will only last a little more...! *sniff* Please... just hang on..."
Scarlet was currently in the middle of helping me cope with the pain in any way possible, be it patting my head or stroking my hair... yet nothing had any effect on my current deplorable condition...
"Scarlet... It hurts... *sobs* so much..."
I could tell the concern that detailed her very soul right now, but despite this she couldn't do anything else other than care for me...
"Scarlet... make this stop... *sobs* please..."
I could feel my heart feeling numb as the pain reverberated throughout my body...
I could no longer think... talk... or even see...
I could feel my head being split as my vision became clouded...
My body's temperature decreasing by the minute...
"Scarlet... *sobs* please... *sobs* are you there...?"
...
...
...
But there was no reply...
Silence...
Dark...
Nothing...
The scenery around me had gone from a beautiful crimson sunset... to a dark penumbra of a horizon...
My senses completely numbed... I felt as if I was freezing... My body being plunged into complete darkness...
...
My head spinning from the pain, fatigue and mental strain...
I could no longer tell anything apart as my consciousness became warped...
...
...
...
But my horrible luck hadn't finished torturing me yet...
As I lay in the middle of nothingness, an ominous hand reached out to me...
A beautiful feminine hand was reaching out of the darkness... compelling me to approach...
At first, I was suspecting this strange hand... yet I couldn't keep my doubts for long...
What surrounded me was utter darkness... a black hole devoid of any life, emotion or light... I didn't have any other choice...
My eyes became tearful just seeing that hand... because for some reason it gave me hope...
I couldn't quite explain it, yet it felt natural...
Without much more questioning... I drew near the hand... trying to reach out to it...
'Closer...'
...
'Just a little closer...'
...
'Come on...'
...
It felt like an impossible thing to achieve... yet...
'Got it!'
I did manage to grab the strange hand...
I felt pleased with myself... as the clouds over my consciousness began fading...
I could clearly see the darkness around me fading away... revealing a lustrous light overhead...
I could feel my senses returning... my consciousness clearing... and my feelings quieting...
While... Slowly... more... and more... of the hand revealed itself...
However...
As more and more of the hand was revealed to me... my expression... my feelings... and even my consciousness went hysterical when I noticed a small detail...
The hand didn't belong to Myria... Scarlet... or anyone I wanted to see...
As the darkness around me faded away...
What I was left staring at was none other than...
Me...
...
...
...
Staring back at me with a malicious grin was none other than that... monster...
'It's her...'
Letting her hand go, I quickly took a few steps back creating some distance between us...
"Hou〜, Reiki don't tell me you're afraid of lil' ol' me〜?"
"..."
I didn't answer...
I did not want to say a single word to her...
I felt enraged just seeing her...
After all...
It is no one's fault but hers...
She's the reason Scarlet was taken away...
'She caused all of my suffering... Myria's and Scarlet's... she's guilty...'
Nothing... Nothing would've happened if not for that wound...
"Hey Reiki, why such a mean face〜, huh〜?
As I lay down my anger, trying not to snap at her... she kept teasing away... holding that smug grin on her face...
"Hey〜 Answer me〜"
"..."
"Hou〜 is it that you're mad〜?"
"..."
"Didn't you rescue your girlfriends〜? You should be happy right〜?"
"..."
Silence... That's all that I would be giving her...
Or at least that's what I had planned...
Because... as she noticed I would not budge on my silence... she said something... which...
I could not ignore...
"Well〜... You beat me this time〜..."
"..."
"...I failed in killing your girlfriends〜"
"..."
I don't know why am I so impulsive... but the second she said such a thing... I could no longer hold myself back...
All of the anger, the repulsion and frustration was about to be let loose...
...
But, for some unknown reason, just before I even managed to open my mouth to say a word...
Something I hadn't remembered up to now... came through my mind...
"Viracia..."
A word...? A name...? It was something I could simply make no sense of...
But...
It was clear she could...
Because, the moment... I said it...
She flinched...
Her expression and aura changed completely in an instant...
Her iconic grin gone only to find...
Nothing less of the most murderous look I have ever seen on anybody's face... The demon king himself would find his soul pierced by such a menacing look...
I could feel my joints trembling in terror from the pressure she was releasing... I had blurted out that word without further thinking... and now I was paying the consequences...
'What have I done...?'
Seeing the terrifying aura embracing the atmosphere made me truly conscious once more of her terrifying strength...
As I stood there trembling in place, she began approaching me slowly...
One could hear as if, glass was breaking every time she took a step...
I wanted to run away... yet my body would not move...
I could feel sweat running down my face as she approached... closer... and closer...
...
...
...
I hadn't been able to prevent it...
In the end... she now stood directly in front of me... with her aura stronger than ever...
I couldn't fathom what that word could've possibly meant, for her to become like this... But as my curiosity peaked and questions appeared... she spoke...
"Say that again..."
...
...
...
"And I'll end you..."
Without even leaving room for me to respond...
She tapped my forehead lightly...
...
Without much fighting on my part... my consciousness began fading away... But just before I fully lost consciousness I heard her utter some final words I guess I wasn't supposed to hear...
"...Just a little longer... Just a little longer and I'll be..."
...
※
It had been nearly 10 minutes since I woke up from my slumber. I had apparently been in so much pain that I fainted for at least 2 hours... And during that time Myria had woken up...
After some initial mishaps, they had managed to stabilize my feverish condition...
And during that time... Myria had told Scarlet my past...
...
...
...
I didn't know how to properly react to this at first... But luckily, Scarlet didn't take it wrong in any way... In fact, she had become even more attached to me now saying: 'I must care for you in compensation for your suffering〜'
I could tell there were some strange ulterior motives in her speech but I didn't mind... In the end, as long as they are acceptant of me... It made me happy...
Now, regarding the strange pains. According to Scarlet, that pain was induced by my transition into the [Demon Empress]. Just to leave it very clear... no, I haven't turned into a demon myself... or at least I don't think so...
ANYWAYS! the pains were actually due to the skillset of the demon king being introduced into my body...
However... as my luck may have it... the entire demon king skillset was reduced to one single skill... sadly... because I have no MP...
'I'm seriously starting to hate that stupid angel more than ever...'
But luckily for me... that single skill that I managed to keep was [Ultimate Demonic Control]...
...
'...I can control... Scarlet with this... in any way... I want... right...?'
...
I couldn't help myself ok?
I'm supposed to be a teen boy so I can't really keep those thoughts out of my head despite having this body!
I quickly shook my head as I cleared my mind of those impure thoughts...
'Come on... I won't do anything to Scarlet... nope... nope... no...pe...? Maybe a little...?'
...
...
...
I seriously have to stop...'
In the end, after we managed to check I was completely fine and making sure we had ended with the demon king...
We finally began to head home...
※
3rd Person P.O.V.
In the middle of the gloomy and moist 'Forest of nightmares' is a group of nearly 10 strong heroes armed to the teeth with mythical staffs, shiny swords, and tough armor...
They all seem prepared to win even in the hardest of situations as they charge through the 'forest of nightmares' with ease...
"Awww this is so easy!" -Hero 1
"Is this really the demon territory?!" -Hero 2
"Come on Haruto you said this place was supposed to be crawling with demons!" -Hero 3
The other heroes had begun pointing fingers and complaining to Haruto who stood in the vanguard regarding the fact they had found no demons to fight, to this point...
They were all clearly upset, frustrated and disappointed... It had gotten to the point where the heroes were seriously considering abusing Haruto... yet... just before things escalated...
A young man, clad in golden armor... shiny, lustrous blonde hair... deep blue eyes... and a charming smile cut all of them silent with the move of a finger...
"SILENCE! Haruto... explain... Why did you need our help for such trivialities?"
His voice was majestic... it quite literally emanated leadership... leaving poor Haruto speechless as the overpowering individual kept pressing...
"Haruto... You pleaded for our help since this Oh-so-great adventurer had been attacked by the demon king... And as such, we came to help you... Yet, you bring us the pitiful news of that same adventurer escaping the royal castle of Litherm with the princess like cowards? We truly should have gone back on our offer, yet we persisted... However... there are no demons in the area... if the demon king were truly here this place, so near the 'Galvan Fortress' would be crawling with demon armies left and right... yet there is no one... How do you explain this?"
The overpowering individual asked condescendingly to Haruto while the other heroes smirked at their leader's actions...
"I-I... I don't know... I expected us to be able to meet with 'The Curse' somewhere near, yet there is no sign of them being anywhere near... BUT I'M SURE THEY ARE SOMEWHERE AROU-"
"Like I said... they're cowards... No adventurer or hero turns away from danger... Regardless of what it may be..."
As Haruto had been trying to defend a party from Litherm known as 'The Curse', the young man with blond hair shut him up immediately with a decided tone...
However...
Against all expectations... even with such an overpowering authority...Haruto muttered almost inaudibly back...
"...Don't... insult... them..."
"What did you say, runt?"
"Don't ever insult them...!"
"Why? Cowards deserve to be pointed out as such"
"THEY AREN'T COWARDS YOU IMBECILE!"
...
Without a single more word from either of them... absolute silence filled the scene...
In an instant... the atmosphere around the blond changed completely... It's as if a dam had just been broken... liberating an avalanche of killing intent...
As all of the other heroes gasped in astonishment or flinched from such atmosphere... The blond haired boy spoke a final line which petrified Haruto's heart....
"Haruto... let me make this clear... One more word... and I'll kill you..."
"..."
As silence once again fell upon the heroes and the atmosphere around the blond haired boy became normal... Haruto stepped back...
Without much more said, the blond boy signaled everyone to continue walking... as if what had just occurred had never happened...
And as the troop began moving again... The different heroes began to comment on his methods...
"Man... the boss is truly something else huh?" -Hero 1
"Yeah... He isn't afraid to cut people in half for their insolence..." -Hero 2
"That's Seiichi for ya" -Hero 3
...
...
...
However... just seconds after the troop had resumed their path...
*BOOM*
A loud explosion was heard from the distance...
Seiichi didn't hesitate to stop them all in their tracks...
All of the heroes were taken aback... yet solely through Seiichi's expression...
All of the heroes at once got in formation...
And with a final, decisive... yet cautious voice... said:
"Something's coming..."