Chereads / Devilish Tricks / Chapter 9 - Let's fight right now.

Chapter 9 - Let's fight right now.

My friends look on in sympathy as I struggle to come to terms with the revelation. 666:Satan grins, clearly enjoying the fact that he's got me shook.

"You really thought you were standing a chance against me?" he asks, his voice filled with derision. "I could've ended this encounter a dozen times already if I wanted to. I was just playing with you, like a cat plays with a mouse."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" I scream.

My friends can see the anger and frustration building in me as I realize that 666:Satan has been toying with me this whole time.

666:Satan grins wider, clearly enjoying my reaction. "Oh, come on now," he says, his tone mocking. "Don't look so disappointed. You put up a good fight, for a mortal."

My friends can't help but feel sympathy for me as I deflate, the realization of my defeat really hitting home.

666:Satan just chuckles, clearly enjoying your misery. "Aww, don't cry, kiddo. You gave it your best shot, after all."

My friends watch as I slowly turn and start walking away, my head hung low in defeat.

666:Satan just waves mockingly as I go, his grin never fading.

"See ya later, kiddo," he calls after me. "Try not to take the loss too hard!"

With my defeat at the hands of my own father fresh in my mind, life seems to spiral out of control.

Suddenly, villains start appearing every hour, each one more dangerous than the last. And to make matters worse, my home catches fire, adding yet another problem to my already strained life.

My friends can only look on in sympathy as they see how far my life has spiraled out of control. They can sense my despair and desperation, and they feel powerless to do anything about it.

The world around me seems to grow darker by the minute, villains prowling the streets and smoke billowing from my burning home.

There is a heavy silence in the air as my friends wait for me to respond, but I simply stand there, staring into space, the weight of everything that's happened weighing down on me.

Suddenly, a group of villains appears on the horizon, their malevolent grins visible even from a distance.

My friends exchange worried glances as more villains begin to appear, clearly intending to cause trouble. They look at me, concerned, as I still haven't moved or spoken yet.

One of the villains steps forward, his voice filled with malice. "Well, well, well," he says. "Looks like we've found a broken little hero."

"Nah, I'm a devilish trickster." I say.

The villain looks surprised for a moment at my sudden response, clearly expecting me to be more affected by my circumstances.

"A devilish trickster, eh?" he says, his tone mocking. "Bold words for someone who's lost everything."

Before the villain can say anything else, I suddenly spring into action. With a surge of anger and pent-up frustration, I lunge forward and start beating the stuffing out of the villain with my bare fists.

My friends look on in shock as I deliver blow after blow, my movements fueled by a combination of rage and determination.

The villains try to fight back, but they're no match for my unexpected ferocity. They cry out in pain as my fists connect with their bodies, the sound of their groans echoing through the air.

My friends watch in awe as I beat the villains senseless, the ferocity and savagery in my movements taking them completely by surprise.

"Too slow." I say.

The remaining villains look at me in surprise as I casually taunt them, standing amongst the crumpled forms of their defeated comrades.

"Too slow," I repeat, my voice filled with mock arrogance. "You guys are going to have to do better than that."

My friends exchange puzzled looks as a laugh escapes my lips, a deep, sinister chuckle filled with a hint of malicious glee.

The remaining villains look up at me, their eyes wide with fear as they realize that they've underestimated me.

"That's more like it," I say, my voice still filled with a hint of menace. "You're starting to get the hang of this."

The villains flinch as I deliver a powerful punch to the nearby wall, causing it to shake and crack. My friends look on in disbelief, wondering how I can be so strong and carefree after everything that's happened.

"Yeah, you might want to think twice before picking a fight with a guy who punches walls for fun," I say, my voice still filled with amusement.

The villains exchange nervous glances, clearly realizing the mistake they've made in underestimating me.

My friends look on, their expressions a mixture of awe and concern. They're impressed by my power and skill, but also worried about the path I might be headed down.

With the fight with the "villains" over, I head to the local adventures guild to finally get my adventurers ID.

The guild hall is a bustling hub of activity, filled with adventurers coming and going from various quests and missions. I make my way to the registration desk, where a bored-looking clerk looks up at me expectantly.

"Hey, bastard. I need a ID." I suddenly say.

The clerk looks up at me with a hint of irritation, clearly annoyed by my casual attitude.

"ID, eh?" he mutters, flipping through a book on his desk. "What's your name, kid?"

"It's lake." I say.

The clerk glances up at me, noting my name in his book. "Lake, huh?" he mutters, scribbling something down.

"Well, Lake, we need you to fill out some forms before we can issue you an ID. Can't have just anyone wandering around with a license to do whatever they want, you know?"

"Alright, then." I say.

The clerk passes me a stack of forms, each one filled with dense text and small print.

"Fill those out and bring them back to me," he says, gesturing vaguely at a nearby table. "Once you're done, I'll take a look and see if you're worthy of joining the adventurers guild."

"I'm already done." I suddenly say.

The clerk looks up in surprise as I hand him the completed forms, clearly impressed by how quickly I finished filling them out.

He flips through the pages, making sure everything is filled out correctly. After a few moments, he looks up at you with a nod.

"Well, I'll be damned," he mutters. "You actually finished them. And quickly, too."

The clerk stamps the forms with a flourish, marking them as officially complete.

"Looks like everything's in order here," he says, handing me a small ID card. "Congratulations, kid. You're officially a member of the adventurers' guild. Try not to cause too much trouble out there."

I take the ID card and look at it for a moment, my expression unreadable.

"Thanks," I mutter to the clerk before turning and making my way out of the guild hall.

My friends follow me out of the guild hall, looking at me curiously.

"So, how does it feel to officially be a member of the adventurers guild?" one of them asks, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of excitement or pleasure.

"I only got my ID so it wouldn't be a crime to fight people." I say.

My friends look at me in surprise, taken aback by my blunt answer.

"That's it?" one of them asks, clearly confused. "You just wanted the ID so you wouldn't get arrested for fighting people?"

"Yes." I say.

My friends exchange glances, their expressions showing a mixture of amusement and concern.

"You do realize that being an adventurer involves more than just fighting people, right?" one of them says, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"I don't care about your opinion." I say.

My friends look taken aback by my sharp response, clearly caught off guard by my harshness.

One of them mutters under his breath, "What happened to you, man? You used to be so carefree and fun-loving. Now you're just...cold and distant."

"Okay." I say, as I walk away.

My friends watch as I simply turn and walk away, their expressions a mixture of disappointment and concern.

"Man, what happened to him...?" one of them mutters, watching my retreating figure.

"I don't know," another friend responds, shaking his head. "He used to be such a good guy. Funny, carefree, always up for a good time. But now he's just...different. Distant, cold, like there's something eating away at him inside."

With the decision to find a teammate in mind, I begin to search for someone worthy of teaming up with me.

The streets are filled with various adventurers coming and going, each one seemingly preoccupied with their own quests or missions.

I turn my attention to a nearby wall, noting a small flyer tacked to it that reads "Teammate Wanted" in bold letters. Curiosity piqued, I move closer to read the details on the flyer.

The flyer seems to have been hastily tacked to the wall, as if someone had stuck it up in a hurry. The text on the flyer reads:

"Experienced adventurer looking for a teammate to embark on dangerous quests and missions. Must be strong and reliable, with a good sense of humor and a willingness to take risks. Interested applicants should meet me at the Shady Tavern tonight, 8 o'clock sharp."

I scoff at the details on the flyer, feeling unimpressed and uninterested.

"Experienced my ass," I mutter under my breath. "Probably some wannabe badass who thinks they're tougher than they really are."

I turn and continue walking down the street, my mind still focused on finding a suitable teammate.

As I walk, I notice other adventurers glancing at me with curiosity or fear in their eyes. Word must have gotten out about my recent fights and my new ID, causing people to think twice before messing with me.

As I continue walking, another wanted teammate flyer catches my eye, tacked to the wall a few feet away. Curious, I stride over and read the details on the flyer.

The flyer in question is a bit more official-looking than the previous one, with neat and meticulous handwriting filling the page. The text reads:

"Looking for a strong and loyal partner to join me on dangerous quests and missions. Must be capable in combat, have a strong will, and possess a good moral compass. Interested applicants should meet me at The Silver Dragon Inn at midnight tonight. Serious inquiries only."

I grin as I read the details on the flyer, feeling a sense of determination welling up inside of me.

"Finally, someone who sounds like they might be worth teaming up with," I mutter to myself. "Let's see what this guy's all about."

I turn and start making my way toward the Silver Dragon Inn, the flyer clutched in my hand.

As I walk, my mind begins to race, thinking about what kind of person this mysterious adventurer might be. Are they strong? Skilled? Reliable? Or are they just another wannabe who's in over their head?

The inn is located at the edge of the town, a cozy-looking building, with a sign above the door displaying the name "Silver Dragon Inn." A few people are milling about outside, but I push open the door and enter the inn, looking around for the person who placed the flyer.

The inn is dimly lit, with a low fire burning in the fireplace and a few lanterns casting shadows across the room. Several tables are scattered throughout the room, and a bar is located at one end, a burly bartender standing behind it, cleaning a tankard with a dirty cloth.

I make my way toward the bar, scanning the room for any sign of the person who placed the flyer. After a moment, I notice a figure sitting alone at a booth in the corner, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

I roll my eyes as I spot the figure sitting in the corner, clearly not impressed with their demeanor or attitude.

"Great," I mutter to myself. "Another suspicious-looking weirdo. Just what I need."

I stride over to the booth and plonk myself down across from the figure, who eyes me warily as I sit down.

Up close, I can see that they're a pretty nondescript person, dressed in dark clothing and wearing a hooded cloak that obscures their face.

There is a moment of tense silence as I regard the figure across from me, waiting for them to speak.

The figure stares back at me, their expression unreadable in the dim light of the inn. They seem to be sizing me up, weighing my strength and abilities.

"You got some pretty big boobs." I say, with no hesitation.

The figure's eyes widen in surprise at my blunt comment, clearly not expecting me to notice their rather prominent physical assets.

"Uh..." they mutter, clearly flustered, "thanks...I guess?"

"You're very welcome."

The figure shoots me a slightly amused glance, clearly not used to people being so upfront about their physical attributes.

"So, you're the one who responded to my flyer?" they ask, their voice betraying a hint of curiosity.

"Yeah." I say.

The figure leans forward, resting their arms on the table.

"You look pretty strong," they say, their gaze flickering over my muscular physique. "You got any experience in combat?"

"I mean, I won against 111:sun." I say.

The figure's eyebrows shoot up in surprise at my answer.

"111:sun? You fought him? And won?" they ask, clearly astounded.

"Yeah." I say.

The figure shakes their head in disbelief, clearly impressed.

"Impressive," they mutter. "Very few people have managed to defeat him in combat, let alone a newbie like you."

"I know...hahaha..." I say.

The figure regards me with a mixture of caution and admiration, clearly intrigued by my strength and skill.

"You know, I didn't actually think anyone would take me up on my offer," they say, a hint of amusement in their voice. "Most people think teaming up with a stranger is too risky."

"I need a teammate though." I say.

The figure studies me for a moment, clearly pondering my answer.

"Fair enough," they mutter, nodding in agreement. "But I have some rules, if we're going to team up. First of all, you follow my lead. No questioning my orders, no going off on your own. Understood?"

"Okay." I say.

The figure nods satisfied.

"Good," they say. "Second rule: no unnecessary risks. I don't want you getting yourself killed trying to be a hero. We're a team, which means we work together and watch out for each other. Understood?"

"Okay" I say.

The figure leans forward, fixing me with a stern glare.

"Third rule: no killing innocents. We're adventurers, not murderers. We fight when necessary, but we never intentionally harm those who don't deserve it, got it?"

"That's just common sense." I say.

The figure nods in agreement.

"You'd be surprised how many adventurers seem to forget that," they mutter. "Anyway, those are the main rules. As long as you follow them, we should get along just fine."

The figure sticks out their hand across the table, offering it to me.

"So, partners?" they ask, a hint of a smirk flickering across their face.

"Sure." I say, as I shake her hand.

The figure nods in satisfaction, clearly happy that I've agreed to team up with them.

"Good," they mutter, withdrawing their hand. "Now that we've established that, we should probably introduce ourselves. I'm Raven."

"I'm lake." I say.

Raven nods, committing my name to memory.

"Lake," they repeat, as if testing out the sound. "Interesting name. Suits you, though."

"Okay." I say.

Raven regards me with a hint of curiosity, clearly intrigued by my blunt, straightforward demeanor.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" they ask, a hint of humor in their voice.

"Nope." I say.

Kuro leans back in their seat, their hood falling slightly to reveal a glimpse of their face. They have sharp, angular features, with eyes that glitter in the dim light.

"So, Lake, what kind of skills and abilities do you bring to the table?" they ask, studying me intently.

"Uh...I have time stop?" I say.

Kuro's eyebrows shoot up in surprise at my answer.

"Time stop? That's a pretty powerful ability," they mutter, clearly impressed. "How long can you freeze time for?"

"I don't know...it normally stops when I punch someone." I say.

Kuro looks at me with a mixture of surprise and skepticism.

"So you can freeze time, but only when you're fighting someone?" they ask, clearly trying to understand the limits of my ability.

"No, I can use it at will but it stops when I punch someone." I say.

Kuro nods in understanding, their expression turning thoughtful.

"Interesting," they mutter. "So you have complete control over your time-stopping ability, but it only lasts until you make physical contact with someone. That's a unique limitation, to say the least."

Let's just skip that.

"So, what abilities do you have?" I say.

Kuro grins at my question, a hint of pride in their eyes.

"I have three abilities that I use regularly," they say, holding up three fingers. "The first is Shadow Step, which allows me to move quickly and stealthily through shadows. The second is called Phantom Strike, which allows me to turn myself temporarily intangible, making me immune to physical attacks. And the third is called Dark Blast, which allows me to create powerful explosions of dark energy."

"Alright, cool" I say.

Kuro grins at my lackluster response.

"Is that all you have to say? Just 'cool?'" they ask, clearly amused by my reaction.

"WOW! YOUR ABILITIES ARE SO BADASS!" I say.

Kuro chuckles at my sudden change in tone, clearly amused by my over-the-top reaction.

"That's more like it," they say, grinning at me. "Glad you finally appreciate the awesomeness of my abilities."

"Okay." I say.

Kuro grins at my deadpan response, shaking their head in amusement.

"You're an odd one," they mutter, studying me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "Most people would be more excited to team up with someone with my abilities, you know?"

"Oh, no. The villains are here...." I suddenly say.

Kuro's eyes widen in surprise at my words, their expression instantly becoming serious.

"What? Where?" they hiss, their gaze flickering around the inn, scanning for any signs of danger.

"Uhh...they should appear any second now...hahaha..." I say.

Suddenly, the door to the inn swings open with a loud creak, and in walk a group of rough-looking ruffians, each one armed with a weapon of some kind. The inn patrons immediately go quiet, eyeing the newcomers warily.

The ruffians stride into the room, their eyes scanning the inn's patrons with a menacing glint.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them drawls, his gaze settling on me and Kuro.

"Nah, watch this." I say, as I ready up a punch.

The ruffian grunts in pain as my fist connects with his face, sending him stumbling backwards.

His companions turn to stare at me with a mixture of surprise and anger.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?!" one of them snarls, taking a step towards me.

"Don't mess with someone who punches walls..for fun." I say.

The ruffians exchange glances, clearly taken aback by my unexpected attack and the casual way I talk about punching walls for fun.

"You just made a big mistake, pal," the one I hit grumbles, spitting out a wad of blood from his mouth.

Kuro's eyes widen in horror as they see the ruffian lunge forward, plunging a dagger into my side.

"Lake!" they cry, jumping to their feet as if to come to my aid.

"I'm fine, I'm fine... after all, I can't die unless the story ends." I say.

Kuro looks at me in confusion as I wave away their concern.

"What do you mean, you can't die unless the story ends?" they ask, their eyes wide with surprise.

"I'm the main character." I say.

Kuro looks at me in surprise, then suddenly bursts out laughing.

"You're kidding, right?" they ask, shaking their head in disbelief. "You really think you're the main character?"

"..."

Kuro's laughter dies in their throat at my cold stare, their expression turning serious.

"Wait, you're actually serious?" they mutter, disbelief and surprise etched on their face.

"That's what I thought." I say, as I stand up.

The ruffians all stare in shock as I pull the knife out of my chest and instantly heal as if nothing had happened.

"What the...?" one of them mutters, clearly stunned by what they're seeing.

"I get it...these people are the lucky bandits, known for their devilish acts against women and children." I say.

Kuro looks at me in surprise, clearly impressed by my knowledge of the bandits' reputation.

"You know who they are?" they whisper, their eyes narrowing as they size up the bandits.

"Yeah, they're known in my town."

The bandits look at me with a mixture of surprise and suspicion, clearly not liking the fact that I know who they are.

"Who the hell are you?" one of them demands, stepping closer to me and Kuro.

"HEY RETARD!!!! DON'T INTERRUPT THE MC!!!" I suddenly scream.

The bandit looks at me in confusion, taken aback by my sudden interjection.

"What?" he grumbles, clearly not used to being spoken to like that.

"That's it..." I say, as I ready up a another punch.

The bandit lets out a cry of pain as I suddenly attack him, fists flying. The other bandits look on in shock, clearly not expecting me to be so aggressive.

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?!" one of them yells, trying to grab me and pull me off his friend.

"..."

The bandits struggle to pull me off of their friend, but I stand firm, like a brick wall that they can't move.

"Someone help us, dammit!" one of them cries out, clearly struggling to restrain me.

The remaining bandits exchange worried glances, clearly realizing that they're in over their heads.

"Maybe we should...run?" one of them mutters, eyeing the door nervously.

"NAHHHHHH, YOU CAN'T RUN!" I suddenly scream.

The bandits freeze, clearly intimidated by my loud and angry voice.

"What do you propose we do, then!?" one of them asks, clearly nervous and unsure of what to do.

"You gotta wait until the guards come..." I say.

The bandits grimace at my words, clearly not liking the prospect of having to wait for the guards to come.

"How long is that gonna take...?" one of them mutters, looking around nervously.

"Not too long." I say, as I grin at them.

The bandits look at each other nervously, clearly not knowing how to respond to my grinning face.

"Uh...why are you looking at us like that...?" one of them mutters, clearly on edge.

"No reason." I say,as I continue to punch the same dude into the ground.

The bandit grunts in pain as I continue to punch him, unable to escape or fight back.

"Please...stop..." he mutters, his voice weak and winded.

"Okay." I say.

The bandit lets out a sigh of relief as I finally stop punching him, sinking to the ground and clutching his stomach.

"What...is wrong...with you...?" he mutters, clearly in pain.

"Nah, what is wrong with YOU? DO YOU REALIZE HOW POWERLESS YOU ARE? I COULD BEAT YOUR WHOLE ORGANIZATION ALONE!!!" I say.

The bandit looks up at me with a mix of fear and defiance in his eyes.

"We're not...powerless," he mutters, clearly trying to save face. "We're the Lucky Bandits, dammit! We're feared across the whole region!"

"YEAH, BECAUSE YOU RAPE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T FIGHT BACK!" I say.

The bandit flinches at my harsh accusation, clearly taken aback by my bluntness.

"We...we don't..." he starts to protest, but his voice trails off as the other patrons of the inn mutter and whisper amongst themselves, clearly knowing the truth of my words.

"NO ONE IS SCARED OF YOUR RETARDED ASS BECAUSE YOU'RE "STRONG OR COOL", THEY ARE SCARED BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT GOING TO HAPPEN, IF THEY FIGHT BACK!!!" I say.

The bandit grits his teeth at my insult, clearly trying to control his temper.

"You...you don't understand," he mutters. "We're feared because we're powerful, because we take what we want. We're the Lucky Bandits, damn it, and we're not gonna be pushed around by some cocky little prick like you!"

"How about you...fight someone your own age?" I say.

The bandit bristles at my challenge, clearly insulted by my suggestion.

"Who are you to tell me who to fight?" he snaps. "I've fought plenty of people my own age and won, I'll have you know!"

"Okay, let's fight right now." I say.