"Why are you here? Tell me! ...father!" I shouted, but my voice shook with pent-up anger and pain. Calling this person father was like a bitterness on my tongue. But there was no doubt, no uncertainty. This overly pathetic pose... Only he, that vile bastard, could think of standing in such a grotesquely contorted way. The sight of his despicable grin made my blood boil, I felt the anger that simmered deep inside me for years burst forth with full force.
"Heh? Father?" He laughed, his expression full of feigned cluelessness. "What are you talking about, boy? Have you somehow fallen on your head? I'm your father? Kuwahahh!" His eyes twinkled with a cold, cruel amusement, as if he was enjoying mocking me.
He really was playing ignorant, acting like he didn't know what he had done to us.
My heart was beating so fast that it hurt, all the memories of the past, of that day, flashed through my mind like knives. I couldn't let him get away with this farce. "Stop playing dumb!" I could feel my voice cracking, drowning out the trembling of my anger. "I will never, NEVER forgive you for what you have done to mother and sister!" The words came out like burning coals, my hands clenched into fists as my nails dug into the skin of my palms and began to bleed. "I will never forgive you!"
He eyed me, an amused glint in his left eye. "Hey, kiddo... I have no idea what you're talking about." But suddenly, in the midst of his cocky grin, his expression twitched, I could see something recognizable appear on his face. Slowly he raised his head, looked at me, his expression darkened. He looked at me as if he was seeing a piece of his past in front of him. "K-Kufuawhaha... That's unbelievable!" He threw his head back, laughing, his laughter echoing like a mockery across the area. "So you're in this world too, huh. I thought I had finished you off back then... and sent you to your mother and sister. My son!"
The words hit me like a punch in the stomach. A sickening feeling, like cold snakes, crawled up my spine. My breath hitched.
"Does that mean... you killed me on the street back then?" I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Until today, I had no idea who had killed me before my first encounter with God, until today I hadn't dared to question it because I was only focused on my other killer by now. But here he was, the monster in the flesh who cold bloodily murdered me on the street on my way home, without remorse he confirmed his deed.
"Hahah! Oh boy, you should have seen your face when I pushed the knife through you! That was delightful. But..." His eye narrowed, a horrible, sick smile forming on his face. "You know what I enjoyed even more?"
My breath hitched. "...What?" The question came like a whisper, trembling with uncontrollable fear and rage.
"Your mother and sister, of course!" His voice dripped with malice as he emphasized each word with relish. "It felt sooo good! You know... especially your older sister was absolutely breathtaking." He tilted his head like he was thinking of a particularly pleasant memory.
My muscles tensed, a low growl rising in my throat. "Stop it..." My eyes burned, fixated on this man's face.
But he just kept grinning. "You know, I always wondered why your sister was still single, such a sweet thing..."
"Shut up!!!" I couldn't take it any longer. My hand twitched and an aura, a power totally unknown to me, began to flare up around me in a wild, violet-black wave of flames. I felt the force of this energy as it built up inside me and then exploded. Houses around me vibrated, their windows shattered and the ruins on the ground flew in all directions. My head was buzzing, drowned out by a low roar that was only my own frantic thoughts.
"Tsk." A quiet comment, but the bloody gash on Number Three's cheek showed that this strange aura had reached him. He raised an eyebrow and stared at me. "Oho... Look what you've become. You're a little demon now. Kuwahahah! My son, he's a monster! How ironic!"
"You..." I was shaking all over, before I knew it I was dashing forward, my sword in my hand. "You are NOT my father!!!" The words were a piercing scream, an echo of my broken heart. I didn't just want to kill this man, I wanted to erase every memory of his existence.
"RAAAAWRR!" A wild, unrestrained scream escaped my throat as I charged at him with my strength. The sword in my hand trembled so much that my knuckles turned white. This aura, this wild power, seemed to take on a life of its own as it enveloped me, making my skin seethe and blaze hot. None of this seemed to impress Number Three in the slightest. On the opposite, he looked down on me as if I were just a toy that he could break at any time.
"How rude of you to speak to your father like that! After all the good things I've done for the family..." He grinned, a contemptuous glint in his eye, the horrible things he had just confessed seeming to amuse him.
"Done for the family...?" slipped out. "You're the one who destroyed the family!" My voice sounded almost unfamiliar, so raw with anger. "While you spent our money getting drunk every night, mother worked herself to exhaustion just to keep us afloat somehow! And then... then you robbed her last savings, betrayed us and left us behind!" My voice became hoarse, the loud screams coming from my mouth made my vocal folds swell, it hurt. But not as much as the scene I had seen back then. These events, these memories, remain like an incurable wound in my heart. Despite this, I wasn't finished yet, even if this man doesn't care what I say, I have to say it out loud, at least that's what my heart thinks. I don't know if it's a message from my inner self to calm down, but somehow, the feeling... the feeling of murderousness won't let me go. It wasn't a stranger's voice whispering it to me. No, it was my own.
"You betrayed and abandoned us! And then you... that day..."
My throat tightened, but the rage burned so hot inside me that I just roared it out. "You'll pay for that, you damn bastard!!!"
Without hesitation, I sprinted towards him, my sword in my right hand. My body moved on its own, like a puppet. This hatred inside me felt like the driving force that controlled my movements. My sword swished through the air and met his two-handed sword, the metallic echo reverberating throughout the street. I launched another series of attacks, rapid, consecutive strikes born of pure will and desperation.
As hard as I tried, he dodged each blow with a cold elegance.
Number Three blocked every single attack I made. He raised his two-handed sword and swung it at me in a mighty slash. The impact of my blade against his threw me back, my feet skidding across the broken cobblestones.
Unfortunately, during our fight, we destroyed some buildings around us that were in our way. Some fragments of these buildings flew scattered in all directions... Unfortunately, also in Monika's direction.
Knowing Monika, she would quickly avoid this rubble. However, she didn't move an inch at that moment, she seemed to be chained to the ground.
"Spiral Arrow!!!"
Suddenly, a sound that sounded like a jet rang out, in the form of long green glowing arrows, the fragments that fell on Monika were destroyed into small specks of dust.
After a loud boom, Monika came back from her thoughts and turned her head to the person, to the user of this magic.
"Anna... What are you doing here? You were supposed to run away!" Monika shouted.
"Only to find out that you've died? No, thank you." Anna replied. "You promised me you'd come back safe!" she added.
"... I'm sorry... But... I can't..." Monika was pale and could no longer form proper sentences. Anna and the dragon twins approached Monika to help her.
"What's your problem? While you're cowering here, my hero is fighting for his life! Not only that, he's fighting for your life! To protect you!!! Don't you even care?!" Anna got loud, she couldn't explain why Monika was crouching on the ground at this moment and doing nothing.
"I'm scared... I can't do anything... not against him..." Monika stuttered again, speaking in riddles. Anna couldn't understand anything anymore, but she had to do something. She wondered whether she should flee with Monika and the children or support me in the fight against Number Three, even though the answer should already be clear.
"Papa..." the twins said worriedly when they saw me exhausted in the fight. Their once curious, gleaming eyes turned to sadness, concern and fear.
"RAAAAHH!!!" I gathered myself again and attacked once more, uncontrollably I let my rage, or rather that aura, run completely wild. The aura seemed to blaze even brighter around me, in a last, desperate attempt, I swung my sword in a fast, arcing slash.
But he raised his two-handed sword in a serene counterstrike, using the force of my own attack to push me back again. I staggered and fell as pain coursed through my entire body.
"Papa!" Two shrill voices cut through the noise and destruction around us. My eyes widened as I saw the children, the twins almost next to me, standing on the battlefield. "Damn it, what are you doing here! Run away!" I shouted, desperate.
But the twins didn't move.
Number Three lowered his sword and stared at the girls, an even wider manic smile forming on his lips. "I see you've had your fun in this world... Well, there they are... your lovely daughters!" his grin was as big as that of a predator eyeing its current prey. That look immediately told me what he was getting at.
"Let's see how you react when I kill them in front of you!"
Kill... That word again, that term.
"They haven't done anything to you! Leave them alone!" I tried to straighten up, but pain shot through my body.
He took a step forward and held out his hand. "Hey you two. Wanna play a little game?" The grin on his face showed that he was serious. This man had no boundaries, no honor, no conscience.
The twins stood barely an arm's length away from me. Everything inside me was screaming to move, but my body was as heavy as lead.
How many times am I going to repeat...
...the same mistake?!
The thought flashed through my mind and time stood still.
Back then, I lost both my mother and my older sister because of this man. Now it's these little girls, the twins... my daughters...
A faint warmth enveloped my heart, it made this strange aura fade and the pains that gripped my whole body soften a little.
My thoughts slowly became clearer. I suddenly remembered a former conversation with my old friends during lunch break on a bench at the school grounds.
"What do you think about kids?" asked the boy with glasses on his nose.
Koji and I choked on our recently bought sandwich when we heard Yorihiko's question. I quickly drank some of the strawberry milk which, fortunately, was already open in my left hand.
"Where did that come from?" Koji asked nervously before I could ask the same question.
"Hm? Is the topic really that weird?" asked Yorihiko.
"No, not that. But the fact that you, of all people, would talk about it surprised me," I said. "How did you suddenly come up with something like that?" I added.
Yorihiko took his glasses off his nose and took a handkerchief out of his right trouser pocket to clean his glasses as he spoke. "Yesterday, I found out that my cousin is pregnant."
This sentence hit Koji and me like a punch in the gut. We looked at each other briefly and exchanged thoughts, wondering if we were thinking the same thing.
"Hey, Yorihiko, do you meant to say... so is there perhaps a possibility..." I know what Koji was getting at. Honestly, I would have liked to ask, but I felt, just like Koji, unable to speak out the thoughts. Yorihiko looked at us questioningly for a moment until he turned completely red in the face.
"W-W-Where are you thinking? That's not my child! I'm still a student, it's far too early for me!" he suddenly shouted.
"But weren't you just visiting your relatives like a month ago?" I asked.
"And weren't you and your cousin getting along incredibly well?" Koji added.
"That's very fishy." Koji and I stared at Yorihiko eerily, hoping to get an answer.
"So that's what you think about me??"
"Hahahh!!!" Koji and I started laughing heavenly when we saw Yorihiko's saddened face. Of course, it was all a joke from our side.
"It was just a joke, cheer up," I told him, consoling him.
"But tell me, how did you suddenly come up with the question you asked earlier? Does it really just have something to do with your cousin?" Koji asked.
"No, I was just thinking a bit about the future, what it might be to take responsibility for a child suddenly. How do you think our parents have managed so far?"
"Hey Yorihiko..." Koji whispered in his ear, pointing at me with his thumb.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Yuuji. It wasn't on purpose..." he looked guiltily at me now.
"Oh, it's all right. I've gotten used to it already, hehe." I giggled. "But, I don't think your question is so wrong, Yorihiko. One day we will have to take responsibility for someone or something, it doesn't necessarily have to be our future children. It can also be other people, animals or simple tasks... If I ever have children, I will definitely be there to support them, whether they have problems at school or are in other dangerous situations. At least that's what I think..."
"You suddenly sound like a father of three kids in his forties," Koji confronted me.
"Yuuji, by any chance you don't have... a child yourself, right?" Yorihiko asked as he put his glasses back on.
"HUH?! Is that true Yuuji? Why didn't you tell us?"
"What? No, that's not true at all! Yorihiko is the one who got his cousin pregnant!" I said again as a joke.
"What?! I thought we had settled that issue before!"
"... Pfft. Hahahahah!" After our brief tension, we burst out laughing again.
That's right. I had said that back then, long before I died. Were they just empty words, with no meaning from me? Back then, I would never have thought of having children, especially not at my current age. But the world turned in front of my eyes. I was no longer the ordinary student from Japan, but an inhabitant of this world, an adventurer... a father.
From the center of my chest, this warmth made its way to my legs, to my feet, and from my arms to my fingers. My body parts were suddenly surrounded by a pleasant heat.
"Eiko! Reiko!" My scream echoed through the wreckage around us. With a speed I had never experienced before, I jumped up and threw myself in front of my daughters to act as a protective shield.
But before he could strike with his gigantic two-handed sword, something unexpected happened.
When I opened my eyes, there was a shimmering barrier of bright, glowing flames materializing in front of me. So sudden and strong that Number Three's attack was rebounded after loud thunderous and metallic sounds.
The white flames blazed like a wall of pure light. They didn't seem to emit a glimmer of heat, and yet they were real.
"What the...?" cursed Number Three and took a step back.
Stunned, I stared at this unnatural barrier. The twins were behind me, unharmed, but that wasn't all. They seemed to have changed. Their little bodies radiated an energy that they could hardly understand themselves.
"You won't..."
"...hurt our..."
"...Papa anymore!!!"
The barrier of white flames continued to grow, swirling like a living shield and burning even brighter as Number Three roared angrily and punched the barrier.
"Damn kids! Who do you think you are?" His voice was filled with anger as he saw that he couldn't break through those flames.
Anger seethed inside me at all the torment this man had already inflicted on us, the countless wounds he had left on my soul. "Father... you always caused nothing but evil. No words will ever be able to describe what you've done to us." I growled as I watched him assess the children's unbridled strength.
The twins stood there in a concentrated calm, their eyes sparkling with a light I had never seen before.
What was that power, I wondered.
"What the hell is that power? You children are playing with something you don't understand!" his voice was loud as he once again pushed against the protective flames with all his might, but each attack bounced off powerlessly.
"This power awoke from deep in us... from the awareness that our Papa is protecting us." Reiko explained calmly.
Eiko added, "It's not the power that makes us strong... but the love from our Papa, and our love for him!"
Her words triggered something in me, a special feeling. It was the indomitable will to protect them, the desire to live a special life with them. And here they are, the two of them, my daughters whom I love like my own family.
"Love... huh? ...K-khkhkahahahahh!!!" Number Three laughed inhibitedly again, unable to keep it together. Scratching his left hand on his head, he staggered around a few steps.
His psychotic, sickly manner had not changed in this world. Sad on the one hand, but on the other, it was already predictable. No matter how many times he will be reborn, no matter where he is, his personality, his murderous thoughts, will remain a part of him forever. With these single thoughts alone, I felt the anger rising in me again, the images flickered again in front of my eyes, but the mysterious aura had suddenly disappeared. At the same moment, the protective white flames in front of us gradually disappeared.
The two of them looked exhausted.
"Eiko, Reiko, you gave me the time I needed. And... Thank you. Thank you for saving my life." I murmured to them. "Now I'm going to protect you. And make sure he can never threaten you again!"
I took a deep breath, focused my own power and concentrated it on my beloved sword. The once comforting heat mingled with the renewed cold rage that coursed through me. My hands tightened around the long black hilt.
He wasn't invincible, not an overpowering monster like the ones I'd fought so far. He was just a man, a man full of hate and darkness.
"Your life will end here, father. For all that you have taken and destroyed... today you will pay for what you have done."
He just laughed, a deep, throaty laugh that cut through the air like a vicious echo.
"Go for it." A cynical grin twisted his face as he moved back into fighting stance with a fluid flourish. Every muscle in my body was tense, my sword clutched tightly, ready for the all-important slash.
I knew he was waiting for an opportunity, a careless second, to take me down.
Suddenly, a thunderous crash broke the tense silence. A powerful bolt of lightning struck directly in front of me.
Sparks flew in all directions and the acrid smell of burnt dust filled the air. The shadows around us seemed to gather for a brief moment, while the air was filled with a sublime presence. I caught sight of the majestic figure walking through the swirling smoke.
Elaine, the legendary heroine, also known as "The Golden Lioness".
With a grace that seemed almost supernatural, she stepped into the center of the devastated scene. Her light brown, curly hair flowed around her in gentle waves, her silver armor with golden embellishments sparkled in the light of day, appearing to be imbued with an immense ember.
"Oh dear, what happened to our beautiful marketplace?" Her gaze slid over the destroyed remains of the town.
Her voice was calm, but you could still hear the sharp undertone of disappointment. She turned to Number Three.
"This calls for some punishment."
Number Three grinned wryly. "If this ain't the famous heroine Elaine. What coincidence gives me the pleasure of meeting you here?" His voice was a stale echo of his previous sneer.
"You and your kind are doing too much damage to this world. You must be stopped. We heroes will not let you get away with this."
A grotesque, scornful laugh escaped Number Three.
"We are harming this world? Kufuhahaa! You have no idea! We're doing much more than that! Our organization will take over this chaotic world and make it better! Soon you will see what true power means and what it means to rule over this world!"
His words echoed across the marketplace. The idea that such a vicious person wanted to continue the chaos and suffering we were going through cut through my heart like a sharp dagger. I was paralyzed by his audacity standing in front of me.
Anna looked at me in horror "Is he out of his mind?"
"He always was." I replied curtly, not taking my eyes off Number Three. My mind was in turmoil. I couldn't let him put his diabolical plan into action.
This wasn't just a fight between me and my father, this was a fight for the survival of the world, for the innocence that was not lost yet.
"What a sad scene." her voice became calm and insistent. "Destroyed houses, injured and traumatized people... Children who must stand against evil because people like you shroud this world in darkness. This... this is the work of weaklings."
"Weak? You have no idea what strength really is, missy! We Weaklings, as you call us, have more power in one hand than you heroes could gather in a lifetime!" Number Three raised his great black and silver blade, the light of day gleaming on the blood-encrusted edge.
Elaine raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Power? What you call strength is nothing more than the expression of your desperation. You can try to threaten us, but in the end you will perish of your own greed."
Before I could take any action myself, Elaine raised her blade into the air. Suddenly, the sky above the marketplace darkened for a moment and lightning flashed through the air as Elaine prepared her attack.
"Stay back, Kaito! I'll handle this!" she looked me straight in the eyes, in them I saw my reflection, but also a strong roaring fire. Our eyes couldn't look away from each other, meanwhile the lightning hissed and flickered in this silence that had become strange.
"Weren't you going to attack?" I asked, thinking she was lost in her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah right!" she quickly turned back to our opponent, but...
He disappeared.
"Well, where did he go?"
We looked around frantically, but we couldn't find him.
Had he escaped, I asked myself. But, knowing him, running wasn't an option, so what was it?
"Please excuse my presence, our colleague has gone too far."
With shimmering black hair and an elegant suit, a mysterious young man stepped on the roof of a building, effortlessly trapping the greatsword fighter under his right arm. He had a slight smile on his face that didn't match his dark appearance.
"Already forgotten." Elaine said suddenly.
Ehhh???
For a moment I thought I had misheard her, but she actually said those words with her own mouth. Not only me, but also Anna, who was about five meters away from me, looked at Elaine in bewilderment.
"You're just going to forgive him???" Anna asked out of turn.
"He apologized, didn't he?"
"That guy attacked the town and killed people! And didn't you say earlier that you wouldn't let these guys get away with it?" I confronted Elaine with this statement.
"Sorry, but it's time for us to go." The young man, who was planning to leave this place with my father, interrupted us.
But before he did, I asked him impatiently for his name. "Wait a minute! What's your name?"
His smile widened.
"I'm the vice commander of our organization. My code name is... Number Two."
What was that power he exuded when he introduced himself just now? He wasn't just another threat, he was an opponent to be taken seriously. The fact that he was the vice commander made me shudder. Was he the second strongest among them?
"It was a pleasure to meet you, but I'm afraid we have business to attend to."
All at once, his broad smile vanished, for some inexplicable reason he stared past Elaine and me. His eyes wandered to Monika and Anna. No, just Monika. Her knees were still on the ground and she wasn't moving at all, her eyes were wide open and filled with fear.
I wondered what this meant, but a moment later Number Two raised his left hand in front of him and drew a bright blue, shimmering sign in the air.
"This is not the last time you will hear from us."
Elaine and I stared in disbelief as he disappeared with Number Three under his right arm, leaving a puff of black smoke that quickly rose into the air and mingled with the debris.
"They're gone." Elaine slowly lowered herself back to her starting position and slipped her longsword back into the brown sheath at her hip.
Number Two... How strong could he be? I asked myself as I stared thoughtfully into the horizon. The events of today were overwhelming me, and I was already trying to process everything. He had said he was the vice commander of their organization. If he was the second most powerful, then the question was: Who was the boss? And had I possibly already met him on my journey without knowing it?
Elaine turned to me and looked me straight in the eye, the anger and sadness on her face mirrored in my own.
"We need to prepare. This is far from over. When they come, we have to be ready to stop them. And we need to find out what they're up to in the near future."
The scene that unfolded before me was both surreal and tragic. The marketplace, once filled with bustling activity and happy laughter, was now a picture of chaos.
People were frantically digging through the rubble, searching for survivors or their lost loved ones.
Their shouts echoed through the surrounding area, overlaid by the crunching and splintering of wood and stone as the salvage work continued.
The bright light of the sun fell on the ruins and the shadows of the helpers danced across the scene in grotesque patterns.
I could taste the smell of burnt wood and blood in the air, a heavy metallic taste that tugged at my nerves. My breathing was uneven and my body felt heavy as lead.
My thoughts were a jumbled mess. The fight was over, for now, but the questions that plagued me couldn't be shaken off so easily. Was this really the world in which I wanted to start a new life? A world where I had to fight constantly... against monsters, against a mysterious organization? Was it worth it? And yet... I had no choice. Not anymore.
"Well, well, so you guys had fun on your own." A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
It was Alicia.
Her voice dripped with feigned reproach. I turned to her and saw her striding through the crowd, accompanied by Dorilla. Her short legs pattered across the floor as usual, her eyes sharp as a Valkyrie's.
"You could have at least let us know." Dorilla added, crossing his arms tightly in front of his chest. His voice was a little too loud, a little too dramatic.
I opened my mouth to say something, but Elaine was quicker.
"Sorry, that won't happen again," she said in her usual polite tone. Her posture was straight, but her shoulders were slightly slumped.
Dorilla seemed satisfied with this apology, at least for the moment. But then he turned his attention back to me, a broad, mischievous grin appearing on his face.
"At least... nothing happened to my Kaito!" he shouted, suddenly jumping at me with his arms outstretched.
"Gross!"
Before I could react, something flashed. Elaine had moved... quickly, too quickly to follow with the naked eye. With a single, elegant movement, she knocked Dorilla aside. Dorilla flew a few meters through the air and landed in the dust with a dull thud.
"Ouch!" moaned Dorilla as he sat his broad body up and rubbed his head. Then he began to draw patterns in the dust with one finger, his shoulders drooping.
"This treatment again... why am I always the victim?" she muttered quietly to herself.
I sighed and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. It was almost comforting, this chaos, these small, silly moments. Before I could think about it any further, two small hands grabbed my arms.
"Papa, Papa!" two bright voices called out at the same time. I looked down and saw Eiko and Reiko looking at me again with their big, bright eyes.
"Eiko, Reiko." I said and knelt down in front of them so that we were at the same eye level. Their small hands held my arms tightly, making sure that I wouldn't disappear again.
"You saved my life back there. Thank you, Reiko, Eiko."
The two of them had shown incredible bravery during the fight, far beyond what I would have expected from children their age.
They saved my life, and I was more grateful to them than words could ever express.
The two girls looked at each other for a moment before smiling together again. Eiko looked a little embarrassed and played with her silver hair, while Reiko nodded shyly.
"You gave them names?" asked Elaine, leaning down slightly towards the girls. "How nice. It's a pleasure to meet you, Eiko and Reiko." Her voice was soft and her eyes sparkled with affection.
"Yes." said Eiko softly.
"Likewise." Reiko added and smiled shyly.
I looked at them and let my eyes glide over them.
Their names had a special meaning for me.
Eiko, the silver-haired girl, whose name was composed of the characters "Ei" for wealthy and "Ko" for child.
Reiko, the blue-haired girl whose name was formed from "Rei" for graceful and also "Ko" for child. She had a calmer personality than her sister Eiko.
Suddenly, a thudding noise snapped me out of my thoughts.
I turned around, my heart skipping a beat as I saw Monika collapse. Her slim body fell heavily on the ground, sending a cold shiver down my spine.
"Monika!" shouted Anna, who immediately knelt down to her. Her face was pale and her hands were shaking as she tried to shake Monika awake.
"Monika! What happened?" I rushed to them.
"I don't know! She just suddenly collapsed!" Anna replied, her voice full of panic.
I knelt down next to Monika and carefully lifted her. Her body felt hot, far too hot. Her skin was pale and her eyelids twitched slightly, but she didn't respond to my calls. My heart was racing and my thoughts were whirling.
What's going on? Is she injured? Is it an illness?
"Monika, please, stay with me! Monika!" I kept calling out, but she remained motionless.
The return to the residence was like a dream, everything around me seemed to be shrouded in a dull, hazy gray.
I held Monika in my arms, her light, motionless body seeming to glow in heat. Eiko and Reiko followed me closely, their small faces full of concern, Dorilla and the others also closely followed.
It was as if they all shared the burden of worry that had settled over us like an invisible cloud.
I held Monika tighter as I quickened my pace.
Emotions were battling inside me, fear, helplessness and yes, anger too. Anger against myself because I could do nothing but carry her.
We reached the mansion where we were staying at, Elaine quickly opened the doors and ordered the servants of the mansion to get fresh towels and water and, of course, to get a doctor as soon as possible.
I remained sitting next to Monika, staring at her pale face and holding her hand.
Her fingers were cold, a bitter contrast to the heat of her body. Reiko and Eiko remained silent beside me, their small hands buried in their white dresses.
"Papa." Eiko finally whispered. "Is she going to be okay?"
I looked at her, her wide, innocent eyes reflecting nothing but hope. Hope that I couldn't destroy. "Yes. The doctor will be here soon. Everything will be fine."
They both nodded slowly, but their lips were pressed tightly together to suppress any trembling.
The minutes stretched on endlessly until finally the door behind me opened and an older, small round man with a bald head and thick moustache stepped in.
The doctor.
Without a word, he nodded to me and began to examine Monika. Meanwhile, we left the room and waited in the hallway until we got a result from the doctor.
It felt like an eternity until he finally stepped out of the room, and we jumped up almost simultaneously.
"How is she doing? Will she be all right?"
"The girl has high fever." he said in a calm voice. "I've given her some medicine and left some instructions. She needs a lot of rest, but I'm confident she'll be better in a week."
I took a deep breath, the relief was almost overwhelming. "Thank you." I said quietly, but the words didn't feel like enough to express my gratitude.
"It's my duty." the doctor replied, before leaving us with a polite bow.
We went back into Monika's room.
She was now lying quietly, her breathing even, if weak.
I felt a smile forming on my face as I touched her forehead. She still felt warm, but not as hot as before.
"Papa, should we stay with Monika?" Eiko suddenly asked me.
"Yes, that would be great," I said. "I'm counting on you two."
The twins nodded eagerly.
They were so young and yet ready to take on such a responsibility. I had only known these girls for a few days, since they hatched from a large egg just recently, and yet I could trust them.
"I'm relying on you too, Anna. Please look after her."
"You can trust me, my hero!" saluted Anna.
Oh my God!!! My hero is counting on me!!! Eh hehe... I won't disappoint him!
"Thank you, Anna."
As I left the room, I heard Anna muttering behind me. "My hero trusts me... I will look after her like a queen... no, like a goddess! Oh, I'll be the best! Ho-hoho!"
I shook my head and closed the door behind me.
The restlessness that had overcome me in the villa wouldn't let go. Before the sun began to set, I headed into the forest I left earlier, away from the silence and the worries.
It was currently about three o'clock in the afternoon as the dense foliage filtered the sun's rays. The air was pleasantly warm, but carried the earthy scent of damp soil mixed with the sweet aroma of flowers that bloomed sporadically here.
My footsteps were muffled on the soft forest earth, but my mind was less than quiet.
Thoughts raced through my mind, memories and doubts mixed into a whirlpool that wouldn't let me go.
"It surely was somewhere around here," I murmured quietly and looked all around again.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Loli, the little girl I recently made a contract with, spoke sarcastically in my head.
"I'm looking for another flower," I replied curtly, without bothering to explain.
I could feel Loli rolling her eyes inwardly, even if she had no physical form, except for the demon sword Demon Tears.
"Are you insane?!" Her voice grew louder. "Your level may have risen, and you may have felt stronger when you ate that flower, but didn't you realize what happened to you? In your previous fight, there was something... something dark. An aura that surrounded you. And you want more of it?"
I stopped, her words giving me pause.
My hands paused in mid-motion as I listened inside me. A dark aura? What did she mean by that? I remembered the fight against my father, but the memories of it were hidden by a veil.
I knew that something had happened, something unusual. But was it really as bad as she said?
"I only remember it very vaguely." I finally admitted. "But if what you say is true, then I need the flower even more. During the fight against my father, I was only just able to keep up. That only showed me one thing. I'm not strong enough yet. Not strong enough to fight against the organization."
Loli was silent for a moment, then she snorted contemptuously. "Do you really want to fight these people? Be honest, Kaito. Are you really only interested in justice? Or is this all just an elaborate excuse to justify your desire for revenge?"
The question hit me like a slap in the face, even though I had already asked it myself.
In the beginning, it had only been revenge. This one member, this bastard from this organization, who coldly killed me during my sleep during my first night in this world, should be punished with death.
But...
When I traveled through this world, I had seen what the organization was secretly doing. Towns and villages that lay in ruins, and innocent people who died.
"Yes... at first." I admitted, looking at the ground again. "In the beginning, I was only interested in revenge. But now... Now I've seen more. I've seen what they're doing to this world. I can't ignore it." My hands clenched into fists. "It's not just about revenge to me anymore. It's about protecting this world. Elaine, Alicia and Dorilla are also trying to do something against this organization, but the three of them won't be able to do it. But even if I want to become more powerful and be that one day, I don't want to involve them in this. I'll be the one to bring back peace."
"So you want to become a god?" Loli sounded sarcastic.
The word
"Ehhh... I'd rather not." I said with a wry smile. "I'm not in the mood for a full beard or a bald head."
Loli snorted. "Maybe you should just keep training with Elaine instead of looking for shortcuts."
I couldn't suppress a smile, although it was a little harsh. Elaine was a great teacher. Her techniques were precise, her strength impressive.
But when she fought with her sword, there was something furious about her, something that made her almost uncontrollable. "You know, Loli, sometimes you just have to cheat to achieve something. Elaine is awesome, no doubt about it, but she gets... how shall I say... Crazy when she fights."
"I thought I was the only one who noticed." Loli said dryly.
"But that's not the only reason I'm not training right now."
"Huh?"
"It's about Monika." I said as I turned my gaze to the path in front of me. "I can't focus on fighting when I know someone in our group is suffering."
Loli remained silent.
Slowly, I realized from the sky that the sun was about to set and the shadows of the forest were getting longer.
I sighed and looked around one last time. "Aahhh... where is that darn flower? Is it really that rare?"
I vented my frustration in an annoyed sigh. "I'm giving up for today. I should get back before it gets dark."
The way back through the forest was silent, but my thoughts were not. They revolved incessantly about the organization, about my father, about Monika. My father had said that the organization wanted to rule over the world. But what did that mean? Did they want to subjugate humanity? Use a weapon? Or did they have something else in mind?
But all this still didn't explain my death in my previous world. I might have figured out on my own that my father was the murderer. But why is he in this world now?
However, the even bigger mystery was my second death. Was that also his fault? No, that didn't make sense. My father didn't even know I was in this world until recently.
Besides, the killer had his tattoo on his back, while my father's tattoo was on the back of his neck. The man who had killed me was also much shorter than my father.
I had to go over my thoughts again.
When I first came to the town Aldère, I only had contact with a few people. The guard at the entrance gate, the salesman at the food stall, the receptionist at the inn, the two scoundrels who had been chasing Monika, and... Monika herself.
Wait.
After beating those two jerks off, I was with Monika till evening. She was the only one who knew exactly where I was staying.
Could it be...? No. It must be a mistake. Monika couldn't possibly be the culprit. She was so warm-hearted, so friendly. Why would she kill me? And if she really was the murderer, why was she accompanying me on this mission? Does she know my true identity?
The thought gave me no peace. I wanted to go back to the mansion to find it out as soon as possible. I sincerely hoped I was wrong.
When I reached the residence, the sky was redder than before. Before I could enter the entrance area, I spotted Eiko with Reiko walking together towards the door, struggling with a heavy bucket of water.
"Papa!" shouted Eiko when she saw me. Her face lit up with joy and I couldn't help but smile at them.
"Welcome back." Reiko added in her soft voice.
"I'm back." I said and walked over to them. "What are you doing with the bucket?"
"Anna asked us to get a bucket of water for Monika." Reiko explained.
I frowned. "Anna made you carry it? This bucket is far too heavy for you two! Why didn't you ask an adult for help? There are maids everywhere."
"It's okay!" said Eiko with her typical enthusiasm. "But if you want to help us, Papa, that would be great!"
"Of course I'll help." I picked up the bucket, felt the weight and was surprised at how heavy it actually was. "Come on, let's go in."
When we reached Monika's room, she was sitting upright on her bed. Her face was pale, and her movements seemed weak.
Anna was behind her and was wiping Monika's back with a damp cloth to wipe away her sweat.
In that moment when I caught a glimpse of Monika's back, the blood froze in my veins. The bucket slipped from my hands and water splashed onto the floor, but I hardly noticed.
No... way...