Reborn
"This is bad...I'm reborn in a child with fever-induced power incontinence!" Komatsu, a man who succeeded Setsuno as the best chef in the world gasped out as he is reborn as a little girl.
His mind was also assaulted with her memories of her short life.
"Poor kid, perpetually bedridden." he thought.
He was reborn as a young girl with immense power within her. Unused, stockpiled to unhealthy levels...then again, she was in a poor family, they wouldn't know what to do.
This body named Maine is born to a poor Soldier Family.
They live in an apartment but what a filthy place. The bedroom was filthy and grimy, and so was he. He's so filthy and it was as if this body hasn't known what a bath was since 'she' was born! And is it him or does the bed and blankets feel...sandy?!
Her father works as a Gate Guard, her mother works as a Dyer of fabric and thread, and her older sister by a year forages for food!
Foraging isn't anything new to Komatsu. Hell, he did that a lot with his friends, even explored outer space for food!
But still, this family, is THAT poor. So poor its not even funny, if its normal for little girls to go out to the woods and forage, where there's poisonous and dangerous things around?!
Swearing, Komatsu focused on everything he knew and his stockpiled powers.
This power was on levels too much for a little girl to handle and he knows full well how strong the Four Kings all are, poor kid was as strong as them. He knew he could put it to good use.
Imagining all the nutritious livestock meat, grains, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and mushrooms he knew, he intends to cause incredible mutations for the sake of the poor though it'll cause chaos at first. Hehehe.
He let loose his powers that came out as a pink-colored ball of power.
Unknown to him, a lot of people in the city who knew magic sensed the ridiculously-immense power he let loose, as up in the sky where it rose so quickly...and exploded into a big ball of fireworks, with the magic seeping into the lands outside the city.
Komatsu's fevers and pain ended right there instantly too.
'Well, I hope that works.' he smiled. For now, his new body has to naturally heal. His body is so worn-out due to the strain of holding back such powers he could compare himself to a balloon that's inflated too much until it's stretched too thin just to contain all that air until it pops. His body was TRYING to be that balloon that his natural growth was stunted. And now, he made sure not a drop remains but he knew he'll recover his powers back after some rest. But he has to use it as often as possible.
He slept well that day.
He can worry about bathing later.
Unknown to him...
xxx
'Tuuli! Are you OK?! One of those pink lights hit where your group was!' Gunther, a frantic father cried as he fussed over his daughter.
'We're OK. That light was warm and comforting, didn't hurt anyone.' said Ralph, the oldest of the boys Tuuli was with.
'Yes daddy and the light buried into the ground and that was it!' Tuuli piped up.
'They're OK sir, no injury, not even a scratch but this is baffling...' said a soldier.
'That light came from the city.' said another. 'Then it exploded, scattering pink balls of light...but why'd it bury into the ground?'
'Beats us...for now, kids, go home early!'
The lights they saw seeped and spread deep into the soil...and began it's work.
They had plants and trees down to the last weed absorb them all and they began to produce seeds and spores of change...and had nature do its work seed-spreading.
But for farm-raised crops, they need to rely on humans to spread.
xxx
Tuuli went home that day, sighing as she got little stuff to bring home that day because of the pink lights.
Well, that left her to care for her perpetually-sick little sister Maine.
'Hmm? She's not in pain?' she mused as because as far as Tuuli remembers, her little sister sleeps with a pained look on her face and now she seems relaxed.
That means Tuuli can also relax now.
But she was bored, really bored.
xxx
The Temple was mobilized into investigating the forests outside the city when the Gate Guards delivered their reports. It took hours, before the reports were delivered to the King through the Head Priest.
The King read all the reports as the Priest waited.
'...nothing can be done about this?'
'I'm afraid so...the surrounding lands and our farms are affected by this power but in the case of livestock, its through their growing young and their organs. We cannot remove it since the power attacks us. We already had to heal twenty people.'
'Attacks?'
The Head Priest looked awkward.
'...it comes out in the shape of a hand, and literally slaps anybody who tries to Exorcise it, then this,' the Head Priest demonstrated a karate chop, '-on the head afterwards before going back in and our priests got quite the bruising and concussion. Its too powerful.'
'I see...spring is coming soon so I suppose we have to wait and see how this bodes well for us.' the King mused. 'I'll draft purchase papers ready just incase to feed the country.'
xxx
When Komatsu woke up hours later, it was nighttime by then.
He recovered a bit of his powers.
He caused all dust, sand and grime in his bedroom to gather into a ball, and chuck itself out the window.
He also caused the oiliness on his body and hair, and body odor to go away, but had to keep the filthy appearance to avoid suspicion.
He got off the bed but...he can't reach the doorknob. He was too small and he wanted to pee!
Frantic, he tried everything but he was too weak and already ran out of power.
But he smelled something.
A familiar smell of the toilet.
His eyes fell on the small clay pot by the corner of the closet. He smelled it and cringed.
"This, is the toilet...?" he choked. "I know we're poor but isn't this too ridiculous?"
Having no choice, he used it just to relieve himself. "Aaahhh...what a world I'm in now..."
He was also the first of his aging friends to die too. He just died in his sleep and last he checked, his wife Nono was still strong despite being an old granny too.
Then again, he wasn't much of a fighter so his body isn't as formidable...
But still, he'll have to deal with being poor for now. With his skills and powers, surely he can help his new family out.
'Maine? You awake?' his older sister Tuuli called out. 'Time for dinner!' she said as she opened the door.
'I'm OK.' Koma...no, Maine, gotta get used to that, said as she got her sister's attention.
'Feeling better now? Time to eat, mama cooked already!' she said as she took her sister with her.
Tuuli clearly didn't notice the changes in their room. Hehehe.
xxx
Maine found herself being fussed over by parents before her father helped her to sit on a crate.
'Its the first time we got you to sit with us in the table, you always used to eat in bed!' her father moped.
'She's sick Gunther but this is a nice change.' mother Eifa smiled as she put food on the table.
It's soup...full of soggy vegetables.
Well, cleanliness and cooking good food is a start, she supposed.
But still...yuck.
She could also still hear the voices of the ingredients.
They were upset with the mishandling and how they were boiled so much they lost their taste and nutrition within.
Yeah, she'll handle the house from now on, darn it. The food is so sad!
But still...she never had parents or a sibling before.
As far as she knew, she was an orphan with Take-chan and Ume-chan.
She never had a mother or father.
So to her, despite how terrible the food was...she enjoyed being with family who cared for her.
She blatantly ignored the fact that they're dirty and they stink.
