CHAPTER 2:
THE WIZARD AND THE SPIDER
The last little while had thrown curveball after curveball at Harry. Firstly, his father and a hitherto-unsuspected twin brother (well, half-brother, given what his so-called father claimed) were still alive, and had been using him as a decoy. When Harry got angry with them, and not unreasonably so, they decided to punt him through the Veil, though not before James used a curse to burn his face.
Secondly, he got confronted by an evil goddess known as 'D', who basically taunted him, told him a few things about what happened, and then punted him through yet another portal, though not before telling him that ten years had passed. But, of course, telling him nothing about his friends, Sirius, or anyone else. Not that he asked, but he was having trouble processing what the hell had happened.
And now, here he was, in a cave system, having witnessed the end of a battle between a spider monster and a massive unicorn-like dragon with blue scales, and who gave him his finger as a parting gift. Oh, and said spider monster was speaking English, albeit via telepathy, and had the voice of a girl his age, with an accent he was sure was Japanese. She looked better now that she had killed that dragon, somehow. Some part of him wanted to flee on sight from her, and he had the feeling it was more than bad memories of the Acromantula nest.
They were in the middle of a rocky pit, and the spider seemed to be considering things, before she finally spoke again. Sorry about that. I had a lot to think about. I also didn't like talking that much in my past life.
"Past life?"
Oh, yeah. I need to ask, how can you speak English?
"…Because I was born in England?"
England? As in…Earth?
"Uhh, yeah."
…Nai wa, she muttered. I…I come from Earth too. Japan, specifically. I'm…Wakaba Hiiro. Oh, wait, you put your family names last. Sorry, I'm Hiiro Wakaba. What's your name?
"…Harry Potter. But…how come you're from Japan?"
…It's a long story. I was human, but I died when our classroom went kaboom, and was reincarnated in this world as a monster spider. Classic isekai stuff, but it's not fun to experience.
"Issa-what?"
Umm, isekai basically means being sent to another world. You've never heard of it? I heard it's popular even outside of Japan. I mean as fiction, not as something that actually happens.
"…So this is another world?" Harry asked, feeling a pit of dread form in his stomach. He was stranded in another world thanks to that bitch D?
Yeah, that's it, Hiiro said. You were lucky, though, I think. I mean, you took a direct route here, right? I got reincarnated when I died. And…well, I got turned into a spider.
"Yes, I can see that," Harry said dryly.
On his snarky tone, Hiiro snapped defensively, Hey, I didn't choose to be reborn as a spider in this damn place! Which is the Great Elroe Labyrinth, by the way! I dunno how strong you are, Harry, but I had to face monsters like a final boss in a video game! I'm… Her voice seemed to catch in her throat, despite being mental. …I just want to have a peaceful life, but I'm probably never going to get it, she muttered morosely, sounding on the verge of tears. You are literally the first person I could really talk about it to…I mean, aside from that Administrator 'D' person…
Harry blinked. "D? Did you say…'D'?"
You know her?
"…We've met. Unfortunately. And my so-called father claims to have heard of her. About the only thing I agree with him about is that she is an evil bitch."
…Okay, well, evil bitch sounds right. She called herself an evil goddess. Would you believe she made a phone appear from thin air just to talk to me? Nai wa… Hiiro shook her head, clasping it with the scythe-like forelegs.
Harry nodded, even as he watched her warily. After all he went through, he couldn't help but be paranoid. And considering she was a rather large spider monster, it wasn't that unreasonable.
Her bulbous rear had spike-like projections, and half of it was black. The front two legs were like scythes, wicked and vicious. Eight pink eyes peered at him from her face. Just by seeing her, he felt an intense sensation of dread, like a more bearable form of the Dementor's aura, only without disinterring bad memories. The Acromantulas back home were bad enough, but this was worse than even them. She seemed like the very Reaper itself.
And yet, the voice coming from her was totally at odds with the body, though the body language was another matter. The gestures and movements made it believable that the spider in front of him housed the mind and soul of a girl about his age. Which was surreal, but that was the story of his life.
His musings were cut short when Hiiro strutted up to him. Soooo, are you gonna eat that? Araba seemed to want you to.
Harry looked down at the severed finger, and shrugged. "…I guess?"
Well, let's see if I can cook this. We'll share it. I've got resistance against food poisoning, but you're probably another matter entirely. While I cook, we can swap stories…
The pair of them spent some time swapping stories as the finger cooked. Hiiro went first, discussing her pre-spider life in brief, before discussing what she went through in the depths of this place. Harry took longer relating his own life, even in brief. And he was trying not to think about the fact that he was talking to a monster spider, not a Japanese girl about his age. At least she was more fun to talk to than Aragog.
Okay, so, let me get this straight, Hiiro said. You're a wizard, one of many on Earth who had a secret society, only, you were famous because you survived a lethal curse nobody else did, probably thanks to your mother? And then, you got chucked through this portal thing under London? Nai wa…I mean, it sounds unbelievable, and that's funny coming from me, considering what I've been through.
"I'm sure it does, but it's true. And I've pretty much only given you the abridged version."
Yeah, it has 'long story' all over it, Hiiro said. And to think your own father chucked you through this Veil thing. Though how he knows about 'D', I've no idea. Or why D kept you on ice for a decade. Another thing I've no idea about is, well, why I'm so chatty. I wasn't exactly a social butterfly back home. Aside from school, I was pretty much what we called a hikikomori in Japan. I think the English term is 'shut-in'. I did little but sit on my rear, eating junk food and playing video games. So…I'm honestly astonished at how…well, at ease I am talking with you.
"Maybe it's all that time you spent isolated here?" Harry asked. "I mean, you only gave me the gist of what happened here, but you spent most of your time being attacked by monsters, and the humans you encountered were, well, either hostile or unable to talk with you."
Maybe. Or maybe it's because you're British? My English teacher Miss Wilkins came from Britain, which is weird, because most Japanese, when they speak English, it's American English. But yeah…I was pretty lonely in life. Admittedly, it was by choice, and there were some things I didn't like. Like there was this one girl who bullied me a lot, that wasn't fun. And there was this guy who confessed to me that he loved me, except I'm pretty sure he was gay, just in the closet, and confessed to me knowing he'd be rejected. He was doing that just to appear straight. Hiiro shook her head. All I know is, I'm more comfortable talking with you, a complete stranger and a Brit, than I have been with any of my classmates, and as a spider monster than a human.
"I guess. Still, what next?"
Well, once we've had this meal, we'll head to the surface, Hiiro said. I put some tracking magic on some human adventurers I helped out before. I know where the exit is now, at long last. After that, we explore. I'll be your badass bodyguard, you be my travelling companion and sounding board, and eventually, I'll level up and become an Arachne. Then we can talk for real.
"Arachne?"
A little further along my evolutionary tree, I can turn into an Arachne, a spider monster with the upper body of a human growing from it. Haven't you played any games or read any manga or anime? I know they had this stuff a decade ago. Ugh, never mind, it's not important. Anyway, in truth, I'm actually glad you're here. The spider seemed to shudder.
"Why is that? It's not like I can do much to fight with you, even with my magic. These monsters seem out of my league." And he hated admitting that.
Hiiro seemed to hesitate for quite a long time. Eventually, she began talking. …Look, honestly, I think I need the company. You know how I've been gaining skills and stuff, like it was a video game or something? Well, some of them seem to be affecting me, and not always for the better. Earlier…I stumbled across some humans. They'd burned down my home, and wanted me dead. I got pissed, and killed many of them. And…I didn't really feel much afterwards. But that in itself disturbs me. I think it's due to one of the skills I got. I'm beginning to see humans as, well, little more than sources of experience points. I…I think I need someone to help me hold back a little, to not kill so readily. A conscience, I guess. I've been alone for too long. I need someone to help me keep my moral compass.
Harry recoiled from her, on the verge of fleeing from her. But where was there to flee to? She knew where the way out was, and if what she said was correct, there were ridiculously powerful monsters all around. And given what she said, she sounded, if not remorseful or regretful, there was something that seemed like she was disturbed by her lack of reaction to their deaths. Not remorse, but certainly showing that she wasn't lacking in morals. Then again, she hadn't attacked him, nor did she seem likely to.
In any case, he was alone. His friends weren't here. Nobody was coming to save him. He couldn't be picky about his allies, and given what Hiiro must've gone through to survive, he shouldn't blame her for becoming ruthless out of desperation. He couldn't imagine how difficult it was for her to struggle, especially as she seemed to be a Japanese Muggle.
Still, he felt he should set some ground rules. "Well, if we're going to be travelling together, you shouldn't kill anything unless it's directly threatening us, or someone else. Getting food later is another matter, but don't kill people unless you have to. I can disarm and stun them if need be. I have spells for that."
Yeah, I'm still getting used to wizards and witches actually existing back home, even in hiding, Hiiro said. I mean, I can't blame you for saying that, but believe me, half the monsters here will shoot first and ask questions later. And those people I killed? They were like that too. I did help out humans earlier, though. Anyway, we can wait until later before we head out. The meat's done.
Harry nodded, taking part of the now-roasted finger from Hiiro, and began eating it. It wasn't too bad, really. Hiiro was certainly enjoying her portion. After he finished, Harry asked, "Why do you think that dragon gave me that piece of himself to eat?"
I dunno. But…there's something I've been meaning to ask you.
"…Okay, what is that?"
Your eyes…they remind me a little of someone I've met. His eyes were red, but you both have this weird reptilian look to your eyes. And a similar presence, too.
Harry stilled, before looking at Hiiro. "What do you mean?"
Look, it's been bothering me, especially how you said that James Potter guy claimed you weren't his son. Which is weird, as you have a twin brother, but I think I heard of it once. Something Wikipedia called 'superfecundation'. You can have twin children born to two different fathers, apparently. But…I've got a suspicion that the guy I met might be your father. I mean, did James Potter tell you who your real father was?
"No. Neither did D, though she seemed to know him."
Then that settles it. I may be wrong, but…well, back when I was in the Middle Stratum of the Great Elroe Labyrinth, after beating one particular Fire Dragon…I met an Administrator for the first time. He tried to ask me questions, but I didn't understand his language. I think he was asking me whether I was one of D's minions or something, because I think I heard her name. And she actually called us afterwards, manifesting a smartphone right near us.
"Smartphone? Is that a mobile phone?"
Oh, yeah, the iPhone didn't get released until 2007, but you got dumped through the Veil in 2006. Basically a phone that can double as a small computer, really. You can go on the internet and stuff with it, even play games. But…whatever she told him, he left. I called him 'Black' in my head, because he wore black armour, had black hair, and his skin was pretty dark, darker than yours. But…well, when I levelled up a Skill called 'Taboo', I got a lot of info dumped into my mind. And amongst other things, I know his name: Güliedistodiez.
"Güliedistodiez?" Harry murmured to himself, trying to pronounce the name. "But…the way you told your tale earlier, Administrators are basically gods."
Yeah. Why do you ask?
"Well…why the hell is he beholden to D? Why doesn't he fight her? Anyone can see she's bad news!"
And then, Harry knew what he had to do. His purpose had been taken from him by James Potter. He was just going with the flow, thanks to James Potter and D's machinations. But what Hiiro told him stirred something inside him. If D presided over this world, then he knew it'd be even more screwed-up than back home. And if Hiiro was correct, and this Güliedistodiez was his real father somehow, why wasn't he there for him? And why didn't he do more to stand up to D?
And, of course, he still had his 'saving people thing', as Hermione put it. If there were people who needed help, then he'd help them. And if Hiiro had been reincarnated here, so were her classmates.
So he had something to drive him in this world. Good. He needed that. He may no longer be the Boy Who Lived, with so much of his life a lie, but he was damned if he would stop being who he was…
CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:
So, there you have it. Harry and Hiiro have made a tentative alliance. Time will tell if it lasts. And Harry now has his mission in this world…
No numbered annotations this time.
