A Certain Scientific Vampire Killer
Chapter 10: Dead Memories
There was no sun in the sky because the sky was being obscured by many huge clouds as it was pouring rain onto me. It was so dark outside that I could barely see anything with my vision, it might as well have been pitch black. It was so cold outside that I was shivering as I walked throughout the dreadful, and gloomy alleyway, it might as well have been the frozen tundra. I was so hungry that my stomach was hurting me which made it difficult to walk since the last time I ate anything was three days ago. That was the first memory that I could remember from my past, though it's not too important, it's all just a tale from my past.
However, that gloomy, dark, day, when I was walking through one of the many creepy alleyways that were in my hometown as the rain was being poured onto me. All the while I was freezing in the rain and I walked all the way back to my home, starving with nothing to eat for over three days was nothing more than a regular occurrence when I was a child. But, it was something I had to do if I wanted to survive and live another day in a cruel, unforgiving world.
You may be asking, why was a child walking throughout the street, alone, and without any protection or guidance from her parents. The answer to that question is simple. They were both no longer in my life. My father died after being hit by a car that was being controlled by a very drunk, person who was intoxicated by alcohol and drugs. The drunk driver died shortly thereafter, so there was no one to pay for the death of my father which meant that my family lost its source of income and completely fell apart.
Without my father around, there was no one who could pay for my original home, so my mother decided to leave me and my younger sister to fend for ourselves as she left what was left of her family to remarry another man who I never ended up meeting. I could understand why my mother left my family, taking care of two children is already hard enough for two people to accomplish, let alone one. After all, it was a logical decision for my mother to prioritize her needs and safety over anyone else, it's survival of the fittest, though I still hated her for it.
The only person left in my family that I would consider as still alive up to this point would be my younger sister, Fremea, who was not even four years old at the time, meaning that I had no choice but to fight to survive for both my wellbeing and Fremea as well. That's why I was walking throughout that gloomy, dark, depressing alleyway, alone, and scrounging for money or some food. Hell, any food would have been acceptable, even if it was expired or covered in maggots, if it meant that I and more importantly, Fremea, could continue living, it was enough.
During that time in my past, I had no choice whatsoever to not only fight but fight alone, as I made an effort to survive for at least one more day. That's all I could think of, not something normal like 'I can't wait for my birthday so that I can be showered with presents and praise' that any other person my age would think of while pondering about the future. No, I wasn't allowed to have an imagination when I was a child, because all I could think about was that I need to survive at least until the next day, not just for myself, but also for Fremea, who wouldn't be able to live without my support. That was the only thing that the young girl named Frenda Seivelun was allowed to have in her past.
Every single day was not only similar to that time when I was walking throughout the dark, gloomy alleyway while shivering and starving due to the cold and lack of food in my stomach respectively. No, it was exactly the same. Every day was an agonizing hell for me. It was all so painful just to continue living that I thought more than just a few times that I should end it forever. I mean there was only so much a child my age could do in a situation like mine where it was a struggle to simply stay alive until that child utterly breaks.
However, I kept going not because I wanted to survive long enough to escape the neverending hell I was experiencing every single day of my life, but because of Fremea. I would never be able to forgive myself if my death was the reason for my younger sister to painfully suffering and eventually cease to exist. I refused for that to happen, so I fought against the future, this world, perhaps even fate itself in order to survive so that Fremea can obtain a happy life, one that she can be proud of. To obtain that happy ending, I had no choice but to use the only gift that I was blessed with when I came into this world. My wits.
The only thing that I had to fight within this cruel, unforgiving world, was my wits. Ever since I was born, it always seemed like I was more smart compared to others that were my age. I have many insignificant memories of my childhood before my father died and everything went horribly wrong, though some of the more noteworthy ones were when I was in school. Every time there was a problem in class and the teacher asked the students to solve said problem, I was always the first one to solve it. I'm not trying to boast or anything like that, but that's just how it was every single time. The solution to an equation always came naturally to me.
So it was only natural that I would use the gift that was given by fighting in order to survive with my intellect. I ended up coming across tons of men in local bars who were absolutely drunk due to all the beer they were drinking and I challenged them to games of chess. I was no master of the game, chess, but as I gained experience it became easier and easier to defeat whoever I was battling against, though all the men being intoxicated by alcohol was a huge plus in giving me an advantage too.
I was only nine years old during that time in my past, with no money whatsoever or anything to call my own so the only thing that I had to wager with was my own body. This proved to be enough for the drunkards as they probably thought it was one hell of a good idea to accept a young girl's challenge, beat her, and then defile her to their heart's content. However, none of the men in the local bar ever defeated me in chess, not even once, so I never ended up losing anything physical that I considered valuable or even worse my virginity.
But then one day it felt like all my luck ran out. I was battling against another dumb brute when I successfully defeated the man in chess in under five minutes. By then my skill with chess has grown so much that it was easy and simple to defeat anyone of the men who would dare accept my challenge. However, this time was different.
"What? Impossible? There is no way I would lose to some little bitch who doesn't look like she is even old enough to have reached puberty yet! I refuse to accept defeat to a fucking child!" The man said, he had no hair on his head at all and was incredibly overweight. The drunkard then proceeded to sucker punch me in the face so hard that I fell from the seat I was sitting on and onto the floor.
I couldn't even respond to the drunkard that just assaulted me. I was now on the floor with blood gushing out of my mouth as I proceeded to spit out a broken tooth onto the wooden floor due to the drunk man's fist that hit me in the face incredibly hard. I honestly didn't know what to think at that time. I was utterly dumbfounded at what happened to me that night.
"Oh come on! Really? Do you really have nothing to say right now?! I just punched you so hard that one of your teeth fell out and you have nothing to say at all?! Shit! I really fucking hate the submissive types of girls like yourself! Whatever. I guess I'll just beat the shit out of you until you give me the response that I want." The bald-headed man said as he proceeded to kick me in my stomach by giving me many violent, merciless blows against my body.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts so much! I don't understand? Why is this happening to me? Why is this man hurting me? Why isn't no one helping me? I don't deserve to suffer like this! So why the hell is happening to me?! I thought to myself as I continued to receive many unforgiving and brutal blows from the drunkard.
"What the hell are you doing? Say something! Scream! Lash out! At least show some anger towards the man who is literally beating the fucking shit out of you right now! So say something so that I could laugh when I make you suffer?!" The bald-headed man said as he continued to strike my stomach with his feet as kept causing agonizing pain to me. The other men inside the bar were laughing and clapping as the drunkard did not stop hurting me.
This man. This fat, ugly-looking man. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him with my entire being! I hate how everyone around me is either laughing or cheering towards the man for hurting me so much. But this man is unforgivable! I want to kill him. I want to kill him. I want to kill him. I want to kill him and make him experience pain that is ten times worse than what he is giving me right now!
I then noticed an empty beer glass less than a meter away from my body. If I could just grab that glass, I could kill that piece of shit! I want to kill him! I want to kill him! I want to kill him! So what the hell am I waiting for? Why the hell am I not killing this bastard right now?! I then remembered the face of my younger sister, Fremea. If I decide to kill this bastard right now, I'll definitely be punished for it. I might even be sentenced to death even though it would be self-defense if I were to kill him. And then Fremea would be all alone with no one to defend her. I can't do that to Fremea. So all I can do is accept the punishment that bastard is going to give me.
"Shit! Fine! Be that way! If only you showed some sort of reaction, I would have been more forgiving to you and I could have given you some money for giving me a good time! Since it was no fun beating the fucking shit out of you, you can go back to whatever filthy slum you live at without any of my money! I hope that you suffer and die an early death, you little bitch!" The bald-headed man said as he stopped kicking me and left the bar with heavy footsteps. That night, I didn't lose anything that was physical material, though I lost something else that was just as important. That night, I lost my pride, and that enraged me to the point that I wanted to scream.
Afterward, I left the bar that I was in, not because I was forced out or anything like that, but because I couldn't stand being around drunk assholes who would let an ignorant piece of shit beat the crap out of me. Not only did those idiotic buffoons stand there while I was beaten mercilessly by the bald-headed man, but they laughed and clapped at my misfortune. I couldn't stand being anywhere near such disgusting and horrible people.
So, I left that bar, as I was covered in beer and my own blood due to the abuse of that bald-headed bastard, while I felt disgusted with myself. I let that awful piece of shit who doesn't even deserve to be called a man, hurt me, and I did absolutely nothing to defend myself! I held myself back in order to protect Fremea, and I'm glad that nothing happened because her safety is now guaranteed, but I can't help how I feel in this situation! I'm ashamed of myself!
I don't have any money or food that I can give to Fremea, let alone any for myself, which means that both I and my younger sister will have to starve! I can't go back to that bar after I was made a fool of myself, and even if I didn't care about my pride, another drunk bastard would probably do the same thing that ignorant piece of shit did to me after seeing my shameful display. I don't know what to do? What the hell am I supposed to do now?!
"Hey! What's wrong with you?! Are you deaf or something?! I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes and all you did was ignore me?! Who the hell do you think you are?!" A girl said with a tall and slender figure, she has soft tea-colored hair and she is wearing stylish clothing.
"I-I'm sorry, b-but, I-I have no idea who you are? W-Who a-are y-you?" I awkwardly said towards the tea-colored-haired girl. I have never seen the girl who was now in front of me in my entire life up to this point, so I really didn't know how to respond to her at all. The only things I could tell about the tea-colored-haired girl were that she was rich, due to her extremely expensive clothing that she was wearing, and that she was incredibly beautiful.
"Eh? That's the first thing you are going to say to me? Whatever. I guess that I might as well tell you my name. My name is Mugino Shizuri, I'm a level 5 Esper, and one of the very few of that level in the whole world." The tea-colored girl said while revealing her true name to me and that she was one of the most powerful people on the entire planet by far.
"Um, that's really cool and all, but I don't understand. Why did you stop and decide to talk to a person like me? What do I have to do with you?" I said with an expressionless face, in truth I was surprised that anyone would want to talk to me, though the girl was not just someone. The girl named Mugino Shizuri was a very important person, known throughout all of the worlds to be someone worthy of praise due to the powers that she was blessed with. So, I just couldn't understand, not in the slightest, why such an influential person that probably has everything she could ever want, was now talking to me, a poor, nine-year-old nobody, who reeked of her own blood and revolting booze that would make almost anyone puke after coming into contact with the smell.
"Eh? Are you joking? That is seriously the reaction you have after meeting the most powerful and beautiful woman in the whole world?! Literally anyone should have been overcome with joy after seeing me, but all you did was nod and say 'but why are you kidding me?!" Mugino yelled with a pissed off expression on her face as she was stomping on the floor and throwing a tantrum that resembled a child's reaction to not obtaining an expensive toy, not because they earned it, but simply because they desired it and wanted to brag to others that they own it.
"FuFuFu!" I giggled towards the tea-colored-haired girl, Mugino's tantrum was unfitting for someone her age, but it was still pretty funny and cute in its own way, so I couldn't help but laugh as I felt genuinely happy for the first time in a very long time.
"Huh? Do you want to die? Do you have a death wish or something? Because you are really starting to really piss me off! First, you responded to me in such an unenergetic and boring way, which made me mad. But then you had the audacity to laugh at me when I was simply frustrated because you weren't giving me the praise that someone of my status rightfully deserves?! I should kill you for being such a disrespectful brat!" Mugino said with a pissed-off face as she proceeded to flick me in the forehead with one of her fingers in retaliation against my giggling towards her.
"Ow! What was that for? I didn't do anything that bad to deserve that! You are just salty that I didn't praise you and be like 'Wow, it's the greatest level 5 Esper, the most beautiful woman on the entire planet, the one and only, Mugino!' So just tell me why you came out of nowhere and decided to talk to me of all people!" I yelled with a scowl on my face as I was now pissed off since I received a finger flick to the head for just giving my honest reaction towards her.
"What the hell did you just say to me, you disrespectful brat?! You know what, it's whatever. But if you talk to me with such a rude voice again, I may just have to kill you for it. Anyway, what I was trying to say was that I was searching for someone who wasn't a complete idiot to help me with a job. I then learned of a certain young girl who was all everyone was talking about when I decided to have a drink at some random bar. The guys that were all around me were saying that the girl was unrivaled at chess and that she was beating them and their friends at the game in five minutes or less. So I thought, hey this girl must be very smart so she is the exact person that I'm looking for! I then went around all of the bars in this ugly-looking town, while looking for someone that fit your description, and now I found you! So am I right or am I right?" Mugino said with a smirk on her face as she pointed one of her fingers towards me.
"So what if you are right? What of it? How will you be right to benefit me in any way? Sorry, I have to go home now. I'm going to have to tell my younger sister that she won't have any food tonight because I'm such an awful big sister. Bye-bye, though it was nice meeting you." I said while I walked away from the tea-colored-haired girl as I was about to leave the alleyway.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! I wasn't finished talking here! Geez! Stop being such a disrespectful brat for a second and listen to me! I'm trying to say that I could give you a reward if you help out with this job that I'm supposed to do! And if the job goes well, I'll guarantee that you'll have plenty of money that you'll have more than enough to afford actual, real food for both you and your younger sister! And then still have so much money left over that you won't know what to do with the rest of it!" Mugino said towards me as I then stopped walking out of the alleyway.
"Go on. I'm interested, what will this 'job' require me to do exactly? Oh, and just so you know, I'm a level 0. I have no Esper abilities whatsoever. So if you are looking for someone with powers you might as well leave because you found the wrong person." I said with a deadpan face and walked back into the alleyway as I looked towards the tea-colored-haired girl named Mugino Shizuri.
"That's fine. You don't need to have any abilities that rely on brute force because I have all the power that ensures that I can kill any opponent I come into contact with. No, what I'm looking for is not someone with a powerful Esper ability. I'm looking for someone with a decent level of intelligence that can help me with trapping an enemy so that I can deliver the killing blow! This job that I'm supposed to do requires someone who can assassinate an enemy in a low-key fashion. However, my Esper ability is completely mismatched with such a mission due to my overpowered ability which would be able to be traced all the way back to me. My Esper ability is famous and very recognizable so even if I were to successfully assassinate my target without him or anyone else noticing, the damage would still be recognized and I would be charged with the crime of killing another person. I don't want to pay a fine for killing someone or even worse, go to jail because of it! That would utterly suck for me!" Mugino said as she played with her long, straight tea-colored hair.
"So that's where you come in! What I want you to do is to create a bomb that will be able to kill the target that I'm supposed to assassinate! After that, you just need to plant the bomb somewhere near the target then Kaboom! This way I don't have to go to jail, you and your sister won't starve, and we'll both be swimming in money! Hell, if you give me the results that I'm hoping for, I may let you join the squad that I'm in the process of putting together! You can be the first member of it! So what do you say? Will you do it?" Mugino said with a grin on her face as she looked towards my eyes with her own eyes which demanded an answer from me.
"So all I have to do is create a bomb and put it in close proximity to the person that you want to assassinate. Yeah. No problem. I'll do it. I'll create the bomb for you!" I said as I declared my resolve with determination towards Mugino. If all I have to do is kill one person so that I and more importantly my little sister can eat food that doesn't taste like shit and has enough money to ensure a bright future for both of us then it's a simple and easy choice to make.
"Excellent! Now all you have to do is create the bomb and then plant it on the target and finally, we'll both have a shit ton of money! But before that, we first have to shake hands to establish our partnership! If you accomplish the job then this will be a long partnership for the foreseeable future!" Mugino said with a smirk on her face as she held out her right hand for me to grasp.
"Got it. Don't worry, it will be a piece of cake for me." I said with an emotionless voice as I grasped Mugino's hand with my own hand as we then both shook hands, which began a very long partnership between the both of us that would last all the way to the present day.
After meeting Mugino Shizuri for the very first time, we both went our separate ways, and I decided to acquire knowledge on how bombs are made so that I could create one. I then learned everything that I could about how to build a bomb, and I went into the process of actually creating one with the right tools and components. If it means that I can save myself and especially Fremea from a cruel fate so that we can both find happiness, and so that we can both have lives that we can consider precious and worth living. Then I will become a murderer if that's what it takes. No. I'll become the devil himself if that's what it takes to ensure a happy ending for the both of us!
Three days later
I did it. After three whole days of nonstop work and almost no sleep at all, I finally built the bomb at long last. Now, all I have to do is plant the bomb on the target that Mugino wants me to assassinate and both me and Fremea will finally be free at last. I then proceeded to contact Mugino and she gave me a picture of the target as well as his address so that I could find him. I looked at the picture of the target, only to find out that it was a middle-aged man with no hair at all on his head, who was also very overweight. The target, the man that Mugino Shizuri wants me to assassinate, was none other than the drunkard who beat the crap out of me in that bar!
"Ha. I guess that I have to kill that piece of shit after all." I muttered to myself in such a low voice that no one could hear me, except myself as I made my way towards the drunkard's house.
After walking for a little over thirty minutes, I finally made it to the drunkard's house, as I prepared myself to plant the bomb onto him. No. That was a lie. From the start, ever since that night in the bar, when I lost my pride to that disgusting man, I've wanted to kill him. However, I didn't end up killing him for three reasons.
First of all, I didn't have a reason to kill the man other than the fact that he beat the shit out of me, which wasn't good enough of a motive to seek revenge. Second of all, if I were found out as the murderer who killed that piece of shit, I would without a doubt be thrown in prison, or even worse I would be killed for the crime of killing a man. That would end up with no one being there for Fremea, and I couldn't do that to my little sister. And third of all, I didn't have any way to kill the drunkard because I'm only a nine-year-old child with no combat experience whatsoever, so it unquestionably ends in my defeat. However, both reasons that I had for deciding not to kill the man previously were rendered obsolete because of the weapon that I now have.
The weapon that I now have in my hands is a bomb, not a huge bomb that could completely destroy a building. No, what I have in my hands is a bomb that is powerful enough to kill a single person. That's all the bomb can manage to do, because that is the only role that the bomb is supposed to play out. Nothing more and nothing less. I proceeded to walk towards the front door of the target's house with the bomb in my hands as I then pressed the doorbell of his home.
"What the hell do you want?! I'm not expecting any visitors today?! So why don't you fucking scram before I get really mad and I make you leave my house with force!" A man said with a very harsh and pissed-off voice. Yep, it's that drunk bastard all right. The same bald-headed, fat man who beat the crap out of me at that bar and stole my pride. The same person that I'm about to kill with a weapon that I made with my very own hands as well as my blood, sweat, and tears.
"Oh, I'm very sorry, good sir! But, I have a box that is full of delicious pizza that I'm giving away for free to any lucky person who accepts it!" I said with the most cheerful voice that I could muster as I lied to the man that was behind the door.
"That's strange but whatever! I understand! Fine! Leave the box by my front door, then scram! I'm a very busy man, so I don't have all day to screw around, you know!" The man behind the door said with a voice that wasn't much more pleasant compared to the one he was using before.
"Ok! I'll leave the box that is full of delicious pizza right by the front door just like you said! And I'll be leaving right now!" I said while still maintaining the cheerful voice that I was using as I planted the bomb which was in a cardboard box that was meant for storing pizza in, near the front door of the drunkard's house, and I proceeded to go hide in some nearby bushes in order to confirm the bastard's death to Mugino. Farewell, you piece of shit! I guess that you will be the one who will die an early death! I thought to myself with a sadistic smile on my face.
"Oh boy! Free pizza! I'm starving so I can't wait to eat some of it!" A voice said that was not the old bastard's voice but instead it was a different voice. Then the front door proceeded to open revealing not the drunkard who I was tasked to assassinate by Mugino, but a young girl with short brown hair on her head. At that instant, I realized that I made a fatal mistake.
Huh? What? No. No. No. No! Who's that? Why is this girl here? I didn't know of any relative of that man! This isn't what was supposed to happen! So what the hell is going on?!
"Yay! Thank you to whoever left this pizza here! This pizza is going to be so yummy!" The brown-haired girl said with a voice full of delight.
What the hell do I do? I can't just sit around and let that innocent girl die! No, calm down, Frenda! There is a timer that is on the bomb which signals when it will blow up! If I remember correctly the timer was set to one minute, exactly sixty seconds before it will detonate! That should be plenty of time for the girl to give it to the drunkard or get away from it before it will explode! Everything will be fine! Everything will be fine! So why am I still shaking in terror?
"Ooooh! What's this?" The brown-haired girl said as she opened the box that was used for storing delicious pizza that was now being used as a container for a bomb that was meant to kill a single person. The timer on the bomb now read thirty seconds.
What?! It has already been thirty seconds?! That can't be right?! There should have been at least fifty-something seconds from the time I planted the bomb until the time the girl opened the door and lifted up the box with the bomb in it! This doesn't make any sense? Why the hell is this happening?! I have to save that girl before the bomb goes off! That should be more than enough time to ensure that we both survive! 30. 29. 28. 27. 26. 25. 24. 23. 22. 21.
However, if I decide to reveal myself and save her, then both I and Fremea will have to suffer because of my choice! I don't want Fremea to suffer! And I don't want to suffer either! So, I have to wait and do nothing so that we don't have to suffer such a cruel fate! But, if that girl doesn't get away from that bomb, then she will die! I don't want that either! So what the hell do I do? I thought to myself as the bomb continued to count down. 20. 19. 18. 17. 16.
"Hey, daddy! Something is weird about this box! The nice lady said that there was supposed to be pizza in it but there is only a clock in it. Where's the pizza?" The brown-haired girl said with a confused expression on her face as the bomb continued to count down. 15. 14. 13. 12. 11.
No! No! No! NO! I refuse to let a young, innocent girl die! I'm sorry, Mugino, but I have to do what's right! Sorry about this, Fremea, I hope one day you will be able to forgive me for what I'm about to do! I thought to myself as I was about to stand up from the bushes that I was hiding in, but, then something unexpected happened. Something that I would have never been able to believe at all even if I was told that it would have happened, it was that unbelievable.
"Hey there, Ann. I see. You have the box with pizza in your hands. That's good. You can take as much as you want. But what was that about a timer?" The bald-headed man said with a voice that I have never heard him use before. The bomb continued to count down. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6.
"Holy shit! Get out of the way Ann! That is not pizza! That is a bomb that is about to explode!" The bald-headed man said as he pushed the young, brown-haired girl out of the way at the last possible second, as the bomb proceeded to detonate. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. BOOM!
The bomb finally went off and exploded. The bomb did not harm the young, brown-haired girl at all. Instead, the victim of the bomb's merciless eruption was the bald-headed, fat man that I despised. The bald-headed drunkard's face was right near the bomb's explosion as it let off its explosion which blew the man's head apart in many different grotesque pieces, spraying his blood everywhere as the man was utterly killed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Daddy! No! Please don't die! Please don't die! Please don't die! I love you so much! And I don't want to lose you!" The brown-haired girl screamed with a voice full of despair as she cried her eyes out for the bald-headed man's survival while she prayed to God that the man who is her father would be alright. However, there is nothing that can be done to save that man anymore. No human or anything else for that matter would be able to survive an explosion that absolutely destroyed the head. The bald-headed man was, without a doubt, already dead.
I leaped up from the bushes that I was hiding in and I proceeded to run away from the scene of the murder at full speed. I was sprinting so hard that I was gasping for air, while sweat dripped from my face, as I was running what felt like the fastest speed I used in my entire life up to this point. I didn't stop running. No. I couldn't stop running. I just killed a man. Technically, it was an indirect murder, because I didn't kill him with a blunt object. Even still, I killed the man with a bomb that I created and built with my own hands. But, that fact didn't matter all that much to me. What absolutely terrified me was that bald-headed man had a daughter. I hated that bald-headed, fat man so much for beating the crap out of me, and for stealing my pride.
But, even such a revolting man had a daughter who cared about him and love him so much. The bald-headed man must have felt the same way because he sacrificed his own life so that his daughter could live. It was such a selfless act of bravery that didn't fit with the old bastard's character up to this point. It didn't make any sense at all. How could such a horrible man risk his own life to save another's life? It couldn't understand it in the slightest.
However, all I could think of was of his young daughter. The man's daughter who now has lost her father due to my own selfish actions. That young innocent girl almost died because of my actions. That young innocent girl now can never talk to her own father ever again just like me because of my actions and I hated myself for it.
After running so hard for what felt like forever, I proceeded to rush towards an empty alleyway with no people in it, as I then puked out whatever little food or water was in my stomach and onto the ground. I realized at that very point that I will now and forever be a killer. I know that already. Nothing can change the fact that I became a murderer when I killed that bald-headed man. And I'm ok with that. My only regret is making that man's daughter cry.
Subsequently, life then continued on for me like normal. No. That's wrong. It actually became so much better. Mugino Shizuri received a ton of money for the assassination mission ending up as a success, and both I and Fremea no longer had to rely on scraps of food to get by any longer. I received a significant cut of the money for helping Mugino out, and with that money, I used it to ensure that Fremea would have a bright future by buying her a nice house to live in and clothes that she calls her own.
I then proceeded to join the group that Mugino was forming, the mercenary group named ITEM, and with that, I became an official mercenary alongside Mugino and two other girls who weren't that far apart from me in terms of age. I now was able to buy myself delicious food, wear nice, cute clothes that a girl my age would wear, and be able to do what I wanted with my life. I finally had a life that can be considered precious and worth living.
But, while I was indeed happy with how my life turned around for the best. I felt like that there was something missing. I didn't know what I was missing for the longest time. That was true, until, I met her. I met a girl named Aisa Himegami. Aisa Himegami was unlike anyone I have ever met in my entire life up to this point. Aisa was so different, she was kind, gentle, and always made sure others that she cared about were ok. Sure, Aisa wasn't without her faults, she could be bossy and mean which reminded me of Mugino sometimes. But the difference between Mugino, or anyone else for that matter, is that Aisa never abandoned anyone she truly cared about.
Aisa Himegami is a very stubborn girl, and she would never give up until the very end. I loved Aisa for that. Aisa was the first person I could actually consider a friend. So why? Why does she have to have such a ridiculous ideal? An ideal that makes her feel like she is inferior to anyone and everyone else. An ideal that makes her believe that if Aisa sacrifices her own life for others, it would be a good thing. And an ideal that makes Aisa believe that she is worthless unless she saves ten times the number of people that she kills. It's an awful way to live. I hated her for that.
But, the worst part was how she betrayed the trust that I had in her. Aisa told me that it was ok for me to abandon her and that we were never friends. That broke my heart. Even still, I will save her. Even if Aisa ends up hating me for it, I don't care. Because Aisa was the very first friend I had. And even if she doesn't feel the same way, I'll believe that we were both friends until the bitter end. After all, friends don't abandon each other. And I'll never abandon Aisa for as long as I live.
"Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Oh. Hello there. Good morning, short, blonde-haired girl." A certain man said as he was slapping my face in order to wake me up.
"Eh? What's going on? Who are you? Better question, where am I?" I said as rubbed my eyes with my hands while I tried to process what was happening right now. Contrary to belief, I'm not a morning person in the slightest.
"I will answer your questions in the order that you said them in. Nothing at all is going on currently. I'm the last remaining tool of my lord to use as he wishes, my name is the Vampire King Slipknot. And for your final question, you are currently in my lord's palace, the home of the Vampire Emperor!" Slipknot said as he lifted both of his arms into the air.
I remember. I finally remember now. That guy, I mean vampire knocked me out and I ended up passing out. I thought I was dead for sure. Fortunately, I'm indeed alive, because, for some reason, this vampire decided to kidnap me, instead of killing me. Lucky me, I guess. I thought to myself as I scratched the top of my head in utter disbelief.
"Oh, there you are, Slipknot. What took you so long? Wait, what? Who the hell is the girl that is right next to you as we speak? Slipknot! Explain yourself!" A voice screamed that was full of confusion and hostility. It wasn't the voice of someone who had many years of experience to his name. Instead, it was the voice of a young boy, who sounded like he wasn't finished with elementary school yet. Who is that? I then looked in the direction of where the voice came from and I saw him. And to my absolute horror, I saw a child sitting on top of a throne.
"My lord! This small, blonde-haired girl, is one of Himegami Aisa's friends. However this girl is not someone who is weak, she has abilities that are a force to be reckoned with. Not only that but this girl is the partner of Himegami Aisa, and she aided the girl with the Esper ability, Deep Blood, in the defeat and death of Weezer. I thought that instead of killing her, can do either of three things with her. One, learn information about Himegami Aisa and her ability. Two, we can use this girl as a bargaining chip, so that Himegami Aisa will be forced to come here. Or three, we can turn this girl into a vampire and use her against Himegami Aisa, so that it will be more simple and efficient to kill her." Slipknot said while bowing down on his knees to his lord.
"I understand. Your second idea is indeed a good reason to keep her alive. It will certainly be more efficient for Aisa to come to us, instead of going to her. It will be wise to have a battleground advantage so that it will be easier to kill her before the time comes." The child said with a fist to his cheek. He had dark, black hair that resembled the fur of a raven while wearing armor that was pure white, covered with jewels of many different colors, and had a ring on each of his fingers and thumbs. The most striking detail about this child, however, was the golden crown on his head with a red ruby in the center of it, despite his young appearance; he was none other than a true king. No. This child was indeed the Vampire Emperor himself.
"However, let me correct you on two of the ideas that you proposed. Your first idea is unnecessary, it is useless to gather information from this girl. First, she could simply feed us false information, in order to ensure Aisa's survival. Second, I really don't care how her powers work exactly because I will kill Aisa no matter what. And finally, your third idea is utterly absurd, I will not allow such an insignificant insect to become a vampire, let alone a vampire king. Slipknot, that idea reeks of stupidity, and you should be ashamed of yourself for even considering such a foolish thought." The Vampire Emperor slammed his fist on the top of the armchair of his throne in retaliation against the Vampire King Slipknot's other propositions.
"Yes! You are right, my lord! I was absolutely ignorant for even offering such an idea without thinking of what you would say first! Please allow me to correct my foolish mistake!" Slipknot yelled with a voice that was the exact opposite of the monotone, almost bored voice that he was using earlier.
"You may, Slipknot. Show me your resolve, as well as your loyalty to me, your Vampire Emperor, Linkin Park!" The raven-haired child with a sadistic smile on his face.
What happened next was so unexpected, that it didn't feel real at all. Hell, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't witness it with my very own eyes. In the next instant, the Vampire King Slipknot ripped off his own arm, as his blood sprayed onto me and drenched me with the vampire's blood, as well as shining the huge room that I was in with the color, crimson red.
"Will this do my lord?" Slipknot said while holding the arm that he torn off up into the air. The vampire didn't even bat an eye when he tore his own arm off. But that wasn't that scary compared to something else I noticed. What was truly frightening about the Vampire King that was right next to me is that he didn't even show pain on his face at all, just dedication to his lord.
"It will. Now, Slipknot! Chain up this girl at once! Then once I kill Himegami Aisa personally, and end this stupid charade that has gone on for over one thousand years, you may kill the insignificant insect! But make sure to offer the girl a quick, painless death. It is the least we can do for that insect for fulfilling the role as bait!" Linkin Park said with a sadistic grin on his face.
Now! This is my chance! I proceeded to throw a bomb towards the Vampire King Slipknot, which was in the disguise of a pink bunny, which exploded as soon as it made contact with the vampire.
BOOM!" The bomb exploded as it then made a huge cloud of smoke which obscured Slipknot's vision.
"No! Watch out! My lord!" Slipknot screamed as he tried to blow away the smoke that was obscuring his vision in an effort to save his lord.
But then, to the Vampire King Slipknot's absolute horror, he saw a certain girl flying out of the smokescreen. This was none other than the blonde-haired girl named Frenda Seivelun. Frenda was now gliding into the air with the use of her mini bombs, as she was heading straight towards the Vampire Emperor himself, Linkin Park while using an utterly insane level of speed!
Frenda was closing in on the Vampire Emperor Linkin Park. Five meters. Four meters. Three meters. Two meters. One meter. Frenda was now directly in front of the Vampire Emperor himself. However, Linkin Park showed no visible irritation as he was face to face the blonde-haired girl. What the Vampire Emperor did next was unreal, it was something so unbelievable, that it resembled an illusion.
"Ultimate Gift: God's mind!" Linkin Park roared at the top of his lungs with a sadistic smile on his face as his raven-like hair stood straight up into the air while the scenery around both the blonde-haired girl and the Vampire Emperor proceeded to change.
"Eh? What? What is this? Where am I? What did that bastard do to me?!" I yelled as I looked around only to notice that what was in front of me was not the Vampire Emperor Linkin Park, but some dark, gloomy alleyway. I couldn't understand what just occurred, but it must have been some Esper ability that teleported me into an unspecific alleyway in Academy City.
"Dam it! I have to go back to wherever those vampires were! Actually, I can't because I never saw the outside of the place that vampire took me to! Crap!" I yelled with an infuriated expression on my face as I kicked a random trash can that was nearby.
"Whatever. I'll just find where those vampires were located and then I'll kill them both. I won't allow Aisa to become more consumed by her ridiculous ideal! I will save her no matter what! Huh? W-What a-are y-you d-doing h-here?!" I said with a voice full of resolve as it then turned into a voice that was full of shock and confusion as I then noticed a certain girl walking towards me.
"Frenda! Don't give me that shit! You betrayed ITEM! You betrayed me! For those crimes, I will kill you myself!" The girl screamed with her tea-colored hair lifting up into the air as she rushed towards me. This girl was not just any girl, but a girl I knew. This girl's name is Mugino Shizuri, and she looks like that she wants to kill me!
"Wait! Wait for a second! I don't understand?! What did I do to you?! I would never betray you or the others!" Please! Believe me!" I said as I pleaded towards the tea-colored girl who was sprinting towards me at full speed. However, it was all to no avail. Because in the next instant, I was already dead.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I noticed that my body was now split in half. My body was now in two separate pieces as blood gushed out of my body. It was the most pain that I ever felt in my entire life. Nothing at all came close to the sheer agony of having one's body torn apart.
I'm having trouble seeing anything now. Everything is becoming darker and darker. I can't speak anymore. I can't even scream anymore. I won't be able to eat delicious food anymore. I won't be able to buy cute clothes anymore. I won't be able to have fun anymore. I won't be able to see Fremea ever again. I even won't be able to see Aisa ever again. Sorry, Aisa. But I completely underestimated the enemy. And now I'm dying because of my foolish mistake. I'm sorry you had such a worthless friend. What kind of friend isn't able to protect the people most important to her? A powerless, insignificant nobody. Bye-bye, Aisa. I hope you at least get to live.
"You betrayed the people who most mattered to you. And now you suffer the consequences. Be happy, that you dint have to suffer any more pain than that. Die with that satisfaction, betrayer!" Mugino said as the girl named Frenda Seivelun seized to exist and then proceeded to die.
Hello Everyone! Ren Here! So for this chapter, I wanted to focus on Frenda by giving her some more characterization by revealing my version of her backstory. Frenda is one of my favorite characters from the A Certain Series so it was very fun to write a chapter that focuses almost completely on her. Also with this chapter, the story has hit a turning point with Linkin Park, the Vampire Emperor finally taking action! Is this the end for Frenda? How will Aisa react to this when she learns what's really going on? Read the next chapter coming out next Sunday to find out! Get excited! Ren Out!