"So you're Rika! I'm Yuta! Let's be friends!" Surely my harem plan shall progress without any issues. I mean, how hard can it be to get super close to a kid, and convince her that she should be my childhood friend waifu?
Rika sticks out her tongue. "Nah! You're icky...!" And then the brat leaves. Okay, mayhaps this will need a bit more work, I didn't know befriending kids was such a difficult task.
But it makes sense, children are beings that live solely for their pleasure and displeasure, as if they were some kind of evil subversion of the Buddha. They are capable of rejecting friendship simply because one is icky.
So I just need to keep throwing the coin again, and again until I succeed. I'm an adult, so I won't get traumatized just because a little girl called me icky or whatever, in fact I'm now more motivated than ever!
That said, I do feel a little stupid just standing here and thinking about how to befriend a kid for harem having purposes.
Maybe I should go back to autistically trying to awaken super powers? I can start gathering a harem once I'm an adult and people are more reasonable. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.
Besides, then I can play being the protagonist who hides his powers or something! And I'm definitely not traumatized by being called icky.
I'm not, I just don't want to talk with anyone at the current moment.
Yeah.
"Shit...!" I barely dodge the volley of ice sent towards me by Vlov. The Dead Apostle Ancestor is completely overwhelming me, and even if he wasn't, this cold is slowly killing me anyways.
But I can't just give up and die, not when that means Arcueid, the stupid vampire who I owe a life to, would die as well.
I take a deep breath, and clench my knife as hard as I can. If my stamina is about to end... if my life is about to end... I'll use it all in a final push to reach Vlov, and end his miserable disgusting existence.
The world cracks even more than usual, my head cracks with. Line after line is shown to me, telling me that even this so-called immortal creature is not perfect. I tense my legs and...!
Lose all my momentum as a voice interrupts me. "Hey! Hey! What's all this mess!?" It can't be human, or at least not a normal human. No human would come here, because no human would be able to ignore their instincts so easily.
Coming here is death, if the blizzard doesn't kill you, the ghouls will, and if even that isn't enough, Vlov will finish the job. So, much like a human can't hold their breath until they die, a human will simply naturally avoid this place.
At least that's what my natural instincts as someone who is currently experiencing this layer of hell tells me.
But even so, if the chance of that person being normal exists...! "Run! Run and don't look back!" My weakened voice tries it's best to reach that person, I don't know if I succeeded.
But... Vlov has already killed way too many people. I just don't want that toll to get even higher!
The Dead Apostle Ancestor doesn't even look at the person, he nonchalantly raises an arm towards them, and their death sentence is passed.
From the air small ice balls... bullets materialize. They aren't gonna be as destructive as the ice sent towards me, due to a lack of mass, and their speed is about the same, but... without a doubt they will mangle that person until they become a corpse.
I begin dashing. "Damn it!" I won't reach them, even if I didn't need to build speed, even if I was in a completely fresh and rested state, I would never reach them before they died. And even if Shiki Tohno happened to be faster, I would have no clue about what to do.
Arcueid gasps, it's almost a funny sight considering her current state. "Hey Shiki, don't!" I don't want to hear scolding from a woman who's laying down on the floor being completely useless, so just shut up while I help that guy...!
I can't see him in detail due to the blizzard, and how far he is, but now I can see a weird shine where his eyes should be. "Why am I being treated like dispensable fodder...?" I stop on my tracks, his nonchalant response means he is definitely not normal.
I'm not the only thing that stops though, because the ice bullets seemingly... compress into each other until they're just harmless dust. This ability...
Arcueid puts a name to it. "Oh! Mystic Eyes of Distortion, how cool!" Don't act so excited when you're on the floor and dying!
But to think someone with Mystic Eyes would just show up out of nowhere... No, this is not out of nowhere. Vlov is making a insane mess of the city, so maybe some supernatural people finally noticed it and sent backup.
I don't really understand how this all works after all, Arcueid is not exactly a good teacher. She gives too much exposition out of nowhere, and then never lets me actually absorb all that knowledge.
Vlov now actually acknowledges the newcomer, turning to face him, the knight raises his spear without a single word.
That's my chance, I'm a murderer after all. That's why I'll use this blizzard and kill him while he's distracted. If that person can block another volley, or at least hold Vlov back for a little while I should be able to do it.
Or at least that would be the plan, instead though that blur of a person moves so fast that not even Vlov can react. What we can react though, is to the pure energy emanating from his body like an aura.
Faster than my eyes can move, he arrives behind Vlov, and kicks him in the head so hard I'm surprised the head of the Dead Apostle Ancestor doesn't explode. It's certainly does break however, both his cranium, and his neck.
I can now see the person clearly, he... he's a black haired teen, but he gives me the same feeling Arcueid does... to some extent. He's not a monster like her, but he is simply inhumanly beautiful. Even a guy can admit that.
And his chuckle in the middle of this situation makes that even more clear. "C'mon man, don't play the silent guy when fighting me! Half of you guys are the same boring archetype!" Does that mean he has experience fighting vampires?
By the time the mysterious guy has finished talking, Vlov has already healed, he is a Dead Apostle after all. I do know that such a thing isn't free however, it takes mana or whatever, he can't keep doing it forever.
The vampire wordlessly turns around to strike at the boy with his spear. And the boys flawlessly ducks under it. In the end it's all a signal for their dance to start, a dance where Vlov is the inferior partner.
He doesn't even have a weapon, and yet he never gets hit, his style is simply perfect. And with every mistake Vlov makes, he takes a punch, and even though none of them are as powerful as the kick, he always flinches nonetheless, slowly but surely losing ground.
I almost drop my knife out of shock. "Who is this guy...?" I am suddenly feeling like I'm even weaker than I previously thought.
Arcueid squints her eyes in his direction, and then she sighs. "Ah, that's my sorta cousin. I pretty much never interacted with him though, I just know what people told me." You have a big happy family or something!?
Vlov is being completely pushed back, his eye twitches. "Your heart... your heart...!" He almost lands a blow with his spear, but Arcueid's... cousins looks at it, and his arm bends and breaks.
It falls off Vlov's body, together with the spear, though the spear actually seems unharmed... The boy grins. "Ah, you're finally talking! It's still pretty generic NPC talk though... By the way, I actually pratice my speeches in front of a mirror everyday." He... he is definitely related to Arcueid, that's for sure.
The fact that he never shuts up while fighting is genuinely impressive though, in a weird way.
My eyes never leave the fight, but I keep questioning Arcueid. "Is he a vampire then...?" I want to say he isn't, because... because he just doesn't make me feel like Arcueid and Vlov. But I can't guarantee anything.
His very presence is abnormal, it's even making me forget I should be worrying about dying in this cold. My human instinct is telling me that everything should be fine, because now he's here... and that's worrying in its own way.
Arcueid shakes her head. "No, he's not a vampire... Our connection is weird. His name is Yuta Okkotsu, and you could say he's... If I'm the princess of vampires, he is the prince of humans." Is that why I'm feeling like this?
"As you can see, he is immensely strong... To be honest, he is probably the strongest human being on the planet... the strongest human being to ever exist. In other words, your god." That's...!
I don't know how to feel about having a god who pratices his combat speeches everyday.
Vlov's loss is clear as day. "I... Not here...! Why did you have to show up...!" He doesn't even have his weapon anymore, and while his arm is regenerating, it's a slow process. I don't think he was ever at full power.
And I doubt that would ever matter to Okkotsu, who suddenly becomes a blur, and kicks Vlov again.
I don't know wheter I should feel jealous of Okkotsu's strength or not, what I do know is that seeing Vlov being sent flying is immensely cathartic. The vampire eventually falls, and begins rolling on the ground, still being carried by Okkotsu's immense force.
In fact, Okkotsu's kick was so absurd that it even dispersed the blizzard to a certain extent. The cold wave of wind doesn't blind me simply because I have the common sense to close my eyes, but that was close.
Arcueid groans. "Ah, Shiki, I can't see!" As expected, she doesn't have common sense. She should be fine though... probably.
Vlov vomits, after what he has done, the sheer sight of that monster suffering almost makes me...! "How do you keep suddenly going so fast...?" I noticed that too. Okkotsu had two moments in the fight where Vlov simply could not keep up.
It might as well have been teleportation. The fact that it wasn't makes it even scarier somehow.
Okkotsu yawns. "I'll have you know I was holding back with my physical stats too! I will not be known as a hax merchant!" I... Why did us humans get someone even worse than Arcueid? What did we do to deserve this?
He starts to stretch. "But if you really curious, I once went to the Clock Tower and nabbed a piece of that 4.6 billion years old dragon called Albion or whatever. He gave me the ability to suddenly go super fast." Vlov's eyes have lost hope.
The Dead Apostle Ancestor who turned this part of the city into hell, has lost all hope of winning.
Okkotsu chuckles, and kicks Vlov's arm to the air, he grabs it. "It's a pretty nice ability, but from what I understand that Albion guy was like me, except for dragons, so it's sort of disappointing." He then...
Bites Vlov's arm, taking a piece of it and slowly chewing it. After a while, he swallows and somehow manages to not throw up, even though he is literally eating dead flash. Is Arcueid sure this is the prince of humans or whatever!?
Okkotsu then drops the arm. "Crushing you with your own ability seems way more fun though, so let's have a firepower battle instead." I can barely hear a whisper. "■ Open." The air shifts.
"Fire...?" As flames burst around Okkotsu, even he seems confused. "But you were using it as ice... Oh, I get it. This is a pretty versatile power you got! Such a shame you're so weak." By the end he's back to grinning.
Vlov scowls. "Enough. Put an end to me." The vampire then joins his hands together, I don't know what he's trying to do, put it's making shivers run down my spine.
Okkotsu nods. "Fair enough, toying with you until you cried would be way too mean, even for me." He too joins his hands, but he's clearly shaping the fire into a arrow of some sort. This will be a battle between two projectiles.
Arcueid suddenly interrupts my thought process. "Hey Shiki, I get that you're enamored or whatever, but please run." For once Arcueid is the one actually acting sane, and her words remind of what I should do.
I run towards her of course. "Right, let me just get you...!" There's no way I'll just abandon her here after all.
Her eyes widen. "I'll be fine, ignore me and-" I never get to hear what she wants to say.
I simply feel infernal heat and unbearable cold hit my body.
"Was that a dream...?" I slow open my eyes, some noise woke me up. I guess it had to be a dream, seeing as I'm currently not a corpse who was both burnt and frozen to death. What a horrible way to go.
I hear that noise again, it's from someone knocking on my window, and then their muffled voice reaches my ears. "I'm pretty dreamy, but that wasn't a dream." Immediately I put on my glasses and look at him.
There he is, Yuta Okkotsu... I can only assume he is floating or something. "Ah, I would take even Arcueid above this." But I had a feeling my run-ins with the supernatural were not going to simple end with Vlov's death. So I'm not too surprised.
His eye twitches. "C'mon man, don't be a pervert who only cares about girls. Open the window for me." I'm definitely not a perverted! M-most of the times... In my defense, Arcueid is just gorgeous.
But about that window... "Fine." There's no point in resisting. I know his type, it's the Arcueid type. If I don't obey he will probably break the window and cause even more of a mess.
And speaking of messes, how am I even here...? All healed up and everything?
Questions for later. For now I get up and walk towards the window... Even if I notice someone did change me into my pajamas. I also notice that I didn't get an anemic attack just now, which is good luck considering how much blood I lost against Vlov.
I open the window, he enters the room without hesitation, and begins to look around while humming... He really is floating. "How are you flying...?" I don't know if that's the most important question here, but it is what comes to mind.
He shrugs. "Did you hear about my Albion ability? It allows for flight, since it's primary utility is mobility, it's a dragon's locomotion ability!" Maybe I should have asked why he can copy abilities. "Anyways, are you a guy who gets physical porn, or have you upgraded with the modern era?"
"I'm not answering that!" I am a modern man of course, but Akiha has taken my phone, which means I constantly suffer. "Where is Arcueid anyways...?" I would expect her to show up.
Okkotsu twists midair, so that his head is actually closer to the ground, he's looking under my bed. "You really don't keep anything... I suppose most people don't nowadays." You're still looking for porn!?
He changes his position again, and this time he actually stops floating and sits on the edge of my bed. "Sorry man, but I have no idea where she went. I'm here for unrelated reasons after all." That's definitely not a good sigh.
He extends a hand. "Before that, introductions. My name is Yuta Okkotsu, the strongest human being who keeps all threats to humanity in check." That... that seems like a lot. Like something that shouldn't be handled by such a weirdo.
Nonetheless, I shake his hand. "I'm Shiki Tohno. Ordinary high school boy." It feels like I'm meeting the prime minister, except if the prime minister also happened to be an annoying jerkass.
He releases my hand and giggles. "Normal huh? You certainly don't move like a normal guy." You didn't even see me fight, so shut up. "Anyway, here is the deal. I'll be living with you for a while, so I hope you enjoy having a roommate."
My eye twitches. "What? Why?" I will reject him of course, but I want to hear how his Arcueid like brain reached such a dumb conclusion in the first place.
He lays down on my bed and yawns, just like he did when fighting Vlov. Now that I'm looking at him, it seems like he hasn't slept in a while. "Because the voices in my head told me to." Oh, that makes sense.
It's very worrying, but it makes sense considering his whole personality until now. "Please get out of my house." If he refuses I don't know what I'll do, since he is clearly stronger than me.
Well, I could theoretically cut him, since I did see lines on him back then, but actually landing hits on him might be impossible. And besides, he did sort of save me... In the end it doesn't matter, killing someone just because they're crazy is wrong.
He pouts. "So rude, but I'll have you know the voices in my head are always pretty useful." He starts bouncing on my bed, like a hyperactive kid. "They're the ones who told me to come here and beat that vampire, ya know?"
"In fact, that's how they have always been, if they tell me to go somewhere, it usually means people die if I don't. Last time I ignored it, when I was eleven, a island got turned into a graveyard. Not a single survivor to be found." He has... been fighting since he was eleven? Maybe even before that...?
I take a step back, he's saying some concerning stuff. "I don't see how that has anything to do with me... Like I said, I'm normal." Suddenly I begin to think about those dreams I sometimes have.
Of cutting, of killing, of eating, of...!
He waves me off. "Relax, I'm not saying you aren't. Well, as normal as a guy who lives in a huge ass mansion can be. Privileged little bastard." I... I don't think someone who flies should be saying that!
He gets off my bed with a quick hop. For the first time he touches the ground with his feet. "But if you're a normal guy, surely you care about normal things? Family and the like?" Immediately Akiha comes to mind.
I gulp. "Why does that matter?" There's a pit slowly opening on my stomach. It tells me I really will have to accept anothet Arcueid on my life, one who's not even a hot girl I can goggle at.
He makes a slicing motion across his throat. "Because they might die if I'm not here. The voices don't tell much, like ever... Right now all they are saying is that I should be near you, but that's enough to raise my guard. It would be wise to follow their advice." I... "Listen to the voices Shiki, listen to the voices in another person's head~!"
He sends me a thumbs down. "If you have voices in your own head though, don't listen to them. That's crazy people stuff." Obviously!
Yeah, he is definitely worse than Arcueid. "You know, it doesn't really inspire confidence when you say it like that!" It's like he's trying to piss me off. "And like... do the voices or whatever really always work to prevent some disaster?" I need some information.
Because right now it looks like I really will need to accept living with him or something, and that frankly sounds like a nightmare. So I'm hoping he will give me some method to deny his demands.
I wish I could ask Arcueid for help, but that idiot is apparently somewhere else. Either she... left town, or she got lost in some random place. I'm betting it on the latter of course.
He crosses his arms. "Yeah, pretty much. Sometimes things are subtler, like... I save a guy from getting shot and then he becomes the president of the United States, or I kill a guy and five years latter people find out he secretly had nukes..." Are you James Bond!?
"But it doesn't matter if it's a vampire attack, or whatever else, if I'm not here to help then things will take a horrible turn. So... sorry to tell you, but even if you keep being tsun, I'll follow you around." I...
I sigh. "Fine, it's not like I can get mad at such an altruistic reason." He's essentially a super hero. Besided, those voices in his head are probably part of his super powers or whatever.
He laughs. "Altruistic...? Don't go misunderstanding me. I'm just doing this to get strong, that's all." Are you a shounen protagonist or something!?
I raise an eyebrow. "How does any of this relate to strength?" And who even cares about becoming stronger...? What's the point when he can already toy with a Dead Apostle Ancestor until their will breaks?
Okkotsu looks at me like it's obvious. "The voices lead me to catastrophes, and those crisis make me stronger, it's easy. Being the top dog is my primary objective." He looks down. "Well, I used to have another, but it's... way too complicated."
He then looks back at me. "Anyways, so I'm assuming we will now be living together?" I nod, as annoying as this is, I can't just deny him. "Great! You really need to buy a TV and a console though, this room lacks entertainment!" I wish I could... Akiha would kill me.
Akiha huh... How am I gonna explain this to her? Actually when I think about the mansion residents I... "You gotta leave, fast!" I just remembered that Hisui will undoubtedly come check on me soon.
Every morning she wakes me up, like a traditional proper maid. This time though, this nutjob woke me up, and then entered my room through the windown... If Hisui sees this, even someone like her will freak out.
He raises an eyebrow. "What's with the sudden hostility... Hey, don't tell me you're actually a tsundere." He frowns. "That's cute when it's a girl, but it's just annoying when it's a guy." You're the most annoying person I ever met, so you should shut up.
I begin pushing him closer to the window. "Look, I'll explain later...! It's just that a resident of the mansion is about to come to my room!" Maybe I can convince Akiha to let him stay here in a formal meeting.
But if she catches a random guy in my room? Yeah, all my dreams will die immediately. Mostly because she will proceed to rip me into pieces while complaining about how I ruined the family's legacy or something.
This is the woman who took my phone so I wouldn't spend too much time on it, she is tradition incarnate!
He tilts his head. "What am I? A digimon you're trying to hide?" You might as well be! "But sure, I understand. Little old me will just leave to the window so I can go cry outside." This is not that big of a deal.
Slowly the door to my room opens, I freeze in place.
Hisui delicately enters, ready to do her job and wake me up. In those precious few moments before she sees me, my mind tries to come up with an excuse. It fails.
Also, Yuta just stares at her with a blush and a shocked face, it seems Hisui's beauty has completely surprised him. Which is understandable, I suppose, but it's also really not the time for something like this.
The maid finally notices us. "Lord Shiki...?" The normally stoic Hisui seems truly shocked... or as shocked as she can be. "What...? Who is this?" I need to think of something and fast.
Hisui is one of the most understanding people I ever met, completely different from Akiha. So if I come up with a good reason, she will keep this a secret and then leave. Yes, this is my only chance of survival.
Yuta takes a step back. "W-wow, I thought all maids were actually hags. M-marry me, please!" What kind of reaction is that!? Do you want me to die!?
Also, he sure is stuttering a lot, his previous confidence having seemingly faded away. Don't tell me that after all that talk he is the type who can't talk with women!? As the prince of humanity, have some goddamn dignity!
Hisui... actually blushes. "W-what?" And then she looks away. I can't believe it, did that comment actually have an effect!?
No, I understand why. The truth is that someone who is handsome will always have a easier time with things like this. Even I have to a certain extent, because while I don't like to brag, I'm not exactly ugly.
Okkotsu though, is comparable to Arcueid. And if Arcueid suddenly asked for my hand in marriage, I would melt on the spot, any guy would really. So it's no surprise that even Hisui has been reduced to a blushing mess.
Thankfully Yuta then realizes he's not even supposed to be here. "Actually I am part of your imagination." H-huh? "You're going crazy... you're going bananas... you think Shiki is lame as hell..." What is he doing!?
He starts floating. In front of Hisui. "I was never here, because I'm not real... real..." Did you have to repeat yourself!? "You have to go to therapy... therapy..." And then he flies through the window.
As if he hadn't left the biggest bomb ever in my lap!
Hisui slowly raises a finger, and then points at the windown. "H-he flew away..." Her jaw has hit the floor. I imagine for her these past moments have been more emotion filled than her entire past life.
I smile. "What do you mean Hisui?" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! "Was there a bird or something? Sorry if I scared away." She's looks back at me with a face full of disbelief. "Ah, are you surprised because I woke up early today? Sometimes that happens." One day I will be punished for this.
She keeps blinking, as if trying to gaze at actual reality. "B-but there was a man here... A prince like man." Well, he is apparently our prince.
I tilt my head. "Um... No? It's just me Hisui. I mean, how would someone even get here?" She looks down, broken by the cruelty of this world and probably wondering if she really should go to therapy.
And... I don't know why, but gaslighting Hisui like this... convincing her the supernatural isn't real and she's acting crazy... It's even more cathartic than seeing Vlov getting beat up, like I'm finally avenging myself for some past sin.
And dogs keep coming to my mind. Weird.
AN: This Yuta put all his skill points on actual skill. As consequence, he would win even against a full powered Arcueid. He makes Primate Murder run away when he shows up. He has ten break bars in FGO. He is without a doubt Alaya's perfect little son.
He's also an absolute loser with zero friends who freaks out when he sees a cute girl. Amazing.
But hey, Shiki has experience with ruining perfect beings who are also supremely powerful, so maybe there's still hope for Yuta's social life. Rika is still alive by the way, so high schooler Rika will probably show up eventually.