Work has kept me pretty busy, so my posting will be inconsistent sometimes. Adulting and all. I've also been drawing again and getting into this sudoku puzzle book with over 300 puzzles!
On top of that, I have a new CD player (technically second hand and several years old) for some CDs I bought cheap or free from a few small artists. It even has Bluetooth and aid cord too! I'm amazed by my little old CD player. I've started drawing character designs, so far I've completed Reiji in full gear, Lamy and Jackal, and two more characters to be announced. :-) I'm proud of myself, honestly.
- ML
Chapter 9: Congratulations! Growing Pains
"H-How did I do what?" Reiji asked the village chief. Her skin felt hotter by the second, heart pounding in her chest. This male controlled, or rather, infested one's dreams with horrible nightmares. The average demon fell into a days long slumber, helpless to the unseen horrors before the side effects wore off. If the individual could not break the curse themselves, they simply suffered until it was over.
But somehow, Reiji broke the curse in no time at all. The dark skinned demon only felt like she had nodded off for a few seconds, then the dream became a blank slate. The female demon cleared her throat nervously.
"I-I did nothing wrong," she stammered, covering her chest with crossed arms, a typical feeble defense.
"Oh, but you did something," Pruzo replied. He turned to face the window again, pulling the curtains together. The room was lit by candles in a chandelier above their heads, luckily. Electricity was plentiful in this village, so that caught her puzzled attention briefly.
"You did something super cool and mysterious!" Pruzo suddenly appeared in front of Reiji, inches from her. She jumped seeing his ghastly face plastered with an excited grin.
"I saw everything you did, Reiji Sagara! The way you forged a weapon from thin air and crushed my curse like some low-level illusion, I must see more!" he beamed. Now it was Reiji's turn to burn up with energy, bad energy. She trembled, backing away slowly. Pruzo looked worried, but did not come closer.
"Oh dear," he muttered as she descended into short, panicked breaths.
This is bad. Bad, bad, bad! Reiji's thoughts raced and echoed alarms. First Ryo saw it in action, Lamy too, and now the chief was aware. The female demon paced to the other side of the room, forcing herself to sit in an armchair. She stared at the floor, hands over her chest as tightness in her chest worsened. Unlike the other times, Reiji did not feel that petrifying sense of doom that drained her. It was almost feral, an overwhelming urge to do... something. She did not wish to so much as think those ideas to life.
The green haired demon had no sense of time spent staring into space gripping her tight chest. Her hands felt like pins and needles all over, heat radiating through her cold body. No thoughts of grounding, just the overwhelming emotions clawing her insides.
After a long pause, Reiji looked around fearfully. Nothing about her surroundings was different. Beside of Reiji's armchair was a small table where a mug of tea sat. It was also placed with a small dish of cream, sugar cubes, and a tiny spoon. The spoon was cute, but where was Chief Pruzo?
"Take your time, Miss Sagara," Chief Master Pruzo said. Reiji shakily stirred two sugar cubes in her mug. She looked at the floor, turning red from embarrassment.
I hate this. How weak and pathetic, I am...
.
"So you actually can be near people?"
Pruzo sat across from Reiji in another armchair he pushed to their corner. It was as plush and cozy looking as Reiji's, with gold trims and smooth green fabric over the cushion. Contrastingly, Reiji's armchair was dark blue with maroon red stripes and black flowers. It was stiff from lack of use.
"Thats correct, but I have to completely disguise myself: face, eyes and all," Pruzo replied. "I can control what my curse can do to people, but everybody is a potential target. Once someone sees my eyes or my face—or they are given a detailed description—their fate is sealed," he shrugged. It made sense that he was unbothered now, this was his whole life, Reiji assumed to herself.
"Do you think I am a Satan level demon because I broke the curse early?" Reiji asked quizzically.
"Satan level? No, not necessarily," he answered, chuckling. "You are not Satan level, not even close."
Ouch...
"One must have a strong willpower to defend against my curse, and the minimum power of a phantom level demon," he continued, brushing his front braids behind his back. "And based on how quickly you broke the nightmare, you are certainly stronger than phantom, but not Satan. That is the second highest demon power."
"Stronger than... n-no, that is not possible," Reiji shook her head. "I can only control my hair magic, I do not recognize anything more."
"As your chief, I have knowledge of every mission sent to my office," Pruzo said with light smirk, ignoring her response. "Tell me about your escort mission from your perspective, Reiji Sagara."
Reiji thought her body would not go cold for a change, but it was suddenly chilling in the room. Chips of ice could form from the sweat on her back at any second. The mission, not THAT mission!
"W-well, I um, c-can't remember what I did," she mumbled, looking at the floor. She pushed her glasses up to wipe her eyes, frowning. "I-I really don't recall. I am sorry, Chief Pruzo." Reiji found herself holding back tears.
So stupid, crying over something so foolish. I'm so sensitive. Why am I so...
"That's quite all right. Lamy of Tartaros Fairy already sent a detailed report," he chimed into her thoughts. He smiled brightly. It was so sudden how quickly her mind was dragged back to reality. The green haired female felt shaken by his cheerful voice. How does he do that?
"She described a striped, black haired creature swinging a peculiarly designed battle axe, but it was also you," Pruzo described, gesturing with a flat palm toward the female. "You wiped out a full herd of Ferals in a mere 7 minutes, Reiji Sagara. And once the obstacle was eliminated, that entity disappeared. But you were a bit disoriented, as if coming out of troubled slumber. Do you remember how you felt waking up?"
"Wait seven minutes?" she whispered in disbelief. None of his other words came through in that moment. She recalled dreaming it all for several hours. Lamy did not tell her that part. By that point, Reiji was shivering again. Perhaps he assumed Reiji willingly transformed, or something.
"How did you feel waking up?" he asked again.
"Um, I was confused," Reiji murmured, fixing her glasses. "Is... is that all you summoned me for?"
"That's not all," Pruzo answered. He grunted a little as he stood, then cracked his neck side to side. "I actually wanted to meet this person myself. I did say I must see more, did I not?"
"... Why am I really here, Chief Pruzo?" she inquired worriedly, meeting his gaze. Gold-bronze eyes stared into dull nothingness. Alas, he was gone and so was his chair. In fact, the entire office was gone. All that remained in the blank red space was the chair Reiji sat on. The female demon abruptly stood up, causing the chair to fall, then whipped around to look behind her. A small fist suddenly hit her in the face, knocking her head back with a strong force.
Show me what you can do, Reiji Sagara.
Reiji fell on her tailbone, crying out from the stinging in her butt and face. A small Otto was suddenly sitting on top of her chest, punching her once more. He was a heavy child and her ribs ached under his bulk. She shielded her face with her arms, sobbing from the pain. The horrible tang of blood settled on her tongue.
17 Years Ago
This was the day I lost my first tooth.
Otto, Kiki, and Mars started bullying me not long before this day. Shugo and Ryo tried their best to protect me, Zumi, and Takeshiro, but sometimes I wasn't so lucky.
On this fateful day, Otto was whipped for trying to fight a guard a third, fourth time (I had lost count), then finally released his anger on me for the first time.
"I hate your stupid face! Your ugly body! Your dumb friends! You harlot pig!"
He hit me as he yelled at me. But those guards did not care, as long as they were left untouched. I couldn't understand why we all had to live in cages, tearing each other apart to feel stronger. Otto didn't have to abuse me. I will never understand why they chose to hurt me. Why they chose my face to carve. Everyday, I have to look in the mirror and constantly remember that game, "mark the beast."
But as Otto lost the energy to beat me, he stopped shouting as well. His final strike on me was a switch kick to my face. One of my front lower teeth came loose from the force.
It was oddly satisfying losing a loose tooth later that evening. I immediately flushed it down a toilet and tried not to dwell on the blatant trauma I suffered that day.
Kiki and Mars saw how helpless I was by myself. I was scared to fight back, especially against three bigger children.
Otto, just a few weeks ago, apologized and took accountability for his actions. Kiki and Mars either avoid me or left the village. I don't know, I have not heard about them in ages.
As Reiji laid on the ground enduring the attacks from her past bully, she did not realize the screams of the young male demon drowned by her thoughts. When she finally returned to my current reality, a bigger Reiji sat on top of a grownup Otto. Her arm was raised, gripping a small, squishy object in her finger tips. Both of her hands and part of her sweater were bloody.
Reiji opened her palms, staring at damaged eyeballs. The irises were orange. The green haired female looked at Otto. His empty sockets seemed to watch her, sending shivers down her spine. Reiji quietly stood, nearly bucking her knees under the weight of terror. She tasted bile, turning to throw up the last of her milkshake and tea. The stomach fluids came out green and pink. Reiki choked back sobs, screaming and drooling on the ground. She dropped the eyeballs, falling to her knees. The memories came flooding like a tidal wave.
Otto pleasured her, it was not a dream after all. She remembered her fingers in his messy hair, each hot breath as she reached an orgasm. But the arousal wasn't enough. He had to die. And it was so. The creature in place of Reiji took him away into the night. His death was quick and somehow hidden. His right arm—it did not matter which, she realized—was torn off the body and... she ate part of it?
A nasty tear and chewing of a fellow demon's skin and muscle. But wait, there was more.
Before that, Reiji dreamt of voices chanting "chosen" in an endless melody. Oh, someone was chosen that night, several weeks ago. The green haired demon ran from something in her dream, but then it was suddenly Mars in her place. The skinny female demon reeked of fear and blood.
The scene clicked to a similar scene of Reiji on top of the demon, plucking eyes in a flash of movements. Mars got to keep both arms.
Kiki's face was punched over and over, exactly as Otto had beaten her all those years ago. However, Reiji's fists were bigger. Those horrible fists crushed Kiki's eyes before they could be ripped out. She saw pools of blood, three different displays of raw, warm flesh gushing life out with early slower heartbeat.
There were three who fell at Reiji's hands. A monster's hands. The green haired demon grabbed her head, screaming with every fiber in her. She hit the sides of her head, loudly sobbing uncontrollably. The memories surfaced with such clarity, it sickened her. Reiji puked again, coughing from nearly choking when she inhaled. The green haired demon coughed and dry heaved between her sobs.
Show me what you can—
In seconds, a battle axe was forged as she swung at thin air, then slammed on the ground like a hammer. She raised the weapon, swinging downward again. Reiji heard herself roaring and snarling at the nightmarish world. The tears still fell from her eyes. But the green haired demon was powerless, as always.
H-how could I... no, it can't be... I'm not a killer!
A loud crack sounded, ringing in her ears. Reiji watched the swinging axe continue to strike at nothing. But the cracking spread over the red ground. An arm sprout through the brittle ground, then another. A head forced its way to the surface, fully of black hair and a mean glare. It looked so similar to Reiji, it was uncanny. Its ears were identicl in size and the nose was the same. But its eyes were crimson red as Reiji's rosary eye. The giant burst from the ground, towering over Reiji. The black strikes were prominent on its darker brown skin, but its bosom was the same.
It shrieked, squatting and slamming its fists on the ground. Reiji watched herself jump into the air, dodging the debris. The battle axe glowered in red flares.
Midnilt truk.
The creature gripped the battle axe in both arms. A single opened in the red flares, then a bright beam of red light burst through it, burning into a mass smoke as it blasted the giant in the chest. The giant roared in pain as a charred, empty wound opened in its torso. The giant bared its teeth in anger, climbing the rest of the way out of the ground.
Everything was more clear than any dream this creature ever caused Reiji. She stared through her own gold-bronze eyes in shock.
D-did I do that?
The giant climbed to its feet. It was completely nude, unless incredibly long hair counted for something. It grabbed Reiji'a body from thin air, squeezing hard. Reiji grit her teeth, but the pain was nearly invisible by dissociation from her body.
Kilnril cutal.
Reiji watched as her arms stretched out, followed by her hair growing rapidly, lashing at the giant. It whipped and slapped the nightmare beast. The attack rather weak for a distraction. Reiji gasped as the battle axe's spear point stabbed the charred wound. Black liquid leaked from its chest. The blood flow sped up as the axe was forced deeper into the giant's chest.
Tse bork.
The giant gagged, mouth hanging open as its vein faded to blue. The blue veins spread all over its body, cracking hardened flesh and chipping away. It crumbled to a pile of huge rubble, knocking up dark shaded dust. Reiji's body still floated in the red space, mind blank. The mess of black blood, blue veins, and dark brown colored debris rested in a pile. The red nightmare turned black as sleepy eyelids. It was over.
.
Reiji gasped for air, shooting up from a resting position. She reached her arms out at nothing but a blur of her vision. Glasses.
Reiji felt all over her face, but found no glasses. She began touching a windowsill to her right, the soft blanket and sheets, the a nightstand, possibly a table, to her right. She felt a rectangular prism object. Upon close inspection, it read 19:43.
19-what?!
Reiji's search for her glasses became frantic. At last, she found them on the nightstand, pushing them over her ears. She was in her bedroom. The crimson sun was still setting outside. Reiki stared around in shock, mouth slightly agape.
"How did I... what?"
Excellent work, Reiji Sagara!
"Aah!" Reiji yelped in surprise as the intercom bellowing in her head.
You exceeded our expectations as I observed your skill and willpower against my curse. Congratulations! You qualify for acceptance into a level two dark guild. They would be quite fortunate to welcome you into their ranks, Reiji Sagara.
Reiji could not believe the words coming from Pruzo's message, assuming this male was the chief talking. Me, join a guild?
Reiji never thought she would be good enough for even the lowest ranked guilds. Light guilds deal with affairs any ranked guild member are capable of, such as collecting bounties, errands, fighting certain foes. Dark guilds deal with advanced missions ranging from living deities to ancient curses. But a level two dark guild? They are on an otherworldly level, literally and figuratively! They travel for missions and experience horrors beyond light guild comprehension. There must have been a mistake.
There is no mistaking it, the voice over the intercom continued. Your improvising spells and switching to a calm, calculating headspace was quite the spectacle to behold! Not many lost curse users are capable of such bravery as you, Reiji Sagara. We are so very proud of your progress!
Reiji stared at the wall across from her bed. So far, there are five dark guilds that classify as level two: Tartaros Fairy, Titania Devil, the other three she couldn't remember in the moment. The green haired demon couldn't imagine herself fitting into their ranks. Reiji felt she was far too unstable. Even walking to the market was difficult at times.
But what about what I saw? Did I really kill them? Did Chief Pruzo reveal something I did? Reiji pondered over her questions, disturbed by the Chief's decision to pass her onto a guild.
The nightmares are a personification of one's greatest fears and weaknesses, the telepathic intercom explained. We cannot guarantee that what manifested was based entirely on real memories. But that is beside the point!
In 28 days, on the first night of Cloud Kichi, two representatives from each of the three dark guilds will observe your skills once more. We hope that you will accept this invitation of a lifetime. If you do not wish to make a decision now, you are free to accept or reject after seven days from today: 28 September X820.
Reiji remained quiet, her mind reeling over the bundle of information. Normally, these types of messages also came in the form of a physical letter, so she didn't have to scramble for paper and a pen. The messenger continued.
If you accept this invitation, you are to be summoned to the meeting place on 26 October. Worry not, additional details will arrive to your mailing address by tomorrow. Thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my message. Have a safe recovery! We hope to hear from you soon!
Reiji simply glared at her wall. The memories of that battle were still fresh. Her body began to ache as well. It was the same as the aftermath of those Ferals; the body aches set in a couple of days later. But now, she was sore all over mere hours after the fight. This "safe recovery" was already feeling ugly.
Translator for the three spells mentioned: /FakeMythicalLanguageTranslator
No, I didn't edit. It's been way too long since I updated, I will only fix this chapter if any problems are noticed later.
- ML