A Demon's Tale

Shiro: [A-ah. I see. It’s nice to meet you, Silvia. My name is Shiro Fuloreen.]

After receiving the introduction of the snake girl, Shiro had then introduced herself in return.

Shortly after however, Silvia had begun to draw close to Shiro, looking up and down as if she was inspecting her.

Silvia: [Hmmmm. That name issss quite interessssting.]

Shiro: [O-oh, Shiro? Yeah well, I guess it is kinda funny isn’t it? Given my clothes and hair and all that stuff..hehehe…are you alright? I don’t mean that in any rude way of course! But…you still seem to be interested in something…]

Silvia: [Your name issss fine, but what I am curioussss about issss that lasssst name. Fuloreen.]

Hearing this was quite a shock to Shiro. Normally, her name was pointed out to her, but this time, it was her last name.

This, however, scared her much more than something like her name being brought up. With her name, she would usually continue the conversation with her quote she loved so much, the quote about how “it represents her”. What would soon follow after would usually be some lighthearted laughter.

This was not the case in this scenario. This girl was interested in her last name.

The last name she had received from her father.

The last name…

That hid who her mother was.

Shiro: [O-o-oh. I-I see. Yes…ahem…yeah….my last name certainly is neat isn’t it? Ahehe…he….heeee….]

While Shiro had been saying this, the girl was circling her. Not to the point where her tail was crushing Shiro, but enough that it had created a small circle of space within it where Shiro had been standing.

Silvia: [I have read through many bookssss. The Fuloreen family issss a family I have learned a dessssent bit about. However, ssssomething odd had happened when I looked through ssssome family tree documentssss. I notissssed that the Fuloreen family sssstopped being documented after their child from the previoussss generation. No wife, no children, nothing of the ssssort. And yet, here we are, a member of ssssaid family, sssstanding right in front of me. One who lookssss to be the ssssame age assss me.]

Shiro: [Huh…yeah…that’s weird…they probably should have documented my dad in there-MMPH!]

As soon as she accidentally revealed that the last documented Fuloreen was her father, Shiro put her hands over her mouth. It was far too late for an action like this however.

Silvia: [Your father…? Sssso my ssssusssspicionssss were correct. You are in fact the nexsssst generation Fuloreen. Now my quesssstion issss ssssimple. Why are you not there?]

At this point, it was far too late for Shiro to back down from the questioning, especially given her position that she was quite literally standing in.

Shiro had one large defining trait to herself however.

When she was nervous in the past, or was unsure what to do, a bravehearted resolve flowed throughout her entire body.

When that had happened, she was able to look on and speak with complete determination.

It was something her mother praised her for, saying that it was a trait she had received from her father.

While her father was a brave man, she knew that her mother’s statement was not true.

After all, Airi the Hero wasn’t some coward who backed down, or looked on in despair.

She was a woman who had stopped wars, increased her team’s morale, and fought till the end throughout her entire early life. All of those achievements even being accomplished while she was still just a teen.

Silvia: [You’re…ssssmiling…..?]

Shiro had a small teethy green by the left side of her face. It was clear to Silvia that something different had occurred at this very moment.

Shiro: [Tell you what, Silvia. Let’s be friends.]

Silvia: [Friendssss? And what for, may I asssk?]

Shiro: [You want to know more about me, right? Well I’ll tell you, but on one condition.]

Silvia: [...Go on…]

Shiro: [If me and you become pals, then I had no problem telling you what you want. But that’s the catch there. Pals. I wanna be able to make peace with a lot of people, and plus, having friends is always nice. So if you’re fine to these terms, then so am I, and you’ll get what you want. Sound like a deal?]

Shiro had then stuck her hand out for a handshake. Following this, Silvia had gotten extremely close to Shiro’s face.

A look of intimidation adorned both of them. But while one of them looked frightening, the other looked like a mix of cockiness and bravery.

Silvia: [I like you.]

Following this, Silvia shook Shiro’s hand.

Silvia: [Very well. From thissss point onward, you and I are friendssss. I hope we are able to grow much closssser, Missss Sssshiro. I’m rather interessssted in you.]

Shiro: [Likewise.]

With that, their deal had been settled, and Shiro had once again made another friend.

Silvia: [By the way, are you alright? You’ve been holding thosssse bookssss for quite ssssome time now.]

Shiro: [Huh. I completely forgot I was holding these. Guess I should get them checked out and head back to my dorm before it gets too late.]

Silvia: [Hmhmhm. You’re quite sssstrong.]

A dawn of a new friendship had begun to bloom, and after their farewells to one another, Shiro had headed back to her dorm to study with Kōkatsu.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Within a certain dorm room, there was a kotatsu that had books sorted all around it, as well as on top of it.

Books closed and opened, sprawled out all over the area..

Paired with these books was a bowl of chips on the kotatsu, as well as a tray of some vegetables and cheeses.

To many, this would seem like a fun, albeit slightly disorganized studying period.

But there were two important keys to studying that were forgotten at this moment.

One of those keys being that the main focus during this time was studying.

The other was the noise level of the room should be quiet so as to not disturb those who were focused on studying.

This was not to say studying meant you could not talk to one another about things. You very much could.

However, there was a certain level to which those keys could be bent before snapping.

Those keys, at this very moment, were being bent quite heavily by a certain individual, and that individual alone.

An individual, who had constantly been talking and asking questions, all the while the other individual tried to focus on studying.

Kōkatsu: [Alright so how ‘bout this, would ya rather have the ability to see everythin’ or hear everythin’?]

Shiro: [Kōkatsu. Come on. We gotta focus on our work.]

Kōkatsu: [I got stuff written down, don’t worry. I jus’ wanna make some chit chat while I work, y’know what I mean?]

Shiro then sat with her back straight, touching her chin with the eraser end of her pencil while thinking about how to answer Kōkatsu’s question.

Shiro: [Hmmmmm…well…I feel like the hearing would kinda suck, right? Because at that point you’re hearing a little too much, and it might cause you to go insane.]

Kōkatsu: [True, true. But think about it this way, if ya could hear everythin’, then yer opponent in battle could never get the jump on ya.]

Shiro: [Wouldn’t seeing everything also do that for you though?]

Kōkatsu: [But much like the hearin’ stuff, if you saw everythin’ ya’d go insane as well, right?]

Shiro: [Aghhh…damn, you’re right. Jeez this is a tough one. The questions earlier were a whole lot easier to answer.]

Kōkatsu: [Yahahaha! That's what makes me sly! I pull a tough one over ya out of nowhere after a few easy blows!]

Shiro ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think of how to answer the question now presented to her.

Shiro: [Alright I’m just gonna go with hearing.]

Kōkatsu: [Hooooo?]

Shiro: [If I could see everything, then I’m sure there’s a few private things I probably wouldn’t want to see.]

Kōkatsu: [If ya could hear everythin’, then ya could also hear some things ya might not wanna hear too! Yahahaha!]

Shiro: [DAMN IT! Alright, let’s just…focus on our studying, alright.]

Kōkatsu: [Aye aye ma’am.]

The two of them had then picked up their pencils and focused on studying.

In the midst of it however…

Kōkatsu: [So, Shiro…]

Shiro: [Kōkatsu, please. We’re studying.]

Kōkatsu: [I’m workin’, I’m workin’, don’t worry. Got my eyes focused on my papers and my pencil is writin’. But I just wanted to ask a question while we study.]

Shiro: [Not like you haven’t been asking stuff already, hehe! I’m kidding, what’s up?]

Shiro had looked up, and something out of the normal had occurred

Kōkatsu went to ask her a question, but it almost looked like she hesitated a bit.

Her face even twitched, as if she was trying to hold herself back.

Kōkatsu: [What’s…..what's yer family life like…?]

Shiro: [My…family…?]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah. Ya know, yer peeps. What are they like? They nice or….?]

Considering the interaction that occurred not long before Shiro got back to the dorm, she was nervous that this was once again leading into a question regarding her mother.

This problem with the question, however, was easy to avoid. She could simply give minimal details without the need to address who her mother was.

Shiro: [My family’s nice. My dad passed a few years back sadly to an illness…but my mom is super nice. She can be a bit strict sometimes but I know she cares about me and values my safety more than anything else. Honestly I’d be scared for anyone who tries to piss her off.]

A smile rose on Kōkatsu’s face, but something about it seemed…empty.

Kōkatsu:[I see. That’s nice.]

Kōkatsu was then quiet for a few seconds, before…

Kōkatsu: [Agghhhh…damn it! I need somethin’!]

Shiro: [Kōkatsu? Hey, what’s up? What’s-HEY! We’re studying! Why are you drinking now?!]

Kōkatsu had gotten up, grabbed her gourd, and started drinking away. Large streams of sake splashed onto her kimono as she did so.

Despite the focus at this time being studying, she had started to enter a drunken state that had not even been seen on the day that Shiro moved into this dorm.

Kōkatsu: [Pah!….Oh…much better. Alright…Shiro…I got another question.]

Shiro: [Kōkatsu. I brought these books here to study. I asked for these snacks to be here so that we could have something to eat WHILE we study.]

Kōkatsu: [Oh…great point…snacks.]

Kōkatsu then grabbed a handful of chips, and started eating them, making a mess of both herself, her kimono, and the kotatsu. She had also drunk from her gourd while eating at the exact same time.

Shiro: [KŌKATSU!]

Kōkatsu: [Ok…hic…so my question is…ya ever…hic…had any friends….Shiro?]

Shiro: [Kōkatsu, please. I want to study.]

Kōkatsu: [Come on…please…? Just this…hic…question…and then i’m good…]

Shiro had started to get more frustrated with Kōkatsu’s antics. But ultimately, she gave in to her question. A sad expression now rose on her face.

Shiro: [I had friends…but to be honest…I’m not sure if it’s a me thing or them…but I haven’t spoken to them in quite some time. I don’t know, maybe it’s odd to think that way. If I had to give an answer, no…I guess.]

Kōkatsu: [Mmmm….fair…hic…fair…I can relate with the no friends part…]

Shiro: [That’s…not entirely what I said but…yeah. I’m happy to always at least have my family’s support, though. Even if something goes wrong, they’ll always be there for me]

Kōkatsu: [Damn…hic…yerr people seem nice. I’m kinda jealous of that goody two shoes family of yers…hic…]

Shiro: [Can we focus less on your now drunken game of twenty questions and more on the studying? You know, the reason I brought these books in the first place?]

Kōkatsu: [...Pah!...Ok..ok…so I got a new question, would ya go for some guy with big ol’ muscles, or someone nice?]

Shiro: [I-You-GAH! What kind of question is that?! I’m obviously choosing the man who is nice! He’ll love me for who I am and vice versa. It’ll be a loving relationship between the two of us.]

Kōkatsu: [Hmmm…fair…fair…hic…but ya know, that other one might be nice too. I mean sure I probably wouldn’t stay with a guy like that….hic…but he could give me a real good time, y’know what I mean?]

After saying this, Kōkatsu had then begun to rub the bottom of her chest with her hands, constantly raising her eyebrows to Shiro.

Shiro: [Could you quit being drunk and perverted, and focus on studying?! You mentioned if we work together we’d get through all this easily, but all you’ve been doing is sitting here asking questions, eating chips while drinking booze at the same time, and now, being horny! Why’d you even start drinking booze?! I answered your question about how my life was, my family, my friends, all that stuff, and all of a sudden you started going at it!]

Kōkatsu: [Look…hic…I jus’ got a lot of questions on my mind….’s all…I jus’ wanna be friends with ya….Shiiiiiiirrrroooooooooo!]

Kōkatsu had then started to hug Shiro across the table, rubbing her cheek on Shiro’s cheek up and down.

A look of disappointment now rested on Shiro’s face.

After a few seconds, Shiro gently pushed her off and tried to focus on studying.

She could no longer handle Kōkatsu’s behavior.

Shiro: [Alright, I’m gonna study and you can do whatever you want to do. It would have been nice to fully cooperate here, but it seems like you might be too wasted for that.]

Though she had wanted to work together with Kōkatsu, it had seemed like all of Shiro’s efforts would be in vain.

She would be stuck to taking this journey alone, without the help of anyone else.

Suddenly, there were sounds of something similar to tapping on the kotatsu.

Shiro had begun to look around the area to see where the noise was coming from, before–

Kōkatsu: [Shiro…]

Noticing that it was likely a sound related to Kōkatsu, Shiro had closed her eyes out of frustration while moving her head up to look at her.

Shiro: [Haah. Yeah? What is i–]

Before she could finish her sentence, Shiro stopped herself.

The girl in front of her was looking down, with tears streaming down her face.

Kōkatsu: [Do you think….do you think it’s possible that…I….I…]

Shiro: [Kōkatsu?! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything to upset you! I mean I was a bit frustrated but...damn it! Are you alright?! Shit, what am I saying, of course you’re not. Hold on…lemme come over to your side.]

Shiro had then gotten up, and sat down beside Kōkatsu. Holding her and rubbing her left shoulder.

Shiro: [What’s up, Kōkatsu? What’s wrong?]

Following this, Kōkatsu rested her head on Shiro’s shoulder.

Kōkatsu: [Do you think i’ll…i’ll…]

Shiro: [You can speak, I won’t get upset. Don’t worry.]

Kōkatsu: [Do you think…I'll…ever have a family…of my own…]

Kōkatsu’s voice was trembling. The accent that she had, that was engraved into her speech, had faded.

It was a sentence that Shiro wasn’t sure if she was fully prepared to hear.

She had learned that Kōkatsu’s family life had been bad, While she didn’t know the details, she knew that Kōkatsu hated her parents, and ran from home at a young age.

The dream she stated was one of starting a family.

For whatever reason, there was something preventing one of her methods of doing so. So now, she would have to make a family of her own via either working with others as a leader, or via some method of adoption.

Though she couldn’t relate to Kōkatsu’s scenario, Shiro had understood fully why she was in so much pain at this moment.

She was nervous. Nervous that this dream of hers might not ever be accomplished. That she would live and die by herself, with no one else to love.

She hated the idea of thinking it, but earlier when they were at school, Shiro had remembered Kōkatsu saying something similar as an insult towards Helig.

Perhaps this comment was a mirror of how she viewed her very own worst case scenario.

This was a horrible thought to even think about, so Shiro quickly extinguished it from her brain.

Shiro: [Listen. It’s gonna be alright. I can promise you that you’re gonna have an entire group of people of your very own who will respect and love you! It’s a guarantee!]

Kōkatsu: [But…but…what if…what if it’s not guaranteed…what if…what if I have…I have no one…]

There was no chance that Kōkatsu wouldn’t have her own team.

Her own family.

But what if…

What if somehow that had happened?

What if she did not have a family of her own?

What if, even if she had an army, they did not view her as a mother to them and merely some pathetic leader?

Shiro tried to think of a compromise in case something happened.

What could she do?

There’s no way that Kōkatsu wouldn’t have a family of her own.

But what if it happened?

What does Kōkatsu do then?

No.

There was something.

Something that had been brought up earlier.

At first it seemed like a simple gag from Kōkatsu, but it was clear that there was some genuine emotion behind it.

That statement was what Shiro could do.

Shiro: [Listen…Kōkatsu…I have an idea, but I want you to work with me here…or……I feel like a piece of shit if I say that…alright…just…let’s make a deal….or…damn it, not that either…]

Kōkatsu: [Shiro…]

Shiro: [Yeah?]

Kōkatsu: [It’s…it’s fine…you can talk….I won’t…I won’t get upset…what do you wanna do…]

Even though she had stumbled with her words in a situation like this, Kōkatsu was still willing to hear Shiro out.

Shiro: [Alright…I wanna make a deal. I’ll do my part regardless, but in a way I’d appreciate it if I also got your part. I won’t be mad if you don’t, it’s entirely up to you. It doesn’t necessarily make me feel good to even think about this stuff in this way either, but…lemme just cut to the chase! You mentioned some stuff at school, right? The whole joke comment or whatever, the one that seemed like a joke anyways but you might not have been. Look, my point is, in the worst case scenario, I’ll allow you to take care of my kids. Alright? It’s weird I know but listen It’s hard to think of a way to-]

Kōkatsu: [...You will…?]

Shiro: [Huh…? Oh…uhhhh…yeah. It’s fine with me. Of course I’m gonna also want to see them, they’re my children after all so they’ll live with me for the most part but you know–]

Kōkatsu: [...You’re…you’re fine…with…with that…? I thought…I thought because…because they were your kids that you…you…]

Shiro: [I’m sure. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll allow it.]

Kōkatsu: [...You…promise…?]

Shiro: [I promise.]

A smile now rose on Shiro’s face.

Kōkatsu: [Heh…I was right…Shiro…]

Shiro: [Hmm? About what?]

Kōkatsu: [You’re gonna…make a great mother…]

Wiping off her tears, Kōkatsu too had now gained a smile upon her face

Kōkatsu: [You said….you had a part for me to fill…right?]

Shiro: [Huh? Oh well uhh…yeah but like I said, only if you want to, of course. But I’d like to focus on studying. Which I know is kinda selfish but I do wanna be able to see how much further we can make it, ya know? As well as I wanna see if this is really what I wanna do. If I want this as part of my own dreams.]

Kōkatsu: [And…that’s it…?]

Shiro: [Yeah, that’s it really.]

Kōkatsu had then sat up, and fully wiped off her face with her hands. Her expression changed completely and the accent that Shiro had gotten used to, had now returned.

Kōkatsu: [I can do that then! Easy!]

She then picked up Shiro’s study book to look at. Crumbs of chips sliding off as it rose.

Kōkatsu: [Ya got this one wrong, ’s actually the stuff they talked about on page seven. ’S see, oh there’s also this part from page twelve ya forgot to write down here. What else…Oh right, so here–]

Shiro: [Hey! You just got tears and snot all over your hands and now you’re touching my book?! Come on! Wait…what do you mean I got that wrong…there’s no way I got that wrong I…I got that wrong. How the hell did I get that wrong…I swear I wrote down the right–]

Constantly talking over one another, it was as if the setting of the dorm was back to the way it was at the start of the studying session.

Only this time, both individuals were studying, but there was still loud chatter between one another.

There was also one other key difference.

While they may have been focused on studying…

The bond between these two individuals grew far stronger.

Despite only meeting one another the day before, they felt as close as siblings.

They had started to become a duo.

A duo, like no other in the world.

The most powerful duo to exist, between two smart dummies.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼