Swordsmaster Fox-girl

It wasn’t long before we got out of the forest and got to a tent right outside the city.

“Ellen… That Child…. Don’t tell me….”

Ellen knocked the back of her hand on the head of a lanky-looking guy with thick glasses. “Fuck off with your jokes. I found him in the forest.”

“The same forest that a very dangerous Demon escaped to?”

Vampires were a subspecies of Demonkind. It seemed that this guy didn’t trust me enough to give specific information, so he just generalized it as a Demon.

{I’m not an it!}

‘Yeah….’

Ellen finally put me on the ground and spoke. “This boy…. I don’t know how he did it, but he turned that Vampire into the red orb.”

The lanky man grabbed Kirion with two of his fingers. He stared at him with such scrutiny that it wouldn’t be strange for a hole to suddenly appear on the orb.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

{H-Hey! Let me go!}

“This is the essence of the Vampire’s soul.”

{Nova! Tell this guy to get off me!}

I averted my eyes and whistled, pretending not to hear Kirion’s pleas.

“So.” Ellen placed a hand on my shoulder. “What now?”

“Simple. He’s not an Otherworlder, so it’s my duty to inform him of his potential.”

The lanky man then cleared his throat and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a blue screen appeared in the air.

[Gift: Transpose (1/2)

Slot 1: Kirion, the Formless
Forged from the Soul of a dying Archvampire. Kirion will allow you to absorb the blood of fallen foes to increase your strength. You can turn Kirion into a definite form, but Kirion will lose his “Formless” aspect and cannot be transformed into another weapon.

 

Slot 2: EMPTY

]

 

“...”

“You got all that?”

I slowly nodded. This was a lot to take in, but nothing too crazy.

Yes, nothing too crazy.

“So, you wanna be my disciple, child?”

“W-What!?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t take just anyone under me.” Ellen gazed over the blue screen again and nodded in contentment. “You have potential. Great potential, might I add.”

What was there to think? Someone was willing to take me in. I could finally say goodbye to this wretched life.

“Okay.”

“That’s more like it!” She ruffled my hair again.  

“But…. Can I ask for a favor first?”

“...?”

“I need you to break something for me.”

===

 

“Is this the spot?”

“Yes.”

Master grabbed the concrete with her hand and cracked it apart with ease. I really shouldn’t be surprised by now, considering the fact that she was a 7-star Awakener.

Anyhow, I retrieved the money with ease. With glee, I made my way back to the Orp Hans with master as my bodyguard.

“Hyunsung! Marie! I’m back!”

But the hut was eerily silent. Confused, I pushed the door open and looked inside. Not a single soul was present. The tables and chairs were knocked over, and there were signs of struggle.

“D-Did Big Beth come?”

I fell to my knees in despair. N-No, that couldn’t be the case. At most, I spent only an hour inside that wretched forest! How—

“Child.”

Feeling master’s hand on my shoulder made me calm down. I slowly rose from the floor and caught my breath.

“I’m…. I’m fine.”

“Is that so? I can guess what happened. Your story is a common one. Tell me, how much time did they give you?”

“...A week.”

“And how long did you spend inside the forest?”

“It couldn’t be longer than an hour.”

Master suddenly let out a sad sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“...?”

“Time inside that forest flows differently. I don’t know the exact rate, but more than a week has already passed.”

My clutch on the sack of money tightened. I rushed out without another word and made my way to Enedell bar.

“Let me in.”

The barista shook his head. “You gotta say t—”

“Dylan, please! It’s urgent! Big Beth got them!”

Dylan immediately stepped aside and opened the door. I shot him a grateful look and told Ellen to wait outside.

As soon as I arrived at Smith’s booth, I threw the sack through the thin curtain. “Tell me where Marie and Hyunsung are, now!”

Smith, without wasting a word, told me everything.

“23-38 on Yoen Street. They were t—”

“Got it! Thanks!”

I rushed out and grabbed master with me. If I’m fast, I might make it. Please! Please be safe!

===

 

Maser hid in my shadow. I didn’t know she could do that, but it didn’t matter. It just meant that I would have an easier time getting in.

As I’d expected, the door was guarded. Two ruffians, one fat and one thin, played cards on a barrel while smoking cigars.

I approached them and spoke.

“Let me in.”

They turned their heads toward me. The thin one was about to say something foul when the fat one stopped him.

“Look at his hair. He’s the one Boss Beth told us about.”

“Really? What if he’s a fake?”

I took another step forward. “I’m Nova. Now let me in.”

“See? Told you!” The fat one clicked his tongue and escorted me inside.

I almost wish I didn’t come here.

Cages upon cages filled the rooms of this house. They were full of naked children with whip marks and bruises.

Some cried out for help upon seeing me, but most assumed that I was the next victim and just gave me looks of pity.

I could feel master trembling in my shadow. But as expected of an experienced Commander, she didn’t lose her cool. Only cold rage emanated from her, making me shiver a bit.

We went past the cages and arrived before a basement. And inside the basement was another cage. Only, this one contained—

“Hyunsung! Marie!” 

I grabbed the iron bars and tried to pry them open, but it was no use. The ruffians each held my arms and pinned me down.

“Woah, calm down there buddy.”

I couldn’t! I couldn’t! I could see everything! Marie was lying on the ground; naked and lifeless. She wasn’t dead! She couldn’t be! B-But maybe she was better-off dead. Sticky white liquid flowed out of her orifices and pooled on the floor.

It was obvious what happened. I broke down crying. Everything hurts. My head. My heart. The back of my nose. EVERYTHING! WHY!

“Ah, so you liked her?”

The thin one chuckled. He released his grasp on me and dangled his keys in front of me.

“Sorry for cucking you then, bro. I didn’t know.”

Similarly, the fat ruffian let me go and stood up. He snatched the key out of his comrade’s hands and opened the door.

“There there, don’t be so sad. You can have a go. I’m pretty sure her body is still warm.”

Something broke. Maybe it could be repaired later, but not now.

“She’s… dead?”

Don’t…. Don’t you dare utter another word!

“Kahaha! Of course she is! I’ve been blueballed for months now! No one wants to die by choking on cum, but that girl didn’t have a choice.”

“...”

Numb. So numb…. Yet, tears couldn’t stop flowing. I stood up and lifelessly entered the cage. I spared Marie a glance before making my way toward Hyunsung.

He was hung by his leg like a pig waiting to be gutted. Bruises and cuts were all over his body, and his eyes were carved out.

He still breathed.

“N-Nova? Is that you?”

“Don’t talk,” I muttered. “I’ll get you out of here.”

“Hehahahaha~ I knew you didn’t abandon us.”

“...”

“Big Beth said you did but we didn’t listen. I believed in you until now. Marie did, too. Oh, where is she? How can you see me when everything’s so dark? Are you another hallucination?”

I placed a hand on his cheek.

“You feel it?”

“Mhm.”

“Then, I’m real.”

The breaths were getting fainter and fainter.

Even if I rushed him out right this instant, it would be too late.

I stared at him and muttered.

“[Transpose]”

But nothing happened. Of course…. a cooldown. From my intuition, it was probably around 6 months.

“H-Hey Nova, why is it getting cold?”

“...I brought a Manafan.”

“I-Is that so? Haha, so you’ve gotten so rich. But wouldn’t Marie also get cold? You know how easy it is for her to get sick. Or did you carry her out already?”

I bit my lip.

“Yes. She’s safe now. And you’ll be, too.”

“Haha~ That’s good to hear.”

Death’s door. I could almost see it opening behind Hyunsung. I felt a hand on my shoulder, but it wasn’t master’s. The fingers were chubby and greasy.

Before the ruffian could utter a word, I spoke coldly.

“Master, don’t hold back.”

My shadow wobbled and my master climbed out. The hand was swiftly removed from my shoulder. I didn’t turn around. The gurgling and screaming noise behind me wasn’t even worth listening to.

I held Hyunsung’s hand and let him feel my warmth until the very end.

The boy breathed his last.

“I’m sorry, Hyunsung.”

Up until your final moments, I still lied. And I broke my promise. We couldn’t see the stars. You wanted to be a scholar, Hyunsung. I can’t ever fulfill that dream for you. I’m sorry….

“Marie, forgive me.”

I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t travel the world with both of you. Marie, you wanted to see the ocean, right? Right? You wanted to bask yourself in the endless blue, is that true? To travel. To not worry about rent or taxes.

Maybe a hut near the shores would be nice. We could fish and hunt and take care of ourselves without needing anyone else. Oh, and you can take a bath in the water anytime you like. I promise I won’t snoop. And I’ll make Hyunsung promise that, too.

I turned around. The numbness…. It was gone.

The self-inflicted wounds in my palm that my fingernails subconsciously made were searing. But the feeling of ecstasy upon seeing the guts and gore splattered around the space beyond the cage was thrilling.

A hand was placed on my shoulder.

“Are you okay, boy?”

I nodded. I’d never been more okay in my entire life.

My master sighed and took out a kitchen knife. It was stainless and pristine white. It would look even better painted red.

“What do you want to do, boy?”

“I want to kill.”

“For what? These people are demons in human skin, but handing them over to the law works just fine. For what reason do you want to kill them?”

Revenge? No. Such a thing was useless. Would killing everything bring Hyunsung and Marie back? I didn’t think so.

“I…. I just want to.”

Master shook her head. “Not a good reason. But that’s why I’m here. Until you find your purpose, will you follow me?”

What was there to think about?

“I accept.”

“Then-” she crouched down to meet my eyes and placed both her hands on my shoulders, turning me toward a metal door. “-Do it. You know what’s beyond that door, don’t you?”

How couldn’t I? That snoring sound was all too familiar. The maddening stench perfume and makeup was so heavy that it almost covered the smell of rotten flesh.

A smile crept up my lips.

“Go.”

That was all I needed to hear.