CHAPTER 46 - Short Vacation. Part 5.
(Pov- Yuki.)
The sun, the smell and sound of the sea, delicious food. Ah…
"This is the life!"
Hehe! I feel like a snooty rich girl! Is this what having money feels like? Awesome!
Well, I'm still broke. Saik gives me a $50 weekly allowance, but that doesn't count as being rich. It's more than enough for a beautiful ghost like me, but this is way beyond my yearly budget!
Coconuts, fish, seafood, wine, meats, sauces, and tons of sweets!
A huge feast just for me! Being Saik's friend really has its perks!
I'm not wasting this chance!
But first…
Cough, cough… Alright… "Time to hunt for treasure!!"
I'm a ghost—I don't need to breathe! Thanks to Saik's power, I can feel things and digest food, but I'm still a ghost! Even if I act like a normal human, it doesn't change that I'm a ghost. And ghosts don't need oxygen!
I'll search for treasure, become a millionaire, and get my mom out of prison!
…Wait… Millionaires… Millionaires!
"María, María, María! Convince Nergio!"
"Convince him? About what?"
"My mom's in prison! I want him to use his influence and money to get her out!"
"…I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
W-Why's she looking at me so sadly? Did something bad happen to my mom in prison?!
"Your mom has too many charges against her. She's serving a life sentence. There's nothing we can do, and it's a maximum-security prison—impossible to break her out without brute force. And if we use brute force, we could die. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry… Saik told me something similar."
It's impossible to get my mom out of prison… Why did she do all those horrible things? Was it for money or fun? Was she sick?
No… My mom was a loving, kind woman—at least with me.
She must've had her reasons.
Ughhh! Better not think about it!
I'll follow Saik's advice and move on with my life. My mom would be sad if I didn't enjoy my new life. I really want to visit her, but… I don't know if I have the courage to see her again.
After learning everything she did, I'm scared my view of her might change.
I want to remember her as a beautiful, loving mom. I don't want that to change.
"By the way, María…"
Better change the topic—I don't want to keep thinking about this. I'm on a beach vacation; I need to enjoy it!
"Is it true what Saik told me?! Did you really defeat a demon with your bare hands, and that's why you don't have a face?!"
"Huh…? Oh, yeah… The crater thing?"
"Yes! How did it feel to beat a demon?! Saik already told me the full story, but I want to hear it again!"
"Alright."
A real demon… Sounds so creepy, but awesome!
Will I ever meet a demon? I hope not… Could Saik beat one?
Saik's a mystery to me, so I wouldn't doubt he's got more secrets.
"That damn long-haired freak broke Ray's nose, and you don't wanna help us kill him?!"
…Long-haired?
Two guys are walking through this abandoned part of the beach. This area's supposed to belong to Nergio's family—they shouldn't have crossed the rope. What are they planning?
One of them is arguing with someone on the phone, almost yelling.
"He's with two other guys and two hot young girls. You can have the girls; we'll settle for those stupid guys… His name? I think one of them called him… Sak…?"
No… Please, God, don't let Saik have gotten into trouble again.
"No, wait… Saik! Yeah, his name's Saik."
That idiot got himself in trouble again! A-And this time it's serious. They're planning to kill him!
I have to do something! Should I hit them and scare them off?! Should I find Saik and warn him?!
Ughhh! This problem's way bigger than the school stuff Saik and I dealt with! What do I do?! How do I stop them from killing him for being an idiot?! He's been an idiot since birth—they should forgive him!
"Don't panic, Yuki. Watch and learn."
"Huh?"
María floats toward them. What's she gonna do?
"You know the difference between demons and ghosts? The only difference is that demons can't reason—their only instinct is to cause harm. That's the only difference."
What's she mean…? Wait?! She went inside that guy's body?! Uwaaah! He collapsed! Did she kill him?!
"Hey, what's wrong?! Get up!"
She left his body and entered the other guy. Ahhh! The first guy got up! I don't get it!
M-María came back to me fast.
The guys left… What did she do to them?
"W-What did you do?"
"I turned them into will-less zombies. Their memories will be erased. They'll be back to normal in a few minutes. I'll track down the person they were talking to later. Don't worry, your friends are safe. Even if you don't realize it, they're being protected at all times."
"Will-less zombies…"
…Wow… Awesome!! Can ghosts do more than just pass through walls and spy on people?!
"Can I do that too?!"
"I think so, but you're still a weak ghost, Yuki. I wouldn't recommend it. You could vanish if you try."
Uwaaah! Better not! I-I'm happy being a beautiful ghost girl.
But it's scary that ghosts can do the same things as demons. If that's true, why hasn't the existence of ghosts been confirmed? I mean, if ghosts can possess people, why hasn't anyone noticed…? Oh… Right. I think María's words were more of a warning than advice. If a weak ghost tries it, they disappear.
When I became a ghost, I tried to hug my mom. She was crying and crying over my death, and I didn't want to see her like that. I wanted to hug her and tell her I'd always be with her, but I couldn't touch her. I couldn't touch anything. I'd become a true ghost.
I knew a bit about it, so when a cop came to the house, I tried to possess him and take control, but I got flung out and felt intense pain. His body rejected me when I tried to take over. I think I was lucky not to vanish from that stunt. I never tried it again.
But María can do it! She even fought a demon and won!
"Tell me how you beat the demon, please! With lots of details!"
"Oh, right, the story… Sure, listen."
•
•
(Pov- María.)
Damn it! I really wanted to kill them with my own hands, rip out their guts, and crush their hearts! But I had to restrain myself. Saik warned me that if I scared Yuki or did anything to freak her out, he'd stop talking to me. Kya! Saik's such a protective big brother! I love his paternal side!
I never imagined seeing this side of him. Considering how he was in the past, acting like a dad… No, not a dad… Acting like a big brother feels weird. I mean… We're talking about Saik, the kid who watched a woman being raped, screaming in pain and begging for help, and just stood there, observing, waiting for his chance to fight. He's totally heartless, so I was shocked he had a sensitive side.
The current Saik is very different from the old Saik. His parents' deaths must've influenced that change a lot.
I fell for him before just because he saved me—a pretty dumb reason, I know, but he was a hero to me. And now that I know his sensitive side, I love him even more!
Ugh, better stop wasting time thinking about nonsense. Yuki's listening as I tell her the story of how Saik defeated that disgusting rapist.
I'm pretending I was the one who beat him, but Saik was the real hero. He doesn't want Yuki to know about the legendary ghosts or his past. I have to respect his decision.
"And then, Shadow saved me, keeping my soul from being destroyed."
He looked so cool! Every day, the image of Saik hugging and shielding me with his body pops into my mind! Ahhh! I need to find a way to come back to life! Saik's getting older every day—I'm losing my chances with him! But the experiments keep failing. I'm getting desperate!
"Shadow? Who's Shadow?"
Oh… I'm an idiot! I couldn't help mentioning him!
W-Well, I shouldn't get nervous. She doesn't know Saik's Shadow identity, so I'm safe.
"He was a man who traveled the world killing demons. May he rest in peace."
"He died?"
"Yeah, the demon killed him."
"I see… Was he your friend?"
"Well…"
How do I tell her that before that incident, Saik and I were natural enemies, always fighting?
I'll lie.
"Yeah, he was a close family friend. But he died with honor!"
Though, yeah, he almost died for real. Because of me, Saik nearly got killed by Hercules. It's something I'll never forgive myself for. If Hercules hadn't taken pity on Saik, he'd be dead. And because of that pity, Saik became more… savage.
•
•
(Flashback.)
I'm part of the Alvanem Rosa family. My family comes from a long bloodline of protectors of instermarplasmeal reality—or, in simpler terms, we keep normal humans from learning about certain events and creatures. Fairies, orcs, creatures from other planets, and so on. Ghosts are on that list.
Each species lives in a different dimension, but sometimes, a rift appears in those dimensions, letting creatures invade this world. This world is linked to 13 different dimensions, with 616 identified species, and that number hasn't grown. It's impossible that there aren't more species, but for some reason, we haven't identified any others. 616 is too exact a number. It's silly to think it's the devil's number or anything ridiculous like that—it must have another meaning.
Ghosts are supposed to live in paradise or hell, but for mostly selfish reasons, their souls stay in this world, doomed to linger until they resolve their unfinished business.
My family's job is to eliminate invasive creatures, including ghosts. Creatures from other dimensions could disrupt this world, and we don't know how dangerous it'd be to let them live. We don't negotiate with them—we can't.
Our ancestors passed down the task of eliminating these threats, as they could destroy the world. The rules are simple: No talking. No wasting time. Always kill.
I've killed fairies as cute as puppies with my own hands. Circumstances don't matter—we follow the rules.
To my family, legendary ghosts were a global problem. Even the weakest legendary ghost could turn someone into a dangerous serial killer or, worse, the next Hitler—someone capable of controlling a country and starting wars.
But we had a problem: the ghost-hunting organization called "Black Air." They did what we tried to do—find legendary ghosts. But they wanted to use them, while we wanted to destroy them.
Unfortunately, we weren't ghost specialists, as they're a low-level threat. Orcs disguised as humans and demons are the biggest dangers to us. We left ghosts to the ghost-hunting organization.
Five hundred years ago, the first recorded legendary ghost appeared, and from what we know, legendary ghosts are replaced when one is destroyed. We wanted to capture them and find a way to destroy them permanently, but we had no luck. The ghost-hunting organization found many legendary ghosts, while we only found one—Legendary Ghost Number 58.
It was our chance to get our first legendary ghost, but the wielder was more dangerous than we thought.
A hybrid of an orc and a human.
And that wielder wasn't our only enemy at the time.
"W-What are you doing here, kid…?! This power… Are you the famous Shadow?!" my brother said, shocked to see Shadow watching the wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58 brutally rape a poor woman.
Shadow just stood there, taking notes in a small notebook.
"I'm famous? Didn't know. I'll give you an autograph later—let me finish analyzing this creature."
"Get out of the way, you're in my way!"
I pushed Shadow aside, unable to stand watching what the wielder was doing.
Back then, I had a beautiful face—a face I lost because I was an idiot.
I tried to fight him but was defeated. My family couldn't beat him, not even Shadow.
Luckily, Shadow didn't defeat him but left him badly injured, forcing him to flee.
"Ugh… I can't go home yet… Can you guys let me crash? I'm hungry and thirsty."
"No way, you idiot! Why didn't you help us fight if you're so powerful?!"
"Sorry, little girl, but I'm a loner. Besides, if I helped, you might've betrayed me. After all, you want to steal my legendary ghost."
"It's ours—we found it first!"
"See? That's why I didn't help. By the way, you're adorable, little girl. Wanna be my friend? I don't have friends my age. I'm 8 too."
"I'm not a little girl, idiot!"
"I like you—you've got spunk. I'm Shadow."
He extended his hand, and I slapped it away. I didn't trust him at all back then. He was a mystery and didn't act like a kid his age.
"Don't touch me, creep!"
"Alright, let's go to your place. I'm hungry."
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
Nergio grabbed his hand and shook it.
"Hi, I'm Nergio! Please be my master!"
"What are you doing, idiot?!"
"If you give me food and lemonade, I'll consider it."
"Of course, Master! Let's go!"
"Don't make decisions on your own, moron!"
Ignoring my complaints, Shadow and Nergio headed to our house together. My mom warned me that Shadow's power was stronger than ours and not to try killing him, as I'm a ghost, and he could destroy me if he wanted.
And at my own house, Shadow acted like he was part of the family.
"Get out of here!"
"But my favorite cartoon's about to start."
"Get out! You've been here a week! Have you no shame?!"
"I don't know. Come, sit with me, don't be shy."
"Get out!"
"Nope. I'm waiting for the wielder to come back—I can't leave the city. And Nergio's treating me well; I don't wanna go. Don't worry about me—Number 31's controlling my nanny's body, so my parents don't know I'm not home."
"I'm not worried about you—I hate you! Get out of my sight!"
"You don't feel anything for me?"
"Of course not! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"That means you don't hate me, since hate's a feeling. One step closer to being friends."
"Arghhh! I can't stand you!"
"Shh, the cartoon's starting."
"Childish idiot!"
I tried to hit him, but my fist passed through his face.
"You were about to hit a little kid. Aren't you ashamed? If you claim to be an adult, act like one. Shouldn't adults be role models for little kids like me? As an adult, you're a disappointment. I can't even see you as one."
"Arghhh! You drive me nuts!"
He even ate with us at the table, like he was family.
"Can you pass the mustard?"
"Here, Master!"
"Thanks."
"Arghhh! When is he leaving?!"
"María, don't disrespect my master!"
"It's not like it bothers me. Actually, I think I like it. She's adorable when she's mad."
"Mom, do something!"
"Shadow, want some chocolate ice cream?" my mom said.
"No, thanks, I don't like sweet flavors. I don't like sweets in general. I prefer savory stuff, like pasta and salads."
"It's rare to meet a kid who doesn't like sweets."
"My mom loves sweets. I'll never get why sweet flavors are so popular."
"I think it stimulates a part of the brain or something."
"I prefer greasy flavors. Burgers and pizza in general, Master."
"I have to avoid them for my diet, but I like burgers too."
"Arghhh! You've made him part of the family!" I complained.
Every day was the same. Shadow and I argued… Well, I argued with him, and he just responded as politely as possible, which drove me crazier. I couldn't achieve my goal of kicking him out.
Another week passed, and Shadow didn't leave, until he returned.
Unfortunately, we weren't the first to know.
"M-Master? Why?"
"Sorry, it's not personal."
"Arghhh! I told you!"
It was all an act by Shadow. He gained Nergio's and my mom's trust so they wouldn't suspect him and caught them off guard. I let my guard down like an idiot, tired of waiting for an attack from him.
Nergio saw him as a master, and my mom thought that, as a little kid, he wouldn't have the malice to betray us. They were dead wrong. Though Shadow was a kid, he was mature, and I was shocked that a kid like him was so used to seeing things like rapes and deaths. That's probably one reason he's so cold and heartless with people.
Shadow caught us off guard and defeated us with his spiritual power, draining our energy, leaving us unable to move… or so he thought.
"Mom."
"Yes."
Shadow wasn't the only one who could use spiritual power. We could too. We used our souls' energy to move and attacked Shadow simultaneously.
We placed our hands on his body and cast a curse. A curse that would kill him in 24 hours.
"Huh?"
[Curse detected.]
[Curse effect: Will die in 24 hours.]
A status hologram appeared in front of him. We were shocked, as we'd only seen status holograms with fairies—they could use them.
"A curse?"
"In your face, idiot! Hope you don't enjoy your last hours! Hope you rot in hell!"
"It's too powerful… I can't remove it. It's stuck to my soul… You… You'll regret this."
One of his abilities was shadow manipulation. He used his own shadow, stepped into it, and vanished like a true monster.
I thought we'd gotten rid of him, as we didn't see him for over two days.
When we found the wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58, my whole family went to fight, but he split us up. Over 20 orcs had appeared in the city, and we separated to defeat them. That was his strategy to kill us one by one.
One of my brothers and two of my nephews were killed by that monster, and I was next.
When he found me, I fought with everything I had, but I was no match.
He pierced my chest with his fist and began destroying my soul. I thought it was the end, but someone unexpected saved my life.
Shadow landed hard on the wielder and used his spiritual power to stop my soul from being destroyed.
He hugged me tightly while using his power on me.
"Yes… Perfect. I made it in time. One second later, and… Well, you know. You lost your face, but I guess it's better than losing your soul."
"W-What…? Why?"
He stepped back, still hugging me. I was so confused but also felt strange. The hatred I felt was gone.
"That guy still has too much energy. Oh, yeah, answering your question: if your soul takes damage, your spiritual body gets altered, which is why you don't have a face. Sorry, I did my best to fix it."
"No… I mean… Why'd you save me?"
"Well… Honestly, I still want to be your friend. I wasn't lying when I said that. I don't have friends my age—I can't relate to normal people. I thought having a friend like you, someone who gets my situation, would make me feel… normal… Sorry, I think I said something weird."
He carried me in his arms.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Taking you somewhere safe. Being near that beast is dangerous for a ghost. You could vanish."
"It's your chance—finish him!"
"It's not my chance. He's faking his injuries. I'm not that easy to fool."
Shadow ran off, and I couldn't help but hug him. I felt so strange. It was something I'd never felt before.
I didn't hate him anymore. Why do my feelings change so easily?
Shadow took me to my mom and brother and got ready to leave and fight.
"Master, how'd you survive?"
"Oh, yeah, hope you don't get mad. I snooped through your secret documents while I was staying with you. Thanks to them, I learned the ghost-hunting organization had Legendary Ghost Number 74. I thought its protection could shield my soul, so I went to their base and got it. Oh, and I also got Legendary Ghost Number 68. Two more for my collection."
"Wait… Number 68…? That's… That was the legendary ghost of…" my mom said before Shadow cut her off.
"Don't say his name."
"Huh?"
"Don't say his name in front of me. Got it?"
"…Yes. Got it."
"Bye."
And he ran off to fight the wielder.
I knew he was a kid, but I stopped seeing him as one after that day.
And no, it's not because my feelings for him changed, but because of what he did.
Defeating the wielder and destroying a good chunk of the city in the process.
Even knowing he was responsible for thousands of deaths, he didn't care. He didn't feel guilty. He felt nothing for all those dead people… And I loved that!
I don't know if it's a fetish or my personal taste, but I love Saik's sadistic side. But knowing a kid like Saik was so indifferent to deaths makes me a bit sad. Saik couldn't enjoy his childhood because of his own power.
"I thought having a friend like you, someone who gets my situation, would make me feel… normal." Those words made it clear how lonely Saik felt. For people like Saik, the power to see ghosts affects them psychologically. It's hard for them to socialize, as they're sensitive to negative emotions like sadness, jealousy, and anger. Saik felt different from kids his age and distanced himself to avoid feeling like a weird kid.
Saik just wanted a friend, someone he could trust. Because of our past, Saik and I are close, but I don't know if we're friends. He kept his distance from me for a long time. But now I know he found the friend he always wanted.
"Arghhh! I give up! All I found at the bottom of the sea was trash! Not even a pretty mermaid! So disappointing!"
Yuki… Without a doubt, she became Saik's best friend. Someone he trusts. How do I know? From the way Saik looks at Yuki. Friendship—a feeling Saik never understood as a kid—he's feeling it now.
After his parents' deaths, Saik was devastated. Yuki must've been a huge emotional support for him. She became his little sister, something Saik always dreamed of having. He once told me he wished for a sibling or at least a friend who was like him, someone who could share his pain and understand what he felt. I'm really happy he met someone as sweet as Yuki.
But something worries me. Yuki feels more than friendship for Saik—I'm sure of it, but it's not love. I've never felt this emotion in someone before. It's a strange mix of friendship, love, and trust… I don't know how to define it.
Yuki wants Saik to be happy to repay what he does for her, but there's something hidden in her actions I can't understand… No… I refuse to understand.
Sylphie's in love with Saik, but I don't see her as a rival. Saik doesn't even feel friendship for her.
"My only rival is you, Yuki."
I hate to admit it, but you're the only person I know who could make Saik fall in love.
You don't admit your feelings because you know, with your body, Saik would reject you. Looking like a little girl is a big disadvantage—I totally get it.
Luckily, Saik's not a creep who gets excited over little girls, though that's unfortunate for us ghosts, doomed to never age. I wish Saik would realize I'm not a little girl mentally, but as long as he sees me as one, he'll treat me like one.
That's why I'm working on finding a way to come back to life and age again.
And when I do, I'll have a shot with him.
•
•
(Pov- Yuki.)
Arghhh! I'm not finding anything at the bottom of the sea!
Just rocks… and more rocks. But I admit, the view is gorgeous. Did my vision get better as a ghost? I can see everything more clearly. Wow… The ocean floor is so… Huh?
I-Is that thing… Is it really?!
I swam toward it as fast as I could. My eyes aren't lying…! Oh, no, they are. It's a piece of cardboard from an ad with a mermaid on it. I thought it was a real mermaid… Wait… I'm a ghost… From what I know, only a tiny part of the ocean's been explored—the deep sea's still unknown to humans. And as a ghost, I don't need to breathe, and I doubt the pressure down there would hurt me… This is a golden opportunity! I'll explore the depths! I'll go where no one's been before!
I hope I meet a mermaid or at least a sea monster. It'd scare me, but I'm a ghost! Hahaha! I'm immune to their attacks, monsters! You can't touch this beautiful body made by my beautiful mom…! Oh, and my dad, whose name and face I don't know. I hope he's dead and rotting in hell for abandoning me… Well, my mom only said I didn't have a dad but never said if he abandoned me or died. She always dodged the topic when I asked… Whatever! Time to explore!
Hehe. I'll get rich if I capture a mermaid or sea monster and sell it. Mom, I'll hire the best criminals in the world to bust you out of prison…! Huh?
S-Something's touching my waist… Something weird.
Scared, I looked down… Oh… Oh…
"Hehe. Look, brother, a ghost girl."
"Poor thing, must've drowned."
"I wonder what her soul tastes like."
"We should find out."
Kya!! Ahhh!! Humanoid freaks with tentacles for arms and legs! R-Red eyes and horns! They've got horns! Definitely demons!
"Time to eat."
I don't wanna die again! I don't, I don't…! Oh… My savior!
María appeared out of nowhere and knocked them out with two punches to the face. My heroine!
She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the water.
"Ahhh! I almost died…! Again."
"Those demons could see and touch you."
"Huh…? Oh… Right… Why?"
"I… don't know… I don't know."
What's going on? Were those two super powerful demons or something…? Oh, right… I just met two demons and almost died! I never wanna see another!
"Die!"
Huh?
A wooden doll's coming at us…? A wooden doll?!
"Behind me, Yuki!"
The wooden doll was a few meters away, ready to attack—or so I thought, since María was braced to fight. But something else weird happened on this weird day.
Someone landed in front of us, on the doll, completely destroying it.
"I warned you. I'll never let you hurt her," said the guy in black clothes. Isn't he hot? It's scorching out.
Who is he?
"Shadow?"
Huh? María knows him?
This guy's wearing black clothes and bandages over his eyes. Like a superhero!
"Who is he, María? You know him?"
"He's Shadow, an acquaintance."
"Not your friend?"
"No, and we'll never be friends."
Oh, seems like they hate each other. Who's Shadow, really? Does he have powers to see ghosts? And what was that wooden doll?!
Arghhh! I don't understand anything!
•
•
(Pov- Saik.)
(Minutes earlier.)
"Wow. A fall from here would definitely kill someone."
"Be careful, Sylphie. Curiosity isn't always a good thing."
The crater… Ugh… Still nothing… Nothing, nothing, nothing… I'm and will always be a damn heartless weirdo. I feel love—I like Naima; imagining her dying makes me sad. I definitely feel something for someone, so I'm not that heartless. But… I like Naima. Unlike the people who died because of me, I don't know them. I can't feel anything for people I don't know or care about.
…Ugh, I always tried to fool myself, saying what Number 1 told me was a lie. "You're a selfish person, incapable of doing anything without expecting something in return. That's your nature, and you'd better accept it." Selfish… Am I really selfish? No… I'd say I have common sense. Why would I do something that doesn't benefit me? It's simple logic.
I think… I'll never understand my own feelings.
I really like Naima, and we're not even friends. Oh… Is this the classic love at first sight? Well, when I first saw her, I wasn't interested. I only got interested when I saw she's a woman who can stand up for herself and succeed without help. A woman with a strong personality.
I feel something for someone, so I'm not heartless. I'm just a weirdo.
…Wow… Admitting I'm in love with Naima feels embarrassing, even if I'm just thinking it. I like Naima. I love Naima. I'm in love with Naima…
"Kya!"
Oh…
Sylphie tripped.
I grabbed her hand and waist, stopping her fall and pulling her toward me to stand properly… Oh, Sylphie's face is too close to mine. Her hair smells nice. What shampoo does she use? I'll ask later to get the same for Yuki.
"Be more careful, Sylphie."
"Y-Yes. T-Thanks for h-helping."
Huh? I sense nervousness in her… Ugh, we were doing so well. Her nervousness is back. What did I do to bring it back?
I let go and kept walking.
My limited experience with women doesn't let me know what I'm doing wrong. I researched how to make a woman fall for you and how to tell if a woman likes you. I'm not doing anything to make her fall for me, so Sylphie's nervousness is about something else.
Hmm… Oh… Right. Sylphie's super shy. She probably got nervous because she tripped in public. It's not a big deal—I'll let her get over it naturally.
"I-It's really a tourist spot. T-There's lots of food stalls and gift shops."
Changing the subject, huh? Don't worry, Sylphie, I'd never mock you for tripping… Well, not any trip in particular. I don't find it funny.
…Actually, what do I find funny? It's hard to make me laugh. I watched some livestreams of famous people in that field, and they just gave me secondhand embarrassment and boredom. Why are they so popular? Ridiculous.
"Brother, want a juice?" Hana said.
"Yes, please!" Yurem said.
A juice… I think I'll get one.
"Want a juice too, Sylphie?"
"Y-Yes. Thank you."
I approached the juice stand… Oh… There's a lot of couples at the tables, sharing big juices with heart-shaped straws… So… No… I was gonna say "so ridiculous," but imagining doing that with Naima makes me feel weird… Is love changing me? Well, calling it love is a stretch—I just like her.
Oh, being a teenager is changing me. When I was a kid, I had lots of romantic chances with adult women, but I always turned them down because I wasn't interested. But now I'm interested in romance… Well, well.
I stood at the stand and pulled out my wallet.
"Two large orange juices and… Hey, Sylphie, want something to… eat?"
"Yes, please. Anything's fine."
"Saik."
Yes, I know, Hana.
"Hehe. Shall we start the fun?"
The woman at the stand isn't alive—a spirit's inside her… The wooden doll.
The woman bent down and placed the wooden doll on the counter.
"Here, it's a gift."
"A wooden doll, huh? It's cute."
I picked it up.
"Sylphie, do you like dolls like this?"
"Uh… S-Sorry, but I think it'd scare me to have it in my room."
"Yeah, I agree, it's creepy, but I like it. I think I'll keep it. Oh, Sylphie, buy the juice. I need to hit the bathroom. Don't worry, Hana'll keep you company. I'll be back soon."
Hana got the hint and nodded.
I walked away, hugging the doll… Alright, we're far enough.
"You know I could kill you right now, don't you?"
"Yes, I know, but I doubt you'd do what I did to Hercules, right? It'd be hypocritical to kill me the same way."
"You're absolutely right. I refuse to give you the satisfaction of seeing me be a coward like you. I'll kill you fairly, so it's more humiliating for you."
"You're making a mistake, and you'll regret it later… So… What's your plan?"
"68 trials. I spent years perfecting my monsters for this moment."
"…Monsters?"
"And they're as powerful as your precious legendary ghosts."
I don't sense any lies in her words… This is bad.
"The trial is to defeat them in under 5 minutes. If you fail, my monsters will reveal Shadow's identity, along with his evil deeds and crimes, including that he caused this crater. Time's ticking."
…It's impossible for me to be in different parts of the city at once, especially since I don't know how strong these monsters are.
The only way is to use the legendary ghosts, but… Oh… I see… That's your plan?
Yeah, I figured. You can't beat me as a legendary ghost wielder, but you can beat me without them.
I'd rather avoid it, but I want to keep my normal life. Besides… I don't want my mom to be remembered as the mother of a monster like me. She did so many charitable acts, was one of the best doctors, and her reputation is admirable and spotless. I'd never forgive myself if I let her memory be tainted because of me.
I've pinpointed the locations… I have to do this.
I entered the bathroom… There's one person inside, washing their face.
I locked the door and sat in a stall.
Legendary Ghost Number 5, Ghost of Silence, do your job.
…Yes, the effect's active.
"Number 1 through 67, come out. Number 69 through 97, come out. Number 99, come out."
I'll keep 68 and 98—I won't give her the satisfaction of seeing them.
White spheres shot out of my body at high speed, heading to their targets.
Controlling so many at once drains my mind, but I need to hold on for at least 4 more minutes.
Some of my legendary ghosts are weaker than others. I need to pair the weak ones with the strong ones for balance. I'd use the strongest, but time would run out before they could defeat all the monsters. Splitting them evenly in power is a better idea.
"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention—I'm a special trial too. You've got one minute to save your little friend, Yuki."
"…I'm warning you. Don't try to hurt Yuki."
"Or what?"
"Or you'll regret making me angry."
"Well, well. The coward Shadow cares about someone? Hahaha! We'll see!"
She flew off and passed through the wall.
"Number 3, come back."
He/she appeared in front of me and smiled.
"Knew you'd need me!"
They entered my body, and I activated my Shadow form.
"I won't let her hurt Yuki."
I used the shadows to vanish and emerged from a tourist's shadow. No one can see me.
"Master, your energy's being drained too fast—I can only keep you invisible for a few more seconds."
"It's enough time."
In the distance, I see that wooden doll flying toward Yuki.
I started running in that direction. Don't worry, Yuki—I'll never let you suffer again. I promise I'll always protect you, and I always keep my promises.
(Extra - Legendary Ghost Number 7, Ghost of Water.)
(Pov- Saik, age 6.)
Fishing day. A day where father and son fish quietly and bond.
It would've been a calm day, but this idiot ruined it.
"A mere kid like you destroyed one of my tentacles?!"
We were fishing peacefully until something wrecked our boat and tried to drown us.
I had to knock out my own dad so he wouldn't see what I did.
We were attacked by a mermaid. Yes, a mermaid!
I pulled my dad out of the water and got ready to fight.
"Who are you, brat?!"
"Oh, right. Sorry, I was distracted. Ahem… I'm Shadow, Miss Mermaid. May I have your name, Miss…?"
"Who are you really?!"
I jumped and dodged another of her water tentacles.
"Saik, it's Legendary Ghost Number 7. It's our lucky day," Number 1 said.
Oh, and without even looking for it. Awesome!
"Lava monster!!"
I used an illusion to create a giant lava monster, pouring in enough energy to make Legendary Ghost Number 7 feel real heat.
"Want a quick death or a slow one?"
"Uwaaah! My natural enemy! I surrender, I surrender, have mercy, please! I'll do anything!"
"Deal. Then, I want you to give me your body."
"Huh? M-My body?"
"Yes, please."
"…Alright, but let's be clear—I'm not a pedophile. I'm only doing this to not die."
Huh? Why's she… Why'd she take off her bra?
"I-It's okay, let's do it."
"Uh… Well… Not sure if you know, but…"
"Saik, pretend you're gonna do it and catch her off guard."
Oh, right, Number 1.
The illusion vanished.
"Come, follow me."
She floated toward me, and we entered my family's cabin. Was it a coincidence she was here? I don't know. Maybe fate or something.
We went to my parents' bedroom.
"Now what…?"
I gently pushed her, and she fell onto the bed.
"W-Wait, let me mentally prepare."
"Caress her lips."
I caressed her lips with my fingers, just like Number 1 said. I don't know what I'm doing, but better not ask.
"Kiss her, just follow my instructions."
A kiss, huh? So this'll be my first kiss? I've heard about it, but I don't think it matters much.
I pressed my lips to hers and moved them as Number 1 instructed.
"Now, when you touch one of her breasts, try to capture her."
I did as told.
"Kya! D-Don't be so rough, it's my first time…!"
She entered my body. I got Legendary Ghost Number 7, sacrificing my first kiss.
"Well done."
"Couldn't we have just threatened to destroy her?"
"No, she might've seen through the illusion. Making her nervous in a situation like this was the best move."
"I see… So… Was it just luck finding her here?"
"Not entirely. Legendary ghosts are indirectly drawn to other legendary ghosts. Why do you think we're all in the same country? We feel uneasy when we're too far apart."
"I see."
Well, now I have 7 legendary ghosts under my control. 93 to go.