(It was a long chapter, so please leave lots of comments :c I worked really hard.)
CHAPTER 48 - Hercules. Part 2.
(POV - The Goddess of Ghosts.)
"Hercules, huh? From what I've investigated, that guy thought he was a superhero," Star said.
"He was an idiot who wasted his time saving people with his power. Doesn't surprise me that Saik defeated him in such a ridiculous way," Mike said.
"Hey, Mike, don't you feel any empathy for Nancy?"
"Huh? What are you trying to say, bitch?"
"Well, you're dark-skinned too, after all."
"Don't compare me to that brat! I may be Black, but I'm different from my ancestors. Anyone who dares mock me doesn't live long!"
They started arguing again. It'd be more interesting if there was a spark of love between them, but they genuinely hate each other. I see no sign of romance brewing here.
Whatever, I don't care in the slightest.
"Excuse me, my Goddess, what did Hercules do with Nancy?" said Sheik, the younger twin brother.
"Why did she grow so attached to him?" said Shaik, the older twin sister.
"The reason for her attachment is quite simple and predictable. Because he brought back her smile."
Just over ten years ago, a few years before Saik began his adventure, Nancy met Hercules, the person who restored her faith in humanity.
•
•
"Hello, lady! My name is… Well… Uh… I guess you don't speak English. Sorry. Let me introduce myself, my name is Hercules, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss! Now, please, could you not try to kill me?"
"Get lost!"
Hercules was a man who, unlike Saik, always cared about others. If he saw someone sad, he did everything he could to make them smile. A behavior too childish for Saik's taste.
He was quite sensitive to emotions, or to the energy beings emit when they feel something. During one of his many travels around the world, Hercules detected a large amount of negative energy, so he decided to enter the cave and eliminate its source. He didn't expect to find a little girl.
Upon seeing her, he felt her sadness and loneliness. A profound sadness that even brought him to tears.
But Nancy attacked him, thinking he meant to harm her, as Hercules' arms were white. Hercules wore a mask, but it wasn't necessary to see his face to know his skin was white. Nancy didn't trust white people, so she decided to kill him.
Hercules only dodged Nancy's attacks, never striking back, and as he dodged, he talked to her.
"By the way, I'm a huge fan of comedy movies. Do you like movies?"
"Why don't you ever shut up?!"
"Because I like to talk. If I don't talk, I'd never make new friends. I want to be your friend, kid. I want to see a smile on your face!"
"Damn freak!"
He was the wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 68, the Ghost of Resistance. It wasn't hard for him to keep dodging Nancy's attacks for two full weeks. Two whole weeks without sleeping or eating, just to keep talking to little Nancy.
"And after that, I told my ex-girlfriend it didn't matter that she cheated on me, because life goes on, and she wasn't important enough to make me sad. Remember, kid, you come first, then others! Don't prioritize things that aren't worth it, and never dwell on something not worth remembering. Leave behind sad and painful memories, and replace them with new, happier ones. For example, I took my parents on a beach vacation, and my sadness vanished seeing them happy. They'd never seen the sea before. Their smiles were so touching."
"Why…? Why?!"
She stopped attacking him, as she finally ran out of energy. She fell to her knees and glared at him furiously, tears in her eyes.
"Why are you so determined to kill me?! Do you hate me that much, you bastard?!"
He approached her, and she thought she was about to die.
"I never hurt anyone! Neither did my mother! Nor my father… nor my cousins… Nobody… It's not fair… It's not fair!!"
He hugged her tightly, leaving Nancy in shock, as it was the first time someone had hugged her in a long while.
"All people are equally important in the eyes of God. From what I've heard, you suffered a lot because of people's ignorance in the past. Listen, kid, I know you hate people for what happened in your life, but humans learn from our mistakes and change. I don't hate you, and I definitely don't want to kill you. I want to be your friend! So, why don't we start over?"
He stepped back and extended his hand to Nancy.
"My name is Hercules, it's a pleasure to meet you, kid! May I know your name?"
"I won't be fooled by a white guy. I won't fall for it!"
"Ah… I guess we've got a long way to go, huh? Want something to eat?"
"I don't want anything from you!"
"Pizza it is. I'll go get the food, hope you don't miss me too much."
"Go die!"
And so, Hercules' relationship with Nancy improved. She still hated him, but at least she stopped trying to kill him.
When he returned with the food, he stayed with her for over a year, talking and talking.
"Ugh, honestly, I'm too lazy to explain what happened next."
"I guess the summary is that Nancy and Hercules became friends over time," Shaik said.
"Exactly."
Hercules did everything to earn Nancy's trust, managing to bring back her smile.
A whole year with her was more than enough for Nancy to trust him.
They talked about so many things that it's not worth mentioning.
Hercules taught her that racism was over, or at least mostly. He told her about the progress human society had made: same-sex marriages, interracial relationships, respect for sexual orientations.
He taught her to trust humanity again.
Inevitably, he earned Nancy's admiration and respect, as he shared what he did. He traveled the world saving people who needed help, especially using his spiritual power to prevent babies born with the ability to see ghosts from dying by removing their powers.
That surprised her, but it also made her feel guilty, as he had stayed with her for so long, preventing him from saving more people.
"Don't worry, I know I couldn't save as many people, but at least I saved you."
He told her he had never seen so much negative energy in a ghost, let alone in a kind ghost like her.
"You're someone who doesn't deserve to suffer, and I want you to be happy again."
"But… you could've saved so many more people. Why do you want to make me happy?"
"Because I know the feeling of loneliness all too well. I'm immortal, so I just have to work harder than usual and save twice as many people to make up for the time I spent here! Let's go! Come with me, Nancy, let's travel the world together!"
"You want me… to go with you?"
"Yes… I'll be honest, I don't have anyone I could consider a friend, because… well… every time I have a friend, they end up dead… I'm dangerous, I attract demons and monsters… But you're a ghost, and a very powerful one! And I'm strong too. I can finally have a friend without fear of losing them because of me! I'm not asking you to help me fight, it's not necessary. Heh. I'm mega powerful! I just want company. Nancy, please, be my friend!"
And Nancy accepted without thinking too much. They started traveling together.
Hercules was born into a poor family and was abandoned by his parents at age four. He was forced to live in a corrupt orphanage that sold children's organs and trafficked girls as sex slaves.
He managed to escape that orphanage, filled with helplessness, knowing he couldn't tell the police, as they were corrupt too and would only kill him.
He lived as a homeless person for over ten years, with his only companion being a dog he named "Hercules."
He lived in alleys, worked whatever jobs he could, even begged, but never stole. He was a good kid, with no malice in his heart.
But like in every sad story, there's a tragic death.
A group of teenagers were trying to rape a girl in the same alley where he was sleeping.
The girl's cries woke him, and when he saw them, they noticed his presence and threatened him with a knife.
He wanted to save her, but fear overtook him, and he ran away crying. But Hercules, his dog, didn't run. He barked loudly and bit one of them in the leg.
Seeing his dog try to save the girl made him realize how cowardly he was.
And when he saw his dog being stabbed, the frustration and helplessness he felt spiraled out of control, and he charged at them.
He was beaten, and they tried to force him to watch as they raped the girl. Just as they were about to, his spiritual power awakened, drawing the attention of a certain legendary ghost.
"Don't do it… Don't do it… DON'T DO IT!!"
"Shut up!"
One of them tried to slit his throat, but Legendary Ghost Number 68, the Ghost of Resistance, a female ghost, entered his body, and the knife couldn't cut his neck.
"Huh?"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO IT!!"
His spiritual power went out of control, killing everyone in the area except the girl, who, terrified, could only stay on the ground, watching as he hugged his dog's corpse.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being such a coward. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"
And thus, Hercules, the hero, was born. He took his dog's name, as it was the one who taught him to be brave and face his fear.
Legendary Ghost Number 68 admired him because, despite being a coward, he dared to try to save someone. She was a fan of comics, and that scenario seemed perfect for a hero to be born.
She gave Hercules the idea to become a hero, and he accepted.
"Wow… A pretty common and boring start," Star said.
"And what happened after Nancy and Hercules became friends?" Sheik said.
"They became best friends. And she fell in love with him."
For her, he was her first friend… and her first love. Sadly, she never got to tell him how she felt, because Saik killed Hercules.
A young Saik, only seven years old, was about to face an experienced Hercules. A very unfair battle for Saik, as despite having many legendary ghosts under his control, he was still justవ
System: Here's the English translation of the provided text, continuing from where it was cut off:
control, he was still just a kid. He was no match for Hercules, a man with over 100 years of experience.
But thanks to the speed of Number 31, that vast gap between them was narrowed, and combined with the power of the 58 legendary ghosts Saik had, he turned an unfair battle into an even fight.
"I don't want to kill a little kid. Hand over the legendary ghosts you have. You don't know what you're doing. You'll put the world in danger."
"Blah, blah, blah. Listen, so-called hero, I gotta go, I've got a date with a burger. I'll come back to kill you later, I want your legendary ghost too."
"You're not going anywhere."
"You want to kill a little kid? Wow. You're the best hero, huh? They should give you an award for being the greatest hero."
"Please, think carefully about what you're doing. You don't know what you're up against. If you keep this up, the world will be in danger."
"Honestly, I don't care. I have my reasons. Now, tell me, will you let me go?"
"I'm sorry… I can't."
"I see… Number 31, do it."
She, still inside the body of the pregnant woman, stood in front of Hercules.
"Shadow was keeping the baby alive, but since you want to fight…"
"Please, don't do it."
Number 31 left the body, and the lifeless body of the woman fell to the ground.
"She'll die now, along with her mother."
She walked away, and Hercules pulled a knife from his pocket, ready to cut the baby out of the woman.
"I already destroyed its soul," Shadow said, leaving Hercules shaken.
"W-What?"
"It's dead. A baby that could've been born alive died, just because Mr. Hero wanted to kill a little kid."
Shadow started clapping.
"You're truly a real hero, huh? When's your comic coming out?"
"You… You're a monster. Why are you so evil?!"
"Nope. I'm not evil. You're confusing evil with my desire to stay alive. If I'm going to fight, I need all my legendary ghosts, and I destroyed that baby's soul to make you angry. Guess I succeeded."
"Are you really just a kid?! No child is this cruel!"
"Are you going to kill me, or are you going to keep whining?"
Shadow pulled out a knife and threw it at a man, hitting him in the forehead, killing him instantly.
"What?!"
"That man died because you're taking too long."
The knife exploded, killing the seven people nearby.
"And they died too, because you didn't notice the knife had an explosive. Wow, you're a pretty useless hero, in my opinion."
"Damn you!!"
Hercules tried to hit Shadow, but Shadow also tried to attack, and their fists collided.
"And Shadow regretted provoking him."
Hercules' strength was greater, shattering Shadow's fist and severely injuring him. Shadow was too confident because he had the legendary ghost of protection, but even Number 74's protection couldn't withstand Hercules' strength.
"Huh?"
"You're a monster."
It was a long battle, but the outcome was predictable. If Shadow hadn't been overconfident at the start, it would've been an even fight, but because he thought he was more powerful, he ended up humiliated.
Shadow attacked with every power at his disposal, but none were enough to defeat Hercules. Hercules easily destroyed Number 74's shields and could even keep up with Number 31's movements. It was a very unfair battle; it was impossible for Shadow to win.
He tried, he really tried with everything he had, but he couldn't harm Hercules.
"I won't lose… I can't lose!!"
With a weak punch, he hit Hercules in the stomach, but it was so feeble it did no damage.
"I can't… lose."
Shadow fell to his knees.
"You lost."
Victory was assured for Hercules, but…
"It's over for you."
Shadow was on his knees in front of Hercules, and Hercules was about to deliver the final blow, but…
"I just wanted to be normal."
Hercules stopped just before hitting him, because Shadow, though blindfolded, was clearly crying. The tears of a little boy saddened Hercules. Shadow was ruthless and cruel, but he was still just a child.
"I… I didn't want to have the power to see ghosts… I want to be normal… I never asked for this power!"
Shadow pounded the ground in frustration.
"I want to be normal! I want a normal, happy life… I want a normal life."
"…What wish were you going to make?"
Hercules was sensitive to emotions; he could tell when someone was lying, and Shadow didn't seem to be lying.
"I was going to wish to be a normal human… My parents think I'm crazy. No matter how many times I told them the ghosts were hurting me, they never believed me. I want to be normal, I don't want to be a freak. I want friends! I want to be normal… But as long as I have this power, I'll never be normal."
"…I can remove your power."
"Huh?"
Shadow looked up.
"C-Can you do that?"
"Yes. If you promise to release the legendary ghosts under your control, I'll remove your power. Don't worry, I'll make sure your heart doesn't explode."
"T-Thank you… Thank you!!"
Shadow stood up and hugged Hercules tightly. A big hug that touched Hercules.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Feeling Shadow's happiness was enough for Hercules to think the battle was over.
He hugged Shadow tightly and patted his head.
"Everything will be fine. Soon you'll be a normal human…"
An arm pierced through Hercules' chest, ripping out his heart. Number 31's arm, emerging from Shadow's body.
"What?"
"Did you really think I'd believe you?" Shadow said, in his usual cold tone.
Shadow stepped back, and Number 31 took a bite of Hercules' heart.
"Hahahahaha! Did he really fall for the trap?! Hahahahaha! That was pathetic, Mr. Hero!"
Shadow fell to his knees again, vomiting blood.
"I-I'm out of energy. We need to go, 31."
"C-Coward… Coward!"
A young Hanako threw a rock at Shadow's head.
"You're a coward!"
Shadow, seeing her so furious and teary-eyed, simply ignored her.
"Ugh, Berserker Mode at 100% is still painful," Number 31 said.
"At least we won," Shadow said.
Hercules slowly approached Shadow. He would die in seconds, that was inevitable, but he wanted to know how Shadow tricked him, as Shadow hadn't lied with his words, or at least Hercules didn't feel he was lying.
"W-Why…? H-How?"
"You let your guard down and deactivated your legendary ghost to gain my trust, leaving your body vulnerable. You're so stupid, idiot."
"You… really are… evil…"
He was about to collapse dead, but Shadow caught him and placed his hand on Hercules' face.
"…Good… Legendary ghost absorbed… Soul destroyed. You'll never reincarnate. Your story ends here. Incineration."
Hercules' body began to burn, bringing a smile to Shadow's face.
"I defeated you."
A smile that faded when he realized the way he had won.
"Let's go, Number 31."
She carried him in her arms and flew away.
Shadow suffered his most humiliating victory, and for someone like Shadow, it was a heavy blow to his pride.
"And Nancy? Where was she?" Star said.
"She was waiting for Hercules to return, as he had only gone to buy burgers and left Nancy at home watching TV."
She got worried when Hercules didn't come back, and after searching for him for an hour, she found his burned remains, only bones left. It happened to her again. She found someone important to her, dead.
They explained what happened, filling Nancy with rage. So much rage that she swore revenge.
"Blah, blah, blah. She went looking for the remnants of his power to kill Shadow. I managed to convince her to join me, promising to bring Hercules back to life, but on the condition that she not kill Shadow, as I need him. But it seems she forgot."
"I don't think she forgot; she just knew she couldn't defeat Saik," Star said.
"And she prepared for years, though that preparation was useless, as Saik never used his spiritual power," Mike said.
Saik vs. Nancy… Hmm… How will this fight turn out?
•
•
(POV - Saik.)
"Hold on, Saik! Stay with me, don't go toward the light!"
"Ugh… Sylphie, I really appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine… I guess."
"You guess?!"
Ugh… It's been a long time since I've felt this bad. I feel closer to death. Sylphie's worry is justified; I've lost mobility in my body and vision in my eyes.
Who am I kidding? I'm screwed. If it weren't for the care from Mrs. Rosemary's doctors, I'd already be dead.
They also gave me special medicine made by her scientists, so I'll be out of danger soon. I just have to wait.
"Miss, you need to wait outside. Come with me."
"Saik… Please, get better."
"I'll try."
…Sylphie's eyes are teary… She really cares about me, huh? I guess that's good… But… Honestly, I don't know how to feel about it.
She left the room with the doctor, and immediately Yuki and María emerged from the floor beside me. I don't need my vision to sense them.
"Saik, hold on! Do you need blood or an organ?! Don't worry, I'll kidnap whoever's necessary to get the organs you need!" María said.
Idiot, don't say that in front of Yuki… Though I might need new eyes… No, no, my eyes are my mother's legacy, I'll heal them with a legendary ghost.
"Saik, what happened?! Why did you get sick?! Did you eat too much and go swimming?!"
"I don't know, Yuki. I just started feeling bad. I don't know what happened."
I hope Number 1 does her job well. She's lazy, but I'll trust her. Trusting is my only option.
"Yuki, if I die, I want you to know that… That…"
"You're not going to die, Saik!"
"I want you to know that…"
"You won't die!"
"That… That I ate your dog gummies."
"You won't die…! Huh? T-The ones I collect?"
"Yeah, I didn't know you were collecting them. Sorry."
"Uwaaah! Idiot, those gummies were from when I was alive! No wonder you got sick!"
"Yeah, I figured that out when I ate them. My stomach hurt."
"Idiot, you're going to die from starvation! María, they need to clean his stomach!"
Good, Yuki will think my condition is just a stomachache. I don't want to worry her too much.
"I'll be fine, it's just a stomachache. With some rest, I'll be okay. Yuki, go have fun with María."
"Oh… Right! Saik, there are demons in the city! Shadow's fighting them, but it's still dangerous! Tell Sylphie and the others to go back to the hotel!"
"Demons? Shadow? Who's Shadow?"
"Oh, just an arrogant idiot, that's all. Not worth talking about," María said.
Nice acting, María.
"Don't worry, Yuki. I'm sure the ghost hunters will do their job well… Alright… Yeah…"
I'm so sleepy, but I can't fall asleep. I have to wait a bit longer.
"Yuki, could you get me some orange juice?"
"Right away!"
She left the room.
"Ahhhhh! Saik, you idiot! I know perfectly well you're using your soul's power! If you keep this up, you'll die! Use your spiritual power! Don't be stubborn!"
"I promised my parents I'd die as a human, I won't break that promise."
"This is a matter of life and death, don't be stubborn!"
"I won't, and shut up. I'll keep the promise I made to my parents. In my family, we always keep our promises, and I won't make an exception."
"B-But… Faye is as powerful as, or more than, the former wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58, and the wooden doll is much stronger… Without your spiritual power, it'll be hard to defeat her."
"It'll be hard, but not impossible. Nergio will defeat Faye, don't worry. And the wooden doll is almost defeated, just trust."
"But Nergio couldn't stand up to the former wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58. I don't know if he can beat Faye."
"You're forgetting something important. Nergio is my student. And I, as his teacher, am sure he can defeat him."
Nergio, it's time to show your results.
•
•
(POV - Nergio.)
My teacher trusts me. My teacher lent me one of his legendary ghosts. I won't let him down. I'll show him how much I've improved!
"Grrrrrr! Damn you!"
Faye tried to hit me, but I stopped his attack with a shield.
"Heh. My turn."
I jumped and used the shield to hit him in the face. The blow was powerful enough to send him flying, but I won't waste time chasing him!
"Shadow Whip!"
Black tentacles emerged from my shadow and grabbed Faye by the legs, stopping him from going further.
"Now, Number 74! Shadow Armor!"
"It's called Hero Mode. Whatever, fine."
The armor my teacher used against the former wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58. The armor that let him survive a massive bomb explosion!
"Shadow Mode!"
A black armor with a shield. The legendary armor my teacher designed specifically to fight the former wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58.
"And the final touch!"
I can't create a sword like my teacher did, so I made one with my own hands!
One of the Shadow Paradise members threw it to me, and I caught it.
"Shadow Sword!"
A black sword. Simple design, but deadly!
"Don't you think it's a bit too much Shadow? You're such a bootlicker."
Yes, I know perfectly well. I'm a bootlicker. And you know what?
"I'm proud of it."
"Grruaaaaar!!"
Faye roared and lunged at me. I did the same and tried to attack him with the sword.
"I'll cut you down!"
He raised his arm to block the attack. Heh. You fell for it… Huh?
Everything stopped. Just as I swung the sword, everything froze. Who stopped time? My teacher is the only one I know who can do that. It can't be him; he's fighting the wooden doll. And Faye doesn't have that ability.
"Why do you want to be strong?"
That voice… Teacher?!
The place started to change. What's happening?
…Huh? I recognize this place. This is where my teacher told me his reason for wanting to be strong.
That's me and my teacher. What's going on? Is my mind taking damage? I don't understand.
"Why do I want to be strong? To be able to save the world!"
"Tell me your real reason. Why do you want to be strong?"
"But that's my real reason, teacher."
"It's not, and you know it. Why do you want to be strong? You and I both know it's a more personal reason. Don't try to act like a good guy who wants to save the world."
"…My son… He just turned three. His mother was killed by a demon. I was too weak, I couldn't save her. I want to be strong enough to defeat any demon. I want to be able to protect my son."
That is and will always be my only reason. As a member of the Alvanem Rosa family, the safety of the people in this world is and will always be my purpose in life, but my main purpose is my son's safety. If I had to choose between saving my son's life or an entire country, I'd choose my son without hesitation. A selfish decision, but my son is the most important thing in my life. What kind of father wouldn't prioritize his own son's safety?
"Yes, that's your real reason. You don't care about saving the world; all you want is for your family to be safe. Being honest isn't wrong, Nergio. Don't hide your true motives."
"And you, teacher? Why do you want to find the legendary ghosts? Is it just for the wish?"
"Yes, but I also want to protect my parents. The world turned out to be more dangerous than I imagined. I've killed men who planned to rape my mother. I've killed men who planned to murder my father so my mother would be single again… I've seen rapes, murders, cases of pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia… I even saw a group of people who enjoyed killing babies in such cruel and disgusting ways that I don't want to remember. Men prostituting their wives and daughters. Serial killers. Rapists… This world is rotten, Nergio. I've seen with my own eyes what humans are capable of… I want my parents to be safe. I want to prevent some bastard from touching my mother. I want to stop my father from being killed out of envy… I want them to grow old without suffering and die naturally, as old people… That's what I want… And I'm telling you this because I want you to know one thing. I'll do whatever it takes to keep my parents safe, so I'm giving you a warning. If you get in my way, I'll kill you. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way, no matter their age."
"…Teacher… I… I don't know what to say… Pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia…? Teacher, is that why you never smile?"
"I never smile?"
"I've seen you watch cartoons, but you've never smiled, teacher."
"…Honestly, I've never liked smiling. And it's easier to deceive ghosts with an expressionless face… Yeah, that must be why."
But I knew that was a lie he told himself to hide the fact that, after witnessing so many horrible things, his heart couldn't feel happiness anymore, because he unconsciously knows that at any moment, somewhere, someone is committing pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia, rapes, and murders. Knowing the world is a horrible place must've been a devastating blow for my teacher because, though he acted mature, he was still just a seven-year-old kid. Everything he saw affected him so much that he could no longer smile. There's probably a deeper explanation, but in short, my teacher hated being human.
"So, what do you gain by showing me this, Goddess of Ghosts?"
"Heh. As expected from Shadow's student."
Everything dispersed… Completely white… She won't show herself, huh?
"I'm not worthy of seeing you, huh? Who do you think you are? You're not even a real goddess, stop acting like one."
"If you're so curious about what I look like, ask Number 31. And though I'm not a true goddess yet, I will be soon. You'd better start praying to me."
"The closest thing to a god I know is my teacher, and he acts humble despite being so powerful. You're just a simple ghost with delusions of grandeur."
"Heh. No wonder Saik let you be his student. I see no trace of fear in you."
"My teacher is the only one who can scare me. So, what do you want? I'm single, but I'm not interested in dating a so-called goddess. I'll have to reject your confession."
"Hahahahaha! Are you seriously trying to act cool, idiot?! It doesn't suit you, you're too old."
"What do you want?"
"Hmm… Honestly, I just want to see the memories you have with Saik. You know, to better understand his past. I know most of his story, but there are still some memories I haven't seen. I'm missing the memories of Sister Daisy and the drug lord Lalo García, may they rest in peace. I liked Daisy, despite her disturbing past."
…What? Daisy died? When? How? My teacher didn't tell me anything about that. She died…? Yeah, I heard she was depressed and had suicidal thoughts, but I didn't think she'd actually kill herself. What happened to the orphans? Why didn't my teacher tell me anything…? No… Does he even know Daisy died?
And who's Lalo García? An actual drug lord? I heard my teacher had a problem with a criminal organization, but I never heard anything about someone named Lalo García.
There's still so much I don't know about my teacher.
"Well, I don't care."
My teacher has his own life, and being his student doesn't give me the right to know his private life.
"Saik really witnessed horrible things in his life… Heh. I have an idea. Bye!"
"Huh? That's it? And here I thought you'd be the generic villain trying to convince the protagonist's friend to betray him. I had my immediate rejection ready. Can I say it? You know, so it doesn't go to waste."
"You think I'm interested in you? Poor thing. It's rare to see a useless guy with such high self-esteem. Even if you joined me and I gave you more power, you'd never be able to defeat Saik. I'd rather not waste my precious energy on a loser."
"A loser, huh? But you wasted energy on Faye. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"
"Faye will defeat you, it's impossible for you to beat him. Though, since you have your team, you might manage to defeat him, but not before Faye kills you."
"Heh… Heh heh… Hahahahaha!"
"Have you gone crazy already? Wait until Faye has you on your knees."
"Hey, hey, hey. Hey! Why do you think Faye's going to kill me?"
"He saw the love of his life taken by another man. His rage caused the power I gave him to multiply tenfold. No matter what you do, it's impossible to defeat him without dying."
"I think there's a flaw in your hypothesis."
"What?"
"I'm Shadow's student, and I won't let my teacher down. Spirit Mode."
"Huh?"
Everything returned to normal, and I activated my spiritual body, ensuring Faye's punch did no damage.
So-called Goddess of Ghosts, did you really think I wouldn't notice this trap?
You tried to trick me into letting Faye crush my head, but I was underestimated. I'm Shadow's student; a trap like that will never work on me.
"What?!"
I jumped and reactivated my physical body.
I raised my leg and smiled at this idiot.
"I won't lose."
With all my strength, I struck Faye right in the forehead with my heel, and at the same time, Number 74 left my body, and my armor vanished.
Faye fell to the ground, and she stood over his body.
"Do you really think I fell in love with you? I have no memories of you, but it's impossible that I felt anything for you, considering your family enslaved me for over 200 years. Shadow, though he captured me, treats me so well that I don't feel like his property. He erased the horrible memories I had of your family. Do you get what I'm saying? My heart belongs to my true savior. My heart belongs only to Shadow. You just disgust me."
Wow… Considering Faye did all this for her, hearing her say that… even I felt the sting.
He must feel like all his efforts and sacrifices were for nothing. My teacher would be quite pleased with his pain, but I think it's too much. I was lucky to meet the love of my life, may she rest in peace. If she had said the same to me, I might've taken my own life.
"B-But I…"
Is Faye crying? Oh… Wow… I feel a bit sorry for him.
Better not waste time, I need to grab my sword. This isn't over yet.
"I gave my first time to Shadow. I gave him my first kiss too. And according to what Shadow told me, I never kissed you. Did you think it was because I was shy? No. It was because kissing someone like you disgusted me."
Oh, my poor heart. Number 74, you don't need to look at him with disgust while saying that! Faye risked his life to save you… Wow… I really feel so bad for him. I need to end his suffering.
I picked up my sword.
"Shadow… He's manipulating you… You weren't this cruel!"
Denying reality? That's the first step to accepting it.
He stood up. His rage is growing. His power is multiplying.
I hate to admit it, but the Goddess of Ghosts was almost right. Faye is powerful.
But she was only almost right. He turned into an Orc, and his weakness is pretty simple.
"I'll defeat you!!"
I jumped at him, and he turned to face me. I attacked with my sword, and he blocked with his arms. His skin is so tough and resistant that it shattered my sword and didn't even scratch him.
"Useless… Huh?"
"You let your guard down, loser," Number 74 said.
She pierced Faye's back and destroyed his heart with her bare hands, just as planned.
This is a weakness I discovered about special Orcs. Normal Orcs are easy to defeat, but special ones have incredible physical resistance. While watching my teacher's fight with the former wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58, I noticed that as they exchanged blows, the wielder's back was taking damage. My teacher slammed him into the ground multiple times during the fight. During one of those slams, I saw a rock pierce his skin. My teacher's punches didn't seem to hurt him, but a simple rock did.
I had two hypotheses: 1) The Orc's back was weaker than its chest and arms. 2) He could shift his body's hardness depending on the situation.
After the massive explosion that left a crater in the city, both my teacher and the wielder were very weak.
I took advantage of their pause to catch their breath and told my teacher about my hypotheses.
My teacher devised a strategy, and with Number 31, he defeated the wielder. He did exactly what I just did: attacked the wielder with full force with a sword, and when the wielder blocked with his arms, Number 31 pierced his back with her hands, destroying his heart, defeating an enemy that even my entire family together couldn't harm.
Upon examining the body, I discovered the skin could harden, but not all at once. Orcs focus on hardening the skin where they need the most protection, but as a result, the rest of their skin becomes less tough, leaving them vulnerable in those areas.
Faye had a body similar to the former wielder, so I took a risk and mimicked the same strategy my teacher used.
"And it worked!"
Faye fell to the ground, dead.
"In your face, you cheap knockoff goddess! I won!"
"We won. You were the distraction, but I killed him. Saik will give me the reward! I hope it's a big box of candies, cakes, and video games!"
Well, the important thing is we won.
"Let's go, I'll treat you all to dinner…!"
"Leader!"
…My chest was pierced by an arm. I figured. I knew it wouldn't be that easy.
"Heh. Did you think it'd be that easy to defeat me?"
Faye… No, Faye's ghost. Still an Orc, huh? He really sacrificed his humanity for love. So romantic! Though it's unrequited love.
"Die."
He pulled his arm back, smiling victoriously.
Heh. Do you really think I'd die that easily?
"Number 74."
She returned to my body, and I returned his smile.
"Fistfight to the death, Faye?"
"What? Why aren't you dead?!"
"Why? Because I'm not stupid enough to leave my heart unprotected. I'm forbidden from lowering my guard until I'm 100% sure I've won. Why do you think I'm not bleeding? Because I activated my spiritual body when you attacked. I'm unharmed."
"Impossible… You're just a bootlicker!"
"And you're a cuck."
"Incredible, Leader!"
"You nearly gave us a heart attack!"
"That was so cool!"
Heh. I admit, getting praise from the Shadow Paradise members feels great. It's all thanks to my teacher for teaching me never to let my guard down! Without him, I wouldn't be able to stand up to Faye.
"Rest, we'll take care of him for you!"
"No, you'll fight when I'm about to die, don't forget."
I clenched my fists and reactivated the armor.
"We'll fight to the death with just our fists, hope you're ready."
"Tch. You weren't supposed to be this strong. That damn brat tricked me…!"
I appeared in front of him and punched him in the face.
I grabbed his arm, pulled him toward me, and kneed him hard in the stomach.
"Stop crying and fight."
My teacher's favorite fighting style, hand-to-hand combat. Teacher, I won't let you down.
•
•
(POV - Saik.)
The fever's getting worse, I can barely stay awake. If this continues, I'll definitely die.
"What'll be my last words before I die? Should I say something epic or a joke?"
"You're not going to die, Saik! Be strong, it's just a stomachache, don't exaggerate!"
Oh, Yuki… My adorable Yuki, if only you knew this is far more dangerous than a simple stomachache. If I had to compare my pain to something, it'd be like being crushed by an elephant's feet while that damn elephant is jumping. Or like being beheaded alive. I'm so used to pain that I can stay still, not complaining or crying.
"Yuki, please go find my mom. I need to talk to her, but I don't want to leave Saik."
"Okay. Don't you dare die while I'm gone!"
"I'll try."
Yuki floated and passed through the ceiling.
"Saik, this isn't a game anymore! Use your spiritual power and stop using your soul's power! Legendary Ghost Number 19, the Doppelgänger Ghost, can't defeat the wooden doll with just your soul's power! You need to use your spiritual power!"
"I'm not using Legendary Ghost Number 19, and I won't use my soul's power either. Trust her, she'll defeat the wooden doll."
"Her?"
But you're right about one thing, she can't defeat it without help… I'll regret this, and it'll leave me defenseless for weeks, maybe months, but I have to do it.
"Number 3 and Number 67, return and activate your Berserker Modes. The rest, except Number 31, return."
"Huh? Saik, your soul…! Stop!"
Berserker Mode, activated.
"Don't do it!"
"Yay, Master! I'm ready!"
"Heh. You really love pushing your limits, cutie."
Number 3 and Number 67 entered my body, and I jumped out of bed. Number 67, the Ghost of Health, will heal me, but the consequences will be severe.
I can move again.
"I'm begging you, don't do it."
"María, thank you for worrying about me, but I have to ignore you."
I approach the window while María tries to stop me.
"I won't allow it!"
I don't let her touch me, and she passes through my body.
"I forbid you!"
She tries to hit me, but her fists pass through me.
"Don't do it…! Don't do it!"
I patted her head.
"Tell Yuki they took me to a hospital."
I activated my Shadow form and opened the window.
"I'll be back soon."
I jumped out the window and landed on the ground after falling at least 40 floors.
"Let's go."
I started running as fast as possible, dodging people in my way.
"It's been a while since you've pushed yourself this hard, Master. Is that wooden doll really that powerful?"
"No, the eight-year-old Shadow could defeat her without a problem."
"Have you gotten weaker?"
"No, I just limited what I can do."
I won't use my spiritual power again… I won't.
•
•
(POV - Number 31.)
"What?"
"Heh. I guess my cute boyfriend decided to kill you himself."
Saik, even though you were about to defeat her, you chose to fight personally to protect me! I'll give you a big kiss when you get here, my hero!
Though… Well, I admit I don't have the energy to keep fighting, but neither does this little one. She just needs the final blow!
The plan went exactly as you said, darling. It was gross having to kiss and sleep with Number 74, but the sacrifice will be worth it! You promised on your parents' memory that you'd sleep with me if I did my job well, and I held up my end…! Ugh… I wish I could get pregnant and have your baby. Sometimes I hate being a ghost.
It hurt to cheat on you with Number 74, but you forced me, so it doesn't count as cheating! Besides, Number 74 was the one who took it, so I'm still only yours, darling!
Only yours… Heh. I can already imagine everything you'll do to me and what I'll do to you in bed. I need to buy melted chocolate! Should I buy condoms too? I can't get pregnant, but I'm curious about the sensation.
Condoms, chocolate… Hmm… Yeah, that should be enough.
"You're not Saik… And why are you drooling, you pervert? You disgust me."
"Sorry, I was craving something I was imagining. A delicious Saik with melted chocolate all over his chest and his…"
"Ahhhhh! Shut up, you pervert! Why are you here?! Where's Saik?!"
"Who…? Oh, my cute boyfriend. Sorry, I didn't recognize him because I call him 'sweetie.' You're jealous, I know. My boyfriend's super handsome, I don't blame you."
"Who's jealous of you?! You're crazy! I'd never be interested in that freak! Why would I be jealous?!"
"Because my boyfriend's alive. Your Hercules is very dead. Did you love him? It's pretty obvious from your reactions when his name comes up. My sweet little love is very much alive, but Hercules isn't just dead, his soul was destroyed. You'll never see him again, not in hell or as a ghost. Hahahahaha! It was so fun watching him die so pathetically. How do I know?"
I raised my arm.
"Because I killed him. With this arm, I pierced his chest and destroyed his heart. Saik gave the order, but I was the one who killed him. And believe me, I enjoyed it a lot. It was so pathetic! He completely fell for my darling's act!"
"Shut up."
"He didn't even get a funeral. Saik burned his body until nothing was left. He said he didn't want any trace of him left in this world. Poor thing, the love of your life died, and you couldn't even see him one last time."
"I told you to shut up."
Heh. She's getting angrier by the second.
"That idiot had the advantage over Saik, but he died because he was stupid. He was a coward."
"SHUT UP!!"
Perfect, she's lost control of her emotions. Sweetie, I've got her ready for you! Now it'll be easier to defeat her! Now that she's lost control, her movements will be clumsier… Uh… Is she emitting more negative energy? This has to be a joke!
"You'll regret this…"
Her body is changing… It's getting bigger… Oh… She turned into a dragon made of negative energy?! It's smaller than the famous dragons from fantasy stories, about the size of a man, but I feel immense power in her! This should be impossible! Why does she still have so much negative energy?! This is illogical…! Oh… M-My legs won't respond.
I fell to my knees. My energy… I don't have any energy left to move. I'm at my limit.
"You'll regret this!!"
She's coming for me. I don't have the energy to dodge her attack. If her claw pierces my body, my soul will be destroyed. I… I can't do anything. Will I die without seeing my darling one last time…? No… No! 31, Saik promised to protect you! You have to believe in him! If Saik promised, he'll keep it. Saik won't let me die, he'll protect me. He protects me, and I protect him. He'll save me. I won't die.
Her claw is inches from my face. I use my special power to see it in slow motion. I can use my power without spending energy since I'm not moving, but that doesn't mean I can use it for long.
It's inches from my face, getting closer. It'll pierce my eyes with its claws, but I refuse to close them. If I close my eyes, it'll be like admitting I'm going to die. I won't die. Saik will protect me. Saik always protects me. I have to believe in him. I won't die, Saik will save me.
Three centimeters… I won't close my eyes. I won't die… Saik will protect me!
"Ruaaaaaj!!"
"Phew… Alright, I made it in time. I had like five heart attacks while running. I think I should cut back on sugar for a while… Nah, never mind."
Yes… I knew it… I knew it!
"Love!"
Saik arrived just in time! He landed hard on the dragon, stopping her from hurting me! Such an epic entrance, I had an orgasm just watching!
I tried to jump on him, but I can't move. Ahhhhh! I want to hug him and kiss him! Body, move…! Huh? Did Saik hug me?! Am I dreaming?!
"You did well, Number 31. It's my turn. Go back."
"Y-Yes… Give her what she deserves!"
It's time to show Shadow's true power!
•
•
(POV - Saik.)
I made it in time… Way too in time… Isn't that too convenient? It's definitely too convenient… Well, whatever, it benefits me, so I won't think about it… Ugh.
I ducked, leaning back, managing to dodge the dragon's claws, but they grazed my chest. I'm bleeding… Bleeding… My body's wounded. I'm too weakened, but even so, the fact that she managed to hurt me with her claws made me realize the immense power she still has.
This is a nonsensical situation. She wasn't supposed to have any energy left to move. Where is she getting so much… power…? Souls… The power of souls.
"Can you absorb souls?"
She tries to attack me, and I have no choice but to dodge her attacks. I can't absorb souls, I can only destroy them. How is it possible that she can do that? It makes no sense.
The Goddess of Ghosts' minions… What are they, really? A man with incredibly tough and resistant skin, and a wooden doll that can absorb souls… Why is this happening to me? I just want a normal life… A normal life… I want to be a normal student. I don't want to be involved in this.
"I just want to live a normal life. I won't let you ruin my normal life."
I caught her claws with my hands.
"And I'll do whatever it takes to achieve it."
I jumped with her to a great height. I can see the whole city from here, so it's the perfect height.
The same move that left a crater in the city. Thousands of people will die this time, as it's peak tourism season. Babies, children, women, men, and the elderly will die because of me.
Same scenario, same power, same exhaustion. The same as what happened with the wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58… But this time, this move will be the last. I don't have energy for another.
I started spinning in the air as we fell. Hundreds of spins per second. A move I stole from the former wielder of Legendary Ghost Number 58.
I don't know the science behind this move; I'm not smart enough to know for sure. All I know is that, thanks to the speed at which we're falling, which keeps increasing, combined with our resistant bodies and the ever-increasing rotation of our bodies, we become something like a meteor that didn't disintegrate as it fell.
And as a result, this happens.
•
•
María is on the hotel rooftop with Yuki, looking at the city.
"Are we witnessing the start of an epidemic? How is it possible that so many people are getting sick? Even Sylphie and Ludius got sick."
"I don't know."
"I just hope Saik recovers…"
A massive explosion shook the entire area, and far from the hotel's location, in the city center, a shockwave destroyed everything in its path. A huge explosion that instantly killed over 100,000 people, and that number kept rising.
"Huh?!"
"Yuki, don't look!"
María covered Yuki's eyes.
"It's happening again," María thought, worried.
•
•
Nergio and Faye punched each other in the face at the moment of the explosion.
"Teacher!"
Faye took advantage of the distraction to hit him, knocking him to the ground.
Exhausted and panting, Faye smiled victoriously.
"I won…"
A knife pierced his left eye, and he screamed in pain as each Shadow Paradise member drew their weapons.
"Leader, you've done more than enough."
"It's our turn."
"A bunch of filler characters can't defeat me!"
Faye began taking hits from bullets and knives. Attacks that pierced his body far too easily.
Number 74 emerged from Nergio's body and saw Faye, who fell to his knees, agonizing. The Shadow Paradise members' weapons couldn't harm a living Faye, but they were highly effective against Faye's ghost. Nergio knew this, which is why he wasn't worried. He knew they'd win, but he kept fighting Faye with his fists just to see how much he'd improved.
"Any last words?"
"I… will always love you, Number 74."
"I never loved you, and I'll probably ask my master to erase these memories I have of you. I'll never remember your last words, nor will I know you did all this for me. In short, you'll die for nothing. Your sacrifice was in vain. Goodbye."
"N-No…" was all Faye could say, tears in his eyes.
He wanted to say more, but his time ran out.
The sword-wielding members jumped on Faye and pierced his back, destroying his soul.
"Well, Nergio, you did pretty well. Now, please, tell me what that was! Was that a nuclear explosion?! We were lucky not to get caught in it!"
"My teacher just did what was necessary to win."
Faye vs. Nergio. Result: Victory for Nergio.
Faye vs. Nergio 2. Result: Tie.
Faye vs. Shadow Paradise Members. Result: Crushing victory for Shadow Paradise.
•
•
(POV - Saik.)
"N-No… T-This… can't… b-be… h-happening."
I can't move, but neither can this ghost girl. A tie? Wow… It's my first time tying. These are the consequences of not using my spiritual power. I'm 100% sure I could've defeated her in just a few minutes, maybe less, if I had used it… But I won't break my promise.
"Y-You… are… definitely… a monster."
"I just do what's necessary to survive, that's all."
"Yeah, right… M-Make all the… e-excuses you want… but that doesn't change… the fact… that you're a monster."
…I'm not… I just did what was necessary to win… I'm not a monster… I'm not.
"Well, what do we have here? A little girl. Did someone so adorable cause so much trouble?"
Rosemary arrived quickly.
"Tch. If you're going to kill me, do it."
"Answer my question first. Where's Hercules?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"The soul identical to Hercules' soul that was seen in the Capital, where is it?"
An identical soul…? No… I won't think about it. If I think about it, I'll get involved. I just want to go back to my normal school life.
"N-No… Is he… still alive…?"
I slowly raised my hand and placed it on her face.
"Goodbye."
"No, wait, please! Is Hercules still alive?! Please, if you see him, tell him that…!"
I destroyed her soul, and her spiritual body dispersed before she could finish speaking.
I won't get involved with that issue, I won't hear any more.
"Please, take me to a hospital."
"We need to cover you up, you're back to your normal form."
"Yes… Thank you…"
Finally… I can sleep.
(Extra - Legendary Ghost Number 9, the Ghost of Boredom.)
(POV - Saik, age 6.)
Ugh… Ahhhhh! So boring. Why did they hire someone to help me study?! And he's such a boring guy. I bet he has no friends at school.
Studying in the library makes it even more boring. Ahhhhh… I want to go home.
"Did you understand?"
"Uh… Well… I guess. Why are we studying in the library and not at my house? I'd be more comfortable at home and could focus better."
"Huh? But you're the one who asked to study here."
Oh… Right, one of Number 7's servants found Legendary Ghost Number 9 here. The boredom is affecting me!
"Hahahahaha! Done!"
Number 4 placed a young guy with glasses, acne, chubby, and a boring hairstyle on the table… What is this?
"Hey, pay attention."
"Yeah, yeah, he looks like an idiot, but it's part of his power. Legendary Ghost Number 9, the Ghost of Boredom."
…Oh… No wonder I'm so bored here… Seriously… The powers of legendary ghosts are weird.
"Saik, pay attention!"
"Quiet, we're in a library!"
"S-Sorry."
Heh. He got scolded.
I absorbed Legendary Ghost Number 9.
"Saik, you need to take your… studies seriously… Are you bleeding?!"
Ugh… Well, at least I have another legendary ghost. Nine legendary ghosts under my control, 91 to go.