CHAPTER 59 - The Island. Part 2.
(Pov - Saoto.)
Well, the job as a waiter is turning out better than I imagined. I thought it would be more complicated, but the test in the Capital is actually quite easy. But if it's so easy, why did a Class C student drop out? That was weird. Did they have family problems? If so, I'll pray for them to be resolved.
"I know all too well the pain people feel because of those kinds of problems."
Family problems… We all have them, and we all have different ways of trying to solve them.
Unfortunately, nothing is working for me.
My father keeps letting my mother take advantage of him.
My mother doesn't stop drinking every day.
And my sister is becoming more rebellious every day, her grades are getting worse, and I even suspect she's stealing money from me… Will my problems ever be solved?
"I hope so… I hope so."
It's my break, I have 30 minutes to eat, but I'm not hungry… Well, I'll go for a walk.
So many problems in my head… Ah, I don't know what to do.
I left the restaurant and started walking, with no particular direction, just walking.
I don't know what to do about Saik. Because of him, we lost class points. We'll drop to Class C if we fail the test.
I don't know what to do… Talking to him definitely won't work.
I spoke to Ram about it, but he only told me that making him angry will just bring negative consequences, that I should leave him alone. But if I don't do something about it, our class will be in danger… What can I do?
"I don't know… I don't know."
… Oh… A high school. And it looks like they're holding an event.
Well, I don't have any money, but at least I can look. Entry is free at these kinds of public school events.
I entered the school, observing the tables where students were selling the food they prepared. Wow, the theme is dogs… That's right, the Day of the Dog God is coming up soon.
"What are you doing, idiot?!"
"Do you have a problem with us?!"
… Are they talking to me? What did I do?
"Yeah? What's wrong?"
One of them grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. Huh? What's wrong with these students? I didn't do anything wrong.
"You almost bumped into me! Watch where you're walking!"
Wow… I guess I got too distracted looking at the food stalls.
"Sorry, it was an accident."
"If you want to avoid trouble, you'll have to pay, pretty boy."
… That phrase… "If you want to avoid trouble, you'll have to pay"…
That disgusting phrase brings back bad memories… Horrible memories… I'd rather not think about it.
"I don't want to get into trouble, and I'm not giving you any money either. Please, leave me alone."
"Oh, poor little thing, he wants us to leave him alone."
"Let's teach him a lesson!"
I don't want to get beaten up, but I also don't want to get into trouble. It'd be best to leave.
"Idiots, you're scaring the customers!"
… A girl hit them on the head. Ouch… Ouch! She hit them way too hard! Why?! They could get seriously hurt! A bad blow to the head can kill anyone!
"H-Hey, violence wasn't necessary!"
"Tch. I hate goody-two-shoes like you. Get out of my sight."
Yeah, I have a feeling it's best to leave. If I stay any longer, I'll get into unnecessary trouble. I don't want to cause problems for my class.
"Goddamn it, Rossy! That hurt!"
"You're lucky you're a girl!"
"As if I'm scared of you! Move your asses and come with me, I don't have all day!"
"Tch. Why should we…?"
"Move your asses!!"
"Y-Yes!"
The two of them ran away from her… Oh… That girl is scary. Well, at least she seems like a good person… in her own way.
I'd better go.
I walked away from her and headed toward the exit. I wanted to stay and look, but I'd rather not risk getting into trouble… Oh, my phone is vibrating.
I took out my phone… Oh… I guess this is good news, at least for Class B.
[Danny Diaxloc, Class C student, expelled from the special test. Reason: losing a competition.]
Danny… Hmm… Honestly, I don't know who he is.
He lost a competition? I guess he was at the camp.
I didn't know that was possible… I hope my classmates pass the competitions.
For now, we have the advantage over Class C. Two Class C students are no longer participating in the special test. If this keeps up, we'll definitely stay in Class B.
Well… I'd better get back to work.
•
•
(Pov - Sylphie.)
"It was easier than I thought. Them thinking you were a brainless idiot gave us the advantage, Sylphie."
"Y-Yeah… I guess that's good… I guess…"
Ouch, it hurt that the other classes think I'm an idiot. I'm not an idiot, I'm average! Besides, thanks to Saik, I'm starting to stop being an idiot!
At least we got the luxury class because they underestimated me.
Class A faced Class B in a quiz competition to earn points and have a chance at the luxury class.
Thanks to Ram, we beat Class A, and then we faced Class C, which had defeated Classes D and E.
And Ram took the opportunity to try to expel a Class C student with a risky bet. He wagered that if they won, Ram would be expelled, but if Ram won, a Class C student would be expelled. But even though they refused, they accepted the bet in exchange for changing expulsion to simply being removed from the special test.
Ram agreed, and we ended up winning.
Class C accepted the bet because I have a bad reputation for being the worst in my class, and they thought that even if they couldn't beat Ram, together they could outdo her, not even considering me a threat. And I ended up answering all the questions correctly! Hehe. All those hours studying with Saik are paying off!
One student was expelled from the special test, and we got the luxury class. My luck is turning around! We were lucky that everyone agreed to move up the tests to get new classes.
Now that we're in the luxury class, we'll be allowed to use our phones and have internet access. And what does that mean? I can keep reading!
Without wasting any more time, I lay down on my comfortable bed and opened the app where Saik uploaded his novels.
I have to admit, I'm not a fan of reading, but even if this were the most boring book in the world, I'd enjoy it because Saik wrote it.
Oh… My heart is beating so fast… I miss Saik. I got too used to his presence.
I wonder what he's doing.
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
Ah… This is so relaxing.
No stalker ghosts, no ghost hunters trying to kill themselves to take me down, no annoying classmates, no Sylphie constantly wanting to talk to me, no bothersome students… Ah, yes, this is definitely what I needed. Some alone time with Yuki, in the pool, floating without a care.
"Ah, yes, I absolutely love the silence."
"Yeah, I admit this dark and quiet atmosphere is growing on me. But, Saik, I have a question… Why are you in the water at 2 in the morning?! Don't you feel cold?!"
I paid points to use the pool at this hour, 300 positive points. I currently have 24,133 positive points. Yesterday I had 25,359. Ah, I think I'm using too many points, I need to control myself better.
Using the pool at this hour is forbidden, but the president helped me convince them to let me use it. Well, I owe her a favor, I'll pay her back later.
Ah, the student council has more power than I thought. Does that make any logical sense? Of course not, but I won't think about it anymore.
The reason I wanted to use the pool at this hour is the silence and the cold. I love the cold. It makes me feel… weird… I don't know how to explain it… It just relaxes me a lot to swim in cold water.
This relaxing atmosphere helps me think clearly about my future actions and come up with possible solutions to my problems.
"The island test starts today… And… Ah… Yuki, I'll be completely honest with you."
"Huh? Is something wrong?"
Yuki is a woman. She may have zero experience in romance, just like me, but that doesn't change the fact that she's a woman. Her advice would be very helpful in winning Naima's heart.
"Yuki, I like Naima."
"What?! You like that girl?! Why?! She's unbearable! Why do you want to be her friend?!"
… She misunderstood my feelings.
"When I say I like Naima, I mean I'm romantically interested in her. I want her to be my girlfriend."
"… Huh?"
"Do you have any advice you can give me?"
"… Huh?"
"Yuki?"
"… Huh?"
Huh? What? Why isn't she saying anything?
She's just staring at me… Ah… This got awkward.
"Are you okay?"
"… Huh?"
Why is she acting like this? Is it that surprising that I have feelings for Naima? Are Naima and I that different…? Well, yes, we're actually very, very different, but at the same time, we're similar in the way we think.
I like Naima mainly because she's a girl who doesn't let herself be intimidated, but she's also capable of doing whatever it takes to protect what she loves and what's important to her.
If for some reason I decide not to kill myself (though I doubt it), I'd like to have Naima as my wife. I think I could find the happiness of a family with her.
But honestly, I don't feel like living. I just want to experience romance because I've never experienced it, but that doesn't mean I don't want to kill myself.
"Hey, Yuki, aren't you overreacting?"
"… Huh?"
Ah… Yes, I admit Naima is almost the complete opposite of my mother. My mother was very beautiful, and Naima, while cute, isn't anything extraordinary. An 8 out of 10. But personally, people's appearances don't matter to me. If Naima were morbidly obese, I'd still have fallen for her. What I liked about her is her personality.
And her personality is also the complete opposite of my mother's. Naima is aggressive and violent, unlike my mother, who hated violence and preferred to solve problems through dialogue. My mother was a sensitive person who felt bad seeing others suffer, but I doubt Naima is that sensitive; she only cares about her own well-being… and that of her family.
My mother always had a smile on her face, but Naima is always expressionless or angry.
But the one thing they have in common, and what matters most to me, is that Naima, like my mother, doesn't let anyone intimidate her, doesn't let anyone take advantage of her, and always looks out for her family.
I admired… I admire my mother because, despite the circumstances, despite the fact that I, her son, turned out to be a weirdo and a disappointment, she never stopped loving me and always looked for ways to help me improve… But I didn't take it seriously, because all I cared about was capturing legendary ghosts and improving my control over them.
Even though I was the worst in my class, even though I never had friends, even though I was always getting into trouble, even though I never improved at anything, she kept loving me and always looked for ways to make me better. Of course, my father helped me a lot too, but my mother had a bigger impact on me. Why? Honestly, I think it's because I resemble my mother more than my father, at least in appearance.
"Yuki?"
"… Huh?"
Ah… Hmm… The security cameras are on, but I'm whispering, so even if they were recording audio, they wouldn't hear me. And the bracelets aren't activated yet (I still haven't confirmed if they'll record audio). I don't have a bad feeling, so I think I'll be fine.
"Sorry about this."
I activated just her back for less than a second, enough time for her to feel the cold water on her back without disturbing the pool water.
Feeling the cold water, she immediately floated away, complaining.
"Kya! Cold, cold! Why did you do that?!"
"To make you react. Are you okay now?"
"I should be the one asking that! Are you okay, mentally speaking?!"
"Yeah, I feel fine. Why?"
"Because no one in their right mind would fall for someone as unbearable as Naima! Ahhhhh! There are so many better options, and you go for the worst one! Fall for Sylphie, or at least Hanako! Why did you fall for that hateful Naima?! It makes no logical sense!"
"Ah, yeah, I agree. Love is a mystery."
"Ahhhhh! I don't understand anything anymore! And I won't help you win Naima over! She doesn't have my approval! Only Sylphie has my blessing!"
"And here I was thinking of buying you lots of dresses and desserts."
"That won't work this time! Nothing will convince me to help you! Not with Naima!"
"I'll buy you anything."
"I don't want it!"
"I'll do whatever you want?"
"I don't care! No means no! I won't help you this time! Naima doesn't have my approval! I hate her!"
… Ah… Yuki flew off… Does she hate her that much? Why?
Ah… Yuki, if you knew Naima's life, you wouldn't hate her; on the contrary, you'd admire her.
Naima is the woman I've been looking for… Well, at least since I found out it's normal for students to want a girlfriend.
Ah… Well, I won't be able to count on her help… Who else can I ask for advice?
Fortunately, none of my legendary ghosts overheard me. If number 31 finds out I like Naima, it might try to kill her. I need to keep it from them, at least for a while.
"Can I join you?"
"If you want to get sick with me, sure, come in."
"I just want to dip my feet."
The president sat on the edge and put her legs in the water. Still in her uniform? I guess she doesn't want to swim with me.
"Do you want to get sick, Saik?"
"Not really, I just want to relax. I won't be able to relax as much on the island. By the way, president, what special test are you doing?"
"Also on an island, though our special test is in groups, not pairs."
"I see… You know, president, talking to you is easier than I thought. I guess it's because I admire you a bit. Haven't we met before?"
"Unfortunately, no, though I did meet your father during a university visit with my father. He was a really fun man, but also an excellent professor… You know, I envy you; both your father and mother were incredible. My parents are good at business, but business bores me."
"I'd rather not keep talking about them."
"Yeah, I understand… Just one question, Saik. Why did you show your potential in high school and not before?"
"You've asked me that before."
"Just answer, please."
"I was just lazy, I didn't try at all. After my parents' deaths, I promised myself I'd be the kind of student they wanted me to be… And I don't have potential, call it effort. I hate the word prodigy; it just takes value away from effort."
"Effort, huh? I see… So… Want to be my husband?"
"No, but thanks for the offer."
I saw that proposal coming. After all, my family's last name still holds value in society, despite me becoming poor. And that value is increasing thanks to my new perfect grades. If I marry a woman from a prestigious family, the value of that family's name would rise. After all, I'm the son of two people who were very important in the country.
The president, after hearing my rejection, simply smiled and ran her right hand through the water.
"Well, at least I tried."
"Let me guess, escaping an arranged marriage?"
"More or less. I'm an only child, so I'll have to have a child in the future to keep my family's name alive."
"And marrying someone wealthy not only guarantees a child but also financial security. Yeah, yeah, I know all too well the excuses parents give their daughters to accept arranged marriages. Fortunately, my parents only tried it once and never did it again."
And I think they did it because my aggressive behavior scared women away, and they were afraid I'd die alone without ever having loved. Don't worry, parents, I've finally found love.
"Yeah… You know, marrying you wouldn't be so bad. After all, I think you're my type."
"… President, you barely know me, and I highly doubt you're the kind of girl who'd decide something like that so quickly."
And here's my second theory, the one I think is more likely.
"You won't fool me so easily, president. I know human malice all too well and what humans are capable of to achieve their goals. I won't feel pity, empathy, or consider you a friend. Doing that would only make me lower my guard around you."
"Oh… Hehe… Well, well."
The president clapped twice and winked at me.
"Once again, you've managed to figure out my plans. Not bad, Saik."
"No girl in her right mind would ask a guy she barely knows to be her husband, especially not someone like you, president, such a smart girl. And I also know you want to get to know me better, understand my reactions and way of thinking. You want to know me to use it against me in the future. It's something I'd do too. Am I wrong?"
"Hmm… Hey, Saik, let's make a bet. If you win, I'll give up on you and stop trying to convince you to join the student council. And if I win, you'll either join the student council or marry me when you graduate. Your choice."
"… I don't think you're joking anymore."
"Because I have a feeling having you as a husband would be pretty interesting. My life wouldn't be boring."
"Sorry, but no. Find someone else. I'm not interested."
"That's a shame, though I saw it coming. Not even as friends? You know, to get to know each other better."
"I don't want to get involved with the student council, much less with more students. I want a quiet and solitary school life, and having you as a friend would ruin my peaceful life."
"Ouch. I think you hurt my heart."
"I'm just being honest."
"You're more sadistic than I imagined… What kind of life have you had, Saik? You're so mysterious, I can't even decipher your actions."
"I guess a boring one."
"I highly doubt that."
Ah… This conversation dragged on. She's doing all this just to see how I react. Ah, this is boring.
"I'm going to bed."
I got out of the pool and pushed my hair back to look the president in the eyes.
"Your goals are completely different from mine, don't forget that."
"Yes, I can tell," she said, smiling.
"Then stop trying to manipulate me. Goodbye."
I walked away and took a deep breath. I may be an idiot when it comes to academics, but I have plenty of experience with human malice. I've seen with my own eyes how cruel and disgusting a person can be. I saw with my own eyes a little girl being raped. I saw with my own eyes a man killing puppies with boiling water. I've seen with my own eyes men and women having sex with corpses, even in a state of decomposition… I've seen so many things in my life that I've become a bit desensitized, I admit. But that doesn't mean I don't know when someone is trying to deceive or manipulate me.
The president, even if she's somewhat honest about the marriage thing, 90% of her words are meant to provoke a reaction from me, whether it's nervousness, fear, surprise, whatever. She's trying to figure me out to know how to use me. I met someone like her in the past, Sister Daisy, and thanks to her, I can devise strategies against the president.
"… Strategies?"
Am I really thinking about strategies? What kind of normal student would be making strategies to defeat another student? What kind of normal school would have a student council with so much power? What kind of normal school is this?
I made a huge mistake enrolling in this school, but there's no turning back now. I have to face the consequences of my actions.
President, you're ruining my peaceful school life.
And that will have consequences.
"… Huh? Wait a second…"
I went back to the pool.
"Changed your mind, Saik?"
"I realized I still have an hour left of my pool time. You're the one who should leave."
"And you're not going to invite me to swim? Oh, and here I thought you were a gentleman."
"Do whatever you want, as long as you don't try anything weird again."
I got back in the water. I paid for it, I'm going to enjoy it.
•
•
(Pov - Kevs.)
"Tch. Do I really have to sleep in this disgusting place?"
Oh, sorry for being poor, Your Majesty. I'd say it out loud, but I'd probably end up with a few broken bones.
Well, we made it to my house. My small, humble little house. Say what you want about my house, Elves, but this place is my home, and I'm not ashamed of it.
Fortunately, I managed to convince the Elves to act like normal people, meaning they don't belittle humans in public or insult anyone. It was pretty easy to convince them, after all, if they stand out, they're basically dead, that simple.
"All done, I paid the servant who brought us. Now what?"
It's my first time using a taxi. They're so expensive! That's why I prefer biking or running. I exercise and save money at the same time.
Well, at least Syln paid. I don't know where she gets the money, but the less I know about that, the better.
I already talked to my grandpa on the phone and explained the situation. In exchange for an increase in my scholarship, I'll have to provide temporary housing for two foreign students. That's my excuse.
It's very suspicious, especially considering my financial situation and my small house, but I made up that the students want to experience what it's like to live in poverty for a research project. It's ridiculous, but it worked.
These Elves will buy a bed tomorrow… Well, today. In the meantime, I kindly offered them my bed. And I think the Elves can see the future, because before I could even offer my bed, they hit me and forced me to give it to them!! Damn savage Elves!
Ah… Calm down, Kevs, calm down. At least they promised to act like humans in public, so I won't have to worry about them beating me up all the time.
"Don't forget what I told you, please. The fewer people know the truth, the better."
"Tch. I don't know if I can handle this," said the princess.
Is it that hard to treat me nicely, you lunatic?!
Ah… No, Kevs, don't get mad. It's not worth it.
But, Kevs, our problems have multiplied! The Elves aren't our only issue, there's also the problem with Class C! I was the first to quit! They'll probably strip me of my vice-president position, and I won't be useful to Tanya anymore, which might lead to my expulsion!
Ahhhhh! This is the worst…! I mean… Yesterday was the worst day of my life!
Ah… Well, something good came out of all this. I confirmed that alternate worlds exist, where magic and fantasy beings are real.
Considering Angel's story, I think there might have been more people from this world who went to another world and had a magical adventure… Oh, poor thing. Angel had the bad luck of being kidnapped by pedophile rapist demons. According to Syln, Angel was raped every day for over 10 years, in thousands of different ways… And he was also brutally tortured for years, just for fun.
According to Syln, the reason the demons kidnapped Angel and did all that to him was to create magical weapons from his negative emotions, like pain, sadness, resentment, rage… Oh, poor thing.
In the morning, I'll skip all the rapes and tortures and watch when Angel finally managed to escape at 23 years old, and became a total badass! Syln told me even I'd fall for him because of how powerful and cool he was, though now that my expectations are so high, I'll probably end up disappointed.
The Elves admire him so much, so Syln is probably exaggerating. I shouldn't have such high expectations.
"Grandpa!"
I knocked hard on the door.
"I'm com—!"
The door opened faster than I expected, and my grandpa hugged me tightly. Ahhhhh! His beard is tickling my face!
"Congratulations on getting that scholarship increase, Kevs! You definitely deserve it!"
I'd rather not have that extra income. In exchange for that money (which is probably dirty), I'll have to take care of an arrogant, annoying Elf… Why does life hate me?! Was my past life a total jerk? Or maybe I was just too lucky in my past life, and now I have to suffer… Ahhhhh! It's not fair!
"Thanks so much, Grandpa, but your beard is tickling me!"
"And I assume these are the students."
My grandpa let me go and offered his hand to each of them. P-Please, act like I told you. Please don't do anything stupid. My grandpa is a good person (though a bit too extroverted), trust him!
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Thank you for welcoming us into your home. I assure you we won't cause any trouble," said Syln.
… Huh?
"My name is Emily Leah, I hope we get along, sir," said the princess.
…
…
…
Are they seriously acting this well?! Thank you, God!! I admit I didn't have high expectations, but thank you for behaving so well! Even though deep down they're arrogant, violent bitches who've probably killed humans before.
… That's right, they're more dangerous than I thought. Have they ever killed humans for fun?
Kevs, you'll die if you ask them.
Aren't you overreacting, Kevs? Sure, we might end up with a few broken bones, but they wouldn't dare kill us, Kevs.
Oh, yeah, you're right. After all, they need us alive.
"Come in, come in, dinner's ready."
Since we had to wait for Syln to deal with some issue, we arrived at my house very, very late.
I think she met with the Elves who live here, but I won't ask anything about it. The less I know, the better.
We entered my house. Ah… It's not hard to feel that the Elves are disgusted by my humble home. Sorry for not having a luxury mansion, you…!
No, Kevs, don't get mad! If they somehow realize I insulted them in my mind, they'll beat me up. I'd better act like nothing's wrong.
My humble little house is small and has two bedrooms. Mine and my grandpa's. One bathroom, a kitchen that's in the same space as the dining room… And that's it.
It's very small, but at least it's comfortable enough for two people… But now I'll have to share it with two more people… No, two Elves.
I'll give them my room and sleep with my grandpa, on the floor, since his bed is single, and I won't let my grandpa sleep on the floor.
My bed is also single, so I guess Syln will sleep on the floor. Tomorrow… Today, the bed they bought will arrive, but for now, they'll have to make do with mine.
… What? That smell…
… Burgers…? Homemade burgers?! What?!
"Hey, Grandpa, why did you buy burger meat?! With that money, we could've eaten for three days!"
Even more! This kind of luxury is only for birthdays!
"Oh, relax, Kevs. We have to celebrate this special moment! Little by little, your efforts are paying off! This little celebration will help you realize that all your hard work will be rewarded. It won't always come early, but you'll get it. Now, let's eat!"
… My efforts are paying off?
I wish. But unfortunately, it's the opposite. At least with my scholarship, I can pay for school, but now I have to deal with two unbearable Elves, my girlfriend… My ex-girlfriend cheated on me, Tanya is manipulating me, oh, and Danny was expelled from the special test! Class C is in danger of dropping to Class D because of me! After all, even though Danny was expelled from the special test, I'm the vice-president, I have no excuse for quitting… Oh, yeah, I'll resign as vice-president. I don't deserve it, and I won't have time for it either.
… Wait… Danny… Danny… He's the guy my ex-friends fell for at the same time! And knowing their personalities… No, no, no. Oh, please, don't let love blind them. If they quit the special test to be with him at school, we'll definitely drop to Class D!
Ah… I definitely need to be a good traitor so I can join Tanya's class.
… I wonder how Vanessa's doing on the island… Oh, right, it's just starting today.
Hey, wait, Kevs.
What's up?
Why are you worrying about Vanessa? She cheated on us!
… Yeah, but… Can't we at least stay friends with her?
No! She betrayed us! Don't forgive her! A betrayal should never be forgiven! If she betrayed us once, she'll do it again! Don't trust anyone, only trust yourself!
… Not trust anyone…? Yeah… I guess if I don't trust anyone, I won't get hurt… Yeah… Yeah.
I sat on the chair and sighed.
Grandpa, you're so happy for me… If only you knew I'm at the lowest point of my disgusting, pathetic life.
My only friends abandoned me. My ex-girlfriend cheated on me. Tanya is manipulating me. Class C is getting worse. And let's not forget I'm now the slave of two Elves… Grandpa, you're the only good thing left in my life. I keep living only because you want me to move forward, I don't want your efforts to pay for my school and supplies to be in vain… But… I don't think I feel like living.
I wonder if… will I ever enjoy life again?
I don't know… I don't know.
(Extra - Legendary Ghost Number 17, the Ghost of Betrayal.)
(Pov - Saik, age 6.)
"Ah… I want to see Hanako."
"Don't forget your priority."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Number 1."
But I'm tired of watching that guy eat alone.
"I'm back!" said Number 4, landing beside us.
She left a dark bag next to me. Ah, her damn habit of bringing her victims' heads.
"Done, I killed him. Hehe. Seriously, this ugly guy managed to charm such a beautiful girl? Love is truly blind, huh?" she said, patting the bag.
"Appearance doesn't matter, Number 4."
In short, the bearer of Legendary Ghost Number 17 is in the same class as the guy I'm watching.
The guy I'm watching is named Kevin, he's 21, a university student… Ah, blah, blah, blah. Not worth talking about him more.
Legendary Ghost Number 17 is deeply hidden inside a student, so hidden that Number 7 barely sensed its presence when the student drank water.
It's also dangerous. When it realized it was discovered, the legendary ghost followed the traces left by Number 7 and found her. They fought, and if I hadn't arrived in time to protect her, it would've eliminated her.
It escaped from me when it realized all the legendary ghosts under my control, but fortunately, thanks to the information Number 7 got from that fight, I know how to capture this legendary ghost.
The student probably doesn't know they have a legendary ghost under their control, because Number 1 told me that if the bearer isn't aware of it, they can't use its power, which gives the legendary ghost inside more freedom.
That's why it tried to kill Number 7, to keep her from ruining its plan to get a new body. Number 1 also told me it's possible this legendary ghost is trying to steal the student's body, replacing their soul with its own, switching places.
Well… And Kevin, the bearer's classmate, is just a puppet I used to investigate the bearer, reading his memories when I take over his body.
Ah, poor guy, his life is so sad that I even felt a bit sorry for him. Just because he helped me investigate the bearer, I helped him. I killed his so-called friend.
Kevin is a very lonely and quiet guy because his self-esteem is garbage. His only "supposed friends" are two people, an ugly guy and a very beautiful girl. Kevin and the guy were close friends, but when the guy started catching feelings for the girl, he began slandering Kevin to her to prevent her from falling for him or even liking him. He made up that Kevin was addicted to pornography and even had child pornography on his phone. Thanks to those lies, the girl slowly distanced herself from Kevin, as did the guy. Kevin felt betrayed, mainly because he didn't know why they were pulling away and excluding him.
He tried talking to them, but they ignored him and even looked at him with disgust.
Kevin stopped trying to talk to them and went back to being a loner.
That didn't make sense, so I investigated and uncovered the truth. When I found out the lies the guy was spreading about Kevin, I decided to help him by killing the guy, but not before forcing him to tell the girl that everything he said about Kevin was a lie.
Ah, karma. The guy's dead now, though no one will ever know.
For now, I'm watching Kevin just to see what the girl will do. If she'll apologize and try to be friends again, or if she'll just apologize and keep her distance.
Hmm… Ah… This is taking too long.
"I have 5 minutes left. You stay and tell me what happens later."
"What are you going to do?"
"The next step."
I ran off.
I learned a couple of things while watching the bearer.
Number 1: I'm more powerful than that legendary ghost, since it never noticed I was watching the host.
Number 2: The host of the legendary ghost follows a very simple routine that I can easily use.
And Number 3: The legendary ghost can even force our bodies to betray us, but since it fled from me when it sensed my presence, I'm pretty sure it can't use its ability on two people at once, only one.
But it's also possible it could force me not to use my legendary ghosts. Why do I think that? I know it didn't even try because it was scared of me, but that doesn't mean it can't. There's a chance it could, which is why my strategy relies more on hiding and letting my legendary ghosts take care of the legendary ghost.
Pretty cowardly, but smart on my part, if I do say so myself. Hehe.
I'm at a university, I have about 4 minutes left to finish this fight. I can't stay invisible much longer, and my energy will run out.
The host is eating with his friends, and as always, he's drinking a bottle of water.
This routine is so simple and predictable. After his morning classes, he eats with his friends in the school cafeteria, and while he orders different dishes every day, he always buys a bottle of water.
Thanks to that, I got ahead, took control of an employee, and gave him the water bottle I tampered with, adding a certain ingredient adults call a "drug." Number 4 got me a drug that adult men use to… Ah… To rape women.
They use that drug to make their victims feel tired and unable to think clearly.
A disgusting product in my opinion, but considering what I've seen before, this world is crueler than I thought.
But Number 1 told me I have to get used to this kind of thing, because there are worse things in the world, and if I take them to heart, they'll end up affecting me.
Number 1 told me I shouldn't care at all about what happens to others, and I completely agree with that. Why should I care if a woman gets raped if I don't know her? Why should I care if someone dies if I didn't know them? Why should I care what happens to others if I don't even know them or care about them?
I should only care about my own well-being and my family, and ignore everyone else… Except Hanako, my future wife! She matters a lot, after all, she'll be the mother of my children.
… I think I got too off-topic.
"It's taking effect, master," said Number 30.
Yeah, I can tell. His friends are helping him walk. They're heading to the infirmary.
I followed them. Fortunately, the infirmary is close to the cafeteria.
They entered the infirmary, and I hid under the bed to save time.
I deactivated my Shadow form. I need to save energy, no point in wasting it. After all, no one can see me, so there's no need to keep using energy for nothing.
Five minutes later, the students had to return to their classes, except the host, who had to stay in bed to rest, being looked after by the nurse… Doctor? Whoever's in charge of the infirmary.
"Your eyes… Did you take some kind of drug?"
Oh, wow, wow. She noticed. As expected from an expert.
I activated my Shadow form and came out from under the bed. She didn't notice my presence since she was checking the student's condition, so I easily sat on a chair and snapped my fingers to get her to look at me.
"Hello!"
Number 30 left my body and went out the window, and the nurse turned to look at me.
"What? A kid? What are you doing here, dressed like that?"
"Unfortunately, you're in my way. Please die."
"What did you—?"
Her neck was slit by Number 4. Sorry, nurse, you were probably a good person and all that, but it's a small necessary sacrifice.
… Alright, I hope this works.
"So, legendary ghost, are you going to pretend you're not there? Come out."
"Tch. Damn brat!"
The legendary ghost emerged from the student's body. The ghost of a tanned man with blonde hair. Ah, another legendary ghost with a human appearance. I was hoping for cooler legendary ghosts.
"Oh, why so rude? Let's talk like the civilized people we are. I'll sum it up. You surrender and let me absorb you, or you fight, I brutally humiliate you, and then I absorb you. Both options lead to the same result, and you have no other choices. Alright…"
I crossed my right leg over my left thigh.
"Choose."
"I don't care how many legendary ghosts you have, you're still just a little kid! Die, you miserable brat!"
…
…
…
"Hey… You do realize you're just holding out your hand, right?"
He's extending his hand, like he's about to throw a fireball or something, but nothing happens… Well, that outcome was already expected.
"W-What? I-Impossible… Impossible! Why isn't my power affecting you?!"
"Oh, it does have an effect, just not on my soul."
According to Numbers 7 and 30, this legendary ghost's power is tied to the soul. It connects to people's souls, which is why it can force the body to disobey and try to harm itself.
That's why I used the nurse's soul as bait. I placed her soul inside me, and when he tried to make me do something, it had no effect because he's controlling a soul without a physical body.
I ordered Number 30 to take my soul and stay away. Thanks to my spiritual power, I can keep using my body without my soul in my heart, at least for a few minutes, enough time to finish him off.
I'd be scared that Number 30 might try to kill me, but the legendary ghosts under my control are forbidden from harming me, so I'll be safe. I trust my survival instincts, and I know I'll be fine.
"W-What the hell are you?"
"I'm supposed to be a 6-year-old kid. Isn't it obvious? I think you need glasses."
"Impossible! No kid would act like this! What are you?!"
"My name is Shadow, and as hard as it is for you to accept, I'm human… So, ready to be humiliated?"
"You're a freak! You're not normal! I surrender, I surrender!"
"No, no, no. I gave you the options, and you didn't take them."
All my legendary ghosts came out of my body, except Number 3.
"So, before I absorb you…"
"We're gonna kick your ass!" said Number 4, cracking her knuckles.
"Hehe. You have no idea how much I'll enjoy this," said Number 7, who hates him the most.
And so, for 10 minutes, all my legendary ghosts beat him up while I sipped a cup of hot chocolate with Number 30, since there was no need to keep hiding my soul.
I admit it was easier than I thought, but that's thanks to my prior research.
After the humiliation, I absorbed the legendary ghost, but I felt full, like I was about to burst, though I knew that would happen eventually.
I went back home, and Number 1 told me the girl apologized to Kevin and suggested they stay friends, but Kevin said he wasn't interested and ignored her.
At least he has some dignity.
You're welcome for the help, Kevin. You're lucky I'm a grateful person.
18 legendary ghosts under my control, 82 to go.