Scarlet

Scarlet

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Commissioned by Citino

Word Count: 2595

…

So, Ddraig, what’s our next move?

Kid, you’re supposed to ask that question before you killed our hostage.

You know why I had to do it. 

Short-term, yes, it keeps us safe. We stay hidden, but it also sends a threat.

Oh. They’ll know we’re able to defeat their foot soldiers.

As far as Grigori go, that one wasn’t much of a threat to a proper warrior, but she was still a Fallen Angel. She should’ve been able to slaughter a human child. 

Even with a Longinus?

An untrained, new whelp, yes. Your sound defeat of her, unknown to all, will tell all who pay attention that you’re skilled, cunning, and powerful.

So, I fucked up.

Yes, kid, you did.

In my defense, my advisor advised me to not underestimate my enemies, and “bare the whole of my fangs to the world.”

It was a figure of speech! I wanted to pump you up, get your blood boiling, and have you fight at your best! It’s not my fault your opponent was worthless! She should have trained more and been a proper fight! Weaklings should know better than to instigate a dragon!

Or, maybe, I shouldn’t have a dragon be my chief advisor when it comes to starting fights. 

Well, fuck you too, Taylor!

And, there goes Ddraig, the Great Welsh, source of my power, and my current mental roommate. He has retreated into his corner of my brain, snuggled up with his tail, and is now actively ignoring me. He was a step up from a neural parasite employed as Agents by multi-dimensional aliens to collect experimental data and proliferate across space and time via genocide, but only a single step up. Especially if my theories regarding God being an alien is true. At least, Ddraig was good company.

Anyway, with my advisor returning to his favored NEET lifestyle, I had to consider my current situation.

Sledgehammer in one hand, standing in a pool of blood, and with a headless Fallen Angel in front of me. Thanks to my teenage, male hormones, my eyes were drawn to a pair of fantastic set of breasts cradled by suggestions of leather straps, instead of corpse’s erratic twitching. Truly, male puberty is a force to be reckoned with, as I’m literally having trouble looking away from the body for all the wrong reasons.

Once upon a time, I’d considered remaining attracted to men, both despite my new equipment and body, and in spite of my body and my new equipment. However, in order to retain my sanity and continue being a decent member of society, getting a girlfriend has become one of my top priorities. Having a freakishly strong libido that forced me to ogle cadavers was not allowed. Really, it was my only overriding priority over keeping myself and my new parents nice and safe. Getting good grades, going to a good school, and acquiring a job that didn’t involve working to death in a company was a tertiary priority.

So, basically, my goals in my new life is to get a girlfriend, stay alive, and find a nice job.

In that order.

Oh, Lisa, you’d be laughing your ass of at me if you ever come across me. And, maybe, running away screaming or holding a gun to my face, if you know I’ve done to my memories of you. I’m sorry, Lisa. This body’s libido is just stupid. Please, forgive me for how I’ve tarnished our friendship. Skintight costumes and smug blondes are just… justice. 

Kid, you’re doing it again.

…Once upon a time, I’d wondered why being a gentleman was difficult, then I found myself in a man’s body. I don’t know if it’s just this one I’ve been born into, but I wouldn’t even want a fraction of this body’s libido, if I had the choice. 

Less ruminating, more body disposal, Taylor. 

Right, I had to do that.

Maybe, if I focused on the blood, shattered bone, and brain all over the place, my eyes wouldn’t wander—

Fuck.

Once again, I am both impressed and disgusted by your body’s reactions to females similar to your species. Truly, I don’t understand how you can be attracted to such soft, smooth things, when a proper lady ought to be harsh, fierce, and have scales and fangs hardened by battle.  

Yuuma, Raynare, whoever you are, may you rest in peace knowing you’ve done irreversible damage to my sanity, because I will most definitely regret what I’m going to be doing once I get home. I needed a girlfriend yesterday, because if this trend continues, with all my opponents being extremely attractive women whose bodies I’d have to dispose of, I’m either going to have to start being friendly with a shotgun, or really start considering getting rid of Taylor Jr. 

Or, well, Hyoudou Jr. technically.

…

High school, surprisingly, was very difficult. One would think that a former supervillain, warlord, and interdimensional alien slayer, in that order, would be capable of soundly triumphing over the rigors of pre-university academia. Unfortunately, a lifestyle of constant battle, preparation, and more battles didn’t leave much room for practical knowledge. While I could certainly tell you how many black widows it would take to make a silk tripwire, to be pulled taut and attached by an exact number of ants and flies, trigonometry was beyond my past-life’s ability to provide me aid.

Still, I had a modicum of ability in the humanities, given the fact I technically had two humanities to work with.

Boo, that was bad. You should feel bad. 

Ddraig, of course, was uncultured and uneducated, so he was no help in academics either. 

I’m a Dragon, what’s your excuse, Rank-15-In-Class-Despite-Being-Reincarnated-san?

I was busy saving several dimensions, killing an alien god, and being shot in the face. 

Pffft, I could do that before breakfast. 

That was because Dragons are stupidly powerful by any measure. 

Exactly. Education is for those who need it. I do not. So, get off my back, Kid. This week’s Shounen Jump is amazing.

Chitoge wins.

MOTHER-

Blocking out the screaming Dragon in my mindspace, I returned to revising and reviewing my work. One of the little perks to being reincarnated was knowing how to tackle problems bit by bit, thought that might be more because of my misbegotten past as an insect controller, now that I think about it. Anyway, for tests, I broke down all the sections into small parts, answered the easy ones, and left the harder ones for last. Having prepared adequately over the last few weeks, by studying and not wasting my time obsessing over anime and manga—I swear I’ll eat you if I ever get out of here, Taylor— I was more than capable of going over the questions I was wary off, redoing them, and making sure I had the right formulas in play.

However, again, my previous lifestyle didn’t amount to what modern society wanted, therefore I was certain that I wouldn’t be getting a perfect score, despite all the work and effort I’d invested. Unfortunately, Hyoudou was more inclined to fighting and killing, evidenced by the fact he had a Longinus inside him. Hebert had been more for strategy and tactics, as proven by the Administrator shard lodged into her brain. Maybe, if I was who I used to be and invested the same amount of time I did now, I’d be at the top of my class, but that wasn’t the case.

Me is forgetful. Me is dumb. Me is man. 

Okay, I’ll admit it, being 15th academically in my year at High School stung because this was technically my second time going through it, and I didn’t have bullies or a life of crime to hold me back. 

Thankfully, before Ddraig could provide his colorful commentary and force me to abandon the moral high ground for righteous vengeance, the door to my classroom slid open.

Now, my jaw did not drop, but it would be stupid of me to say that it didn’t take concentrated effort for it not to occur. But, in my defense, a goddess hath arrived into the depths of my mathematical hell and seen fit to grace my eyes. 

“Sensei, I apologize for my intrusion, but an important matter regarding the student council has arisen.” Tsubaki Shinra was a bespectacled beauty, or in Japanese a Bishoujo Megane. Should I have been an uncouth individual, I would take note of how gracious she was in terms of physical appearance, as most of the boys in my class did, but I had a measure of self-restraint. I only glanced at her once, just once, before turning back to my paper. I did not stare at the tall, leggy, and buxom young woman, no sir. Not at all. I only wondered how nice her hair was and if the silken, ebony strands smelled good. Because I, as a former woman, appreciated good shampoo and conditioner. Yes. That is why. “Kaichou needs to see Hyoudou Issei regarding an incident that has occurred. It is a familial matter, concerning his parents, Sensei—

I didn’t realize I’d shot out of my chair until I heard the screech of its legs against the classroom’s floor. My sudden, abrupt action drew the gazes of everyone in class. For a second, I felt nothing besides apprehension and fear, but I clamped down on my emotions, picked up my bag and my test, and inquired my advisor for aid while walking to my teacher’s desk. 

It’s too soon for a reprisal, unless the Fallen last night had a shadow. And, we’d have noticed someone watching us.

My answer to that particular line of thought was that magic existed, so nothing could be taken for granted. Ddraig’s ability to feel for nearby individuals for their power was something I made use of intensively. It was a Thinker power, albeit one with specific limitations, but a Thinker power was a Thinker power, no matter how weak it was. Being able to detect power build up or being used within the radius of a block was very helpful. Unless, of course, someone found a way around it. 

Right, got it. I’ll keep an eye out for anyone trying to hide then.

Giving him the mental equivalent of a nod, I moved on.

“Sensei, I’ve finished the test, so I’ll be going with Shinra-san.” Thankfully, I retained a semblance of my ability to confront situations properly. Danger was sobering and frightening as it always was. I was more than capable of walking up to the Student Council’s vice president without making a fool of myself. “Lead the way, Shinra-san.”

If my teacher had anything to say regarding my decision, I didn’t hear it. Unfortunately, the door had closed before he uttered a single sound. Sometimes, to get things done, one only needed to seize the moment without hesitation. Having the initiative is always important, especially when dealing with an unknown situation. And, if my teacher complained, the only consequence I’d face would be detention, and that was fine with me. 

“Right, Hyoudou-san, follow me, please.” Pressing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, Shinra swiftly cut through the empty halls of the school. It didn’t take long for us to reach the Student Council’s room. Though classes were currently in session, the room was fully occupied. My suspicion regarding my situation rose to a climax when Shinra opened the door to let me in and I found myself in the middle of a room, surrounded on all sides, with tables between me and the whole council, with Tsubaki barring the exit. Well, it seems that I wasn’t as calm and controlled as I’d originally believed. “I’ll fetch you a seat, Hyoudou-san. Would you like some tea? A bite to eat, perhaps?”

Ignoring her, I locked gazes with Shitori Sona, the school’s Student Council President, who sat at the center of the central table. The boss’s chair, as Alec would say, was hers. 

Putting two and two together, I relaxed lightly as I came to a certain conclusion. 

“My parents aren’t in danger are they, Kaichou?” Shitori shook her head once in confirmation and I breathed a sigh of relief. Good. That meant they had no leverage. This was just a show of force. A method of presentation. They knew what I did, someway and somehow, and were confronting me. I didn’t know who they were or what they had, but it was obvious they wanted to talk, not fight. “You only had Shinra-san say that, didn’t you?”

There’s magic at play here. I can smell it. Be careful, Kid. 

“That is correct, Hyoudou-san. I apologize for taking you away from your class, but your actions last night forced my hand, so I had Tsubaki fetch you when you began revising your test. Rest assured, if you do not get a satisfactory grade, I will ask the teacher to allow you to retake it.” The way Shitori spoke wasn’t how teenagers spoke. No, high school students didn’t exude confidence or assurance. She befitted being at the very center of the table, like a warlord or boss, despite the uniform she wore. “However, you must understand, your dispatching of a Fallen Angel last night was noticed by my Familiars, and I wish to inform you that I will not tolerate continued conflict between you and the Grigori in my territory. If you wish to continue fighting against them, you will do so outside of town and away from those under my protection.”

“I see.” Though I answered her question, I also finished evaluating my position. Shitori, in summary, was an individual of power who laid claim over the whole city. Whoever she was, she had sway over the faculty and maybe the whole school. The Student Council was composed of individuals who could presumably fight, given how they were arranged to surround me, and this was a show of force to have me comply to her demands. She was displaying both her influence and power in this play. Overall, she would have made a decent villain. Someone who would have cowed a power-junkie with half a brain, definitely. Unfortunately, for her, I wasn’t. “So, what if I refuse? What will you do, Kaichou?”

Didn’t I say be careful!?

Naturally, that question put the whole situation up in the air. However, while I did intend to comply, there was no reason for me to not fish for more information that I desperately needed. Even if I was instigating a situation, I was doing it to get answers. Knowing what sort of retaliation I’d face for disobeying was important. If Shitori didn’t answer, I could assume she was smart, and new better than to show me her cards. Overall, by merely toeing the line, I was guaranteed information, whether I received an answer or not. 

You say that, but I can tell you’re just pissed at being cornered!

I ignored Ddraig.

“If you do not comply, Hyoudou-kun, you will answer for any damages caused by you and whoever you fight in Kuoh. Should you cause the death of any innocent individuals, your punishment will be severe.” See? See!? That’s the sort of information I could use! Important, factual information! Shitori was guarding the town and enforcing the peace. I had information on both her character and willingness to use force! Ha! Eat it, Ddraig! “And, if you believe you can overcome me and my Peerage, Hyoudou-kun, you can rest assured that I am not afraid to call upon my family for aid.” See that pose? That assured pose with the glasses being pushed up, that smile, and everything else!? I instigated that! It’s telling me that I stepped on a potential landmine! Oh. “Know that going against my edict, and evading my judgement, will result in being brought down by Serafall Leviathan herself.”

…Hey, Ddraig, isn’t Leviathan the title of a Devil Lord? To be specific, one of the four Devil Lords that rule over all of Hell. 

Yes, Kid, it is. 

Didn’t you tell me that I shouldn’t piss off a Devil Lord for any reason, unless I wanted to die?

I did, yes.

And, just in case I’ve forgotten, Shitori just said that she’d call upon her family for help without hesitation, right? So, that means Leviathan would be a relative of her, correct?

Again, yes.

…I fucked up didn’t I?

Yes, but, at least you know you did, Taylor. 

That didn’t make me feel better. At all.