It has been entirely two weeks now since I’ve met Gria. With his goodwill he lends me a hand to preserve and prolongs Shouko’s life even without her soul. However, there are so many factors to consider that could break her body even though it is still alive like diseases, injuries, and many more that could affect her health.

As we entered the rainforest of the fairies, Shouko’s health seems to have gotten a little better with all the aromatic and therapeutic effect of the plants and herbs all around. The problem arises when Shouko’s body got move too violently. Her breathing becomes a little irregular with all the movements.

Gria decided to build a little house just right at the entrance of the fairy forest. With the help of Lirin, they built the house in just a couple of hours like it was nothing.

That was our first week in the forest, the second week becomes my sole campaign as Gria needs to look out for Shouko and provide her with his blood. He already gave Shouko four droplets of blood already.

As we stand, I had to go alone but there was a problem dump to me before I left Shouko in hands of Gria…

“I’m sorry, mi niño! I lied! I really didn’t borrow the sap from the fairies, I kind of…got it unnoticed from them… and now, I am a wanted man in their community.”

“Why I am not surprised to hear that…?”

“Anyway, you yourself need to sneak in and acquire the sap yourself. I cannot tell you how I got the sap as I vaguely remember how I did it.”

“For Shouko’s sake I don’t care who becomes my enemies, I just have to strike them down. So, Gria, will you lend me a spear?”

“Oh, is that what you only need?”

“Yeah…I can live on my own. I’ve trained myself properly to survive in the wilderness thanks to my mentor.”

Gria gave me a fine spear but it really doesn’t have to be anything as I can strengthen anything that looks like a spear to its limit with my own power. The spear is just a medium or host for it.

Since, I’ve left Shouko, without further ado, I revert back to the form of Hasu. I didn’t turn into, I reverted back. Hasu should be my original form and Shouta is just a face I show to Shouko with a mask of lies.

As Hasu, I am a lot taller, manlier and of course, stronger than ever by synchronizing and using the horai treasures to its utmost potential accordingly for my body. These treasures inside my body are also proofs that I’ve successfully courted the legendary moon princess…

Currently, a week has passed now since I entered the forest alone. I could manage by hunting animals and picking herbs but there are no indications of the fairies community.

Also, since assuming the form of Hasu, the blessing, the mutation and the magical power I got from this power was expelled out. Everything was totally nulled and I became the olden me back from our world. Shouko stays as an elf with her long ears still sticking out. It is also thanks to an elf’s long life and vitality that she can hold out like that.

For the past days, I am getting frantic and anxious that anytime now I might lose my cool. If I can encounter an enemy right now, I might strike him down without hesitation.

Suddenly…an ominous presence heads towards my direction. It is a sensation I am familiar with…a sensation akin to Susanoo and Priscilla…

However, that feeling is extremely faint, like it is on the verge of disappearing.

From the sparkling moonlight comes the hood of darkness that covers everything under a cluster of tree. The stillness of the night is about to be disrupted and the serene sleepy hour of the animals are going to be disturb.

A man with elf ears with messy dirty blond hair and haggard eyes comes out from the veil of darkness from the said trees. The man is covered with bruises but looks lively and kicking nonetheless. As soon as he saw me, he brandishes a sword out of nowhere…

A familiar sword from a certain man…a man I know who already died…

“Pursuers?! More of you insolent mice! How many of you bastard should I kill till you run with your tails between your legs?!”

“I don’t know what the hell you are talking about. You, are you running away from something?”

“Dare to speak to me, The Great Kran of the Order of Arcana, in a foolish manner?! You are not going to get me alive!”

“Order…of Arcana…? You…?! Also…that in your hand…?!”

“Oh? This? This is a Yggdrasil sap. It is quite expensive and most of high ranking demons want it. I am going to use this to control the demon’s government through the back. Since the demon continent’s situation is in disarray for the disappearance of that moronic peace loving slut Cattleya.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“I see…order of arcana…the Yggdrasil sap…and trying to be a blue collared villain…I have all the reasons to strike you down!!”

“You mongre--!”

Before he could finish his word and put up his defense, I move swiftly with my attack by sliding my feet on the ground and piercing his heart with my spear that goes through from the front up to his back.

Blood started to drip and his world seems shaken. I have no guilt or even a feeling of remorse for killing a man like him. A man whose hostility overflows, a man whose desires leaks out from his face and, a man whose intentions are as evil as his face show…

The most putrid of all evil are men who never thought of their actions wrong even though they have taken lives. Those men who believed that their cause if correct and vows to carry it out despite the lives they take.

I was such a man and I will be as long as it is for Shouko.

“Kaah…You…”

“It was unlucky for you…to have met me.”

“How…could this be…?! Why…is this happening to me?! I, Kran, should have been…the elf king!”

“……”

“That bitch Hinoki…not only having perfect and beautiful children adored by everyone, she also has…those weird machinery and things! A woman granted with perfection…! A woman hiding behind a face of…a frail woman when she is actually a monster…!”

“……”

“All of you…all of you…all of you!! Curse all of you, every race leaders who are fulfilling a joyous life!”

“Prattling of a dying man…”

“Also, you!! If…If Lord Nil…didn’t abandon me! You…you…you will be lying a dead carcass like a dog! You…! Lord Nil, why did you abandon me?!”

A pull out the spear from his chest.

“GUFU!?”

With a gaze showing not even an ounce of mercy, I hold the spear up and…strikes him into his forehead...

“……”

He no longer spoke of his brain and blood splatters down. He is a dying man indeed. Even his leer is locked onto the boundless sky that witnessed his death. I am aware that he is powerful but for some reasons, he can no longer bring out such power.

His body falls lifelessly to the ground as I took his gouged head out of my spear. The bottle of Yggdrasil sap fell from his hand and rolls towards me. I pick up the small bottle and grasps it like it is something beloved to me.

ZWISH

From Kran’s body, light starts coming out. It was not his power or anything. Everything that came out from his body is…souls…

The souls of people that he kept inside him flew simultaneously away going towards the sky creating a vortex of gentle light. Somehow, I feel a little better for myself for killing him.

However, the next situation occurred to me like a lightning. A group of swords with engravings on them floated out of his body and slowly, little by little, merges with each other and forms a strong and powerful soul. The soul didn’t go anywhere and only stayed where it is.

Wait…maybe…

I grab the soul in my hands that I enchanted with horai energy. I grasp both the Yggdrasil sap and the soul in my hands tightly and started running again towards Shouko. Hope and longing fill my chest and it feels like a whole new lot of vigor entered my body.

I run at my top speed where I can outrun a racing car. I even left the spear back there so I could just lighten my load and focus on returning to her side.

.

.

.

“Oh? Who are you?!”

“It’s me...Shouta, but I prefer if you call me Hasu while in this form.”

“Dios mio! How long did I stay in this place for you to grow like that?!!?”

“A week. This form is special and I have my own circumstances but let’s put that aside, for now, Gria. This…”

After a couple of hours of running at top speed, I arrive promptly at the wooden house that Gria miraculously built. The smell of herbal incense and medicines lingers. It seems he is doing his best to treat Shouko.

I show Gria both the sap and the soul. His eyes…almost popped out from his eye sockets.

“Mi niño…to get the sap was quite a feat but…this…this is a soul…”

“Yeah…”

“And…you are aware that…the owner of this soul is still alive, right?”

“I am well aware, in fact, I know who owns this. Could this soul save Shouko? Could this soul awaken her from her hellish slumber?”

“This can definitely fill her lost soul. We can use it as a substitute but the drawback by using it is that when the owner of the soul wills for it to return, it will return unconditionally. And using this soul means…we are stealing a life of another person…are you satisfied with that?”

“I don’t care as long as I know that Shouko will be safe…even if I have to kill the owner of this soul for Shouko to keep on living.”

“…I see…I supposed you really love your sister not just as a sibling…but…as a woman as well.”

“Yes…”

“Then…I will be taking part in this so…I am partially responsible.”

With that, Gria opens the bottle of Yggdrasil sap and mixes it with water. He beckons me to give it to Shouko through the mouth as she won’t be able to drink it as it is. I fill my mouth with water and without second thoughts, land my lips to Shouko’s lips. It is common for us to kiss much torridly like this but right now, my heart is pounding in anticipation for Shouko’s recovery.

As I force the water to Shouko’s throat, Gria proceeds in installing the soul in Shouko. He is adjusting the soul’s wavelength and capacity to match Shouko’s soul threshold. He slowly pushes the soul in her diaphragm while he constantly emits strong magic to bypass the soul’s resistance to his control.

After some time which felt like an eternity, I finished feeing the water with sap to Shouko and Gria is done installing the soul.

“Bwahahaha! It’s a success! The color of her skin is gradually becoming better and better.”

“Shouko…!”

“Don’t be hasty. She won’t wake up like that. Let her sleep some more. I can assure you that she will live. Also, my vampire blood will naturally leave her system if give time so don’t worry.”

“Gria…you’re a great man.”

“I am just doing what a good Samaritan will. Just think of it that I am atoning for my previous sins…”

“Still, because of you…Shouko is now saved…”

“Well, mi niño, shall we have a rest? You look awfully tired.”

“I shall…comply…but…there’s a commotion happening in this place…so naturally…pursuers…will appear…”

Right just as I said that new presences deep into the forest emerge. Two…no there are three of them and they are heading to this house.

“Gria, there are people out there.”

“Oh? I know, mi niño, why don’t you greet them?”

“Oh? I shall.”

With another spear in my hand, I flew out of the door and charges head on with the tip of my spear piercing through the first target.

CLANG!

My spear was parried with a metallic arm with great strength. This man…with a brown hair and now…gray eyes…the man whom soul is stolen and now, in possession of Shouko…

Right now, whatever his circumstances…he is now my enemy…

“Ichirou!!”

“Asagao, back away!”

Wha--?!

That…Asagao?! The girl that Shouko and I are so fond of…

The girl with white hair and tantalizing blue eyes that could attract both genders, a young and lively child that we’ve come to know when we stayed at the Astlan Castle. Together with her is a girl with a goat ears and tail wearing maid uniform.

However, I didn’t let my guard down and proceeded to strike my foe down.

For Shouko’s sake, I, Hasu, am willing to take every pain for her.