Okay, what do we have here?
In the middle, most prominent is a blackened body, for some reason quite alive.
Closeby, there's a woman in nurse clothing who could pass as Kuri's aunt from her general, yet the fact that she has no face might make it difficult to compare their features for hereditary similarities.
Then there is an athletic-looking boy.
Doreo I still vividly remember and he gives me a familiar, knowing smile.
Oh, and Kyumi is there.
Her slightly panicked look tells me that she didn't forget our last meeting.
But apparently has no too fond memories of the event.
Quite close to them is Hanako who makes herself as small as possible and tries to hide.
This feels kinda official and I'm at a loss about what to do here.
"Ehm, hello?" (I)
Nobody says anything, everyone just stares.
Talk about uncomfortable silence.
Zika, who according to the glares in her direction isn't well-liked in that round, takes advantage of that very silence.
"Look who gathered here? It's certainly a rare occurrence to see all of you at the same place." (Z)
"Ziiiikaa. You weren't invieted, outsiiederr!" (nurse)
As one might guess, with her lack of a face, her voice isn't normal.
It's reverberating in a strange way, almost as if it gets telepathically sent to our heads.
What becomes very clear is her conveyed disdain for Zika.
"Oh, I am not here as a part of your little club. I am aligned to this one. Now please, bow down before my lady will properly educate you all about the essence of suffering." (Z)
Everyone flinches at this remark.
Honestly, I'm as well a bit put off at her rogue action.
And maybe slightly upset that she uses me like this.
"Zika! We're not here for that! I don't want to establish dominance or something like this." (I)
"Oh, but this would be the easiest way. I thought you wanted to make sure that those you care for are safe? Make them realize you're invincible and they'll comply. They'd have no choice." (Z)
"I am no tyrant! And since when I'm your lady?" (I)
It's not like she ever cared for maintaining even the semblance of courtesy towards me.
"Who shall believe this!" (weird black figure)
"Excuse me?" (I)
The black one just spoke, but it sounded somewhat wrong, out of tune.
As if he's not speaking with his throat but produces the sound in an abnormal, inhuman way that sets is apart from normal people.
It's a bit like a severely obscured telephone call, just not as electronic.
"You intruded into our territory, claimed the souls gathered here as your own, and continue spreading your growth everywhere, overtaking the whole complex! And now you're claiming you did this without ill intent? Nonsense!" (weird black figure)
It's really hard to get used to this sound.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Ehm, yes?" (I)
My impression is that this answer wasn't satisfying for those assembled.
"We all know that you're claiming our prey for yourself." (nurse)
Without being influenced by her burning anger for Zika she sounds far better, yet still a little weird.
"You even brought the soul you took with you to mock me. I almost got her!" (Kyumi)
"Ehm, I don't like to hear that." (C)
I can almost feel how some kind of power in this room is reaching out for Chiaki.
A mix of dust, wetness, scent, and sheer predatory intent, all directed at my friend.
"No one will do anything to her! She belongs to me! I don't intend to harm anyone but if you hurt my best friend you will regret it!" (I)
The claim that I am not aggressive might be less believable now that some kind of blackness emitted from me spreads, creating thousands of eyes on the walls with shifting tentacles, and pushes their presence to the other side of the room.
With this, Kyumi lost apparently all will to say anything else.
The others are at least a bit intimidated.
"Oh Iori! I am your best friend!" (C)
And she hugs me.
Even though this might be a very wrong moment to do this right now.
"So you claimed that one? It explains why the rules don't apply to her. Humans shouldn't be allowed to enter this place and leave again. But she's basically marked. It seems you've established yourself as the sole owner of our former territory." (Doreo)
I see the problem.
I can't go with "all your base are belong to us" and tell them that I have no intention to cause any trouble.
"I'm sorry, but most of this stuff happens involuntarily. I hope no one expects that I'm fine with my classmates getting eaten, or whatever fate you've in store for them." (I)
"Burying them below the concrete." (weird black figure)
"Taking their faces and organs." (nurse)
"Making them run till their bodies collapse and they drop dead." (boy)
"Drowning them." (Kyumi)
"Granting them dangerous knowledge so it may lead them to their demise." (Doreo)
"Uh, scaring them to death." (Hanako)
How would that elementary schoolgirl even do that?!
"Making them despair till they're empty husks." (Z)
That was unnecessary, Zika!
"I didn't want a summary! Can't I just enjoy my school life without each and everyone preying on my classmates?" (I)
"I'm as well not quite fine with that idea." (C)
Finally, someone who supports me instead of all the others here who look at me as if I'm a five-year-old who claims she's going to make the world a better place.
I know they have their rumors and are kinda forced to kill, but that doesn't mean I have to sit down and accept that my classmates will die.
Not like I intend to go out of my way to save all those who are in need around me, yet I won't let them kill as they please either.
"So you want to take our faith? Our very essence? We won't accept such conditions! We can't! No matter how powerful you are." (nurse)
"Sorry, but killing is no good. I don't want this to happen." (I)
"This is as if you want that getting hit by a lightning strike stops being deadly! There are things that cannot change." (nurse)
I notice that only the nurse and the dark figure are doing the talking.
Which is weird as they're the only ones without a mouth.
Kyumi is fearfully looking at me and obviously too afraid to speak up.
Doreo looks as if he's more interested in observing what transpires here instead of really partaking in the event.
The athletic boy doesn't seem to want to be involved with anything but has this typical "leave me alone" teenager attitude.
And about Hanako that nervous mess I don't even want to get started.
"You all still don't seem to accept what she is. Because if you would, you would know that she in fact can just decide on such a thing." (Z)
"We would lose our identity! Our selves! Without our myths we return to nothing. I won't accept this." (nurse)
While I detest using my powers, especially against sentient beings, I would do so if I could save others from them.
However, as I understood it in this case, the rumors would eventually create new demons and nothing changes.
"Okay, for now, please just avoid killing. What else you wanted to talk about?" (I)
Still a mix of anger and fear.
I should try to appear less dangerous.
But the weird black guy again addresses me.
"Your presence grows stronger with each passing day. Eventually the exorcists will notice." (black figure)
Guess this was my mistake.
"Uh, I don't think the local exorcists will bother you anytime soon." (I)
I caused too much havoc there for them to be able to do anything.
"It's totally simple. Do what she says and don't get in her way and you might exist a little longer." (Z)
Why do I believe she's at it to increase her ranking?
"Look, most of your rules don't end with you directly going for the kill, right? Otherwise the campus would be vacant by now. Can't we figure something out that won't end with a conflict?" (I)
I look hopeful at this council of strange demons.
I don't want to be an annihilator, dominator, or any other kind of "-ator", but I also have to make sure the school stays a somewhat safe place.
Suddenly the black one snaps his head to the exit, focusing something behind me.
"Someone intruded into this realm!" (black figure)
I follow his gaze and spot how the room grows.
It's somehow expanding and closing up at the new end, trapping a small group of people inside.
The occultism club!!?