Chapter 3 – A Duel of Reunion
Part 1 - Cats and Imouto
Forterra Era 261, 7th day of the 4th month, 0530H
I woke up the usual time to start my early jog. Before six months ago, I would either be alone in my morning jog or my parents would join me when it’s a holiday or they’re not busy doing rabbit business. It all changed, when the imouto nation attacked.
On that day six months ago, Father called us that we were chosen to adopt someone who had a special case. While adopting orphaned child refugees was something common here in Forterra, it seems that adoptees that have special cases are given to families that could handle them. Due to remembering a few memories similar to this in my past lives, I proposed that I and father make a bet if Altina would mistake mother as either a little sister or elder sister to help break the ice. Father immediately betted on the little sister side, while I willingly took the opposite side. We agreed to ad-lib the ice breaker if she doesn’t get it wrong.
When they arrived, I immediately understood why she was given to us; she had three of the most troublesome traits when combined that I know, inserted memories; a deep, cold and unending hatred; and a large magical potential you could only label as a magical ‘genius’. If I don’t do something about it, a Demon Queen would be born from her in the near future. Even if I don’t do anything, I’m sure this world’s inhabitants can handle it by themselves. But what comes next is something even worse, something us gods have unanimously decided to halt at all cost, the birth of an Evil Demon God.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a few Demon God friends myself, but they’re just gods with a demon’s body; Evil Demon Gods on the other hand hate all living beings, their purpose brings nothing but death. To make one, just give a Demon King/Queen with infinite negative emotions the ability to reincarnate. They’ll keep reincarnating into Demon King/Queens until they reach godhood, and presto, your home made Evil Demon God. The only way to kill them is to wipe their minds and keep their souls in the void for a few eternities to make sure that it won’t revive into an Evil God anymore. Mind you, Evil Demon Gods are stronger than your average god; some of them even required multiple Supreme-class Gods like me to take down.
With that, we all agreed to ‘save’ every Demon King/Queen, potential or already done, and report all Evil Demon God that anyone finds; before things gets worse. Mind you, Demon Kings/Queens isn’t evil on a god’s perspective. We also need people who actively keep the cycle of life and death going; just that you need to make sure they stay sane. So our method of ‘saving’ only involves fixing their minds enough that they don’t mindlessly kill stuff. So in case you find a Demon King/Queen with their loved one dying, make sure you know soul magic, has a vessel with you, and catch that person’s soul and give it back to the Demon King/Queen. For me, I would end that by saying “If you’re ready to reincarnate [that person], break the crystal and guide the soul to a suitable body. Best do it soon” then turn around acting cool and leave like a boss. I’ve had a few Demon Gods worshipping me because of that though…
Going back to topic, for my soon-to-be little sister, since she’s still quite young, and has lots of potential, I think that becoming a ‘dark hero’ would suit her. She already has a deep and cold hatred, so the next step would be to give her a loving and caring family. By the way, I was doing my monologue while father was explaining what her ‘official’ situation is like. Now, I just need her to drop that ‘Mind Clarity’ spell that’s breaking her slowly. I guess I have no choice but to speak to her directly.
…
After that heart-warming scenario, Altina and mother became very close on the aftermath. The next day, mother started teaching her magic while treating me as target practice for the non-debilitating spells. At night, father suggested that Altina joins me on my early morning jogs, giving the excuse that she could use that time to get to know me better. On that first morning with Altina, I outright said it to her that father only used that reasoning as an excuse to do rabbit business with mother as an icebreaker. She doubted it first, but after teaching her how to remove her presence and suggesting that she see for herself, she now devotedly joins me on my early morning jogs.
Ending the flashback, we’re now in our early morning jog. Although I said ‘jog’, what I really meant was running on rooftops while only using physical boost magic for jumping and landing; everything else was pure physical effort. She was doubtful at first. But after explaining that a mage shouldn’t entirely rely on magic for everything, especially with mobility, along with the previous incident, she didn’t dare question me further and quietly joined my ‘jogs’.
During our everyday exercise, she would ask me various stuffs, from magic theory and application, combat scenarios, neighborhood rumors, and other miscellaneous stuff. And on such a Monday morning, Altina started a conversation with a reasonable topic.
“Nii-sama, today is the first day of school right?” Altina said with partial excitement and partial nervousness.
“Yeah. You didn’t have time to regularly attend school due to your immigrant adjustment studies, but this time you’ll be with people around your age… maybe not exactly, but it’s similar.” I said as we kept jumping and running on rooftops.
“… Nii-sama, got any advice for me?” She said in a pleading reply.
“Hmm. I think mother pulled on grandfather’s sleeve and had us placed in the same class… going by that, being stuck with Tadashi is very likely so… I think we’ll be meeting up with usual classmates before the school assembly starts. Just introduce yourself in the most comfortable way. You’ll eventually find friends you can hang out with…” I said while pondering about my little sister’s serious request.
“Nii-sama, how vague as usual” she said with a protesting point.
“Give me a break, this time you’ll have to learn how to socialize on your own. Don’t worry, there aren’t dangerous delinquents or perverts to watch out for… ok maybe there is one.” I said as I started scanning my eyes on my little sister’s figure. Black long hair, which she usually kept in a ponytail, beautiful golden cat eyes that suggest a hint of cat demi-human descent, a beautiful face carved like a French doll, short stature with modest proportions, and a soft-spoken and aloof personality (disregarding the cold anger inside her). If she had cat ears and tail/s, she would definitely pass as a cat person… but that’s not important at the moment.
“Nii-sama, that’s rude.” She said as she noticed my staring.
“Oh sorry. If a tall girl named Talia Veinhaus suddenly hugs you from behind and whispers something along the lines of “Would you be my imouto?”, immediately reply that you’re already my imouto, and could only be friends with her. If you don’t…” I said as we kept ‘jogging’ on the rooftops.
“If I don’t?” Altina said, tilting her head slightly to the side. We landed on a park near our house.
“You’ll be sent to a paradise of lilies.” I said with the grimmest face I could muster.
“… Nyaaa!” Altina embarrassingly cried out with delay, as it took time to figure out the meaning behind my words with her inserted knowledge. Hmm, I have to build up her resistance to ero.
The meaning behind my words had extra meanings to it, but I haven’t had the opportunity to narrate it yet… maybe in one of the future side stories. Wait, cat? Am I forgetting something?
…
After we got back, took a shower (there are two bathrooms in the house. Sorry everyone, the romance there starts way later in the story), and changed clothes, I am now pondering on the events that will take place later while packing my equipment up in a black box/suit case. By the way, our jog only lasts for 1.5 hours, travelling to school takes less than 15 minutes, and school starts at 0900H, so I have plenty of time to reminisce.
The first day of 8th grade also doubles as the evaluation test for everyone. I think it was something about preparing us for formal training or something. In my case, with my *very* extensive military experience, I can take a battalion of inexperienced brats and take over some country in a few months… but I don’t feel like doing so this time.
As far as equipment goes, anyone can bring their own equipment, but anything too dangerous can’t be used in training if you aren’t experience enough. For me, I brought my own equipment I built from scratch… sort of. This country is convenient enough that I can find mithril threads, high-quality leather rolls, and other non-ultra rare fantasy crafting materials in your local crafting stores. The prices for them are kinda higher than your ordinary items though. I found out about the local sources after strolling around the neighborhood a few months back.
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Since ready-made items didn’t exactly fit my personal preferences, nor could I just summon items from my dimensional vault (mostly because they’re too dangerous for mortal hands), I used my *very* extensive crafting skill and experience to make my own equipment. For tools, father let me use his tailoring and carving tools. I just couldn’t ask him why he would have such things after seeing his *very* extensive collection of colorful frilly outfits and magical staves, that I saw mother walking around wearing some of them, in the work room. But as expected, you just can’t find a forging smith in a non-blacksmithing house.
The results of my endeavors are as follows: a black combat greatcoat that came with an inner leather harness and multiple inner pockets aside from the two outer pockets for hand rests, and a wooden sword made from black ironwood which seems to be present in all fantasy worlds. The greatcoat was heavily enchanted with defensive properties that make it fire, water, and acid proof; while being slash-resistant and bullet proof. Anything more than that would be too eye-catching. The pockets also doubled as dimensional pockets if needed, while the multi-purpose harness fit around my torso, waist, and thighs which primarily anchored down the greatcoat to my body.
As for the wooden sword, the solid black ironwood was enchanted with multiple force reflection spells so that it wouldn’t break easily in case I had to go deflecting tank rounds. The wooden sword also served as a swordstaff, with a red magic stone embedded on the hilt, in case I needed to actually cast legitimate spells. It came with a holster that attaches to either side of the waist area of the harness. Thankfully, even if I walk around wearing the two, along with a pair of combat pants and boots, I wouldn’t look too out-of-placed as you can see other people running around in mage robes or exo-skeleton suits.
My little sister requested some personal equipment too after she saw me maintaining my own equipment. Father, at that time, presented to her a frilly combat short-skirted dress with black and gold color scheme, with a matching magic staff with impressive properties. As expected of father, it really suited her; it’s even complete with the invulnerable skirt enchantment. Secretly, Altina asked me to make something that could go over the outfit, in order to reduce the embarrassing factors. I gave her an ankle-length black cloak with linings and trimmings that complemented the frilly suit; with defensive enchantments comparable to mine, and the additional invulnerable skirt enchantment (cloak version). Fumu, this just confirms it more that better at modifying things, rather than making stuff from scratch.
The overall set gives an elegant and dignified young mage. Father pestered me to teach my insights on (magical girl) clothes after seeing and praising the improvements of a single cloak. After a deliberate deliberation of Altina’s outfit (consisting of father suggesting questionable matters with me retorting in place of the confused Altina) the final version had additional black cat-ears headband that perfectly blended to her hair color. By the way, collaboration between me and father made it so that the cat-ears headband moves by reacting to the user’s thoughts. The actually useful functions of increased hearing sense and passive radar were completely forgotten on the ensuing commotion. Forgotten? Hmm, I feel like I totally forgot something important. The tail on the other hand is still under development.
…
The above monologue finished narrating while I and Altina were travelling to school. Altina kept fidgeting in nervousness while we travelled, so I kept her distracted with magical theories. I think I can teach her the advanced non-dangerous stuff and pass it off as magical studies outside the academic curriculum. On a side note, we’re carrying our equipment inside our bags, with our weapons in their own carrying case. Even if it’s a technological magic fantasy world, walking around in uncommon clothes for legitimate reason is weird.
The notice boards just beyond the school gate had a scene different than usual, where clumps of students are reading some information posted on the board. I find Tadashi and our usual circle of friends on the side and join them with Altina in tow. Tadashi notices me and greets me.
“Morning, Servo. Is she the rumored imouto of the “Advising Sage”?” Tadashi said with refreshing, albeit annoying, smile. The title he’s calling me with was earned after countless advices to these kids. Well, a position where normally hard to convince kids actually listen to you is a good thing, especially in a society where there’s a slight shortage of the male population. In the day after tomorrow, we’ll be having a meeting related to the issue so I’ll explain there. The short version is that the male female population ratio is at 2:3, and various issues arise from that. My role, which has an official position in each class for 7th grade and above, is to mediate those issues.
Going back to the matter at hand, I gesture for Altina to introduce herself as the variety of friends await in caution, curiosity, amusement, excitement, feigned disinterest, troubled disposition, and more of the human emotions you could probably expect from a civilized person.
“Ah, right. I am Altina Eonia. I’ll be troubling you but please take care of me!” She said while half bowing to hide her fluster. The one who was in the state of excitement, Talia Veinhaus, gets a visible raise in her anticipation, while everyone else except the cautious person gets into a friendly disposition. The cautious person on the other hand, Ishihara Shiina, is still in the cautious state. Breaking out in a sigh after remembering what I forgot about, I open up a compartment in Altina’s bag while excusing myself; then took out what was contained in it and promptly affixed it on her head. Yes, it’s one of my creations in joint with father, the enchanted cat-ears headband!
Another one of the reasons I prepared such a device (other than filling my personal sense of aesthetics) is due to the anticipation of Shiina-san’s personality. Due to her competitions (which has been partially solved, their circumstances will be explained later) for Tadashi, she has developed a slight paranoia against any female that gets close to Tadashi. On the other hand, she has an incurable obsession with cats that surpasses all of her personality quirks. Additionally, I am in the process of making another pair of cat ears and a matching tail (that attaches to the end of the spine, the kinky kind will have to wait until they’re older) after Tadashi consulted me with ways to control his hard to control childhood friend. How he’ll use it is up to him.
“Nyatt are you dyouing, Nyii-syama!” Altina protested as I affixed the cat-ears. By the way, using my very extensive magical expertise, I placed a mild curse on the cat-ears which forces the wearer to stutter in a cat-ish manner. I forgot to inform her of that function though… but if she ever asks, the excuse of “compensation for the hearing enchantment” is prepared.
“Altina-chan, please become my imou “Please be my pet cat!” eh?!” Talia-san tried to say as she crept closer to Altina, but Shiina-san appeared between instantly and interrupted Talia-san. Shiina tried to jump at Altina, but on trained reflex (results of my efforts) Altina teleported behind me before she could even process her fright. Shiina ended up hugging air and fell down the paved road.
It took a few moments before everyone could process the scene. But when they did, they all increased their distance from Shiina by 3 meters, except Tadashi and 2 other girls who already knew Shiina’s obsessions and are making a fed up face; and me who had Altina clinging behind me in fear after she was finished understanding what just happened.
As for the ensuing chaos, it ended after Shiina-san had a meltdown when I forcefully placed Tadashi on her line of sight.
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Author notes: I’m having a dilemma on the naming scheme. Right now eastern names are kept at FN GN, while western ones are GN FN. I’ll start Part 2 after I finish naming the other friends. I'm now off to get some inspiration. I'll give anyone who helps me name them a kouki.