* CRASH *
Anna had been pushed by a taller and rather muscular man, standing over her with his chest puffed out, as if he did something grand by pushing a woman around.
She hit the glass counter that held many display weapons and grunted as she did. It must've hurt slamming into the glass like that.
" Hey. "
Typically, I could care less if someone was getting pushed around or picked on, man or woman. But Anna had been a beneficiary of mine so I wouldn't just let it slide. Approaching the man, I raised my hand, it coming down on his shoulder. While I was still pretty short, he wasn't so tall I couldn't grab him by the arm.
" Let's not make this any bigger than it already is. Leave her alone. "
Almost as if on instinct, I began to feel a shift...and suddenly I jumped back. Right as I had, I could see where I once stood was now a fist. The man had tried to sneakily strike at me nearly immediately, without a single word no less.
" Who the hell are you pipsqueak?! You this bitch's kid? "
" Eh? "
" I said who the hell are you?!! "
As if wildly, he stepped forward, throwing another strike toward my face. The blow was slow and my body felt light. Swaying slightly, I stepped in, moving right from the line of the punch. I came closer to the man and twisted my hips, pressing my fist forward and into his stomach, feeling a crushing press as my fist ground upward and into his ribcage.
" U-Ughh... "
He grunted as he doubled over and came crumbling to the ground, hunched over as his chin hit the flooring. Looking down at him and then at my fist...
" So...weak? Such a disappointment... "
Something inside of me was extremely upset at how short that scrap was.
" Good going, kid. You beat him no time flat. Seems you're good with your hands too. "
" Yeah. "
I shifted my focus toward Anna, not paying the man any more attention.
" What's going on here? "
She grimaced slightly as she looked toward the man and sighed. She stood up straight and dusted herself off, wincing a bit as she touched her side.
" Originally...he was just a pushy client. And now...he's a creepy bastard. He paid well so I didn't say anything about his weird remarks but... "
I could tell it was getting worse just by her pause. I looked back toward him and tightened my fist.
" He just...wouldn't leave me alone... "
Walking in his direction, I raised my foot, pressing it on his back before moving it to his underside, kicking him and forcing him to flip over.
" Anna...how much force is considered excessive? "
I knew what kind of person she was already. Not the sort to mind a little roughhousing. But I was more asking how much I could do to him...before it got illegal.
" Just...don't kill him. "
Good.
I stood over him, his eyes slowly cracking open as he grunted looking up at me. He seemed to mumble something, maybe cursing me for laying him flat on his ass like this.
But it didn't matter to me.
My fist came crashing down into his face, his nose contorting and crunching, his expression being turned from confusion to straight-up anger and pain. He grabbed his face, thriving as he rolled over to his side. But I didn't let him get away easily. Pushy people pissed me off. But pushy creeps were downright disgusting. Intolerable even.
I was never a "good guy", especially not with my disposition to violence. But even I knew when some things were unacceptable.
* STAB *
Stabbing Utanna into the ground, right by the man's head, I had made him stop cold. His dark bluish skin turned pale, his large body trembling. It was an empty threat but it got the message across.
" Say, Anna...How many times has he bothered you like this? "
" He's come in for every order he's ever made...so...roughly ten times... "
" Lucky. Listen up, douchebag. I'll let you go with your life...if you can handle ten punches from me. "
He looked up at me, my eyes reflecting his frightened expression. My pupils were bright but the sclera was dark. My horn shows the clear Oni in me. Everything about my appearance must've looked like the devil incarnate. He must've convinced himself in his mind I'd kill him...Because he slowly nodded, agreeing to my terms.
" J-j-just don't kill me... "
" I won't. "
Just like a giddy child, I grinned wide. It was fun to beat up scumbags.
" HORA!! "
Utanna had let out a little battle cry while my fists came rushing down to the man's face. Each punch fractured a bone in his face and his nose became even more pushed in than before. However, I didn't stop. Not until the final tenth blow had landed square against his chin, breaking his jaw and leaving lasting damage.
Standing up, I waved my hand in the air down toward the bastard, blood flying from my knuckles and back onto his face.
" Was that necessary, Utanna? "
" It fit the mood. "
Looking down at the creep, I grabbed his collar, lifting him to his feet before kicking him towards the door, making sure he made his way out.
" Don't let me see your face ever again. Or I'll break what remains. "
Squealing like a pig, the bloodied blue man tumbled out the front, running away.
" R-Raksha... "
Turning toward her face, it was a mixture of regret and relief. It was a new expression, one I'd never seen before. I had been so used to seeing people grimace when they saw my fists bloodied from a brawl. But...
* GRAB *
" You're not hurt—are you? "
" What the— "
" You didn't have to get involved you know... "
" Didn't seem like you wanted me to stop at that moment, right? "
She pouted slightly, the Demon woman seemingly at a complete loss for words. However, eventually, she just exhaled and sighed at me, causing me to scratch the back of my head in minor relief that she had nothing more to say.
" Well...Let's clean up and continue in the back. "
She spoke curtly, obviously wanting to just move on. I couldn't argue with that sentiment and so I helped before we eventually went into the back office and sat down, ready to talk.
" You came much later than I thought you would. I thought you'd come straight to me once you'd gotten up. "
" We were busy— "
" It's fine, kid. She's the one that gave you me after all. We can trust her. "
I wasn't the type to clam up when telling someone about whatever it is I do, however, in this new world I can't be sure that everyone is on my side. If something like an Evolution Core is highly sought after, I wouldn't want to take any risks.
However, after being reassured by Utanna that Anna is trustworthy, I reached into my pocket, took out the core, and placed it on the desktop.
" This...is an Evolution Core, right? These are really rare—how'd you get it? "
Anna had then taken out a one-eyed apparatus for examining materials in a closer view. It looked like she was looking at every single inch of the small round red orb.
" I took down a monster-beast for it. A Clad Knight. "
" A Clad Knight? You've only just learned how to draw out your aura and use your vitality and already a Clad Knight? You're way too strong... "
" You should've seen the kid—getting thrown around like a sack of potatoes. "
" Damn little knife! "
" Slept off the entire first half of the day! "
Tch. Damn knife talks too much.
" Haha! Well, at least you're somewhat normal! "
Anna laughed at me and set the core down, rolling it slightly in my direction.
" You should go ahead and use it. No time like the present right? "
" About that...how exactly do you use it? "
" You're saying you don't know? You at least know what it does, right? "
" Of course—it'll boost my vitality. "
Though, I hadn't known that until Utanna told me.
" And! If you two, of course, Utanna and you, are a match, Utanna will receive an upgrade just like you will. "
" They do that? "
It seems even Utanna hadn't known. That was good—it meant my partner would get stronger too. And in a world with creatures like the Clad Knight existing, a stronger weapon would be rather helpful.
" Then again—how do I use it? "
" Right. First, pick up the core and slowly release your vitality. "
I did just that. Once I had picked up the core and began exuding vitality, I noticed that I hadn't been suffering from pain nearly as much as before. Pulling out my vitality was much more of a smooth process.
" What sort of training could you have done in just one day to get so much control? "
" That'd be thanks to me! I had this kid learn a little trick. "
" Is that so? "
She looked at Utanna skeptically before turning her eyes back to me.
" Now direct your vitality toward your fingertips and into the core. Just— "
I understood immediately, before she could finish speaking directing the vitality into the core, I watched as it began to glow, light spilling out from inside of it. The core was filled with so much light that even a crack appeared on the surface of it.
" A crack? "
Inquiring just before it definitively cracked, making a bit of a "pop" sound before suddenly bursting, the light completely flooded the room.
" Agh! "
" Ah! "
Anna and I exclaimed as the light washed over us. Though, eventually once it washed over me, the light morphed and it was as if my body was sucking the light all in. The shining red glow entered my body fully and the room had gone back to its original sun-lit lighting.
" What the— "
Utanna started up, however, it couldn't finish speaking. Going completely silent, the blade started to glow itself. The glow was short-lived, however, once it ended Utanna spoke again.
" Look at me, kid! Hurry! "
Excited it spoke. Its voice sounded more...defined. Masculine. Would it be right to call Utanna a boy? Drawing the talking dagger from my sheath, I looked into it, curious.
" What? "
" I see you, kid! "
While my eyes peered into the abyss dark black blade of the dagger, I saw nothing but my reflection. However, eventually, a dark figure began to manifest in the blade's mirror. Before long it fully took shape, a darkened body with nearly no features at all except for the face. There laid big red eyes and furrowed brows that exuded a constant air of spunky glee. Despite there being barely any other features besides a vague mouth and nose, the eyes were quite vibrant.
" I see you too, Utanna! "
This was my first time seeing anything like this—another first that could've only ever been seen in a fantasy world like this one.
" It seems Utanna gained sight. Before it could just talk. "
" And that's not all—get a longsword! "
" What, knife? Why? "
" Trust me, just give him one Anna! "
I looked up from Utanna's eyes and looked into Anna's.
" Alright, if you say so. "
She walked past me, coming back with a longsword before too long. It looked rather standard, a simple iron sword. She handed it to me and I took it, admiring it. However, it didn't take long before Utanna began whatever it had planned.
" Here goes... "
I could feel the blade shake in my hands before suddenly jumping from my hand, and diving toward the longsword. It looked as though the dagger was aiming to attack it or something. Though, it suddenly grew in size at the point of contact. Utanna had expanded to a large enough size, while floating in the air, to be just as long as the longsword. Once it had reached that size, the blade smashed into the longsword again, this time completely absorbing the metal mass, snatching it from my hand.
Utanna stopped for a moment before beginning to glow again, just like before when I had absorbed the core. The blade on Utanna had shifted and turned completely straight. The curved nature of its shape had become a straight-on longsword's blade. Where the handle had been now formed a crossguard just like the longsword Utanna had eaten. Just like before with the Clad Knight's sword, Utanna had absorbed and shifted. The colors of Utanna this time had been different though, the red markings were gone and the black blade had become an iron-colored one.
" Utanna? "
I reached out for it, grabbing the hilt.
" Would you explain? "
Anna was quick to ask for details, though I had already been aware of this ability, though I was curious to see how Utanna had looked like iron now.
" If I'm correct, each time Raksha takes an Evolution Core, I gain a new ability. This time, I've gained the ability to mimic materials. I changed my blade into iron. "
Raising the iron longsword Utanna in the air, I sliced downward into space. The weight, despite obviously getting bigger, was still perfect for me, a full-strength cut being enough to pick up wind.
" Perfect...Feels just like the other sword. Even down to the weight. "
Utanna, without any warning, shrunk and shifted again, immediately turning back into its normal shape of a dagger, though, with iron properties..
" Just like that! "
I smirked.
" We should try with more materials. "
" Hold on, Raksha. I can't keep feeding Utanna weapons to eat. "
Right, that longsword from before was completely consumed and gone. If I wanted to continue upgrading Utanna, I'd need more money.
" Then I'll buy some more off you later. "
Now that Utanna could actually see, I set it down on the desk.
" Not just Utanna, Raksha, you too should feel some sort of change. "
But...even though she said that...I felt nothing special. Even when I pulled out my vitality, I couldn't feel a significant change.
" Hey...Raksha...How tall were you again? "
Anna came around, standing next to me, prompting me to come closer. Once I did, I noticed it. I grew—rapidly almost. Before I only came up to her stomach. But now—
" We're the same height...! "
I used my hands to measure us straight on and yeah, same height damn near. It weirded me out that I had shot up to be that tall and didn't even notice it. Probably because I had been sitting before when I absorbed the core and didn't get up until she asked me to.
" Damn, kid. Already so damn tall. "
My body felt more like before my reincarnation. I have gone from 162 centimeters to 172. Easily over ten centimeters were gained and I barely had to wait for it.
" How do you feel? "
Anna asked, gently trying to see how I was doing.
" I feel...great. "
CHAPTER 9 END