《Cata Maestra》


 Forest Arc | Chapter 1: First Day, First Trauma

    It''s dark, and I want to keep sleeping, but a burning pain around my neck is screaming at me to wake up. Constricting, choking, strangling...


    "Wake up, Maestra," it says.


    "Wake up."


    <hr>


    My body jolts reflexively, and my hands spring up, feeling for my neck: the place I previously remember my helpless body hanging from, suspended by a rope.


    I''m immediately met with the view of a dark cave entering my silvery eyes. A small amount of light is leaking through the rather close exit, which is easily visible thanks to the straightforward path of the cave.


    Just a moment ago, I was cornered and lynched in the middle of a forest.


    This... isn''t a forest.


    What happened...?


    Why can''t I remember anything before...thathappened? Is this amnesia?


    Surely I wasn''t a bad person to have that happen to me, right...? But I must have been killed for something, so just... what was it?


    Why did this happen...?


    I try to let out a dry laugh, but the sensation of the rope cutting off my breath and blood returns once more, choking out the sound before it can come to life.


    ...So I''m mute too, then?


    Yeah. There''s... no way I could have been a good person with this bad karma. Things like this just don''t happen to good people. Coming back to life just to suffer once again?


    What a joke.


    I reach up to rub my neck, wanting to comfort it from its previous horrors, but I only feel cloth instead.


    A scarf?


    Startled by the unexpected clothing, I Iook down at the rest of my body.


    A thin, ash-colored cloak is covering my skin, but that''s all in terms of clothing. No underwear, no pants or anything, just a cloak and a scarf.


    Strangely, they''re both givingoff a warm aura¡ªin a literal sense. I can feel heat coming off the cloak on my skin, and as I grasp the scarf, I can feel my clenched fists soften by just a smidgen as they warm up.


    Coincidentally, the cloak is the exact same color as my back-length hair. The two almost seem to blend with each other like they''re one and the same.


    The legs that peek out from under my cloak¡ªmy legs¡ªare as thin as twigs. After thoroughly inspecting them, I''m noticing my arms aren''t any better off... it looks like the bones could break with just a squeeze.


    I suppose that being dead isn''t too healthy for one''s body, no?


    My poor body condition isn''t stopping at my arms either. There''s a visible sink where my stomach should be, and even through the cloak I feel as though I can see my entire ribcage.


    O-of course, that has nothing to do with my lacking chest.


    As I continue to inspect my own body, the sound of my stomach growling interrupts my thoughts and reminds me of my current condition.


    I''m feeling...really hungry all of a sudden.


    I''m still sitting, so if I need to get food, I''ll need to stand up, right?


    I could also crawl, but a nagging feeling in the back of my head just tells me my already damaged dignity won''t allow it.


    Alright. Time to go.


    As I put more weight on my legs, they begin to tremble under my pitiful body weight. Sweat leaks from my pores as my legs continue to strain themselves, eventually collapsing before managing to fully extend. My teeth clench in frustration as I sit on the cold, stone floor.


    Is this really the limit of my strength...? This has to be some kind of bad dream, right? I understand that I''m weak, but such a level is just...


    I scowl and try again. This time, I scoot towards the wall and use it to support myself as I stand. The jagged wall is easy to grasp onto, and lets me pull myself up, taking a significant burden off my legs.


    Success, victory! Congratulations Maestra, you did it!


    Now I just have to... walk...


    This is justso fun,isn''t it.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    <hr>


    The air grows yet colder as I approach the exit. Icicles are stuck hanging off the roof, just barely in reach of my hands (which similarly have a certain substance called ''pebbles'' stuck on them from my constant tripping, but that''s not relevant).


    A dense forest lays outside the cave. Pine trees seem to be scattered all over the place, and snow covers the ground, dusting the grass in a thin layer of white. The eldritch howl of wind echoes around through the trees, resonating in my ears.


    I swallow my own saliva as my pale face twitches in nervousness.


    If I''m going to be searching for food, I need something to defend myself with, right...? In case some wild animal, or some beast attacks...


    I look up at the icicles hanging off the roof. All of them are fairly long, and... unusually sharp?


    Well, I''m not one to argue when the situation is positive. I stand on my tiptoes and grasp one of the icicles, pulling as hard as I can.


    ...


    The icicle didn''t even budge at all.


    Stupid icicle! Just break off! Die! I clench my fist, and with all of my strength, send it flying at the icicle.


    It almost broke! My hand, that is.


    What the hell...!? Icicles shouldn''t be this strong! Even if I''m this weak, at least some of it should have broken off, right?


    And my hand too! If I punched as hard as I could, it definitely should have broken, but it didn''t. Does this mean I don''t even have the strength to break my own hand, even with my fragile bones?


    This is just unfair! I must have pissed off some god of cruel and unusual punishment.


    A sigh escapes through my mouth, and I collapse towards the ground, letting my overworked legs rest for a bit. In my stupor, I absentmindedly pick up a small rock and throw it at the icicles.


    SNAP


    ...Really?


    A crack spreads through the longest icicle. Breaking off, it promptly fell to the ground, taking all of the other icicles with it. Upon landing, they shatter into pieces of various sizes, scattering themselves across the ground. The icicle that initially broke off was the only one to remotely survive, only being broken in half.


    I look towards the spectacle as my face grew pale.


    T-they just... all fell at once...? If I was under that, I probably would have died instantly...


    My body quivers slightly before I shake my head, dispelling my thoughts.


    I look towards the icicle I broke off the ceiling. Considering how difficult it was to break off, its surprisingly thin and long; a bit more than half my height, or 3/4ths of a meter. Any normal icicle would have broken easily, which kind of disturbs me...


    However, that''s not what surprises me the most.


    With the sunlight shining on the icicle, a myriad of colors were revealed, reflecting off the surface. It looks more like a crystal than it did a piece of ice, being almost completely transparent. If I didn''t already know what it was, I might have mistaken it for a piece of glass.


    It''s really... quite beautiful, honestly.


    I walk over and grab the icicle. The temperature chills my hand, but all ice is cold, so it''s within expectations. The problem is that it weighs more than I was expecting, especially considering the state of my body. Even without it, I probably wouldn''t be able to walk very long.


    ...Wait a moment. This is just the perfect length, isn''t it?


    Ahaha. I know exactly what to do with this...


    With my new walking sti-... weapon on hand, I step out of the cave at long last.


    <hr>


    The cold snow bites into my feet as I walk along the grass. Without shoes or socks, my soles take the full force of the frigid ground.


    ...My feet turned completely numb from the cold a while ago, perhaps about fifteen minutes? Now they''re even starting to feel a little bit warm, which is probably a bad sign.


    Although at this point, my feet don''t hurt anymore, so I''m fine with it.


    Wait. Aren''t numbness and sensations of warmth signs of frost bite? And how long have I felt like this...?


    Ah. That''s bad, isn''t it?


    I instantly stumble over to the nearest tree and sit down, leaning against it.


    Pulling my feet off of the snow, I quickly tear off the scarf around my neck and wrap it around my feet like a pair of stockings. The warmth from the scarf soaks into my feet,


    Aah... sweet relief. Time to keep going.


    The only problem is just, there''s so much extra cloth between my feet now. I don''t think it''ll take very long before I-


    THUD


    -trip.


    I drag my snow covered face out of the snow and brace myself on the icicle as I stand up.


    This will definitely be annoying, but there''s not much I can do about it. I''ll just have to deal with it for now. Maybe later I''ll make some legitimate socks somehow, but that''s unlikely.


    I look at the area around me. It seems as though I''ve just entered a bit of a clearing. There''s a river just ahead past a few trees, but it''s frozen, so it might as well not be there. More importantly, just in front of me are some berries! Little round berries, dotting the bush in red!


    I grab some and pop them into my mouth. They''re juicier than expected, almost seeming to explode in my mouth in a burst of liquid.


    The flavor is passable. A bit sour for my tastes, but not bad at all. There''s even a light bitterness that almost makes me feel lightheaded.


    Wait, no. I really am feeling lightheaded.


    In an instant my body loses its strength and drops to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.


    It''s... paralyzed me?


    Aha, this is bad, isn''t it?


    I lie on the ground, trying to keep my uncovered arms and legs off the snow. Fortunately, it seems like the effects of the poison are limited to paralysis, but that doesn''t mean I''m safe. For all I know, some random animal could just come by and eat me.


    ...From now on, I''m going to wait until I''m back in the cave to eat the berries.


    Although, lying here alone kind of has its own merits too...


    Just relaxing, listening to the birds, thinking things through...


    It''s nice. Peaceful. Nos...talgic?


    ...Now that I think of it, something about this situation feels rather famil?i?a?-...


    A forbidding chill spreads through my body, centered on my neck. My body stiffens before giving off a single spasm, a momentary shudder. A gasp makes its way through my clenched teeth. I open the eyes I didn''t even realize I had closed. Black dots line my vision, and everything seems blurry. Am I going blind...?


    No, that''s just my own tears. Just like a river, they continue to flow down my face, falling down into the snow.


    With a newfound burst of energy guided by my instinct and panic, I dash back to the cave as fast as I can, the previous paralysis nothing more than a figment of my imagination.


    As soon as I enter, I collapse back to the ground, my entire body aching and in pain. The energy rush I had suddenly vanishes, the paralysis rushing back as if it never left. The only solace I found in its return was that it numbed the pain coursing through my body.


    ...What... happened...?


    In one moment I was just laying down, and the next...?


    ...My memories. As soon as I was about to recall just a little bit...


    I felt the pain of death once again.


    I hold back the nausea threatening me to vomit.


    ...


    ...I think I''ll just... leave my memories alone for now.

 Forest Arc | Chapter 2: A Step Away From Incompetence

    The sound of rain enters my ears. Wind, like an instrument, whistles a constantly changing pitch. A faint metallic scent enters my nose, causing me to wince in disgust. There''s a bitter aftertaste lingering in my dried mouth. Despite the cold temperature, I''m drenched in sweat.


    I look at my hands. Blood leaks from arc-shaped marks, likely made by my own nails. I wipe them off on my cloak, leaving bloody stains on the cloth. My face is particularly damp. Not from sweat, but tears.


    I rub my eyes, wiping away the salty liquid from my face. An uncanny mix of blood and tears is now spread across my face.


    After that... thing happened, I''ve just been lying here for a while. Thinking, mostly. And crying. A lot. Not just about my situation, not just about my death, but... well, everything, I guess. Imagine waking up, but the only memory you have is your own traumatic death. You''re alone, weak, and practically helpless. You can''t even go a second without the thoughts of dying haunting you, forcing you to pretend as if nothing''s even wrong, just for the sake of your own sanity. Even when you finally find some food for a little bit of comfort, it''s poisonous.


    It... really hurts, you know?


    ...I look outside of the cave. It''s night, and I still feel hungry.


    Recently, these phantom chills around my neck, this pain... it''s been growing worse and worse, but I don''t know why. I really won''t be able to take any more of this insanity.


    I take off the scarf still wrapped around my feet and put it around my neck, its rightful location. Luckily, it doesn''t look like the frostbite ended up giving any permanent damage. My eyes dart over to my icicle laying in the ground. I grab it, and just like before, use it to brace myself while I stand up. It''s difficult as usual... maybe even a bit harder than normal because of my exhaustion from yesterday.


    My stomach growls. Of course I''m still hungry, a couple of berries is practically nothing, you know? Something like that would never satisfy me, I need to eat more than just that. If I was capable, I would go and hunt for some meat, but it''s clear that would be extremely difficult.


    I lick the inside of my mouth. It''s unbelievably dry... I''m thirsty as well. If I go outside, I can probably get something to eat, and I guess the water in fruits and vegetables could provide me for a little bit, but...


    ...Unless I want to die, I probably shouldn''t. What do I mean, you ask? Simple. It''s dark outside, my entire body aches, it''s raining, etc. I won''t be able to see any potential threats, I won''t be able to fight back, I''ll get exhausted under the extra weight from the rain covering my clothes, etc. And the stupid poison berries too. Basically, I''ll die, you know? Going outside might as well be a death wish. After all, it''s nice to take a breather once in a while, right?


    I twirl around the icicle while I''m still standing. In an instant, my neck feels as though it''s constricted, and even though nothing was truly happening, the blood drains from my face.


    ...One last thing, about these mysterious neck pains. Up to this point, I thought they were warning me about my memories, or the forest, but now... I''ve got a slight hunch about its true nature. I''m hoping I''m wrong, to be honest, cause if I''m right, it''ll be extremely troublesome.


    I stumble over to the exit of the cave. The wind howls louder as I approach, and the pain in my neck grows more as well. Sweat drips down my face, some of it getting in my eye. It stings, but it''s nothing compared to the experience of death. As I reach the exit, I stop walking, planting my hand against the wall to lean against it. As expected, something is definitey wrong.


    ...Despite such loud sounds coming from the wind, I''m not feeling any wind at all.


    I look up. The moon sits straight above me... midnight, huh. The pain in my neck has stopped growing as well, although it hasn''t gone away yet. I step out and back in the cave repeatedly, the chills spreading and shrinking each time. The ''wind'' even seems to grow a bit louder, making me uneasy.


    crack


    Something rushes by at a near invisible speed. At the same time, my eyes twitch as my neck suddenly feels like it''s about to break. I retreat back into the cave, letting out the breath I didn''t even realize I was holding.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The sound of the wind... followed whatever that thing was. It''s not wind at all that''s outside, it''s those creatures.


    ...I was right. My hunch was right on...! Every time I take a step closer to death, I''ll re-experience part of my own demise. My own fear of that sensation then drives me to survive. Isn''t that hilarious? These eldritch pains, these phantom chills, it''s all part of a stupid instinct. Seriously, I''d kill myself if I didn''t already know how horrible death is just to be free of the pain. My life is being dictated by fear...


    Hah... I want to cry again...


    Strangely, my feet feel wet, sticky, and... very painful. I look down at the ground. Starting from the ice shards I left on the ground, bloody footprints leave a track to my location. I must have stepped on them or something, cutting open my feet.


    My eyes flare in annoyance. I clumsily run over and start kicking all of the ice shards over to the wall, ignoring the small cuts that continue to litter my feet. They fly away, scattering along the side with unexpected strength. I stare down at some of the remaining ice shards and stomp down, shattering them underfoot. Energy rushes through my veins and fuels my rage.


    I hate this. I really hate this. Even without my memories, I feel as though I''ve never hated anything so much before. I try squeezing the loose cloth on my scarf to ease my anger, which calms me just a little bit.


    Just take a deep breath in and out. In. Out.


    ...Okay.


    Now that I''ve calmed down, how did I just crush that ice...? That ice is quite strong, almost comparable to rock, and I just shattered it underfoot. I look down at the ice, only to see a powdery dust under my feet, with red dots littered across.


    ...Great. I''m still bleeding. Outstanding. Splendid.


    I sigh and look back towards the ice. I really want to know how I had that sudden strength. And looking back, it happened before when I was running back into the cave from outside after eating those berries. It would be very useful to gain control over that ability, especially in dangerous situations.


    I walk over and grab a palm-sized shard of ice. I toss it up in the air and catch it a few times before throwing it against the wall. Since I''m standing all the way on one side of the cave, it doesn''t even reach the other side before bouncing, and even then it only manages to barely roll over to the wall.


    Of course. What was I even expecting to happen? I won''t figure it out just like that.


    While taking a deep breath, I trudge towards the chunk of ice I threw and pick it back up. What was I doing when I had those sudden strength boosts? The first time, I was overtaken by my stupid instinct... everything seemed blurry, and I hardly remember it. Just now however, I was angry. No... that doesn''t seem to describe how I felt quite accurately enough.


    I was... filled with wrath.


    In my anger, I kicked all of the ice aside and crushed a piece with my bare feet. During that time... I felt like adrenaline was rushing through my veins. I mean, it probably was, but I could feel it. You can''t feel adrenaline. That''s not how the human body works. So I must have felt something else. Something rushing through my blood...


    My entire body shivers as i feel my blood coursing through my veins with an inexplicable pressure. This was the sensation from before... but it''s not quite the same. I need to do something with this sensation, redirect it to something else...


    I grasp on to the pressure and try to drag it out. The pressure concentrates on my fingers and pushes against some kind of barrier, but nonetheless successfully leaks through bit by bit. I watch my hands in surprise.


    Amazing! Absolutely nothing happened. Really, just screw off! After all that, nothing happens? Seriously?


    I look at my fingers and continue to drive out the energy.


    Why isn''t anything happening? This is just... no, something''s definitely happening.


    I''m feeling... really... tir...ed?


    slump


    Everything slowly drifts to black.


    <hr>


    ...Hey Maestra, we''re going to play a game, okay?


    We''re playing hide and seek! Aren''t you excited?


    Yeah, I''m happy too.


    ...


    Huh? I''m fine, don''t worry.


    ...Alright, here are the rules. I''m going to count up to 1000. Before I reach that, you need to hide as far away as possible.


    Yeah, 1000, okay? I know it''s a long time, but you need to listen.


    ...Yep. But no matter what, don''t let anybody find you.


    ...Please.


    Alright, I''m going to start counting up now. Don''t worry, I''ll definitely find you. Never forget that I love you.


    ...


    There she goes.


    ...I''m sorry.


    ...


    You finally arrived. Well, too bad. You were too late.


    Yes. She''s already gone. I sent her away. Not even you will be able to find that child.


    Hahaha...


    This is as far as you go. You''re not getting by me.


    Mark my words, I will NEVER, let you touch my precious daughter.


    ...And... even if you get your underlings to catch her, I have my own plans then.


    This is the end for you.


    I''m sorry, Maestra. My daughter.


    <hr>


    I wake up, my eyes snapping open, only to instantly close once again, blinking out the stream of tears flowing from my eyes. My heart is racing and my breath barely keeps up. I look down at my scarf and hug it close to my trembling body.


    ...


    What the hell was that dream?

 Forest Arc | Chapter 3: Praedonius Insania

    ...Was that one of my memories or something...? It was all fuzzy, I can''t really make any sense of it. I think I heard my name a few times though... Was it something important...? Well, even if it was, if I can''t make any sense of it, then I might as well have never seen it...


    I slap my cheeks, dispelling my thoughts. My memories... aren''t high on my priority list at the moment. I should figure out why I passed out. If that happens again, it could possibly cost me my life.


    The sound of regret reverberates in my ears in the form of my growling stomach. Using up that energy must have, well, used up a lot of energy. I feel even hungrier than before, which is definitely a bad sign. It''s best if I get something to eat before figuring that out. In the meantime, I''ll just have to avoid messing with that energy.


    I sigh, something I''ve been doing a lot recently. After waking up, the pains in my neck have faded to only a slight chill, which is nice. Looking outside, I can see that it''s now daytime, meaning I slept through the night. The sounds of those creatures are gone too. Can they only come out during night? I hope so...


    Well, lets go.


    I grab my icicle, wrap my scarf around my feet, and march outside the cave with determination. I have to find something to eat. At the moment, I could consider myself quite literally dying in my current state. I can''t go on any longer like this.


    As I walk through the snow, I quickly find myself surrounded by trees once again, with various types of bushes scattered randomly. I notice that some have berries, but upon closer inspection, they''re the same paralysis berries as before.


    Well... they won''t kill me, right?


    I go and pick some and stuff them in the hood of my cloak. To be honest though, while I keep calling it a cloak, it''s really just a rectangular sheet of cloth with another piece of cloth attached, vaguely in the shape of a hood. It''s better than nothing though; in this type of situation it wouldn''t be strange to have nothing at all.


    After I finish picking berries, I scoop up some snow and eat it.


    ...What? I''m thirsty. Got a problem?


    Once I''m done with the snow, I stand back up and keep walking, stuffing berries into my hood as I move on. As I continue further and further, the terrain gradually becomes more difficult to traverse. The hills become steeper, some even covered with ice causing me to slip and slide down. Some of them I might even call small cliffs.


    Compared to last time, I''ve been out walking significantly longer. My legs ache, but I know that if I take time to rest, I''m not going to want to get up again. Even so, it''s not like I can just go back now. All I have are some poisonous berries... they''ll sate my hunger and offer some nourishment, but won''t be much help in the long run. On the other hand, if I could find an actual animal...


    My eyes catch movement, and immediately dart over to a beetle clinging to the side of a tree.


    ...


    N-n-n-no way! I can''t eat that! I don''t care how hungry I am, I can''t eat that... thing.


    growl


    Guh...!


    Fine, but only cause I''m starving! I walk up and smack it with my icicle. Blue bug juice squirts out, triggering a queasy feeling in my stomach. With my eyes shut, I grab it and stuff it in my hood, wiping my hands on my cloak right afterwards.


    Mission success...!


    Haha...


    I shuffle away from the blue splat mark left on the tree before looking back.


    Although a bug like this... this hardly even counts if we''re talking about animals. When you mention animals, you think of squirrels! Or rabbits! Not... beetles or whatever...!


    I guess... I''ll keep looking for now.


    <hr>


    I stand at the edge of a cliff. A small, white ball of fur sits at the bottom, nibbling on the leaves of some bushes. It moves with small hops as its ears twitch, taking in the sounds of its surroundings.


    Yep. It''s a rabbit. I''m not sure why it''s out here though. Rabbits hibernate, right? Yes, they do. I''m not crazy, okay?


    ...Well, I might be a bit crazy, but that''s not the problem here! In fact, there is absolutely no problem whatsoever! This is a perfect chance for me to get some food! All I need to do is catch the rabbit!


    ...How do I catch the rabbit?


    If I walk around, I could possibly go down the hill to corner it, but in my current state, I don''t think I''ll even be able to catch it like that. Sneaking up might work, but I doubt it. Animals have far better senses of smell compared to humans, so I can''t rely on just being quiet.


    So... I''ll have to kill it... without it noticing me.


    I look down. It''s right below me.


    I look at my hands. The icicle carried in one of them shines in the sunlight.


    ...Ah.


    I drop down to the ground and crawl slightly over the edge. Looking down from such a height triggers feeling of vertigo, making my stomach swim, but I put the feeling out of my mind. I take the icicle and position it straight above the rabbit, holding it tight with both hands, before letting go.


    The icicle cuts through the air before landing right on top of the rabbit. The unnatural weight of it pierces straight through the rabbit into the ground, pinning it down. I watch as it flails and thrashes to no avail, only wasting the little energy it had left.


    Yes! I-I got it...! I killed it!


    ...I... killed it...


    ...Somehow... this doesn''t feel as gratifying as I was thinking...


    I look at the now twitching body of the rabbit.


    It''s survival of the fittest, okay? It''s not my fault it was weaker than me, okay...? I don''t have much of a choice here, you know...


    With a grim expression, I shuffle down the hill. As I do so, chills spread across my body, but it''s only because I might slip and hit my head. Normally I''d be more careful about it, but considering it happened each time before when I was going down hills, I''m sure it''s the cause.


    Impatient with my slow progress down the hill, I sit down and let myself slide down, before stumbling over to the rabbit.


    ...Without my walking sti-... icicle, it''s a lot harder to move around...


    I look down at the corpse pinned to the ground. Now that I''m taking a closer look, doesn''t this rabbit have three eyes and a horn?


    T-that doesn''t matter. I need food, and it''ll suffice. As long as I can get some meat, it''s fine. I pick it up and sling it over my shoulder. It won''t fit in my hood, so I have no choice but to carry it like this.


    I look at the bloodstains, shivering slightly before turning around to go back to the cave. I can only hope that the blood won''t attract any predators.


    Eventually, I make it back, collecting bugs along the way. It took a bit longer than I was expecting; the rabbit took up a spare hand, while I had to be careful not to let anything fall out of my hood. Once or twice, my neck even spiked up in pain, throwing me into a minor panic. It was tough...


    As I sit down on the stone floor, I turn my hood inside out while dropping the rabbit off to the side. It lands with a slight squish, making me wince, but nothing more.


    Now... what to eat first...? Definitely not the berries. If I eat them, I won''t be able to eat anything else until the paralysis wears off. That leaves the pile of bugs and the rabbit.


    ...I... think I''ll go with the rabbit.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    How am I supposed to eat this? I was planning to cook it over a fire, but I can''t realy start a fire in my current condition... Using friction takes a lot of endurance, something I don''t have, and unless some magical wizard appears to oh-so-magically set some wood on fire for me, I don''t think I can get fire any other way.


    I guess I''ve gotta... eat it raw then?


    I''m getting a dangerous vibe from eating this meat raw, especially considering the peculiarness of the rabbit itself, and my neck is acting up a bit. But... that''s only because it''s raw meat, right? It could be insanitary?


    Suppressing a shiver, I walk over to the pile of ice shards near the wall. As expected, some of them broke off to create a nice edge. I pick up one of the sharper pieces and move back towards the rabbit. Using the knife-like ice shard, I cut off the skin and remove the organs. Most, if not all of the blood was lost as I was walking back to the cave, so I don''t need to worry about that. I also break off the horn and throw it to the side. It might be useful as a weapon later on.


    With a slight cringe on my face, I close my eyes and bite down on the side of the rabbit. It''s surprisingly flavorless, except for an extremely faint sweetness. Chances are, it didn''t get to gain much flavor through cooking. The mild flavor might have been a little bit pleasing though, if it weren''t for the slimy and chewy texture.


    While holding back my gag reflex, I swallow the rabbit meat.


    A forboding feeling strikes my heart as the meat slides down my throat, accompanied with an unbelievable strangling sensation. With zero hesitation, I try to make myself throw up, but I''m one second too late.


    As soon as it drops into my stomach-


    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?????????????A????????????????????????????????????H????????????????A????????????H?????????????????????????A??????????????????????H???????????????????A????????????????H???????????????????A???????????????????H????????????????????????????A?????????????????????????????????H????????????????????A???????????????????????H?????????????????????????????A??????????????????????????H???????????????????????????????????A?????????????????????????????H???????????????????????????????A??????????????????????H?????????????????????????????A??????????????????????????????


    ...


    ...


    I wake up, my eyes snapping open with a horrified glint. My body rolls around, while my mouth lets out silent groans of agony. My head aches, my stomach is in pain...


    ...And my hands have claws; centimeter-long razor sharp blades extending off my fingers.

 Forest Arc | Chapter 4: Catharsis

    ...What the hell is this...!?


    W...why do I have claws!?


    I jolt up in my panic, only to fall back downwards, wincing in pain. It hurts... everything hurts so much...! It''s like my body was just torn apart and reassembled! Or maybe just... torn apart...? It still hurts after all... haha...


    N-no! That''s... not important. I have to figure out what happened to me. I push myself up, squeezing my eyes shut due to the pain, when I notice something else.


    Squeezing my eyes shut...? No. My left eye... it''s gone. Gouged out, seemingly in some type of intense struggle.


    Oh god... what the hell happened...? Why did this happen to me?


    I just... ate that meat, and the next thing I knew...


    I look around in a panic for the rabbit, but all I see are piles of skeletons, torn to shreds. Sitting right next to it are a dozen of bug corpses split in two, their insides completely drained. Even the organs I removed from the rabbit are nowhere to be seen. Except for the berries, which are practically untouched, everything is gone.


    ...Where did... all of these skeletons come from...?


    My eye drops down to my hands. They''re drenched in red all the way up to my upper arms. I bet if I could see my face, it would be covered in dried blood as well.


    I crawl to the corner and throw up. I won''t even try to hold back or stop myself, what I just saw and did was so disgusting, the smell of vomit won''t make a big difference anyway, so it doesn''t really matter.


    I wipe my mouth with my sleeve.


    ...I knew it. I shouldn''t have eaten that meat, it was giving me such a bad vibe that entire time...! I''m an idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot! I would say I want to cry, but I''m already crying pretty hard now!


    My hands reflexively squeeze tight, pushing my new claws into my skin. I quickly relax them as soon as I sense the pain, but I''ve already reopened the earlier wounds made from the same action. My teeth clench shut, and I hiss from the pain.


    ...Ah... my teeth feel weird. What, do I have fangs now as well...?


    ...No. It''s... different. It''s not just fangs, all of my teeth are different. It''s like they''re... optimized for eating meat. I have fang-like, long, pointed teeth for gripping prey, and sharp, blade-like teeth for cutting meat. The main similarity between them is they''re all razor sharp.


    I...I wasn''t even serious when I was talking about the fangs, you know? It was just a little playful remark, but for the reality to actually be worse...


    I know you''ve been throwing jokes at me, life, but something as cruel as this... I haven''t even been here for two whole days, and I''m already losing part of my humanity...! Even if I find civilization, I''m never even going to be able to fit in! Chances are, I''ll just be enslaved and sold off as some exotic good...


    ...What did I do to deserve this...?


    ...Please.


    I don''t want to be alone anymore.


    I don''t want to be hungry.


    I don''t want to be afraid.


    I don''t want to feel this pain anymore.


    ...I don''t... want to die again...!


    Is that too much to ask!?


    ...


    For a moment, I calm down a bit and listen to the wind blow. Of course, it''s not really the wind. It''s night outside, meaning that those strange creatures are lurking about, making those sounds. Either way, it''s nice to just listen to. It''s almost... relieving, even, but only for a bit.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I raise my hand to hit the floor--a simple show of frustration--but instead of beating down with my fist, I instinctually slash with my claws. A tiny, practically miniscule scratch mark appears. Of course, with my strength, I wasn''t expecting anything more. If your body is weak, even the sharpest blade won''t cut through stone.


    I take off the scarf around my feet that I never returned to my neck. With its current condition, it would be fair to call it a red scarf, rather than white like it used to be. I wrap it around my neck with care, before slumping down on the floor, resting my head on the extra cloth.


    It hurts. This feeling of emptiness is just tearing away at my soul. This cold feeling, as though my heart is turning to ice... I can''t take it. I curl up into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest. My body trembles incessantly, despite my mind''s futile attempts to calm down. Deep breaths change to hyperventilation. Daydreaming turns to a mental nightmare.


    I...it''s okay. I''m going to be fine. I''ll just fall asleep here for the night, and when I wake up, it''ll all be a dream. Just like nothing happened at all.


    It''ll be... just like a dream.


    "...A...ha...aha..."


    A dry, broken laugh resounds throughout the cave. I jump a bit, before realizing it''s my own ruined voice, forcing itself through my useless vocal cords.


    ...Yeah... of course it''s me. Nobody else is even here. Of course, I might be going insane. I won''t be ruling that possibility out, no matter how much I want to.


    ...Even if I wake up, and it turns out that nothing even happened, what will I even do about it? I''ll still be stuck with a life in this damn forest.


    Yeah, no way.


    A life in this hell where everything is trying to drive me insane, trying to end my life...


    I can hardly even call that a life.


    I wipe off the tears dripping down my face. I can''t live here anymore. I don''t care if I can''t find my own place in society, but as long as I''m in this hellhole, I might as well kill myself.


    Because in my eyes, it''s actually starting to become worse than death itself.


    If I stay here, what will my life be? Eating mystery meat that slowly robs me of my humanity? Going out over and over again, just to collect the bare necessities? Like a machine, doing the same thing, not remembering anything but what I already know?


    Yeah, right.


    If that''s what it is, it would indeed be best to just fall asleep and never wake up.


    ...


    ...Hah...


    All of that venting was kinda... relieving. What''s the term for that called again? Catharsis? Yeah...


    How cathartic.


    I roll around on the ground, only to bump into a small, furry object. Is it the rabbit? No, it''s...


    "meow"


    A...kitten...?


    I see a ball of fur jump away seemingly startled. It''s a mix of black and white, kind of like a fancy suit, and only reaches up to my knees in terms of height. It''s big eyes hold a mixture of surprise and fear, but also seem rather curious of me.


    ...Why are you here? Or rather, how are you here? I didn''t even notice you at all...


    It walks around clumsily, before stopping for a moment to stare at my eye. With almost human-like expressiveness, it totters over and plops down in front of my chest.


    Ah... it just... even though it''s me...


    As I slowly grasp on to the kitten and hug it closer, the tears gradually start to run again. The kitten doesn''t respond to the sudden grab, and almost seems to nuzzle deeper into my body.


    It''s just... so nice to finally just see one thing that''s not trying to kill me, you know? It feels so warm, so soft, that I''m just crying from relief.


    I run my hand down the kitten''s fur, taking in the softness into my palm, and repeat the action over and over. Eventually, a soft growl-like sound enters my sensitive ears... it''s purring.


    A creature like this, I can''t even bring myself to kill for food.


    ...Have my thoughts become so twisted that I would even contemplate such a thing? I really am going crazy...


    The kitten looks up and starts licking my face. Little flakes of red fall to the ground... dried blood, most likely. It wouldn''t happen to be cleaning me, would it? Or is it just hungry?


    If you''re hungry, then sorry, but I can''t really feed you. I''m all out of food, you see. Although, I guess you don''t even care, do you?


    It must be nice to be a cat.


    You don''t need to worry about learning to hunt... it probably comes naturally as they grow up. And even if you do struggle with it, you don''t have the necessary intelligence to suffer so much about it, do you?


    ...Sorry. That was rude of me.


    The kitten scratches at my cloak with its tiny claws. Just like mine, but smaller, huh.


    I can''t help but want to protect such a thing, but what can I even do for it? I don''t have the strength, will, or resources to do such a thing, do I? I can''t save you from harm. I''m sorry, but there''s nothing I can do... you should just head back to your mama or papa, where it''ll be safer...


    ...Yeah, safer... cause seeing how I''m living life, the least safe place is probably right at my side.


    I push it away, sending it stumbling down, but it immediately gets back up and crawls back towards me. It jumps around, clawing at the cloth of the scarf resting under my head in a playful manner. I sit up in resignation and take off my scarf, letting the kitten do what it wants with it.


    ...I guess it really does intend on staying with me.


    A smile creeps on my pitiful face as I watch the kitten play around with my scarf.


    I think I''ve finally decided where to go from here.


    Previously, I might have endured staying here and living such a painful life, or even killing myself so I wouldn''t even need to experience it, but no matter what, I just can''t let that happen, you know? It doesn''t feel right to just give up like that.


    ...Thanks for the emotional support. You''re really helping me a lot at the moment, little guy.


    I hug the kitten closer to my body, and it lets out a tiny meow in response.


    This damned forest...


    I''m finally gonna leave it behind.

 Forest Arc | Chapter 5: Departure

    As the sun rises, dyeing the sky in a reddish-orange tint, I stand up, staring at the sight. A small kitten sits on my shoulder, eyes wide but calm. My feet immediately start to move as I pick up sharp ice shards along the wall, stuffing them in my hood, and grasp onto an icicle with a sharp pointed tip.  The wind sings its song, as it had throughout the whole night, before suddenly stopping, the world fading into silence.


    It''s finally morning, and that means its time to go at last. Because I wasn''t able to sleep, I spent a fair amount of time figuring out what changed as a result of my transformation, and as it turns out, many of the changes were quite positive. For example, all of my senses have become dramatically more sensitive. Hearing, smelling, and feeling is far easier, and I would say the same for my sight if I hadn''t lost an eye, a fact I''m still yet to get used to.


    Another side effect of this transformation is that my weight has dropped by a very large amount, to the point where I can even run around. The reason why I''m saying I got lighter rather than stronger is that the icicle I always carry around is actually heavier than normal, even though I can lift my body far more easily. This can be both negative and positive, hopefully more positive.


    What I''m trying to say is that I''m thinking that this transformation will make it easier for me to leave the forest. My enhanced senses should warn me of danger along with my instinct for death, and my decreased weight should let me move faster for extended periods of time. Not to say that I''m not upset with these changes... but after thinking about it for a bit, I''ve decided that since there''s nothing I can do about it, I might as well deal with it.


    ...I''m not a passive person, okay? I''ll have you know I thought a lot about it.


    A-anyway, I''ve got the entire day to try and get out of here until nightfall. If I can''t find shelter or escape by then, well... I''m probably screwed.


    I step out of the cave, scarf on feet, icicle in hand, and cat in hood. By the way, I named it Cata. Not that I can actually call it that, though. I can''t really talk. Also, it''s not an it, it''s a she. I only just found out around an hour ago after... ahem, looking.


    Don''t judge my naming sense please. I''m sure that if you went through hell in a forest, you wouldn''t be in the best condition to name small animals either.


    ...I really shouldn''t get distracted like this. I''d better get a move on.


    <hr>


    step step crunch step crunch step


    As I walk through the snow, the wind sounds out--real wind this time--and nearly blows me away. Because of my drastically decreased weight, the density of my body has dropped as well, resulting in, well, this.


    In other words, the wind has turned out to be a royal pain in the ass.


    My original plan was to climb a tree to get a good view of my surroundings and maybe find the shortest path out, but I''m sure that the wind would just blow me off the tree.


    That being said, I did try to climb up a few times, but my instinct for death acted up every time, interrupting my progress. I''m... better off playing it safe, I think.


    Anyways, the next best thing is to go up a big hill, right? Right. No danger of falling, no scraping myself against the bark of trees, and no fragile branches either, although I probably don''t weigh enough to break any. That''s why I''ve come to this exact location-- the bottom of a very large and steep hill.


    "meow"


    "..."


    I glance at Cata. She stares back. With her paws, she starts pushing on my cheek, causing my to turn my head to the side.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ...What? You wanna get off? I set her on the ground, only for her to climb back up my cloak, perching herself on my head. What a strange cat.


    Now that I think about it, how did she even get in the cave with me in the first place? That... shouldn''t be possible, right? It was the middle of night, how could she survive with the freezing temperatures, along with all of those creatures wandering around?


    ...Whatever. I''m not getting any danger signals, so it''s probably fine. The emotional support she provides is also nice, so it doesn''t matter if she''s strange... I hope.


    My feet crunch against the snow as I make my way up the hill. Occasionally, I step on a patch of ice, causing me to fall face first. It''s annoying, but at least I''m not in danger of dying. Even so, with each step, it becomes more difficult to go on. The ground becomes more slippery, the hill becomes steeper, and worst of all, the wind becomes stronger.


    Why is it always the wind giving me trouble? First it''s those creatures imitating the sound of the wind, then it''s the actual wind threatening to blow me away. What''s with this?


    I scowl as I continue to climb up the hill, making myself appear smaller as to resist the wind.


    I take another step, only to find my feet land on nothing. At the same time, my neck cramps up, my body''s alarm bells ringing. In a moment of calmness, I reach out for a tree, and just barely manage to grab hold to a branch before pulling myself in to get a better grip. Surprisingly, Cata managed to cling to me throughout the entire ordeal.


    T-this damn wind just lifted me off the snow...! Am I really that light?


    I sigh in disappointment as I cling to the tree. At least with this, I have a slightly higher view than before? I mean, I was prety close to the top when the wind kicked up, and now I can see over the hill.


    ...Coincidentally, I can also see that this forest is a giant piece of shit. How big is this place even!? I can''t even see the border of the forest! How am I supposed to get out? I''ve had enough trouble with this place, and now there''s another problem...? Where am I even supposed to go now?


    Ah, wait a moment. Is that... smoke I see?


    I... guess it would be best to investigate? If I''m lucky, maybe I''ll be able to get some food. First though, I have to get down from here. Unfortunately, I can''t quite reach the lower branches with my feet. I''ll need to take a gamble and jump down if I want to get back on the ground.


    Well, here I go...


    ...Hup!


    crack


    <hr>


    I sit down at the bottom of a tree, leaves covering my body, branches sticking from here and there, hair disheveled. A dissatisfied look is plastered upon my face, much like the oddly humanlike expression that Cata is all too clearly showing off as she jumps back on my head.


    I''m going to be honest. I didn''t really think that the branch was going to break. It was basically as thick as my arm, you know? Granted, my arm isn''t very thick, but still... especially with my low weight, I really didn''t think it was thin enough to break.


    Hah... it''s best if I make my way to the source of that smoke now. It was just ahead of the hill I believe? Jeez, if the sky was clear it''d definitely be visible, but all of these trees make it hard to see upwards. Well, if I just sit around here doing nothing, I''ll definitely be stranded out here by night. Better to get there sooner than later.


    As I start to jog over, the smell of cooking meat gradualy makes its way into my nose. Considering that I can''t even see it, it just goes to show how much my sense of smell has improved. But regardless... the smell of the meat along with my massively increased sense of smell...


    It''s nearly intoxicating...


    My mind goes blank as I mindlessly stumble over to the meat. Just past the trees, I can see a skewer being roasted over a small campfire. It''s just about done cooking, and strangely, nobody is paying attention to it. Maybe whoever was making it decided to leave it to do something and come back when it was finished? As I walk up to the fire, I start to think of what to do when I suddenly smell the meat once again.


    Agh, whatever! I''m hungry, so I''m going to eat! I snatch the skewer and run back behind a tree, sliding off all the meat onto the snow to let it cool shortly. Cata jumps off my shoulder to the ground, staring at the meat with great interest.


    Gently, I pick up a piece from the ground and stare at it in my hands in worship. Cooked meat...


    It... wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say it''s felt like forever since I''ve eaten it.


    Almost instantly, I start to eat the meat I had permanently borrowed from its previous owner. Cata drags a piece off to the side to eat alone. Only until half of it is gone do I finally start to slow down and take my time.


    Ahh...! It''s really good, haha...


    "...Glad to see that you''re enjoying my meal."


    I know, right? It''s...


    ...Great...?


    I turn around. A person in heavy winter clothing is standing right above me as I chew a piece of meat, eyes darting from me to the meat scattered messily across the ground.


    I quickly chew the remaining meat in my mouth before swallowing.


    ...It appears as though I''ve made a mistake.

 Forest Arc | Chapter 6: Encounter

    I sit just outside of a campfire, a woman covered in heavy clothing just across me. Claw marks litter the sleeves of her jacket, stuffing leaking from the gashes, and just in front of her lay the remains of several snowballs, landing just short of their target. A black and white kitten walks around them, inspecting the peculiar marks. Meanwhile, I nibble on a piece of cooked meat as I watch the woman cautiously.


    ...I may or may not have panicked when I first saw this woman. You can''t really blame me though, okay? I stole her food, and then she showed up behind me without a single warning! What was I supposed to think she was there for? I mean, yes, I did steal her food, but at the very least she didn''t have to scare me like that...


    "Really though, you scared the shit out of me right then. You''re lucky it was me you stole from and not someone else. Others might not be so forgiving if you suddenly attack them like that."


    Wha-? You''re the one who reached out to grab me! What was I supposed to think you were there for, some headpats and a hug? I send out a glare towards the woman, who laughs heartily in response. If it weren''t for the pitch of her voice, I honestly would have thought that she was a he.


    "Come on now, don''t be so sullen! I already apologized for that, so it''s fine, right?"


    Shut up.


    "Anyway, you''re quite the peculiar little girl, aren''t you? Those claws and teeth are quite unusual."


    Am I supposed to respond to you? Are you expecting me to verify your thoughts here? I quickly stuff and chew up the remaining meat in my mouth. With my now free hands, I pick up some snow, ball it up, and throw it at the girl. She watches as it falls short and nearly lands in the campfire.


    "Nice toss, kiddo. You almost got me that time."


    My face dyes itself red in embarrassment as I look away, hiding my expression.


    "So, what''s a kid like you doing here anyway? You seem awfully... lightly dressed for these conditions, and I''m sure you know that nighttime here can be awfully terrifying with all of those Night Stalkers and such."


    Is that what they''re called...? Well, whatever. Being asked a question that''s finally relevant... I should probably do my best to answer, right?


    But... I really have no idea what I''m doing here. Trying to survive, yeah, but what exactly am I doing here in the first place? Why did I just wake up here after I died in the middle of a forest that''s clearly not this forest?


    I shrug my shoulders, a troubled look appearing on my face. The woman nods her head, seemingly in thought.


    "You don''t know, huh? Hmm... how long have you been here then?"


    Three days? I lift three fingers, but my confusion must be quite evident as she suppresses a laugh.


    "Right. Judging by your current condition," she glances at my eye socket, "those three days must have been pretty rough. I''m assuming you were trying to get out of this place then?"


    Yeah. My head bobs up and down in confirmation.


    "Give up."


    I gape. In response, the woman roars in laughter, slapping her hand on the ground.


    "AHAHA! That look on your face was just priceless, you know that? I was just kidding! Although still, at the moment, you''ll never make it out by nighttime, and if you''re still out alone by then, you''re fucked."


    I look up. The sun sits directly above me, marking the transition from morning to afternoon. The disappointment must be clear on my face though, as the girl simply smiles.


    "Now here''s the thing. I said that if you''re out alone, you''re fucked. I never said anything about if you were with another person, such as me."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    What.


    I want to just refuse, but... I don''t have much of a choice, do I? I mean, when I was looking on top of that tree for the edge of the forest, I didn''t see it. And my endurance is, quite frankly, terrible. Assuming that she''s in far better condition compared to me, and she''s saying that it would also be impossible for her, there''s no way I can go off on my own.


    "You really are quite expressive, you know that? So, how about it? Wanna go off on your own and die, or come along with me?"


    I... really don''t have a choice. I hesitantly lift my hand and point at her.


    "That''s the spirit! Glad you agreed, I''d never be able to relax if I knew I left a kid like you out here alone."


    "..."


    "Aaanyway, companions should know each others name, no? You can call me Celes. Would you mind telling me yours?"


    "..."


    "...O-ok then, you don''t have to stare at me like that, just say if you don''t wanna tell me..."


    As she looks away, I grab another snowball and throw it at her, catching her attention. As she glances back at me, my point to my mouth and throat and make an ''x'' with my arms.


    "You can''t talk? Is that why you''ve been so quiet all this time? Seriously, why didn''t you tell me?"


    "..."


    "...S-sorry."


    A strained sigh forces itself through my clenched teeth.


    ...This is going to be a long day.


    <hr>


    In the middle of a forest, tracks in the shape of footsteps are visible, planted into the snow by a pair of boots. Left by a certain heavily clothed girl, the track grows ever longer. On her back is another girl, albeit smaller, and on her back, is a small, black and white cat, clinging to a thin cloak with her claws.


    This woman... Celes, was it? Her walking speed is ridiculous! Why is she so fast!? I mean, it''s walking, okay? Not running or jogging, walking! If that''s the case, why couldn''t I keep up with her for even half an hour?


    Eventually, she got tired of my slow speed and let me hitch a ride on her back, but even then she didn''t even slow down a single bit. According to her, she didn''t even feel me on her back...


    I look up, mentally exhausted. The sky is tinted in a light orange, dyed by the gradually setting sun.


    "Hey, kiddo. It''s been a while since we''ve eaten. You hungry?"


    After a moment of thought, I stick my hand out in front of her face and give her a thumbs up. Seeing my response, she lifts me off her back, letting me plop onto the ground. Cata jumps to the ground as I rub my bottom with a slight pout.


    "Was it in this pocket...? No... where''d I put them?"


    In front of me, Celes is digging through the many pockets of her oversized jacket. Soon enough, she pulls out a large bag with a triumphant grin, and dumps all of its contents on the ground.


    ...It''s a bag filled with dozens of fruits. Why do you have so many? What''s the point? It''d take weeks to go through all that fruit alone, you know? Is that why your jacket is so big? Are you just some kind of fruit hoarder...?


    "Go on. Take any one you like."


    There''s so many different types of fruits, varying in shape and size. Which one am I even supposed to take?


    Cata nudges a certain red fruit towards me. It''s lumpy and soft, and is about the size of an apple.


    ...It... is an apple. Just old and... lumpy.


    What the hell, Cata? Is your taste in food really this bad? She stares back silently, oblivious of my mental turmoil. Celes laughs off to the side at the events unfolding between me and Cata.


    It''s... not like it''ll make a big difference in the long run, right? It''s just an apple, anyway...


    ...A weird apple.


    ...


    ...Whatever. I slowly take a bite out of the app-


    It''s awful, spit it out. Stomp on the remains. I spend time eating snow to remove the taste.


    "A-alrighty then. Well, if that didn''t work out, you''re free to try more, alright?"


    Lets try this one now. It''s an orange, and nothing about it seems off this time.


    I use my claws to cut through and remove the peel. Soon enough, I have a perfectly not lumpy and overly soft orange. I glance at Cata, who meows and looks away, mindlessly playing with some of the smaller fruits.


    This time it''ll be better. I slowly take a bite of an orange secti-


    It''s even worse, spit it out.


    Really, all of your fruits suck, you know? Get some better ones, idiot.


    Or... now that I think of it. It''s not like they tasted off... they tasted exactly how I expected them to. It''s just that I found that taste utterly repulsive.


    I reach up and touch my carnivore-like teeth as a realization comes to mind. Don''t tell me that all plants and non-meats are gonna taste terrible, please...


    Celes seemed to have come to the same conclusion when I touched my teeth, as she now holds another sack--smaller though--and hands it over to me. As I look inside, I see an assortment of various dried meats.


    ...Why were you cooking that meat earlier if you had so much food on you!? Is there something that I''m not understanding? Are these supposed to be some ''last resort stash'' or something?


    I confusedly take out a piece of meat and bite into it. Unlike the fruits, it actually tastes... good. Even though it''s old, stupid, dried meat, it tastes good.


    I look off to the side to see Cata clawing at the bag, prompting me to give her a piece of meat. As I look around more, I spot Celes eating her own fruit. It would have seemed perfectly normal if it weren''t for the fact that the fruit she''s eating is a watermelon, and she''s eating it rind and all.


    You know, you were calling me unusual earlier, but no matter how I look at it, everything about you is even more unusual than me...


    "So," Celes says while chewing, "looks like you can''t really eat fruits anymore. What a shame, what a shame. I feel bad for you, missing out on my great fruit collection."


    So you really are a hoarder.


    ...Hah... just how am I going to live with this woman?

 Forest Arc | Chapter 7: Mock Battle

    "Hey, kiddo."


    I turn my head towards the sudden voice. A silhouette stands against a background dyed in the deep scarlet of a setting sun, her hand against her chin as if in thought.


    "I know I should have asked you earlier," Celes begins, "but aren''t you getting a bit cold in your... thing...?"


    ...You can''t even tell what this is?


    She points at my whi-... reddish cloak and the scarf I had returned to my neck; she gave me boots, so I don''t need it around my feet anymore. As cloaks don''t change like living beings, it''s still paper thin and extremely lightweight, and the scarf only serves to cover my neck, not my legs or arms.


    I grab some loose cloth from my clothes and wrap it around a pile of snow. It promptly melts, soaking my cloak in water, which soon evaporates as well. Celes'' eyes widen slightly as she nods in approval.


    "It''s enchanted? Lucky you, those can be pretty rare. Make sure you don''t lose ''em."


    Enchanted...? Another thing I need to learn about, I guess. Yeah, I guess that is pretty lucky. Not cause they''re rare, but without them, I definitely would have frozen to death. That being said, the current problem isn''t the cold right now. In less than an hour, it''ll be night. I have no clue what Celes plans to do concerning the "Night Stalkers" or whatever, but I''m hoping she has a plan, at the very least.


    I hug Cata to calm my nerves. She lets out a small meow. At this point, I''m absolutely sure she isn''t a normal cat. I mean, she hasn''t eaten anything since I first met her, and she''s way too smart, almost humanlike, even.


    ...Whatever. I''ll figure that out later.


    If I''m correct, the Night Stalkers are the creatures in this forest that create the sounds of wind during night. I''ve never seen them during the day, so it''s safe to say they''re only active at night as well. It seems as though everything about them screams stealth. They''re active only in the darkness--god knows where they are in the day--and this is just an assumption, but the sound of wind they make could be a way for them to mask the sounds of their movements.


    Of course, I have no idea what to do with any of this information. Who do you take me for, some kind of battle-hardened veteran? Hah, too bad. I''m just a frail amnesiac on the brink of insanity. The only thing I can do with this is try and predict the way I''ll die.


    Suddenly, a voice breaks me out of my thoughts.


    "Oi, kid. I just realized something."


    I turn to look at Celes.


    "Can''t you just... write in the snow or something? Just cause you''re mute doesn''t mean you can''t communicate."


    ...


    I want to get mad. I really do. I could have been told this a long time ago, but it''s also my fault for not realizing. I can''t blame her for something that I forgot as well.


    Disappointed in myself, I push my icicle into the snow and start to write.


    [Yeah. Thanks.]


    Chuckling, Celes watches as I wipe away the marks i wrote into the snow. Maybe she was worried I didn''t know how to write. It''s a good thing it''s one of the few things I didn''t forget.


    "You can tell me your name now, right? I''m getting tired of calling you ''kid'' or whatever."


    [It''s Maestra.]


    "Maestra, huh..."


    I tilt my head.


    "W???h?a??t?? ???a???n ?i??n???t???e??r??e???s?ti?n??g?? n??a???me??.???"


    I jerk back at the sudden tenseness of her voice, but as I look at her, she looks as though nothing had ever happened.


    Was it my imagination...?


    ...It must have been. I can''t imagine this idiot woman being so... serious.


    ...[What are your plans for dealing with nighttime?]


    As Celes read the words scribbled on the ground, the corners of her mouth gradually tilted upwards, eventually forming a twisted grin.


    "Pure force, obviously."


    ...Yeah, I must have been imagining it.


    Are you an idiot? Do you have brain damage? Is your personality some kind of musclebrained freak? It''s an entire night of those creatures, okay? There''s no time to sleep at all, and we can''t switch off or anything because, well, I''m me. I can''t defend against those... things, and you''re going to have to rest eventually.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Seeing the disbelieving look on my face, Celes pats my head.


    ...Stop that.


    "Don''t worry about a thing! I''ve been in this forest for the past week or so, and I haven''t died!"


    Yet.


    But... she really has been here for a week, hasn''t she? Her jacket is rather messy, so I wouldn''t be surprised if it hasn''t been cleaned for a while.


    "You too, you said you''ve been here three days. You haven''t died yet either, so what''s just another night to us?"


    Maybe nothing for you, but for me, I might die.


    [What am I supposed to do once the sun sets?]


    Celes brings her hand to her chin, suggesting that she''s thinking hard for an answer, but judging by the twinkle in her eyes, she''s just about to make another joke.


    "...Sleep?"


    I throw another snowball at her. She catches it between her fingers, and with a small flick, sends it flying back. With me unable to react, it smacks me right in the middle of the chest, knocking me onto my back. Cata walks over and sniffs my face, only to back off, seemingly disinterested.


    "Wow, are you some kind of hollow shell? How did you get knocked over by a snowball?"


    I scowl at her, but decide to just leave it alone for now. It''s best for me to prepare for what''s coming, not worry about the present.


    ...[What do the Night Stalkers look like?]


    "Wow, now there''s a useful question!"


    I stare blankly.


    [Just tell me.]


    "Fine, fine. What do they look like..." Celes taps her fingers. "It''s best to describe them as... vaguely humanoid."


    [Vaguely?]


    "Vaguely. You''ll know what I mean when you see one. Other than that, they''re just creepy and... dark."


    [Because they have to blend in with their surroundings?]


    Celes nods.


    "If you decide to stay awake and not sleep, make sure to keep an eye out for them. It''ll be difficult in the dark."


    [It shouldn''t be a problem.]


    She raises her eyebrow, but I''m quite serious. Ever since I... changed, my eyesight, despite me having only one eye, has become extremely sharp. It''s almost overstimulating, especially when combined with all of my other greatly enhanced senses.


    By the way, Celes smells bad. Probably because of her fruits.


    ...I won''t tell her that, though.


    "Hey, Maestra, do me a favor, will you?"


    ...[What do you want?]


    "Well, I can tell you''re not planning to sleep, so..." She laughs playfully. "Why not have a little mock battle just for fun?"


    [What? No.]


    "Come on, don''t be like that! Besides, we''re travelling together, aren''t we? It''d be good if we knew each others abilities."


    Abilities, abilities, what are those?


    Oh right. Things that I don''t happen to have. All of my battle experience was lost along with my memories, assuming I even had it in the first place. But still, she does have a point. Maybe I can take this time to show her how bad I am. Additionally, I''ll be able to see how powerful she is as well.


    [Okay. When will we start?]


    I look towards Celes, who''s sporting another mischevious grin.


    "Oh, how about..."


    Don''t.


    "Now!"


    Fuck you. I quickly prepare for any incoming attacks.


    She vanishes from view, the only things alerting me of her presence being the scent of fruit and the soft crunch of footsteps against the snow. If I were to pay attention, I could closely follow the imprints of her boots in the snow, but it would be far too distracting.


    I reach for my hood and pull out an ice shard, one of the many I had stored in preparation for a fight. I follow the sound of footsteps and throw it, only for a flash of silver to fly through the air and reduce the ice to snow. Soon after, Celes blinks into existence right where the ice was destroyed.


    Fuck, that''s scary.


    "Wow, you found me? Not bad, not bad. While it''s a shame your strength is lacking, your speed and perception is nothing to cough at."


    Of course it isn''t. I weigh what, 5 kg? Even though I''m physically weak, 5 kg is 5 kg. Basically nothing if comparing to a normal body weight. I know it''s pretty inhuman, but it''s not safe to call me fully human anyway. But as she said, the only thing I have going for me is speed and perception. It''s not like I can just change my perception, so I''ll do all I can to focus on my agility.


    I hurl my icicle off to the side. I feel slightly lighter, just a bit nimbler. From the time I''ve woken up to now, instinct has played a big role in keeping me alive. While I don''t like the loss of control, maybe it''s best if when fighting, I give it a go. Who knows, it might even have something to do with my lost memories.


    Celes approaches once again, this time completely visible. A wooden sword rests in her right hand, her left hand held behind her back, possibly as a handicap.


    ...I thought it was a metal sword?


    ...Whatever. Lets do this.


    <hr>


    I duck down to the ground, narrowly dodging a strike aimed at my head. My hand swings out as a counter, only finding empty air.


    Turning around gives me a view of a sword on a crash course towards my face. I sidestep perpendicular to Celes''s direction, letting her weapon graze my cloak. Pretending to trip, I push my hand against the ground and take advantage of my light weight, springing upwards into the air.


    Another strike from Celes rockets towards my airborne body, this time aimed at my torso. I twist my body, dodging the blade, and use the leftover momentum to deliver a kick, which fails to land successfully.


    Dodge, counter, miss, dodge, counter, miss. Sneak in a strike, but fail to succeed. Pretend to leave an opening. Recieve a blunt attack, only for all of the energy to go towards moving my body rather than injuring.


    Gradually, my lacking stamina begins to wane. My muscles ache from overuse, and my senses dull ever so slightly. Celes is... a very good fighter. Compared to me, who''s performing techniques I don''t remember learning, Celes knows exactly what to do in any situation. Even though my common sense defying body caught her off guard a few times, it only took her a few moments to adapt and adjust.


    Recovering from a swift blow, I rush forwards once again.


    ...Of course, I completely doubt Celes would even remotely be injured by any of my attacks. My claws are really just... nails. Nails, but sharp. They won''t be able to get through her jacket at all. How do I know this? Well, it doesn''t take a genius to figure out a sword won''t cut through a solid cube of metal. It''s the same idea here. Some small, sharp claws aren''t going to cut through a thick jacket made of who knows what.


    I hop over a subtle sweep towards my feet. When landing, I try and stomp on her other foot, only for that to rise as well, pushing me away before I have the chance.


    ...What I''m trying to say here, is that I never stood a chance in the first place. Despite how it looks, she''s faster than me, stronger than me, more durable than me, and more experienced. If she wanted to, she could very well punt me away at any given moment.


    I recover, jumping backwards, and begin my assault once agai-


    "Alright, I''ve seen enough."


    A chop to my forehead interrupts my movements. I look up at the culprit, only to realize the person I''m looking for is standing behind me. Without my icicle, I resort to using my claws in order to write.


    [So, how did I do?]


    "Quite frankly, you''re terrible."


    Die.

 Forest Arc | Chapter 8: Midnight Munchies

    Celes ruthlessly disassembled my fighting style. It''s not like it was bad, but according to her, "You don''t stomp on someone''s foot if you''re basically the world''s lightest person." In a nutshell, some parts weren''t exactly suited for my body. That being said, it''s not like it was all bad. She said I had good reflexes and speed, and if I were to aim at the vitals of enemies, I could potentially stand as at least somewhat of a threat.


    Of course, her words are doing little to comfort me at the moment. Not when I''ve found out how much of a monster she truly is.


    For reference, lets take a look at the information I''ve collected throughout the night!


    ...Hah...


    Night Stalkers are large, humanoid monsters. They''re almost three meters tall with arms reaching almost to the ground. Additionally, their legs are responsible for most of their size, being over half their total height. Their bodies are pitch black, and the sound of wind constantly leaks through their mouths.


    In terms of danger, I can hardly see them with their speed. In my eyes, they''re basically dark blurs flying all over the place. And their power, well, their strikes alone can even topple smaller trees if not watched carefully,


    ...Celes murders them in one hit. When the first Night Stalker came, I nearly jumped out of my own skin, it freaked me out that bad. Celes, however, was unfazed. With the turn of her body, she just jumped up, slapped it, and its head exploded.


    Also, as it turns out, Cata''s stronger than me. She can accurately follow the Night Stalker''s movements and act accordingly.


    A kitten is stronger than me. Not a normal one of course, but a kitten nonetheless.


    ...I never had much pride in the first place, but at this rate, I might lose what little I have.


    "Hey Maestra, you doing okay? You''re looking a bit empty there."


    Yes, yes, I''m fine. Just ignoring my crippling neck pain and my staggeringly low self esteem. I give her a smile with a thumbs up for extra effect.


    "I''ve never seen someone with such a miserable look in all my life."


    She saw through it, huh? How disappointing. With these two here fighting while we camp out for the night, I really have nothing I can do. Celes did joke about sleeping, but now I can''t help but wonder if she was serious.


    ...And now that I''m thinking about sleep, I don''t feel tired at all. Fatigued, yes, but I don''t feel like I can fall asleep.


    CRACK


    I jolt once again to a sound almost like an explosion. It''s the sound of Celes killing another Night Stalker. My eyes follow the corpse as it drops lifeless to the ground.


    "Nine."


    In other words, the ninth one so far. You really are using pure force.


    Celes... aren''t you tired? It''s just past midnight. Even if you aren''t tired physically, doing the same thing over and over again takes a toll on your mind. D-don''t get me wrong though! It''s not like I''m worried about you or anything, i-idiot. It''s just, if you get into trouble, then I''m pretty much screwed.


    And... you probably don''t even know what''s going through my mind right now. It''s too dark for me to write in the snow, and it''s not like I can just tell you.


    ...


    Huh...?


    What''s this weird sensation? I''m getting this feeling as though there''s something really... "eatable" nearby... but where is it coming from? My head turns as I look around for the source, and my eyes settle on... the pile of... Night Stalker corpses.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ...Eh?


    Haha, what a funny joke. To think that those abominations could be seen as edible in my eyes.


    ...It''s not a joke. Why can''t it be a joke? Please let it be a joke.


    I walk over to the group of headless corpses lying on the ground. The snow around them is soaked in the deep scarlet red of blood, and the latest addition to the collection of bodies twitches ever so slighty. It''s... kinda unnerving. And the feeling only gets stronger as I approach.


    As soon as I arrive at the pile, I pull out a body from the others. The skin is damp and cold, and as the muscles have stiffened, it feels as hard as a brick.


    Yuck. This isn''t appealing at all, so why do I feel like I want to eat this corpse...?


    ...No. Now that I''m focusing a bit more, it''s not about the corpse. It''s like there''s something inside of it that''s attracting me. But...


    The thought of cutting open corpses isn''t fun, the actual action even less so. I really don''t want to dig inside this thing. I suppose I could get Celes to do it for me, but I don''t want to distract her from her job.


    Mostly cause I might die if she isn''t paying attention.


    ...Why am I even so bent on getting whatever''s inside of this stupid creature? I ate some food earlier, so I shouldn''t be so focused on this now. Why should I care about eating something now?


    ...Even so, I feel like I''ve got to get whatever''s inside of it as soon as possible.


    My heart pounds as I stare at the creature''s chest.


    ...


    Agh, okay, fine! I''ll do what you want, stupid instincts! I start cutting away at the skin with my claws. Surprisingly, I''m making quite a bit of progress, but that''s only because the skin is soft.


    Eventually, I cut a hole in the creature big enough to stick my hand through, and proceed to do just that.


    ...Why is there a rock inside of this thing? Of course, there''s the organs and usual internals, but what''s a rock doing here? I don''t have rocks inside of me, do I? Rather, I think it''d be bad if I did.


    As I pull the rock out of the body, a quiet squish sounds out as a bit of blood splatters around. Gross. But for some reason, the now clearly shiny rock I''m holding gives off a pleasant feeling far overpowering my disgust.


    ...Why do I want to eat rocks? Did Celes do something to me without me knowing? And speaking about Celes, she''s looking over here right now, or more specifically, at the rock I''m holding in my hand.


    "I see you dug out the monster core. Not bad, not bad. It can be pretty hard to find their location inside the body, so for you to find it isn''t bad at all."


    ...Was that last part an insult?


    I start looking at the monster core in my hand. It''s pitch black, a similar color to the skin of the monster it was inside, yet still seems shiny in some way or another. It doesn''t make sense at all. More importantly, I''m starting to feel really... hungry...


    crunch


    Huh? Did I just eat it? More importantly. it tasted sweet?


    "Shit, what the hell do you think you''re doing? Don''t eat it! Spit it out!"


    Celes dashes over and starts pounding on my back, but it''s too late. I''ve already swallowed it, so it''s long gone. At this rate, you''re going to break my back, so please stop...


    <hr>


    Eventually, I escape from Celes''s grasp. Afterwards, she harvested the rest of the cores and put them into a bag, out of my reach. It''s disappointing, it tasted pretty good but now with her holding onto them, I won''t be able to grab another to eat...


    I''m surprised I''m disappointed about not being able to eat rocks, though.


    "To think that you could eat a monster core. Normal people, or rather, basically all people would explode upon eating one, so you nearly gave me a heart attack there. It''s the same thing with raw monster meat."


    ...I''ve now eaten both of these things. I''m not sure how exactly to think about it, but seeing as I haven''t felt any danger signals from anything, I''ll assume it''s not something to worry about. Sooner or later though, I''m going to need all of these lingering questions answered.


    I make an apologetic expression. I''m not really sorry, but I''ll do it anyway.


    "Aah, we coulda sold that for a good fifty silvers or so too...! How could you just eat it like that? You just ate fifty silvers!"


    Fifty silvers? How much is a silver anyway? Probably a decent amount, based on what I''m hearing, but I can''t be sure. Also, we have eight other corpses, and by the time day comes around, we''ll probably have more. Losing one core won''t be a big deal. Please stop overreacting.


    On a side note, even if the cores were still readily available, I don''t think I''d eat another. For some reason, it was really quite filling, even though it was just a smaller than palm sized rock.


    "And even if we didn''t sell them, we could have used it as a back-up magic supply! Or a power source for a magical tool! And you just ate it!"


    I get it, okay? I get it! I nod my head to show my understanding. Thankfully, Celes seems to have calmed down a little bit, but is still a tad heated.


    That being said, where''d the bag full of the cores go? They were just next to Celes a moment ago. She seems to have noticed too, as she''s looking around just as I am, confusion evident on her face.


    rustle


    Ah.


    "Ah."


    As we both look off to the side, we see Cata rustling through a small, leather bag. Soon after, she comes out with a monster core and promptly crunches down before either of us can react.


    ...Oh no. Celes is...


    "...Oi, you shitty cat. You''d better return that bag if you know what''s good for you."


    This is going to be a long night...

 Forest Arc | Chapter 9: Nightmare

    Fires rage throughout the city, illuminating the night sky a deep orange glow. I stand at the edge of a forest, watching it consume more and more. My heart sinks at the sight, cause it''s hopeless.


    It''s all hopeless, fucking hopeless, we never stood a chance in the first place. So what if they couldn''t find us in the city? Of course they''d burn the whole damn thing down. It''s magical fire too, so I can''t put it out.


    "Maestra..."


    I look over to the side. It''s ______, my big sister figure. Her animal-like ears are folded down on her head. Seems like she lost her hat. Not that it matters anymore.


    "It''ll be alright. It''s not-... over..."


    You say that, but I can hear you choking on your own words. And even then, I know when people are lying. You want to believe what you say oh so badly, but no matter what you do, you can''t. You can''t do it. It''s so bad, you can''t even lie to yourself anymore.


    "______... when did it all go wrong? Was it when we decided to take action? Or were we doomed from the start?"


    "..."


    "...Tell me."


    She looks down towards the ground, hiding her tears.


    "...Damn it."


    I clench my teeth and look up to the sky.


    Haven''t those damn freaks taken enough from me already? First my mom, then any chance I had for a normal life. I mean, the only reason I started trying to take them down was cause they wouldn''t leave me alone. Is that supposed to be my fault? I''ve heard them call me so many things... "Nemesis", "Jester", "Wild Card"... the list goes on. It''s like they see me as a threat.


    Well, I used to think I was a threat too, but now I can''t really say.


    ...


    ...I feel like all these years have warped me. I mean, I can''t even look at another person without feeling bitter. They''ve got a home, they''ve got money, they''ve got-... they''ve got family.


    It''s just this stupid envy of mine. Because they have what I don''t.


    ...


    "Hey, ______."


    "...What is it?"


    I look over to ______, tears streaming down my unchanging expression.


    "Do you think it''d be best for me to just die at this point? To get it over with?"


    With that question, ______ jolts up into the air. Before I know it, her arms are around me in a strong embrace, holding me tightly.


    "Don''t talk about dying like that ever again. Please. I don''t know what I''d do if I lost you."


    It''s warm. Really warm. Something like this is really what I needed to hear right now.


    "I don''t know what I''d do without you either."


    I start to raise my hands to return the gesture, only for the explosion-like sound of a sonic boom break its way into my ears.


    Sensing a terrible, horrible premonition, I hesitantly look up.


    It''s ______. Except instead of her usual self, her head''s been blown off. The body twitches, becomes stiff for a moment, and finally goes limp. It falls to the ground with a light thud, myself being too stunned to react.


    "Tch. I missed one of them."


    My head slowly turns to the side. If you listened closely, you might even imagine my neck joints creaking like a rusted chunk of metal.


    A man stands, holding a spherical ball of metal in one of his hands. Based on the shape, it''s definitely meant for throwing.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ...


    I''m gonna fucking kill him.


    I face my palm towards him and clench my fist. In an instant, his body is crumpled like a sheet of paper. His broken ribcage pierces his lungs, his intestines rupture, his stomach explodes, his neck twists the wrong way, his nails peel off of his fingers, his every bone cracks and snaps, his very skin tears from the stress of being stretched to its limits....


    With a swipe of my hand, he''s thrown off to the side like the trash he is.


    ...serves him right...


    ...


    ...It''s really quiet right now. Obviously, the screaming I hear from the burning city is pretty audible, but that''s kind of like the natural ambience at this point.


    Y''know, cause people burning alive is like a natural sound now. It''s been going on long enough to the point where my brain''s gotten used to it.


    ...


    Fuck. I can''t believe it, I can''t believe it, this can''t be happening. For a moment, I thought it was all gonna be okay. I had a single moment of relief, and within not even 10 seconds, it was ripped away. I should have known this would happen, nothing good ever happens for no reason.


    I wipe my face with my sleeve and walk over to the nearest tree, leaning against it and letting out a pained sob.


    God must be some kinda sadist for stuff like this to happen. Always so unreliable, and who knows if prayers even reach him.


    ...


    Shit...


    It''s all hopeless.


    Absolutely fucking hopeless.


    <hr>


    My entire body shudders, forcing me awake. I look around in a panic before calming down.


    "Having nightmares? Don''t let ''em get to you, kid."


    We''re... still in the forest. Me, Cata, and Celes. I happen to be on Celes''s back, and Cata in turn is on mine...


    That dream... it''s no good, I can''t remember it. Just thinking about it gives me a feeling of wrongness, like it''s good that whatever I was dreaming about was forgotten. But...


    ...


    Even if it was just a nightmare, I feel like whatever happened was important, something essential to who I am... or who I used to be. I don''t want to let that go, otherwise I''m not being who I really am. And I don''t know why, but I feel like that''s important. Still, no matter what, nothing is coming to mind.


    ...Ugh, forget it.


    Since I can''t write while on Celes''s back, I squirm around and hop onto the ground.


    [How long until we reach the city?]


    "Not much longer. We should arrive in less than an hour, I''d say."


    ...That''s good.


    [So, what''s the plan when we get there? I''m sure that taking care of a lost child would be difficult for someone like you.]


    "Someone like me... is that supposed to be an insult?"


    ...[Just answer.]


    Celes chuckles at my obvious irritation, but soon stops to talk once again.


    "Here''s the deal. I can''t take care of a kid like you."


    I nod my head. That much was expected, but still a bit disappointing.


    "But you won''t be able to do anything in the city the way you are, and that doesn''t sit well with me. So before you go in, I''m gonna take a quick trip when we reach the gates and buy you some real clothes, a notebook so you can write, stuff to wash all of the blood off of you, and then maybe you can find yourself a job. Oh, I''ll also grab you some coins so a brat like you can get yourself started."


    Don''t call me a brat.


    "Best case scenario you can get a job to clean up a shop or whatever cause you''ll have stable pay and won''t need to talk. Worst case is either a beggar or adventurer. Both suck. Former''s obvious as to why, latter''s cause it single handedly has the highest death rates of any job, even being quite popular. You might even die sooner doing that compared to in the slums if you''re too reckless."


    I see. Well, I''m mute, so I''ll probably end up with one of the last two.


    "If you wanted to know, I''m an adventurer. I''m telling you that it sucks, cause I''ve experienced that it sucks. Don''t do it unless you''re planning to travel around a lot. And even then, I''d just suggest stealing. It won''t kill you, at the very least."


    [How can a job so sucky be popular?]


    Celes reads through the sentence a few times before groaning,


    "People don''t like the authority here. Military, church, taxes, church, especially church, you name it. Being an adventurer grants people a certain degree of freedom, like getting out of paying entry fees, or being hired as an escort for a carriage rather than paying for a ride. Additionally, people find it thrilling to go on subjugation quests or whatever."


    So the reason she''s out here doing... whatever, could be because she''s on a quest. That sounds pretty shitty. But still, unless you''re planning on travelling around a lot...


    If I want to uncover my past, I feel like I''ll need to go around quite a bit, but as said, being an adventurer sounds really shitty. Maybe I should listen to her and actually steal, even though she meant it as a joke.


    If I were stronger, maybe I could take advantage of my body and play "rape-bait"; luring people into alleys so I can beat them up and steal their money. Except it''s super risky, and if something goes wrong, I kinda really don''t want to actually get raped.


    No matter what, I can''t see a very good way to go about doing this. There''s the issue about my memories too. Even if I know they''re missing and I need to get them back, I''ve got no idea how to actually do that.


    I climb back up onto Celes''s back. Right now, I''m stuck with a limited amount of time to escape.


    What a shitty situation.


    "Maestra, we''re getting pretty close to the forest''s edge here. Once we get there I''ll have to leave you so I can get the stuff. It won''t be safe right outside the walls, and the guards might get a bit suspicious. So you''ll just have to bear with it out here."


    ...Got it. I''ll try my best not to die. However hard that''ll be...


    I start mentally preparing myself for what''s coming ahead. First priority is to get a source of income, then I''ve gotta learn more about who I really am... alright?


    ...Okay.


    Celes''s only gonna be leaving me for about 2 hours, so I''ve just gotta hope that nothing bad''s gonna happen.


    I won''t bother praying to God. Something deep inside me just abhors the idea.


    Cause I mean, look at what I''ve gone through so far in just a few days.


    God must be some kinda sadist for stuff like this to happen.

 Forest Arc | Chapter 10: Arrival at Gantz City

    "I''m back."


    I can see that.


    The time it took for Celes to get the stuff I needed was just about as long as expected: 2 hours. Surprisingly, nothing bad happened while she was gone, even if the chances were pretty low. It didn''t look as though she was carrying more than before, but she''s so mysterious that I won''t bother questioning it.


    [So, what did you bring?]


    "It''s easier if you see for yourself."


    She pulls the bag she carries off her back and dumps its contents onto the ground. Despite its size, it holds a lot more than it should be able to.


    In terms of clothes, there''s a reddish-maroon poncho with a hood, a white shirt, a pair of pants, and... panties. There''s no bra, as there''s nothing there to give them purpose. Additionally, there''s a pair of gloves.


    ...Gloves? I send a questioning glance at Celes. How am I supposed to wear these with my claws?


    "See if you can retract those dumb razor blades of yours. If you can''t, put those on to hide them. Don''t worry about the gloves, there''s a bit of extra space for your claws, and I highly doubt they''ll be cut in any way."


    ...[How do I retract them?]


    "Do I look like I have claws? How should I know? I mean, your demon cat there can just retract its claws on instinct. Probably."


    ...Demon cat? I glance at Cata, who meows in return.


    I''ll... pretend I didn''t hear that.


    "It''s probably the same for you. Just try to flex whatever muscle''s responsible for moving your claws."


    I look at my claws. Nothing about them have changed since I got them. If anything, they might even be a bit sharper. Closing my eyes, I focus on my fingers and try to shift... something around.


    Lo and behold, I can feel something sliding in my fingers. Maintaining my focus, I open my eyes once again.


    ...They grew longer. Five times longer. Each one is longer than the length of my middle finger. And somehow I feel like they became yet sharper.


    "...???"


    "Yikes."


    Does this mean... the state when they''re just a centimeter long is their retracted state, and that was me actually pushing them out? I can''t be that unlucky, can I?


    ...Well, at least they''re good weapons, but I''m going to have to wear gloves to hide them so it ruins the point. I''ve got a gut feeling that I shouldn''t be showing them around, or I might just get myself into some trouble.


    "Oh, almost forgot. I''ve also got this for you."


    I turn back to Celes, who''s holding a ring of bandages.


    "You''re gonna have to use these to cover your missing eye and... most of your face. Don''t ask why."


    [Why?]


    "I just said-... ugh, it''s... for your own good, got it?"


    [That''s s Got it.]


    "Don''t write "that''s stupid". Just lemme clean you up, get you dressed, and we''ll be good to go."


    If you say so, although I have no clue how you''re supposed to clean me up. My skin color''s kinda mostly red at the moment from all the blood. Some soap isn''t gonna do the trick at this point.


    Suddenly, Celes passes me a metal tablet. I fumble around slightly before managing to catch it before it falls to the ground. At a closer look, it''s more than just a metal tablet; there''s a monster core embedded in the center, and all around it, peculiar runes are etched into the metal.


    How curious. I push down on the core.


    click


    With a slight glow, I instantly feel a strange sensation covering my body. All of a sudden, the dirt and blood caking the entirity of my skin pops off, flaking down to the ground. My unnaturally pale skin is once again revealed to the world.


    ...Neat. I try to press the button again, only for Celes to snatch it away.


    "It''s already done its job. Pressing it more only wastes the energy in the core."


    A pout grows on my face, but I decide not to retort. I quickly change into the clothes she put out for me, pants first and poncho last with the scarf wrapped around. None of them seem to be enchanted, so it''s a little cold, but...


    "There''s a magic formation around the city that keeps it warm inside, so there''s no point in wearing warm clothes unless you''re gonna leave the city."


    Yeah. Magic. Woo.


    "Now stay still, and let me put these stupid bandages on your face."


    Inwardly groaning, I comply and let her do as she says. I''d rather go without a struggle than get myself into trouble. By the time she''s finished, the only part of my face that''s visible is my eye and a little amount of the skin around it.


    "Good, good. Now all that''s left are my gifts for you."


    Meeting my inquisitive glare from the only visible part of me face, Celes smiles as she reaches in her bag. She rummages around a bit before taking out four different items: a leather bag, presumably filled with coins based on the sound, a pen and notebook for communication, a pack much like her own but smaller, and another leather bag, its contents unknown.


    "As you can see, right here''s a bag of cash for you. It''s got five silvers and 25 bronze coins. Should be enough to last you till you can find a job, got it? Oh, and don''t lose it."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I nod.


    "Good. Now here''s a pen and notebook. As you can guess, you''re supposed to write in it. Please try not to waste the paper."


    You''re telling me the last part like you''re assuming I''m going to waste it.


    "Now we''ve got a backpack for you to put all of your stuff inside. Your spare cloak, your notebook, your money if you want, basically anything. Don''t lose it."


    I''ll do my best.


    "And finally, my favorite of the gifts, although the one I most hope you won''t end up needing to use. There''s a lot of sand-like stuff in this bag that I like to call self-defense powder, although it''s really just sleeping drug. If someone''s about to attack you and your cat isn''t there to save you, throw some of this at them and they''ll get knocked the fuck out."


    [I can see why you call it self-defense powder.]


    "Right? It''s great. Don''t lose it."


    I-I''m not going to lose any of this stuff, okay? You don''t need to tell me over and over! I quickly jam all of it into the bag, save for the self-defense powder which I tie to my waist.


    "Phew... that should be it, I think. All we need to do now is enter the city. As soon as we pass those gates, we''re gonna have to part ways."


    I climb onto Celes''s back, resting my face against her stuffed coat. It feels really... relieving to get out of this forest.


    <hr>


    "Thank you very much, and welcome to Gantz City."


    After Celes passes the guards five bronze coins and presents her Adventurer''s ID, we pass through the gates and into the city. As we do so, Celes swirls around to make eye contact with me.


    "Before we part, I''ve just got a few last bits of information for you. First however, I must ask: do you know your way around the city?"


    I shake my head. I... can''t remember if I''ve even been here before, so there''s no possible way of me remembering the layout of this gargantuan place.


    "As to be expected. Right, so if you look all the way north over there..."


    She points straight ahead.


    "...You''ll see the Mage Association''s building. There''s not much you can do over there, but as you can tell, it''s tall. Really tall. Since it''s basically the furthest place north in this place, you can use it as a kind of estimate for where you are in the city."


    Taking a deep breath, she motions towards the road we''re standing on.


    "Now right here''s the main street in this city. It leads directly north, south, east, and west as long as you follow it. It kinda makes a big cross in the city, and separates it into four different squares."


    With a short break for another breath of air, she continues on.


    "The northeast square''s got everything you need for daily life. Food, clothes, whatever the hell you want. There''s also a few magical tool shops, but those aren''t common here. You''d have to go to Salvaken City, and that''s pretty far away. Getting back on track, the further out you are, the higher prices''ll be. Common sense to have the most accessible places be the most expensive. It works like that in the northwest square too, which deals with inns and places to stay if you''re not a resident of this city."


    I signal her to pause so I have time to write in my notebook.


    [And what about those who do live here?]


    Using a bit of time to read what I wrote, she points off to the left.


    "In the southeast square is where people live. However, the further you go in, the more it starts to become the place for the homeless rather than the place for home. If you can''t find yourself a job, you might not have a choice but go there. However, it can get pretty dangerous, so unless you have confidence, I''d try to avoid that as much as possible."


    I nod my head. Hopefully, it shouldn''t have to come to that.


    [And the remaining square?]


    Celes grins, but the smile doesn''t reach her eyes.


    "...Adventurer stuff. Weapons, potions, armor, you name it. The guild''s also on the northeast corner of the square, or basically right in the center of the city. A lot of the people are pretty rowdy, but only the newcomers are troublesome, since they don''t really understand what they''re in for. Still, they''re a lot more dangerous than the experienced ones cause they''re arrogant and less... tame. Veterans tend to be quite a bit calmer, like me."


    You''re not really that calm though. Eccentric might be the right word.


    "And, well, that''s all I have to say. Unless you have anything else to add, that''ll be it."


    ...[No, that''s fine. Thank you for getting me out of the forest safely.]


    "Don''t mention it. If you ever come across me again, I might be willing to help you out, so don''t hesitate to ask, alright?"


    I nod my head. She''s done so much for me though, that it''s really me that should do something for her.


    "Well then, until we meet again."


    [See you.]


    Celes walks into the crowd, but soon stops right in her tracks, as if she forgot something.


    "...By the way."


    ...She turns around, sporting a devilish grin. Her eyes hold an unbelievable amount of mirth, almost like she had been holding back some type of hilarious joke for hours on end. But despite all that, despite all the mischieviousness held in that gaze, I feel an almost familiar... warmth. Like she''s seeing a very good friend she hasn''t met in a long time.


    "My good friend, cute little Maestra. You haven''t changed much, but you''re a little nicer compared to who you used to be. Don''t give up."


    She raises her hand, and with the snap of her fingers, disappears into thin air, leaving me alone with my shock.


    ???????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ????????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ???? ????????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ????? ?????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ??? ????????? ?????? ???????? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????????? ???????? ??????? ????? ??????? ???????????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ????? ???? ????????? ????????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ?????? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ???????????? ????????? ??????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ????? ?????? ???????????? ????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ??????? ???????? ????????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ????? ??????????? ???????????? ?????????? ??? ????????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ??????? ????? ????????? ????????? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ???????? ??????????? ??????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????? ????? ????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ????????????? ???? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ??????????? ?????? ???????????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ????????? ????????? ????? ??????????? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????????? ???? ???????? ??????? ??? ??????????? ???????? ???????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ?????? ?????????


    CATA MAESTRA


    Introductory Arc END


    ???????? ????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ???????? ????????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????????? ??????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ????????????? ?????????? ????????????? ??????? ???????????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ????????????? ??????? ????????? ???????????? ????????????? ???????????? ????????????? ???????? ??? ??????????? ???????????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ????????? ??????????? ???????????? ?????????? ????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ???????????? ??????????? ??????? ????? ??? ???????? ???????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????????? ??????? ????????????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ??????? ?????????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ?????????? ????????? ????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ??????????? ??????????? ???????? ????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ????????????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ???????????? ????? ??????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ??? ??? ????????? ?????????? ????? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????????? ??????????? ????? ?????? ??????????? ?????????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ??????????? ????????? ????????? ??????????? ????? ????????????? ????????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ???? ????????? ?????????? ????????? ????????????? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ???????????

 Interlude: A Monologue From [Celes]

    Fuck, man. It was really hard pretending I didn''t know her. Was even starting to get a headache there.


    I need some time to think to myself here. Hoo boy, where do I start?


    ...Maestra. Let''s... start with her.


    When I heard the church claiming they finally killed [Nemesis], or in other words, her, I... was almost relieved. Not that I was happy she died, no way, but nobody, and I mean nobody, should ever have to go through as much as she did. I mean, her mom, who I knew pretty damn well, was killed just cause she was related to her, and she was only being targeted cause of a stupid prophecy. If it weren''t for that, they''d have no reason to go after a normal human. If it was any other person, then maybe...


    ...I''m getting off track. Where was I?


    Yes, that''s right. Maestra. She''s basically lost everything, gained everything, and lost everything once again. I''d know, cause I was there for all of that.


    sigh


    How about we take a little skip ahead here, about a month later. From who she used to be, to when I caught her stealing my food. At first, it was like seeing a ghost, right? I mean, she died. I even saw her corpse in Icefall Forest. There''s no way it could''ve been her. When I accidentally startled her into attacking me, I wasn''t exactly sure what to think. Normally, I would''ve just killed whoever it was reflexively, even if it was actually my fault, but when she looked so similar to the girl I knew, I just couldn''t do it.


    So I talked to her, and that''s when things started to get a touch uncanny. It... still gives me the chills when I think about it.


    Everything about her was just... her. It''s as if our very first meeting was repeated. I run into her in a forest, and she''s real fuckin traumatized, ends up attacking me. My eccentricness pisses her off, so she starts throwing stuff at me to no avail. The only real difference was that demon cat of hers, and her newfound muteness.


    Once we finally found a way to communicate, it all clicked together, cause I heard her name. And I also remembered her mom, talking to me about some wacky soul magic for after shit started to fall apart. A last resort, she called it.


    [I''m Maestra.]


    Now, I don''t know what happened that made her lose her memories, go mute, lose an eye, and get covered in so much blood, or why she grew claws and predatory teeth, but she''s gone through some shit. She already went through a lotta shit, and now she went through even more, and that pissed me off.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Cause, well, I care, y''know?


    For a moment there, I kinda slipped. Almost showed my real self, which post-death her... wouldn''t be able to cope with. Pre-death, maybe, but not her current self. Luckily, I don''t think she noticed anything. For now, at least.


    Now, let''s talk about her combat. The mock battle.


    I told her that she was terrible.


    ...Well, that was a fuckin lie if I''ve ever known one, at least for the most part. I''m not sure if she noticed in the heat of the battle, but a few times there, I went about 10%--a pretty damn good amount compared to a veteran warrior--, and she managed to dodge and counterattack. Of course, with her unique constitution, a lot of her old fighting habits didn''t carry over very well, but that doesn''t change the fact that she could dodge.


    If I had to say, she forgot how to use magic, but can still, for some reason, use it on instinct. Same goes with her fighting, considering how similar it was. As for why I told her she was terrible? Well, her base power''s no more than garbage, and if she can only use that magic of hers instinctively, then she needs to work harder to get a hold of herself.


    So, that''s that. I gave her that self-defense powder in case she doesn''t figure out her magic.


    Now, time to go over what I said right before we parted.


    "My good friend, cute little Maestra. You haven''t changed much, but you''re a little nicer compared to who you used to be. Don''t give up."


    I feel pretty bad about this one. Not cause I didn''t tell her as much as I could have--if I told her too much, I''m afraid she wouldn''t be able to cope--but because of how I addressed her.


    My good friend...


    Tch. I''ll admit, I kinda gave into temptation there. Truth is, Maestra never really saw me as a friend, like I had implied. An easy way to imagine her view of me is the way a rape victim of goblins might view their savior, if their sanity''s still intact by then.


    As to why she saw me in such a way...? I don''t need to explain. It should be obvious, I saved her life, after all.


    Really, I''m not the type to enjoy being treated, idolized, in such a way. So I guess I just kinda wanted to trick her into believing I was someone I really wasn''t.


    ...That''s it for Maestra, I guess.


    ...


    Well, now I''ve only got one other thought plaguing my conscience: the Church.


    After Maestra... died, the Church started making its moves again. With their greatest obstacle gone, it''s clear that they''d do that. It''s just... troubling.


    Cause they''re starting to take a more direct approach.


    Everyone knows the Church hates non-humans. Cause it''s "God''s Will", or some bullshit like that. Up till now, they''ve just been kinda subtle about it, like discriminating, or turning them away for healing.


    Well, fuck that, I guess. Cause now they''re literally slashing off beastkin tails and ears, clipping off the pointed ends of elf ears, removing horns from demons, etc. It all happened so suddenly, I can''t help but feel glad that I look 100% human.


    Basically, the situation''s all gone to shit, the non-humans in the kingdom are in a shitty situation, Maestra''s found herself thrown back in the shithole called "Maestra''s Life", everything''s just fucking shit.


    Unfortunately, I''m not allowed to take direct action unless it''s gotta do with me directly. Never have been, and never will be. Still, that doesn''t stop me from... guiding fate, I suppose.


    So for now, I''ll be doing just that, cause I''ve just about had enough of all this.

 City Arc | Chapter 11: Run, Rin, Run

    It wasn''t in Rin''s schedule to get chased by some noble''s knight, but unfortunately, she had little say in the whole matter.


    It''s not like it''s my fault you got robbed, dumbass.


    She dodges a poorly attempted grab by the knight, her crimson-colored hair easily avoiding the grasp of his hand. People around her make way, not wanting to collide with the thin girl (or perhaps the fully protected knight, wearing heavy plates of metal that cover nearly his entire body. Getting body checked by him would, most likely, hurt).


    "Stop, thief!"


    A scowl forms itself into her face.


    It''s your fault for letting yourself get robbed. I''m not even involved in your whole mess. Just cause I look poor doesn''t mean I''m the damn thief you want!


    Dodging another grab, she ducks into an alleyway as the knight stumbles slightly. Slowing down, her blue eyes search for obstacles to knock over or fences to climb over. Unfortunately, this one''s a dead end. Not-so-unfortunately, this doesn''t mean she''s trapped.


    Promptly running just by the exit to the main street, she stands just inside the alleyway. As the knight turns the corner, she kicks out with her foot at a shockingly fast speed, slamming his feet away from under his body. He falls with great strength, slamming his head against the wall, metal armor clanging against the ground. No attempts were made to restart the chase; the fall was more than enough to knock him unconscious despite his helmet.


    With surprisingly smooth movements, she props him up against the wall into a sitting position. Taking out a sheet of paper, she writes out a short message before laying it down to the left of the knight.


    [idiot knights sit in this spot ------>]


    Serves you fucking right, shitty tin-can.


    With a sigh, she steps out of the alleyway and starts making her way through the streets of Gantz City once again.


    Really, all of that just cause I was in the wrong place at the wrong time...


    Rin wasn''t actually there to see the "dumbass noble" get robbed. She came after the fact while carrying around a large pouch of coins. She did just finish a nice job from the guild, so it only makes sense she''d get paid well.


    You can''t blame the noble though. Imagine his situation; you get your money stolen, and the next thing you know, some "slums brat" in the middle of her teenage years is just there, walking around with no small sum of money. You can''t, and really shouldn''t put him at fault for assuming she was the thief (but Rin insists on doing it anyway). It''s not even guaranteed that he was actually arrogant and selfish like many of the others. After all, it''s common sense to want your money back after it''s stolen.


    "But still..."


    She can''t help but be curious on how someone managed to get away with the deed. The noble''s guards were practically surrounding him, so to manage to get through then, and on top of that, steal his money, is no small feat.


    I''d kinda like to meet that person...


    "Geh. Whatever."


    She shakes her head, dispelling the thought. If someone had the guts to attempt it and the skill to get away with it, it''s probably better to avoid them rather than meet them; it''s doubtful their personality would be very agreeable. Sporting a grin at the fact that she managed to escape so quickly with minimal usage of magic, she adjusts her crudely made hat and moves on.


    After a little while, she eventually makes her way by the city''s church. It''s a fairly grand building, at least for what it should be.


    The size should have been excusable, seeing as it''s the only one in the city, but...


    "...Tch."


    She clicks her tongue as she cranes her neck towards the sky. If not for the Mage''s Association''s building, this would very likely be the tallest building in the entire city. And even then, if going by size, the church would be far larger, taking up a much greater volume.


    Yes. It''s the only church in the city, but even then, the size is completely uncalled for. Of course, that''s not even mentioning the extravagance of it. Intricate carvings line the walls, and massive, stained glass windows create images easily recognizable even from a distance.


    "...How ludicrous."


    Normally, one would expect such a strong distaste would lead her to avoiding the building, and that''s usually the case. However, this time, she''s come with a specific purpose. Swifly entering through the propped open doors, she begins tapping her fingers in annoyance.


    "Hmph... just where is the damn thing in this one..."


    Looking around, her exasperation only grows at both the even more extravagant interior decoration, and the fact that she hasn''t managed to find what she came to look for. With a anxious expression, she adjusts her hat once again. She''d much prefer to leave the place as soon as possible.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Only after several minutes had passed did her eyes settle on a discreet poster board hanging from the wall.


    "...Here we go."


    Stepping closer for better visibility, she starts reading off the board.


    "The wanted board..."


    Listed on the various sheets of paper pinned to the board are various individuals who are wanted by the church, almost always for some kind of crime. Getting onto it is basically considered a death sentence as the entire church deems you an enemy. As a result, only the really dangerous ones tend to stay on it for a while.


    Though quite frankly, Rin only really cares about one entry.


    <hr>


    Title: [Rubrum]


    Threat Level: C+ | B-


    Description: A dangerous non-human with hair that glints like a ruby. Committed mass murder of many church officials. Appears to be a girl in her mid-teens.


    Details: Not much is known about this individual in terms of how she acts or what her motives are. However, her entry often disappears, even if she has not yet been subjugated. Exercise caution even if this entry appears to be completed.


    <hr>


    "Hmm, it suddenly disappears?"


    Rin takes a few glances around as if looking to make sure nobody is watching. Eventually satisfied, she turns back to the board. Without anybody noticing, her hand becomes a blur and tears off the entry, quickly storing it in her pocket.


    I wonder why, hahaha.


    With her business done, she pretends to pray at the altar for a bit and leaves with a bounce in her step.


    <hr>


    "Aah... I''m hungry..."


    About one hour has passed since she completed her "business" with the church''s wanted board. Because she was just mistaken as some homeless girl, she spent the time buying new clothing so a similar situation wouldn''t repeat itself in the future. Unfortunately, the reason why she was seen that way wasn''t because of the state of her clothing, but the type of clothing. A shabby cloak and already used pants doesn''t exactly do the best in giving someone a non-impoverished appearance.


    Of course, Rin doesn''t know this.


    Happy with her new clothing, she shuffles over to the nearest stand of food, ending up at a humble skewer seller.


    "Excuse me, I''d like to know how much one skewer would cost."


    The man at the stand jerks a bit as though he had just woken up. After a moment of staring blankly, he finally comes to his senses.


    "O-oh. My apologies, I''ve just been a bit tired lately."


    With a sheepish grin, he scratches at his bald head.


    "Right. A single skewer''s just five copper."


    Oh? Not bad for the amount of food.


    With a smile, Rin reaches into her pouch and takes out the exact amount needed for the exchange. Handing the coins over to the man, he promptly grabs an already prepared skewer and hands it over.


    "Thank you very much."


    She gives a small bow in thanks before walking off. With the skewer in her hand, she looks it over, inspecting the meat.


    Hmm, orc meat? Not bad, but I''ve grown to prefer Ironhide Bear. Tough meats are a bit more satisfying to eat, in my opinion.


    With that in mind, she shrugs her shoulders, muttering to herself something along the lines of "not that it really matters", and brings the skewer up to her mouth.


    The sensation of a light breeze flies by her head. Her teeth, which were attempting to bite some food off of the skewer, only close around open air.


    "...Eh?"


    As she glances at her hand, she notices the glaringly obvious absence of a skewer that she was supposed to be holding onto. Letting out sounds of confusion, she glances around in search for her missing item, until a subtle movement on the ground catches her eye. Out of reflex, she looks down, only to see a small, black and white kitten chewing on the skewer she had just bought.


    "...A kitten?"


    She stoops down in thought (and despair, but that''s not important).


    "You''ve gotta be fucking kidding me."


    There''s no point in taking the skewer back, as the damn cat''s gotten to it, and taking revenge on a fucking kitten is just pointless.


    Sighing once again, she pats the kitten and prepares to move on. However, before she even manages to take a step, a greyish, reddish blur flies past her and lands an open handed chop directly on the kitten''s head.


    "Wah!"


    Rin lets out a small shout, jerking back in surprise. Right in front of her, a girl smaller than her stands, furiously scribbling on a notebook. With her message fully written, she looks it over a last time, likely to check for any mistakes, and turns it around, presenting it to Rin. Along with the message, ten copper coins are laid out haphazardly.


    [I deeply apologize for my pet. It seems I accidentally let her run off on her own, and because of that, I''ve inconvenienced you. Please take these coins as compensation.]


    Oh my. Is she mute?


    Scrutinizing the girl''s appearance, Rin glances between her and the message she holds.


    The first thing she notices is the singular, visible eye. It almost seems abnormally large, but upon closer inspection, it''s really just held wide open. She''d imagine the girl was full of energy if it weren''t for the dark circles around it. What strikes her most however, is the coloration. At some times, it seems to be a horribly dull grey, but at others, it shines with a strong, silvery tint.


    ...Because of that eye, I almost didn''t notice the bandages covering the rest of her face.


    Indeed, after her attention strayed from that fact, only then had she noticed the bandages. They seemed quite worn, and a little portion was torn off from her mouth, almost certainly because eating would be impossible otherwise. The little bits of skin that were visible could only be described as sickly pale.


    Rin''s gaze moves to the girl''s head.


    Although her hood covers most of it, small tufts of ashen hair spill out from the sides. It''s a peculiar color, but she''s heard stories of hair losing its color after experiencing situations of extreme stress. The missing eye and bandages covering her face only serve to support her theory.


    Not much else is very notable. Her clothes are fairly worn out and dirty, but were likely good quality products. Below them lay her thin frame, only barely noticable to Rin''s eyes.


    This girl''s probably an orphan. Pretty well mannered though.


    With a small nod, she scoops up the coins and holds them in one hand, patting the girl on the head with the other.


    "It''s nothing to worry about. Just be a bit more careful in the future, alright? And get some food to eat, you''re as thin as a twig."


    Her expression unchanging, the girl performs a slight bow and picks up the kitten, her feet pattering against the ground as she runs off. Rin watches with a slight smile as the girl''s back disappears into the crowd.


    "...What a considerate young girl."


    Her hand moves down to put the coins into her pouch, only to feel empty air. The smile on her face cramps up.


    "...What a little piece of shit."


    Her feet start moving as she breaks into a sprint, moving in the direction the girl had gone.


    "Out of all people, you just had to steal from me, didn''t you."


    She lets out a dry chuckle as she runs even faster, becoming a blur in the eyes of those watching. Mana begins to course through her body as her eyes narrow.


    "...Bad luck, kiddo."