I Didn't Want to Use It on You, Runi
“Runi, how are you feeling?”
That night, my sister entered the room and checked on my condition.
“Oh…? My condition?”
“I drew out enough of your essence that my cock didn’t even get an erection. That means your body was craving mana that badly.”
I was certainly grateful for her concern, but it would have been nice if she had asked with a little more tact.
The reason I had hesitated to answer earlier was precisely because I knew exactly why she was asking about my condition.
Whether I should thank my sister for this or not, my face flushed bright red in an instant.
“I… I’m fine. Yes…”
“Sit down.”
-Pat, pat!
She sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her.
I walked over with hesitant movements and sat down gingerly.
“You’re sitting too far away.”
“What…? Isn’t this close enough?”
There was less than a hand’s breadth between us, so it was only natural to be confused when she said I was sitting too far away.
Watching me quietly, my sister crossed her arms and pulled me in firmly.
“Ugh…”
Now, there wasn’t even enough space between us for a sheet of paper.
“Runi, you’re doing great even now.”
The moment my face turned red, my sister had shown a small smile.
Because of that, I had fully expected her to continue teasing me about my reaction.
But what came out of her mouth was an unexpected word of encouragement.
“Runi, do you know how many monsters you caught today?”
“Oh… I don’t know.”
“Ten. It’s truly difficult for someone hunting monsters for the first time to catch ten in just one morning.”
-Stroke! Stroke!
As I listened to her soft voice, I felt a similarly gentle touch through my hair.
“Runi, you will continue to grow. So don’t be impatient.”
Whenever I received help from my sister, regardless of whether it was trivial or significant, I would constantly think about the situation of being alone.
There was only one destination that thought led to.
Death.
That was how crucial the help my sister gave me was.
Because of that, at some point, I began to pressure myself.
That I had to grow more. That the current me couldn’t do anything.
Even though I had only started hunting monsters today.
“Sister, have you been paying attention to me the whole time?”
There was no answer to this question.
Just a small, light smile.
“I’m proud of you, Runi. It seems the little girl I was so used to is gone.”
“Of course. I’m an adult now, too. I was seven when I first met you.”
“Thirteen years. The time I’ve spent with you is by no means short.”
My sister’s hands came up to my waist.
She pulled me in very slowly, and I didn’t resist, instead burrowing into her embrace.
“You worked so hard today, Runi.”
“Yes, Sister. Thank you for helping me today. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here like this.”
I gently lifted my face, which had been buried in her chest.
“Mwah…”
As soon as our eyes met, my sister’s lips and mine suddenly became one.
“Mmm…”
Why is she acting like this today?
While her caring for my condition could be considered routine, the atmosphere, her expression, her voice, and her tone were all different this time.
This kiss, too, felt unfamiliar.
“Runi.”
“Yes?”
She pulled her lips away, and I met her eyes.
Today, her red pupils seemed to shine even more intensely.
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow? Are you going to sleep already?”
Now, even the way my sister was facing me felt strange.
-Throb!
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, I felt a headache as if my head were being tightened.
Before long, my vision blurred, and my sister in front of me slowly drifted away.
*
“I’m sorry, Runi. I didn’t want to use it on you, of all people.”
After laying Runi, who was fast asleep, properly on the bed, I even tucked her in with the blanket.
-Creak!
As I stepped out of the room, Androph, who had been keeping her eyes closed, stared in my direction.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going for a walk.”
“Leaving Runisiel behind?”
“Runi is tired. I’ll be back, so keep a good watch on her.”
I leisurely walked out of the inn and continued my steps.
These two legs stopped when I reached the foothills where I had been hunting monsters with Runi.
I had felt a strange mana from the moment I started hunting monsters with Runi.
At first, I dismissed it as simply the mana of numerous monsters mixing together, but as the hunt continued, I grew suspicious.
For example, this wolf-type monster that Runi killed first always has the leader of the pack attack at the forefront.
If that leader is attacked and loses its life, the remaining pack is terrified and runs away.
But the pack this morning kept attacking even after Runi killed the leader.
The same went for the avian-type monster.
It was strange for a monster that only inhabits high altitudes to be gliding over a forest made of flat land.
Bear-type monsters don’t rush violently unless you attack them first.
Everything was completely inconsistent with the knowledge in my head.
“Kyahahaha!”
A familiar laughter fell before me as I was lost in deep thought.
This sticky energy—there’s no mistake.
“You look worried, Belial?”
“…Leviathan. It was your doing.”
She, who had been floating in the air, was clutching her stomach and laughing.
She must have been watching me for a long time.
“Since when? Since I killed your subordinates?”
“Who knows. It might have been a little before that.”
With a short answer, the air split.
—Clang!
“Are you joking? Do I look that easy to you?”
I stretched out a spear made of condensed mana like lightning, but the creature easily caught it with a single palm.
“It’s an expression of affection. You know how much I love you.”
“Ha, is that so? I love you too. Very sincerely.”
Leviathan raised her arm high and began to gather mana on her palm.
Naturally, I didn’t overlook this and moved quickly.
I had intended to quickly sever the creature’s arm.
“Then accept it, my love.”
In an instant, a massive sphere of mana swelled up as if swallowing the moon, and it fell straight toward me.
“You crazy bitch… are you planning to blow up the entire Rebellion?”
“That just shows how deep my love is.”
If that sphere touches, the entire city will disappear.
And Runi is there.
—Kwoooong!
I raised both hands and materialized my mana.
Two black hands surged from the ground and met the mana sphere head-on.
“Wow, you blocked it? As expected of Belial.”
“Shut your mouth…!”
The tearing sound of mana ripped through my ears. As a result, the shape of the hands began to blur little by little.
“Ugh…!”
I hadn’t anticipated that giving Runi a large amount of mana would act as a fatal flaw in this situation.
“What’s wrong, Belial? Are you running low on power today?”
The creature’s sarcasm reached my ears, but I didn’t even have the luxury of responding right now.
—Thrust!
“Ugh…!”
In an instant, a pain like cold iron pierced my abdomen.
Leviathan’s tail was piercing through my body.
“You’re lacking mana, aren’t you? At this rate, you’ll disappear along with this city.”
“Yes, I’m lacking. But that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of dealing with you.”
—Crackle!
The ground split, and hands of a different form from the two that had materialized my mana surged up.
They grabbed the massive mana sphere, and it soon shattered into pieces.
“What. You, by any chance…”
“I told you. It’s not like I’m incapable of dealing with you yet.”
Another arm surged up, and that massive hand covered Leviathan’s body.
—Boom!
“Gyaaaaah!”
She saved her life thanks to her quick movements, but half of her body was crushed and became one with the ground.
Staggering, she gritted her teeth and raised her voice until her throat burst.
“Are you crazy?! You’re using an incarnation here?!”
“This much is just right for your games.”
“Ha… Hahaha. I just wanted to say hello, but this is excessive.”
—Thrust!
I pierced her abdomen with my arm.
A heat that felt like boiling blood covered my fingertips.
“Kuh…”
“Even if we’re the same rank, our skills are different, kid.”
—Rip!
As I lifted my hand forcefully upward, Leviathan’s body was cleanly split.
Red blood scattered into the sky like fireworks.
“Gyaaaaaaah!”
A shriek erupted, and her figure disappeared into a black gate.
“…She’s running away.”
Confirming that the mana had completely vanished, I lowered my hands.
The two arms that had been embedded in the ground slowly disappeared.
“Haa… ugh…”
My body swayed, my knees buckled, and I naturally slumped onto the floor.
“An incarnation… was indeed too much.”
I had only brought out two arms, but my mana was almost completely exhausted.
Still, if Runi was safe, that was enough.
“Now, I have to go back.”
As I staggered to my feet and tried to move, Androph stood before me with her sword drawn.
“What, are you trying to fight me? I’m sorry, but I’m busy right now.”
“I felt tremendous mana. It was a very dense… and hideous mana that I have never felt even once until now.”
“Oh, really? I guess a very strong monster must have appeared somewhere.”
I brushed past her shoulder, but she grabbed my wrist very firmly.
“You’re not my type, you know?”
“Why is it that I can feel that mana from just a moment ago from you?”
“I am a much more magnificent demon than you think.”
“What happened here?”
I shook off Androph’s hand.
Whether even this was an overwhelming act for me, I lost my balance and staggered for a moment.
“Why are you digging so deep? Get lost. I’m going to Runi.”
If I spend time by Runi’s side, I can replenish my mana, even if it’s slow.
Because of the influence of the Seal and the Soul Mark, the mana we can exchange is twice that of other familiars.
“Ugh…”
Staggering once more, I leaned my body against a tree stump.
I can see Runi if I go just a little further.
If I just see Runi, the situation will be resolved.
But my two legs won’t move at all.
“Haa… this is driving me crazy.”
In the end, as I collapsed onto the ground, my vision went dark.