Chapter Text
“How are you feeling right now?” Dr. Nakamura, the town’s resident doctor, asked as he watched me do another push up. It was dusk, and the doctor was instructing me through some physical tests.
We quickly figured out that direct sunlight was not good for me. However, I could cover myself up with longer sleeves and pants. There were also full body skin suits that were used with other people with quirks that made them light sensitive.
“Honestly, I could probably do a few more.” I replied, the burning in my arms after doing at least 40 push ups in 5 minutes was not as much as I was expecting. Dr. Nakamura nodded as he added to his notes from his observations all day.
“Increased physical stamina. Comparing past performance to now, I observe an 80% percent increase. You may now stop.”
Stopping, I walked over and started to drink from the water bottle left there as the doctor looked over his notes. Eventually, he nodded before looking at my mother and father. “Alright, we need to talk about Ren here.”
As everyone present took a seat at the dining table, I looked at the area around the second, if I could call it that. As I tried to concentrate on the dining room, I could also see Haruto and Hinato being utterly quiet, trying to listen in.
My mother offered Dr. Nakamura some tea. Taking a sip, he began to consider what to say.
“In all my time working with quirks, I have to say that your case has been the most unusual, Ren.”
Dr. Nakamura got out his notes and began to read his observations from all the testing I had to do.
“Enhanced strength, enhanced foot speed, enhanced recovery time, enhanced dexterity, enhanced senses…” The doctor noticed my raised eyebrow and unspoken question of how he managed to observe.
“During some of your tests, I noticed how you would tilt your head or shut one of your eyes consistently. Sometimes you would even flinch or duck your head down. I have seen this often with children with quirks that would give them enhanced senses. I would suggest at least 30 minutes everyday to find the quietest corner you could and practice with those senses.”
Well, that made sense. I needed to work on that if I wanted to use View Air more carefully. I nodded at his logic, as he finished his observations.
“And finally, pyrokinesis. Quite a suite of abilities that Ren now possesses, though the drawback of extreme sunlight sensitivity is quite curious. There is also the matter of Ren's new physical appearance."
“Is there something wrong?” My mom asked. As she looked at me, I could see a bit of apprehension and fear, the same reflected in my father's eyes. I could imagine that my new appearance was off-putting, especially since I looked like myself last night before waking up this morning. But her fear... I observed her for a couple moments as the doctor thought best how to answer her question.
“Normally, this sort of grouping of powers and weakness, along with his appearance, would get his quirk labeled as a mutant type.”
There it was, the look of fear on my mother and father shone through. Not fear of what I was, but fear of what I was going to go through. What I was going to go through for the rest of my life.
It was one thing to be quirkless. You could be ignored, maybe mocked, but at the very least, you were nothing interesting. But to be a mutant-type...
“Why do you care about that freak? I was just giving her some water.” Iroha's head was bowed, but I could see the tears still flowing even through how waterlogged she was. I didn't regret punching the bully in the face.
I forced myself to calm down and return to the present as Dr. Nakamura continued.
“However, mutant types are already born looking the way they are. Maybe puberty and aging will change some things, but for the most part, their appearance should be set. For Ren's appearance to change so drastically, it defies any mutant classification I have seen. So I have to ask...”
Dr. Nakamura looked at me straight. “Is there anything else you think I should know about?”
There it is, an explanation of how my quirk manifested the way it did. I have been thinking about it ever since I first stared at myself in the mirror. How do I explain myself?
However, the bigger question, the one that would determine the explanation, was what did I want to do with the Chaos Gacha?
If I wanted to stop using the Gacha, I felt set. This new form of mine enhanced my physical abilities as well as gave me control over fire, even if the fire i controlled had an offputting feel to them. View Air enhanced my senses and increased my awareness a lot, and I could even improve it further. And while I hadn't gotten the opportunity to test out Flame Breathing, the techniques from first glance seemed practical and powerful. Not to mention, the Total Concentration Breathing technique that Flame Breathing was based on looked like something that I should really look into more.
However, another part of me whispered that kind of thinking was a waste. Why stop there when you could go further? It was my gift, my quirk. How many other people would have been killed for something like this? Was there a quirkless person out there that would have cursed my name if they knew I was even thinking like this?
Beyond that part of me, other questions rolled around in my head. Why did I want to hide what my quirk truly was? Did I just fear just how deep the Gacha truly went? Just as I thought this, something popped up in front of me. A text box from the Chaos Gacha… I shifted my eyes, and seeing the text book follow me, I stood up.
“Give me a moment, I need to use the bathroom.” Not waiting for their answer, I quickly popped into the bathroom. Sitting down on the covered toilet seat, I read the text book that appeared in front of me.
The Chaos Gacha would like to apologize for Incident no. 512810325. Actions have been put in place to ensure that no other incidents like so can happen again. However, further investigations have shown hacking of this instance of the Chaos Gacha, removing all other race options from this. The Chaos Gacha apologizes for this as well.
As I read this, the little bit of hope that I had vanished. While the enhanced abilities were nice, knowing that I would never be able to truly enjoy a summer's day without worry weighed on me. Sure, it was now my quirk, but maybe I could have done something more...
With a sigh, I forced myself to move on.
'Alright, if you wish to apologize, then how are you going to make this up to me?' While I couldn't fully care about getting some kind of pay back, it felt weird that the Gacha would actually apologize to me like this and then just leave it at that.
Of course, the Chaos Gacha will recompense you with two random gold tickets.
'Hey, Chaos Gacha. You mind if I ask some questions.'
The Chaos Gacha is ready to answer any inquiries the user may have.
'What are the tiers of tickets you have?'
The Chaos Gacha tiers go from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Legendary, Mythical, and Divine. However, the tiers only guarantee a range of rarity and quality which runs on a scale from 0.1 to 10. Bronze, for example, has a minimum rarity of 0.1 to a maximum rarity of 3.3 for an average of 1.3. Meanwhile, something like Platinum has a minimum rarity of 2.5
'Interesting. What exactly do you offer now? I've seen a little, but I want to know.'
The Chaos Gacha's prizes come in five categories: Abilities, Items, Traits, Skills, and Familiars. Everything seemed explanatory, abilities were effectively powers or quirks in their own right. Items would probably mean stuff like armor or weapons or even potions. Traits were more passive abilities, and skills would simply download information and knowledge into my head. Then there was the last part.
'Familiars?' A brief image of Tomo Yah and his... familiar, a mechanical doll that shot bolts, appeared in my head. 'What exactly counts as a familiar?'
Familiars are entities that come into your service when you roll them on the gacha. By the Gacha's control, they will be unable to act against your wishes and will be functionally fully loyal to you.
'...I'm gonna move past that. Everything else seems explanatory.'
The Chaos Gacha would like to remind you that every user starts with one ability slot, and another slot is unlocked when the user unlocks five abilities.
'Good to know. One more question, because I have to go soon. Is there a way to make tickets shareable?'
The Chaos Gacha acknowledges that there are entries that would allow you to share your tickets with others, who can then gain whatever ability they rolled.
'Do I have a defense, if they try to blackmail me into giving them tickets or mind control me to take my tickets?'
The Chaos Gacha would recommend rolling for superior mental defenses.
I leaned back in my seat. Great.
Looking at the two apology tickets I got, I prepared to tear one. If this one was something I couldn't hide, then I will just have to prepare myself.
Ripping the ticket, I saw the slot machine in front of me spin until it fell on one entry.
[Lightning Resistance]
|Rare Trait|
You are naturally resistant to lightning and lightning-based effects and attacks such as being tasered, struck by lightning, or licking an outlet. This resistance scales with your basic stats.
Lightning resistance. From the sound of things, I could pretend that I was able to resist lightning because of Fiend. Admittedly, I doubted my parents would let me test this one out.
Still, the option to hide the capabilities of the Chaos Gacha seemed to be the best for me. I was aware that sometimes, villains didn't play by the rules, and I needed some kind of secret in case those villains would try something like going after my family. But how to explain myself, that was stalling me.
After doing some quick business, I started washing my hands. Looking up at the mirror, I stared at my reflection, at what I was. I might not be exactly what that man dealt with, but all those books, all those people that made deals with them...
I paused as I thought about it. Making deals, or making bargains. To give something in exchange with another... An idea popped in my mind, and after giving it some thought, I knew what I wanted to tell Dr. Nakamura.
Coming out of the bathroom, I went back into the dining room, where my parents and Dr. Nakamura were chatting to pass the time. As I came in, they looked at me.
Dr. Nakamura simply nodded. “Please forgive me, this has probably been a long day for you, and you need your rest. If that is all, I will be taking these notes and conferring with some of my colleagues about this. I will also leave a doctor note so that you can get your Quirk registered. Are you alright with that?”
I took a deep breath as I prepared my story. “Actually, Dr. Nakamura, I think I do have something else to tell you.”
“Oh?” He said as he leaned in as I took a seat. “Well, Ren, what do you think you need to tell me?”
“I was dreaming. There was this... being in front of me, looked like a copy of me, but completely in shadow. It asked... what I was willing to give up.”
Dr. Nakamura looked up from his notes. “What did you give up?”
“I think... maybe I wasn't fully awake, but I think I felt the sun shining down on my face. It was really bothering me so I think I was like 'the sunlight, I don't like it.' That me then held out its hand and said ‘In exchange for that, you shall receive this. Do you accept?’”
I paused for a moment. “I think I shook his hand, and that when the sunlight burned.”
Dr. Nakamura absorbed that story and thought about it. “Ren, from what you just told me, your quirk effectively sacrificed your ability to stand unharmed in direct sunlight in order to give you these abilities. Do you think this sounds right?”
Feat - Come up with a believable alibi for the Chaos Gacha! +1 Bronze Skill Ticket
I pursed my lips, like I was deep in thought about it. “When you say it like that, it does feel like it makes sense.”
The Doctor absorbed this. “Well then, your quirk sounds more in line with a transformation type then. But there is one thing that makes your quirk curious, the majority if not all effects of transformation are usually temporary. For you to last this long in this form and not experience any fatigue, I feel like I have to ask…”
Dr. Nakamura was silent for a moment, before speaking up again. “Ren, if you believe that your quirk works like this… do you think you sacrificed your ability to feel pride to your quirk?”
I genuinely paused as I looked at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my parents turn pale. “I… don’t know.”
“Doctor,” My dad spoke up, his expression neutral as he held my mother’s hand. “Do you really have any evidence besides what you think makes sense?”
The doctor sighed before drinking the last of his tea. “You’re right. I apologize for my hasty conjecture. As far as we know, this is the first time that Ren’s quirk has manifested concretely. It’s been a long day.”
He turned back to me. “From me, you have a clean bill of health. But I will be honest, that sunlight sensitivity of yours will make things different. Not just in school, but your daily life.”
I knew from the moment I had to pull my fingers from the sunlight that things were going to be different. The doctor’s words simply put those thoughts out there. One summer, we went to the beach. From now on, I will either have to stay behind, or be utterly covered and sitting under the umbrella, watching everyone else.
A price to be paid.
I nodded as Dr. Nakamura got up and gathered his things. As he was finished, he paused for a moment, before he put a hand on my shoulder. He smiled, a small upward curl of his lips.
“I wish you luck in your future endeavors.”
With that, the doctor left, leaving me and my parents in the room. After a moment, my mom came over and hugged me. It was just as much for her as it was for me. I returned it. I stayed for a while, before she let go of me.
“I'm just going to bed.” I said, with both of them nodding.
“Go ahead. Me and your mom are gonna have to talk about some things.”
I nodded before I went up the stairs. I looked up at Haruto and Hinato quietly watching me as i came up. As I started to walk to my room, Haruto reached over and patted me on the back. Hinato looked like he wanted to say something, before nodding and patting me on the back as well.
What else could be said?
Putting my hands on their shoulders and giving a firm pat, I went into my room and closed the door behind me.
I didn't go to bed. I had too much energy, I had too much I wanted to do. I waited until I sensed everyone was asleep and night fully came.
Grabbing my wooden sword, I opened the window. Carefully climbing out and down the side of the house, I hopped out of the backyard and walked into the nearby woods. Once I was sure I wouldn’t be spotted, I concentrated for a bit before producing a flame in my hand, lighting my path.
Eventually, I came into an empty campsite. Getting some wood, I ignited them in the firepit and lit up the site. Pulling out my wooden sword, I took a deep breath before practicing with my new physical limits.
I could see the grass move with each swing of my wooden sword. I raced back and forth in the clearing, going faster and faster with each lap. I sat down in the middle, reaching out with View Air to perceive my environment.
As I felt warmed up, I got out my wooden sword again. I considered it as I looked through the knowledge of the new sword technique that I learned. Flame Breathing was a sword technique that utilized a special breathing technique that allowed regular humans to fight on par with demons. While there were other types, Flame Breathing mimicked fire in its techniques, effectively burning and overwhelming their opponents with power and speed. If I could fully master, I would be like a raging inferno engulfing my enemies.
Part of me wondered if I could use my Hell Flames in combination with Flame Breathing, but decided that trying to do that with my wooden sword would not go well.
Getting into a stance, I imagined an enemy in front of me, charging straight at me. While I had the knowledge, mastery would still need to come. Following the image in my head, I took a stance as my breathing followed the technique.
“FIRST FORM… UNKNOWING FIRE!”
I burst forward, charging at the enemy before striking him in the neck… and slamming into a tree.
“GAH!” I yelped, dropping my wooden sword as I fell to the ground, my right side aching as I slightly curled up. As I laid there, I wondered what happened.
Looking back at where I started from, I realized that I was farther than I expected. After I took a deep couple breaths and sat up, I began to think about it. Looking down at my hand, it hit me.
Flame Breathing and Total Concentration Breathing were meant to enhance a regular human by forcing them to take in as much oxygen and using it to excite their systems and muscles. So what would that do for someone that has the same kinds of systems, just… more?
Deciding to take a break and allow my body to rest, I looked at the two tickets that were still in possession. As much as I hated it, I was curious what they could be. Taking a deep breath and hoping that I wouldn’t be regretting my decision, I first tore the Bronze Skill Ticket.
[Novice Taming]
|Common Skill|
You know how to tame wild creatures, but not very precisely. With trial and error, you can probably tame a creature but it won't be easy, though you can easily tame and train mundane animals.
Huh, this might be the first time I couldn’t find an immediate use for this. While taming and training mundane animals might be useful, time would be of the essence, time that I wouldn’t be able to use this skill. Still, if we had a dog, this might be useful.
Always dogs, never liked cats. Not ever since I saw that…thing fight That Man.
Noting that new skill, I took hold of the Gold Random ticket that had been the second apology ticket and tore it.
[Narberal Gamma]
|Elite Familiar|
Overlord - Narberal Gamma is a Doppelganger Maid who specialises in Wind and Elemental Magic. Although her skills as a doppelganger are lacking, she is a very skilled magician. She is also an extremely competent maid. Does not have access to inventory.
…What?
The sensation of wind behind me made me turn around. A woman, dressed in an outfit that looked like part armor and part maid outfit, slowly floated in front of me. Everything about her was neat and tidy, from her jet black hair to her dress, like the very idea of a crease on her was a mortal sin.
Her eyes stared at me with a bit of distaste, before becoming something neutral as she bowed.
“Narberal Gamma, member of the Pleiades Six Stars, battle maid of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. I have come in accordance to your summons, young master.”
…This was a familiar? This was a person, I bound a person to my service… I remembered what the Chaos Gacha said about familiars, how it enforced loyalty…
“Can you… Can you express yourself?” I probably couldn’t hide my horror as Narberal Gamma merely kept her head bowed.
“I cannot move against you, even unintentionally. This will be a great boon for you, young master. I will also admit that I am very satisfied with this as even the thought of accidentally making your endeavors harder sullies my honor as a maid.”
“But… are you sure that you are fully of sound mind? I’m sure that I can find a way-” Narberal looked up at me, that distaste coming back.
“Young Master, if you permit me to clarify things, I despise humanity and see them as nothing but insects. Your goal to become a hero, I find laughable. And despite your current appearance, I know you are human.”
Narberal Gamma bowed her head again. “However, since the Great Tomb of Nazarick does not exist here, I still hold my pride as a maid above all. And a maid prioritizes her master’s household before all other things. Please recognize that.”
I quietly stood up as I looked over this woman who was now bound to me.
‘Gacha, you there?’
The Chaos Gacha acknowledges its user.
‘Can I send her back to her world?’
‘She’s a person! I’m not enslaving a person!’
‘...She’s from a videogame?’
‘What will happen to her if I try to send her back?’
‘That was not what I was asking.’
‘...’
I tried not to sigh as I had to square with the idea that effectively, I was responsible for a person who had been created to be as evil as possible.
Looking at Narberal again, I was surprised to see her a little tense. Actually, considering just how stoic she seemed, even a little visible tension might be more serious than I thought. “Something on your mind?”
Narberal pursed her lips, like she was about to say something only for that maid pride to win out and keep her silent.
“Speak your mind, I wish to hear.”
Hearing that command, she nodded, the tension only lessening a little. “Young master, have I… already displeased you?”
As soon as she said that, she tried to recover, to go back to that stoic expression. I was able to catch the brief look of fear, a fear of being abandoned. I was familiar with it.
I looked at her again. Even as a NPC, she must have had some consciousness, some ability to perceive. What did it feel like, her creator coming around less and less? Did she feel like that was her fault? Did she feel like she could have tried harder?
Would it have mattered if she had no choice in this, as long as it meant she had the chance to serve again?
“No, you haven’t displeased me. It’s just the situation.”
Narberal didn’t look like she understood fully. She seemed to only focus on the part that said she hadn’t displeased me.
I nodded to her. “Right, I accept your contract. You are now my maid. You will follow my orders.”
Narberal bowed her head lower. “I live to serve.”
Now I had to ask myself, what was I going to do here? What could I have Narberal Gamma do?
“...My first order to you, and it will have no limit or time period, is to find something in this world that you like.”
She looked up at me, confused. “Young Master?”
“I will be honest, I don’t know what I’m going to have you do. Even in these past few minutes, I can see that unless I order it, you will not do it. You are going to be in a world full of humans, effectively serving a human as well, to serve a purpose that you personally think is stupid. You don’t have to like that, and I will not force you to. Instead, I will ask you to find something in this world that you can like, that you can defend with all your heart. That is what I ask. Do you understand?”
This time, her stoic face showed nothing as she nodded. “I understand, Young Master.”
I stared at her, before accepting that. Suddenly, the fatigue of this whole day, from my race changing, to the testing, to this now, fully settled in. I felt ready to go back home. Grabbing my wooden sword, I contemplated what to do with Narberal. It would be awkward and hard to explain when I brought her home, but I refused to allow her to stay out here just because it would be easier.
“Narberal, how good are you at hiding?”
She stood up straight and answered, “I know several spells that can easily hide my presence. I can certainly cast Invisibility consistently enough that I can remain out of sight of anyone you do not want to see me.”
I registered before remembering the description that she had. She had magic. “Ok, you are coming back to my home. As long as you are at my home, please keep yourself invisible and quiet.”
“Of course.” She accepted the command. As I was about to start walking, a thought occurred. I paused before looking back.
“Another order, feel free to give me your suggestions. I’m open to them. Other than that, you know other spells, maybe something that can help me get back to my room quietly?”
She thought about it. “I can cast fly on you, Young Master.”
…It wasn’t that much of a dream to me, or even that Man. But both him and me still had those daydreams of soaring above the hills, the mountains, the clouds. We dreamed of having the ability to rise up off the ground and being unhindered by everything that existed on the ground. We idly dreamed of that freedom, and I was going to taste it.
“Ok, do it.”
“TWIN MAGIC: FLY!”
A white aura briefly flowed over my body, as I suddenly felt lighter. Looking at Narberal, she simply lifted up in the air, acting like it was as easy as breathing. I looked down at my feet, wondering if it was just that easy.
I stood there and closed my eyes as I willed myself up.
My eyes shot open as I felt my feet leave the ground.
I looked down at how I was hovering just a foot off the ground. I looked back up at Narberal, who simply stared at me. She offered no instruction, seemingly content to only step in if I really needed help.
I looked past her and up at the sky. Out here, the stars shone clearly. I willed myself up and shot upwards, the wind blowing through my hair. The stars didn’t look any closer but I couldn't help it as I reached out.
“Young Master.” Narberal's hand landed on my shoulder firmly as her stoic expression was in front of my face, halting me. “Let us not waste time.”
I looked back down, noting just how high we were.
“You're fast.” I said, to which she didn’t reply.
I took a deep breath and nodded before I flew towards the direction of my house, Narberal following after. She didn't stop me as I twisted, spun, even a few loop de loops. My heart pounded as a smile grew on my face.
I wasn't going to get a good night's sleep tonight.
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“Ren, are you okay? Did you sleep last night?”
I blinked furiously before I realized that my omelette had fallen from my chopsticks. I picked it up and scarfed it down as I looked back at Ayumi who looked worried. I set my chopsticks down as I rubbed my eyes.
“No, not really. Couldn’t really sleep.” I admitted. The flight had left me too excited to sleep so I ended up talking to Narberal to see what other spells and abilities she had.
“Are you gonna practice your fire things? I want to help with that!” Koki said excitedly, his mouth full before my dad told him to not talk with his mouth full.
“Not around here. Too flammable.” I remarked as I took a bite of some rice before swallowing. “Besides, by the time I start practicing, you’re going to be asleep. I can’t be out in the sun.”
“Aww, can’t you do it inside?” “He’s not practicing inside, Koki. That’s too dangerous.” “But I want to see him do fire stuff.” “He’s gonna burn things down, Koki.” “I think the only real space we have is next to your room.” “...Does that mean he could accidentally burn my stuff?” “He is practicing, Koki.” “I’m sure the people that Ren will save in the future will thank you in the future for sacrificing your things.” “REN, DON’T BURN MY THINGS DOWN!” “Hinato, Haruto, don’t mess with Koki!” “Come on, Ayumi.”
As this happened between my siblings, me and my dad shared a look as I continued my breakfast. As their talk rolled over me, it almost felt like a regular breakfast. Almost.
As breakfast finished up, I helped mom clean and put away the dishes. As she handed me one of the pans, she looked at me.
“Ren, do you want to go to school tomorrow? You can wait for those body suits to come in. From what I heard when we ordered them, they should be around next week.”
I looked up from the pan and nodded. “Of course. Just tell my school that I will be wearing my long sleeves and hoodie for the week.”
My mother's lips pursed as she turned back to the dishes. “Ok, if you are sure. Be sure to ask for a desk far away from the windows.”
As I went back to the dishes, I knew I was ready to try to get back to some kind of normality. And the sooner I could get back to normality, so could everyone else. As I dried the pan that I had been handed, I got a message from Narberal.
‘Young Master, I will be heading out to scout places for our sparring and magic lessons.’
‘Understood.’ I replied before putting the pan away.
As the dishes were about to be done, I could hear a knock on the front door. I sensed Ayumi calling out that she was getting the front door. As she opened it, she said. “Hi- Iroha?”
Instantly, the dishes became something less important. Iroha was here.
“Hi, Ayumi. I brought Ren the lessons and homework from Saturday. I heard that something happened to Ren, and everyone said that they saw Dr. Nakamura spend almost all of yesterday here. I would have come sooner, but my dad told me that I should wait a day. Is he alright?”
“Umm…” Ayumi looked unsure if she should let Iroha in to see me. I dried my hands on a towel as I called out.
“Ayumi, it’s fine. Iroha, come on in.”
“Ren?”
Through View Air, the sound of Iroha’s footsteps came closer and closer. They started to become louder and louder in my own head. My awareness slowly narrowed to the sound of those footsteps, and the beat of my heart, the stillness of my legs, the faux stillness of my hands.
I focused on her footsteps because I didn’t want to imagine her face the moment she saw me. Would she be scared? Would she be wary?
I couldn’t move. I could only wait. Would Iroha still see me?
She stepped around the corner. Her eyes landed on me. Faster than I could react, she immediately rushed in and hugged me. I froze as Iroha hugged me tightly.
“Ren, you’re okay! I got so worried, I-” Iroha leaned back to look at me before she froze. Iroha never could hide her emotions, and yet… As I stared at her eyes, slowly judging what she thought, I couldn’t help but freeze again.
For all my changes, for how I now looked… for Iroha, I might as well have gotten a brand new haircut.
“Ren… your eyes…” Now she looked sad. “I liked your eyes before.”
“Oh, would you mind telling Ren about how you liked his eyes?” Suddenly, both me and her remembered where we were and turned to see my mom with an expression eager to gossip about this to her friends. Ayumi had covered her mouth with her hands, looking surprised and yet pleased with what just happened.
As both me and Iroha looked at where we were, we quickly separated before I grabbed her hand and started to pull her upstairs. “OK, me and Iroha are gonna get that homework done for tomorrow!”
“Ok.~” Mom's reply made me knew I wasn't going to hear the last of this anytime soon.
Bringing Iroha into my room, I let go of her hand as I turned back to her.
“...Iroha, you're okay with me?”
Iroha looked up from the schoolwork she was setting up.
“Ren, what do you mean by that?”
“I mean…this, all this.” I gestured at myself, all the changes, my red skin, my pupiless eyes, my horns, my canines. “You’re okay with this?”
Iroha stood up and faced me. “...When I first saw you, you looked the same to me. The way you stand, the way you sounded. Then I did notice all the changes, but I also saw that you didn’t want things to change between us because of this. And that’s easy.”
She smiled, soft and warm like the sun slowly peeking over the horizon. “It’s still you, Ren. Nothing important changed.”
I stared at Iroha before smiling, actually smiling back. For the first time since I woke up with all this, I truly felt okay.