Chapitre 8: MY ICE CREAM!!
I sighed, bored. "How boring..."
James, sitting next to me, agreed. "Yeah..." He was on vacation, and I had decided to take a day off from missions. It had been a week since I came to this world... time sure flies.
Suddenly, I heard two people arguing. I turned my head and saw Austin and Alex bickering about something. "What are those two up to now?" I asked, my voice laced with curiosity and boredom.
James glanced at them and said, "Anime... maybe?"
In this world, many things from my original world existed—anime, movies, and even something similar to Dark Souls, though it was called Deadly Souls here.
Alex noticed us and hurried over. "Hey! Help me settle this—tsundere or kuudere?"
I looked at him, confused. "Huh? Isn't a kuudere the cold, emotionally distant type?"
Austin quickly pointed at Alex. "Kuuderes are trash! Everyone knows tsunderes are better!"
Alex shot back with a mocking smile. "Kuuderes are the best. Your childish mind can't comprehend their appeal. Tsunderes are meh in comparison."
Austin narrowed his eyes. "Kuuderes are a thing of the past. Tsunderes are superior!"
I had no idea what they were going on about.
James chimed in, "Well, I prefer normal girls."
Austin pointed at James. "He has terrible taste! No good!"
I couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, my tastes are normal. Besides, there are no tsunderes or kuuderes, right?"
Alex pulled out his phone and showed us a photo. "This is Kaira Keplar, from the Keplar family. Look at her silver hair and eyes, her cold demeanor, and the way she speaks to others. She's a kuudere in the flesh. Satisfied?"
I examined the photo. "So, you're a stalker?"
"Of course not," Alex replied. "These photos are all public. She's also incredibly talented!"
I looked at the photo again. "The Keplar family, huh? Never heard of them."
Alex looked shocked. "You don't know the Keplar family—oh... right."
I shrugged. "I like tomboys."
Austin and Alex turned to me, and Austin gave me a thumbs-up. "Good taste."
I smiled and placed my hand on my chin. "I always have good taste."
Alex scoffed. "How simplistic..."
James added, "I like tall girls."
The three of us looked at him, and I nodded. "That sounds good."
James nodded, his eyes closed. James seemed to have simple tastes, but his preference for tall girls wasn't a bad one.
"Hey, go argue somewhere else, will you? We're trying to reach nirvana here," I said, annoyed. The two of them left, continuing their debate as they walked away.
I turned to James and asked, "Hey, James, do you have a training room?"
"Yeah," he replied. "Go down the second hallway, turn left, and you'll see a blue door. That's the training room. I think Michael is using it."
I got up from the couch and made my way down the hallway. Turning a corner, I continued walking until I reached the blue door. This place was quite spacious, with a kitchen, training room, and bedrooms. Come to think of it, where does Arthur sleep?
I approached the blue door, which opened automatically. Inside was a large white room, where Michael stood holding a massive war hammer. Wow, he looks like a marine—reference moment~
I stepped into the room and said, "Hey, Michael. Training?"
Michael paused and replied, "Yes, you always have to train to get stronger, right?"
I smiled. "Hey, do you want to spar?"
Michael placed the hammer, which was bigger than his body, on his shoulder. "Why not?"
I smiled and noticed shelves filled with various weapons, including nunchakus and glaives. This place was well-equipped. I summoned my sword, Rebellion, into my hand and said, "Well, let's make it a simple training fight..."
Michael asked, "Do you have a weapon summoning skill or something?"
I smiled. "Let's just say I can make some things invisible. It's useful."
I took a fighting stance and said, "Ready?"
Michael smiled and tightened his grip on the war hammer. "Yes!"
We both disappeared in a blur, the ground shaking from the force of our movements. Our weapons clashed, and I felt a jolt run through my arms. Damn, this guy is strong. My arms felt heavy, but I smiled and said, "Well, time to get more serious!"
Demonic energy enveloped my arms, and the heaviness disappeared. I pushed forward with all my might, causing Michael's eyes to widen in surprise. "What strength..."
Michael and I jumped away, grinning at each other. I infused my feet with demonic energy and dashed forward, creating several sonic booms as I closed the distance. Michael blocked my attack with his warhammer, the wind tearing at our clothes. Michael smiled and said, "Looks like I can't hold back anymore, huh?"
Suddenly, his hammer was enveloped in a large amount of brown aura, its energy aggressive and wild. Michael disappeared in a blur, and I crouched, barely avoiding his hammer as it grazed my hair. A huge sonic boom shook the room. I jumped away and said, "Wow, you're super fast! I underestimated you!"
Michael casually moved his hammer with one hand. "Don't judge a book by its cover."
I smiled. "Yes... don't judge..."
{Are you sure you want to purchase: Trickster Style?}
I smiled and murmured, "Yes..."
{You have obtained the Trickster Style skills!}
{Trickster Style:
Trickster is a style focused on "High-Speed" maneuvers, granting the user increased speed and improved control over their demonic energy!}
{Trickster Skills:
Dash: A quick burst of speed propels the host forward.
Wall Hike: Allows the user to run up walls or other structures.
Double Dash: Perform Dash twice in quick succession.
Sky Star: A powerful aerial jump that propels the user forward.
Triple Dash: Perform Dash three times in rapid succession.
Air Trick: Disappear in the blink of an eye and reappear above the enemy, ready to strike.}
I felt a flood of memories wash over me, and I smiled. "Don't judge, right?"
I vanished in a burst of speed, demonstrating the Dash skill. I lunged at him, and he lifted his hammer, using it as a shield. I jumped onto the wall and ran along it, then leaped into the air, infusing my leg with demonic energy. My kick connected with his hammer, sending Michael flying towards the wall. Suddenly, I felt the bones in my leg break—damn!
I fell to the ground, wincing. "Damn..."
My leg slowly began to heal, and I saw a huge warhammer hurtling towards me. I couldn't dodge in time and was struck, flying back and crashing into the wall. "Haha... that was fast," I said, standing up and dusting myself off.
It was time to test Sky Star. I squeezed my legs and jumped into the air, a red circle with intricate writings and symbols appearing behind me. I smiled and placed my feet in the demonic circle, propelling myself forward like a rocket. A huge sonic boom shook the room as I reappeared in front of Michael, swinging my sword. He reacted just in time, and our weapons clashed, creating a shockwave that sent us both flying backwards. I stabilized myself in the air and landed, smiling. "How about that?"
Michael held his warhammer casually. "Haha! My body hurts. I haven't had a spar like this in a while!"
He tightened his grip on the hammer. "It seems like there are a few more tricks you need to show me, right?"
I smiled. "Maybe yes, maybe no... who knows?"
Michael smiled back. "Then come on!" He squeezed his hammer, his aura enveloping his entire body.
I gripped the hilt of my sword and shouted, "Alright!! Here I come, big guy!!" My body glowed with demonic energy, and I jumped towards him with a wide smile.
---
"My body hurts..." I groaned, lying on my back and looking up at the ceiling. Next to me was Michael, and in the center of the room was a huge crater. "Dante, how old are you?" he asked.
"Fifteen," I replied with a smile. "I'm young, right?"
Michael nodded. "Yes, and incredibly strong for your age... but you should know that the world is full of monsters, dozens of them. There are even beings considered natural disasters—giant monsters, dragons... the world is full of catastrophic disasters in the form of monsters. There are many things out there, you know?"
"Wow, you're one of those teachers who makes me reflect on life, huh?" I teased, smiling.
Michael smiled back. "Take it however you want. Well, I'm going to take a bath." He stood up and placed his warhammer on a shelf. "Just remember this, Dante: there are many monsters like you in the world, so... don't get too out of control, okay?"
I gave him a thumbs-up, and Michael headed off to take a shower.
I was alone in the training room, muttering to myself, "I'll just do what I want..."
I sighed and stood up, my arms and legs aching. I think my bones vibrated quite a bit during that sparring session.
I stretched, feeling the lingering soreness. The Trickster Style seemed quite useful, and I wondered if the cheaper styles didn't need to be leveled up. It was possible...
The last three skills—Quicksilver, Royal Guard, and doppelganger—were the ones that interested me the most.
"System, can you show me a description of my current weapons?" I asked.
{Affirmative.}
{Rebellion:
Demonic sword crafted by the legendary dark knight, Sparda. This weapon possesses semi-divine resistance, exceptional cutting power, and ???}
Hmm... the question marks were likely related to the Sin Devil Trigger.
{Ebony & Ivory:
A pair of black and white pistols customized for Dante by the .45-caliber virtuoso, Nell Goldstein. These weapons have been imbued with demonic characteristics due to the continuous use of demonic energy.}
Useful indeed. I decided it was time to take a bath, and I assumed my room had a bathroom.
I left the training room and headed to my room, glad that Alex and Austin had stopped arguing about kuudere versus tsundere. They had been quite annoying.
I took a bath for a few minutes, emerging refreshed. "Nice bath..." I sighed, toweling off.
I put on a shirt from the closet, which was surprisingly well-stocked with clothes. I chose a white shirt and threw on my trench coat, along with my black jeans. I decided to go for a walk.
I left my room and entered the main living room, which was conveniently located next to mine. James was sitting on the couch, watching television. "What are you watching?" I asked curiously.
"They're reporting on the students who entered Cristaia Academy," James replied, taking a sip from a can of juice. "Hey, James, I'm curious. Who is the most talented student at Cristaia?"
"Probably Prince Castian Goldheart, of House Goldheart," James answered. "He possesses light magic, a very rare type of magic, as rare as space or time magic. It's incredibly rare but known, and he's said to have a talent superior to that of his father, who is in the upper echelons of power and talent."
Goldheart... what a name.
"So, he's an SSS in talent, right?" I asked, and James nodded. I glanced at the television, seeing Castian's face—blonde hair, golden eyes, and a slightly effeminate appearance.
I needed to learn more about this world, but for now, I wanted to go out for a while. "Well, I'm going out," I said to James.
He nodded, and I left the house, inhaling the fresh air. I had my hood up, as always. Today, I wanted to try a few things—like pizza and ice cream. Yup, that sounded good.
I walked through the city streets, cars and magic trains passing by. Magic was everywhere, from the rails to the buildings.
Luckily, Arthur had taught me how to use my bracelet to buy things, although his lessons were a bit lacking. I had to figure out a lot on my own. This bracelet was pretty useful, though—calls, internet, videos, and even online shopping. I had even downloaded a game once, although I got bored after five minutes.
As I walked, I entered a more luxurious area. Well, I had quite a bit of money, so why not? I strolled down the street and noticed some fancy carriages pulled by white horses. Carriages were still in use, huh?
I spotted an interesting store—an ice cream parlor. The sign above the door read "Daisy Ice Cream Parlor," with a cartoonish clown as its logo.
The door opened automatically, and I stepped inside. The place was well-maintained, with pink and white walls. Several people sat enjoying their ice cream.
A young woman approached me, her smile bright. "Hello! Welcome to Daisy's Ice Cream Parlor! What kind of ice cream would you like to order?" She wore a white and pink uniform, and I smiled back. "I'll have chocolate."
She asked for more specifics, and after a brief conversation, I sat down to wait for my order.
While I waited, an interesting couple entered—a girl and a boy, both around my age and wearing uniforms. The girl had silver hair, and the boy had black hair. The boy was strong, though not as strong as me, Dante.
The girl's silver hair... it reminded me of someone.
My ice cream arrived, and I thanked the server. I took a spoonful, savoring the rich chocolate flavor.
Chocolate always wins, I thought with a smile, continuing to eat.
While I was eating, I noticed the couple from before ordering ice cream. The boy seemed nervous, while the girl appeared casual. That silver hair... it was familiar.
They sat near me and waited for their order, their conversation carrying over to my table.
"Hey, Kaila, did we really have to come here? I only see nobles..." said the black-haired boy. My enhanced hearing picked up their every word.
"It's just a simple ice cream," the girl replied in a cold tone. They continued chatting, and I finished my ice cream, sighing as I stood up. Well, nothing interesting was going to happen if I didn't intervene... Suddenly, someone entered the ice cream parlor—a boy with crimson red hair and a classic bully's face. He pointed at the black-haired boy next to the silver-haired girl and shouted, "I, Carus Firebreath, challenge you, Haiser!"
Ohh!! This is the scene where the protagonist fights the weak villain and defeats him!?
Unnoticed by anyone due to the noise, I sat at another table a little further away, wanting to watch the show.
The black-haired boy quickly said, his hands moving rapidly, "T-this isn't what you think!!"
"Oh... you're trying to trick me, aren't you!? You... bastard!!" Carus shouted, his face reddening with anger.
Ohh, a classic fight scene, and the boy named Carus also wore the same uniform.
"Isn't that uniform made of... cristaia!?!" a woman's voice exclaimed, making me smile. So, these guys were from that academy... great... some entertainment.
"Isn't that... Kaira Keplar's younger sister?!" said another person, their voice filled with awe. "Oh, kuudere!" I accidentally blurted out, hitting my hand with my fist as it all clicked into place.
The ice cream parlor fell silent, everyone staring at me. I smiled awkwardly and said, "Haha... it was a joke, you know? Please continue..."
The silver-haired girl looked at me with cold eyes, and the black-haired boy and red-haired boy both glanced at me. Carus gritted his teeth and said in an angry, loud voice, "Fine!! Everyone get out or I'll incinerate you all!!"
People started leaving quickly, but I remained seated, watching the unfolding drama. Damn, I shouldn't have finished my ice cream so fast...
Carus looked at me and said, "Are you going to leave or do you want me to kill you, bastard!?"
I looked at him and said, "I just want to see the show, so keep going. Think of me as a spectator."
He grew even angrier, clicking his tongue. He ignored me and focused on the black-haired boy, apparently unfazed by my casual attitude. Ohh, I thought he would attack me. This boy is either brave or stupid...
"You!! Pay for what happened at the academy!!" Carus shouted, his voice shaking with anger. The black-haired boy said, "Ah... can we do it another day?? I'm eating ice cream with my friend... haha... ha..."
Yes... more theater... entertain me...
Suddenly, the temperature in the ice cream parlor rose noticeably. Damn, wasn't it a cool day today?
The boy named Haiser said, "Hey, Carus, don't you think this is excessive?"
Carus shouted, "Shut up, you damn commoner!! I... I... was humiliated in front of the damn royalty!!"
Ohh, I understood. So, the boy called Haiser had humiliated Carus in front of important people of the kingdom or city or whatever it was called...
Haiser said, "You... you started it, Carus. It wasn't my fault, I just defended myself..."
The red-haired boy gritted his teeth. "Now... I don't care anymore... pay for this humiliation, damn commoner!!"
He ran towards the black-haired boy, and I sighed. I didn't want this place to be destroyed—I liked the ice cream here.
I appeared next to the two boys in a blur, kicking Carus in the face and sending him flying towards the wall. I had thought they would only talk, but I forgot that in this world, the vast majority of nobles are trash. Even Carus was thinking about burning down the building. No shit, I wasn't going to let my beautiful chocolate ice cream turn to dust.
I sighed and said, "Hey, don't burn my chocolate..."
Carus stood up, his face contorted with anger. "You... BASTARD--" I appeared next to him like a blur and kicked him in the back of the head, embedding his face in the ground. Good, done!
"Are you awake?" I crouched down, putting my ear close to his head. He was still breathing, probably knocked out.
I scratched my neck, ready to leave. As I walked towards the door, someone stopped me.
"Wait!!" a male voice called out. I turned to see the boy named Haiser, who asked, "You... are you from the academy!?"
"No, I'm from Ohio, bye!" I said, and left the ice cream parlor. No joke, this boy looked like a manga protagonist, and he seemed to be quite the troublemaker.
"You're... a mercenary, right?" The silver-haired girl's voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned to face her, and she regarded me with cold eyes. "Ohh... hello, Miss Kuudere," I said, my voice slightly colder than usual. "What a nice day, isn't it?"
She stared at me for a few seconds before saying, "I won't tell anyone what I saw. You saved us from that pathetic burden. I thank you."
The black-haired boy began, "A-a mercenar—," but was cut off by the girl's cold gaze. "We won't say anything, understand...?" Oh, are they friends or not? Now I was a little confused.
"Thank you for your help, I sincerely thank you," the girl said, her voice as cold as ice.
I smiled and said, "Yes, yes. Well, goodbye!" I turned and left the ice cream parlor, walking down the street. As I walked, I spotted three people in cristaia uniforms running towards the ice cream parlor. "Where the hell is Kaila!? I told her not to go alone! Plus, she's with Haiser, that idiot doesn't even—" I heard a girl's voice, her sky blue hair shining in the sunlight. "he don't know the directions!"
I smiled to myself and continued walking. It seemed that problems wouldn't plague me today... or so I thought. Today was a normal day, well, time to try the pizza. I stretched my arms in the air and declared, "Pizza time!"
---
{Third-person POV}
"So... a noble of your stature wants an underground fighter as a bodyguard...?" Candy said, taking a drag from her cigarette. She sat in her chair, her eyes fixed on the older man with silver hair and a beard sitting across from her desk. "Astorias Keplar, you want the Red Demon as a bodyguard for your youngest daughter, Kaila Keplar...?"
Astorias nodded, his expression determined. "Yes... I can't say much, but... I have little choice. Even now, I'm questioning my noble title, so... will you accept this deal?"
Candy sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't. That fighter doesn't work for me, and you were late..."
Astorias covered his face with his hand, sighing. "But... I can try something... it might work. You want your precious daughter to live in peace, right? So... I think I'll have to call someone."
Astorias lowered his hand and said, "I'll give you a huge amount of money if you can make it work..."
Candy locked eyes with him and said, "I'll try. I can't guarantee it will work, but you'll have to wait a little..."
Astorias sighed. "Well... I hope you can do it..." He bid Candy goodbye and left.
Candy remained seated, Mizuki by her side. "Miss Candy, your treatment of the situation doesn't seem so bad, although I'd probably have to contact Dante. He may be a bit complicated, but he works in the mercenary guild, right?"
Candy sighed. "You don't understand, Mizuki... the Keplar family is... special in its own way. Very few people know this, but I had to spend a huge amount of money to obtain this information... There's a rumor that the youngest daughter of the Keplar family is being targeted by people from demonic cults..."
Mizuki's eyes widened slightly. "The demonic cult... those who want to summon the ancient Demon King, right...?"
Candy smiled. "Yes... I have this information because I hold a great deal of power in the Red Zone of Lunaria... so... it seems Dante will have more work..."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone