บท 99: A new but crazy party member
"I DON'T KNOW!!" a red-haired girl laughed.
Her name was Ollie Kureiji, the zombie we fought a few minutes ago.
"How is that possible?! You should know your creator! How does a zombie like you have a Life Force?!" Rushia asked.
"Like I said, I don't know! I just found myself in a coffin and when I got out, I found out my home turned into a ramen shop! That was so funny!"
"How's that even funny?" I frowned.
"Cause the owner told me that he'll give back my home if I become a super popular idol! So I swore to myself I'll become an idol even though I'm a zombie!"
"How is that related to you being a zombie with a Life Force?!" Rushia asked her again.
"It isn't! But since we're talking, we should get to know each other more!"
Rushia sighed and then green butterflies appeared around her. I could feel her mana swelling up as her eyes had a dangerous glow on them.
"Then I will have to dissect you myself then."
But before she could make a move, Ayame's sword was pointed at her neck while her other hand was ready to swing her second sword.
"What are you doing, Ayame?" Rushia glared.
"Demon Realm Constitution Article Three Section One", Ayame glared back.
The butterflies disappeared and Rushia relaxed. I was actually afraid that I had to fight Rushia in order to protect Ollie.
"What happened?" Ollie asked.
Did she seriously not understand that she was in danger?
"No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws", Rushia said.
"And by definition, Ollie is a 'person' because she has a Life Force and a sentient mind", Ayame sheathed her swords.
"So… what now?" Ollie asked.
"What happens now is that we go to a vampire's mansion", my voice said.
Ayame, Rushia, and Ollie looked at me.
"Hold on… What's happ-" I couldn't finish my words as I could no longer feel my body.
"Hmmmm… This feels weird. Flesh and blood is different from being just a thought", my voice said.
(Noir?!) I realized who took over my body.
"Yo, Mikage. Funny how I took over, right?" Noir asked.
"Noir? The Primordial Dark?" Ayame looked at him warily.
"Don't worry. This is just temporary. This body is seriously uncomfortable. One out of five stars. Won't come back if possible."
I had a bad feeling about this. If Noir could freely take over my body like this, it would be problematic. He could just kill someone by taking over my body simply because they annoyed him.
"Now then… When I say a mansion with a vampire, do you have anything that comes into mind?" Noir asked.
"There are many vampires here with mansions. You have to be more specific", Ayame said.
"From the outside, the mansion looks magnificent. It has been built with white marbles and has grand porcelain gargoyle statues near the front door which was made from crimson wood that was most possibly grown on the eastern part of the Demon Realm. Tall windows with intricately-patterned frames added to the overall look of the house, especially so with their fairly symmetrical positionings."
"Wait… What?" Ayame looked confused.
"The mansion has several rooms along with a grand dining hall. Even guest rooms have extravagant furniture and decorations fitting for a magnificent exterior. There are balconies outside each bedroom which allows the guest to gaze upon the beautiful night sky for there are no lights of the surroundings which would normally overpower their natural and beautiful sparkles."
"Noir. What are you saying?" Ollie asked.
"You asked me to be specific on what kind of mansion it is so I complied", Noir answered.
"But that's too specific! You should've told us who owned that mansion or at least their appearance! No one would remember a mansion like that!" Rushia snapped.
"She's a vampire with short blonde hair framing her head with the left side having a clip in the form of a bat. Her outfit is quite revealing and the black-white color scheme made the people focus more on her beauty. On her short black skirt were ribbons with different colors and black leggings covered the lower half of her plump thighs. An orange ribbon lies straight at the center of her strapless attire which shows her navel although any man of culture will stare straight at the bountiful garden barely hidden by that outfit."
Rushia and Ayame looked at each other and nodded.
"Who are you talking about?" Ayame asked.
"I have no idea how to imagine her since I don't know many vampires", Rushia shook her head.
"Her name is Mel Yozora", Noir snickered.
"You should've said that from the start!" Rushia threw a punch and I felt my cheek sting.
"Owww!" I groaned.
"I'll look away this time", Ayame said as she stared at the distance.
"Wait! Wait! Rushia! It's me, Mikage!" I shouted as Rushia cracked her knuckles.
"Tch. So he ran away, huh?" Rushia relaxed her body after she clicked her tongue.
(Damn it, Noir! Why'd you do that?) I asked.
(Cause why not?) Noir laughed.
"That was funny!" Ollie chuckled.
"Oh? It's over?" Ayame asked.
"Unfortunately, it is", Rushia said.
"Why did you add 'unfortunately?' Do you really want to punch me that much?" I rubbed the pain away from my cheek.
"Then let's ask the better question: why should we go to the Yozora Mansion?" Ayame helped me up.
"When I absorbed Ollie's Dark Corruption, a memory appeared in my mind. It showed the mansion and the blonde vampire along with her saying her name. I thought it would be a good idea to investigate something like that, right?" my voice said.
(Noir? Did you just take over my body again?! I thought you disliked it?!) I asked.
(My goals are beyond your understanding), he had a serious voice.
Rushia's eyes widened and I had an idea on what was coming.
"Owww!" I groaned as her fist punched my stomach.
"Let me guess. You're Mikage now?" Ayame asked.
"It's not obvious?" I glared at her.
"So he runs away fast. I expected the Primordial Dark to not be a cow-"
Before Rushia could finish her sentence, her shadow rose up and turned into spikes. It only took less than a second for them to become those spikes and stop a few centimeters away from her body.
"I'm only letting you hit Mikage because it's fun. Don't overestimate yourself, necromancer. Just because you're Mikage's allies doesn't mean I'm always on your side", Noir said.
Her shadow returned to normal and I regained control of my body. Rushia looked at her shadow warily and then to me.
"Why don't we head to the Yozora mansion then? It's still south of here so we're not making a huge detour", Ayame suggested.
"Y… Yeah. That would be for the best", Rushia muttered.
This was awkward… Was this another one of Noir's shenanigans?
(Anya… Do you know what I'm gonna ask of you along with Ars?) I called out to her.
(Yes. I'll do my best), Anya replied.
(Oh? This should be fun), Noir said.
"What should we do with Ollie?" I asked.
"She was under the influence of the Dark Corruption so I think she can get away in court. I can also convince the mayor to not push charges and just give her community service as punishment instead of having a long trial", Ayame answered.
"Then, can I decide what kind of community service I should do?" Ollie raised her hand.
"I don't see a reason why I shouldn't hear you out."
"Then let me join you and travel with you guys!"
"I approve", Rushia nodded.
"Hey! You're just itching to dissect her if you get a chance", Ayame told her.
"I won't. I'll just convince her after observing her daily actions as a zombie with a Life Force."
"Oh? You're interested in my body? You should've said so, Rushia!" Ollie fidgeted.
"Why do I feel like I'll lose if I comment?" Rushia asked.
"Then how about you, Mikage? Are you fine with her around?" Ayame ignored the two of them as she looked at me.
"Yeah. Sure. Why not?" I nodded.
Ollie stood up and started humming. She walked past us and continued humming a melody that was oddly familiar.
"Ollie Kureiji has joined the party!" she announced.
Ah. So she was humming the sound when a new character would enter a party in an RPG.
"Now let's go!" Ollie walked ahead.
"The south is that way", Ayame pointed to the left.
… This was going to be a long journey…
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