Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I'm Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

Armbars are awesome (5.1).

…

“Sorry for being late; I needed to recover from losing an arm and a leg.” I raised a hand towards Asakura as she entered the office. Her mother sat behind a desk, while Kine and Helena sat across from me. We were having tea and cookies. “I also needed to stay under the radar, because I blew up the red-light district.”

“I… I see. That’s understandable. How did you survive the Argent Knight?” Asakura blinked before immediately asking me questions while giving me a hidden hand signal. She signed ‘flash,’ and I signed ‘lightning.’ I had three different responses. This one signaled that I was in good health and with allies. “I thought you covered yourself in multiple explosives to prevent capture or torture.”

“I did. They blew up, I was sent flying, and I hit Helena’s car. Since then I’ve been recovering with her help. She got in trouble, I got some bounties, and I nabbed a big one with this Lupercal’s help.” Helena looked a bit miffed with how I summarized the last two or so months. “I asked your mother for a new identity and entry into the school, but apparently that’s going to be a problem?”

“Your former clan has… changed because of your death. Your mother is on a warpath after taking it over.” Asakura took a seat beside me and looked at me like I was a ghost. I snorted and extended a hand her way, and she took it before letting go with a nod. Handholding in a world filled with depravity and debauchery? I guess it would be reserved for someone you know coming back from the dead. “It may be prudent to tell her, at least.”

“Sure, go ahead.” I didn’t have any ill feelings regarding my mother. She was dealt a horrific hand and did her best to go on with her life. As far as I was concerned, the fact that she went and started killing monsters after I died made us even. “Probably for the best that the secret doesn’t go any farther than that… or the people outside the door.”

I looked towards the door along with everyone else, and Leona and Alecia entered sheepishly.

“Hey, wow. You’re actually alive, like Lady Hiyo thought. That’s… crazy.” Leona looked different for a second but returned to having black hair and Hispanic features after a moment. She looked at me, probably scanning me, and her brow furrowed. Dressed in a black and white suit, she looked like she was half-butler, half-bodyguard. “You’re different though. Not completely human anymore?”

“His blood sings of power and strength now. Facing that fossil and surviving must have led to his bloodline activating.” Alecia stated. She lengthened her hair to her waist and was wearing a high-waisted leotard with a sailor fuku design at the top. The material was glossy and thin for the leotard, and it was also sleeveless. The same material was worn as thigh-highs and elbow-length gloves but in black. Basically, a bunny outfit without the tail and the ears. Yep, definitely a hentai school. “I see that you have survived. Congratulations.”

There were a lot of responses I could make, but I chose the one that would piss her off the most.

I just ignored her and offered Leona a shrug.

“No idea. I was ready; I set my charges off, and then I slammed into her car.” I jabbed my thumb at Helena. “Regeneration is higher. More internal energy, too. Tougher. But control is shot in everything. If I let loose, I’m practically running on instinct and killing like a beast.”

That was when Asakura’s mother decided to speak up.

“Our venerated ancestor will know more. For now, let us speak on the traitor. Lupercal, you said you heard mention of him?”

Kine gave a nod and put the picture of Asakura’s former friend down, along with the blood vial she was provided.

“There’s been a new player making waves in some satellite cities. Taking over gangs, gathering power, and killing any bounty hunters sent his way. They managed to catch his scent for future hunters. The blood’s not the same. Only nine tenths. The new blood smells of demons.” Kine shook her head and sighed. “That meant he got left alone by most hunters. We don’t usually tangle with demons, even for big payouts. Our life’s one thing, but our souls? Not worth the risk.”

“That is a prudent choice. Daichi was one of the strongest frontline fighters of the clan, and now he calls upon infernal strength as well.” The Hiyo Clan’s chief stated. “If you are willing, we will hire you as a tracker and supporter. Our intention is the death of the traitor, given his familiarity with our ways and lands.”

I looked over at Asakura at that statement, and she sighed.

“No, Keita. One traitor will not have us relocate our entire clan. This is a redoubt and a haven for many.” Since she already knew what I was going to say and didn’t want to do it, I didn’t bother saying anything. Instead, I refocused on the target. “How much is his current bounty?”

“Three million. Dead. Usually these don’t stay up for long. No one takes it up; they just cancel it. The bounty board doesn’t want targets on their backs.” It made sense. Small fry can get weeded out by regular people with enough money if they’ve pissed off enough. Once you reach the level of strength like Asakura? If you want a payout for them, you deal with the people who hate them or want them dead one on one. Crowdfunding doesn’t get you very far. “My tracker rate is usually just three thousand a month, but I’ll take on the job for ten thousand a month.”

Kine laid out the number ready to be bargained down… and the Hiyo clan’s head’s lips quirked slightly into a small smile.

“Done.” She said it before I could intervene.

I sighed and just looked at the wolf-eared girl whose eyes were alive with shock. With a shake of my head, she froze and turned to me as if to ask why.

“You just undersold yourself. Tracking rates for demons is a thousand a day.” I told her, and she all but started panicking. For a moment, I considered stepping in, but she needed to learn, and this was a relatively safe environment. “Good luck getting what you’re actually worth.”

“W-wait, what!? Umm, can we renegotiate? I didn’t know!” Kine panicked, and Asakura’s mom just smiled in reply. In moments, the wolf girl’s ears flattened and her shoulders slumped. She turned to me with big glistening eyes. “Kay, help please?”

I snorted.

“I’ll handle her contract as a liaison under me.” I told Lady Hiyo, and she gave a nod. Kine sighed with relief but suddenly went stiff and looked towards Alecia. Did it really take you that long to realize that a super overpowered vampire is right there? At least you’re ready to draw that gun on your hip. “What can I expect for my services?”

“A full scholarship for attendance at our academy along with three million for past services rendered. Your distraction and assumption of all risks have been acknowledged by the clan.” It was a smart move on their end. I said I wanted to attend their school already, so they gave it to me for ‘free’ when it normally costs eighteen million. The thing was that adding another student took very little effort. The faculty and infrastructure are there already, after all. Fabricating some uniforms and getting some more supplies barely mattered in the grand scheme of things, either. “For the current search for our traitor, we will match the current bounty and add an additional two million if captured alive for sealing and future disposal.”

They were taking the situation seriously. Sealing entities was always expensive, but it pinned creatures down on a spiritual level. It allowed for them to be truly annihilated, too. Just killing Daichi would send him to Hell, where he’ll exist and be prey for stronger entities, but someone can pull him out again and continue to be a threat to the Hiyo Clan.

“I’ll take that deal. Now, what about dealing with his conspirators already here? I bet you already found some upstarts who thought the boss was dead, but whoever he’s really in cahoots with is probably laying low now.” Asakura looked towards her mother, who was silent at my words. I probably hit the nail right on the head. “They’ll be looking for new people to contact and bring into the fold after their plan is compromised. Who better than a no-name orphan taken in out of pity? I don’t mind my new identity being used as bait.”

“There is no evidence of any more conspirators remaining, but we will offer a ten percent increase to your current reward amount to potentially act as bait.” I easily nodded at that offer and accepted the deal. The Hiyo Clan’s leader sighed. “I suppose you’d like to use that money to peruse our vaults now?”

Some would take all the money I suddenly gained and run.

But as tempting as the idea was, I was more inclined to use it to get a magical weapon.

It’ll wipe out my newly acquired wealth, but getting a primary weapon that’s guaranteed to hurt anything out there was worth it.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” I agreed with a nod. “Lead the way.”

“There is no need. The vault is right here where it is the most protected.” Lady Hiyo stood up and pressed a button on her desk, and then the wall behind her with the family seal began to open. A pure white room, larger than it should be and where empty space should have been relative to the office’s position, revealed itself. The walls were covered in innumerable weapons. Some were old and carefully maintained. Others looked straight out of sci-fi. All of them reeked of power, and after some observation, I learned the subspace room wasn’t linked to the office but to the Hiyo Clan’s head. “Let us find what suits you, young warrior.”

Alright, damn.

You got me.

An armory full of magical weapons linked to your clan head to use in combat and keep secure is rad as hell. Horrible in case you pick the wrong leader, naturally, but I had a feeling the Hiyo Clan overcame that issue via their secret ancestor probably being a part of the appointment process.

Man, I want a vault filled with stupid OP weapons that I can just call on whenever I want!

…

Interlude: Asakura Hiyo, the Fiery Blade

…

Ten minutes ago, I thought him dead, yet now Keita was perusing our enchanted armory with almost childish enthusiasm.

“And this one?”

“That is a battle-axe with the ability to consume an attack and use that attack to empower itself.” Mother explained each one that caught his interest with courtesy. I followed behind her. Leona and Alecia were left with Keita’s new companions. The Lupercal and Vampire were already butting heads while Leona and the young woman were getting along fine. “It stores itself as a band of metal on the individual using it and unfurls in an instant.”

“Alright, that’s the top pick for now. What about this spear?” Keita moved to another weapon. He was instructed to pick from the first floor. All the weapons present there were replicable through current methods, thus making them worth only several million each. “It smells like lightning.”

“It is a replica of a powerful staff used to create thunderstorms. This spear can only do so thrice a day but is strong enough to be used as a melee weapon.” Mother curated with practiced ease, ignoring what was going on in her office with professionalism that I wished I could replicate. “You will need a specialized seal to carry it about, and it will weigh thrice as much inside it.”

“Second place. Lightning is good, especially with all the tech that’s going around.” He gave a nod before moving onto the end of the first floor. He ignored most of the weapons. “This doesn’t feel like a weapon.”

It was a talisman deck, and he was right. At first observation, there was no innate sensation that the talismans it contained were deadly.

Mother gave a nod.

“These are familiar talismans that transform into birds and extend one’s sight and senses. However, the paper they’re composed from is of a carbon nanotube and synthetic diamond.” Mother took the talisman deck and pulled one forth. The pitch-black paper with glittering strands woven through it formed into a small hummingbird. It flew silently and zipped through the room and returned to her in a blink. “They act much like homing missiles when activated, can be easily concealed, and are used as traps. They return to being talismans and their wielder after ten seconds. After that, they will slowly gather power from the environment and be available to use in a minute. This deck contains thirty-two.”

Mother looked at him, and we both knew his choice.

“I’ll take it.” It was a utility tool, a trap, and a lethal barrage of speeding projectiles that could be unleashed in an instant. Given their speed and material composition, they were equal to heavy machine gun rounds. Against mortals, one would be enough to kill several in an instant if they were too close together. Against skilled ninja, thirty-two unleashed at once would injure them. “Pleasure doing business with you, Lady Hiyo.”

Mother bowed in return, while Keita took his new weapon with a gleam in his eye.

I was sure he’ll soon be determining how much each bird could carry and how fast they can deliver an explosive.

We left the vault, and it closed with a wave of Mother’s hand, and once again we were at the office.

I was ready to speak to Alecia, but then the door suddenly opened.

It was Catherine, possibly late because of her class, and she froze at the threshold.

Suddenly, her pupils dilated and her glamour fell away, while a deep flush came upon her face. A shudder came upon her body while her eyes fluttered, and she suddenly took a heaving breath while her shoulders slumped. She went almost cross-legged, and there was a darkening of the fabric between her legs. She began to pant and had to slam her hand against the doorway to stop herself from falling forward into the room.

Idly, I recalled that Alecia had noted Keita’s blood had grown stronger since his return, and I realized that something else of him may have grown stronger due to the half-succubus’s reaction.

I was ready to react and stop her, but to my immense surprise… Catherine suddenly went rigid and bolted away in a show of great restraint and self-control.

Instead of falling prey to her own instincts, she ran.