Hero? More like a villain-Chapter 45 - 42: Death

Iris stared at her parents, her expression torn between a bit of frustration and dread. Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides.

"This wasn’t me! It’s that dumb Death!" Iris said. Her cold, furious expression was unlike anything they’d ever seen on her before, and it made everyone in the room freeze.

But then, suddenly Iris gasped sharply. Her chest throbbed with an unbearable ache, forcing her to clutch at her dress. Her knees buckled as she cried out in pain, her wails sending a wave of panic through the room. Jennifer, Dr. Yong Feng, and Isakawa were at her side in an instant.

"Iris!" Jennifer called out, but her voice was drowned out by the groaning tremor that spread through the room.

Black blood began to drip from Iris’ eyes, staining her brown cheeks and falling to the floor in thick, dark droplets. The air seemed to grow heavier as well.

"I’ve got her!" Isakawa shouted, extending his arms toward Iris. A brilliant blue light engulfed his hands, quickly forming a protective cocoon of energy around her trembling body. The glow pulsated, growing brighter as he poured more of his magic into it.

But then, a sharp cracking sound could be heard.

The light around Iris fractured like glass, the shimmering shards disintegrating as they fell away. Isakawa stumbled back, staring in shock as his magic was utterly rejected. Iris, meanwhile, let out one last anguished cry before collapsing to the bed barely conscious.

Jennifer’s heart clenched as if something deep inside her had been torn. Without hesitation, she rushed to her daughter’s side, cradling the limp, bloodied girl in her arms.

"Call the maids. Prepare a bath—immediately!" Jennifer barked, her voice trembling with urgency as she lifted Iris.

As she turned to leave, she shot a glare over her shoulder at Isakawa. Her usually gentle demeanor was replaced by a steely determination. "I don’t want to see a situation like this ever happening again," she said coldly before storming out with Iris in her arms.

Isakawa remained frozen in place, staring after his wife and daughter. A faint grin spread across his lips, his eyes glinting with something unreadable.

"Did you see that, Yong Feng?" he said, breaking the silence.

Dr. Yong Feng, who had been staring at the bloodstained bed in stunned silence, snapped his gaze to Isakawa. "Are you talking about her reaction just now? Or Iris."

"What else would I mean? Iris ofcourse." Isakawa scoffed, a hint of amusement in his tone as he twirled a lock of hair around his finger. "She rejected my magic. Completely. I’ve never seen anyone do that before—apart from her." He remembered a woman with star signs all over her body.

He then bent down, picking up the book he had dropped. His tone turned almost playful as he added, "Fascinating, isn’t it?"

Dr. Yong Feng swallowed hard, his hand drifting to his neck. Light blue engravings flickered briefly on his skin before fading away. He glanced nervously at Isakawa, who was now focused on the streaks of black blood staining the sheets.

"It’s not just fascinating," Yong Feng murmured under his breath, his voice barely audible. "It’s highly unusual."

"Make sure to collect as much blood from the bed as you can," Isakawa ordered, his voice calm but laced with an unmistakable authority. "I want a full analysis of the changes in her blood before and after this incident. At first it was red now it’s black. Something has changed."

"Yes, Sir," Dr. Yong Feng replied immediately, bowing slightly as he watched Isakawa stride out of the room.

Once alone, Dr. Yong Feng sighed, muttering under his breath, "Hah, Sir Isakawa must be working on another one of his wild theories again." He carefully collected the bloodstains on the bed, filling several test tubes with the viscous, dark liquid. As he examined the inky substance, a flicker of pity crossed his face.

"This poor child," he murmured, twirling the blood-filled test tube in his hand. "Caught in the middle of all this madness."

_______

In the living room, Jennifer gently laid the now bathed Iris down on the couch, her expression full of worry because Iris was still bleeding from her eyes. Iris stirred slightly, her lips parting as she weakly whispered, "Mummy..."

Jennifer leaned closer, her heart aching as Iris’s small, bloodied hand reached up and brushed against her lips. Jennifer, distracted by her concern, instinctively licked her lips—and froze.

The strange ache in her chest that had been gnawing at her after the incident at the Subaru household suddenly faded away. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at Iris, whose body was trembling.

"Iris," Jennifer whispered, her voice shaking with worry as she caressed her daughter’s beautiful brown skin.

At that moment, Isakawa entered the room. Iris noticed him immediately, her eyes lighting up faintly.

"Daddy," she called out weakly.

"Don’t worry, Iris," Isakawa said softly, crouching beside her. "Rest for now."

But Iris shook her head and gathered her strength. "As I was saying earlier—it’s that stupid Death!" she blurted out, her tone tinged with frustration.

Isakawa tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. "Who’s she?"

"Someone told me she’s my second personality," Iris muttered, her expression conflicted.

Isakawa’s brows furrowed deeply. "Second personality?"

Iris hesitated, her thoughts racing. ’I don’t know if I should tell them about Alka and Kaguya.’

Jennifer’s gasp pulled her attention back. "Second personality?" Jennifer repeated, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Yep," Iris huffed, her tone almost defiant. "But I don’t see her much in my dreams. She’s a very bad girl. Iris doesn’t like her."

Isakawa leaned in, his gaze sharp. "Do you know how to call her out?"

"Isakawa!" Jennifer snapped, her tone fierce as she glared at him. "Don’t push her!" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Jennifer, please," Isakawa said, his voice calm but resolute. The determined glint in his eyes made it clear he wouldn’t back down. "I need to know what’s happening to her."

Jennifer hesitated, biting her lip as she stared at him. She knew that look all too well—when Isakawa set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. Reluctantly, she stepped back, watching nervously.

Iris, meanwhile, seemed to perk up slightly, the corners of her lips twitching in a faint smile. "Maybe Iris can," she said softly, her tone almost playful.

Her gaze shifted, and she muttered under her breath, "Death, be nice."

The air around her shifted as if responding to her words. Her eyes suddenly changed—one turned pitch black, the other a vibrant purple. Her hair began to shimmer and darken, streaks of midnight and violet running through her locks.

Jennifer gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, while Isakawa’s expression grew unreadable. It was the same one from the family games.

Iris—or whatever had taken her place—slowly sat up. A sly smile spread across her face as her gaze flicked between them.

"Finally," the voice that came from Iris was not her own—it was colder. "It’s about time someone asked for me."

Death hopped on the couch, balancing effortlessly, and stared down at Isakawa and Jennifer with an unsettling grin. Her purple and black eyes shimmered with amusement as she folded her arms.

"I didn’t make Iris do anything," she scoffed, her voice carrying a mocking tone. "Everything she’s done is all her. If she doesn’t eat monsters, she’ll eat anything—or anyone—around her." Her grin widened, revealing sharp teeth.

Jennifer stiffened, a shiver running down her spine. "What are you?" she demanded, her voice trembling but firm.

Death chuckled softly, placing a hand on her chest and giving a slight bow. "I’m Death, her familiar. Nice to meet you."

Jennifer frowned, confusion and unease flickering in her eyes. "But I thought..."

"That I was a second personality?" Death interrupted, tilting her head with a wicked smirk. "Hehehe, I suppose you could say that. But no, the one truly in control is Iris. I’m just an alter she created to suppress her true self."

"True self?" Isakawa repeated, narrowing his eyes. His mind raced. ’What does she mean by that?’

Jennifer clenched her fists. "You’re saying Iris created you? Why?"

Death shrugged, her expression indifferent. "Why does anyone suppress themselves? It’s obvious because she’s dangerous." She rested a hand over her heart dramatically. "She doesn’t want to embrace what she truly is. She’d rather hide behind me—her little scapegoat."

Isakawa’s gaze sharpened. "Do you know what Iris really is?"

Death’s smirk faltered slightly, her mischievous demeanor replaced by something more serious. She opened her mouth to answer but froze, her body stiffening as if paralyzed.

Deep within her, she felt it—two piercing eyes boring into her very soul. Death’s breath hitched as she saw Iris, sitting in the void of her mind, watching her with an expression as cold and unfeeling as ice.

"Shut up, Death," Iris’s voice rang out, cold and commanding. "You shall no longer speak."

Death gasped, her knees buckling slightly as an invisible force weighed down on her. It felt as if her very essence was being crushed.

’Hehehe... crazy brat,’ Death thought nervously, though she struggled to keep her composure. ’You’re still alive after all. But you’re just pretending to be innocent.’