THE HERO'S SON IS A MONSTER-Chapter 68: Fate

Rain had already started to fall in small droplets when Shogo and Alexandra’s game finally ended. Drenched, the black-haired girl breathed heavily – inspecting the street in which they were, she couldn’t help but find what happened incomprehensible.

That doll, Shogo, not only won every single round but dodged all of her surprise attacks. Be it wind blades or strikes, she avoided attacks that were normally supposed to be invisible to her with ease. For her, that was literally out of this world.

Aside from that, her way of playing was too accurate. Once she had the advantage, she systematically provoked a draw the following turn. It was as if she knew exactly what Alexandra would play in advantage. As if she could truly... see the future. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"I won. You have to do something for me."

Alexandra looked at the ground in silence. What was the best course of action to take now? When she used her ’Wolf’s Breath’ (temporary name) earlier, she activated it using the tattoos on her back. That was a form of bibliomancy rarely used in Ganymede. In fact, her mother asked her to never talk about it to anyone (though she did on some occasions).

The advantage of that method was that, with it, Alexandra didn’t need to hold her grimoire or say anything to use her code. The disadvantage was that it seemed to consume more energy, and left her with painful articulations, headaches, and a fuzzy mind. Additionally, she was now hungry and shivering.

What options did she have? What would the doll order her to do? No, that was impossible. She was exiled, but that was no reason to throw her pride out the window. The simple idea of having to obey a doll was outrageous for the commoners let alone for a bibliomancer. Moreover, if that bibliomancer was Alexandra B.B. Wolf.

Besides, she had a weird feeling ever since she met that doll. It was like those things, deja vu, but a constant one. It made her sick; she already had those flashes a few times in the past like everyone, but never so vividly and for such a long period.

Alexandra was almost sure of something – she knew that doll, Shogo. Those clothes, that voice, that speech pattern – all of this was familiar. She definitely met her before, but she had no memories associated with the event.

"Hey, have we met before?"

Without even realizing it, Alexandra had already asked the question that was on her mind. The more she thought about her, the more she found Shogo troubling, disturbing, and frightening.

Earlier, she felt so much hostility toward that doll that she instantly decided that she must kill her. But at the same time, she felt a strange attraction, a strong one.

Why was she feeling attracted to someone, no, something she just met? It was something different from what she felt about Lefresne or Zazzera or even her mother.

It was weird. It annoyed her. She didn’t know what was going on and that annoyed her further. Not understanding what was happening, she refused the obvious answer that came to her mind. Instead, she developed a deep hatred for Shogo.

In her mind, her confusion was Shogo’s fault, and her fault only. She had already decided to make her disappear somehow. The question was only a manifestation of her inner turmoil.

She never killed anyone and never felt the need to do so, up until now. That single fact decided her to act this time. No matter the answer, she would kill Shogo afterward.

"No."

Shogo’s answer was simple and concise. Just as Alexandra expected.

The girl was somehow relieved. If Shogo and her were strangers up until this day, it would be less difficult to kill her. Up until now, the doll avoided Alexandra’s attacks as if they were nothing. But there was a simple way to trap her – Alexandra just had to attack in such a way that didn’t allow for dodging. A complete annihilation.

Of course, after that, she would lose consciousness. At best, that was all that would happen. That street seemed desperately empty, but even those stupid lower ringers couldn’t possibly ignore an explosion of that scale. Someone would probably find her, she just had to hope it would not be a slave trader.

Alexendra’s nails became black again.

A [Stone House] using 10 nails. A madman’s move but she didn’t care at this point. That doll named Shogo, she had to put her down.

*boing*

"Yes. If I met someone as well endowed as you before, I would remember it."

"..."

Alexandra’s eyes widened in surprise. Did that doll just grab her chest for no reason whatsoever? What was wrong with her?!

Alexandra made a quick move backward, her face red and covering her chest with her hand. She didn’t even know what to say. What was that for in the first place? Someone had to explain Shogo’s move to her first!

Though...

Seeing how the concerned doll tilted her head, it was obvious she was playing the role of the clueless girl. Well, not so clueless, since, after a little while in a reflexive pose, she decided to address the issue most strangely.

"Ah. Showing that kind of scene to the little one is inappropriate. I didn’t think about it. You truly are a big sister, marshmallow girl."

"Eh?"

The little one? Big sister?

Alexandra asked herself those questions before suddenly remembering Minium who was standing a few meters behind her. The little girl hadn’t moved an inch since earlier – her master put her there, so she couldn’t move without her permission.

The first explosion startled her and she fell to the ground. However, she tried her best to stay on her feet, afraid that her master would be angry if she was found on the ground again. Worst-case scenario, her master could just kill her.

After all, Alexandra tried to kill Shogo, the doll who was nice to her before. Far from judging her master’s morality, Minium just deduced that her master was the kind to kill without notice. It did not change the situation for her – a master killing her doll wasn’t a rare occurrence. That just meant she had to discipline herself more to avoid such a fate.