Vol. 1: Chapter 1 - Part 8

Volume 1: Chapter 1 – Part 8Author: Geraint

When we arrived at the hospital, we hurried out of the car and rushed inside. The doctor spoke to the nurse at the reception counter.

"Huh? Akitsuki-sensei?"

She seemed to recognize him since he's a doctor at a local clinic.

"Do you know where they brought a woman named Mia Laurier? She's with her daughter, and they were in a car accident."

"Oh, you mean Miss Mia Laurier and her child actress daughter, Miss Yuuka Laurier? They're currently being treated in the emergency department. Yuuka is fine but has a deep cut around her left eye. Her mother is in critical condition and being monitored in the ICU."

"Okay, thank you!"

The doctor dashed toward the emergency department, and I followed. We stopped in front of the large door marked with a red light.

"Seir, you should go check on Yuuka and see how she's doing. You can't go further without being a doctor."

"Okay…"

He was breathing heavily, sweat dripping anxiously from his face.

"I'll update you later. See you," he said, then entered the emergency room.

I asked a nurse walking down the hallway, and she led me to Yuuka's room.

"Let me go! I want to see my mommy now!" Yuuka struggled against two nurses. Half her face was bandaged, blood staining the cloth around her left eye. Her left arm was also bandaged and supported by a sling around her neck and shoulder. She wailed until she collapsed onto her knees, the nurses releasing her.

"Uuuuuu! What did my mommy do to deserve this?! She works so hard to support me even though my dad abused her! Uuuuugh… God, please… don't take my mommy away! Uuuuuuugh…"

Tears streamed down her face as she touched the covered wound.

"It can't be—No way… I can't be an idol anymore! Waaaahh! I'm ugly!" The nurses felt pity and gently brought her back to bed.

After they left, I quietly entered the room. She sat in a corner, looking depressed under her blanket. I sat beside her, watching her sulk.

"Go away! Don't come near me," she glared sharply.

"We just came to visit you and your mother."

"If Mommy hadn't chased after that doctor, this wouldn't have happened. I'm fine without a dad as long as Mommy and I are together. I'd be happy, but now Mommy is critical and I might lose my job as a child actress with my face like this. My dream of becoming an idol adored by everyone is over."

I didn't fully understand the "idol" thing, but I felt sympathy for her. Tears spilled from her right eye, and she started crying again.

"Uuuuuu~ Mommy."

Speaking of my own mother: she was a human hero captured by the demon king, turned into his plaything after losing to him, resulting in my birth. Shortly after, she disappeared, leaving me behind, raised by demons. So I never really knew my mother—and didn't care much.

Seeing Yuuka's pain, I thought about healing her with magic, but I needed to talk to the doctor first—to make him more indebted to me. Also, helping them without a clear benefit could cause trouble. Using magic carelessly here would expose me. People would exploit my power. If that happened, I might have to destroy this country in a massacre. I already knew how greedy humans are—especially in my home world. They'll do anything for wealth and power, even spill their own kind's blood.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Someone knocked at the door. I stood up, sensing bloodlust outside. I sighed, rubbing the back of my head—another troublesome situation.

"Well, wherever I go, humans are always the same troublesome kind."

I jumped onto the bed and grabbed Yuuka into my arms.

"Huh? Kyah! What are you doing? Let me go!" she struggled.

"Shut your mouth if you want to stay alive!" I warned. She froze in fear.

The door burst open. Two tall men with facemasks stormed in, pulling out artifact weapons—like the ones Lilith showed me days ago.

"Assassins? So it wasn't an accident."

They aimed at us. I kicked the window, shattering the glass, and we escaped outside.

"Gyaaaaah!"

Yuuka screamed as we fell from the fourth floor. We landed smoothly, which shocked her as we ran.

"How did you do that? What are you really to survive that fall?"

"You're being targeted. What did you and your mother do to deserve this? Did you upset anyone?"

"We didn't do anything. We're just living a normal life."

"Really? Then who benefits most if you two die?"

Yuuka froze, thinking.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"No way… Why would Daddy do that?" She held her head in shock.

"So it was your father."

"Mom kicked him out before their divorce. With Grandma and Grandpa gone, Daddy knows Mommy will inherit everything—since she built the family business. I don't think he can steal that unless he has someone inside working for him."

"Wow, you're smart to understand that."

"Mom taught me. She has many enemies in the family. There have been many attempts on her life, but they all failed. This time, Mommy was distracted by the doctor."

"Such a dangerous family. No wonder the doctor's scared."

We stopped behind a large tree.

"Mommy…"

Yuuka looked sad, thinking of her mother.

"Seir!"

The doctor ran toward us.

"I need your help. Let's hurry!" He grabbed my wrist, but I refused.

"Huh? What are you doing? We don't have time!"

"We're being chased by assassins after Yuuka's life."

"Assassins? Oh, those guys. Don't worry. I already dealt with them. The police will arrest them later. They're tied up in a room."

"Huh? You can do that? What are you really? I thought you were a coward."

"Shut up! Just follow me!"

We went back inside. I left Yuuka with the nurses and followed the doctor to the ICU—but we passed her room, which was empty.

"Huh? Where are we going?"

The doctor was silent, ignoring me. We stopped before a room with several wards.

"She's here."

"All I smell is death—Wait! Don't tell me!"

We entered and saw the woman we'd been searching for, lying on the bed covered in white cloth.

"So, she's dead." I was shocked.

The doctor trembled, gripping his fist, and knelt before Mia's corpse, holding her hand.

"I'm sorry, Mia. I failed as a doctor."

I didn't know how long she'd been dead, so I began a revival spell. I could bring her back by making a binding contract with her soul. She would become my servant—slave, or whatever—once she agreed. If either of us broke the contract, the revival would cancel, and she'd die permanently. Simple.

I touched her corpse, chanting as a black aura flowed from my hand into her. She would meet my apparition in a dreamlike world—the boundary between life and death—and decide whether to agree to the contract or pass into the afterlife.

"—As our binding contract, Miss Mia Laurier, from this moment until the end of your life, you will serve me as my—"

"Mommy!" Yuuka suddenly burst in, screaming. I was annoyed by the interruption and lost my concentration.

"Shut up! Mommy this, Mommy that! Can you let me finish—Huh?"

Suddenly, Mia's corpse glowed, showing the contract was sealed.

Her body moved, pulling away the cloth covering her face. The doctor gasped in shock.

"What?! Wait! How did—"

He looked at me.

"Don't you remember? You asked me to revive her. Now she's alive."

"Huh? You can do that? Wait! I didn't mean to say revive her."

"You did. You called me in a hurry to see her."

"No, I just wanted you to explain to Yuuka that her mother was dead."

"Eh?"

Looks like a misunderstanding.

"Why is everyone here? What happened? Where am I?" Mia looked around, confused.

"Mommy!" Yuuka was surprised, then hugged her tightly.

"Oh, Yuuka! I'm glad you're okay! But your face…" she touched Yuuka's cheek.

"It's okay, Mommy. As long as you're alive, I can get through this."

"I see… It wasn't a dream. I'm really back to life?" Tears streamed down her face until she saw the doctor holding her hand.

"Akitsuki-sensei, your hand." She blushed.

"Oh, sorry!" He quickly pulled away.

Mia was still processing when she glanced at me, staring.

"Oh, I remember now. You're Seir, right? This might sound silly, but I saw you in my dream. You asked me to sign a binding contract. I was crossing a river when you suddenly stopped me."

"Ummm…"

"Hehehe… As for the contract, I don't mind if you call me Mommy. Honestly, I like it—you're such a cute boy. Please call me Mommy from now on. I'll adopt you as my son."

"What?!!"

Yuuka and the doctor were completely shocked.

"That's…"

At this moment, I knew I messed up big time. But I couldn't refuse now—it's part of the binding contract.

"Hehehe…" Mia looked very happy.

To be continued.