Difficulty (part 1)
2.10 - Difficulty
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We ended up taking Alica alongside us for the demon hunt…
It's not something I wanted to do, but…
It's more like… I HAVE TO DO IT OR I WILL REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF MY POOR LIFE.
It's an offer that I cannot get a second time, and it's certainly not something so simple. And thanks to Nico, I was able to see just how important the request truly is.
Basically…
'She got beat up by her classmates, then she also got stripped of her position from class president. To top it all, her beautiful face got ruined because of the punches. I'd say she deserved it all, but that still doesn't mean you should just accept her like this…'
Aunt Linda complained during the way to the demon's location.
We are now in a car, and Alica ended up coming along with us. It was something that we truly have to do since the condition that she stated requires us to do that much.
But, what is it exactly that she has to offer, to make me suddenly accept her request?
Well… it's quite simple.
Very-very simple.
"It's for MONEY!!! How can I ever reject it!?!?"
I said while closing my eyes, because I was actually talking to Aunt Linda.
In this cold and cramped car, there can only be so many people you can talk to. With Alica, Nico, and me at the back seat and the driver in the driver's seat, there is only one place where Aunt Linda can be at, which is the seat next to the driver.
Seeing me suddenly talking alone, both Nico and Alica turned their confused faces to me.
"Why are you suddenly talking about money?"
Nico asked out of worry, and I pondered deeply as to how I should explain this. There's the driver in front of me, so I need to be careful with what words I'm saying.
"A-Ah, well… I just really liked money?"
"… You suck at lying."
"Stop being so rude and just shut up."
I said coldly to Nico and he giggled. He took his phone out and immediately opened the messaging app, and he started typing.
[What did Aunt Linda say?]
Nico asked through the messaging app, and I opened my own phone to reply.
[She was complaining about why I'm helping Alica. She just doesn't get my reasoning.]
[Still… even I was surprised you accepted so quickly. I thought for sure you'd reject :o :o]
I giggled reading Nico's message, and I was reminded of my own reaction when Alica gave her offer. It was back at the school gate, right after Nico was done telling what happened today. Alica gave her offer to me, with the request being allowing her to come join us for our demon hunting activities after school.
She didn't really tell us why she wanted to join. Maybe Nico knows, but he didn't say anything, so I'd assume that it's probably nothing important. The offer, however…
[It was TEN TIMES the amount I got last Saturday when I was working as an exorcist… THERE'S NO WAY I'M REJECTING!!!!]
I typed in all capital letters to make Nico understand it. And by the way, the amount I got for exorcism is by no means small. It's the same amount as a minimum wage worker's paycheck for three months. I got it all in just a day, and I used it all to go to a salon and get new contact lenses to replace my glasses.
The amount Alica is offering to pay me is ten times that amount. That amount can literally buy me a new car if I wanted to.
She is my enemy and all, but if she's super heckin' rich and is willing to share some of those, then OH YEAH SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND.
I'm poor as f***. Please don't judge me.
However… I'm still kind of suspicious. That amount of money is enough to buy a car. I'm just curious as to why she was so willing to give out that much of her parent's money just to join me and Nico on a demon hunt. Perhaps she finds this opportunity to be far more important than anything?
How suspicious. Whatever she is going to do today, I will keep an eye on you, Alica. Hopefully she won't do anything that will get me to kill her.
After a rather short trip, we arrived at the demon's location. It's another abandoned building covered in thin metal walls. I wonder what demon it is going to be, today.
Aunt Linda mentioned before we got in the car that she wants to give the demon a try using her spirit abilities. She didn't really do anything the first time she went demon hunting with us, so she wants to try and do something this time.
I was worried if she might get hurt or something, but she told me it was fine so I allowed it. Plus, she is more experienced in exorcism than me, so…
Nico opened the thin metal walls for us to enter. Alica looked very worried by the idea of barging into a private property like this, but Nico and I have done this many times already. We've not encountered a single person in any of the locations.
At least… not yet.
As we walked to the entrance, Alica and Nico had a little conversation about what the water guns are used for. Before we got in the car, Nico grabbed the water guns from the usual shop where he always places his water guns. Seeing the water guns, Alica became confused as to what they are going to be used for, so Nico explained to her.
"Simply said… you're shooting the ghosts with… water?"
Alica asked Nico out of confusion, and Nico nodded.
"Holy water, to be exact. It's a one-hit kill according to Elizabeth, so it's a very effective weapon."
He lifted the weapon for Alica to see, and she took it to give it a try. From the moment she held it, she was surprised by how heavy it was.
"It's so heavy!!"
"Well, it contains a ton of water inside."
"It felt like holding a real gun!!"
"Y-Yeah… it is a real water gun."
Alica complained while holding the water gun, and she tried various things with it. She tried shooting it and aiming it towards a barrel not far in front of us. Seeing them conversing like this made me a little annoyed.
Hmm… I don't like this.
Alica is purposely keeping herself close to Nico. She is being 'within' Nico's eyesight, which allows Nico to see more of her. As such, I ended up trying to do something.
"Don't waste the water too much. We need them to shoot the demons."
I said coldly towards the two, and both of them turned to me in surprise. They probably forgot I was here, and that pisses me off even more.
"Demons can kill you very easily… We will need every single bit of ammunition. So don't waste them."
Alica nodded to me after realizing how important it was, and she gave the gun back to Nico.
"Speaking of, I will need you to stay outside the building later."
I said to Alica, and she stopped walking immediately. She turned to me very surprised, as if what I said was really bad for her.
"Ha!? And why should I??"
"Because I can't protect a snot like you from the demons. It's already a handful enough directing Nico, and I can't fend the demons from you at the same time. You're staying outside."
"And you are certainly not doing anything else with Nico inside??"
Oh.…So that's what her true motive is.
She was worried Nico and I might be having body to body action inside this abandoned building… How funny.
Thinking about it, that is what normal people might see if they don't know we are going demon hunting. Nico and I went to abandoned places at least three times a week, and we came here with nobody else. To anyone else who doesn't know the context, they might think that we are having sex or something.
That's hilarious…
Perhaps I can toy around with her using this…
I lifted my right hand's finger to my mouth and bit it. I acted as sexually appealing as possible, and I squinted my eyes as I stared at her.
"Well… I wonder…"
The act works, because both of them looked very petrified.
'Wow, you have such good talent at being an actor.'
Aunt Linda commented, and I finally laughed after seeing all their reactions.
"I'm joking. You'll see exactly what we are doing later since it's probably close to the entrance."
I started walking again and walked past the two frozen individuals. Behind me, Alica is confirming with Nico about what I said.
"You guys… really weren't doing anything like that, right?"
"N-No… We weren't."
Nico, why do you have to be so honest?? You're ruining all the fun, here.
Arriving at the entrance, I turned to Nico to take the gun from him. He gave me the water gun, and I checked to see if it was fully loaded. Nico then started opening his bag to take out other things, like the squirt guns or the ring artifact that contains a protection genie.
Alica, however, is giving the place a little look from the entrance.
"It's dark…"
She said while looking inside, and I had to admit that it was indeed dark. It's much darker than any of the other places we've been to before, and I knew that this was definitely going to be a problem.
"Not to worry! I got a flashlight."
Nico said as he took out a flashlight from his doraemon bag, which confuses every person here as to why he brought a flashlight to school. I took the flashlight from him and turned it on, and I tried lighting the entrance up.
To my surprise, the flashlight is very powerful. It can light up the whole lobby room so easily, revealing everything there is to see inside this place.
Including… the demon standing in front of the entrance.
As soon as I saw it, my eyes grew wider. I dropped the flashlight immediately and quickly aimed forward with my water gun. Next to me, Aunt Linda is also preparing her spirit abilities. The wind turned distorted very powerfully, and I can tell that she is about to cast a spirit ability towards the demon.
Unfortunately, we were too late.
JREBB!!
JREBB!!!!
I leaped in front of Nico to protect him, and two pitch black arrows successfully stabbed my left shoulder and stomach. It was piercing so deep that I immediately got a headache from the amount of pain being transferred into my brain. However, this is not the time for me to pass out.
I turned to my right and noticed Aunt Linda had protected Alica from the black arrows. She stopped them with her wind ability, and she immediately noticed the blood spurting out from my wounds.
'Elizabeth!!!!!'