My Failure, My Pain

It's been around 14 years since my birth.

My father is, in fact, a royal. My uncle, his brother, is the current king. As with all the other worlds I've been in, there's magic here, as well as all the common magical races. Out of all the worlds I've been in, though, this one has the most interesting magic system, in my opinion.

The magic system is based on geometry, but I haven't been able to do any, since mana isn't produced until puberty. It shouldn't be too long before I'm able to start casting spells again, though.

"Stencil, where are you? It's dinner time~!"

Right. They called me Stencil. It's a terrible name. Even worse than when I was 'Vermont' as Number 5. From across the bright green yard, I shout back a reply to the maid waiting on the mansion steps.

"Coming!"

My parents hired Cerla when I was 3 to keep track of me, since I kept sneaking off. It's been a bit annoying to find more information on the threat to this world with her following me around. She's a nice young woman, though. Decently pretty for this world, though nobody could match Princess Sofia.

I wander inside after her to get dinner. Mana is produced like a bodily fluid, so food is necessary. Don't worry, I can talk while I eat.

I sit down at the table with my mother. The maid and butler stand in a corner, occasionally pouring wine and milk or serving more food. Father isn't here yet.

There are all the common magical races here, like elves, dwarves, etc. They seem to function the same as in most of my previous lives. They're born from mana, which seeps into the ground or living things. Orcs, slimes, and other monsters spawn the same way.

As with all the other worlds, there's a single creature, which spawns every few thousand years. It has the ability to rule and organize all the monster races. That's actually what defines a "monster" here.

All I have to do is kill that Demon Lord when it spawns. For that, I'm going to need the magic system. Since the system is fundamentally geometrically based, I should be... Wait, is that father?

My mother spots him a moment after me, as he runs the dining room. He's pale and drenched in sweat. Blood is spilling from a wound on his forehead and it looks like he's barely holding himself together.

"WE NEED TO GET STENCIL OUT OF-"

A roar from outside fills the air like a thousand people screaming in pain. Chaos. It feels like the building is about to be ripped to shreds by a hurricane. The windows crack and glass shards spill onto the floor. Mother sprints over and pulls me away.

This is very bad. I haven't learned how to do magic yet, but the feeling of mana is the same here as in the other worlds. This feeling. This is the feeling of a greater monster.

Out of all the monsters I've fought, the Demon Lord is always the smartest. The most powerful. But the Demon Lord isn't a predetermined being. It's one of only four greater monsters, the remaining 3 of which become the Demon Lord's generals, second only in name.

In other words, each of the four greater monsters has the potential to be the Demon Lord. The four greater monsters.

One of which is...

Right.

Outside.

There's another reverberating scream, so high pitched that it feels like my head is splitting. It's getting closer. I can't fight that thing in my current state. Father and mother have already started running. Cerla and the butler are nowhere to be seen. Frankly, I'm grateful that mother is carrying me, since I can't use magic yet, but it's pointless, even with her agility magic.

This is a greater monster we're talking about.

The world feels like it's moving in slow motion. I don't need to look back to know that the creature is barreling towards us, clawing at the walls and roaring and screaming at full strength.

I'm not afraid of dying. The pain wouldn't be a problem, either. The greater monsters are smart. Too smart to take their time. It wouldn't be slow. I'm not particularly attached to Number 13's family, either.

The gods won't be happy if I die early again, but what can I do. They can't blame me for dying to a greater monster before I even have magic.

Hold on. Before I have magic? True, I haven't practiced, but my body should have produced the mana necessary for this form of magic. Perhaps there is a way. Before my parents got Cerla to keep an eye on me, I remember seeing a barrier spell in one of the books in the library. I never got to try it, so I can only hope that it works.

Suddenly, I hear a pained gasp from my mother.

"NO!" my father roars, a tinge of terror in his voice.

A moment later, I'm thrown to the floor. I look up just in time to see a gigantic beast tear my mother's lifeless body apart with its sharp fangs. The greater monster. My mother's blood is dripping down its face as it screams again and throws itself towards me.

I try to picture the shape from the book. It's a mix of circles, triangles and hexagons in a series of complex patterns. I just need to focus.

But I would be lying if I said that the creature in front of me did not scare me senseless. It seems that even I am not immune to that primal human fear. There must still be some emotion left in me, after all.

"STENCIL!!! NO!!!"

My father bellows at the top of his lungs like a war cry. In one motion, he steps in front of me, shielding my body with his own.

"GO!!! RUN AWA-"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence. His blood splatters across the floor and onto my motionless body.

I've killed plenty of animals. Plenty of monsters. Plenty of people. I've had comrades die in my battle against the Demon Lord. I've killed traitors and those who would get in my way. I've lost friends and family more times than I can count.

And yet it never stops hurting.

The greater monster opens its jaws wide. It will shred me whole like my parents.

No. Not my parents. They weren't protecting me. They were protecting their son. Someone they believed was their son. They laid down their lives for him.

For the one thing they loved and treasured above all else, they would do anything.

‎‎Just like me. My dear Sofia.

"Equeralliex."

The barrier spell appears in front of me and the greater monster bites down on it with a crunch that makes my spine wince. The monster's fangs scrape against the surface of the transparent barrier like nails on a blackboard. I feel exhaustion setting in rapidly. I need to focus. Focus on the spell.

There's another crunch, but this time it's not the beast's teeth. It's the barrier. Cracking.

My head nods as I fall out of consciousness for barely a moment. I pull myself back awake. And in that moment, the spell cracks again. And breaks.

I feel a strain on my body and a pressure on my chest. The lack of mana. It seems a 14-year-old mana store can't sustain a mid-level barrier spell.

Good to know.

Unfortunately, I learned it too late.

The beast's maw opens wide once more as, with a strained and painful scream, it moves in for the kill.