BXBX NOVEL Chapter 38: You are annoying, go away.
"Shit, not good. I need to find a weapon."
The doorbell kept ringing as I took a few seconds to check my {fates} and souls. I still had all seven {fates} so if managed to follow what Bella instructed, I should be able to refresh them when the girls and I are reunited next week.
'Funny, just thinking of their faces gave me a sense of loneliness. We knew each other for less than a day. Yet I already consider them closer than anyone else on earth. I wonder, did they also miss me?'
After a few moments pass as I continued searching the room.
'Nothing. The 1911 really disappeared.'
I needed weapons and fast. If I had to come back to Hellsgate in two days, not preparing guns would be beyond stupid. As I was already Formless, I had no alternative aside from what I could get my hands on.
Thinking about my situation I suddenly remembered my father. Frank Smith.
Mom left when I was six, and after marrying again she forgot I existed. I left the house at age 18, my dad was already 45 then. The man took care of me for 13 years by himself.
For the entire time after my mother left, whenever he got drunk or lost money from gambling, he would use me as a punching bag. I never spoke to or about him all this time. He died in 2018, three years after being left alone.
I only found out because I was named as the owner of his so called "legacy". My father from his years as a soldier like guns a lot. And after I left home, I swore off them as they reminded me of him. That and all the effort I wasted trying to get his approval.
Without even seeing it I already knew what the legacy was. It would surely be the armory he amassed over the years. His guns were the only things he had of value left. I remembered starving each time he bought one, as there wouldn't be any money left till his next pension check came through.
Frank Smith wasn't old, he wasn't disabled, he was just a lazy-ass gambling drunk. Sometimes I felt that America spoils people like him. But then again, I had no idea what horrors he faced when he fought in Panama, the gulf war and Iraq. Even one night with the reapers messed me up badly. My father on the other hand fought for seven years before he retired.
"GET THE DAMN DOORBELL ALREADY! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!" roared a tenant.
Ah, the angry shout woke me from my reverie. I didn't have much on me. But if I needed guns and bullets, the legacy my father left me would be enough. At least till I could buy some stuff on my own.
I quickly opened my door and headed towards the front of the apartment complex. I checked the peephole and saw someone I never expected.
"Lilly?" flabbergasted I opened the door to check if I was hallucinating.
With a radiant smile the phantom princess placed her arms behind her back as she spoke.
"Hey sweetheart. About time you answered. Did seeing me make you joyful?"
Unable to say anything, it felt unreal. Just last night this woman Heroically carved undead brutes by the dozens. The woman who stood in front of me wore a simple white dress that made me marvel at her beauty.
Lilly's long blue hair, white skin and voluptuous body created a surreal image of a goddess who descended on earth. In Hellsgate, due to all the dirt, grime and sweat I don't remember appreciating any of the girls to this degree.
But holy shit Lilly was just incredibly beautiful! Maybe because I took too long, she made an even bigger smile as she expressed her satisfaction.
"Haha, good. I dressed up just for you. If you didn't have at least that kind of reaction my confidence would have taken a beating."
"Uh, Hello. Yes, you are incredibly pretty. But why are you here?"
"Oh? Didn't I tell you? I am your handler from today onwards."
I then remembered my first interaction with this majestic woman.
'How amusing, Formless yet your courage exceeds that even of a phantom. Are you already aligned with anyone? Who is your handler?'
'Thank you, I am not affiliated with anyone, nor do I have a handler.'
'Then it is decided, starting today, I will be your handler.'
'Excuse me? No! I refuse!'
Right, she did ask but I refused. Is this because she comes from royalty? I remembered from the novels I read of how bratty the spoiled children of the rich and powerfully could be. Is she interested in me because I didn't prostrate myself to her?
"Lilly, I told you before. I don't want you as my handler. Just give up already."
Was this how girls felt when stalked by creeps in obsessed with them? Somehow, I suddenly understood how difficult it was to balance being an ass and letting them down gently.
"You are refusing me? Why? Am I not beautiful? Powerful? Rich? Just what are your unsatisfied with?"
Initially, she just sounded a little perturbed, but then bloodlust came out of Lilly in buckets as she continued.
"Or is it because I am the daughter of a Revenant. Are you going to tell me you are scared of offending him or something?"
Hmm. It seems like Lilly had her own hardships as the child of David Thomas. Many must have intentionally stayed away from her because of fear. I mean if you offend the child of a Revenant. A can of whoop-ass wasn't the only thing you would need to be worried about. But that wasn't my point.
"What the hell are you talking about? No, it has nothing to do with your father. I intend to beat his ass in the future so why would I be scared of him? I just find you annoying. So go away, I'm busy."
Lilly stunned by disbelief and looked like a doll that got her strings cut. "I… I am annoying?"
"Yes, you forced yourself here even though I told you I didn't want a handler. You are annoying, go away."
The beautiful woman then slumped her shoulders in silence. Why was this woman behaving like this? Was her mentality really like that of a child?
"Then what If I beat you?" Lilly suddenly proposed.
"Excuse me?"
"Father always said, if you wanted something, grab it by the testicles and crush it. I want to be your handler. If I beat you in single combat, will you let me?" The woman continued in a frightening monotone voice.
"What are you talking about? No! I won't!" I vehemently argued.
"Then it is settled." The lunatic woman in front of me suddenly manifested the same greatsword she sliced 15-foot undead brutes with.
'WHAT THE FUCK! I didn't even have a weapon, and you expect me to fight against a phantom! Untamed my foot, this chick was just insane! Learn to listen to English you bitch!'
"Open combat. Here I come sweetheart!" Lilly then vanished and appeared beside me.
"Wait! Listen to me! EUGHK!"
Like a hammer, the pommel of her greatsword was driven to my sides. I felt numerous ribs shatter as my abdominal region began to hurt like hell.
'This woman is fucking serious! I need to resist, or I will die!' I inwardly panicked.
"{Regen}, {Suffer}, {Withstand}, {Endure}, {Perceive}, {Listen}, {Expose}, {Carry}, {Hike}," I chanted in desperation.
"No matter how many {fates} you have, in the face of absolute power they are meaningless," Lily scolded.
Lilly did a combo of kicks and bodyblows against me. Using {Carry} and {Hike} granted me with increased agility. While {Listen} and {Perceive} I somehow evaded in time for some of them.
Lastly, {Withstand}, {Endure} and {Regen} allowed me to survive the rest of her assault. I threw some punches and kicks, but none connected. Trying to stay calm I analyzed Lilly's actions.
'{Expose} is marking her sword as her weak point. Why? How does that make any sense?'
"I read from a report that you didn't know any martial arts and only had experience with firearms. You really are full of surprises. How about this then? Water serpent!" Lilly shouted.
Just then water in the form of long and beautiful snakes came out of her hand. The water constructs looked incredible detailed and behaved like they were real, but they seemed hollow to me.
I had noticed it since earlier. None of Lilly's attacks had soul in them. The difference between saying Rewind and {Rewind} was that the latter had soul.
I somehow felt souls stirring in the air every time any reaper ability was invoked. Yet no matter how powerful her techniques seemed; I didn't feel any from Lilly.
As I knew that even a punch from David Thomas couldn't kill me, I rushed the water snakes and tried to fight them off. My fists naturally passed through the constructs and only got my arms wet. However, I managed to confirm the doubt I had all this time.
Lilly's interest in me, her sword being marked as her weakness, attacks that had no soul in them. Her father's words about her tricks. Why she used her kicks more than her sword, it all clicked.
The water snakes then slammed into my body like sledgehammers and turned my skin black and blue. I already endured worse, so this level of pain was already child's play for me.
"{Withstand} cancel. {Endure} cancel."
Regaining my full movement, I judged that Lilly was significantly weaker than her old man. David's simple punches had enough soul that {Regen} was rendered useless.
'She cannot kill me even if she wanted to,' I concluded.
I traded a few more blows with her greatsword as she carved me up like a turkey on thanksgiving. After getting my clothes ripped to shreds, my heart felt hot, and I finally counterattacked.
"{Counter}!"
Surprised that I aimed at her weapon instead of her body Lilly reacted a second too late. Upon my strike, her weapon's blade snapped in half, leaving her dumbfounded.
"Princess, you are Formless, aren't you?"