Chapter 47: Ms present again

“Bubbles make it fast, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

“On it.” he bobbed.

He placed his paws on her head, then her frantic resistance slowly grew dull amidst her protests, until her eyes grew hazy, and she stopped moving entirely.

Bubbles was a creature that invoked quite the curiosity. First, unlike other familiars who could stay both in their mark, and back in the familiar dimension, bubbles couldn’t do the latter.

Either he was incapable of doing so because of the circumstances in which I had found him, or he couldn’t because he didn’t know how.

Familiars were supposed to be summoned from their dimension, but that wasn’t the same for bubbles. Instead I had found him as an egg in a hidden room of a creepy castle in the Ashen Deadlands. So it was safe to say that it was the reason why he couldn’t access the familiar dimension.

Anyway, after some experiment, we figured out what Bubbles could do. He had an ability related to the mind. I didn’t know it’s parameters entirely, but it was a pretty broken ability.

When we reached the over-water city, I specifically found mundane humans for him to test the ability, but not before I completely made sure they were truly mundane. Can’t have a… uhh… what were they called again?, Yeah, a hidden dragon or a crouching tiger spring up on us.

Apparently, Bubbles could mind control someone with his ability, implant a subliminal mental command that could be activated when certain conditions are met, or even lock away/edit certain memories of the target. Though, it had to be within reason.

And that broken ability, was what actually brought me to this city. I came specifically for Jayden. She was going to be my very own personal sleeper cell in the dark cult.

For someone who was going to rise to infamy in a few years, she was the perfect candidate. With Bubbles’ ability, he could simply activate the mental command, have her tell us everything she knew, and forget she ever told anyone. In fact she was not going to remember even this encounter.

Sure I knew most of the major plans of dark cult, but me influencing even a single one of those plans, would throw the future I knew out of the window, which is why I needed an insider to keep feeding me information.

That way, I’d always be two steps ahead. Am i smart or what? Gorgeousness and brains, I got them all. I almost had half the mind to laugh, but that would make me sound like a villain.

After about a minute, “It worked.” Bubbles took his paws off her head, and then shot into my body. I guess it exhausted him.

I was about to heave a sigh of relief, but just as Bubbles disappeared,

Shiiiiing!

The sound of something cutting the air sounded from my behind.

I wrenched the dagger free from Jayden’s hand, and turned to intercept whatever it was.

But before I could even see what it was, a longsword stopped an inch from my throat.

’Shit, of course it’s her.’ I inwardly cursed, glaring at the stunning visage of the redhead. It was none other than Anastasia. What did this bitch want now?

“What the hell is this supposed to mean?” I growled.

She let out a soft chuckle, something I didn’t know she could do.

“My my, you’ve forgotten about this big sister, haven’t you little brother?”

“….”

I froze. That voice…

“Oh, so you do remember.” she said, her eyes glinting in amusement.

“Ms present.” I muttered aghast.

“In the flesh.” she smiled coldly, her sword edging closer to my neck.

“…What in the…?” my brain short circuited.

Anastasia or should I say Ms present though, wasn’t at a loss for words.

“What?” she tilted her head. “How I found out that the seemingly spiteful man I met on black sands island was in reality the infamous unruly prince?” she asked smugly.

But my next words wiped the smugness off her face.

“Not really.” I said regaining my composure. “I can tell it’s because of my techniques.” I replied calmly. “That must have surely made you suspicious, and adding to the stunt I pulled yesterday by showing everyone my ability, if you didn’t realize it was me I’d say you’re beyond stupid.”

’And if I couldn’t deduce that much then I’d be beyond beyond stupid.’ I added inwardly.

She must have witnessed my technique when Rose and I were paired, and since she had been interested in where I got it, and also saw Rose using it on top, she’d surely get sus. And if that wasn’t enough, I revealed my ability yesterday.

Her eye twitched.

“You sure are talkative for someone who has a sword to his neck.” She pressed the sword against my skin.

“Let’s face it, you aren’t here to kill me Ms present, so quit wasting both of our times.” If she wanted to kill me, she would have attempted that. Ms present didn’t strike me as the type to monologue when trying to kill someone. Not that she could kill me even if she wanted to.

“Oh yeah, what makes you say so?” a terrifying aura burst from her body, pressuring the surroundings.

’Fuck! Of course she’s reached the Theta- rank.’ I cursed. Not surprising, after all, she was at Eta+ when I met her. The pressure was more psychological than physical, so I shrugged it off and looked at her.

“No wonder I’ve never heard of any Anastasia Necron, turns out it’s you in disguise.” I said. Now it all made sense, she was never in the novel, and I also hadn’t heard of her as Damon.

But why did house Necron indulge her?, she clearly couldn’t pull this off without their knowledge. But then why didn’t the institute call out her bluff?

“Are you that dumb, or you’re just pretending to be?” Ms present quirked a brow, breaking me out of my head.

“What do you me…” I paused. It took me a few moments to connect the dots.

“You don’t mean you’re…”

“Yes I am.” Her smugness returned.

’This is her real identity?’ I gaped. But then a baffling thought occured to me.

“Wait… if you were just a kid, why the hell were you calling me little brother?”

She smiled, her usual smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Of course for amusement, what else?”

“Okay.” I nodded. I didn’t need to care about other people’s quirks. What I cared about though, was getting the cold steel that was already drawing blood off my neck.

“Though, I would prefer if you took your sword off my neck.” I muttered.

“What if I don’t?” she pressed the sword deeper into my flesh.

“What the hell? are you crazy?” I exclaimed. This girl was bat shit crazy. Sure I had long swapped with a reflection, but she didn’t know that. A trail of my blood followed her sword’s blade, till it dripped on the ground.

“The only reason you’re not dead is because of the political chaos that could cause.” She said. I understood what she meant, though I had been exiled, I still carried the Darkfell name, and in this world, there were numerous unscrupulous ways to find out who killed who. House Darkfell wouldn’t take it sitting down.

Even in the novel, they set out a hunt for Jayden everywhere that she had to disappear for quite a while.

But I won’t t kill you doesn’t mean I can’t beat the shit out of you.” she continued in a devil’s whisper. “Besides, you’re just a clone aren’t you?”

A chill ran down my spine, but outwardly, I didn’t betray my inner turmoil.

’How did she….? No she must just be guessing. That’s right she’s bluffing.’ I thought in consolation.

Now that I think about it, it was all my fault. Anastasia Necron never showed up in the novel, which meant either she didn’t exist, or she died before canon. I used to think the former was the probable cause, but now, not anymore.

I was now convinced it was the latter. Without Damon going to the black sands island in the novel, it meant he never crossed paths with Ms present.

It also meant that Ms present and her cohort got deposited into the Ashen Deadlands alone. I might seem smug, but the only reason we survived, was because of my reflections acting as reconnaissance.

There were some places I entered, and got dispelled without even knowing who or what killed me. So it was safe to say that Ms present currently existed only because of me.

The only reason I didn’t dispel myself was because I don’t want to have to escape anytime there was a little trouble, not that this was a little trouble, but still.

I want to be able to solve things without escaping, not unless I was faced with certain death.

“And pray tell, what were you doing with this unconscious heretic?” she inquired. “I hope it’s not what I think it is.” she brows knit further. I must admit, she was stunning even when she frowned.

“What you think it is?” I frowned, confused. “What….” I began, but then it occured to me what she meant.

I froze in horror.

“Do you think that low of me?”

She gave me a deadpan look.

’Gah, why did I even ask.’

************

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