"Still, I should leave a little 'gift' for them. They are my dear sisters, after all~"
Sonaya looked toward her "brother." His abilities were quite impressive; perhaps this family's ancestors were powerful practitioners, or they wouldn't have been chosen by such specific magic sigils. However, his power shared a similarity with hers—neither was suited for direct, frontal combat.
When combined with Sonaya's own abilities, the things her "brother" created were incredibly effective. By using the soul energy harvested from several abducted illegal residents to fuel these powers, they had enough to get by for now. But they had to remain hidden. If any of her sisters discovered her, she would be "purged." She might act high and mighty in front of others, but against sisters of the same rank or higher, there was only one outcome: total annihilation.
The sky gradually darkened. It had been a cloudy day, but the cool, sunless weather didn't last. Rain began to fall, and with the rain came the vermin.
"Hey little girl, all by yourself? It's getting late and raining too. It's dangerous for a girl alone. Do you want big brothers to protect you on your way home?"
Not far from Saint Flower Girls' Academy was a dilapidated old district that hadn't been renovated yet. There were almost no surveillance cameras, making it an ideal location for Sonaya's next base. The only problem was the excess of "pests."
Sonaya gripped the handle of her umbrella, looking coldly at the five thugs surrounding her. Thugs were everywhere—most were just posers living off their parents' money, but others, like the ones before her, were pure scum. They didn't just want her money; they wanted her body.
"Hey, cat got your tongue? Don't worry, we've been practicing. We've got two and a half years of experience. We're experts; we'll make sure you're 'satisfied'."
A blond guy with a middle part to her left, dangling a cigarette from his mouth, leaned down and blew a puff of smoke toward her face. He was grinning like an idiot, though his cigarette was mostly soggy from the rain. It was likely his last puff.
Actually, it was his last puff, because a chain-sickle had already hooked around his neck.
"Huh?"
The blond looked dazed. He felt a sudden chill on his neck, then felt as if he were looking down at his own headless body before instantly losing consciousness.
Splurt!
Blood geysered from his neck like a fountain, and his body spasmed a few times before collapsing into the mud. Crimson and dark red blood sprayed everywhere, soaking the two thugs—one grey-haired, one black-haired—standing closest to him.
The other four stood frozen in shock, their brains short-circuiting at the sight of such brutal carnage. Their cigarettes dropped into the puddles.
When she had decapitated the blond, Sonaya had tilted her umbrella to shield herself, but a small spray still managed to land on her cheek.
"Tsk, how disgusting."
Sonaya took a tissue from her pocket and wiped her face, her expression one of pure loathing.
Thump!
While she was meticulously cleaning her face, the four thugs collapsed to their knees.
"N-no! Please don't kill me! Beautiful lady, I was wrong, I—"
They wanted to run, but their legs had turned to jelly. They couldn't even find the strength to stand. Only one man with a buzz cut managed to stammer out a plea for mercy, but before he could finish, Sonaya's other chain-sickle swept through the air and claimed his head.
"So noisy."
Sonaya held a chain-sickle in each hand. The silver blades, etched with crimson runes, seemed to thirst for blood, making her look like a goddess of death.
More blood sprayed, but this time Sonaya formed a simple mana barrier to block the mess. Her umbrella, now glowing with blood-red patterns, floated into the air and began to rotate slowly.
"AAAAAAAH! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! SHE'S KILLING US!"
Seeing another comrade slaughtered, the remaining three finally regained their voices. They screamed in terror, hoping to attract attention. Unfortunately, they had chosen this spot specifically because people avoided it, and their own reputation as local thugs kept the neighbors indoors.
In this district, people worked late; it was rare to see anyone out before 10 PM. Their screams were futile.
After screaming until their throats were raw and seeing that Sonaya remained motionless, the three felt a surge of desperate hope. Thinking she might let them go, they scrambled up and fled in different directions, crawling and stumbling to get as far away from this monster as possible.
"Is that it? I thought I'd get more 'fear' out of them. Humans really are limited as resources."
Sonaya sighed. She swung her arms, throwing the sickles toward the two men running to her left and right.
The hooked blades flew hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye. The hooks caught them by their necks, but instead of cutting, the blades suddenly dulled, acting as iron collars. With a sharp tug, the two men were yanked off their feet and dragged backward across the concrete.
"Gah... hrrk..."
They hissed as they were dragged toward her, their clothes shredding against the pavement. By the time they reached her feet, they were barely conscious.
"Hmm~ You two have good potential. Don't worry, you'll be contributing to my 'cause' soon. I'll prove that you aren't completely worthless."
Sonaya grabbed them by the hair, forcing them to look at her as she spoke in a soft, gentle voice. Then, they both blacked out.
"Truly, human potential is limitless. You never know how much emotion you can squeeze out of someone until you push them to the edge."
Sonaya set the two "raw materials" aside and wiped her hands. Soul energy harvested from tortured souls was of much higher quality than the regular stuff.
"Hah... hah... hah!"
The grey-haired thug ran like a madman for ten full minutes until he reached his apartment door in the old district. With trembling hands, he fumbled with his keys.
He missed the keyhole!
Cold sweat poured down his back. He looked behind him—nothing. His hands shaking uncontrollably, he tried again.
Success!
A flash of joy crossed his face. He twisted the lock, slipped inside, slammed the door, and engaged both deadbolts. He slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor, gasping for air.
"Dammit, what was that girl?! A monster?! Yoshida, Kawabe... they're all dead! Is it some goddamn superpower? How can the government let something like that exist?!"
He punched the door in frustration. "How can anyone fight a monster like that..."
He slumped over, defeated. "Wait... my hands... why can't I move my hands?"
He tried to crawl up, but his limbs wouldn't obey. Having just witnessed the impossible, he began to panic. He tried to use his core and legs, but they were unresponsive too.
"You know, I'm curious about something," a curious female voice whispered in his ear, making his blood run cold. "If you were to rip off your own testicles with your bare hands, what would the pain feel like? They say pain goes up to level ten. Could that reach the theoretical maximum?"
In his supposedly empty living room, several figures appeared. He knew them well. One was the beautiful girl he had tried to harass, and the other four were his "brothers." The two who had been decapitated stood before him "whole," though faint lines marked their necks.
But what terrified him most was that his own hands were reaching down toward his crotch, moving against his will.
"Hah... hah... hah..." He panted like a terrified dog, his eyes wide with horror.
"Heh~ Just like a dog. In that case, let me help you with the 'neutering'."
Sonaya chuckled, intending to force him to finish the job, but she stopped.
"Tsk, on second thought, that's too gross. This level of fear should be enough. I'll give you a quick end."
She reached up and pulled on her earring. A chain-sickle appeared in her hand. With a casual flick, a new piece of "raw material" was prepared.
"This place isn't bad. I think I'll make this my base."
She looked around the apartment. It was old, but the living conditions were decent.
"I'll have to process these 'materials' soon, otherwise things will get messy." She snapped her fingers, recalling her umbrella. The umbrella was a tool she'd crafted using her "brother's" ability; it projected a field that induced a "perception filter," making people ignore or avoid anything related to her. "What should I make with these? Fear dolls? That sounds fun."