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Chapter 256: Past Life, Past, Present
Chapter 256: Past Life, Past, Present
Chapter 256: Past Life, Past, Present
- Past Life, Past, Present
* * *
The latter part of Arc 14 begins.
“Because of you!!”
“!!?”
Suddenly, pain shot through my abdomen, and my consciousness awakened.
Unintentionally twisting my body, I opened my eyes to see what was going on.
Looking down at me lying down was a man with black hair starting to mix with white.
That face… that face…?
Somehow, it was blurry.
I couldn’t remember well.
…Couldn’t remember?
Feeling a sense of discomfort at my own thoughts, I tried to move my body to assess my surroundings, but it didn’t work well.
My body wouldn’t move.
No, it was moving.
I was desperately curling up my body to protect myself from the man’s attacks as he repeatedly kicked me while spewing verbal abuse.
If it were me now, I would immediately jump up and beat such a man to death.
…If it were me now?
Ah, I see.
I grasped the situation.
I rolled over after being kicked in the side of my stomach by the man’s leather shoes.
At that timing, I stole a glance at my surroundings.
Dirty walls with black mold.
A floor made of boards with gaps everywhere.
There were no windows, but thanks to the gaps in the walls and ceiling, sunlight barely entered, making the room dimly bright.
This room was definitely the storage room where I, Aihara Runa, lived in my previous life.
In other words, I am currently in a dream, reliving a memory from when I was Runa.
This kind of thing has happened before, hasn’t it?
“This daughter of a murderer!!”
Now, who is this man shouting while repeatedly kicking and stomping on the skinny high school girl Aihara Runa-chan?
This is my foster father.
Runa is the daughter of a murderer.
This is an undeniable fact, and my father was apparently a criminal who actually killed many people.
And my mother died before I was old enough to remember.
With such a background, I was a troublesome child of the clan who had been passed around between several relatives’ homes, and this foster father was the one who had taken me in last.
“Because you’re here!!”
Now, what is it because I’m here?
At this point, I start to question the words of this man who continues to be violent towards me.
Certainly, by taking me in, the daughter of a murderer, there is a high possibility that gossip and such, reputational damage, was brought upon the “family.”
But specifically, what kind of damage did this foster father’s family suffer?
Actually, I don’t know.
Because since I was taken in by this family, I was basically shoved into this storage room and had almost no contact with the “family.”
That’s probably why this foster father’s face is somehow blurry.
There’s no concreteness at all in his lines.
I hardly remember anymore.
The foster father continued to be violent for a while, but he must have finally gotten tired.
After giving my back one last kick, he left the storage room, panting.
After that, as if replacing him, my foster mother came to me.
Her face was also blurry.
In the case of my foster father, I vaguely remembered his hairstyle at least, but for this person, I don’t even have that.
She was a hazy person with her face completely covered by mosaic.
That’s to be expected, as I had even fewer opportunities to interact with this foster mother than with my foster father.
My foster father came to be violent towards me at every opportunity, and he also acted as my “father” in public a little bit.
But this foster mother was different.
I had hardly ever heard her voice.
“…………”
Was it because it wasn’t in my memory, or was there actually no verbal interaction?
The foster mother silently threw leftovers that looked like garbage onto the floor of the storage room with a splat and immediately left.
Once every few days, this person would give me a meal like this.
That’s why I vaguely remember this person’s existence.
I mean, how did I even survive living in an environment like this?
I think again while licking up the leftovers spilled on the floor.
The environment surrounding Aihara Runa was truly abnormal.
What is this?
Was I cursed?
“…Ugh.”
At this point, I hold my stomach.
Was it kicked too much, or was there something bad in the leftovers?
“Ugh, ugh… ughh!”
Writhing in intense stomach pain, Aihara Runa rolls around the dusty room.
Even if I groan, no one will help me.
Time passes, but the pain doesn’t subside, my strength gradually fades.
After suffering, suffering, suffering… I let go of my consciousness.
* * *
“Because of you…”
Hearing a line similar to the one I heard earlier, I regain consciousness again.
It’s a small, suppressed voice.
Yet, it’s a voice filled with hatred and sadness.
And at the same time, I feel something strange around my neck.
A large… large palm is choking my neck.
I can’t breathe!
“…Because you were born… because I was pregnant with…”
I immediately try to struggle and shake off the other person’s hand, but again, my body won’t move.
It won’t move, but it’s a bit different from earlier.
The reason I can’t move my body now is the same as before.
The difference is that “this body of mine” itself is unable to move freely in the first place.
Yeah, just saying that doesn’t make it clear what I’m trying to say.
My body now is very small.
And it only has the motor skills to wiggle my arms and legs a little.
Incidentally, my vision is also somehow blurry.
In other words, I am still trapped in a dream, and this is an experience after I was born as Emi… an experience from when I was a baby.
“Uuh…”
Oh, the force choking my neck has weakened here.
“Uuh… uuh, uuh…”
The woman looking down at me, sobbing and shedding tears.
I stare intently at her.
This woman who was trying to kill me is my biological mother in this life.
It’s a woman named Rana, whom I recently reunited with.
It’s hard to tell because my vision is blurry, but the area around Rana’s eyes is red.
She must have been crying.
On the other hand, the area around her cheeks is blue.
She’s been hit and has bruises.
“Gwooohhh…”
I can hear a vulgar snoring sound nearby.
I can’t look around to confirm because I can’t move, but this is the snoring of the trashy man who is my biological father in this life.
He’s probably drunk and sleeping again.
“Uuh, uwaah, aaah… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Saying that while crying, Rana collapsed on the spot.
Rana’s figure disappeared from my vision, unable to move, and only the ceiling of the shoddy house with many gaps spread across my entire view.
Seriously, how did I even survive after being reincarnated into this world?
This is definitely thanks to Extra-sama.
Rana’s violence is only to this extent, but the trashy man is different.
He seriously hits a baby.
If I hadn’t been taught ?Body Strengthening?, I would have definitely died.
Ah, and actually, even at this point, I had already started learning the common language of this world with Extra-sama’s guidance.
The reason I can understand Rana’s words even though it’s a story from my baby days is probably thanks to that.
“Gwooohhh…”
“Uuh… uuh…”
Even so.
Judging from the fact that it’s bright beyond the gaps in the ceiling, it’s currently daytime.
In the middle of the day, the trashy man is drinking and sleeping without working.
Where was the money to buy that alcohol coming from?
At that time, I only had questions that remained unresolved, but now I have a vague idea.
This trashy man was probably somehow begging that old man named Arcus for money.
That old man seems to be rich too, so he was lending money, thinking it was a request from his younger brother.
Without even seeing the trashy man’s current situation.
Probably out of goodwill.
With goodwill, the old man gave money to the trashy man, and then.
And then, he maintained this hell.
It’s just a guess, though.
Yeah, as I thought, I couldn’t become family with that old man.
“…………”
Hmm.
My consciousness is starting to fade away again.
Even for me, the baby version of me is naturally fragile.
I probably ran out of energy and couldn’t stay awake anymore.
My consciousness, unable to keep my eyes open, fell into darkness once again.
* * *
“…Mgh.”
I wake up with a blink.
“Mgh!!”
I hurriedly jump up.
I take a fighting stance.
I deploy ?Magic Sensing Threads? around me.
No one moving other than me.
No hostile presence.
“…………”
I slowly lower my fists and look around.
It seems this is a room inside some building.
The floor has a fluffy, brown-based carpet with an intricate pattern.
The walls have cute, understated floral wallpaper.
The furniture in the room, such as the desks and chairs, has a chocolate-colored wooden surface that shines glossily in the light spilling from the windows.
And above all, this bed I’m standing on has a canopy.
…Yeah, no doubt about it.
This is a rich person’s room!
<Yaaawn… ah, Emi! Good morning!>
Ah, it’s Extra-sama.
Good morning.
Hmm, so that means.
I take a fighting stance again.
I jump from the bed with a hop, do a somersault in the air, and land on the floor.
The carpet is super fluffy.
While enjoying that sensation with the soles of my feet, I try out a series of forms my master taught me.
Yeah, it moves.
It moves, it moves, my body moves.
In other words, since my body moves, I’m not dreaming now!
Good morning, Extra-sama!
<What are you half-asleep for, Emi? Are you okay? It seems all the bones in your body were snapped right before you lost consciousness.>
I’m fine.
There’s no pain, and my body moves without problem.
With my current self, if it’s just a whole-body fracture, I’ll heal in one night of sleep.
After all, I’m living in a fantasy world now.
<Don’t dismiss the abnormal situation of a whole-body fracture healing in one night just because you’re “living in a fantasy world.” Other fantasy people don’t fully recover just by sleeping. Your specs are just high.>
Really?
I was praised, yay.
<…Sigh. Anyway, Emi, I’m glad you’re safe.>
Yeah, really.
I’ve been remembering various things.
What’s with that girl?
She’s too strong, isn’t she?
…I lost, huh.
<Lairine Rune… she was a skilled person true to the rumors.>
Huh, what?
Extra-sama, you knew about that girl?
<Yes, just the name. I remember hearing her name in the isekai reincarnation broadcast of the God of Muscles 100 years ago, the top-class adventurer with the alias “Immutable.”>
I see, in the isekai reincarnation broadcast 100 years ago… 100 years ago!?
<Yes. It seems Lairine is an ageless existence.>
Huh!?
Is that even possible!?
<Very rarely… but such humans usually quickly abandon the earth and ascend to godhood. But she still remains on earth.>
Does she have… lingering attachments to the earth?
<Or maybe her behavior is so bad that she’s been banned from the divine realm…>
Banned.
“The woman banned from the divine realm.”
…I don’t like it.
What kind of alias is that?
And I lost to that Lairine.
Which means.
<Considering the conversation before the battle, you>
Became Lairine’s.
<Daughter, that’s what it means. She seemed to desire it tremendously for some reason, and I don’t know how many days you were bedridden, but most of the paperwork and such has probably been completed long ago.>
…………
Haaah… seriously?
That incomprehensible woman is my mother?
I scratch my head and walk around the room aimlessly.
I steal a glance outside the window.
Under the deep, dark blue sky like summer, a beautiful green carpet spreads out.
It looks like a grassland.
I can also see something like a small pond.
There’s no forest, and in the distance, there are small hills surrounding this building.
Where is this?
Seriously, where is this place?
<…Do you dislike having her as your mother?>
…I don’t know.
I don’t know, Extra-sama.
You know, when I was reincarnated into this world, I thought.
This time, I want to be loved by my family.
<Yes.>
In my previous life… I wasn’t loved.
Except for one person, I didn’t even have friends.
In this life, in this life, I wanted to try being loved.
<Yes.>
And when I was born, my family in this life was also, you know.
Thanks to being born with a relatively adult mind, I’ve accepted it pretty calmly.
But towards my biological parents, I think “die.”
I realized recently that it wasn’t “I’ll kill you.”
Anyway, for me, my family in this life was like trash too.
<Yes.>
Can I get a new mother like that?
Of course I can’t be happy and say yes, right?
I’m not that honest.
<Yes.>
…Hey, Extra-sama.
<What is it?>
Can I really become family with that person?
<…………>
Will that person not make me feel lonely?
<…………>
Will I be loved?
<…I don’t know.>
Extra-sama said that in a slightly displeased voice and fell silent.
I lie on my back on the carpet.
It’s fluffy and feels good.
The light shining through the window is warm and cozy.
Somehow, it’s very peaceful.
Judging from the impression of the building and this room where I am now, I think it’s quite large and luxurious.
Despite that, there’s very little sign of people.
I feel like I should be able to hear more footsteps of people working here.
It’s very quiet.
That’s why I completely let my guard down.
And once again, my eyelids were about to obstruct my vision without me noticing.
…But that’s when it happened!
Boom!!
Somewhere far away in this building.
Suddenly, such a sound of destruction echoed.
“!!”
I jump up again in surprise and concentrate my consciousness.
Boom!!
Boom!!
Boom!!
The sound continued to echo intermittently and gradually grew louder.
In other words.
<Emi!>
Yeah, Extra-sama.
Something… is breaking through the walls and approaching straight towards here.
To catch that “something” off guard, I jump with a hop and stick to the ceiling with ?Silverfish?.
Boom!!
Boom!!!
BOOM!!!!
In the meantime, the sound of destruction got closer and closer, and then… stopped right there.
“…………”
I swallow nervously.
Someone will probably break through the wall and enter this room.
What do I do?
For now, I’ll punch them from a blind spot with ?Black Arms? and judge based on their reaction.
If it doesn’t seem effective, I’ll also break through the wall and escape.
If it seems effective, I’ll beat them to death as is.
It’s very eerie that I can’t sense any killing intent at all from beyond the wall.
Sweat beaded on my forehead, flowed down, and dripped from the tip of my nose towards the floor with a plop.
Just… at the same time!
“Emi… chaaaan!!!”
“G-Gwaaaaah!!?”
The ceiling I was sticking to was suddenly destroyed with an impact, and I was knocked to the floor!
Not from the side, but from above!?
I missed it!
Was the sound of destruction earlier happening on the floor above!?
I quickly prepare for the impact of the fall with ?Body Strengthening? and magic conversion.
However.
“…………?”
The impact I had imagined never came.
Because I was.
Gently hugged by the culprit who destroyed the ceiling and knocked me to the floor… Lairine Rune.
“Ufufu… Emi-chan, good morning! Sensing that you had awakened, I… couldn’t bear to stay still.”
Lairine murmured while rolling on the carpet scattered with pieces of the ceiling and hugging me.
I somehow pull my face away from being pressed against her chest and look up at Lairine’s face.
Lairine’s eyes are moist with rapture, her breathing is rough, and her cheeks are flushed red.
“Ah, Emi-chan… do you understand the situation? Let me say it again, good morning Emi-chan. My name is Lairine Rune. I’m your mother who has been searching for you for so long, so long, so long, so long. You’ve been lonely by yourself until now, right? But it’s okay. From now on, I’ll always, always, always, always be with you, okay?”
Having said that in one breath, Lairine pressed her lips against mine and started nuzzling my cheeks.
“Ah, Emi-chan… Emi-chan is awake… Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan Emi-chan…”
Eh, ehhh!!?
W-What’s this!!?
Th-This, this is a mother’s love!!?
Hey, Extra-sama!?
Extra-sama!!?
<Th-This womaaaan!!! What the hell is she doing, ignoring meee!!!>
Eh, wha-, ehhh!!?
Why are you getting angry!!?
Come back to your senses, Extra-sama!!?
My partner in my mind is getting angry for some reason and is unreliable.
My prided physical strength doesn’t work either.
I had no choice but to accept this embrace from Lairine.
It’s a critical situation where there’s no room for resistance.
At least, that’s how it should be.
But being hugged by Lairine.
Felt a little good.
It was soft and warm.
…This sensation.
It’s something I’ve never felt before.
Is this… love… being poured into me now?
Is this softness and warmth what a mother is…?
I was thinking something like that, but after that, I had all the bones in my body snapped again by Lairine’s embrace, which gradually became more excited and strained, and I ended up sleeping for another night.
Who could stand having a mother like that!!
Can I really live safely with this woman?
I might need to make arrangements to escape from here soon.
Quite seriously.