Chapter 3 : Witch Time [Prolouge End] (3)

When the morning arrived, My alarm went off. Scrambling around to find the source of the noise I noticed that Jeanne has already left my vicinity. It's good that she let all of that out yesterday but I worry for the future... Oh well we can figure it all out later as we go.

I finally found my phone, It's an Iph*ne Xs Max... not that it matters... I looked at my phone which was filled with notifications. and it came from 'Mommy'. it seems that she apologized for sleeping on my lap and she had something to do in the morning... some 'witch' business she said. I couldn't help but chuckle a little...

It seems that the world isn't as peaceful as I thought. I got myself dressed, checked my hair... huh? This must be the first time I saw my face! it still had a bit of baby fat left... and why do I have white hair? Is that why Jeanne is so attached to me? and my skin is pale. very pale in fact!

My eyes? they're blue... and I must admit that they're beautiful... as If i'm staring at the endless sea on a sunny day. But I wonder... does that mean I have albino? as for my build... well I'm as skinny as bones... and left a lot to be desired... maybe I should eat more and go to the gym! yeah that would do.

I locked the door of my apartment. as I prepare to walk to school.

"Liam!"

I turned around to see...

"Makoto!?"

"!? You're not a mute? Ah... Sorry there I got a little... shocked! Yeah let's go with that. You never greeted me back all this time... and I was surprised! yes!"

"Hahahaha... I was usually lost in my little world, and it's bad that I didn't notice a beautiful lady speaking to me."

Smooth right?

"HAHAHA!"

*slap* she slapped my shoulder, MAN THAT HURT!

"Good one Liam!"

Save!

"Come along now, we need to get to school!"

and so we exit our apartment complex.

"Did you live alone in Makoto?"

"Right now? yeah. I live at the apartment during the weekdays with my father. On the weekend I usually visit my sister and her husband."

!? EHHHHH? SAE'S MARRIED? AND YOUR FATHER'S ALIVE? OH NO THIS IS AN AU ISN'T IT?

"Why are you so shocked? Is it shocking that I lived alone?"

"Y-y-y- Yeah.... I always thought that you had a super strict family that would disown you if you didn't succeed, So you gave it your all to succeed..."

"Do I come out like this?"

she asked me with her hand on her mouth, shocked at her image. uhhhh did I do something wrong?

"T-t-to me yeah.... But that's also admirable in its own way! By the way, I gotta go to class! talk to you soon!"

and then we arrive at school before we know it... And I dashed away to my 'class'. My class is on the second floor, class 2-1. and it's February already.... February 10 in fact... Wait, why did I start in february? Does that mean the finals will be soon? I haven't even learnt anything yet!

But most importantly.... DID I JUST MISS THE WHOLE PLOT!? As I arrive at my seat... I saw someone in my class that I did not expect... It's Haru! wait does that mean... I'll be the senpai? Good... I won't be dragged into unnecessary troubles...

But as soon as I thought about it...

"Oh the first period's Physical Ed?"

"Ah sucks..."

"I hope Kamoshida's in a good mood..."

Fuck me.

===

And so Gym class started. The girls here are all well endowed! no wonder Kamoshida's like a dog in heat and even his palace reflects that, I couldn't help but keep my eyes on Haru, as holy hell those assets! I gave a thumbs up in my mind.

The class proceeds as 'normal' well if you can call running around the gym for 20 laps normal. We did our stretches, ran for god knows how long, and then the most dreaded part came...

"Come on, form a team. it's the usual 5 v 5"

"Aw...."

"I hope Liam is in my team!"

"Eh? Why's that?"

"So I wouldn't look so bad in front of the girls!"

"Hah! you're right!"

So that's how they view me huh... well it doesn't matter. Sport was never my strong suit anyway!

and... I was right. Volleyball usually consists of them serving the ball in my general direction. seeing that I can't react to any of their shots, I'm basically a walking handicap for them.

It's amazing how weak my body is. The class ended without any hitch... for me. The boys still get trashed by Kamoshida, while the girls are ogled. but he did it subtly that even I'm amazed.

walking back to class for our break I noticed a pair of girls talking in the cafeteria. the blonde model Ann and her friend Shiho. Even from this distance I can see bruises that she tried to cover up with bandages, makeup, and whatnot.

This... is the first time I felt powerless to help. even if I helped her. how far will I throw away the cannon... It's heavily implied that the suicidal jump is the turning point for the phantom thieves... But if I do help her... F... I need power... I'm sorry I can't help. YET!

===

The rest of the class is fairly ordinary. The day finished without a hitch. Everyone's packing up their bags. It just occurred to me that... I don't have any notes regarding this semester or the last. Everyone has already left the classroom Par one individual: Haru. And so I gathered up my courage and approached her.

"Okumura-san"

"HiEEEE!?!?!? YOU CAN TALK?"

!? WHAT'S WITH THAT REASON FOR BEING SURPRISED! I THOUGHT THAT I TALKED YESTERDAY!

"..."

"*cough cough* sorry, I meant... Good day Liam-kun, how can I help you?"

I'll pretend the previous shock didn't happen...

"Is it possible for me to borrow your notes for a day? I seem to have... skipped a lot of notes..."

"Oh sure!"

as she gave me her whole bag. !?

"All the notes are inside! please return it back tomorrow."

THERE'S THIS MUCH NOTE?

"Ummm.... Thank you?"

"A pleasure Liam-kun!"

as she hopped skipped and jumped away... Hmmm this alternate haru is interesting. I wonder what makes her happy every day. Does it have something to do with her engagement? or her father?

===

The school building is... very old. But I'm sure that a glowing door with the words 'GATES OF HELL' is not supposed to be here.

maaa who cares. I promised an Infernal Angel I would be there and so I shall. And so, my hand touched the door, and the door opened up.

"Well well well If it isn't little Liam, I thought you finish school at 3? Why are you here at 3.30? A girl held you up?"

... This voyeur angel... no wonder he fell from grace.

"I won't confirm nor deny!"

"Your loss, If you had any trouble with the girls, you can always ask your uncle Rodin here."

Well I do, but my solution needs to be more... subtle...

"Ok then! on to business!"

*claps*

suddenly the surroundings change, from what used to be the interior of a bar, into a hot rocky surrounding... wait this isn't...

"Yep, this is hell. well the first layer, but you get it..."

Yep mind reading, why am I not surprised.

"Anyway, see that over there?"

He points towards what looks like a flying platform in the distance.

"Your mothers trust your uncle rodan here to ... whip you into shape. so here's how it works. Lava will overflow the place, and you need to climb higher."

So.... Jump King?

"And Since your body is more inclined to.... Infernal properties... Dying here means that you get a free revive..."

WHAT DYING? ARE YOU SHITTING ME?

"But..."

But?

"It'll hurt like hell"

I didn't even manage to scream as a wave of lava engulfed me.

===

Revival isn't as grand as it sounds! Yes, I do respawn and Yes, It hurts when I die. But the revival process! Man! Imagine, feeling your insides for the first time, because the brain doesn't block out everything else yet... ugh... felt strange... You had to manually beat your heart and manually restart each one of the organs... YUCK!

Anyway, I reached the top...

"Congratulations! Uncle Rodin here is proud! Setting a record for the fastest climb of the first obstacle course!"

as he wiped his glasses. Are those fake tears? I'll get mad, you know! although that doesn't change the fact that I can't beat the man.

But still a record huh.. who's the previous holder?

"No one... it's a new course! that's why you should be proud!"

MOTHER F*****!

"Yes I did."

GASP!

"Nah, just messing with ya! Even if I'm a fallen angel, I still have class."

where's the 'x to doubt'! where is it?

"Anyway, congratulations once again for finishing the beginner course in less than a month."

A MONTH!?

"Ah don't worry about it, time is relative, it just happens to be that one day here is one second up there."

... Have I finally found my cheat?

"Whoa there not so fast, your body needs to... readjust... the longer you're here the more... infernal you'll become!"

"Eh? So how much of an infernal had I become?"

"0,01%"

"Huh....? And that's dangerous... how?"

"get it up to 40% and you'll be like your mothers. but normally at 10% you lose your mind, 50% your body, 100% your soul."

"Damn...."

That explains.... Bayonetta's pervertedness and Jeanne's... Emotional instability.

"yeah.... I know, right?"

"So how long till I turn?"

"My guess? 10 years."

Nah still long? so Can I challenge the next stage or have you not set it up yet?

"Listen here you little s***, haven't you been listening to what I said?"

"I have, and I decided if I really wanted to have a chance in this world... Mind as well give it my all right, Uncle?"

"Fine, but don't snitch on me, if your mothers ask just says that you're here for a month, are we clear?"

"crystal!"

and so goes my 1 year of infernal training.

Getting to know the man, Rodin's a cool dude. Been alive since the first light or so he said. The training I do with Rodin is nothing physical, as he knows that my mothers can tell the sudden change of physique, and so I was trained in magic.

and after a year... I learnt magic.... smithing... or whatever this is! as I toss another blade to the back of my ever growing mountain of blades.

This is not what I had in mind when Rodin said he'll teach me MAGIC.

The first few months I was hammering the basics of smithingh, the next thing I knew? I'm making buster swords, gunblades, even chains attached to daggers that's obviously not used by a god slayer. But they all had one thing in common... they're failed products.

"Don't beat yourself too much kid, It took me one century to git gud!"

said a certain bartender hovering mid air while picking up a few weapons in my discard pile...

"Sigh.. you're right Uncle Rodin... how long have I been here?"

"Hmmm... Lets see, I think it's 350 days"

so... 14 more days huh....

"Uncle rodin."

"Yeah?"

"Can you smelt everything back into ingots?"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive..."

"Ok.. your loss kid, a few of your creations are... of good quality"

"Not for me they're not."

"Perfectionist much?"

As we're talking I think I'm forgetting something... meh who cares, if I forgot it means that It's not that important...

and so begin my 14 days of Hard work

===

I inhaled the air, after going out of that god forsaken place. The first breath is the sweetest!

"Awww look at you... you must have been so lonely for one month without mommy!"

a red blur hugged my head as she brought me to her chest.

"Oh! You smell terrible! Like demon piss and did I smell iron? RODIN! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BOY!? AND HOW LONG!?"

"Not my fault, red, he said he wanted to do it himself!"

Before Jeanne could pounce on Rodin I held her waist tightly!

"Mother stop... Wait..."

"Oh what is it dear, we can always talk after I put a new hole into uncle Rodin...."

"If you really had to put a hole into uncle Rodin, then use this!" as I throw a skull shaped shoulder pauldron to Jeanne.

"Is this a gift for mommy?"

Jeanne had a star in her eyes.

"Yep! my finest work! I call it Lucifer, it's a quiver for an inexhaustible number of words that are supercharged with infernal power! although it took me the whole year to---"

"DID YOU SAY A YEAR!?"

Ooops I may or may not have 'accidentally' said that.

*ring ring*

the doorbell rang as I saw Bayonetta walks inside

"What's the big commotion? Are you having an orgy without me?"

"Mother Cereza, just in time! a gift!"

as I threw a lump of metal to Bayonetta... well it's not any lump of metal...

"Oh! What's this little one? A big gun for lil old me?"

"I call it... BFG 6900"

Oh what does it do?

"It Obilitrates everything within the vicinity... Do not use it when friendlies are nearby... oh fun fact if you can slow down time after firing, the target will suffer more damage...."

They looked at me with question marks on their head. Hey don't kill the messenger I just tell you guys the game mechanics... Although it's not as powerful as the 9000, it's the closest thing I can make at this point.

Rodin somehow seems... excited.... as a portal opened up, both of my mothers went into the portal. yeah you guys have fun! I'll just be here.

I took out the last item that I made... my true masterpiece... I call it the Pandora's box, basically, it can turn into 666 different forms, all you have to do is imagine a form and it'll automatically save it to one of them...

"Eh!? Kid where's everybody?"

"Oh they're duking it out..."

"What? why would they do that?"

"Oh I give them gifts..."

"And you didn't get your Bro anything? kid I'm heartbroken..."

rolling my eyes, I opened Pandora, and I took out a revolver with three barrels from within it...

"I don't know what you're good with... but here..."

I tossed the gun to Enzo, he caught it with one hand, but proved to be too heavy as he fell back.

"Ouch, Why is this gun so heavy!?"

it's a failed product... but I can't say that now can I?

"It has.... a lot of functions..."

"Eh? like what? Don't leave a man hanging now!"

I explained to him that there's a mechanic that allows the gun to change its barrel length, a scope that has up to 32x zoom, a bipod, a retractable foregrip, retractable stock, an emergency grapple-hook mod, a parachute, etc etc.

"Holy Cow Thanks kid! Now let Enzo pour you something to drink..."

Enzo goes behind the bar and pours an orange looking alcohol cocktail... AND GULPS IT ALL DOWN

"Ah that hit the spot.... Here kid for you!"

as he passes me a glass of milk....

===