Chapter 32: Transform Villain - Omokage⑤
Well, let’s leave the touching reunion between Ratlord and Mio at that.
Any longer and Jin would snap and start going on a rampage.
I pointed at the thing wearing my face and introduced it to Jin.
"Jin, this one’s Omokage."
"Kill it?"
"I’ve already killed it plenty of times, so give me a break here."
"Ughhh…!"
Don’t sob with my face. You’re a beautiful girl, and it makes me feel weird. I’ll end up with some messed-up kink.
Sudama came back inside from hanging laundry on the balcony.
"What now, forget something agai—oh, no, just another useless man…"
Looks like even Sudama’s getting used to me bringing villains home.
She walked in to find two of me and Jin with a face that looked like he was about to blow his top, and all she did was sigh. That’s what comes with age.
"Well, I don’t know yet if I’ll be picking this one up this time."
"At this point, with how often it happens, one might sense the hand of the gods. Inori, perhaps you were born under such a star. It may be your fate—your mission—to take in worthless men and reform them."
"Hell no."
Why the hell would I do that? No way I’d volunteer for something like that.
Sudama peered closely at the me who was tied up.
"But so it’s you, huh? That brat from the other day. The one Jin was fighting the first time you two met."
"Huh? Even though it’s my face, you figured it out?"
So apparently Jin and Omokage already fought once.
This guy really does pick fights with anyone. Hot-headed bastard.
He says he never turns down a fight, but most of the time the other person doesn’t even realize they’re picking one. In other words, he’s just short-tempered.
"There aren’t many who know more about transformation than me. You can tell what someone’s turning into just by the way they’re doing it."
So that’s how it works. Transformation’s deeper than I thought.
Omokage—wearing my face—lit up with a sparkling expression. Seen like this, he really does look like a beautiful girl. Makes me want to lend him this body.
"Th-then! Can you tell who I really am!?"
"Hm, did you ever introduce yourself back then? Unfortunately, I missed it."
Hearing Sudama’s reply, Omokage slumped. Hm.
"You’ve transformed into so many things, you’ve forgotten what you were to begin with, haven’t you?"
"……!? H-how did you know!?"
It was just a random guess, but if you say it like you’re sure, of course you’ll get a reaction.
Maybe I could make it as a mentalist.
If there are this many villains who are weak to psychological games, that’ll be handy down the line.
"So why’d you come after me? Was it on Delta’s orders?"
"Yes…"
"And the reward?"
"They promised to tell me who I used to be…"
So you fell for that sweet little lie, huh.
Sudama planted her hands on her hips and spoke in a completely exasperated tone.
"Good grief, how immature. To think you’ve forgotten what you once were! Ah, it takes me back—reminds me of when I taught the children how to transform a thousand years ago."
Sudama sank into nostalgia, reminiscing about the past.
Wait—are there really that many foxfolk? I’ve never seen anyone but Sudama.
"I don’t even know who I used to be anymore. But Delta said they knew my past self, and promised they’d tell me if I cooperated. I didn’t really want to target a kid, but… I was desperate too…"
Omokage hunched his shoulders, looking small.
I’m underage, so even without Sudama’s input, I still count as a kid.
Sudama snorted in exasperation.
"So what, you truly want to know your real form? That’s simple enough."
"Eh!? You know!?"
"If you like, I could tell you."
"Please! Please, I beg you!"
Sudama instantly drove a hand chop into Omokage’s neck.
T-too merciless!
Omokage—who wore my face—rolled his eyes back and collapsed, fainting perfectly.
Still bound by Ironclad, his head slumped limply forward.
And slowly, the form he had stolen from me began to melt away.
"When one faints, transformation unravels."
So that’s how it works.
Once they confirmed he was unconscious, Jin released Omokage.
He was a young man, maybe twenty. Just some ordinary-looking guy.
I thought he’d be older, given that he’d been transforming for so long he forgot who he was.
Guess it’s more like… a self-discovery journey, huh.
"What do you want to do, Jin? Killing him would dirty the house."
"Tch."
So he won’t kill him. I can tell from the tongue-click. I’m starting to understand him so well, I could call myself the Ironclad Master soon.
"Anyway, Ratlord, what brought you to my place? Feeling sick or something?"
"Ah, no… the weapon that was used when I was almost killed—it’s missing. I thought maybe the young lady might know."
Ratlord was caught off guard by the sudden question, so much so that he dropped his usual “-yansu” speech quirk.
He hasn’t been keeping that up lately. Come on, stay in character.
"If that’s what you mean, yeah, I retrieved it. Where’d I put it again?"
"Over here."
Sudama opened a kitchen cupboard and pulled a knife from the holder.
At a glance, it only looked like a fruit knife.
"You even washed it, huh."
"It was dirty, so I cleaned it, of course."
"Sorry, Ratlord, it probably won’t hold up as evidence now."
"Nah, don’t worry about it. Mind if I take it?"
"Go right ahead. Better you take it before Sudama starts cooking with it."
Sudama’s cooking skills are top-notch, so she’d probably handle a murder weapon just fine as a kitchen tool.
But I don’t want to eat food made with a knife that was stabbed into someone I know.
Omokage groaned from Sudama’s strike. Looked like he was about to wake up.
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