Chapter Text
‘Why did it have to be this way? I don’t want to die!’
<<Confirmed. Piercing resistance acquisition successful…>>
The blade is withdrawn from my chest, causing me to crash to my knees. The world seemed to become a blazing inferno centered on the hole that now ran throughout my body, from my back to the exit wound between my breasts.
‘Burning… It's so hot… who knew being stabbed could hurt so badly. I´ve been attacked so many times before but none ever caused me this much pain. I don’t want to feel this way.’
<<Confirmed. Heat resistance acquisition successful. Continuing… physical attack resistance acquisition successful. Pain nullification acquisition… error…unsuccessful. Incompatible with personal beliefs. Compromise reached. Rapid regeneration acquisition successful>>
‘Just my luck to finally become comfortable with who I am only to have it taken away from me. Everyone is always trying to make me what they want, rather than just let me be happy. Her letter, why did I read it? Why did I try to trust her despite everything? If only I had been able to see… to resist. If only I weren’t always so afraid’
<<Confirmed. Creating a body always compatible with one’s sense of self. Charm immunity acquisition successful. Fear resistance acquisition successful.>>
“Rank- -ar me? Bre-! You ha- -o keep- -thing”
‘Akane, you need to stop shouting. Please! I want to hear your voice, that beautiful voice before I go. Let me hear you sing one last time? Or whisper to me like you do when we’re alone?’
<<Confirmed. New skill acquired, Memory of the lost. Continuing… New skill acquired, Words of wonder. Combining skills. Unique skill created, Muse acquisition successful>>
‘This feeling… nausea? Why? Did she poison the blade? She really wants me to have no chance huh?’
<<Poison resistance acquisition successful.>>
Akane’s tear streaked face now fills my vision. She’s holding me upright as my eyes grow heavy. I try to speak but all that exits my mouth is a rattling breath and blood which stains the front of my blouse. My eyes search hers yearning to communicate what my lack of words and the katana Nodoka shoved through my lung have denied me
My darling Akane. You chose me in the end. The real me. I can never thank you enough for taking a chance on us, despite it all. No phoenix could part us, no dragon, no monster or myth. We faced it all together and came out on top. At least until now.’
<<Resistance to monster types has failed due to the sheer quantity of variables. As an alternate measure, resistance to elemental attacks has been acquired.>>
‘If I’m reborn I’ll find you again Akane. I promise. Nothing will keep me from returning to your side’
<<Unique Skill Acquired. Awakening acquisition successful>>
‘I don’t want to be alone. This world is cruel enough without your hand in mine, without you to guide me.’
<<Extra Skill Acquired. Guidance acquisition successful. Continuing… Guidance is being updated. Unique Skill acquired. Oracle acquisition successful>>
‘Don’t cry Akane. Just wait for me. Ranko Tendo don’t lose’
My eyes are so heavy… I need to sleep. Just a moment. Just let me rest for a moment. It’ll be ok Akane… just let me rest for a minu-
“R-ko! Pl- e! Open y-r e-! Don- leave pl-! Ranko!”
(-:-)
________ opened her eyes. Green swam and shifted in her vision. She blinked and the fuzzy blur before her coalesced into the swaying canopy of a dense forest. Small birds flitted from tree to tree and she could hear their songs calling and twittering, breaking the silence of her surroundings. She tried to sit upright but her body failed to respond.
‘I… died’, she thought, her mind racing. ‘I died and now I’m here. Is this the afterlife?’
She felt weak. So very weak. It was like she had undergone three days of continuous training with Herb. Her limbs were heavy and slow. She forced herself to lift an arm into view. What greeted her eyes was not the well-sculpted and scarred sight she was used to. The arm that came into view was a stunted little thing, chubby and sporting reddened, wrinkled skin that looked like it had been in the bath too long. Her fingers were absolutely tiny and she wiggled them clumsily.
‘What the absolute fuck?’
Her other hand rose into view too, following her mental command. She waved them both in the air, experimenting with her sudden lack of dexterity.
‘I… I don’t understand what’s happening.’
<<Inquiry received. Your body is currently too immature to control effectively due to your recent rebirth on this plane. Your species, Cambion, is able to rapidly age itself in the absence of caretakers or if in imminent danger. While normally detrimental to the mental state of the child, your previous life experience would give you the knowledge and muscle memory to effectively utilize this option. Do you wish to activate this ability now?>>
________ blinked. A voice was speaking to her. In her head! It sounded a little like Nabiki did when she could be bothered to lecture ________ on her stupidity. And what was that about being reborn? Was this like in one of those manga Akane kept trying to push on her?
‘Wait a minute… are you saying I’m a kami-forsaken baby now? And you can make me grow up if I want to? I- this is all too much! Who exactly are you?’
<<Inquiry received. You are indeed an infant. A cambion. As for this one? This one is the result of your unique skill, Oracle. This one speaks with you in your mind and can do so due to the innate telepathic abilities that all cambion present from birth. This one allows you to analyse the world around you and can help you divine the mental states of others, be they monster, construct, human or even those from a higher plane. This one may even offer help with suggestions about likely actions they might take. You will not be taken unawares by the hidden intentions of others under this one’s aegis.>>
‘I barely understood any of that, but it sounds like you’re here to help me? Can you get me back to Japan?’
<<Negative. Your life in that world has ended. You are a creature of this one now.>>
Tears began to well in ________ ’s eyes. She felt the overwhelming need to wail her pain to the world. Only her fear of the attention that it might bring her in her current state of helplessness stalled her cries.
‘So that’s it? I just have to move on and try and survive in this new world, all the while living with the fact that I’ll never see my Akane-chan again? Kasumi? Nabiki? No-one? Is that what you’re saying?’
<<Negative. There is a chance others from your world may have been reborn here. Time is less linear between planes. It is possible that they might be found.>>
Her screams vanished before they could begin. She was suddenly listening to every word the Oracle said, drinking in everything like a woman dying of thirst.
‘Really? You mean it? How does that work?’
<<As this one said, it is a possibility. If your previous relations have been reborn here, they would have lived and died in your world. After, there is a chance their souls could have reincarnated here.>>
‘So you’re saying my Akane would have lived a whole life, maybe even remarried and grown old with someone else? That she could possibly even have had a family, all before dying and reincarnating here?’
<<Correct>>
‘Will she remember me?’
<<It is unlikely. However memories of a past life may be unlocked with the appropriate skill, such as the unique skill: Awakening that you now possess.>>
Those words felt like a punch to ________’s gut. Apparently she had the power to return Akane’s past memories. But from what Oracle was saying it sounded like her Akane would have had years to get over her, to move on. Would she still be her Akane, or a stranger forced to confront past tragedy long thought healed? ________ thought back to her last moments in Akane’s arms. Her promise to find her wife in the next life.
Maybe it was foolish but she had made a promise to Akane. Come what may, ________ felt she had to try.
‘Ok then. I kinda wish you’d explained all this upfront when I was dying but lets try that growth ability. I gotta find some sorta shelter while I figure out where I am, and I ain’t gonna get far crawling everywhere.’
<<Tchhh! This one cannot answer questions before they are asked. Initiating Cambion Growth skill as requested.>>
________ furrowed her brow and a stream of nonsensical babbling burst from her mouth as she registered what Oracle had said.
‘Wait a minute, are you giving me attitude? When did that st-!’
One moment ________ was on her back, swaying gently from side to side. The next, immense pain rippled through her form. She screamed as she felt her muscles tear and grow before knitting themselves back together. Skin split and reformed. She was rising into the air, a writhing little ball of pain. Her bones lengthened. Light, a deep pulsing magenta filled her vision.Two twin daggers of agony sliced between her shoulder blades and from the top of her skull. And then… as suddenly as it began…it was over.
She fell to the earth, landing in a crouch, her legs and arms now moving as fluidly as they ever had. Pink-tinged steam rose from her body as she stood to her full height.
<<Cambion Growth skill successful. Well done!>>
________ felt an eye twitch.
‘Well done?!’ she thought as the memory of pain flashed through her body making her tremble and a groan escaped her lips. ‘That fucking hurt! You didn't tell me it was going to hurt!”
<<See earlier observation about the nature of questions. Tchhh!>>
‘See! I knew it! You are giving me sass!’ ________ thought triumphantly, pointing a mental finger in accusation. From Oracle there was no reply.
After hearing nothing from Oracle for almost a minute, ________ took the time to look around the clearing. Something still didn’t feel right but she needed to get her bearings first. One of the first things she had learned about trekking through the wilderness as a child is that a quiet forest didn’t necessarily mean you were alone. Her eyes went wide as she beheld what her former prone position had previously hidden from her. The ground surrounding her in all directions was blackened and scorched. The trunks of the trees were sporting signs of being burned, their bark cracked and flaking, though the upper part of each plant remained unmarred and healthy.
‘What happened here?” she thought
She leaned down, running some of the scorched earth through her fingers. It felt like ash. It would probably be best to make herself scarce. She didn’t want to meet the person or creature who could do this kind of damage in her current state, nor those who might be on their way to investigate it.
Nodding to herself, ________ rose and brushed herself down. It was then that another issue made itself known. She trembled as she paused mid-brush and felt her body heating up with embarrassment. Taking a deep breath, ________ looked down at her body. Her young childish body, devoid of curves and body hair. A body completely devoid of clothing. She was still a kid, maybe about 10 or 11 by her estimates, and she was also very naked.
She let out a small squeak as her eyes darted around wildly, looking for anything to cover herself up with.
Nothing.
‘Ummm… Oracle?’
<<Yes?>>
‘I’m…naked’
<<Correct. As a newborn it is unlikely you were birthed wearing such items as clothing. Species trait activated>>
________ felt the intense panic at her nudity begin to fade. Suddenly she didn’t feel nearly as self conscious as before. In fact she felt almost confident. Oracle was right. What was there to be so upset over? It was only clothes. Her cheeks still felt a little warm and she was sure she was sporting a blush but she was alone and it’s not like she couldn’t fashion something to wear given time. There were plenty of leaves around after all.
<<Resist fear skill has evolved a passive component due to your species inherent mental traits. The Nudist trait prevents embarrassment regarding your body while no armour or clothing is equipped. This trait does not prevent knowledge of your nakedness, it just makes you comfortable, There is no impact to your libido while you are still a Cambion.>>
________ listened to Oracle’s voice in her mind as she strode into the forest but to be honest she wasn’t really paying that much attention. So, she was cool with being naked now. Fine. ________ still wanted to make something to wear and soon. She had no idea about the weather in this region and she would most likely need clothing for protection from the elements. As for her childish body… she was a bit pissed about that but it was better than being a baby and, even better, her new body was definitely female. The thought of not needing to deal with the dysphoria of the curse, added a spring to her step. First she needed to secure the basics such as food, water and shelter. Then she could work on finding something to wear. Lastly she could start to explore the area and find out exactly where she was.
After that, well… her wife was out there somewhere. She could feel it in her heart and ________ would find her.
‘Someday…’
(-:-)
As the forest engulfed her, the child, her pink hair unbound and floating about her head like a halo, turned to take one last look back at the clearing that had been the site of her rebirth. Her golden eyes flashed, showing off the vertical slits at the center of each pupil. Two small bump-like horns were barely visible, hidden mostly from view by her fringe.
The girl sighed and shook her head before turning away from the scene. Two small bat-like wings flapped unnoticed and impotently on her back as she continued her journey, vanishing amongst the mass of trees. The only thing that remained was the echoes of her voice, high and sweet. An oath spoken only for the benefit of the speaker.
“Someday…I’ll see you again Akane-chan. Wait for me… please”
(-:-)
StardustX86 presents:
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Succubus
Chapter 1 coming soon.