-Interlude Lily la Arkenia-

When i first regain my consciousness..

I was inside a water tank.

“...”

There's a commotion when i wake up

Apparently, i was not the only one inside a water tank.

Everyone ranged 12 to 15 years old in varying appearance is inside the other water tank.

Some with a horn, some with a scales, some with a feather.

Later i found out they were my “brother and sister”

It seems like, i was the first to wake up.

“..”

I only stare blankly.

Without any will, without any soul inside.

I was only feeling “empty”

Then,

one of the people with coat is looking at me.

While wearing a mask.

He speaked to me

“Happy birthday, number #34”

This, was my birth

….

Later.

I learnt about my identity.

Apparently it was a project of making a fusion between human demi human and monster to create a life form that surpass them in order to conquer the world

Some even fused with the demon, and we were called “Chimera”

As the first that wakes up, i was known as the first successful project

We have no common relation between us because we have been created by various body part

However, we have one common relation

between us.

That is.

We have the Demon King blood among us.

Which makes us his children basically.

My strength clearly surpass the normal human or demi human.

So when they find out they rejoiced.

But.

It doesn't last long...

…

When my brother and sister is waking up, it was found out that they had even higher level than me

After a few years, one of the chimera even have a strength that is comparable to the Demon King itself.

They cheered saying at this rate, they might be able to fulfill their dream.

I don’t know what they meant by it. And i don't really care

All of us are receiving training and killing technique, survival knowledge, and battle knowledge.

But none of us know about emotions

Since our purpose is to become a weapon since the start, we only learn to throw away our emotions

As now the weakest among my sibling, i was treated badly among my peer

I, which has been treated as the weakest now doesn't have much to do left and only dazed around in the outside lab

I might have done a assasination job previously, but lately i have a free time.

“There you are, #34”

Someone calls me.

Apparently it was the head scientist, Rondrew.

He is the man that propose the creation of us, in other word our father.

Apparently he has lost most of his part of body in accident, that's why he wears a mask.

“Did you find the sky interesting?”

I ignore him and continued what i am doing

“Oh? is that the painting of sky?”

Only made a slight nod, i replied him

“I see. you were really a bright child”

He pats me.

Getting a bit embarrassed, i was slightly back down.

He was oyaya, and released his hand to me

…

Apparently Rondrew was the only one that still adore me

Other scientist are rather observed the more stronger child and ignore me

Part of it is because i still retain mostly human appearance.

My body is completely changed inside though, so if i take off my clothes anyone would feel disgusted looking at my body.

I don’t know what monster i was combined with, but i know a part of me is from a human at least.

Among the scientist, i can only trust Rondrew

So

I never even thought that he would ever do that..

…..

Apparently the Demon King army is getting pushed back into a desolate land

They managed to regain their standing after making a contract with Dragon King.

But they didn't have any way to counterattack outside the Dragon King influence.

That's where we would be used

…

Each one of us is far stronger than a normal soldier

Furthermore, we don't need blessing of the Dragon King and can move freely outside

But,

Something unexpected happened.

Before we were going to be mobilized tomorrow.

The strongest among us rebelled.

….

“Are you satisfied now, number #20?”

Calmly speak Rondrew

“SHUT UP! YOU BUNCH OF MONSTERS!”

Replied a young man around 15 years old with wolf fur and tails but dragon claw

Apparently the most successful experiment from us is planning to rebel since the beginning

“Ahh, i see. you had released from our control by forcefully resist it by willpower huh. amazing”

Looking at Rondrew with a glare full of hatred, he glare at him

“WHERE DID YOU TAKE MISHA!?””

Apparently he asked about #15 which is close to him.

After knocking most of us unconscious, and killed other scientist, he confront Rondrew which is the head of scientist

I myself already cannot move and only able to watch this happening

“Hmm? You already seeing #15 since the beginning though?”

“!”

Saying that.

He realized.

The case that he hold since the beginning..

“Really, living beings with a bodies is troublesome. If only we can abandon our bodies and getting close to them we would evolve leapt and bound. But i guess this is the limit. Both for us, humans, or demihumans..”

He released the case and rolling it into #20

“You can have it back. With our research, that's the best we can do. But we can’t make them abandon their psychical bodies and still living. I guess i have to start all over in order to make a undying creatures”

Inside the case.

Number #20 is slowly opening it.

And when he opened them.

“...!”

A red like organ is beating.

It was still alive.

But it cannot talked.

It cannot move.

It cannot feel.

Only “living”

And just living

“!!”

He looked so shocked.

And start to puke.

“BLEERGH!”

Rondrew only looked at him calmly

“AHH.. AHH… AHHHH!”

He grab the case tightly like it was so dear to him while he was crying

Then,

Rondrew clapped

“Brilliant”

Saying such a simple words

….

“I thought your emotion had been stripped thoroughly. To think, you still have this strong intense emotion inside you. Where did the emotion come from? hmm.. is it from soul? or a heart? i have to research it next time”

Calmly replied Rondrew.

Number #20 start to regain his sanity, and stare intensely at Rondrew

“YOU..BASTARD!”

Without any hesitation at all.

He stabbed Rondrew with his arms.

piercing him.

“DIE, MONSTER!”

He pierce him in heart.

with this amount of blood, Rondrew won’t be able to survive.

But..

“I see, you were indeed still rich in a emotion. I’m surprised”

“!”

He was still alive even though his heart got pierced

“Is it revenge that drives you? Or a will of live? Perhaps love? Hmm i was interested, but unfortunately i won't be able to seeing it”

Pulling out a hair from his pocket, he was speaking something

There's a power inside the hair

That is.

A part of the Demon King body

“Then, let me satisfy my intellectual curiosity for last time. You guys…”

“!! STOP!!

Realizing what he planned, number #20 is trying to stop him.

But it was too late.

“Go kill yourself”

With that as a trigger.

All of us is begin to suicide by cutting our own throat.

Including me.

…….

...Ey

I heard a sound.

Even in the afterlife there's a sound huh.

...Hold...on

I tried to open my eyes

Hey..

“….”

And i saw.

A boy is looking at me while crying

..

Apparently i survived.

Number #20 seems alive too.

Feeling dizzy, i looked around me.

“..”

The lab was in flame

All of the research note, the researcher, the chimeras.

All of them is burning

“YOU’RE ALIVE!”

#20 hugs me tightly

…

Strange.

Why did i survive again?

…

Looking at my throat, the cut is pretty shallow

Did i hold back unconsciously?

But.

Why?

“I THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD DIED, I’M GLAD YOU’RE STILL ALIVE”

Huh?

Hearing his story apparently my wound is not as deep as others.

Wiping his tears, he was looking at me.

“But, how did you survive? did you managed to resist his order like me?”

….

I don’t know

To be honest.

I was going to following Rondrew order like others.

I have no reason to refuse it anyway.

Besides.

I trusted Rondew.

So...

Anything he ordered, i would do it.

That’s what i think at least.

But.

At the last moment.

Before cutting my own throat.

I begin to remembering various things.

The scenery of the sky

Thinking of the outside world

I, begin to hesitate a little

And.

I was.

Started to afraid.

To die..

…

“I see! i see!”

He only hugged me tightly while crying

“Thank you, for being alive.. even if it's just one person, thank you”

Saying that.

He was keep being thankful to me.

…

He bring me out of this place.

Apparently, he managed to kill Rondrew and the rest of scientist

Unfortunately, all of our sibling is died from Rondrew last order.

Our blood relation with the Demon King made us cannot disobey his orders.

That’s why.

Me and #20 is a unique case

….

“Come to think of it, what’s your name?”

I only speak softly and said #34

He was dumbfounded at first.

“Your voice is pretty… ah! no, that's not what i meant!”

He begin to panicked, but regain his composure soon.

“My name is Aron, its what Misha gaves me”

Hearing that, i was dumbfounded

“Ah, right.. neither of us have a name originally huh.. let’s see”

He speaked softly after thinking for a while

“Lily”

“That's the name of Misha favorite flower. How about it?”

….

I only keep quiet

“Wh.. what’s wrong? you don't like it?”

No, its just

I.. don't know..

About good name, bad name.

Or even what i want, or what i like.

I.. don't know anything

“i see..”

He made a sad reply.

He was thinking for awhile, then.

“I get it!”

He have an idea

“Let us see the world together then!”

He made a suggestion

?

Confused, i only made a question face

He act smug and telling me

“If we travel together and seeing many things, you might know what you like and what to dislike”

“So just think of me as brother from now on. You're my little sister, so just call me big brother now!”

….

I still looked at him confusingly

But.

Unconsciously

“OW!”

I smack his head.

Because he was taller, i jumped a little.

“Wh..what?”

He was confused.

Then.

I speaked.

“Smug face.. don’t like it”

..?

I act without thinking.

He was looking at me and laughing

“Fft.. HAHAHA”

?

I don't understand why he’s laughing.

I only realize.

When he act smugly like he’s better than me.

I..

Got angry a bit.

….

Later on.

I found out

This, is what humans called ‘emotion’