A Most Unlikely Hero Vol 5 Page 5

  “That’s a great idea, Michelle!” Gabrielle hugged her sister. “Thank you!”

  Michelle smiled kindly at her as she returned the hug. “You’re welcome.”

  As Gabrielle grabbed the console and began playing the dating simulation, Ariel leaned over and whispered into her sister’s ear. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “Of course I am,” Michelle responded. “Gabrielle needs some guidance in matters of love, and there’s no doubt in my mind that this will help her.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” Ariel muttered harshly. “I meant those games are—”

  “Don’t worry,” Michelle interrupted. “I made sure to give her the game that’s been rated for everyone. There are no sex scenes in it.”

  Ariel didn’t know if she believed Michelle. Her sister’s games were about as perverted as they came. She remembered going into Michelle’s room once, and her sister had been masturbating to a graphic sex scene.

  That had been a terrible experience.

  Gabrielle was an innocent soul, someone who didn’t understand the intricacies of things like sex and lewdness. She was sure their oldest sister had received the same lessons. Knowing her, however, Ariel was positive that Gabrielle had ditched those lessons and thus never learned about how babies were made.

  “I hope you’re right,” Ariel said. “I don’t think it would be appropriate for Big Sis to learn about that stuff yet.”

  “Don’t worry,” Michelle assured her sister. “I don’t want her learning about something that she isn’t ready for either. That’s why I’m having her play the non-sex one.”

  “Hey, Michelle,” Gabrielle said suddenly.

  “What is it?”

  “What are these two doing? It looks like a lot of fun, but I don’t really understand what’s happening.”

  Gabrielle pointed at the screen. On it was a very graphic depiction of a man and a woman having sex. The woman was moaning, her breasts bouncing up and down, while the man vigorously thrust into her most private of places. It was graphic. It was lewd. It was everything that neither Ariel or Michelle wanted their sister to see.

  “Ah!” Michelle gasped while Ariel did her best impression of a surprised space slug. “T-that’s not something you should be watching, Big Sister!”

  “Huh? It isn’t?”

  “No! Turn it off, please!”

  “But it looks like they’re having a lot of fun. They’re both smiling.”

  “Turn it off!”

  Michelle and Ariel, in an effort to maintain their sister’s purity, pounced. What followed was an epic struggle between three sisters.

  “Ah! Wait! I want to see more of what happens!”

  “Absolutely not!”

  “Yeah, Big Sis! There’s no way we can let you see something like this!”

  “But why not?”

  “W-why not?! Because it’s perverted!”

  “It’s not perverted! You’re just too young and innocent to understand the beauty of copulation!”

  “Shut up you!”

  “I don’t even know what ‘copulation’ means!”

  “That’s just another reason we can’t let you watch this, dear sister. It’s too soon for you.”

  “But you’re younger than I am!”

  “Age is nothing but a number.”

  “Yeah! Yeah! Listen to Michelle, Big Sis! I don’t want you turning into a lecher like her!”

  “I rather resent that comment.”

  What started off as struggle to get the tablet away from Gabrielle before she could become corrupted eventually turned into a tickle fight. It happened when Gabrielle accidentally rubbed Ariel’s wings. The girl squealed, which surprised Michelle and allowed Gabrielle to pounce on them. Of course, the two recovered quickly and retaliated, but tides turned again when Michelle teamed up with Gabrielle and pinned Ariel to the mattress.

  “Ha! Take that!”

  “N-no! Ha-ha-ha—stop! No more!”

  “I am sorry, Ariel, but there is no way I can stop now.”

  “Tickle time!”

  After nearly ten minutes of tickling torture, all three girls lost their energy. They lay on the massive bed, with Gabrielle in the middle and her two sisters lying on either side of her. All of them gulped in oxygen like their lives depended on it.

  “I’m really happy you two are here,” Gabrielle said after regaining her breath.

  Michelle lifted her head off of her sister’s left breast and smiled down at her. On Gabrielle’s other side, Ariel lay curled up against the eldest of them, nuzzling Gabrielle’s right boob like an affectionate cat.

  “Yeah,” Michelle said softly. “I’m happy we’re here, too.”

  12

  Selene was washing the dishes after eating dinner with her family. Her parents were likely in the shop, preparing everything they would need for the next day. Meanwhile, her older sister, who had actually moved out a while ago, was sitting in the living room watching a holovid. From the sound of explosions, it was probably an action vid.

  A sharp pain stung the back of her neck, causing Selene to wince and instinctively bring her hand up to feel her skin and check for wounds. Because her hands were wet, her neck ended up getting water all over it. She grimaced as the soapy water traveled down her back. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

  The pain left, and Selene finished washing the dishes.

  While many families used sonic washers, and they even had their own washer, her parents had been adamant on teaching her the proper “dishwashing etiquette.” They believed it was important to teach her and her sister not to rely on convenient technology all the time, lest they become overly reliant on it.

  “We like doing things the proper way,” was what her mom always said.

  She entered the living room and glanced at the couch. Her sister Melanie was lounging on the couch like an indulgent cat. Even her expression reminded Selene of those lackadaisical cats she’d seen lazing about in the pet stores she walked past on her way to the shuttle stop.

  “I’m going to take a shower,” Selene said.

  Melanie perked up. “Would you like me to join you?”

  “No, it’s fine. I can shower myself.”

  “Bleh, that’s no fun.” Her sister stuck her tongue out. “You’ve never wanted to take a shower with me. Even when you were younger, the only people you’d shower with was Alex and Alice.”

  “T-that’s just because I was a kid and didn’t know any better,” Selene said.

  Melanie waved her hand through the air as though warding off a bug. “If you say so.”

  In an effort to change the subject, Selene asked, “Anyway, what are you doing back home? I thought you had left for the North Star Dome.”

  North Star Dome was the dome located on the northern polar ice cap. It was a mining dome. Miners excavated ice, turned it into water, purified it, and then shipped it out to the other domes. Her sister worked there as a shift manager.

  “Yeah. I quit that job a few days ago,” Melanie admitted. “All of the guys there were complete pigs. They thought they could tame me. Ha! As if I’d ever become a docile little lamb who only existed to inflate their already bloated egos. I couldn’t deal with their constant attempts at getting into my bed, so I left.”

  “Ha…”

  Her sister had always been popular with the boys. In primary school, she’d been known for having a new boyfriend each week. That reputation had gone with her to university. Every week she would bring a new boy home. Her father nearly had several conniptions when he’d wake up to discover a half-naked man in their house. Even now, Melanie was known for dating a guy and then dumping him when he no longer amused her.

  Despite how often her sister switched boyfriends, she still had stringent standards. Melanie liked men who were athletic, capable of holding an intelligent conversation, and moderately experienced in dating, but not experienced enough that they felt like they could control her. She enjoyed taking the lead, but she needed someone who could keep pace without her babying them—or so she said.

  “You should think about getting yourself a boyfriend,” Melanie said suddenly.

  “W-what?”

  “Yeah.” Sitting up, Melanie grinned at her. “What about that Alex kid? I haven’t seen him in a while, but he was such a cutie back then. I imagine he’s grown into a hottie now.”

  Selene tried to pretend she wasn’t blushing. “I-I think we’re done talking about this.”

  “Aw, you’re no fun.”

  Selene went into the shower room, leaving her pouting sister behind. After taking a shower and getting dressed in her pajamas, she entered her bedroom, which was fairly small, about fifty square meters all told. The carpet was soft underneath her feet. Her walls weren’t adorned with much, but there were a few holopics that featured her, Alex, and Alice when they were younger. She glanced at those holopics for a second, sighed, and then flopped onto her bed.

  An aching pulse on her neck made her face contort into a grimace as she slipped into a fitful slumber.

  CHAPTER 2

  A LESSON IN OBSERVATION

  Alex was slow to rise that morning, perhaps due to how exhausting shopping with a bunch of eager girls had been. It had been a trying experience. As he slowly regained alacrity, Alex realized that he wasn’t alone. At first, he thought Gabrielle had climbed into his bed, but after blinking several times, he realized that the person standing over him was not, in fact, Gabrielle.

  “Nyx?” Alex blinked several times. Nyx was crouching at the end of his bed, staring at him with blank eyes.

  “Good morning,” she spoke in a monotone voice. She was back in her traditional black clothing. The bands around her arms and thighs made her pale skin stand out. She was barefoot, but the rest of her clothing was on.

  “What are you doing here?” Alex asked, sitting up to stretch his arms and release a wide yawn. His back cracked several times. He winced, all the while keenly aware of the eyes on him.

  “I was watching you.”

  “Watching me?”

  “Hm.”

  Alex paused for a moment to study Nyx. She didn’t move, she didn’t blink, and, if he didn’t know any better, he would have said she wasn’t breathing.

  “Okay…” he said slowly. “Can I ask why you were watching me?”

  “I thought I sensed killing intent coming from here. When I entered the room, the killing intent vanished, but I decided to stick around in case it came back.”

  Alex didn’t know what killing intent was, but he figured he could ask her later. It sounded serious.

  “Thank you for watching me,” Alex said, despite feeling a little awkward knowing that someone had watched him while he slept. “But, uh, would you mind leaving now so I can get dressed?”

  He couldn’t be sure, but Alex could have sworn Nyx perked up at the mention of him getting dressed. She looked down. He didn’t know why, but the desire to cover his crotch was strong. His hands actually twitched as though moving to protect his groin.

  “Okay,” Nyx said after several seconds of staring. She climbed off his bed and exited the room, her feet making nary a sound.

  She really is an assassin.

  The thought had occurred to him more than once, but it still surprised him. He hadn’t asked Nyx much about what she did. Naturally, he knew that she used to kill people for a living, but that was why he didn’t ask. He didn’t want her remembering that time. He wanted her to start a new life with him and the others.

  I want to see her smile.

  “Who cares about that? I just want to see her wiggle that fine ass.”

  Alex clicked his tongue and slammed his mental shields down, blocking out the voice. He then climbed out of bed and dressed himself in some jogging shorts and a tank top. While he wasn’t a police officer anymore, he still needed to maintain top form, considering his situation with Gabrielle.

  A hero always needed to be in shape.

  Nyx was waiting for him outside. Smiling, he placed a hand on her head and combed his fingers through her hair. She had very soft hair, like velvet.

  “Say, Nyx, how would you feel about sparring with me?” he asked, grinning when she tilted her head.

  1

  The simulation chamber that had been created by Gabrielle was the most incredible technological marvel Alex had ever seen. He only understood the basics. First: It transported people and objects to a separate dimension that had been created by Gabrielle. Second: It simulated various geographical locations based on live data fed through the Operating System. Third: It somehow negated all physical damage by turning it into mental stress.

  It was the third aspect that Alex had trouble wrapping his mind around. He simply couldn’t understand how it worked, and when Gabrielle had tried to explain it to him, he’d gotten lost. Apparently, his knowledge of dimensional theory and physical/mental allocation needed to expand. That said, the most important thing to him, right then, was not how it worked. It was what it meant to him personally.

  It wasn’t possible to die within the simulator. That meant he and Nyx could fight as hard as they wanted to.

  Power coursed through Alex as he used his Aura of Creation. Blue flames flickered around him, ethereal like the fog that sometimes appeared on Mars’ surface after an ion storm. With the Aura of Creation, Alex mentally commanded them to form a whip, which he used to lash out at Nyx.

  Of course, he didn’t expect his attack to hit Nyx, who was a professional assassin. She dodged to the side, grabbed two of the bands on her arms, and transmuted them into a pair of swords. The beautiful assassin sped toward him. He moved back. However, Nyx doggedly followed him, liberally attacking with her blades once she had closed the distance. He leapt back, a grunt escaping his mouth when her blades carved a thin furrow through his chest.

  “Ooh! That was a close one. You’d better get your ass in the game, boy, or this hot little bitch is gonna fuck. You. Up.”

  “I don’t want to agree with this daemon, but you really should move more quickly in battle.”

  The voices had returned with a vengeance. Alex guessed it was because he was using his Aura of Creation. He figured it was like a gate, almost. By opening up the gate to allow his power through, he also allowed the voices, which he assumed were somehow associated with his power, to get through as well. This meant he had no choice but to listen as they commented on his battle.

  Nyx’s short skirt flapped around as she descended. Her left boot turned into a ball with spikes on it. Alex leapt backward, nearly stumbling as the ground shook when Nyx crashed into it.

  “Doesn’t Nyx look sexy in that tight-fitting outfit? Look! You can see her boobs strain against the fabric! She’s not even wearing a bra!”

  “You’re corrupt and immoral.”

  “You’re just now realizing that?”

  Not now, Alex grumbled.

  The ball turned back into a boot, and Nyx blasted off the ground, attempting to cut him down with the swords that she gripped fiercely in her hands. Alex moved as fast as he could. Left. Right. Back. Duck. The air whistled as his opponent cut through it with her blades, and he spun around her attacks and tried to slice them apart with his Aura Whip.

  It didn’t work.

  Apparently, a whip was not a good choice in weapon when fighting her, even one made entirely of energy. Nyx cut straight through his whip. The energy dissipated, and she came in close, once more trying to slice his chest open.

  Not good! I need to make another weapon!

  A sword of ethereal blue energy formed in his left hand, which he used to block Nyx’s strike. Clang! His arm reverberated as their blades clashed.

  Alex clenched his teeth as Nyx stared at him with dispassionate eyes. His limbs shook from the strain, but she appeared to be perfectly fine. Were the nanomachines that made up her body the cause for her incredible strength?

  “You know, she’s kinda tiny, isn’t she?”

  Alex grunted as he backpedaled, barely avoiding Nyx’s swings. He could actually feel the tip of her blade graze his nose.

  Your point?

  “Well, I was just thinking… since she’s so small, would having sex with her make you a lolicon?”

  Alex stumbled but righted himself. Nyx swung again. He blocked with his sword, wincing as her attack pushed him back. Gritting his teeth, Alex formed another blade of ethereal blue energy in his left hand, which he swung at Nyx, who merely leaned her head back to dodge.

  “Could you please not talk about that?”

  “Hmph. Don’t such a prude, Sandalphon.”

  “I’m not a prude. You’re just too lewd.”

  Be quiet, both of you!

  Several strands of hair were cut from his head as another of Nyx’s swings came close to getting him. Alex watched them flutter away on a breeze. That moment’s distraction cost him. The next thing he knew, his chest was flaring with intense pain, and he was lying on his back, staring at the tip of a blade.

  “I win,” Nyx said simply.

  The aura surrounding Alex vanished. He locked his mind down like a high-security vault, forcing the voices to disappear. Had they not distracted him, this fight would have lasted much longer, of that he was sure.

  “So you did,” Alex said, sucking in several deep lungfuls of air. Sweat beaded his forehead, and his chest ached, though he understood that it was actually mental damage being simulated by his mind to make him think his chest was aching.

  Nyx took her foot off his chest. Alex sat up, rubbing the place where she’d hit him. She must have transformed her hair into a fist or something and used it to punch his blind spot. Alex still didn’t know much about alchemy, but it was pretty damn useful in terms of combat potential. Nyx’s entire body was basically a weapon.

  “Are you… hurt?”

  Alex looked up as Nyx stared down at him. Her expression hadn’t changed, but somehow, he thought he could hear worry leaking into her voice.

  “I’m fine,” he said, grinning as he stood up. “Just a little bruised up. You’re really strong.”

  “I am an assassin,” Nyx said.

  “Heh, right. Anyway, I’m gonna take a quick shower. Do you want to take one before me?”