Chapter 8: Chapter 7
"Suck, suck, suck…"
"My, my! Drinking so eagerly? Is it that delicious?"
This is incredible! Since when is breast milk this tasty?! Any thoughts like "It's from a beautiful woman" or "This is embarrassing roleplay for someone with an adult mind" vanished in an instant! Guess it's true—hunger really is the best seasoning. Milk hitting an empty stomach is pure bliss!! Give me more!
"Suck, suck, suck… pwah!"
"All done! Now, let's burp~. Pat, pat."
"Burp!"
"Good job! Such a clever girl~!"
Quit praising me so much. You're making me blush.
Now that I've calmed down, time to think rationally.
Who is this woman? She appeared out of nowhere and isn't fazed by my terrifying aura. Even non-Nen users would tremble in fear!
…Conclusion: She's a Nen beast I unconsciously conjured. My desperation to survive must've brought her to life. Why a motherly figure? Maybe my subconscious longed for one?
But I can't control her. Can't dismiss her either. An autonomous Nen beast? Bound by conditions, no doubt. Of all things, my first post-reincarnation ability is a mom… Talk about irony.
Ah, well. At least I'm alive. If I'd died back there, I might've cursed this entire area with post-mortem Nen. Regrets? Plenty. But time to focus on the future.
My original goal—losing my virginity to a canon character—is dead. This isn't a manga world anymore. It's real. But make no mistake: I'm still ditching my V-card! With my monstrous aura and martial arts, I'll become a harem king!
…There was a time I genuinely believed that.
"Fuhahaha! I'll become the harem king!!!!!"
…
There was a time when I thought that way too.
"Come on, Aisha-chan. It's time for milk. Let's drink up today too, okay~?"
"Ah~ uu~"
...Aisha. That's my name now. My mom gave it to me. Sounds like a girl's name, right?
Why can't Aisha be a boy's name?! If only I could snap back like that…!
"You're so cute today too, Aisha-chan. You're definitely going to grow up to be a beauty just like me~. Isn't that great~? You'll be so popular with the boys~"
Yeah, I'm so not thrilled about that. Why the hell should I be happy about being popular with guys?
This is the third miscalculation since my reincarnation… My gender… is female…
Why… did it turn out like this…?!
When I really thought about it, it was obvious. There's no rule that says you have to be reincarnated as the same gender you were before. If I wanted that, I should've made a Nen ability to guarantee it.
In fact, I should consider myself lucky to have been reborn as a human at all. After all, the Nen ability I used was designed to give me a new life. If things had gone wrong, I could've been reincarnated as an animal… or even a bug…
Scary… What kind of low-odds gamble was I taking?! When I think about the possibility of being reborn as an animal, being reborn as a girl doesn't seem so bad after all!
…
...Sorry, no. It's not like I'm fine with this after all. Living the rest of my life as a woman means there's no way I'll ever lose my virginity. Hell, it's not even about losing it—I don't even have one to begin with! And on top of that, there's the possibility of guys hitting on me... Ugh, I wanna die.
...Wait, hold on. Think carefully, me. I was able to reincarnate using a Nen ability. Couldn't I also use a Nen ability to change my gender!?
Huh? ...Now that I think about it, I feel like I've heard of such an ability before. ...Dammit! If only I could use [Original Knowledge/OriShuNoTokuten]! I'm pretty sure there was an ability like that... Come on, remember! If I don't remember now, I'll be stuck as a woman for the rest of my life!
...That's it! I remember now!! The game! The game made by Nen users! I'm pretty sure there was something like a gender-changing potion in there! If I can get my hands on that, I can turn back into a man!! And then I can finally lose my virginity!!!
Alright! Once my body grows up a bit, the first thing I'll do is go get that! Phew. Thank goodness. There's still hope.
Whew. That was close. For a moment there, I thought I was done for.
Yaaawn. Now that I've calmed down, I'm starting to feel sleepy. This baby body gets tired so easily—it's such a pain.
"Oh my, is it nap time already? Just wait a moment... There, all set. Sleep well, sweetie."
"Ah~ uu~"
Thank you so much for going out of your way to conjure up a baby crib with a rattle canopy. Today's milk was strawberry-flavored and absolutely delicious, by the way. Oh, and the milk before that was banana-flavored.
...Mom, you're seriously amazing.
…
Time passed, and I—Aisha—grew up healthy and strong, reaching the age of five.
My body is in great shape, thanks to the breast milk I've been drinking every day from my mom. ...Yes, even now that my body has grown enough to eat regular food, my daily meals still consist of breast milk...
Of course, I'd like to eat normal food too. But everything here is garbage. There's nothing edible at all. Sure, there are rats and bugs, but I don't want to eat those...
So, I have no choice but to make do with breast milk. ...But honestly, it's really delicious. I wonder what flavor today's lunch will be? This morning's was yogurt-flavored. Maybe I'll ask for something fruity next.
By the way, I was worried my jaw wouldn't get enough exercise, but that's not the case. Mom conjured up some gum for me, so I chew on that a lot. I asked her why she couldn't conjure up other types of food, but she said breast milk is the most nutritious, so no dice... That's a bit harsh.
Oh, and the gum's ingredients seem to be based on breast milk too. Seriously, it's ridiculously high-quality.
As for how we're sheltering from the rain and wind, well, this mom of mine conjured up a baby room. ...I thought it was a bit over the top, but honestly, it's been a huge help. I practiced crawling and standing while holding onto things inside here. It's safer than doing it outside, after all.
Plus, there's a clock in here that shows the date and time, so I can keep track of exactly how much time has passed. It's fully equipped with running water, a bath, a toilet, a mirror, and even a scale. It's the epitome of luxury.
Now that some time has passed, my body has grown, and life has settled down a bit, I decided to use the Water Divination test to check what type of Nen user I've become. The result was something that didn't fit into any of the other five categories—the leaf spun around and sank into the water. Definitely a Specialist.
Well, it's no surprise I'm a Specialist, since [Reincarnation/New Game+] worked successfully. Maybe the leaf's movement is a remnant of Manipulation?
…
Now, five years have passed since I was born as a girl. My previous resolve—to turn back into a man—still remains. Of course, losing my virginity is still on the list too. However, my way of speaking and thinking has become more girly...
There's a reason for this. When I grew old enough to speak properly, I once referred to myself as "ore" (a masculine pronoun) while talking to my mom. At first, she gently scolded me, saying, "A girl shouldn't refer to herself as 'ore.'" But when I kept doing it despite her warnings, she got genuinely angry with me once...
That was terrifying...
Ever since then, for some reason, I've developed this mindset that "a girl has to act like a girl."
At first, I still tried to hold onto my masculine way of speaking, but gradually, that determination faded. By the time I received the same warning again, it was completely gone...
...I'm pretty sure that's also part of my mom's ability. It's definitely weird. I could understand if I'd been living as a woman for decades, but for my male consciousness to shift to a female one in just two or three years after being born? That's impossible...
Otaku mentality → training-obsessed mentality → old man mentality → borderline plant mentality → otaku mentality again around the time of reincarnation → girly mentality. ...Even I think that's way too much fluctuation.
But if I can just turn back into a man! Then everything should be fine!! After all, "a girl has to act like a girl," right? So if I become a man, I'll have to act like a man!!
Now that I'm five, I can move my body a lot more freely.
Having lived this long, I've realized something: this body is ridiculously high-spec. I don't have anyone to compare it to, but at the very least, it's way better than my body from my previous life. I doubt my past self at five years old could've run for a full hour without stopping. And that's without even considering Nen.
This body can do it. Since I didn't have much to do in the room, I decided to test my physical capabilities as a form of exercise. I had a feeling my specs were high, but for a five-year-old with no proper training to pull this off...
Could this also be thanks to my mom's breast milk? It's so nutrient-rich that my body is growing incredibly well.
I'm probably already bigger than the average five-year-old. I'd say I'm about the size of a second or third grader.
That said, my past self trained to an insane degree. My aura capacity and mastery of aura basics and applications are at an absurdly high level... [Absolute Obedience/Geass] was a resounding success. Even a masochist wouldn't be able to handle that kind of training.
Well, since I've already gained these abilities, I might as well make sure they don't deteriorate. It's not like I have much else to do besides studying with my mom... Who would've thought I'd be learning arithmetic at this point?
…
Now that I've grown enough to move around properly, I'm still living inside Meteor City. ...Of course, there's no one else here besides me and my mom. Apparently, this area is classified as a special-grade danger zone within Meteor City.
How rude. To think that such a lovely child and a beautiful mother are living here...!
...So, why haven't I left Meteor City even though I can move around now? The answer is simple. When I tried, everyone was terrified of us...
When I was three, I once said I wanted to leave this place. My mom happily agreed, saying, "If that's what Aisha-chan wants, let's go out for a little trip."
I eagerly ventured outside Meteor City with my mom and headed to another city. As we approached the city, I immediately activated Zetsu. Of course, it was to hide this eerie aura of mine. If I were to let this aura run wild, no one would come near me. This should be fine, I thought, as we entered the town.
All around us were rows of buildings and crowds of people. Ah, it's been so long since I've seen a proper city. The sound of people walking, cars passing by, the voice of a news anchor coming from a TV, and the screams echoing through the air... It's all so nostalgic.
...Screams?
What's going on? Did a bank robbery happen or something? I looked around and noticed that people were clearly staring at us...? Why? I'm using Zetsu, aren't I? Why are they focusing on me?
Wait, no. If they were staring at me, I would've noticed their gaze. I'm not that oblivious. So who are they looking at? It's obvious. It's my mom standing next to me. Why? Why are they staring at her and trembling?
I looked at my mom standing beside me, but I couldn't figure it out...? She looks the same as always. Well, she seems a little flustered. Even my mom doesn't seem to understand what's going on.
"What's wrong with everyone?"
"I don't know... Let's try asking someone. Wait here for a moment."
"Don't go too far, Aisha-chan."
"It's fine. Besides, if I go more than 10 meters away, you'll just follow me anyway, right?"
With that, I approached a nearby man to talk to him. ...He looked like he was about to collapse.
"Um, what's wrong?"
"Eek!? Oh, i-it's just a kid...? Don't scare me like that..."
Oh, right. I was using Zetsu. I must've startled him.
"Sorry for scaring you. Can I ask why everyone seems so frightened?"
"W-well, I don't really know either. For some reason, my body just started trembling on its own..."
As he said this, the man wrapped his arms around himself.
...Huh? I'm not emitting any aura, so even a Nen user, let alone an ordinary person, shouldn't be reacting like this...
What's going on?
"W-what is this ominous aura!? Who are you!?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
!? Someone can sense aura!? A Nen user!!
"You may take the form of a beautiful woman, but you can't fool the eyes of Dio, a First-Class Single Beast Hunter! You're some kind of monster!! No human could emit such an aura!"
A-a Hunter!? And a Single-Class one at that! Wait, did he just call my mom a monster!?
"You probably planned to disguise yourself as a human and attack the city, but that won't work! You'll regret crossing paths with Dio!!"
This is bad...! We need to get out of here!
"Mom, let's go home!"
"Aisha-chan... Alright."
"There's a child too! Impressive Zetsu...! But I, Dio, a First-Class Double Beast Hunter, cannot let you escape!!"
Why did his title just get upgraded!?
"Stay away from us!"
I activated Ren at full power! If this guy tries to hurt my mom, I won't hold back!!
...He just foamed at the mouth and passed out... Is he really a Single-Class Hunter? Anyway, let's make a run for it while we can!
Phew. We should be safe now...
"Are you okay, Mom?"
"I'm fine, Aisha-chan. But you shouldn't have been so rough."
"But he was trying to hurt you..."
"Don't worry about me. Haven't I always told you? You're a girl, so you need to act like one."
"...Sorry."
"Mhm. As long as you understand. Thank you for getting angry on my behalf."
"Yeah!"
…
This is what happened. After that incident, I started to wonder: maybe my mom's aura is just as ominous as mine? That's the conclusion I came to.
To me, her aura only feels comforting and reassuring, but if that's the case, it would explain a lot... It would be great if my mom could use Zetsu or In, but in the two years since that incident, no matter how much we practiced, she couldn't master Zetsu. Well, to be more accurate, it's not that she can't use Zetsu—it's that she can't use any Nen techniques other than Ten.
Over these five years, I've figured out that my mom can't go more than 10 meters away from me. If we went to a city in our current state, it's highly likely that the police or Hunters would show up. If that happens, I might be fine, but I'm not sure if I can protect my mom...
So, for now, I've given up on leaving this place. Until I can come up with a better plan, we'll continue living here as we have been.
With that said, Meteor City, I look forward to your continued hospitality!