Chapter 5 - Blending in (2/2)

(2 years flashback cont)

What followed the revelations about my powers was a mad fit of giggles, I felt like a schoolgirl on prom night that just scored her biggest stud. I needed to test the limits of my powers and how to best use them and for that, I had a theory.

In my mind, magic was something that basically told the rules of reality to go fuck themselves and enjoy it. I wanted to fuck those rules so bad, so so bad. But in order to mess with reality, I had to understand it, thus, I had to learn it. What were my options? Go to school with teenagers that I would never understand and would annoy me half to my immortal death? Hell no. Nana wanted to send me to school as any kid my age but that was a no-go so I proceeded to make my own plans.

I played up the fact I was confused and a bit scared due to my memory loss, coupled with some showing off my above-average intelligence convinced her to hire private tutors and basically homeschool me until high school. You see, grandma and her husband that passed away were rich, no, they didn't have fuck you money but they used to own a medium-sized company that they sold some years before his death. This enabled them to do what they wanted and since they didn't have any kids, they traveled the world and enjoyed their early retirement until they found themselves in Kuoh and decided to settle down here. All in all, she had enough money to hire me some of the best tutors available for all disciplines.

I took full advantage of that, I could go beyond the average level of kids my age and I had extra free time to do what I wanted. With my understanding of magic in mind, I chose to focus heavily on the sciences that studied how the world around us worked. My idea was based on this simple fact: if magic is based on bending reality and making the improbable possible, I could maximize my usage of magic by understanding the world. Instead of spending a large amount of mana in order to create phenomena, I wanted to know just which part of reality I needed to nudge or bend in order to achieve the same effect but with maximized benefits and minimized resource expenditure. I actually thought that this was one of the bases of Ajuka's Kankara Formula. Analysis, decomposition, recomposition, cause and effect.

I did all of this in order to not depend solely on my inherent vampiric attuned magic which gave me a talent towards summoning, darkness, and ice magic. My goal was to be the best, no specialization for me, a Jack of all trades is who I wanna be.

As days, weeks and months passed I began to delve deeper and deeper into magic, expanding my repertoire of knowledge and know-how at an astounding rate.

I found out that my powers grew a little after each feeding. After my first feeding where I had to completely drain my victim I learned that I could stop the process before they were killed. I didn't want to kill more than necessary because it wasn't the right time to draw unnecessary attention to myself.

This is why Kuoh Town experienced growth in blood donations from women. Why? Please tell me, what would you choose between sucking the blood of a beautiful woman and sucking the blood of a man. That's right, checkmate.

Now, why the spike in blood donations? Well, I wanted to have some juice laying around in case of emergencies or in case I got snacky, and your boy did get snacky from time to time. In order to achieve my snacktime bliss, I got around to acquiring blood bags from hospitals. But I felt bad just stealing and not giving anything back to the community. I honestly didn't want a kid dying on the operation table due to a lack of blood, I'm not a monster.

I am nothing but a true blue generous gentleman.

So, I made my dastardly plan. You know that vampires are quite adept at summoning bats, right? Well, I could summon mine as well, and since they are nothing but magical constructs made of mana I could modify them to my heart's desire. I made a couple of different variations, one would be small enough to attach itself to the lense of a security camera. The trick? It would show the same feed as the normal camera would, but with a twist, it would filter my presence out, it would make me invisible to all cameras that had these guys attached. With them, I could stroll right into any institution with no problem, with the evidence gone and a couple of minor illusions on the guards and other personnel, I was free as a bird.

After I got the blood I would go on a moonlit walk, drink some blood from women, heal the bite with my saliva, yeah I became The Necklicker, quite a downgrade from my previous esteemed profession. After healing them I would implant a minor subconscious suggestion that would embolden them to go to the hospital and donate blood.

All in all, I was a golden boi, I got fed, had my snacks, could twirl my wine glass like a James Bond villain while the city had a growth in blood supply.

It got so good that I could choose which blood type I preferred, it was like shopping for vintage wine. As a rule, I stay away from universal donors, those sluts, they give it away to everybody.

These 2 years gave me a window into a new world, my powers were continually developing and growing and my life was good, I was getting ready for canon which would begin when I would be 18 years old. It seems that I was one year older than Issei, found that out by reading the idiot's mind, there was no way I would actually converse with him. Listen, I didn't hate the guy when everything was happening on a screen and I was enjoying my chips and soda, but seeing it in real life, his behavior reeks of a sex offender in the making and that, that just sends shivers down my spine.

With the passage of time, as I grew so did my relationship with Nana. I truly considered that woman my second grandmother. We would talk about everything and nothing at the same time, she had that vision and understanding that comes with old age, that, combined with her travels around the world made her a joy to be around.

But, sadly, all good things must come to an end.

A year and a half after she took me in, Nana, my nana, started to have health problems. It was all related to old age and there was nothing nobody could do, she was 80 pushing on 90. It struck me that I would lose another grandmother like this. I took a stance, I would not have the same regrets that I had in my last life, no, I would stand beside her and take care of her.

And so I did, I slowed down my studies a bit in order to take care of her and be by her side. I cared for her, the fact that I am mentally older than my body doesn't matter in this, she took what appeared to be a 12 years old kid and adopted him as her own, even putting me as the sole heir in her will. I didn't honestly care about the money at all, why would I? With my power, I could make more money than I received, within a week. No, I cared about her as a person.

As the months ground on, I asked her. I asked her that if there was a way to live longer, would she take it?

She said no. It made me curious so I took the plunge and told her about the discoveries that I made regarding my body. She didn't get mad or scared about the fact that I was this much from her. She understood, and that's why I loved her.

She was human, something I could only understand from afar now that I've accepted my position in the supernatural, something I would never truly be again. She wanted death, she was old enough to die, in her own words. She wanted to move on and meet her husband in the next great adventure.

So I let her go.

I stayed by her side until she took her last breath with a smile adorning her face. I was smiling as well, yes, there was sadness there but I was happy for her, she got what most of us never get a happy life.

That night I drank my first cup of sake in her honor and would continue to do so for everyone that I've lost from my first life. There's no reason to be sad forever, a memory is all we are, even the eternal.

----

I spent my melancholic days until now. Now, 2 years after arriving in Kuoh and in this world and at the ripe age of 14 I was ready to travel around the world until canon arrived. I will come back one year before canon and join high school. I had my plans.

Three years of traveling, beware world.

For I am coming.

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A/N

Well, this was the second part of the chapter released earlier today.

I'm trying to give a perspective about the way Hiro's mind works and about how he perceives himself and the world. Any feedback on this?

With this chapter gone we can consider this as the end to somewhat of a prologue, told and expressed in a journal-like manner. Next time we get in the present with Hiro's travels around the world before canon.

Small spoiler: it may not happen in the next chapter or the one after that but: what's Dracula without his Draculina? I know you can guess who we'll meet.

See you next time