The Half Body Demon

I remembered that time when me and the lich went back to their mansion. As I looked above the sky, it was pure black. The moon vibrates the colour of blood.

As I was looking at the moon, I noticed a huge animal flying across the sky. It had wings like bat the size of 2 full human adults.

Though, after looking thoroughly at the animal, it possess a human face, long black curly hair while its intestine was cut in half.

It was not an animal that I saw, It was a demon.

More precisely, the Half Body Demon, A Manananggal!

After leaving the stall, I immediately wiped my body with a towel and wore my school uniform. After that, I put the towel on the washing machine and left it there.

Remembering the manananggal, I asked myself. 'Why was that there?' After looking at the naked body of Lockwood, I noticed her stomach. I remember! these demons eats unborn child of pregnant women.

There might be a pregnant woman!

Lockwood, who is from the next room, asks me. "Where should I put these towels Crimson?"

I told her. "Just leave it on the Washing Machine"

She asks again. "Shouldn't I dry this?"

"Naah" I told her. "It's much better if you don't, there are reports of Women's towels being stolen after they took a bath here, Let a janitor handle that"

Lockwood's face stiffed in disgust. "What do they do with it?" I told her. "Probably smell it"

"Ewww...."

"YES, Lockwood, EWWWWW"

After I went outside the bathroom, I turned left to look at Lockwood fresh from the bath, already wearing her uniform. Even though she doesn't smell bad even when she sweats, she smells much better when fresh.

If I could explain her smell, I would compare it to a lavender perfume. Though I asked her. "Are you wearing perfume, Lockwood?"

She told me. "I don't use those...."

"You don't? But the stall uses a different soap right? how did you retain the smell?"

She was confused and told me. "Um... I don't think my soap was different.... Do I smell bad?"

So that's her natural odor? So earlier when I smelled the lich, that's her natural smell? Do Dark elves and Liches produce smells like this?

Lockwood kept sniffing herself and waited for my reply. I told her. "You smell good actually, that's why I asked"

"Ohh... Thank you... I thought I suddenly smell bad"

I started walking and signed Lockwood to follow me by nodding my head. I told her. "Let's go"

After that, she started following me.

We walked around and smelled a delicious aroma coming far away. After smelling it, Lockwood's and My stomach started growling in starvation. Since we haven't had breakfast yet, we're definitely hungry.

I told Lockwood. "Let's eat!"

After going inside the Cafeteria, I noticed a lot of stalls opening around, the chefs started cooking the meals as the sound of food being fried and boiled were ringing in our ears.

The smell of spices like garlic and onions surrounding the place was so fantastic, it added more into our starvation.

We were astonished. Lockwood looked inside her bag as she drooled at the food and told me.

"Crimson....., I think I forgot my wallet"

I looked at her and told her. "It's fine, It's my fault that we went too early after all, I'll take you for free meal, choose what you want"

"Really? Thank you Crimson"

Lockwood then ran around the stalls and started looking for food she wanted to eat. I followed her and noticed the woman earlier cooking a meal.

Since it's early, there's really not that much food displayed, I asked the lady. "Morning! what food do you sell for now?"

The Woman then noticed me and asked me. "Oh! if it wasn't the young lad earlier, how have you been, haven't you eaten yet?"

"Yeah, I mistook the time and got on this mess"

"Poor boy, I'm sorry but we can't offer a lot for now, We have, lumpia, Pancit bihon, adobo and Ground meat, just picked what you like"

After Lockwood saw me ordering food, she went running to me and asked. "What are you buying Crimson?"

"I'm still deciding," I told her.

Lumpia are various types of spring rolls that have either ground meat (Shang-hai) or vegetables (normal) on it. It's either served fried or baked but this one here is served deep fried.

Pancit Bihon on the other hand is the noodle cuisine in the Philippines, it has brown texture and it's mixed with various vegetables, fish balls and meat on it.

Adobo is a delicious meal that has marinated meat on it. It's really delicious and it has the balance of sour and sweetness. It has a dark brown texture and smells like soy sauce and vinegar.

Lastly, the Ground meat. Like the name, it's ground meat mixed with grinned potato and carrots. Its texture is Brown orange and smells delicious.

I asked her. "What do you want, Lockwood?"

She looked around to decide which food she would like to eat. The Lady on the counter who's cooking then looked at her and asked.

"Ohh, if it isn't the girlfriend, hungry too? pick what you like."

Lockwood then blushed red after hearing that. But since I notified her earlier about this, she didn't fix the misunderstanding and like what I did, she laughed it out.

Still picking, Lockwood then told me. "I want to eat vegetables" Since she's a Dark elf, she probably wants to eat leaves.

I told her. "Just pick Pancit bihon or lumpia"

Lockwood then looked above her head and thought about it. After a while deciding what food she wanted to eat, we then went to find a table for 2 and sat on it.

"Ummm..."

I looked at her in silence as I saw what food she ordered, I asked her.

"Did you really need to order all of them? And in five servings each too!"

She ordered all of them and bought 50 Lumpia, 5 servings of Adobo, 8 servings of Pancit Bihon and 5 servings of Ground meat. She also ordered a free fish soup along with chicharron toppings.

She looked at me as she put her hands together and apologies "I'm sorry Crimson! I have a huge appetite! I'm sorry!"

Looking back on those times I threw her far away yesterday, that's why I felt like she's heavier than most girls I've carried.

She then continued. "I also ordered a lot considering you too"

"Very thoughtful huh..." I looked beside the food she ordered and found a rice cooker next to it.

Surprised by it, I asked her "Did you just f@cking order a whole rice cooker?"

She looked at me and told me. "Sorry…. I tend to eat a rice cooker worth of food, also It gave us a discount and sold it for 300 pesos"

Zamn, you always eat them?

I was flabbergasted to see all the food we had on the table that we needed to borrow one more to put all of them.

It looked like there's a fiesta inside the cafeteria. If I add all of them, this entire meal will cost me 1,880php.

I looked at my wallet and slowly took 2 blue bills inside of it. Good thing I haven't spent this money yet or else I could not pay this much.

I handed the 2000 pesos to Lockwood and asked her.

"Use this to pay, I'll give you the change since you'll get hungry after Lunch, I'll also pay for your food on that time too so don't worry about what you want to eat later"

Lockwood looked at me and told me. "Really? thank you Crimson, I know you're really a good guy! I feel like I'm starting to like you"

"Yeah, please don't be romantically though"

Since I have a lot of money for now and I'm not the type to use them a lot, I just pay for her food to eat.

But money isn't really the issue... I asked her.

"Won't you get fat eating all of these? this could feed 7 people at most you know"

Preparing the plate and utensils she's going to use when eating, she told me.

"I wonder about that, I've been eating this much except evening but I've never became fat at all, also I'm confident I can finish this"

I also have a huge appetite similar to a World class martial artist, but there's no way I'm eating this much. Though I can finish it, I'm not the type of person who eats until I'm full.

I told her. "Zamn!"

She continued. "I'll also take some for Kuro-chan, she might be coming for now..."

"The Lich huh... Can you contact her?"

Lockwood looked at her bag and told me. "I forgot to bring my phone again... though I know her number"

"Is she using this country's address?"

Lockwood looked above her head and told me. "63+ is the address for this country right? then she might have some"

"What's her number? Also can I ask yours too?"

"Oh... sure, I use the Globe broadband, 0946*******, and Kuro is, 0986*******"

These is how you get someone's number in a smooth way kids.

I can memorize number patterns immediately after hearing it, so I looked at my backpack and took my phone.

I tried to open it but-

"F@ck! my phone's dead... I should charge this" Since there's no charger around, I guess I should just wait until I reached the classroom.

Lockwood then looked at me and told me "Ohh, I can recite it later at the classroom if you want"

"Naah, I'm good, I already memorized it"

Lockwood then waited for me to fix my mess and asked me. "Let's Pray"

After blessing our meal, Lockwood then started munching the food like a hamster and chewing them like a Lion. I asked her.

"Did you know about manananggal or its English name, the Half body demon?" I brought up the topic about the them to her since she might be able to help me against it.

Even though I don't want to ask for their help, but I don't want the innocent pregnant woman that might be there.

Lockwood, still munching the food, looked at me and gulped it down. She then told me. "I've never heard about them, why ask"

"I actually saw one yesterday, after the lich carried you back to the mansion, I was just staring at the night sky that time, when I saw a demon flying around it"

Lockwood then asks. "What's a manananggal anyways?"

I explained to her. " Manananggal is a Ghoul-type demon and like its name, it only has half of its body. Manananggal is always a female demon, possessing Bat wings the size of 2 adult humans. it also have long bat tongue that the Manananggal uses to pry open a pregnant womb and eat the fetus inside"

"That's horrible" Lockwood told me as she ate another spoonful of food. She continued. "Why worry about them?"

I told her. "I never talked about it with the Lich but I always wonder why there's a Manananggal that time. After seeing you naked then I realized that there might be a pregnant woman nearby and a Manananggal is prying them"

"Ohhhh.... wait, you really saw me naked?"

I asked her. "I want you two to take care of it."

Lockwood then told me. "I don't know how to fight Crimson, though I could ask Kuro-chan about it, since she uses winter-based offensive magic, also did you really saw me naked?"

I looked at her and told her. "If there really is a pregnant woman there, I want to get rid of that demon"

"I see.... *munch* *munch* *munch*" She continued. "YOU SAW ME NAKED DIDN'T YOU!"

She blushed red the moment she realized I really did. I told her.

"I mean, yeah why?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"