Super Secret Method of Survival

"Don't… leave… Ela… I want choco."

"She finally fell asleep. She must have been tired."

Ela had finally cried herself to sleep on my lap. I call her Ela because that's what she called herself.

Honestly, I have never been good with children. They create a mess, they are noisy and most of all they say the most hurtful things with the most innocent of expressions.

"Uncle, why aren't you as handsome as Uncle Lou?" That's what one of my nephews said to me at our first meeting.

In my 25 years, I considered silencing a child forever several times. Of course I didn't do it but I still considered it.

"But she looks adorable when sleeping."

Her silvery hair. These rosy plump cheeks that wiggles like pudding when pressed. Oh my is she loveable. For me to act like this is a true mystery.

'Is it the love that lingers in this body?' I can tell just how much I adore Ela. When I touch her hair it feels nostalgic. It makes my heart twinge. There is regret and sadness as well as joy, 'A borrowed emotion? It feels weird, but it doesn't feel wrong.'

But that is not really what's important right now. Other than her name, there was another thing that bothered me.

"She called me, Daddy? She better means I'm her Father."

My hands aren't clean but I can't take possession of a deviant's body. That's too low even for my standards. If I kidnapped this cute lass, then… I don't really know what I'll do. So please be my daughter!

Another thing, I still have a lot of questions. Like what are we doing in this location?

Currently we're in the middle of a Forest. From the puddles and the mud, my barely above average deductive ability infers that there was rain just a few minutes ago.

But it's weird, "There's no sign of rain clouds."

In fact the skies were so clear that I could see a variety of stars. Many of them I don't think exist. As well as that second moon.

I'd better stop questioning why there's a second moon, "It's most likely a different world. Just let it go."

But, aside from my and Ela's identity, the mystery of why we're in a Forest, what bothered me the most was the blood that covered my entire body.

The long sleeved shirt I was wearing was almost fully reed. On my neck there was blood going down. On my right chest, there was a hole. There's also this knife.

'It was at arm's length so that means I was using it before. Well, at least I have a way to protect us now.'

Five paces away there is a black cloak caught in a bush. My vision surprisingly functioned very well even in the dark. Even from far away, I could see the same hole as my clothes.

'There is also that almost imperceptible vile stench of blood lingering in the air. There was a fight here.'

Where I came from, men at the age of 18 were sent to the military to conduct mandatory service. We were taught how to fight and hunt the growing chaos that ravaged the world. And though it might sound like I'm bragging, I was quite good at it.

Before a certain incident I even planned on becoming an Independent in the hopes of joining the World Rankings. To move away from my family and live a different life so far away that they would not be able to control what I can and cannot do. That's what I wanted.

But a day before being discharged, as if the world was giving me the middle finger, a massive [EYE] opened and raided our base. I almost died and though I survived, it tore any possibility of me ever regaining strength.

"The poison has festered for far too long—" it began with this sentence. Then it devolved in a long list of the disabilities that I now suffer from.

Below average stamina.

Weaker than thou constitution.

Deteriorating strength.

I laughed it off, saying, "Hey, I got all my limbs. I'll be able to work."

I never wanted them to worry. So I smiled.

I never wanted to be a burden. So I chose to work.

"I was actually kinda cute when I was young."

It's enjoyable to laugh at your past. It is so fun to laugh. After all, what else can you do? Cry about it? The world will not wait for you to be normal again. It would continue to move forward. It will continue to spin. Unless you struggle, you will be swallowed by its vileness at best.

At worst, your own self-loathing will choke you until you are drained of hope.

Pah!

'FUCK THAT HURTS!'

I screamed internally as I gave myself a quick wake up slap across the face!

'That's enough of that….'

Stop dwelling on the past!

So I quickly go about rum—

"Mmmm~" Ela squirmed.

"Sorry." I whispered.

I carefully and slowly rummaged around my body. Searching for any clue of who I have become.

Information is really important. If I don't even know who I am, how will I begin to understand what I need to do?

But—

'No phone, no notes, not even a wallet… nothing.'

I threw my arms in defeat. He had nothing on him… or rather, I had nothing on me? This is confusing.

'This is useless! He didn't leave me anything to work with.'

Just what kind of man doesn't have anything on him? He doesn't have anything on him. Or on me! ARGHHH! Fuck this is so confusing!

"I finally found you."

As I was busy cursing my — or rather the previous owner of this body — incompetence, an enraged man's voice echoed in the forest.

Walking out from behind the thicket was another man. He was also bleeding heavily. Half of his face was hidden from me. But I could still make out the blood going down his face.

"Hey, you're bleeding. Are you okay?"

I finally encountered someone. And he's actually bleeding and looked like he was on the verge of death.

'That cloak.' It was the same as the one nearby. Putting two and two together, I could only surmise that we must belong to the

"Bastard… are you making fun of me!?"

"Huh? Why… Do you sound angry?" I slowly got up from the ground, 'Something's wrong.'

It wasn't just the seething hatred of a million stars under his voice. Or the way he was shaking like a dog drenched in the rain.

It was because of those eyes of his. It pierced the shadow the cloak provided as it glowed a bloody red.

'Red's not good. Red is always not good.'

I have never once encountered a person with glowing red eyes that always wanted to offer his hand and sweep me off my feet to safety.

"Don't come any closer." Holding up the knife in front of me, I held the sleeping Ela close to my chest. I wanted to run away, but for some reason I knew that I'd die the moment I turn my back away.

"Why am I angry!? Hehe, hahaha, GAHAHAHAHA!" his laughter turned to a guffaw before abruptly stopping. His eyes now completely bloodshot as he looked into my eyes like he's looking straight into my soul.

"You are the reason why this is happening. If you had only done you fucking job. Done your fucking role! We would have been saved! The world would have been closer to salvation! You'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for thisYou'll pay for this!"

The man raised a knife from his cloak. I raised my own knife as I got ready to face him.

I may look like I have eyeliners for eye bags, I at least know that this body is stronger than my previous one.

"Come!" I yelled at the thought of the possibility of fighting.

But he didn't come.

"You… will pay…."

"What are you…." My body froze at what he had done.

The man ran his knife across his neck. Slowly, carving his flesh, making sure to draw out as much blood as possible. All the while never breaking eye contact.

"I offer my body as a sacrifice. Feast upon this lowly follower's life and answer my call—"

And then, he started muttering words.

And it was at that moment that I started backing away.

This may sound a little out of the blue. But, my family's small business wasn't, how do I say it? Clean. It's the type of business where we attract a lot of enemies. Even by just existing you would be targeted.

So until I decided to leave, my life was in constant danger. I was very good at swatting them away. However, after the incident. Where I became weaker than the next door neighbor's eye seeing dog, well, anyone could tell the outcome.

For almost a month, I was constantly meeting the end of other people's fists.

After that, I learned one particularly useful technique and that's knowing when something bad is about to happen.

I called it, Danger Sense.

I would get goosebumps all over my body.

" —I summon thee! Hell Bird!!"

The man dropped dead on the ground as the last of his life left his body with that howl.

His shadow

"SCRIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

A bone chilling screech reached my ears. And as I turned around I saw a giant shadow shot up to the skies.

A waterfall was going down my back.

At the sight of that giant bird.

At the thought of death.

I initiated the secret technique that followed when I felt the tingle down my back.

A secret technique cultivated over the years.

A secret technique that only those with the brain of a genius could appreciate.

I pivot my foot forward as cleanly this world has ever seen and took off in the opposite direction!

"Fuck this!"

That's right.

I started running for dear life.