Chapter 105 – Clapton

Matt looked at her for a few seconds. Then he pointed at Aurora.

"Let her go."

The girl with the twin tails tilted her head.

"I don't want to."

Matt frowned.

"I'm not asking."

The girl's smile disappeared for an instant.

"Ah."

Matt took a step.

Her eyes opened a little wider.

"It was a joke, don't hate me."

The girl let go of Aurora.

"Master!"

Aurora got up immediately. She ran to Matt and threw her arms around him so hard she almost pushed him back.

"I'm sorry!"

Matt looked down. Aurora hid her face against his chest.

"I tried to answer! I really did! But that weirdo grabbed me the second you called!"

Matt looked at the girl again.

She was still sitting on the floor, but she started laughing.

"Relax."

"No!"

Aurora clung to Matt harder.

"Well. Next time we're alone…"

The girl stood up.

Aurora stopped complaining.

"I'm not going to stop at a little tickling."

Aurora swallowed.

The girl walked toward them.

"I'm going to do all sorts of things to you."

Aurora took half a step behind Matt.

"Maybe then you'll learn to respect me."

"…"

Matt looked at Aurora.

Aurora was trembling slightly.

And yet…

She was also smiling.

Barely.

But smiling.

Matt narrowed his eyes.

Aurora looked at the girl again.

"What kind of things?"

The girl went quiet.

So did Matt.

Aurora seemed to realize far too late what she had just asked.

"I mean…"

The girl burst out laughing.

"Pervert."

"No!"

Aurora went red.

"I am not—!"

"Seriously, both of you stop."

Matt let out a sigh.

They both looked at him.

Matt pointed at the girl.

"Earlier you called me Papa."

She blinked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

The question seemed to surprise her more than any of the others.

"Isn't it logical?"

"No."

"I was born thanks to you."

Matt made a face.

"And thanks to the blood Mama gave me."

Matt stared at her.

"Don't talk nonsense."

"Huh?"

"That woman is not your mother."

The girl seemed to think about it.

"But her blood…"

"No."

Matt pointed at her.

"And stop calling me Papa."

The girl lowered her eyes a little.

"I see…"

Matt let his expression relax slightly.

"Good."

"So then…"

She raised a finger.

"The situation between Mama and Papa is complicated."

Matt felt a fairly clear urge to hit her.

Aurora covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

Matt looked at her.

Aurora lowered her hand.

"Sorry."

Matt turned back to the girl.

"If you say something stupid like that again, I'm going to beat you senseless."

"How violent."

"I'm warning you."

The girl smiled.

"Papa really is…"

Matt advanced.

"Wait!"

She raised both hands.

"I want to show you something."

Matt stopped.

"What?"

The girl opened her hands and a window appeared in front of them. It had no defined edges. It simply showed what was happening outside.

Matt saw his own body lying on the floor. Lucrecia was crouched in front of him.

"What the hell…?"

The princess was watching him with curiosity.

"Matt."

Nothing.

Lucrecia raised a finger and pressed it against his forehead.

"Hello?"

She pushed.

Matt didn't react.

Lucrecia did it again.

"Did you die?"

She dug her nail in. The skin opened and a small point of blood appeared.

The wound closed a few seconds later.

Lucrecia smiled and poked him again.

Matt watched the scene.

"I'm going to kill her."

"Wait."

The girl seemed to be enjoying herself quite a lot.

"Just watch for a moment, please."

Her figure disappeared from the mental world.

Matt raised his head.

"What…?"

In the window, his body moved.

Matt sat up.

Lucrecia pulled her hand back.

"You're back?"

Matt's body grabbed her wrist and pushed it away. Then it spat to one side.

Lucrecia arched an eyebrow.

"Well now."

Matt stood up.

The girl was controlling him.

Lucrecia smiled.

"Did you have an argument with one of your ego weapons?"

The answer came out of Matt's mouth.

"I don't need an ego weapon to deal with garbage like you."

Lucrecia let out a laugh.

"That did sound different."

The girl raised a hand and took hold of her index finger.

CRACK!

The tip of the finger broke and blood started coming out.

Matt felt the discomfort even from the mental world.

Lucrecia stopped smiling.

"What are you doing?"

The blood didn't fall. It stayed suspended in front of Matt.

The small wound was regenerating while she went on forcing blood out, and the red mass kept growing.

Lucrecia took a step back.

"Is that magic?"

The blood started moving and took shape.

First a head, then a torso, arms, legs… and white hair.

Matt, who had been about to stop the girl, stood there watching from the mental world, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"What the hell…?"

In front of his body a miniature version of him had appeared. Female. She barely came up past his ankle, with white hair, red eyes and a red dress full of small details.

Aurora leaned toward the window.

"She's…"

Matt finished the sentence.

"Horrible."

Aurora looked at him.

"I was going to say adorable..."

The miniature raised both arms.

Lucrecia looked from her to Matt, unable to believe it.

"You created a living being?"

The little one moved her head and Lucrecia came a little closer.

"Or is this an illusion?"

Matt's body smiled.

"Clapton."

The tiny creature snapped to attention. The girl pointed her at Lucrecia with an exaggerated pose.

"Attack!"

Clapton vanished and Lucrecia's eyes went wide.

CLANG!

A tiny sword struck against the shaft of her scythe.

"What…?"

Clapton attacked again.

Lucrecia gave ground.

"That thing created a sword?!"

Clapton kept going.

A miniature in a red dress with a sword made out of magic.

Lucrecia blocked another blow.

CLANG!

"This is humiliating."

The little one pushed.

Lucrecia had to use both hands.

"Why is she so strong?!"

Lucrecia managed to shove her off.

"Fine."

She raised the scythe.

"Then first I'm going to—"

She stopped.

Something pricked her neck.

"Huh?"

Lucrecia touched it and looked at her fingers.

Blood.

Another prick.

Then another.

Lucrecia looked up.

There were small figures around her.

Much smaller than Clapton, the size of insects.

All of them had white hair.

"What…?"

One bit her neck.

Lucrecia swatted at it.

She missed.

Another latched onto her arm.

And another.

"They're biting me?!"

The creatures were drinking.

Lucrecia started moving with more difficulty.

Clapton attacked again.

CLANG!

This time Lucrecia gave much more ground.

"Wait…"

The little one pushed.

Lucrecia lost another step.

Clapton went for the legs.

TAK!

Lucrecia dropped onto one knee.

"Damn it!"

She tried to get up.

Clapton hit her again.

Lucrecia ended up on the floor.

"Enough!"

Clapton jumped onto one leg and opened her mouth.

"Wait."

She bit.

"Agh!"

Lucrecia kicked.

Clapton held on.

"I surrender!"

The little one went on drinking.

"I said I surrender!"

Matt's body raised a hand.

Clapton stopped.

So did the smaller creatures.

The girl caught a drop of blood off her lip with her tongue.

Her expression changed.

"Blegh."

Matt watched her from the mental world.

She made a face.

"What a horrible taste."

The girl looked up.

She seemed to be looking directly at Matt through the window.

"Father."

Matt closed his eyes.

The girl pointed at Lucrecia, still lying on the floor.

"Should I devour that princess?"