Scarlet

“That’s…” Allen mutters, and I nod my head.

Another of the black horses for the tournament. A girl about the same age as me named Elizabeth Arlan with an inhuman appearance. She has a mouth full of sharp fangs with pitch black eyes and sharp, black claws. And she has a rather unique type of magic called miasmic corruption.

A very dangerous magic that is not to be mistaken with Emily’s corruption magic.

While corruption magic focuses on anything corrosive and deadly to a biological body, miasmic corruption is different. It instead mutates and twists the body, changing it.

And the best body to use miasmic corruption is one already mutated apparently. At least, that’s what everyone is saying because of her reality warp.

The girl is probably the closest human being to an infection-based demon if I’m being honest. Her claws are coated in a type of venom that will twist both humans and demons alike into things very much not human or demon. Although it’s not immediate and can be healed through magic. And there needs to be enough venom in a body to do it, since a very small amount can be fought off with some mutations around the source of the injury.

Allen and I both frown as we hear the audience going silent at the sight of her. Which goes to show how ‘popular’ Guardians with magics like hers are.

A rather sad fact, but our world really is rather cruel.

Instead of getting fame like she probably expected after becoming a Guardian, she got scorn and fear instead. Regardless of if she’s risking her life to save the people.

Although considering what I’ve personally seen of this girl, she’s probably not doing that. Just fighting to grow stronger is the impression she gives me. Just like a large majority of the Guardians if I’m being honest.

And no different from me in that regard.

Actually, in the other thing too. Since if the humans of Terra knew that I was a half demon… they probably wouldn’t look at me very kindly anymore.

Who knows though. It’s very hard to judge the populace’s reaction to anything.

Interestingly enough, the boy she’s fighting – someone who is the same age as us at a glance and I believe uses some sort of enhancement magic – looks frightened by her. And she hasn’t even moved yet.

“His magic is not well suited against hers…” I mutter, quickly finding Allen nodding in response.

His magic requires him to get up close and personal and use martial arts to fight. Hers relies on getting close and attacking him as well, particularly with her claws as she has some skills that enhance the venom and strength of her claws. Kind of like my blood claws in a way.

After a few seconds of the audience silently staring, the first time in the entire tournament so far that they’ve been quiet for this long, Black shouts, “And it looks like we’re off! Plaguebearer looks to already be getting ready to end the Iron Monk right out of the gate!”

At the same time, Elizabeth rushes forwards to attack the Iron Monk, only for the man to flinch as he sees the girl’s claws become coated in some sort of sticky greenish black substance that I know I certainly wouldn’t want getting into my body. But he quickly prepares himself with reinforcement spells after the brief hesitation, making his skin turn into iron before he blocks her strikes as a loud clang noise echoes out in the process.

I feel Aria shifting in my lap, bringing my attention back to her, only to remember that Allen had mentioned her being my cousin right in front of her. But she didn’t react at all.

Does that mean she already knows?

“Aria?” I ask quietly, making her look up at me, the girl having started watching the match at some point as well. “Did you hear what Allen said earlier?”

She blinks for a second before nodding and answering, “Yeah.”

I stare at her for a second, kind of wishing she would give me more than a simple ‘yeah,’ but then realizing that she won’t be.

“So you already know how we’re related?” I ask in a way that could be misunderstood if she doesn’t know.

Aria nods with a very faint smile while tightening her grip around me, “Yeah, we’re cousins.”

So she does know.

“How did you know that, if you don’t mind me asking?” I ask out of pure curiosity as I glance at the match to find the Iron Monk losing rather miserably. Which was to be expected.

Aria tilts her head slightly before resting her head on my chest again to watch the match as she answers, “Mister Roger told me after the first day we met.”

I stare at her with my mouth agape for who knows how long.

She’s… Aria has known about us being cousins longer than I have? The heck?

My head jerks up to look at Allen at the sound of a snort before I find him covering his mouth and looking the other way.

He’s laughing!

And to make matters worse, I see the tanuki very pointedly looking at the match with his eyes closed while taking deep breaths. Until, of course, a chuckle leaks through into my mind.

Even the damned furball is laughing!!!

I almost instinctively cross my arms at this blatant rudeness before I remember the girl currently sitting on my lap blocking me from doing that.

You know what? Fine! Laugh away!

Tar starts laughing in my head.

I didn’t mean that literally!

He just laughs even harder.

Damnit, I’m not comedic relief…

I sigh at that before focusing on the battle again, just to find Plaguebearer – a rather colorful title for a Guardian to have – finally defeating the Iron Monk, who is currently black and blue. Literally.

The sight of his mutated black and blue limbs is honestly a little disturbing to look at. And for a brief moment, I consider covering Aria’s eyes. But when I look at her, I already find her having turned her attention to Tar, not paying the battle any mind anymore.

Tar takes a moment to notice her attention, and by the time he does, she is already reaching for him before grabbing the furball and squeezing him to her chest with a happy look on her face.

I pat her on the head with a smile as I say, “Tar certainly makes a good hug pillow, doesn’t he?”

She looks up at me and nods with a very faint smile on her face, not letting the squirming tanuki free.

I can’t help but grin at the tanuki when she looks away.

Payback is sweet.