Click.
"I'm home!" Alistair shouted as he stepped inside and began changing his shoes.
Thump, thump, thump— a frantic set of footsteps approached.
"Ali! Welcome back!" Chiaki ran over and pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing her body against his.
"Chiaki, it's only been a week. We've been chatting on LINE. Don't be so dramatic," Alistair laughed, gently pulling her away as they walked into the living room.
"What did your teacher want? You were gone almost all day," Chiaki asked curiously.
"The teacher? Oh, just some errands. But I got some 'private tutoring' from the P.E. teacher. It was great. Ms. Hatsufuji used to be a professional athlete; her 'insights' into physical training are very deep." Alistair adapted his lie instantly, following Chiaki's lead.
"Ms. Hatsufuji? I thought it was a teacher from the other school. Dad didn't explain it clearly. I know where she lives—if I'd known, I would have gone to find you." Chiaki pouted.
"To do what? Get caught by the teacher and forced into 'hard labor'?" Alistair joked. Of course, his definition of "hard labor" involved a triple kill with Shizuku Hatsufuji included.
"True. So, did you reach an agreement with the President of that school? They gave you so many days off! I'm so jealous. Are you going to school tomorrow, or staying home?" Chiaki asked. If Alistair was staying home, she'd skip too. Attendance at Sakura Academy only needed to be decent, and she hadn't missed a day yet.
"I have to go to the office tomorrow. I haven't been there in ages, so I need to check in. After that, I'll head to the academy. Noble schools are different—they have classes on weekends too. They gave me face by letting me off this long, so I should at least show up for a couple of days." Alistair shrugged, signaling he wouldn't have much time for her.
"When will you be free then?" Chiaki asked gloomily.
"After these few days, I'll be clear. I'll take you out then. By the way, where are Nagisa and Yukiko? Are they coming over?" Alistair really just wanted to see his secretary tomorrow. He didn't have any pressing issues, so he figured he'd finally make a move on the little secretary. As for Shima Izuki and her cult, he decided to just go with the flow for now. She'd made him the "Founder," so he probably wasn't in immediate danger.
"Ali, Chiaki! Dinner's ready!" Chiaki's mother called from the kitchen.
"Coming~" Chiaki responded, slightly annoyed at being interrupted. She grabbed Alistair's hand to pull him up.
"Wait!"
Alistair suddenly gripped Chiaki's palm, his face lighting up with genuine shock and joy.
After holding her wrist for about thirty seconds while she stared at him in confusion, Alistair finally let go.
"Chiaki, you're my lucky star!"
Instead of letting her go, he pulled her in and planted two big kisses on her face before heading to the dining room, leaving a bewildered and blushing Chiaki in his wake.
Alistair's excitement was well-founded. He hadn't used his three daily "draws" yet. The first had been a dud. For the second, he had grabbed Chiaki's hand for good luck—and it worked. Then he tried for a third, and lightning struck twice.
[Talisman: Sheep]: Grants perfect harmony between soul and body. Allows free manipulation of one's own soul. By touch, the user can cause a deviation in the target's soul-body synchronization, causing motor failure. Links the user's mana to atmospheric mana; recovery speed depends on conversion rate. Can use mana to heal the soul. Contains a portion of 'Fire Demon Qi.'
[Talisman: Dog]: Grants immunity to lethal damage and effects. Arrests physical aging. Contains a portion of 'Fire Demon Qi.'
The Dog Talisman—arguably the most powerful and essential ability for Alistair—was finally his. And the Sheep was no slouch either.
The Dog's power was simple: immortality and invincibility. It negated any attack or curse that would be a one-shot kill. Combined with the Horse Talisman, which healed all injuries and status ailments, Alistair was now effectively untouchable.
I, Alistair, am now the ultimate lifeform!
The Sheep Talisman was equally broken. While the Tiger provided "Control" over internal forces, the Sheep provided "Harmony." It granted a hidden affinity for all types of magic. Usually, magic is picky about its users, but with "Harmony," Alistair could learn and cast any spell with increased speed and power.
Furthermore, the Sheep linked his mana to the atmosphere, effectively granting him infinite mana as long as his conversion speed kept up. The ability to desync an enemy's soul was also a top-tier combat skill. By touching an enemy, he could create a "lag" between their mind and body. They might think they've dodged, only to find their body hasn't moved yet—a literal game-breaker in a fight.
Finally, the ability to heal the soul with mana was a godsend. Soul injuries were notoriously difficult to fix, usually requiring rare treasures. Now, Alistair could just use his infinite mana to patch himself up.
Counting them up, Alistair now had six of the twelve talismans—the six most useful ones. He was halfway to obtaining the full power of the Fire Demon. He wondered what his "Lord Form" would look like. Unlike the original green-scaled demon, Alistair's scales were a dark, grayish gold, slowly turning black.
But why was the base color gold? He wondered if there was some other hidden power waiting to be unearthed.