Devouring Angels with Demon’s Sword - Chapter 12
A night had passed since the brief but intense, almost nightmarish, experience.
After that, I managed to make it back home safely and successfully disposed of my school uniform without my older sister noticing.
I slept for a solid eight hours, went to my part-time job early in the morning, and then—once again—I became acutely aware of the changes in myself.
“Good, good. You’re such good boys.”
I was tasked with walking three Borzois, something I had been doing since two weeks ago.
The job was to run with them along the riverside for about an hour, taking over for the owner who was suffering from a slipped disc.
It might seem easy, but it’s surprisingly hard work.
Borzois were originally bred as hunting dogs for wolves, so they’re incredibly fast and strong.
And there were three of them. Until yesterday, they would always drag me along, leaving me completely winded by the end.
But today was different.
Now, I was running alongside these massive dogs as they sprinted at full speed down the deserted embankment.
“What’s wrong, Rachel? You’re falling behind.”
〈Woof, woof!〉
We were moving at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour.
That’s faster than the top speed of a gold medalist in a short-distance sprint.
And yet, I wasn’t even using my Body Enhancement Extra right now.
In other words, I was outpacing top athletes with just my natural leg strength.
Honestly, it felt like a brisk jog to me.
──Man, being a Demon Sword wielder is something else.
It made sense why my classmates were always so excited, talking about this stuff every day.
For high school students, who tend to crave something special, this power was like a dangerous drug.
If my personality hadn’t been altered by fusing with the Demon Sword, I probably would have been just as hyped.
But for some reason, I’ve been unusually calm. It’s a little unsettling.
—
After returning the now-exhausted Borzois to their owner’s house, my morning job was done.
Walking three large dogs paid 10,000 yen for an hour.
I got half of that, so 5,000 yen an hour.
When I calculated it, I realized how absurdly profitable this job was.
I wouldn’t mind if that slipped disc stuck around for a bit longer.
Thinking such slightly inappropriate thoughts, I made my way back to the shop.
“I’m back!”
The store was cluttered and messy, with items piled up haphazardly.
The lineup was a random mix of musical instruments, antiques, and odd trinkets with no rhyme or reason.
Nothing had ever sold from here. They might as well clear it all out.
“Easy now… there we go…”
Learning from the time I bumped into something and caused an avalanche, leaving me buried, I proceeded cautiously.
Eventually, I made it past the danger zone and into the back office, where the shop manager’s assistant was typing away at a keyboard.
“Hey, good work. How’s Kimura’s back?”
“He’s still in some pain, so I’ll be handling the job for the rest of the week.”
“Alright. I’m counting on you till then.”
“Got it.”
The assistant manager had short, messy purple hair and a pipe between her lips, with an air of indifference.
She was my employer. About a year ago, I picked up a job flyer outside the shop, and she mistook me for someone looking for part-time work. I ended up getting hired on the spot.
I don’t know how old she is. Judging by her appearance, she’s probably around my age, maybe in her early twenties.
Her name is Yoshida Kichida Rio, though I usually just call her “assistant manager” or “manager.”
By the way, I’ve never actually met the real store manager.
“Go do some weeding later this evening. I’ll send you the location.”
“Understood.”
This shop, where the merchandise never sells, operates mostly on odd jobs and middleman work.
As a part-timer and high school student, I usually get tasked with small jobs like weeding or walking dogs.
But these gigs pay surprisingly well. Outsourcing even simple jobs costs a lot, making it a sweet deal for someone like me.
“Oh, and there’s one delivery I need you to make. It’s nearby, so it’ll be faster if you take it directly.”
She tossed me a package wrapped in bubble wrap and a set of bike keys, which I caught with one hand.
As always, she handled things roughly.
“It’s a fairly valuable tea bowl, so be careful. Once you’ve delivered it, head straight to school.”
“Uh, my school doesn’t allow students to commute by bike… And could you not throw fragile items like that?”
According to the assistant manager, she has connections in various places.
In fact, using those connections, she can source almost anything within a few days.
Most of the customers were people who came to her for brokerage services.
Given how well she seemed to be doing, I could only assume the business was running smoothly.
Which made it all the more confusing why she bothered to clutter the shop with junk. Was it some kind of tax write-off?
… … …
Oh, right.
“Hey, manager. Actually, I have a request as a client this time.”
“You? Now this is a rare occurrence.”
She stopped typing and turned her chair to face me.
“Alright, let’s hear it. I’ll give you the employee discount, special deal.”
“Uh, it’s not for buying something—”
I loosened the cord of the bamboo sword bag I had brought from home and pulled out its contents.
The assistant manager had stocked the same item a few months ago.
That’s why I figured she would be the fastest person to turn to and brought it over right away.
“──I want you to sell this for me.”
What emerged was a Void Sword.
The assistant manager’s eyes widened, quietly.