NOVEL WEB Arc 8: Motivation – Chapter 3
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Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
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"Speech"
Time*
Arc 8: Motivation - Chapter 3
A month later*
Upon uncovering the Thompson sisters' weapon transformation, Daisuke found himself unprepared for Death the Kid's sudden pursuit. The son of Death had caught sight of the Demon Twin Guns, and their design was reminiscent of sleek, silver Beretta M9 pistols and fallen love at first sight.
Then again, he should have expected such a scenario. Considering Kid's well-known perfectionism, bordering on OCD/OD-like tendencies, it's hardly unexpected. Moreover, the Thompson sisters are technically meant to be Kid's demon weapons. Regrettably, they were taken away before Kid could convince them to become his partners, as in the canonical storyline.
"Could someone please remind me why we're not just knocking that spawn of Death down and dropping him off at Death City?" Liz asks everyone, frustration lacing her voice from her demon gun form while being wielded by Esdeath.
"It's because Esdeath is enjoying the thrill of having Kid chase us," Daisuke said dryly, his hands steady on the wheel of an unassuming car that blended seamlessly into the city. However, beneath its unremarkable exterior, the car boasted an infinite gas fuel tank, ensuring it could keep running indefinitely—or at least until it met its end somehow.
"We should pop his kneecap!" Patty shouted, where she was being held by Blair, who is occupying the entire backseat of the car.
"I think it's funnier if we just mess with his head like before." Esdeath commented, her mischievous grin visible in the rearview mirror as she aimed at a rose bush coming into view. With calculated precision, she fired a single shot, the bullet piercing the bush and leaving behind a neat bullet hole, the petals fluttering.
"Why would you do something so cruel?!" Kid roared in despair, his voice echoing through the surroundings as he swiftly closed the distance to the rose bush. With trembling hands, he reached out, his fingers delicately brushing over the damaged petals as he attempted to mend the harm inflicted upon the once beautiful rose bush.
"Isn't it amusing?" Esdeath's smirk deepened as she glanced back at Kid's antics. She rolled up the window. "Alright, that should keep him occupied for a while. Now, let's seek out our next companion. I have a feeling they'll be a perfect fit for our group."
"We're not going to travel across the world again, are we?" Daisuke asked Esdeath while reviewing the list of characters in the Soul Eater series as potential candidates to join their group from his memory.
The next day*
"You-!" Masamune began, his voice thick with anger. Forcefully separated from his former host, he was about to speak further. Yet his words were swiftly silenced, cut off in an instant.
With a fast strike, Daisuke cleaved Masamune's head from his body using Tsubaki in her ninja sword form. As the fatal blow landed, Masamune's physical body dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only a lingering orb suspended in the air.
Tsubaki's ninja sword glows, and she leaps out of Daisuke's grasp, reverting to her human form. With sorrowful eyes, she stands before her older brother's soul. Closing her eyes, she reaches out, grasps the soul, and consumes it.
Tsubaki's eyes open, and she turns to face Daisuke, offering a respectful bow. "Thank you, Daisuke and everyone else, for aiding me in preventing my brother from inflicting further harm on others. I vow to devote myself to assisting everyone to the best of my abilities until my last breath, as I promised."
"Does that mean you will assist us in taking care of Daisuke's morning wood every day?" Blair appeared next to Tsubaki, her cat-like grin radiating mischief as she leaned in playfully.
Tsubaki's eyes widened in shock at Blair's unexpected comment, momentarily shattering her usually composed demeanor. A crimson hue flooded her cheeks, betraying her embarrassment as she struggled to find the right words while stuttering.
"Better to have her deal with that than us, right, Patty?" Liz whispered to her younger sister while standing behind Esdeath.
"Absolutely! Let her handle it instead of us!" Patty said in excitement, her wide grin lighting up her face. When Blair moved over to Tsubaki, she quickly moved closer to her older sister.
"So, Master, do you find Tsubaki to be a fitting partner for you when I'm unavailable?" Esdeath asks Daisuke, her gaze filled with hopeful expectation of approval, her expression betraying a mix of eagerness and longing for praise.
"Yep, it warms my heart to know you're considering me." Daisuke grinned warmly, his hand gently ruffling Esdeath's hair as she tilted her head slightly. A faint blush spread across her cheeks in response to his affectionate gesture.
"I thought we were strange, but these guys are downright wild." Liz whispered to Patty, trying to avoid drawing attention to them. "One moment, they're wreaking havoc and having a blast, and the next, they're all lovey-dovey."
"Yeah, lovey-dovey." Patty whispers back. "Do you think we would be lovey-dovey with Daisuke later?" She looks at her older sister with curious eyes.
"Patty, you're just 15 years old. You're too young for that kind of thing." Liz said to Patty, her voice soft with sisterly concern. She reached out to place a hand on Patty's shoulder. "Wait until you're 17 like I am." She looks at her little sister with a gentle smile, understanding the difficulty of navigating relationships at a young age.
"Okay..." Patty pouted.
"Were you two peeping on us while we were having fun throughout those nights?" Blair asks the Thompson sisters as she suddenly appears between the two.
The Thompson sisters let out a shriek of terror and instinctively clung to each other, their eyes wide with alarm. Both shook their heads simultaneously as they refuted Blair's accusation.
"Don't worry." Blair said, trying to calm them down. "Esdeath's got this idea of making a harem for Daisuke over there." She nodded towards Daisuke as if to point him out. "I have no clue why she's into that, and honestly, I don't care to know. I've got my own stuff to deal with." She flashed a friendly smile and casually rested her hand on the Thompson sisters' shoulders.
Daisuke ignores Blair, pulling the Thompson sisters away for a private conversation. It wouldn't matter anyway since Esdeath has already developed a habit of setting up a vast detection network, much like she did back in KonoSuba.
"So, Tsubaki, any problems after consuming your brother's soul?" Daisuke asks as she stops bowing to him. "Let me know now before it gets worse."
"Everything is fine. After consuming what you gave me to cope with my brother's madness, I don't feel anything wrong. Just that I've inherited my brother's demon weapon form." Tsubaki replied softly, attempting to maintain eye contact with Daisuke, though her cheeks were still flushed from Blair's earlier comments, causing her mind to wander to more risqué thoughts.
"I still think you should let Tsubaki inherit her brother's madness. It could make her way stronger in fights." Esdeath suggested to Daisuke, looking slightly serious as she crossed her arms under her large breasts.
"Um, yeah, if what Esdeath said is right... I guess it would've been better for me..." Tsubaki mutters, her eyes glued to the ground, nervously avoiding looking at anyone.
"It's fine, Esdeath. Unlike you, Tsubaki is kind of the opposite of you in terms of upbringing." Daisuke said to Esdeath, and then he began pondering the difference between the two. "Yeah, the two of you are somewhat opposite in more than one way."
"I still think she needs more improvements if she's going to keep up with us and not get left behind." Esdeath comments, her eyes rolling and a slight frown on her face. "But I suppose it's okay. You can always give her the upgrades she needs later, master."
"As Esdeath mentioned, if you need anything from me, Daisuke, I'll gladly do it!" Tsubaki's voice quivered with panic as she gazed at Daisuke; the nervousness on her face was clear to everyone.
"Calm down, Tsubaki. We don't need you to be powerful right away." Daisuke said, placing both hands on Tsubaki's shoulders to calm her down. "Anyway, we've helped you deal with your older brother. We should leave this place now before unwanted company shows up."
"Blair, it's time for us to hit the road. Kid just entered my detection range." Esdeath called out to Blair, who had just finished talking with the Thompson sisters.
"So soon? We barely got here." Blair pouts; nonetheless, she grabs the Thomspon sisters and throws them into the backseat of the car parked just thirty feet away from where they are.
Esdeath grabs Tsubaki by the back of her collar and drags her to the car. "Turn into a ninja sword again." Tsubaki did as she was told, transforming into a sword as Esdeath climbed into the passenger seat. "Come on, master! We've got to leave, and I want to mess with Kid." She grins with excitement.
Daisuke wonders if Esdeath needs to vent about her inability to indulge in sadistic activities for a while. Therefore, she chooses Kid as the perfect target for her frustrations.
15 minutes later*
"WHO WOULD LEAVE SUCH A PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL BOX IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE?!" Kid's loud voice could be heard from a distance.
"Wasn't it just an ordinary cardboard box?" Liz asks everyone as she looks through the back window, barely catching sight of Kid picking up the cardboard box with tears in his eyes.
"Not just any ordinary cardboard box." Esdeath explained, grinning with a sadist glee. "But one meticulously crafted, perfectly in a box shape and equally in size, designed to captivate the attention of those who adore symmetry. It's the kind of box that such perceptive individuals demand to be noticed instantly... Also, I left a present inside the box. It should be triggering any second now."
"AAAAAAAAAAAH! WHO WOULD PUT A LIT CANDLE IN SUCH A PERFECT BOX?! THE BOX IS ON FIREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Kid sorrowful scream was loud enough for everyone in the car to hear after driving away further away after some time now.
"He is funny." Patty giggles.
"He mentally ill is what he is." Liz scowls in frustration as she digs into her right ear. "I swear every time he screams, I'm closer to losing my sense of hearing."
"He's also the spawn of Death himself, so of course, he wouldn't be normal," Daisuke points out to Liz, but mostly to everyone. "Plus, don't you two feel all warm and fuzzy inside seeing how hard he's trying to turn you into his demon weapons?" He looks at the Thomspon sisters from the front viewing mirror.
"Not really. In fact, he's annoying, especially when we're with you guys." Liz scoffs. "Patty and I won't have to worry about clothes and food, not to mention all the fancy hotels you let us stay in for free. I bet he wouldn't let us enjoy the luxurious lifestyle if we were to become his demon weapons. Chance are, he would make us work at some maid cafe and stuff to earn our keeps."
Daisuke kept silent as he refrained from mentioning that they had worked in a café in the canon timeline—not as maids, but in a café nonetheless.
On another note, he is surprised at how easily Esdeath finds the important characters in Soul Eater. It makes him wonder if this has anything to do with her Madness of Hunger.