Open eyes, stare at apartment ceiling—hard to breathe. Hand to chest, hits something. Glance down—Cutie sitting on my chest.
"Breathe." All I croak.
"Oh, little brother, you're awake!" Cutie jumps off.
"Water." Throat's desert, and voices start in head.
"Right away." Vanishes from view, faucet runs. "Here."
Couple gulps, feel chest—no scars/traces, good. "What're you doing here?"
"Watching you while others left." Hassan-Cutie.
I choke—don't like "watching you." But second part hits. "What? Where'd they go?!"
"Mmm, to have fun? Left me here. You're Hassan now, little brother—don't you feel it?" Hassan-Cutie pokes me.
Close eyes—fringe of consciousness flashes some reading, eating, trying clothes, sitting in Bathroom. And I know they're in neighboring apartments. Wanna swear—masters of stealth, fuck—dozens ransacked apartments, so inconspicuous! Upside: phased intangible, only empties.
And not just 12. "How many of you?"
"31, little brother! You're stronger!" Cutie claps, seems genuinely happy.
Stare at her, get it—mishmash of 20-30yo fanatic killer memories and 14yo girl, girl's scraps. Forgetting how long this mental hash lived after. 5 years? More?
Can't see her as she looks. Like my situation—my looks don't match age. But not now—desire to scatter understandable—farther, fewer echoes. Two pulls: their independence pisses me off, but get it—my head hurts from them too.
But... do I need them? Seriously? Got what wanted—new heart, magic from it, dry memories in head on use. Goal for meddling in Holy Grail War—done! And voices louder...
"Co..." Words almost slip, but pull back. Too soon. Need more info. "You said I'm Hassan? What's that mean, and where's my old heart?"
"Yes, little brother! You're Hassan now, like us! While you live, we live too!" She bounces happily. "Heart, hm, on the Table."
Glance where she points—yep, on Table, blood pooling on floor. Thought of scrubbing joins that Tablecloth I'm on needs tossing—it's bloody, worst—my human blood. Window: evening outside, Saturday flashes—out ~half day, blood fresh, not crusted.
But heart should've spoiled; didn't think to fridge it. Headache amps from where to ditch my own human heart.
And I'm Hassan now? Wanted order them die and bail on war, but changes things. Who am I? Demi-Servant? Grail Contract apply? Don't know—no mana drain for my real body in reality. Or prana? Life energy? Kid mentioned prana—since no mana, paid with life to sustain them here? Consequences? Heh, shorter life? How much?
Other hand, now switched to mana from new heart. Even if some for heart sustain, minor—one heart ≠ whole body or crowd, hm... self-generates mana for existence, extras for me? Efficiency 220%+, funny. Or some life energy sustains heart, it generates/covers rest—need check cost.
Back to contract—told can't leave city limits, precisely >20km. Ritual bounds cover decent area. If I can go farther—free! But doubt—too good, doesn't happen. Especially not me.
Not only issue. Wanted order die, but now. Will voices vanish? Souls where? Ritual-created, what I did... non-standard. Illusionist death odd—brain boiled, head exploded feel.
Hm, personas where on semi-Hassan death? To main? Could overload/kill him? Yes, or die, soul/info flies to nearest semi, overloads, chain to next till all dead.
But I'm not fully them... thought post-death one soul flies to me, repeats— but not passive, tries fair PVP kill. Win or not, how long endure? Not soul, brain—info floods could kill.
Think more, plan to ditch freeloaders sans death—they exist off me, little use. Ignoring insanity risk, and if fully mana or still sip prana—open. Gone too far to stop, probably die young anyway.
"By Command Seal, I command—Hassans, appear all! Forget everything! And die!" Last-second thought, yell. "Except me!"
Legs buckle, heart clutches pain. Hassans appear apartment-wide, snap necks, knife chests, die to glowing particles. Soon ends, catch breath, look— no bodies, no ~100 corpse disposal. And alive! No voices!
*Mad laughter echoes through apartment.*
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan