Chapter 424: Pepper's Worries.
Some hours later.
Pepper POV.
If there was one thing in this life I could brag about, it was...
I had the biggest breasts of my sisters, after all, I was on the same level as my mother...
Although that was a fact that could change at any moment because, with Ruby and my mother drinking Victor's blood, their bodies were changing.
A good example of this would be my mother. She may not have realized it, but she had gotten taller and curvier than before.
Ruby had also changed, but only in the breast area.
And the other thing would be.
My physical strength.
"Oryaaaaaah!"
Summoning all the power in my body, I attacked the air.
BOOOOOOM!
Soon after, an explosion of wind blasted from my outstretched fist, and the clouds in the sky opened.
"Mm." I was pleased when I saw this result, it seemed that I'd gotten stronger by constantly training with Victor.
Why do I say that?
Well, in the beginning, I could just open up the clouds a little, now I could evaporate them and make a big hole in the sky.
Although, using clouds isn't a good strength meter... But I was pretty sure I had gotten stronger.
I think in terms of physical strength I would only lose to Victor and my mother.
Victor was a freak born every 1 million years, and my mother was the strongest female Vampire.
Not even Ruby was as strong as me... It's been a while since I'd last fought my little sister, and there was a period of time when she was away from home and training with Victor, but I'm confident I'd still come out on top in a contest of strength.
This strength was a natural result, after all, the martial arts technique I'd learned the most was from the gallows.
It pains me to know that it was an incomplete martial art, but I must only blame us sisters, who could not understand our mother's motives.
But not everything is hopeless...
As I learned to use speed, I could see that my strength had a slight increase.
I closed my eyes.
"Huff…"
I took a deep breath, and let the air out of my chest. I repeated this process a few times.
Soon, I opened my eyes, and took a step forward.
And the next moment my vision changed, and I was several feet away from where I was.
"The techniques my mother created are amazing..."
I couldn't help but say it. I wasn't as fast as Lacus, who specialized in speed, but I definitely wasn't slow like I used to be.
And Vampires already had surprising speed.
"Although... I don't compare with him in speed." I commented while walking towards a wall, and hiding behind the wall, I spied on the person who was at the other training ground.
My mother's future husband, and my younger sister's current husband.
Victor...
The man who could cause feelings of butterflies dancing in my stomach every time we spoke, and spread a warm feeling through my chest.
I wonder if this is how having an older brother feels.
He was only wearing baggy training clothes that consisted of black pants, sneakers, and a white shirt with a print that said:
"You are not special."
He looked like someone who was going to the gym.
In his hand was an Odachi, and not just any normal Odachi. It was an Odachi with a very large blade, a weapon that a normal human would never be able to properly handle because of its weight.
And this was the least of its differences.
It was made by an Onmyo Mage using Victor's blood, a mage who currently resided around here.
I'd seen the woman a few times, and every time I looked at her, I got the feeling that she, too, was getting stronger.
Far above the limit of any human I'd seen so far.
Victor was standing in the middle of the training ground, holding the Odachi's sheath with his left hand. He seemed to be deeply concentrating on something.
I spent a few minutes watching him, and I was about to stop because I was starting to get bored.
However, Victor suddenly started to make a move. He slowly started to lower his center of gravity, his hand slowly moving towards his Odachi's handle.
During the entire process, I could see small streaks of lightning flashing around his body.
The moment he took hold of the Odachi's handle, Victor opened his eyes.
And something unbelievable happened before my eyes.
Golden slashes began to appear in front of him.
Vertically, horizontally, at every possible angle, the cuts were visible in the air, as if space were being continuously torn to shreds before him.
And by the time he'd sheathed his Odachi, which I hadn't even seen being taken out of its sheath, a Lightning bolt fell from the sky and hit the ground.
That was the highest level Iaijutsu I'd ever seen! I couldn't see anything!
"...."
"Umu, I still haven't gotten rusty. Now, should I train my Powers of Water? I feel like I'm beginning to realize the essence of this power..."
He suddenly stopped mumbling to himself, and looked in my direction as if he'd just realized my existence.
A gentle smile appeared on his face, and it made my heart skip a beat:
"Hey Pepper. Did you manage to master the basics of what I taught you?"
"…Mmm." I nodded with a slightly embarrassed face. He really was very handsome.
Just as I was about to step out from behind the wall, I felt something touching my stomach.
"Kyaa!" I got a little scared because I didn't notice someone coming next to me.
And when I looked to the side, I saw a girl with white hair. She was a little tall, she was wearing black pants, white sneakers with red, and a white shirt that had a black print with the words:
"Your Mom."
She was Nero... Victor's adopted daughter.
The first impression I got when I saw her was that she was a tomboy.
And that she loved her father very much, after all, she chose clothes that matched his, even a shirt that was quite insulting.
"... Well, that was a very feminine scream."
"S-Shut up!"
I didn't do it on purpose, I was just surprised... Yes, I was just surprised! It definitely didn't scare me.
"Hmm... Will you become my mother too?"
"…Eh?"
Mother? Too?
My brain for a moment stopped working, but when I understood what she was asking, my face went completely red.
"I-...I-..."
I couldn't form coherent words, what was I supposed to say here?
"My Daughter, please don't tease my..." Victor stopped talking for a few seconds: "Hmm... Don't tease Pepper."
I could swear that for a moment, he attempted to categorize our relationship…. but failed.
Which made sense, after all, he had a relationship with my sister and mother.
Am I his daughter or sister-in-law?
This was complicated...
Nero jumped on the wall, and said:
"Yes, Father... But it's not like I was trying to provoke her, I just asked a question." She muttered in a low voice that everyone could hear.
"Hahaha~, I know." He chuckled softly in a gentle way.
"Did you sleep well, Nero?" He asked.
Nero jumped off the wall and landed beside him.
She nodded her head:
"I slept well... But I felt a little weird when I slept in your... Hmm." Her face turned slightly red.
She seemed to have difficulty talking about intimate things.
She swallowed, and said:
"Arms... Cough, I feel weird sleeping in one place and waking up in another."
"...."
She seemed to have her problems too.
Victor just laughed gently, and patted Nero's head:
"Take your time, Nero."
"…Mmm."
They had a very... enviable connection.
'A Father... Huh?'
I couldn't help but try to remember my real father, but... All I remembered of him was his burned body.
... And that was not a good memory.
My mother too, the only thing I remembered of her was her burnt body.
My Clan...
Without realizing it, I ended up falling into a loop of negative thoughts, but all that was cleared when I felt someone caressing my head.
"...." I looked up, and saw Victor.
"Shall we go back to training? You're still to learn the basics of 'defense', and 'power'."
His gentle smile and caresses pushed my negative thoughts away.
He really was like an older brother.
"Mmm." I made an acceptance sound, and said:
"Can I call Siena, and Lacus too? I feel weird growing up alone."
He chuckled lightly: "...If that's what you want, sure."
... That smile, I feel like he was waiting for this?
Am I really that easy to read?
Without realizing I was pouting, I heard:
"Father, are you going to teach me something too?" Nero's voice sounded quite emotional.
"Yeah, I was thinking about teaching the martial arts that my master taught, but... I don't know if you're able."
"...."
"Hahaha~, don't make that face, my daughter."
"I'm not saying you're useless or anything, it's just that this martial art should only be taught when all your 'bases' are ready."
"Bases?"
"Yeah, look at Pepper for example."
"She is my master's daughter, and since she was young, my master trained her bases, and because of that, she could perform my master's martial arts without problem."
"You've just turned into a full Vampire, and before, you fought with firearms. Don't forget the fact that you need to get used to your new physique too, and learn to control your powers."
"Ugh... So many things to do."
"Baby Steps, my daughter." Victor approached Nero and stroked her head.
Nero looked up, and Victor laughed:
"I will accompany you all the way to get stronger."
"....Mmm." She smiled quite dazzlingly.
"Umu, let's start training-."
Victor suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked at the sky.
And in the direction he was looking.
Lightning fell from the sky.
RUMBLE
Victor opened his arms like he was waiting for someone to hug him, and before I could see or understand what happened, I heard:
"Daaarrrlinnngg~"
A yellow rocket flew towards Victor and hugged him.
Nero and I looked at the long golden haired woman who was wearing a gorgeous white Noble dress with a slightly shocked look.
The woman was hugging Victor tightly, and it looked like she wouldn't let him leave:
"Natashia, I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to come here." Victor commented lightly, as he stroked the woman's head.
"…is it a bad surprise?" She asked in a meek tone as she looked at him.
"Of course not." Victor caressed her cheek with a loving gaze.
A look that made me slightly annoyed, but I snorted and ignored it.
"Hehehe~."
"Another mother?"
"..." I looked at Nero and saw her empty gaze, as if this was something common:
"You can say that." Their relationship was no secret.
"Who is she?"
"She is Sasha Fulger's mother."
"Countess Annasthashia Fulger, or Natashia if you will."
"Hmm..." Nero seemed to think of something, and soon she spoke with a tired face:
"Just how many mothers do I have? With a brief account, I might think, four. Wait, if you put the maids, nine?"
"...That's a really good question..."
"Ugh."
Somehow I couldn't help but feel sorry for Nero, this man's relationships were just too complicated.
...
