How I was Murdered by a Monster King Chapter 12

Daisuke here. Last time we met I joined a secret organization of exorcists who hunt down evil monsters which are disguised as regular animals. My training was going great until a super powerful fox monster attacked and my teacher tried to kill me. Now my friends and the organization are accusing me of being a monster in human form, but that can’t be possible, can it?

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Chapter 12

"Daisuke!" Yelled Akito as he knocked on the door. "I know you're in there. You can't keep hiding forever!"

"Yes I can!" I yelled back.

"No you can't, we all have to use the bathroom eventually!"

"No you don't!" I said. "You can just all go outside. It's better for the environment, and just think about the money you can save on power and water."

"Do you really think the girls would agree to that?"

I went silent. I knew that it was unreasonable to force Nina and Mana to do their business and take a bath outside, but I didn't have the courage to leave the room.

I didn't want to hide in the bathroom, but it was the only room in headquarters that had a door I could easily lock. It was also one of the cleanest rooms thanks to my friend's renovations. The tiles were smashed and the wall was destroyed during the attack, but Kurumi somehow managed to convince Akito to get a new bath and full length mirror. A new hair straightener also mysteriously turned up with the delivery.

I helped lay the tiles, and I quickly noticed the patch Kiyori did because it was cracked and uneven.

I wanted to believe that my vision had been a strange delusion brought on by the pain, but I knew what I saw was real. I felt the cave air on my face and the stone beneath my feet. I heard the echo of chains clanging against the wall as I tried to escape. I could remember the pain, confusion, and the million different thoughts which spun around my head.

It had all happened before.

My hand reached for my back and I ran my fingers along the many different scars. I had always thought of it as a random injury, but they did form a pattern like a seal painted on to a piece of paper. They were the result of that terrible event over fifteen years ago, and probably my last memory as an Obake.

I was an Obake.

The organization and Itsuki had been right all along. Did it mean that I was no different from the man eating beasts that I destroyed with my friends? Was I suddenly going to turn into a giant raccoon and begin eating people in the middle of math class? Just thinking about it was enough to give myself a panic attack.

If I was going to be honest with myself, I guess a part of me had always known from the moment Akito told everyone. The evidence had been overwhelming, but the truth had been too dark and terrifying for me to accept. It had been far easier to believe that I had gained mystic super powers instead. I must have looked like an idiot in front of everyone.

There was only one person who was to blame for everything, and he was the man who I had, or used to, admire the most.

I had always loved my grandfather, so I couldn't comprehend the hate I felt towards him as he merrily cut into my back and shoved anti-monster charms in. I could think of only one reason why he would have gone to so much trouble.

Revenge.

Sis always told me that Kousuke Matsumoto changed after the fox monster murdered his real son, but maybe he turned far darker than she could have possibly imagined.

Perhaps I was just a trap that he created in order to avenge the other Daisuke Matsumoto. It seemed like an ingenious plan. All he had to do was lure the fox monster into thinking that she was going to eat a boy with the name of her favourite meal, then he could undo the seals on my back and unleash his pet monster. Maybe my name Daisuke Matsumoto was just a shortened version of Daisuke Matsumoto revenge plan.

It was too bad that his plan failed and the fox monster escaped. The old man was probably rolling around in his grave with anguish.

Akito began knocking on the door once more.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

I was about to tell him to go away until I realised that Akito seemed to know everything, and he was the only one who could answer my questions. As much as I didn't want to look at his face, I had to inevitably let Akito in.

I got up and unlocked the door. I then went back to my spot in the middle of the bathtub, pulled my knees up to my chest, and resumed my angst.

Akito slowly opened the door and warily entered the room. He took a moment to stare at my huddled up body, and then walked over to the toilet opposite me and sat down on the closed lid. He crossed his legs and began anxiously tapping his fingers against them.

"Are you alright Daisuke?" He asked.

I had no idea how to put my current emotions into words, so I remained silent and watched the water drip from the bathtub faucet.

"Daisuke?" He asked again.

"I'm fine," I muttered.

"Are you sure, you don't seem fine?"

"I'm fine."

"Daisuke I know this may be difficult for you to take in-"

"Difficult? Finding out that your whole life, no, your whole existence has been a lie is a little bit more than difficult if you ask me!" I snapped. I was shocked at my own outburst and even Akito looked taken back. He sighed and looked at his hands in his lap.

"I'm sorry Daisuke," he said. "Please believe that I didn't want this day to come. But when the fox monster attacked I couldn't think of any other way to save your life, and then the organization was already here before I knew it. There was nothing I could do. "

I thought his excuses were pretty weak and pathetic considering that he'd ruined my life by uncovering the truth. If it weren't for Akito I would have still innocently lived out my days believing that I was normal. But I would have never met him if I hadn't tried so desperately to become an exorcist, so maybe it was my fault after all.

Things would have never turned out this way if I had never come to headquarters.

My eyes began to water and it took every ounce of energy to stop the tears from coming. I couldn't look Akito in the eyes so I settled for staring at his feet instead.

"How?" I asked. "How did you know that I was an...?" I wanted to say Obake but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Akito waited patiently for me to finish, but he gave up when my mouth snapped shut and I returned to watching the tap drip.

"I found out from your grandfather's materials. The ones your sister gave me," said Akito. "I assumed that Kanako never thoroughly looked at them, because they included pages and notes from what he did to you. At first I thought it was all just research, but when I compared the materials to the scars on your back, and your unusual amount of spiritual energy, I knew there was no mistake. The charms that he put in your back restrict your memories and spiritual powers. It's all designed to make you look and appear like an average human boy."

"But I feel like an average human boy!" I protested and hit my fist against the side of the bathtub. "Are you sure that this isn't just some sort of strange trick caused by a mind altering super powerful Obake? It's a completely believable idea. I mean, it would make more sense than me being an Obake, or a super exorcist, or maybe I could be some half human half monster super human monster hybrid, and my memories were altered by aliens-"

"I'm sorry Daisuke," said Akito. "I am, so terribly sorry to say this to you, but I have to do it. What you believe being human is, isn't. I once told you that it's possible for humans who had strong grudges to become Obake, so maybe you were once human a long time ago, but what you are now is an Obake that is trapped in human form."

An Obake trapped in human form. The words hurt more than all the times Kiyori shoved me with his shoulder. I looked down at my hands which seemed no different from Akito's, and I found it impossible to believe that I had more in common with monsters than the man before me.

"Was it for revenge?" I asked. "Grandpa, I mean Kousuke Matsumoto, wanted the fox monster dead right? Am I just some weapon he made?"

"I don't know," said Akito. "I'm not sure what Kousuke Matsumoto wanted from you. Maybe he wanted revenge for your step-brother, or maybe you were just a test, but you are the first recorded case, so we still don't know much."

"This is all so messed up," I muttered as I tried to curl up and make myself as small as possible. "I guess this means that Shinta and his minions get to kill me now?"

I thought if I was going to die young it would be at the hands of a terrible monster in a dramatic life or death battle. I never thought I would be murdered by the organization I tried so desperately to join. Maybe they would make it quick. Itsuki would probably be ecstatic if Shinta let him do it.

"This may come as a shock to you," said Akito. "But we have already known about your situation from the very beginning. I did try to explain it to you, but you refused to listen. Although some exorcists are gifted with abnormal amounts of spiritual power, monster detector charms are flawless, and the organization is already fully aware of what you are. Thanks to your sister and I they have decided to leave you in our care, but there's no telling what sort of actions they will take in the future."

"Are they really going to cut me up and do terrible experiments to my body?" I asked.

"Perhaps," said Akito. He then went silent for a moment as though he was contemplating something. "But you should be safe for a little while longer, I hope."

"If you knew that I was like this from before the fox monster attacked, then why didn't you tell me back then?"

"To tell the truth I thought about it," said Akito. "I once tried to tell your sister, but what I realised was that even though you might have started out as an Obake, you Daisuke are very much human. You care very deeply for those close to you and want to protect them. You have your own strange personality, and you make mistakes just like a normal teenage boy. Out of all the students I've trained you're by far the clumsiest and least threatnin-

"Okay, okay I get your point," I snapped. As irritating as Akito speech was I had to admit that it did make me feel a little better.

"Now, are you ready to tell me what you saw back there?" Asked Akito in a tone more serious than before.

"I was," I muttered. I wanted to hide the truth, but I was always a terrible liar and I couldn't look Akito in the eyes and pretend that I saw nothing. "I was being tortured by my grandfather."

"Oh," said Akito and his mouth even formed a dramatic O shape.

"I was in a cave, and it was dark," I said while trying to recall what I saw to the best of my ability. "He was, doing whatever he did to my back. It was so painful and I hated him so much, it's hard to believe, but I honestly wanted to kill him. Why would he do such a thing?"

"I don't know," said Akito. "The only way to find out would be to undo the seals aga-"

"No!" I protested. The idea of going back to that place was terrifying and sent shivers down my spine.

"Okay," said Akito. "Hopefully we'll never have to loosen them again, but under no circumstances are you to repeat what you told me to anyone else. "The organization belives that you're here under house arrest. You've probably already realised that Commander Watanabe's subordinate can be sly and cunning. I have no doubt that he's trying to work his way out of this situation and have you taken away so that he can go back to the main office."

"Yeah I get it," I said. "You don't have to worry about me telling anyone."

I always thought Nina's brother was out of line, but now that I knew the truth, it did explain why he started crying when my sister decided to put me back in school.

"What about you?" I asked. "What are you going to do with me Akito?"

"As far as I'm concerned," said Akito. "Your condition seems stable for now, so I don't think there is any need to take drastic action at the moment. It should be fine for you to go home. I think a good rest is what you need most right now."

"Sis," I said. "I need to talk to my sister-" I said before the words died in my throat. There was no way that I could possibly return home and pretend that nothing had happen. Sis knew me so well that she could smell my issues from a mile away, but all I could imagine was my sister's face contorting in horror as I told her the truth at the dinner table. After everything we had been through together as a family, this could be the one thing that could tear us apart and it terrified me.

I didn't have the guts to break the news to Sis.

Everytime I thought about telling her my new discovery, I felt my throat close up and I couldn't say anything.

"How about I call Kanako here?" Said Akito as he got up and stretched his limbs. "If you agree to leave this room. Souta has spent the last ten minutes doing a strange dance in the living room and I'm not sure if he can hold on much longer."

I nodded my head and got up from my spot in the bathtub. My legs were beginning to cramp up and there was nowhere comfortable to rest my back so it wasn't like I could stay there forever.

I spent the next few hours sitting in Akito's study while waiting for my sister to finish her part-time job. I could hear the others walking around the house, and Nina and Kurumi fighting in the next room, but I didn't have the courage to face them yet.

Akito had laid out all of Kousuke Matsumoto's materials on his desk, and I ran my fingers over the handwritten pages while trying to decipher why such a kind looking man had done what he did. Every time I thought I understood Grandpa I would discover a whole new side to him that challenged everything I knew. The man was like a crazy onion.

Sis finally arrived in the evening and Akito told her everything in his study while I waited in the dim hallway. I sat on the floor with my back against the wall and listened to everything they had to say.

There was some crying from her side, actually a lot of crying as Akito patiently showed her Grandpa's stuff and tried to explain everything as gently as he could. He had to pause a few times to comfort her before he could continue again.

I waited for the part where my sister would crack and reject me but it never came. I was relieved that she didn't hate me, but it only made things harder. I had already decided for myself that it would be best to cut off all ties with Kanako Matsumoto and her family. Sis had already suffered with her family over the years, and the last thing she needed was an adopted monster brother to worry about. I knew that it would be hard for her at first, and Hikaru and Shuro would probably miss me, but it would be better to get the goodbyes out of the way as soon as I could. I knew Akito would let me stay at headquarters until the organization either decided to take me away or have me destroyed.

"Daisuke?" Came the gentle voice of my sister. I had been too lost in my thoughts to hear her leave Akito's study. She was standing in the doorway looking at me. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying, and it reminded me of the time Grandpa passed away.

I turned away from her so that she wouldn't have to see the tears which were forming in my own eyes. "You should go home Sis," I said while trying to sound as calm as possible. "You heard what Akito said, it's probably best to stay away from me."

"Daisuke-"

"I'm not really a super exorcist, I'm not even human. You should leave before its too late!"

"No," said my sister. She reached down and hugged me like I was a child again and I didn't have the heart to push her away. "I won't leave!" She said while gripping me so tightly that her fingers began digging into my shoulders. "It's still too early to lose hope, maybe it's all just a mistake-"

"It's no mistake Sis," I said while thinking of the dark cave covered in my blood. "I saw it. What I was, what I could become again."

"Don't say that!" Cried my sister. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you came from, you will always be my younger brother!"

"For now!" I said. "But what happens if I turn back into an Obake one day? What happens if I do something horrible to either you or Hikaru? How can you let that happen?"

"But it shouldn't," said Akito. He emerged from his study with a pile of scrolls and papers balancing in his arms. "The seal which is keeping your monster powers in place is surprisingly strong, and I doubt that it will fail soon. Theoretically you should still be able to live without having to worry about suddenly regressing back into an Obake."

"See," said my sister. I could see the hope in her eyes and it made me feel terrible. "Nothing has to change."

My eyes flicked from my sister to Akito, and then back to my sister again. She seemed to desperately believe whatever Akito had to say. I sat their silently while thinking about his words. If that was true, then it meant that I might have the chance of living out my days as an ordinary human being without anyone knowing that I was really a monster on the inside. As much as I wanted to lock myself away from the rest of the world, part of me still wanted to continue my regular life.

"Are you sure Akito?" I asked. "Can I really stay like this forever?"

"Forever is a long time Daisuke," said Akito. "Obake's lives are a lot longer than humans so you may outlive us all, but if everything goes well you can live out the rest of your days as you are now."

"See Daisuke," said my sister. "Isn't this great news!"

I wanted to tell her that it didn't change anything and she would still be co-existing with a monster, but as much as I didn't want to see my sister hurt, I couldn't deny that I wanted to go home. I wanted to go back to my bed, crawl under the covers, and try to pretend that everything was normal again.

"See, there's nothing to worry about," said my sister as she gently patted me on the back. "But it probably isn't best to tell-"

I finished her sentence. "Shuro and Hikaru. It's okay, I won't tell them anything."

I didn't know if Shuro could cope with having a monster for a younger brother. I was certain that he still slept with a night light.

"We better start heading home," said my sister and she stood up to leave. "I need to make Hikaru's lunch for tomorrow." Sis placed her hand before me and patiently waited for me to take it.

I looked at her and was overwhelmed with a sense of deja vu. I was reminded of the day my grandfather died. The neighbors saw him fall down in the garden and he was immediately rushed to the hospital where he soon passed away. I sat by his bedside until I was pushed out into the waiting room. All the doctors and nurses looked at me with pity as the hours passed and no one came to collect me. But all of a sudden Sis was there. Her eyes were red and puffy and she held my hand and took me away. Maybe she said something kind back then as well.

My gut told me to push her away and live out the rest of my days at headquarters like a hermit. But I felt like a small frightened child who was looking for anyone to take them home.

And before I knew it I had already taken my sister's hand and she was gently leading me away.

---

As dramatic as it sounds I felt like Daisuke the human boy died that day, and then only Daisuke the boy who used to be a monster was left. Despite my sister's best intentions, I felt like it was impossible for things to return to the way they were before. Hugo and Nina's brother must have also felt the same and pushed to make me stay at headquarters (preferably in a cage) but Akito insisted that Sis had the experience to take care of me in case something went wrong.

I didn't have the energy to talk to Shuro or play with Hikaru, so I went straight to my room when I got home. I sat on the bed and stared at my personal effects and furniture like I was seeing them for the first time.

I decided that it didn't look like a monster's room. If anyone tried to rob our house I'm sure they'd see nothing but a teenager's bedroom. But despite its ordinary appearance and my dirty laundry on the floor, it was a monster's home. It was a monster's bed, a monster's desk, and a monster's rock collection from elementary school. I was just like Hugo's story of a hamster monster that grew up thinking it was a real animal until it started eating the pet shop staff one by one.

I picked up the photo of Grandpa which sat on my bedside table. He looked like a sweet old man who would give candy to children, but just looking at his face pissed me off. I opened one of my drawers and tossed the photo inside. I heard the glass crack, but I didn't care at all. I also had another photo of my sister and I from when I was a kid, but it was from so long ago that I couldn't remember having the picture taken. I picked up the photo frame to examine it more closely. It was hard to believe that the cute kid smiling brightly in the picture used to be a monster who may have done terrible things.

I could faintly see my own reflection in the glass photo frame. I sat there staring at myself and looking for anything abnormal, but all I could see was a tired fifteen year old boy.

When I first started training to become an exorcist, Akito once told me that Obake could be born or come into existence like nature. I could also vaguely remember him mentioning something about humans with strong grudges. I knew nothing about my real parents. I had spent years wondering who they were, but I had to accept that they might not exist, or even worse, they could be out there somewhere munching on humans.

It made me wonder if there were other monsters disguised in human form who lived among people like me. Itsuki once told me that his friend's stepmother had been an Obake. She didn't seem like she wanted to hurt anyone, but he still told the organization the truth and they destroyed her. I tried to convince him that he'd done the right thing, but now all I could do was hope that it was possible for humans and monsters to coexist in peace.

There was a knock on my door. I thought it might have been my sister back for another pep talk, but instead I heard Shuro's voice

"Daisuke," said Shuro. "I got this great new game? I know your sister wants me to teach you math, but all the guys at work keep talking about this so I thought we could play together."

I didn't have the courage to face Shuro. I wasn't good at lying like Sis, and I didn't believe that I could keep acting normal around him. I decided that it was better to avoid Shuro than risk him seeing through my badly created facade and discovering the truth.

"Daisuke are you in there?" Asked Shuro again.

"I'm sorry," I called out to him while trying to sound as normal as possible, but I could hear my voice tremble. "I feel kind of tired. I think I might go to sleep."

"But it's seven o'clock," said Shuro through the door.

"I'm sorry," I replied. "I don't feel so good."

There was silence from his side, and I began to fear that he could already sense something was wrong.

"Okay, make sure to get lots of rest," said Shuro. I could hear him turn away from the door and begin walking back down the corridor.

I sighed. I felt terrible for lying, but what other choice did I have? It wasn't just Shuro that I was worried about. What I didn't have the courage to tell Akito or my sister was that the man in my dreams wouldn't have had any use for a cute little monster, or a teenage ex-human. Kousuke Matsumoto would have been after something more deadly and powerful that he could utilize for revenge.

I just hoped that my intuition was wrong.

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