Vol 3.5 Chapter 10: Sherry’s Tale – Awakening

Sherry’s training with the bird continued, only ending when she either lost consciousness or was unable to move a single inch.

Day by day, the young Izurd improved. After finding out that if she could just absorb the blow of the bird, she would have a slight chance for a counter if she were to be fast enough. She didn’t care that the bird was really hard to the point that her knuckles would bleed whenever she punched it. She didn’t care either that the damage she took from an unguarded blow was still significant enough to make her grit her teeth in pain whenever it landed. She just knew that if she were to get stronger, she must overcome this stupid creature with her own strength and determination. That’s what her dear Hugo would do, when he finally managed to win against her in their third match.

And then, that day finally came.

The day where she finally awakened her "tendrils".

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In the illuminating light of the moon, two shadows could be seen clashing back and forth, both huffing and puffing on their shaking legs as one of the shadows fell back.

"Haa… haa… haa… come back here, you stupid bird!"

Her knuckles were bleeding—battered and bruised from punching the extremely tough armor the bird possessed. She now realized it couldn't have been steel. Normal steel should be nowhere near this tough. She could already snap a steel sword in half—a story from a brawl in a certain tavern at the Demon Continent—and this toughness was certainly on a whole other level.

Her legs, once broken today, have regained their full functionality in just the span of a few hours. Showing the further awakening of her demonic body.

The bird, seeing the sheer determination of the girl, let loose a low growl and spread its wings wide, it knew that it was either fight, kill, and feast to regain its strength, or scare its opponent away, as futile as the latter might be. It knew that right here, right now, it needed to make a final stand. Of course, if it had the choice, it would have ran away by now. Alas, it had no such luxury. It had made a mistake wandering into the Fey territory one day, and ever since then, it had become the damned plaything of the fairies.

There was no escape. There was only survival.

And to survive, it had to devour this girl. It hadn’t tasted human flesh in a long time, but its mouth started to water from just the memory alone.

But how, how would it do so without triggering the guardians protection? She always stood there, watching them like a hawk. She was the true threat. It knew that its life could be forfeit anytime she wanted to. Such was the difference between their strength.

"Come here, you stupid bird!"

Sherry dashed forward with a punch. The bird easily dodged out of the way. She didn't let up, dashing a couple more times in desperation, not just in a straight line but in a zigzag pattern as well, in an attempt to catch the bird off-guard. It wasn't so easily fooled, however.

For the past few hours, the bird had opted for an evasive approach, just running and dodging to preserve its ever dwindling energy reserves. It had learned how the girl could counter its blow with her own and it could feel its flesh crying out.

“Arrrghhh, that’s it! I’m sick and tired of you running away! I’m hungry, tired and I want this to be over with so stay put and accept my fists!”

The bird didn’t quite understand what the girl was yelling. But it knew it had upset her. Good. Upsetting your opponent would lead to an opportunity to feast, learned throughout its countless battles.

“If I catch you, I’m going to cook you! That’s right! I’m in the mood for some roasted chicken right now!”

*GROOOWWWLLL*

Urgh, my stomach. I’m seriously hungry right now. And that bird really starts to look delicious.

Or I’m just slowly losing it.

I’m glad Hugo isn’t here now. I’m all sweaty and dirty, to the point that the smell doesn’t even bother me anymore. Blood, sweat, and dirt: all soiling this white dress I’m wearing. It’s all brown now.

All because of that stupid bird.

After giving her declaration, Sherry went back to the chase.

All the while a new figure appeared above the cliff to watch her.

“The two of you are still at it?”

It was Fran. She had opted to visit their training ground on her own volition. Occasionally, Quania would ask her for a spar, thus she was given access to the place.

“Don’t give me that look. Blame her. I told her we should wrap this up for the day, but she still wanted to keep going.”

Fran sighed, shaking her head. But she said nothing, at least not immediately, as she too watched Sherry from the cliff above.

“Still no signs of her awakening?” Fran asked.

“No.”

“...What if she—”

“No. Don’t even mention it. You can manipulate your hair just fine. Even with that bastard as your father.”

Fran fell silent once more as her gaze returned back to Sherry, watching her chase after the beast, zigzagging across the battlefield, utilizing her leg strength as effectively as she could. She wasn’t even standing anymore. She instead crawled down on all fours, using her arm strength as well to get a boost on her speed.

“That fighting style... She really is your granddaughter.” Fran smirked.

Quania said nothing in response.

“Haah! Haah! Haah! STOP! RUNNING! AROUND!” Sherry screamed, bringing Fran’s attention back to the battlefield.

“Oh my, it seems her temper has reached its peak.” Fran commented. “So even at her maximum potential, she’s still not fast enough to catch that beast. You’ve designed this training well, Mother.” She smirked again.

Sherry leaped again, landing just a few milliseconds late before her hands could strangle the steel bird. This time, however, instead of running away, the bird decided to counter. It knew that its opponent had lost a significant amount of stamina by her rapid movements just a few moments before, and decided that this was its best chance at flesh.

A hand! It just needed a hand to swallow to regain its strength!

And so, in a move so bold Sherry could not ever anticipate, it leaned forward and chomped on Sherry’s left hand as strong and quick as it could.

“Aaahhh!”

Sherry screamed—a burst of blood escaped from her torn veins.

However, her hand didn’t end up in the bird’s stomach. Even with the bird’s powerful jaw, it could not decapitate it in one move.

And then, she countered.

She crashed her right fist into the bird’s head.

And it shattered its steel skin, hitting right at the soft scalp below, which, unfortunately for it, would be where its brain is.

“Kwaaa! Kwaaa!”

The bird panicked. For the very first time in its life, it felt terror. Its brain had been decimated, and now, it was only running with its backup brain, located in its abdomen, a trait a lot of demonic beasts share.

It immediately attempted to flee, releasing its beak from her hand and preparing its talons to dash away. There was no way it was going to engage against this demon child any longer. It would take it a whole month to regenerate its primary brain back.

Only, Sherry was not having it.

“YOU STUPID BIRD! YOU THINK YOU’D BE ABLE TO ESCAPE AFTER TRYING TO EAT MY HAND OFF?!”

Before it's dash could finish, a burst of black tendrils grabbed every inch of its body, tightly holding it in place.

It was Sherry's hair. It seemed that in her rage, she had finally awakened it.

What happened next could only be described with that grim term humans like to use.

A one-sided slaughter.

Sherry leaped forward like a crazed animal and tore the bird apart with her bare hands. She punched, punched and punched, all the while her hair kept the monster in place. The bird couldn't even mount a counter assault, as her attacks were just too furious for it to find any opening. It realized its end has come, cursing the damnable fairies that brought it to this place.

When Sherry finished, there was only a bloody pulp in the ground, and the steel remains of the bird's body.

Sherry, panting, still remained on all fours. She was bathed in the bird's blood, but she didn't care. She had conquered the enemy, and that's all that mattered.

And then, she collapsed.

If she had stayed conscious just a little longer, she would’ve heard Fran’s enthusiastic clapping.

“...She did it! She actually did it! You were right, Mother! Of course she’d be able to do it!” Fran grabbed Quania’s hands and swung them around with a big goofy smile on her face. The latter didn’t respond to her enthusiasm, however, as she kept her cold look all the way through.

"Take care of her." Quania ordered once Fran calmed down. "Bring her home and let her rest. Tell her to not do any training whatsoever for an entire day."

When she walked away from the scene, however, a secret smile blossomed on her lips.

She wouldn’t admit it, but she was just as proud as her daughter about Sherry’s success.

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When Sherry returned to the world of the living, she was back in her room, dressed in clean clothes.

And with Fran's smiling face looking over her.

"Welcome back, Sherry. And congratulations. You’ve finally awakened your tendrils."

"M-my tendrils?" Sherry stared blankly.

"Your hair, silly!" Fran wrapped her arms around her, bringing her closer. "Your beautiful, Izurd hair!" She traversed her fingers down said hair. "Your training finally paid off! Aren't you happy?"

"I… I guess I am." Sherry looked away. Not quite being able to process the revelation.

But then, when she saw a plate full of boar meat sitting on the nearby table, a pang of hunger hit her stomach. Hard. Hard enough that her hair instinctively grew longer, grabbed the plate, and brought it to her as it shortened.

I-I did it! I really can control my hair now!

“Eat.” Fran smiled. “It’s your reward.”

It took her less than five minutes to devour the entire thing.

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For her day of rest, Fran suggested that she made merry with the rest of the villagers. After all, they were her family—her people—and they would surely love to meet with one from the outside world.

Having nothing to do due to Quania’s order, she did exactly that, making her way to the village’s communal farms since girls her age would already be working in them. In fact, most of the female villagers spent their days there, with only a few allowed to hunt in the territory of the Fey.

"Oh? You're Sherry, right? Fran's niece? Can I help you with something?" One of the female farmers called her over when she saw her. Like all Izurd females, she was a slim and beautiful woman with long black hair going down to her waist. It's impossible for an Izurd to be out of shape, owing to their excellent metabolism. And an Izurd would not grow old until the last few years of their remaining life either.

"I… I want to help." She stuttered. She had always been the shy, introverted type. Which was why she enjoyed Hugo's company oh so much. He always took the initiative, greeting her with that bright and beautiful smile of his.

"Help?" The woman's eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, of course! Of course you can help! I'll tell my dear Xanxia to show you the ropes, alright? Xanxia? Xanxia? Come here for a minute!"

The woman promptly deduced that Sherry was here to make friends. She, along with the rest of the villagers for that matter, had known how every day, until late at night, she would exhaust herself training with the Izurd demon lord. For them, it was an odd thing to do for a female Izurd. After half a millenia of pacifist isolationism, they had lost the culture of brutal strength that once brought fear to every demon race. None bothered training themselves, with some female Izurds purposefully keeping themselves weak so they would be swept on their feet by a male Izurd who did train.

The woman's daughter quickly presented herself. She was a few years younger than Sherry, and her features were strikingly similar to her mother. And just like her, she wore a simple dress with an apron at the front. In general, the Izurd preferred simplicity in their attire, with the exception of Fran who always wore her fancy ogre robe as her daily attire.

"Go play with her, alright?" Her mother smiled.

"Her? Ooh, are you that Sherry girl Bug Lady brought from the outside?"

"Bug… Lady?"

"Come on! You have to tell me everything about the outside world! Is it really as terrible as Mother says?"

She walked forward and caught Sherry's hands before dragging her along.

And just like that, it seemed Sherry had made her first Izurd friend.

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Sherry spent the entire day in the farms, telling tales of the outside to anyone that wanted to listen, not just Xanxia. It didn’t take long until the other girls took an interest in her, to the point that they abandoned their work completely. Their mothers didn’t seem to mind, however. They all agreed it was a rare occasion that should be cherished, knowing that Sherry would be soon busy with her training again.

They had lunch together, consisting of rice and deer meat. Rice was a decently common food in the Demon Continent, akin to bread in human lands. Many species of rice existed, and they all came in many different colors, with different tastes. Sherry had eaten it plenty of times during her journey here, and, she had to admit, she started to prefer it over bread.

Though of course, the taste of a juicy meat far trumped both.

"Really? The outside world really is scary… I'm glad we Izurd live here now!" Xanxia commented as Sherry finished another one of her stories, before chomping down on her meat.

Sherry's smile dimmed for a bit. The girls she spoke with really viewed the outside world as a dangerous place. Which was true, of course, but they spoke as if it was an uninhabitable wasteland.

Then again, it might be her mistake that she began with the scary stuff.

"Hey, the world outside isn't that bad," she replied. "As long as you're strong enough to face the dangers, you can experience all the wonders too! You'll never see the hustle and bustle of a city or the endless blue of the ocean."

"Is that why you're always training with the Elder?" One of the other girls interjected with a curious look.

she nodded, resolve drawn in her eyes "I need to be strong. Strong enough to become a great adventurer." For his sake.

The conversation continued. She had never spoken this much before, and that realization took her a bit off-guard. However, they were all terribly enthusiastic in listening to her story, interrupting her with a barrage of questions during and after her story. And not only that, they would end up bringing their own lives to the table, telling her how you were supposed to grow the various paddy species that existed on the farm, since every species had its own unique quirks. The Izurdian's main export was actually rice, along with a handful of other vegetables suited for the soil and climate. Where they would export it to, and how, she did not ask. And it seemed they didn't know the details anyway. She had to ask an adult, if she remembered to anyway.

It didn't take long until she joined working on the farm, using her hair to do most of the work like they did. To her, it was difficult work, as her hair control was nowhere near good enough. Still, they remained patient with her, which was truly appreciated.

When she finished, it was already sunset. After saying her goodbyes, she returned to Fran's place with a smile on her face.

She belonged here. Fran was right. They really were her tribe—her family.

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The next day, Sherry's training continued on to the next stage. With her 'tendrils' awakened, Quania now focused her training to manipulate said hair. She would instruct her to lift large boulders and to climb tall cliffs with them. Her goal was to enhance their tensile strength, their durability, and their growth length.

For Sherry, it was a really weird sensation, finally gaining control of her hair. It really was just like controlling a part of her own body, akin to having an extra arm that she could only move after a long and harsh therapy.

I wonder how Hugo will react when he sees me like this, she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror, with her hair wriggling and twitching on their own as if they were alive. With a thought, the hair stopped moving, returning once again to their smooth, glossy look.

Day by day I'm getting stronger. Soon, I'll be back by your side.

Just you wait.

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"Quania! I challenge you to a sparring match!"

One day, at their training field, She shouted those words to her grandmother.

She was given a pair of raised eyebrows in return.

"I want to know the difference between our strength! I have to surpass you to leave this village, right? So I demand the right to know!"

"...Foolish child." Quania gave her a cold stare. "Not in a million years you'll be able to defeat me at your current skill. Even landing a blow is as impossible as cutting the moon."

"We don't know about that!" she fired back.

"Then, feel free to strike me with that sword of yours at any time. I'll be sure to return the favor." Quania replied nonchalantly.

She had started her training in the sword art as well, though her hair manipulation training still took priority. Thus, she was back to carrying her sword around at all times.

Listening to that declaration,she didn’t dare hesitate. She drew her sword and dashed forward, performing a horizontal slice aimed at her abdomen.

Only to receive a punch straight to the face.

"Gah!" She yelled. She was sent flying backwards, crashing onto the cliff wall behind her.

What punched her was a fist, but not Quania's own fist. It instead was her hair, formed like one.

"Too slow," was Quania's only comment.

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Sherry continued her not-so-stealthy assault at Quania for the next few days. Every time she thought there was an opening, she would try to attack her, only to find a fist landing at her before her sword got anywhere close to her. She did it pretty much anytime during their training, but not even once had Quania show her any real openings, only false ones that invited her to attack.

And so, it didn't take long until she recognized the massive gap between their strength.

She gritted her teeth as her attack was yet again repelled. It had been a week since her grandmother answered her challenge and she was not making any visible progress.

"Give up. Focus on your training instead. Try again next year."

"Fine." Sherry sighed. "You're right. I can't even compare to you—the way I am right now. I give up. But, like you say, I'll try again next year. So don't hold back in training me, alright?" She pointed her sword at her.

"...Stubborn, arrogant child."

Quania's tiny smirk afterwards did not escape Sherry's eyes.

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A few months have passed since then. Sherry continued her grueling training under Quania, and the results quickly began to show. Unbeknownst to her, or Quania for that matter, that bird she defeated— was an S-rank monster called Mythril Beak. Yes, that meant she had been punching mythril the entire time. It was considered amongst the weaker S-rank monsters, certainly weaker than a dragon, but on the outside, it was known to be a potent adventurer killer. A greedy adventuring party would challenge it, knowing just how much its mythril skin could be sold for on the market, only to find themselves overwhelmed by its faster than sound speed.

Quania would call upon more birds like it every week, telling Sherry to kill them as fast as she could. It was a way for her to gauge the growth of her strength. Thanks to it, she learned how to use her hair more effectively in combat. Still, no sword was allowed. Or rather, Quania told her if she wanted a sword, she should just make it with her own hair. "An Izurd's hair is sharper than any weapons." She told her. Sherry still couldn't do it properly, however. The sword would just unravel when it made impact with the bird's mythril.

Her hair—it needed to be much more rigid to be a proper weapon.

And then, one day, Myrilla returned out of the blue, even though it hadn't even been a year yet.

And she brought with her a gift—a gift that would brighten Sherry's days for the rest of the week.

A Dream Orb.

"R-really?" Sherry looked in disbelief at the orb Myrilla had placed on the table in front of her. "I-I can speak to him with this?"

"No, not speak." Myrilla corrected her. "Merely send a message to his dreams. You hug it as you sleep and think of the message and recipient."

“Where did you get this thing anyway?”

“Oh, I have my ways. I know you’d want it badly, so I collected it for you.”

And thus, she sent her first message to Hugo—done under while being extremely nervous, which meant her message wasn't received clearly by him. It wasn't just nervousness from how much she missed him, but the nervousness earned from the realization that she would not be able to return to his side on time. She was still far too weak to win against Quania.

Hugo...

Hugo..

T-this is Sherry. I-I’m sending you a message through dreams, using a Dream Orb.

I...I can't go. I can't go back home just yet.

I’m not strong enough yet. I can't leave. I made a promise, not to leave until I’m strong enough.

I’m so sorry. You and Marina… you two should go without me.

Don't worry. I'm fine. I met my family here. My tribe. My aunt and grandmother. They’re all really nice people.

I’ll catch up to you, alright? I’ll find you. As soon as I’m stronger…