Servamp: In Our Next Life

It was a trap!

Mahiru wasn't so sure this was a good idea anymore.

He'd been expecting a family member but this guy was dressed like someone out of Men in Black with sunglasses and a fitted suit. He also spoke in a confident but cool tone like he controled everything around them.

"You're Shirota Mahiru."

"Yeah." Mahiru bit back his nerves and asked, "Uh... if you don't mind what was your relation-"

"Hold that thought please," the man requested pleasantly. "I need to deal with a... disobedient little cat."

"Huh?"

A rope suddenly shot out from the man's sleeve and pulled someone sitting on a nearby rooftop, roughly slamming him into the pavement.

"Ah?! KURO?!"

Sure enough the sloth servamp had his arms bound to his side by the rope gritting his teeth in pain.

"Ow... what a pain..."

"WEREN'T YOU AT HOME?!"

"Mahiru I can ex- ow...!!"

The man was grinding his shoe into Kuro's back near the neck.

"You're a sneaky little bastard Sloth," he snarled. "We told your eve to come here alone- you were not to follow. And judging by his reaction... I think he got the message loud and clear."

"Ah uh- excuse me!! Excuse me Kuro's already hurt- don't-"

"Deceiving and disobeying your master... such a bad kitty..."

"Excuse me!!" Mahiru cut in, grabbing the man's arm. "Kuro can be a bit overprotective that's all! He means no harm- I apologize for my partner so please stop hurting him!!"

The man glared at Kuro but let the rope retreat and let him up.

Mahiru helped Kuro sit up smoothing his back. He asked urgently, "Kuro?! Kuro are you okay?!"

"Ow... Mahiru... don't worry... give me a minute and I'll be fine..."

"...you have a lot of explaining to do when we get home cat...!!"

"Hahaha... don't worry about it," the man reassured. "I honestly expected as much from Sloth. Let's get back on track shall we?"

"You wanna know why you can't find anything on Masaaki's family? On where he comes from?"

Mahiru nodded.

"That information doesn't exist."

"Suko Masaaki was never real."

"He was just a vessel used to bring you back, Shirota Mahiru," the man continued with a sick grin. "Nothing more than an empty shell for an amenisac soul with a new name."

Mahiru frowned. The confusion hit him first, but the more time passed the more he thought-

"That's impossible," Mahiru replied shakily. "Impossible- he had an apartment, friends, school- someone would've noticed if he wasn't real!"

"Oh to be sure he had those things... but didn't you have that too Shirota Mahiru?" the man pointed out. "66 years ago... didn't you have school? Friends? An apartment to live in?"

"He lived exactly how you did because his soul was yours."

"YOU CAN'T JUST ERASE SOMEONE'S IDENTITY LIKE THAT!!"

"Really now eve of sloth, what's so hard to believe about-"

"Who took care of him- who raised him?!" Mahiru retorted. "He definitely aged, his friends met him at different ages, they said so- he didn't just pop into existence as a 16 year old!! Someone must have been there to take care of him! Raise him! Watch him grow up! Provide an apartment for him to live in! Enrol him into school! He must've had family!!"