Demon Lord Shapeshifting System

Harker was reminded by a certain someone when he got called 'friend' by this imposter.

There was just something unique about the way Ivan Ivanovich would call people his 'friend', with all the realness and affectionate tone of a true friend would, yet at the same time feel so fake.

And Harker knew he must have adapted it from the fake people he had been around the Circus Cabaret. Those 'people' who would laugh and cry but never actually felt anything. Just a bunch of hollow mannequins.

Seeing this mannequin wear such a similar face yet a completely different demeanor up close in person….. It produced a more visceral effect on him that he expected.

He thought that after all the business with a cannibalistic pedophilic priest taking over his mother's body, or his clone occupying his friend's body and pretending to be him, or even a Native American man he thought to be his friend being part of some flesh hive all along would have prepared him for this.

Yet the hair on his arms still rose once 'Kian' turned his empty gaze at him.

He could tell that this thing felt nothing towards him. It had no emotions, save for perhaps malice and sadism, but other than that, there's nothing else. Yet it was so good at copying human reactions and nuances that it just made it all the more unsettling to know that it is NOT his former co-worker.

They just looked at each other for a while, eye to eye. Everyone else was confused and giving them weird looks, as if expecting a fight to ensue. Still, 'Kian Shaw' didn't feel inclined to stop this staring contest. 

He seemed to take delight in it, though Harker knew that delight was also nothing but a farce. 

The animated things were just that. Objects. They can't feel anything, they can only emulate. But they have intentions, and those intentions were more often than not cruel.

"Everyone take a seat." 

Only the professor's voice managed to end this tense staring contest that lasted for possibly 15 seconds or so. But for Harker, it felt much, much longer as he got to see through the essence of this being in front of him. It's 'identity'.

"Nice to see you, friend." That was all Kian Shaw said as he left for his seat, still wearing that smile.

Even during class discussion, he was still surrounded by people and being interacted with. He had become their new favorite person after all. Whether they were interested by his new good looks, or his charming personality, or the fact that he was going against Artea Holmwood….

It's still the same. He was on display for all of them to gawk at. 

Harker spent most of his time in class observing the imposter. He was lucky that Gulliver usually sits behind 'Kian', but every so often when 'Kian' would talk to someone beside him, he would give Harker a side eye. And his lips would curl more than it had. 

Harker tried to resist the urge to punch him in the face. He was reminded that thi meant the old Kian was gone, and this thing had killed him.

Harker can imagine it in its shadowy form, stabbing the poor boy and then peeling off the skin off his face. Then, he would wear it like a mask and transform its body similarly, but also 'better'. Bast on what's 'better' according to human standards. 

It disgusts him more than the killing, this act of replacing. It felt like the greatest disrespect to everything that was human and REAL. A constant never-ending lie.

And Harker was quite sick of lies. 

".... You see class, changes in sovereignty would often mean changes in the place itself. Its rulers, its laws, its culture….. Even its name. How many of you knew the old name of New York during the Dutch settlement?"

At this, many hands were raised, including the imposter's. The professor picked him, of course. 

"Yes, Mr. Shaw?"

"It was once New Amsterdam. When the English took over it in 1664, they named it after the Duke of York. Just like how Istanbul was once Constantinople when the Turks gained sovereignty over it."

The professor nodded. "Very good, Mr. Shaw. It's common for countries and places to change names more than you think, or have multiple names at once. And every time, it meant that it had changed form. It had changed shape, like clay being molded into a pot, or a caterpillar turning into a butterfly."

Harker narrowed his eyes. 'Or a human being a not human.'

By the end of the class, Harker had decided to follow along wherever imposter Kian Shaw went. He knew he should be looking for Artea since they still had some campaigning shit to do, but he couldn't pass up this chance. 

When he saw 'Kian' go over to the men's restroom, he still followed along. This time, he took the hair strand of a male student passing by and smoothly turned his features into him.

'Kian' was standing by the urinal, and Harker sidled up beside him.

He wondered if this thing really does pee, or if it just pretends to be. Something was flowing out of whatever he was holding in his hand though, that's for sure. But from what Harker had seen, it was clear like water. 

So this thing just eats and drinks without it being digested, and lets it out in its full form?

"You have a handsome face, friend."

The imposter suddenly said, not even looking at him. Harker froze, knowing well that this doppelganger had seen through his cover. 

He just scoffed and said. "What the hell, man. I don't even know you. You gay or something?" 

He went to zip up his pants and go to the sink. As he washed his hands, 'Kian' also moved beside him to wash his hands. 

"I just like appreciating men's beauty, is that so wrong? I know many people who would kill to be as good-looking as you." He said with a wide grin.

Harker turned to him with a deadly glare. 

Without saying anything, he delivered his message clearly. 'I'd like to see you and your plastic friends try.'

'Kian' just smiled. "Have a nice day, my friend."

He left with a wilful jig in his steps. Harker growled, and picked another person's hair to replicate as he followed him along.

'Kian' seemed to be heading out into the school gates. Harker kept his distance, but the imposter knew he was following him.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure approach 'Kian'. 

He was no longer wearing that silly hat and ringmaster costume. He looked just like a regular college student or random civilian, but there was no mistaking it. 

It was Ivan Ivanovich. He seemed to be handing this 'Kian' imposter something.

It was a book. Harker couldn't see it clearly, but it seemed to be old and leatherbound. And in the front cover….

Were two familiar symbol written with red ink. He realized that it was one was a cartoony heart. And right beside it was an actual anatomical drawing of a heart.

He mumbled in both exasperation and annoyance.

"Kokoro to Shinzou. Those damn grandpas again."