Master Roxy immediately stepped in front of me, holding her staff. "Rudy. Stay back." Sweat poured down her face. At the same time, the magic circles from her <Magic Arrays> system flared to life.

Sylphy grabbed me, wind mana flowing around her, ready to fly away at a moment's notice. "Let's go, Rudy."

Sheer panic suppressed with pure resolve. From both Roxy and Sylphy.

"No." I shrugged Sylphy off and stepped forward.

"R-Rudy?!"

Master Roxy glanced back and glared at me. "Rudy! Stay. Back!"

"Have you met Being W yet, Master Roxy?"

"What?" Roxy blinked, caught off guard by the question.

I stared at the man approaching and said, "That guy's been messing around my life for a while... and I need answers."

The man approaching us wasn't Being W. That sinister white mist was extremely dense around him and seemed to be casting a spell of sorts, but there was another mana beneath it. A regal gold and silver mix that was completely inviolable.

But more than that, the man approaching seemed hazy. As if he was a person that wasn't really here. Like a mirage, his silhouette was a bit blurred.

Though whether that was a result of Being W trying and failing to interfere with him, the man's natural mana, or some other thing... I didn't know.

But I did know one thing.

The man's face was harsh. His golden eyes were narrowed, and overall he had the appearance of the end game secret boss from some old JRPG game.

But because of that, I was suspicious. Not about him, but about his circumstances.

Moreover... I felt a connection between us.

It wasn't rational. It wasn't anything concrete. But it was a gut feeling. Something deep within me that said this was a person who wasn't against me.

I glanced back.

Since we were at Mom's tree, we were a fair distance from home. But still close enough to where everyone could get caught in the crossfire if things went south.

The man was still far off in the distance. We had about ten minutes before he arrived.

So I took the time to think.

He was an unknown factor.

There shouldn't be any visitors.

Master Roxy and Sylphy were put on edge by him.

Being W seemed to be doing his damndest to try and affect the man. But failing that, Being W seemed to be casting a spell around the man instead.

I felt a strange connection with the man. A faint familiarity like I met him once, a long time ago.

The man looked harsh and dangerous, but he didn't actually have any hostility. Even so, he had a demeanor where he would be ready to fight at a moment's notice, as if he was used to sudden combat.

The timing was weird. Showing up right after I woke up and got my sight back... It was too coincidental.

And the man was powerful.

Like my current state, the man's regal gold and silver mana seemed to be a bit dim. But even so, I could tell.

His mana was equal to- No. It was better than mine. Not just in quantity, but in quality. Like how my mana was dense enough to fold in on itself and dominate other mana, his was similar. But rather than folding in, it seemed to just continually produce light.

Put in other words... if my mana was like a huge planet with intense gravity, his seemed to be a bright star with equal pull but constantly emitting light.

In other words... strong. Stronger than anyone I had seen or even imagined.

The Strongest.

I would go so far as to call the man that.

So the question remained. Why was he here?

I walked forward.

"R-Rudy! No!" Master Roxy called out after me, but she stood in place. As if frozen by fear- No. She actually was frozen by fear.

"Rudy!" Sylphy called out as well and tried to walk after me. But she stumbled and then collapsed on the ground, her legs trembling.

I glanced back at the two and then smiled. "I think that guy's here for me. Don't worry. I'm just going to have a small chat with him."

"You're lying!" Sylphy desperately pushed herself to her feet and shouted. "You're lying, Rudy! Stop! Don't go!" She tried to take another step with her shaky legs. But again, she collapsed. And when she did, her eyes welled up with tears. But not because she was sad. Instead, they were tears of frustration.

Master Roxy grit her teeth and tried to move as well. But she couldn't. Her entire body shook with the effort, but it didn't move. "Why...?" She looked down and then glared at her legs. "Why are you like this now?! Move! MOVE!" She grit her teeth again and then looked at me. "Rudy! Stay back! Listen to your Master and stay back! That person's dangerous!"

"I know. That's why I'm going to talk with him."

"Are you stupid!? An idiot?! Just what have you been doing these past few years?!"

"Not enough."

I walked forward, ignoring Roxy and Sylphy.

I could see their point.

The man was strong. Unbelievably strong. Enough to where you could probably sense it without seeing his mana. But since Roxy and Sylphy could see what I saw, I was sure that they were even more affected.

Paired with the fact that I had been unconscious for a week and blind for a day after, me walking out like this was probably their worst nightmare. Considering how much they cared for me, this was like their worst fears come to life.

...But I had to.

The man didn't seem hostile, but there was a chance he was. And if we waited for him to approach us, then there was a possibility of hostilities breaking out close to home. To where Mom, Mama Lily, Sylphy's Mom, and my two cute and vulnerable baby sisters were waiting.

I couldn't risk that.

The man was strong, so it was highly likely that even a casual blow could destroy everything at close range.

So to mitigate it, I had to engage first.

In the best case scenario, this was all a misunderstanding and we went on our ways.

In the worst case... I had to buy time. No, I was the one who *could* buy time.

Master Roxy's magic circles were complex, inventive, and powerful. But her mana wasn't dense enough to face this storm.

Even a basic Water Ball from the man would blow her away.

Sylphy's way of using mana was creative and diverse, but she wouldn't be able to control this. Not only that, but she didn't have any fighting instinct. To begin with, Sylphy was a peaceful and kind young girl. Expecting her to enter the dragon's den was sending a lamb to slaughter.

I had been training with her with mock battle games to give her reflexes to help in actual combat, but this wasn't the time or place to test those.

To begin with, the man wasn't someone you could react to.

I adjusted my gray scarf around my neck and walked forward, forcefully resisting the urge to prepare magic circles or gather mana.

The man continued his approach, snow blowing around him as he walked across the field.

I stepped beyond the boundary of Master Roxy's warming magic circles and instantly felt a chill fall on me. But I ignored it and continued walking.

One minute. Two. Three... Ten.

And then we were standing across from each other.

As if we came a mutual understanding, both of us stopped at a distance of about ten feet. A gap that could be crossed in an instant if things got serious, but one that showed respect for space.

The man gave me a sharp look, his silver hair shifting in the wind as his golden eyes narrowed in thought.

I felt my hair shift as well, and had to resist the urge to shiver from the chill. Instead, I just stared back at the man.

"...You aren't looking away." The man muttered and then looked past me. "Roxy Migurdia and Sylphiette Dragonroad... that's the same. But you." He looked at me and said, "I don't recognize you."

Roxy Migurdia? Sylphiette Dragonroad?

I could understand him knowing Master Roxy. She had become pretty famous after her antics and exploits in Shirone Kingdom and the Strife Zone.

But to know Sylphy's full name-

Wait.

Sylphy didn't have a last name though. Laws never took one up. And most people didn't have last names unless they were noble...

So why did he call Sylphy "Sylphiette Dragonroad?"

...Was she actually a secret princess or something? A long lost heir to some fallen kingdom?

The way the man said it was like reciting a fact, not speculation. So it was strange.

Even more questions to consider.

But before I had time to consider them, Being W started to act up. The sinister white mist suddenly stirred and shot out to affect me.

But I was ready this time.

I learned from my mistake before. That bastard took advantage of my anger to sneak in and influence me last time, causing me to end up in this whole mess.

So to prevent that, I made sure to continually cycle my mana through my body. Just like how certain ninjas channeled chakra to break out of illusions.

And like I thought, Being W's mana dispersed.

But unlike before, I didn't hear anything. No staticky words or his familiar and damnable voice.

Instead, it was just silence. Silence and the man continuing to look at me.

"...Are you finally frightened into silence?" The man spoke again, his voice cold... but also a bit fatigued. As if he was weighed down by an incredible burden.

It was a tone I recognized.

After all, I heard it all the time in the past.

Not expecting anything, but not giving up. Taking on all the harsh judgment from reality but continuing on your way until the end.

Recognizing that, I relaxed a bit and shook my head. And to put him off ease too, I smiled and said, "How could I be scared of someone as cool as you?"

"Cool?" The man's mouth twitched. A genuine flicker of amusement. But that was all. As if he had forgotten how to smile or show any other emotion but 'serious', that twitch was all there was.

"Yep! Cool. And you seem super strong too... Did you come to help keep us safe while my dad's working?"

A casual test. Praise, mixed with childish innocence and expectations.

He wasn't a bad guy. If I judged him right, then he actually should be similar to how I used to be. At least, up until the end.

So then...

"...Who's your father?"

"Paul Greyrat. Ah, but I guess he's technically Paul Notos Greyrat?"

"Hm?" The man frowned and said, "Paul should only have two daughters... You're his son?"

Oh crap.

Did I make a mistake?

...Right. Dad was running a coup. Since he was apparently the proper heir, the focus would be on him. And since girls weren't given any weight in terms of inheritance, the enemy would focus mostly on my dad since he was the one who actually had the chance to take over.

That was, unless they knew about me.

And it seemed like Dad had been trying to hide who I was... and the man just learned my existence.

If he was an enemy...

No, better to not jinx it.

I smiled and then nodded. "Yep! Though." I frowned and said, "I'm trying real hard to not follow in his footsteps. Dad's a bit... well, not the best role model?"

"Mm." The man gave a noncommital response and then became quiet.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

After a bit, I tentatively asked. "Um... Is there a reason why you're here, Mister?"

"Laplace. Did you successfully resurrect?"

"Eh?" I blinked.

Laplace? Why was the Demon God's name suddenly being brought up?

"...No. You've strongly inherited his traits, but you aren't him."

Wait, what? I inherited Laplace's traits?

"Um-"

The man spun around. "...Ignore me. This was nothing but whimsy."

Forcefully ending the conversation, he started walking off.

Our interaction was over.

I didn't know why he came... and he brought more questions than answers. But we dodged a nuke.

Satisfied with what he learned, the man left us behind.

...So I should have been satisfied as well.

But I was worried. No, I was hopeful too.

...Or maybe I was just desperate.

"Wait!"

I called out to the man.

He paused and turned around to look at me, silent.

I stared at the white mist drifting around him. At Being W still trying and failing to interfere.

"Do you know who Being W is?"

The man's golden eyes turned sharp and he completely turned around. "Being W?"

I nodded. "Right. The sinister presence who's like white mist and keeps influencing people."

A breeze blew past, scattering the snow.

The man was silent, carefully observing me. And then he said, "No. I don't."

"Ah." I frowned and said, "...Maybe you know him by another name? I think..."

A faint memory. That old man in my dream, cursing someone out.

And that someone's name...

"...He might be called Hitogami?"

A faint blur. White from the snow drifting past as a breeze blew.

My eyes widened.