Pathetic.

‘Yesterday, the 2nd, a doctor at Yamamoto Hospital was admitted in serious condition after being beaten by a fundamental student. According to the information we received from staff, there was a disagreement between the student and the doctor. The identity of the boy is still unknown…’

…

Why…

‘I am sorry, but your son will no longer be able to study at this school. In fact, he will need a report from a professional in mental illness to enter the next school.’

…

Why?

‘He's a monster!’

‘Don't tell me it was the Nakanos' son who did that to the doctor?’

‘He looked like a delinquent anyway, it was only a matter of time!’

‘Looks like it was all the half-sister's fault…’

…

‘Son, how many times have I told you not to be around that devil! Come on, come home!’

…

‘Hey, is that Kurone Nakano over there?’

‘Look at the bands on his hand and the bangs covering his eyes! I'm so scared! Let's get out of here!’

…

Why do people judge me?…

‘Calm down, I won't hurt you. I'm not an ordinary doctor. I'm… Ah! A head doctor…’ 

I just…

‘I know that at your age these emotional instabilities are quite common, but tell me, kid, why did you beat up that doctor?’

‘He…’

I just…

‘Huh? Can you speak up? I didn't hear…’

I just…

‘He wanted to abuse my comatose sister. So…’

I was within my rights! I just…

‘I just wanted to kill the bastard!!!’

‘I wanted to punch him until my hand no longer had the strength to punch that filthy face. He dared… He dared to touch my sister! She's dead because of that pig!!’

‘A-ah! Calm down, Na-Nakano!’

Is that me? Oh yeah, that's right, that happened in elementary school. Back then I was a delinquent.

The crazy face and the murderous intent were just a facade. I hid my eyes under my bangs because ‘she’, my sister, thought they were pretty. If I had been as strong as I am today, I could have saved her?

‘What's the use of whining?’

Is the Nakano of the fundamental talking to me? Looking closely, I really was nice with the dyed hair and the bully eyes.

‘Is it time to stare at me with this stupid face? You have strength now, but you also have more sisters you need to protect. Wake up, you idiot, Frederika, Dora, Rory, and even Amelia need you!’

Am I really being lectured by a child? And that delinquent is me!

‘Why are you staring at me like that? Wake up soon, you clown, and go spank the face of that idiot who hurt Frederika!’

╬╬════════════╬╬

That ceiling was new.

The first thing Kurone saw when he woke up was a monochromatic scene. How long had he been asleep, and where was he? Despite the confusion, the young man remained strangely calm.

“Nyah! Is my little brother awake yet?” A feline voice broke through his hearing, making him turn around.

He was not alone under the expensive white sheets. There was a familiar face lying beside him: Kawaii, the half-human.

“Hey, are you all right? Your forehead…”

Reflexively, Kurone ran his hand over the indicated spot and noticed the dampness. There was sweat, a lot of sweat! It was as if he had just returned from a shower. In fact, his entire body was bathed in sweat, staining his clothes and sheets.

As he tried to remember what had caused the excessive perspiration, the troubled dream flashed through his mind. And it also reminded him of…  

“Frederika!” he shouted, quickly jumping out of bed.

His bare feet touched the cold floor. ‘What's going on?’ Kurone thought as he looked into the mirror in the center of the room.

He was wearing strange clothes, in a strange room, with a strange girl sleeping next to him. Something that reminded the boy of recent events was a white band on his arm. It was still bloody, which indicated a short time advance from the moment he passed out. His head was also pulsing occasionally. It was a side effect of the overuse of the Holy Eye.

“Calm down. The little girl is fine!”

Kurone’s shoulders relaxed as he heard the feline voice. So Frederika was still alive. The details didn't matter at that moment. If she was alive, then okay. He could relax his muscles.

“But we had gone to a lot of trouble to carry her when the big uncle nyamed after the monster said we couldn't touch her!”

“Big uncle named after a monster? You mean ‘Orcus’?”

“Yes! That's the one!”

“Hmmm… Hold on! Why were you sleeping with me?”

“Nyah! What do you myean? My little brother doesn't remyember what we did last night!? Shocked! How insensitive!”

“Hey, hey, hey! This conversation is taking a very strange turn! I'm not a lolicon!”

“And what's that sword pointing at mye?”

“A-ahhh! This is a natural thing that happens to every man when he wakes up! Look at that!” Kurone shouted, cupping his crotch with his hands.

“Nyaaah! I'm just kidding. My little brother was very tense. Nya, truth, I was sitting in that chair, waiting for you to wake up, but I got sleepy and decided to sleep.”

“This is not funny!”

“But, if you want to do something real…” The little girl gave the boy a suggestive look.

“I told you I'm not a lolicon! I'm the opposite extreme of that!”

“What's all the yelling about?”

“Nakano, you're up!”

The noise of the door opening was overlapped by a cold voice and a rude one, consecutively. The figure of the arrogant little girl and the out-of-shape guard entered the room unceremoniously. ‘How nice to see familiar faces.’

“But you don't waste any time at all, hein, Nakano. You've already taken the little girl to bed. Hahaha!” Orcus let out another of his usual unnecessary comments, leaving Kurone's face completely flushed.

“Even you!”

At that moment, when he pointed his left index finger at the man, Kurone noticed the exaggerated bands on his hand. It was too much. The bloody bandages stretched from his fingertips to his elbow. That was the same hand that had sunk into the face of that unpleasant young man. Why so many bandages? He just punched…

“Ah, it was Nui who took care of you. My little brother, your hand was in a horrible state. The fingers were turnyed the other way and there was a lot, a lot of blood coming out of the whole hand. I don't know why, but blood was coming out of your eye.”

A momentary dizziness took over the young man's body. He had almost lost all five fingers in a single punch… Perhaps they were only there for Nui to heal due to [Self-Recovery]. There was an alarming imbalance between strength and defense in his status.

‘If my hand is like this, then that guy…’ It was enough to think of the devil for him to appear! The door opened again and a silhouette with abundant red hair entered the room, accompanied by a little girl.

“I told you, you couldn't come here!”

“And who do you think you are that I should obey?” 

‘That sentence reminded me of someone…’ Kurone glared at the arrogant loli.

The red-haired young man brought with him a hostile air. Rory and Orcus looked at him with disdain. However, what surprised Kurone the most was his face.

It was intact! There wasn't even a scratch on it. Even Elsie's magic — ‘Damn Azazel!’ — was not so perfect as to heal without leaving a scar.

“Who gave you permission to stare at ME?! I know I have a pretty face, but…”

“You have a really bad face.” The words came out unconsciously from Kurone's mouth.

“How dare you!? I was considerate enough to come here to hear your apology, but…”

“Master Rhyan, please stop!” shouted a teary-eyed little girl.

“Does everyone want to give me orders today?! Know your place, slave!”

“That's no way to talk to her! In fact, that's no way to talk to anyone,” shouted Kurone.

Why was he so angry after all? He didn't even know the little girl with the watery eyes. Maybe it was the very presence of the young man named Rhyan that bothered him.

“Are you going to hit me again? She is my slave, I will treat her any way I want! You must be so ignorant that you don't even know who I am, but I will be kind and tell you so that you will repent and beg for forgiveness on your knees.”

Kurone simply frowned upon hearing those words. Did this young man suffer from the popular ‘Second Year Syndrome’? Or was he just a mindless narcissist?

“My name is Rhyan Gotjail. Yes, the hero Gotjail, servant of the Great Goddess, and also the one who will defeat the Demon King.”

“I have never even heard of him.”

“Enough! I've tried to be patient, but I've had enough! Slave, give me the sniper rifle. I will end this now!”

“You want to get punched again? Rory, give me the rifle.”

“Not me, turn around.”

“Ha! What do you mean, your servant won't even obey you? What a pathetic existence!”

“Who do you think you're calling a worthless man-servant? I changed my mind, I'll kill you myself.”

The familiar bluish glow enveloped Rory's hands. It was not a good sign. Kurone could imagine the scene from a few hours ago repeating itself there… By the way, where exactly was it there?

The young man was probably in Eragon, but the method used to leave the mountain and reach the floating island, as well as the location, were unknown. Where were Amelia and Frederika? It didn't look like a hospital there!

“Hey, can't you hear me? How dare you?” Rhyan's irritating voice snapped the boy back to reality. It had been a long time since he had had an attack of SPA, aka ‘Accelerated Thinking Syndrome’.

‘Ratatatatatatatatatata!!!’ Ingram's shots punched several holes in the white ceiling of the room. Everyone's gaze was directed at the little girl holding the submachine gun.

“Listen to me, or you will end up full of little holes like this ceiling. Nyaahh!”

The loli wagged her furry tail and ears in sync, striking an adorable pose. Considering the words used by the feline voice, that was a cute threat! Something along the lines of: ‘Hey boy, I just want to kill you a little bit, please little let goooo!’

The scene reminded Kurone of that presence he felt in the cathedral. It couldn't be otherwise, after all, she was a reincarnated. Despite her looks, that loli was scary, just like everything else in that world!