Chapter 2 - Creepy Big Brother & Mysterious Demon Boy
Tokyo, Japan, 1 April 1986
My school is rather close to my house, it's only one and a half kilometers and there is no need to commute.
I saw the school, so I walked into it and feels the wash of my old memories regarding the dreaded school in another lifetime. As I passed through the gatehouse, I looked at some of my soon-to-be schoolmates being dropped by cars, presumably by their parents.
One car piqued my interests though, a white 1984 model Toyota Corolla with a faint, yet clear sounds of music being played from the inside.
.
She's a killer ~Queen~
Gunpowder, gelatin
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind
~Anytime~
.
"Bye-bye onii-sama!" said a black haired girl who emerges from the inside of the car, and I could see a formally dressed, blonde haired young man in his early twenties, perhaps still a student, tousled the younger girl's hair with a faint smile on his face.
"Be careful, Megumi-chan."
"Hai, onii-sama."
There is no mistaking it, the girl with black hair, and her crimson right eye with the left covered by a medical eyepatch. Smooth black hair that reaches the shoulder, distinctively longer in the front than at the back. Her delicate features like a porcelain doll, and her custom-made black-and-red sailor fuku.
Thank Gods for their divine providence!
"MEGUMIN!" I shouted as I run outside the gatehouse, and she looks at me as soon as I shout her name.
"K... K... Kazuma? Is that you?" said the one girl who could only be Megumin while looking up towards my face as I tidied up my hat with my left hand and put my right hand on my waist. Must be a cool enough pose to greet her in this new world.
"It has been years!" I said while I took out my hat and put it inside my gakuran's coat pocket, while Megumin runs towards me.
"Why are you soo big now?" said Megumin while she hugs my waist and looking up towards my face. I noticed that Megumin's head is only as high as my chest, even as she visibly stands on her toes, and can't help but imagine that if our previous height difference is bad, this time I positively tower over her and makes her even seems more like a loli due to all the height and muscle mass difference.
"Years?" said the blonde haired young man, who suddenly already stands in front of us. "Megumi-chan, who is this big boy, and why I never knew about him at the first place."
Well, this young man is actually shorter and leaner compared than me now, still with firm musculature underneath his light purple suit and striped green shirt underneath. He is only 175 cm tall compared to my 185 cm, but he exudes a very intimidating aura around him, I can't help but unconsciously backpedaled a little when he closes in, which is enough to force Megumin to release her hug.
"Onii-sama! This is my friend from another world! The world where I was an arch-wizard who controls the magic of explosion!" said Megumin while she bent her right hand pointing above, her left hand down with a metal sign, and she leaned slightly towards her back, which made her flat chest seems flatter.
"Hoo?" said the young man who only cocked his head slightly to the side, his cold blue eyes stared deep into my eyes, unnerved me further as a long strand of blonde hair blowing in the wind at the side of his face. He then folds his hands in front of his chest and leaned slightly backward. "But where do you meet him at the first place? Judging of you said that this boy has grown bigger now, I presume you two must've been met when you were at the elementary school or even younger."
"We've met in another world! His name is..." said Megumin, but before she could create more misunderstanding, I offer my hand to the young man.
"Kujo, Kujo Jozuma," I said with the most polite smile I could muster, while the young man accepts my handshake, and he gripped my hand in a very firm, confident manner.
"My name is Kira Yoshikage, twenty years old literature student at Daito Bunka University. I presume you already knew my little sister Megumi?"
"Of course onii-sama, we knew each other really well in another world, he is the one who often carries me on his back after I cast the magic of EXPLOSION!" said Megumin while posing herself as if she carried her magic staff, thankfully it seems that she lost her magic as well. "We even live in the same mansion and..."
I soon found that Megumin's big brother quickly grab the collar of my gakuran, forcing me to pull my head down as he whispered close to my ear.
"If you dare to do anything untoward, my little sister, I'll kill you," said Megumin's brother with an icy tone.
"Hai... Kira-san."
"If you dare to make my little sister sad, I'll kill you."
"Hai... Kira-san."
"If you dare to take advantage of my little sister's innocence, I'll kill you."
"Hai... Kira-san."
"I have no objection if you were my sister's boyfriend in another world, or so like she often told me about, but if you dare to break her heart, I'll kill you."
"Hai..."
"Call me Yoshikage, it seems that you already on the first name basis with my sister, and almost everyone calls both of us using Kira-san anyway."
"Hai... Yoshikage-san." I said weakly as Yoshikage-san released his grip from my collar. It really feels unnerving to be intimidated by a man that was actually rather smaller than me.
"Onii-sama, Ka... Jozuma might be rather lecherous, but all we have done at most is just bathing and sleeping together..."
Yoshikage-san gripped my collar again as soon as Megumin mentioned those things. Well, shit...
"My sister does have an overly active imagination for her age, but if you dare take advantage of her, I'll slice your neck wide open and hang you by your entrails like a worthless dog, before cutting off your father's head and splay open your mother's back, Jozuma-kun," said Yoshikage-san while his other hand slowly caress his finger at my throat.
Alright, it seems that Megumin's stories have gone too far, and the anger of her big brother is rather understandable because of that.
"Megumin, stop it! That was before our reincarnation dammit."
"Reincarnation?" said Yoshikage-san while releasing his grip from my collar, and the topmost of my button falls off to the ground due to how strong his grip is.
"Yes, Yoshikage-san, we died in another world and reincarnated here... she was my..."
"Megumi-chan already told me about your 'adventuring party' in another world of some sort, Jozuma-kun," said Yoshikage-san with surprising calmness. "If that was the truth, your name would be Satou Kazuma instead of Kujo Jozuma, am I right?"
I could only nod my head furiously at that.
"Tell me the name of the other two, Jozuma-kun."
"Aqua and Darkness."
"And you died as you defeat..."
"The Demon King."
"Ah, then it was the truth, Jozuma-kun," said Yoshikage-san while his faint smile returns to his face again. "We live at Morioh-cho, our mother has passed away three years ago, and our father currently works overseas at the Cairo branch of Asahi Heavy Industries. Our family is very close, however, and while I prefer for Megumi-chan to continue her education at local high school at Morioh-cho, but being an honor student, she accepted the offer to continue her education here."
Wait, Megumin is an honor student now, oh well, not that it surprises me, considering her intelligence.
"She is only fourteen years old, and I expect you to not taking advantage of her youth, Jozuma-kun." Yoshikage-san continues his creepy-sounding and unsolicited rant. "If you dare to anything toward her without her consent, I'll castrate you first and leave nothing there, before left you to die a slow death as you slowly going paler and paler as you lose your blood, Jozuma-kun."
"Hai... Yoshikage-san." I bow deep toward him while wincing, imagining the pain on my crotch, and as I bow, Yoshikage-san nods in acknowledgment. Apparently, this guy is having some sort of chuuni syndrome as well, but instead of being bombastic like Megumin, his style is downright creepy and sadistic as his mannerism actually made my hair stand on end.
"Onii-sama, the school would start soon, why are you..."
"Just making sure that this boy would not attempt anything untoward with you, Megumi-chan," said Yoshikage-san while tousling Megumin's head once again. "I'll pick you up here after school, don't go anywhere without my express permission first, take care."
...
And it seems that we are indeed live a cliche life, Megumin turned out to be my own classmate, and I honestly very happy with this kind of arrangement, maybe I should go visit a church next Sunday to give thanks to Jesus-sama for putting Megumin really close with me.
I know some students in my class who previously attends my middle school too, especially the boys, but I know next to nothing about the others. Most seem to be good acquaintances, at least but one thing bothers me the most...
That boy who looks at me with stink eye out of nowhere when I tried to take a desk behind Megumin's desk, and apparently we tried to claim the same desk.
"I am sorry! I got here first!" I said in a calm tone as I put my backpack on the seat.
The pink haired boy with ridiculously large, twisting bang hanging before his face end up shoving my backpack to the ground before ignoring me and sit upon what should be my desk.
"You are not one of the honor students, and this row should be reserved for honor student only." said the pink haired boy as he speaks with me condescendingly. "And last time I checked, Kujo Jozuma belongs to the lowest quarter of the grades here."
"Hey, watch for your words, pinkie," I said while shoving him out of the chair with my larger body.
Said pink haired boy only smiles as I put my bag back down at the seat, but then something screams in my mind as if my 'detect enemy' skills suddenly got activated.
I could see a very transparent blur of something long and green heading towards my back, and I ducked at the last moment out of my adventuring reflex.
And my eyes bulged in horror as that long transparent thing continue its way towards Megumin, who seem to be unaware, and she ends up smacked away from her seat by the almost invisible long green thing.
"Megumin!" I shouted as I reflexively dive to check if she were alright. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!"
The pink haired boy seems to be stunned when he realizes that whatever thing he tried to pull upon me being dodged and end up hitting the wrong target.
"WHO HITS ME!" said Megumin in anger as she raised herself, and I just point out toward the pink haired boy, whose face turned pale at whatever magic trick he possessed being seen.
"You could see my Hierophant Green?" said the pink haired boy in shock, and before he could do anything, Megumin raised her chair and tried to smash that chair on top of that annoying pink haired brat's head.
Only for that chair to be stopped midair by a very transparent, green-ish humanoid being with arms and long, snake-like body under the torso.
"You could use telekinesis!?" said Megumin in disbelief, and apparently she couldn't see that thing.
"Wait, does that mean this big dumb oaf is the one who could actually see my..." said the pinkie, but I have nothing to do with his shit and decide to just deck him out with my right punch.
Said transparent green humanoid thing blocked my punch, but then Megumin swing her chairs again and this time she hit the pinkie boy squarely in his head, breaking the chair and causing everyone else in the class to look towards us.
"This pinkie punched me first!" screamed Megumin, and I could see that every boy in the room looks at him in anger. While I am being the advocate of gender equality, nothing ignites the righteous anger on most men's eyes like seeing a helpless girl being bullied by a boy.
"Look, I am sorry, I meant to hit this big dumb oaf!" said the pinkie boy, but his words will be the one who damned him, as every boy in the class end up surrounding him, and I could see the transparent green humanoid thing just stand in place as if in shock.
"Shame on you for picking on a small girl such as Kira-san, Kakyoin." accuses one of the boys while pointing his finger in front of the pinkie's face.
"If you want a fight, pick someone your own size!" said another boy while he... passed through the transparent green humanoid that stood at the pinkie's side? Is that meaning that transparent thing is a guardian ghost or something that apparently nobody else could see? Maybe this is what is left of my 'detect enemy' skill?
"I... I intended to fight this big dumb oaf here!" said the pinkie while pointing his finger towards my face.
"And you will use your green ghost like a coward again." I casually mentioned his power as everyone looks at us in confusion.
"Green ghost?" said the murmurs amongst the boys, and even Megumin raised her eyebrows.
"Ka... Jozuma what are you talking about?" questioned Megumin.
"This pinkie have magical green ghost standing at his side! And he hits you with that thing!" I said while pointing toward the magical green ghost thing.
"Kujo-san, what are you saying about?" questioned another boy, who apparently cannot see the green ghost thing, and as the crowd dispersed a bit so the green ghost didn't have anyone underneath.
"What am I saying is about this!" I cocked my right fist and tried to punch this annoying green ghost.
I missed the thing entirely and stumbled.
"Why can't I touch that ghost thing dammit!" I said to no one in particular.
"Ghost?" said one of the boys.
"GHOST!" screamed another boy, and before we could realize anything, everyone in the class saves for myself and that annoying pinkie already running out of the classroom. Megumin included in the runaway group of course.
"Damn you Jozuma!" said the pinkie while raising his hand and my danger sense screaming again. "Emerald Splash!"
I barely dodged the incoming transparent projectile, and behind me, the desks end up being wrecked by whatever thing this pinkie tried to pull against me.
"Kujo-san was right! Kakyoin is an accursed demon boy!" said a boy who witnessed on how the desks suddenly being wrecked, and before long, everyone starts to jeer toward the pinkie.
"DEMON! DEMON! DEMON! DEMON! DEMON! DEMON!" chants the entire class.
"Yeah, get out of here! Pink Demon! Nobody likes you anyway so scram away!" I added as one of the teachers suddenly entered this classroom.
"Alright class, first day in school and already a fight?" said the teacher in unamused tone.
"Kujo-san do nothing wrong, Kakyoin struck Kira-san first and wrecked the desks!" said one of the girl while Megumin already in her best drama mode, as she suddenly cries while nursing her head.
"That demon boy strike Kira-san first teach! Kujo-san only helps Kira-san against that demon boy!" said yet another boy.
"Kakyoin Noriaki, to the teachers' office! NOW!" said the teacher while dragging the annoying pinkie by his ear. "Everyone get back in the class and wait for your homeroom teacher to come."
I could only smile mockingly as Kakyoin being helplessly pulled towards the office. That's what you got when trying to bring a ghost in a fist fight!
...
"You could look at ghosts?!" said one of the boy in awe as I eat my obento surrounded by most of the boys.
"That Kakyoin was a friendless loner back at our middle school, some boys said that they feel as if something invisible hits them when Kakyoin picked a fight with them, turned out that he is indeed a demon!" said another boy who seems to be the pinkie's schoolmate back in middle school.
"Jojo, you are soo cool!" said a girl who tried to get near with me, but as I could see Megumin stares at me, I could only try to look away from her and towards the boys.
"Hey, calm down, I just want to make sure that bully pinkie to not hurt anyone else. Unmasking his insidious ghost-like being is just my duty." I tried to downplay my actions as I didn't want all the attention directed towards me.
"No worry about that Kujo-san. You are our brave hero now, that demon boy would never dare to go against you again." said another boy and everyone laughs around me.
Oh well, apparently I just made the correct first impression. Being thought as a brave guy who stood up against a 'Demon boy' is something that would actually improve my reputation, after all.
...
That pinkie demon boy returned late to class, and immediately, he ended up picking the only desk left, that is the furthest back corner, far away from other students as everyone else pulls their desk away from that ghost using jerk.
That should teach him a lesson.
...
Anyway, the class finally ended on today, and I walked with Megumin toward the gate.
"Your brother will pick you up here right?"
"It won't be long, usually onii-sama is a very punctual person," said Megumin with a smile.
And that was real, for only in five minutes or so, the white corolla come and Yoshikage-san's face coming out of the window, and the song played rather loudly.
.
To avoid ~complications~
She never kept the same address
In conversation
She spoke just like a ~baroness~
.
"Megumi-chan, do you want to play at Jozuma-kun's house?" said Yoshikage-san with a slight smile. I notice that he already changed his suit to a white one from his previous light purple.
"Eh, of course, onii-sama, but why?" chirped Megumin happily.
"I have a sudden meeting with my lecturers in half an hour or so, and won't be at home until night, so may I have your address to pick my sister later at night, Jozuma-kun?" said Yoshikage-san politely while offering me a small notebook and a pen.
"Hai, Yoshikage-san." I immediately accepted the notebook and pen and write my home address for Yoshikage-san to pick his sister later.
"Is your parents at home, Jozuma-kun?" questioned Yoshikage-san while looking deep inside my eyes.
"Yes, my mother is currently at home, so we won't be alone..."
"Make sure your mother knows Megumi-chan is at your house, understood? I do not want anything untoward happens to Megumi-chan, or I'll kill you," said Yoshikage-san with an unnerving smile on his face, and I could only bow at his very reasonable request.
"Hai... Yoshikage-san."
"Good, I will double check with your mother later, so don't even attempt to lie about that, understood."
"Hai... Yoshikage-san."
"Take care, Megumi-chan," said Yoshikage-san while waving his hand toward his little sister, who waved her hand in return.
Well, just my luck acting up again now I hope Megumin would not do anything like end up suddenly manifesting her explosion magic and blasting up my home. But yeah, we do need to catch up with this reincarnation business, and maybe introducing her to my mother.
Megumin's family seems to be a rather nice, if overprotective one.
As I look toward Yoshikage-san's speeding car, I can't help but catch a glimpse about the large plastic bags he put on the back seat. Looks like he just returned from a grocery run or something, must be hard running an errand for a household and taking care of his sister at such a young age.