Hello, everyone! This is a new chapter! Chapter 106! I hope everyone will enjoy it and without further ado, let's start!
- Normal POV-
In the distorted world, Kai (IF) and Miwa were inspecting one of the animal rides in the park upon arriving.
" Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." Kai (IF) sighed, putting a hand on his forehead
" What are you talking about?" Suiko ask
" You see, we'd made a bet about what kind of animal was at this park." Miwa explained
" Ibuki said it was a hippo, while Miwa and I went with a pig. To think it'd be a panda..." Kai (IF) sighed
" I'll ask once more: What are you talking about?" Suiko ask
" Oh, sorry. This is where it all began for us." Miwa said
" Where what all began?" Shuka ask
" This park is where Ibuki taught us how to play Vanguard. After that, we played here almost every day." Kai (IF) explained
They moved over to the benches where they remembered playing Vanguard with a young Ibuki.
" We sure did. We'd play all day, till the sun set." Miwa said
" So this is an important place for you three." Emi said
" If we wait here, I'm sure Ibuki will come." Kai (IF) said
" That's all well and good, but he has Deletor power. Do you have a chance of beating him?" Suiko ask
" We do! Or we probably do. Right?" Miwa winked toward Shuka
" I'm not sure..." Shuka said
" If it doesn't work, we can always think of something else." Miwa said
" Like us?" Rimuru ask with his mask on and his hands on his hip
" Yeah! Huh? When did you come here?" Miwa ask
" We've been here, from the time you guys arrived or probably beforehand." Rimuru said
" We didn't see you guys." Suiko said
" Hm? You didn't? Don't tell me..." Rimuru muttered, turning to Aichi and Kai, who were playing with Tasuku in the sandbox, " ... They probably hid our presence..."
" That's... possible?" Kai (IF) ask
" Yeah..."
Aichi stood up to wave to them as Kai just glanced up from them, quickly stopping Tasuku from putting sand in his mouth after he'd grabbed some in his fist.
" Don't you dare." Kai chided
Tasuku whined as Kai tried to pry the sand out of his fist.
" Come on...!" Kai grunted
Aichi just shrugged at the sight.
" Really, you two..." Aichi sighed
After successfully prying the sand out of Tasuku's fist, he swatted the remaining sand off their bodies and carried him.
" Other than them... Look, he's here." Rimuru said
" Huh?"
They turned behind to see Ibuki walking toward them.
" I guess with your lightweight brains, deep thoughts are too much of a load." Ibuki said
" Aren't you the confident public speaker now. Still the same Ibuki who threw up on the bus and cried during our field trip?" Miwa ask
" Shut up, Miwa. I'm going to 'Delete End' all of those memories of yours." Ibuki said
" Please reconsider this, Ibuki. We're old friends, remember?! Why can't we laugh together like we used to?" Kai (IF) ask
" He's right. Kourin altered your past!" Suiko exclaimed
" You stay out of this!" Ibuki shouted back
" Don't talk to her like that!" Shuka chided
" Haven't we been friends making this journey together?!" Emi exclaimed
" His past has been overwritten. He doesn't remember any of his experiences with you." Miwa said
" What should we do, Emi-chan?" Shuka ask
" Something I'd rather not do, but we have no choice!" Emi said
Both transformed into their Blaster Pair magical attires.
" I warned you!" Ibuki said, changing to his SK4 attire
The terrain around them changed as he summoned his units. Emi and Shuka also summoned two units to counter him.
" Those who interfere will get no mercy, not even if they're women or children. Go!" Ibuki ordered
Cat Butler was easily defeated after being bound by Ibuki's unit and a Deletor unit successfully erased Aermo with Vanish Delete.
" This is another Deletor power!" Suiko exclaimed
" Shuka! Emi!"
" Lend us your power!" Miwa exclaimed
" Roger that!"
Shuka threw two cards as Emi Superior Realized both cards onto Kai (IF) and Miwa.
" Dragonic Overlord The End!"
" Asura Kaiser!"
Both successfully defeated the two units summoned but Ibuki's smirk remained.
" Don't underestimate me." Ibuki said as he summoned Greion, " Go, Docking Deletor, Greion! Eat this, Miwa!"
Kai quickly slammed his dragon body to stop Greion's attack.
" You're our Vanguard, the one who taught us how to play! But that doesn't mean we're never gonna surpass you!" Miwa declared
The axe weapon from Asura Kaiser's arm attacked Greion as it broke through the shield and Greion disappeared.
" Greion!"
" Yes!"
" If you win this fight, we may be able to get him back!" Suiko shouted
" How naive!"
Blond Ezel flew down and cut off one of Asura Kaiser's arms with his sword. They looked up to see Kourin.
" Hey, you're..."
" You cowards. Why don't you fight fair and square?" Kourin ask
" Kourin!"
" Go, my servants!"
The gold paladin units started attacking the two units.
" Stay out of this!" Ibuki exclaimed
" What? I'm only helping you because it seemed they had you on the ropes." Kourin said
" Shuka-chan, lend me power, too!" Suiko requested as she transformed into Zerachiel, " Kourin!"
She sent out a beam as Kourin blocked it with a shield.
" Back off, Kourin! You have no business being here!" Suiko said
" You talk like you have the right to treat Ibuki however you want!" Kourin said
" What would you know?! He was wracked with guilt over the Deletors. But even while suffering all this time, he's still been trying to atone for his sins! If you'd trample on his feelings, all his efforts, then I'll-" Suiko exclaimed before Kourin cuts her off
" I don't care about any of that!" Kourin exclaimed as Blond Ezel slashed Suiko, " Kouji Ibuki has just one wish."
" Come to me, my avatar!" Ibuki called
" To eradicate Vanguard! And that's Aichi-sama's wish, too!" Kourin said
" Waving Deletor, Greidhol!"
" There's the big one." Rimuru said
Tasuku was suddenly passed to him as he looked up at Aichi and Kai.
" You guys are doing this?" Rimuru ask
" Yeah."
" ... Don't lose." Rimuru said
The two nodded as they walked forward towards the battlefield.
" Docking Release!"
" ... Cease, Greidhol!" Aichi commanded
Upon command, Greidhol stopped moving as they gasped.
" What?!"
" Greidhol! What's wrong?!" Ibuki exclaimed
" It doesn't belong to you anymore, Ibuki-san. Remember what you did to atone for your sins." Aichi said
" What?!"
" No way! That mark! It should've been gone, by your hands!" Suiko exclaimed
Yet, the marks of PSYqualia Zombie glowed brightly on Aichi and Kai's foreheads.
" We've inherited Brandt's will. Thus, the Deletors are not for you to command anymore." Kai said
" You're going to remember, Ibuki-san! You've worked so hard until now! You're not going to let that go to waste!" Aichi shouted
A similar mark appeared on Ibuki's forehead as he grunted in pain.
" Ibuki-san!"
Kai turned and tossed a card to Shuka.
" Use that!" Kai shouted
" Okay! Emi-chan!"
" Superior Realize!"
The light engulfed Kai's (IF) current form as he begun to change.
" Destiny has reached the crossroad! Dragonic Overlord 'The X'!"
" That is..." Emi exclaimed
" A trump card of mine." Kai smirked
" A ray of light reaching out through a despair of oblivion! The bond known as courage that connects us in the dark!" Kai (IF) called
Dragonic Overlord The End soon appeared beside him.
" What?!"
" Two Dragonic Overlords!" Emi exclaimed
The flames from the two dragons defeated the units Kourin summoned as it was then pointed towards Ibuki.
" With these flames, I reduce your past mistakes to ashes! Our paths have crossed once more!" Kai (IF) declared
The flames burned off Greidhol as Ibuki was also finally returned to normal. Everything around them returned them to the park as Ibuki laid on the floor, the mark shattering. Aichi and Kai finally released their own marks and sat on the ground, sighing.
" Ibuki!"
" Good work, both of you." Rimuru praised
Ibuki groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.
" Are you alright? Try getting up." Kai (IF) said
" What am I doing here?" Ibuki muttered, standing up
Before Suiko could do anything, Emi and Shuka ran up to Ibuki in relief. Kai (IF) looked back at Aichi and Kai.
" That was something. Are you alright?" Kai (IF) ask
" Yeah..."
" I was worried. I was honestly afraid you'll go berserk with that power. I wouldn't know how to stop you guys if it did happen." Rimuru sighed
" It was easier to control than expected. It didn't feel like we were about to be taken over either." Aichi said
" Yeah, it was surprisingly easy." Kai added
" But... Inheriting Brandt's will? Who would've known..." Suiko sighed
" Yeah, we had that thought too." Aichi said
He accepted Kai's (IF) help to stand while Kai grabbed Miwa's hand to stand back up.
" Wouldn't have known what would happen if that docking delete really hit us. Thanks!" Miwa grinned
" Whatever."
Suiko got out the Akashic Book as they teleported back to the mansion. However...
" Report. Individual Suiko Tatsunagi has been trapped in space time. Similar phenomenon that happened to individual Kouji Ibuki." Great Sage reported
" What?!"
" Where's Suiko?" Ibuki ask, looking around
" She's not here?" Emi ask
" I'm sure she came with us!" Ibuki exclaimed
" ... She's trapped." Rimuru replied
" Huh?!"
Right on cue, the Akashic Book dropped to the floor as it flipped open to a page before it burned off.
" No way!"
" She's got Suiko-san this time..." Aichi exclaimed
" Yeah. I picked up on something trapping her in the middle of our teleportation. This is troublesome..." Rimuru said
" We picked it up too, but it can't be helped. We can't use our own space time powers to alter things. It might make things worse." Kai sighed
" Kourin-san..."
" She must be trying to do the same thing she did to Ibuki. Now that there's only her left in SK4, she's trying to recruit Suiko-san into it." Miwa explained
" We have to rescue her!" Emi exclaimed
" But us two can't get into Sanctuary since we lost our SK4 powers." Miwa said
" Sounds like this is my cue." A voice said
Ren landed in front of them.
" Mask the Dark-sama!"
" Long time no see! Do I get to say that, Ren?" Miwa ask
" Huh? It seems like you've gotten your correct memories back, too." Ren said
" Where have you been all this time?" Ibuki ask
" After parting ways with you guys, I went around to all the worlds once more. But I found out there's no way to straighten out the first mistake." Ren said
" We all know that much." Kai said
" Then have you found out who created the wall?" Ren ask
" It wasn't Aichi?" Emi ask
" Aichi-kun... This world's one, just believes that if he never encounters Vanguard, Kai will be happy." Ren said
" Then who...?"
" Great Sage. If we could analyze that wall, think we can figure out who made the wall?" Rimuru thought
" Answer. There's a possibility. However, breaking it would prove to be difficult." Great Sage answered
" I know that..."
" If you could bring me to that first mistake, maybe I can find out who made the wall. It's just a possibility." Rimuru said
" If you mean by using Appraisal, then we've tried that a bunch of times too. It never showed much results." Kai said
" So I can't try it? Maybe it'll yield different results if it's me who tries." Rimuru said
" ... You mean that you can analyze on a different level?" Kai ask
" Something like that."
" But what if we already figured out who made the wall?" Ren ask
" Huh? You know?" Emi ask
" It's Kourin Tatsunagi. She's bent on protecting this world's Aichi-kun. If it isn't him, then it makes sense to be her. She has an Akashic Book too, after all. It wouldn't be difficult if it was her." Ren said
" Makes sense..." Miwa said
" As we speak, Rekka Tatsunagi is currently pretending to have joined her. All we need to do now is wait for her and Suiko to lure Kourin Tatsunagi into our trap and defeat her. If we do that, then the wall will disappear." Ren said
" ... Let's try it." Aichi said
" So I can't go?" Rimuru ask
" Not right now." Aichi replied
" Damn..."
" ... Anytime now."
Emi and Shuka transformed as they waited. Soon, a portal appeared above Ibuki as the others moved away from him while Suiko landed on him and Ren caught Rekka.
" Ren! The plan worked!" Rekka exclaimed, she was in Cecilia's form
" Yep. And you look lovely in that cosplay." Ren praised
" It's not cosplay!" Rekka exclaimed, slapping him
" Ow!"
Kourin soon landed as she summoned her units. Emi summoned Gurguit, which stops the units in their tracks as Kourin transformed into Blond Ezel.
" What should we do? Let them fight?" Rimuru ask
" Let them." Kai said
" Yeah."
Suiko stepped up to defeat Kourin in Alfred's form, noting that there was a bond with the card somewhere in a timeline before it was handed to Aichi in that timeline. She successfully defeated Kourin as she returned to normal and fainted.
" ... The wall should be gone now. Shall we?" Suiko ask
" Yeah!"
" We'll watch from a distance." Kai said
" Take care of Kourin-san while we're gone." Aichi said
" Okay!"
Tasuku was set down in Emi's arms.
" You shouldn't go there with us. Be back soon." Rimuru assured
The Akashic Book brought them to the past where the first mistake was made.
" This is the day we make sure young Kai-san meets Aichi!" Emi said
" Right! And I'll give Aichi Blaster Blade!" Kai (IF) said
" So we'll have to stop Shuka. Maybe even wallop her..." Ibuki said
" Don't wallop me!" Shuka exclaimed
" Kourin has lost the power of SK4, so that protective wall should be gone. Let's go, everyone!" Suiko said
" Yeah!"
Ibuki had ran forward first as he slammed right onto the wall.
" It's still here!" Ibuki exclaimed
Rimuru sighed as he walked towards them with Aichi and Kai.
" I should've known..." Rimuru said
" So it really wasn't Kourin-san." Aichi said
" Figures."
" Now then, I guess I should try it out." Rimuru said
He laid his hand on the wall and concentrated.
" Great Sage, use Appraisal." Rimuru thought
" Yes. Results from Appraisal is completed. The wall is the result of..." Great Sage reported
Rimuru continued to listen to it before his eyes widened a little.
" That stubborn..." Rimuru muttered
" You actually found out?" Kai ask
" Yeah. It's hiding pretty well. Then let's force it to appear." Rimuru said
He let out small sparks of his black lightning as a card soon appeared.
" It can't be!" Emi exclaimed
" Majesty Lord Blaster!"
The card glowed as they were engulfed in a bright light before being sent back to the mansion again.
" Should've done that way earlier..." Rimuru grunted
" But to think that you could find out something that we couldn't, that's amazing..." Aichi said
" ... Anyway, I do want to know a few things. I've known Aichi for a few months now and I know what he's like by now. But what about the Aichi from this world? What was he like before he holed himself up in that castle?" Rimuru ask
" Aichi is really kind but rather timid since he was bullied ever since he was young. Before he left, he even told me with a smile that he would be back. I think he left because of a letter..." Emi recalled
" A letter?"
" That's... That letter was sent by me and Takuto, when we entered this timeline..." Kourin answered
" I want more details. You two girls can go and have some fun for a bit. Let's have this talk inside." Rimuru said
" Okay..."
Emi and Shuka left to go to someplace as they entered the mansion and settled down in the living room.
" Let's hear it." Rimuru said
" ... A few months ago, Takuto and I found out about the distortion and came to this timeline. We found out who was majorly distorted immediately. So we asked Aichi, this world's Aichi, to meet us." Kourin started
- Flashback start-
They had waited on a bench inside the forest as Aichi (IF) approached them. He was bruised and even had a bandage on his cheek. His eyes looked at them warily as he walked up to them.
" You are Aichi Sendou-kun?" Kourin ask
" I'm here, as promised." Aichi (IF) said
" The important thing was that the letter was delivered. But what a surprise! You look so different." Takuto said, smiling
" It's because Aichi-kun was never introduced to Vanguard in this world." Kourin said, reading the Akashic Book
" Who are you? Why did you summon me here?" Aichi (IF) ask
" I'm Takuto Tatsunagi, of the Tatsunagi Group. Well, though that status does nothing for me here." Takuto said
At that, Aichi (IF) wrapped one of his arms across his chest and held onto the other.
" What does the Tatsunagi Group want with me?" Aichi (IF) ask
" I'm also an observer of history. This time, an event occured of too great a magnitude to be ignored, so I came to this world to confirm it." Takuto explained
" To this world? To confirm what?" Aichi (IF) ask
" Perhaps it'd be easier to understand if I called it a historical reorganization. I don't expect you to understand this, but the current you isn't the real you." Takuto explained
" I'm not the real me?!"
" To be more specific about it, you haven't met Toshiki Kai." Takuto said
" Toshiki... Kai?"
Suddenly, the flashes of his original memories started pouring into his head as he gripped it.
" Him! He's the one who... who keeps appearing in my dreams!" Aichi (IF) grunted in pain
" Aichi!"
" Impressive. Even though history itself has been re-formed, he still retains his memories. That's right. The boy who keeps appearing in your dreams is Toshiki Kai." Takuto explained
" Toshiki... Kai..."
" By all rights, you should have received a particular card from Toshiki Kai. But that never happened in this world. Could that be why his life changed so dramatically? It's possible that his life may be much better off this way." Takuto said
" Takuto, that's going too far." Kourin chided
" You're right. Sorry, Aichi-kun. I'm sure you-"
" Toshiki Kai! His presence fills my mind! It's all spilling out!" Aichi (IF) yelled out
An ominous aura surrounded him as the power spilled out and formed the castle and forest.
" The shackles of his imagination has fallen away?!" Takuto exclaimed
" ... Long time no see, Kourin." Aichi (IF) said, PSYqualia glowing in his eyes
- Flashback end-
" After that, I blacked out. He rewrote my memories and I became a member of SK4. Takuto is also now his prisoner in the castle." Kourin explained
" Hm..."
" No matter how you look at it, you guys went too far!" Kai (IF) exclaimed
" Huh?"
" ... He's right. None of this would've happened if the situation had been handled more delicately. He was and probably still is a nice kid on the inside. Aichi." Rimuru called
" Yes?"
" How was it like as a kid for you when you were bullied?" Rimuru ask
" When would that be?" Aichi ask
" From when it first happened." Rimuru replied
" Back in elementary school... I looked like a scrawny child and is often bullied by other classmates. It became pretty bad to the point that I had to transfer schools. I would be bruised and beaten every single day. Not one day have I gone to school without bandages." Aichi explained
" It was around that time I handed him Blaster Blade." Kai added
" Yes. Thanks to that, I got by better. But there was something else that got me by that tough time. From that time, I had also been training my body by someone. My history in our world has been different, that's why I could handle things better." Aichi said
" That's why you can handle weapons so well..." Rimuru said
" But if you were to ask me, I think without any of those factors, it would've been terrible for me mentally and physically. Blaster Blade was the thing that saved me from becoming too lonely when Kai-kun moved out. It was a card that allowed my imagination to pour out to somewhere. That castle is the result of a possibly damaged mental psyche when imagination has been suppressed for far too long. To add to that, being physically bullied every day would've taken a toll too." Aichi explained
" And there you have it. You had talked to him when he was scarred terribly. You approached him when he was at his worst. In the first place, why did you even approach him, of all people? The problem mainly happened because the fairy disrupted the timeline unknowingly. I think things would've been far different if you'd looked for her first." Rimuru said
" That's..."
" And that Takuto Tatsunagi! What the hell is wrong with him? I don't know him well, but seriously? The first thing you tell someone scarred that he actually had a better and different life? He's not the Aichi everyone here knows. He can't handle that type of information all of a sudden. He already knows that something isn't right because of the constant memories of Kai in his dreams, but seriously, delicately handle someone like that!" Rimuru chided
He sighed right after he got it out of his chest.
" Rimuru-sama..."
" I agree with whatever he said. Maybe if I was the one that was approached first, I could've reacted better to the situation. But even so, I think it's unfair to say that everything happening now is all Aichi's fault." Kai (IF) said
" Y-Yeah... You're right..." Ibuki said
" Everything that happened here was a big mistake. But I absolutely can't really forgive Takuto Tatsunagi for his words. Just who tells someone that they're much better off the way it is? Aichi's stubborn but he's also honest and kind to a fault. This is also the result of his kindness to a focused point. I mean, his happiness." Rimuru pointed to Kai (IF), " He's selfish and yet selfless. He's willing to throw everything away for one person's happiness."
Rimuru then paused and thought about something, glancing over to Kai.
" I can see who you got that from." Rimuru said
Kai nodded, remembering the time he teleported Aichi and Tasuku to Rimuru's world to save them.
" Huh?"
" What I'm saying is, Aichi's willing to do anything that he feels is right. He's been through hell in this world and he wouldn't want anyone else to go through what he did. He couldn't do anything well without the powers he had now, but this is his chance for something to go his way for once. This must be his thinking right now." Rimuru continued
He then looked around the room and stood up.
" Let's head outside. I think I want some fresh air." Rimuru said
" Yes, sir."
" Just rest up for now. We'll think about what happens later." Rimuru said
Aichi and Kai followed after Rimuru as he left the room.
And that's the end of this chapter! Thank you for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll see everyone in the next chapter!