Author Note: Sorry for the long wait. Soon we'll be up too the Tortus Isekai part, but I wanted to flesh out more Elias and the other characters relationship. Thanks for reading. Please remember to follow, favorite, and review. And have a great day!

Chapter 4

Hajime let out a disgruntled sigh as he walked home. School had ended, usually people would be happy. Hanging out with friends, heading out to do a seasonal job for some extra funds, or just doing anything productive. But Hajime had decent grades, money that his parents provided him with, and didn't really have many friends.

Kaori's face streamed along Hajime's consciousness for a second. Kaori, one of the smartest, kindest, and most beautiful girls in school. Some might have called him lucky for getting her attention. But just as quickly as her face appeared. The harsh stares, the bullying, the disgusted looks all came towards him.

Sure, he was into Anime and Video Games but there were others in his class that liked those things. But it was only him that would get attacked and called names. That was also what made him sigh. Today, the teacher had assigned a group project. Him and that new kid…Elias.

The new kid that everyone was skeptical of, had become one of the most popular kids in the school in a matter of weeks. There schools standing had only increased after his performance within the baseball team. Sure, he would act coy and brush the praise aside. But everyone knew who the true hero was.

Kouki, the bastard. Hajime had to suppress a smile. He wasn't sure that people noticed but he could see it, the jealousy. Before Kouki was the star athlete but Elias had stolen that spot. Even being inducted into the friend group.

Shockingly, he never bullied Hajime…he would just sit alone. Sometimes on his phone or cracking open a book between lessons. Then, the teacher paired them up together. "My house." Hajime had offered. And Elias silently just nodded.

Cracking open the door and kicking off his shoes. Hajime began to change his clothes into more normal clothing. His parents wouldn't be here tonight. Work for both was especially damning, but Hajime didn't mind being alone.

He made himself some food, did his daily chores, studied a little bit, and simply relaxed. He was finishing up the dishes as he heard faint knocking come from his doorbell. Parting the door open he saw him, his eyes shining as he let out a light wave. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much, come in."

Elias kicked his shows off as he tracked along Hajime's apartment. "Nice place."

Honestly, Elias didn't really know what to say to Hajime. He found Hajime to be quiet the enigma. A bullied boy that attracted the attention of one of the most beautiful girls in school. In a strange way, it was ironic.

But Elias could hear it as he would read through his book. Loser, Otaku, disgusting. There hushed whispers or even when the teacher would leave the room. They would hurl the insults at him. Then, the other stuff. The beat-ups after school, the attacks during the free periods. And he would just turn a blind eye to it.

"Disgusting."

His father's voice echoed within his head, only shaking it in response. 'I don't need to be called disgusting, from the likes of you. Filthy murderer.' He spat out.

"Elias!" Hajime yelled. Elias's eyes widening as he broke through the head fog. "Do you want any snacks or a soda?"

Elias simply shook his head. "Nah, let's just get the packet done."

With a nod coming from Hajime, they entered his room. Elias taking off his backpack as his eyes began to take in everything. Hajime silently watched as those eyes, those intense light emerald green took in everything. The posters, the walls, and even a quick gaze at the window.

'What is wrong with him?'

"There's nothing in the walls that can hurt you…I may be an otaku, but I don't have any secret weapons or anything like that."

Hajime met that as a sarcastic joke, but Elias's eyes turned towards him. Those intense orbs piercing into a glare, and for a second, he regretted his words. Only for Elias's features to brighten red with embarrassment. "Crap, sorry about that Hajime." He slowly shook his head. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

Hajime eyed him. "What sort of old habits you got that makes you observe everything?"

Elias shrugged his shoulders, feigning ignorance. "My father taught me that it was important to see everything, and anything. All at once, and in no in between." Elias felt the light tips of his lips tug, slightly extending into a smile, but just as easily shift into one of neutrality. "He was paranoid of a lot of things. Taught me too always know of my surroundings, especially when I am in a place that was unfamiliar."

Hajime, slightly grimaced at the words. Sure, it made some sense within the logic. Not fully relaxing in a place you are unfamiliar with. Sure, Hajime and Elias were classmates, but they hardly knew one another. It would be sort of ridiculous for Elias to willfully be chummy with him for no apparent reason.

But that wasn't how Hajime figured Elias's though process was structed. It didn't feel like a "Stranger danger" type warning. But it felt more militaristic, keeping your guard up until you know 100% sure that you are completely safe. Hell, maybe that was the reason why Elias kept his bag along his back.

'Woah, I get stuck with the new kid. The heavily athletic, and borderline paranoid star of the baseball team. Hell, I already thought my luck was going downhill when Kaori started talking to me.'

So, they started working. A history assignment, shockingly about a mixture of American history mixed with Japanese politics. Hajime was not a genius student, but it was Elias that did most of the work for him. Maybe, that was the reason why when it started raining after there work was done…

"Hey, do you want to stay for a little while longer?" He asked. Elias lifting his gaze to the dark-haired boy. "It's raining and I don't want to send you out into the cold."

Elias shrugged his shoulders as he checked his watch. "Sure." He gazes a look around the apartment. "What do you want too to do in the meantime?"

"You like videogames?"

Elias turned to face the game console. "I never…played."

"Woah, I thought you Americans were big on video games." Hajime responded. Turning away from Elias as he began to hook up the second controller. "Was it a social thing, like your parents wouldn't allow you too play, or was it because you didn't have any time."

"My mom never cared about me playing video games. Honestly, she kind of pushed me to play some more. Said some stuff, that I 'missed a big chunk of my childhood' and I should try and play."

Hajime let out a chuckle. "Really?" He turned with a smile along his lips. "My parents are manga and video game developers. But even they say I go a little to overkill some time, but what about your dad?"

A dark overcast traveled along Elias's eyes. "He said that they were a waste of time. He was the reason why I didn't get to play."

"Woah, your dad sounds like a real…"

"Asshole?" Elias spoke. Now with a shocking smile that went along his face. Hajime returning his own smile.

"Yeah." He nodded. "An asshole, what sort of parent says that playing video games is a waste of time. Honestly, it's that boomer mentality. Like, don't get me wrong. I read manga, I draw, and sure I am not on a sports team or anything like that, but that's not all I do." Hajime began to continue as Elias heard the disk whir within the console. "There are so many stories and just quality games out there. It just seems like a waste to not let someone experience them, just because you're playing them."

"Like a movie, it's basically like playing a movie." Elias added on.

"Yeah, like a movie." Hajime said. "Your alright, Elias."

Elias picked up on the starting sounds of the game as Hajime turned on the controller. "Come on, I'll show you how to play."

"Fucking shit!" Elias screamed.

His shirt was off, now wearing a sweat filled tank top as his wild hair viciously swayed along the erratic movements. Jamming on the controller as he tried to formulate the buttons to execute a vicious swing, only for Hajime to counter it with a singular button.

A fighting game, shockingly a game that Hajime did not excel at all, but was dominating Elias in. He didn't want to pick a game in which he could excel at honestly. Hell, even after the first couple of losses he had tried to get Elias to at least switch the game and try something else. Only for the headstrong boy to shout "Rematch!" After every loss.

"Come on, Elias." Hajime spoke. Pointing at the screen with a sigh. "Don't you think it's getting a little too late for this. Come on, I got other games."

Elias looked like he was about to protest. Only to stifle himself. 'Don't act like a damn brat. We've been playing for a good while now.' He thought. But still, the sting of his pride, of the loss was still sore for him. He didn't like to lose.

"I got a good chunk of games here. A lot of shooters, but there are some stuff mixed within…"

"Got any strategy?"

"Strategy?" Hajime repeated. "You want a strategy game?"

Elias instantly clammed up. Lightly shaking his hand to dissuade him. "No, whatever's fine."

"Nah, it's alright, Elias." Hajime replied. Digging into his shelf as he pulled out a game. Dusting it as it was obvious that Hajime hadn't played it in a while. "Command and conquer. My dad loves this game, but I have to say I'm a little bit rusty."

Elias sparked a nod of his own, his smile enlarging as Hajime already could feel the dread. With a smile like that, he already had a feeling that today was going to be a long night. They heard trumpets boom along the speakers as they began pick their factions.

"Brotherhood of Nod…" Hajime laughed at the strange name. "What type of name is that."

Elias began to stare at the text. "Looks like there a bunch of religious kooks. Like an ancient warrior religion or something like that."

Elias clicked the A button, selecting them. "Religious kooks?" Hajime spoke with a raised eyebrow. "And you're selecting them."

"Hey, why the hell not?" He shrugged. Giving a quick one over of there tactics. "Stealth, hit and run…guerilla warfare."

He gave a quick side glance to Hajime. Strategy, he referred to when Hajime was playing that fighting game. How he utilized everything he knew. The prior knowledge of combos, items, and the pre-registered map to beat him. But…

Now he was in Elias's playing field. "What you are smiling for…" Hajime jeered with a sly grin. "I beat you nearly ten times in the last game. Don't go believing that due to your planning for those sports games, it's going to give you an edge against me."

"Whatever…" He spoke. Seeing the game spark to life as the two boys began to play. "My father, he taught me many things. Bastard he was, but he would have something to say about the Brotherhood of Nod."

"Really?" Hajime spoke. His lips lightly parted as his tongue was out. Immersed within the game as he arranged a light battalion of troops. "What did your father do for a living?"

"He is…he was military. Fought in a couple of wars, did some special operations and such and he thought it would be important for his son to learn." Lightly shaking his head as bitter memories, as the smoke trailed along his nostrils. 'What a fucking joke.' He thought. "What do you think of the Brotherhood of Nods?"

Hajime blasted a tank. One of the few tanks that the Brotherhood was allowed to have…splintering into a brilliant array of orange pixels. "Welp, I think their kind of weak." He spoke with a sly grin. "Look, you started out with like three tanks, and I already destroyed one, while my guys already have…"

His eyes widened as the trees around him bristled with activity. Grenades, missile launchers, and the sounds of bullets flooded the speakers. The mimicked sounds of screaming soldiers filled their eardrums as Elias laughed at the struck Hajime.

"Guerrilla Warfare…" He outstretched his hand. Hajime watching as he quickly scrambled to attack Elias's men, only to see them spread out in numerous directions. He had lost a full battalion, two tanks, and his men were heavily wounded.

Yet, that wasn't all. "Bastard!" Hajime shrieked. In the process of trying to send his remaining men to attack Elias's own men, the traps were set. Rings of preset mines blistered along the wounded, only for Elias to circle his men around. Finishing off the stragglers as all Hajime could do was stare awestruck at the display.

They played for thirty more minutes after that. Hajime, his eyes working in rapid fire precision. Darting along the pixels of the screen. But it wasn't enough. The Brotherhood of Nod, even though they lacked the buildings or advancements that the Global Defense Initiative had, they still dominated.

While Hajime attacked head on. Squandering his munitions, men, and morale. Even as Hajime would build factories and buildings to support his lost troops. Elias would simply sneak up behind him, darting with salvaged weaponry, new troops inducted from towns, and even dropping missiles.

It all came to a head…when Elias's nuclear missile was dropped, destroying and atomizing Hajime's base. The pixels darted to life as it appointed Elias as winner. "Yes, let's go!" He screamed. Pumping his hands into the air as Hajime just watched in complete and utter awe. "What Hajime, got nothing to say!" Elias teased with his own smug look.

"How did you…"

Hajime stopped speaking mid-sentence. Slouching along his bed as his eyes widened with the complete haze of being completely and utterly defeated.

"Guerrilla Warfare," Elias once again repeated. "In the game, you ruled with superior munitions and supplies." Elias said. "I knew this. That was why I scrambled for the power of people, for the power of the land."

Hajime silently watched him. "The power of the people and the land?" He repeated after him.

"The Brotherhood of Nod, it's a religious based organization. You had to worry about keeping your men's morale up, but I didn't, why do you think that is?" Hajime stayed silent as he just shook his head in confusion. "That's because you are not fighting against men and machines. You were fighting an ideology, and you can't kill an ideology." He aimed at the screen. Seeing the faint pixeled men raise their weapons in the air, screaming the name of there prophet on and on through the speakers.

"Look at that." Elias said. "They believe that their war was just. That all the men that died along the way, it was merely god's will, that they'll be labeled as holy warriors among there Jihad. That there doing their service to the lord. That is why our morale never dropped. Everyman killed was labeled a martyr, every kill was rewarded with greatness." He cocked his head. "If god commands you to do such things, to wage war against your fellow man in pursuit of his word against the heretics." He turned towards Hajime, a deep glint within his eye of terrible awareness. "Who are you, to go against the word of god."

The words hung in the air like the dull sounds of an ending orchestra. There eyes locking along the other as Hajime's smile sparked against his face. The words already reaching the other ears. "Rematch!"