= [Chapter 10] =

...

The morning had come and is quite honestly irritatingly quick, but it had gone without much of a fuss which I'm very thankful for. Well other than the weird-looking bird perch on the window who is eyeing us, very critically I might add. Like it has some intelligence behind that dumb-looking face of it.

Though I might be wrong and all that I had seen was just my mind tricking me. Not the first time it had happened. Especially in my current situation where my Glasses are gone!

—Skwaak!

Oh, it seems that I had glared so hard the bird got frightened. I feel offended somehow. I am not even looking at its general direction!

Ignoring that and focusing on my immediate problem, which is looking for my glasses. That piece of equipment is very valuable to me. As it has been with me since my literal birth. No, I am not born with glasses. It's my dad's glasses initially. But was given to me after he died, I don't how and why he died, two years and eight months after my birth. It's a memento and the only item that I have that can link me back to my root.

Yes, I am an orphan. My mother died a week after I was born. And it is not due to birth complications or other health conditions that come with delivering a child. No, she was sabotage to die to say the least.

"Ka-rarara!"

I flinch up when I heard that!

The bird made this alarm-like noise, breaking me out of my internal monologue. And it's starting to get louder!

"Tch! Shoo! Shoo!"

It caws again but it flew away after pecking my finger! Damn avian! Not that it hurts anyway.

I turn around and saw that someone had already woke up, Bow Brat. But he has his mouth open and closes in disbelief and shock. Staring in my direction with his eyes wide open.

I raised an eyebrow at this display, wondering what spook him up. I look back to the window and had a realization.

(Of course, that was the first magical creature he would have seen!)

Anyone would be in a state of mystification if they ever saw such a creature! It must have been dawning on him that we are in a fantasy world!

"... What a weird creature, right? It functions as an alarm though making it more irritating for me..."

Not that I know what it was to name and know its role in this world. Not including the possibility of that avian being a familiar that is used for spying.

"A..ck...?"

Rude! He didn't even reply to what I had said!

"?"

Don't tell me he got possess! or worse a seizure!

"Oi! Are you alright!" I ask in worry, shaking his shoulder.

That seems to bring him back. Because he took a step and a deep breath before hardening his gaze at me.

"Me? Alright?! I should be the one asking you that!"

He sounds very angry and frustrated. Still though, a glint of worry glimmers in that Abby's of yellow pools he called his eyes.

"Look at you! You're a mess!"

"Hmm...?"

That made me look at myself and sure enough, I am a mess. Just like Kitamura had said, my clothes can no longer be classified as such. More of a rag than anything.

"Oh, this? Someone had tried killing me last night. Hehehe! Pepo~n?"

That Pepon seems to have been a bad move as after I had said it he blew up! Raging on about why and how and other terms and words that flew over my head. Because primarily of him being too loud and it's hurting my ear.

I did narrate what happened last night, excluding the time loop and curse series weapons. He did freak out though when he saw my eye socket. Making him finally believe that what I all had said to be true, which shocked him.

"What's with all the shouting about!?"

"Oh, Kitamura! Morning!" I greeted the grump guy up, tuning Bow Brat's ranting off. "I told him about what happened last night."

"Hah? So, it's not a dream... I did all that...?"

Oh boy. He seems to had gone back to his mind. Trapping himself in that memories again. The guilt and everything else bombarding his mind.

Better get him out of that quick!

"Oi! Stop looking back to that and help calm this brat down!"

"Calm me down?! CALM ME DOWN?! You almost died for Kami's sake!"

Well, there is a silver lining in this. For one all of us now look at this world as a real one and not just a super realistic simulation of a game.

It's all still a bitch though.

It had taken a long and very throughout talking to calm the two down. Yes, two. Sword Boy woke up and did the same thing Bow Brat had gone through.

But unlike Bow Brat who took it as a fact, because of the evidence and whatnot. Sword Boy was skeptical about this.

The role reversal between the two didn't escape me. But I can explain that.

Bow Brat is a kid. A super-powered one, yes. But still a kid. While Sword Boy is a seasoned fighter and was raised in a Magus-infested world. Where deception and other schemes are normal and he also believes that nothing happens without an actual reason.

And noticing this, I started telling them a small lie. It requires me to reveal about the curse series though.

Kitamura help in explaining, he didn't reveal his looping ability for obvious reasons. A side note, all of us notice that he now has an almost permanent scowl on his face. A minor side effect of the Vengeance Spear, which might be a variation of the Wrath Series.

It is not that noticeable, but it does give him a more 'serious' vibe, which is very true at the moment. A great improvement from his nigh lecherous way before.

"So, you are saying that they'll be hunting you for being the Shield Devil?"

"... All because of the previous Shield Hero who awoken a defensive mechanism of his Legendary Shield."

For some information. The curse series only activates when the user is in a great deal of mental or psychological pain. More prominently, Emotional Trauma. Thus triggering the Curse Series Weapon to 'fight' back the cause of the trauma. Thus, dubbing it a defense mechanism isn't a lie.

... But this is not a proven theory, yet. As there is a serious lacking in Curse Series User to compare to.

"... Yes, that is why the knowledge of Kitamura having this weapon will spell doom to all of us."

Upon saying this all of them look at me in curiosity. I sigh at that.

"Now imagine this. If the 'devil' is only the Shield Hero, then they can only be wary of me. But if Kitamura can get the 'devil' weapon then so can you guys!"

They still didn't get, except for Kitamura who has his eyes widen in realization.

"They'll accuse all of us as devils."

Sword Boy then follows Kitamura up.

"If the 'devil' is only one of us then they won't have much of choice but to comply. But if the 'Devil' can be all of us, then they won't have any more reasons not to kill us to summon a new batch of Cardinal Heroes."

Yes, I also told them about the Hero Set. So, if the kingdom ever wants to get a new hero the first batch would need to die. This spooks them up and writes it in their heart to make sure that none of us die.

"... Umu. That is our situation. So, please Kitamura. For the love of God, do not use that spear in public or forever for that matter. There is a reason why it was called a curse in the first place."

They all stayed silent for an entire minute after that talked. Processing the fact that we are all fucked! My current state is enough reason for them to take this seriously.

Sword Boy tried breaking that Ice cold silence but failed as it instead become awkward. I helped him out of it by asking if he knows a way for me to get my eyeball back in its place. The answer is "No." But he did tell me that this Gin or something fellow, that he know of back in his world, can do something about it.

I appreciated the help, ignoring the fact that she's not in this world at all, but then again that old vampire might do something about it. She's his student after all.

Our chat led to Sword Boy revealing his Magus heritage. Though he isn't even strictly a magus in the traditional sense. A magic caster, yes, but not a magus. But then again, he didn't feel the need to keep it a secret from the start anyway. The world already having magic as the norm kind of remove the main reason to do so. The only reason he wasn't honest yesterday was because of his habits.

To say the least Bow Brat got jealous again. But he reigns it back, clearly, he still is not in the right mind because of the news. I did warn him not to start thinking negatively or over panicking as it might lead to curse awakening.

Out of all of us, Bow Brat might be the only person here now that I noticed. All three of us are in one way or another, experienced in bloody fights. He's also the youngest.

Damn, my consciousness is nagging at me to take this kid back to his home and let the adults do all the works, though Sword Boy's also not an adult yet.

(This world's keeps giving problem! Why can't it dump all of it to Sword Boy! He's a protagonist for crying out loud!)

—Kon, kon, kon!

We were then interrupted by knock on the wall, since the door is missing, by a maid.

"Ek-E ccuze!"

She bite her tongue... That, that was kind of cute. Too bad she's older than me.

"What is it?"

(That came out way too harsh, Kitamura.)

Deciding that none of my companions can take the lead in this, I step forward to talk to her. That was a mistake, as she literally jump back in fright when she saw me.

"U-undead!"

That made me stop. My guard tightened and my wariness skyrocketed!