Gamer of The Multiverse

by DeathlyJazzHands55

Bored out of his mind, Daimen, one of Loki's disciples, drags a soul from Heaven, gives them the system, and tells them to travel the Multiverse, all in an attempt to cure his boredom. This can only go horribly wrong. [Current Universe - RWBY] [Eventual Harem] [Slow Burn] [Female!MC]

28. Ch 27: The Beginning of The End - Part 2

Chapter 28… 150K words… yeah, okay, that's something that I don't think would've happened to this story. Just a note that I want to put here, namely about two things, and then we'll get into my responses (prepare for a long one, Ao3, and prepare to have this in the actual chapter. The character limit will be invalidated).

First and foremost, in chapter 22 I mentioned that this Universe would last up until chapter 35…. that's not gonna happen. It might not be till Chapter 40 that we get this crap off the ground. Why? Because after going over my plans for these last two arcs [and I do mean the last two arcs, we're in that home run], I realized that if I was going to do it in 35 chapters, I'd have to squeeze a LOT of important info into eight 10K plus word chapters, and I know that would've been a mess to do and read.

So, instead of having eight chapters to wrap up this universe, I now have 13 chapters. That might sound like a lot, but considering the rate at that I'm pumping these out, it really isn't.

Now, for the second thing I want to comment on: Please do the poll on my profile or the one I'll link at the bottom of this author's note. It is INTEGRAL to this story's continuation. Well, not really, but this is a community-driven thing, right? I don't want to randomly pick a universe out of my ass and not have people like it. Henceforth the polls.

For those who don't know what is on the polls, here they are [I am combining both the poll on my profile, as well as the one using the link]:

Genshin Impact – 14 votes [2nd]

Kuroinu: Kedakakai Seijo wa Hakudaku ni Somaru – 6 votes [4th]

The Owl House – 9 Votes [3rd]

RWBY – 19 Votes [ 1st]

As of writing this chapter, these are the results so far. If you want to vote for any of these categories and know what exactly may be happening in those worlds, go to my profile on Fanfiction Dot Net, or the link just below this. *NOTE: The Universes that don't get picked will still be happening, although they will be moved back and be able to be voted for at a later time. For every chapter, until we finish this universe, I will put what universe has what amount of votes at the beginning of each chapter.*

Now, with that out of the way, before we get to my response to reviews/comments, we have two links to go through.

1: I have a P-Atr-Eon. Please check it out! The links are all in my bios on Wattpad, FF Dot Net, Ao3, and Qoutev. Just in case, here is the link: gobblegum2?fan_landing=true&view_as=public

2: The Poll for the next world is now up! You can find it on my profile on Fanfiction Dot Net under the username DeathlyJazzHands55. It will be up until The Danganronpa Universe is finished. Once it is, I will take down the poll and begin planning out that world. If you cannot find the poll on my profile, or my profile in general, use this instead: poll4630933xB6B34Bef-145 and for those on Wattpad unable to see the link without it being split up: take. Super survey poll 4629498x00734f98- 145 type this into your search bar (without the spaces) and boom! There you go.

Now… I expect that my responses are going to be long, so… well, I'll tell you the word count for them at the end BEFORE the chapter begins. This should be fun….

[Response to Reviews/Comments]

(Qoutev) JammyJam: I'm glad you like watching the plot get more complicated. Or well, not complicated, but it definitely is getting more detailed. And to think that my original plan was to put all of it into 20 chapters… ha! What a joke!

(Qoutev) TACO SENSEI: Yeah, don't. I've watched it myself for my own leisure, and it disturbed me to my core. Seriously, don't watch it if you don't have an empty stomach. Or if you're under 18 years old. The reason why you didn't get anything is probably because you had safe search on. Be glad that was the case.

(Ao3) Shine375: Been a minute since I've had to respond to one of your comments. And yes, the fight between Chinatsu and Jolyne I have planned is going to be a long one. Probably twice as long, if not longer than the entire raid on the Kuzuryu Estate. As for chapters left for this Universe—if everything goes to plan and I don't find myself continually having to explain more of the world—13 more chapters until we leave this, dull in comparison to everything else, universe.

(Ao3) MarcusCooper: A lot of it depends on if Kuroinu is picked as the next world directly, or is shifted back a bit. But yes, things will happen. Lots of things… like… yeah, it gets bad. Really bad. I'm actually kinda scared to do Kuroinu because of what happens in that verse. All of the monsters and evildoers in that universe are rape monsters, rapists who don't care about the AOC, or torturers that have no concept of mercy. And considering most of the cast of The Grey Council is female, half of which are prepubescent minors, you can imagine how difficult writing conflicts for that would be involving said bad guys (The less we talk about The Black Dogs the better). However, that does not mean I won't give it my best shot. And yes, the Harem is pre-decided. As for who's in it… well… you've met three of the people. Take a wild guess who they are.

(Ao3) TheRealGg: Ah yes, that. Well, we'll see what happens if RWBY wins the poll. What I have planned for that universe is… well, to put it lightly, going to piss RWBY fans off immensely. Well, at least the ones who hate it when their precious characters die. I'll be honest, the RWBY verse is an option mainly so that I can fuck with that world as much as possible. Don't get me wrong, I've been a silent fan of RWBY for literal years, but at the same time, with what they're doing right now with the world that Monty created, it really pisses me off. I will make the canon of that universe my bitch.

Kolt999: Okay, first and foremost, thank you for taking the time out of your day, and sacrificing your fingers, for writing such a well-thought-out review. Like, seriously, seeing this made me smile; like ear to ear. I don't think I've ever had someone drop a literal essay on me before, so much so that they'd have to split it into two separate reviews. Like, seriously, I mean it, thank you man (rip your fingers).

Now, into the actual response. Because there is a lot to respond to.

First things first: Yeah, I agree with you. I have no idea what it is with source material stuff (Manwha, webtoon, whatever the hell it's called now) and fanfics having such different reactions when it comes to these sorts of reveals. I've read a good solid few Gamer Fics, and when they do reveal their powers to others, for some reason or another, it drags the wind out of my sails when reading. It doesn't annoy me per se—if that were the case I would've stopped reading Gamer Fics altogether because most of them do this EXTREMELY early on and have no consequences after the fact can be downright aggravating—but it does get on my nerves ever-so-slightly.

Allow me to go on a small rant here: When writing, following the rule of Chekov's gun is important. If you put something in the room, or something up in the air, or mention something, the characters MUST address it, otherwise you've failed to properly use everything to your advantage. I always try to keep to this principle as much as possible. Sometimes, I fail it, other times, I don't, but I rarely ever fail to use everything I lay out for the characters to be able to use.

So, when a fellow Gamer fanfic author establishes that there are consequences for people finding out about The System, then proceeds to have the MC tell everyone and their grandmother about it outright annoys me. It annoys me more when there turns out to be no consequence. And it usually happens extremely early on.

A-hem, I should stop rambling about that and move on to the next thing. But I'm sure I got my point across.

Second thing's second: Natsumi is going to be a mainstay within the cast. She is Jolyne's right-hand woman, as well as The Grey Council's assistant. Also, really nice analogy, and fairly accurate. And no, Jolyne won't be getting insanely powerful in the DGR universe. In fact, it won't be a while until she gets overly overpowered. The only reason she's maintained this level of power against the other characters is BECAUSE she is in the DGR universe. For example, if I were to compare this to a series I read a lot, it'd be like putting Harry Dresden in the Harry Potter franchise. He would shit on every character in that verse without having to try. But if you put Harry Dresden in, let's say, Overlord (I keep bringing this show up because it is genuinely one of my favourites), it would be the other way around, or at the very least it would be an uphill battle before being stopped by the big bad obvious that is Nazarick.

Trust me, once Jolyne leaves the DGR universe for whichever one wins the poll, the chances of it being a similar ROFL-stomp universe are extremely low. Granted, there is one universe on the poll that could be considered a ROFL-stomp, namely The Owl House, due to how underpowered those characters are in comparison. Although I'm sure I could pull some strings when it comes to that universe to make it more entertaining. It would also be imperative that if it does get picked, it gets picked as either the second verse or the third verse, that way it can be at least interesting.

Third thing: Ah, Chinatsu. Oh boy, here we go. Alright, so with Chinatsu, she is my response to pretty much every Gamer fanfic in existence. I have never, and I do mean never, seen anyone do this. Not even Mirlnir, for as much as I give him credit for inspiring me to make this, has yet to put his OCs against someone with similar bullshit powers—only upgrading the universes they are plopped into, and sometimes not even doing that.

Chinatsu, the other Gamers that Jolyne will come across, as well as the other 6 Multiversal Gamers, all of which are OCs of my creation, are my answer to the power creep. The Dragon Ball Z and Super comparison when it comes to the Power Creep in Gamer Fics is appropriate. Seriously, it gets utterly ridiculous sometimes, and I feel as if having characters who could match the MC, or better yet, be the reason why half of what happens in that universe is happening, to begin with, would make those stories infinitely better.

Although, do keep in mind that not EVERY universe will have another Gamer to balance out Jolyne. Some universes will have them, others won't. If I didn't do that, then I would start to be predictable. And being predictable is bad for a writer. I don't want others figuring out plot points before they happen. Some universes will be the aforementioned "grind, curb stomp, profit" thing you brought up, because, and I'll be honest with you, some of these universes just need to be flattened with a massive fucking bulldozer and rebuilt from the ground up (Looking at you, Kuroinu).

Also, if you're worried about big fights involving a universes massive big hero or big villain turning into curb stomps… ha… ha… ahahahahaha~! Yeah, no, that's not happening. I would never cuck those guys. They're the strongest of their verse for a reason. I'm not about to allow an OC to overpower them with pathetic ease like most fanfics tend to do. Or at least, I'll try not to.

Oh! And Chinatsu being related to Kokichi, i.e. being his biological sister, is important to the final arc of the DGR universe. Don't forget about it. Oh, and regular System Users are deathly afraid of Multiversal System users. If you think Jolyne is utterly busted in terms of power… oh boy, you have NOT seen a single damn thing yet. You'll find them quite… terrifying.

Thing numero four: I'll be honest, Thor and Loki just like taking shots at one another. Literally. In the mythos, it's normally portrayed as siblings being siblings, and in the MCU it's… well it's the MCU. I'm pretty sure it's obvious. I don't really have much more to say about that. I don't know much else about Norse Myth, and I don't have the time or patience to read through all of that.

Fifth thing: Guilds will become a massive, integral part of this story. Like, insanely important. I'll tell you right now, every System User that Jolyne runs into will have one. It's kinda like a Pirate Crew from One Piece. And thank you, I try my best when writing Junko. She's really hard to write for. I had to go over that scene numerous times to get it to my liking. And, oh… hehe, funny you mention that. Oh boy… *sweats profusely*. Yeah, we're not gonna go there… yet being the keyword here. As for that scene with Chiaki… yeah, you won't have to wait much longer.

Phew, and we're done. Rounding out at about…. Nearly 2,390 words and 4 pages. Yeah, RIP Ao3. But ya know what, I don't mind. My fingers are DEAD from writing this long of a response, but it was worth it. And you're right, this did swallow the chapter whole. Oh well, that just means I get to make the actual content of the chapter a lot longer than I normally would! Gotta compensate somehow, lmao.

One more thing. Before we begin the chapter, to quell any fears that I might be burning myself out with these frequent chapter updates, know that I'm only doing this because of the amount of free time I have at the moment. If I hadn't had this much free time, these updates would be coming slower.

Now, finally… ONTO THE CHAPTER!

xxXXxxXXxx

[Chiaki Nanami]

If there was ever a time that Chiaki had ever been this ecstatic before, it would have to be now. She for sure thought that she was going to die in that pit of death and despair. Not that she would've minded, after all, it would help Jolyne spread Despair across the world—having an entire class meant to propagate the world's hope to die in a tragic, unmistakably despair-inducing way would help spread Jolyne's message even further!

For something like that… she wouldn't have minded dying in that way.

She was cold, soaked in blood and whatever else was on the floor, thirsty, and hungry. She needed to eat something proper, and fast. She was also in a lot of pain at the time, and it didn't help that her back was itchy and that the ice had blocked her arms from moving to scratch it.

And while that last part was the least of her problems, it was still incredibly annoying beyond belief. Staring up at the ceiling for hours on end was hard to do, and quite frankly, she just wanted to sleep. She was about to when suddenly the sound of a door opening caused her heart to pump at levels that she hadn't known possible.

And in a moment's notice, Jolyne was standing over her, a hand reached out as she melted the ice with her magma-like body. When the ice melted, the mage helped her up, and without giving her a warning, she hugged her. Jolyne had been caught off guard, but Chiaki didn't quite care. She was so happy to see the person she wanted to devote herself to. That she had come to rescue her from her fate!

Jolyne didn't seem to mind it either, hugging her back as a sign to show that she was equally glad to see her alive. Then, Chiaki proceeded to tell her everything. Specifically, what happened during the week, and why everyone was dead. For some reason, Jolyne started to blame herself for what happened. Chiaki didn't quite care about what happened to her classmates. Besides, they were all not devoted enough to Despair for her to care.

Although, admittedly, it stung a bit to be betrayed by Tanaka. Oh! And Chiaki told her about that too. Suddenly, Jolyne stopped blaming herself and was now asking where they had gone. Chiaki didn't know, so she left it at that. Then, Jolyne told her to go to the girl's changing room, use the shower there, and get changed into some clean clothes.

Which led Chiaki to now, standing underneath the hot shower water, thinking pleasant thoughts as she leaned against the stall wall. The showers were separated by doors and walls so that each person could have some privacy. Something Chiaki needed right now. The mere idea of Jolyne hugging her… to feel her breath against her skin…. It was positively euphoric. It was like having an idol that one loved personally greet you and welcome you into the fold!

Chiaki bit her lip, lowering her head as the shower water sprayed down on her. Jolyne… that was all her mind could think about right now. Jolyne holding her… Jolyne hugging her… Jolyne whispering in her ears about things that only two close people should talk about. Her vibrant green eye, seeing as she lost one—and yes, Chiaki did ask questions, and got a basic answer of "an accident happened," which was BULLSHIT, but Jolyne said not to worry about it, so she didn't. Then there was Jolyne's infectious, beautiful smile.

Chiaki felt her breathing start to pick up the pace, her cheeks flaring red, her body doubling over into itself as her free hand twitched. Her legs started to feel like jello, all the while the shower water continued to pour over her as more thoughts flooded her mind.

Jolyne's body pressed up against her own… their faces inches apart… that hug meant more to her than anything…. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and it made her feel special. And then, there was her voice….

"You mean a lot to me, Nanami-chan… if you join me, you'll be the happiest person in all of existence. I can promise you a lot of things… lots and lots of things… but only if you join me." Jolyne's voice rippled throughout her mind. The memory played in her head over and over again. Her voice was calming, alluring, and charismatic. Her tone of voice was sultry like she was begging her to join her in her endeavours.

And then, her favourite part of that memory came. When Jolyn brushed a hand against her waist. And then, she smiled, giving her a look that Chiaki couldn't quite describe. "I'll make you happy… so if you wish to be happy… join me."

At that, Chiaki's legs buckled for a moment, having to catch herself with her free hand, her toes curling as she leaned hard into the stall wall. She nearly slipped and fell had it not been for her grabbing onto one of the balance bars that were in there for disabled folks. Her breathing became laboured, and then, a small blush appeared on her cheeks. A second of joy, and then, nothingness. Hollowness. It wasn't the same. Which was to be expected.

Her other hand now dangled limply by her waist, her index and middle finger wet from… other activities. Her eyes drifted to the water, which she put her tired hand under to rinse it off. That was the first time she had ever touched herself in that way, and not a single part of her regretted it. Now all she wanted was for Jolyne to be here with her…. That was what friends did… they were with one another, helping each other with things. Playing games with one another, no matter what game it was.

"Focus… Jolyne wanted me to clean up…. So, I should do that…." Chiaki thought, no longer leaning against the wall as she stood under the shower head properly. After cleaning herself from head to toe using the soap the school provided, before then rinsing herself off, she turned off the shower and stepped out.

She was thankful no one else was in the changing rooms because that would've been embarrassing. Walking over to where the towels were kept, she wrapped herself up in a white towel, before reaching for another one to dry her hair off. Once she was done with that, she finished drying herself off and quickly got changed into a clean white tee shirt, and a pair of black jeans—courtesy of Jolyne herself.

Exiting the changing rooms, she glanced over at the clothes she was wearing before—the school's uniform, now thrown out and in the trash can. She had a small frown on her face. Those clothes served their purpose, but now they were torn to shreds and soaked through with gross stuff. Stretching, Chiaki yawned.

She was tired. Really, really tired. She needed to sleep, that way, she could spread Despair more effectively. Looking down at her hand, she snapped her fingers, and a small flame appeared on her index finger. Channelling everything she had into the flame, she willed it to grow in size. Before, she could only get it to the size of a Yen Coin. Right now, she was trying to get it to be nearly as big as an eyeball.

Right now, it was taking all of her mental capabilities to get it to a usable rate. The more she thought about applying more will to the flame, the more images of her crush appeared in her mind. It added to the flame, allowing it to get bigger, and just as it got to a viable size that could be used for proper means….

"Woah! How'd you do that?" A voice called out to her, causing Chiaki to whisk the flame away, her eyes widening with annoyance and anger. She quickly put a cap on it, calming herself by taking in a deep breath.

The person in question who asked was a girl, duh. She had dark brown skin, and she was wearing a blue swimsuit. Her hair was long and dark, and drawn up into a ponytail. Her eyes were as brown as her skin, and she was dripping wet—probably from doing laps in the pool next to the changing rooms.

"Ah, Asahina-san," Chiaki said, putting on a façade of aloofness, and the mask of who she once had been. No one else could know that she wasn't the same anymore. Not until she was allowed to reveal it. Granted, there were no consequences for doing so, but still, it was the thought that mattered. Keeping anonymity as to who she is now, the Chiaki everyone was used to, was paramount if her reveal was going to have any impact. "Um… I was taught how to do it by someone special to me," Chiaki continued, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh! I see, um… so what exactly did you do? Are your fingers coated in oil or something? Is that how you could do that?" Asahina asked as Chiaki sighed.

"Uh… Asahina-san, um… I just want to go to bed. Can you leave me alone, please," Chiaki murmured as the dimwitted swimmer girl nodded. She waved goodbye, which Chiaki did just to cover her act. Once she left the corridor, Chiaki glared. "Stupid wench… how dare you interrupt my concentration… I'll—"

"Yo, Nanami-chan," a familiar voice called out to her, causing the mauve-haired teen to spin around on her heel and smile. It was Jolyne, though she was no longer wearing that cloak of hers. Rather, she was wearing the school's uniform. An intrusive thought came to Chiaki's mind which she quickly banished. "I saw you practicing your fire spell. Good. We're gonna need that kind of firepower soon."

As Jolyne said that, her right arm turned into Magma. "My Magma, while powerful, isn't discrete. Your flames are, so keep up the good work," Jolyne explained as Chiaki felt her cheeks burn at the praise.

"R-Really?" Chiaki asked, clasping both hands together over her chest. Jolyne smiled at that and nodded. "T-thank you, Jolyne-chan…" Chiaki said, turning away, the blush still evident on her face. The dual-haired mage deactivated her Magma abilities, and crossed her arms, before looking up at the ceiling with a contemplative expression.

"Hmm… I feel as if I was forgetting something…. Oh! Right. Chiaki Nanami – Invite!" When those words left the mage's mouth, a… text box appeared? It had a statement above it, like "Request to Join The Grey Council" atop it, and an accept and decline option. It looked like something out of a mobile game that she'd play on her phone. Or, like those DMMORPG games, they were starting development on for virtual reality. Chiaki raised an eyebrow, looking up at Jolyne, who sighed.

"It's a new spell I learned that allows me to give magical items to those who otherwise can't use them. If you accept I can give you something that will help you progress in your magical endeavours," the mage explained. Chiaki perked up at that and immediately pressed accept. The moment she did, Jolyne tossed her a strange-looking coin.

"Uh… Jolyne-chan…. What is this?" Chiaki asked, examining the coin. It was your standard 100 Yen Coin, but instead of the value of the coin stamped on the front, it read "Spell Token." Jolyne hummed, then stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"It's a token of my own creation. You snap it in half, and there's a random chance that you can get a spell that you can use immediately. A similar pop-up to that guild invite will appear in front of you telling you what it is. I only have three spell tokens on me, and I plan to give the other two to other Guild members once I'm done with something important."

Chiaki looked down at the token, then up at Jolyne, then nodded. Sticking the token between her index finger and thumb, she applied as much pressure on it as possible. And then, it glowed rainbow. Jolyne's eyes practically widened to the size of dinner plates, and then, with one final push, the token snapped in half.

Dark, purple electricity channelled up her arms, and around her body like a serpent, ending at her other hand, before then creating a chain reaction between both hands, which allowed for a giant purple spark to be created within the center of her palms. Chiaki's eyes looked at the electricity, then at Jolyne, and then at the pop-up that appeared in front of her.

[Congratulations, Chiaki Nanami! Jolyne Brooks has gifted you…]

[Mythic – Dragons Lightning!]

[Stronger than your standard lightning spell, and strong enough to destroy parts of buildings with a single blast! Dragons Lightning was one of the spells used by a very powerful Undead. Use it with the knowledge that, with this spell, you could single-handedly beat any wannabe mage that isn't immune to lightning magic or lightning-based attacks.]

Chiaki felt the surge of lightning gather at her fingertips, small blue sparks jumping off her fingers and into her palms. Surprisingly, nothing happened when they did. There was no shock, there was no jolt, it was just… like a light show in the palm of her hand. When she looked up at Jolyne, the dual-haired mage had a shocked look on her face.

"Jolyne-chan…?" Chiaki said, looking at her crush with a concerned expression. The mage was quick to shake her head, then sigh.

"I… I am at a loss for words. That's… Nanami-chan, do you have any idea what you just got?" Jolyne asked, looking at her with a deadly serious expression. Chiaki shook her head because she had no idea what the text box had said. Jolyne bit her lip, tapping a foot on the floor. She seemed to be thinking, so she waited. If she was going to be completely honest with herself, she was enjoying basking in Jolyne's presence more than anything.

"Okay, then allow me to explain in simple terms. That spell that you just got is strong enough to level whole buildings if you put your back into it. However! You don't have enough Mana to properly use it," Jolyne said, approaching Chiaki. The dual-haired mage took one of her hands, making the mauve-haired teen's eyes widen, as the mage made her follow her. "And so, seeing as you need to get more Mana, I'm going to take you to a special place that'll help you get stronger."

"A special place to get stronger…?" Chiaki thought as they climbed up flight of stairs after flight of stairs. Once they reached the top floor, they were met with an Ultimate Lab. Specifically, Jolyne's Ultimate Lab. The two entered the room, and what Chiaki saw drew her curiosity. The room itself was large, easily triple the size of the school's dorm rooms. The walls were a darker shade of purple with several bookshelves lining the walls, each bookcase being filled to the brim with books of various shapes and sizes.

A glance was enough to show that all of the books on the shelves were based on the paranormal. There were books like various studies of the undead, the Necronomicon, books on how to perform rituals of various varieties, as well as tips and tricks about being a junior wizard or witch. All of the books were published by regular people or by cultists who believed in that kind of stuff. Surprisingly enough there were different variations of the Holy Bible from Christianity and a few other religions that Chiaki didn't quite recognize.

There were some books based on differing accounts of witnessing magical encounters with other wizards, to accounts of seeing ghosts or demons. If she were, to sum up, what was on the shelves in Jolyne's Ultimate lab she would describe it like this: Occult-like material mixed in with some theology-based books.

Off in the corner, however, was what Jolyne was leading her towards. It was a mirror of sorts, though it looked incredibly fancy. When Jolyne placed a hand on it, the glass rippled like water. The mage nodded, then looked at Chiaki. "Follow me," Jolyne said with no room for argument. As quickly as she could, she followed Jolyne in, and what she saw was enough to make anyone who played video games know exactly what it was.

The room in question wasn't a room, so much as it was a flat space of land with some strange type of tile floor that Chiaki couldn't identify. The skies were fluctuating in random colours, and there were what appeared to be more text boxes off in the corner, which was where Jolyne was standing. The more she looked at it, the more Chiaki was beginning to piece together exactly what this room was.

"A testing room…?" Chiaki muttered as Jolyne scoffed. "Am… I wrong, Jolyne-chan?" Chiaki asked as the mage smirked.

"Not entirely. This is a Personal Training Dimension. Originally, only I could use it. That was, until, I figured out how to make a Guild using magic. Anyone in The Grey Council can use this. A brief warning, though. Time behaves differently in here than it does in the real world. 1 hour here is 8 hours out there. I'll set you on this, and I'll come back tomorrow morning to see how you're doing. If you're going to ever be able to properly use Dragons Lightning, training here is your best bet."

As Jolyne said that, she tapped a couple of things on the text boxes in front of her, and then, she turned to leave. When she did, several hundred zombies rose from the ground. If Chiaki of the past were to have seen this, she would've screamed and ran. But this Chiaki simply smiled, creating a small eyeball-sized fireball, and began to train. Train what? She didn't know, but if Jolyne-chan said that it would help her get stronger, and make her impressed, then that was all she needed to know.

[Monica Towa]

Monica didn't know whether or not inviting the Trouble Makers to her mansion was a good idea or not. Granted, it wasn't as if she didn't like the idea of spending time with her "friends." But at the same time, there were a few things that she wanted to go get done today that would've required no distractions.

Oh well, her maids and butlers could do those things now.

Speaking of. Recently, she had hired a few butlers and maids of her own choice to work for her and look after her within her newly reclaimed home. Ever since those two had been… gotten rid of, life had become a hell of a lot easier. And with her pathetic excuse of a father's fortune at the tip of her fingers, she could do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, without consequence.

Over 1.5 Billion Yen, and growing, thanks to her understanding of the stock exchange system, was in her hands, and she was going to use it for her best interests and to increase her quality of life. There was a reason why people called her a child prodigy and a child genius. It was made even better with Hermit Purple, which could predict the future. Or, well, allow her to get a decent look into the future, and what stocks would be worth her time or not.

And the best part? They were completely accurate. Meaning that she didn't have to worry about losing money. Every morning she'd check the stock exchange, use Hermit Purple on her father's old computer to get a good read on what to put into what, and what to take out of what, then boom! Profit! It was how she was able to keep The Towa Corp up and running without issues.

Oh, and employing a dummy CEO that she would puppet through emails to do what and when. Monica knew exactly what she was doing, and made it apparent to every single one of her employees that if she was unhappy that they would not be coming back for another work day. Period. Which, as it turned out, worked surprisingly well.

However, just because she was a child genius, didn't mean she wasn't a child. And this was best expressed when she sat down on the couch, watching Jataro-Kun and Nagisa-Kun bicker back and forth about Jataro accidentally trapping Masaru-Kun in the floor using his power, Oasis, because Masaru-Kun was running around and bumping the table, causing Jataro-Kun to mess up the drawing he was working on.

And instead of being the mature one, Monica, as well as Kotoko-Chan, were placing bets on who would win between Jataro-Kun and Nagisa-Kun if a fight broke out, with real money being on the table. Why? Because why the heck not? Monica was rich, and Monica was bored. The stated amount was 1,000,000 Yen, and Kotoko-Chan placed all her money on Jataro-Kun, based solely on the fact that Jataro-Kun's Oasis had better abilities than Nagisa's Boku no Rhythm wo Kiitkure.

"Alright, that's enough!" An annoyed voice spoke up, drawing the bickering boy's attention to the doorway. Standing there was a blonde-haired, silky green-eyed teenager wearing a black tuxedo and tie. Said teenager walked over to the two boys, and grabbed them by their collar, lifting them a few inches off the ground. Both boys dangled helplessly in the air, limbs flying all over the place. The teen sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head at the same time.

"Kemuri, let Daimon out of the floor, or else I'll lock away your art supplies with Jolyne-Sama for a week, got it?" the teen said, earning a solemn nod from Jataro. The teen huffed, before turning to look at Nagisa, who flinched upon seeing the disappointed look on her face. "And you should know better, Shingetsu-Kun. Hell, I babysat you a couple of times in the past, and you behaved better than this. Stop this nonsense or no chocolate for a week!"

"Yes, Kuzuryu-chan, we're sorry!" Both boys said at the same time, which caused Kuzuryu to put them down back on the ground. The ground around Masaru opened up, allowing the boy to crawl out of the floor, dusting himself off. When he did, a small collum of dust flew into Jataro's nose, making him sneeze.

"That's what you get for putting me in the floor!" Daimon said, sticking his tongue out, only to earn a slap up the back of the head from Kuzuryu. "Ow! Natsumi-san! Why'd you do that!"

Natsumi scoffed, crossing her arms. "Cause two wrongs don't make a right, Masaru. Now apologize!" The blonde replied as Daimon pouted, before looking at Jataro and bowing his head, giving the boy a silent apology. "That's better," Natsumi stated, patting the boy on the back. "Now, can I trust that the three of you will get along? No more fighting?"

The three boys nodded, and then went off to go play. Natsumi sighed, wiping off sweat from her forehead. Monica noticed that she had been completely calm the whole time, which was something that the green-haired kid thought impossible. The last time she saw Natsumi Kuzuryu was a few weeks ago when she seemed to have a temper the size of Jupiter. But now, she seemed a lot calmer. And the weirdest part was that she said she was here in place of Jolyne Brooks.

Jolyne Brooks, i.e. the person who gave each of them their powers, was the same person that Natsumi had a bone to pick with. And now, at least according to those words, they were working together. Now that had been interesting.

Speaking of Jolyne Brooks. According to Natsumi Kuzuryu, Natsumi was sent here to do something important. Although, all it seemed that she had been doing was walking around the place, observing everything, while also occasionally helping out the butlers and maids with things. She even made lunch for Monica and her friends, which was something that Monica found also interesting.

"Something must've happened for Natsumi-dono to become this helpful… usually when she was here to meet with my father, she'd be abrasive and argumentative. This Natsumi-dono is different… I wonder what must have changed?" Monica thought, keeping an eye on Natsumi as she rounded the corner, and out of the living room.

"Did you see how totally adorbs those two were with their flailing!" Kotoko exclaimed, kicking her legs back and forth. Monica sighed, hopping up from the couch, earning a confused look from the Lil' Ultimate Drama.

"Monica is going to go ask Natsumi-dono something, and then have a nap… Monica didn't get enough rest last night. Why don't you go play with the other boys, Kotoko-chan?" Monica said, waving off the lavender-haired girl with no care in the world. It was true that Monica was tired, but it was also true that Monica didn't really like Kotoko-chan all that much.

It had nothing to do with Kotoko-chan as a person, but rather it had to do with her attitude. Then again, being eccentric was a part of the whole actress thing, so it made sense that she'd have certain flairs to her personality. However, that made it infinitely more annoying to deal with her. Again, it was nothing personal, she didn't hate Kotoko, but she did find her unbearable at times.

And what made it worse was that Kotoko was living in the Towa manor now. Granted, it wasn't like Kotoko had anywhere else to go. And besides, it was a hell of a lot better than being lonely. The arrangement had been made a week ago, and from everything that she had experienced, it wasn't all that bad. Annoying? Yes, but insufferable? No. Still, though, the lavender-haired girl had her moments, and when she did, Monica was always there to cheer her up. That's what friends were for, right? To cheer each other up.

Monica was able to catch up to Natsumi-dono rather easily. She wasn't trying to run away, either. She was mostly just walking leisurely around the mansion, so catching up to her wasn't a problem. When Natsumi saw her, she raised an eyebrow. "Yo, Towa-chan. I thought you were hanging out with Utsagi-san. What happened? Please tell me you didn't get into an argument with the water bender. I swear to—"

"No, Natsumi-dono, that's not what happened. Monica just wanted to ask you something," Monica said, earning a sigh from the blonde. She nodded, allowing Monica to continue. "Good! Well… I wanted to ask… when will we be meeting Jolyne Brooks? That white creature told us that we'd get to meet her one day. When will that day come?"

Natsumi bit her lip, then looked away. "I don't know. Jolyne-Sama is a busy person. She sent me here because she had things she had to deal with. What those things are… I don't quite know," Natsumi said, her shoulders relaxing. Monica didn't even notice that she had tensed up, and Monica didn't like it. However, Monica didn't question it. If anything that was a dumb idea, and it was probably something between the two of them.

"I see…" Monica hummed, looking dejectedly at the floor. She really wanted to meet Jolyne Brooks and thank her for giving them the powers that they now had. Had it not been for her, the chances of them coming out of everything okay were slim to none. But with her intervention….

"However," Natsumi spoke up suddenly, causing Monica to whip her head up to look at Natsumi. "At supper time, which is going to be Ramen sorry if you don't like it in advance, there is something that Jolyne-Sama wished me to do so that you can get into contact with her when she's busy or if something urgent is happening," Natsumi said, before walking away, leaving Monica to ponder the words that Natsumi spoke.

"Something that will let us talk to Jolyne Brooks? A phone number, maybe? But if it was just a phone number, why couldn't she have given it to us prior?" Monica thought, rubbing her chin in thought. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to go to the foyer, and head up the stairs to her bedroom. She needed the rest and needed it desperately. Because then, she could actually handle dinner time with the rest of the Troublemakers.

Because that… would truly be a headache. And if there was one thing that Monica hated more than annoying, stingy, rude adults without a filter… it was headaches. If she could avoid a headache, then she'd do it in a heartbeat. Once the green-haired girl entered her room and plopped onto the bed, she was out like a lightbulb, sleeping soundly in her queen-sized bed, surrounded by various stuffed animals.

[Jolyne Brooks]

Parrying the butt of a gun with her Grim Reaper Scythe, Jolyne jumped back and avoided yet another round-house kick from Mukuro. The ravenette took the jump as a sign to do a sweeping motion with her right leg, which did admittedly catch her off guard for a split second. Landing on Mukuro's ankle, Jolyne smirked when she saw Mukuro's confident smirk turn into an alarmed expression, before then crane-kicking Mukuro in the mouth, knocking the Ultimate Soldier back and into a wall, with strong enough force to cause small cracks.

A wave of gasps filled the room, as Jolyne looked over her shoulder, looking to see Class 78 sitting with wide eyes just in front of the tatami-matted fighting ring that was in Sakura Ogami's Ultimate Lab. Jolyne had buckled to the annoying little pop-up reminding her of the magic show she had to perform for Class 78.

However, that had to change. Jolyne had lost most of her "non-room destroying/causing general pain to a person or not having consequences for using said magic" magic. So, she improvised and decided to do something else. That being entertaining Class 78, sans Kyoko Kirigiri due to her being in the hospital after getting her right hand burned away completely, with a fight between herself and The Ultimate Soldier, Mukuro Ikosaba. If she won against Mukuro, she'd fight Sakura herself.

The fight itself had only lasted about 2 minutes prior to what was going on. Jolyne mainly played into defence, blocking and parrying attacks. Secretly, unbeknownst to the spectators, this was practice for Jolyne to get better and deflecting, blocking, and parrying. While she had masterful knowledge of how to use and fight with a scythe, it only went so far.

She couldn't rely on it during her fight with Daikage. So, that meant she had to up her game. Asking Mono to change the requirements of the Quest wasn't that hard to do. All she had to do was talk to Kiyotaka about changing things from a magic show to a one-on-one fight with Mukuro. He was skeptical at first, but Jolyne gave him an excuse revolving around how her magic was dangerous, and that it would cause a lot of collateral damage to the room if she had done that instead.

Kiyotaka bought it, hook, line, and sinker. Who would've known that the Ultimate Moral Compass was easy to trick? Or maybe he was just detrimentally gullible? Either way, it mattered not. All that mattered was that the quest had changed.

[Entertain Class 78]

Description: Kiyotaka Ishimaru has allowed you to change the way you will give entertainment to his classmates due to the collateral damage unleashing any of the spells you have would cause. So now, you must beat both Mukuro Ikosaba and Sakura Ogami in a contest of strength. You must not use magic at all during this fight. Use of the Magu-Magu-No-Mi is allowed, as it is unavoidable.

Quest: Defeat Mukuro Ikosaba, and Defeat Sakura Ogami

Defeat Mukuro Ikosaba – Complete

Defeat Sakura Ogami – Ongoing

Rewards: 10,000 EXP, 250,000 Yen, plus 25 reputation with Kiyotaka Ishimaru, plus 5 reputation with Mukuro Ikosaba, 1 Gacha Token, and 1 Stand Disc

Jolyne wasn't all that interested in the EXP as much as she was with the Yen involved. The Guests rewards were also updated, matching her level and expected reward for said Quest. That being said, she would still need 7,500 EXP before she levelled up again. Not that levelling up was of any concern for her in the first place. What she cared about was increasing her reputation with Mukuro Ikosaba.

Right now, she was at 50 reputation with her. Meaning she was halfway to reaching "affection" with her. And once she got that high enough, from what she understood of it, Jolyne would be able to start that stupid fucking harem that Daimen wanted her to have. Jolyne didn't understand why Daimen wanted her to have a harem. She planned on asking him at that impromptu meeting she had arranged, but with Natsumi there, she didn't want him to get the wrong idea of the situation.

That being said, she had to assume that it was meant to show off her power to those around her. How that showed off power rather than just decimating anyone who got in her way was beyond her, but she didn't quite care for the semantics of it all.

"Although to be completely fair to me, me not liking that idea might just have to do with the fact that I have to deal with being the one who would be getting shafted… literally…" Jolyne thought, sighing. Jolyne, before becoming Jolyne, used to be a guy in her previous life. Her previous name was Jack Samual, and she had died by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting shot by three street thugs thinking that she had been someone else at the time.

"I will never forget that date… January 10th, 2004… the day I died…." Jolyne thought, grimacing. When she was alive, and when she was Jack Samual, she was bisexual. It was only obvious that it'd carry over into this world and into this new life as Jolyne Brooks, which was the name of a friend she knew back when she was Jack.

In fact, Jolyne brooks had been an Ex-Girlfriend of hers. She had even based her appearance on the girl for crying out loud. Not entirely, mind you, but definitely her body proportions. Was it creepy? Probably, but she didn't care. "Whatever… I'm Jolyne Brooks now. I'm not Jack Samual. I… Hey, wait a minute… MONO?! DID YOU JUST FORCE A BACKSTORY OUT OF ME OR SOME SHIT?!"

[I feel as if that should have happened a long time ago, Jolyne Brooks. Besides, Daimen was curious about your past. I simply made some changes and allowed for your mind to think about your past life as Jack Samual. Is that so wrong?]

Jolyne let out a silent sigh. "I suppose it cannot be helped… whatever," Jolyne thought, dusting off her pants. Looking into the crowd, she was met with shocked expressions, as well as an annoyed glare from some blond rich looking kid. "Someone seems to hate me," Jolyne thought, huffing. "Oi, brat with the blond hair," Jolyne called out, causing said blond to recoil with disgust.

"What, did you just call me?" The blond brat said, his tone offended as Jolyne raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me, Blond brat. You think something's "uncouth" or some gay shit like that?" Jolyne barked, glaring at the blond-haired brat, who glared back.

"H-Hey!" Makoto's voice called out from the crowd. Jolyne looked in his direction, causing the boy to shrink a little. "Uh… I know Byakuya can be a little… rude, even in subtle ways, but… can we please avoid any unnecessary fights? Hehe…" Makoto asked, looking a little embarrassed at having raised his voice. Jolyne felt a small smile creep up on her face, mostly due to how lukewarm the guy was being.

"Fine, fine. But if grouch face McGee is gonna stay, at least put on a neutral expression and not some ugly ass sneer," Jolyne quipped, facing away from the crowd as she helped Mukuro up. When she was able to get to her ear, she whispered. "Thanks for the help, you didn't have to do this."

Mukuro only smirked, before bowing to Jolyne out of respect and walking off stage. Immediately afterward, Sakura walked onto the tatami mats and stood across from Jolyne. The two bowed, and before the match began, Jolyne stuck a finger up to sign a brief pause. "Before we begin, Ogami-san, I must tell you something about myself beforehand," Jolyne began as she put her scythe on her back. The scythe disappeared into her inventory, which caused a few people to gasp in confusion, and also amazement.

"Alright, Brooks-san. What is it that I must know?" Ogami said, her tone polite, and her expression neutral. Jolyne noted that she didn't call her senpai, which to be fair, she was glad for. If she heard that word one more time, she might've burst out blushing again, and that was something she did NOT want to have happen right before the fight.

Jolyne sighed, and then, transformed her right arm into Magma. Ogami raised an eyebrow at this, which prompted Jolyne to continue. "My body, as in everything, is made of molten rock, magma if we're being technical. In other words, no matter what you hit me with, the only thing that will happen is for my body to burn you. Unless, of course, you have a counter to that?"

Ogami nodded at this, then got into a fighting stance. "I do not know if this particular technique will work. However, it has been running within my family's bloodline for 10 generations. I've only ever had to use it against the only opponent that has drawn me to a stalemate before. By me using it shows that I respect your will to fight, as well as your respect for telling me such a thing about how your body functions."

Suddenly, Ogami's hands up to her elbows became covered in a thick, black substance that hardened once it reached her elbows, creating an almost metallic-like sheen. Jolyne raised an eyebrow, looking at Ogami's arms, which prompted her to explain. "For exchange of information, this is Buso. A technique that my family has used for generations. It is also secluded to only my family, as far as I am aware. The only other person who I have used this against is now ill. I hope that you may give the battle that necessitates its use."

Ogami then looked over to Mukuro, before exhaling. "And from the looks of what I witnessed from you battling Ikosaba-san, it is clear to me that I will have to use this. I will not be holding back. And as we agreed, you will not be using any form of magic, correct?"

Jolyne nodded. "I would hate to dishonour this battlefield. I never go back on my word. I promised to not use magic, and therefore, I will not use it," Jolyne said, turning her arm back to normal. "I cannot say the same about my magma. It is simply a part of my being. I cannot turn it off. Believe me, I've tried," Jolyne explained as Ogami nodded."

"Very well. Then may the fight begin," Ogami stated as Jolyne got into a fighting stance. The moment she did, right off the bat, Ogami leapt forward, arching an arm back to hit her with a strong knockout-style punch. Jolyne saw this and met the punch head-on with one of her own. Their fists clashed, causing shockwaves to ripple across the dojo's floor.

The shockwave was powerful enough to cause people's hair to blow in the wind created by it, and for curtains to blow backward as well. A few people, namely a girl with glasses and dark purple hair and a small girl with light brown hair toppled over and fell to the ground as a result. Most everyone else was able to stay seated, although they did have to shield their faces from the wind.

Ogami's eyes widened, before returning to normal and narrowed. Red sparks came from the clash, as Jolyne followed up the punch with a swift knee to the ribs. Ogami was able to see it coming and blocked the knee from connecting. The two jumped back from one another, as Jolyne smirked. "How was that, Ogami-san?" Jolyne asked as Ogami hummed.

"Fascinating. The only person who was ever able to withstand such a knockout blow was Kenshiro… a former friend of mine…." Ogami replied, before getting out of her fighting stance, and bowing. "I humbly forfeit," Sakura stated, going to walk off the stage, leaving a befuddled and confused Jolyne.

"Huh?" "F-Forfeit? Why?" Jolyne asked as Sakura looked over her shoulder. There was an almost teacher-like quality in her eyes when she faced Jolyne, and when she spoke, her words were filled with wisdom.

"Because I could tell you were holding back. That defensive punch you threw to block my Buso-infused punch was held back. I felt the power rush through my arm, all the way through my bones, and I sensed that it was being restricted. If you were to come at me with everything you had, with every fibre in your body, you would've blown my arm into pieces, and possibly my shoulder and parts of my torso. That kind of raw strength is something that I could never wish to achieve, nor would I ever want to," Sakura explained, as she turned to face Jolyne face to face.

"You don't look overly strong, nor do you appear to have any form of formal training. But with power such as that, you wouldn't need it. That being said, I can tell that you have a lot more potential to become even stronger. And that thought alone is terrifying as it is. With that strength, you could take over the world. Though, the aura that surrounds you tells me that you would not do such a thing. Despite that, I'm sure that If I trained enough, I might be able to match you. However, seeing as I am not at that level of power, I, therefore, stand no chance against you." Sakura sighed, shaking her head as she took her seat next to Aoi Asahina, who was looking back and forth between Sakura and Jolyne, then back to Sakura.

"Sakura-chan…." Asahina murmured, though Jolyne was able to catch it thanks to her listening skill. She could also hear the other students muttering about how strong she had been, and how she was able to get Sakura of all people to bow down to her strength.

"Good… then that means my secondary goal for coming here is working…." Jolyne thought as she continued to listen to Sakura's speech.

"I do not know how you reached the levels of strength that you have obtained, as the Ultimate Fighter, I am admittedly curious. And while I would like to see just how far I can push myself against such a powerful opponent, I know when I am beaten. How you got this strong will forever remain a mystery to me," Sakura continued, a solemn expression on her face. Jolyne saw that Asahina wrapped her arms around the giant of a woman's arm. When Jolyne saw that, she put two and two together, and inwardly smiled.

It was clear that Asahina had some sort of crush on Sakura. Perhaps that was something she could use later. After all, she was going to need footsoldiers sooner or later. Jolyne glanced over to Sayaka, who flinched slightly under the mage's gaze.

"Maizono-san, when we're done with this, I want to meet you out front at the gates of the school. Can you do that for me?"

Sayaka blinked a few times, before realizing what was happening. She adopted a neutral expression, which was what Jolyne had told her to do when she spoke with her via the mental connection. When she responded, it sounded like she had actually been speaking, just with a little more of an echo.

"Of course… Brooks-senpai… um, may I ask why?"

"I wish to discuss plans going forward with Class 78 and The Grey Council. After which, I want to treat you to a café of your choice."

For a moment, Jolyne saw Sayaka's cheeks redden a tiny bit. One discrete nod later, Jolyne kept listening to Sakura's speech. Thanks to her listening skill, she was able to catch all of it, even with the conversation she had with Sayaka through the mental link.

"Most people assume that I fight for glory, and often assume that I am a muscle-bound warrior who wants to be world-renowned. That could not be further from the truth. I do not fight for my pride or the thrill like most people do. I fight for the sport of it. For the honour. I see no sense in fighting someone who I know that, out of 100 run matches in my head that I would lose to all 100 times."

Jolyne nodded, a small bead of sweat trailing down the side of her face. "She's over 100 levels higher than me… and she thinks that I could beat her regardless? Maybe it has something to do with my Magu-Magu-No-Mi…" Jolyne thought, before bowing. "I… thank you for your kind words, Ogami-san," Jolyne replied as Sakura gave a gruff huff of air in response. Jolyne then looked toward the crowd and bowed. "Thank you for allowing me to entertain you. As I said to Ishimaru-Kun, I would've done a magic show if my spells weren't… explosive."

QUEST COMPLETE!

REWARDS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED!

With that, Jolyne jumped off the stage, and glanced at Sayaka, who took the hint and got up from her spot on the floor. She walked toward Jolyne, which caused a few people to start muttering. That was when Makoto spoke up. "Uh… Maizono-san, Kizakura-Sensei is going to be back soon… I don't mean to pry, but…?"

"I have some urgent things to attend to, please excuse me," Sayaka said, bowing slightly to the rest of the class, then leaving through the door of Sakura's Ultimate Lab with Jolyne. The two walked in silence for a few minutes, before reaching the first floor. Once they did, Sayaka spoke up again. "Uh… Brooks-senpai, um… what exactly do you have planned for my classmates?"

Jolyne remained silent up until they reached outside, and stood by the front gates. Once they did, a gentle breeze of wind blew past, as Jolyne sighed. "This was a test. A test to see if I could beat the strongest member in your class with ease if I were to ever come to blows with any of them," Jolyne explained, crossing her arms. "I've deemed them a non-threat. I'll make sure Junko, Mukuro, Chiaki, and Natsumi are aware of this. However, there are a few select people that need to die so that we can continue forward smoothly."

Sayaka paled for a brief second, before closing her eyes. "I… I don't want any of my friends to die, Brooks-senpai…." Sayaka said, rubbing her left arm with an anxious gleam in her eyes. Jolyne nodded, before looking up at the sky.

"I know, Maizono-san. However, if we're to progress toward the goals of The Grey Council, a few must die. It would be a deterrent. As far as the staff are concerned, they do not know about the extermination of Class 77 – B, and those that escaped. I've already told you what happened to them, yes?" Jolyne asked as Sayaka nodded.

"Y-Yeah… you said that they… tried to kill you, right? Over some misunderstanding, and you defended yourself, right?" Sayaka asked as Jolyne nodded.

"Correct. Now, I don't want the same thing to happen to your classmates. But, for that to happen, they need to understand who is in charge, and who the strongest in the school is. For that to happen, we'll have to act, and act fast," Jolyne said, looking toward a limo that was parked out front of the school. "The Togami Corporation… I'll have Mukuro wipe them out in the coming days. They will no doubt be funding The Future Foundation. Once they're gone, I'll have Towa Corp pull out their funds, as well. Once The Future Foundation has been dealt with financially, and once our spy gets in, we'll be set to take them out. Oh, and Mondo Owada's biker gangs. They will either fall under our control, or we'll wipe them out ourselves, something I'll have Chiaki and Junko do…."

Jolyne looked to Sayaka, who wasn't even reacting. She seemed despondent. Almost like…. "Sayaka," Jolyne said, startling the pop-idol. "Are you alright?"

Sayaka's right hand balled up into a fist. "I… I don't like the idea of knowing my friends are going to die…. Why? Why do they have to die?" Sayaka whispered, shaking as Jolyne placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Sayaka looked up at her, her eyes slightly puffy from the tears trailing down her face. Jolyne gave her a warm smile, before speaking.

"I'm not going to kill everyone in Class 78. The only two people who have to die are Mondo and Byakuya Togami, and even then, if they submit to me, they won't die, so even then there's a small chance that it won't happen. Aside from that, they are the biggest threats to The Grey Council at the moment. If they don't bow down to us, then they won't have to die. But if they don't, then I'll have no choice. Outside of them, everyone else is safe. Alright?" Jolyne said as Sayaka nodded.

[Plus 1 Reputation with Sayaka Maizono – [051/100]]

A small smile made itself known on Jolyne's face. "Good, I'm glad…. Believe me, Sayaka, I don't want to kill any more people than I have to, outside of our enemies. But, as I said…." Jolyne began, as Sayaka spoke.

"Some things are necessary for the goals of The Grey Council to be fulfilled. I know," Sayaka replied. "I'm just glad that you're at least considering sparing my friends. That's all that matters to me…" the blue-haired teen said, as Jolyne took her hand off Sayaka's shoulder. The dual-haired mage nodded, before looking at the streets beyond them.

"Now, how about we go to that café? Speaking of, where exactly do you want to go?" Jolyne asked as Sayaka, who now had a small faint smile on her face, bit the inside of her lip in contemplation. After a few moments, the pop idol let out a small hum.

"Hmm… Oh! I know, there's this place in Hokkido that we can take by train! I used to always go there with my mom before… well… before she passed away," Sayaka said, a sombre smile on her face as Jolyne nodded. The two stood there for another second or two. The sun shone down on Sayaka, and for a split second, it almost looked like she was glistening, like a piece of gold. It made Jolyne's heart jump in her chest, which caused a small blush to appear on her cheeks.

Between her and Rantaro, Jolyne was unsure of what to do. However, the prospect of dating an Idol was something that had been one of her more eccentric and impossible dreams when she was Jack… "But Rantaro is cute, too… oh gods… what the hell, I'm making a harem, right? I can't see why I shouldn't date both of them…. One at a time, though… I have to wait for that possible quest to show up first and foremost," Jolyne thought, clearing her throat, and turning toward the exit. Sayaka blinked, raising an eyebrow as she watched Jolyne walk away. "Huh? Where are you…?"

"Well, let's go! We have time to kill, and I kinda need to unwind. I've been stressed out doing a bunch of important stuff, so I need some time to myself. I don't see why I can't spend that time with you, Maizono-san," Jolyne replied, making the blue-haired teen blush.

[Plus 5 reputation with Sayaka Maizono (times 2 boost because of Unrivalled Beauty and Charm) – [061/100]]

"I… I see. Well, let's go!" Sayaka declared, following after Jolyne. Once the two exited the school's grounds, Jolyne couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched. Looking over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of something gleaming in the distance. It wasn't a gun barrel, but… it was definitely something that reflected light. It actually reminded her of a camera lens.

Shrugging, Jolyne didn't care. For all she knew, it was probably one of Sayaka's stalkers, which she assumed she had. And that was when she remembered Sayaka's Love Interest Quest. "Oh, boy… so that was what the whole question mark nonsense was about… makes sense. Oh well, I guess I'll deal with that once we get there. I—"

Jolyne felt something brush up against her hand, looking down, she saw that Sayaka's hand had brushed up against her own. Not hesitating, Jolyne took her hand and wrapped her fingers around Sayaka's, which prompted her to do the same. Off in the corner of her vision, she saw another 2 were added to Sayaka's reputation with her.

And for the first, no, the second time that she had been awake in this universe, Jolyne was happy. Not because of an achievement she had made with Mono or a level-up, or a loophole she found within the system. But with genuine human interaction. When she stood next to Sayaka, holding her hand, and basking in her company, Jolyne realized something right off the bat.

While yes, she was doing this for a quest, she also liked Sayaka's company. She only knew her for a day, and while things were progressing quickly, Jolyne didn't care. She liked being in Sayaka's presence. For the first time in a long time, ever since she met the person who she named herself after, and took the slight appearance of, Jolyne felt true happiness.

No… more than that…

Jolyne was in love, and she'd do anything to protect Sayaka Maizono. Maybe it was a part of that idol charm of hers. Maybe it was because she was also under the effects of Sayaka's Unrivalled Beauty and Charm trait, but Jolyne quite literally didn't care. She doubted that she'd be able to do this, but now that she was holding hands with Sayaka, now that she was walking her to the train station to go to the café, Jolyne understood what Mono's plan was.

"Thank you, Mono…"

[No problem, Jolyne. You've been through a lot. I think you deserve this little slice of happiness before things get more dangerous.]

And Jolyne couldn't help but agree more.

-To Be Continued-