The story of how Hachiman Hikigaya, the King of Loners ended up becoming Humanity's Last Master.
Chapter 11 – As Expected, Even Magic Cannot Fix My Distorted Romantic Comedy
Long weekends.
It is usually the ideal time to plan for outings with your friends or family. Alternatively, it is also the perfect opportunity to laze around at your house doing absolutely nothing.
Regardless of which one you prefer; it will at least give you the much-needed change of pace from your monochromatic daily life.
As for my plans in particular, well, that will depend on certain factors.
For one, I, Hachiman Hikigaya, having become a second-year student of Chiba University at present, am not the same loner as I was in my yesteryears.
The Service Club may have already disbanded but its founding members still kept in touch… Somewhat.
I pull out my phone in between my rant and check the notification on one of the (only) groups I belonged to.
"No new messages huh…"
As I was saying, I am not the same loner as I was in my yesteryears, I've only become an even more miserable being since then.
You could even say that I'm confused about my own identity.
While I still abhor the idea of façades and small talk, it's on a more personal level now. I take no issue with the practice itself so long as others don't expect the same thing from my side.
As for my goal in trying to find something genuine… Well, let's just say I've pretty much given up on it entirely due to a recent series of events.
One year.
That was all the time it took for my so-called genuine bonds to fade into nonexistence.
Yukinoshita went ahead and enrolled to an overseas university. Yes, not only are we not going to the same school but she is in an entirely different country altogether. Knowing her, she was most likely fine. She was the type to excel no matter where she went anyways. Perhaps, the problem here is that she was doing too well. Last I heard from her, she was wreaking havoc in her school rankings and it was apparently the first time in the history of that school's founding that one student dominated the top spots in all subjects, including the minor ones. Communicating with her has been extremely difficult however due to the differing time zones and before we knew it… We just stopped.
Yuigahama on the other hand did not reach the average needed to get into Chiba University and because she didn't want to be a ronin for a year, she settled down on her second choice. While that school's standards weren't that far behind Chiba U, it still meant that we are going to different schools. Knowing her, she was most likely fine. She was the type to get along with pretty much everyone, I mean, she was the first to melt the heart of Sobu's Ice Queen after all. Perhaps, the problem here is that she was doing too well. Last I heard from her, she had become the center of her own clique and her circle is the most popular group in the school, meaning there are a lot of people who want to talk with her every day. With such a hectic social life on her plate, the times we talked gradually decreased before eventually… We just stopped.
Even though I saw all of this coming from a mile away, it still hurt a bit to see it actually happen before my eyes.
"We're drifting apart."
We were still friends I think, but it's hard to put that kind of label on a relationship with two people whom you haven't exchanged even the most basic of pleasantries with for several days.
I, for one, was not completely out of blame as I didn't really do anything on my side to prevent all of this from happening as I just watched everything crumble before my very eyes.
Then again, can you really blame me?
I didn't want to get in the way of their life. I was only being considerate with them as those two have something else in their life to prioritize aside from our friendship.
If I had clung to at least one of them, I wouldn't have to lose both like this...
.
.
.
No, let's stop there.
I know for a fact that the past me would never be able to make that kind of decision and I don't think much has changed in that regard.
Unfortunately, it was far too late for regrets now and knowing myself, I doubt I would be able to make a different choice even if I went back in time.
Most people would say not to dwell too much into it and just move on but I felt like doing that so easily would downplay the impact that those two had in my life. I couldn't bring myself to do something so heartless… For the time being, at least.
Coincidentally, I just happened to arrive in the gates of my apartment by the end of my internal rant.
The apartment that I mentioned here is, as you would expect from a university student whose parents are both corporate slaves, not one attached to a luxurious high-rise building but just an extra room in a house in the residential area.
The rent was relatively cheap, it was close to both the university and the place where I'm working part-time and since they only had one room available, I didn't have to deal with other people aside from my landlords who by the way, are an extremely nice old couple.
Long story short, it was perfect.
And as if things wouldn't get any better, those two were not coming home tonight as they were invited by one of their children to stay over at their house for a little family gathering. As such, I had the entire place to myself for the next couple of hours.
What I have planned for the next few hours was obvious.
"Nothing like a night of gaming to cure depression…" I murmur to myself as I grabbed my keys and entered the residence.
In preparation for that, I decided to whip up something special for tonight. While I'm not confident enough to say that I can cook, I am at least not hopeless in the kitchen.
Hachiman-style Instant Ramen.
It was a specialty of mine that even Komachi would admit is delicious.
Simply put, it was instant ramen which used not only the seasonings and toppings you get from the pack but also additional ingredients that would make it taste even better.
It really helped that my landlords would sometimes set aside some ingredients for me to use. As they left me by my lonesome tonight, they were quite generous with today's rations. There were chicken, green onions, corn and even some eggs. Oh and did I mention that this was all for free? I really hit the jackpot when I found this place.
Since I was splurging tonight, I decided to use three servings worth of instant noodles.
For starters, because I was given free meat, I went ahead and separated the bones from the chicken and boiled it over a pot of water. I also chopped off the edges of the green onion, the parts that I won't be using as garnish, and added it to the mix. It might not be the best chicken stock given how little time I have in preparing it but it should be much better to use over plain water.
As I am not that adept with a knife, I utilized the waiting time for the soup stock to be ready to cut the green onions and chicken meat. Once that was done, I separated the corn kernels from the cob and mixed all the sachets of seasoning that came with the noodles into a small bowl.
All that was left to do now was to wait for the stock to be in a nice color and pour all the ingredients in starting from the noodles.
Before I got the opportunity to do that however...
Thud.
I heard a sound from the front door that was much louder than a regular knock.
I turned the stove to a simmer and began cautiously making my way to the door after grabbing the nearest item I could find that I can substitute as a weapon, not the kitchen knife because I felt like that was way too gruesome, but the blunt coat rack which was close to my destination.
I deliberated for a second whether to take a look at the peephole or not but after taking into consideration the risks, I decided to go for a peek.
"There doesn't seem to be anyon-…!"
I immediately stopped myself after seeing the figure of a person who looked like he could barely even keep himself standing.
"Is somebody… There…? Please… Help me…"
He weakly squeezed those words out in a voice that would've been difficult for me to pick up from the other side of the door if my hearing wasn't keen enough before he finally reached his body's limit and he lost consciousness.
Naturally, as the skeptical person that I was, I only had one thought circling on my head after seeing this stranger appear from out of nowhere.
"Could this possibly be a brand-new way to try and scam someone?"
…
As you would expect, I wasn't coldhearted enough to throw a young man out after seeing him faint like that… But I will go as far to say that I somewhat regret not being able to do so.
"Delicious!" said the black-haired kid who was wolfing down on the ramen I painstakingly cooked.
"…"
Shameless doesn't even begin to describe it.
As a side note, I had to quickly open up another pack of instant ramen because when you take into account that I can pretty much devour three on my own, there was no way my originally planned serving size was going to be enough for us two.
In any case, the reason he fainted could not have been more stupid than I ever anticipated. He simply forgot that he hasn't eaten literally anything for more than half a day.
All the same, I wasn't planning on letting my guard down completely just yet.
"Um, excuse me," his teal eyes looked like those of a puppy who was begging its owner for some attention. "Can I have seconds?"
"…"
I'll say it again because it's important. Shameless doesn't even begin to describe it.
Nevertheless, I didn't particularly dislike it. In fact, interacting with someone like him was a nice change of pace. He was like the cheeky little brother or male kouhai that I never had.
I gestured with my hand for him to give me his bowl so that I could refill it for him. When I did so, his expression immediately brightened.
"Wow! You're the best, Onii-san!"
Yeah, I really can't bring myself to hate him entirely. It was not just because it felt nice to see someone else truly enjoying the food I just made but about something else entirely. It was this vibe around him. No matter how hard I try; I can't sense a single shred of malice from both his words and actions. If I had to put it into words, it was similar to a certain blond ikemen from Sobu minus the fakeness. I should know as I literally peeled that mask of him myself.
Now if I add in how lucky he was that he happened to have found this house when I was just alone and the landlords are absent then… It's that. That. The aura of a protagonist.
But what does it make me who just happened to have stumbled upon him during his time of need? That goes without saying but I would be the convenient NPC, the kind who just so happened to be there at the right place and right time or if you see things like how I see it, then it's the wrong place at the wrong time.
With all that being said, it was now high time for this extra, me, to leave the stage. I've already done more than enough to be of service to mister main character right here.
"If you're done, you should leave," I picked up my bowl and began my walk to the sink. "I don't know what kind of story you have and frankly, I don't care so you don't have to tell me anything.
"Thank you very much for the food," the kid bowed sincerely, his black hair following his movement. "Is there any way for me to pay you back?"
"Didn't you hear me?" my tone inadvertently became rougher. This combined with my lifeless eyes allowed me to evoke the pressure of a yakuza member even for a short while. "Just leave. That's enough."
"But I insist," he leaned forward and met my gaze head-on. "You see, I may not look like it but," his eyes glimmered annoyingly, reminding me of an acquaintance with flamboyant orange hair who just didn't know when to shut up. "I can use magic."
Without even trying to hide my disbelief, I rolled my eyes and sighed.
Ah this guy is no good…
"That reaction," he pointed his index finger at me like he wanted to object at something I said. "You don't believe me, do you?" [1]
"Who in their right mind would?" I retorted while raising one of my brows.
At the same time, I was also wondering to myself which was worse, dealing with a scammer or a delusional kid?
"Let me show you proof then," he pulled out an item that was strapped to his waist. "Here! Take a look at this!"
What he revealed to me was a double-edged blade around the same length as my forearm. It seemed to be made for the use of adults as a portion of the hilt was still visible even when this crazy kid held it out with his hand. It was not a modern combat knife that others carry for the sake of self-defense but this medieval weapon that you only see in fantasy games and such. A dagger.
I fixed my stare at the ornate article for a few seconds before nodding to myself. There were no chips on its sharp edge heck, there's not a single scratch anywhere. It looked pretty much unused. A jewel in a similar color to this boy's eyes is inscribed in the middle of its pommel.
It was far too impractical to use as a weapon but at the same time, it didn't look fancy enough to be an important relic. As such, I wasn't sure which between two probable scenarios was going on here. No other way to confirm but to ask the other party themselves.
"So, are you planning on mugging me or are you trying to scam me by selling off this antique?" I looked at the boy younger than me straight in the eye and asserted myself boldly. "I'll tell you this beforehand. I'm broke. I barely have any money on me."
The kid blinked twice in confusion after hearing my words. He then alternated his gaze between my face and the weapon he held out before he finally realized why I said what I just said.
"Wait, this is a misunderstanding!" he panicked and waved both of his hands around as he tried to clarify himself. "I'm not planning to do either of that! I swear! Please believe me!"
Well, if he was reacting in this manner then I guess the part where he said he wasn't planning on hurting me was true… I'm still not taking my chances though.
"If you can prove your sincerity, I'm willing to believe you."
"I'll do it!"
He bit the bait that I laid out so fast that I was taken aback for a few seconds.
"In that case," I walked towards the front door and opened it. "Please leave. If it isn't already obvious, I'm not the owner of this house so I would get in trouble with my landlords if they returned and see that I invited a stranger like you inside without their permission."
Those two weren't coming back until tomorrow but he doesn't need to know that part.
Given the decorum he's shown so far, I knew that appealing to him in this direction would most likely work. It was a scummy thing for me to do but I've already gone so far and fed him for free so if he asks even more from me after that, then he is not only shameless anymore, he is just straight up entitled.
"I understand," he stood up from his chair and approached me who was waiting at the exit. "Thank you very much for helping me despite the two of us being strangers," he respectfully bowed to me in the same way you would to someone you hold with utmost respect. "I hope the next time we meet; we'll be able to introduce ourselves properly. Goodbye for now, Onii-san."
And of all things he could've done before he left, he just had to set up a strange flag. Seriously, spare me from that.
"I'd rather not."
I answered without caring if he heard me or not before I closed the door shut and immediately went about the rest of the night with my original plan which was to play video games until I drop.
Back then, I couldn't have imagined that there would be someone else looking at me from afar while I was sending my unwelcome visitor out.
…
Days went by after that odd encounter and eventually, it was now two nights right before the oh so awaited long weekend.
I however was fortunate enough to not have a single class tomorrow so I was intending to use that day to pack up in preparation for my trip back home.
You heard me right.
I was planning on going back home.
Unsurprisingly, there were still no new messages in my group so what can a loner do but simply let himself be spoiled by his family every once in a while… I say that and all but I'll probably be ordered around like a slave since it's been a while that they've gotten an extra pair of hands back there but I guess that was much better than spending all that time by my lonesome in my rented room. I wouldn't want to cause too much trouble for my landlords after all.
Twitch.
I scratched the itch caused by my ahoge.
Back then, I didn't know that when it does that, it was trying to warn me of imminent danger. In the current situation however, it at least helped me notice something I missed completely.
"Eh? Where am I?"
Despite walking for such a long time already, I couldn't spot any landmark around me that indicated that I was close to my landlords' house at all.
Although I may have redirected some of my mental resources to rant about my pathetic life, I find it hard to believe that I'll be so careless enough to get lost on a route that I've been using pretty much every single day for the past year or so.
"Where in the world did I make a wrong turn, I wonder?"
As stressful as things may look, I didn't panic and just did what any modern person would do in this situation: pull out their mobile phone and check for directions using a map application.
I say that and all but…
"Eh? It's not working…"
…Even that proved to be useless.
For some reason, my phone wasn't picking up any signal whatsoever.
In this modern era and especially so if you live in the city, this kind of thing only really happens if a network maintenance is being conducted but even if that's the case, the phone company usually sends a notice to all their users to inform of them of such an activity beforehand.
Was all of this only a series of unfortunate events that just happened to occur at the same time? It was impossible for me to tell.
Since it would be dangerous to stay in an unfamiliar place for too long, I decided to retrace my steps and start over from there. If I'm patient and just pay full attention to my every step I take from hereon out, then I'm sure I won't get lost a second time.
"Huh?"
But the scene that waited for me when I did exactly that was nowhere near what I could recall from memory. I didn't recognize any of the buildings around me. They all looked like they were made of bricks instead of concrete. Trails of smoke were being huffed by chimneys and the faint light that can be seen from their windows looked like one generated by incandescent bulbs rather than the more modern white light from LEDs.
"Was a street like this always been around this area?"
I could only wonder as I kept moving forward. The buildings weren't the only things that were giving me a weird vibe, this entire district just feels off, like it was left behind in the past or something. For some reason, it was also starting to get as dark as it would usually be during midnight even though it was still early in the afternoon when I got out of school. As if those weren't enough reasons to feel suspicious about my surroundings…
"I don't see anyone else."
…There also wasn't a single other person even though I've been walking around for quite some time now.
I understand that roaming around during the night is dangerous but I've never seen the streets of Chiba being this empty before… Or is that just me? I wasn't sure anymore. The gap between my memory and the reality I was seeing was slowly starting to give me a headache.
I know I was a little excited because I haven't been home in a while but being this clumsy because of just that is a little too much. And here I thought that I got my stuff together after living on my own for some time.
For a second there, I even started thinking that I was pulled into an entirely different place altogether but there was no way such a thing was possible… Well, I had one guess as to why I was having that kind of delusional thought out of nowhere.
I can use magic.
Recalling that one line from that strange kid made me chuckle. I will go so far as admit that it tickled my inner otaku but no more than that. I'm way past the age of being a chuunibyou… Not like I've ever been one my entire life.
As I drifted from one random thought to another while walking, the surroundings around me changed once again no, it was more like I was seeing less and less as I moved forward and before I knew it, everything around me just looked like a blur.
"Ugh…!"
Just when I felt like I was going to throw up from all these strange things that keep on happening…
Roar. Growl. Hiss.
…Three deafening cries shook the air. They were loud enough that it wouldn't be too surprising if everything made out of glass around the area shattered.
The three sounds were very distinct from each other, and hearing each one made me shiver. When I somehow managed to stop my body from trembling and looked up, I came face-to-face with something that would only appear in a nightmare.
"Eh?"
Were the only words that could come out of my mouth when I accidentally made eye contact with the beast, no, beast was not the kind of word to describe the entity in front of me… It was a bona fide monster.
Three pairs of bloodthirsty eyes glared at my figure, one each from a lion, a goat and a snake. I am not talking about three separate animals here. This entity possessed three heads attached to different parts of their body. A brown lion's head was at the front with each of its fangs looking sharper than any scissors or knife that I've used in my entire life. I could also say the same to the claws attached to its forelegs. I specified the forelegs because its hind legs were vastly different. Instead of the brown fur of the lion, it was black and in the place of claws were large hooves. The source of this anomaly was the goat's head that peeked from the abdominal region of the feline beast. Its horns which are just as imposing as the lion's mane were probably strong enough to punch a hole through steel. Finally, instead of a tail, what was on the rear was the body of a green snake whose dripping saliva was melting the surface it landed.
As someone who has read various kinds of literature and played a lot of fantasy games, I, of course, knew exactly what it was.
A Chimera.
A creature born from fusing several beings into one. Some of the more minor details may vary depending on the source material but that was pretty much its general definition.
That being said, just because I know what it is, doesn't really bring any kind of boon to my current situation.
Step.
I could do nothing else but be frozen in fear even as this monster slowly crawled towards me.
This has to be a dream…
Step.
That was the only way I could rationalize the sight in front of me.
Step.
They say that when you were approaching death, significant events in your life will flash before your eyes…
Step.
…But I think that's only true if you are about to die because of old age.
Step.
When death comes to you in the form of a grotesque monster…
Step.
…You don't really have the leeway for those kinds of things.
Step.
Right now, the approximate distance that separated me from the Chimera was around an arm's length. It was really trivial and might as well just be zero but pretty much the same can be said with how far away it was from me when it initially appeared. I'm sure given the density of its muscles, closing in on a powerless guy like me would be laughably easy.
In other words, it was just toying with me right now… And there was nothing I could do about it.
"…!"
Try as I might to will my body to move, it just refused to listen to me. The primeval fear of the unknown was preventing me from doing anything.
In the single instant that would've decided whether I would die or not, a voice called out…
"Onii-san, watch out!"
…And in the next second, I received a full-body tackle that was strong enough to move me away from the Chimera's grasp and send all the stuff I had in me flying.
"Wah!"
Thud.
The shock from hitting the ground snapped me out of my frozen state.
I quickly looked back to the direction where I was just standing at a few seconds ago only to get a glimpse of a scene that was pulled straight out of a movie.
"Take this!"
A young man with sword(dagger) in hand was gallantly fighting off a monster by his lonesome…
Roar.
…Unfortunately, this was real life and it was obvious after one glance that it was the Chimera that held an overwhelming advantage.
"Ack!"
It swung its claws towards the interloper who was forced to block the attack using the dagger. The latter was easily thrown off-balance because of the sheer difference in weight and before he had the chance to regain his stance, the Chimera used its tail to send him flying towards the same direction as me.
"Hey!"
I called out while running towards the strange kid who looked oddly cool back there. It was the least I could do after he covered for me earlier.
"That stings!" he groaned in a voice loud enough that I didn't even have to bother to check whether he survived that hit or not.
There was however something I need to confirm with this person first.
"Hey, you!" I grabbed his wrist and did what my lifeless eyes did best, glare at others menacingly. "What's going on here?"
The kid flinched the instant we made eye contact but the moment he tried to avert his gaze from mine, his eyes went back to the abomination he just fought.
"I'll try to explain everything later!" he fervently exclaimed before tightening the grip on his dagger which was now emanating blue light. "For now, let's focus on trying to get away from that thing!"
I was once again reminded of the Chimera because of his warning. While looking at said monster still made me fear for my life, it was now not bad enough for me to be rendered incapable of movement.
"And just how are we supposed to do something like that?" I pointed at the Chimera while I tried my best to stop my voice from shaking because of fear.
"I've got a plan."
The confident grin plastered on his face was similar to the one he wore when he told me, I can use magic during our first meeting. It was a little goofy and to be honest, he just looked extremely dumb nevertheless, seeing him make such a stupid expression in this kind of situation made me think that I can rely on that baseless confidence of his.
"Can I help?"
The teal-eyed young man was taken aback by my initiative but he ultimately declined my offer.
"Leave it all to me, Onii-san!" he pointed to himself while maintaining the same refreshing look. "Just be ready to run when I say so."
Roar. Growl. Hiss.
The legs of the Chimera tensed after it cried out. It could only mean that it was getting ready to pounce.
"Close your eyes, Onii-san!" he then tossed something in the air. I wasn't quite sure what it was but judging from how light was reflecting off of it, it was made out of either metal or glass.
I instinctively followed what he just said and closed my eyes. Shortly after doing so…
Boom.
"!"
…My ears picked up the sound of a light explosion, strong enough to make my eardrums sting a bit. The source could have only been from the thing that was tossed by the kid earlier.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the Chimera aggressively moving around in circles in an effort to try and find its prey but its senses were not cooperating with it.
My gaze inadvertently turned to the one who could only be the cause of this.
"How?" were the only words that came out from my mouth because of my confusion. It didn't help that my ears were still buzzing from the violent noise I just heard, worsening my earlier headache.
"It's a flashbang that I made by infusing my magic power onto some items," I could almost see his nose elongating while he was boasting although his proud visage deflated in the next second. "It destroys the item upon use though and that was the last one I had in hand," he quickly psyched himself up just as fast as he got discouraged. "Let's take this chance to run away, Onii-san. Follow me!"
That innate charisma around this guy made me accompany him without much question. Nevertheless, that didn't mean that I had no suspicions of him.
Saving me was one thing but if the reason why I got dragged into this mess was because of this boy in the first place… Then that's an entirely different ball game altogether.
…
Distance was not the only thing that separated people who live in different countries, time was also a big factor.
13 hours.
Depending on what state in America you are residing, the time difference with respect to Japan is around this much.
By a strange series of coincidences, it just so happened that Yukino Yukinoshita's rest days lined up with a corresponding holiday in Japan no, that was not quite right, she simply used her academic excellence to progress so far ahead of both her studies and requirements that her attendance wasn't a must in school anymore.
Such an absurd feat is well in line of someone who possessed her family name. To a contrarian who's been close with her for quite some time however, he would've described such an approach with this one line while acting all nonchalant about it: while what she's doing is certainly amazing, this is really just her way of using brute force to solve her problems.
Thinking about the opinion of that guy with a distinct ahoge, awful posture and the eyes of a dead fish made her frown although when she happened to walk past by her mirror, what was actually plastered on her face was a faint smile filled with both nostalgia and longing. There was even the slightest bit of coloration on her cheeks which would not have been as obvious if her skin wasn't as fair as snow.
"He hasn't called recently," Yukino mumbled to herself while her blue eyes kept staring at her mobile phone which was still on standby.
Hachiman Hikigaya. A young man whose value was difficult to measure using orthodox standards. Despite being a genius among her peers, even Yukino could not fathom the thought process of that friend of hers. It didn't help that there are a couple of rather powerful people, her sister and mother included, that took an interest in him. Who knows exactly what kind of thing he's involved with that's gotten him so occupied recently?
That being said…
"It wouldn't be too strange for me to call him first, right?" her eyes darted towards the clock and after seeing what time it was on her end, she mentally calculated Japan's current time. "If I'm not mistaken, he should still be awake around this hour."
She had just finished having her breakfast and while studying in advance had its advantages, Yukino is way ahead of her current lessons already so doing so would only end up with diminishing returns on her part… Or so she justifies herself but even before she finished laying out her excuse, she has already pressed the call button.
With the advent of technology, it didn't matter that much that she was calling someone from the other side of the globe. The call went through smoothly however…
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Hikigaya-kun?"
…Eerily enough, there was no response from the other side.
At around the same time as Yukino's call attempt...
"Ah! That party was so much fun!"
Yui Yuigahama exclaimed as she stretched her body after stepping inside her apartment.
She was having the time of her life in her university days by attending pretty much every social event that she was invited to. This time around, she wasn't pressured to go by her peers, she genuinely wanted to come, in fact, she even had a hand in the preparations of some of those events herself.
Regardless of how lively a party is, it will eventually come to an end as the attendees will have no other choice but to head back to their respective homes in due time which, relative to the energetic atmosphere of an event, was far too quiet.
Despite being an extrovert by nature, Yui was not one to only thrive during boisterous parties. She was a big fan of tranquil days too mostly because of two dear friends of hers who she shared those kinds of moments with in the past. It was always during this lull after a fun event that she'll be reminded of such bygone days and then she would pick up her phone and inadvertently navigate her way towards a certain app.
"I haven't gotten a call from them for quite some time too…" despite saying the word them, Yui highlighted only one particular name on her contact list.
Hachiman Hikigaya. A sincere person to a fault who often came out as rude to others but is undoubtedly kind underneath his rough exterior. Given his nature, Yui was sure he would be going around and solving the problems of other people even though the Service Club is no more, so it wasn't too unnatural if he didn't have time to chat with his past friends anymore.
"That's right! How about I call him first this time?" Yui pumped her fist up in the air, proud of herself for coming up with such a wonderful idea, at least according to her standards. "It has been a while so I don't think he'll mind it too much."
She hummed a cheerful tune as she waited for her call to connect but…
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Hikki?"
…It wasn't going through.
Naturally, both girls didn't easily give up after just one call but despite their numerous attempts…
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
…The voice of the cynic who had a habit of using sarcasm in order conceal his own embarrassment never came.
"Did something happen to you, Hikigaya-kun/Hikki?"
It was the first time that such a thing occurred and it couldn't be helped that they were extremely worried but neither of the two could have possibly anticipated the kind of crisis that Hachiman Hikigaya was currently experiencing and that they'll never hear anything about him for the longest time after this day.
…
"Hah… Hah… No good… I can't take another step…"
"Hah… Hah… Me neither…"
With the scarce amount of time that the Chimera was dazed, the young man and I were only able to go so far with our own two legs.
After haphazardly getting away from that bestial abomination, we ended up in a place you normally wouldn't be coming to as an ordinary citizen.
The docks.
It was a place surrounded with large steel containers, majority of which were piled on top of each other, some were already mounted to trucks ready for delivery on the next day while the rest were still onboard the ships that just arrived from wherever the cargo originated from.
At night, the way all those containers were arranged made the docks feel like some sort of labyrinth for those who were unfamiliar with the place. It served extremely well for a hiding place. Nevertheless, I was still feeling uneasy.
"If only we found someone from the police to help us out."
I wasn't sure that our predator would easily give up on chasing this kid and me so a confrontation with it down the line seems inevitable. If that was the case, it would be nice to have the aid of professionals on our side. That rare hopeful thought of mine was shot down by my younger counterpart though.
"I don't think that's likely," he shook his head before making an apologetic smile.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Between the two of us, it was easy for anyone to tell that he is a much more optimistic person than me yet in this scenario, I was the one getting dragged back to face our cruel reality.
"There's a reason why Onii-san hasn't known the existence of magic until now," he scratched the back of his head while trying to explain as best as he could. "I'm not quite sure how it works since I don't know how to do it myself but if I'm not mistaken, mages have ways to make those unaccustomed to magic turn a blind eye to them."
"So are you saying that we're on our own?" I asked while being half-afraid of what his answer would be.
His apologetic smile now carried with it a hint of resignation.
"Pretty much."
The word hopeless was not enough to describe our current situation. Furthermore, there was something from what he said earlier that made me feel even more concerned and I wished that I only misheard it.
"Wait, you said mage just now but isn't the thing that's after us a monster?"
He put a hand to his chin and pondered about the answer he was going to give me. It didn't seem like he wanted to sugarcoat anything, he just looked like a student who tried to recall the details of a page from a certain book he crammed a night before he had to take an exam.
"A Chimera that is not rampaging randomly and is going after specific individuals could only mean that it is being controlled by a mage. I've read that on a book once."
With this, I now became certain of one thing and as expected, my hunch is right on the money.
"So what you're saying is," I pointed my index finger at the youth who looked to be around two to three years my junior and glared at him as threateningly as I could. "Someone is after you and now they think I'm your accomplice."
"Sorry," he bowed as deeply as he could. "I'll apologize as many times as it takes later but please believe me when I say that dragging you into this was never my intention, Onii-san."
I was at least 80% convinced that he wasn't lying. If my gut instinct is wrong in this case then he's just that good at acting and I will lose all my confidence in my supposedly keen sense of seeing through a person's mask.
"Do you have any idea why they're after you?"
His eyes bulged in surprise but the dominant emotion in his demeanor looked to be delight rather than shock.
"Eh? You're not angry?"
It only served to irritate me more when instead of answering what I just asked, he threw another question my way.
"Did I ever say I wasn't?" I raised one of my brows and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
"No, you didn't," he bowed again after giving in to my pressure. "I'm very sorry for my presumptuousness."
I sighed.
"Just hurry up and answer my question already."
Cough.
He shook his head a couple of times before he bowed once again.
"To be honest, I'm not so sure either."
I looked at him as if I was looking at a pile of trash.
"Huh? It isn't related to you also being a mage or something?"
Cough.
"I'm sure his goal is something along those lines but," he averted his eyes for a couple of seconds but once I silently applied even more pressure with my gaze, he gave in. "Well, the truth is, it's only been recently that I've discovered my aptitude in magic so I can't imagine ever being a target of anoth-!"
Cough. Cough.
His attempt at explaining himself was interrupted by his sudden coughing.
"Sorry, it seems I'm much more tired than I thought. I'm not usually like this…"
"…"
I kept my gaze on him while he was trying to massage his chest but before even one minute passed by…
Cough. Cough. Cough.
…He went on another coughing fit.
Not only was it getting more frequent, each individual cough was louder too.
A little concerned, I walked over to his side so that I can get a closer look at his condition.
"Hey, are you okay?" as soon as I asked this, I see this strange young man bending over and spitting something out of his mouth.
"This… Might be bad," his face paled after he saw what he just spewed out.
It was his own blood.
I recalled what just happened a few hours ago and I started getting goosebumps as a really terrible realization came onto me.
"Tear off the sleeves of your shirt!" I quickly demanded.
He did as I told him and used his dagger so that he can rip them off faster.
After a brief inspection, I spotted two incisions on his left forearm that was only several millimeters wide but penetrated very deeply through his skin.
Those were none other than the bite marks of a snake.
"You were bitten by the snake tail!"
The only possible time for him to get struck by it was during his brief clash with the Chimera earlier, just before our escape attempt.
And as if things weren't looking bad enough…
Roar. Growl. Hiss.
Three ear-piercing cries reverberated across the entire docks. Judging from how loud those sounds were, it was pretty close to where we are… Heck, I wouldn't be so surprised if it already had a general grasp of our location and it was just taking pleasure in the chase itself.
The two of us made eye contact and without even exchanging a single word, the poisoned youth began to walk away from me with staggering steps.
Given how he's acted so far, I had a rough guess of what he was planning to do next.
"Hey you!" I couldn't stop myself from raising my voice because of anger. "Where the heck do you think you're going?"
He closed his eyes and thought of his response for a short while before answering.
"I'll buy you time," when he opened his teal eyes again, his entire air changed. He wasn't like a foolish brat anymore; this was the look of a man who has resolved himself to do something unimaginably difficult. "Please try to get away from here while I'm doing so," he tried to reassure me with a smile, it wasn't working though. "I can't have Onii-san getting hurt when you were not supposed to be a part of this mess in the first place."
For a younger guy like him to say such a thing really made you think that the adults have screwed up and society or the world as a whole has truly become rotten.
Death.
That one word popped out of my head while looking at the condition of this poisoned kid and estimating our chances of survival against the looming Chimera.
Naturally, I wasn't going to give up easily since my life is involved but is there still something I can do to turn this around?
The Monster of Logic. There was a reason why I had this moniker. No matter the situation, I could always break it down to its most fundamental points. With magic being thrown into the mix, I don't think my deductions will be that on point but it should serve me well enough as a foundation. And the conclusion that I reached this time around was…
"Let's work together."
…To fight alongside this guy.
"What?! You've gone insane, Onii-san!"
This cheeky junior looked at me as if I lost my mind. I tried to calm him down by patting his shoulder.
"I'll die anyways if I'm on my own," my grip on him tightened. "You are my best chance at surviving this," I removed my hands from his shoulder and proceeded to smile maliciously. "Sorry but I'll be making the best use of you."
The kid's expression distorted for a few seconds before it transitioned back into his own bright smile.
"You're the worst, Onii-san," he wiped off the blood dripping at the corner of his lips. "But I'm glad that you're being honest about it at least."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I nodded shamelessly before adopting a more serious air. "I'm asking just to make sure but you do have a surefire way of killing the Chimera, right?"
The kid pondered for a few seconds before nodding resolutely.
"It might work if I manage to get close enough."
"It's not the most reassuring thing I've heard all my life but I'll take that over nothing."
With that, I was starting to believe that we might actually have a nonzero chance of succeeding.
"Do you already have some plan in mind, Onii-san?"
The fact that this mage was relying on an ordinary guy like me just goes to show how messed up this situation is.
"More or less," I tried to play it cool by keeping my voice as neutral as possible. "Listen closely. No matter what happens, the two of us must always keep our roles in mind. In my case," I raised my index finger to emphasize my instructions before I pointed to myself with my thumb. "I am the bait."
…
"I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this so much. I really seriously hate this so much. This plan is so bad actually. In fact, it's just garbage. Who even thought of this?" I hurled out one complaint after another to no one in particular.
Despite being the mastermind of this scheme, I absolutely abhorred it with every single fiber of my being. This was the most logical, no, the only option available for us. The only resource I had was my body so it's only natural that I have to be the one to stand in the frontline so that the young mage could focus on taking out the Chimera using his trump card.
Roar. Growl. Hiss.
The trinity of cries resounded around the docks once more. Having heard of it so many times now, I could somewhat sense a slight difference in its intonation. If the roar from earlier was like an opening fanfare, this was equivalent to a requiem of the end.
"…!"
A large shadow suddenly blotted out the light from the starry night sky. Looking upwards, I was met with the imposing figure of a monster with the heads of a lion out front, a goat in the middle and a snake from the back. It was standing from one of the tall piles of steel containers that was scattered around the docks. What else could it possibly be except the nightmare that I've been trying to escape from since earlier? The Chimera.
My body instinctively shook from fear but at least it wasn't as bad as it was earlier where I couldn't even move a single step.
Tremor.
The harbor shook from the impact caused by the Chimera when it jumped down to the ground. Its landing made my footing unstable but not enough to make me fall down to my rear. Three pairs of carnivorous eyes gleamed dangerously while looking at me, seemingly confident that its already got me in a checkmate.
Amidst all the warning signals my brain was sending to my entire body, I dared to smile and provoke the aberrant monstrosity in front of me.
"Come and get me you overgrown cat!"
Pounce.
The Chimera lunged at me with its claws and fangs out as if it was enraged by my taunt. Given its speed, I only had around a second to react.
By no means have I ever considered myself to be athletic all my life. I was aware however of two physical aspects of myself that are potentially a little bit better than my peers.
One of them were the strength of my legs which were inadvertently tempered from biking to school everyday and the other was something I was simply born with.
The very few moments in my life so far that it ever came into play was when I tried to rescue that person's dog and the extremely rare times where I played a few rounds of tennis with someone else.
My reaction time.
I unleashed all the power I could muster from my legs and jumped back the instant the beast was halfway across its trajectory.
Despite having such a large area, ports still place heavy emphasis on maximizing their space but no matter how hard they try, it was impossible for two steel containers to be placed right next to each other, not only because of the potential that this might end up damaging the goods they carried inside but also because you need to make some room for the equipment that will be used to move them.
It was in one of these gaps that a lone person was lying in wait for his opportunity. When the monster went airborne to attack, he immediately made his move.
I am a Monster of Logic not a tactician. The best strategy I could come up with given the small amount of time and resources we had in our disposal was this cheeky little sneak attack.
"Take this!"
The hidden assailant leapt out of his hiding place. The dagger he held in his right hand was glowing with an intense bluish-white light.
And at that instant where everything looked like it was all going according to plan…
Hiss.
…A green shadow flickered from the Chimera's body and although I managed to catch a glimpse of its movement, all I could do was watch as I was still mid-jump just like the monster coming after me.
Bite.
"Aggghhh!"
The snake's fangs dug deeply onto the kid's left shoulder thereby putting a complete stop to our surprise attack… At least that's what I thought at first…
"This is payback from earlier!"
By using sheer force of will, he nimbly adjusted the trajectory of his dagger and guided it towards the snake head that was still on his shoulder.
Stab.
Screech.
The Chimera instinctively made some distance after receiving an unexpected injury on one of its all-important heads.
I took his unplanned retreat as an opportunity to grab the injured kid who looked like he was already hanging on death's door.
"Hey!" I shook his body while calling for him in the only way I knew how.
"Is that you, Onii-san?" he asked in a weak voice. His complexion was pale and blackish veins appeared all over his body with the two snake bites as the origin. His lips were turning into purple and the gleam of his teal eyes dimmed. Given his reaction, I doubt if he could even see me at the moment. Despite all that, he still tried his best to smile. "Sorry but it looks like I won't be able to make it…"
I somewhat expected this outcome.
After all, even if our plan did succeed and we managed to kill the Chimera, we still needed to find the antidote for the poison.
Nevertheless, seeing it happen in front of my very eyes still made me want to deny this grim reality.
"Hey! Stop talking like that!" I cried out desperately and futilely.
In contrast to my panicking self, the kid had a solemn expression, one that was more than ready to accept his fate.
"I'll leave the rest to you, Onii-san," with the last of his strength, he made me grip his dagger using both of his hands. "If… It's you… I'm sure… You ca-…"
At that moment, his grip on my hands loosened and the vigor from his eyes vanished. A younger man whose name I didn't even know spent his last moments on my arms.
Despite this tragic development, I wasn't given the leeway to shed even a single tear.
Roar.
The injured Chimera slowly began to approach me.
Its movements have become much more cautious after the severe damage it received earlier when it let its guard down.
During this moment, the Monster of Logic within me went into overdrive.
The conclusion it reached was fundamentally basic yet absurdly difficult to execute.
If my death is inevitable…
"Come!"
…Then I might as well take this Chimera down with me!
Roar.
I dashed towards the monster but just before we made contact, I twisted my body to the left and jumped towards the same gap that the kid from earlier hid from.
"Ack!" I groan in pain as I wasn't able to properly stick the landing but it was still good enough that I didn't break a bone.
Roar.
The Chimera made chase but…
Crash. Crash.
…The gap between the containers was only large enough to fit its head not its entire body.
Roar. Roar.
It tried to break through using its raw power but all that did was push its head further into the tight opening until…
Twist. Twist. Twist.
…It became stuck.
I glared at the ferocious beast in front of me.
I wasn't going to get a better chance than this so I had to end its life right here and right now.
"HAAAAAAAAAA!"
I gripped the dagger that was given to me with both hands as tightly as I could and charged towards the Chimera. It tried to intimidate me by moving its head around while doing a biting motion but I steeled my heart and persevered against my fears.
Pierce.
I successfully drove the dagger right into what was the most vulnerable part in this monster's face.
The eye.
Roar. Roar. Roar.
The beast struggled furiously after it was struck the second time by what it originally deemed to be easy prey.
Now while I did manage to injure the Chimera… That was all there was to it. The wound was nowhere close to being fatal.
I looked at the weapon that was still embedded on the monster's head and realized the misunderstanding that I harbored after my mind was clouded by grief.
This dagger on its own is unable to kill the Chimera. It is only when it is infused with magic can such a result be achieved.
In other words, it was impossible for a regular human like me…
"So what!?"
Roar.
…I matched the ferocity of the Chimera with a scream of my own before squeezing out every single ounce of adrenaline, stamina and spite that I could muster while attempting to push the dagger deeper and deeper into the lion's face.
That kid chose to sacrifice himself and believe in me, the least I could do was avenge his death!
At that instant, I felt an intense heat from the weapon I was holding. Bluish white light was glowing intensely on the blade, bright enough that it was almost blinding. While I was admiring that radiance, the warmth that I was only feeling on my hands began to move to my wrist, my forearms, my shoulders and before long, I felt it in every single vein in my body. Something was coursing inside me that gave me an unimaginable amount of power. That was the moment that the dormant magic circuits within my body awakened and at that time, I was completely unaware that the light that was now being emitted by the dagger was from my own magic power.
"HAAAAAAAAA!"
With the aid of this mystical power, I was now piercing through the monster's head with much greater ease.
Roar.
Throughout all this, the Chimera struggled violently but with the stab wound becoming more and more fatal by the second, the resistance turned into a couple of twitches before it ultimately stopped moving.
It was dead.
Finally.
"Hah… Hah…"
Clang.
I removed the dagger from the lion head but once it came off the wound, I accidentally let it go.
I cast my gaze on both of my hands and notice that they were shaking nonstop. My legs then began to feel like jelly and before long, I couldn't keep my balance anymore and I ended up falling flat on the ground.
"…"
I didn't even feel the pain when I hit the pavement. There was also no relief in having survived, sense of accomplishment in defeating that monstrosity or joy that I achieved my revenge. There was just emptiness… And a slight, no, an intense amount of fatigue.
When I was just about to reach the peak of my exhaustion and close my eyes…
Growl.
"Eh?"
An eerie yet familiar sound rang in the air. Hearing it startled me so much that I ended up completely forgetting my urge to faint.
I unconsciously looked upwards and never before have I cursed my curiosity more than I have at that moment.
Growl.
What I killed was not the Chimera, it was just the lion head… The third and last head, the goat was still very much alive.
Step.
Step.
Step.
It moved its body in a slow pace similar to our first encounter but this time around, it was not out of confidence but necessity. With its other heads already dead, the goat was now having severe balance issues. Nevertheless, it still managed to orient itself in a way to face me directly.
Growl.
Its eyes glowed ominously before light began to gather on its mouth, forming what could be best described as an orb.
Seeing the bizarre phenomenon manifesting in front of me shattered the remaining vestiges of my spirit.
"No way…"
This is magic. It was the first time I've seen it used against me and by the looks of things, it would also be the last.
The attack that I used to take out the lion head had drained me of all my stamina. Not just my legs, I was numb from my neck down. I could only wait powerlessly while the goat had all the time in the world to deliver the finishing blow.
I lost consciousness at that timing and strangely enough, the last thing I remembered…
Was an intense surge of light.
…
Before I knew it, I found myself walking around a barren wasteland. And by barren here, I mean literally barren. There were no buildings, animals or even a single blade of grass. It was all just an empty and lifeless desert that stretched out as far as the horizon.
Nevertheless, I still continued to walk around the place. I had no idea where this was and how I got here but if I had to take a guess then I think…
"Is this… The afterlife?"
Given what happened before this, I really wouldn't be too surprised if that was truly the case.
Such became the end to Hachiman Hikigaya's pathetic life. All things considered; it wasn't so bad. Sure, I had countless regrets and whatnot but the fact that I brought a Chimera to the brink of death before I died myself should make up for all of my cringe moments tenfold... The only problem here is that there was no one else present to witness that magnificent feat of mine.
As I went through the last stage of grief caused by my very own demise, my eyes captured the figure of a lone person or at least, something who possessed a silhouette that could be likened to one, in the middle of this field of nothingness.
Its facial features were impossible to identify because of the ragged cloak it wore that covered its body from head to toe. The only thing I could make out were its eyes that were glimmering in an indistinct color and the curved slit underneath them which could only be its lips.
While I was trying to deliberate to myself whether I would ignore it or not…
"…"
…The two of us suddenly made eye contact.
"Eh? What?"
It extended one of its arms towards my direction and although it was hidden because of its sleeve, I felt like it was pointing its index finger towards me.
"…!"
The figure's lips moved up and down, seemingly trying to converse with me but all that I could hear on my end were incomprehensible sounds, the kind you would hear from someone who was playing a musical instrument for the first time.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" I held back the headache I got after listening to this unknown's attempt at conversation and asked frankly.
"…"
The being stopped speaking and stared at me silently for a couple of seconds. From this gesture, I really wasn't sure if it understood me or not.
"Uhmm… Hello. Can you hear me?" I asked, unable to stand its strange gaze on me any longer.
"…~"
This time around, it didn't say anything. It's head only bobbing slightly while both of its eyes blinked a couple of times. That however was not the strangest thing. I don't know why but for some reason I was so sure that this creature… Was smiling.
While I was distracted by that bizarre expression it was making…
"…!"
…Darkness then poured out of the unknown's entire figure and swallowed me whole.
"Wah!" I suddenly got up from the bed while having cold sweat. I instinctively clutched my chest and felt my raging heartbeat that was as loud as a drum. The rest of my body was still painful and stiff but the fact that I could still feel these kinds of physical sensations could only mean one thing. "I'm… Alive…?"
"Quite surprisingly, yes."
The answer came from, what seems to be a man between his late twenties or early thirties judging from the timbre of his voice, who was leaning on a wall that was directly in front of me.
I wasn't able to make anything out of his facial features. It's not like he was physically trying to cover himself, there was just something around him that was making it difficult for me to discern his appearance and I highly doubt it was my drowsiness as whatever terrifying nightmare I was having a few seconds ago, woke me up completely. Was it the room's inadequate lighting? Was the trace amount of sunlight coming in from the window enough to obscure his figure? Or was it, Magic?
One thing's for sure however, I had to dig information out of him.
"Who are you?" I aggressively asked. After my most recent experience with strangers, it couldn't be helped that I've become even warier of them than usual.
His lips twisted into a smile filled with excitement.
"Believe me when I say that you'd rather not know of my name. So let's just say that I'm the reason you're still alive now, your savior, if you will."
Anyone could tell that this guy was not the most trustworthy person in the planet and his cryptic manner of speaking wasn't doing him any favors.
That being said, he is well aware that he was in a dominant position in this conversation and I, as a powerless person who was just in the brink of death until very recently had no other choice but to listen to him.
Then again, I wasn't really the happiest with the current state of affairs so I decided to rebel a little bit. Let's just chalk it up to me being grumpier than usual since I just woke up.
"Is it fine if I refer to you as a shady Jiji?"
I decided to test the waters by asking so. I surmise that I could get away with insulting him this much without dying because if he really did want to kill me, his best opportunity would be when I was still unconscious.
"I would much rather prefer Onii-san but let's just go with whatever helps you feel more comfortable," he kept his voice neutral throughout his response, seemingly not showing any signs of being bothered by my rudeness. "Now that the introductions are over, first off, I would like to offer you my sincerest apologies."
The fickle man's bowing gesture took me by surprise.
"For what?" I raised one of my brows while asking.
"If I could've eliminated that criminal mage faster then you would not have experienced such a tragic loss."
"!"
The bloodied and pale figure of that kid resurfaced in my memories, making my body tremble uncontrollably. The panic attack lasted for a short while before all that remained was a terrible headache.
"Is… That so?" were the only set of words that I could utter in my disturbed condition.
Blaming this person about what happened won't bring back the dead and in the first place, I don't have the right to be angry at him when I don't even know the name of the guy who sacrificed his life for my own.
In that case, what am I supposed to feel? How should I act? What do I do? I didn't know anymore.
"It's not much but as a show of sincerity, I am willing to answer any question you have for me."
This was an unexpected boon. It just so happened that I have one question in mind that I absolutely need to hear the answer to for the sake of my crumbling sanity. It was even more important than the internal identity crisis I was having.
"Will I…" I unconsciously clenched both of my fists. "Still be allowed to live my normal daily life from here onwards?"
He nodded multiple times and put a hand to his chin to ponder over my inquiry… It was all obviously an act because judging from the knowing smile he was making, he fully expected me to ask such a thing.
"That will all be entirely up to you."
The open-ended answer flustered me to the point that I couldn't help but ask for a clarification.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean it exactly how I said it," he shrugged nonchalantly. "You are free to forget everything that happened that night and live your life the same way you did before that fateful encounter."
It sounded a little too good to be true and anyone else in my shoes would feel doubtful after hearing those words.
"Can't you use magic to just make me forcefully forget about everything?"
"That's an option too, yes," the shady Jiji nodded in agreement. "We'll do that once you've truly made the choice to stay away from this side of the world. I can make the arrangements when the time comes."
From the way he constructed his statement, I knew he was luring me into a trap but I was far too interested that it was impossible for me not to take his bait.
"I'm asking this hypothetically but," I glared at the man who has been reading me like a book this entire time. "Is there even another path available for someone like me?"
"In that case," he put one of his hands to his chest and began speaking in a more respectful manner. "How about you consider the suggestion of this old man right here?"
The words of this suspicious geezer seemed to echo in my mind not my ears. Was he using magic here too?
I however refused to be swayed so easily when I haven't heard the specifics just yet.
"I'm listening."
No matter how I squinted my eyes, his disgusting smile was the only thing I could make off from his face.
"I don't know how or why but that guy seems to have been accepted as a member of a certain organization that is headed by one of the greatest family of mages," whether it was intentional or not, he was currently putting on a smug air as if he already knew what my answer would be even before he finished speaking. "How about taking his place instead?"
…
The next morning.
Click. Ring.
I entered the front door of the Hikigaya residence that I've lived on for the longest time I could remember until I had to move to where I'm currently staying at for my university schooling.
It ran in the blood of the Hikigaya family to sleep in until late in the afternoon during rest days and whatnot but like all the rules in the world, there will always be an exception.
"Onii-chan!" warmth filled my heart as I heard that greeting and felt slender arms wrapped around me on a tight embrace. "Welcome back."
The name of that exception is Komachi Hikigaya, the greatest little sister in the world.
"Ah," I patted her head and gently ruffled her black hair. Even though she was pretty much a lady now, a part of me still can't stop seeing her as a child. It's a sentiment I'm sure every big brother shared. "I'm home."
"It has been a while right, Onii-chan? Would you like Komachi to whip up something nice for you?"
Her appeals to me were still as perfect as I can remember.
"I'd eat literally anything you'd make for me, Komachi," my face became stern. "Even your leftovers."
"Ah… Onii-chan is still gross as usual," she let out a disappointed sigh, like how a mother would after seeing the awful grades written on their child's report card. "That's why you still don't have a girlfriend."
"How can you say that with so much certainty?" I grumbled in a voice that was gradually getting softer by the second. "You never know maybe I planned on introducing my girlfriend to you later today…"
Komachi however had no problems understanding every word I just said.
"Well, are you going to?" she crossed her arms to her chest and tilted her head upwards to give the impression that she was looking down on me.
The pressure she applied was more than enough for me to back off.
"No, I won't."
"See?" Komachi puffed her chest out, proud of her victory over me. "In any case, I'm sure the Onii-chan that Komachi knows will proudly boast about his girlfriend to Komachi the instant he's able to nab one."
There were some questionable terms in use but overall…
"Bullseye."
…She was right on the money.
As expected of my imouto.
Her triumphant expression then turned into one of disappointment.
"That's okay. Even if you're so hopeless like this, Komachi still loves you," she hugged me again for a brief moment before pushing me away in the next second. "Kyaa! That earned Komachi so much Komachi points!"
That line of hers was usually something I would find annoying but having not heard of it for quite some time now, the nostalgia overpowered my irritation.
This playful banter with my one and only little sister was an integral part of my mundane daily life and there was no way that I would exchange it for anything else in this world.
I kept saying those words repeatedly to myself like a mantra, so as not to let my thoughts wander astray but if I'm doing something like this in the first place, then that meant that my mind was already in a disturbed state.
"I'll head to my room first and wash up. I already ate so I'll just have lunch later."
"Okay, Onii-chan!" Komachi waved to me as I climbed the stairs. "Take your time."
A bath.
It was probably one of the healthier and safer activities that people do if they want to de-stress themselves.
In my particularly special case however, it only made things take a turn for the worse.
Just when I was about to pour the water to rinse myself of the soap and shampoo, the liquid looked like it changed properties in front of my very eyes. It suddenly became much more viscous and its color slowly began to darken until it became a deep crimson.
It turned into blood or more specifically, I am thinking that its blood.
It was physically impossible for water to suddenly turn into blood like this unless something like magic is involved, but I doubt that there's any mage in the world who would use their magic just to prank someone from the Hikigaya household like this.
Even though I knew that I was hallucinating, the image that I was seeing did not change and the fear within me didn't just vanish into thin air.
"...!"
My head kept playing the scenes from two nights ago on repeat and each time it did, the urge to cry out only got bigger.
I wanted to scream.
I really wanted to scream out loud.
The terror I felt when the lion head of the chimera rushed towards me was still freshly engraved into my very being. The only thing that was keeping me from going insane right now was the figure of Komachi welcoming me back earlier.
Distorting that gleeful expression of hers with worry was something I could not afford to do and if all I had to do to prevent such a thing from happening is to bear all this agony by myself, then I'll do so in a heartbeat.
I closed my eyes and poured the water(blood) down on my body. I then wiped myself dry without looking at the mirror and left the bathroom as quickly as I could after changing my clothes. The last thing I needed to see during this vulnerable moment of mine was a tub full of blood or my reflection drenched with blood.
"Ah it's no good."
I jumped into my bed and stared at my bedroom's oh so familiar ceiling.
At this timing, that fishy old man's words came into memory.
How about taking his place instead?
Of course, I declined his suggestion then and there.
There is no doubt in my mind that living my normal life in ignorance was hundreds of times better than getting embroiled into the world of magic, no matter how fantastical that may sound.
Then again, a part of me also felt like it was improper to just completely forget about the events that night. That was especially true when I consider the fact that someone died during that time.
"!"
My eyes bulged in surprise after I almost forgot about something essential because I was tunnel-visioning too much on my own personal circumstances and my entire body began to tremble not just from shock but also guilt.
That's right.
The reason I'm having these agonizing flashbacks is because I was the one who got out of that nightmare alive.
This suffering is my punishment, no, I should even treat as a privilege that comes with being a survivor.
"I don't think this is something I should run away from," I looked at my fingers and waited for my body to calm down enough to the point that I can enclose my hand into a fist. "Because I'm sure that's not what he would do."
Thus, I resolved myself to make a decision I knew I was definitely going to regret later down the line but never would have I expected that this would end up with me carrying the burden of an entire race's existence.
…
One hour before lunchtime.
I was carrying one additional bag on top of all the luggage I brought with me earlier as I stealthily made my way back to the front door…
"Onii-chan?"
"!"
…Or at least I tried to.
Komachi Hikigaya walked out from the kitchen with her apron still on and foiled my escape attempt.
As there was no wall that separated the kitchen from the living room, it was an easy place to spot if someone is attempting to go in or out of the house.
"Where are you going?"
Her inquiry lacked the hostility I was expecting. Genuine worry was painted in her entire expression which was only going to make what I was about to do next more difficult.
"Back to my apartment," I brought my phone out and waved it around. "An acquaintance of mine who has helped me out a lot is in a bind you see and now is my biggest opportunity to repay the favor."
It was the most blatant lie in the universe and as someone like Komachi whose been with me for majority of my life, she saw through it in an instant. Nevertheless, I was confident that she would let me go. Just like how Komachi knew me so well, I could also read her like a book.
The lie in and of itself was irrelevant. What matters is the fact that I resorted to lying to Komachi even though I knew it wasn't going to work. That only meant that what I was trying to hide from her was of utmost importance to me… And that I'll tell her all about it in due time.
"Onii-chan must've relied on him a lot if you're willing to help him out on a holiday," she decided to play along just like I expected. At this very second, I was certain she's cooking up a bunch of excuses on her head to convince our parents and because she would be the one explaining on my behalf, of course those two would buy it.
"Pretty much," I nodded solemnly. "I owe him my life after all."
Even with her sharp intuition, I doubt Komachi would have ever expected that I meant those words literally.
"Will Onii-chan introduce his friend to Komachi some time?"
She showed her usual cheerful smile as she asked but I could tell that there were cracks on her expression because she didn't like the fact that I'm lying to her of all people.
"Yeah, I will do that one day," I forced myself to smile back. If I was going to shamelessly lie to my sister like this, I will see through this farce until the very end. "I think the two of you will get along extremely well."
Komachi suddenly closed the distance between the two of us. At first, I thought she was going to physically try and stop me but all she ended up doing was hug me in a similar way to how I was welcomed earlier.
"Onii-chan," her hug tightened a little more and almost at the same time, the guilt in my heart became slightly heavier. "I trust you."
"Yes yes," I forced myself to make a fake smile, the exact expression that I abhorred the most in the entire world. "I love you too, Komachi."
And that was how my last conversation with my family went.
…
Countless days passed by after that sudden parting and I was finally guided into the interior of my brand-new workplace. Despite being branded as a magic facility, all I could see no matter where I look was state-of-the-art machinery that didn't seem like it was crafted by human hands. At this point, I wasn't sure if the genre was Fantasy or Sci-Fi anymore.
The journey to get to this point was by no means easy. Basically, I had to cram into my head multiple generations of Magecraft principles in the span of weeks and as you would expect, I barely understood anything.
That's why even though I can technically utilize magic power, I still find it a little awkward to call myself a magus.
Even with all these handicaps, I still managed to get the slot that was I was working so hard for. Turns out, not many people were interested or even aware of this organization so I got in despite my abysmal resume.
"Welcome to the Chaldea Security Organization's base," the receptionist who was in the ladies' version of the uniform I'm wearing greeted me with a courteous smile. "May I have your name please?"
"I'm Hachiman Hikigaya," I showed her my ID card and spoke in a business-like tone. "And I have been recently accepted as the last Master Candidate."
Author's Note:
I bet no one saw this flashback chapter coming.
I realized while I was writing but I felt that the alternating pattern between the counselling session and the OC Chiba arc was getting a little stale.
Now I didn't really receive any complaints or the like, that was just what I felt as I was writing so I decided to spice things up.
From hereon out, the pattern will become counselling session into OC Chiba and a random surprise chapter that even I'm not sure what it will be about.
I will say beforehand that I didn't write this chapter before the prior ones so there might be some inconsistencies. Don't worry about them, alright? Good.
As always, if you ever have any suggestions on which Servant/s you want to be featured next, feel free to write them on your review, I'll be sure to take that into consideration for the coming chapters.
Now with that out of the way, time to get on to the reviews from the previous chapter.
Gid Lucione Deviluke: I appreciate the loyalty on my old series, I really do but as I've gotten some momentum in writing this fic, I don't wanna disturb my current groove. At the moment, it's difficult for me to insert Platonic 2 in my schedule. I hope you guys understand.
anirudhverma09: Not anytime soon unfortunately.
IsekaiFanBoi: I'm glad you like it. We didn't really have a part in FGO where we're fighting against people we know so I wanted to do something like that in this arc.
Syqadelic: It wouldn't be exciting if I made Yui's Heroic Spirit too obvious now, would it?
memoryofvirtual: Regardless if you're right or wrong, I'm not just gonna answer or it might spoil the surprise. I only have one comment for your omake. Where's Rin?
Zechs-DXD: If the update you're looking for is the OC Chiba arc then this isn't it, but it's an update nonetheless.
Incomplete555: I can only ask for your patience... For both stories.
father of humanity: Well, I did mix up a lot of things so that not every chapter is sitting on the counselling room with a Servant or two. It seems like that was a good decision on my part.
Lord Naruto: A double down on the in-love aspect, I see. It's interesting but is it correct though? We'll just have to see.
grandrexorder: Corday, I can somewhat understand. Astolfo? I really want to hear why so if it's not too much trouble, please explain your reasoning in your next review.
Guest: I never told you to pick between the two. As for Scathach's reappearance... That one might take a while.
0x66 0x6f 0x63 0x6b 0x65 0x72: Do you mean in the OC Chiba arc? In all honesty, that depends. I'll try my best to accommodate as many as I possibly can.
To everyone else who takes the time to read this fic, a huge thank you to all of you as well.
That's it for this chapter.
I hope we meet again in the next one or in another story of mine.
Reviews, follows and faves are all very much appreciated.
Until next time...
May everyone's good wishes and realities intersect.
Morii Hikikko
References:
[1] – Ace Attorney Video Games Series