Chapter 41: Let's go to a New World
Author's Note: For those interested, there are now 2 Extra Stories on P-atreon, so if possible, check them out too for just $3
There are still some things left to publish, like "what if" story or the side story depending on which one wins the poll that is posted on my p-atreon.
Also, I published the seventh chapter of my new story: "Tales of Saiyans, Demons and Gods".
For now I'm prioritizing the multiversal chat story, so the TOSDAG updates won't be as frequent as this one, still, if you can, please go to my profile and check it out, and if you're interested you can see another 3 chapters on my P-atreon, it only costs $3.
Remove the spaces and dash: p-atreon/ Krakenian01
Ryuichi P.O.V
Arriving at my house, I sighed both from exhaustion and relief, I only needed to do one thing, and everything I had to prepare for my trip to another world would be ready.
"Brother?"
Well, almost everything, the most important thing of all was still missing.
"Hey Touji, I'm here." I greeted as I finished pouring myself a glass of water in the kitchen.
"And how did it go?" He asked a little worried.
"I finished everything I had to do outside, and how did you spend your day?"
"I was at Karasuma-san's house until recently, I played with Koichi, and then I helped him study"
"I see, that's good." I responded as I stroked his head. "And our guest? Has she left the guest room since I left?" I asked as I extended my ki perception throughout not only the entire house but also encompassing the entire building and a couple of meters beyond.
"I don't think so, the short time I was here I didn't see her come out, but I don't know if she did while I was at Karasuma-san's house"
"I see, well, don't worry about anything, I'll talk to her for a moment, okay?" I told him, and he nodded, but before I went he spoke once more.
"Are you sure what you are doing?" He asked, looking into my eyes.
The answer to his question was a complete "I'm not sure", but I couldn't tell him that, I had to reassure him, that was my job and duty as his big brother, and I was willing to risk my neck as many times as necessary to fulfill it.
So I smiled as confidently as I could, and as I pointed my thumb at my chest, I said with all the confidence I could muster. "You don't have to worry about anything, your big brother has everything under control"
He looked directly at me as if he was trying to find some sign of a lie, but after a few seconds, he sighed. "Okay, but if something worries you, tell me, I promise to think of something to help you"
"Sure, I know very well that that brain of yours can think of solutions to problems that I wouldn't even consider, so when the time comes I'm going to count on you, okay?" I said, raising my fist in his direction, which seemed to be the right move because my brother smiled and raised his fist to bump it into mine.
"Now go, I need to talk to her in private." I said leaving the kitchen, although I remembered something important and stopped to turn around and give one last message to my brother. "And no spying, I'm serious Touji, you understand?"
"Ugh, okay, I promise." He said, raising his hand.
"I hope so, I trust you, please save me headaches"
And with that said, I walked down the hallway, reaching the guest room, where I stopped and knocked on the door a couple of times.
"It's me." I said and waited until, after 15 seconds, the response came.
"You can come in." Said the female voice of my "guest".
Entering the room, I noticed some changes, the sheets on the bed, previously cream colored, were pink now, the two large pillows had been replaced by four medium-sized ones while some cute-looking stuffed animals were on it.
And added to all this, there were more things changed, the curtains, the dresser, the accessories, and so on, all giving the vibe that it was a young girl's room.
But these were minor changes that I didn't give more than a quick glance to, what really caught my attention were the golden circles that were on the floor and walls and that emitted a very faint light.
"These are the things you said you would put in? Or are they others?" I asked, watching the fallen angel lying on the bed, looking at a pink laptop, with a bowl full of chips, and a can of Coke on the side.
"They are what I promised, with these magic circles, the devils shouldn't feel my presence as long as I stay inside the apartment"
She said, and I nodded, the moment I had extended my ki sense while I was in the kitchen, I could feel her energy, although very vaguely, and that was only because I knew where to "look", and it still felt strange, like trying to see a distorted image on an old TV with static.
"Well, did you check the weapons I found in the church?"
She pointed to a corner of the room where there was a wool sack while with her other hand, she took a potato from her bowl.
"There were 54 swords of light and 43 sacred pistols in total, of all of those, 47 swords were functional, and one had only a couple of minor damages, so I repaired it, that would make 48 swords in good condition, and 6 are only good for spare parts, talking about the guns, 38 were fine, and 5 were damaged enough that they couldn't fire anymore"
"So how do I use these things?" I asked, taking one of the swords, although now it was just a handle with the cross guard bent forward.
She gave me a sideways glance. "At the end of the handle, in the place where the knob should be, there is something like a button, press it, and the blade of light will unfold"
I followed her instructions, and when I pressed the button, the cross guard returned to its place as if it had been pulled back, and a blade of light emerged from the hilt as if it were a Star Wars lightsaber.
"And how do they work?" I asked looking at the blade.
"Inside the handle, there is a converter, it works by absorbing magic from the environment, and also if the wielder inserts his energy voluntarily, it stores a part as if it were a battery, and when you use it, it spends that energy materializing the blade"
"How long does it last with the battery full, and when do I know it is full?"
"A whole day with the battery at 100%, you'll know it's full because the handle vibrates if you try to put more energy into it when it's already fully charged, and it takes about 90 minutes to charge if you don't give it any of your energy"
"And how durable are these things?"
"They should be much stronger, sharper, and more resistant than any human sword made by non-magical methods, 4 of which broke were because the converter was damaged because something absorbed all the stored light too quickly and that burned the internal structure, and the other two because they had already been used for several years without any maintenance"
"I understand." I responded by pressing the button on the knob once more, the blade retracted, and the cross guard folded back in the direction of where the blade was.
"And how about this?" I asked holding up one of the guns.
"In essence, they work the same as swords, they have a converter inside that absorbs magic from the environment or the user, yada yada yada." She said waving her hand.
"It has the same charging time as the sword and can fire 12 rounds continuously, after that the cooldown period is 7 seconds before firing again, but if you use it non-stop for more than an hour except for the time between rounds, then it will go into sleep order, and you won't be able to use it for an hour"
"Both weapons seem made to be as convenient as possible." I noted as I put the gun back down with the others.
"They were made to be mass produced and given to any human with few magical reserves"
"You seem to know a lot about this weaponry"
"A few years ago I worked in the magical maintenance part at Grigori, it was also there where I learned to make these magic circles." She explained, pointing to the magical constructions responsible for hiding her presence.
"I see." I said, taking the bags with the weapons.
"I'll go finish getting ready"
"Before that." She said getting out of bed. "I want you to understand our deal fully"
"Very good"
"I will stay in this apartment for the next 3 weeks protecting your brother and the people from the apartment next door in case something strange or dangerous happens, during all that time, he will stay with them, so I have no obligation to take care of him in any other way, I don't have to clean, cook or do anything else annoying." She said, emphasizing not wanting to do any household chores.
"That's right." I nodded.
"After those three weeks, if you don't come back it's because you will be dead, in that case, this will be mine." She said, holding up a check where it was seen that I was giving her 75% of everything I had saved in my entire life, the money that had been left over from what my mother's family sent, and my savings from my multiple jobs.
Once again, I nodded to confirm. "If that happens I want you to give this to my brother." I gave her a small key, she received it and threw it on the bed.
"Be careful with that thing, it's important." I told her, seeing that she had not saved it.
"It's a key, it's not going to break because of something like that, I'll put it in a drawer later, let's move on to the next point." She said, downplaying the key.
"Well, in case I manage to return, I will start looking for an item that covers your aura, and if I can't find it, I will buy it in the magical black market you mentioned." I said and felt a slight headache at the thought that there really was something like a black market in the supernatural world.
"Fine." She nodded before turning around and walking towards the bed with a cheerful step, and when she arrived, she jumped on it, catching the bowl of chips and the can of soda. "Since that's all, I'll continue with my things." She said, putting on the pink headphones and pressing a button on her laptop.
I sighed before leaving, her attitude was disconcerting, I distrusted her, but somehow her carefree attitude made me feel that taking action like threatening her or attempting a harsh act to claim that I had the upper hand in the agreement we made was a waste of time.
I didn't understand supernatural beings.
######
Ryuichi P.O.V
"Okay, everything is ready." I sighed when I finished putting everything into the two backpacks. "With this, I am as prepared as I can be with the resources and time I had"
Doing a field test, I strapped both backpacks to me, the bigger one on my back and the smaller one on my chest, it was a little heavy to carry this, but nothing that I wouldn't be able to handle.
The only problem I noticed was that my mobility and flexibility were reduced while using these backpacks, and if someone tried, for example, to stab me in the torso, it would be incredibly difficult to prevent my backpacks and the things inside from being cut up.
It was a little difficult to correctly gauge how much I should move if I wanted to dodge attacks while carrying these backpacks.
Although the truth should also be told, I would have to have a pretty special kind of bad luck if I had to defend myself from violent and armed people as soon as I arrived in this new world.
At that moment, I grabbed a small ornate box that was on my desk, this small object contained what was most likely the most valuable asset in my possession, something that Diodora Astaroth attempted to offer in exchange for his life.
I opened the small box, and inside there, were four elegantly designed bottles, similar to the small perfume bottles for the rich that appeared in the commercials on television.
But these things were not perfumes, according to Mitelt, these things were one of the most expensive and useful objects produced by the devils that existed, Phoenix tears.
The name alone already sounded grandiose, and as its name referred to, anyone who ingested the tear that was in each bottle would see their wounds and energies completely restored regardless of their severity, just as the immortal bird of myths would do when was reborn.
So these things were basically hermit seeds, but in liquid version, the funny thing is that when I asked Mitelt how these things were made, she shrugged her shoulders and said that only the members of a certain devil clan that shared a name with the immortal bird knew how to make them, and that's why they were one of the most important and richest families in the underworld.
Be that as it may, if I thought that my potions were life insurance, these things had rewritten that thought, because as long as they were used in time, I would not die as long as I had these Phoenix tears, although the number was small, and was about to be reduced even more.
But he didn't want to think about that now, what I had in mind was an emergency measure, and as such, I hoped it would never happen, so for now, it would be best to sleep and be ready for tomorrow.
######
Third Person P.O.V
The night was calm, without incidents, without nightmares or deep thoughts, and all of that only made Ryuichi even more nervous, after all, his dream was completely blank.
But he consoled himself a little knowing that at least his body was in more than optimal condition, and now he was in the living room with the backpacks adjusted to his body and with Touji at his side.
"Alright, it's time for me to go, let's go, I have to leave you with Karasuma-san." He said, taking his younger brother's hand.
Touji just looked at him in silence for a couple of seconds before nodding, and with that, they both left the house while Mitelt was still in the guest room.
Once the door was closed, Ryuichi made a last check and tried to feel Mitelt's ki, but this time it was worse than when he tried yesterday in the kitchen, feeling his presence was like trying to find a person in a crowd on the street while the one looking for her was doing it from the roof of a building of about 10 floors.
And if it weren't for Ryuichi knowing she was inside the apartment, and more specifically, inside the guest room, it would be impossible for him to detect her.
'I'll have to practice my ki detection more during my time in that other world so I can avoid these kinds of concealment methods, there are surely more and better ones than the one Mitelt used only in this world, and I don't even want to think about what could be there in other universes.' Ryuichi thought before pushing that thought onto the to-do list.
With that confirmed Ryuichi dismissed his ki detection and walked to the next door, but before knocking, he turned to Touji and pulled something out of his pocket.
"Touji, take this." He said, placing a phoenix tear in his hand.
"Eh? What is this?" The boy asked, looking at the bottle curiously.
"This is a potion, please make sure to store it well so no one sees it, and only use it if you are ever injured and feel like you can't stand the pain, understand?" Ryuichi lied, not wanting to reveal the true nature of the item, only pointing out its effects.
Touji looked at the bottle with a thoughtful expression and nodded in agreement before putting the small bottle back in his pocket, so with that out of the way, the eldest of the Kaname family rang the doorbell, and they both waited for about 10 seconds until the woman who lived there opened the door.
"Ryuichi boy." She greeted, looking at the backpacks the older brother was carrying and then at the younger brother standing next to him with a somewhat nervous look.
"Hey Touji-kun, come on, Koichi is waiting for you in his room." She said with a motherly tone and smile, all to calm at least a little the apparent nerves of the boy who was a similar age to her own son.
Touji looked at Ryuichik, and he crouched down to be at his height before nodding and smiling at him. "Go"
Touji hugged him. "Take care of yourself." He said, and Ryuichi hugged him back with as much affection as he could.
At that moment, and without anyone noticing, 2 circles made with Chinese inscriptions and Nordic runes shone on the backs of Ryuichi and Touji, both flashing briefly at the same time, as if they resonated with each other, as if they responded to the concern that both brothers felt, but once the brief hug ended, both circles stopped shining, and the inscriptions faded, as if they sank into the skin of both, disappearing without a trace.
"Relax, your older brother will take care of everything." Ryuichi replied after they separated, and after that Touji ran inside the house of the woman who was watching them.
"Thank you for this Karasuma-san." Ryuichi said, looking at the woman.
"Don't worry about those things, I don't mind having Touji here for a while." She replied while waving her hand, dismissing the help she was giving them. "What worries me the most is you, are you sure you'll be okay?"
"As sure as any normal person would be that politicians are honest." He tried to lighten the mood with a bit of humor.
"Ha, you don't want to show your vulnerable side, huh? Men are always like that." She said with a shrug as she raised his arms slightly and shook her head.
Ryuichi coughed a little embarrassed because Karasuma had seen through his facade before looking serious once more. "One last thing." He said, taking out a small metal box from his front backpack.
"This, if I don't return in 3 weeks and you can't contact me soon after that, please give this box to Touji"
She seemed to understand the implications of what those words meant, so she looked at Ryuichi with an expression between worried and disgusted.
"Are you sure you should go? If it's so dangerous maybe you should ignore the matters you have where you're going"
Ryuichi shook his head a few times. "No, even though I don't want to go, it's something I'm obliged to do." He said with a bit of resignation.
"Please take care of Touji until I return." He asked one last time.
She nodded with a solemn expression. "I will, while you are there don't worry about what happens here, focus on getting back safely, to the place where your brother needs you"
"Thank you." Ryuichi nodded, Karasuma entered her apartment, and when the door closed, he turned around and left the building.
######
Ryuichi P.O.V
As I walked through the streets of Kuoh I looked at the timer for the mission to start.
"00:43:39"
Just over forty minutes before I left this world, I didn't know what to do until I got to the train station, so to kill time, I opened the chat to chat a little.
WELCOME BACK TO THE ALTERNATE MULTIVERSE CHAT ROOM, KANAME RYUICHI.
Kaname Ryuichi: Hello, is anyone online?
Ana Estuardo: Good morning Kaname-san.
Leone: Hey kid.
I was a little surprised to see that neither Kyuijin nor Ling were online, normally they were both the ones who spent the most time in the chat, but I assumed that maybe they were busy, and I had already chatted with Leone several times, so even if Ana didn't talk much, I could distract myself by talking to the girl with cat ears.
Kaname Ryuichi: Hello Ana-san, and Leone, I already told you that I am not a kid.
Leone: Bah, don't worry about the details, then? Something important happened? Or do you just want to distract yourself before your mission?
Kaname Ryuichi: To be honest, yes, I have everything I could need and a few more things, but I can't shake the feeling of nervousness.
Leone: I understand you, the same thing happened to me years ago when I had my first mission, but don't worry, here's some advice from your senpai, if someone or something seems too dangerous, turn around, run, and don't look back, it doesn't matter if it seems like a cowardly attitude, the cemeteries are full of brave people.
Kaname Ryuichi: Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.
Ana Estuardo: I think that if you find someone from the nobility you should keep your guard up, at least until they prove to be trustworthy, I know from experience what nobles are like when they decide they want something.
Leone: That's another good tip, if I had a gold coin for every corrupt noble I've ever met, I'd have more money than most of them, a list of the honest ones would be much shorter and easier to make than that of those who deserve to have a tight noose around their neck.
Kaname Ryuichi: Understood, I'll be extra alert around those kinds of people.
Leone: Hey, what happened to what you told us about those fallen angels who were in the same city as you? Are they already gone?
Kaname Ryuichi: Ah, about that, well...
And then I spent my time telling them both about the latest events that had happened, the fallen ones, Issei, and Asia, although I left out everything related to Diodora and the fallen angel who was now staying at my house.
In this way, time passed until I finally reached my destination, the train station, and just in time, because according to my countdown, there were 3 minutes and 12 seconds left for the mission to start, so I quickened my pace as I said goodbye to both of them after they wished me luck, each one in her own way.
Although I preferred Ana's well-intentioned "I wish you good luck" to Leone's slightly mocking "Don't go to die", but after talking to her all this time I could bet she really hoped I survived this.
With that said I closed the chat and walked towards the bathroom, and luckily there didn't seem to be anyone there.
"Fuuu." I inhaled and exhaled deeply in front of the mirror to calm myself.
"Come on Ryuichi, you've got this, you can handle this." I said, looking at my reflection before turning on the water tap, gathering liquid in my hands and splashing my face.
I looked at the timer one more time.
00:00:32
"Let's do it." I said before removing the excess water from my face with my hands, walking towards a cubicle, and closing the door after entering, I didn't want someone to accidentally walk in and see me disappear.
00:00:11
"Now just as an extra layer of security." I said as I concentrated the ki around my body, but this time it was not to reinforce it, or at least not completely, because most of my ki was used to create a barrier around my body, but not a circular one like the one android 17 used.
If I tried something like that, the size of the barrier would be too much for the cubicle where I was.
What I was doing was more similar to the protective barrier used by Goku and Vegeta in the tournament of power to protect themselves from Lavender's poison, only instead of protecting me from a specific thing like the poison, my barrier was made to protect me from everything, letting only air pass through so I could breathe.
And when the brightness finished surrounding me, I opened my eyes once again to look at the timer.
00:00:03
At that moment, another glow appeared, a different one from my barrier surrounded me, becoming brighter and brighter.
00:00:02
I gulped out of nervousness.
00:00:01
I instinctively put even more ki into my barrier.
00:00:00
STARTING THE MISSION!
And as I let the light cover me, something in the back of my head screamed for danger, a survival instinct warning me that something really, REALLY bad was about to happen to me.
But I couldn't do anything as I felt the world spin around me for a second before my feet hit the ground again, followed by my knees, and elbows due to the horrible pain that coursed through both my mind and body.
You are not him, you are not him, you are not him, you are not him you are not him you are not him YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM YOU ARE NOT HIM NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A voice full of hate, malice, pain, and sadness screamed in my ears, inside my mind, and I could almost say even inside my soul.
And as I squeezed the sides of my head with all the strength my arms could produce, I uttered a soundless scream.
I felt as if my mind was going to break, as if my body was about to tear apart, as if my very existence was going to be consumed by infinite darkness, my ki defenses previously established and strengthened to the best of my ability, were as effective as a glass wall would be against a meteorite.
Make it stop
Haha
Stop it
It hurts me
I don't want to die
Hahahahahaha
Kill, kill them all
My mind was splitting while numerous words, all spoken with my own voice, echoed at the same time in my head, as the very small, still sane part of my being begged for mercy.
And there, lying on the ground, writhing while blood began to come out of my mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, I could distinguish some squares appearing in front of me, although, if they were red because of the blood that covered my vision or because they really were that color, I didn't know.
WARNING
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
SERIOUS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DAMAGE RESULTING FROM INTRUSION BY AN UNKNOWN ENTITY
SPIRITUAL DAMAGE IN PROCESS
ANTIVIRUS DEFENSE ACTIVATED
EXPELLING
REPAIRING
THE INFLUENCE OF THE UNKNOWN ENTITY ON THE USER HAS BEEN STOPPED
MENTAL DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPAIRED, AND SPIRITUAL DAMAGE HAS BEEN AVOIDED
ACTIVATED CODE
ASSISTED PHYSICAL RESTORATION IS DISABLED FOR THE USER
PARAMETERS RESET
THE EXPERIENCE IS NOTED TO AVOID SIMILAR ERRORS IN THE FUTURE
REESTABLISHING MISSIONS
TEMPORARILY DISABLE ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS OF INTERACTION WITH OTHER USERS
I couldn't read any of the screens that appeared in front of me even when the torture ended, my vision was blurry, and the newly acquired clarity of my mind only gave the pain from both the internal and external to my body a clearer sensation to continue tormenting me.
And although I could think a little more clearly, I could feel how my brain shut down without even letting me scream in pain or for help, completely unable to move a single finger.
I was about to go into shock or faint and bleed to death if someone didn't help heal my torn skin and muscles as well as my internal organs that I assumed had been turned almost into minced meat.
No, I didn't want to die, not yet, not like this, I couldn't leave Touji alone, but I couldn't move, I couldn't use my potions or phoenix tears, please, anyone, help me.
I felt my tears combining with the blood coming out of my eyes while fear, frustration, and sadness were my only companions while the darkness claimed me.
######
Third Person P.O.V
While finishing washing the dishes used at lunch, Rem found herself with a little extra time that she didn't know how to use, the Rosswal mansion, which always seemed a little big for the number of people who lived there, felt even more uninhabited now that Rem was the only servant left.
Frederica had been assigned to another place for a while, and Rem had always kept her distance from Lady Emilia, but now that she had gone to the capital she lost the few interactions and responsibilities she had with her, and along with the half-elf went the most important person for Rem.
Her dear sister, Ram, who, by order of Lord Rosswal, accompanied Lady Emilia to take care of her needs and protect her, so only she, Lady Beatrice, who rarely left her library, and Lord Rosswal, who seemed been busy with some preparations for a few days now, still were in the mansion.
Sitting on a wooden bench in the kitchen, Rem poured herself a cup of tea to try to calm her nerves as her mind went to the screen that had appeared in front of her a few time ago, changing her life for what she thought would be worse, but a recent event put that first idea into doubt.
Her eyes moved forward, and with a thought the screen that appeared a few days ago materialized again.
Mandatory Mission: Destroying the fateful destiny established
-You are an anomaly, one of the few that escapes the eyes of the tools capable of seeing destiny, how is this possible? Why it happens? None of those questions matter right now.
Go beyond the "end of the road" drawn in your destiny, break the chains that bind your story, and achieve what you have longed for most!
Objective:
-Don't tell ANYONE about this mission
-Survives adequately until after [$"%#& #$]
-Save [#$& #]
Optional Objectives:
-Directly obliterates or supports the obliteration of ["# #$]
Time limit:
-[ #$]
Reward:
-Regenerative potion capable of healing any physical wound and regenerating any lost limb.
-Random stat boost.
-?
Failed:
-Potential death, or incapacitation (?)
-If you survive, all the rewards granted by the chat will be removed.
-If you survive, your horn will be sealed for 2 years.
Note: Rewards will be issued as missions are completed.
Rem looked at the mission nervously, she had read it several times every day since it had been granted to her, but she still couldn't help but feel uneasy.
There were so many things she didn't understand, since the arrival and announcement that Emilia would be a candidate for queen, she knew that the attention of dangerous people could be directed at the mansion and its residents, but what was to come would be just as dangerous even with someone like Rosswal, the greatest magic user of Lugunica and Beatrice, a great spirit? What kind of fate awaited this mansion?
Rem shook her head, and her fists clenched, she forced herself to discard the small tremor that invaded her, she would not fall, she would fulfill this mission, not only because she wanted to continue living but for the most important person to her.
Because if it was to give Ram back the future that was taken from her that night, Rem was willing to face any horrible fate.
######
Third Person P.O.V
Sitting in his office and letting out a deep sigh, the lord of the Mathers family lands drummed his fingers on his desk as he was deep in thought, the events that would happen soon would be incredibly important, in his mind, he went over all the pieces placed on the board, their positions, their tasks, the information they had and the one they didn't.
Perhaps he was being too cautious, after all, he had been playing this game for four centuries, and during all this time, he had managed to have the advantage and avoid any setbacks that were too annoying.
But at the end of the day, he couldn't lie to himself, to everyone else yes, but not to himself, because the next few months would definitively define his destiny, deep, deep inside him, Roswall L. Mathers held on to a small hope, the hope that he would be the one to truly achieve his most beloved goal, but as soon as that small light threatened to flare up he suppressed it.
Because it didn't matter if he was the one who managed to reach the goal or if it was his "successor" who achieved it, as long as his most cherished wish came true, everything he had done, and everything that had happened until now would have been worth it.
With that in mind, he reached into his clown clothes before pulling out a book, placing it on the desk in front of him, and running his fingers over the cover, this was his most prized possession in the entire world, the one he was willing to burn down the entire kingdom for if necessary, whenever he felt uneasy, he would read it over and over again, because doing so had an almost therapeutic effect, so with that in mind, he opened the book again.
His eyes scanned every word, every stroke, every line that had been reread countless times over these four hundred years, all without finding the slightest difference, at least until…
"W-what?!"
In front of his eyes, as if the glyphs were written in fresh ink and someone rubbed their hand over them, every sentence, every word, and every last glyph, became distorted before rearranging themselves.
Roswaal would have screamed in panic, but his shock was so great that the man was completely unable to make a sound.
Roswaal L. Mathers could only stand there, mouth agape as an impossible event unfolded before his eyes.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME: GOODBYE TO MY NORMAL LIFE
Well, here it is, the last chapter of this volume, Ryuichi just arrived, and he has already pissed off the most dangerous person in this new world.
I remember reading a Re:Zero fanfic like Watching Him Die Again and Again (I think it was the continuation where the characters watched arc 4), and at one point, the cast wondered what was worse, being loved by the witch or being hated by her.
Well, we already know what the first option is like thanks to Subaru, so it's time to find out what the second option would be like, thank you very much for your brave sacrifice, Ryuichi, we will never forget your bravery.
Now seriously, as it was already made clear, Ryuichi is not replacing Subaru as the one Satella loves, I read a couple of stories where this happened and, in my opinion, that topic (and many others, like the characterization of certain characters) was handled in a foolish way.
Not to mention the fact that there are still a lot of unknowns regarding Subaru, Satella, Flugel, Al, what really happened 400 years ago, and many other things (I'm not up to date with the novel yet, but I know what happened and is happening in arc 9, and it's crazy)
So, taking all that into account, I'll wait a bit of time (I'll catch up on the novels, manga, and anime of the characters that are part of the chat) before publishing Volume 2.
Don't worry, there are still a couple of things left about this story that I'll publish before the break, like the Side Story or the What If Story (depending on which one wins the current vote) and some extra stories about some members of the chat.
Oh, by the way, as a curiosity, Ryuichi ended up in the world of the Ayamatsu route (remember that in chapter 12 there is a mention of what Ryuichi called "The Hero's Deviation"), so preventing Subaru from being summoned actually prevented some tragedies, although of course, others are still quite potential, after all this is the world of Re: Zero, this world always finds a way to kick you in the crotch because yolo, so let's not declare victory yet.
Thank you very much for reading this first Volume, it has been a very enriching experience for me, and I sincerely hope that for you, who took the trouble to read it, it has been at least a little entertaining.
I hope to see you in the Second Volume.
With that said, I'm off, see you in the extra stories next week.
kizeo: Thanks for commenting, I'm glad you find my characterization of the characters correct.
Doom King of Latveria: Well, the thing with time is a bit variable, simply put, to avoid problems, every time a chat member leaves their home world to go on a mission, the time in that world will pass differently (slower), as long as there is no other chat member in that world.
I do this because while there are situations where I don't want chat members to intervene, I also don't want them to be out of their world for so long that they would miss many important events.
That said, remember what I promised you in chapter 17, well, I kept my word, I hope that "the meat grinder" that Ryuichi just entered is to your liking, because the things that will come in the future are not going to be pleasant at all.
Rain: Thanks for commenting, and the answer to your question is in this chapter, the three things Ryuichi has are the weapons (swords and guns), phoenix tears, and his potions.
superpierce: Thanks for commenting, I hope you like this chapter.
Remember that if you like this story, you can follow it and leave a review, that will inspire me to write more.