— — — — — —
After wrapping things up in World-4, where he'd already maxed out his "bond" progress, Veyron arrived in the next connected world—World-5.
As soon as he landed, he contacted the World Will, hoping to get the same kind of 'Fate Package' he'd received in the previous world. You know, save everyone some time and effort.
「Can't do it.」
"…Huh?"
「The world comes first. The will comes later. Not the other way around.」
「Even though I'm the World Will, I can't grant someone who's never left a single trace in this world the fate of a 'main character.' At most, I can give you something just below that level—and that's not enough to meet the requirements for building a bond.」
…There's a limit like that?
Veyron thought back to the two times the World Will had pumped him full of top-tier Fate Energy.
In the Treeborn World, he had descended as the savior of a land ravaged by the Evil God—seven million survivors saw him as their only hope. He was the literal messiah of that world, and World Will Larentia had clearly tied his presence to the world's future survival and growth.
In the My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (Oregairu) world, he'd shown up like a mysterious martial arts sage—giving Yukiko Yukinoshita and Shizuka Hiratsuka nine technique manuals before vanishing again. To others, like Kawasaki, Hikigaya, and Yuigahama, he'd given each a wish balloon that would come true after the world fusion event twenty-six years later.
…Yeah, now that he thought about it, it made sense.
"So, what you're saying is—I need to form a connection with someone who already has fate in this world, and it needs to be something deep enough to leave a lasting impact?"
「Exactly.」
"Alright. Just give me a sec."
Veyron nodded. Got it.
The very next second—
He swept the entire planet with his divine will.
"…This is the world?"
Just like how he'd located Chiba Municipal Soubu High School in World-4, here he quickly found two major landmarks: Suimei University of the Arts and Minegahara High School.
He raised an eyebrow.
The first one comes from the light novel The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, where the main character gets kicked out of the dorms for keeping a cat and ends up in Sakurasou—basically a halfway house for misfits. There, he meets the eccentric genius Mashiro Shiina and a bunch of other lovable weirdos.
The second comes from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, where the protagonist meets the invisible-to-the-world actress Mai Sakurajima, suffering from "Adolescence Syndrome." After helping her, he gets tangled up in a string of bizarre, emotionally charged, supernatural incidents—all caused by that same syndrome.
Both series were written by the same author, and Mashiro even makes a cameo in Rascal, so it wasn't strange their worlds were merged here.
But what caught his attention wasn't the setting—it was time.
Just like World-4, this world was also set in the early 1990s. Meaning: none of the main characters—Mashiro, Mai, or their male leads—had been born yet.
Instead, the person he needed to connect with… was a young girl. Still in middle school, by the looks of it.
And she was none other than—Bunny Girl Senpai Mai Sakurajima's future mother.
...
"Hey there, young lady. You look like you've got the whole world on your shoulders. Something bothering you?"
Veyron sat down on the swing opposite her—around five meters away—and gave her a friendly smile.
She looked calm, but clearly cautious.
"You see that direction? Less than a hundred meters from here—there's something. I'm guessing you already know what I'm talking about, don't you… sir?"
Taking a deep breath, she stood from her bench and raised a small device in her hand—a personal alarm.
"This thing right here? If I press the button, the police will be here in under three minutes."
Veyron arched an eyebrow. 'Is it just me, or is there something seriously off with how people think in this era? I swear, every time I talk to someone lately, their minds just leap straight into weird, shady territory.'
He casually rubbed his chin. "What makes you so sure the cops showing up in three minutes would even be able to protect you properly?"
The girl frowned slightly. Then, as if remembering something, her gaze drifted—briefly and not-so-subtly—toward Veyron's lower abdomen… a little below that, actually. Something she must've picked up from overhearing some rough girls on the subway once.
"…What the hell's wrong with you, kid?" Veyron's expression darkened. He snapped his fingers with an audible crack. "I wasn't talking about that, you little perv."
"I'm talking about time. It might not be as dependable as you think. Take another look at the park..."
"...?!"
The park, which had previously been filled with the rustle of leaves, the buzz of distant traffic, and the occasional passerby, suddenly went completely silent. Confused, the girl looked around—and what she saw made her question reality itself.
A bird that had been mid-flight was now frozen in place, wings fully spread, hovering motionless in midair—as if the very concept of time had stopped.
…Time?
"You figured it out, huh?" Veyron gestured to the pocket watch floating beside him—its ticking hand stuck in place, time frozen.
"…What are you?" she asked, her voice quivering just slightly.
"For now?" he shrugged. "Just a passerby, I guess."
He waved a hand toward the bench. "Why don't you sit down and tell me what's bothering you?"
Still trying to make sense of everything, the girl scanned a few more details—like the still-frozen bird—and finally accepted that this wasn't some hallucination. Quietly, she sat back down and began to talk.
Her story wasn't complicated.
Just a few days ago, on her usual route between school and home, she was stopped by a stylish woman—someone clearly used to the entertainment world.
Apparently, this woman was a talent scout. She said the girl had potential: great looks, presence, and the kind of aura that could charm the screen. If she joined their agency, they'd debut her in a morning drama series to build recognition, then slowly transition her into a full-fledged actress.
If all went well, she'd be one of Japan's hottest stars within twenty years—and maybe even make it onto the global stage someday.
"You tempted?" Veyron asked.
The girl shook her head. "Not really. I mean, it sounded amazing, sure. But I know how tiny the odds are when someone says, 'if everything goes smoothly.' People throw that phrase around like it means something—but it almost never works out like that. So no, I never seriously considered becoming a big star…"
But even if she didn't believe in that dream, it didn't mean she was completely unaffected.
Being chased by cameras wherever you go. Becoming the center of attention just by smiling or waving. Hearing crowds scream your name. Watching fans copy your every word and move…
For a young girl, that kind of fantasy… still had a certain pull.
.
.
.