One year ago, just before Kanaya entered the isekai.
Fujimiya was gasping, his body covered in wounds. Holding a gun in his left hand—his right arm had been destroyed—his head was soaked in blood.
He glared at the person in front of him with deep hatred.
That person only gave a small smile, watching Fujimiya's helplessness.
"Damn you, Author," Fujimiya growled.
The Author just laughed.
Fujimiya aimed the gun and fired his last bullet.
But it was useless—the Author blew it away as if it were dust.
Fujimiya was slashed straight in the chest—but suddenly, his body vanished.
"You're still weak, Fujimiya. Did you really think you could beat me? Fool," said the Author.
Elsewhere.
Fujimiya awoke from his coma.
"What the… ugh," he muttered, glancing at his right hand, which had regrown. He winced in pain as it adapted.
Yue came in carrying tea but was shocked to see Fujimiya conscious. Unintentionally, she dropped the tea and lunged forward, hugging him.
"Thank goodness you're alive, big brother," said Yue.
Fujimiya smiled gently and stroked Yue's hair.
"I'm home, Yue."
After that, Yue helped Fujimiya sit down and brewed new tea.
She brought the tea over and began a conversation.
"So, why did you recklessly fight the Author?"
Fujimiya looked at Yue and smiled faintly.
"The simple answer: he's not our Author."
Yue was confused.
"What do you mean? He's no one… but he is the almighty one who created all of us—this whole narrative."
"That may seem true, but it's not the reality."
Yue fell silent at Fujimiya's words.
"Why so quiet and confused? Aren't you supposed to be nearly all-knowing, unlike me who's just a genius," said Fujimiya, sipping his tea.
"I'm really confused, big bro."
Fujimiya just laughed, seeing Yue's confusion.
"Alright, I get it. The Author is different. He only creates everything from his thoughts. In truth, the Author is just a being from the Real World (the upper world) and isn't truly responsible for the narrative, even though he can change it at will. Because the Supreme Author is the stronger entity—he exists in the Narrative World (the structure of the story)."
"Yep, exactly. But sadly, that's all the info you have?" said Fujimiya while sipping his tea again.
"Damn it, I was tricked."
Fujimiya laughed.
"So what's your next plan?"
"It's a bit complicated, but I hope you'll go along with it. First, I've been researching our world's cosmology, which consists of:Isekai (fantasy and fictional world),Real World (non-fiction world),Infinite Real World (endless layers of Real World),and Narrative World (story structure).I've analyzed that someone from the Real World can have their soul taken and inserted into the Isekai—and boom, a being stronger than the Author will be born."
"Your plan is good but… yeah, kind of complicated."
"Actually, I've already altered the Isekai's laws and turned it into a game world known as Korikitsui, so it's easier to extract souls from the upper world to fight the Author."
Fujimiya had an idea.
"I happen to have a pretty broken blessing." He tossed his blessing system to Yue for inspection.
SYSTEM: Blessing unusedReactive Evolution and Adaptation.
"Defense-type blessing?" asked Yue.
"Yup," replied Fujimiya.
Yue closed her eyes and shut the system window.
"You really are a unique person, big bro Fujimiya…"
Fujimiya stood, put on his coat, and got ready.
"Let's do this," he said as he walked toward the door.
"Wait a minute!!"
Fujimiya turned to Yue.
"Yes?"
"After we defeat HWL and the AUTHOR… would you go on a date with me?"
Fujimiya left without saying a word.
BACK TO PRESENT TIME
"Ah-choo!" Stella sneezed.
Marie shivered—it was late and freezing cold.
"I just found out that fire users can still get cold," said Allen, teasing.
"Use your brain! You dragged us to the Heavenly Gate at 2 AM and it's snowing heavily," Stella retorted.
"It has to be like this. Otherwise, Leviathan will appear," said Marie.
"Leviathan?"
"The guardian beast of the heavenly gate," Allen answered.
Stella simply nodded.
Allen pointed at the portal and released an immense energy. Lightning struck everywhere, explosions erupted, and a portal was formed.
"Please, both of you, go inside."
"You're not coming, Len?" Stella asked.
Allen pointed upward. The others were shocked to see Leviathan awakening from its slumber.
"Let us help fight it," said Marie.
"Okay, but focus your buffs on Stella."
Just as Allen said that, Leviathan rammed its body at them. But with Allen's irrelevant speed, he managed to save them.
Without hesitation, Stella activated her Awakened Mode, and Marie buffed her from behind.
Leviathan spat out smaller monsters from its mouth.But Stella, already in Awakened form, breathed fire and burned them all.
Stella dashed at Leviathan and punched it hard.
Leviathan was blown all the way to a hill.
Then Leviathan shifted into its perfect form—a fish-human hybrid—and attacked Stella with water element powers.
Stella raised her arms and summoned a meteor.
Their attacks clashed, causing a massive explosion.
…
Stella awoke in Allen's arms.
"Oh, you're awake… You were amazing, Stella, defeating Leviathan," said Marie.
"Yeah, even though you technically died," said Allen.
"I died? Then how am I in your arms?"
Allen pinched Stella's nose.
"I just said 'live,' and you lived."
Stella's face instantly turned red.
"Put me down!"
"You still need to recover."
Her face grew even redder.
"By the way, where are we?"
Allen pointed ahead.
"Heavenly Realm," Allen answered.
TBC.