The five boys, looking accustomed, sat down on the dusty sofa. Just as I thought, they come here often.
If that were all, it would have been fine. A secret hideout just for friends, how exciting.
The problem was that a Gaia Memory came out of their pockets.
"Should I contact them?"
I operated my watch-type phone, sending my location to all three of their terminals at once.
It's embarrassing, but the current me, who can only use a handgun and body acceleration, can't win against a Dopant.
For now, I have to focus on gathering information.
I strained my ears to listen to the boys' conversation.
"We did it!"
"Yeah! That guy peed his pants crying!"
"It's what he gets for making fun of us all the time. But more importantly, what's next?"
"B-But, there are a lot of Butei around, so isn't it dangerous if we get caught...?"
"What, are you scared? We won't lose to any Butei with this Memory."
Listening to their conversation, there's no doubt that these kids are the culprits.
And "what's next" means they plan to attack again.
"Right, this..."
"CHIMERA"
One of the boys took the Memory and stabbed it into his neck.
At that moment, the boy's body transformed into a monster that looked like a jumble of various animal parts.
I see, so it's the Chimera Dopant.
Its face was a lion motif, and its tail was a snake. It had large wings, and its right arm had sharp claws, while the left side was like a jaw.
All those testimonies were true. There weren't multiple creatures; they were all combined into a single Chimera.
It looks like it can also breathe fire.
As I was just figuring things out, the Chimera Dopant turned toward me.
"Someone's there. Come out."
Gah! I've been noticed?!
Right, it's because their senses became much sharper after becoming a Dopant.
Just now I realized I should have just shot and destroyed the Memory before it was used. I'm really not myself. To miss something so simple.
Well, since I've been found, I have no choice. I show myself.
"Oh? It's the Butei guy from before!"
"Ah, we've been found out. What are we gonna do?"
They didn't seem to panic even though they found me. Instead, they were smirking, showing off the Dopant's body.
"What do you think, mister? Don't you think it's cool?"
"No."
"Huh? Really? I can even fly and breathe fire, you know?"
"But you used that power to hurt your classmates, right?"
I tried to stall for time with small talk, but my one comment changed the look in their eyes.
"He's not a classmate.
"You're siding with them too, mister?"
I messed up. What a careless thing to say.
There's no way I can buy time now.
I continued to speak while preparing to run.
"It's one thing to have a fistfight, but what you did with that power makes you the bad guys."
"Oh yeah? Then you're gonna get a taste of some pain too."
The Chimera Dopant breathed fire without any warning.
I managed to use Time Alter to dodge and get outside.
The Chimera Dopant leisurely followed.
I tried shooting three times, but of course, it didn't work.
"Hahahaha!! What's wrong, mister!! That's not even a tickle!!"
I know that already.
The Chimera Dopant's arms have the power of heavy machinery. If it hits, that part of me would be torn off.
The fortunate thing was that the opponent was still an elementary schooler and was just swinging his arms wildly. If not, I would have been a pile of meat long ago.
I somehow managed to keep dodging the attacks, but I couldn't find an opening to escape.
Eventually, pain shot through my whole body, and my knees gave out.
I had used Time Alter too much.
"Dammit!!"
A snake as thick as a bodybuilder's arm slammed into my torso.
All the air was knocked out of my lungs, and I coughed.
"See ya, mister."
Is it going to breathe fire?
I tried to dodge, but I couldn't move.
The lion's mouth opened, and sparks of fire leaked out.
But the glowing fire never reached me.
Something that flew from the side hit the Chimera Dopant's face.
Taking that as a signal, Himeragi-chan and Asuna-san slashed the Dopant with their respective weapons.
A moment later, Kuro also appeared.
Was that attack just now Kuro's arrow?
"Are you okay, Onii-chan?"
"I'm fine. Thanks for the help."
"That's good... Now, just wait here. I'm going to grind that thing into minced meat."
Kuro, who had made her bow disappear and projected Kansho and Bakuya, had completely cold eyes.
S-She's scarier than the Dopant.
The Dopant, on the other hand, was cowering, holding the spot where it was hit.
"Ow ow ow ow ow!! You guys... hic"
Its angry voice vanished the moment it saw Kuro.
They're just elementary school kids, after all. They're trembling in fear from Kuro's serious murderous intent. Their legs are probably already like jelly.
Kuro approached silently.
"N-No...!! Stop! Help me!!"
"Stop? Help? After you hurt Onii-chan, what are you even saying now?"
Kuro thrust Kansho near the cowering Chimera Dopant's face.
"Killing is against the rules, so I'll go a little easy, but don't expect too much."
The Chimera Dopant stopped moving. Then, the Memory was ejected, and it returned to its original boy form.
"What?"
This was unexpected, and everyone, including Kuro, let out a surprised voice.
"Huh? Shou-kun, this is...?"
"This is the truth. The truth of this case."
I finally got up, the pain in my body starting to recede, and looked at the abandoned house where the other four were probably still inside.
--------
"They told me everything."
Jack-san, who had been questioning the five boys, entered the room. This was the same room where I had first heard the details of the request.
This is what Jack-san heard.
The five of them were leading normal school lives until recently. They had friends, and their grades were decent.
But one day, for some reason, a rumor spread in the classroom that the five of them were orphaned child errors.
From there, it's easy to guess what happened next.
Having no parents became a source of teasing. And it escalated into bullying.
Then one day, they received a Memory from a man they had never seen before.
"What about the man?"
"Unfortunately, they don't remember him."
"I see... I'm sorry, please continue."
From that day on, they started playing with the Memories in their secret hideout, that abandoned house.
They became obsessed with the Memories that gave them superhuman powers. Sometimes they went too far and were seen by other people, which led to the monster sightings.
The reason the five of them were at the locations where the monsters appeared was because they were always together when they played with the Memories.
Then one day, one of them suggested something.
Why don't we use this power to get revenge on the guys who bullied us?
The rest is as the case unfolded; they seriously injured a classmate and were caught by us just as they were planning their next move.
After hearing the whole story, Jack-san and I fell silent.
After a few minutes of silence, Jack-san spoke. It wasn't in his usual somewhat playful tone, but in a voice filled with deep sadness.
"...Anyway, the request is complete. Where would you like the reward sent?"
"Ah, to this account, please."
"Understood. Thank you for your work this time."
And so, the case came to an end with a bitter taste.
At least, on the surface.
--------
The next day, I was lying on my bed, deep in thought.
All five boys were transferred to different schools and put on probation.
You might think that's a light punishment, but many Butei are hot-headed, and many got into violent incidents as children.
Furthermore, there's a tradition in Butei to shoot back if you get shot, so bloody fights are not uncommon.
On top of that, the contract you sign to come to this island includes a clause that says "life cannot be guaranteed," so parents on the outside can't sue in court.
Therefore, this incident would likely be forgotten quickly.
If Gaia Memories weren't involved.
I don't know who gave them the Gaia Memories, but Gaia Memories are like drugs. Once you use one, you get addiction symptoms, like becoming violent or being consumed by the Dopant's power.
I don't think someone who would give a Gaia Memory to a kid that age has a sound sense of morality.
They're definitely going to try to approach them again to give them more.
All I can do is,
"Catch them in the act of trying to hand over a Gaia Memory."
I would love to hand this information over to a major Butei group, but I can't explain how I know this.
I'll consult with everyone tonight.
Just as I decided that, there was a knock on the door.
It was Himeragi-chan.
"What's wrong?"
"I have something to talk to you about, Senpai. Kuro-san and Asuna-san are out shopping, so don't worry."
I don't know what I'm supposed to be not worried about, but okay, I won't worry.
"To be blunt, is your worry about your relationship with us?"
I was surprised. This isn't just a good guess.
"Yes, you're right."
I admitted it honestly. If I tried to play dumb, the conversation wouldn't go anywhere.
When I came to this world, I was ecstatic, thinking I could flirt with characters from light novels.
I don't know about Himeragi-chan, but Kuro snuggles into my futon every morning, and Asuna-san has been close to me many times.
I really thought it was a dream world.
But as I spent time here, I started to wonder if this life would really continue.
It goes without saying that a harem or polygamy is not generally accepted in society.
The thought of whether it was okay to accept the heroines' feelings like this began to cross my mind after a while, as I cooled down.
Some people might say, "What's the problem now that you've gone this far?" but it's a bigger problem to continue a relationship out of inertia.
What I was doing was just a temporary fantasy. But this is reality, and if it's going to continue, there's a big problem.
Even if I swear to love everyone in a harem, can I really love everyone equally? Or will I truly fall in love with just one person?
It's natural for people's feelings to change.
No matter how much I swear to make everyone happy, there's no guarantee I can stick to that when it comes to feelings of love. If there were, cheating wouldn't exist.
You can't bear the weight of another person's life that easily.
"I can't honestly accept everyone's feelings."
"Is it because we are characters from a work of fiction?"
"Huh?"
I froze at Himeragi-chan's words.
"Himeragi-chan, that's..."
"All the girls who are summoned know. We know we're fictional characters."
Is that so? I thought they were born as a blank slate, with only feelings and knowledge about me.
"In that world, we had our own lives... I guess that's a bit strange to say? Anyway, we had friends, parents, and maybe even lovers, right? And now you're confused because we're showing affection towards you, right?"
"...You're right."
"Then you don't have to worry about that."
At her words, I shouted, something I usually wouldn't do.
"I can't! Those feelings were originally for someone other than me--"
"We don't know who that person you're talking about is, Senpai. The person we like now is you."
Himeragi-chan declared this, looking straight at me.
"No, but..."
"I like you, Senpai. I started liking you after I came here. Is that still not okay?"
W-Wait?
"Himeragi-chan, you like me?"
"Yes."
When Himeragi-chan first met the main character, she didn't have any romantic feelings for him.
For her to say she likes me now means...
"So, please accept Kuro-san and Asuna-san's feelings, even if it's just a little at a time. Don't look away from them. It's cruel to think you have no chance from the start when you haven't done anything."
"B-But that's weird. If you like me, why are you encouraging the others...?"
"It's fine for me. The other two also agreed."
It's a declaration of a recognized harem! It's too appealing!
"O-Okay! Then I'll cherish the three of you and no one else--"
"That's not okay either."
Why not?! That's just strange!
"There are so many girls waiting to be called by you, Senpai! What about their feelings?"
"I don't know if they'll accept a harem or not!?"
We might even have a bloody fight on our hands.
"That's fine. After all, we're all comrades who love you, Senpai!!"
What unfounded confidence. You really are a clumsy Himeragi-chan.
"S-o, do you understand now?"
Himeragi-chan leaned in closer. C-Close. It's weird that I'm getting embarrassed now, even though I've never cared about things like this, just because she said she likes me.
"I-I get it! From now on, I'll take proper responsibility for the affection directed towards me! Is that good enough!?"
"Yes!"
Himeragi-chan, with a huge smile, sat right next to me. The bed springs squeaked.
"...Is there something else?"
"You don't get it?"
"Because you want to be with someone you like?"
"Close."
Close?
This is so embarrassing. In two ways.
Oh, come on, stop putting your head on my shoulder.
"Senpai, don't you want to...?"
"W-Want what?"
"Something lewd."
Such an unexpected line. Is this an impostor?
I was thinking such silly things and moved my head to see her face, which was resting on my shoulder.
And my mind went completely blank.
Himeragi-chan had her eyes closed and was looking at me, her head still on my shoulder.
There's no other way to interpret this than being asked for...
"Hime... Yukina."
"...Yes."
With her eyes still closed, Yukina answered softly. My gaze was fixed on her small lips.
"Here I go."
I slowly brought my lips closer to hers--
--------
Asuna and Kuro finished their shopping and were on their way home.
Both of their hands were full of shopping bags.
"Don't you think Onii-chan has been avoiding us lately?"
"Yeah, I think so too."
"It's because Asuna bans so many things."
"Hmm... is that so?"
"I'm sure it is. He's a boy of that age. A girl who won't let him do it isn't a girl."
"Geez! Kuro-chan, you always say things like that!"
Kuro told her this cheerfully, swinging her shopping bags. Asuna, looking like a guardian, tried to caution Kuro, but she was no match for Kuro when it came to these topics.
"Don't tell me you don't think about Onii-chan every night, right? When you imagine his hard thing going into your place--"
"N-No, I'm not thinking about that at all!!"
Asuna was clearly flustered. Kuro muttered "So predictable" so that Asuna couldn't hear.
They both knew the real reason.
And they were convinced that only Yukina could do something about it now. That's why they left Shou and Yukina alone.
"Ah, I bet Yukina and Onii-chan are right now... haaaaah..."
"Yeah, I guess they're just talking."
Kuro looked bored. It was because she had been trying to tease Asuna, who was imagining lewd things, but her target had gotten away.
Then, a certain person came into the corner of their eyes.
One was the boy who had become the Dopant in the monster incident.
The other was an adult in a suit.
Asuna and Kuro silently nodded to each other and began to follow them.
The two walked swiftly and arrived at an empty alley.
The man in the suit took something out of his pocket.
The two of them gasped. It was a Gaia Memory.
"Don't move!!"
The two of them immediately armed themselves.
"Throw away that Memory."
The boy didn't respond to Asuna's warning. He just stood there silently.
"You're still going to use something like that?"
"There's still something I have to do... Don't get in my way."
The boy mumbled, not flinching from Kuro's intimidation.
"I'm disgusted. Do you still want to hurt someone?"
"Yeah, especially you. I've been wanting to get back at you."
"CHIMERA"
The boy thrust the Memory into the connector.
He transformed into a Dopant, but it was completely different from a day ago.
It was a giant body that walked on four legs instead of two. Its body kept swelling, destroying the walls of the buildings on both sides of the narrow alley.
Furthermore, its body, which incorporated a lot of different animals, was a Chimera straight out of a storybook.
"Splendid...! To grow this much in a child this age! As I thought, a strong emotion is essential for the growth of the connector... hm?"
The Chimera Dopant, now completely berserk, started rampaging wildly.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"
"Hmm, it's dangerous to stay here any longer..."
Saying that, the man disappeared into the back of the alley.
The Chimera Dopant was in the way, so they couldn't chase the man.
"Asuna, contact Onii-chan."
"Okay!"
Kuro, who had projected Kansho and Bakuya, understood that her body was in a dangerous state.
(My magical power might not last...)
Even so, she had to do it.
Kuro and Asuna leaped towards the Chimera Dopant.
--------------------------------------------
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