The weather was great. As soon as Raize stepped outside, he took a deep breath. Because he had needed to recuperate from his injuries earlier, he had to rest at home for several days after being discharged from the hospital. In fact, his physical injuries had already healed long ago—he had just been playing games nonstop to increase his strength.
Raize looked at the surrounding streets with a trace of nostalgia and sorrow. In the past, after his mother finished making breakfast, he would always walk this road together with his younger sister.
Now, only he was left.
Honk! Honk!!
"Raize, why are you standing there spacing out? Aren't you healed yet!?"
Just as Raize stopped and gently reminisced about the past, the sound of a car horn and a familiar shout from behind shattered the brief moment of silence.
Raize slowly turned his head, quickly reining in the sadness and nostalgia in his eyes, returning to his usual cold indifference. He wasn't unhappy about being interrupted—after all, it was someone he knew well calling out to him.
A familiar red Aston Martin sports car entered his field of vision. With its sleek, beautiful lines, it was a classic and luxurious model.
The only thing that didn't quite match the car's refined aura was the rich woman driving it with the window down—she looked more like a foul-mouthed female driver.
"Get in. I'll give you a ride. I really don't know how you can leave at this time and still not be late."
With a cigarette in her mouth, she spoke to Raize like a female delinquent, her words making it clear that the two shared a close relationship.
In fact, Raize's mother had connections with Hiratsuka Shizuka. When Raize was young, she had even visited his home, so she was naturally familiar with him.
As for how Raize managed not to be late?
Raize—Sonic—understand?
The trip to school took just a few seconds of running.
The red sports car pulled up beside Raize. Without any hesitation, he opened the door and sat in the passenger seat next to Hiratsuka. It seemed that today, he wouldn't be running to school himself.
"Shizuka, thank you for taking care of me these past few days..."
The car started moving. With his cold, handsome expression, Raize glanced at Hiratsuka's fair, beautiful face. After he got in, she extinguished the unfinished cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray. With a sincere tone, he thanked her.
He was grateful for her care during these days, and for how attentively she looked after him after his discharge.
"Why are you being polite with me? Chisa and your dad are both gone—just treat me as your older sister..."
Hiratsuka drove with one hand and reached over with the other, ruffling Raize's hair like she was petting a dog, completely messing it up. Her bold and carefree manner only made people think of her as a tomboy.
With an expressionless face, Raize fixed his hair back to normal. Sure enough, it was perfectly normal that Hiratsuka couldn't find a partner.
When Raize got along with her, he treated her like a good bro—no distance at all.
An older sister? With that boss-like demeanor, how was he supposed to treat her as one?
Hiratsuka seemed to sense something. She cast a suspicious glance at the handsome young man beside her, but seeing his expressionless face, she didn't pursue it and casually said, "You skipped classes for so long. Do you want me to tutor you a bit? Don't fall behind."
"Wait until I drop from first place in the grade before you bring up tutoring."
Even before awakening his past-life memories, Raize had been very smart. His father had privately taught him according to Chinese's curriculum, saying that the education here in Japan was too relaxed and that Chinese's standards were better.
His younger sister didn't need this treatment, though. That had given Raize quite a bit of pent-up frustration. When his sister went out to play, he could only sit there being tutored by his stern-faced dad—his academic pressure was honestly overwhelming.
As a result, Raize's grades had always firmly crushed those so-called top students at school.
Now that he had awakened his past-life memories, he certainly hadn't returned any of his school knowledge to the teachers. Naturally, he wasn't worried about his grades slipping.
"True enough. Your strict dad must have tutored you a lot behind the scenes..."
Hiratsuka was clearly aware of how strict Raize's father had been. Raize's excellence wasn't just due to talent—effort played a huge role as well.
"We're at the school. Shizuka, just stop here—don't drive any further. I'll get off here."
If a student rode into school with a teacher, gossip-loving types would definitely get excited. Raize didn't care, but he had to think about Hiratsuka's reputation.
She nodded as well, pulling the red sports car over to the roadside. Raize opened the door and got out. After silently watching the car drive away, he shook his head and headed toward the school.
Carrying his bag, Raize walked toward the campus. At this moment, a male student wearing the same school uniform as Raize, with blond hair and rather fierce blue eyes, came up beside him.
"Raize, how's your injury recovery?"
Shirogane Miyuki greeted Raize familiarly and asked about his condition.
The two of them were good friends, and Raize was naturally familiar with this close companion.
"My body's fine now. Thanks for your concern."
Raize smiled kindly at Shirogane, indicating that he was all right. The two chatted as they walked into Sobu High School together.
Sobu High was also a well-regarded school. With Raize's and Shirogane's outstanding grades, they could have gone to the even better Shuchi'in Academy. However, Raize disliked places filled with the children of financial conglomerates and politicians.
Was that a place to study? No—that was a place to network.
It was a school attended by nothing but well-connected kids. Even if an ordinary person with exceptional grades managed to get in, they'd still be treated as an outsider and looked down upon.
In that chaotic Shuchi'in Academy, you could randomly pick anyone and they'd be the descendant of some important figure. Raize had no interest in that rich people's networking hub.
Before awakening his memories, he had no interest. After awakening them, he still wouldn't spare it a second glance. After all, this world wasn't some simple youth slice-of-life setting.
As long as the learning environment satisfied him, that was enough. Becoming stronger was his most important goal.
As for his friend Shirogane, he had originally wanted to enter Shuchi'in Academy because his younger sister, Kei—three years younger than him—was studying in the middle school division there and served as the student council treasurer.
If he went there as well, he could take care of his sister. But for reasons Raize never quite understood, this guy ended up choosing the same high school as him.
Raize had a feeling that his good friend had some unspeakable difficulties that prevented him from going to Shuchi'in Academy, but he hadn't pressed the issue back then.
Based on his past-life memories, Shirogane would meet the girl he loved at Shuchi'in Academy, and the two would engage in intense battles of wits in their relationship.
With those memories, Raize honestly wasn't optimistic about Shirogane and Kaguya's relationship. The gap in their family backgrounds was simply too vast.
If Shirogane didn't encounter some extraordinary opportunity, he could spend his entire life and still never catch up to the level of Kaguya's background.
Raize was genuinely worried about this friend's uncertain future. Truly trustworthy friends like him were rare.
When something happened to Raize's family, Shirogane and his sister Kei were the first to visit him. His parents' and sister's funeral arrangements were also handled with the help of Shirogane's father.
---
Before Raize's accident
Hospital ward. After several days of unconsciousness, Raize lay on the bed, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling.
[ My host, you finally woke up! It's great that you didn't die! Wuwu… I finally awakened, and then you were on the brink of death again—it scared me to death! ]
The text icons before his eyes and the wailing female voice caused a slight ripple in Raize's dead gaze. With a trace of hope in his heart, he spoke hoarsely:
"What kind of existence are you, and what do you do?"
He knew he had transmigrated, and that the ghoul attack had caused him to awaken his past-life memories—but he felt no joy at all, even knowing this was a two-dimensional world.
There was no time to think about anything else. A twisted rage and hatred burned continuously within him.
If awakening those memories came at the cost of his family's tragic deaths, he would rather not have awakened them at all!
He knew he might have obtained some kind of system, or that his transmigration itself was caused by it.
Right now, all he wanted to know was whether it had the power to let him slaughter those damned ghouls—whether it could help him take revenge, even if it meant giving up everything he had, even his soul.
His loving parents and his mischievous, clingy younger sister—all of them were gone because of those bastard ghouls, leaving his family shattered!!
Both Mark of his past life and Raize of this life were people with extremely strong vengeful instincts. They never showed mercy to their enemies.
[ ...Just as you think, I was the one who brought you to this world. I am a damaged system, fused with your soul. If you die, I'll be finished too. ]
[ Your near-death state caused me to awaken, and it also awakened your past-life memories... ]
"Get to the point. I don't hate or blame you. What I want to do right now—you're one with me, so you should know what I desire most."
Raize didn't open his mouth. Understanding the system came quickly to him—thinking was enough. He was curious about the system, but the flames of revenge burned even more fiercely, urging him to act.
Though he had transmigrated, he had lived two lives, and in both, he deeply cherished his family. In his previous life, he had died unexpectedly without being able to repay his parents' kindness—something he deeply regretted. Now, in this life, his memories were etched with the brutal deaths of his family.
If he had the power, he would have already gone out to hunt ghouls—killing every single one he encountered.
[ Umm… I'm a game system. My function is... ]
After a long explanation, Raize finally understood everything.
This so-called game system had carried his soul to this world when he died and was about to dissipate. Unfortunately, because the system was damaged and incomplete, it hadn't allowed him to bring over any of his memories.
It had only been forced to activate when he was on the verge of death. As mentioned before, the system and he were one—if he was finished, it wouldn't be able to continue existing either.
Under normal circumstances, it would probably have awakened sometime next year. Who could have known that plans couldn't keep up with sudden accidents?
This world was a composite two-dimensional world, containing both everyday life and hidden supernatural beings such as gods and demons.
In Raize's memories of the people he had interacted with, judging from his past-life memories, there were already several characters who came from two-dimensional anime worlds.
As for the so-called game system that had introduced itself to him, as the name implied, it meant that by playing games he could gain power and improve his strength.
His body would synchronize with the games he played. The pain felt by game characters when injured would be fed back to him, and clearing games would grant random rewards.
It sounded pretty good, but…
"But you're damaged, which means your functions really aren't complete, right? Some features are missing."
Raize's eyes showed no emotional fluctuation. Lying on the hospital bed, he let out a helpless sigh. His opening situation was miserable, and the system was damaged as well—his mood rose and fell like a roller coaster.
As for how the system became damaged?
He didn't know whether it was bragging or not, but apparently this thing had once data-fied an entire multiverse world into a game, becoming a kind of world-level ruling consciousness similar to the Multiverse Will. In that world, people could fight monsters and level up just like in online-game novels. Unfortunately, this idiot system was damaged by a group of people from the very world it controlled—people who shouted about "defying the heavens."
To this day, the system still couldn't figure it out.
I just turned the world into game data, peacefully acted like a big corporate boss, didn't do anything too evil like slaughtering or enslaving all living beings. What did I ever owe you for you to rebel against me!?
I'm not someone evil!
Whenever this topic came up, the system's tone was filled with grief, resentment, and a huge sense of injustice.
"A damaged system and a crippled me—we're actually quite a good match."
After quickly adjusting the disappointment in his heart, Raize jokingly teased the system inside his body in a relatively optimistic manner.
Their situations were similar. Both were currently crippled. He could recover as long as he rested properly, but how was the system supposed to recover?
That's right—this system was temporarily damaged just like him. Raize could recover through recuperation, but the system couldn't fix itself that way.
[ Wuu… you can't say I'm completely damaged. Some of my functions are still quite useful to you, like the spatial inventory, your personal status panel, and traveling between worlds. Of course! On the gaming side, some mini-games and single-player games can still help you. ]
"Mm. Then be good, okay? As a system, don't you have some kind of newbie gift pack for me?"
Hearing the system boast in his head about how capable and awesome it still was, Raize calmly stated a harsh truth.
No way—don't tell me you're actually a system without a newbie gift pack? It wasn't that he was greedy; that was just the standard first impression of systems.
No newbie gift and you still want to survive in the system business?
If you don't have it, It's fine.
Being embarrassed is normal.
[ Uh… ahaha… you know I'm temporarily damaged, right? Newbie gifts and stuff… I… wuwuwu, stop dissing me in your heart! I know I'm a failure, okay!? I'm sorry!!! ]
The system's voice sounded completely broken, as if its mental defenses had collapsed. Raize felt nothing at all. How was this goofy thing's psychological resilience so bad?
How could something like this even be a system? Who made it or released it—just to embarrass themselves?
"I think you must be one of those shameful systems. Can I return you? How about giving me an invincible, ultra-awesome Crack Addict series system instead?"
"I want to get high as fuck."
In response to the system's self-deprecating, tear-jerking monologue, Raize mercilessly stabbed right at its heart and even expressed his desire for a refund.
Of course, this was just him joking and teasing the system. Taking it seriously would mean losing.
The system, however, sounded like it was about to give up on life.
[ I'm not a shameful system!! If I'd had a good host helping me back then, I wouldn't have ended up like this. I can still help you. On the gaming side, you can clear mini-games to gain strength and abilities—that's something I can definitely do. ]
[ As for a newbie gift… I really don't have anything amazing, but my database still records one technique, a Great Restoration Pill, and a daily-type talent skill card. The Great Restoration Pill can fix your physical condition and give you some basic self-protection for now. But the technique… I'm a bit reluctant to give it to you. ]
Hearing this, Raize frowned slightly. There was no negative emotion—just curiosity about the hidden meaning in the system's words, so he calmly asked why.
[ Emmm… this technique is called Eightfold Thunder Annihilation. It absorbs the power of heaven and earth's lightning to train the body. It's a forbidden technique that damages the body and isn't suitable for humans. Practicing it shortens your lifespan. If you die young, I'm finished too. So let's be safe, okay? You'll get your revenge sooner or later. ]
Safe?
Rationally, he knew being cautious was the right choice. There was no need to ruin everything because of momentary emotion.
But he wanted to take revenge with his own hands!!!!
Who knew if the ghouls who killed his family would be taken out by other investigators someday? If that happened, who the hell would he take revenge on!?
Right now, Raize felt just like Sasuke from Naruto. Back then, audiences criticized Sasuke for being reckless and obsessed with power.
But if your family gets slaughtered, who can really endure it? Not having a twisted mind afterward would be the strange thing!!
Raize certainly couldn't endure it. If he couldn't personally take revenge, the twisted emotions in his heart would never disappear.
He had to use the blood of those disgusting ghouls to cool his burning fury!
Eightfold Thunder Annihilation—he had heard of it. It was a lightning-attribute technique from a high-level martial world, extremely domineering and effective.
But such a violent lightning technique was not suitable for humans. How easy did they think it was to control lightning?
If humans practiced Eightfold Thunder Annihilation, the violent lightning force would continuously cause internal injuries. The deeper the practice, the shorter the lifespan.
For humans, it was a technique that traded life for power.
This lightning art had two core parts, upper and lower, divided into Heaven and Earth.
Eightfold Thunder Annihilation represented Heaven.
Eightfold Thunder Desolation Judgment represented Earth.
The lower part, Eightfold Thunder Desolation Judgment, was an advanced stage that could utilize natural forces to reduce internal damage from lightning.
But even with reduced damage, the injuries accumulated during earlier practice of Eightfold Thunder Annihilation would never disappear—only slow down.
It wasn't a true cure for the technique's flaw.
Raize knew these drawbacks well, yet he wasn't afraid.
The moment he thought of those ghouls murdering and mercilessly devouring his family, the twisted rage in his heart surged violently.
Damn it—what kind of man with balls could tolerate this!?
Short lifespan? If he couldn't get revenge, what right did he have to keep living in this world!?
"…System, feel the emotions in my heart that refuse to calm down. Do you really think I can be cautious right now?"
Images of his family and sister's familiar faces flashed through his mind, followed by scenes so horrific he could never forget. Even with his current mature and resilient mindset, Raize couldn't stop tears from flowing.
In his lifeless blue eyes flickered clear sorrow and rage.
That wasn't weakness—it was grief from losing a huge, irreplaceable part of his heart.
Even knowing he had transmigrated, his family from this second life—those who had been with him since childhood—were just gone. It felt as if his parents' and sister's screams still echoed in his ears. The anger in his heart refused to fade.
"You're right about being cautious, system, but I'm asking you to transmit the technique to me. I thought I could endure it, but I overestimated myself…"
He was just an ordinary person. In his previous life, he had grown up under a red flag like any normal citizen. Through his own efforts, his family situation improved, yet he died before he could properly repay his parents.
He was an only child. Leaving his parents behind like that—making them suffer the pain of sending off their own child—how devastated must they have been?
Now he had a second life, and just after awakening his memories, his family was gone again. Raize's adult heart completely collapsed. Not breaking down entirely was already a miracle.
Just as he said—he thought he could endure it, but he had overestimated himself.
The system fell silent. She wasn't lying—being fused as one, how could she not feel Raize's emotions?
Raize was determined and obsessively persistent, the kind of person who would never turn back until he hit a wall. His heart right now was like an overinflated balloon. Asking him to calm down was simply unrealistic.
If you haven't suffered his pain, you might not do any better.
[ I can give you the technique. I can also help you get revenge. Although I'm badly damaged right now, I'm not beyond repair. As long as you agree to give me one thing, I can recover a bit. ]
The system's voice became calm. Raize seemed to hear her sigh. What she said next made his heart tighten.
"What is it? You want my life or my soul? I'll give you both."
Raize's gaze turned resolute. He stared coldly at the ceiling, as if looking beyond it.
Having made up his mind, he no longer cared about anything.
[ I'm not a devil. Your soul wouldn't help me anyway. I want the divine artifact or what this world called sacred gear inside your body. If I devour it, I can repair some of my functions. ]
A sacred gear!?
There was a sacred gear inside him!?
Shock flashed through Raize's eyes. He hadn't expected that besides the system, he also carried a sacred gear.
After the system explained, he finally understood what a so-called sacred gear was.
Sacred gear were out-of-spec powers created by the Biblical God and were lodged within specific humans. They fed on their owner's emotions and thoughts, constantly evolving and growing stronger.
The highest-ranked sacred gears were Longinus, capable of killing gods and Maou. These possessed multiple abilities.
According to scripture, the Biblical God left them in the mortal world as a form of human power. They could be seen as weapons for spreading faith by killing gods of other mythologies, or as defensive tools to protect believers from other forces, or perhaps they were created purely by accident. In any case, there was no definitive conclusion—even the heavens themselves had no clear answer.
"Looks like this world is pretty dangerous…"
Raize felt a growing sense of urgency. Knowing he lived in a world filled with gods, devils, and strange beings, who knew when he might run into something terrifying.
He trusted no one. In High School DxD, a work he both found hype and shamelessly fan-service-heavy, there were plenty of deadly situations—and this world wasn't limited to just that setting.
He didn't trust gods, devils, or angels. To them, humans were always equivalent to ants.
Angels were relatively decent—an orderly, good-aligned faction. But arrogant gods and devils viewed humans as inferior lifeforms.
Raize didn't feel resentment about that. Weakness invited oppression—it was natural to be looked down upon.
The sacred gear inside him, according to the system, wasn't particularly powerful yet. It couldn't threaten gods or Maou like a Longinus.
But its potential was high. Sacred gear evolved by feeding on their owner's thoughts and emotions.
The sacred gear inside him, like the Longinus-class sacred gear "Annihilation Marker," belonged to the creation-type category. Its name was Fantasy Creation.
By using imagination to create what one envisioned—materializing firm mental images into reality from nothing. However, like projection magic, these creations were only temporary.
The potential was indeed high. But potential was potential—power was power.
Right now, Raize was just an ordinary human. He wasn't a reincarnated devil, not from an exorcist clan, had no powerful bloodline, and wasn't a hero's descendant.
He wasn't being self-deprecating—just realistic. With no resources, how could he develop a sacred gear?
Moreover, being an gear holder was both a blessing and a curse. Certain existences specifically targeted sacred gear holders.
See Issei's early death for details. Clearly, gods and devils had ways to detect sacred gears.
While a sacred gear could grant Raize power and aid, in the long run it was also a death sentence that attracted danger. He had nothing to lose now, but before getting revenge, he didn't want to be targeted by beings he couldn't fight.
Compared to the help a sacred gear could offer, the system was the better long-term choice.
Even if this system was a bit unreliable.
"Devour the sacred gear, system…"
Raize chose to hand over the sacred gear within him to the system as his initial investment.
[ Don't worry! I definitely won't let you down—I'm starting now!! ]
The system made its promise to Raize. In a daze, Raize seemed to see a girl confidently patting her flat chest as she assured him, then turning around as if it were mealtime and starting to eat.
[ Hmm, this god who specializes in creating Sacred Gears isn't bad at all. It can provide me with quite a bit of energy… ]
In a haze, Raize felt as if something was missing from his soul, a vague sense that something had been stripped away from within.
Then, two light screens appeared before his eyes—one on the left, one on the right.
The images displayed made the corner of Raize's mouth twitch. They were none other than the starting screens of Plants vs. Zombies and a farming game developed by those Antarctic freaks.
The system said that one would serve as the main game, while the other was a casual game. As she gradually repaired herself, more interface functions would be unlocked.
"You're making me grow plants?"
Raize complained to the system with slight exasperation, then, out of boredom, directly opened Plants vs. Zombies.
There was no need for a keyboard or mouse. He could play entirely with his mind. After all, Plants vs. Zombies wasn't a particularly difficult game to operate.
[You'll understand once you play. This is the most suitable game for your current condition. You have to clear it before you can play the next game. Also, don't forget that you're synchronized with the character. Although damage in these mini-games won't affect your physical body, you'll still personally experience the sensation of death.]
In Plants vs. Zombies, if the player fails, what happens to the him—the neighbor of Crazy Dave?
His brain gets eaten by zombies…
Raize immediately focused and started playing seriously. The game's opening screen featured a familiar, cute art style. The background was a small town—on the left, blue skies and white clouds under clear weather; on the right, an eerie, chilling atmosphere.
A sense of tension surfaced in Raize's heart. In a daze, he felt as though he had become a foreigner—a bearded, somewhat sloppy fat man.
So this was what synchronization felt like…
After planting Sunflowers and collecting the sunlight they produced and dropped, he began planting the Peashooters.
Time passed second by second.
[ Ding, congratulations on clearing the level. You have obtained 100 Sunlight for this stage. It has been placed in your backpack…. ]
After clearing a level, Raize took a moment to check. Sure enough, his backpack contained 100 small Sunlight orbs, radiating a warm glow.
[ If you withdraw the Sunlight and absorb it into your body, it will accelerate the healing of your injuries. ]
The system reminded him. Raize understood immediately and withdrew two Sunlight orbs that looked like spheres of light. This warm, pure sunlight was nothing like the cartoonish visuals of the game.
Using his relatively intact right hand, Raize pressed the two Sunlight orbs into his body. A warm current instantly spread throughout him.
Confirming that it wasn't an illusion, Raize felt the weakness and stiffness in his body ease considerably. Even his mental state began to improve.
The stitched wounds on his body started to itch slightly.
Raize took a deep breath and did not immediately absorb all the Sunlight. Although that would accelerate his recovery, it would be far too conspicuous.
For now, it was better to focus on playing the game.
Fortunately, Raize had been a game enthusiast in his previous life. This childhood game was something he naturally remembered well. In adventure mode—daytime lawn, nighttime lawn, daytime pool, nighttime pool, and finally the rooftop.
After carefully spending an hour, Raize cleared the game. The tower defense system had an acceleration feature enabled by the system; otherwise, it would have been impossible to clear it so quickly.
He obtained many rare plant samples and seeds, and accumulated several thousand units of Sunlight.
Raize planted the seeds in his farm and waited for them to mature.
---
Since Raize needed rest and had no friends who could visit him for the time being, he held onto his desire for revenge and continued playing the remaining game modes of Plants vs. Zombies with focus.
After some time passed, once his condition had clearly improved, three familiar people came to visit him on the day he finished the puzzle mode.
One had an unmistakably villainous Dio-like voice. The other two were a pair of siblings—a brother with blond hair, blue eyes, and a somewhat fierce gaze, and a sister whose eyes closely resembled her brother's.
They were Raize's good friends from his memories: Shirogane and Kei. Raize's father and the Shirogane siblings' father were also close friends.
The relationship between the two families—and their children—had always been very good.
Raize's father owned his own game company, and his mother was a popular manga artist, so their family was unexpectedly well-off.
Compared to the relatively poor Shirogane family, Raize's father had always been considerate of Shirogane Ryo's dignity. Rather than offering direct financial aid, he helped him find a good job, easing the family's financial difficulties.
Kei and Raize's younger sister were close friends as well. When something happened to Raize's family, she rushed to the hospital immediately, though at the time Raize was still resting.
Raize's father's relatives were far away on China, and his mother only had friends in Japan. Her family had also disappeared due to ghouls.
This was one of the reasons Raize hated ghouls so deeply. His mother's family had suffered misfortune because of them as well. He had heard about it from his father since childhood, so Raize harbored absolute disgust toward ghouls.
"Yo~ Uncle even brought Miyuki and Kei along…"
Raize forced a smile onto his face, trying to appear natural. Letting his friends see him in such a miserable and pathetic state made him feel uncomfortable.
Shirogane Ryo sat beside the hospital bed, with the siblings standing behind him, their expressions complicated, unsure how to speak. Ryo looked proper and composed. There was no pity in his eyes as he looked at Raize; he simply spoke:
"If it's forced, then don't smile. You look terrible when you do."
Indeed, in the eyes of the Shirogane family, Raize's smile was far too forced—there was no warmth in his eyes, only dead silence. It was a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Ryo handed Raize a peeled apple. Raize accepted it expressionlessly, thanked him, and said he had no appetite.
In Raize's memory, this man always wore a stern expression, and Raize had long since grown accustomed to interacting with him this way.
"I've already arranged the funerals for your parents and your sister. Once you're discharged, make sure to see it through properly. Since you survived, I hope you don't do anything foolish. If your family were still here, they definitely wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
These words made Raize unconsciously clench his fist, his breathing quickening slightly. An icy emotion surfaced in his dead eyes.
Ryo understood Raize's personality well. He knew Raize was a good child, but also a stubborn one.
Losing one's entire family overnight because of ghouls—who in Japan could endure such a blow?
Putting himself in Raize's shoes, if something happened to his own children, he would likely collapse as well.
As Raize's father's friend, he couldn't allow anything to happen to his friend's only child. This was the only thing he could do for his departed friend.
"Miyuki, Kei—talk with Raize for a bit…"
Ryo stood up, turned his back to Raize, and spoke to his son and daughter, giving them a look that told them not to say too much.
Although Raize's physical condition had improved, emotional wounds couldn't be healed with just a few words. Only Raize himself could walk out of that darkness.
Saying too much might even have the opposite effect.
With that, Ryo quietly left the room, leaving Raize facing the siblings.
The atmosphere was heavy. Shirogane looked at Raize, hesitating, unable to think of any words of comfort.
Just as his father had hinted, saying the wrong thing might only worsen the damage to Raize's already shattered heart.
Seeing the siblings' uneasy expressions, Raize—also an older brother with a beloved younger sister—looked at Shirogane and said with some exasperation:
"Alright, stop wasting your brainpower trying to think of comforting words. I wouldn't call myself strong, but I'm definitely not the type to give up on myself either."
Those words calmed the siblings somewhat.
"Raize-nii, I won't say anything comforting that might reopen your wounds," Kei said softly. "But as Sayo's good friend, I hope you can pull yourself together and live on—strongly—for your parents and your sister as well."
Looking at Raize and thinking of her friend, a trace of sadness flashed across Kei's face. After sighing, she said her goodbyes and left the room.
To walk out of that mental shadow, one could only rely on oneself. Others couldn't help much.
Kei could only encourage him to recover as soon as possible—both physically and emotionally.
"Well then," Raize said to Shirogane with a deliberately casual tone, "got any comforting words left for me? Say something to cheer me up."
Understanding Raize better than anyone, Shirogane smiled bitterly and said in a complicated tone:
"If you feel like crying, how about borrowing my shoulder?"
"Ugh—disgusting!"
Raize looked at him with full-on disgust, as if staring at a pervert. "Borrow your shoulder to cry on? You really came up with that, Such a pervert."
"Who are you calling a perv!? My orientation is perfectly normal! I'm comforting you as a close friend, and you're dissing me!?"
Shirogane immediately snapped back, clearly indignant. He and Raize were friends—true best friends.
Their interactions had always been relaxed. When with Raize, Shirogane never felt inferior.
Although Raize's family was well-off, his father raised him in a traditional manner. Raize himself never had any sense of superiority.
His late father once taught him: "Don't feel proud just because of your mother and me. If we're gone, what do you have left? Only when you earn honors of your own do you have the right to be proud."
Raize and Shirogane chatted naturally for a while. Before leaving, Shirogane fixed his gaze on Raize and said very seriously:
"Raize, if you dare do anything stupid, I swear I'll raise my fists on behalf of uncle, aunt, and Sayo—and beat the crap out of you!"
With that, he left the room, leaving Raize behind with a faint, helpless smile.
That guy still noticed something, didn't he? Or rather, he sensed something.
Shirogane was the friend who understood Raize best. If he were in Raize's shoes, he himself would have been lost for a time—and eventually, he too would become obsessed.
Thinking from Shirogane's perspective, that was the only conclusion.
But that was the last thing Shirogane wanted to see. That was why his final words sounded like a threat—they were encouragement born of worry.
"My mind isn't that easily broken… not until I tear those trash apart…"
Raize's eyes turned vicious and violent. He took a deep breath, opened the system's game interface, and continued grinding hard.
First, set a small goal: wipe out the disgusting ghoul race from this world.
Once I finish playing the game, I'll kill all of you.