MC POV
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Time passed… It was now almost one week before the day of the announcement of the formation of the Seven Kings.
Many things had already happened… I had to divide my time between Shiro… and also Kuro and Shalltear… although it was a little troublesome, I wouldn't complain since, in the end, I enjoyed it.
Shalltear also informed me that she had already begun developing technology for this world. Even though it was still in the early stages, I was sure Shalltear could handle it quickly.
And Abernyu had also told me that the name of the group had already been decided… its name was "Guardians of the End." Yep, simple yet fitting…
"Fuuhhh~" (Arthur)
I exhaled the smoke from my cigarette and leaned back slightly in my seat.
Right now, I was spending time watching Grayfia and Alfia fight in the colosseum for the umpteenth time.
I had already given them knowledge about Haki, so they were currently trying to get used to that ability.
As for Abernyu… Well, as expected, that was completely unnecessary. Even if she wanted to, she could use Haki directly.
I flicked the cigarette ash into the portable ashtray, then slowly took another drag before exhaling the smoke.
"Fuuhh~" (Arthur)
My gaze turned toward the collision of their attacks, which emitted black-red lightning into the surrounding area.
BZZT… BZZT…
Even though it was still the beginning, they were already becoming more skillful at controlling Haki. With this, I would be able to witness Haki clashes directly.
I nodded to myself in satisfaction.
While watching their battle, I suddenly remembered something.
That's right… since I had already obtained Shiro's Blessing, maybe I could try creating that character.
Summoning that woman directly would be too troublesome considering her personality. It would be better to take the source of her existence and create a new version of her from that.
I considered it for a moment before finally making my decision.
I then stood up and left the colosseum. As I walked toward the gate, I glanced back at Grayfia and Alfia… they hadn't even realized I was here…
Fortunately, my heart was already well trained in the feeling of being ignored…
Haahh… they were truly in their own world.
After extinguishing my cigarette in the ashtray, I walked leisurely while looking around.
Delsgade could currently be considered an entertainment city. Even though it didn't appear that way from the outside, once someone entered one of the buildings… they would immediately realize it was a place meant for enjoyment.
Some examples of the entertainment here were: cinemas, bars, cafés, casinos, karaoke, onsens, spas, game centers, libraries filled with countless comics and light novels, and many more.
All of this was for my Slow Life to be more enjoyable.
Abernyu and the others were also enjoying the facilities here very much.
Well, of course they enjoyed it… I built this place with the intention of making myself feel comfortable living here.
This was also one of the reasons why I hadn't gone out to explore the Demon Realm yet… what could I do, I was simply too comfortable at home. Besides, from the very beginning… I had always been an indoor person… I wasn't comfortable doing activities outside… it wasn't that I couldn't, it was just that I didn't feel comfortable…
Another reason was obvious—the civilization here was too far behind. That only made me even lazier to leave the house. What was the point of going out just to see the same scenery again and again?
While thinking about those trivial things… without realizing it, I had already arrived in front of the palace.
As I approached the large gate before me… it opened automatically. I walked inside toward the main entrance.
As I walked, rows of cherry blossom trees could be seen on both sides of the road. These sakura trees had been made to remain permanently in bloom, so their scenery could be enjoyed at any time.
Back in my previous world, I came from a different country… I never had the chance to see cherry blossoms except through the internet. Therefore, I created these sakura trees so I could see them myself.
Watching sakura petals drifting in the wind would surely be perfect if accompanied by alcohol…
Alright, let me make a note of that. I'll try it another time.
I tilted my head upward to watch the cherry blossom petals fluttering through the air.
I was truly grateful to Yogiri for giving me this opportunity… Well, even if it was just random for that guy…
A faint bitter smile appeared on my face as I remembered that.
…
Right now, I was in outer space… or more precisely, standing right above a planet. I lowered my gaze slightly to look at the blue-colored world below.
Earlier, after returning to the castle, I had informed Abernyu—who was in the library—to go out for a while. And since I was free today (free every day), it wouldn't cause any problems for Abernyu and the others.
I came here to retrieve the source of existence of a certain character.
And as for where this place was… of course, this was Earth… more precisely, the Earth from the Re:CREATORS franchise.
I stretched my right hand forward and clenched it as if I were about to pull a piece of fabric.
Srrrrttt!
The weave of space began to stretch and tear under the pull.
I inserted my hand into the opening as if grabbing something from within.
"Got you…" (Arthur)
I then opened my hand and looked at it.
Vwoomm!
A condensed light floated above my palm… a silver light that gave others an unsettling feeling just by looking at it.
I then gently closed my hand, and the light seemed to merge into my palm.
After obtaining what I wanted, I waved my hand once at the torn space. Instantly, the rift returned to normal as if time had reversed.
I looked toward Earth again.
Hmm… I guess I'll stop by for a moment.
I teleported into a small alley with no people and no surveillance cameras.
When I walked out, I was greeted by the sight of crowded pedestrians filling the streets.
"Excuse me, sir~ If you're interested, please come visit~"
A woman wearing a maid-style cosplay approached me and handed me a flyer.
I nodded slightly and looked at the flyer.
It seemed to be advertising an event… well, perhaps there were events here every single day.
I looked around.
Buildings filled with images of various characters… streets crowded with people wearing cosplay… shops selling various things: accessories, books, action figures, and more.
Yep, I was currently in Akihabara. A place that could probably be called the holy land of otaku.
I never expected that I would only be able to visit this place after transmigrating… sigh…
While walking, I noticed a woman who seemed to be searching for something on the sidewalk. I approached her and spoke in a gentle tone so as not to startle her.
"Hey… need help? What are you looking for?" (Arthur)
The woman gave off the impression of a literary girl. She had dark eyes… black hair with bangs, with the right and left sides braided… and the rest of her hair flowed down her back. She wore casual white-blue clothing with a cardigan.
"Eh… um… I dropped my glasses…"
She answered softly and nervously.
"Glasses… alright." (Arthur)
I looked around and saw a glasses near the legs of a public bench on the side of the sidewalk.
I picked it up and handed it to her.
"Is this your glasses? I found them right under the bench…" (Arthur)
"Ah! Thank you! This really are my glasses."
She tried putting it on, but the frame looked slightly crooked and loose.
"It looks like the frame is damaged. Do you have a spare glasses?" (Arthur)
"… I forgot to bring my spare glasses… today I only went out to buy something, and I intended to go straight home afterward…"
She muttered while giving off a faint depressed aura.
"… Well, it can't be helped. Let's go buy you a new one. The shop is close enough." (Arthur)
"Eh… no, no… I already spent my money buying new drawing equipment… so…"
She waved one hand helplessly.
"It's fine. I'll buy it for you." (Arthur)
"…! Eeeh!! That's not appropriate! You already helped me find my glasses… I can't trouble you any further…"
She exclaimed for a moment while waving both hands in panic. Her voice gradually lowered as she realized she was drawing the attention of nearby pedestrians.
"You don't need to feel awkward. I'm helping you because I want to… you don't need to think too much about it." (Arthur)
I smiled slightly while beginning to walk.
"… Sorry for troubling you… truly…"
I nodded slightly at her.
…
After getting new glasses for the woman, I invited her to a café to rest.
She bowed her head several times while thanking me repeatedly.
"… I'm truly grateful… and I'm sorry for making you spend money… I'll definitely pay you back."
She smiled bitterly at me.
"I already told you, you don't need to think about it… more importantly, it looks like you've been searching for those glasses for several hours, right? You look pale…" (Arthur)
I raised my hand and called a waiter.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I'll have one iced cappuccino…" (Arthur)
I glanced at the woman sitting across from me.
"How about you? My treat." (Arthur)
"Ugh… one orange juice, please."
She ordered timidly.
After the waiter left, I began introducing myself.
"I didn't get the chance to introduce myself earlier. I'm Arthur Twilight, you can call me Arthur." (Arthur)
"Eh… you're not Japanese?"
She was surprised when she heard my name. Well, that wasn't surprising—I had hair and facial features somewhat similar to an Asian person.
"I'm from Europe. Let's just say my family situation is a little unique." (Arthur)
I smiled bitterly while giving an excuse I made up.
"… Sorry for prying… my name is Shimazaki Yuna, please call me Yuna." (Yuna)
She lowered her head politely.
Shimazaki Yuna… also known as Shimazaki Setsuna. This woman was an important character from the Re:CREATORS franchise… she was also the creator of the main antagonist Altair… and she was the trigger of all the conflicts in the story.
"Yuna, huh… earlier you mentioned buying drawing equipment… do you like drawing?" (Arthur)
"Yes~ even though I'm not very good at it yet… but I'm determined to become a great illustrator~" (Yuna)
Yuna answered cheerfully.
"Hoo~ that's good spirit. I believe you can achieve your dream…" (Arthur)
During our conversation, I learned several things. Yuna was an orphan, living alone with the allowance left behind by her parents. She was also a high school student, currently on summer vacation.
Hmm… it seemed Yuna hadn't interacted with the MC at all yet.
We talked while enjoying our drinks and some snacks I had ordered.
"How about you, Arthur-san… why did you come to Japan?" (Yuna)
Yuna asked curiously.
"Ah… just business. I came here to retrieve something… and since my business is already finished, I decided to look around Akihabara." (Arthur)
I explained casually while shrugging.
"Oh~ you're already working? You look like a college student." (Yuna)
"Haha~ not really. My brain is already too lazy to think about studying… so I decided to drop out at the beginning of my university semester." (Arthur)
I answered with a bitter chuckle while scratching my cheek awkwardly.
Well, that actually happened in my previous life. Since I entered university very late… my brain simply couldn't keep up with everything being taught. It became extremely uncomfortable, so I decided to quit after the first few weeks.
"I see… I'm sorry for asking." (Yuna)
"It's fine. It's something trivial. By the way, don't you want to try making manga or something like that, Yuna?" (Arthur)
I asked to shift the conversation.
"Ah. Actually, I have trouble coming up with story ideas… so because of that, I decided to focus on developing my drawing skills first." (Yuna)
Yuna answered with a smile that looked slightly troubled.
Inside my heart, I shook my head as I remembered her tragic fate.
Yuna was a talented girl… she was simply in the wrong place. She was a gentle and kind girl… but even so, Yuna had an extremely fragile heart… she couldn't endure when faced with the terrifying nature of humanity. And in the end, tragedy occurred…
When Yuna began gaining popularity, she was accused of plagiarizing someone else's work… and after that news spread, many people started attacking her on internet forums.
Cornered by insults, cyberbullying, and social pressure… Yuna decided to end everything… she chose to commit suicide.
Honestly, I understood very well what she experienced. When you feel cornered by reality… sometimes your mind begins to think about very horrifying things.
In society, there are far too many twisted things. Even when people witness something disgusting happening… eventually they will simply forget about it. And because people ignore those problems… those twisted things will happen again… always happen again.
Never underestimate someone's depression… sometimes simply because we ignore it, that might become the final line before a terrible tragedy occurs.
"Yuna, do you feel happy living in this world?" (Arthur)
Yuna froze slightly when she heard my question.
"Eh… what are you talking about, Arthur-san?" (Yuna)
"… If you were given the choice to start everything over… would you take that opportunity?" (Arthur)
"…" (Yuna)
I asked her in a neutral tone.
"… Or would you rather endure and keep struggling…?" (Arthur)
"… Arthur-san…" (Yuna)
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3rd POV
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Yuna had experienced something unexpected today.
When she was on her way home after buying new drawing equipment… Yuna accidentally bumped into another pedestrian on the sidewalk… she fell, and her glasses were lost somewhere.
Perhaps because it was summer vacation… Akihabara was crowded with pedestrians. Yuna felt that her glasses had probably been kicked somewhere by the people passing by. After several hours of searching without results… Yuna felt frustrated by her bad luck…
Just when she was about to give up searching, a man suddenly called out to her.
Yuna was slightly surprised when she saw the man's unusual rainbow-colored eyes… whether it was just her imagination or not, but those rainbow eyes gave her a very frightening impression.
Thanks to the man's help, Yuna managed to find her glasses. But her bad luck hadn't ended yet… her glasses were broken… she hadn't brought a spare glasses… and the little money she had left was only enough for her train ride later.
'What a terrible day…' (Yuna)
As Yuna sighed helplessly, the man suddenly invited her to buy new glasses. Yuna, who knew the condition of her wallet very well, obviously couldn't simply go and buy them… yet in the end, the man was the one who bought her a new pair of glasses.
…
When the man invited her to a café, Yuna finally agreed because she felt bad refusing.
After introducing themselves, Yuna learned the man's name.
'Arthur Twilight… what an unusual name… it sounds like the name of a character.' (Yuna)
After talking for a while, Yuna felt herself gradually getting used to him and no longer felt as nervous as before.
She no longer felt awkward and was able to speak more casually.
"Yuna, do you feel happy living in this world?" (Arthur)
When she heard Arthur's series of questions, Yuna felt slightly shaken.
"I will show you… what a miracle is…" (Arthur)
Suddenly, the surrounding scenery changed. They were no longer in the café… they were floating in outer space.
"!!!… Wh-What is this…?!" (Yuna)
Yuna looked around in panic. She never expected to suddenly float freely in outer space like this.
'A prank? An illusion? A dream? CG? No, what I'm feeling is real! How is that possible?! I can even breathe normally…'
Several times, Yuna pinched her cheek to confirm what was real.
After a moment, she gradually calmed down and looked toward Arthur, who was watching her with an interested gaze.
"… Arthur-san… a-are you a god…?" (Yuna)
"No. I am who I am." (Arthur)
Arthur smiled slightly before continuing.
"I am one of the Seven Kings of the Demon Realm. I am the Terminus King." (Arthur)
"Terminus… the end point… you're a demon?" (Yuna)
Yuna struggled to suppress the trembling in her entire body. She was extremely frightened and helpless.
"Hey~ hey~ what are you so afraid of… if I had bad intentions, I could have done it in a much better way… do you think I went through the trouble of helping you just to deceive you… that's quite insulting, you know~" (Arthur)
Arthur chuckled playfully in an attempt to calm Yuna.
"… Ah… forgive me… I didn't mean to offend you… I was just scared…" (Yuna)
Yuna waved both hands nervously.
"Sigh… you're too timid, Yuna. You should fight back if you don't like something… say it if you dislike it, don't just stay silent and accept everything." (Arthur)
Arthur slowly floated forward until he was face to face with Yuna. He then raised his hand and gently patted her head.
"Listen… don't always accept everything others say. This is your life—you are the one who has the right to it. Don't burden yourself just because others say something… that isn't healthy for your mind. If you have time to worry about all that, it would be better to think about yourself instead. Create an enjoyable story for yourself, Yuna." (Arthur)
Yuna froze when she heard Arthur's words. Her eyes widened as she looked at Arthur's smile.
A bittersweet smile filled with empathy.
'… I wonder when was the last time someone gave me advice…' (Yuna)
Yuna felt strange hearing those words come from Arthur.
'It feels complicated hearing that from a demon.' (Yuna)
"Yuna, I can read your thoughts, you know… besides, even without reading your mind, I can easily guess what you're thinking just by looking at that doubtful expression on your face…" (Arthur)
Arthur's eyebrow twitched slightly after hearing Yuna's thoughts.
"… Sorry!! I didn't mean anything bad!" (Yuna)
Yuna exclaimed in panic when she saw Arthur's annoyed expression.
"Haahh… besides, I'm not a demon… I'm just their king." (Arthur)
Arthur crossed his arms while explaining briefly.
'Isn't that even scarier…' (Yuna)
Cold sweat slid down Yuna's cheek.
"Yuna…" (Arthur)
A vein bulged on Arthur's forehead.
"Ah…" (Yuna)
Yuna waved her hands in panic.
"Sigh… forget it." (Arthur)
Arthur sighed before speaking again.
"So, Yuna… what is your answer to my earlier question…?" (Arthur)
Yuna froze slightly before lowering her head.
"Arthur-san… do you think the world is beautiful?" (Yuna)
Hearing Yuna's question, Arthur answered slowly.
"The world is beautiful for those who make the right choices. People have different perspectives, Yuna. I want to hear your own answer." (Arthur)
"You're too realistic, Arthur-san…" (Yuna)
Yuna smiled bitterly while shaking her head.
"…" (Arthur)
Yuna then closed her eyes for a moment before finally opening them again.
"Arthur-san,..." (Yuna)
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