CHAPTER 22 - A Corrupt World. Part 4.

  Hmm? That fat guy’s still trying to raise his hands. Doesn’t he know when to give up? His arms are bent in half in an inhuman way, and he’s still trying? Accept your fate; you’re just embarrassing yourself.

  I don’t think it’s necessary to crush his hands again, but just in case…

  “Arghhhhhh!!”

  He let out a loud scream full of pain and agony after I cut off his hands with my sword. A quick death would be too much for you. You deserve a slow, inevitable one.

  His screams only sted a few seconds before he passed out from blood loss and the intense emotions he just felt. Well, well… Whatever. You won’t escape hell; you didn’t escape suffering.

  “Now that his screams are done, what kind of help do you want?”

  “Yes, please, help us!”

  That doesn’t answer my question.

  “I don’t understand. Can you expin better?”

  He stands up and clears his throat.

  “I’m part of a small organization dedicated to…”

  He stops talking and takes a few steps back. He looks scared. What’s going on?

  “We have to go!”

  “Huh? Why?”

  “Turn around, and you’ll see!”

  I turn and notice people in suits heading toward us. Finally, the ones hiding decided to act. Why now and not before? Did they want the dictator’s son dead? I doubt it; the dictator wouldn’t allow such betrayal. What exactly is he pnning?

  “We have to escape; they’re heroes!”

  “They work for the dictator?”

  “Yes!”

  Great, now I have to escape from corrupt heroes. They don’t deserve to be called “heroes.”

  “I need to end this quick! Vels!”

  I rush to the bodies and pierce their chests with my sword. Right through the heart so they can’t be healed.

  “So fast!” he said.

  Five heroes are coming this way; the rest are still hiding. Is the dictator testing me? Whatever, it’s better for me—I can escape more easily. I don’t have the energy to fight so many people at once.

  I reach Minsfel and do the same, stabbing him through the back with my sword. I wanted to give him a slower death, but this is fine; hell will give him what he deserves.

  The heroes are less than 50 meters away; we need to go now.

  “Let’s go! Musr asio!”

  My sword vanishes, and I scoop him up in my arms like a princess. He knows it, too, because he blushes and covers his face with his hands, embarrassed.

  “Kya! How bold!”

  “S-Stop joking around! Arches Nexus!”

  I fly off. Seriously, I like this guy, but that embarrassed-girl joke gave me secondhand embarrassment. At least it made me feel more rexed.

  “Incredible!!” he shouted, experiencing flight for the first time, carried like a princess by a guy.

  … Wow, that sounds pretty ridiculous. Not something he can brag about to his friends.

  “Don’t shout.”

  Seriously, I can’t hold on much longer. I don’t know how much magical energy I have left. I’m so sleepy, and my body’s trembling.

  I bite my arm hard to feel pain and stay awake. Just a bit more, Daniel.

  My eyelids feel heavy. I don’t think I can keep going much longer.

  I see the girl waiting for me. The heroes and the dictator are probably only interested in me; they have no reason to hurt her. I’m the one who killed the dictator’s son… But…

  “They’ll capture her to lure you if you escape,” he said, as if reading my thoughts.

  Yeah, that’s very likely. She’s in danger; I can’t abandon her.

  I don’t feel guilty for putting her in danger because if I hadn’t saved her, she’d be that pig’s sex toy. This is the price of her freedom.

  “Wait.”

  I descend and nd in front of her.

  “That fat guy’s no longer a problem; he’s in hell now.”

  She smiled, overjoyed at the news. Rejoicing so much over a human’s death… How much harm did that bastard cause?

  “Tha…! Watch out!” the girl said.

  They caught up already?

  I turn and see a man in a green suit running toward me. His arms are encased in ice. A winter hero? Oh, the cssic ice-wielding hero. Awesome! Though green doesn’t suit his power. I’d go with white or blue.

  “That’s Mirolfe, Hero Number 3!” Bravo said.

  Number 3?! He’s powerful, and I’m almost out of energy! I need to distract him to escape… Distract him… Oh, like in the battle with the army! I can use them!

  I still have a bit of magical energy. How many times have I said that?! I don’t know how much I have left, but I hope it’s enough for what I want to do!

  I run toward him and extend my right hand.

  “Gres fer me!”

  Five Zoriens, looking like teenagers, rise from the ground. Yes, I could use them! And they look like teens instead of men. Is it because I lost magical power or due to my ck of energy? Ugh…

  I nearly colpse from exhaustion, but one of the Zoriens catches me in its arms.

  “Energy. Only flight,” one Zorien said.

  “Two minutes,” another said.

  Well, well. I can only fly for a max of five minutes? Thanks for the help.

  Now it’s confirmed: I can only fly for two minutes before running out of energy. I need to make the most of what’s left.

  “Attack, but don’t kill him, please!”

  I don’t know him or his sins, so I won’t judge him yet.

  The Zoriens charge at him.

  “That won’t work!” the hero said.

  He extends both arms, and a massive amount of ice shoots out. The ice surrounds the Zoriens, but they’re engulfed in fire and melt the ice quickly.

  “Huh?!”

  Demonic fire magic. Awesome!

  Hmm. I was feeling more tired before, but now I can at least stand. Did they give me magical energy? They’re so useful!

  I run toward Bravo and the girl.

  “That’ll keep him busy! Let’s go!”

  “You have more powers?! Incredible!” Bravo said, his eyes sparkling.

  “You have multiple powers?!” the girl said.

  They’re super impressed. I guess I really drew attention in this pce, specifically the dictator’s attention. They’re still watching us, doing nothing, sending only a few heroes to test me.

  What do you want, dictator? To know me better before fighting me? To have fun? Whatever, I’ll think about it ter; we need to go now.

  I stand in front of them.

  “No time for expnations!”

  I quickly scoop up the girl in my arms.

  “Huh?!” she said, blushing.

  No time to feel shy or worry about touching you without permission. Time’s ticking.

  “Sorry, they saw us talking; they might hurt you. Bravo, get on my back.”

  “At your command, boss!”

  “I’m not your boss.”

  Bravo climbs onto my back.

  “Arches Nexus!”

  I fly off at top speed, as fast as possible.

  “Arghhhhh!!” the girl screamed, terrified, clinging tightly to my neck.

  So rough. And since she’s crying from fear, her ink tears are dripping on my face. Uwaaah! Ink got in my left eye! It burns, burns!

  Seeing what happened, she covered her eyes with her hands.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine.”

  I need to wash it out as soon as possible…! Huh?

  Wow. The ink drops came out of my eye and were absorbed by the girl’s skin. Ink manipution. Can she create ink monsters or something?

  “Thanks.”

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling at me.

  Her fear’s gone? I’m gd.

  Ahem. “Sorry to ruin the romantic moment, but where are we going?” Bravo said.

  Where…? Uwaaah! He’s right, I’m flying aimlessly, wasting time!

  “We’ll have to get out of the city. Know any safe pce?”

  “Go to Fels Forest!” Bravo said.

  A forest? Sounds safe; we could hide in the trees or build an underground shelter with my earth magic.

  “Where’s that forest?”

  “You don’t know?”

  “I’m not from here.”

  “Just keep going straight.”

  “Alright.”

  Straight… Oh, I see it. Wow, it’s huge. The dictator’s not that evil, or at least not stupid. He’s kept such an important natural pce intact without damaging it to expand the city. Or was the forest even bigger, and he’s slowly destroying it?

  In my world, there are no forests like this, just a few trees here and there. I feel like I’m in the Amazon.

  “Is that it?”

  “Yeah. Land under that big tree over there.”

  He’s pointing at a tree, I think. There are tons of big trees; I’m not sure which one he’s pointing at. I’ll follow his finger.

  “Alright, keep pointing.”

  Good… This must be it since Bravo’s pointing at the ground.

  I nd. Ugh, about a minute of flight, but since I used max speed, that probably drained double what it normally would. Meaning I’ve got about five seconds of magical energy left, and I just confirmed it.

  “Kya!”

  “Uwaaah!”

  My body’s energy is so low I can’t even stand, so we crashed to the ground upon nding.

  At least the dry leaves cushioned our fall.

  Yawn. I won’t be able to stay awake much longer.

  I’m biting my tongue and lips, but even the pain doesn’t make me forget the exhaustion. I can’t go on.

  I feel blood on my lips, but even that doesn’t help me stay fully awake. Everything’s spinning; I’m drowsy.

  “In… Incredible!” Bravo said, jumping with joy.

  “It was terrifying at first, but then it felt amazing! I felt like a bird!” she said, thrilled.

  I thought she’d be scared like Sara, but she seems excited.

  I’m happy to see them so thrilled and all, but I’m still face-down, bleeding. Help!

  “Could you help me?”

  “Oh, yeah, sorry,” Bravo said.

  They helped me stand.

  “I can’t move anymore; I’ve lost all my energy.”

  Yawn. My eyelids are heavy, but I can’t close them. I’ll definitely fall asleep if I do. Hold on just one more minute, Daniel. Just one minute.

  “Don’t worry, we’re here.”

  He pces his right palm on the tree trunk.

  “We could really use your help.”

  A hatch opens in the tree, and I feel a bit more awake, witnessing something so… awesome! It’s like a secret agent movie!

  “Get in the elevator.”

  A secret base, truly secret and hidden!

  “Incredible!”

  “An underground base?!” she said, as excited as I am.

  Huh? Her pupils changed shape?! They’re star-shaped now. She really is a drawing girl, huh?

  “Let’s go in.”

  We enter the elevator, and the hatch closes.

  “Password: Bravo and Sonia.”

  “Huh?”

  The elevator starts moving.

  Sonia…? It’s just a coincidence, I know; Sonia’s not the only one with that name, but hearing it makes me feel… furious. I thought I’d moved past her, but hearing her name brought back what she did to me, and remembering it filled my body with rage.

  Ugh… Daniel, that’s in the past; it’s not worth dwelling on.

  I know, but I can’t help feeling this way. Why am I suddenly giving it so much importance? Don’t think about it! It only makes my heart ache.

  “Are you crying?” she said, wiping my tears with her fingers.

  It hurts so much that I’m even crying. How pathetic… Was I that bad of a boyfriend? Just because I didn’t want to have sex with her before marriage?

  “Sorry, my eyes are still burning from the ink.”

  “S-Sorry about that!”

  “Don’t worry, it was an accident.”

  Don’t think about it anymore… Ugh…

  His Sonia, is she his sister or girlfriend?

  … Sonia… Thinking about my Sonia brings back bad memories; I’d better think of something else.

  A conversation topic. A conversation topic. Hmm… Oh, right, I don’t know this girl. Meeting someone new will distract me.

  I turn to the girl.

  “Could you tell me your name?”

  “I’m Nismei.”

  “I’m Daniel. And sorry for getting you into trouble. I guess you’re mad at me, but…”

  She quickly shook her head, whipping me with her hair. Ow, her paper hair cut me! I’d better not compin; she didn’t mean to, but it stings.

  “No, on the contrary, I’m so grateful! Thanks to you, I didn’t become Minsfel’s girlfriend.”

  Oh no. Her pupils are heart-shaped now! I’d better clear things up before she gets her hopes up.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Bravo beat me to it and said something that chilled me.

  “And thanks to you, she’s still alive,” Bravo said.

  Both she and I shuddered at his words. Alive? I knew that pig raped women, but did he kill them when he got bored?

  “A-Alive?” she said, crying, probably imagining the future she narrowly escaped.

  “When Minsfel took a girl, she never came back alive. Minsfel made them disappear with his power when he was done with them.”

  With his power?

  “I-I didn’t know.”

  “Almost no one does. The heroes and Froulen members make sure to keep this information hidden. They even kill the girls’ families to keep it secret.”

  Why go to such lengths to keep something like that hidden? To stop people from fleeing the country? To keep girls mentally unprepared for death and make them suffer more? Tsk. Damn it.

  Nismei breaks down crying and hugs me.

  Making girls think they’ll get out alive, only to see them despair when they realize they’ll die. God, I hope you make that pig suffer, and save a spot, because I’ll soon send his father there too.

  “I’ll be grateful to you for life!”

  “It’s okay now; you’re safe,” I said, patting her head, trying to calm her.

  The dictator and his son, men feared for their powers, huh? Was the son dangerous? Or were they scared of him because of his father?

  “What power did Minsfel have?”

  “You really don’t know anything, do you?”

  “Not a thing.”

  “He had the power of disappearance. He could create elimination spheres,” Bravo said.

  “Elimination spheres? You mean those bck things coming from his hands?”

  “Yeah. When one of those spheres hit something, it disappeared completely, instantly. Some say his power erases everything on a molecur level; others say it just teleports matter somewhere else. But one thing’s for sure: you wouldn’t want to be touched by those spheres.”

  A power that can erase anything instantly. I was so close to dying multiple times! Good thing I didn’t take too many risks and avoided getting touched by those things.

  “Daniel was awesome; he dodged the spheres easily and nded a big punch on Minsfel’s face!”

  “You’re definitely incredible, Daniel! You’ll be a huge help to our organization.”

  I hope I can help with something that takes little time; I can’t stay in this world longer. I need to go back and save my grandma, and I won’t be able to return to this world for 90 days, or at least that’s what the old man said. Did he say 90 days? I don’t remember.

  Ugh, I hope Bravo isn’t getting his hopes up too much; I don’t want to let him down.

  “So… what exactly does your organization do? As brief as possible.”

  I’m literally one step away from passing out. I can’t take it anymore!

  “We protect the defenseless, no matter the Froulen ws.”

  “You’re with the illegal organization?!” Nismei said, excited.

  “Heh. Of course!”

  Well, well. It seems like a popur organization, and judging by Nismei’s happy reaction, it’s a good one. My trust in him grew.

  And since the elevator keeps descending, showing how deep the base is, this organization has a lot of technological and financial resources, which will be very helpful.

  I found out I’m immune to bullets, maybe because my magic protects me from non-magical attacks, so I can use that. How? If I find the dictator’s exact location, I could go straight to him and kill him. But first, I’ll investigate more about him.

  Illegals, huh? I had a feeling something like this existed in this world. Powers are controlled by the government; not everyone can use them in public.

  “Illegals? What’s that?”

  “We’re a group of people who protect all innocent people. We protect them from Froulen members.”

  “Froulen members? I guess that’s what they call those working for the dictator. I thought they’d have a cooler name.”

  “You don’t know who they are?”

  “Nope.”

  “They’re the people wearing white masks. Haven’t you seen them on the streets?”

  Oh, I see. Well, well. No wonder those idiots beat me up for no reason; the power they have over innocents went to their heads.

  “They’re Froulen members?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And they do whatever they want?”

  “Yeah, anything they want. For them, there are no rules, as long as they don’t make the dictator look bad.”

  This sounds pretty sick if you think about it. If a member wants to rape, they’ll rape… Wait…

  “W-Without any limits?”

  “Limits? What are you trying to ask?”

  “If they want to rape, they rape, right?”

  “Sadly, yes.”

  “And there are no rules about that? No line they can’t cross?”

  He gave me a sad look and sighed. Oh no. Please, no.

  “There are no limits. None. And yeah, what you’re thinking happens a lot.”

  “…”

  I looked down and closed my eyes.

  It happens… That happens. And they can’t do anything to stop it. If one of them sets their sights on someone, she’ll suffer without any chance of being saved.

  My eyes filled with tears again, and my blood boils with rage.

  The people in this country live in suffering, praying day after day that no member harms them. Living in fear. That’s not a life.

  “Can people leave the country?”

  “Well… no. It’s forbidden, and they kill anyone who tries,” Bravo said.

  “You didn’t know? Where have you been living all this time?” Nismei said.

  Living in a country, suffering, unable to escape, resigned to live in fear or commit suicide. A living hell.

  “Do the heroes work for Froulen too?”

  “Yeah.”

  And people can’t trust the so-called heroes; they’d kill them without hesitation just to obey the dictator’s orders.

  Are there really no good heroes…? Wait, the heroes I met were fighting vilins in white suits. Were they traitors?

  “Do Froulen members only wear white masks?”

  “Yeah, they all wear white masks.”

  “It’s just that a few hours ago, I saw heroes fighting men in completely white suits.”

  “Probably just their vilin suits; heroes would never go against Froulen members.”

  My hopes of finding good heroes vanished.

  They rape without limits.

  They kill without limits.

  They do whatever they want, without limits.

  No one is safe from them, regardless of gender, social status… or age… Age… Arghhh! Damn it!

  Even right now, those bastards could be raping a chi…

  I punched myself in the face.

  “Huh?!”

  “W-What are you doing?!”

  I looked at the blood on my fist.

  My breathing… I can barely breathe. My chest feels tight. My heart’s racing at an arming rate. These symptoms are… No, no, no. Not another anxiety attack. Not now!

  No, Daniel, don’t spiral into despair. Breathe deeply. Exhale. Breathe and exhale… Ugh… Damn it. Those sons of…!

  I punched myself in the face again.

  “Stop!” Nismei said, grabbing my hands.

  There’s nothing you can do right now. You have no energy.

  Rage won’t help me think of a better pn. You’re immune to bullets, but don’t let your guard down; you don’t know if you’re immune to powers. One mistake, and you’re a dead man.

  If I save them, people’s future will be happy, but if I mess this up by fighting in a rage without thinking clearly, their future will be just as painful.

  I need to stay calm; don’t panic.

  Ugh, the elevator stopped.

  “We’re here,” Bravo said.

  “You okay, Daniel? Need anything?” Nismei said, looking at me with concern.

  I appreciate your concern, but it’s not necessary; I’ll be fine.

  I know an innocent is suffering right now, but I can’t do anything to stop it. Torturing myself over it is stupid and won’t let me think clearly.

  “Sorry, I just had a panic attack. I think I need some water; that’ll be enough to calm me down.”

  “You need to rest,” Bravo said, pcing his palm on the door.

  The elevator opens, and we reach a rge, lively pce, the opposite of what I expected. I thought it’d be full of weapons, futuristic computers, and robots, but there’s none of that.

  There’s a big TV, furniture, a dining area, video games, etc. It’s like a fun hangout spot. Is this their break room? I highly doubt a secret organization only has this.

  Oh, how interesting. Well, well. Are they like Danie? I doubt it, but I was surprised to see them.

  Two girls are passionately enjoying an intense video game session, looking thrilled. Are they seriously pying while those people rape and…? Ugh, no, Daniel, no. They have the right to enjoy their lives. They can’t torture themselves over it all the time.

  The first is a young woman with long, wavy blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, wearing an elegant white dress that accentuates her chest and waist. Beside her, the second girl has short bck hair framing her face boldly, wearing a bck dress that contrasts with her companion, giving her a mysterious vibe. A pretty cute gothic style. And what surprised me most: both girls have ethereal, glowing angel wings, simir to Danie’s.

  In the adjacent kitchen, two men are focused on preparing delicious food; my mouth’s watering just smelling it. How long has it been since I ate? I think losing magical energy emptied my stomach; it feels empty.

  One of them is tall and robust, with dark skin and short bck hair. He wears a crisp white shirt and bck pants, a simple outfit that highlights his massive frame. Beside him, the second man is tall and thin, with a bald head shining under the light. He’s wearing a green shirt and red shorts, adding a pop of color and freshness to his simple look.

  The food smells amazing, but I don’t think I can eat. I’m dying to sleep!

  “Is this your base?” Nismei said, as disappointed as I am.

  Well, well. Ugh, I expected something better.

  “It’s the main lounge.”

  Alright, this was disappointing. Not what I expected. But, you know what they say: never judge by appearances. Maybe their bs and workshops are cooler, with robots.

  “I thought you’d have more tech,” Nismei said.

  “Hey, we’ve got a new member!”

  The girls turn to look at us, raise their right arms, and wave.

  “Hey!”

  “Welcome!”

  Oh, they seem friendly.

  I make a huge effort to raise my right arm and smile unconsciously. I didn’t want to smile because I knew what would happen, but I couldn’t help it; these girls remind me so much of Danie, and seeing them makes me think of her.

  “Hey! Good evening.”

  “H-Hi!” Nismei said, waving.

  Seeing them makes me feel like I’m seeing her safe and sound, but I know perfectly well they’re not Danie, and that wipes the smile off my face.

  And as I feared, the girls blush and quickly stand, running toward me.

  “Looks like you missed me!” Bravo said.

  The two stop in front of me.

  “Wow, finally a handsome teammate, sister!”

  “Finally!”

  “Ouch. So kind to us,” Bravo said.

  I stare at their wings. They’re so identical to Danie’s. What if they’re real angels? If I could summon an angel with magic, maybe there are people with the power to summon them too.

  “Are you real angels?”

  “Pfft.”

  They let out small giggles. Ugh, that killed my hope.

  “No, we just have the power to fly and control our feathers.”

  “But thanks for calling us angels, handsome. You’re not bad yourself.”

  “Come, come, we’ll clean your wound.”

  Wound…? Oh, the blood coming from my nose. That doesn’t matter to me right now. I want to know more about feather control to see if I can make better use of my angel transformation.

  “Putting that aside, can you control your feathers?”

  “Yeah, at will.”

  “Want a demonstration?”

  Both put their hands on my chest, but Nismei pushed them away. Huh? Her pupils are fme-shaped now?! J-Jealousy? Hey, I barely know you!

  They gred at each other, and the atmosphere got tense. Oh no. I’d better break the ice before this gets more awkward.

  “Can anyone with wings control their feathers?”

  “Not everyone.”

  I wonder if powers work like magic; that could give me a clue about how to use the feathers.

  “Well, well. I see. I want to learn to control my feathers. Could you show me what they can do?”

  “You have wings?” they said, rubbing my back, but Nismei pushed their hands away again.

  I-I’d better do something before they fight.

  I take off my vest and shirt.

  The girls turn completely red. S-Sorry, I didn’t think… Ugh, no turning back now.

  “Angel conver!”

  A light bursts from my body, and two wings grow. Huh? Uwaaah! I-I fell to the floor, face-up. Why…? Oh, I forgot I have no magical energy. I wasted those five seconds of flight I had left!

  “Incredible!”

  “You can hide your wings?! How?! We could never do that!”

  Bravo and Nismei help me stand, and I feel my whole body sweaty. I-I can’t stand anymore; I can only keep my eyes open.

  “How many powers do you have?!” they both said.

  I tried to raise my hand to count with my fingers, but I can’t move it; I don’t have the energy. Ugh, and it was the perfect chance for a joke. Now it’ll lose half its charm.

  “If we count that power… And that other one… I think that one counts too…”

  I smile at them.

  “I think I have dozens of powers.”

  “Dozens?” one of the girls said, not believing me.

  Skeptical, huh? Well, by this world’s common sense, I must sound crazy.

  “He says it so confidently, and Bravo asked him how many powers he has. Has he seen him use several? Is that possible?” the other girl said.

  “He’s telling the truth; I’ve seen him use multiple powers! More than five!” Bravo said.

  “No wonder he’s Daniel, the one who makes the impossible possible!” Nismei said.

  … Uwaaah! My face is so red! How do I know?! Because my heart’s about to explode! Noooo! So embarrassing! I regret saying that!

  The two men stop cooking and walk toward me. Please, go back to the previous topic; I want to forget this!

  “Is he really telling the truth?”

  “If Bravo says it, it must be true!”

  “With his help, we’ll defeat Froulen!” Bravo said.

  Everyone raises their arms to celebrate, except Nismei and me, because I can’t move, and she’s holding me up so I don’t fall, though I don’t think she minds hugging me—I can see it in her heart-shaped pupils. Don’t get your hopes up with me! And you, don’t let me go, Bravo!

  They shout, “Yes!!”

  Please, don’t celebrate too soon.

  My wings vanish. I’m officially out of energy. I’m standing on pure willpower, but only for a few more seconds. I can’t take it anymore, and this time I mean it.

  Yawn. I need to rest.

  Well, well. Ugh… They’re so excited. I really don’t want to get their hopes up for nothing, so I’ll tell them the truth before I pass out.

  “There’s bad news: in a few hours, I’m leaving… this pce.”

  “What?!” the two girls said.

  “W-Why?! Where are you going?!” Bravo said.

  “Hold on.”

  I close my eyes.

  God, I know you’re listening. Can I tell them I’m from another world? I won’t say anything about you or the demon.

  “Ugh… I guess so. It doesn’t matter,” God said in my mind, sighing.

  He sounds tired. Did I cause you a lot of trouble with the soul system or something? Sorry, and thanks.

  “Sure, you can tell them. But remember you’ll appear in front of your family; don’t forget.”

  Yeah, I know, I need to save magical energy for my fight with the Demon King and my mom, or at least enough to use “that” spell.

  “Thanks.”

  I open my eyes. They’ll probably ugh and not believe me at first, but I don’t care if they do; I’ll just do my part and tell them.

  “The truth is, I’m not from this world. I’m from World 1, the world of magic and adventurers. It’s an alternate or parallel world, whatever you want to call it.”

  An awkward silence.

  Ugh, I’m running out of time; my eyes are half-closed, struggling to stay open.

  “Go ahead and ugh; I know you’re holding it in.”

  They all start ughing at me.

  “Of course!” the two girls said, in a disbelieving tone.

  “Yeah, sure, I believe you!” Bravo said, ughing on the floor.

  “What nonsense!” the dark-skinned man said, spping his belly.

  “Are you crazy?!” the thin man said, patting my back.

  Well, well. As expected, they don’t believe me. I guess that’s normal. After all, I know they never imagined meeting someone from another world. Their ughter doesn’t bother me much; what I’m saying is hard to believe.

  Burp

  Huh? I burped?! Now they’re ughing even harder!

  “S-Stop patting my back! Everyone, be quiet, I can’t…!”

  …

  …

  …

  Huh?

  “Daniel?! Daniel’s awake!”

  What? How? No… Did I close my eyes?! Arghhh! I knew if I closed them, I’d fall asleep!

  “How long was I asleep?!”

  “Just half an hour,” Nismei said.

  Enough time to stay awake for a few minutes. I’m surprised I sted so long.

  I’m on a couch, with my head on Nismei’s p. So comfortable… No, idiot, don’t fall asleep! Don’t waste more time and expin the situation!

  Everyone gathered around me.

  “Ugh, listen. I used a teleportation spell, and it brought me to this world. I can only stay here for 24 hours, and then I’ll return to my world. It’s nighttime, so I think about seven or eight hours have passed since I arrived.”

  Silence falls, and I sigh. They’re looking at me like I’m something weird. They’re starting to believe me a little, right?

  “I guess Bravo told you what he saw me do. Tell me, could anyone have so many powers in this world?”

  “The most recorded are three,” the dark-skinned man said.

  “I didn’t use powers; I used magic. That’s why I can use wind magic, flight, strength, sword summoning, and a long etcetera. It’s the truth; it’s up to you whether to believe me or not.”

  I get up from the couch and yawn. I’m still sleepy. I’ll talk a bit more and then sleep. I can’t think clearly with so much sleepiness.

  “If the dictator dies, what would happen?”

  “Now that his son’s dead, the position would be open. It’d be the perfect chance to make the country democratic,” Bravo said.

  “Good… Let me get this straight. Froulen members are vilins, but those vilins control the country, and there’s nothing citizens or heroes can do, right?”

  “Yeah, exactly,” Nismei said, nodding.

  “Well, well. If the dictator dies and I kill most of the members, would the country be free?”

  “Yeah, that’s the purpose of this organization,” one of the girls said.

  “We assassinate Froulen members,” the bald man said.

  “Though most are very powerful. We started with 15 members in the organization; now we’re down to five,” the dark-skinned man said.

  Ten losses. How long has this organization existed? Only 15 members? And they’ve gained so much fame with so few? I suspect their former members were very powerful or influential.

  “I’ve got about 16 or 17 hours to kill the dictator. I think that’s too little time; we still need to pn and prepare… Plus…”

  I look at my hands. I’ve only rested for half an hour; it’s not enough to recover my magical energy. I need more time.

  “My magical energy’s almost gone.”

  Yawn, and my legs start trembling.

  “I need to rest. Got a bed?”

  “Sorry, for now, we only have the couch,” Bravo said.

  Something’s better than nothing. Nismei’s thighs were comfy, but I don’t want to bother her or give her false hopes.

  “I need to replenish my magical energy, so I have to sleep. You guys start pnning while I sleep. I’m immune to bullets, so keep that in mind when pnning. Wake me up in about three hours, please.”

  “C-Clear,” Nismei said.

  Yeah, that’s more than enough to recover at least 10% of my energy. I can’t sleep longer; I also need to investigate and prepare.

  I sit on the couch.

  “It’s hard to believe, but I’m really from another world.”

  I look up at them and smile. I know I don’t have much time, but I’ve got a good feeling in my chest. I’m too confident; I’m not even scared that Froulen members might’ve tracked us. I think I can defeat that dictator. My heart’s telling me to do it, and I guess I should. Maybe I’ll gain experience from this fight.

  “I promise you I’ll defeat the dictator.”

  The tall, robust, dark-skinned man stands in front of me. Ugh, it’s awkward having his crotch so close to my face. Back up a bit, please.

  “Wait.”

  He pces his right palm on my head, and his eyes turn completely bck. Wow. I don’t know whether to be amazed by his eyes or his huge hand covering almost my entire head.

  Is he reading my memories? I hope not. Please, don’t let him be doing that. There’s a certain memory I don’t want anyone to know. Please, don’t let him be reading old memories.

  “T-This is… incredible…”

  “W-What are you doing?”

  “It’s my power; I can see a person’s future.”

  I’m saved! And what a great power. No wonder they’ve survived.

  “The future I can see is about five hours from now, and we’re fighting Froulen members at their base, and you’re battling the dictator. You’ll really help us. Sorry for not trusting you.”

  Everyone’s faces lit up with joy, but I can’t celebrate with them. I can’t take it anymore. I need to rest.

  I held on for so long because of my worry, but I don’t have that anymore. I want to sleep.

  “No… wor… ry…”

  I lie on the couch and… Zzzzz.

  ?

  ?

  Daniel fell into a deep sleep, and before the angel sisters could try anything, Nismei beat them to it and pced Daniel’s head on her p, making them angry.

  “This guy will really help us. We got so lucky meeting him. And best of all, he was fighting the dictator in the vision. If everything goes well, we’ll defeat him tonight. We’ll end 50 years of dictatorship.”

  “Please, I’d like to help. Could you include me in the pn?” Nismei said, stroking Daniel’s cheek.

  She doesn’t want to sit idly by. Besides, if what could happen is true, it’ll be an unforgettable historic event for the country, and she wants to be part of something so important.

  “I know, I saw it in Daniel’s future. You were helping us.”

  Any help will do in an emergency like this, so they don’t mind that she’s a civilian. If she’s willing to fight and risk her life, they’ll accept her; they won’t belittle her courage.

  And also because she’ll be dead if they fail the mission; they won’t be around to protect her, so bringing her to help is the best option.

  “My power’s not very strong, but it could help.”

  “What’s your power?” one of the angel girls said.

  “I can manipute ink and paper, split myself, and change shape,” she said, as her head shrank and grew repeatedly.

  “That could be useful.”

  Bravo jumps with joy.

  “We’ve got a pn to make!”