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The night had indeed not gone as Yuuto had entirely planned.

But like any night, however dark, it soon ended.

And light came along.

It was a school day.

“Yuuto…” An old man’s voice called, resembling Saki’s father, whispering in his ear as he was still sound asleep.

Yuuto jolted awake, his eyes wide as he looked to the side, a firm fist ready to swing; shaking the bed in his maneuver.

But all he could see was Kanoko sleeping soundly under the blanket by his side.

He swiftly glanced at the clock next to her head, on the stand by the bed.

It was almost time to get up and go to school.

‘…So why’s she still asleep…?’ Yuuto wondered as Kanoko gently stirred awake, looking at him.

“Oh, hey there, Hiroki,” she called, her voice raspy as she yawned. “Sleep well?” she inquired.

“Aren’t you… gonna go to school?” Yuuto asked.

“Nah. I decided to just ditch for the day,” she replied casually, causing Yuuto a little unease as she settled herself in a comfortable position, closing her eyes again.

‘Does she not remember what I did to her last night..?’ Yuuto thought, recalling pinning her to the bed before she pulled him in.

“You should do it too, get some sleep,” she added, her eyes still shut.

Yuuto’s muscles then loosened.

‘Haven’t slept much at all… Might as well do just that,’ Yuuto internally admitted.

‘But I need to do something first,’ he resolved as his eyes wandered. On his side of the bed, he saw a wooden stand with his phone on it.

Yuuto picked up his phone and texted Saki;

[Good morning,]

He sent the message and then placed the phone down again.

‘And considering what Saki’s mom knows now, it would be a good idea to rest up and let things play out today,’ Yuuto thought as he leaned back into the bed, looking at Kanoko.

“Sure… I could use the rest,” he replied, as he covered himself with the blanket again.

‘Wait…’ Yuuto thought as he looked at himself briefly.

‘I’m stripped of everything except my underwear… She undressed me in my sleep, didn’t she?’ Yuuto wondered, glancing at Kanoko, who breathed easily.

‘Oh well, whatever. Awfully considerate of her, I suppose,’ Yuuto closed his eyes.

…But for some reason, he felt someone’s presence right behind him.

He turned around, but saw no one.

He returned to his sleeping position, yet every time he closed his eyes, he could feel it… a group of people standing behind him.

Yuuto knew exactly what was weighing on his mind.

It was the people whose lives he had taken.

‘You are stronger than this… Focus…’ Yuuto thought, squeezing his eyes tighter. Yet, the more he ignored their presence, the greater it became.

‘Goddamn it,’ Yuuto then mused, ‘How troublesome.’ He crawled close to Kanoko and hugged her under the blanket, placing his head in the middle of her chest, between her breasts.

‘I don’t care how she sees it… I just…’ he thought as Kanoko wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in.

‘…I just need this… just for now…’ He thought, gradually feeling his stress leave him. Soon, he fell asleep once more, her hand patting his head as the other held him close.

Meanwhile, at Saki’s house,

“Hm…? Where’s my phone…?” Saki wondered as she scrambled around, her gaze landing on the window.

‘No way… right?’ she thought. As she opened the window and stepped out, looking to the side, she caught sight of her phone, laid neatly on the roof tiles.

‘I brought it outside with me…?’ she thought.

She instinctively opened it. The first thing she saw was a message notification from Yuuto.

Hurriedly, she tapped on it, her face flushing with nervousness.

Yet, her expression and shoulders lightened as she saw a [Good Morning,] written down.

‘…I don’t think… No one other than my parents did that…’ she thought with a faint flush, before hesitantly replying with a simple ‘Good Morning’ in return.

‘We just… texted good morning to each other…’ she thought, excited.

‘Do we text something else…? Or is this fine…?’ she wondered, sitting on her bed and staring at the screen.

‘Should I just ask him? Will he even know…?’ She began to hesitantly type her question.

[Is just a good morning alright…?] she wrote.

And then deleted it, thinking she might sound awkward or out of place.

…And then wrote it again, recalling Yuuto is more out of place than anyone else, pressing send.

It was then she noticed the time and quickly shut her phone.

“Ah, I’ll be late…”

She hurriedly prepared and went downstairs.

Downstairs, she met her mother sitting at the dining table, staring blankly at her palms.

“Good morning, Mom… Where is Dad?” Saki asked as she finished descending the stairs. Her mother visibly twitched.

“W-what…?” she muttered, looking at Saki, her eyes wider than they’d ever been.

“Mom…?”

“Why…” her mother started,

“Why… didn’t you tell me…?” she whispered.

Saki froze.

“Told you…? I-I… I don’t… know what…” Saki stuttered, looking down as her mother got up from her seat, standing before her.

“You… you damn… bastard…!!” her mother called with a growl. Saki could feel a hand raising upward, bracing herself for a strike.

…But she was then pulled into a tight hug.

“How dare that damn bastard… do this to you!?” Saki’s mother murmured as she held her head close to her chest.

“Eh…?” Saki let out in confusion.

“You should have told me… he was doing something like that to you… Mommy would have protected you, Saki!!” she exclaimed, holding her close, her sleep-deprived eyes shedding tears onto her head.

‘He told her…?’ Saki wondered.

Saki’s legs shivered as she raised her arms, wrapping them around her mother as her knees grew weaker and weaker.

“You don’t… hate me…?” Saki whispered into her mom’s dress.

“Why would I hate you!? You’re the victim in all this, aren’t you!? HE FORCED HIMSELF ON YOU, didn’t he!?” Her mother’s voice echoed loudly, a tinge of uncertainty in her voice as she emphasized it was her husband’s fault.

‘Ah…’ Saki thought as she felt her mother’s uncertainty, recalling Yuuto’s words.

“Yes… it w-was… scary…” she whispered, tightening her grip.

Indeed, recalling Yuuto’s words and feeling her mother’s shakiness and uncertainty, she said this, not thinking about herself, but about her mother’s reaction beforehand.

For some reason, she felt as if she was the one who had to ease her mother’s worries.

‘He… Yuuto-kun lied. He had to have lied… She’s just… shaken… That’s why she’s like this…’ she thought, shedding more tears as she tightened her grip around her mother.

It was that day her mother took her to the hospital, where Saki was taken into the S.A.F.E room and examined.

Her mother’s suspicions were confirmed, and an arrest order was placed on Saki’s father.

…Who had yet to return home or be found that day.

Other DNA was found within Saki’s body, but she pleaded with the doctor not to mention it to her mother when she was alone.

It was the other students’ DNA.

Several hours prior to the incident with Saki’s father…

Saki’s father had just left her room, leaving her sprawled on the bed. Several minutes later, she got cleaned up and dressed, ready for bed.

Suddenly, rocks were hurled at her window, drawing her attention.

“Rocks…?” Saki thought, cautiously approaching the window.

A figure jumpscared her, causing her to fall onto her butt.

“Kyahh!” She cried out softly as she landed, looking up at the window.

It was Yuuto.

He casually sat on the balcony outside, knocking gently on the glass window as he looked blankly at her.

With a gulp, she got up and opened the way for him. Normally, she would never do such a thing for someone she barely knew, but Yuuto had proven his heart to be in the right place, albeit slightly overzealous. She believed that if he was there, it was anything but vile or self-serving intentions… Probably.

…Much unlike everyone else in her life lately, except her mother. She was still sure her mother was on her side.

“You lied,” she said as she let him in.

“Hello to you too,” Yuuto replied, scrutinizing her bed as he climbed down from the windowsill into the room, looking around with an air of aloofness.

“Didn’t you hear me? You lied,” she repeated, her voice more defiant. “My mother didn’t kick me out. I knew it. I knew she would never do such a thing.”

“Ahh, good for you. So, I assume this is after your father told on you to your mother?” Yuuto said, leaning back and stretching his limbs.

“That’s… NO! Why would he do that!? From the start, it didn’t make sense for him to say something like that,” she argued. “It would hurt… him, too,” she added, although slightly reluctantly.

“So you admit that man is a selfish bastard,” Yuuto sighed, looking at her from head to toe.

“Be quiet…” she whispered. “I’ve also been meaning to ask. You wanting to help me out of everyone out there, talking like you know everything about me, and destroying my phone. My parents got me a new one… And while we’re not poor, you can’t take something like money for granted…” Her voice trailed off.

“One thing at a time. As for why I know you so well…” Yuuto started, looking at her intently.

‘What will he say…?’

“You’re actually a two-dimensional character in a book I’ve read come to life. I saw my chance to intervene and jumped right at it,” he replied flatly.

“…”

‘What did I expect? Of course he won’t admit how he knows… Why did I even let him in?’ Saki thought, concerned.

“Alright, if you want the truth, here it is: I’m actually so in love with you, I’ve… become obsessed lately,” he said confidently, lightly as he looked at her.

“Seriously now…” she said with a sigh, her shoulders relaxing as she sat on the bed, facing Yuuto.

“It’s the truth. I’ve noticed you for a very long time, and I’ve been in love with you much longer than with Nao. You may not remember me, but we even went to the same middle school. You were the cutest with those ponytails,” he explained.

‘He… knew who I was?’ She jolted in her place, looking down with a small flush.

“I had always wanted to talk to you, but I was just too scared,” he explained.

‘That… has to be a lie,’ Saki immediately shook her head, knowing very well she was never the subject of attraction before her metamorphosis.

This has to be an excuse or some form of manipulation, she figured. Especially with how he says he was in love with her. If he was, where was he? Surely, she was more approachable than the other girls.

His attraction to her is a blatant lie. That was the only logical conclusion she could draw. He must be saying this just to lower her guard.

But for him to know how she dressed pre-high-school and to recognize her despite her changing her image so much…

The possibility that there is some truth in his words, therefore, could not be disregarded either.

Conflicted, she pondered her response longer, looking down.

“…So, you stalked me…? But, wait… then why did you ask who I was back at the school’s bathroom if you knew who I was?”

‘Like I said before, she’s sharp,’ Yuuto thought to himself.

“…Well, considering the entire school was hypnotized, I got shot, and believed I was the only one standing, I’m honestly surprised I recognized myself,” he said.

Saki’s mind scrambled, her gaze wandering as if seeking more questions on the walls and floors.

Yuuto recognized she was trying to make sense of what had happened. He knew it. Before this girl, he was running out of excuses. He had to distract her now.

“Either way, about destroying your phone. You asked about it,” Yuuto said, jolting her gaze back to him.

‘Let’s get her focused on her initial questions before she starts to wonder about some bothersome things,’

“I’m a proud stalker. I take pride in my work, so what I’m about to say: I’m sure of it. I’ve got no easy way of saying this, but your boyfriend’s a drug dealer and is in huge debt. I destroyed your phone because, with all that adrenaline pumping through me, the first thing I thought of when I saw you clutching your phone was you calling that criminal. And I didn’t want that,” Yuuto said.

Saki looked down, unsure of how to reply to his accusation.

“I get that you love this guy. I do. But he’s just not worth your feelings,” Yuuto explained, his tone calm yet firm.

“…How… How would you know!?” she retorted defiantly, looking up at him.

Yuuto tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, as if the answer was more than obvious.

“Ah, stalking…” she muttered to herself.

“Either way, stop meeting him. He’ll just bring you down,” Yuuto concluded.

A thought crossed her mind. What if he was just saying this because he was jealous? Jealous that someone had won her affection first. If he truly loved her, wouldn’t he say the same about anyone else who came along?

After all, when she was with Hayato, she never once felt pain or suffered. Every moment with him was filled with pleasure, ecstasy, and warmth. Fun.

Yuuto, on the other hand, brought nothing but pain and headaches. Despite eventually rescuing her, if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have been hypnotized. Her parents wouldn’t have had to buy a new phone. She shuddered as she recalled the jarring image of him immolating someone and then shooting them.

Logically, she should refuse Yuuto’s suggestion. But she needed to do it gently, or he would persist, she figured.

“I’m… sorry. It’s not your fault or anything. I don’t really know much about drugs, except that they’re bad… But… I just love Hayato, and I think you’re wrong. He was nothing but kind and generous to me—” she started to explain, but Yuuto stood up and walked past her calmly towards the windowsill he had entered from.

“What…?” she mumbled as she watched him breeze by.

“I’ve said my piece, and you said no. No reason to overstay my welcome,” he argued as he climbed through the window.

‘What…!? That’s it?! He risked being caught by the authorities, spotted by my parents or the neighbors, me shutting the windowsill when I saw him, confessed he stalked me, declared he was IN LOVE with me, told me to stop meeting my boyfriend who I love more than anything, and when I told him no, he just up and left!?’ Saki thought, instinctively reaching out for him, jolting up from her bed as her entire attention was now directed at him.

‘Nothing about this makes any sense!!’

Saki couldn’t understand Yuuto’s motive. To give up so easily after confessing all those things that could easily ruin his life if told to the wrong person? And he didn’t even seem interested in her body, unlike everyone else…

Her curiosity propelled her forward as Yuuto looked back, halfway out of the windowsill. What was his aim? She had to know.

“I was going to ask you something else. If you feel like you want to hear this one last thing, meet me on the roof in 20 seconds, or I’m gone,” Yuuto said, stepping outside and walking onto the roof.

‘I will actually leave if she doesn’t come out. What I’m about to do doesn’t really depend on her answer,’ Yuuto thought as he stepped out.

Saki stayed inside, her palm gripping her chest through her nightgown as she bit her lip.

Going outside meant she would relent. She would step into unfamiliar territory, and this time, it would be her choice.

A bit later, she stepped out of the windowsill into the chill night air, looking to the side and watching Yuuto laying alone in the dark.

[BACKGROUND MUSIC: Audrey Hepburn – Moon River]

She gently approached him.

“Twenty-four seconds passed, and you’re still here. You lied again,” she exclaimed, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“I figured I should give four extra seconds to the girl I’m in love with,” he said, looking up at the night sky.

Saki’s eyes widened slightly as she observed Yuuto’s nonchalance. A few seconds of silence went by with neither of them uttering a word.

Saki let out a soft chuckle. “Just four?” she added, a playful note in her voice.

“Four’s all I could spare. Don’t get greedy now,” he replied with a weak smile.

Feeling more at ease, she crept to his side, sitting on the roof beside him and laying her head on the roof tiles.

The two rested next to each other, gazing at the stars.

‘What was the question?’ Saki thought to herself. Deep down, she felt that if she asked, this moment would pass…

But what was this moment, exactly? She wondered.

He didn’t touch her at all. The only thing that had the privilege was the wind, as it always did.

But this time felt different.

A different kind of warmth welled up within her, despite the shivering cold the wind brought with it.

How strange.

How could she feel warmth without anything to warm her? It just didn’t make sense.

Just like the boy lying beside her, she realized as she briefly glanced at him.

‘I should tell her to go to the safe room and ask her if she likes being abused by her father, as I intended,’ Yuuto thought as he lay beside her on the roof tiles.

Just as he intended to turn to her, he felt the gentle grasp of her palm atop his.

Yuuto gasped weakly, his entire body frozen as her fingertips wrapped around his, both their faces still turned up to the stars.

With every passing moment, her grip tightened, her fingers intertwining with his, which remained loose at first.

With a twitch, a small twitch, his fingers stutteringly closed, reciprocating her strength.

Nothing in particular went through Yuuto’s mind.

Twenty minutes passed. The two lay motionless, Saki’s palm still in Yuuto’s grasp.

He thought about letting it all out. About telling her how he could still see Satoshi’s face, how he wasn’t originally from this world, and… about what he was going to do afterwards.

But he kept his lips tight.

That was his burden to bear. And speaking of burdens… she just had too many of those.

The safe room could come later, he decided.

“I…” Saki started, “I didn’t realize… a hand can be warmer than a hug,” she softly said with a smile, her voice shivering, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to keep her voice steady.

Yuuto let out another gasp.

‘I’ve stayed here for too long… DAMN IT… What am I doing!? I’m losing nighttime!’ Yuuto thought as he slowly sat up.

“Yuuto…?” she called softly, her palm still clenched in his.

‘She… called me Yuuto,’ he thought, slightly furrowing his brow as his heart momentarily spiked.

“A-ah… I meant, Hirok—” she hurried to correct herself, but Yuuto was quick to interject.

“Yuuto’s fine… Just… call me that when it’s just the two of us, aight?” he said, looking away as he scratched his head.

“Oh… Alright,” she softly accepted, quickly drying her tears away.

“I’ll escort you back in,” he muttered as he stood up, gently guiding her upwards and walking her back into her room through the window, their palms still held together.

She entered the room and hurriedly turned back to Yuuto. “Oh, right! What was the ques—”

Yuuto placed his finger gently on her lips. “I’ll ask you that next time, alright? I’m in a hurry,” he said, his voice low and soft. He ducked onto the windowsill, his eyes solemn and heavy as he looked at her, his figure darkened by the moonlight shining into Saki’s room from behind him.

Saki blushed slightly… but she didn’t mind it at all as Yuuto gradually loosened his finger and turned around.

She merely replied with a smile, “Alright… I’ll look forward to the next time we meet,” she murmured as Yuuto exited her room, nodding softly on his way out.

After he went down, he walked away from the house.

‘She’s just… some two-dimensional character… Why are you so riled up… Focus,’ Yuuto thought as he placed his palm on his chest, still feeling Saki’s residual warmth.

‘Just… a character in a tragedy. Nothing more…’ he thought as he leaned against a nearby wall, slouched, trying to steady his breathing.

He then slapped himself powerfully.

‘Besides…’ he mused internally, his eyes darkening. The warmth he had felt swiftly disappeared.

‘I decided I’d do something tonight,’ he thought, as he spotted Saki’s father leaving the house and walking towards the city.

‘Let’s play ball… Let’s take care of this guy,’ he thought, his fist tightening as he followed Saki’s father.

—–

Inside Saki’s room, she grasped her own palm. Baffled at how different it feels when someone else holds it.

‘Is this what… Friends feel like, maybe…? True friends…?’ She thought as she closed her eyes with a warm smile, her palms still entwined with each other.

‘It feels… so warm… like I’m laying on a bed of clouds.’

A few days after Yuuto left the hospital…

‘Well, that was something,’ Yuuto thought, standing over Saki’s father. His baseball bat, stained with blood, hung loosely in his hand, a dark facemask concealing his expression.

“So? What are we going to do now?” he called out, his tone mocking as if addressing a child.

“I’m… going to come clean… and sob… turn myself in to the police,” the father whimpered, kneeling in the abandoned alleyway.

“Goood… GOOOOD… There you go, you can do it when you try…!” Yuuto purred, clapping mockingly at the bleeding old man.

Yuuto knelt beside him, whispering in his ear. “And… what else?”

“I… sob… won’t ever touch my daughter again…” the father murmured. Yuuto then powerfully slammed his baseball bat against the man’s temple, knocking him to the side.

“Say that again,” Yuuto growled.

“I… I SAID… I WON’T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER EVER AGA—” he cried, but Yuuto slammed the bat against his temple again.

“No, this is just too precious. Say that… again…”

“I… sob… I don’t understand… Why…?” the father whined.

“She is not your daughter,” Yuuto growled. “You gave up that right the moment you laid your pig-like hands on her. Now call your wife, and break up with her.”

‘…I promised not to let my emotions get the better of me. He is not worth my anger,’

“Okay… I’ll… do it…” the father whispered, his face disfigured with blood and bruises. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and called his wife.

‘Still, it was almost too easy, catching this pig. Follow him to the red light district and then lure him somewhere no one can see. Piece of cake. I didn’t even need an arc to finish him off,’ Yuuto thought almost triumphantly.

“Honey… I raped our daughter behind your back. The moans you heard were because of that. I can no longer live with myself… So I’m turning myself in.”

[WHAT!!?] The wife yelled as the father hung up.

‘Good. His wife is so delusional, she actually believed Saki initiated contact with this pig and then tossed her out of the house, even though she knew her daughter and her husband her entire life. Frankly, both her parents are terrible… But this is about getting rid of the lesser evil. Her mother’s still somewhat caring as long as she’s not being fed lies and manipulated. In that sense, Hiroki’s family’s the same.’ Yuuto mused.

“T-there… I-… I did it…” the father mumbled, gradually relaxing.

‘Now, for this,’ Yuuto thought as he gripped a needle in his pocket.

Yuuto swiftly stabbed the needle filled to the brim with a liquid into the man’s forearm, injecting all of it.

“What…?” the father stuttered, hurriedly pulling the empty needle out. “What did you just…!!?” He stuttered, feeling a wave of warmth wash over him, his muscles beginning to loosen.

‘Ah… Goddamnit. I wasn’t going to use the whole dose… Just a little bit so that he wouldn’t get away while I phone the cops… While also tying him to drugs. That way, if they find drugs in Saki’s body, they’ll put the blame on him afterwards, and he’ll suffer for it in prison; considering what they do to child abusers there,’ Yuuto thought as he looked at the man stumbling about, a twisted smile creeping on the man’s euphoric face as Yuuto stood and watched.

‘…But every time I look at his face, I can only see that moment.’ Yuuto looked down, frowning.

For there to be evidence that Saki was raped, and for that evidence to not be dismissed, she… well, needed to get raped again.

[There exists a room called a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) room or a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) room. These rooms are typically located in hospitals or specialized clinics and are designed to provide a private, safe, and supportive environment where forensic evidence can be collected, and medical and psychological support can be provided. The examinations are conducted by trained professionals, often nurses with specialized training in handling sexual assault cases.]

But to identify the rapist, Saki had to have been raped and admitted to said room within 96 hours after she was violated, so that there would be residue DNA inside of her; through which, they could identify the perpetrator.

Now, he had it. Yuuto had purposely waited until the day this pig decided to lay his hands on his daughter again; and he did – and soon, Yuuto or Saki’s mother would admit her to said safe room after being taken to a hospital; where they would find evidence of what that vile man did.

That means it wouldn’t matter what this old man would say or do. She would be examined, and it would be found out. This guy would bear the consequences without a doubt, double the case, considering it is her father.

But as Yuuto looked at the man’s face, he started to regret things.

He started to regret not taking her out of the house, and depriving the father of the possibility again.

And then he saw Benson, Satoshi, and Tommy’s faces. Regretting not picking up those guns from the officers much earlier to end them sooner.

Just one bullet. Just one simple action to make it all go away.

In that moment where Yuuto had picked up the needle and injected the man’s forearm…

Killing someone again beckoned him, and urged the muscle in his thumb to contract all the way as he injected the drug.

‘It’s so much easier after the first time, isn’t it…?’ Yuuto mused to himself.

Yuuto then gently picked up the discarded needle, inserting it back into his forearm.

“This needs to stay there. How else will the cops believe you overdosed yourself?” Yuuto said, his actions almost mechanical.

‘Ah… Is this… How she felt…? It’s so… Good… It’s so nice…’ the father thought, feeling his body getting warm and drowsy, as his breathing grew labored. Eventually, his lungs no longer had the strength to expand to take in air, and he choked on his own vomit several minutes later.

Yuuto stood silently, looking at the soon-to-be corpse.

‘I bet I could still save his life if I turned him over and let his vomit out of his mouth,’ Yuuto thought, watching the last signs of life from Saki’s father fade away.

Yet that thought soon lost its meaning, as Saki’s father passed away. Yuuto saw the light in his eyes darken until it was gone entirely.

‘…At least I get to keep my eardrums this time,’ Yuuto thought, recalling the loud boom from the pistols he had used at the school.

‘Now then, time to go to the owners of that needle,’ Yuuto mused, giving his baseball bat a twirl as he pulled out Saki’s phone from his pocket.

Yuuto walked into a dilapidated motel room where Hayato was kept. His hands were nailed to the wall, his eyes darkening as he trailed Yuuto’s movements.

His figure was bruised and beaten, much like the old man.

‘…I kept him like this because I didn’t want to kill him,’ Yuuto thought, looking at Hayato, whose face was devoid of all signs of the will to live, bleeding on the floor.

‘But right now, I feel like I can do it,’ Yuuto thought, lowering the baseball bat onto Hayato’s head, bashing it. He killed him after several direct hits to his temple, his gaze empty and blank as he delivered the fatal blows.

‘…Considering this universe… I should probably go to where I stole that needle from. And end it,’ he thought as he looked down at the body.

‘I’ll figure out a way to clean him up from here after that,’ Yuuto thought as he walked out of the room, into the blinding neon of the city lights outside.

Hayato had told Yuuto the location where Obata was running his business.

Yuuto stood right outside of the location, his baseball bat at the ready.

He clenched his palm around the baseball bat as he eyed the place down.

‘….’

But then, the grip on the baseball bat loosened, and the grip on Saki’s phone grew stronger.

He dialed the police station and gave an anonymous tip about a drug location.

‘….I’m too tired for today. I’ll let the cops handle this one,’ he thought as he returned to the rundown motel room where he had left Hayato, and cleaned up the scene. He then took out the body and began to dig in the dirt, deep in the forest behind the motel.

‘Good place I picked… Did I know, after all, that I’d end up killing him?’ Yuuto thought as he buried Hayato in the dirt, disposing of his phone and SIM card.

It was now 1 AM.

After he was done, he entered Hayato’s apartment to clean up. Afterwards, he returned to the burial site, dumping his old clothes, plenty of wood branches, and alcohol. He then dropped a match into the pit, setting it all on fire.

Yuuto merely stood and watched the flames blaze and then die out in absolute silence.

3 AM. The flames had burnt everything.

Yuuto covered the hole with dirt… And from there, he seemed to have lost all sense of time and mindfulness.

Blacking out, he wandered the streets, eventually ending up at Hiroki’s home, where Kanoko and Kaede were still asleep.

The logical thing to do now was to go to his room and sleep as well.

But, driven by pure primal instinct, he walked up the stairs and knocked forcefully on Kanoko’s door.

“Hey… Who’s..!!?” Kanoko called out as she opened the door, only to see Yuuto standing there, his gaze empty, yet his eyes wide.

“Hiro…Ki…?” Kanoko muttered, as suddenly, Yuuto barged in, shoving and pushing her violently until he pinned her against the bed.

“Hiroki!!?” she called out in worry as Yuuto now lay atop her, pinning her arms in place.

The only thought going through Yuuto’s head in that moment was, ‘They are not my family… They are not my family… So, this is fine…’ He thought, breathing heavily upon her as he looked over her, driven by pure instinct.

‘How did I end up here?’ he wondered, but no thought seemed to relax him, as his breathing intensified and his grip tightened with every passing moment.

Kanoko looked at his face. Her anxiety slowly started to wane as she felt the turmoil within him.

She then clutched her legs around his waist, pulling him into an embrace.

“Ah…” Yuuto gasped as his head was pressed against her chest. His grip softened. Kanoko raised her arms, wrapping them around his neck, and petting his head soothingly.

“Shhh… It’s oka!&^%($!TG

!%*(&^%y… It’s okay… Big sis has you now, little guy.”

“…” Yuuto cried into her chest as she held him tightly.

“Did you have a bad dream again…?” she asked.

Yuuto could only nod in his intense sobbing.

“Haah… You disappoint me, To-chan.” She softly scolded as she held him in her arms.

He merely raised his head in confusion, his eyes still wet and soaked with tears.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you have bad dreams, you should just call me, and I’ll beat up any monster that dares hurt you?” she scolded.

“But… But… What if the monster’s too strong for you…!? I have to be the one who… who saves you…” he wept.

“Dumbass. You’re too weak to do anything yet. So just don’t be scared, and rely on your strong older sister!” She said with a confident smile@(&T^%(!@$%@3

!^#&*%(!$

‘…Another unwanted memory…’ Yuuto thought as he remained in Kanoko’s embrace, his expression still blank as she petted his head, yet she could feel his breathing getting more relaxed. He then caught the sound of Kanoko’s heartbeat as he was pressed against her chest. Soft, yet powerful and steady.

The warmth radiated from her, and Yuuto was caught between her body and the furred blanket above the two of them.

‘I just don’t get it.’

‘Why… Why did you do this to him?’ Yuuto thought to himself, feeling his eyelids slowly closing.

‘It just… doesn’t make sense for these crazed whores… to be so… attentive…’

‘Something doesn’t add up…’ Yuuto’s last coherent thought before nodding off.

Author here. To clarify a few things: Hugh, Gyarune, Akito, Rise, Riku, Yuuto, Nazuna, Ryuuji, Satoshi, Tommy, Benson, and the African Twins are all original characters. Hiroki, his family, the transfer student, and Nao are from *Tensei Kokujin No NTR Ru*. Saki and her parents are from *Metamorphosis*. Yuuto is an original character from my work *Anti-NTR Man*

As for Hugh and Gyarune: they’re common trope antagonists in NTRs (Ugly Bastard and Gyaru blonde hair tanned guy). I just got lazy naming them.

Another thing: This arc is the last one.

I want to focus on other projects. Putting my all into this fanfic while I have two original novels to update, with four more in the works, is just too taxing. I feel like I’m losing my touch and the quality is dropping. So, I’ll try end this one with a bang (no pun intended). It will be quite difficult to top considering the last arc, but I’ll see what I can do.

This fanfic started as a free commission for a reader, but the clout I got from it went to my head, and I extended this work on purpose. I don’t think it was inherently wrong, but it’s important to know when to end it.

Either way, enjoy.

__________

In the dead of night, Yuuto awakened from his unconscious state. Beside him, Kaede and Kanoko were sound asleep.

Glancing at the clock on his bedside, he noted the date and time.

‘A week…’ he thought, looking over at Kaede and Kanoko.

‘…I’ll deal with them and Saki later. There’s something I need to verify,’ he contemplated as he quietly got up and walked to the bathroom, his gaze wandering the room, wondering if it was the same one he had been in before.

Standing before the mirror, he observed himself.

‘…My jaw’s more chiseled… And I’m taller, yet my muscle mass hasn’t changed much, but I’m still seeing changes there as well,’ he noted, scrutinizing his reflection.

‘I think it’s true then. I’m beginning to resemble my original body more as time goes on… But…’ he mused, pulling his shirt collar aside to reveal his scar.

‘…It hasn’t completely faded… And my head still hurts a bit,’ he added, feeling around the lower back area where he had been impaled by broken glass.

There was a small bump, a stitch. ‘The glass must have gone really deep to require stitches…’

He then looked at the palm he had burnt, also noticing some remnants of the burn still etched on his skin.

‘This confirms it. My abnormal regeneration from when I first arrived in this world… It’s slowing down,’ Yuuto concluded.

‘Is it connected to my transmigration and the fact that I increasingly look more like my original self?’

‘…I have a theory, then.’

‘I wasn’t actually regenerating. It was just my body gradually transitioning to this world, slowly replacing Hiroki’s body, focusing first on the critical areas,’ Yuuto reasoned.

‘Hmm. Can’t be certain yet. It could be anything, but it’s a plausible enough theory… Then again, in an NTR world where a man-child can hypnotize masses, anything’s possible.’

‘Either way… Now that I have time for myself… I need to start training and install security cameras around the house, all the while Anti-NTRing Saki Yoshida back to her good life.’

‘And I still don’t completely look like myself. I’ll use this opportunity and abuse this super regeneration to train like hell while I still have some form of it. Maybe my newly added strength will transfer to my original body when this transmigration process is complete…?’

Yuuto resolved.

Morning came, and Kaede and Kanoko woke up to find Yuuto no longer in his bed.

“Where is Hiroki?” Kanoko murmured as she and Kaede scanned the room.

Kaede, somewhat expecting to see him working out, hurriedly looked around.

Instead, she spotted Yuuto sitting at a nearby table, still in his hospital robe, eating breakfast with Akito and Nazuna, who had come to visit. Akito sat on one side in his wheelchair, needing more space, while Nazuna sat next to Yuuto.

“You just can’t grow taller in 7 days, dude! You defy physics or something!” Nazuna exclaimed, examining him.

She then squeezed his cheeks. “AND WHAT’S WITH THAT JAWLINE?! AKITO, YOU SEEING THIS?” Nazuna called out, as Yuuto hastily pushed her arms away. Unperturbed, she used her other hand to continue poking him.

“I’m not seeing anything… What are you even talking about?” Akito sighed, glancing at Yuuto.

“How about you listen to your psychotic friend, monkey?” Yuuto started, food falling out of his mouth as he tried to chew, his cheeks squeezed by Nazuna.

“Monkey!? That’s offensive!” Nazuna called out with a pout.

“Hiroki…?” Kaede murmured, in shock to see him acting so casual, with Kanoko equally stunned.

“No, monkey’s pretty accurate,” Akito agreed, not arguing with the title Yuuto had given her.

“Besides, your friend just died. Be depressed or something. Leave me alone,” Yuuto said casually, his expression deadpan.

“No can do~ Ryuuji wouldn’t want us to be depressed, so there’s that~ Besides, I brought you the food, so I can do whatever I want with you, considering you’re oh so graciously eating it,” Nazuna playfully explained, cut off as Yuuto grabbed another bite.

But he immediately spilled it out again as Kanoko and Kaede surprised him with a hug from behind, knocking him forward a bit.

“Buffu—!!” Yuuto let out, the air in his lungs being emptied as they tightly hugged him.

“Hiroki… I’m so glad you’re okay!” Kaede murmured, while Kanoko just hugged him, dipping her head into his shoulder.

With a sigh, Yuuto let them do as they pleased.

Kanoko slightly shifted her head to Nazuna, who looked at the three with a warm smile.

‘Hiroki seems pretty close to that girl, huh…?’ Kanoko thought, feeling a tinge of frustration.

—————– 7 DAYS EARLIER ——————–

“MOVE OUTTA THE WAY! WE GOTTA GET HIROKI TO AN AMBULANCE!” Kanoko bellowed as Nazuna ran toward them, Yuuto unconscious.

“Besides, you’re the last person I want anywhere near him!” she shouted, her eyes hostile as she glared at Nazuna.

But Nazuna merely snatched the unconscious Yuuto from Kanoko’s, Saki’s, and Kaede’s grasp and hoisted him onto her shoulders.

“H-HIROKI!” Kaede called out in panic as she moved toward Nazuna, dreading for her son’s safety.

“YOU BITCH, GIVE HIM BACK!” Kanoko yelled, while Saki looked down, overwhelmed by the situation and unsure what to do or say.

“Not happening,” Nazuna replied firmly as she turned and walked toward the exit. “Or wait, do YOU know how to carry a concussed person out of a building without accidentally hurting him even more?!” she argued, a look of urgency in her eyes that silenced both Kaede and Kanoko. “Are you strong enough to make sure no one snatches him away from you until the ambulance arrives?! ARE YOU?!” she shouted, her body as still as a rock as she piggybacked Yuuto.

—————————————————————————

Kanoko looked at Nazuna’s soft expression and thought, ‘She looks completely different… It’s like she’s a totally different person.’

She then felt Yuuto’s shoulders and arms, using the hug as an excuse. ‘…He feels a little different… And… His body’s kind of hot. Does he have a fever?’ Kanoko wondered, worry creeping into her heart.

Meanwhile, Yuuto looked at the food on the table before him. ‘Wonder when I’ll get to eat… I trained the whole night, so I’mma need the calorie intake…’ he thought, his muscles still sore beneath his hospital clothes.

Kaede remained silent, her heart full of fear. ‘This boy… I can tell. This girl is right. He’s changing… With every day, he begins to look more and more different from my Hiroki… It’s like… Someone else is taking over my baby’s body…’ She shed a tear as she tightened her grip on Yuuto. ‘But still… I’m just so glad that he’s okay… Darling, is this your doing, maybe? Did you do this to protect us?’ Kaede prayed internally, hoping his change was for the better.

Yuuto felt her shaky grasp, her tear soaking his shoulder. Instinctively, he reached out his palm to hers… but stopped himself just short of comforting her.

‘No. …I’m not that woman’s son. Focus,’ he thought, lowering his hand.

‘Besides, I still have to remember… She’s just one cock away from losing all her supposed love for her son. That’s all it would take. All those gestures, the emotional depth we allegedly have, gone. Just one guy, and I’d become like a stranger to her. Frankly, I’d rather have free time to work out and not worry about expenses, so I’ll make sure she won’t be dating anyone and kick me out of the house… At least until I’m sure I can handle anyone and anything in this world. Then, I’ll just move out on my own,’ Yuuto thought, softly clicking his tongue as he leaned back into their embraces.

‘What a pain. Got a lot of work to do,’ he mused.

The sounds of the downpour in the background, police breaching the doors of the school, and dozens of students laying on the floor just outside the principal’s office in agony, not knowing what had just hit them.

Kanoko had just rose up from beating on Nao’s face. Nao had already gone unconscious, her entire face stained with blood.

‘She was the only one who could move. She was definitely not hypnotized at all. I should have killed her. I know it,’ Yuuto thought, his vision getting blurry as blood trickled down from his back as he walked with Saki and Kaede towards the exit, away from the flames that had begun spreading across the principal’s office; his grip on the pistol still firm, as well as his grip on Saki’s hand in his burnt palm.

‘Ahh… Goddamn it. She cut me up good, this girl…’ Yuuto thought as he witnessed Nazuna rising up to her feet in the sea of students as they left the door. To her left was the very broken window she impaled Yuuto on when he subdued her.

‘My concussion’s getting worse… I don’t think I can control my legs anymore. My nausea’s getting violent…’ He thought, beginning to stumble as Nazuna looked at him, a look of urgency in her eyes as she sprinted towards him. The entire world seemed to move in slow motion, his consciousness beginning to fade.

‘No… I can’t fall asleep…’ He thought as he looked at Saki.

‘There’s still this girl… What if today’s the day her parents toss her out…?’

‘Shit… I’m beginning to lose it…’

He thought, no longer able to hear the screams of concern around him anymore.

“Sa…Ki…”

“If you get thrown out of the house today by your retarded mother… Come… To… Our… Place…” Yuuto murmured, his eyes closing as his grip on both the pistol and Saki’s hand slipping.

Yuuto passed out.

After he did, many things unfolded.

The first event was the intense scrutiny of the security tapes from the school, watched repeatedly to confirm the unbelievable. Satoshi, overly confident in his victory, had neglected to erase any incriminating evidence of his actions.

The detective’s suspicions deepened with each viewing of the tapes.

Hypnosis was real, and it had been used to commit heinous acts against minors. But, as they soon discovered, these students were not the only victims. Just hours before Yuuto killed Satoshi, a nurse named Riko collapsed in tears on the hospital floor alongside other medical staff. The moment of Satoshi’s death seemed to trigger a flood of suppressed memories.

Riko remembered how her husband had died by her hands.

Overwhelmed with guilt and grief, she turned herself in, only to be released a day later when the police verified she was a victim of mass hypnosis.

However, unable to live without her husband, she took her own life shortly thereafter.

In the following days, several patients from a mental asylum were miraculously cured of their ailments after a week of intensive testing. All had suffered some form of trauma, and the description of Satoshi came up at all of them.

Upong exploring his background, they discovered most of Satoshi’s actions and his entanglements with drug dealers.

Ultimately, these connections led to substantial police operations, resulting in the dismantling of the networks and the arrest of all involved.

Nao was exposed as an accomplice, corroborated by multiple witness testimonies, which included Kanoko, Kaede, and Nazuna and as well as video footage that showed her being friendly with the main aggressor. Consequently, she was sentenced to a lengthy term in juvenile detention without a foreseeable release date.

…But even that was not all.

“Honey,” she said, her expression filled with worry.

“For the past few nights, I’ve heard our daughter moaning from her room. I haven’t mentioned it until now, but it’s starting to concern me. Do you know anything about it? Could she have a new boyfriend she’s keeping secret from us?” the mother asked, coincidentally on the same day the mass hypnosis at the school began.

‘Haah… I think I took this too far. Time to come clean… I’ll just pin the blame on Saki. She’s a whore anyway, a disgraceful daughter, so it will be easy to do it,’ The man, calling himself Saki’s father, had thought; after raping his daughter night after night, day after day, his gaze steady, yet cautious.

“Actually… Darling… I need to be honest… I’ve been keeping a secret because I couldn’t bear the thought of our precious daughter frequenting questionable places… In fact, the moans that you heard were—”

The father began to explain, but was abruptly interrupted as their cellphones simultaneously rang, alerting them that police officers were surrounding the school perimeter.

That day, the father chose to withhold his secret a while longer, which consequently postponed Saki’s expulsion from her house.

Nazuna attended her friend’s funeral with a vacant, hollow expression as she stared at the grave, standing next to Akito who was wrapped in bandages and seated in a wheelchair.

Then there was Yuuto.

He had battled against a multitude of students, overcoming seemingly insurmissible odds, eventually killing the hypnotist after fatally shooting two police officers with stolen law enforcement firearms and assaulting numerous teachers and students.

His actions were ruled as “Self-Defense,” and he was absolved of any wrongdoing.

Subsequently, several police officers visited his hospital room to offer their condolences and support to Yuuto, Kanoko, Kaede, and Nazuna and Akito, who regularly checked on their safety.

The officers also expressed their gratitude to Yuuto for preventing further atrocities by the deceased officers, appreciating his swift actions.

Amidst this, Kaede’s thoughts often returned to her son’s new identity that he shouted, Yuuto Sakurai, sometimes feeling as though he was no longer her son, Hiroki.

Yet, these thoughts were secondary to her reflections on the grim necessities her son faced to protect them—how he had to end a life to save theirs. These memories left her feeling helpless, wishing only that he remained safe.

Throughout the week Yuuto lay hospitalized and unconscious, neither she nor Kanoko left his side.

By the seventh day, the gunshot wound had transformed into a stark, fresh scar.

Now, all that remained was for Yuuto to awaken.

But naturally… other things kept happening around the world.

“SIR!” An enthusiastic, mature voice called as he walked through the doors, wincing as he laid his eyes on the man sitting at the elegant desk in front of him.

“Yes…? Don’t stop talking… Heheheh…” The man mocked, tightening his grip on a petite woman sitting on his lap.

“It’s… It’s about your adopted son… It’s Jameson. He was… erh…” The man stuttered, tightening his fists in silence, trying his hardest to look away from the man and the woman he enveloped himself with.

The man then powerfully slammed his fist against his desk. “YOU COME IN HERE TALKING ABOUT MY SON, AND THEN YOU STOP TALKING!? LOOK AT ME AND SPEAK, YOU RETARDED LIMP!!” His voice boomed.

The man shook his head, raising his gaze.

“Oh, her? Is it her that makes you uncomfortable?” he said with a leer, fondling her breasts before the man’s reluctant eyes. “You have some fine taste, I’ll tell you… She was resisting quite a lot, but in the end, I got her hooked on my dick, heheh~”

The man leered again as he played with her body. “As a good boss, I have to show you what happens when you keep secrets from me… For example, keeping such a hottie of a wife a secret. That is insubordination, you know? But since I’m such a generous man, I’ll let you off with a warning. You don’t mind me taking your wife all for myself as a consolation prize, right?” he mocked.

The man could only look down as his wife momentarily glanced at him, feeling sorry for him before being pulled back into overwhelming pleasure at the slightest touch from the man.

“…No… I don’t mind, Mr. Tarude,” he said weakly, eyes fixed on the floor.

“Hehehe… Good lad. I’ll give you some money. Go to a whorehouse and find yourself someone to play around with,” Tarude said, tossing hundreds of dollars toward him. The man, who had been in a loving relationship with his wife for many years, merely nodded as he ducked to pick up the cash.

‘At least… Michaela is safe…’ he thought of his daughter, who was under his boss’s desk, doing her best to please him, unbeknownst to her father.

“Good, good… Hehehe…” Tarude laughed as the man left the room.

“Consider this a present from me, Hugh Glee Bass Tarude.”

“Ahh, pops, ya’ totally got him all depressed…” A blonde, tanned guy leaning nearby the desk exclaimed playfully, almost disregarding the two girls draped over the man.

“He deserves it, Gyarune. He forgot to tell me the news about your adopted brother…”

“Well, you already knew that little Jimmy died in Japan, though,” Gyarune said, scratching his head.

“About that… I need you to go there and check things out… After you’re done with your assignments here, of course,” Hugh ordered.

“Fair enough…” Gyarune sighed as he left Hugh’s office.

[BACKGROUND MUSIC: MAX PAYNE 2 THEME]

Rain.

The skies had opened in a sudden downpour, cloaking the once-bright sun and exposing the true, somber hue of the world.

After Yuuto had sprinted away from the principal’s office, by seizing the fleeting distraction provided by a stranger, he too began to perceive the deep, decayed colors that bled through the facade of reality.

‘I’ve been stupid,’ Yuuto thought as he walked through the school hallways, each baton gripped tightly in his hands, a backpack tied to his back.

‘The moment I discovered supernatural forces in this world, I should have taken extreme measures from the start.’ He reflected.

‘Because the simple truth is, even a baseball bat can’t stop a bullet. But a bullet can definitely stop a hypnotist.’ He concluded.

Meanwhile, Benson trailed behind a group of a dozen students.

‘This guy has me patrolling the school again… Haah… Who knows where Hiroki Morii could be anymore..?’ He sighed, his frustration palpable.

Yuuto, just around the corner, heard the sound of many footsteps approaching.

‘…No. Even if there were no supernatural forces, I’ve been overly dramatic about everything. Screaming my name like some anime protagonist…? Me? Yeah, this world is exciting and fun… But I forgot that my judgment is clouded. It’s not entirely my body. I’ve inherited Hiroki’s impulses ever since I got here… And I dismissed them like they were nothing, kicking them under the table as if they were dead rats. How did I forget that his naivete is part of what got him NTR’d to begin with?’ Yuuto mused as he caught his reflection in the glass leading to the dozens of police cars outside.

‘…Well, at least I found some fake glasses. Now it’s truly me, Yuuto Sakurai. I won’t let you have your way again, Hiroki Morii,’ he thought determinedly.

‘Someone had to sacrifice themselves just so that I could have a fair chance again. I don’t even know if that person is alive or dead.’

His grip on the baton tightened momentarily as his face twitched in anger.

‘…You weak cuck. I won’t let your dumb impulses control me again,’ he thought resolutely as he stepped out from around the corner, facing Benson and the crowd of students.

“Hiroki Morii..!! You should have run—” Benson mused with a smirk, as Yuuto dropped one baton to the floor, swiftly drawing a loaded pistol from under his belt.

‘…I need to deceive. To hide my trump cards, not broadcast them,’ Yuuto thought as he aimed the gun at the stunned Benson.

“You—!!”

‘Lead-Lead Pistol,’ Yuuto mentally called out as he pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing through Benson’s skull and exiting the other side, a spurt of blood marking its exit.

‘…I need to kill.’ He grimly noted, ‘My conscience doesn’t really matter as long as I stop whoever’s behind this charade.’ He thought grimly as Benson’s body hit the ground, prompting the horde of students to rush toward him.

‘And I can’t rely on this weak body and how it adapts… Nor can I afford to go easy on them. Even if they’re just kids…’ Yuuto resolved as he holstered his pistol and picked up the other baton from the floor.

He then began to brutally fend off the mob rushing his way.

Whether a guy or a girl; snap, crack—a bone breaking.

Squish—blood vessels rupturing.

He swung his batons mercilessly at anyone who dared come close.

Before long, none remained standing, and Yuuto continued on his determined path.

‘Ah, right. He had a gun.’ Yuuto stopped, rummaging through Benson’s lifeless body until he found a revolver. Inspecting it, he found it was still fully loaded.

‘I doubt I’d be able to take them head on without a weapon… But that doesn’t really matter,’ Yuuto thought as he resumed walking step by step towards the principal’s office again, holstering the revolver.

‘No luck, my ass.’ Yuuto recalled, ‘Luck played in my favor ever since I got here with all the dumbfuck mistakes I made. I was actually about to lose myself back there and run at that hypnotic shota and let that wise-ass shoot me. What am I, 14?’ Yuuto thought in frustration.

Meanwhile…

“Hmph, with Benson and those two on his tail, Hiroki Morii doesn’t stand a chance, Satoshi,” Tommy remarked.

“I know. All I saw in him was a mindless teenager, a complete moron. He’s a lost cause…” Satoshi replied, his voice trailing off as the muffled sound of gunshots began to resonate just beyond the door.

“A gunfight!?” Tommy exclaimed, positioning himself between Satoshi and the only exit, his ears straining as the gunfire persisted. Curiosity flickered across Satoshi’s face as he stared at the door.

‘A newcomer…?’ Satoshi wondered silently as the gunshots abruptly ceased, only to be replaced by the sickening sound of flesh being beaten. Moans, gasps, and screams of agony filtered through the door, escalating until suddenly, all fell silent.

“…I will go and see who that is, Satoshi,” Tommy declared, pushing the door open to reveal two policemen slumped on the ground, each with a bullet hole in their head, below several unconscious bodies of students.

‘I need to stop acting all-powerful. Like I have strength to spare,’ Yuuto thought, hidden from view as Tommy stepped out.

Then, a BANG.

A revolver round reverberated down the hallway, narrowly missing Tommy.

‘That revolver…!!’ Tommy realized in shock.

His eyes darted toward the end of the hallway, catching a glimpse of a hand gripping a revolver, partially concealed by a blue tuxedo.

‘That deviant decided to turn on us? I knew sire should have hypnotized him…!’ Tommy thought as he saw the hand withdraw behind the corner. He sprinted toward it, his mind racing. ‘I’m ready. You haven’t caught me off guard before, and you won’t now, deviant,’ he thought as he rounded the corner.

But instead of Benson, Tommy found only his body, hanging limply from the windowsill, a bullet in his head, his blue tuxedo gone.

‘W-what…!?’ Tommy’s eyes widened in shock.

That moment of distraction was his undoing.

From behind the body, Yuuto emerged, donned in Benson’s blue tuxedo.

‘Ahh… Right… That deviant was left-handed…’ Tommy realized too late, as his abdomen erupted in pain from multiple shots fired from Benson’s revolver, now in Yuuto’s hands.

The revolver’s caliber was far beyond that of a standard firearm. Tommy’s sleek tuxedo offered no protection against the powerful shots.

‘…I really have been lucky,’ Yuuto thought, watching Tommy stagger.

‘I assumed he was a seasoned soldier, so I aimed for his stomach to incapacitate him, thinking he wore Kevlar under that suit. I hoped to interrogate him about the hypnotist before finishing him,’ Yuuto reflected as Tommy gasped, blood bubbling from his lips as he crumpled to the floor.

‘Sire… Run…’ Tommy’s mind echoed the plea before darkness claimed him.

‘But it seems he was just a pretentious old man,’ Yuuto concluded, stepping over Tommy’s body and heading back toward the sealed door of the principal’s office.

“Tommy!” Satoshi called out from a distance, still seated in the principal’s chair.

Silence followed.

“…Nazuna, go check what’s happening,” Satoshi commanded.

Without hesitation, Nazuna marched toward the door, her steps resolute.

‘As for this girl… She’s strong. I honestly don’t know if I can take her, even armed…’ Yuuto mused as Nazuna stepped over the unconscious bodies and closed the door behind her.

Yuuto then rose from the pile of bodies, blending in until Nazuna passed. He silently approached her from behind…

…And swiftly pressed a chloroform-soaked bandage against her mouth, securing a tight grip around her neck as she began to struggle violently.

But Yuuto was relentless. Clamping his legs around her waist, he pressed the bandage with all his might, forcing her to inhale the potent fumes for as long as she could withstand.

Nazuna tried to break free by slamming her back against the nearby doors, but Yuuto held firm. In a desperate move, she fell backwards, toppling them both to the ground.

The impact sent a sharp jolt through Yuuto’s skull, a concussion blooming behind his eyes, yet he maintained his grip.

She made one last attempt, crashing against the glass windows. The glass shattered, shards slicing into Yuuto’s flesh, his blood spattering the broken pane. Still, he did not relent.

‘Rest,’ Yuuto thought as Nazuna’s resistance slowly ebbed, her body weakening until she sagged in his hold.

Just as her knees buckled, Yuuto carefully supported her neck, gently easing her descent to the floor. Her face, now serene in unconsciousness, was marred only by a single tear that trickled from her eye as he carefully laid her down.

BLURRY.

Yuuto’s vision swam violently, nausea churning in his gut.

‘I can’t afford to throw up… Not now… It’s not over yet. I’ll hold off until I’ve dealt with that brat,’ he thought, fighting the disorientation as he staggered toward the pile of unconscious bodies to retrieve the bag he had hidden there.

[When you have a concussion, it’s important not to throw up because vomiting can increase the pressure inside your skull, which can be harmful, especially if the brain is swollen or bruised.]

‘Alright… I did good stopping by the infirmary again,’ Yuuto thought, discarding the chloroform-soaked bandage with a flick of his wrist.

He swiftly rummaged through the supplies he had hastily gathered earlier, his fingers wrapping around a glass bottle of isopropyl alcohol, already prepared with a gauze wick; An improvised version of the Molotov Cocktail (a homemade inflammable grenade) made from infirmary supplies. His hands were steady, betraying none of the turmoil within. Now, all he needed was a lighter.

‘Not the infirmary… Neither that British guy nor the butler had one… Where would I find a lighter in a school?’ Yuuto mused, his gaze drifting over the sprawl of unconscious students.

‘…Of course, one of the students would have one.’ His thoughts sharpened as he searched through the pockets of several students until he finally found what he was looking for—a lighter and a pack of cigarettes.

“Jackpot,” Yuuto murmured under his breath, flicking the lighter to test it. The small flame briefly illuminated his determined features.

He allowed himself a moment to glance at the police officers he had incapacitated, stationed near the door.

‘…’

‘I couldn’t have neutralized armed police officers by myself under these circumstances. They might have fired through the students to reach me… I’m… Sorry. I wasn’t strong enough to stop you without resorting to this.’ Yuuto’s expression twisted in regret as a surge of bile, a side effect of his newly acquired concussion, rose in his throat.

With a grimace, he fought the urge to vomit, swallowing hard, his face contorting with the effort.

‘I have to end this now,’ he resolved, steeling himself for what was to come, the improvised Molotov Cocktail tightly gripped in his hand.

“…Nazuna!? TOMMY!!?” Satoshi called out, a hint of concern etching his features.

‘Who is this? Who’s behind that door? Some veteran, perhaps!?’ Satoshi’s thoughts raced, his breath held in suspense.

‘It couldn’t be… Could it?’ Nao thought anxiously, her eyes fixed on the slowly creaking door, the silence around her almost palpable.

As the door finally swung open, Satoshi stared intently at the gap, ready to act.

‘Whoever this is… they won’t escape my sight. The moment they even peek… I’ll hypnotize them!’ he vowed silently.

Nao gasped as the full view came into sight—hordes of students and the two policemen lay scattered across the floor, not a single one standing.

“W-who…!” Nao stammered.

Meanwhile, Yuuto was meticulously adjusting the flame of his lighter, concealed behind the door. He held it close to the wick nestled within the alcohol bottle.

‘Show’s over,’ Yuuto thought, igniting the wick.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ni7MV2VlIYU?rel=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1

‘My body might not be strong enough to handle many enemies at once… But it’s toned enough now to make this throw count,’ Yuuto planned, his hand emerging from the doorway as he hurled the Molotov cocktail straight toward the principal’s office.

“…!!!” Nao gasped as the bottle crashed into the desk.

Flames erupted, instantly setting the desk ablaze. Kaede, Saki, and Kanoko felt the heat sear their skin, immobilized by their circumstances.

Nao shrieked, darting to the other side of the room.

It was then that Yuuto stepped fully into the room, an officer’s pistol gripped firmly in his hand.

‘HIROKI…!!!!’ Kaede’s mind screamed.

‘LOOK OUT…!!!!’ Kanoko’s mental warning echoed.

Yuuto advanced towards the blazing desk…

…But Satoshi was not there.

Suddenly, Yuuto’s head tilted as if guided by an invisible hand.

…It was Satoshi,

‘I win…’ Satoshi thought as he locked eyes with Yuuto.

…Except Yuuto’s eyes were closed from the beginning behind those fake square glasses he donned.

‘…What!!? He got in here without looking!?’ Satoshi grimaced in disbelief.

————FLASHBACK (CHAPTER 18)—————

“I could say the same to you, Hiroki Morii. No way you dodged those bullets without some trick, so that makes us even,” Akito had confidently declared.

————————————————————————

‘I still don’t know what trick he was talking about…’ Yuuto mused as he gripped Satoshi’s throat, the barrel of the gun pressed coldly against Satoshi’s temple.

‘I just have some battle experience,’ Yuuto reflected inwardly.

“I will make this really simple for you, hypnotist bastard. Nullify it, or else,” Yuuto stated bluntly, his eyes still firmly shut.

“Haha… Isn’t it funny, Hiroki Morii…!? You have me pinned, but in the end, you can’t do anything—…” Satoshi’s taunt was cut short as he choked, Yuuto dragging him toward the increasing heat in the room.

“W-Wait.. Stop..!! NOT— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” Satoshi’s scream tore through the air as Yuuto pressed his head against the flaming desk, the heat scorching Yuuto’s palm as well.

“STOP, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Satoshi continued to shriek, writhing in agony as Yuuto held him against the blaze.

From a corner of the room, Nao could only huddle and watch in horror as Yuuto stood almost casually in the flames, subjecting Satoshi to the fire.

‘Hiroki….!’ Kaede’s heart broke, a tear escaping as she witnessed her son immolating another.

Even Kanoko, who had once found a cold satisfaction in such thoughts, now grimaced, mourning the boy she knew as she watched Yuuto’s mechanical steadiness in executing the fiery punishment.

Amidst the chaos, Saki felt a grim sense of relief as she sensed the ordeal nearing its end.

Yuuto then pulled Satoshi away from the flaming desk.

“You see, I’ve killed a lot of people on my way here… My conscience is very fragile… I’d rather not add another life to that list. So, if you just nullify the hypnotism, I’ll let you go,” Yuuto said, his voice calm yet ominous.

‘F-FUCKING LIAR…!!!! HE’LL JUST KILL ME THE MOMENT I NULLIFY IT…!!!!’ Satoshi thought, his body wracked with pain, his scorched clothes clinging to his seared skin.

“So…? What do you say?” Yuuto asked, tilting his head slightly.

“F-fuck… Y-you— AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Before Satoshi could finish, Yuuto thrust his head back against the burning wood, holding it there longer this time, ensuring his body adhered to the charred surface. Satoshi’s lungs were too scorched for him to even gasp for another scream.

“How about this? I have some medical supplies here, including adrenaline. I’ll make sure you stay awake for a very long time as I burn you alive. If you nullify it, I’ll end it quickly,” Yuuto threatened, pulling him from the flames again.

“But I’ll need you to be steady. With my eyes closed, I might stick the needle wrong,” Yuuto added.

“AAAAAAH…. AH… BRING… BRING THE SPEAKER TO ME…!!! I’LL… NULLIFY IT….” Satoshi managed through agonized gasps, his eye beginning to melt from the heat.

“…Hmph… The speaker is probably burnt, considering it’s usually on the principal’s desk… And I don’t know where it is now… Guess I’ll have you feel around the room until we find it. Act like a metal detector for me, will ya?” Yuuto suggested as he began to walk away, Satoshi’s throat still clutched in Yuuto’s burnt palm.

“Just…” Satoshi’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Just kill me… It will.. End the hypnotism… With no one to address as their master… They’ll just… Go back to normal… Just… Please kill me…” Satoshi pleaded, blood and tears mixing as they streamed from his face.

“All I needed to hear,” Yuuto said, pressing the gun against Satoshi’s temple and pulling the trigger.

The bullet pierced his skull, ending his life instantly.

Yuuto opened his eyes.

The immediate aftermath was visible in the crumpled forms of Kaede, Kanoko, and Saki. They fell to the ground, their faces etched with pain and shock, their knees buckling under the weight of their emotions and the physical strain of standing for too long.

But Yuuto’s gaze didn’t linger on them. The first sight that captured his attention as he opened his eyes was Satoshi’s lifeless body beside the crackling flames.

He then turned to face Nao, who was cowering in a corner.

“…You’ve long since passed the point of just losing an eye,” Yuuto declared calmly as he approached her.

“Hi…Roki…” Nao murmured, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at his composed expression.

‘He’s… Serious… I’m going to die..!!’ Panic surged through her as her realization dawned.

“Any last words? I doubt ‘Hiroki’ is the name you want to whisper before you kick it,” Yuuto asked coolly, leveling the gun at her face.

“You’re… Not… Hiroki…!” Nao managed to say, her voice a murmur.

“Well, suit yourself,” Yuuto sighed, meeting her gaze squarely as he began to squeeze the trigger.

Just then, Kanoko lunged at Nao, tackling her to the ground. Kaede ran toward Yuuto, embracing him from behind.

Yuuto paused, a hint of surprise crossing his features as Kanoko unleashed a barrage of furious punches on Nao, pinning her down and striking her face repeatedly, her expression one of wild frenzy.

“Hiroki… Please… Let’s just… Let’s go home… Please…” Kaede whispered, her voice breaking as tears soaked Yuuto’s shoulder.

Outside, hordes of policemen, previously under the hypnotist’s control, began rushing into the school in confusion. Alongside them, the remnants of students scattered around the premises stirred, each snapping out of the hypnotic trance as if waking from a brief blackout. However, Nao, Kanoko, Kaede, Nazuna, and Saki remained fully aware, having been conscious throughout the entire ordeal.

Inside, the intensity of the moment lingered. Yuuto slowly lowered his gun, feeling the residual warmth of Kaede’s embrace. Kanoko continued to unleash a relentless barrage of punches on Nao, who struggled to breathe as her nose broke and teeth shattered from the force.

Gently breaking free from Kaede’s grasp, Yuuto walked towards Saki, who had collapsed in the corner, her face etched with confusion and shock.

“Hiroki…?” Kaede called out softly, her voice tinged with worry as he approached Saki.

Yuuto crouched beside Saki, extending his arm toward her. “Let’s go home, Saki,” he said calmly, his voice soft, as he offered his burnt hand to help her stand. Saki hesitated, her eyes fixating on his seared palm.

“It’s alright. It’s gone numb. You can grab it,” Yuuto reassured her gently.

With a tentative bite of her lip, Saki placed her hand atop his, drawing strength from his steady presence to rise to her feet.

Turning back to Kanoko and Kaede, he affirmed,

“Let’s go home, then,”

‘Third time,’ Yuuto thought to himself.

The first thought he had upon regaining consciousness.

‘The THIRD. DAMN. TIME. I’ve passed out from getting beat up in this world.’ He seethed internally, finding himself kneeling in the principal’s office, his arms bound behind him. To his sides stood the butler and Benson, with Satoshi nonchalantly sitting on the principal’s desk, sipping from a mug.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, you Shota bast—” Yuuto started, but was cut off as the butler struck him, drawing blood.

“What is it, Hiroki Morii?” Satoshi inquired calmly as Yuuto spat out the blood from his mouth, forcing himself to sit up straight again.

“Why haven’t you hypnotized me? Just made me watch as you pulled out your tiny shrimp dick and—” He was cut off again, this time by a powerful punch from Tommy, who regarded him with disgust.

Instead of spitting the blood to the side, Yuuto spat it directly onto Tommy’s tuxedo.

“YOU INSOLENT!!” Tommy exploded, his fist raised for another strike, but Yuuto just smirked back at him.

“Stop, Tommy,” Satoshi intervened, his tone serious. Reluctantly, Tommy lowered his fist, straightening his posture.

“…To answer your question, Hiroki Morii… It’s because of that attitude of yours. I despise it,” Satoshi stated coldly, his eyes locked on Yuuto. On the sidelines, Kaede, Kanoko, Nao, and Saki stood silently.

Yuuto’s gaze flicked to the side to where they were.

‘…This bastard was clever. He used that girl’s phone to text that teleporting freak and set a trap… Hah, how troublesome,’ Yuuto internally sighed.

“Not because I made your dim-witted brother a eunuch cripple?” Yuuto taunted, prompting another punch from Tommy. This one, much stronger than the others, sent him tumbling sideways a bit.

‘…I intended that blow to send the insolent fool flying into the wall… Resilient, isn’t he…?’ Tommy mused, straightening up as he watched Yuuto casually rise back to a sitting position on his knees, ignoring the pain.

“That… did have an effect, sure…” Satoshi murmured, his hand twitching slightly.

‘Sire is furious. This insolent fool has no idea whom he has just enraged,’ Tommy thought.

“…But I wanted to break you. I wanted you to squirm, to do everything imaginable to try and weasel your way out of this. I wanted you to realize on your own how outmatched you are,” he said as he rose from his chair and walked over to the kneeling Yuuto.

“Do you know what I’m going to do now that you are here?” Satoshi asked.

“…Ahh… The classic NTR Villain shtick again? Let me guess, you’re gonna violate all these girls in front of me, then make one or all of them kill me Red Wedding style, right?” Yuuto said, his voice dripping with disinterest.

“…Huh. How… observant of you. Indeed.”

“It seems I fancy myself the villain in this scenario, wouldn’t you say?” Satoshi said, his smirk playful and mocking.

“Seems accurate to me,” Yuuto replied with a nonchalant shrug.

‘…Even if I do break free, there’s the karate girl over there, and this butler here and that four-eyes… I’ll have to subdue all of them blindfolded… Tricky,’ Yuuto thought, surveying the room cautiously.

“Then, what kind of villain would I be… if I didn’t demonstrate the full extent of my capabilities?” Satoshi mused as he locked eyes with Yuuto.

“Feel uncontrollably happy,” he commanded, his gaze piercing.

It was then that Yuuto felt an overwhelming sensation rise from the pit of his stomach. His lips twisted into a smile, his eyes sparkled with childlike glee, and a burst of thunderous laughter erupted from him.

“My ability isn’t just limited to physical actions. I can make anyone do anything I want… FEEL and THINK everything I want. I just don’t often use it… because it’s too easy,” Satoshi explained, turning to walk back to his chair.

‘Indeed… Sire… Such power… It’s almost divine. He is destined to rule over all,’ Tommy thought reverently.

‘Damn it… At times like these, I’m thankful to be on his good side…’ Benson reflected, watching the scene unfold.

‘No… Hiroki…!!’ Kaede’s thoughts raced with panic as she watched Yuuto’s uncontrollable laughter fill the room, echoing off the walls.

‘Shit… Shit…!! That means he can just make us believe whatever he wants…!!! No… No way… Does that mean he can make us hate Hiroki…!? No..!!! NO…. I DON’T WANT THAT..!!’ Kanoko thought, her panic rising.

‘This is just… Hopeless…’ Nao thought, Yuuto’s laughter ringing loud in her ears. ‘I can only hope to appease him so he spares me… Nothing can stop him…’ Her thoughts spiraled into despair, the light in her eyes dimming.

Satoshi then reclined casually on his desk, Yuuto’s laughter still echoing through the room.

“I can make you feel this happy while I torment these girls right in front of you. I can make you feel sad, powerless… Empty… I can strip you of your identity, make you hear voices, induce hallucinations, prevent you from sleeping, addict you to drugs and alcohol with a mere word, turn you into a coward, or even make you lust after your own family… Who knows? Maybe I’ll convince you that you’re my little brother. Have you undergo plastic surgery to completely transform into him… And you will do it gladly…” Satoshi detailed with chilling calm.

Every listener in the room was filled with dread.

“Even if you somehow escape, I can just make you submit to me through a video… I am a god, Hiroki Morii. You lost the moment you chose to fight back. You should have stayed down when my brother decided your girlfriend was his for the taking,” he concluded, as Yuuto’s manic laughter continued to fill the space.

Satoshi sighed, looking into Yuuto’s still-laughing eyes. “Alright, consider my last order voided.”

‘And there it is… The command to nullify Sire’s hypnosis… Surely, Hiroki Morii now realizes how outmatched he—’

Yuuto’s laughter continued unabated, his head bowed.

‘…Did the command not take effect?’

“…Is probably what you think, right!?” Yuuto suddenly said, his head still lowered as he cackled at the ground.

“What…?” Satoshi stammered, caught off guard.

‘Hiroki…?’ Kaede thought, her confusion growing.

“The truth is, you moron… I was already VERY happy before you gave that order. I’m usually just that cheerful.” Yuuto continued laughing heartily. “And soon, I’ll get to take a swing at a hypnotist shota in another world.”

Benson stared at Yuuto, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.

‘…What IS with this kid…? Didn’t you just hear what he said? There’s just no saving you…!!’ Benson thought, shaking his head.

Satoshi then sighed deeply.

“…Boring. You’ve either lost your mind or you’re bluffing…”

“Girl, come here,” Satoshi commanded Saki.

Obediently, Saki walked over to Satoshi, devoid of any backtalk.

Yuuto’s laughter subsided as he watched Satoshi and how he casually placed his palm on her lower back as she stood beside him.

“If I’m not mistaken, you called this one your… Uh… client, right? About you being Anti-NTR Man or something. That means you’re all about preventing betrayal, right?”

“Well, you’d be better off focusing on one of the other three. They’re closer to Hiroki, so I’d go with them. Not much will happen with this one, honestly,” Yuuto said nonchalantly.

‘What…? What does he even mean…? Hiroki…!! What are you trying to say!?’ Kanoko thought, her face showing her worry and confusion.

“…No, I feel like starting with her,” Satoshi responded, beginning to unbutton her shirt slightly.

‘Welp, guess I’ll just close my eyes and pray and spray,’ Yuuto thought, closing his eyes as he began to rise. But just as he started to push himself upward, he felt the cold barrel of a gun press against his temple, a distinct click halting his movement—Benson had drawn his weapon.

“Hiroki Morii. Take one more step or make any move, and I will end you right here,” Benson warned, his voice firm and eyes steely.

“..!!”

Yuuto turned his head slightly, locking eyes with Benson.

‘This bastard… He’s going to move whether I shoot or not…’ Benson thought, tightening his grip on the gun as Yuuto closed his eyes again and faced forward.

Just as Benson began to squeeze the trigger, the door behind them burst open. The sudden intrusion knocked Yuuto, Benson, and the butler forward. The gun discharged in the chaos, the bullet speeding toward Satoshi and striking the window instead, lodging in the glass without breaking it.

“What?!” Satoshi exclaimed, turning sharply toward the new arrival.

“Nazuna… You’ve gotten yourself into a stupid mess again…!” a booming voice echoed through the room.

From the corner of her eye, Nazuna caught sight of Ryuuji and thought urgently, ‘Ryuuji…!! Run…!! This isn’t a fight you can win…!!’

A moment of uncertainty hung in the air before Satoshi cut through the chaos with a command. Benson, Yuuto, and Tommy scrambled up from the floor.

‘An ally…!?’ Yuuto wondered, eyeing Ryuuji.

“Nazuna, right? Take him down,” Satoshi instructed coolly, his gaze on Ryuuji showing calculated disinterest.

“Pshee… So he got you too, like the rest out there?” Ryuuji muttered under his breath, adopting a defensive stance.

Ryuuji squared his shoulders, bracing for the confrontation.

‘No… RUN…!!!’ Nazuna’s mind screamed as she lunged at Ryuuji, initiating their clash.

“Don’t worry. I’mma smack you back into shape…!” Ryuuji called out, parrying her kick with his arm.

Meanwhile, Yuuto scanned the room. Seeing Benson and Tommy preoccupied with Ryuuji, he seized his chance.

‘…I can escape,’ he resolved, locking eyes briefly with Satoshi, he stood and bolted towards the exit, his arms still bound as he maneuvered through the uncommanded crowd behind the principal’s door. Satoshi, witnessing his escape, sharply turned to Benson and Tommy. “Forget this guy. I’ll let the new girl handle him. Capture Hiroki Morii,” he ordered, directing them towards Yuuto.

Taken aback by the sudden command, Benson and Tommy quickly composed themselves and gave chase, leaving Nazuna alone to confront Ryuuji.

Ryuuji, with a playful yet serious smile, exchanged blows evenly with Nazuna. “You don’t have to do this… But I guess you already know that,” he said, his voice steady yet edged with concern.

Nazuna, however, was not in control of her actions. Her body moved with terrifying efficiency, driven by something beyond her will. ‘I can’t stop…!! RUN, YOU STUPID IDIOT, RUN!!!!’ she screamed internally, her mind frantic with the desire for Ryuuji to flee.

The fight, intense and brief, unfolded under Satoshi’s watchful eyes.

“Hmph… I’m not an expert in fights… But even I can tell,” Satoshi remarked casually, observing the combatants.

‘It looks like they’re evenly matched…? But that guy is holding back.’ He noted Ryuuji’s restraint—how he pulled his punches slightly upon contact with Nazuna’s body, or halted them entirely just shy of striking a vital area.

‘…He’s skilled, but he’ll lose… Still, I’ll keep the girl.’

Ryuuji maintained a defensive, non-lethal stance, aiming not to harm Nazuna but merely to subdue her as much as possible without inflicting real damage. However, as the fight dragged on, Nazuna’s attacks became sharper and more desperate.

‘Ahh… Damn it. I’m gonna lose… Once she picks up someone’s rhythm, even if I change my tactics and fight seriously, I won’t win… Tsk… What a pain in the ass, this girl…’ Ryuuji thought with a mix of frustration and resignation, feeling increasingly unable to match her relentless pace.

Nazuna then executed a precise, forceful kick, her shoe connecting sharply with Ryuuji’s windpipe. He stumbled back, clutching at his throat, struggling for air that wouldn’t come.

‘Ryu…Ji…’ Nazuna’s thought broke as she realized the impact of her strike.

…Ryuuji couldn’t be saved.

Ryuuji simply looked at her, his expression calm, accepting his fate with a quiet resignation that spoke louder than any words could. His gaze was forgiving, understanding, even as the shadows of defeat closed in around him.

———————

“LET’S BE BEST FRIENDS!!!”

“Yuck. I ain’t gonna be friends with a girl…!!”

“ALRIGHT!! LET’S FIGHT FOR IT! IF I BEAT YOU, WE’LL BE FRIENDS!!”

“Tsk. It’s on. I won’t ever lose to a weak girl…”

——————

‘Always… Such a pain…’

Tears streamed down Nazuna’s cheeks as she leapt into the air, twisting her body in a sideways flip. Her kick, swift and precise, struck Ryuuji’s temple with a piercing impact. As he fell, a serene smile remained etched on his face.

‘It was fun… Somewhat, being with that girl… Hiroki Morii… Get that dumbass out of this for me, will ya’?’ Ryuuji’s thoughts flickered briefly before being cut off as his body hit the ground.

Inside, Nazuna was screaming—a tumultuous uproar of helplessness, rage, and grief consuming her. Yet outwardly, she could only watch in silent horror as Ryuuji’s body lay motionless on the floor.

As the dust settled and Satoshi remained seated nonchalantly on his chair with Saki by his side, Nazuna felt trapped in a prison of her own consciousness, forced to witness the horror of her actions without the power to intervene or even flee.

She then turned away quietly, her steps heavy as she rejoined the group of girls. Ryuuji’s final, forgiving smile haunted the brightly lit room.

“This Hiroki Morii is just terrible, isn’t he? Prolonging the suffering for you all… Haaah… What a pain.” Satoshi sighed, his voice dripping with feigned sympathy and a smirk playing on his lips.

Nao stood immobile, once more finding herself more frozen than her hypnotized mates.

‘I… I… Did this…’ She thought, a chilling realization settling over her.

Meanwhile…

“He gave us the slip… Damn it..!!” Benson exclaimed, frustration evident as he and Tommy lost sight of Yuuto.

“Ahh… Worry not, deviant. Aren’t your other comrades arriving soon?” Tommy inquired, trying to reassure his partner.

“Ahh, them… Yeah. Knowing those muscleheads, they’re already here somewhere in the school, searching for him by now.”

“Then, let’s head back to Sire. There might be a body to clean up,” Tommy suggested pragmatically.

“Right, right…” Benson agreed with a heavy sigh as the two turned and made their way back to the office.

Elsewhere…

“Aren’t you excited, Bagundi?” Tagundi teased.

“Ooooh, yes, yes, Tagundi,” Bagundi responded, both sharing a chuckle as they entered the stadium and discovered the bodies of three police officers. They noticed the door to the locker room shutting as they lingered in the dim light.

“Hehehe… Boyyyy~… We just want to play around with you…” Bagundi called out with a playful, thick African accent.

“Yes… We will be gentle~…” Tagundi murmured, their voices mingling in the dark.

The two African twins, masters of Dambe; Bagundi and Tagundi.

[Dambe is a fearsome and intense African martial art originating from the Hausa people of Nigeria. Known for its brutal efficiency, it features fighters who use one arm wrapped in cloth and resin, known as the “spear,” to deliver devastating punches, while the other arm acts as a “shield” for defense. The sport allows kicks and even combat on the ground, making no moment safe and the bouts exceptionally fierce. Historically a test of valor among butchers, Dambe matches are swift, merciless, and often end in knockouts, showcasing the raw power and unyielding courage of its combatants. Yes. This martial art is one that can be fought anywhere, in any situation. And it has only evolved since.]

The two towering figures, standing over two meters tall, gently nudged open the door, their builds as imposing as tanks.

…But they had failed to notice…

CLICK.

…that the three policemen were missing their pistols; instead, Yuuto stood ready in front of them, aiming two pistols at the fighters, with an additional gun and two batons holstered under his belt.

“Playtime’s over,” Yuuto declared, his voice calm and resolute as he squeezed the triggers.

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG

Four rounds fired rapidly. Two bullets hit each of the twin’s bare chests.

The giants could only stumble and fall in confusion, losing the strength to stand as the acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air around Yuuto.

Dambe might be a fearsome martial art, but it has yet to stop bullets.

“This has gone on long enough,” Yuuto murmured, glancing around the newly unguarded storage room where he and Nazuna had taken refuge.

“What has? I just started stitching you up; hold still for a sec,” Nazuna replied casually, perched on his thigh as she focused on stitching his shoulder.

“Not that. I meant this whole charade. That kid’s hypnotism,” Yuuto replied with a sigh, his gaze drifting to the cluttered shelves around them.

“Hmmm… I suppose. I like a good fight, but it’s a whole lot less thrilling when my opponent doesn’t even know who’s hitting them. Boring~” She muttered, her eyes briefly scanning Yuuto’s form.

‘He looked smaller in the video… Even his pants seem too tight now.’ She noted mentally, observing the changes in his physique.

“What are you looking at?” Yuuto asked sharply, catching her wandering gaze.

“I’m sitting on such a muscular boy; you can’t blame a girl for checking out the goods~” She teased, a playful smirk playing on her lips.

‘…Well, I don’t blame her. It IS me, after all. Come to think of it, I’m starting to feel as strong as I was in my original body… Hm… I thought those black hairs in Hiroki’s hair were just his natural color, but could it be this body is transforming into my own over time?’ Yuuto pondered, surprisingly unfazed by her comment.

“Hmph, I don’t blame you. And since you’re stitching me up, I’ll give you a pass for checking me out,” Yuuto retorted with calm gaze.

“Oh~… A boy this confident, too…? I half-expected you to be cuter, all bashful and embarrassed, like most muscleheads in your age~…” She remarked, her voice laced with curiosity and a tinge of disappointment.

“Is that why you kissed me earlier, too? For some reaction?” Yuuto queried, raising an eyebrow.

“Dunno. But yeah, I suppose~” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“…Right.” He finished. A few more seconds of silence go by.

‘It’s a shame regarding the storehouse, though,’ Yuuto thought as he took a moment to look around, ‘This place is completely empty. Was it always like this? I hoped there’d be a bat or two, at the very least. Probably one of the main guys ordered the hypnotized students to empty this spot.’ Yuuto deducted.

“Say, are you sure this is a gunshot wound?” she inquired, her eyebrow arching in skepticism as she neared finishing stitching him up.

“Yeah. Why?”

“It’s just… it seems like you were stabbed with a pencil or something, rather than shot. Bullet wounds are usually nastier than this. Were you shot with rubber bullets from a sniper-rifle or something?” she asked casually.

“You’re familiar with those kinds of injuries?” Yuuto asked.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve stitched up a lot of wounds before. That’s why I’m curious… I’m almost sure this wasn’t a typical bullet,” she replied, glancing briefly at Yuuto’s expression.

Yuuto looked down, deep in thought.

“…It was point-blank. I remember the blinding flare from the gun, the smell of gunpowder. That nasty boom nearly burst my eardrums. Then, it felt like someone had thrown a rock at my shoulder really hard. A few seconds later, it started to burn, like my flesh was on fire. Shortly after, it tingled, itched underneath the skin, even after I pulled it out. That was mostly it. I started to lose sensation there after the fight I’ve had with your psychotic friend,” he recalled flatly, his gaze relaxed, almost distant.

“Yes, I’m sure,” he affirmed, looking into her eyes.

“It was a live round. No mistaking it.”

“Hmmmm….” She hummed, examining his expression for the slightest show of jest.

“Quite the poet. You familiar with situations like this, Yuuto Sakurai?” Nazuna inquired.

“…” Yuuto paused, as if seeking his answer on her forehead as she refocused on stitching.

“I have to be. Is there someone out there to do it for me?” He asked, his tone rhetorical.

“Aight,” she replied nonchalantly.

‘I remember plucking out the bullet. She says it’s a pencil-sized wound, but I recall it being much bigger… Don’t tell me it’s healed this quickly to this extent… I don’t like this at all.’ Yuuto thought, feeling a twitch in his hand.

“Are you done? There’s someone I need to get to over there,” Yuuto pressed, urgency coloring his voice.

“Chillax… I’m almost done with your wound. From what you’ve told me, that bastard’s here for you, right? I don’t imagine he’ll leave anytime soon, especially after all this,” she responded confidently.

“Not that…”

“…?”

“There’s… A client of mine up there. Probably getting brainwashed as we speak. I promised I’d save her.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. My buddy’s got her; he just texted me. He’s probably looking for a place to keep her safe until all this blows over,” Nazuna reassured him.

“…I don’t buy it. Pics, or it didn’t happen,” Yuuto said flatly.

“Hey. He’s my friend. Don’t be rude!” she scolded, pulling the needle to the side with a pout.

“Ow..! Like I care! He’s a part of why I passed out. You think I can trust him!?”

“YOU. WILL. HAVE. TO!” she insisted more forcefully, punctuating each word with a tug on the needle.

“Ow, ow, OW! Stop it! I’m not going to trust him after he almost got me killed,” Yuuto protested.

“He wasn’t trying to kill you… Just knock you out after roughing you up a bit. Take a chill pill, dude.”

“Knocking me out in a place swarming with hypnotic officers and high schoolers while he’s also injured from our fight? How is that NOT practically killing me?” Yuuto countered, skepticism lacing his words.

“…Okay, so he isn’t the brightest. But still, he’s not a bad guy. Just trust it, alright?” Nazuna pleaded, finishing up the stitch.

‘…I doubt she’d be hypnotized, but I must remain vigilant. This is still an NTR world, and the first rule is that it’s always gunning for the main character,’ Yuuto thought, eyeing her skeptically.

“How were you not hypnotized?” Yuuto inquired.

“Hmm? Oh, I ditched classes with that guy and another friend of mine. Decided to go looking for you, then a bunch of hypnotists jumped us.”

“Oh? They didn’t catch you?”

“Nah. Just 20 or so students aren’t enough to hold someone like me down. Might’ve been enough for Akito, though…” She mused, her gaze drifting upwards as she pondered.

‘…She doesn’t have the smell of dust or the residue of a hiding spot on her, so she’s probably been moving around freely. She’s telling the truth, then. Hah, I suppose Shota isn’t bothering with hypnotizing anyone else since the first wave. One less enemy to worry about,’ Yuuto reasoned silently.

“Anyway, let’s get out of here,” she said as she stood from his thigh. “I’ll take you to him, and we can figure something out,” she declared, heading towards the room exit.

With a resigned sigh, Yuuto rose from his chair and followed her to the door.

“You’re gonna like him once you get to know him, he’s—” she began, turning back to Yuuto.

“LOOK AWAY!!!!!” Yuuto screamed, lunging at her as she turned her head back towards the doorway.

Satoshi stood just five meters away, a smile playing on his lips as he looked into Nazuna’s eyes, with Benson and his butler by his side.

“Hmph, it seems you were correct, you deviant…” the butler remarked to Benson.

“Of course, I was. Hiroki Morii dropped his weapons. Where else would he go…? Although, I didn’t expect him to linger there for this long… What luck,” Benson mused.

It was at that moment she froze.

“Capture Hiroki Morii, by any means necessary,” Satoshi ordered, his hands clasped behind his back.

Suddenly, Nazuna’s leg snapped up, kicking Yuuto in the face so swiftly it seemed her foot had always been there—he just hadn’t noticed.

‘FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

Akito lay motionless on the subroof, the harsh sun scorching his exposed skin. The water bottle beside him had long been emptied, leaving him with nothing but the simmering heat and his thoughts.

‘…That’s right… I’ve got time to think this through,’ Akito sighed internally, squinting against the glaring sunlight.

‘How did Sakurai anticipate my move so accurately that last time? It’s not like I can actually teleport. I just push my body to its limits, moving really fast in short, strained bursts. It’s most effective in the dark… Sometimes, I move so fast even I don’t know where I’ll pop-up… How’d he do it…?’

A smirk played on his parched lips as he entertained a wild thought. ‘Could he see the future…?’
“No way,” Akito scoffed aloud, dismissing the idea as quickly as it came. ‘Stuff like that only happens in mangas.’

‘…Yeah, definitely not,’ he concluded, his gaze drifting back to the empty sky, the mystery of Yuuto’s ability gnawing at him.

‘…One thing for sure, I wont figure it out if I stay here..!!’ He thought, struggling up to his feet.

‘I rested for a long time… Might as well go after her… Who knows what she’ll do?’ He mused to himself, carefully climbing down the ladder with a throbbing, pounding head, reentering the school.

Meanwhile, Yuuto guided Saki to the fire exit, their steps hastening toward the roof.
‘We should head up. It’ll give us a better view to spot where that shota is hiding… Also because there’s too much security guarding the storage room. I guess that Shota bastard thought I’d go there…’ Yuuto thought, peering back to ensure Saki was keeping pace. She trailed behind, her reluctance palpable in her hesitant steps.

‘…I know I got shot and all… But… I feel really light climbing the stairs… Post injury endorphin release, maybe..?’

[The body may release endorphins in response to pain or stress, which are natural painkillers and can induce feelings of euphoria.]

‘Has to be it,’ Yuuto shook his head.

As they stepped outside, Saki’s gaze drifted to the school’s perimeter, spotting dozens of policemen encircling the building. The sight tightened her chest with anxiety…. And curiosity.

‘There’s so many… They’re like statues… Standing together like that,’ Saki thought.
“Ignore those puppets. They’re just making sure no one slips out,” Yuuto remarked casually, nodding for her to follow him up the stairs.

‘How can he remain so calm?’ Saki wondered, her thoughts racing back to the morning’s chaos. ‘I wanted to escape, to run home… But the P.E. teacher blocked the school exit. I ended up hiding and crying in the bathroom instead. I am… Really not dreaming, am I?’
Climbing the stairs, Saki wrestled with a question that had been gnawing at her since Yuuto’s unsettling comments about her family.

“H-hey… About what you said earlier—about my dad… How did you know? And why would you say my mom would throw me away?” Her voice was a mix of curiosity and dread, fearing the answer yet needing to know.

Yuuto paused, his back still turned to her as he ascended the stairwell. “Honestly? I just spat out some bullshit due to the adrenaline. Did it actually hit the spot?” His tone was dismissive.

Saki bit her lip, skepticism clouding her features. ‘It was too… precise to be mere adrenaline-fueled babble. Has he been… watching me?’ she pondered, a chill running down her spine.

“I see… Okay… she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yuuto resumed climbing, ‘She bought it. Well, she’s gullible as hell, even in the manga. I guess this plays in my favor for now,’

“…So why did you break my phone? Is it also… Because of adrenaline..?” Saki asked, her voice echoing slightly in the stairwell as they reached the top.

‘She is sharp though…’

Yuuto, his gaze fixed on the windows below in search of Satoshi as the radiant sun warmed his skin, responded without turning.

“It was an eyesore,” he said flatly.

‘Needed to cut off her ties to her drug dealer… Ah, right, her boyfriend,’
“Just because it was an eyesore?” Saki pressed, her disbelief evident.

“Yep,” Yuuto confirmed, still scanning the scene below.
“Oh…”

Gathering her courage, Saki ventured another question, her voice trembling slightly. “Then… why did you say you’d… save someone like me?”

At this, Yuuto paused his frantic search and turned to face her. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes met hers squarely, offering a glimpse of sincerity. “It wasn’t anything big… You seemed lonely, like you could use a friend, so I meant just that. It might’ve sounded more dramatic than I intended—I was about to pass out, after all,” he explained, his tone softening slightly.

Saki’s hand instinctively moved to her chest, her fingers pressing against her heart.

‘He wants to be my friend…?’ The thought was both comforting and confusing. It was the first time someone had expressed such a sentiment towards her without any ulterior motives.

“You… mean it?” she asked, her eyes filled with hope.

Yuuto’s thoughts churned. ‘This girl has been through hell. Her own father lusted after her, and she has no allies in the world. If she had just one person who would genuinely stand by her, she might not have gone down such a dark path.’

Indeed, Saki needed care and support to regain a semblance of normalcy, if that was even possible. But that depended on the person offering that support being normal themselves.

“Of course I don’t mean it, dumbass,” Yuuto spat out, his voice rough and coarse.

“W-what..?” she stammered, taken aback.

…And Yuuto Sakurai was anything but normal.

“Don’t ‘what’ me. I ain’t gonna be friends with a junkie who whores herself out for money and just a little bit of public acceptance while getting passed around like a communal fleshlight just because she lacks the ability to say a simple ‘no’ when she doesn’t want something. Fate may have cucked you out of your good life, but it’s your fault as well.” Yuuto muttered with a hiss.

“W-what… what are you…” Saki stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence, frozen in place as Yuuto’s harsh words sank in.

“Y-you…!” Saki clenched her fists, glaring at him, her face flushed with embarrassment, slight panic, and anger.

“That is why…” Yuuto cut her off.

“…?”

“When this whole thing is over, we’ll talk about being friends after we Baseball that fate of yours in its ass. Also, there’s a fee. I charge 10,000 yen per case. I’ll give you a special deal, though—you can pay up after the job,” Yuuto said, his eyes burning with resolve.

‘Haaa…’

‘I want to go home… I don’t want to be his friend anymore…’ Saki thought, looking down as cold sweat streamed down her face, confusion evident in her features.

‘10,000 yen fee for a job? What job? What are we going to do? Baseball fate’s ass…? What is he talking about? And the way he seems to know everything about me… He must be a stalker. I’m so scared… Hayato… Where are you… Mom, I miss you so much…’ she thought to herself, shivering in place.

“So, do you accept my services?” Yuuto asked earnestly.

‘…Something bad will happen if I refuse, right…? I’ll just accept for now…’

“Y-yes…” she replied weakly.

“Excellent,” Yuuto said flatly.

‘Good. It will be much easier to stay near her and do my job. Guess I could just bash her boyfriend’s head in while wearing a mask or something, first of all…’ Yuuto mused with a shrug.

Turning back to the windows, Yuuto resumed his surveillance. It only took a few seconds before he found his target.

‘…Found him… The principal’s office,’ Yuuto mentally confirmed as his eyes locked onto the elusive Satoshi, who was sitting comfortably in the principal’s chair. Acting swiftly, Yuuto ducked behind a nearby air duct, pulling Saki down with him for cover. Through the corner of his eye, he also spotted Kaede, Kanoko, and Nao—and that ever-present butler.

‘…Doesn’t look like he’s harmed them… Yet. From that little show he prepared just for me earlier, he’s the savoring type… he probably saves breaking them for when he catches me… Hah,’ Yuuto thought, a challenging smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

“Who’s that..?” Saki’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“The little fucker who hypnotized everyone in the school, and even the police force. If I want to put a stop to this bullshit, I’m gonna have to either kill him or figure out how he does it,” Yuuto explained, his tone hardened with resolve.

“Why would he do that…?” Saki asked, her eyebrows knitting in confusion.

“Dunno. I crippled his younger brother, apparently, so he wants revenge,” Yuuto said, his tone nonchalant as if he were discussing something as mundane as the weather.
Saki’s eyes widened, and she stared at him, momentarily speechless.

“Uh… I-… I see—”

“I don’t even know who his younger brother is. I’ve crippled a lot of guys at this school,” Yuuto mused, looking up at the sky with a thoughtful expression.

Saki blinked, trying to process his flippant remark. ‘Uh… Understandable why he’d hypnotize the whole school for that… No… Wait, considering what I’ve heard about Hiroki… And our conversation just now, did that guy even need to hypnotize them to turn everyone against him…?’ she thought, increasingly confused.

‘But man… He’s pretty far. The principal’s office’s just right below the farthest point from here. I’d need a really big rope, and the storage room was guarded. I also can’t leave her here the same way I leaved that wacko…’ He thought, looking towards the subroof he had placed Akito.

‘No longer there, huh? I did plan to check up on him, make sure I didn’t kill him and ask some questions… Welp, now he either escaped somewhere… Or just another hypnotized I’ll have to deal with,’ Yuuto mused with a sigh.

It was just then that hordes of students suddenly burst through the fire exit behind them and the sub-roof entrance from afar.

“Damn it!!” Yuuto called out, looking momentarily back to where Satoshi is located.

…Where he stared back at him with a sneer.

‘Got you, Hiroki Morii…’

With a click of his tongue, Yuuto grabbed Saki’s arm, pulling her along as they attempted to escape.

“LET’S GO!! There’s another fire exit!!” Yuuto screamed.

But as they ran, even that fire exit was blocked off, swarmed with students, each one seemingly hypnotized and relentless. Yuuto tried to find a gap, a way to push through while keeping Saki safe, but it was futile.

“Fuck…!!”

Soon, they were backed up against the air ducts, surrounded by a circle of blank-faced students.

Yuuto then looked back to the screwed lid of the air duct behind him.

‘…I won’t be able to pry this open. It’s too tightly wound; I’ll need a crowbar for this,’ he figured, returning his gaze forward.

From the crowd emerged a single man, walking towards them with a menacing stride, adjusting his eyeglasses with a sneer.

“Hiroki Morii… Hearing of your exploits, I expected you to be more than this… I expect just a little bit of a thrill… How disappointed I am…” He let out in perfect Japanese, noticing the dumbfounded, awestruck Saki standing behind him.

“Oh…? Another student who’s not under hypnosis..? Haa… That guy was sloppy… Well, luckily I am here,” Benson sighed.

“…” Yuuto was silent, looking around.

“Not some snide remark? An attempt to hurt my feelings, perhaps? I’d heard of your erratic nature… Surely, you can at least entertain me with some form of banter.”

‘…So, is he also a hypnotist…? The fact that brat was sitting all comfortably in the principal’s office says no. A lackey…? He can somehow transfer his control to other people?’ Yuuto thought.

“There’s no banter,” Yuuto started, scrutinizing him, “The fact you’re taking control of this mob says everything I need to know about you,” Yuuto pointed at him.

“Excuse me…?” His tone hardened a little.

“You heard me. You’re just another brown-nosed sniveling, just like your boss.”

“He is… Not my boss,” Benson said slowly.

“You know what? I’d actually be cool with him just being your boss… But the funniest bit is you hiding behind a bunch of kids. That’s the best you can do?” Yuuto taunted with a smirk, “Come on, if you’re so disappointed, why not drop the act and face me one-on-one? Or is your bravado just as thin as your hairline?”

Benson’s face flushed with anger, the vein on his forehead bulging slightly. “You think you can challenge me?” he growled, his voice low and menacing.

‘Got ’em…’

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I think,” Yuuto replied, his eyes narrowing. “Prove me wrong. Show me you’re more than just a puppeteer… Or a boytoy for you precious master…” He mocked. “I won’t even use these,” Yuuto disrespectfully pulled out the sticks he had holstered under his belt and tossed them to the ground beside him.

With a snarl, Benson waved off the students surrounding them, stepping forward with clenched fists. “Very well, Hiroki Morii. Prepare yourself for a lesson in humility.”

‘All I have to do is take this bastard down before he can issue a command,’

“…Is probably what you think, is that right?” Benson echoed Yuuto’s thoughts loudly with a smirk, his eyes are of a predator; looking at prey.

“…!!”

“AH… HAHAHA!!” Benson laughed heartily, his voice echoing with derision. “You see, Hiroki Morii, I don’t really care about your opinion of me. All that matters to me is winning and getting paid. If I have fun in the process, that’s a bonus. If not, well, I’m not going to exert extra effort for someone I don’t even consider an equal.”

‘Damn it…!!’ Yuuto clenched his fists tighter.

“And you, who were so easily cornered, are far from being able to disrupt my focus with your juvenile taunts. Just give up and surrender. Otherwise, I’ll unleash these kids I’ve been hiding behind; I’ll send them hurling towards you,” Benson threatened, his tone casual as he retreated behind the crowd of students.

‘… Well…’ Yuuto thought, raising his fists as he ensured Saki remained protected behind him.

‘I guess we’re doing this…!!!’

“Haah… Of course, you’d choose not to surrender. If you had, Satoshi might have made you one of his hypnotized pawns on a whim… But you’re just too stubborn for that,” Benson sneered as he turned to walk away.

“Seize hi—”

“Is it really that bad…? Being hypnotized…?” Saki’s voice came out hesitantly from behind Yuuto.

Benson paused, turning around with a curious hum.

“The heck are you talking about…?” Yuuto shot back, his eyes narrowed, focused intently ahead.

“Is it bad, I asked…? Look at them, Hiroki…” Saki murmured, her voice soft yet carrying a weighted question.

“Okay, I’m looking. And? All I see are a bunch of mindless zombies clumped together under the whim of some overgrown child. What’s your point?” Yuuto responded sharply, his gaze still locked on the crowd and Benson, awaiting any sudden moves.

“Being… together with everyone… No one hates you or tosses you out… You’re part of a big group… that will never treat you badly… Is it… really… something as terrible as you make it out to be?” Saki said, stepping to the side and walking past Yuuto.

“STOP!!” Yuuto shouted, his voice echoing around the roof, freezing Saki in her tracks.

“What are you talking about, you damn coward!?” Yuuto began aggressively, “LOOK AT ME!!! LOOK AT WHAT YOUR OH-SO-LOVING GROUP DID TO A HUMAN BEING AND—”

“NO, YOU LOOK AT ME!!!” Saki screamed back, matching Yuuto’s intensity.

“…At first, when you mentioned my mom tossing me out… I thought you were crazy. Then you got very specific about my life… I don’t know if you’ve been stalking me… But you somehow knew exactly what was going to happen to me…”

Yuuto fell silent, listening intently, trying to process her words.

“Then this… Whatever you said about how my mom would throw me out… You… You knew it would happen, didn’t you? That I’d… Despite everything I’ve tried, I’d just end up alone again… And with what you said about ‘fate’… I bet even Hayato… will throw me away at some point, right?” She voiced, her words laden with a mix of accusation and despair.

Yuuto momentarily looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

“I knew it. I always did… No matter what I did, or how well I did it, everyone would hate me, and see me as nothing but an object… Even you… Even you said you would never be friends with someone like me,” Saki continued, her voice cracking.

“THAT WAS JUST TO MOTIVATE YOU TO—”

“To do what!? Improve!? To be brave!?” She interjected loudly, turning back to face him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I’m not brave like you are!!! I don’t want to have to carefully think about everything I say just so others will accept me, I don’t want to prostitute myself for money so that people will accept me for the things I buy… I don’t want to be thrown out of my parents’ house… I don’t want to be alone!!!”

“…And before my eyes… there’s a simple, easy way to avoid being alone… Just be hypnotized… If I do that, I won’t have to face any of what you said will happen to me, right?! It doesn’t matter if it’s my fault or ‘fate’, I just won’t feel any pain anymore if I get hypnotized. So… why shouldn’t I take that path…?! What can you say… What kind of solution do you propose… that will make my parents love me unconditionally, that will make my classmates accept me for who I am… Why should I stay with you and risk getting hurt more than I already am?!” She asked, her voice resounding across the school’s rooftop.

A cold breeze swept through as Yuuto looked down, struggling for words.

Saki waited, her eyes fixed on Yuuto, half-expecting some profound answer…

…That didn’t come.

“…This is goodbye, Hiroki. I… I really hope you find a way to save yourself… Or that he doesn’t hurt you too much…” She said reluctantly, her voice tinged with sadness as she turned and walked towards the crowd of hypnotized students. Benson gestured subtly, allowing her to pass.

As Saki approached Benson, he adjusted his glasses, his tone flat yet carrying a trace of seriousness, “I’m not into romancing minors, despite this whole operation. That’s more his style. I’ll take you to him, and try to talk him into just hypnotizing you.” He muttered, a tinge of pity in his gaze.

“…Because you accepted my services,” Yuuto’s voice cut through the quiet, soft yet carrying a weight that halted her steps.

“Remember…? 10,000 yen. Just that, and I’ll help you reclaim the life that was cucked away from you by fate, with a side dish of character development,” Yuuto’s voice grew stronger with each word, his plea echoing with a mix of desperation and determination.

“Wanna know why?” Yuuto added, a fierce determination igniting in his eyes.

“Because I’m Anti-NTR Man. And I don’t give up on my clients, despite how cowardice they are,” he declared, standing upright, his gaze calm yet piercing.

“Hah… How ridiculous,” Benson muttered under his breath, adjusting his glasses once more.

“Well, don’t be shy. Grab him, you lot,” he commanded dismissively as he turned to walk away, with Saki hesitatingly following beside him.

As the students began to close in on Yuuto, he turned towards the duct opening.

‘…I’ve had a theory for a while now… But I tried not to mix some manga logic with my reasoning…’ Yuuto thought, grasping both ends of the metal opening tightly. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder as the students drew nearer.

‘I suppose I’ve run out of logical ideas… How… Embarrassing..!’

With a resolute grimace, he mustered all his strength and squeezed his grips on the duct.

Benson paused and turned to look back at Yuuto, a smirk playing on his lips. ‘Is he seriously trying to pull it out…? I really, really underestimated him… With that small build, there is no way he could—’

CREAK The sharp sound of metal straining echoed across the rooftop.

‘What..?’

CREAK

The metal began to bend, the rusted screws at the corners starting to crumble under the pressure. The students were now mere inches from Yuuto, whose shoulder bandage was soaked anew with blood.

…But he didn’t stop.

“GRRRRGGGHH!!!!!” Yuuto grunted, channeling every ounce of strength from both his lower and upper body. With one final, Herculean effort, he tore the metal duct cover off with a resounding boom, the force of his action recoiling his body backward and thrusting away the dozens of students who had reached out to seize him.

“I-IMPOSSIBLE…!” Benson gasped in disbelief, his eyes widening as he witnessed the unexpected display of strength before him.

Saki turned, drawn by the noise, just in time to see Yuuto forcefully toss aside the metal duct cover and dive into the opening leading back into the building.

In that moment, a spark of hope flickered in her eyes as she watched him disappear into the duct, her breath catching in a mixture of shock and admiration.

“Tsk!!! SHIT!!” Benson inwardly fumed, his body tensing as he turned sharply towards Saki.

“Girl,” he barked, startling her, “That guy seems to care about you. I’ll use you to lure him out—” He advanced towards her aggressively.

Just then, a kick struck his face seemingly out of nowhere.

“Sorry, man,” a voice said coolly, as a figure materialized from behind Saki, stepping in to defend her.

“She’s with me now,” the newcomer declared. Saki turned around, her eyes widening in surprise.

‘Who is that…? A student at the school…? I’ve never seen him among the others…’ she thought, observing the taller guy who sported a serious head injury.

“Oh? You defended against that? I thought you were all brains,” the stranger remarked, noticing that Benson had blocked his sudden kick with his arm.

“Hmph… I’ve spoken enough for a week,” Benson hissed as he started moving toward them with a quick stride.

“Well sorry, but as you can see, I’m not in condition to fight… I’ll leave kicking your ass to Sakurai,” the stranger stated.

‘Sakurai…? Who…’ Saki puzzled over the name as the guy suddenly lifted her up and sprinted towards the now clear fire exit.

“Damn it..!! AFTER THEM, YOU PUPPETS!!” Benson shouted, setting off in pursuit. ‘I need that bargaining chip..!’

“What!?” Saki exclaimed, bewildered as she was whisked away.

“I’m Akito. Nice to meet ya’. I’ll get you somewhere safe, hold tight,” he assured confidently as he carried her back into the school.

Meanwhile… Down the vent…

‘I knew it… Something’s seriously wrong with my body… What is this…? I tore open that vent opening despite getting shot and beaten like a dog not too long ago…’ Yuuto pondered, his thoughts racing as he crawled hastily through the narrow space.

‘I’ll think about it later. I don’t want to deal with kids climbing after meeee—!!!’ His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the metal beneath him gave way, and he tumbled through the gap…

…Landing directly on Nazuna, who remarkably seemed to have anticipated his sudden descent. She stood with her arms wide open, ready to catch him.

“Ya~ho… Yuuto Sakurai-chan…” she murmured as she caught him in her embrace. With a gentle twist, she allowed her body to fall to the ground, softly cushioning his fall with hers as they both landed together.

“Who are—…” Yuuto started to ask, bewildered, but before he could finish, Nazuna pulled him into a kiss.

‘!!!’

It was still early morning. Satoshi sat comfortably in the principal’s office, engrossed in his Gameboy.

Meanwhile, Nao, Kaede, and Kanoko stood by the side. Kanoko and Kaede’s knees were beginning to hurt from standing motionless for over 30 minutes. Despite being the only one allowed to move, Nao felt more frozen than the others.

‘It’s… been a while… He’s not caught yet… Will he really… Seriously save us?’ Nao thought.

“Hey,” Satoshi called, his focus still on his Gameboy, cutting through her thoughts.

“Y-yeah?” Nao replied, stammering.

“You can sit, you know. I never said you had to stand like the rest of them,” Satoshi notified.

“A-ah… Y-yes, it’s just that…”

“Just what? Hurry up and sit. Unlike these two, I want to keep you around for longer, so you need to give your knees some rest. They just need to look presentable for when Hiroki Morii is brought here,” Satoshi said.

Nao’s heart rate spiked as she glanced at Kanoko and Kaede, who could only feel the sting in their knees. They couldn’t even move their eyelids to cast a judgmental gaze at Nao.

“Or… for some reason, do you want to stand like them?” Satoshi lowered his Gameboy as he spoke slower, his tone suggestive while turning his head to Nao.

Nao was taken aback, feeling his glare.

“N-no! I-I just…”

“Sir—… Satoshi,” Tommy confidently interjected, “it could be possible that the young miss here is simply overwhelmed by the situation. After all, it is you she’s around. Miss, you need not be startled. Though, I would suggest you sit down… There is no need for Satoshi to question your loyalty… Right?” Tommy ordered, fixing his monocle as he glanced at her.

With a small bite of her lip, Nao stepped away from Kanoko and Kaede and sat down on the sofa in the principal’s office, looking away from them.

‘Ah… I feel bad… but at least my legs don’t hurt anymore,’ Nao thought, relieved.

Several seconds later, the door gently opened; Tommy’s gaze turned to face the person at the door.

A short character with blue hair, wearing reading glasses and carrying a notepad and pen, walked in.

“Hello, Jameson… It has been a while. Or should I say… Satoshi?” he said, fixing his glasses and confidently walking past Tommy.

Satoshi still looked down in disinterest at his gameboy.

Then, Tommy moved like the wind, blocking his path, his palm straightened at the person’s throat.

“You shall stay where you are.” Tommy declared, his expression now a calm glare.

Tommy startled Nao. ‘I… didn’t even see him move!’ She thought.

“Hmph. Tommy Markov. The retired elite from the secret Russian Taskforce: Omega… I knew you would do that,” he said with a triumphant smirk.

Tommy then felt the barrel of a gun pressing against his abdomen. He looked down, noticing it.

‘What…!? H-how…?’ Nao looked, dumbfounded.

Tommy remained calm, his posture unwavering.

“I’ve researched everything about you since our last… encounter. I know how you move. I knew that if someone other than you walked closer than 3.1 meters to your master, you would threaten them with this move. The moment I crossed the 3.102-meter line, I had my gun ready. I won this game,” the figure said confidently with a smirk.

“Hah. Insolent as ever… Benson Berkley. Just one of you three is enough to grind my gears. If it weren’t for your rather eccentric nature, you would have been the perfect servants to Satoshi,” Tommy murmured.

“…Stand down, Tommy. I need him alive.”

“Sir, why not just hypnotize him? I could take the gunshot wound, and you could just—” Tommy spoke in perfect English before being interjected by his master.

“Tommy. Stand. Down.” Satoshi repeated, his tone louder.

With a sigh, Tommy removed his palm and walked to the side, clearing the way for Benson.

“As you wish…”

“Hmph…” Benson grunted, lowering his gun as he approached Satoshi.

“He’s right, you know,” Satoshi said, placing his Gameboy on the principal’s desk, his entire attention directed at Benson.

“Oh?” Benson responded, intrigued.

Satoshi then took out his golden pendant, hovering it menacingly in front of Benson, who looked at it without flinching.

“If I just hypnotized you, I could guarantee Hiroki Morii’s capture… Why shouldn’t I do that?” Satoshi murmured, gauging Benson for any reaction.

“Hah,” Benson smirked.

‘For the same reason you didn’t try to hypnotize Hiroki Morii when you faced him the first time…’ Benson thought, fixing his glasses.

“Because that would be…” He began.

“…Too boring for you. Isn’t it, Jameson?” Benson muttered in English.

After a few seconds of Satoshi looking deeply into Benson’s eyes, he sighed and tossed the pendant to Benson, who firmly grasped it as if he had been ready for Satoshi’s toss.

“Just capture him. I don’t care what you do with the other riff-raff at this school or outside of it. Just bring him here,” Satoshi said, leaning against his table as he picked up his Gameboy again.

“Of course…”

‘What!? He just gave him THAT!? That’s the pendant that hypnotized everyone, isn’t it!? Why would he…?’ Nao thought as she looked at the pendant now in Benson’s grasp.

“Of course…” Benson repeated, pocketing the pendant into his breast pocket as he turned around and left the principal’s office.

‘This… This doesn’t make any sense! If I had that, I would just…!’

“I would like to reassure you, miss,” Tommy started, turning Nao’s attention to him. “It is the person, not the object, that is special in this case. Satoshi can hypnotize people with anything… be it a pencil, his fingers, or even his eyes, which are his mightiest weapon. A genius… Giving that impudent guest his pendant merely grants him power over those already hypnotized by it. Unlike in fairy tales and famous novels around the globe, our Satoshi here… Has no weak spots.“

“A-ah… T-thanks… I was really worried for a second. That was good to hear,” Nao muttered.

‘Ridiculous! You want to tell me he used that pendant only for fun!? Impossible! Hiroki can’t do anything against him… He’s just… too grand… Is Satoshi even human!?’ Nao thought, letting out a nervous chuckle.

‘Shit… Hiroki… Run away from here…!! This guy’s bad news…!! He’s too much for you or even the police force…!!’ Kanoko thought, momentarily ignoring the pain in her legs.

‘Why do so many people want to hurt my Hiroki? Enough… Just stop it already… I can’t live like this anymore… I can’t keep going, not knowing if you’re okay… Please… Hiroki, run away from here..!! Leave mommy alone!! I don’t care what happens to me anymore as long as you live!!’ Kaede begged internally.

Meanwhile, just outside the door, Benson walked among rows of students teachers and police officers, obediently standing from each side; guarding the entrance to the principal’s office.

‘Seeing all of this charade, all for just one person… I find myself a little excited, Hiroki Morii. Don’t disappoint me…’ Benson thought, a smirk escaping his lips as he fixed his glasses.

Meanwhile…

“Ughh…” A raspy grunt. A pounding head. Aching muscles. Yuuto slowly opened his eyes, the fluorescent lights piercing through his eyelids, urging them to open.

Bright. The word echoed in his head as his vision adjusted and he narrowed his eyes to ease the strain of looking directly at the light above him. He was lying somewhere.

He stretched his palms, the feeling in his body returning with every waking moment. The surface beneath him was soft and smooth. His head was propped up slightly, most likely on a pillow, he figured.

‘A hospital…? Am I captured?’ he wondered, baffled that he could still move freely.

Tilting his head to the side, he noticed a person sitting right next to him.

He blinked, bringing his palm to his eyes and rubbing them as he tried to focus on the person sitting there so silently.

It was Saki.

“…Where are we?” he inquired.

“We’re at the infirmary… still in the school,” she uttered weakly, looking down.

“…Is it only us in here?” he asked, skeptical as he looked around the room, noticing how empty it was.

“Yes… just us. Nobody saw us get in here,” she replied.

‘What? You mean to tell me she carried me to the infirmary without getting caught?’ he thought, straining himself to sit up.

“Are you sure you should sit?” she asked.

“Forget about that for a second,” he instructed. “How did you get me here without anyone noticing?”

“Well… you are very light for a boy… and I’ve been avoiding people my whole life, so… it wasn’t that hard, especially with how… automatic everyone seemed to move,” Saki murmured.

‘…This is starting to become a problem. This weak body… I figured I could work out before anything major happened, but that hypnotist shota bastard had to come here right after I recovered from my fight with Veiny Turd… Right, the gunshot wound!’ Yuuto thought, glancing at his shoulder and noticing a bloody bandage taped in place. The scent of alcohol and iodine lingered around the bandage. His gaze then wandered to Saki’s hands. Smooth, but her sleeves and part of her outfit were stained with dried blood.

“I… don’t really know a lot of first aid… All I did was clean it and put a bandage on it, hoping it would stop on its own, somehow… I thought it wouldn’t, considering how it looked… but then it just stopped bleeding,” she said.

‘Haaah… So, it didn’t hit anything vital… That’s good…’ Yuuto thought, sighing in slight relief.

“Thanks,” Yuuto said.

Saki merely nodded.

“How long has it been since I passed out?” Yuuto thought.

“Not long… About 30 minutes.” She said, still unable to hold his gaze, clearly in discomfort around him.

‘I guess she’s shaken up…’ Yuuto noticed as he scrutinized her reaction.

“D-do… you mind if I ask yo—”

“Where’s my baseball bat?” Yuuto interrupted, looking around for his trusty weapon.

“It’s… I didn’t have room in my hands to carry it, so… it’s still there,” she reluctantly answered.

“Damn it!” Yuuto called out quietly, slamming his fist on the bed, causing Saki to flinch.

“S-sorry…”

“No, it’s not your fault. I’ll just find another one or something. But before that…” He replied, getting up from the bed and hastily walking to the nearby faucet. He leaned his head beneath it, opening the tap and drinking water frantically.

‘I’ve never been so thirsty in my life… Is this because of the blood loss? I did bleed quite a lot… And I had to fight that crazy bastard in that condition… Too reckless. I got caught up in his rhythm and thoughtlessly fell into his provocation like some amateur, when I should’ve just run away whenever I could… Is it because I have that dumbfuck of a brain of Hiroki’s?’

[When you lose blood, your body loses not only blood cells but also plasma, which is largely composed of water. This can lead to a decrease in blood volume and blood pressure, triggering thirst as a way for your body to signal that it needs to replenish fluids. Additionally, the body releases certain hormones in response to blood loss that can increase thirst.]

‘So weird,’ Saki thought as she watched him chug water. ‘Just half an hour ago, he was pinning me in the bathroom… I thought it would just end up being that kind of day again… Am I dreaming, I wonder? Because… none of this makes any sense. It turned out… that everyone really is under some spell. The way they were walking with each other, like they were in sync,’ she thought.

‘…Walking together like that… If I was also hypnotized, I bet they wouldn’t mind me walking with them…’ she thought, clutching her skirt a little.

‘Alright…’ Yuuto then closed the tap. ‘I’m still feeling thirsty, but I shouldn’t drink too much in one go. It’ll make my movements heavier, and I’d feel nauseous if I have to do any excessive physical activity shortly after,’ he thought as he rose from the sink.

He glanced over at the TV screen in the infirmary, noticing it was turned off. ‘…Good.’ He mused as he glanced around, noticing a wooden broomstick lying about.

He took the broom’s head off and gave the stick a twirl.

‘Too fragile. It’ll break in a real fight… I’ll just do this, then!’ Yuuto snapped the stick on his knee, splitting it into two separate wooden sticks, which he then put between his belt and his pants.

‘Well, this has to do for now. I have to go to a storage house and find something more fitting…’

“Alright. Come on. We need to go,” he said to Saki after noticing his bloodied tank top resting on a nearby chair and putting it on.

‘So now I gotta drag her around, find a weapon, and locate that shota bastard while avoiding getting hypnotized. Damn it… Things just got a lot more complicated,’ Yuuto thought, a smirk stretching at the corner of his lip.

‘What a thrill…’

Saki nodded as she looked at his back, preparing herself to get up from the chair.

‘Is it just me… or does he seem… just a tiny bit bigger than half an hour ago?’ Saki thought as she looked at his back, which appeared somewhat broader.

‘Must be just the angle, right?’ She got up from the chair and followed Hiroki without saying a word as they left the infirmary.

——————-SOMEWHERE IN THE SCHOOL…—————–

“Hmm… I’ve been walking for a while, but I haven’t seen Hiro—… ahem, Yuuto Sakurai anywhere. How odd~ Is he part of the hypnotized group, maybe?” Nazuna muttered to herself, walking with her arms raised nonchalantly behind her head.

“Oh well~ If he’s one of them, I’ll just take him out like the rest. No biggie~” she mused with a relaxed smile, looking up at the ceiling as she stepped over dozens of unconscious students, teachers, and police officers.

“He might’ve beaten Akito… but I’m much stronger~ Some hypnotized lame-o couldn’t even hope to scratch me… I hope you didn’t get hypnotized, Yuuto Sakurai-chan~…” She added, casually jumping off the pile of bodies to the floor.

“Oh! Considering he fought Akito, maybe he went to the infirmary? Stupid, didn’t think of that~” She murmured with a pout.