Chapter 86

Ｒ​&e;&a;ｄ ​ө&n;& ;Ka​&t;R​eäd̀&i;​ｎgḈafe

Announcement

IM SORRY! The late release happened because I woke up late… Either way, please enjoy the chapter..

Lingering regret swirled within me, but there was nothing I could do.

It wasn’t as if I could yank out the arrow piercing the green goblin’s throat and stab it into my own chest.

Doing something so outrageous would undoubtedly earn me strange looks from Frey and Leo. Sure, if I were alone, maybe… but in a situation where I was being watched? Out of the question.

Besides, this wasn’t the time for indulgence. Lives were being lost all around us, and I couldn’t afford to dwell on what was already done. Shaking off my disappointment, I turned my attention to Leo, the one who had stolen away my small joy.

Standing there, all smug and triumphant, he must think that he saved me. Not even close. Honestly, his interference had been a nuisance.

How is it that he’s so quick to act at the most unnecessary times, but when it actually counts, he’s late?

…Oh. That was uncalled for. Even I think that was a trashy thought. I take it back. I’m sorry.

Thankfully, I’d only thought it. If I’d said it out loud, I shudder to think what Leo’s reaction might have been. He wouldn’t have let it slide, that’s for sure. 

Perhaps he would’ve gotten so mad he’d actually pummel me, though that’s unlikely. For all his impulsiveness, Leo isn’t the type to lash out physically without reason.

Still, the thought of accidentally trampling on his scars, his trauma—it made me feel like garbage. Burnable garbage. Someone, please incinerate me, hehe.

Looking at those sturdy arms of his, though… I admit, they’re a little attractive. But repaying someone’s goodwill with malice isn’t something I can bring myself to do. So, I spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Leo? Why are you here…?”

“Well… it just kind of happened?”

Leo’s answer was strangely awkward, and his eyes darted away suspiciously.

Odd.

Leo, the guy who can’t go a single day without training, out here on a golden weekend in the middle of a park instead of a training hall? And at a cherry blossom festival, no less? He doesn’t even like cherry blossoms.

“Leo!”
“Hurry up, hurry up, let’s go together!”

The answer to my confusion soon revealed itself in the form of two figures running toward us: Arin and Anastasia. 

Ah, of course. Leo wouldn’t come to enjoy the cherry blossoms alone. He must’ve been dragged here by those two. What a coincidence, running into them here.

But wait… Why are Arin and Anastasia at a cherry blossom festival with Leo? Sure, friends hanging out on a weekend isn’t strange, but aren’t they heroines? Like me? Even if Alice is the main heroine, heroines are still heroines. Shouldn’t they be spending time with Eugene?

Eugene is a one-woman kind of guy.

Even if he hasn’t realized his feelings yet, his heart always belongs to Alice. Whether his feelings stem from lingering guilt over his late sister or genuine romantic affection, Eugene’s thoughts are ever fixed on her.

While he’s had interactions with other heroines in the novel, it’s always been because they approached him first, not because he sought them out.

Take me, for instance.

In the novel, there was that summer vacation when Eugene discovered my… unusual hobbies.
Nighttime strolls in the nude? Who wouldn’t think that was perverted? Add to that my penchant for running a box cutter across my wrist, and it paints quite the picture.

But Eugene, upon witnessing these things, didn’t look at me with disgust or scorn. Instead, he accepted me for who I was and encouraged me. That’s when I fell for him, head over heels.

From then on, I made no effort to hide my feelings, actively trying to win him over—even resorting to physical tactics that left Eugene, ever the innocent one, flustered and at a loss.

Thinking back, Eugene’s willpower is truly impressive. Any other guy might have given in when faced with my advances, but not Eugene.

There was even an event where Regina’s drugs (read: aphrodisiacs) caused his suppressed desires to surge. And what did Eugene do? He stabbed his own hand with a knife to use the pain to suppress his urges. Insane, right? He’s the epitome of PG-15, a man who refuses to cross into the R-19 territory.

That’s just who Eugene is—a paragon of restraint and a prime example of the quintessential pushover. So, for Arin and Anastasia to be at a cherry blossom festival with someone other than Eugene…

Why?

It’s not like I’m in a position to say much, considering how hard I’m working to pair Eugene with Alice. But still… shouldn’t they at least show some interest in him? Up until now, I thought the flags hadn’t been raised yet, but could it be… the flags were never meant to be his?

Sure, Eugene’s endgame is already determined, and any other romantic feelings would just lead to heartbreak. Maybe it’s better for them this way—never getting involved emotionally. The heroines play a vital role in Eugene’s growth, but it doesn’t have to come from love.

Alice, of course, is the exception. Never underestimate the main heroine’s significance. There’s a reason I’m putting so much effort into making them end up together.

So, while Arin and Anastasia showing affection for someone other than Eugene is a minor deviation, it’s not catastrophic.

But… why does it feel so unsettling?

Oh.

The moment I looked at Leo, I understood.

Behold that radiant blonde hair.
Look at his sun-kissed skin, gleaming under the light.
Those broad shoulders, that tall, commanding figure…

He’s the textbook definition of a golden-haired, tanned delinquent.

Huh?! Golden Sun¹?! NTR?!

I knew something felt off the moment he dyed his hair blonde!

Shivering uncontrollably, I took a step back, subtly using Frey as a shield to block Leo’s view.

He’s terrifying! Leo! You’re terrifying! A golden sun!

Has he already managed to win over two heroines?!

Granted, Arin and Anastasia don’t seem to have feelings for Eugene yet, so it’s not technically NTR. But still!

There was a chance they could have liked him someday—or rather, with high probability, they would have become fond of him as heroines.

And you’re taking them away?! You call yourself Eugene’s friend?! His rival?!

Wait… is it because you’re his rival that you’re stealing them away?!

Argh, but your influence ends here.

No matter how impressive your skills are, you’ll never claim Sia, the 17th successor of the Lu family. Mark my words.

And if you dare to lay your filthy hands on Alice, I’ll make sure you experience the pain of being TS yourself…

…Or so I almost said.

Come on, isn’t this just an overreaction?

If weekend meetups automatically meant relationships, then Alice and I would already be dating Eugene. Wow, two-timing? As expected of the protagonist. Such a Casanova.

Is this residual trauma from being nearly bisected by Murmur? I keep having weird thoughts.

Shaking my head to dispel these distractions, I refocused on the rapidly approaching Arin and Anastasia.

Their direction… Oh, I get it now. The sounds I heard earlier were from A-Class’s three members fighting monsters.

This unexpected reinforcement was a welcome relief. After all, the limits of what Eugene, Frey, and I could handle were glaringly obvious.

Especially Anastasia—she was exactly the kind of help we needed.

Her ability to use clones for sheer overwhelming numbers would be invaluable.

We’d been severely lacking personnel to evacuate civilians, but Anastasia alone could resolve that issue instantly.

…But wait, something’s off.

If it was Anastasia, she would’ve already used her clones.

By now, her clones should have spread to every corner of the park.

So why hasn’t she done that?

“Lucia! Alice! So this is where you were!”

“Waaah!”

Arin, spotting us, looked visibly relieved. Anastasia, on the other hand, energetically waved both arms in excitement.

Her behavior and demeanor seemed both similar to and subtly different from the usual Anastasia.

She seemed livelier, more emotionally expressive, and even a bit childish.

Half-convinced, I asked “Anastasia, are you… a clone?”

“Huh? How’d you know?”

“Just a hunch. You felt a little different from usual.”

“Wow! Wow! Wow!”

Anastasia hopped around gleefully, looking like an adorable rabbit. But inwardly, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

Normally, Anastasia’s clones are perfect copies of her original self.

Personality, thoughts, and memories—everything is identical.

But when the original and the clones are far apart, their connection weakens, leading to subtle differences like now.

While fundamentally the same, the clones’ dispositions could diverge slightly.

The Anastasia in front of me was livelier, more energetic, and childlike compared to the original.

But the biggest issue wasn’t that.

Clones cannot create clones.

Anastasia without her ability to generate clones was essentially stripped of her primary power.

It was no different from taking away super regeneration from me, danger sense from Arin, or acceleration from Leo.

When you take away a supernatural’s ability, what’s left besides raw physicality?

Worse, clones vanish upon receiving a strong impact.

While they’re more durable when the original is nearby, the durability drops significantly with distance. Any external blow could cause instant disappearance.

In other words, I couldn’t expect much from this Anastasia.

It didn’t seem like her original self was nearby either, meaning her army of clones was off the table.

…And so, back to square one.

Even so, having Arin, Leo, and Anastasia’s clone join us was more than enough to be thankful for.

In the end, the Golden Generation had all gathered.

As expected of the main cast, they naturally attract incidents and accidents.

Or perhaps, it’s better to say that incidents and accidents follow them.

“It’s a relief you’re safe, but unfortunately, we don’t have time to chat.” Arin said, brushing blood off her sword.

Even on her day off, she’d carried her weapon. As expected of the class president. Meanwhile, I had left mine in the dorm, thinking I wouldn’t need it.

I underestimated this world. Sniff… I’ll reflect on this. There’s so much to reflect on today.

“I contacted the Celestial Corps. They’ll arrive in five, ten minutes at most.”

“That’s reassuring, but… brace yourself. There’s something you need to know. The red fox mask girl who ambushed us during the field training is here.”

“You mean that fox-masked girl? We know.”

“You already knew?”

“We saw her.”

Ah, so they had already witnessed her.

No wonder Arin’s complexion was so pale.

“This is just one problem compounding another. The spatial rift was bad enough, but now that girl too… Still, don’t worry too much. My dad—no, the Captain—is on his way. No matter how strong that girl is, she won’t be able to handle the Captain of the Celestial Corps.”

Pride flickered across Arin’s face as she spoke. It was the boundless trust a child had in their parents.

“…Let’s hope you’re right.”

But I couldn’t echo her faith.

The seven Captains of the Celestial Corps were undeniably absurdly powerful.

They were the pillars holding the Celestial Corps together.

Humanity’s greatest force.

Frankly, even if you combined all the heroes of the Corps, you’d be hard-pressed to match the strength of just the seven Captains.

However, this time… the opponent was particularly bad.

That was all there was to it.

Arin furrowed her brows, as if grappling with a headache. Likely, her danger sense was triggering non-stop. She spoke with a hint of frustration.

“Sticking together would be safer, but it would also limit the area we can cover. There are still many people who haven’t evacuated, and the monsters are trying to break out of the park.”

“Taking risks is part of being a hero. Even our top student is working hard out there, so we should too.” Leo said, his gaze brimming with competitive spirit as he looked into the distance.

Even now, a fiery spectacle was unfolding.

Without that fire, the casualty count would have been dozens of times worse.

“That idiot. How dare he try to get ahead of everyone again? It’s annoying as hell.” Leo muttered.

“Leo, now’s not the time for pointless rivalry.” Arin chided.

“No, Arin. It’s precisely because it’s now that we need to stoke our competitive spirit. Look at him. Just look. That guy is overdoing it, pushing himself too hard. If he keeps this up, he’s going to burn himself out in his own fire.”

Crack. 

Veins stood out on the back of Leo’s hand as he clenched it into a fist.

Sliding his blood-stained knuckles more firmly between his fingers, Leo added, “Let’s go. We need to remind him he’s not alone. Saving people isn’t something only he can do.”

Huh.

Seeing him like this, Leo’s looking a little cool, isn’t he?

Is this how someone gradually unlocks the doors to another’s heart?

Heh heh, but sorry, it doesn’t work on Lucia.

Although, I do like those knuckles. Especially the way they glisten with blood. That’s 2 Lucia Points for you, Leo.

Eugene better step up his game.

At this rate, is he going to lose the Wish Ticket? 

Oh that would be real NTR, hehe.

 

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Scary, a Golden Sun!

By the way, this is Leo’s initial setting: 

He becomes TS around the middle part of the original story… There’s a reason why there’s a man in the golden generation, you know?

That’s to make her a TS heroine…

Lucia is a TS woman, but she adapted way too quickly and calmly, right? So she played a role in making up for her shortcomings.

Of course, that setting was scrapped.

There’s no special reason, but I scrapped the early setting because I didn’t think it would fit with this novel.

But someday as a IF side story…

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
…No comments on the thing stated above

…

Kill kat.