Delusional Multiversal Travels

Fanfiction by: Final_Order

Delusional Multiversal Travels

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 10: Thoughts on one of the many first aftermath

- - -

Back at the Empire, it didn't take long for word of the dungeon incident to reach the palace.

It was a chaotic report. 

Something about a wounded classmate gone rogue and the emergence, possession, and misuse of an unaccounted-for power.

And just like that, the label was born:

Rogue Hero.

Nakatani Yuto's name was stricken from the official class list, and within an hour, a wanted poster had been placed across the entire kingdom.

[WANTED]

[Name: Nakatani Yuto]

[Status: Rogue Hero]

[Crimes]:

- Possession and misuse of unaccounted-for power.

- Hurting a fellow hero and fleeing.

- Possible collaboration with demons.

[Should you come across this individual, kindly notify the Valencia Empire's Minister of Defence. A financial reward will be provided upon successful reporting..]

Uwahh.

Just reading the wanted poster myself was… how to put it. I couldn't help but praise them.

Possession and misuse of unaccounted-for power? What are they going to do? Seize it?

Well, as for me on the other hand:

Seems like they also knew of my interference, however, they left it unaddressed for the time being.

The rest of the class was sent to their quarters to "recover," though a handful were quietly escorted to the infirmary. 

Minase and a few court healers busied themselves tending to those sustaining bruises from the fighting.

Meanwhile,

Inside a room.

Our lips broke apart.

A thin strand of saliva trailed between us before snapping. Akane sat astride my lap, her breath warm against my cheek as she pulled back slightly.

She then tilted her head as she locked her gaze on me.

"Haah. I wasn't expecting you to pull the stunt you pulled today, what's with that?"

I tilted my head lazily.

"Avenging Yuto."

"How shameless."

She muttered, her lips twitching before exhaling at my shamelessness; he wasn't even dead. 

Yet, she moved her gaze to the sides. "How sure are you that he'll survive?"

As she said that, I also tilted my head with my eyes closed for a moment. I had considered the possibility.

But, for a fact:

"Hundred percent." 

I leaned back, arms resting behind me on the bed.

"You didn't need to ask me that. You already know, don't you?"

Akane brushed the bangs of her head with a somewhat unsure expression on her face.

Uncertainty.

Now, this is actually rare for her.

"Like that woman, I couldn't see anything related to her."

Hearing Akane say that, I guess it wasn't only me that had a problem.

Other than the fact that I knew she was sealed and she was the demon king's daughter.

Details about her and her powers were beyond my analysis.

Well, let's add the condition to unseal her powers, which is also another massive reason I want to seek out the previous senpai's.

But,

"Honestly, all this might be beyond us currently."

First time seeing Akane unsure of something, but I feel the same as her. At the very least, I agree with the "currently" part.

Perhaps, seeing as she was silent, she cupped my cheeks, raising them to meet hers, narrowing her gaze.

"What are you plotting?"

Ah… time to play dumb.

"Whatever could you be talking about?"

I emptied my thoughts in an instant. 

Akane could read intentions as vividly as flipping through someone's diary in 4K resolution.

She must have caught a glimpse.

"No. I definitely saw it just now."

Tch. Can't bluff her for long. How to escape…. Ah yes….. Plan B.

Tightening my grip around her waist pulling her back in, capturing her lips again.

Of course, I knew I'd let her know, but not now at the very least. I intend to monitor the situation here before making a move.

I also need to unlock that one skill sooner or later. It would help a lot.

"You… haah… fine."

Pulling away again, the corners of her lips twitched until she eventually let it go with a sigh.

"If it weren't for the skill…."

She muttered along those lines as she left my lap, arms folded, probably drifting into her own thoughts too.

Reminds me,

"By the way, how's the ex-boyfriend of yours pulling himself up?"

Her brow arched with such speed I almost saw her life bar drop.

"If I had something to throw at you, I would have."

"So, Not good, huh?"

Well, not only did Yuto leave his circle of influence, I also embarrassed him. In fact, it wasn't only me.

After leaving the dungeon, it seemed like Saya also said a thing or two to him too.

He should have known. They just pretend not to see it, those two that is.

"You're not going to make any fun of him?"

"Why? More like it's a waste of time to do so. Perhaps, if he grows up a little, then verily, verily, I would leave my differences with him aside."

She side-eyed me. "You don't even have some things with—oh, yeah, I remember now."

What's with that expression?

She suddenly went all quiet. Her last words… ah, I remember now: the source of the rumors and all.

Not only with me.

Akane has an influential circle. She was the most influential in our class, perhaps even in the whole school.

She could spread rumors about anyone, and when it circulates within her influential circle, it then ripples outside.

Most times…

Things like this were common.

Standing up, walking two steps past her, I raised my hand in a wave.

"Well, let's leave the past behind. I no longer have lingering attachments to that world.

Not to my parents, not to the world I left behind—a world that always felt slightly off, even at its most "normal."

I never belonged there.

And I don't care to go back.

I didn't catch Akane's expression as I slipped into the shadows, letting myself fall through reappearing inside my room.

Flopping back onto the bed, I exhaled.

Analysis.

[Ayakafurushi Retsu Lv. 1] 

[Special Skill(s): Night-Walker] 

[OSS Skill(s): Accelerated Processing (+), Analysis, Traveller (Locked)]

[Intrinsic Skills: Magic Power Conversion, Continuous Conversion+]

[(+)Continuous Conversion]:

○ [Ogre Strength]: [Description: Grants the user the strength of an Ogre. Multiplies the user's stats fivefold.]

○ [Strength enhancement has been shared across all physical stats due to Continuous Conversion.]

Hm.

That's… actually helpful isn't it. If I understand correctly, [Ogre Strength] is a watered down version of [Oni God].

[Ogre Strength] grants a strength multiplier, but since continuous conversion is now one with me…

The skill multiplies all stats across my board rather than just one. So basically, the more enhancement skills, the more strength.

Is this how his absorption also works?

[New Data Acquired!]

— [Entry for «Absorption» skill has been updated!] (New!)

— [Entry for «Analysis» skill has been updated!] (New!)

— [Entry for «Oni God» skill has been updated!] (New!)

— [Entry for «Continuous Conversion» skill has been updated!] (New!)

Ah, it also seems like the archival library for [Analysis] has updated, too. That's good.

I guess having a mini information library isn't bad. Yeah, but right now.

"Haah. I want to sleep."

While I don't get physically tired, it seems like I'm not mentally resistant to stress, good grief.

○

That guy,

He concealed his thoughts from my [Observation Sight].

Unbelievable.

But, even if it was just for a moment. I'd read a few from him, namely, [Dragon] and [Ordina].

Yet, knowing this. I know I can't stop him.

What's more is that, like Nakatani, he, too, has gotten stronger compared to earlier today.

Just what in hell… is going on with those two that I don't know.

What do they know about this world that I don't? …No. What does Ayakafurushi Retsu know that he's deliberately keeping quiet?

Tch. I guess it's my turn to start digging, too.

○

The next day.

A meeting was held, well, something like one. It started informally, just us scattered around the training field.

Naturally, unlike the light-hearted and, heck, even the cocky expressions of some, mine had melted into something else.

Disgust for me and someone else.

Onizuka never bothered with me, not because of any grand reason in particular, simply that we didn't get involved with each other.

Well, I more or less know about him too….

A thug with a superiority complex, not to mention, his two lackeys behind him are forced to become part of him.

He's got dirt on them.

Seriously.

At least ninety percent or so in our class have one or two loose screws up there, really. 

Safe for Yuto. He's actually the only normal guy.

Anyways. I lied earlier. I said this was a "meeting," but—

"Ahem. Heroes. Ever since your return from the dungeon, we've begun reevaluating your training regimens."

"Several court mages will be brought in to teach you the fundamentals of magic. As heroes, it is expected that all of you possess at least basic magical competency."

The knight commander arrived in the middle of the field, announcing that. Despite the overall state.

Well. It worked. Some really looked motivated. Scratch that, most of them.

Naturally, that number of excitements came from the males.

"Hm?"

I let my eyes wander, scanning the crowd. Just to the left of me, I noticed her.

A classmate with twin ponytails and a perpetual dead-inside expression. If I remember her name correctly…

"Tooru, right?"

"It's Toa."

She answered back with a quiet, well, how to put it. Like a person that is dead outside and inside.

"Right, Tooru."

"..."

She flinched but didn't say a word in retort. Well, I don't really know much about her other than her being one of the quietest.

Not that she didn't fit into any group; in fact, she was part of the girls' faction.

But not part of the ones head over heels for Miyamoto.

Well, as the saying goes:

Follow the crowd.

Most people might have scorned Yuto just so they could feel safe. Totally reasonable though.

After all, no one really wants to be ousted from the main group.

However, Onizuka and Miyamoto on the other hand? Massive bone to pick with them. But that would be at a later time. 

Even without analysis, I can predict they'll spiral all the way down to hell should they continue their path.

"By the way, Tooru."

"It's Toa."

"What's your opinion?"

As I said that, I caught her side-eyeing me, for the briefest moment, before turning her gaze back to the scattered groups on the field.

Her dead eyes lingered on the field for a moment.

"A bad feeling, especially since yesterday."

They might be hanging out in groups now, prepared to train, but sure, I can feel the underlying tensions.

"You feel it too, huh? Glad I'm not the only one that thinks the same."

"Then… do you know something?"

She asked almost immediately, prompting me to glance over at her half-lidded eyes.

"No, I don't. If you're that curious, go hit the library. I'm going there now."

Honestly, even their library was, to be completely honest, ass.

The history of the world, or rather, important world histories, are not documented.

Noble family lineage books, ledgers of other unimportant stuff. In all this, I simply consider them to be keeping secrets.

They don't exactly have a good track record to begin with.

No, probably not that they don't have. Either they completely wiped the records themselves.

Cause a world without a deity to lead it on. Humans themselves become their own deities.

Especially the ones with powers in their hands.

As the saying goes, history is only written by the true victors. Humans had won. Yet…..

"I'm fine. I'll stay here."

"Alright. Understood, have fun here, Tooru."

Her lips twitched, but I made my exit.

[New Data Acquired!]

— [Data entry for individual Nanase Toa 'Tooru' has been recorded. Real-time status records updated.]

Hey… you know I don't need updates on every…. You know what, why do I even bother.

[Analysis Lv.4] (New!)

Description: A skill that processes and interprets phenomena based on the user's comprehension and comprehension logs (World's Logic).

— Information the user easily understands can be accurately compiled.

— Incomplete data may be reconstructed if surrounding context allows.

— However, data that is conceptually confusing or illogical to the user becomes harder to analyze and may result in errors or fragmented output.

— Analysis updates in real time, creating and refining a personal database of information as the user observes and interacts with the world.