The walk home from North High felt longer than usual. Rin's mind, usually a fortress of calm, was troubled by the cryptic message from his system. "System Upgrade Required." He ran through every scenario, every piece of information, but the answer remained elusive. He asked his system directly how to initiate the upgrade, but its response was maddeningly vague: All clues are already near you. You just need to piece them together.
Once home, Rin tried a different approach. He attempted to manually increase the tier of his intelligence and wisdom, to brute-force a solution. But the system blocked him again, a new message flashing: This operation must be performed without system assistance. The full implications then became clear. He could only access the emotional manipulation functions; the rest of his status view abilities would remain stagnant, frozen in place until he found a way to upgrade the system. He was locked into this world, his true power partially sealed, forced to rely on his own intellect and intuition without the direct guidance of his system.
Ten years passed.
A decade. A blink in the grand scheme of his eternal existence, perhaps, but a significant portion of a human life. And in those ten years, Rin had not found the elusive key to upgrading his system. He remained trapped in this particular iteration of Haruhi's world, a world shaped by the lingering aftershocks of a reality rewritten.
He hadn't married anyone, not in the traditional sense, but he certainly wasn't alone. His life, even without access to other dimensions, had blossomed into a comfortable, fulfilling existence. His mansion, now more vibrant and lived-in, hummed with a different kind of energy.
In the spacious living room, Haruhi, her long hair now flowing elegantly, laughed as she played with their son, a spirited boy with her bright eyes and boundless energy. Nearby, Mikuru Asahina, her once timid demeanor softened by motherhood, gently rocked and comforted their crying daughter, a tiny bundle of innocence in her arms. On the plush sofa, Yuki Nagato and Ryoko Asakura sat side by side, their silhouettes rounded with the unmistakable signs of pregnancy.
Even in this altered reality, Rin had managed to carve out a harem life. Ten years had passed, and all of them had matured, their youthful appearances subtly shifting into the grace of adulthood. He might not have found the way back to other worlds, but he had found something equally precious here. He had a family, a home, and a life that, despite its supernatural quirks, was undeniably good. If he never returned, he reasoned, he would be okay.
As for his other worlds, the system had provided a peculiar comfort. Ten years in Haruhi's world was but a single day in the DXD world and the Tensura world. Time dilation, a clever trick of the universe. As long as he eventually found a way to upgrade his system, he could return, and it would seem as if he had barely been gone. His appearance, too, was easily managed; he could decrease or increase his apparent age at will. For now, however, he would simply enjoy his life with his wives.
Suddenly, his phone rang, its cheerful jingle cutting through the domestic bliss. Rin picked it up, recognizing the familiar, calm voice on the other end.
"Itsuki," Rin answered, "what's the problem?"
Itsuki Koizumi's report was concise and grim. "A group of devils has been systematically hunting humans in a neighboring city, Rin-kun. Every night. Many of our espers have been killed trying to intervene. We need someone of a… special grade to take over this job." Itsuki's unspoken question hung in the air: Will you take it?
"I'll take it," Rin affirmed, his voice calm, decisive. "Send me the rest of the details on the way."
He put down the phone. Haruhi, ever perceptive, looked up from her son. "Itsuki called, didn't he? Another job?"
Haruhi, Mikuru, Yuki, and Ryoko all sighed in unison, a chorus of resigned concern.
Rin approached them, a soft smile on his face. He leaned down, giving each of them a kiss, a warm hug. "Don't worry about me," he said, his gaze sweeping over them, full of affection and confidence. "After all," he added, a familiar, slightly self-deprecating smirk touching his lips, "I am the strongest."
A wave of laughter erupted from the women, a mix of genuine amusement and affectionate exasperation at his theatrics. "Oh, Rin, that's so cringe!" Haruhi teased, covering her mouth with her hand. Rin scratched his head, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. He'd always wanted to deliver that line with gravitas, but it always came out sounding… well, cringe.
With a final, fond look at his family, Rin said his goodbyes and left, stepping out into the world. The strongest, indeed. And the hunt was on.
The End.
...
Thanks for reading!!!
Edit: For those who wanted to know how to upgrade Rin's system, it's simple: Rin needs to kill Haruhi. Unfortunately, Rin isn't a full-time villain, so even if he knows this, he can't kill her, especially now that she's become one of his wives. There's another way, which he's currently pursuing: becoming stronger so he doesn't need to rely on his system.