The things not specifically mentioned in the previous text were unimportant to Yuu.
For example, Immunity to Baldness ensured he'd have thick hair his whole life, so he didn't need to fear going bald despite being a programmer.
Vampire Slayer and JoJo Knowledge King were just jokes. The former gave him a special attack against vampires, so he no longer had to fear strange uncles in tight bodysuits wanting to eat him like bread. Unfortunately, he'd never encountered such creatures in either of his lives, so it was completely useless, just like the oversized strategy T-shirt he got from a transaction.
The latter made him intimately familiar with every detail and plot point of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. If it appeared in the work, he could answer any question, even the height and weight of characters.
"Araki-sensei doesn't know JoJo like I do."
As for the cash reward and various skills, they were far richer than those from previous task completions. Tangible and intangible wealth kept piling up. Unknowingly, Yuu was already standing on a platform higher than anyone else.
As time passed, he might be able to do something grand with these resources. Privately backing a puppet prime minister wasn't even out of the question.
But right now, Yuu had no time to think about the future. He wasn't even really listening to the system's voice.
He just sat quietly in place, his head resting on his knees, letting the inhuman electronic voice announce the results.
[Time spent: Fifty days.]
[Settlement completed.]
[Congratulations to the Host. You have obtained the reward: Night Light Orb.]
[Next objective—no clues provided. Please wait patiently.]
After those words, the entire world fell silent for a moment.
Then, a rustling sound. The TV screen began flickering with black-and-white static. The scenery of Sobu High suddenly appeared. The camera zoomed in quickly, starting to play an animation starring him and the girl.
The heroine of the third arc was a beautiful silver-haired transfer student.
She seemed perfect and cold, shining like a gem, but she was a villain who would seize a boy's secrets and use them to threaten him…
The story began when she was rejected by that boy behind the school building.
Unconsciously, Yuu lifted his eyes, watching expressionlessly as they walked to the Service Club, went home together after school, and headed to school together the next morning.
The TV wasn't far from him. The cold electronic light reflected the slight downturn of his lips. There was no ripple in his dark eyes.
The light and rain had fallen on his eyelashes countless times, turning into soft star-like glows trying to illuminate his eyes, but always in vain.
Time felt fast yet slow, as if it spanned all fifty days.
For Yuu, this animation, which couldn't even compare to a fairy tale, finally reached its end.
The image froze on their gazes. The bright smile of the boy who once had no feelings for her contrasted with the tear-filled, confused eyes of the girl who hated love.
They looked at each other from so close, yet it was as if the Milky Way separated them.
If you only looked at the ending, it was undoubtedly a tragedy.
But…
"You know how it ends, yet you can still smile happily. You're such an idiot."
Yuu muttered, releasing all the strength in his body and falling back.
His arm covered his eyes. Facing the silent world, the corner of his lips curled in a mocking tone. He began talking to himself.
"Being the perfect boyfriend was fun. Enjoying the feeling of falling in love was fun. Yeah. The more fun it is, the harder it is to let go. Why don't you get that?"
The voice reached his ears. A sigh-like response echoed in his heart.
—I'm just pretending to be an idiot. Because I can't do anything about it. The result will naturally be like this.
"Can't do anything? Don't fool yourself with random excuses like that. You just love her relying on you, and you love the satisfaction of changing her. No matter how many times you go through it, experiences like this are still addictive. It's like playing a dating game. Right."
—If it were that simple, it'd be better. If I could do it, why would I let the system take my feelings? Wouldn't it be better to save the data and keep playing?
"That's because you're too weak. Who doesn't have three or four girlfriends at this age? No matter how many pretty words you said before, in the end, you're still a loser afraid of getting hurt!"
—What do you know! That's called being sensitive. Is being strong just playing with women everywhere without changing your expression? If you want to be trash like that, do it yourself. I have my own principles. It's fine being a loser.
"…"
Yuu slowly clenched his fist. He bit his lip unconsciously. His jaw trembled slightly.
"Principles? After losing, you hide in a corner where no one can see you and wallow in sadness. That's your principle? That's hilarious!"
—Who hasn't had their heart broken? Next time, and the time after that…
He comforted himself, gently and carefully, like soothing a small child.
—No matter how deep my feelings are, the system can easily take them. I can still face the next task with a smile, until it's all over.
Suddenly, he unclenched his fist. Yuu couldn't help but laugh.
"So, you can't smile alone?"
—"…"
"So, when will you become strong enough to hear them say, It was nice meeting you, and feel nothing no matter how many times?"
The question in his heart could also be answered from within.
Because only he knew that even the most cowardly, weakest, most ridiculous voice could be expressed.
—Then what? I've never denied my weakness. But after going through so much, can't I become stronger?
—The changes they gave me, the growth they brought, the courage they instilled—it's not for nothing. It won't vanish when the memories do—can't I grow into a strong, confident hero?!
Yuu would never stay still… No matter how many times he lost, he'd never retreat.
From the past to now, and even into the future.
After all, he'd only acknowledge the version of himself like this.
"…Yeah."
The light and rain illuminated his face again.
Facing the sky, Yuu lowered his arm. He parted his pale lips, took a deep breath, and gradually lifted the corners of his mouth. He smiled as usual.
"Because you're Kasugano Sora's big brother. You have to be the big tree she can rely on forever. You're Tenkuji Yuu."
"You made the twisted Haruno stop obsessing over lies. You made the weak Asuna swing the sword of courage. You made the fanatical Masuzu believe in love."
"You're not the chosen one, so the system has to take your feelings… But the rest, you can face with a smile and accept with a smile."
"Because you promised them. Because you believe you won't break your promise."
His eyes grew brighter, as if finding a glimmer of hope behind the clouds.
The gloom and sadness from before vanished instantly. Yuu stood from the ground, looking at the black-and-white system screen with an excited expression.
The screen reflected the current him—without anyone's comfort, his strength was enough to make him rise on his own.
After looking, Yuu unconsciously turned his face away. He rubbed his cheek and said casually:
"System, continue the settlement."
Whether the system was kindly waiting for him to finish talking to himself, after his words, it resumed the settlement process.
[Timeline saved—]
He looked up at the two light orbs. His eyes squinted slightly, as if dazzled.
The third light orb would likely appear after he left. He didn't know what kind of scene it would create.
Though, no matter how many light orbs there were, in this empty world, he could only talk to himself.
…In a place where there was no one to deceive, he could only deceive himself.
As long as he didn't expose the lie, one day, such a lie could become reality.
So, this third parting had no avoidance, no relief, no hope, and no sadness.
Yuu only chose to lie to himself. He didn't let his steps stop. He kept moving forward, toward a finish line that was getting closer.
After all, one day, he'd become truly strong…
Yes, just like those he'd saved.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
[Timeline saved.]
[Task execution period: September 22 to November 11.]
[All connections with the target during this period will be reclaimed by the system. The remaining development path will be adjusted reasonably, so the outcomes remain unchanged, and no relevant memories will remain, except for the Host.]
[After restoration is complete, the system will automatically return the Host to the real world.]
[Confirming the release of the Host's romantic emotions toward the target. This will be executed upon returning to the real world.]
[World timeline restored. World repair program completed… Repair halted.]
[Detected Status: Injury Time. Would you like to activate it?]
Yuu snapped out of his reverie. He squinted at the system screen with a disdainful expression.
"I'm asking, even if I use Injury Time, can you guarantee there won't be bugs like the comb or the ring?"
[The system will do its best to eliminate significant impacts from the previous timeline and erase all traces with major connections to the Host.]
"Do its best? So, no absolute guarantee? What if it happens? You want me to complete the task again?"
[The system will do its best…]
Damn it. This thing's repeating itself because it can't answer!
This shameless tactic—it must've learned it from customer service on some website!
"Fine, you dog system…" Yuu angrily kicked the screen twice, managing not to damage it. "Then forget it! It's just troublesome. Only an idiot would use it!"
Besides, with Masuzu's outwardly strong but inwardly fragile personality, if she realized during Injury Time that she'd just been in a relationship, forced to part, and those parting words were her last, she might not stay as calm as Asuna did. She could mentally collapse, let alone resolve her regrets.
Anyway, problems would still arise if used. Only a fool would seek extra trouble. Yuu would rather bet on luck and trust that Masuzu, like Haruno, wouldn't remember anything.
Plus, Yuu was willing to give a bit of trust to the dog system regarding memory alteration.
[Confirmed. Initiating separation program.]
A stone door rose from the ground. Everything felt so familiar.
The light and rain fell on his shoulders, as if reluctantly saying goodbye, but leaving no trace.
"I remember last time I left, I threatened you, dog system…"
With mixed feelings different from before, Yuu clenched his fist, slowly exhaled, and walked toward the stone door with a calm expression.
"But this time, forget it."
"See you after the fourth task is done. I'll definitely greet you with a smile."
Yuu pushed the door. Before stepping in, he instinctively patted his pocket.
No amusement park tickets, no misfortune talisman.
He didn't bring them here.
He shrugged, then pushed the issue from his mind. He walked with his head held high, letting the strong white light swallow him until his consciousness completely faded.
As the light dimmed and the stone door closed.
On the completely dark system screen, a reflection of himself—a scarred stray dog walking stubbornly alone on the streets—appeared.
The world fell silent again. The sun's rain still fell on the ruins. The gray sky seemed split in two.
After a while, the system's cold voice sounded again.
[Detected Host nearing limit. To ensure the smooth execution of the final task, open firewall and accept error program…]
The dim screen suddenly lit up. An unpleasant red color instantly filled every corner.
Amid it, the large "Misfortune" character seemed to want to leap out of the screen, flashing with a deep, striking black light.
At that moment, the light and rain seemed to turn into a blood rain, with droplets falling on the ruined ground.
But a summer night gradually emerging from the sky's edge blocked the red and black light, preventing it from spreading further.
The barren world seemed to come alive silently. The sun, rain, summer night, and misfortune light intertwined. Strange changes quietly spread.
After a while.
[Error execution completed. World repair completed… Host's emotional retrieval completed.]
The voice, no different from the previous two times, sounded.
The system screen went dark again, as if a delete button had been pressed. All changes, along with the misfortune light, vanished completely, as if they'd never happened.
Only the sun, rain, and summer night light orbs remained in the sky, occupying three positions in the gray expanse. They shone quietly, bringing a touch of life to this barren world.
[Next objective: Undetermined.]
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
November 12th, 8 a.m.
The curtains blocked the strong morning light, but they couldn't stop the piercing alarm sound.
"Haaah~"
Yawning, Haruno got up, washed her face, and sat at her vanity to get ready.
As usual, she picked up the wooden comb, but not to brush her hair.
Because if she did, she'd want to cry. To avoid crying like a child, she'd stroke the comb for a few minutes before using a premium one to style her hair.
On one hand, it calmed her. On the other, she wanted to find the source of this incongruity. Since she never got useful information from Yuu, Haruno could only try to unravel this mystery by touching the object and thinking.
In her room at home, she picked up the wooden comb. As she was about to stroke it a few times, she noticed spiderweb-like cracks filled with a springtime painting.
"Huh? Since when…"
Haruno froze. She'd taken such good care of it.
Not even a scratch, let alone a dent. She treated it more carefully than her own body. When did these cracks appear?!
She felt anxious. Her fingers stroked the ruined painting, no longer beautiful. Before she could feel sad, she heard a crisp sound.
CRACK!
The wooden comb shattered in her hand, falling to the floor. The edges of the fragments were pitch black, as if corroded.
"What… Ugh!"
She opened her mouth wide in shock. Less than half a second later, Haruno suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, as if someone was hammering her brain—her surely beautiful brain—into paste.
Ignoring the fragments silently turning to ash on the floor, she couldn't help clutching her head. She crouched at the vanity with a pained expression, groaning.
"Why… What is this…"
She was confused and shocked.
But after a long-locked door in her mind was shattered by this blow, Haruno suddenly felt no more pain. She let a flood of memories overwhelm her body. Even her unconscious trembling stopped.
Her attention was entirely on the memory fragments flashing through her mind. Her eyes were blank, gradually becoming dazed.
After some time.
She slowly raised her head, blinking her dry eyes, her lips trembling slightly. With an expression of disbelief, she slowly uttered one word:
"Yuu-chan?"
Volume Afterword
The third volume is finally complete… and it's getting longer and longer!
There are many things I want to reflect on and apologize for, but if I say them, it might get too long, affect the reading experience, and spread a gloomy vibe. So, I, the author, decided to skip this step.
First, I want to thank the readers who've faithfully followed this far, especially those who diligently read at 6 a.m. Since I often rushed to meet deadlines and fixed things later, I apologize for any affected reading experience (crying profusely).
Next, for readers who couldn't wait and decided to save chapters midway, I hope you find time to finish. I'm a slow-paced writer, so I include many details and key changes in the text. It'd be a pity if you missed them (crying a storm).
Lastly, for readers who saved the entire volume, congratulations, you can start reading! And you definitely won't lose out by following the fourth volume, as the important parts are finally coming!
No matter how the third volume went—whether it started strong and dipped, or who liked or disliked it—this book has reached its mid-point climax. Many hidden hints will finally come into play.
Though I cut many hidden storylines due to improper plot pacing—keen readers surely noticed—I was constantly hounded by questions about when the third volume would end, so I sped it up. I wrote in a rush, without much daily life, just chasing the plot…
If I wanted, I could've added tens of thousands of words to enrich characters and scenes, but I couldn't. Even the final act was rushed; I couldn't slow down.
Regarding repetitive patterns, I only realized after you pointed it out… Though I've been writing novels for five years, I still make beginner mistakes.
I still have to thank your comments, which truly taught me a lesson. In the future, no matter how many heroines there are, I won't let you taste the same dish. I'll work hard to enrich my plotting skills!
Hmm, I'm unconsciously reflecting again. Let's stop here.
I still owe twelve chapters from a bet. I'll finish them soon.
I might take a short break soon to outline the fourth volume. Besides the first, this might be the most-read volume. I can't be too careless. Please understand.
Don't worry about the senpai's appearance. It's not a clichéd editor arc… though writing it that way would be easier and a bit tempting.
Heroines outside the system will start appearing. Though they have a head start, system heroines won't necessarily lose… this just refers to the drama of fighting over the boyfriend, as the ending will definitely be a harem.
Sora-chan has been a side character for so long. Now it's time for her to officially join the battle.
Flashbacks are the main focus. I'll speed things up (smile).
Your big brother, Tenkuji Yuu, will also start changing his mindset. I'll pay more attention to his character development. Stay tuned.
Thanks to your support, I've been able to work hard writing until now.
All this time, I've tried to make this book more interesting and write so all readers can enjoy the story.
Thus, I hope to impress you again with an unforgettable story you'll enjoy over and over.
Thank you for your guidance in the third volume. See you in the fourth!