Aqua:
"Waaah!!"
Nanashi:
"Can we talk like normal people? What are you crying about?"
Aqua:
"WAAAHHH!!!"
Nanashi:
"Speak. Human. Words."
Aqua:
"My house! My money! Everything's gone! Waaah…"
Nanashi didn't even flinch.
Honestly, he saw this coming.
This was Aqua—the goddess of misfortune.
He was already surprised when she claimed things were going well for once.
All he could think was: It's not that I won't get my revenge—it's just not time yet.
Lemuel:
"Wait, your money was stolen?"
Aqua:
"No! My house was blown up!"
Lemuel:
"Oh? Tell me more! Details about the explosion, please!"
If it involved explosions, Lemuel's sleepiness vanished instantly.
Chaos was Lemuel's favorite flavor.
Aqua:
"I was being nice, okay? I took in a starving Crimson Demon girl. I even tried convincing her to join the Axis Cult!"
Aqua:
"But after she ate and drank her fill, she wanted to show off her magic. And BOOM—she used Explosion magic and blew up my house! All my money's gone!"
Tushan Honghong:
"Is this what they call 'repaying kindness with enmity'?"
Saeko:
"Better not help strangers so easily next time."
Nanashi:
"…"
Crimson Demons. Explosion magic.
That could only mean one person.
Megumin.
Even without Kazuma, they still crossed paths. What kind of fate was this?
One chūnibyō, completely hopeless.
If the masochistic crusader joins next…
That trio could really break the world.
Aqua had lost everything—her money, her home—and had to start from zero again.
Nanashi closed the chat group.
He glanced at his phone.
"Hmm? Saturday, January 3rd."
The academic calendar in this world was definitely odd.
Back on Earth, it would be winter break right now.
But here, break didn't start until February.
Still, Nanashi had lived here long enough to be used to it.
"Wait... wasn't there something I needed to do today?"
He took out his phone and sent a message to everyone in his contacts.
777...
Meanwhile, in the Fujiwara household...
"Sis, why are you going to bed so early today?"
Moeha Fujiwara peeked into Chika's room and saw her older sister wrapped tightly in a blanket.
Normally, Chika would've dragged her into another game by now.
But tonight, she'd showered the moment she got home, stayed quiet during dinner, and went to bed right after.
Something was definitely off.
"Uh… I'm just really sleepy!" Chika replied, back turned to the door, her voice a little shaky.
In truth, even after taking a shower, Chika still felt a lingering warmth in her stomach.
It was as if something was stirring inside her.
Even though nothing is inside her, it still felt… weird.
"Oh, okay then."
Moeha rolled her eyes, flashed a mischievous smile, and closed the door with a snap.
The moment she heard the door shut, Chika finally relaxed her tense body.
"…"
But that strange warmth in her lower abdomen still lingered.
She gritted her teeth, hesitating for a moment, then slowly reached under the covers to test it.
Two slender hands crept toward the edge of the quilt.
"Sis! What are you doing under there?!"
The blanket was suddenly yanked away with a loud whoosh.
A chill swept over her body.
"Eek!!!"
"KYAAA!!!"
Two screams echoed through the room in perfect harmony.
Toyomi Fujiwara, passing by in the hallway, heard the commotion.
She placed her hand on the door handle, gave it a gentle push, and stepped inside.
"So noisy—what are you two—"
She froze mid-sentence.
The quilt lay on the floor.
Moeha was sitting on the ground, staring at Chika in utter disbelief.
And Chika... well, her pose spoke volumes.
Her sister… had grown up.
"…"
Toyomi blinked several times in silence.
"AHHHHHH!!!"
Chika screamed again, her voice cracking.
Tonight, Chika was doomed—socially dead.
"Miss, why are you still awake?"
Ai Hayasaka opened Kaguya's door, dark circles under her eyes, only to see her young lady still wide awake.
As for why she wasn't sleeping herself—
Well, ever since her young lady came home, she'd asked for a laptop.
Said she needed to "check something."
That already raised some serious red flags.
After all, her young lady was completely clueless when it came to computers. Why the sudden interest?
And why had she been glued to it late into the night?
Something was definitely off.
Hayasaka couldn't help but be curious.
"Oh! Right… Here!"
Kaguya quickly handed over the laptop, her face flushed red. She then darted under the covers and mumbled, "I'm going to sleep now."
"Alright. Have a good rest, Miss."
Hayasaka quietly shut the door and returned to her own room.
She opened the laptop.
Pulled up the browser.
And went straight to the search history.
Just as she'd expected—Kaguya hadn't cleared anything.
Unlike most boys, she didn't even know how to use incognito mode.
As her eyes scanned through the history, Hayasaka's brows slowly knitted together.
"!!!"
Then her eyes widened.
Then her mouth dropped open.
A look of utter horror spread across her face—as if the sky had just fallen.
The search history read:
"How soon can I have a baby?"
"Is it possible to get pregnant during the safe period?"
"How to take care of a baby as a new mom?"
"How to choose daily essentials for a newborn?"
"!??!"
An endless wave of question marks stormed through Hayasaka's brain.
Wasn't her young lady totally inexperienced when it came to anything like this?!
How had she jumped straight to pregnancy and baby care?!
What about the process in between?!
She just… skipped the middle step?!
Hayasaka sat frozen in front of the laptop, caught in a spiral of thoughts.
"What's the matter, Nanashi-kun?"
Yukino looked puzzled, unsure why Nanashi had shown up so early in the morning.
She was still mulling over the confusing feelings from yesterday—no answers in sight.
"I've got the day off. Want to go out for a bit?"
"With Chito-chan and the others?"
Yukino asked instinctively, assuming it was a group outing.
Nanashi shook his head. "Just the two of us."
"Eh?"
In the end, Yukino agreed.
She changed into a blue and white dress, and the two walked side by side through the mall.
Every so often, Yukino would glance at Nanashi out of the corner of her eye.
Just the two of them…
Wasn't this… a date?
The thought made her heart flutter. She wasn't used to this kind of situation.
Nanashi also looked at her and asked curiously:
"Yukino, aren't you cold?"
It was the middle of winter.
At home, the temperature was always cozy because of the settings he configured with his power. So even wearing light clothing—or nothing—was fine.
Though students still wore short skirts at school, they at least had tools to keep warm.
Yukino lifted her gaze and said coolly, "Nanashi-kun, did you forget my ability?"
"…"
Right. He had.
Her ice powers—along with the upgrades she gained during the last Doomsday game—gave her the strength of someone at a near Lv4 level.
Worrying about the cold was… beneath her now.
They chatted casually as they strolled.
But Yukino still couldn't shake what had happened the day before.
Suddenly, her pace slowed.
Bit by bit, she fell behind Nanashi.
"Hmm?"
Noticing the change, Nanashi turned around—only to find her staring intently at a claw machine.
Inside were black and white plush toys.
They resembled pandas.
He remembered that Yukino liked cats… and Mr. Pan, the panda-like plush.
So that was… a Mr. Pan doll?
"Do you want it?" Nanashi asked gently.
"...No, it's fine," Yukino replied, her voice uncertain.
"Let's go get one."
Before she could object, Nanashi took her hand and led her toward the claw machine.
"When it comes to catching dolls, leave it to me. I'm a master at this," he declared with confidence.
And indeed, Nanashi had every reason to boast. His claw machine skills were not to be underestimated.
Insert coin.
Grip the joystick.
Carefully angle the claw…
"…"
Wait, this machine doesn't allow shaking the claw?
Nanashi wanted to curse.
How could this be any fun if he couldn't shake the claw? The only way to win was pure precision!
Sure enough, under Yukino's calm yet hopeful gaze, the claw gripped Mr. Pan—only for it to loosen and drop the doll just before reaching the hole.
Clunk.
It was like the claw had gone limp.
Did he have any special ability that could help here?
Nope—when it came to claw machines, it was all skill and a bit of luck.
But that's what made it fun.
Nanashi kept inserting coins.
One try. Two. Three.
Ten attempts later...
Ah, fuck!
This machine's a scam!
No payout even after ten tries?
He fumbled through his pockets... and came up empty.
"Maybe we should just leave it," Yukino said softly, tugging his sleeve.
But Nanashi's pride was on the line now.
This was a cursed machine.
And it had to be conquered!
"Wait right here."
He darted off and returned moments later with a handful of coins.
The claw machine master had returned!
Ten more tries.
Under Yukino's quietly hopeful gaze, Mr. Pan kept falling again and again.
Then Nanashi paused, a coin pinched between his fingers.
He turned and looked at Yukino seriously.
"Yukino... I think the problem is you."
"Huh? Me?" Yukino blinked, puzzled.
Nanashi nodded solemnly. "It's a lack of Yukino energy."
"Yukino energy? What's that supposed to mean?"
She looked at him, puzzled.
"Come here," Nanashi said softly.
He gently guided her to the claw machine, stepping behind her. His hands reached around to rest over hers, settling them on the joystick and button. The warmth of his touch wrapped around her fingers as he guided her movements.
He controlled her hand with his own, steady and sure.
"Mmm…"
Yukino felt his breath near her ear, the steady rhythm of his body behind hers. The warmth of his hands seeped into her skin, and her heart skipped. Her composure began to unravel.
Suddenly, a button was pressed.
The claw descended.
It latched onto the doll.
The claw retracted—wobbling, just barely holding on.
Then, against the odds, the plush toy tumbled into the prize chute.
"Success!"
With a quiet grin, Nanashi retrieved the toy—Mr. Pan—and gently placed it in Yukino's hands.
"See? I told you I needed Yukino energy. One shot, and we got it."
"!!!"
Yukino stared down at the plush in disbelief, then hugged Mr. Pan tightly to her chest. Her heart brimmed with joy, the corners of her lips lifting into a rare, genuine smile.
He actually caught it…
She held onto Mr. Pan like a precious treasure, unwilling to let go.
Seeing her light up with happiness, a soft smile formed on Nanashi's face.
Of course, "Yukino energy" had just been a playful excuse.
In truth, he had used his Observation Haki to predict the perfect moment to strike—ensuring victory. He wanted her to experience the joy of winning the prize herself.
After all, if they were going to play… they should truly enjoy it.
No overthinking. No hesitation. Just the moment.
In high spirits, the day continued.
Nanashi took her shopping, they snapped silly photos together, shared desserts at a quiet café. Yukino's laughter rang out more than once.
At least for today, they were genuinely happy.
As evening fell, and after spending the day wrapped in lighthearted memories, it was finally time to go home.
As they left the mall, Nanashi's gaze shifted toward the distance.
"Wait here for a moment," he said.
Yukino nodded. "Alright."
"…Can someone help me…? I'm so hungry… Am I going to die here…?"
A weak voice echoed through a narrow alley.
A small, ragged figure stumbled forward, its vision blurred from exhaustion. Its limbs trembled, and with one final step, its front paw gave out.
If I fall now… I might never get up again…
But before its body hit the ground, it was lifted—cradled by warmth.
"…Was it you, little one, calling out for help?"
Nanashi gently held the frail kitten in his hands.
The feline could no longer keep its eyes open, yet it felt the comforting presence of someone speaking.
Nanashi's unique gift—the Chaos Wings.
His Wings of Sin could detect the darkness of guilt.
His Wings of Redemption could hear silent prayers, the quiet cries for help.
From afar, he had heard this desperate voice.
He had followed it… only to find not a person, but a tiny, emaciated kitten with a black coat and a soft white belly.
He'd assumed it had been a girl's voice. Instead, it was this helpless creature.
"It's fate that brought us together today."
He channeled the power of faith.
Under a soft golden glow, the kitten's body slowly began to heal. The dirt that clung to its fur vanished. Its bony frame filled out, warmth flooding through its fragile limbs.
"Meow…"
So warm…
The kitten stirred, opening its eyes for the first time in what felt like forever.
And there it saw him—the human surrounded by a gentle, golden light.
His hands radiated a warmth that soothed its aching body, and for the first time… it felt safe.