Rian turned slightly, lowering his head just a bit — almost like a gesture of respect, yet still carried out with his usual graceful confidence.
Without haste, he walked toward the seat that had been pointed out to him, as if each step followed a rhythm only he could hear — calm, measured, and effortlessly captivating.
Amid the chaos, the girls squealing with excitement, some nearly hysterical; the trio of boys in the back almost jumping out the window — Rian's smile only grew brighter.
Warm, composed, and somehow… as if he genuinely enjoyed the madness around him.
For most people, this might have been nothing more than an unusual first day.
But for Rian, it was something deeper.
"It feels like remembering the past…" he thought, taking slow steps toward his seat.
The whispers, the sound of footsteps, even Matsuda's pitiful groans — all of it felt familiar.
Not just because Rian was often the center of attention, but because this kind of atmosphere… felt warm, even amidst the noise.
Back then—before all the strange things, the powers, and the other worlds—his life had once been simple during his school days.
A classroom, noisy friends, and himself—someone always too conspicuous to ever be called ordinary.
A fleeting image of the past crossed his mind: the laughter of old friends, a chalkboard covered in scribbles, and himself standing in the middle of the crowd—not seeking attention, but simply because that was who he was.
Now, in this new and unfamiliar world, this chaos somehow felt… peaceful.
"Ah… nostalgia really is like an old perfume," Rian mused inwardly, suppressing a faint chuckle. "Fragrant—but with a sting of sharp memories."
***
Night had fallen. The sky stretched above, dark and empty—without a single star in sight.
Amid that vast ocean of darkness hanging over the city, Rian stood alone in the air, dressed in his usual all-black attire.
He wasn't truly flying, but rather descending slowly—like a falling leaf that would never touch the ground.
His movements were languid, almost motionless—but not because he stood still. It was because he was using Infinity.
The distance between him and the earth narrowed little by little, yet time itself seemed to move slower for him.
Rian's long trench coat swayed gently, played by the cold and silent night wind. His hair fluttered lightly, framing a face now fully visible—unhidden by his usual dark glasses.
His Six Eyes were wide open, unobstructed, glowing with a faint yet piercing blue light.
In the starless darkness above Kuoh City, those eyes shone like stars that had forgotten their place in the sky—too bright to be ignored, too cold to be approached.
"So… this city really does have quite a number of beings that aren't human," Rian murmured softly, his calm voice flowing in rhythm with the whisper of the wind.
Rian gazed down, observing the buildings below.
Kring! Kring!
A familiar notification tone echoed—its source unmistakably coming from beneath his long black trench coat.
Without haste, Rian lifted his right hand and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
From within, he drew out a small, translucent blue cube that shimmered softly—like a crystal radiating calm light.
The moment he raised it, a cold, flat voice spoke from within—a voice Rian knew all too well.
[Sir… it seems you greatly enjoyed the chaos at school earlier today.]
[But strangely, you didn't look in a mirror even once throughout the entire day. For someone who usually admires his own reflection every two minutes… that's rather suspicious.]
The tone was monotone, yet there was a subtle layer of sarcasm beneath every word.
It was Alice—Rian's personal AI, developed by Lab Eden, now housed within a portable module shaped like a crystalline cube.
Though still sharp and intelligent as ever, this version of Alice was merely a localized one.
Because of their existence in another world, the module couldn't connect directly to the main server back in the Resident Evil world—specifically, the Eden Laboratory.
In short, this was Portable Alice, a compact version of the original AI.
And although its capabilities were limited, its sharp tongue hadn't been downgraded in the slightest.
"Well, this handsome man certainly enjoyed it," Rian said, glancing at the blue cube in his hand. "...But Alice, even without a main server connection, your sharp tone remains perfectly consistent, huh?"
[Alice will take that as a compliment, though her digital heart just cracked a little.]
[But yes, just as Sir remains consistent in his boundless narcissism, Alice must also maintain her personality. Standards are important.]
Rian chuckled softly, a faint smile forming on his lips. "Haha… this handsome man is pleased."
He let out a quiet sigh before asking, "By the way, Alice, you really can't connect to the main server?"
[Didn't Alice already say so? Alice's current technology isn't that advanced. No matter how many times I try, the result is still nothing.]
[Besides, Alice isn't a local system from the Infinity Room, let alone an official part of this world. Alice is merely a wandering data entity from Eden Lab who got lost together with Master.]
"This handsome man understands," Rian said softly, giving a small nod. "Once we return to the Infinity Room, I'll find a way to upgrade you… so you can keep functioning optimally outside your original world."
Rian fell silent for a moment, gazing at the dark sky above Kuoh City.
Yet behind that calm stare, his mind worked like a supercomputer—within seconds, thousands of simulations and possibilities had already been analyzed, thanks to the Six Eyes.
"I wonder…" Rian murmured, raising the cube slightly. "Would an Infinity Stone from the Marvel universe… be enough to enhance your connection, Alice? Even a fragment should suffice."
[Alice agrees. Based on Alice's limited calculations, even a fragment of an Infinity Stone would more than suffice for the upgrade.]
[However, Master would still need a vessel capable of containing and decoding cosmic-scale energy.]
[Alice suggests five materials from the Multiverse as primary candidates:]
[First, Uru Metal: an ancient metal from Nidavellir. It was used to forge Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Its resistance to cosmic energy is extremely high — ideal as a core container or casing.]
[Second, Vibranium, especially the pure Wakandan type. It can absorb, store, and channel various forms of energy — even ones as extraordinary as the Infinity Stones. Compatible, but requires additional insulation.]
[Third, Eternity Shard: a fragment of the abstract entity known as Eternity. Extremely rare, immensely powerful, and stable against the concept of reality itself. However… the probability of obtaining one is 0.00012%.]
[Fourth, Adamantium: an incredibly durable metal from the MCU, often used to create weapons and equipment — most notably Wolverine's claws.]
[Fifth, Nth Metal from DC: a metal originating from the planet Thanagar, possessing remarkable properties such as gravity negation, wound regeneration, strength enhancement, and extreme environmental resistance.]
"Alright then… once all the main missions in this world are completed," Rian said with a faint smile. "This handsome man will start looking for those items… at the auction houses."
With a light motion, Rian slipped the blue Sub-Alice cube back into his trench coat.
He suddenly fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.
Within that silence, his mind spun rapidly — organizing plans, filtering priorities. Yet even in the midst of his seriousness, his flamboyant personality inevitably surfaced.
"Moreover," Rian continued calmly, "it's about time this handsome man takes care of himself."
He raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled in satisfaction at his own reflection. "Face wash, facial mask, and night cream won't apply themselves, after all."
To others, it might have sounded ridiculous. But to Rian, self-care was a form of discipline — a way to honor beauty and consistency.
If Limitless was the embodiment of absolute power… then healthy skin was the symbol of a man's triumph — one who dominates every field with style.