Thoughtful, still unsure how to approach his situation, he recalled the manga's plot to make his decision.
"We can't do anything here, I'm practically penniless, let alone close to Asuka. Fairy Neko, can we go to the past now?" "
Hm, there wouldn't be any problems, but don't you think that if you were going to have this problem, it would have been better if you had asked to appear years ago?
" "...I didn't think of that."
He let out a deep sigh, realizing that his first mistake was not planning properly and just thinking like a headless chicken.
"And what do you plan to do once we get to the past? nya?"
"Since there was no knowledge of magical girls and Deisas back then, I can rob a bank to get money to live on.
" "The first thing you'll do is rob a bank, are you serious? nya?"
"Very serious, even if I worked as a mule, I don't know anyone in this country..."
"You came up with an idea or something, nya?"
"Something like that, more specifically a movie called 'Back to the Future Part II.' Let's go to a library first."
"And what do you plan to do in one, nya?"
"You'll see. "
"Wait , nya ... now let's go, nya.
" "What are you doing?" Ikki
asked , feeling strange having a talking plushie on his head.
"You don't have to worry about me, I'm covering my body with magic to disappear from human sight, nya."
"O-oh, you can do that?"
"Of course, I'm your chosen support, nya."
Feeling more confident with a companion to lean on, Ikki emerged from the bushes, jumped over the veranda with ease, and started down the stairs.
It was about a five-minute walk, just following the crowds to reach the main street and, not far away, a station where most people without cars went.
"It's getting dark, you'd better hurry, the libraries don't stay open this late, nya ,"
Fairy Neko murmured.
Nodding, he quickened his pace, but still unsure of where to go, he approached the station guard.
"Excuse me, good evening, I'm a little lost, but do you know where I can find a library?"
"Yes, good evening. It's a bit far, but if you run, you might make it before they close; just walk straight ahead, after three blocks turn right past the first street, walk right once, and you'll find a great library there.
" "Thank you very much."
Following the path the station security guard indicated, Ikki found the shop on the side street, hidden away.
"Phew, phew, aha , I'm tired of running, luckily it's still open."
"Come on, hurry up, we don't want them to close because we're taking so long, nya.
" "I know, don't worry so much.
" *Bell!*
As the door closed behind him, Ikki took a deep breath, letting the scent of books fill his lungs, and approached a gray-haired man behind the desk.
"Good evening, do you have any sports results books from ten years ago?
" "...Look in the third section.
" " Ugh , this man has such an annoying attitude, nya.
" "..."
Not saying anything, but agreeing with Fairy Neko, given the man's despotic attitude, Ikki began to examine each book until he found one.
"Hey, I'm thinking of closing up now. You'd better leave or I'll call the police for trespassing.
" "...Fairy Neko, you can show him an illusion.
" " Nya , you want to steal the book?"
"Yes, I wasn't planning on, but this man is really irritating me. You can do it."
"Leave it to me, nya."
Leaving the small library, before the door closed completely, Ikki managed to overhear.
"Tch, so much time has passed and you haven't bought anything. What a pain in the ass managing this run-down place. "
If he'd had any feelings before, being the first time he'd stolen, he'd vanished and happily looked at the red-bound book in his hands.
"With this book, I'll be a millionaire in the past. Alright, Fairy Neko, let's go back to the past.
" "Oh, first let's go back to Mount Takao. It shouldn't be too different from the past, and we won't have to worry too much about any cameras recording us, nya." "You're
right."
Going back the way he came, Ikki easily slipped into the bushes. The only sounds were the crunch of dead leaves underfoot and the croaking of insects mating at night.
"We're good here. Now, to travel to the past and back, we need an anchor, nya . Before we set the anchor, tell me what year we're going to, nya."
"About twelve years. You choose the date, just make it morning."
"No problem, nya . " "Now Ikki, transform.
" "Transform? How do I do that? That system told me it was going to give me Kampfer's white bracelet."
"I forgot about that detail, sorry, nya.
" Something appeared out of nowhere, and Ikki watched as the bracelet rippled through space above Fairy Neko's head, moving at the speed of light. He realized it was on his wrist.
"...I can't take it off."
"Once you have it on, it's impossible to remove, nya . By the way, the bracelet is invisible to people without magic, so you don't have to worry about anyone seeing it, nya.
" "Oh, how convenient. And how do I transform?"
"Direct your mind to the bracelet, it will react , and that's it, nya.
" "O-okay..."
Raising his arm, letting the white bracelet touch his forehead, he closed his eyes to concentrate.
"Mmm, I don't feel anything. Maybe Fairy Neko is lying to me, or I just need more practice.
" "See, it's easy.
" "Huh?"
A woman's voice called out. Ikki, not understanding where it was coming from, turned around and felt an extra weight on his chest, something he'd never felt before. Looking down, he saw two mounds pushing against his white blouse.
"What are these things...?!"
He was stunned, not knowing how to react to touching a woman's breasts. But like a young man in his teens, with his hormones raging, his hands began to massage her breasts.
"Leave those things for another time, Ikki. Now put your hand on my head, nya.
" "Wait a minute!"
he exclaimed, barely able to calm his growing excitement, as well as his curiosity.
"I don't have my apple, and besides, this is what it feels like to wear a skirt, amazing."
"You can leave the inspection of your body for another time."
"Wait, wait a few minutes... ho, ho, how soft."
Blushing, with a smile that accentuated her beauty, she stood out even more, if only she hadn't been a glamorous teenager barely into her teens, one hand fondling her breasts, wrinkling the blouse of her sailor uniform, and the other her bottom.
"T-this softness, you can only find it kneading bread dough, but this is beyond that! Texture, warmth, firmness, this is what it feels like to touch a girl's body.
" *Whack!*
"Stop being distracted, and let's go soon, nya ."
"Y-yes."
He replied languidly, like a child, after being hit on the head by the Neko fairy.
"Put your hand on my head, I'll take care of it, nya."
"Okay."
"Stop pouting, you can touch yourself all you want when we get there, nya.
" "I didn't say anything."
"You look so horny, nya."
"Ku…"
Since there was no way he could contradict it when it was true, his hands itched with curiosity to explore his new body.
"Let's see, just like you transform, nya—"
"Okay."
Closing his eyes, he placed his hand on Fairy Neko's head. Ikki, who felt nothing out of the ordinary, soon felt a warmth building in his stomach and escaping up his arm.
"Alright, here we are."
Opening his eyes at Fairy Neko's confirmation, he realized she was drenched in sweat and suddenly exhausted.
"Kub… Fairy Neko, is it normal that my body feels heavier?"
"Well, it's more than normal. I've taken more than half of your mana to open the portal and attach the anchor that will connect to your bracelet, nya."
Looking at his white bracelet, Ikki noticed a transparent chain connected to an equally transparent stake buried in the ground, around which swirled a pool of shimmering water.
" T-this is the portal to the past."
"Exactly, with this we won't have to worry about getting lost on the way back and we'll only have this reality, nya.
" "What do you mean by getting lost?"
"Getting lost is getting lost, since we're traveling to the past, you never know what the consequences might be. We could end up stranded in a parallel world where no magical girl survived, or where they all lived, or where they couldn't defeat the Disas and they took over this world, nya."
"Glub... I understand now. And what if we lose this chain?"
"Nothing to worry about, nya. Even though we're in the past, it doesn't mean it would be the same here, nya. At most, we'd be back by first thing tomorrow, nya ."
"I see. So, what do we do now? Should I jump through the portal, or do we need to make more preparations?"
"Jump, nya ,"
said the cat fairy, grabbing Ikki's shoulder. He hesitated to jump
. "What are you waiting for, nya? Jump!"
"I'm coming... hee!"
Closing his eyes and clenching his delicate hands, he jumped like a cute little bunny, letting out an adorable little squeal.
All presence vanished, leaving only the portal, which began to shrink until it disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place. Only the stake with the taut, transparent chain remained, piercing the earth in plain sight.
{Twelve years ago}.
{Tokyo-Hachioji Prefecture}.
Location: Mount Takao. Time: 7:31 AM.
"Waaaaaaaa... cough, cough, cough, waaaaaaa."
"Come on, come on, throw up as much as you can, nya."
In a deplorable state, Ikki, who had reverted to his boyish form, was kneeling, vomiting everything in his stomach, while the fairy cat patted him on the back and explained, "
I'm sorry, but this is quite common for the first time: nausea, vomiting, and exhaustion. You can lie down now; these are symptoms of running out of mana."
"Cough, cough, cough… damn, it feels like the first time I drank with my cousins. Can I ask, but doesn't this happen with any pills?"
"No, nya . It's not something the ordinary human body can fix. It's a slow process for you to recover your mana. As you've probably noticed, once you've used every ounce of your energy, you'll turn back into a man, nya. By the way, what will I call you when you're a woman?"
Reluctant to answer, his eyelids felt heavy, as did his body, as if he were carrying a sack of rice on his shoulders.
Leaning back against another tree, away from his vomit, he lets his consciousness drift away.
"Hey, kid! Did you hear me calling you, kid? What's wrong?"
"Ugh, my head
hurts . " "You're awake. Kid, what's your name? What were you doing lying there?
" "Do you even know your name? Where do you live?"
"Stop talking, my head's going to explode! "
he groaned, clutching his head. Ikki forcefully opens his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a police uniform.
"What?!"
Looking around, he realizes he's no longer in the forest, but in a bed, the ceiling white with fluorescent lights, the smell of disinfectant typical of clinics and hospitals.
"Where am I? Who are you?"
"Koki Yoshida from the police, also from the police, Officer..."
"Takashi Fujita, can you tell us what happened to you? What's your name?"
"Ikki Sakurai..." "
Shh, shh, make up an excuse. Some monks called the police when they found you lying there, and now you're in the hospital, nya."
"Sakurai-kun, can you tell me what happened? Why were you lying there at the foot of Mount Takao?"
"I-I-I don't remember..." The last thing I remember is someone asking me for directions, and then everything went blurry.
—Number one case of robbery and kidnapping in my country, scopolamine!!—
Not having to act because his condition was still weak from overusing his magic.
—Do you remember anything, like what the person who approached you looked like?—
—Sorry, my back was turned when they asked me. I only remember that he was a young man because of his voice.—
—We understand…—
Seeing a policeman whose name he had forgotten leave, he looks at the broad-shouldered man, beardless, with short, almost shaved hair, still looking young, not very old.
—Excuse me, what was his name?
— —Oh yes, Takashi Fujita and my partner Koki Yoshida. One more question… Do you have any relatives we can contact?
— —Oh, now what?!—
—Don't worry, Ikki, the system already knew something like this could happen. Just repeat what I'm about to say, nya.—
—Really?—
Not believing he could manage the cat fairy on his own, but he couldn't doubt himself, since with the system, the possibilities were vast. As he listened to the cat fairy's whispers on his shoulder, Takashi considered.
"I'll let you rest a little longer, then I'll come back.
" "No, I don't have a problem... it's just that I lost my parents in a car accident. I live alone in the house they left me, and I live off my life insurance." "
I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Thanks, but that's in the past. Now I'm more worried about the money in my account. Those bastards, ugh."
"Try to rest, lie down. What I know those criminals put on you must still be affecting you. For now, give me your ID and bank details so I can report what's happening."
"Y-yes, thank you, the number is..."
With Takashi leaving, Ikki had no choice but to lie down on the hospital bed with the cat fairy resting on the pillow.
"Seriously, I have a bank account and an identity?" "
Of course, the system generated the amount, and since it knew you were going to travel to the past, it gave you an identity, as if you were actually born in this world."
"That's incredible."
"You're awake."
Not recognizing a man's voice, Ikki, about to sit up, was pushed back down by a man's hand.
"I'm Dr. Shojo Akiyama. I just got your blood test results.
" "They took my blood?!" "
It was the only thing we could do. You've been sleeping for a whole day. We also put you on an IV drip; you can see the mark on your wrist."
Checking his wrist, he noticed the bandage mark and the needle puncture in his vein.
"Let's see, according to the results, you were a victim of scopolamine.
" "Scopolamine what?" "
It doesn't surprise me that you haven't heard of it. It's unusual in Japan, but you're not the first case."
Between the doctor's rambling explanation, he mentioned the pain of having the catheter removed from his penis, which he hadn't noticed until it was pointed out. He also explained that although the thieves could have stolen a large sum of money, the banks were closed on Sunday, and he couldn't make large transfers because he was underage.
"So this is my house," he said.
"We'll leave you to rest, kid. With the report filed, we can catch the guys who drugged you."
"Thanks a lot for bringing me, officers,"
he said, bidding farewell to Takashi and Koki. After filing the report and reviewing the security camera footage, it wouldn't be long before they caught the criminals and recovered his ID, if it wasn't already lying around somewhere.
"How did Fairy Neko get in?"
"Leave it to me, I'll open it, nya ."
Watching Fairy Neko disappear, Ikki looked around at the surrounding area, which featured more two-story houses with gardens, and the slightly sloping terrain.
Entering the enclosed property, which was surrounded by slightly rusty railings, she looked around and noticed the weeds growing, a sign of neglect. Going to investigate the passageway leading to the patio, she heard the sound of the door lock clicking.
"You can come in now, nya!"
Opening the door, the first thing she noticed was that it was empty. Without taking off her shoes, as she wasn't accustomed to doing so like a typical Japanese person, she opened the first door, only to find a clean, packaged bathroom. She found the staircase leading to the second floor, followed by the laundry room further down the hall; a living room connected to the kitchen, which opened onto the patio through a large window.
She inspected the house, which consisted of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a bathtub. Everything was clean, with minimal furniture in the living room, just shelves with a few sets of plates and glasses.
"Well, this is the house that was prepared for you. Do you like it, nya ?"
"Ask me."
"Tell me, nya."
"What if I hadn't traveled to the past?"
"I would have had this anyway, this house, nya ."
"Why does this system do so much for me? Shouldn't wishes be enough?"
"I don't know either, nya . But since you got a free house, a little money to spend isn't a good thing, so you won't have to rob a bank anymore.
" "I'm still in a bind. I don't have any money for food. The only thing I can do is go to the bank, but they already told me my account is frozen for three business days before they unfreeze it. I appreciate the house, but it would have been better if I had some food."
"Nya, what's done is done, nya. For now, let's plan what we'll do from now on, what the reason was for coming to the past, nya."
Understanding that the fairy cat needed an explanation for why she had decided to come, she began to tell her.
"It's very simple, you see, one of the main characters is Tamara Volkova. She has a sister who was murdered in this time, so I thought, if I save the older sister, I could get much closer to Tamara in the future when I return.
" "Whoa..." "
You have a problem with what I said.
" "No, nothing, nothing at all. I just thought it was a brilliant plan, nya."
"Well, I know it's a very poor plan. First, I don't know where Tamara and her older sister live now. Russia. Besides, it's not a small country. I need to find her before she's killed, or at least know the time of her death so I can go back in time once more to save her.
" "That's why you decided to come eight years before everything happened, nya .
" "Exactly!... {cough}. Besides, I have you. Since we know Tamara is a magical girl, her mana is much higher; it should be obvious to you."
"Well, it's not such a difficult task if I just have to look for it, but I think it'll take us a long time if we search from town to town and city to city, nya.
" "What do you propose?" "
First, let's put the search aside for a few days, until your mana recovers, nya . It's usually quick, like catching your breath, but since you used up every last drop of mana, it'll be a little slower.
" "Where's my food?!"
"Kyaaaa!! Please don't hit me anymore!! It hurts, stop hitting me!"
"You damn useless thing!! I work every day and you can't even have my food ready!! You useless, good-for-nothing, I have to do everything in this house to make it work!!"
The conversation was cut short by the sudden scream and the sound of objects breaking. Ikki and Fairy Neko stared at each other for a few seconds and went to the window to see where the voices were coming from.
"Tch, Japan isn't much different from the rest of the world. There will always be men like this.
" "It's human nature to have someone submissive and abuse them because you think they belong to you. What should we do? Continue the conversation or go get something to eat, nya?"
"Mmm, I don't think I want to continue the conversation with this commotion, and I don't have much of an appetite. Although the hospital food leaves much to be desired, I get full. Hey, Fairy Neko, are you going to see what's going on in that house?"
"Eeeeh, I don't want to, nya." "
Come on. Come on, Fairy Neko, don't say that. I'm sure you want to know too."
"Nyaa, didn't you know I was a gossip, Ikki, nya?"
"Just go.
" "Yes, yes."
Watching him leave, Ikki waited while listening to the struggle, the growls, and the woman's hysterical voice pleading for him to stop, but the man didn't hear her pleas.
"This is bad, Ikki, nya!!" "
What happened?" "
They're beating that woman to a pulp, that man's going to kill her, nya!
" "The police?!" "
He'll kill her before they get here, nya!
" "The neighbors?
" "Nobody wants to get involved.
" "Damn society!! Come on, Fairy Neko, maybe if we stop this, the woman will owe me a favor!"
"That's the spirit, nya!"
Acting self-servingly, not with the empathy needed in such situations, Ikki followed Fairy Neko out of his house, realizing the fight was coming from next door.
"Hurry up, Nya !"
Entering quickly, without having to force the half-open door, the first thing Ikki saw was a large room where everything was in disarray from the ongoing fight. On the floor lay a woman bathed in her own blood; her face was no longer visible, and a middle-aged man was on top of her.
"Who are you?! How dare you enter my house?!"
"..."
Without answering, he approached slowly. The middle-aged man stopped and, with bloodied fists, charged at Ikki, throwing a punch.
"How strange, because everything feels in slow motion. My body, on the other hand, feels as light as a feather; all the fatigue is gone."
Ikki was experiencing the distinctive sensation of a Kampfer, which in German means elite warrior.
Seeing the middle-aged man approach, Ikki simply stepped aside, letting him pass with his fist extended toward Ikki's face, while he planted his foot.
"Ow! That damn thing hurts..."
Ignoring the nonsense coming out of her mouth, Ikki proceeded to stomp on her head hard enough that it sounded like a bowling ball hitting wooden bowling pins.
"...mmm, let's call the police.
" "Yes, nya."
After searching the victim's pockets for her cell phone, the police arrived shortly after, along with an ambulance, and took the woman away, while Ikki gave the officers his version of events.