I Came Back but the World is Still a Fantasy!?

Coercion, intimidation, blackmail, torture.

Such words would be considered mild in the face of the tragedy that broke Cherry’s heart.

She gave the black mist all the information she had orally and by handing over the data of her terminal.

Her husband was gasping for breath, and was too weak to stop her, but even if he could, there was no reason to.

She stopped the skill inhibitor device just as she was ordered to, and she spoke garrulously.

But she didn’t lie, and neither did she try to fool the black mist through ambiguous wordings. She didn’t have the slightest intentions of trapping the black mist.

Of course, the black mist, Shinichi, did check her information with the data he took from the ship’s terminal, but even without that, he could tell from experience that Cherry was indeed telling him everything.

But that was only a given.

After all, all she wanted now was to be able to survive with her dear husband.

But then again, it was doubtful if she had given it that much thought, considering how dull her eyes were.

Her eyes were so dull, it was as though she’d turned into a doll that existed solely to provide information.

‘As evil as ever,’ he appraised internally as though her situation had nothing to do with him.

Surprisingly, unlike when he’s studying, he could actually easily remember information like this.

That’s likely because he recognized the enemy’s information to be necessary for his battles.

The benefits from the Skill rank tended to lean toward combat.

That was partly because it was the vast amount of information and experience in combat that raised his Skill rank, and it was also partly because he’d always been a clumsy kid.

“And uh, there’s also, there’s… there’s gotta be something more… I-I’m sure there’s something more, please don’t kill Joyce, I…” Cherry said monotonously with a face void of expressions.

As though compelled by an obsession, she racked her head in search of more information to offer, not knowing that the monster that annihilated them didn’t even understand factorization properly.

That he was so destructively clumsy he could not even cook a decent sunny-side up egg.

That unless it was a field related to combat, he would find it difficult to win against anyone.

But in exchange, that ineptitude had given birth to a terrifying comprehension that could understand anything, no matter how advanced, so long as it was judged necessary for combat.

『 Relax. I’ve heard everything I need, I will keep my word. Congratulations, you’ve been saved…』

With no reason left to threaten them, he released them from their restraints, and they embraced each other feebly, perhaps out of relief, or perhaps simply because they yearned for the warmth of another person.

『 …Since you have each other, you really shouldn’t be doing something like this. 』

With nothing else to see, the mask looked uninterested as he muttered that.

Apparently, the reason the married couple turned to anti-government activities was because of the disgust and rejection of Earth’s history and culture, as well as the influence that would have on their home(Garesto).

This was one of the demerits and thoughts(hostilities) that Earth incurred because of the decision to publicly disclose the interactions with another world.

Believing that any further interaction between the two worlds would only have a negative influence on both worlds, the couple thought of restoring the two worlds to their ‘previous state’.

A concern that they came to hold because of their half-baked power and position, and one that eventually went out of control.

But that wasn’t anything new, just the age old tale of people becoming a nuisance to others.

『 It is already plenty commendable for a person to be able to make his neighbors happy. It’s when people try to carry more burden than that that they end up on the wrong path. 』

There’s no reason for people to work hard for the sake of the world. That’s not how people ought to live.

The only ones who can live like that are those who’ve been walking the wrong path from the start regardless of direction.

Failing to understand one’s capabilities can only result in the destruction of those around them.

Especially in their case, where their ideas were conceived from a misunderstanding.

Were their government’s policies a good plan or a poor plan for failing to notice?

Were they fools for not realizing or was it simply a helpless case?

It was difficult to judge.

『Was it a mistake? Was it for honor? Was it a strategy? …It’s too late, I know, but my spirit is heavy.』

It was not just them.

Most Garestonians were sorely mistaken.

But what could possibly have been the cause for it?

Whatever it was, just thinking was in itself a cause for gloom.

The darkness of society ran too deep and too far with complicated, twisting turns.

Though a monster he may be, this sort of problem was too ill fit for a simple evil god(devil).

『Sigh… —!?』

When he thought of how he would have to involve himself in that line of work again, he sighed, but then suddenly, he clicked his tongue, and then he kicked off against the surface of the sea. and immediately bolted for the married couple, and raised his arm.

Unable to process the sudden turn of events, husband and wife embraced each other firmly, but the impact they were waiting for didn’t come. Instead, a warm liquid of some sort had splattered onto them.

“Huh… Blood?” Cherry said.

“Is this your—!?” Joyce said.

A black shadow covered them, and a red liquid and a blade came from it.

『 It’s been awhile since I last got wounded while in this form. 』

The mask said as though it didn’t concern him, but the married couple couldn’t hear any of it.

After all, the long sword that had pierced through the black mist had stopped right before their eyes.

How ironic was it that they, who’d been desperately trying to hurt the monster before them, actually saw its blood for the first time because it covered for them.

But despite their shock and the pain on his arms, against all reason, Shinichi immediately moved.

“!?”

The lack of fear on his part made the owner of the blade falter.

And because the enemy couldn’t see the spear hand he was about to release, the enemy judged him to be a threat.

Immediately, the ‘man’ abandoned his weapon, and jumped back. As soon as he did, a hole the size of an arm appeared on the surface of the sea where he was standing just a moment ago.

“…Are you really human?”

He felt that attack reach all the way to the bottom of the sea, so he couldn’t help but ask that question with astonishment.

Floating on the surface of the water while standing was someone that seemed to be in his latter twenties.

His long golden hair flowed behind him, and his exoskeleton only covered his limbs, showing that it was ready to deploy(in Sleep Mode.

A body suit covered his bare skin, but his well-proportioned body was the very picture of the golden ratio.

He was excessively beautiful, and as a completed existence, there was a sharpness to him, but there was a part that was still soft.

Likely owed to his brimming flexibility and vitality as a living creature, that part was needlessly eye-catching.

If not for the situation, even fellow men would find themselves in admiration of such an exquisite piece of art.

『I’d throw those words back at you. 』

And yet despite such a wonderfully crafted physique, Shinichi threw his words back at him.

As someone who recognized beauty to be the culmination of one’s efforts and qualities, he would not be blinded by such inhuman beauty regardless of gender.

Besides, alarm bells started ringing in his head the moment he saw him.

Hence, he had to prioritize this enemy and the erasure of his own traces.

『…Wash it away, sink it to the bottom of the sea, Water.』

The mask muttered as he pulled the long sword from his arm.

His bleeding worsened, but he just forcibly closed the wound with healing magic, washing all of the blood with sea water to keep it from being noticed.

The water flowed all the way to the depths of the sea where no hand could reach.

Blood just carried too much information, be it scientifically or magically, so as much as possible he wished to immediately get rid of any blood he’s bled while wearing the mask.

『You may be using a weapon specialized at cutting Mana(Photon), but the reason you were able to wound me is because of your strength. That’s not something a human could do.』

To further pull the wool over the people here, he gazed at the weapon he’d extracted.

He didn’t know much in the way of technologies and frameworks, but he could tell that much from the sensation of the blade entering him.

His mana armor and cushion had just been too easily broken through.

And the Resistance stat that he’d raised was forcefully penetrated.

What kind of herculean strength did it take to accomplish such a feat? It seemed the blade couldn’t handle it, as cracks could be seen on it.

“It’s an honor to receive your compliment… Would saying that satisfy you? Your skin was so hard I thought I was cutting Gorad Hide,” said the man bitterly as he narrowed his already narrow eyes even more.

Shinichi could see that his arm had gone slightly numb and was shaking.

Gorad was the name of an animal in Garesto with the hardest hide.

It was often used idiomatically to express something hard or as a pronoun to refer to something that absolutely won’t break.

Gorad Hide frequently appears, and is said to be as impregnable as an iron wall.

“So that thing’s skin is as hard as Gorad even for a photon-cutter? Heh, what the hell… And what the hell is up with that Status…”

“He’s, in his own league…”

An unknown weapon, and an expression that fit all too well made Joyce laugh, but when they were able to see the man’s status, unlike with the black mist, he and his wife could only tremble.

Strength: S

Stamina: S

Mind: S

Resistance: S

Agility: S

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