Kiana was a bit flustered. Uncharacteristically, she had just spoken a very long, continuous string of words.
She hadn't meant to say so much. But recently, an unpleasant argument had occurred... resulting in a massive fight with her mother.
Kiana desperately wanted to use her limited remaining days to prove something. To prove her mother wrong. To prove that no one was born destined to be enveloped by misfortune.
Li Wu's face was devoid of expression. His gaze briefly caught Kiana's flustered state before drifting back to the relentless curtain of rain, silent and traceless.
"There's no need. I'm doing fine."
"I can't guarantee anything else, Li Wu, but even if you haven't realized it yourself... that sentence is absolutely a lie."
Kiana delivered her verdict with absolute certainty. She then began counting off on her fingers.
"One, for the sake of justice in your heart, you severed ties with Raiden Mei, resulting in you being ostracized by the Far East noble faction."
"Two, influenced by public opinion and fear, the entire school—both commoners and nobles—will instinctively distance themselves from you. Even students and friends who used to be close to you have no choice but to leave your side."
"Three, for the next two years of your high school life, you will be trapped in an atmosphere where no one acknowledges your existence. Even if you go out of your way to help people who need it, they won't thank you."
"The moment they're saved, they'll run away. They might even act ungratefully, using dirty tricks to slander you just to fit into that social circle."
"Just now, that boy you helped used the excuse 'I didn't need his help, he's just full of himself' to avoid being persecuted by the nobles, breathing a sigh of relief when he found out he didn't have to pay."
Li Wu interrupted her. "It's fine. If that's all it is, I don't care. The moment I chose to sever ties with Raiden Mei, I was mentally prepared for this. Besides, whether I intervene or not is my business. How the people I help think or act is their problem. I don't help people because I expect a reward."
Li Wu's voice was very soft.
The sound of the rain was equally soft.
The two blended together, clear yet ambiguous. It was impossible to tell if these were his genuine feelings, or just a declaration of justice spat out under the influence of some lingering subconscious habit.
"Li Wu. You've changed."
"Everyone changes. I am not an exception. Compared to others, my changes are relatively mild."
From a warrior to a Savior, to a mindless, Lovecraftian child—Kallen.
From an aloof heiress to a pitiable victim, to a volatile landmine—Raiden Mei.
From a proud Valkyrie to an ally of justice, to a devastated girl—Ana.
Li Wu tilted his head up. His eyes seemed to reflect all the events of the past half-month. Scene after scene, some mundane, some world-shattering.
Change was well within his expectations.
Nagazora was safe and sound. The streets were bustling, the skyscrapers stood tall. The tragedy of the Third Eruption had not occurred. All he had to do was wait. Wait to clear Act IV. Wait to reclaim his emotional modules.
Perhaps when that day came, the world wouldn't feel like this—blanketed in endless, gloomy rain that seeped straight into his heart.
"Mild? That's just what you think," Kiana countered. "The way I see it, you've just swung from one extreme to another. You went from excessively accommodating the outside world to entirely cannibalizing yourself internally."
"I've read similar case studies in psychology. If you continue to seal off your heart and act entirely detached from external feedback, your condition isn't going to improve at all. It's only going to get worse."
"Condition?"
"Dissociative identity disorder. Depersonalization. I'm actually pretty good at academics. Your symptoms are incredibly obvious."
"Ah. You did warn me about that before."
"Your reactions... they perfectly match the textbook description of the symptoms."
Kiana bit her lip. Her brow furrowed tightly, her sapphire eyes swirling with intensely complex emotions.
"It doesn't matter," Li Wu turned around, no longer looking at her. "I still have a lot of things to do. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Holding his umbrella, he took a step forward.
Above him were heavy black clouds. Beneath him were countless puddles filled with rainwater. The surface of the water was like a shattered mirror, continually smashed into pieces by more falling raindrops.
Looking up or down, everything was a blur. Only by looking straight ahead could he clearly see the buildings. Near the teaching and laboratory buildings, crowds of students were huddled together, holding up their phones to record his every move.
His S-Rank senses allowed him to hear every single word they were whispering.
He suddenly understood. He would never be understood here.
Even if he regained his original state of mind, he would still face the exact same predicament.
My home is not here.
My mission is not here.
He didn't belong here. He couldn't ignore the memories of his life before transmigration, nor the inherent secrets he carried. No matter how hard he tried, he would never truly assimilate into this life.
Like a bird that finally realizes it can fly, it will never again choose to trek thousands of miles on foot.
Before the trip to Ireland, Li Wu could still deceive himself. He could pretend he was just an ordinary guy who happened to have [Return by Death], no different from anyone else.
He could cheerfully use his abilities to save the female characters, acting like a typical anime protagonist, using gentleness and sincerity to win their affection and live a shamelessly happy life.
But after the seven-day journey, Li Wu clearly realized that wasn't the case.
He couldn't escape.
No matter where he went, no matter how he changed his identity, fate would find him.
Sooner or later, he would encounter Schicksal. Otto would find him. He would be forced to activate the Divine Blood, inevitably dragged into this vortex of grudges and love...
Until finally, the ethereal concept of fate had condensed into a tangible, unavoidable path, waiting for him to step onto it.
If I cannot escape, then perhaps actively embracing it will lead to a better ending.
"Wait."
Kiana called out to him.
"Since you can still come to school, and you can still help your classmates... if I ask for your help, will you come?"
Kiana's tone was incredibly faint. It didn't sound like a question. It sounded like an affirmation.
"I still owe you an unfulfilled promise."
"I'll take that as a yes. Don't leave after school today. I'll come find you."
"Alright."
Their exchange was as plain as water, completely devoid of color.
With the agreement settled, Li Wu didn't linger. He vanished into the hazy curtain of rain.
He still had many questions. For instance, why was Kiana using such a cheap, off-brand phone? And what exactly did she need his help with?
But those details were meaningless, weren't they?
Kiana wasn't the type to casually ask others for help. Since she had brought up 'helping classmates' as a precedent, it likely wasn't a request of life-or-death gravity.
For someone who had already broken a promise, this was an opportunity to make amends.
To correct a mistake the 'old Li Wu' had made.
---||---
Before the lunch break ended, the classroom was buzzing with noise.
Students were whispering amongst themselves or chatting wildly in their group chats. The only exception was Li Wu's desk. No one spoke to him. No one even came near him.
The rain outside was relentless, and the sky grew increasingly dark.
The light and warmth of summer felt as if it had been entirely swallowed by a massive black cloth.
When Li Wu walked to his seat, he involuntarily paused.
A white, designer women's bag was resting on Ana's desk.
For a fleeting instant, a brilliant golden light flashed in Li Wu's eyes, radiant and dazzling, as if a billion stars were exploding within them.
"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I saw no one was sitting here, so I just put my bag down! I'll take it right now!" A female student rushed over and snatched her newly bought bag.
"Wait. You dropped your pen."
"I-I don't need it!"
The girl fled back to her seat in sheer terror, burying her head in her arms and refusing to look up.
Li Wu's surroundings returned to dead silence. His dark brown eyes reverted to stagnant water, completely devoid of ripples.
He sat down, mimicking the posture he used to take for afternoon naps, resting his head on his arms on the desk. However, his consciousness remained highly alert.
Raiden Mei hadn't returned to the classroom. He didn't know where she was.
To him, it was a good thing. Even if they saw each other, they probably wouldn't have anything left to say.
Tomorrow was the weekend. Two days off.
Maybe I can find myself over the weekend. How did I usually spend my weekends?
Li Wu began to reminisce. Playing games, drawing manga, reading novels, binge-watching anime... Sounds a bit boring. But since there are no immediate crises to handle, even for Act IV, it's best to wait until I've adjusted my mental state before diving in.
The next stage of dissociative identity disorder was clearly Kallen's predicament—being violently washed away by massive amounts of repetitive memories until one became a mindless husk. He had to avoid that at all costs.
After helping Kiana after school, I'll try living like a shut-in otaku for a bit. Lying in bed for two days might actually help me find myself again.
Li Wu silently mapped out his plans for the next two days.
In the afternoon, there was a Kendo class. It had been nearly half a month since the last one. Another sparring test was scheduled.
Unlike the rushed schedule last time, Li Wu felt exceptionally leisurely today.
He had plenty of time.
The reason?
Because from the teacher to the students, everyone tacitly agreed to completely ignore him.
Whether it was the warm-ups before the test, the casual chatter between exercises, or the selection of protective gear and bokken, no one approached him.
If it weren't for the occasional stray insult he picked up with his S-Rank hearing, Li Wu would have genuinely believed he had turned invisible.
It feels a bit... strange.
Leaning against the wall in the corner, Li Wu placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It was slightly faster than usual.
Everyone else seemed to have forgotten about time, but to him, time was crawling.
His phone was broken, so Li Wu could only stare at the digital clock on the wall of the dojo. It didn't display seconds; its lowest unit was minutes. He could only watch as the minutes ticked by one by one.
To his hyper-accelerated perception, a few minutes felt no different than an hour.
So slow.
After silently counting an unknown number of 'minutes', the teacher finally arrived, holding a clipboard.
"Today we are holding a practical test. Your score will account for five percent of your final grade for the semester, so please take it seriously. The next two students called, please put on your protective gear and step onto the sparring mat."
"The rules remain the same. The core objective is to successfully strike your opponent's valid target areas. There is no limit on single-strike scoring. The first to thirteen points wins, or the person with the higher score when the time limit expires."
"First match! Yuno Sato versus Li... er, Kosuke Sugiyama!"
The teacher paused mid-sentence and abruptly called out the name of the student below Li Wu on the roster.
During the last Kendo class, Li Wu and Yuno had been the final pair to spar.
The testing order followed the roster—once forwards, once backwards. Logically, he should have been the one facing Yuno.
Differential treatment, huh...
Li Wu didn't raise any objections. He just stood in the corner, continuing to observe the strange physiological changes within himself.
It felt incredibly familiar.
Like a cat being forcefully stuffed into a glass bottle. His body felt curled up, tight, and even breathing felt difficult.
This sensation was sealed deep within his memories. Li Wu focused on experiencing it, even though his body instinctively felt uncomfortable.
The sharp clack of colliding bokken echoed endlessly through the dojo, match after match.
By the time Li Wu snapped back to attention, most of the students had finished their tests. Judging by the joyful expressions on their faces, the teacher had been extremely lenient with the grading.
Only Li Wu remained standing in the corner. His dark brown pupils grew increasingly unfocused, as if he were recalling some terrifying memory.
"Final match! Raiden Mei versus... Li Wu. Please step onto the mat. Remember, stop at the point of contact."
The teacher heavily emphasized the last sentence.
The dojo instantly plunged into silence. All discussions, all banter, every single sound vanished abruptly.
Every eye turned toward the haughty figure standing near the entrance.
Below the mat.
Raiden Mei had changed into a full set of Kendo protective gear. The white cotton top clung tightly to her torso, and the long black belt wrapped around her waist several times before being tied into a neat bow at her back.
Black hakama pants covered her legs. It was a standard, utterly ordinary uniform, yet on her, it looked exceptionally regal.
She had tied her hair into a high ponytail today. As she walked calmly toward the center of the mat, the ponytail swayed elegantly in the air.
She turned back, raising a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The simple gesture exuded an overwhelming, mature charm.
Standing on the mat, her face was completely devoid of expression. She just stood there quietly, her lips slightly parted, staring fixedly at Li Wu.
Did the teacher do this on purpose, or by accident?
Li Wu wasn't stupid. It was obviously an intentional arrangement by the teacher. His sparring partner had always been Yuno Sato. Today was the only exception.
Forget it. It doesn't matter.
No matter what, I win.
Li Wu walked calmly onto the mat. He didn't speak. Still wearing his standard school uniform, he casually picked up a bokken and looked up at Raiden Mei.
Something is wrong.
Li Wu narrowed his eyes, his gaze scanning her up and down.
There were faint traces of blood on her face, likely from ruptured capillaries.
Her earrings and choker were gone.
Through her slightly parted lips, he could see the tongue piercing had been removed as well.
Even her heavy eyeshadow had been scrubbed off, practically invisible unless you looked closely.
So that's why I didn't see her during the lunch break. She went to have all of that removed.
In such a short amount of time, unless she possessed the regenerative capabilities of a Herrscher, violently removing those piercings and tattoos would undoubtedly cause physical damage.
"Will you attack first, or should I?"
Li Wu raised his bokken, holding it perfectly horizontal to his body, aiming the tip steadily at Raiden Mei.
Facing his question, Raiden Mei gave an entirely unrelated answer.
"Is it really... impossible for us now? Look, I took all those things off! I can change anything you want me to, really!"
The moment her words fell, Li Wu had already lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant. He raised the bokken high and swung down in a vicious overhead strike.
He heavily restricted his speed.
Raiden Mei reflexively raised her bokken to block. However, despite holding it with both hands, she quickly realized she couldn't match his strength. Her bokken sank lower and lower, nearly pressing against her shoulder.
Using her shoulder as a pivot and relying on her body's momentum, Raiden Mei masterfully parried his initial strike, deflecting his bokken away.
Of course, this was entirely predicated on Li Wu holding back an ocean of water.
If he had actually gotten serious, he wouldn't even need a wooden sword. In less than ten seconds, he could pound Raiden Mei into a puddle of bloody paste.