The man looked as if he had been fished out of a pool of blood; even his hair was matted with dark red scabs. However, Araragi could still discern the original color of his hair—under the streetlights, it shimmered with a beautiful platinum blonde hue.
Who could it be but Sū ěr?
To be frank, Sū ěr current condition was abysmal. One could even say that falling unconscious was a mercy, sparing him from further agony.
Worse than the healable physical trauma was the spiritual damage he sustained while wrestling with Amaterasu for world authority. His final maneuver—linking the energy of the receding Silver River to Jibril—had drained his last spark of vitality.
After Sū ěr lost consciousness, Think spent her time trading insults and scoffs with Jibril while working at top speed to help Jibril gather all controllable branches of the collapsing Silver River. This provided Jibril with enough energy to maintain a physical form and survive in this world.
Though there was no manual for Think to consult, she could only imagine Sū ěr "delight" upon waking if she had let the river—the very thing that brought them to the future and back—simply vanish. He would have found himself without any way to reach that human society filled with entertainment and life.
Thus, having gathered a portion of the river's energy, Jibril was able to influence more of the dispersing power. Using that massive energy, she transported herself and Sū ěr back to what Think called the "future world."
Think was just brought along for the ride.
They couldn't control the landing point. It was a stroke of luck that they appeared in mid-air rather than fused into the dirt or a wall.
Immediately spotting the blonde female with the bizarre existential state, Jibril reflexively fell into a combat stance. The halo of mysterious symbols above her head began to spin rapidly. However, in the next second, under Araragi tense gaze, the sudden "angel" abruptly shrank.
Or rather, she shrank several sizes. Her broad wings became "cute," but even cuter was her face, which now carried a hint of baby fat. With watery, large eyes, she perfectly fit the OKS standard: Osanai [Young], Kawai [Cute], Shoujo [Girl].
As a side note, the above "standard" was a private interpretation Araragi once accidentally misunderstood. In reality, OKS usually refers to emergency evacuation principles: Oshite wa ikenai [Don't push], Kakete wa ikenai [Don't run], Shabatte wa ikenai [Don't talk].
This goes to show exactly what kind of degenerate this unlucky high schooler truly was.
Araragi couldn't help but admire his own courage. Even facing such a magical and eerie scene, he could let his thoughts wander this far. But perhaps it was understandable; if the angel just now looked terrifying and fierce, she now looked merely adorable. Her murderous glare had turned into the look of a child trying their hardest to look tough.
Perhaps "little adult" would be a more accurate description.
"Um, uh... do you three need help too?" After much hesitation, Araragi chose a friendly approach toward the "aliens," even though he had just said the same thing to the blonde vampire.
Or would a different greeting be better?
"Welcome to Earth," Araragi said, giving a half-bow.
"Pfft~"
The high schooler's goodwill was met with heartless laughter. However, just as he began to feel embarrassed, he realized the mockery wasn't aimed at him, but at the "loli" angel.
The one speaking was the busty Elf with the translucent body—Araragi had preemptively labeled her an Elf based on her long ears and common tropes from manga and novels.
"How pathetic. It seems the brainless missy is being treated as a cute and harmless creature by the boy before us?" Think drawled mockingly. "Well, it's no wonder. Your current appearance is quite the magnet for certain human males with... special tastes~"
"Let me think... I believe the term is 'pedophile'? Puhu-hu~"
"Ah~ and another thing~ Surely the Monster Miss doesn't intend to vent her rage on a creature as frail as a human? What do they call that? A bully who 'picks the soft persimmons' [preys on the weak]?"
As she helped Sū ěr up, Think—whose heart and state were linked to his—felt that his condition had stabilized. Thus, she felt relieved enough to focus on verbally eviscerating Jibril while Sū ěr was still asleep. She was preemptively blocking any moves the angel might make now that her psychological age was likely regressing along with her body.
"Ha? Preying on the weak? Me?!" The now-child-sized Jibril exploded in fury. "You're the soft one! You're nothing but fat!"
"What?! You actually have the nerve to say that in your state!! You're the 'hard' one! Really 'hard' [flat]!"
Under Araragi bewildered gaze, two of the three aliens who had just dropped out of the sky began an open internal feud. The busty Elf even floated down and pressed her chest against the little angel's face—or rather, her meager chest—causing the angel to stumble back in surprise.
Isn't this a bit much... Araragi mused silently. But a new question followed: Should he take advantage of this alien infighting to sneak away?
And the vampire... what about this beautiful, busty blonde vampire?
Araragi peeked through his bangs at the blonde vampire who, having lost her limbs, consisted only of a torso. Since a moment ago, she had been staring blankly at the three newcomers as if she were reaching a decision, or perhaps hesitating.
The mental breakdown she'd suffered earlier, screaming that she didn't want to die, had vanished. She now looked incredibly calm—profound, even.
At a sudden moment in a sudden place, Araragi Koyomi, who had always considered himself an unremarkable high schooler, realized he was standing at a crossroads of destiny. Waiting before him was a decision that would affect the rest of his life—so, should he run?
If he turned and ran now, it probably wasn't too late, right?