"Ugh…"A boy slowly opened his eyes, his vision still blurry as he scanned the unfamiliar room. His name was Haruto Takamori, a seventeen-year-old boy. He found himself lying on a bed he didn't recognize. The room was small, just enough for a single person to live in.
"Where am I…?" he muttered, noticing his voice sounded weak. He raised a hand to his neck, wincing slightly. Did I get choked…? Memories began to return.
A foreign man… choking him until he lost consciousness.
…Before he lost control of his own power.
Creak.
The door opened.
A tall man stepped into the room. Haruto's eyes immediately sharpened. It was him—the same man who choked him.
Without hesitation, Haruto jumped up from the bed, raising his guard, ready to strike at any moment. But the man showed no intention of fighting.
"Oh, you're awake already…" A familiar voice followed from behind him.
"Elina…?" Haruto froze. Elina stepped into the room, smiling gently. "Good morning, Haruto."
Haruto stared at her, completely confused. "Elina?? What are you doing here?" His expression clearly showed he had no idea what was going on.
Elina walked past the man and approached him calmly. "I came to check if you were okay," she said with a small smile. "But I guess I don't have to worry." She glanced at how quickly he had gotten up.
"Is this the guy you were talking about, Elina?" the man asked in a deep voice.
"This is him," Elina replied softly. "His name is Haruto Takamori."
Haruto still didn't lower his guard. Sweat slowly rolled down his cheek. "Who are you…?" he asked, voice slightly trembling. "And Elina… who is this man?"
Elina immediately noticed his fear. "Haruto, calm down, okay?" she said, raising her hands slightly in a soothing gesture. "He's the person I told you about."
Haruto paused. Then it clicked.
The Good Outlander.
Slowly, he lowered his guard and examined the man in front of him.
The man had short hair—barely there—but noticeable. His jaw was sharp, his body well-trained and muscular. Even through his brown shirt, his physique stood out. He wore loose black pants, and a dragon tattoo wrapped across his chest and neck.
He stood still—like an NPC in a video game.
"Oh…" Haruto muttered, relaxing slightly. "So that means you're—"
"Yes," the man cut in. "I'm one of the Good Outlanders. And I apologize for choking you earlier."
…Though his face showed no regret at all.
Are you even sorry? Haruto thought. He couldn't help but doubt him. He didn't even bow…
Then again—
This guy isn't Japanese.
"Judging by your stance," the man said, crossing his arms, "you're Japanese, right?"
"Y-Yes. I'm Haruto Takamori. Brown belt in Kyokushin Karate. And… yeah, I'm Japanese."
How could he tell just from looking? Is he a fighter too?
"My name is Alex," the man said. "I'm a professional MMA fighter. Brazilian."
He paused. "And you… uh… Harudo… Takemore… whatever your name is."
Haruto's eye twitched. "It's Haruto Takamori…"
"Anyway—"
"Don't you dare ignore me!!"
Alex completely ignored him.
"Elina, you said he couldn't control his power, right?"
"Yes," Elina nodded. "And he collapsed shortly after using it. You saw it yourself today, Mr. Alex."
"Yeah," Alex smirked. "He lost control of his flames. I had to choke him out."
"Hey!!"
"I'm joking," Alex said casually. "I already apologized." Then he started laughing.
"Look at your face. That's hilarious."
"Not funny," Haruto snapped, stepping forward. "We just met, and you almost killed me!"
Alex tried to hold back his laughter. "S-Stop making that face, kid. You're making Elina laugh too."
Haruto turned.
"…hehe…" Elina quickly looked away, covering her mouth as she giggled softly. Haruto froze. Then… his anger slowly melted. "…How cute."
Alex smirked slightly. Yeah… There's something going on here.
"Ehem." Haruto coughed awkwardly and stepped back. "Mr. Alex… now that I think about it… how can I understand you? You're Brazilian, right? Do you speak Japanese?"
That question had been bothering him.
Alex shrugged. "It's simple. In this world, everyone hears others in their own language."
Haruto blinked.
"For example," Alex continued, "you speak Japanese, so everyone sounds like they're speaking Japanese to you. But in my perspective, everyone is speaking Portuguese."
"I see…" Haruto said, touching his chin. "So that means… I'm speaking Portuguese in your perspective?"
"Exactly."
"And you're speaking Japanese in mine."
"Correct."
Haruto smiled slightly. "Guess I don't have to worry about communication then."
"…Except for reading and writing," Alex added.
Haruto froze. "…Damn it!"