Chapter 47: Side Hero
“Is Yuka holed up with Jin again?”
The woman asked, her dark eyes fixed on the closed door ahead.
With her lustrous black hair and a pale face that retained a hint of innocence, she stirred a protective instinct in those who beheld her. Her voice, calm yet not lacking in depth, inspired trust.
“Yeah. Don’t be jealous, my princess. My little sister is just caught up in her first love, you know, with your little brother. You have me, after all.”
The man, who had been sipping wine with her, smiled dramatically, a hint of sadness in his expression.
“Oh, it’s not that. I have Hisatsugu and Fatin too. …But Jin has trust issues with women, you know? I’m worried about Yuka.”
With that, the woman—Haruka—looked away and let out a small sigh.
“True, the only woman by Jin’s side is you, his sister. But, Jin sees your little sister as someone he desperately needs here, so it’s only natural he’s attached to her. —And please, don’t mention that other guy, Fatin.”
Hisatsugu took a strand of Haruka’s hair and kissed it gently.
“Besides, that doll is Yuka’s creation, but it moves by reading our memories. Your brother is in Japan.”
The reason Haruka and the others were summoned here was due to a rule that only those with a short lifespan remaining in their world could be called to stabilize this one.
“We’re healthy, though. The reason our lifespan was short was definitely that traffic accident, right? Should we have waited for Jin to cross over together? He must be feeling lonely.”
“In that case, would Jin become your brother? Right now, Haruka, you’re younger than Jin, aren’t you?”
“Oh, a brother is still a brother. No matter what happens.”
Those summoned are granted the abilities they desire to survive in this world.
Haruka chose All Magic, Domination, Youth, Beauty, and Language.
Hisatsugu selected All Swordsmanship, Ability Enhancement, Youth, Beauty, and Language.
Yuka opted for Doll, Youth, Beauty, and Language.
The Language and physical ability enhancements were granted without even needing to ask the gods of this world.
Youth and Beauty are just as they sound. Haruka, once the elder sister, has become younger than her brother while transforming into a beauty that reflects her former self.
All Magic and All Swordsmanship can be used without the need for study, as they are skills recorded in this world.
While All Magic is straightforward, All Swordsmanship includes many techniques and movements akin to those found in stories, requiring a foundational experience in swordsmanship. If one can mimic the movements even once, they can claim it as their own through their abilities. However, Hisatsugu, finding that tedious, compensates with Ability Enhancement to further boost his already high base abilities, as advised by the gods.
Ability Enhancement, Domination, and Doll are abilities that grow based on the nature and actions of the possessor, so their effects are still not fully determined.
“Has Jin gotten stronger again?”
Yuka traced her fingers over Jin’s slightly defined abs. His body was more toned than she remembered from their time in Japan.
“Yeah. It’s what Yuka wishes for, and getting stronger is fun.”
Jin only distances himself from Yuka during training. She often watches him swing his sword among the knights.
“Isn’t it fun because Haruka isn’t around?”
“Is that so?”
—Haruka must not meet him. If she gets close, her memories will pull her back. Jin isn’t the person Haruka thinks he is. Even if he seems to like Haruka and is confident he’ll fulfill her wishes, that’s absolutely wrong. Haruka’s memories are mistaken.
“I’ll let him be free.”
—Only I truly see Jin.
“Yeah.”
Jin replied, embracing Yuka.
The Doll embodies the form Yuka desires, taking on that appearance. In terms of abilities, it adds what Yuka didn’t use herself, fulfilling her wish to become stronger, granted by the gods.
It seems to grow stronger by absorbing something, but Yuka was too enchanted by the finished form of the Doll to inquire deeply.
Unfortunately, there were many things Yuka didn’t know, and she borrowed memories from Haruka and her brother to shape it, but once it stabilizes, that will no longer be necessary.
Though Haruka gently advised against it, Yuka had planned to confess to Jin on the day of the Fireworks Festival. She could never return to Japan, and when she heard she would die if she did, she felt despair. But if Jin is here in this world, right by her side, Yuka believes she can find satisfaction.
She firmly declares that Haruka’s perception of Jin is wrong, never once doubting her own understanding.
The Doll is a beloved being, yet Yuka has not seen its true essence.