Revival and The Crimson Awakening

I was laying on the ground in immense pain. I could barely keep my senses. Then I noticed Elina far off on the ground.

Her hands were shaking while she struggled to stand up. She was looking at me. For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes—not for herself, but for me.

I tried to call out to her, but I couldn't move my lips. The last thing I saw was a teardrop that fell from her eye.

Finally, I passed out.

— ✦ —

I noticed him getting struck by a powerful punch. I knew that he was going to die. I was afraid. I didn't want him to die. Not because he was the only one who could save this world, but because I was tired… tired of losing the people close to me.

I tried to stand up, but it was not possible. Without realizing, a teardrop fell from my eye.

I still couldn't protect the people I loved. I couldn't do anything but just watch them die.

I noticed the human standing next to his lying body.

After that— I don't remember anything…

— ✦ —

Elina stood up, facing the other worlder who had probably just killed Kazuki. Her gaze was extremely cold, like she could take his head off at any moment.

“What are you staring at? If you don't want to die like him, then just stay out of this.”

“...”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“...”

Elina wasn't herself anymore. Her usual piercing purple eyes twisted into something unnatural.

A deep crimson bled into her irises, swallowing their former color like ink spreading through water. The whites of her eyes darkened, turning as black as the void itself.

Her two crimson horns grew larger, as if they wanted to pierce through the flesh of the one she was facing.

The air around her felt darker.

She slowly approached the other worlder.

Shing!

She unsheathed her sword.

“Ahh, so you can transform too. Well… it's my fault for not coming prepa—”

Shnk!—Whoosh!

The blade cut through empty space where the other worlder had been a second ago, causing a violent stir in the air.

“You scared me for a moment there. Fine then, if you want a fight, I'll give you a fight.”

He took on a fighting stance, treating her as an equal opponent.

Shnk!

Elina slashed through empty space again as the other worlder ducked beneath her.

Thfft!

He landed a swift punch on Elina.

Elina took that punch without flinching an inch. She grabbed his arm and yanked him forward.

“Wha—!”

Whaam!

Elina delivered a strong headbutt.

“Arrghh!”

His vision blurred for a moment.

Elina pushed him forward.

Shnk!—tnkk!

Her sharp blade clashed against the gauntlet he had equipped from the system.

But the impact sent him flying through the air.

“Gwack!”

Blood spilled from his mouth as he tumbled across the ground.

“Y-You leave me no choice.”

He stood up from the ground.

The air around him thickened, forming a wall as strong as titanium.

Shnk!—Tunng!

Elina's sword just bounced off as she tried to cut through it.

“Pathetic…”

He grabbed Elina's face and started to crush it under the sheer pressure of air.

Elina's horns shrank back to their normal size.

“Nngh—ghkk… K-Kazuki…! I… Can't…! I don't want to… lose him… too…”

Elina became unconscious after throwing her legs around for a little bit.

He kept crushing her face, but—

— ✦ —

I heard a voice. It was her, the mysterious girl.

“Wake up— She needs you…”

This whispering voice was enough to wake me up.

— + —

[System Notice: A Temporary Buff Has Been Received]

— + —

— + —

[Strength: lvl 15 → lvl ???

Agility: lvl 1 → lvl ???

Stamina: lvl 1 → lvl ???

Endurance: lvl 1 → lvl ???]

— + —

— + —

[System Notice: You have been revived]

— + —

I opened my eyes and saw that guy holding Elina by her face. I got up and appeared behind him. Grabbed his arm, broke through whatever air shield he used, and crushed it.

“Arghhhhh!!”

I had no idea what Elina did to hold him out for so long. But whatever she did, it was great. So I grabbed her and delivered her to her aunt's house.

“I'll be right back.”

“Wait—”

I had no time to chat with her aunt right now. I had to take care of the guy from Earth first.

My body felt very light. I could cover the distance one can imagine in an instant.

I returned to the guy. He looked like he had seen a ghost. Poor guy probably thought I died.

“H-How are you still alive?!”

I had the answer to his question. It was very obvious.

I gave off an ominous smile.

“It's simple, I'm just more preferred than you are.”

“No… This can't be happening…! I've been in this world longer…! I should be stronger than you…!”

I laughed at his statement. Why wouldn't I? It was such a dumb statement.

“Don't you realize? If you were doing everything right, then why would I be summoned here after you? Shouldn't I be in my own world enjoying my daily life?”

He gritted his teeth as hard as he could and glared at me.

“Y-You! I'll kill you as many times as it takes!”

He had just become a laughing stock. He didn't realize that he was no match for me, even after I broke through his strong—or rather, weak—defense.

“I'll give you 10 seconds. Land a hit as hard as you can.”

He seemed rather unpleasant with the way I treated him. So I started counting.

“1…”

“Hey! Stop!”

“2…”

“I said stop!”

“3…”

“Ugh!”

“4…”

He finally started to prepare for a punch with his left hand. Since I crushed his right arm, he couldn't use it anymore, right?

“5…”

The way he compressed the air around his fist, it looked tougher than the strongest metal on Earth.

“6…”

Although, I wondered if it would even leave a scratch on me.

“7…”

Thwack!

“That’s all?”

“Huh?”

As I thought, it didn't even leave a scratch.

“B-But how?! It can't be! I am supposed to be stronger than you!”

I watched as he fell onto his back and slowly crawled away.

He was scared, and I liked it.

I liked it way too much.