This Is Why I’m Here…

Kouki picked up the injured Kaito with one arm and tossed him to the side like trash. Kaito slowly got up, but Kouki walked towards him; his eyes still glowing white from Infinity.

“Don’t disappoint me now,” Kouki ordered. “We’re just getting started.”

Kouki dashed towards Kaito and slammed his sword towards him. Their weapons clashed once again, crumbling the ground from the interaction. Kaito used Feint to try and get an opening… but his skill failed?

Kaito was confused about why his skill didn’t activate and was left wide open. Kouki swung at the confused Kaito, sending him flying into a pillar.

“HaHAHahahHAHAHha,” Kouki couldn’t contain his amusement. “Without Infinity, you’re just a punching bag! You have no way of stopping my Holy Sword’s anti-skill ability!”

Kaito, in a daze, stayed on his knees. It all made sense to Kaito now. The reason only Shen stood a chance against Kouki was because of his anti-skill abilities. Infinity could act as a means of counteracting the anti-skill ability with an unlimited use of them.

Kouki extended his hand to use a skill, and out came a shadowy hand. It grabbed Kaito and flung him into the ceiling. Kouki followed up with his light pillar skill, Judgement, which sent Kaito back into the ground so hard that he bounced. Kouki finished off the sequence with a direct attack from his Holy Sword.

Kaito was taking a complete thrashing.

Kouki continued the beating, swinging his sword, launching skills, and simply punching and kicking him. The throne room was in a decrepit state when Kouki had had his fill of beating Kaito up.

Kaito lay on the floor face down, bleeding and unmoving.

“Hey, what happened, Prophecy Boy?” Kouki asked as he walked to the immobile Kaito.

Kouki glared down at Kaito with disgust and disappointment. He then stabbed his sword right through Kaito’s back, making Kaito let out an agonizing scream. Despite Kaito getting the beating of a lifetime, Kouki purposely held back. This was the first fatal strike he inflicted on him.

“You’re not used to pain, are you?” Kouki stated. “Being a thief, you’ve probably been scurrying around in your battles like an absolute coward. How is that heroic at all!?”

Kouki bent down to Kaito’s level once again, asserting his dominance. He spoke softly, but his words felt more like a dagger.

“What did you even come to this world for?”

Kaito’s life flashed before his eyes…

*            *            *

How he first met Rachael in the Realm Between Worlds, and how excited he was to start a new life.

Meeting Rina and becoming her first, proper partner, and how he got to gloat to the other adventurers.

Entering the tournament with Rina, Evona, and Khrom, and showing off his skills and quirky strategies to the whole stadium.

Adventuring to Evona’s home village and exploring the Nekana Tree. Fighting Kouki’s allies was an unexpected turn, but it was exciting!

Wishing Iori into existence before the Demon Cult and stopping the Demon Lord’s revival.

The school… he didn’t want to remember that…

Xavian? Skip that memory too…

Fiona! He got a kid, albeit an unofficial one… but taking care of her was a blast!

Saving Rina! And getting to beat the socks off of Francis!

The amnesia curse was awkward… but he met so many new people!

Meeting Shen and getting to learn how to use Infinity!

It was all…

So much fun.

*            *            *

“Fun…” Kaito mumbled.

“Huh!?” Kouki said obnoxiously.

“It was fun…” Kaito spoke with resolve. “I CAME TO THIS WORLD TO HAVE FUN!!!”

Kouki stared at Kaito in disbelief. He closed his eyes, grabbed the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and sighed.

“This is who threatened my rule over this world…” Kouki realized. “I think it’s about time I claimed victory in this game… Say good—”

Kouki opened his eyes, but Kaito was gone. He looked around, confused, as he didn’t know how Kaito could free himself without injuring himself further.

Kaito jumped out of Kouki’s shadow and followed Kouki’s unfinished instructions.

“GOODBYE!!!” Kaito shouted and punched Kouki in the face.

The revitalized Kaito had just learned Shadow Dive, a skill that lets the user maneuver through shadows.

As Kouki recovered from his daze, he saw Kaito smiling happily despite being heavily injured.

He was having fun.

He then ran out of a hole in the throne room and booked it to the city.

“Catch me if you can, loser!” Kaito shouted.

Kouki was furious. With his red, angered face and the vein that bulged on his forehead, he was about to erupt.

____________________________________________________________________________

The full moon was out and glimmering down upon the capital of Nakamura. Kaito ran through its vacant streets as most had long gone to bed. He didn’t even know if Kouki was on the chase, but he didn’t care!

BOOM!!!

Kouki landed before Kaito. Glowing white eyes, bloodlust, unsightly posing, it was as if a werewolf had just found its prey.

“GeT bAcK HeRe, KaITo,” Kouki demanded eerily.

Kaito didn’t listen and immediately took the first turn he saw.

Kouki stayed in pursuit.

Kaito ran through the few awake pedestrians, knocked over objects to slow down Kouki, and ran through the alleyways; this situation was seen as a game for Kaito.

In this crazy game of cat and mouse, they recklessly ran through the street. Feeling a sense of deja vu, Kaito felt threatened.

Kouki closed in for the kill, mere inches away from striking Kaito. By the time Kaito realized his situation, it was far too late. He had no chance to react, or one to evade…

But suddenly, the two were swiftly greeted by an oncoming truck Rina!

CRASH!!!

Kouki was sent sliding down the capital’s streets from Rina’s attack. Kaito was frozen from almost being killed again, but regained life upon realizing what had happened.

“Who the hell are you?” Kouki asked, slightly calming down from his fury.

“Rina!” Kaito yelled in excitement.

“You’re not trying to take my target from me, are you, Kaito?” Rina asked as she stared down the enemy.

“Rina?” Kouki questioned himself, but he immediately realized. “Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!!!!”

Kouki broke out into another demented laugh.

“You’re that dumb King’s daughter Shen was talking about, right!?” Kouki deduced. “HAHAHAHA!!! I wondered what happened to Daiki’s kid when I killed him, but who knew you’d become an adventurer!”

Rina got pissed.

“You should’ve seen the look on his face when I killed him. He was so pathetic! OH~ The people will never follow a tyrant, Kouki,” Kouki mocked. “Man, I should’ve killed your mom as well. Maybe she wouldn’t have said something so lame, haHAAAaaa...”

Rina's eyes went dead.

“So what are you going to do after I kill your man?” Kouki didn’t stop. “Oh… I know! I can just marry you and become the real king! Your body’s very nice, and making you submit will be—”

BANG!!!

A shockwave pulsed through the capital, and the sound echoed for miles. Multiple building lights turned on, but they’d never witness what had just occurred.

Kouki was gone.

Blasted away to only a god would know where, and Rina stood in his previous location.

“I never knew getting revenge would feel so… invigorating,” Rina announced stoically as she stared at where she blasted Kouki, but something was off…

Rina’s eyes glowed Red.